Vidar went up next, and I followed him. Pulling myself into the blacksmith’s shop, I noticed my hands and bo staff were warmer than usual.
Glancing around, there was a brick fireplace with an anvil and a large metal bucket of water sitting next to it. The room was stuffy; the only light came from the roaring hearth.
“Where’s the blacksmith?” I asked. No one answered.
A soldat emerged from the shadows behind Askel. I started to raise the end of my weapon when the man violently shoved a longsword into Askel’s stomach. I screamed as he tossed him to the ground. Dark blood pooled around Askel’s lifeless body.
“Just who I’m looking for,” the man said. “There’s a large bounty for you.” He yanked his sword free.
Vidar stepped in front of me. “You won’t touch her.”
He laughed and swung his sword, just missing Vidar’s chest. Vidar turned, grabbed a hammer sitting in a pile of unused tools, and swung toward his attacker.
I tried to focus in order to channel my power and wound the soldat without burning the entire building down or hurting Vidar. The man kicked Vidar’s leg. Vidar gracefully twisted his body as he fell, clipping the man’s thigh with the hammer. I aimed for the man’s feet, wanting to render him unconscious and not kill him. I released a small sliver of power and he stumbled, falling over and clutching his leg. In one swift move, Vidar swung the hammer down, smashing the man’s head. A bone-chilling crunch echoed through the shop.
I dropped to my knees, stunned. “You killed him.” My bo staff hummed with power, responding to my anger. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down.
“This is war,” Vidar said. “It’s kill or be killed.”
The door to the blacksmith shop clicked shut. “Where’s the blacksmith?” Anders asked.
“Don’t know,” Vidar responded. “Most likely dead.”
I scrambled to my feet. Anders wouldn’t look at me. There was a coldness to him that made my skin prickle with fear. He hurried over to Askel and pulled his lifeless body into a dark corner, then he did the same with the soldat. Vidar helped him rearrange a few things to make sure the dead bodies were concealed.
“We’re at war with Morlet—not his army,” I said. Both Anders and Vidar turned to look at me. “That man was probably forced to work for the king. He could have been a father, like mine. You didn’t have to kill him.”
Vidar grabbed my arm, his eyes alight with rage. “Morlet is the king. He controls the army. You must understand that. I need to know that you’re ready—that you can fight and kill if necessary. I won’t risk other men’s lives if you’re not capable of doing this.”
Staring into his blue eyes, I honestly didn’t know. Could I kill another person?
“If you’re not ready, we can postpone this,” Vidar said. “However, you did promise your father you would end it.”
The kingdom of Nelebek needed the Krigers. Morlet’s tyrannical reign couldn’t continue. “I can do it,” I said, making my choice.
“Good,” he said, releasing my arm. “I need to go. Anders will take you to the dungeon. I’ll meet you there.” He kissed my forehead and left.
“I have an idea,” Anders said. “Give me a moment to prepare.” He went to the corner where the dead bodies were hidden. When he disappeared from sight, I started pacing. The next time I faced a soldat, I’d have to act quicker. There was no reason to kill. I could knock him out instead. We’d be in such a hurry that Anders wouldn’t be able to check if they were alive or not.
“Let’s go,” Anders said. He was wearing the dead soldat’s uniform. We left the blacksmith’s shop. Outside, the air was crisp and the sky quickly turning dark. “Use your bo staff as a walking stick,” he instructed. “If anyone asks, I’m escorting you to the dungeon for questioning.”
“Even though we’re going the wrong direction?”
“Yes,” he said, pulling the hat low on his head. “I’m just doing another round before I take you in.”
He avoided looking at me. “Fine,” I said as we headed toward the mines.
“Why did you agree to marry him?” Anders asked.
My shoulders stiffened. The girl from the brothel must have told him. I wanted to explain that I didn’t want to marry Vidar, that I was only marrying him because my father wanted me to, and because Grei Heks said it was inevitable. Instead, I said, “Now is not the time.”
We neared the end of the jam-packed apartment buildings and hid in the shadowy alcove of a doorway. The entrance to the mines was located approximately fifty yards away.
“Keep your weapon at your side, so it blends in with your body,” Anders whispered in my ear. “I’m going to hold your arm like I’m escorting you.”
“We’re going to walk out in the open?” I asked, horrified. The land from here to the mines was flat and void of any structures. Soldats watching the area would easily see us.
“Yes,” he replied. “It’s the fastest way. Make sure you stay by my side.”
Before I could respond, he took hold of my arm and dragged me from the doorway. We headed straight across the open land to the large, cave-like entrance of the mines dug into the side of a small hill. It was almost completely dark out except for a soft glow coming from the entrance.
Being so exposed made my skin crawl. At any moment, someone could scream that I was the Kriger Morlet sought. However, we reached the mines without incident.
“That was easy,” I said as we neared the twenty-foot by fifteen-foot entrance. Several torches hung on the dark gray rocky walls. The floor sloped downward as we made our way into the mines.
The usual sounds of metal chiseling and men talking were absent. I held my bo staff before me, ready to use it. All the workers had gone home for the evening since the citywide curfew was in effect. However, my father had told me soldats were stationed near the entrance the entire night.
Anders glided alongside me without making a sound. His eyes roamed over every inch of the cave looking for trouble. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held a finger to his lips and froze. A second later, he shoved me into a crevice in the wall, shielding my body with his. He took my weapon and held it flat against me. The black uniform he wore blended in with the gray rocks.
“Someone’s coming,” he whispered in my ear. “Whatever you do, don’t move.”
Holding perfectly still, I tried to calm my breathing. My hands started to throb with pain, so I clenched them into fists, working through the awful burning sensation.
Anders grunted from my power. “Slide your left hand to your bo staff,” he whispered.
I moved my hand between our bodies, and my fingers immediately found the smooth wood of my weapon. The pain went away, and my body instantly relaxed.
Voices drifted toward us. Anders went rigid, and I did my best to stay still, curled between the rocky wall and him. Someone in the distance yelled, and the sound of boots pounded past us. After a few minutes, they faded away.
“We need to get into one of the smaller tunnels,” Anders whispered. “We’re too exposed here.” He peeled away from me and stepped out of the crevice. He nodded for me to join him. “Stay close to the walls and move fast.”
We ran deeper into the mines. When the ground flattened, we came to a circular area with half a dozen tunnels that jetted out. Anders picked one to the left and I followed, wondering if he knew where he was going since we didn’t have Askel to guide us.
Torches hung every thirty feet, providing light. The last time we were in the mines, the tunnels had been pitch-black. The sound of boots faintly echoed around me. After a minute, the sound intensified. There weren’t any places to hide.
Anders glanced at me. “Be prepared,” he mouthed.
I nodded and clutched the bo staff with my sweaty hands, ready to face the soldats. Shadows of men carrying swords danced on the stone walls, growing larger the closer they came. Channeling the power from the core of my body, I forced it down my arms
and to my weapon. It responded, humming with power. I envisioned a cup of water, planning to slowly pour a little bit out. If I could control the amount of power I unleashed, these men wouldn’t die.
Lifting my bo staff, I held it before me, ready.
Six soldats came into view. The first dropped to the ground. The remaining men scrambled to unsheathe their swords. Four more collapsed. The last man standing turned to run. He couldn’t be allowed to alert others. I was about to zap him when he, too, fell.
Anders lowered his blow dart. Each one of them had a dart sticking out of his neck. He squatted and retrieved his darts.
Six men lay unmoving on the ground. “Did you kill them?”
Anders paused a moment before answering, “Yes.”
“How can you kill so many without remorse?” I tried to keep my voice low so others wouldn’t hear me. “I was going to knock them out, but you didn’t even let me try. Do you always go around killing for no reason?”
His face reddened, and his eyes narrowed making him look dark and furious. I took a step back, away from him, dropping my bo staff. He swiftly grabbed my neck, jerking me toward him. I shoved his chest, but his grip tightened. He lowered his forehead to mine, our noses brushing, the heat of his breath caressing my face.
“Let me go,” I demanded.
“Not until you stop acting ridiculous.”
“Did it ever occur to you that these men have families? They’re doing what they have to in order to survive. They probably hate Morlet as much as you do.”
“I know,” Anders said. “You forget I’ve been around a lot longer than you have.”
Our foreheads were still touching, and his skin was hot against mine. He infuriated me, and I wanted to clobber him.
“Is this what you think of me? That I’m a cold-hearted killer?” he demanded. “Is that why you agreed to marry Vidar?”
“What does Vidar have to do with this?”
He chuckled, the sound harsh. His lips moved to my ear. “I had to kill those soldats to protect you. If I didn’t, when they woke up, they’d hunt you down,” he whispered. “If you knew me, understood me, you’d know I detest killing.” Anders released me and stormed away.
I ran after him. After several silent and uncomfortable moments, I asked, “Couldn’t you have given them a stronger dose of medicine so they’d sleep longer? Allowing us to escape?”
“No,” he replied in a clipped voice.
“Why?”
“The sleeping medicine only lasts an hour at most,” he said. “That isn’t enough time for us to rescue the Krigers and flee the castle.” He sighed. “I don’t kill for the fun of it. There is always a calculated reason.”
I had tried numerous times to get him to open up to me, but he was always so withdrawn.
“This is war,” he continued. “People—on both sides—are going to die tonight.”
That was true—deaths were inevitable in war. However, I wished he didn’t kill as a first line of defense. Yet, he hadn’t killed out of hate or spite. He’d killed to protect me. Although I didn’t like Anders’s methods, we both wanted the same thing—to end Morlet’s reign.
We came to another circular area where six tunnels jetted off. Anders motioned for me to follow him, and we headed into one of the dark ones where I bumped into him. His hands gripped my arms.
“Something is wrong,” he whispered in my ear. We stood only five feet or so from the tunnel’s entrance.
“What do you mean?”
“The tunnel we need to take to reach the dungeon is the only one lit. Morlet must know we’re here.”
“Do you want me to try and contact him?” I didn’t want to speak to Morlet, but I would do it to ensure our safety.
Anders’s hands tightened. “No,” he said. “That’s not necessary.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to take the tunnel we need to. Stay behind me and be prepared to fight. I’ll do my best to protect you.”
We went back to the mouth of the tunnel and stayed there for a moment, watching the open area. Once Anders was certain it was safe, we headed into the only lit tunnel.
There was a rumble, and then dust floated from behind us. Anders jumped on top of me, pinning me to the ground. We stayed that way until the dirt settled.
“Was that an explosion?” I asked.
“They just blocked one of the ends to this tunnel.”
The idea of being buried alive or trapped underground scared me more than facing Morlet did. “So we can’t go back that way?”
He shook his head. “Which means we’re walking into a trap.” Anders rolled off me and pulled me to my feet. “We’re going to have to fight for our lives,” he said, still holding my hand.
Which meant I was going to have to kill.
“It’s never an easy choice to make,” Anders said, squeezing my hand and releasing it. “But you can do it.”
My stomach felt queasy, and my arms shook. The bo staff warmed, sending a wave of soothing calmness through me.
Anders led the way and we continued on, listening for sounds of an ambush. When we came to an intersection, he pushed me against the wall while he peered at the three other tunnels. “If someone is going to attack us, it’ll be here. I’ll go first. Once I make it to the tunnel directly across, you go.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and lifted my weapon, preparing to protect Anders when he made his way across to the other tunnel.
“Kaia,” he said, his voice soft. “If anything happens to me, do whatever you can to save yourself.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I insisted.
He stepped closer to me, almost touching. “I wish things were different,” he whispered. “If only you weren’t engaged to Vidar.”
I was about to question him when he abruptly stepped back, unsheathed a pair of daggers, and exited the tunnel. Two arrows sailed directly toward his torso. He jumped to the side, and the arrows narrowly missed him. A dozen soldats stormed into the intersection with their swords drawn.
I raised my bo staff and released a sliver of power, hitting one of them in his stomach. He dropped to the ground. Leaping over him, I swung at another one, striking his head and knocking him out. Spinning my weapon on the palm of my hand above my head, I unleashed a bit of power, hitting several men at once. They fell to the ground. Anders threw his daggers into his two opponents’ chests. They toppled over. Every single soldat lay unconscious or dead.
“Are you hurt?” Anders asked.
“No,” I answered, gasping for air. My weapon warmed, and my breathing evened out as my strength replenished.
The corners of his mouth rose into a devious smile as he surveyed the damage. “You’re a lethal little warrior.”
During the fight, I hadn’t even hesitated once; it was as if the bo staff and the power inside of me had guided me through it.
Voices echoed from one of the tunnels.
“Which way do we need to go?” I whispered.
Anders pointed to the tunnel that the voices were coming from. My heart sank. We were going to have to fight more men. The sound of marching resounded from the other tunnel. We were trapped.
“Ready yourself,” Anders said as he raised his bloody daggers before him. “I’ll need you to release enough power to strike down as many as you can right away—otherwise we won’t stand a chance.”
I lifted my weapon, pointing the end toward the tunnel with the voices. It hummed, ready to be used.
My father stormed out of the tunnel, his eyes wild. “Run!” he yelled. “The King’s Army is down here searching for you. They have orders to kill anyone you’re with and to take you alive.” He coughed, blood splattering on the ground. “There are six men pursing me.”
Anders wrapped his arm around my father, pulling him back into the dark tunnel. I ran over to help, but Papa shoved me away.
“Get out of there,” he said, wheezing
.
“We can’t leave him,” I cried as Anders dragged me to the intersection.
“The only way to save him is to fight.” He clasped my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “Killing blows.”
I nodded, and he released me.
Six soldats ran out of a tunnel. Anders turned and slashed one across the chest with his knife while throwing his second knife at another. I aimed my bo staff and unleashed a chunk of power, killing the remaining four at once. My arms started shaking.
Papa crawled into the intersection. “Kaia,” he wheezed. “Get out of here. Don’t risk your life for me.”
“I can’t leave you here,” I cried, dropping to my knees and hugging him.
“Please,” my father begged. “You are the only one who can end this. Rescue the Krigers, kill Morlet, and save Nelebek. Do it for me.”
I shook my head, unable to leave him. The sound of boots marching down one of the tunnels was so loud, it was hard to hear my father speak.
“They’re almost here,” Anders said, his hands clutching his knives. “There’s only one tunnel that’s clear right now.”
I stood, prepared to fight to save my father. We weren’t leaving without him.
“I love you, Kaia,” Papa said. “Know that I am doing this for you.” He pulled out a dagger and plunged it into his chest.
“No!” Everything around me spun, and the air was knocked out of me. I collapsed on the ground.
Anders’s strong hands grabbed my shoulders, steadying me.
My father looked at him. “Get my daughter out of here,” he mumbled, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “Promise me you’ll take care of her.”
“I promise,” Anders responded, his voice gruff. My father’s eyes fluttered closed as the life drained from his body.
“Papa!” I shook him. He couldn’t be dead. He just couldn’t. “I love you. Please don’t leave me here all alone. I need you.”
Anders wrapped his arms around me, dragging me from my father’s lifeless body and down the only empty tunnel. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But we need to go.”
Soldats stormed into the tunnel behind us in close pursuit.
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