Overcome by another fit of coughs, Liurn tried to smile, a hint of his usual humor flickering in the dull light of his eyes. “That is… sweet of you to lie… for my sake,” he choked, blood pooling in the back of his throat, hindering his ability to breathe.
Lifting his upper body further Kaori tried to clear Liurn’s airway, using the hem of her sleeve to wipe the blood from his lips. “It is not a lie.” In a way, she was telling the truth. She did love Liurn, though no differently than she had loved her brother. A different kind of love than he felt for her, but enough to quell the guilt which nagged at the back of her mind for the hurt she caused him. “Sivar always wanted us to be married,” she smiled, her pain worsened to think of her brother while holding Liurn in her arms. He was like a second brother to her. And now, here he lay, tortured and suffering the same as Sivar experienced in his final moments. Her curse continued, unbroken. Everyone she ever loved or cared about ended up dead. There was only one person she’d given her heart to who remained alive and she feared even now for his safety while she sat here with Liurn, unwilling to move until Pehrona came to help. Therek. He was out there somewhere. Alone. It had been her intention to stay by him when they charged the city. Somehow her plans never quite worked the way she wanted.
The pressure of Liurn’s hand slowly lifted, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing over her skin as he lost the strength to hold it up. “You should have… listened to your brother,” he murmured under his breath. The lids of his eyes began to droop heavily, rekindling the fear in Kaori’s heart.
“Yes, I should have,” she replied, unable to conceal the desperation in her tone as she began to shake him in hopes of jarring Liurn back to consciousness. “Keep talking to me, Liurn. I need you to stay awake.”
From across the street she could hear Pehrona’s voice calling for her. By the grace of Sarid, she made it! Maybe it wasn’t too late. They could still save him.
“Pehrona is here, Liurn. She is going to help you…”
“I…” Liurn’s voice trailed off, the light in his eyes dimming drastically.
“No!” Kaori shouted, shaking him violently to try and bring the light back. “No, don’t do this, Liurn! Wake up!” It wasn’t working. A haze settled over his features, the amber glow no more than a faint flicker, fading in and out. She had to keep it alight. Pehrona was so close! “Don’t you do this to me, Liurn. You’re going to be my captain, remember? I cannot trust anyone else to do the job.”
She couldn’t focus on the footsteps of Pehrona and Alenell rushing to kneel beside Liurn’s limp form, Pehrona’s hands quickly running along his neck to feel for a pulse. His eyes stared up at her, unfocused. Blank. She clung to the hope that there was something Pehrona could do to wake him. In that instant she watched as the amber light gave one final flicker, Liurn’s chest rising with a short intake of breath before his weight sank heavy in Kaori’s arms, the glow in his eyes winking out as if someone had blown out a candle. Bent forward over his lifeless form she felt the warmth of her tears spilling out to roll down her cheeks, gazing up at Pehrona in desperation.
“Can you save him? Please tell me he is not dead!”
“I… I cannot feel a pulse, Kaori. Lay him down on the ground so I can try to help.”
Quickly, she did as she was told, releasing her hold on Liurn to gently place him onto the gravel. She tried to wipe the tears away but it was useless, finding them replaced by more, her heart aching, crying out in frustration and despair. Why could she never help the people she cared about most? For everything they had done – for all they sacrificed for her – why could she not do anything to protect them?
Visions of her dream began to float in front of her eyes, adding to the fear which already gripped her heart for the fate of her people. It was all coming true. The scene around her looked vaguely familiar, resembling the images which haunted her in Namorea. Blood spatters on the shops, bodies heaped in the street. Turning her head to the side she could see the battered palace gates where her people forced their way in, the Namiren archers perched atop the wall to fire upon the enemy soldiers on the other side.
Therek. He was the one person from her dream whose face she’d seen as she approached his lifeless figure lying alone on the tiled floor of Sulel’s throne room. “Oh, gods,” she breathed, rising swiftly to her feet in a desperate motion, staring down at her blood-covered hands. It was happening. Exactly as it occurred in her dream. The gates were broken. Therek was inside. I have to get to him…
Turning from the heartbreaking sight of Liurn’s body in Pehrona’s hands she took off toward the gates, the path less congested than it had been before. Death Surrounded her. Everywhere she looked were corpses, limbs severed, blood soaking the ground. The leather of her boots was covered in the thick liquid, unable to avoid stepping in the grotesque puddles while maneuvering across the battlefield. Coherent thoughts were lost to her, focused on the broken gate leading to the palace grounds. The resemblance to her dream was frightening. Passing through to the courtyard she found it exactly as her subconscious predicted. The number of fallen Vor’shai lessened while the human fatalities here increased to a significant rate, Namiren arrows protruding from their necks and chests, lodged into whatever vital target had been left vulnerable to the aim of the archers. You’re too late. A tiny voice in the back of her mind chastised her for the time she wasted, frozen in fear at the start of the battle. She knew this outcome was possible. Her intention had been to stay by Therek to avoid the rest of her nightmare coming true yet the gods had found a way to hold her back.
“No,” she whispered, determined and angry. She would find Therek before he met his demise if it meant she had to cut down the remaining soldiers in the Imperial Army herself. Sword raised, she hurried toward the palace doors, braced for the sight which awaited her inside. It came as no surprise to find the grand foyer filled with the bodies of her kin, the memory of her odd premonition preventing her from falling victim to the same sickness she experienced during the dream. Her legs remained steady, eyes lifted to search the area in case the human soldiers remained in wait of another wave. Deliao was more intelligent than they gave him credit for. He knew they would charge the palace and made sure an ambush was prepared to take them down before they could reach Sulel. Why did you not tell Therek about your dream? The question floated through her mind, adding to the guilt she already felt in her failure to stop the deaths of those lying on the palace floor around her. She could have saved these people. With her help, their plan could have been adjusted to account for every possibility, yet she had remained silent. The simple truth was that no one would have listened. Therek may have entertained the thought that Deliao would be ready for them, but there were too few options for their untrained military. He would have been left with little choice than to proceed as they had for lack of a better way to get inside without spending more time molding their soldiers into better qualified fighters for a direct assault and more strategic measures.
One difference stood out to Kaori, bringing a mild sense of comfort from the fear. Unlike in the dream, the palace was far from quiet. Swords clashing resounded through the walls, indicating the battle continued to wage on somewhere deep in the palace. The throne room. She didn’t care about the other corridors where she could see people fighting as she hurried through the halls. All she could think about was getting to Therek. He would have gone in search of Deliao. If she found Therek, she would find Sulel and his general. It would be perfect. With Therek at her side, the two of them would be able to apprehend Sulel and restrain Deliao to end this war before anyone else had to die.
Lost in her thoughts of victory she paid little notice to the soldiers that charged her while she moved through the twisting corridors. Without the fear she experienced at the start of the battle, it was easier to defeat the enemy, her arms and legs moving as if directed by some invisible force, cutting through each opponent with incredible ease to leave a trail of bloody corpses in her wake. The way to the throne
room was engrained in her mind, each turn seeming as if she had walked these halls a hundred times. When she finally found herself standing before the massive door she gave no pause, thinking only of Therek and the danger he might be in. Gathering her strength she brought her right leg up, knee pulled back to thrust outward toward the handle, a loud crack echoing through the hall as the lock shattered, creating an opening for Kaori to step inside.
“Therek –”
Her words cut off abruptly at the sudden pain of a sharpened sword tip pressed against her throat, stopping her forward momentum into the room. Eyes wide, she found herself face-to-face with General Deliao’s disapproving glare as he stepped in front of her, his muscles tensed in preparation to drive the blade through Kaori’s neck if she made any sudden moves. “Well, look what we have here,” he mused, tossing a smirk over his shoulder to where Sulel sat on the throne, diamonds glittering from the heavy silver crown settled proudly atop his head. “I expected the traitorous Losuva. Seems the gods decided to present us with something even better.”
Kaori’s confidence faltered, confused by the change in events. This was nothing like her dream. In her vision, the room had been empty. Devoid of anyone but Therek. Afraid to discover it to be some kind of trick, she lifted her chin to steal a glance over Deliao’s shoulder, the familiar chill of fear coursing through her at the realization that Therek wasn’t there. She was alone in this room with the most dangerous men of Carpaen, already at a disadvantage in her position by having run directly into the trap Deliao clearly intended for Therek. Be brave; she tried to encourage herself, not wanting to let these men see her fear. “You are a fool if you think I would let anyone else have the pleasure of taking your life.” Good. It sounded strong. Convincing. Now if only you can keep it up…
“You?” Deliao scoffed. “If you desire a fight, I will gladly oblige, but you could never defeat me, girl. You are not strong enough.”
“You know nothing of my strength.”
“No?” Reaching out, Deliao moved with impressive speed, his fingers weaving through Kaori’s hair to pull her forward, the tip of his sword lowered to avoid killing her so soon while still prepared to strike at any moment if he desired to end her life. The pressure of his grip was almost unbearable, nearly pulling a handful of hair from her head, her mouth open wide in a silent scream of agony as he gave another hard tug to demonstrate the control he held over her. “None of this would have happened if you had just let my men have you. Now look at you,” he sneered in disgust. “You aren’t even good enough for my servants.”
She couldn’t respond. The pain was too great, the pressure building at the back of her head, forcing her to her knees under Deliao’s direction in order to ease the discomfort. Somewhere through her distraction she could hear Sulel’s laughter, taking pleasure in Kaori’s humiliation.
“Don’t kill her just yet,” Sulel’s voice rang through the spacious room, seeming to come from everywhere at once as Kaori fought to regain her senses. “Think of the fun we could have with Losuva. He cannot be far behind.”
“The girl is too troublesome, Your Majesty. It is best we kill her quickly.”
“Nonsense. She’s just a child with a sword.”
Deliao’s eyes narrowed with irritation. “She may be a child, but she has friends who could prove a danger to us. We should not take any more chances with the girl than we already have.”
“Last I checked, I am still Emperor, Rilas. Bring her here. She will make perfect bait for Losuva.”
Kaori could feel the tears filling her eyes as Deliao lifted her to her feet with nothing more than the hair still clutched in his fist. She fought to keep hold of her sword as she was dragged across the room to where Sulel now stood on the red carpet at the base of his throne. If she could just maintain her grip a little longer, it was possible she could strike at him. Sulel was overconfident. Unprepared for a fight. With proper timing, she could twist far enough to drive her sword through him before Deliao could stop her. Once the deed was done, she didn’t doubt that Deliao would end her life as well, but at least her parents would be avenged. Sivar’s murderer would be dead and Carpaen would be free of Sulel’s false rule. In the end, it seemed worth it. To sacrifice her life for the sake of her people.
To her dismay she felt Deliao’s free hand come to rest upon her fingers, prying the hilt of her sword from her grasp before she could strike, leaving her helpless at the foot of a man who lacked any shred of decency. There was no telling what he would do in hopes of getting to Therek. Sulel hated him. He made no attempt to conceal that secret, his actions toward the Vor’shai driven entirely by jealousy.
Disarmed of her only weapon, Kaori grimaced to think of the horrible repercussions which could come from her mistake. How could she have let herself be convinced so completely that she’d somehow predicted the future with her dreams? Images conjured by her subconscious while in the heat of a deadly fever. She was no more a psychic than she was a queen. And now she would die for her mistakes.
“Let her go, Rilas.”
Her heart sank at the sound of Therek’s voice. She wanted to take joy in the fact that he was still alive yet she couldn’t bring herself to feel happiness when she knew Sulel intended to use her as a means to distract Therek in battle. Had she been anyone else, it may not have been an issue. Therek had impeccable concentration. But she was his weakness. Sulel proved that the day of Sivar’s death. “It is a trick, Therek. Do not come any closer!” she cried out, knowing it was no use, but unwilling to stand there and say nothing.
“Losuva!” Deliao’s face brightened. “It’s about time you joined us.”
Proudly, Therek stepped forward, lowering his sword from Deliao. “Release the girl and you can have me. There is no glory in killing a woman.”
“Who said anything about killing her?” Sulel moved to stand at Deliao’s side, gruffly snatching Kaori from his hands to pull her closer. “Since we were children, you were always the favorite. You not only stole my father’s affection, you stole my rightful place as his successor. Women preferred your company despite the fact that I was the son of their Emperor. Next to you, I was nothing! You stole everything I ever wanted. But this,” he let his forearm slide around Kaori’s neck to hold her in place in front of him, in perfect view for Therek to see. “This is the one thing I have discovered you to want that I am able to take from you. Do not think I won’t relish the opportunity.”
Deliao moved toward Therek, slow and deliberate, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. Something about the sight of it made her stomach feel sick, recognizing it, though she couldn’t understand how it hadn’t come to her before. Her dream. She’d seen Deliao’s sword, the long, slender blade shimmering in the candlelight of the chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling. When she held Therek’s lifeless body in her arms, it was the same blade which pierced through his chest, unmistakable in its design. She couldn’t let Deliao near him. The nightmare had proven inaccurate since her arrival to the throne room, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t become reality. Deliao was the cause of Therek’s death in her vision. She refused to let him be the cause of it now.
The pressure of Sulel’s arm was less intimidating than Deliao’s sword, aiding in her ability to regain some of the confidence she possessed prior to stumbling into this chaotic mess. Fingers digging at Sulel’s skin to try and free herself, she drew in a deep breath, gathering her strength. Adrenaline provided an extra boost as she leaned forward in a swift, deliberate motion, lifting Sulel’s feet off the floor to throw him over her shoulder, his cry of surprise catching the attention of the other men in the room as he landed on his back. Immediately his arm released Kaori’s head, grasping wildly to keep her from getting away.
Before she could escape his reach, Sulel grabbed onto Kaori’s ankle, her momentum stopped short, causing her to fall forward onto the hard tile. He was stronger than she anticipated, feeling her stomach sliding across the floor where he pulled her toward him, strugg
ling against his firm grip to try and get away. Deliao was already moving to Sulel’s side, holding her wrists to help roll her onto her back while Sulel straddled her abdomen with his legs, the two men pinning her there on the ground like some feral animal, unable to escape.
“She’s a wild one, Therek!” Sulel laughed, the sound less joyful than when Kaori first heard it upon entering the room. He was afraid. Nervous. The tremble in his voice belied his attempts at confidence, his eyes shifting quickly between Therek and Kaori, on guard in case one of them chose to attack again.
“Too wild for you,” Therek stated calmly, the sound of his heavy boots connecting with the tile the only sign Kaori had to know he was coming toward them. Her head spun in fear of what would happen if she let him get too close. She had to keep him away from Deliao. But how? Sulel had her trapped and her weapon was out of reach. She was powerless to stop anything if the gods were determined to see it through.
Relief rushed through her to feel Deliao’s hands release her wrists, though the sensation was short-lived, his fingers quickly regaining their grasp on his sword as well as that of Kaori’s lost weapon, keeping it out of her reach. Freedom came at the cost of Therek’s safety, the sound of his blade clashing with Deliao’s ringing through her ears as a reminder that she’d failed yet again to protect him from danger. If she could just get out from under Sulel, it might not be too late!
Without Deliao’s hands to restrain her, Kaori was free to lash out at Sulel, desperate to be free of him so she could help Therek. Her current predicament left her wondering if their idea to take Sulel captive was within the scope of possibility. He fought against her, their hands slapping at one another in attempts to gain the advantage. Kaori’s size worked against her, pinned firmly to the ground under Sulel’s weight. It took every ounce of strength to lift her shoulders off the floor to land a solid punch, immediately pushed back down by Sulel’s hand to keep her at a distance. Frustration built with every attempt, moving with greater determination though Sulel’s reactions increased their force as well, throwing her repeatedly down onto the hard tile, her head snapping against the surface with a loud crack, nearly losing consciousness from the blow. She needed a distraction. Something to divert Sulel’s attention so she could bypass his guard and get him off her.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 84