Soul Relenter (Soul Saga #3)

by Todd, E. L.

  Zyle said nothing. He wouldn’t reveal anything further about his wife. “What do you want?” he asked.

  “I wanted to know if Accacia was with you,” he said quietly. “I haven’t seen her since she escaped. I was hoping she would never return. The woman saved my life. Are you friends of hers?”

  “I’m her husband,” Zyle answered. “Stand up.” The elderly man rose to his feet with his hands still in the air. “I will not harm you unless you give me a reason to. You knew Accacia well?”

  “I loved her—along with the rest of the staff—ever since she came here. When she escaped, the king was more than displeased, but we were happy she made her escape. Her confinement was nothing but torture.”

  “Why have you approached us? Was it because you hoped to see her?”

  Aldo lowered his hands, tired from holding them up for so long. “I know that a battle is taking place in the province. I was hoping this day would come—the tyrant needs to die. I was hoping that Accacia was behind it.”

  “I’m sorry—she isn’t with us.”

  “So it’s true?” he asked sadly. “She is dead?”

  “No,” Zyle corrected. “She is somewhere safe.”

  Aldo nodded. “Good,” he said. “Drake was misinformed. He is under the impression that she passed on—he was told by the late Nature Priest of Orgoom Forest. Apparently, he had been lied to.”

  Zyle said nothing. Father Giloth was like a father to Accacia. He assumed he lied to save her—Zyle was moved by the effort. The priest had protected Accacia at the cost of his life. “So you wish to aid us?” Zyle said as he lowered his blade.

  “Accacia saved my life—I owe her mine in return. If you are her husband, then I will do whatever I can to help you. What can I do for you?”

  Zyle looked Laura, asking her if he should reveal their mission. Laura nodded her head in response. “We will kill him if he’s lying.” Zyle looked at Roxian and she nodded as well.

  Zyle turned back to Laura. “He has no ill intent. I feel nothing of the sort.”

  “Good,” she whispered.

  Zyle sheathed his blade. “We are looking for Soul Binders—black, hard stones that were used to construct Roslyn Keep—do you know where the king has hidden them?”

  Aldo thought for a moment. “He never mentioned the collection of these stones or their purpose, but he did have large shipments of packaged material moved to the back of the palace, in an abandoned dining hall that has been forgotten for years. The door is locked at all times and only he has the key. If he was hiding anything of value, I would expect it to be hidden there.”

  Zyle nodded in gratitude. The room he described sounded exactly like what they were looking for. “Thank you,” he said. “We appreciate your help.” Zyle and the women turned away and headed down the hallway to the described room.

  “How do you plan to get inside?”

  Zyle stopped and turned around. “We will break down the door.”

  “It’s made of solid stone,” Aldo said. “The windows have been reconstructed with stones as well. I highly doubt you will be able to break through it—you need the key.”

  “But you just said only the king has it.”

  Aldo nodded. “Yes, I did.”

  “That’s not an option,” Zyle said. “We have to harvest the stones without the knowledge of the king. If we can’t kill Drake, we need to move the stones away—it’s more important.”

  “I will retrieve tools from the armory upstairs. Perhaps we can chisel our way through if we work together.”

  “Thank you,” Zyle said.

  Aldo nodded and disappeared down the hallway. He returned a moment later with pickaxes and carving tools. “This is all we have, I’m afraid. I hope it will be enough.”

  The three of them grabbed the materials and placed them in their belts. “Be careful,” Aldo warned. “Even though the door is always locked, it is still guarded by his best soldiers. And if he becomes aware of your presence, or the warriors escape, they will return in full force.

  Zyle nodded. “Thank you for your help. I will tell my wife of your aid if I live long enough to see her.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “I would appreciate that.” He grabbed the pickaxe from the floor and held it in his shaky hand.

  Zyle knew the old man wouldn’t be much help. Zyle assumed the chamberlain had lived in the palace for years and probably knew Drake even when he was a small child. He would know Aleco as well. Zyle stepped closer to him. “Aleco lives,” he whispered.

  Aldo opened his eyes in shock. The boy had been killed for a crime he hadn’t committed twenty years ago. It was impossible for him time to be alive. “That can’t be.”

  Zyle nodded. “It’s true. He just went to challenge Drake in his study—he plans to execute him.”

  Aldo shook his head. “The man won’t survive,” he said with a desperate voice. “He is too powerful—too strong. Aleco never should have returned.”

  “Well, it’s too late,” Zyle said. “He is already gone from our reach. We need to gather the Soul Binders before the fight is over. If Aleco fails, we need to be gone from here.” Zyle and Aldo suddenly flinched at the sound that shook the keep. The floor above them trembled with the weight of a heavy crash and the noise exploded all around them. Zyle ducked at the sound and so did Laura—the ceiling was crumbling.

  “We need to get moving,” Zyle said as he advanced down the hallway and back to the room with the grand staircase. Roxian and Laura followed behind while the elderly chamberlain headed up the rear. They crossed to the other side of the palace and walked down an identical hallway that led back to the keep. They were about to round the hallway when Aldo grabbed Zyle by the arm. He held up his hand and nodded his head around the corner. Zyle understood his meaning. There were soldiers guarding the entrance. Zyle withdrew his blade and so did Roxian and Laura. Zyle held his hand up to the elderly man, telling him to wait in the hallway. Aldo nodded.

  Zyle stepped around the corner first and saw the two men stand on either side of the door. They were both large soldiers, bigger than the ones they had encountered in the province, and they were adorned in heavy armor, blunt axes and gleaming swords. Zyle felt the fear take its toll but he pushed it back. They may appear threatening, but the soldiers were outnumbered. Zyle rushed across the room and aimed his sword, but the guard withdrew his sword and sliced at Zyle, cutting him along the cheek. Zyle stepped back and ducked under the blade that was aimed at him. The soldier unsheathed another blade from his belt and attacked Zyle with both swords, lashing at him with the edge of his blades. Laura aided Zyle while Roxian advanced to the other guard, who cut her along the arm through his savage attack. The soldier grabbed Roxian by the throat and threw her against the wall, smashing her into the wood. Roxian fell to the floor and didn’t rise.

  Even with Laura’s aid, Zyle couldn’t overcome the immaculate soldier before him. The man engaged them both with ease and swung both his swords at their necks, missing by a mere inch. Laura felt her body weaken under the strength of his blows and she feared she might fail. She knew how exhausted Zyle was by the sweat dripping from his brow. The cut along his cheek dripped with blood.

  Zyle’s sword faltered when the bells started ringing in the room. He glanced to his left and saw the second soldier that Roxian had engaged with. He pulled the string in the corner of the room, ringing the bells high up into the keep. Zyle felt the blow to his body as he was hurled backward, and Laura screamed as the man twisted her arm and broke her elbow, leaving her arm dangling uselessly at her side. Laura grabbed her sword from the ground and engaged him with her other hand but he overpowered her again, shoving her back against the wall. Zyle tried to rise but he felt the boot press against his throat, suffocating him. Zyle heard the sound of footsteps approach and saw soldiers enter the room, carrying their blades at their sides. Their leader stopped and stared at the fallen Asquithians. Roxian was unconscious and Zyle was almost blue from the suffocation. The warrior finall
y released his hold on his throat and let him breathe. The commander stepped forward. “What happened here?”

  The warrior placed his hand behind his back and met his gaze. “They were trying to break into the dining hall, Commander Shane.”

  Shane nodded and turned to Zyle, who he assumed was their leader. He studied his features and noticed he looked different than most humans. His features were exaggerated and his skin pale. He looked fairer than most humans. The two women shared the same similarities. “Why were you trying to enter the forbidden room?”

  Zyle met his gaze and said nothing.

  Shane grabbed his blade and held it to his throat. Zyle didn’t move. “Don’t make me ask again.”

  Laura watched the knife dig deeper into Zyle’s throat with every passing second. Zyle took the pain and said nothing, refusing to answer his question. The blood dripped down his neck and into his armor. “Remove your knife and I will answer you,” she said quickly. She couldn’t let Zyle be killed—not this way. She knew Accacia needed her husband more than her aunt. Shane turned his gaze toward Laura and smiled at her. Zyle stared at him with a look of hate.

  “Then speak,” the commander demanded.

  “We needed to retrieve the stones,” she said. It was obvious they failed in their attempt and there was no point in lying. Perhaps if they answered his question, they would live long enough to figure out a new plan.

  “Why did you feel the need to do that?” he asked with a smile. “They don’t belong to you.”

  “The king needs to be stopped—surely you must see that. Help us kill him.” The commander stared at her for a moment with a stoic expression. “Please?” she begged.

  “You intend to kill the Sole Sovereign of the Unified Continent—the most powerful man in existence?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Help us. Be free of him.”

  He smiled at her for a moment. Then he grabbed her head and snapped her neck, killing her instantly. Zyle closed his eyes as he heard her neck snap. He forced the tears back, knowing any emotion could get him killed. The commander let her body fall to the floor. Her head was turned at an odd angle and her eyes were open. Zyle forced himself to stare straight ahead—that could have been him.

  Shane rose to his feet. “Grab them,” he said as he left the room. I’m sure the king will be interested in meeting these special guests.” Zyle was pulled to a stand by the warrior he had fought and shoved forward. The men grabbed Roxian’s unconscious form from the ground and one man threw her over his shoulder. The last soldier grabbed Laura’s body and carried her corpse in his arms. Zyle was pushed forward toward the grand staircase and they forced him to ascend the stairwell. He hoped Aleco had defeated the king but he doubted it—he knew they wouldn’t survive this. Zyle was thankful Accacia had remained behind—he didn’t want her to watch him die.

  Aleutian Keep

  35

  Aleco walked into the room and closed the door, leaving it cracked slightly so the Chief could listen. He stepped further into the room and looked at the opposite side of the study. Drake was leaning back in his chair, drinking a glass of wine, while he stared into the flames of his hearth, his mind somewhere far away. The king didn’t look up at Aleco’s approach. He assumed Aleco was a servant.

  Drake’s face was identical to his own. The blue eyes were bright and clear, just as Aleco remembered them. Aleco hadn’t fought his twin since the night he broke into the palace almost two years ago. He had tried to kill Drake then but he lacked the will. He no longer had such a reservation. Drake was larger than he remembered him. His muscles were massive and covered his body, giving him a large size under the clothing of his uniform. Aleco knew he was proficient in the blade by his muscled girth. He had trained his body for any attack.

  Aleco noticed Drake was covered in armor. It was black and sleek, but contained shiny sparkles embedded in the metal, making it appear like stars in the night sky. Aleco was surprised he was dressed in battle garb. Perhaps he wasn’t as much of a coward as he thought. Aleco realized it was probably just a precaution. The king didn’t appear concerned with the battle on his grounds whatsoever, like it would be over in a few hours. His brother’s cockiness annoyed him.

  The Nature Priest stepped farther into the room, approaching his brother slowly. His anger increased the closer he got to him. He looked at his features in detail and couldn’t believe their astonishing similarities. They really were identical. Their hair was the same length and they had the same posture. They even had the same habits. Aleco spotted the three empty bottles of wine on his desk. It wasn’t brandy but it was poison just the same.

  Drake finally turned toward the man who had entered his study. He saw the cloaked man before him but he didn’t react to the intruder. He stared at Aleco for a moment, appraising the sword at his side and the bow across his back. “I stand corrected,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. He placed the glass on the desk. “You have even less sense than the Nature Priest before you. I hope the Naturalists of Orgoom Forest pick a better candidate this time around.” Drake didn’t move from his seat. Aleco walked further into the room and stopped a few feet away from the desk. He didn’t reach for his blade. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this man. “I will grant you some mercy. Turn around and walk out of this room, taking your pathetic army with you, and I will let you live.”

  “Are you afraid to fight me yourself? Are you that pathetic that you need to send one your lackeys to attack a mere Nature Priest?”

  Drake narrowed his eyes at Aleco and sat up in his chair. “I would be honored to kill you. I would be two for two.”

  Aleco felt the anger course through his body at the insult. His uncle had only died because he let himself be killed. He unsheathed his blade and held it at his side. Drake stared at the blade, interested by the unique sword. “You are from the guild?”

  “I am the guild.”

  “What kind of holy Nature Priest unites with a gang of thugs? That doesn’t sound very honorable.”

  “I never said I was.”

  Drake rose from his seat and stepped around the desk, coming closer to the Nature Priest. “What do you want from me?”

  “I haven’t made that clear?” Aleco asked. “Or are you too stupid to figure it out?”

  Drake shook his head. “There is so much anger coming from you, a peaceful man. I can’t think of a single action I have taken against you.”

  “Actually, there are many.” Aleco gripped his blade and prepared to strike. Drake caught his movements. “You have committed too many crimes against the citizens of the Continent and it ends—now. Just because you weren’t loved by anyone doesn’t mean you can force people to care for you.”

  The king stared at him and his eyes blazed in blue fire. “What did you just say?”

  Aleco stepped back. “Your parents loved your brother more than you. And then you fell in love with a woman that will only take you against her will. You will never be loved by anyone, Drake. You can’t force it.”

  Drake took a step forward. The man was aware of things he shouldn’t be. The news of his imprisoned courtesan was reasonable but not his childhood past. He had never confided that to anyone. “Who are you?”

  “Father Rhonian—or did you forget my name already?”

  “You are lying.”

  “I’m a Nature Priest, you idiot—I can’t lie.”

  Drake flinched in anger at the insult. He knew there was more to this man than he was letting on. He was hiding something—and he was doing it without lying. Drake began to fear the man before him, an enemy he didn’t understand.

  Aleco watched the unease creep into his face. It was like watching himself in a mirror. Aleco couldn’t believe Accacia had ever returned his love. How did she separate the man before him from the man that she loved? Aleco felt the anger swell through his body as he recalled what Drake had done to her. He had ripped an unborn child from her wound, making her possibly barren, and he had beaten her senseless too many times. Dr
ake had stolen her virginity from her. It was unforgivable. “Perhaps this will clear your confusion.” Aleco grabbed his hood and pulled it down, revealing his face to his twin brother.

  Drake took an involuntary step back. His eyes were wide open and his lips broke apart, giving him an astonished appearance. He stared at Aleco for several minutes, studying the features of his face. Everything about him was the same; it was his twin. “You were killed.”

  “Obviously I wasn’t,” he snapped. “You have gotten dumber these past twenty years, Drake.”

  “You were the man who snuck into the palace two years ago,” he said to himself. Drake felt himself connecting the pieces of the truth. “You tried to kill me but you lost your nerve, too scared to actually do it, and I stabbed you with the Kadnit Knife, impregnating you with deadly poison, but you managed to survive.”

  “Well, at least you are improving.”

  Drake smiled. “You lost the fight then. You will lose the fight now.”

  “I doubt it,” Aleco said. “My reasons for killing you have changed. And I didn’t falter because I was scared. I didn’t want to kill my brother. Despite your horrible crimes, I still cared for you, even though you tried to kill me, but no more. I want nothing more than to see you dead.”

  “What have I done that’s so terrible, Aleco?” He took a step toward Aleco, and Aleco stepped away, keeping him at the same distance. Drake didn’t draw his blade but he circled him like a hawk, preparing for the dive. His armor gleamed in the light of the hearth, highlighting the gems embedded in the armor. “Yes, I killed Mother and Father, but it wasn’t a loss. They deserved to be eliminated.” Aleco shook his head at his words. His twin was clearly a maniac. “But I have done nothing to you.”

  “So, framing me for the death or our parents—is—dirt under the rug?”

  “Well, I guess that was a little harsh,” he said with a laugh. “But you should be over it by now. It’s been twenty years, Aleco. You could have moved on and I never would have ever known of your existence. But you decided to come here with a pathetic army and challenge me—the greatest ruler on this earth.