Shadow Assassins (The Second Realm Trilogy)

by Vazquez, Melissa

“It's not our death wish,” Marco muttered, loud enough for only them to hear.

  D'jerik explained that his warriors were hungry for battle, eager for revenge upon what had happened to their colony. It had been rebuilt fairly well, but there were still the marks of battle around the trees and the sacred Citadel.

  “Have some of our warriors, those who wish to go into battle,” D'jerik finally offered. “I cannot keep them all reined in and if there is no battle soon, these warriors will fight among themselves.”

  When Kaleb relayed the message to Dante, she was overjoyed at the prospect of more soldiers. D'jerik suggested that their procession part ways and that took some convincing for Dante and Kara to agree with.

  D'jerik sent a small group of five warriors to protect the peace party. He then called Camira out from her home, as she knew El Flora fairly well. Camira agreed to lead Kara and her peace party to El Flora.

  “Are you sure you want to be going out there all alone?” Marco asked her before she was out of his sight.

  “I won't be alone. I'll be with warriors who can protect me.” Her smile was warm as she looked at him. “But your concern makes my heart sing, Marco, of the First Realm.”

  With that, she pulled him into a fast kiss. He was surprised but didn't pull away until she did. She smiled at him, then headed off to the peace party.

  Marco couldn't help but smile stupidly as he watched her go. That was, until he caught D'jerik's disapproving eye. Camira had been promised to marry D'jerik. She had practically slapped the elf warrior in the face with her kiss. He made it a point to avoid D'jerik after that.

  The peace party left ahead of the war party, to make faster time to El Flora. Once they were gone, D'jerik summoned his warriors and announced that the Moonriver army was looking for warriors to help their cause. He said he needed warriors to stay and protect the city, but he would also let some of his warriors join the growing army. There was an immediate response, and almost half of the elf warriors dedicated themselves to the cause. The remaining stayed behind to guard the city.

  The elves were well supplied. To the Moonriver soldiers who walked without armor, they were given cloth and leather armor that was used for sparring. Those who walked without weapons were given bows and arrows, as the elves had an abundance of them around. What horses that the Oraldine elves could spare were given over, as well as food and medical supply.

  Lastly, D'jerik surprised them by making his second in command, D'jala, in charge of the village in his absence.

  “Did you think I wasn't coming with you?” D'jerik growled, a small smile playing on his lips. “I have given you many warriors, but they will obey my command better than that of a girl's. Together we fight and together, we will defeat this corrupt king.”

  As the sun rose high into the sky for the afternoon, the growing army headed out of Oraldine. The elves stood at one side of the supply carts and horses, the former students of Moonriver at the other, forming a deadly guard around the carriages.

  Kaleb was again collaborating with Dante on their next location, Kkyathi. The Kkyathi had apparently gone back home and he wanted to see them before they set off. Dante agreed, although hesitantly. She was itching to make it to the Emeralde Kingdom.

  Beside them, Evangeline conversed with the prince. They hadn't had much time to talk with how fast things had come together, but now she pulled his attention away from the war party, while she could.

  “Are you sure you want to be coming with us?” she asked. “If we march into the kingdom like this and your father sees you, won't he think you're betraying him?”

  “But I'm not betraying him. I may be able to help convince my father, if he refuses to listen.”

  Somehow, Evangeline doubted that, but said nothing. Instead, she asked, “What if the war party turns on you, because you're Emeralde royalty?”

  Instead of answering her question, he patted her leg from his spot on horseback. “You worry too much, my lady. Don't. I will be just fine.”

  That didn't ease her worries enough.

  

  The journey to Kkyathi was shorter than expected. D'jerik instructed them to use the main traveling roads, instead of cutting through the wilderness. The traveling roads were usually used by the Gypsa, but they were thankfully empty as they changed routes. The dirt roads were smoother and easier on the carriage wheels. The land had been flattened by many feet and carts, so there were no more problems with elevation that they had been encountering while in the wilderness. The Moonriver army was thankful for the change. They were exhausted from the walking, not being used to it while being weighted down by armor and weapons. It took some encouraging for them to continue, with only relatively short breaks to catch their breath on.

  Like the elves, the Kkyathi were surprised at first to see the war party, but eager to help when given the opportunity. Unlike the elves, most of the warriors wanted to join the cause. Kirrah had trouble controlling her warriors at first as they all shouted their lust for blood, their want for the king to be killed.

  “There is still a village to protect,” Kirrah pointed out to her eager warriors.

  D'jerik once again offered the Oraldine colony's help to those who could not fight. With a pen and ink produced by one of the Moonriver soldiers, he scribbled a note in elegant script on a scrap of parchment. None of the Assassins could understand what he was writing, but he explained that this would let the colony know that he approved of Kkyathi citizens entering the village, with full visitor rights.

  “Hurry now. Gather who is not fit to go to war.”

  There was a flurry of activity as the Kkyathi divided themselves. The children, the elderly, the disabled and the concerned parents started to pack their belongings into small wooden carts with short raised sides. The platforms were pulled by horses or other Kkyathi in feral form. There weren't many of them to pack up and head for elf territory. The previous raid on their homeland had killed too many to begin with.

  Kaleb’s heart jolted when he saw Kikkaho and her father head to the party exiting the town. She didn’t see him, though, charged with convincing her father as to why they needed to exit the tribe, now. She disappeared with the rest of them.

  After they had left, Kirrah and Kamu rounded up the warriors to go to war. There weren't as many Kkyathi as there were elf warriors, but the number added still helped the cause. Moonriver's army had doubled, if not tripled in size since the morning.

  Dante let her soldiers rest after the armies had been gathered up. The Kkyathi agreed to let them use the land for whatever they needed, so the camp grounds became a sort of base of operations. Her tired soldiers let their feet rest. Nearby, some of the elves and the Kkyathi talked of trade and of weapons as they exchanged their weapons for comparison.

  The angel-demon hybrid approached her sister. “I'm surprised at how well things are going for us.”

  Evangeline seemed troubled, but smiled at her. “Yeah, me too. What do you think will happen when we get to the Emeralde Kingdom?”

  “Honestly? All hell breaking loose.” Dante gave a heavy sigh and sat down beside her twin on the dirt ground. “Why?”

  Her twin shrugged. “Worried about the prince. Will everyone turn on him?”

  At that, Dante glanced at the prince, who was chatting with an elvish warrior who wanted to see his sword. “I doubt it. He's been good to us. What else is on your mind, sister? You seem to be hiding something else.”

  Evangeline seemed surprised, but laughed. “How'd you know?”

  “I am your twin, of course. I feel a certain connection to you, now that we are together.”

  Twin sets of eyes met for a moment, before Evangeline looked away. After hesitating for another moment, she went into detail about what had started developing in her mind as the Kkyathi were being recruited, about how she and the others had only been hired by Dirk to be bodyguards, but now with the school and Dirk gone, she didn't know what she was supposed to do or how to get back to the First Realm.

&nb
sp; “I feel...stranded,” she said on a sigh.

  Dante glanced down to Dirk's amethyst necklace. She had taken it as a keepsake, a memory of him, but now it could be used for another reason. When she pointed it out to her twin, Evangeline practically jumped up in her enthusiasm.

  “Yes, that's it!”

  Unfortunately, that was about as far as that plan went. Neither of the girls were mages and had no idea of how to open a portal.

  “We'll find the right person,” Dante said, voice full of resolve. “I promise you, sister.”

  Evangeline thanked her. She could only hope that they could find a way to open a portal back up to the First Realm, now. With war approaching fast, she wanted to know that she had a way to get back to the First Realm, before all hell broke loose.

  She glanced around her, at the soldiers who had gathered and the students who had volunteered themselves to the cause. Soon, many of these good people would die, at the hands of a furious army defending its homeland. Her twin, her fellow Assassins, they would all be at risk as well.

  The thought chilled her down to the bone, even as she watched the merry soldiers interact with each other.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Moonriver army ended up staying in Kkyathi territory while the Kkyathi prepared some leather armor for those who had none. Evangeline and the other Shadow Assassins were fitted and told to wait as several Kkyathi worked overtime to produce armor faster than they normally did.

  While waiting, Evangeline approached her friends, who were gathered around the social fire. “There may be a way for us to get home to the First Realm.”

  It was a major announcement to make. Without Dirk or anyone else knowledgeable enough to open a portal, they were stranded in the Second Realm. She expected everyone to be excited. Instead, only Kaydee looked relieved. Marco and Kaleb looked troubled.

  “I don't feel right about leaving yet,” Kaleb said, hesitantly. His gaze traveled over to the Kkyathi who were working on armor.

  Kaydee's eyes widened. In protest, she cried, “But this isn't our war! I want to get out of this horrid place!”

  “There are good people in this world.”

  “Not where I was!” she continued, her eyes widening in panic. “I was sold like a slave and forced to fight in some god awful death tournament!”

  Her outburst shocked Kaleb into silence. He and Marco stared at her in horror.

  Evangeline finally broke the silence. “What happened to you?”

  It was clearly the last thing Kaydee wanted to talk about. As she closed her eyes, she could still see the battlefield clearly, see people dying all around her for senseless entertainment. Without realizing what she was doing at first, she began talking, filling her friends in on how she had been captured by the Gypsa and sold like so much cattle to a slaughterhouse. She avoided her friends' disgusted stares, especially when she mentioned how she had to kill to survive in the tournament she had been forced into.

  “What!” Evangeline cried.

  “She did what she had to in order to survive,” a new voice said.

  They turned and saw a man in a dark cloak staring down at them.

  “Atrimalous,” Kaydee said. “You scared me. I didn’t realize you were there.”

  He only continued to stare down at them. To Kaydee's friends, he said, “Be grateful that she was strong enough to survive.”

  “Who are you, exactly?” Evangeline asked, eyes narrowing. She didn't like the arrogant stare the man was giving them.

  A woman approached and met her angry gaze with a calm stare. “Atrimalous here saved your friend from the tournament. He and I both broke into the coliseum and stole her from the tournament before she could be killed.”

  Kaleb stood up to face her, his hand outstretched. “You have our eternal gratitude for it.”

  She looked confused at first as to why he was offering her his hand, but she shook it after a moment. Kaleb extended the same thanks to Atrimalous but the man only stared at him.

  “You should take better care of your women,” was all he said.

  “We women can take care of ourselves, thanks.” Evangeline couldn't help the dangerous tone her voice had taken on. She didn't know what it was about this man before her, but she didn't want to trust him, didn't want to interact with him or even attempt to be polite.

  Sensing the anger seething beneath the surface, Atrimalous stared back at her with the same kind of dangerous warning. “I can see that.”

  His female companion stepped in before any more words could be exchanged. “Okay, let's all play nice with each other.”

  “That half-breed better watch how she speaks to me,” he growled, before he allowed her to steer him away.

  “Excuse me?” Evangeline yelled after him. “What did you call me!”

  Kaydee took on a similar role to Leta's and tried to settle her hybrid friend down before Evangeline transformed right then and there. It took some convincing for Evangeline to settle down. The half-breed remark hadn't settled well with her and she would have eagerly have ripped the man to shreds.

  “I don't see how you can defend him,” she growled.

  “He saved me,” Kaydee emphasized. “He's been looking out for me ever since.”

  “Kind of like your prince friend,” Marco broke in. His joke wasn't as effective as it would normally be, but nerves had gotten the better of him, taking the edge out of his teasing joke.

  The mention of Prince Erik got Evangeline's attention. “At least Erik is kind! That man, on the other hand...” she shook her head. “Promise me you won't be alone with him, Kay.”

  “What–”

  “I'm serious!” she said, cutting Kaydee off. “I don't trust him with you. There's something...creepy about him.”

  Kaydee grumbled some sort of agreement under her breath, just to satisfy Evangeline. It worked well enough for the angel-demon hybrid to let the whole argument drop. She settled back in her spot near the social fire, looking angry, but satisfied for the moment.

  After the tension bled out of the group, Evangeline spoke up once more on what to do about getting back to the First Realm.

  “So what do you guys want to do? Stay here? Find a way back?”

  Her two male companions hesitated again, before Kaleb spoke up. “We still have Dr. Fyrn in the First Realm...I mean, back home. We owe it to him to at least explain what we're doing. Remember, when Dirk first came to us, he said that we would only be over here for a day or so before he brought us back? It's been way longer than that. The poor Doc is probably going out of his mind with worry.”

  “He has to have a mind to do that first,” Marco cracked. Then, more seriously, he added, “But if we go, are we going to stay? Or come back?”

  Kaleb glanced at his friend. “Yes, I think we should come back. At least then, you can see your girlfriend.”

  Marco made a face as his friend smirked. “Don't tell me you don't want to stay for that cute Kkyathi woman I always see you talking to!”

  Evangeline couldn't help but laugh. “Calm, boys. So you both have interests here–”

  “Like your prince!”

  As the three took cheap shots at each other, Kaydee watched, smiling to herself. This was the first time in a while that she had felt relieved, or had any urge to laugh or even smile. She would be relieved to leave this place. She had no attachment to it, unlike the others.

  That wasn't quite true. Her gaze slid from her friends to where Atrimalous and Leta sat, some distance away from the social fire. What would happen if she just left the two here while she went back home? Kaleb had a good point – there were a lot of good people here. It was a hell of a way to pay them back for saving her by just running away.

  She got their attention and steered them back to the conversation at hand.

  They all agreed that going back to the First Realm was a good idea. They agreed that it was just to inform Dr. Fyrn on what was happening before they returned here to support everyone that had helped them.

>   “Are you sure you want to come back with us?” Evangeline asked Kaydee after the agreement had been made.

  Kaydee's gaze again strays to Atrimalous and Leta before she nodded. “I'm sure.”

  

  “She keeps looking at you,” Leta said, catching Kaydee's eye once more. “Is there something going on?”

  Atrimalous could only stare at the ice mage. “Nothing like what you're thinking.”

  She shook her head. “Somehow, I have to disagree. I can't help but feel a little jealous, I'm afraid.”

  “Jealous, Leta?”

  With the announcement made, she could only stare at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. The smile she wore faded slightly, turning into something sadder. “Yeah. I've never seen you so...focused on anything before she showed up.”

  He didn't seem to understand what she was getting at. “Of course I'm focused with her!”

  That didn't help any. She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. She turned away from him before he caught her expression. With the way he always kept himself at such an emotional distance, he wouldn't appreciate her reaction, she was sure. Better to turn away.

  He caught sight of her as she turned. “What? What did I say?”

  She didn't answer.

  “Oh, God, Leta, I told you it's not like that with her. Are you worried that I might enjoy someone else's company more than your own?”

  She laughed again. “You don't seem to enjoy my company at all!”

  With that, he turned her to him, his dark gaze intense on her own. “That's where you're wrong, Leta.”

  She couldn't pull herself away from his gaze. She tried to turn away and look stronger but he held her in place. While he held her there, he filled her in on who Kaydee was to him and why he was so intent on keeping her safe. The revelation cleared up Leta's worries but brought up more questions.

  “Does she know?” she finally asked.

  He shook his head. “I'd like to keep it that way, too.”

  She glanced at Kaydee, who was laughing at something one of her male companions said, completely oblivious about the discussion being had about her. “You have my word.”