“Soldats have us surrounded. Looks like they intend to flush us out with fire. Let’s go.”
I ran back into my room, threw on my boots, and grabbed my bo staff. When I exited, I followed Anders along the bridge and to the adjacent platform. “Why are they doing this?” I asked. The soldats couldn’t kill the Krigers—if they did, a new one would be born and Morlet would have to wait another eighteen years to discover the new Kriger. Unless that was what he wanted…
“I think he plans on capturing everyone,” Anders whispered. “Then he’ll put the Krigers in the dungeon so you all become weak. Then he can force you to go to the Tower Room unprepared so he will have the upper hand.”
We reached a tree with a rope ladder attached to the side. I hadn’t known there was a second exit.
“This is for emergencies only,” Anders explained. “I’ll go first. Follow right behind me.”
“What about Vidar?” He had the two sapphires along with the medallion. We couldn’t leave here without those three pieces.
“I just spoke to him. He told me to watch over you. He has the sapphires and is leaving from the other exit.” Anders took hold of the rope and started to descend.
A ball of fire arched through the night sky, and then a tree went up in flames. Men cheered from below. Suddenly, hundreds of flames shot into the trees around me. The soldats were shooting arrows tipped with fire. Thick, black smoke filled the air. I coughed and grabbed onto the rope ladder, descending as fast as I could. The trees began to glow as they caught fire, the flames quickly spreading. The treehouse that Anders and Vidar had worked so hard to build was going to be destroyed.
The trees crackled as they caught fire and burned. I jumped onto the ground and pushed my body up against the tree trunk next to Anders. Several soldats stood not far away holding burning branches.
“Light the trees over there,” one of the soldats ordered. “Make sure you don’t set anything on fire behind us. We need to be able to arrest the Krigers and leave without getting trapped.”
The men nodded and moved north. They reached up with their lit branches, setting the nearby trees on fire.
Anders leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I’m going to move around them. I want to set the trees to the south on fire.”
If he did that, these men would be surrounded by flames and they’d burn to death. I shook my head. We could escape without killing anyone.
One of the men screamed and fell forward onto his face, an arrow protruding from his back. An ax cut through the air, embedding in another soldat’s stomach. The Krigers were attacking.
Anders grabbed my arm, pulling me to the right. We ran through the forest, dodging falling branches. I was just about to ask him where we were going when he yanked me to the ground. We huddled near a boulder, observing the hundreds of soldats before us. They had us boxed in. They must have sent a few dozen men in to set the trees on fire in order to flush the Krigers out. These men were on the perimeter waiting to capture us as we fled.
“What are we going to do?” I asked. Glancing back the way we’d come, I saw Henrik and Stein fighting. They had already taken down a half dozen soldats.
“Use your power to kill everyone. Problem solved.”
I shook my head. “I’d end up killing the Krigers too. That won’t work.” And I was afraid to use my power without the protection of the medallion. I couldn’t risk the magic of the world consuming me.
“Then we’re going to do the only thing we can.” He pulled out two knives. “We’re going to fight our way out of this.”
Clutching my bo staff, I stood, prepared to fight the old-fashioned way—without my power.
“Over there!” a soldat shouted, pointing at us. Six men ran toward me.
Anders withdrew his blow dart and shot all six men before they came within twenty feet of us. I hoped the darts didn’t contain a lethal dose of sleeping potion.
A dozen men now approached. Anders let them get in closer before he attacked with his knives. He took down all twelve soldats.
A man grabbed me from behind. I flung my head back, hitting him. When his grip loosened, I rammed my bo staff onto his foot and then swung it against the man’s head. He dropped to the ground.
A high-pitched trill came from above. I glanced up in time to see the tree towering over me burst into flames.
“Kaia!” Stein hollered from not far away.
“Over here!” I replied.
Stein and Henrik came crashing through the forest, joining me.
“You plan on fighting all these soldats by yourself?” Henrik asked.
“Anders is helping.” I nodded toward him.
“Seems like he’s doing most of the work,” Henrik said.
“What are the soldats waiting for?” Stein asked, pointing at the hundred or so men not far away.
“They’re not attacking because we have nowhere to go. They have us surrounded.”
“Are they waiting for us to surrender?” Stein asked.
“I believe so.”
Henrik gave a fierce grin. “They must not know you very well.”
“Instead of talking,” Anders yelled, “why don’t the three of you help me.” He spun and kicked a soldat’s head, sending him to the ground. Another one approached from behind. Anders flung a dagger back without looking, impaling it into the man’s stomach.
“I think you’ve got this covered,” I replied.
A loud crack resounded and the branch above me broke, falling to the ground. Henrik grabbed me, throwing me out of the way. I landed on my back, coughing. When I sat up, I was surrounded by soldats. If I tapped into my power, I could kill them. But I didn’t want to use my power—the risk was too great. And I didn’t want to kill these men for following orders. I glanced over and saw Henrik pinned to the ground by four men, Stein held by two.
“Release my companions,” I demanded.
“We have orders to bring them in,” a soldat said.
“As your queen, I order you to release them.” The flames from the fallen branch blocked my view of Anders.
A man ran up to us, panting. “We have nine Krigers captured,” he said.
“What about the assassin and the other man, Vidar?” the soldat in charge asked.
“No sign of them anywhere.”
“Bring the Krigers here. Kill the other two if they are spotted,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
I couldn’t allow my fellow Krigers to be taken to the dungeon. They’d never be strong enough to face Morlet if they went back there.
“What are your instructions regarding me?” I asked.
“You are to be transported to the capital. No harm is to come to you.”
Since my title as queen wasn’t working in this situation, perhaps the fear of Morlet would suffice. “I will kill myself if you don’t release the Krigers.”
The man in charge stared at me.
“It’s either them or me. You will not leave the forest with all twelve of us. So what’ll it be?” I asked. “Return to Morlet with eleven Krigers and a dead queen? Or return with me alive and well?”
The man rested his right hand on the hilt of his sword. His eyes narrowed, assessing me, weighing his options and trying to decide if I was bluffing.
Even though I couldn’t use my power right now, he didn’t know that. I pointed the tip of my bo staff at my chest.
“We’ll take you,” the man said.
Trying not to look too relieved, I attached my bo staff to my back and came forward, offering my wrists. He tied them together with rope.
“Now release my companions and let’s be gone.” Thick smoke filled the air and the sky glowed from the burning trees. It seemed as if the entire forest was on fire.
“On second thought,” the man said. “I think I’ll take all twelve of you in as the king ordered.”
I cursed. Did he have no honor? Disappointed, I allowed him to yank me forward, away from the burning tree. Henrik and Stein were similarly tied.
I decided not to fight back or do anything until I was certain the other Krigers were alive and uninjured. We walked about a mile until we came to a small clearing where the other nine Krigers were being held at swordpoint.
Knowing time was of the essence, I called on my power. I needed to use it quickly so the magic of the world wouldn’t fully consume me.
I projected my thoughts into each Kriger’s head.
“You are sitting over a cavern. I’m going to use my power to blast a hole in the ground. As you fall, I’ll throw a shield around you to protect you. When you land in the cavern, run eastward until you hit a wall.”
I felt their confusion and concern.
“Then I want you to head south. There is a tunnel. It will lead you to a cave that exits into the forest about two miles from here.”
The soldats were far enough away from the Krigers that I could safely execute my plan.
“Kaia,” Henrik called out. He shook his head. He didn’t want me to go through with it.
“I’ll be fine.”
I mentally drew a circle around where the Krigers stood. Then I pictured the ground beneath them dissolving. As their bodies started to fall, I threw a shield around them so they wouldn’t be injured when they landed.
The soldats screamed and rushed past me to the hole in the ground. Dust and debris filled the air.
Come, Kaia, whispers all around me begged. Hundreds of them. Come join us in the cavern.
My feet moved of their own accord.
That’s it. Join us.
I had to go into the world. Serene images and feelings of love and contentment filled me. When I neared the edge of the hole, large hands grabbed my ankles, pulling me down.
“Kaia?” Morlet asked.
I was under water, flailing my arms around, trying to figure out which way was up. I couldn’t breathe. The water around me darkened so I couldn’t see very well. My chest felt like it was on fire. Air. I needed air.
“I will give you air. Just breathe.”
Panic set in. I couldn’t breathe in the water. My chest was going to explode. My vision blurred.
A jolt of magic shot through me. “Breathe,” Morlet commanded.
My eyes flew open. I found myself lying on the ground, surrounded by sleeping soldats. My head pounded as I peered around, trying to get my bearings. There were a handful of men on watch around the perimeter of our camp. The sky was starting to lighten.
I rubbed my temple. How long had I been passed out? What had happened? I remembered using my power, the magic of the world calling to me, and then Morlet intervening. Had he saved me, again? Regardless, I needed to escape and find my fellow Krigers to make sure they were unharmed.
Slowly rolling onto my side, I observed the area in front of me. Two men stood guard about thirty feet away. I didn’t think I could crawl that far without anyone noticing me. I glanced at the nearby tree. That seemed a much better option. The branches hung low and the thick leaves provided excellent cover.
With my bo staff still attached to my back, I crept to my feet and stood, sliding next to the trunk. No one shouted in alarm. Taking hold of the lowest branch, I hoisted myself up, thankful it was thick and didn’t move too much from my weight. Afraid the rustling leaves would wake the nearby soldats, I decided to climb higher before trying to jump to one of the adjacent trees. Standing on the branch, I reached for the one above me, slowing pulling my body up and onto it. When no one shouted in alarm, I did the same thing again and again until I was twenty feet off the ground. Afraid to go any higher and fall, I looked at the nearby trees. The branch I was on didn’t extend far enough so I climbed onto the one next to it. I sat and edged my way out until I was close enough to an adjacent tree branch. I grabbed onto it and swung my body over. The branch drooped from my weight, creaking. I hurried and slid toward the trunk where it was sturdier, and then I climbed onto a larger branch.
I spent the next hour moving from tree to tree. It was slow going and I’d only just managed to pass the edge of the camp. The soldats would be waking soon and I was running out of time. I longed to use my power to escape, but I couldn’t. Resting against the trunk, I listened for anyone patrolling close by. I didn’t hear anything.
Needing to put distance between myself and the soldats, I decided to climb down and make my way on foot. Taking a deep breath, I started to descend. When I neared the bottom of the tree, I stopped, again listening for anyone on patrol.
The nearest soldat was about fifteen feet to the south of me. I moved around to the other side of the tree so I’d be out of his line of sight. Then I lowered my body until I was hanging from the branch. I let go and dropped three feet to the ground. I froze, hoping the soldat was too tired to check on the sound. When I didn’t hear anyone approaching, I crawled between the trees, trying to remain unseen. Once I was far enough away, I glanced back. Not seeing anyone pursuing me, I stood and started sprinting.
I wished I could use my power to locate my fellow Krigers. I dodged a large tree and ran smack into someone’s chest, almost losing my footing and falling.
“I don’t think you should be running through the forest like this,” Anders said, grabbing my arms and steadying me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked to see him. His face was covered with black ash.
“I came to save you.” He released me. “Apparently, you don’t need to be saved. You’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I always forget that about you.”
“Are the others safe?” I asked.
“They are. The only one unaccounted for was you.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his focus on my hands. “Let’s get moving before they send out a search party.” He turned and abruptly headed west, waving for me to follow him.
It’s good to see you too, I thought, glancing at my hands. I still wore the ring Morlet gave me. Not only the ring of the queen, but the ring of the king’s wife. “Even though I didn’t need you to save me, I’m still glad you tried.” It meant he still cared.
18
We crawled into a small cave to rest for a couple of hours. Anders pulled several vines down over the entrance so no one passing by would see us.
“Do you remember when we first met?” I asked him. “And the cave we slept in that night?”
“At the time, I couldn’t fathom you being a Kriger,” he admitted, sitting next to me.
We didn’t have bedrolls or blankets. I reached up to touch the medallion and remembered it wasn’t there. Vidar had it along with the other pieces of the sapphire.
“What’s the matter?” Anders asked.
“Without the medallion, Morlet will be able to sense me.” And communicate with me when I fell asleep.
Anders stretched out on his back. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. I promise.”
My connection to Morlet had been growing stronger and stronger since the day I met him. Then, when the magic of the world started calling to the two of us, I felt the bond strengthen even more. Once we married, the link between us solidified. If I closed my eyes and concentrated, I could pinpoint where he was at this very moment. That was probably how the soldats found us—when I removed the medallion, Morlet sought me out with his magic. I should have been more careful. I should have known better.
“Try to get a few hours of sleep,” Anders said. “We’re supposed to meet up with everyone in a couple of days.”
I laid down and fell fast asleep. Images of drowning in water, of being lost in a torrential downpour, and falling into an underground cavern flashed in my dream. I startled awake, sweaty, breathing heavily, and feeling off-kilter. Anders was asleep next to me. It must have been a nightmare, nothing more.
I rolled onto my side. The rising sun cast thin beams of light through the vines hanging over the exit, illuminating the cave in a soft glow. I breathed in the rich scent of damp dirt and pungent pine.
A twig snapped. I bolted upright. Was someone out there? Without thinking, I sent my power to the surroundin
g area looking for potential threats. I didn’t detect anything. I withdrew my power. It must have been an animal. Lying back down, I closed my eyes, wanting to sleep a little bit longer.
Frantic voices whispered all around me in the cave. I glanced at Anders. He remained sound asleep. The voices intensified. My hands throbbed with pain. I needed to shield myself from whatever this was.
Morlet’s voice screamed in my mind. “Kaia, don’t!”
The feeling of acute danger overwhelmed me, and I wrapped a shield around my body. The shield pulsed, making me nauseous. Voices echoed in the cave, excited and joyful. The hairs on my arms rose. Something was wrong. Maybe using my power brought this on. I dropped my shield and an invisible force slammed into my body, pulling me flat against the ground, sucking me into the world. I tried to call for help, but my voice didn’t work. A sphere of blue light appeared before me, movement swirling inside of it.
“Relax,” a voice crooned. “Let me in. I can make you stronger.”
Desire flooded me, making me want to let the blue sphere of magic in. Yet, reason still ruled, and I knew I couldn’t let it take control. If I did, I would be consumed with Heks magic.
“Kaia!” Morlet screamed in my mind. “Whatever you do, don’t use your power.”
“What’s happening?” I thought back to him.
“When you use your power, you call to the magic of the world. You’re fueling it on.”
“I need help. It’s taking me!” Shadows swarmed all around me.
“I’m going to send you my magic. Let it fight for you.”
Unable to respond to him, I forced myself to relax, waiting for Morlet’s magic. A second later, it slammed into me, filling me with hatred and rage. The sphere recoiled, hissing as it drifted a few feet away from me.
Movement returned to my limbs and I sat up, ready to tear the sphere apart. It dissolved into dozens of smaller pieces, then disappeared. Morlet’s magic swirled through me, angry and hostile.
“Kaia, are you okay?” he asked in my mind.
“Yes,” I thought back to him.
His magic withdrew and I hunched forward, shaking.
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