by M. K. Dawn
“Agreed. We laid her on the table after we arrived, so we could gather all the healers, knowing we would need all of their powers if she was to stand a chance. It took mere minutes. Then I turned around and she was gasping for air as if she had woken up from death itself. I scanned her again and so did JD. We couldn't believe it. Her abdomen swelling started to recede. Her body warmed. We both went over the wounds again, speeding up the healing of the remaining damage but the worst was over. It’s the damnedest the thing I have seen.”
I open my mouth but I’m too shocked to speak. I have never heard of such a thing. “Are you saying she healed herself?”
“No, I’m not saying that because that’s impossible, considering she’s a royal, the damage done, and the state she was in. What I am saying, is that I have no fucking idea how she went from knocking on the door of death to opening her eyes, asking where she was.”
“She woke up?” And I wasn't here for her. Fuck. She must have been terrified.
“Yeah, and she freaked the hell out. I sedated her. It should wear off in about fifteen to twenty hours.”
“Or you could remove it now.” Sedation from a healer is nothing more than an enchantment that increases melatonin.
“I’m not going to do that. She has suffered significant physical and mental trauma and needs to sleep,” Clint stresses.
“You could wake her up for just a few minutes. Then put her under again.” I need to see with my own eyes that she’s okay.
“Not going to happen. You should go get something to eat and get some sleep. You look like shit. She’s going to be out all night. I’ll send someone for you if she wakes up sooner than expected since you don't have an orb. JD or I will be here at all times. She will be safe, no need to worry.”
I stand and stretch. Everything he just said is true, still, there’s no way I’ll be able to walk out the door until I see those big brown eyes open. I place my chair back where I found it, then scoot an empty bed over so that it’s alongside Alaina’s. With my boots off, I prop the pillows up against the wall and make myself comfortable.
Clint looks up from the papers he is reading and shakes his head. “If Henry comes by?”
“I’m her lead warrior. She was almost killed and the bastards are still out there. It's my sworn duty to stay by her side.”
“And the bed?”
“Doc ordered rest?”
He snorts. “Don't drag me into your shit.”
“Has he come by?”
“Nah. Sent a few of his guards to see what was going on, but his royal highness has not graced us with his presence.” He returns to his reading.
Son of a bitch. Gods, you would think that showing up would be the least he could do. But he was last on the long list of things I was worried about at the moment. First things first. I need to find out why Alaina was out in those woods when she was supposed to stay in her tent. And I know just where to start. The person who was supposed to be guarding her. “Hey, Clint. Would you mind calling Ana in for me?”
***
Ana shows up a few minutes later, eyes red, head hanging low - the exact opposite of her usual, confident demeanor. She hesitates as she steps into the tent, eyes locked on Alaina. Her voice catches in her throat. “How is she?”
As her commander, I’m pissed at her for ignoring the direct order to go straight to Alaina’s tent this morning. As her older brother, my heart hurts to see her in so much pain. “She’s going to be fine.”
“I’m so sorry.” Her voice is barely audible.
“Ana, look at me. I know you are. But what I don't know is why, after I spoke to you, you didn't go over to Alaina’s?”
Ana’s eyes widen. “What do you mean? I thought you were the one that ordered me to the training center?”
“No. I told you to go straight to Alaina’s.”
“As I was heading over there, I was contacted through my orb saying that you needed me in the training center ASAP.”
“Who contacted you?”
“I’m not sure. The connection was fuzzy, so I didn't recognize the voice. But the messenger said it was urgent and it had come directly from you. Of course, when I got there, you weren’t waiting for me. I figured something came up; it's not like it's the first time you ordered me somewhere and then didn't show up.”
“Yeah, but I’d let you know.” Shit. I hadn't given that order, but whoever did knew, that by calling Ana away, Alaina would be left alone. If we didn't know before, we sure as hell did now - we had a traitor among us.
“I waited about fifteen minutes for you, then went straight to Alaina’s after that. When I saw she wasn't there, I checked a couple of places, then went to find you. I honestly thought she had just gotten bored and decided to wander around. I would never have believed that she would leave the safety of the camp.” She shakes her head.
“Eric is trying to pull the last memories of Charlotte to find out what happened. Then he’ll pull Alaina’s memories.”
“You think Charlotte was working with Wright’s army?”
“Gods, I hope not.” For Alaina’s sake. It would kill her to know that a person she considered a friend would betray her. “I think it's more likely she was under a compulsion.”
“Gods, are you serious? Who would have the power to do such a thing besides Eric?”
“My guess would be the same person that sent you to the training center.”
“So, we have a traitor amongst us?”
“It sure seems like it.”
“You don't think it's one of the warriors?” Ana looks worried.
“No. They were all with me when you were contacted, except Nick, and there is not a chance in hell he would betray her.”
“Agreed. They’ve grown close over the past few weeks. I’m surprised he isn't here.” Ana sits next to Alaina and strokes her hair. “Who does that leave?”
A knot forms in my stomach. “Everyone else.”
Ana flinches. “We need to get her back to Henry’s castle as soon as possible before this happens again.”
“As soon as Eric has the memories from Charlotte, I will call a meeting so we can formulate a plan. Clint said Alaina should wake up in the next fifteen or so hours, and hopefully, she’ll be strong enough to transport.” I run my hands through my hair, my muscles suddenly heavy with fatigue.
“You look like shit, you know that, right?”
“Thanks.” I force a laugh.
“Get some rest. The tent is surrounded by our soldiers, and Ace and Bo are stationed at the door. She’s safe for the time being.”
Unable to fight the exhaustion any longer, I adjust my pillow and lay down. The last thing I see, before sleep takes me, is Ana talking with Clint. They look towards me, and I realize Alaina isn't the only one he has sedated.
***
The sound of laughter jolts me awake. I sit up, rubbing my eyes with the palm of my hands, my brain foggy from the forced sleep. As I roll my neck, Alaina’s empty bed catches my attention. I jump out of bed, my heart pounding in my chest. I’m about to take off out the door when the familiar laughter stops me in my tracks. I turn around and head towards the back room where the sound is coming from. I step inside one of the private exam rooms and spot Alaina lying on the table as JD examines her. A smile is stretched across her face as Nick chatters.
“You can sit up now. There is no trace of injury. I have never seen anything quite like it. You are damn lucky.”
“I feel great!” She laughs spontaneously and hops off the table. “Hey, Brady! You're awake!” Her giddiness is unnerving. Judging by the sun, it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since her encounter with Kakos.
“Yeah, well, I didn't have a choice in the matter, did I?” I eye JD, who avoids my gaze.
“You needed sleep too,” Clint responds, as he enters the room behind me.
“So, you sedated me?”
“Damn straight I did. I saw the look in your eyes as you were talking with Ana. There was no way you were going to s
leep on your own. You were too worried about the cause of all of this to think about anything else.”
“You know I'm still your commanding officer,” I warn.
“But as the chief medical officer, my orders supersede yours, when your health is concerned,” he retorts.
My jaw clenches. “Being tired doesn't constitute a health concern.”
“Says you,” he snaps.
“Okay, guys.” Nick steps in between us. “What’s done is done. Now that Alaina is feeling better...”
“Feeling great!” she chimes in, a little too enthusiastic.
“Alright, feeling great,” Nick repeats, narrowing his eyes at her. “We need to head over to Eric’s. He has pulled the memories of Charlotte and Alaina.”
“Well, let's get going.” Alaina heads towards the door.
“Oh, no, Princess.” I block the exit. “You’re staying here where you can rest.”
“The hell I am.” She, crossing her arms. “I need to know what happened. And as I was the only person there, I can help fill in any blanks.”
Physically she appears fine, but I know mentally she’s a mess. The last thing she needs is to sit in a room and relive the horrible things that happened to her. But she’s right. The memory pull will give us a glimpse of what went down out there. But to get the whole picture, we need her. “Fine. But you are to sit down the whole time.”
She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it with a heavy sigh.
“Now that that's settled,” Nick says. “Let's get going.”
***
Less than ten minutes later, we step into Eric’s tent. Henry and his four guards are already there, looking more annoyed than usual. Eric’s tent looks like a tornado has come through. Papers once stacked neatly on the table, are now scattered around the room.
“Doing some spring cleaning, brother?” I ask.
“Just trying to formulate a plan,” Eric says, his eyes shooting daggers at Henry while his back is turned.
I take his glare as code that Henry’s goons came in looking for information. The papers scattered around are intel files on everyone in camp. We brought them here when we first suspected someone was leaking information to Wright. We came up empty, but after yesterday’s events, it's obvious we missed something.
“Any luck?” I know the answer before anyone has a chance to reply. Like every time before, they would pick a few people that they would call suspects, interrogate them and then be forced to let them go because they didn't have jack shit.
“We have some promising leads,” Henry replies.
“I'm sure. Before you talk to your leads, make sure you inform the warriors so that one of us can be present, since they are our people after all.”
“As always,” he says, through his teeth.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Can we get this started?” Alaina says from somewhere behind the group.
Henry startled, unaware of her presence. “My love, forgive me, I did not see you back there. Shouldn't you be resting?”
“No, I’m fine. A friend of mine was killed right in front of me. The same friend who led me out there. I need to know why.” Alaina’s voice is strained.
Henry looks like he is going to argue, but Alaina takes a seat at the table next to Eric. The rest of the warriors follow suit; I take the seat on the other side of her. Henry and his guards sit next, at the opposite end of the table. There’s tension in the air and I'm not sure if it's from the events of the day before or something different.
“Let's get started,” Eric says. “I pulled Charlotte’s memories and confirmed that she had been compulsed. The person who did it is talented, to say the least. It was done in such a way that I cannot see who placed the compulsion on her nor can I see when it was done. Alaina’s memories also confirm this.” His pain-filled eyes glance her way, undoubtedly reliving the images he pulled from her when she was being tortured by Kakos. “What is even more disturbing is that Kakos stood back, allowing Alaina to die. Or so it seems. We always believed that he was under strict orders to bring her back alive.”
“He was,” Alaina interjected. “But he was choosing to ignore it, saying that the end result would be the same anyway.” A low mumble spreads across the room. “Is this really a surprise? Wouldn't killing me stop the prophecy?”
“It’s not that simple.” Eric shakes his head.
“Then simplify it for me, damn it!” she snaps, catching everyone off guard, including myself.
“The prophecy states that the one true heir to the throne of Nysa will yield the power to destroy Wright and his army. The problem is, a prophecy cannot be broken through death alone.”
“I don't understand,” Alaina says.
“Prophecies are bound to the soul of the person when they are born. To destroy the prophecy, one must destroy the soul of who it’s about,” Eric informs her.
Alaina’s eyes grow wide. “How do you destroy a person’s soul?”
“By summoning very old and dark powers derived straight from the Titans,” Eric states matter-of-factly as if it isn't the most horrifying thing imaginable. “It’s said that not only could the Titans decide where a soul went after death, they were able to wipe a soul from existence.”
A somber mood fills the air. Death was bad enough, but at least we all knew there would be some kind of life after it, whether that be in Elysium or Tartarus.
“Can anyone do that?” Alaina asks.
“The only one that we know of is my mentor, Ordin. Of course, just because we don't know of another doesn't mean that Wright hasn't found someone.”
We all sit in silence for a few minutes, contemplating the possibilities of that scenario. It’s the worst case, something we have always feared and the main reason she was sent to live in the human realm all those years ago. The incantation couldn’t be performed there. Now that she is back, it would only take an instant for her to be taken, hidden from us, and for the incantation to be performed. But that doesn’t explain why Kakos hadn’t just taken her to Wright, unless… “There’s another way, one that makes more sense.”
Eric frowns. “Impossible.”
“What is it?” Alaina asks.
“If the person who the prophecy is about is killed, the prophecy can be transferred to another,” I inform the room.
“True, but that would imply that Alania had a sibling, which she does not.” Eric turns to Alaina. “Because the prophecy states that it will be the one true heir to defeat Wright.”
“The queen could have been with child, taken away until the time of birth,” Xavier adds to the theory. Others throw out more suggestions; distant relative, love child, but Eric dismisses them all.
I watch Alaina, who looks lost in thought. “Something on your mind, Princess?”
“If the prophecy can be transferred, can it also be changed?” she questions. “I mean, if I was prophesied to destroy Wright, me being on the opposing side of him, then wouldn't it make sense if the prophecy is transferred to someone on his side, that the prophecy would flip as well. It would then prophesize the defeat of Kardia?”
“Eric? Is this possible?” He stares at me, dumbfounded. I had never heard of such a thing but had also never known of a prophecy that had been successfully transferred. “Eric!” I yell, this time grabbing his attention.
“I... I…I don't know,” he stutters. “If it is, Ordin would know. We must get to the safety of Henry’s castle as soon as possible.”
Henry, who has been unusually quiet, speaks up. “I suggest we transport her now, to the edge of the protection boundaries of my kingdom.”
“So Wright’s men can ambush us?” Xavier snaps. “That’s what they will be expecting from us.”
“Well, Warrior, what do you suggest?” Henry retorts.
“We move every day, leaving everything behind except for the bare essentials. One tent - the dining tent - should hold everyone and enough supplies to last us a week. Each soldier will be equipped with weapons
. Each person will only be allowed one bag. Once we are within a day of the castle, we go by foot. Path to be determined,” Xavier says.
“Don't you think that is a little overkill?” Henry says.
“Oh, and last but not least, all communications from outside the camp will be turned off until we cross the protection boundaries,” Xavier adds.
A smile creeps across my face. Smart son of a bitch.
Henry’s face reddens, the veins in his neck pulse. “That is preposterous, you don't have the authority.”
“He may not, but I do.” Alaina stands and glares at Henry.
Henry’s features soften a bit, but there is an edge to his voice that says he has not calmed down. “Of course, you do, my love. I'm just concerned that if we were to be ambushed, we would not be able to call for reinforcement from my castle.”
“And if we leave the communications on, we could be ambushed because someone is telling Wright’s men our location.” Alaina looks back at Xavier and orders, “Turn off the communications and start the preparations for the next transport. I want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.” Then she’s out the door, not bothering to wait for a response.
I follow. “Where do you think you are going?”
“To go see Charlotte’s family.” She doesn’t bother looking back.
“Alaina, please, can you wait a minute?” She’s hauling ass, I have to jog to catch up with her.
“No, I need to go and see them and apologize for what happened to Charlotte,” she says, her voice tearful.
I grab her by the wrist and force her to stop. “They’re gone. They left for Hagion right after Charlotte’s body was transported to the Passage of Gods to be buried.”
A sob escapes her lips as she crumbles in my arms.
“It's not your fault,” I tell her over and over, stroking her hair as I lead her towards her tent.
As soon as we walk in, she collapses on the bed, sobs wracking her body. I lie down beside her and pull her into me so her head rests on my chest. “It’s not your fault.”.