Endless Night (Fate's Intent Book 3)

by Bowles, April

  Chapter 30

  Zayden’s Telling

  It was dangerous from the beginning. I knew it would be. I know I always said that everything would be fine and we’d get you in and out safely but not everything goes as planned and I was already mentally prepared for anything I had to do.

  Walking away from you for what may have seemed like forever gave that word anything its true meaning. I knew that you’d make it out before me whether Darius and Troy were with you or not and I had to follow no matter what. We knew this time would have come at some point, less the hostile threat but I admit that I wasn’t ready or I wouldn’t have just let you leave. You had to get out but there was still something I had to do.

  The second I turned my back from you, my senses kicked in and the palace was just stirring with activity. I could feel it all through me as if I was amidst it all but I saw no one. That’s when I knew traveling back upstairs to get the things I needed wasn’t an option through the wide open halls so I took an alternate route that no one knows about except for the members of the royal family. Us.

  The palace has been remodeled throughout the times but the only thing that has always remained untouched for all of those centuries were the secret passageways within the walls. They were put in place from the start for the King’s protection. They travel through most of the palace and was the perfect way for me to get around the easiest but I would first have to get to an entrance.

  The closest one and most convenient location to protect the King was located in the conference room right in front of everyone’s face who ever stepped inside, the tiled stone impression of our flag on the wall behind the King’s chair. The door opens with the pressing of the horse’s eye and I luckily made it without being noticed.

  My next step was to get upstairs. There’s a small exit from the passageways that goes into my room. I used it and gathered my necessities for battle. To me, this seemed like a valued time to use it. I didn’t know what would happen when I tried to leave and I knew at some point I would be seen.

  I put my armor on. It took me longer doing it alone but I managed well enough and snuck carefully to their rooms and packed up theirs so I could bring it with me. Now the hard part was going to be getting back out. I went back into the passageways and made it downstairs to the conference room door when my senses picked up distant voices. I knew Lamar was one of them and my curiosity intrigued me to listen.

  “What?!” He yelled with an echoing pitch in my ear. “We had the perfect opportunity and you let them escape?!”

  “The girl was too powerful. It was never part of the plan to deal with pure evil.”

  I wanted to laugh but kept it to myself. Not because of what he said but I was picturing Ruby’s proud reaction to what he called her. A confidence I already knew she had just from the short time knowing her.

  “Nevertheless!” Lamar continued to shout, regaining my focus back on exactly what he was saying. “You will find them and bring them back! I don’t care if you have to be all night about it! Wake up every one! The city is now on full alert!”

  “And what of the Prince?”

  “Traitor, you mean. The Great Seni Fighters can no longer be trusted. They brought them here and will share in their fate. Get their horses and have them transported to the old military stables. Wait for them there. They’ll come for them. Now go!”

  I could hear several other footsteps scamper off and leave the palace. I’ve always known Lamar was up to something. Just hearing him speak as if he was really in charge made me want to kill him but I stopped myself. I had something more important in mind and that was getting to you before they did.

  I waited in the passage just a little longer until I knew the palace was cleared out of every soldier and I made my escape.

  Walking out was easy enough. I knew the challenge would be getting around in the city now that every soldier would have been woken from their night’s sleep. Just thinking of it seemed impossible but I knew I had no choice.

  I made it out to the palace gates but without help, I wouldn’t have been able to walk through them. Even if I could, someone would have noticed them open. I had to get out another way so I got a good hold on the sets of armor in my hands as my senses gained strength and I was able to sprint up the wall. It was a little weird since it was really the first time I did that with no hands but it worked.

  The streets were being lit up and soldiers were all around, searching houses and walking the streets. Getting out was going to be exceptionally hard and I didn’t even know where to begin. That’s when Darius and Troy drew my attention towards them. They were standing back in the shadows of a dark alley but I could still see them with my sight. It surprised me at first especially when I didn’t see any of you and they signaled me to follow.

  I did but perhaps foolishly.

  I was too focused on why I didn’t see you that I just jumped without waiting for the opportune time to do so and that caught some attention. I knew it the second I stood up. Vocal recognition of my presence made it a little obvious as well when I heard the voice nearby.

  “It’s the Prince!”

  Footsteps hastened towards me and I set down both sets of armor. I never wanted it to come to this but I was at fault and the outcome would have been mine too.

  I was quickly surrounded but they seemed hesitant at first whether they should move in. They just stood there, unsure and maybe even a little denial. I already knew their orders but it would seem thought of taking the King’s son was wrong. I don’t think any of them wanted to. I could see it in their eyes, feel it in the steady vibrations of their pulse.

  The seconds they stood still around me felt as an eternity, knowing that something was coming but couldn’t see from where. I didn’t know if they would make their move or if it was coming at all. I was becoming just as unsure as they were.

  I didn’t want to turn against them just as they didn’t want to turn against me but it would seem that decision was clearly made for both of us when one of them fell dead. It was like I could feel it before it happened. A slowing beat until there was one less.

  I turned to see Darius standing behind the body and he had his eyes right on me with a nod. It was the worst feeling ever to do what we did to clear the area but there wasn’t another option. I probably knew that the whole time but I couldn’t even picture us doing it. We sealed the deal in leaving everything behind when we slaughtered our men without showing an ounce of leniency.

  We were in the pit of our lowest point in history but it’s something we’ll never forget doing. We couldn’t possibly.

  It was only when it was over did we realize how deep we’ve fallen. We knew getting out after you wasn’t our only priority anymore. We had to get out for ourselves. My father was gone and I knew that if we stayed, we would have been killed or at least imprisoned no matter how hard we fought it. Three against thousands isn’t exactly the best odds when those thousands were our own. We then had no choice.

  I got the chance to take a breath when we got out of the open areas and I just had to know. “Where are they? You couldn’t have gotten them out already.”

  “We didn’t.” Darius told me. “Kathryn was handling it. They should be close by now.”

  “So, you let them go off with her without knowing if getting them out was her actual plan?” I admit I was a little pissed off to hear they left you in her hands but we had more to worry about.

  “She’s the one that wanted us to come help you.” Troy said. “And we did that. Now I think it’s time to get out of here.”

  I sighed and looked around to make sure no one was peering in our direction or in range of hearing us. “What road did they take?”

  “South.” Darius said.

  “That road has got to be swarming with soldiers by now and I’d like to get out of here a little quieter than another encounter like that. We’ll head west. The base is probably cleared out by now. If anything, there’s only a couple of watch guards there. It’s the simplest w
ay.”

  “Only we have to get there and it’s miles away.”

  “And the city is crawling with soldiers who have just become our enemies.” Darius so insightfully had to add.

  “Okay, true but I guess that means we’ll need the fast ticket out. We’ll get our horses.”

  Darius laughed as if I told some kind of joke. “Our horses? They’re secure inside the palace gates. Even if we managed to get to them, we’d never make it out.”

  “Well, lucky for us, our horses aren’t within those walls. I’ve heard they’ve been transferred to the old military stables.”

  “Sounds like a trap.” Troy said.

  “Be that as it may, I’m not leaving him behind. We’ll get them out and it’ll be a much quicker way to catch up.”

  Darius let out a sigh. “You know we’re with you. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I know the goal. Everything in between will have to be played out as we see it. First objective will be getting our horses. Second is getting all of us out of here. Simple.”

  “You know, you say that but we’re like three rats caught within a nest of snakes.” Troy said.

  “And why do we necessarily have to be the rats?” Darius wondered, starting the ongoing banter. “Why can’t we be the snakes?”

  I watched Troy’s eyes roll. “Because, if we were the snakes, this wouldn’t be such a problem. The rats would be running from us but they’re not. We’re the ones running from them.”

  “We’re not running.”

  Troy turned his look over to me and I decided to step in. “Okay, we get it. We’re just trying to get out of here without causing more trouble. Now are you done with this so we can work on that? I don’t want them to think we’re not coming because we are, no matter what it takes.”

  “You mean through suicide?” Darius asked.

  “We already knew it could have come to this. Now it has. It’s time we face it. It’s worth the risk.”

  Darius and Troy looked at each other and put their armor on so it was easier to carry. “We’re ready.”

  I gave them just a single nod and we started our long cautious trip to the stables. We’d have to be quiet from this point on and only speak when it was truly necessary.

  It was slow going while we lurked and waited in shadows for all the right times to move and it seemed we would never get there. Things were becoming too dangerous the longer it took us and before we knew it, the sun was rising. Trying to stay hidden now would have been almost impossible and our hopes for ever getting out were fading away fast.

  We were still about a half a mile from the old military stables but we didn’t have just soldiers looking for us anymore. Civilians were informed of the escaped threat and told to keep their eyes open for anything. The whole city was now awake. We’ve gotten out of cities before in a hurry but our own was a completely different story. It seemed hopeless.

  There wasn’t a thing we could do during the day. I didn’t want to but I knew we would have to hide out and wait for nightfall before we were able to get our horses out. Once we could do that, everything else should seem to go more quickly—or I thought.

  The longer time went by the busier the city seemed to have become. It was beginning to seem even more hopeless and we knew it.

  “This isn’t going to work.” Troy whispered just as it became dark again. “What should we do? They seem even more alert now.”

  He was right. I didn’t want him to be but he was and I could only think of one thing to do. “Then we wait it out—as long as we have to.”

  “What?!” Darius instantly disapproved. “That could take days!”

  “Then days is how long we’ll wait. By then they would have assumed we got out already and things will get calm. We’ll leave then.”

  He nodded though I know what he was thinking. We were all thinking it. We missed you. We just wanted to get to you but we also had to be smart about it and to do that we had to wait.

  We spent those long hours and days practically underground, waiting in sewer gutters polluted with filth without a word so no one would notice us and all I could think about was what you were thinking during this. Getting to you was still my goal but not even knowing if you made it out at all put a knot him my stomach. I didn’t want to think about what would happen or if you made it out, I hoped they didn’t send a company out to follow.

  Everything I could have possibly thought about ended up turning out negative but I managed to keep it all to myself. The last thing that I wanted was to express signs of giving up. I wouldn’t do that. Whatever it took.

  The days finally faded away when the city calmed its searches. We could move again. We didn’t know how the threat level against us was going to be on this night but we remained just as careful.

  Our spotted presence would surely spark up everyone so we only moved when it was right and I think we made up ground quite quickly.

  The stables were close. I could feel it and felt our horses still kept inside. There were probably about half a dozen or so soldiers around too. Probably kept there to wait for us, the number dwindling with the passing days.

  I didn’t see that going too badly, at least for us. I knew it would come to another slaughter and at this point, from waiting it out all those days, I just wanted to get it over with. All I thought about was making it to you no matter what we had to do. We couldn’t take back anything we’ve already done so there was no point in being subtle. We were already condemned as traitors.

  We had the stables now in our sights and hope came back to me again about getting out. The soldiers there seemed a lot more bored than they were alert. That would make things easier for us. I looked next to me at Darius and Troy and they knew it too. Now we just had to get in.

  I wanted to do it as discreetly as possible and hold off on any fighting until we were on our way out. It would have been easy with the condition these soldiers were in but it would mean we couldn’t just walk through the front doors. We snuck around back and Troy pointed to the loft doors open above. It was perfect. No one was around and we were able to climb the stacks of hay right up to the loft, unseen.

  Now we had to be as quiet as ever on the creaking floor to find exactly where they kept our horses. We barely moved our feet to make a sound and found the proper edge where we could look down.

  Being mostly abandoned since the wall was built, our horses were the only ones inside. We saw where they were but they weren’t ready. The only thing they had on were the reins from being brought there. The saddles were visible and we looked at each other, knowing we would have to try and put them on without being seen.

  We had one thing on our side at least. The soldiers were up by the entrance, the only way in. It was a distance from where our horses were kept and we knew that if we were quiet enough, they wouldn’t notice what was happening until it was too late.

  Everything seemed perfect. We just had to get down without startling the horses and drawing attention to them. I would have to do it alone. They both knew it, meaning I would have to try and get on three saddles without being discovered.

  It was an easy thing to accept, knowing I could get down without a sound from using my gift. I felt everything around me become stronger when I turned my senses on and I could almost feel my eyes changing. That’s when I left their side for the first time since I found them and crawled down one of the thick wooden pillars that framed the inside of the stables.

  My feet didn’t make a sound when they touched the ground and I could feel the calm relaxed vibrations from the soldiers just ahead. They didn’t notice me and I snuck over to my horse first.

  He wasn’t startled. He looked glad to see me. He was probably wondering what the fuck was going on and I kept him calm with a simple stroke of his neck. He remained relaxed and I carefully lifted up his saddle onto his back. It made just a light clanging sound from the straps dropping down and hitting each other and my eyes quickly found their way up towards the doors.


  No one heard a thing. They were just standing around as they have been, going on in their own conversations that I didn’t bother to hear.

  I continued with what I was doing, randomly looking up every few seconds to make sure I wasn’t seen and I completed my task. All three saddles were on and ready. Now they just needed their riders.

  I looked up and nodded. They seemed to know exactly what I meant and dropped down onto their horses as I got up on mine.

  Our presence was finally noticed and the soldiers turned and looked in. “It’s them! Close the doors!”

  I wasn’t about to let that happen. We got our weapons out at the same time that we set our horses to sprint to the open doors. The soldiers rushed to get them closed but their previous laziness made them too late. We killed who we had to in order to escape the stables and ran out into the city.

  This was a much faster pace but I knew others were being warned as we ran. We kept our weapons out and dodged many air attacks. We didn’t slow down at all. I could see the inner gates ahead already open and most of my focus was on it. We were just that much closer to you and it was like I could almost feel you next to me. I wanted it to be real and we killed whoever stood in the way to make sure we reached the gate before it was closed.

  We did and it felt like such a rush. Slowing down to breathe seemed almost impossible. I didn’t need to breathe. I needed you and sprinted out into the fields towards the military base.

  Word could definitely not have traveled faster than us and we would surely make it there before anyone left behind knew we were coming.

  They invited us right in by already having that gate open and our next challenge would be getting out the last gate. It would surely be closed. They wouldn’t have possibly opened that for any reason or nothing I wanted to think of.

  The base almost seem dead, not what I expected. It’s been days but no one was back. Perhaps, taking rest, assuming we had made it out. There wasn’t anyone around as we rode through.