The Prison of Buried Hopes (After The Rift Book 5)

by C. J. Archer

  Balthazar sketched another shallow bow. "Your Majesty," he intoned. "We are honored that you agreed to see us."

  "My daughter gave me no choice."

  The princess's cheek twitched.

  "We are truly grateful for this opportunity to have our voices heard on behalf of our friend," Balthazar said.

  "My daughter says you petitioned her to intervene." The king put out his hand to Illiriya. She took it and smiled. "I am not in the habit of interfering in legal matters that have no bearing on Vytill."

  "Then we are doubly grateful, Your Majesty," I said. "Clearly you're a man who believes in justice."

  He looked down his nose at me.

  "My father is an honorable man," Princess Illiriya chimed in. "He does what he can for the innocent."

  "The truly innocent," the king said.

  Everything inside me tensed.

  The door behind us opened and the king glanced up. "Ah, Barborough. Finally. You kept us waiting."

  Lord Barborough bowed. "My humblest apologies, Your Majesty." He sounded a little out of breath.

  "You're just in time," Princess Illiriya said. "Miss Cully was about to tell us why my father should pardon her friend the captain." She gave me an encouraging nod.

  "Dane didn't kill that man." I stepped towards the dais, but stopped when the guards moved out of the shadows, hands on sword hilts.

  "Yes, yes," the king muttered. "They all say that. Why should I believe you? He struck the man, did he not?"

  So he knew something about Dane's case. That was a start. "He did, but the blow did not draw blood."

  "A blow doesn't have to draw blood to kill someone later. It's my understanding that a blow need not be too severe, but if inflicted in just the right place on the head, can cause death long after the initial incident."

  "It must be severe, Your Majesty, and it must also be inflicted here." I indicated my temple, crown and back of my head. "Dane hit the man on the chin."

  The king's nostrils flared and I instantly regretted contradicting him.

  "Josie is the daughter of a doctor," Princess Illiriya said quickly. "She has medical knowledge."

  "Did she attend medical college?" he asked with a thorough dose of mockery in his tone.

  The princess winced. "No, Father."

  Lord Barborough tapped the back of his head. "The man fell back, I believe. He most likely hit his head then and that's what caused him to die later. He would not have fallen if Hammer hadn't hit him."

  "We had it on good authority that the ostler saw no blood spilled," I said.

  "There you are," the king said. "You have a good witness. There's no need for my interference. This meeting was for naught."

  "The ostler cannot be found. Nor can any of the other witnesses."

  "That is unfortunate."

  "We think someone is paying them, or threatening them, to keep quiet."

  The king's face gave nothing away, but Princess Illiriya's lips parted with her silent gasp.

  "Why would anyone do that?" Lord Barborough asked with a scoff.

  "To cover up their crime," I went on. "Someone killed Jute Weller to make it look like Dane did it."

  Another scoff, this time from the king. "What a fantastic tale this is. My dear, you have found some intriguing friends. A pity they're deluded."

  My fists clenched even as my heart dove to my stomach.

  "We are not deluded," Balthazar said with more patience than I could have mustered. "Lord Xavier Deerhorn wishes revenge on Josie and Dane. We know he's in Merrin. We know he's behind this."

  "Then prove it," the king said.

  I threw my hands in the air. "How can we when he is hiding witnesses and threatening others into lying for him?"

  "Who is lying?" Princess Illiriya asked.

  I told them about Jute's neighbor, the chandler, but it did no good. The king pointed out that the chandler could very well be telling the truth.

  "If the captain's blow caused him to hit his head, which caused him to die later, of course there was no intruder. I am sorry, Miss Cully, but I cannot interfere in the judicial process."

  "But Dane’s a good man!"

  "Doesn’t he go by the nickname Hammer? One doesn't get that name unless one is brutal by nature."

  "He's not brutal!"

  "He did hit the deceased. That is not in question. I don't know about Glancia, but here in Vytill, we do not condone violence."

  "He was protecting his friend," Theodore said, speaking for the first time. He tried to keep his voice reasonable, level, but I heard the strain through it. "Erik was innocent of the crime he was accused of, but Dane knew he would not get a fair trial, being a Marginer."

  "And yet he was released," Lord Barborough pointed out.

  "Because your magistrate had to follow the letter of the law. A law that Balthazar brought to his attention."

  The king put up his hand for silence. "No matter the reason for the captain's thuggery, the fact remains, the man is dead. The magistrate will decide if the captain is responsible or not. I cannot get involved in a matter where there is no evidence to prove the foreigner’s innocence. It would not be popular."

  Theodore and Balthazar's protests tumbled over one another, but I remained silent. I felt sick. This could not be happening. It was a nightmare; one from which I could not wake.

  The king indicated the guards should escort us from the chamber. I appealed to Princess Illiriya, but she merely stood there, her hands clutched loosely in front of her, a stricken look on her face. She mouthed an apology, but I turned away. She had no power here. Her father wouldn't listen to her and she knew it.

  Power.

  Magic.

  I turned back to the king, wanting to wipe that bland expression from his face. He didn't care that he'd condemned an innocent man to death. "We'll give you the gem if you free Dane," I said before I could think it through and stop myself.

  Lord Barborough's eyes lit up. "You do have it."

  "Yes."

  "Josie," Balthazar warned.

  I tilted my chin. "I also have the two remaining wishes. I'll give you one if you release Dane."

  Lord Barborough frowned. "I thought Brant had them."

  "You believed his lie?"

  Lord Barborough regarded me levelly, as if trying to decide if I were the one lying. "How did you get them? Brant killed Leon, so it makes sense he was the one who now possess them."

  "He struck the killing blow, but the king did not die immediately. We stayed with him until he took his last breath. The wishes transferred at that moment."

  "To you? Or someone else who was there?"

  I did not let my gaze waver from his as I said, "Not me, but I know who has them, and that person will use one of those wishes on His Majesty's behalf if Dane is set free."

  Lord Barborough nibbled on his lower lip as he considered this. Then he looked to the throne. "Your Majesty, if she's telling the truth—"

  "I am."

  Lord Barborough's face lifted and I knew my conviction convinced him. "Your Majesty, imagine what you can do with a single wish."

  The king took his daughter's hand and patted it. "You won't give up, will you?" Was he speaking to her or to Barborough?

  "Sire, do not dismiss magic as fakery. I beg you, it's real. I know it." Lord Barborough appealed to the princess, standing very still beside her father. "Your Highness, please. You believe. Tell the king—"

  "Enough!" The king shot to his feet. "The princess does not believe in your fantasies. She is a sensible girl. You, Barborough, are already on thin ice. I advise you not to tread heavily."

  He strode past us and I went to follow, but it was the princess who stopped me. She held me by the elbow until her father had left the room and was out of earshot.

  "It's best not to disagree with him when he's like this," she said. "He won't listen to reason, not even from me."

  "But he must be convinced!" I cried. "I will sell him a wish if he frees Dane."

 
; "Josie," Balthazar said again. This time it held no warning, merely exasperation.

  "We do have the wishes and gem." I wanted to convince the princess, but also let Balthazar know that I planned on following the path I'd set for myself. His warnings would not sway me.

  Princess Illiriya clasped her hands together, but her thumbs tapped; a small sign that her serenity was disturbed. "Your offer intrigues me. As Lord Barborough said, I believe in magic. At least, I think I do. I certainly think it's worthwhile buying one of the remaining wishes in exchange for the captain’s life."

  "What does it matter?" I said, heavily. "Your father will not agree and you have no authority to set Dane free."

  "I do have some influence."

  "With the magistrate?"

  She merely smiled, and I couldn't fathom what it meant.

  "What would you wish for, Your Highness?" Balthazar asked.

  The princess's smile faded. "That is a secret."

  He bowed. "Of course."

  "I must warn you," she said. "I cannot free Dane before the trial. There simply isn't enough time. Be assured, if he is found guilty today, he won't be executed immediately. They allow time for the prisoner to get his affairs in order, say his goodbyes, that sort of thing."

  I clutched my rolling stomach and managed a weak nod.

  She touched my jaw. Her eyes softened, full of concern. "You poor thing. You're being so brave and you're working so hard. He is very lucky to have you. I promise I will do my part and work every bit as hard too."

  "Are you mad?" Theodore asked as we left the castle behind. "What if they learn we don't have the gem or the wishes? They'll probably execute us all for lying."

  "That's why we'll get Dane's pardon first," I said. "As soon as he is released, we'll leave the city before meeting with the princess again."

  "They'll hunt us down."

  "I don't think the princess is that cruel."

  Theodore barked a brittle laugh. "You're basing that on two meetings. Josie, I love you and I love Dane, but we cannot dupe Vytillian royalty. It's dangerous. Tell her, Bal."

  Balthazar had been silent ever since leaving the audience chamber with Princess Illiriya and Lord Barborough's stares boring into our backs. We kept our progress to his slow pace, but it was too slow for me. Dane's trial would go ahead soon. I eyed the temple bells in the tower, willing them not to chime the passing of time.

  "I'm thinking," was all Balthazar said.

  Theodore clicked his tongue and brooded until we reached the end of the street where he finally broke his silence. "What if the princess fails to convince her father, or whoever she plans on talking to, and Dane is not released after all?"

  "Then we enact Plan B," I said.

  Balthazar looked up. "What's Plan B?"

  "We free him ourselves."

  We rounded the corner and headed to the courthouse squatting on one side of the paved square where several streets fed into it. The area was busy with gentlemen riding past on horseback and ladies in carriages, all jostling for place with pedestrians, carts and street hawkers. Because of the throng, it took some time to realize the three people hurrying towards us were our friends.

  "It's Meg, Max and Quentin," Theodore said, squinting at the trio. "What are they doing out here? The trial's about to start."

  They quickened their pace and we quickened ours until we were close enough for me to see Quentin's stricken face. I stopped dead.

  "No," I whispered as a chill overwhelmed me. I started to shake.

  "It's over," Max said, his voice heavy. "They brought the trial forward." He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

  "The verdict?" Balthazar asked.

  Quentin let out a sob. It was all the answer we needed. Dane had been found guilty.

  My heart plunged to my toes. "The sentence?"

  Meg pressed her lips together but failed to stop them trembling. "His execution is set for two days hence."

  Chapter 6

  "We never even had a chance to present our suspicions at the trial," Max bit off. "It was over before we got here."

  "They brought it forward deliberately," Meg said bitterly. "I suspect Lord Xavier convinced them to make it earlier so we couldn't present new evidence or find the witnesses in time."

  Balthazar shook his head. "He has no friends here. It's doubtful the magistrate would be told what to do by a Glancian."

  "Unless he paid the magistrate."

  Quentin threw his arms around me and buried his face in my shoulder. "He's going to die!"

  I hugged him back, but it was little comfort. I couldn’t stop the trembles wracking my body.

  "They're going to execute him, Josie," he sobbed.

  "That's enough," Theodore snapped. His exasperation was most out of character, stunning Quentin into silence.

  Max glared at the courthouse as if he was planning to storm it. "It probably wasn't Deerhorn. My money's on Barborough. Why else would he have been there?"

  "He wasn't," Theodore said. "He was at the castle with us."

  "He was at the courthouse during the trial." At Theodore's blank look, Max added, "It finished some time ago."

  Theodore and Balthazar exchanged glances. "That explains why he was out of breath," Balthazar said. "He rushed to the castle after the trial."

  "He didn't say a word," Theodore muttered.

  Max swore and strode off. Meg followed him and somehow made him stop and return.

  I could hardly see them through my tears or hear them as they talked amongst themselves. It wasn't until Meg put her arms around me and urged me to walk with her that I realized she was steering me away.

  "I have to see him," I said.

  "I know. We're taking you to the prison."

  I wiped my cheeks and touched my hair, but it wouldn't do any good. I was a mess.

  Theodore appeared by my side. "You look beautiful."

  Quentin agreed. "Especially compared to the people he's been looking at behind bars."

  I intended to be strong for Dane, to keep his spirits up, but it was he who lifted my spirits. I entered the prison in tears and left with a plan.

  "There is hope, Josie," he had told me upon my arrival at his cell.

  I clutched the bars and nodded, not trusting my voice. It felt as though one small word would shatter me completely.

  "Witnesses may yet be found." He reached through the bars and tucked my hair behind my ear. "I would offer you a handkerchief but I seem to have misplaced it."

  I tried to smile.

  "That's better. Now tell me how your audience with the king went. Since you didn't dance in here, I assume it didn't go as planned."

  "It did not." Recounting the meeting gave me something to focus on, something to get angry about. By the time I finished, I no longer felt overwhelmed with hopelessness. The way out had become clearer.

  Dane, however, went very still. A look of incredulity passed over his face. "You promised him a wish?"

  "Yes, but he doesn't believe in magic. The princess seems to and she will work to free you."

  He pressed his forehead to the bars and closed his eyes. "Josie…"

  "I know what you're thinking, and I've thought it all through. If she succeeds in setting you free, we'll flee the city before she comes to collect the wish and gem. We just have to make it to Freedland safely. They won't follow us across the border. And if she doesn't set you free, I'm going to get you out another way."

  He arched his brows. "Should I be worried?"

  "You won't have to do a thing. Well, just run when told to. Leave it to me."

  "Do I get a hint of this diabolical plan of yours?"

  "It involves the same tonic used on both Leon and Kitty's maid."

  He smirked. "At least no guards will have to die."

  "Not unless the emetic doesn't work on them, and that will only happen if they have the constitution of a horse." I eyed the giant of a guard standing out of earshot further along the corridor. Perhaps I would i
ncrease the dose for him.

  "Did you think up the escape plan just now or before you promised the princess the wish?" he asked ruefully.

  "It doesn't matter. It's too late to rescind the offer. All we have to do is wait. And go to the market to buy herbs."

  He tugged on the belt at my waist, drawing me as close to him as the bars would allow. He pressed his head against the bars and I did the same from the other side. "Be careful," he murmured. "You're playing a dangerous game."

  "It's not a game."

  "I wish you hadn't dangled a magic carrot in front of the princess."

  "I had no other choice."

  "You did, but she was the safest option. Deerhorn would have been more of a threat."

  I drew back. Lord Xavier? I hadn't thought of him, but didn't tell Dane that. He would worry that he'd planted the seed in my head.

  That seed took root as I left the prison and headed back to the inn in Fahr with the others. We gave Kitty and Erik the terrible news and told them what we planned to do about setting Dane free. Erik liked it; Kitty thought it was madness.

  "You come up with a better idea," I snapped. "If not, then we enact my plan, because letting him hang is not an option."

  I headed downstairs to the taproom where I sat in a corner and nursed a tankard of ale, wishing the day would come to an end. It had been the sort of day that shreds one's soul and scatters the pieces to the wind. The more I sat there, the worse my sense of hopelessness became. Our plan could not work. We'd never be able to flee from an angry princess with Lord Barborough on her side. The simple fact that Lord Barborough was advising her should be warning enough that she was not as kind as she seemed. She was greedy for magic, like him. It remained to be seen what lengths she would go to in order to possess it.

  "Drowning your sorrows?" came a snide voice that had me whipping around.

  Lord Xavier stood there, hand on sword hilt and a smile on his face that I wanted to wipe off. Three guards stood at his back. They wore no livery and sported the battle scars and cold eyes of mercenaries.

  I stood, not wanting to be at a disadvantage. Yet if he chose to attack me, there was nothing I could do. I was trapped in a corner with only my knife tucked away in my pocket. There were dozens of witnesses in the taproom, but none would come to the aid of a stranger at the mercy of a heavily armed nobleman.