“Is this heaven?” he asked with a smile.
She laughed, then removed her hands from his body. “Hardly. I can’t believe it worked,” she said to herself.
Caleb rose up and looked around. “What just happened?” he asked.
“I just saved your life,” she said proudly.
He looked down and checked his body to find that all the bruises were gone; there wasn’t even a scar. The only remnants of the torture he had sustained were the holes in his clothes. “What the—?” he said. “How did you—?”
“With my powers,” she said, pleased. “I didn’t think I could do it at first. But I did, and now you are alive. You’re welcome.”
He looked at her both in awe and in shock. “Are you sure this isn’t heaven? Because that is the only place that something like this could happen,” he said with a smile, rechecking his body for scars.
She laughed. “I’m definitely sure, sir.”
“Caleb,” he said, extending his hand to hers.
She brushed a lock of her hair back from her face and was about to shake his hand when a bell rang. “Oh shoot; I have to go, before I get in trouble. It was nice to meet you, Caleb. If you want to see me again, I’ll be in that village up the hill,” she said, pointing to the giant gate beyond the field.
He looked in the direction that she was pointing in, then back to her, only to find that she was gone. “Okay,” he said, confused. At first he thought about heading back to the kingdom, but after realizing that he had no idea where he was, he got up and walked up the hill towards the gate that led to the village.
There were three men standing guard at the gate, all laughing and talking about something that one of the other men had said or done. None of them paid Caleb any attention. They all looked as if they would be good in a fight, so Caleb wasn’t sure he could win if he ended up having to take them on. Then again, since that angel had just saved his life, he felt better than he had felt in a long time.
“Um, is this the way to the village?” Caleb asked, confused.
“Depends on who’s asking,” the first man said, alarmed. He was tall and about the same height and build as Caleb, and from the way he spoke, Caleb could tell he was someone of authority.
Caleb thought about it—was it okay for him to give them his real name? He could be in rebel territory. If so and if they found out who he was, who knew what would happen to him. Then again, he really wanted to see that girl again, at least to thank her and ask her for her name. That was assuming she’d been real, and not just a figment of his imagination.
“Sir?” The first guy asked, interrupting Caleb’s thought process.
“I’m sorry. It’s been a weird day. I’m Prince Caleb of Aden,” he said, after deciding to tell them. The worst that could happen would be for them to kill him, and if he were to die again, his angel could probably bring him back to life again.
The moment Caleb spoke his name, the three men exchanged glances that told Caleb he’d made a mistake. He probably should have listened to his first thought.
“Open the gate,” Rico ordered. This action both shocked Caleb and put him on high alarm.
Is this really a good idea? he thought to himself. The moment the gates opened, Caleb felt like he was looking at a different kingdom. Maybe this is an allied kingdom, he thought, a little less fearful of a possible second death.
“This way, your highness,” the first man replied, opening his arms and moving backwards so Caleb could walk through the huge gate.
The town reminded Caleb of his kingdom and made him miss it even more, especially his cousin. After getting into such a major fight as the one they’d had, he knew Joshua would be worried sick. But the first thing he planned on doing when he got home was to kill Hugo and all the soldiers that followed him.
“So what brings a prince to this part of the kingdom?” the man asked as they walked through the town.
“I have no idea,” Caleb admitted. “I don’t even know where I am. The last thing I remember was waking up and seeing the most beautiful young woman I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said in awe, longing to find his mystery girl.
“Sounds like you had some kind of party last night and wandered off,” the man said.
Caleb shook his head. “It wasn’t a party,” he said, bitterly. “It was more like my execution.”
The man stopped walking, then looked at Caleb sideways as if what he’d said had struck a nerve. “What?” he asked.
“It’s something I don’t want to get into with a complete stranger. But, this angel saved me.”
“Angel?” the man asked.
“Okay, what I am about to say may sound a little bit crazy; hell, if it hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it’s true—an angel brought me back to life,” Caleb said, trying to explain himself, although he wasn’t sure why.
The man let out a deep breath, then continued walking towards a giant castle in the center of the town.
“You don’t believe?” Caleb asked, disappointed.
The man shook his head. “I do believe you. In fact, I think I know who you’re talking about. But first I have to take you to meet our leader.” He looked hurt, as if what Caleb had said was worse than any kind of torture that could have been dished out.
“Okay; so once I meet him, can I see her?” Caleb asked, confused.
The man said nothing, turning away from Caleb and leading him into the castle. Caleb looked around; it wasn’t as extravagant as his home, but it was nice, to say the least.
When they came to the door at the end of the hall, the man nervously placed his hand on the door knob. Taking a deep breath, he opened it. Inside the office were two men. One was seated behind the desk and looked like an older version of the man who had escorted Caleb here. The other man had a face that looked familiar, but Caleb couldn’t place where he’d seen it. They looked to be going over some very important paperwork.
“Father,” the man escorting Caleb called to the man behind the desk.
“Yes Rico, what is it?” The man behind the desk asked, looking up at Rico and smiling.
“We have a visitor,” Rico informed him.
The two men looked from Rico to Caleb. The man in front of the desk looked very alarmed, while the one behind it only looked at him with curiosity.
“This is Prince Caleb of Aden,” Rico informed them.
The two men looked at each other, then got up and bowed before the prince. “How did you get here, your majesty?” Rico’s father asked, continuing to bow before Caleb.
“The river carried me,” Caleb explained. “Please rise,” he asked, and the men obeyed. Caleb looked around the office; everything looked like a normal castle, but something felt off, “Tell me sir, where am I?” Caleb asked, continuing his walk around the room.
The men returned to their seats, and Rico’s father spoke. “You are in the rebel base, your majesty.”
Caleb took a step backwards. “I’m where?” he asked, his mind blown. How had he ended up here, of all places? Why would his angel direct him to a place like this? Had her goal been to save him just so she could watch as the rebels tortured him? Caleb chuckled nervously. “This is some kind of joke, right? This isn’t really the rebel base,” he asked, looking from man to man and finding nothing that told him differently. But a part of him already knew it was true. First there had been the three men at the gate and the initial questioning done by Rico. Then the way the men at the desk had looked at him after finding out his name… Suddenly a feeling of dread crept over him, just like it had when he was taken by Hugo and his men. He was going to die—it was only a matter of time.
“Your highness,” Rico’s father said, snapping him out of his train of thought.
Caleb looked up at him. The man had placed his elbows on the table and had brought his hands together in a prayer-like position, his dark brown eyes staring at Caleb with what looked like concern.
“Did you understand what I just said?” the man ask
ed softly, as if he were trying to comfort Caleb. And for some strange reason, Caleb felt as if that man would do everything in his power to keep him safe.
“Yes. I’m in the rebel camp,” Caleb said, wide-eyed.
“Right. And unfortunately, you can’t leave,” Rico’s father said, sounding disappointed.
“What’s to stop me from leaving by myself?” Caleb asked, curious.
“Well, you could try, but you’d have to go through swamps, beast-filled fields, a tunnel full of wild, man-eating creatures, and of course there are our soldiers. So please, if you think you can make it, go ahead and try,” Rico’s father informed him.
Caleb thought about it for a while. He needed to get home, but couldn’t see how that would be possible with all those odds staked against him. Plus, even if he were to make it out, he would still have no idea where he was or how to navigate back home. He sighed, “If I am forced to stay here, you will throw me in the dungeons, will you not?”
“No,” Rico’s father informed him.
“No?” Caleb asked, confused. If things were reversed, his uncle would gladly throw Rico’s father in the dungeon, or possibly even kill him.
“No,” Rico’s father repeated. “We will give you your own home, and you may go anywhere in the village that you please, expect for the far ends,” he said, raising a finger up to emphasize his point.
Caleb sat down next to the man who hadn’t spoken since he walked in, amazed and taken aback by what the man who was supposed to be his enemy was saying. “Why would you do this for me? Am I to act as your hostage?” he asked, trying to make some sense out of it.
“Call yourself what you want, your highness. But we will not treat you like a hostage, nor will we tell anyone that you are here. Despite what you have been told by your uncle, we are not your enemy,” Rico’s father explained.
“If you are not my enemy, then why do you fight us and protect those that were born to destroy us?” Caleb asked coldly.
The men in the room laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Caleb asked, feeling a little bit embarrassed.
Rico’s father shook his head, then hit his hand on his desk, amused. “You really think that’s what the girls were born for?” he asked.
“Of course,” Caleb said quickly, his eyes shifting from person to person.
Rico’s father stood up and approached Caleb. “No. The truth is, those girls are the most powerful beings in the world, and whoever controls them will also control the world.”
Caleb sat back. His mind was racing as he tried to come to terms with what this man had just told him. His uncle’s information had been wrong, but the threat was still the same, and if the rebels got hold of the girls, it was only a matter of time before the entire kingdom was destroyed. Caleb couldn’t let that happen. “If that is the case, then why are you trying to protect them? Why not give them to my uncle?” he demanded. His eyes narrowed as he thought about how to escape the camp and warn his uncle of the now-opposing threat. With the kingdom at war, it was only a matter of time before the rebels got hold of the girls; and when they did, it was only a matter of time before they would use them to destroy the kingdom.
Rico’s father sat down at his desk, then looked from Caleb to his intertwined hands and sighed. When he looked back up at Caleb, his face was softer, innocent even. It was unlike anything Caleb had expected from this man. “If your uncle were to get hold of those girls, many innocent people would die,” Angelo explained.
“You lie,” Caleb hissed. His jaw had tightened and his hand was clenched in a fist, ready to strike this man and any other who might get in his way. In Caleb’s eyes, his uncle could do no harm. It was the rebels who were messing with the balance in the kingdom, while his uncle was only trying to protect his subjects.
“Of course you say that,” Rico tittered.
Caleb turned sharply towards Rico, who as far as he knew had had it out for him ever since they’d met. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he shot back.
“Just that as the pampered prince of a kingdom, you don’t get to see what life is really like for your people,” Rico replied. His face looked emotionless, but his eyes were cold and hardened.
“My uncle is good man. He does what he can for his people. You should respect that,” Caleb replied less forcefully to Rico. It was clear to Caleb that Rico had been brainwashed by his father with these outlandish ideas about the king, leading him to believe the worst of nobility. So instead of harboring any hatred towards Rico, Caleb pitied him for his ignorance.
“That’s enough,” Rico’s father ordered. “It is clear that this conversation is getting us nowhere,” he acknowledged as he stood up and slowly made his way back to his chair behind the desk.
“Obviously,” Caleb muttered.
“Could you tell us how you got here?” Rico’s father asked as he sat down in his chair. “As I’ve stated before, the main entrance is completely dangerous, and if the beasts don’t kill you, the fields will. So which way did you come?
“I don’t know,” Caleb explained. “All I know is that the river carried me here.”
“How did you get in the river?” Rico’s father asked, curious.
Caleb’s eyes grew cold just thinking about it. More than anything, he wanted to go home so he could take care of Hugo, but he knew that was impossible, at least for now. “I was attacked by an enemy and he threw me in the river,” Caleb informed.
“Is the person that did that to you in this room?” Rico’s father asked, curious.
“No. I know who is responsible and I will deal with them when I get back,” Caleb said, coldly.
“What happened after that?” Rico’s father asked as he made his way back to his seat.
Caleb looked up as if to remember what had happened next. “I was thrown into the river and it carried me to this garden. I had cuts and bruises all over my body.” Caleb then looked him in the eyes. “To tell you the truth, I think I died.”
Rico’s father turned his arms over and said, “You look fine now.”
Caleb laughed. “Well…” He paused, then continued, “that’s because this angel appeared out of nowhere and healed me.” Caleb was smiling just thinking about it.
“An angel, you say?” Angelo said sarcastically.
Caleb laughed, then waved his hands back and forth. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true,” he said, looking from person to person. “She appeared, pointed me in this direction, and then disappeared.”
“And what did this angel of yours look like?” Rico’s father asked.
Caleb thought about how to describe her. He couldn’t tell them that she looked like his mother’s friend; there was no guarantee that would mean anything to them. “She had long brown hair, glowing brown eyes, and the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen,” Caleb disclosed.
“Anything else?” Rico’s father asked, unmoved.
Caleb shook his head. “The light was so bright; it was hard to see. But I do know that she was beautiful.”
Rico’s father placed his hand on his forehead, then sighed. It was almost like he was disappointed that this girl had saved Caleb’s life. However, Caleb didn’t care one bit how this man felt. All that mattered was that he was alive and could find his angel, to thank her properly.
“Rico, go get Elizabeth,” Angelo ordered after a long pause.
The moment Caleb heard her name, he felt a sharp pain in the pit of his stomach. Elizabeth! It can’t be her. She was the last person he ever wanted to repay for anything. After all, it was her fault that he had lost everything and that his father was now in the dungeon.
“Yes, sir,” Rico said with a slight bow.
“Wait, did you say Elizabeth?” Caleb asked, alarmed and bitter. Just saying her name made him feel as if his skin was crawling with a hundred insects, while the pain in the pit of his stomach only intensified. But it couldn’t have been the same Elizabeth, right? There are a ton of Elizabeth’s in the world; it couldn’t have been her. An
d if it was, then that means the kingdom is in more danger than I thought.
“Yeah, why?” Rico asked with an attitude. His eyes were locked on Caleb’s, almost like the warning of some sort of a jealous man telling Caleb to stay away from his girl. But Caleb had no intention of being anywhere near Elizabeth, especially if she was who he thought she was. He hated her with every fiber of his being; so much so that if the opportunity were to arise, he would deliver her to his uncle to pass down fair judgment upon her and the rest of her kind.
Caleb shook his head. “It’s nothing; I just know that name,” Caleb stuttered. It’s not her, he kept telling himself.
“Well, it is a very common name,” Angelo assured him.
Caleb smiled inwardly. “That’s true.” He could feel his heart beating against his chest, as if it were trying to escape.
“Rico, go get her,” Rico’s father repeated. Caleb could tell from the moment he had walked into the room that this was a good man and so was his son. How they could side with those girls over his uncle was beyond him.
“Yes sir,” Rico responded with a slight head bow. He then turned and walked out of the room.
“Is everything alright, your highness? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” Rico’s father asked, seemingly concerned.
“It’s fine,” Caleb assured him. “I’m just wondering how long you are going to keep me here,” he said, trying to change the subject.
“That I have not decided yet. It all depends on your uncle.”
“My uncle?” Caleb asked, alarmed.
Rico’s father nodded. “But let’s not get into that. Tell me something—is your father back in the castle?” Rico’s father asked cordially.
“Yes, and paying for the crime he committed.” Caleb’s eyes were cold as ice; just the thought of it made his blood boil. His father shouldn’t be in that dungeon, getting tortured for something he had been tricked or forced into doing by Elizabeth and the other two demons. Those girls should be the ones to rot for their crimes against the world.
The Journey: The Ultimate Power Book 1 Page 22