The name sounded familiar. He didn’t know many Victors, but he couldn’t quite place it. Curiosity got the better of him and he went to go see what all the commotion was about.
He crossed his modest room at the inn in three large strides. Cracking open the door, he peered out into the hallway.
Armed thugs ran past, nearly taking the door off its hinges as they blew by. Shaw quickly shut the door again and moved to the other side of the room. He pulled back the meager curtains and watched the scene unfold outside.
There, in the middle of the street, was Will. Victor. That’s where he heard the name before. That fool Tomas was looking for a Victor. They still didn’t believe Shaw that Victor was long dead. Excitement and anticipation rose up in Shaw. His patience had paid off.
Several of the king’s royal guard stood a short distance away, beginning to step out onto the dock of a luxurious sailboat. The guards flanked an eighteen-year-old boy Shaw recognized as Luka Callum, the grand marshal’s son. In front of him, dressed in the attire of the royal guard, were two people he’d never seen before, a small woman and a giant of a man. Shaw scoffed. They let anyone into the guard these days.
Will approached at a brisk walk. He’d be caught for sure, and Shaw could swoop in when it was all done and wave the royal edict granting him possession of the prisoner. Then he’d march back into the palace and hand the boy over to the king. After several long months, his mission was drawing to a close.
Before Will reached the guards, Alexei’s men burst from the tavern door below with a clamor. Will ducked between two large crates adjacent to the dock moments before the guards turned to the commotion.
Alexei’s men ran at Will. Two of the guards at the rear of the procession broke rank to face the potential threat. As they marched passed where Will hid, he slipped from his cover and moved down the dock.
No, no! He’s behind you, you idiots, Shaw thought.
Will grabbed Luka from behind and held a knife to his throat.
Shaw sucked in his breath. He wouldn’t. Would he?
Luka gave a shout in surprise and the woman and big man turned around. They brandished their weapons. The two other guards cursed and moved to protect Luka.
Will shouted, “For Alexei Nikitovich!” and started to draw the knife across his throat.
For the briefest of moments both Will and Luka stood still. If Shaw had blinked he might have missed it.
Luka elbowed Will in the gut. The knife flew from Will’s hand and he doubled over, shock on his face. Before he could utter a word of protest, one of the guards with a grizzled beard swung a halberd and cleaved Will’s head from his body.
It fell from his shoulders and toppled into the tide below, his body slumping to the dock.
No! Shaw thought. Now Will, detached from his body, would escape Shaw’s grasp once again.
“It’s them!” Luka shouted. He pointed to Alexei’s men who stood, staring at the scene below. “They tried to kill me. I want them arrested. I’ll see them hanged for their crimes!”
The woman and big man stepped in front of Luka while the other two advanced on the thugs.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” the woman said to Luka and the big man. “Back to the palace. Now!”
Luka said something indecipherable and the woman smirked.
A halberd caught one of Alexei’s men in the side as he turned to run. When Luka and the others cleared the dock, the two guards engaged in combat left the fleeing thugs and filed in behind Luka as they moved swiftly back toward the palace.
Shaw grabbed his cloak from off the bed and ran out the door to investigate.
27
“This is outrageous!” shouted the grand marshal. “Alexei Nikitovich is a tax collector.”
Will, now in Luka’s body, stood in the guardhouse flanked by Riley and Ocken as the guards described to Callum the events at the dock. Callum was livid.
“I’m afraid the situation is more dire than that, sir,” the grizzled man reported. Will decided to call him Grizz. “Word is that he’s been skimming funds and taking bribes. When people can’t pay he takes collateral. This has led to some rather unsavory practices.”
“How did this happen unchecked?” Callum demanded.
“Sir,” Grizz said, clearing his throat, “you instructed us to turn a blind eye to the seedier businesses in the city.”
Callum held up his finger and opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped, put his hand down, and began to pace.
Will didn’t know how Luka would have acted, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t stand there silent, so he said, “You can’t possibly be thinking about letting them get away with this.”
“Quiet, boy,” Callum snapped.
He tried to think back to how Callum described his son. Stubborn and bull-headed, he had said.
“I want their heads!” Will yelled. “They nearly took mine.”
Callum flashed a glare at Will, his eyes drawn to the red line along Will’s neck.
“I’ve seen worse paper cuts,” he grumbled.
“I could have died!” Will whined.
“You will shut your mouth, or by the gods, I’ll shut it for you,” Callum said, drawing his sword and aiming it at Will. He let it hang there for dramatic effect, then swung it to point at Grizz. “I want this vermin removed from my streets. Find them. All of them. Kill them if you have to, but I want Alexei Nikitovich delivered to me in irons.”
Grizz stared at Callum, wide-eyed.
“Go. Now,” Callum said as he flicked his wrist holding the sword. He sheathed the sword and said, “Ocken, fetch a scribe and have him meet me in the king’s cabinet.”
Callum left Will, Riley, and the fourth guard standing there as he exited the guardhouse. He looked to the guard, but didn’t know how to address him. He whispered to Riley, “What’s his name?”
“Harkin,” she whispered back.
“Harkin,” Will said and paused trying to remember Riley’s last name. “Harper,” he said.
Harkin and Harper. What are the odds?
“Let’s go,” he finished his thought. “To my chambers. This afternoon’s events have worn me out.”
Harkin led the way and Riley followed behind Will, exiting into the courtyard. As they walked, Will hung back, creating a measurable distance between Harkin and himself and Riley.
Riley walked close behind him and whispered, “I wasn’t sure you were ever going to show. We’ve been ready for weeks.”
“I came when I was sent,” Will explained. “Did you have trouble getting into the guard?”
“Tale for another time,” she said. “A few lies, a little sleight of hand and Luka had his previous protectors hanged.”
They turned the corner and Harkin noticed they’d fallen behind. He waited as they caught up and then continued forward, making sure to keep close. Will left their conversation alone.
They ascended the staircase leading to the doors of the palace and stepped into the entrance hall. It was as lavish as Will remembered it. Last time, he had been bound, and so couldn’t fully appreciate its grandeur.
A marble table stood in the middle of the floor, a large floral arrangement sitting on it. Sitting rooms with expensive furniture were built into alcoves in the hall both to the left and right. The rooms were open to the air, supported by ornate arches and columns.
Straight ahead, two curving staircases led up to the second floor. At the top stood Maya. Noticing their arrival, she came half-running down the stairs.
Will’s heart hammered in his chest. This was the first time he would speak with Maya since she betrayed him. But, to her, he wasn’t Will. He was Luka. He couldn’t let her know who he was. He couldn’t let her alert her father to his presence.
“Luka?” she said. “Are you okay? I heard about what happened.” Her words expressed care, but her tone gave the impression of disbelief.
Will’s gaze slipped from her face to the red stone that hung around her neck. Maya had placed the soul
stone in a setting and turned it into a necklace. It still glowed a vibrant red, its power swirling beneath the stone’s surface. Maya hadn’t figured out how to activate it yet.
“Luka? Hello?” she said, waving her hand in Will’s face.
Will shook, startled, his eyes blinking as he looked back up at Maya. “No. I’m not okay. See this?” he said and pointed to his neck.
Maya squinted and feigned indifference. “Just a scratch.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that? Someone almost killed me,” he said.
“You’re such a whiner, Luka,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The reports made it sound like your head fell off.”
“That was the other guy,” Will said, doing his best to look horrified. “Oh, gods, I’ll never be able to get that vision out of my head.”
Riley coughed.
“What is it, Harper?” Will asked.
Riley said, “Nothing, I, uh—”
“Hey, Luka!” came a familiar voice from behind.
No. It can’t be. Will spun around, hoping he’d misheard as he turned in what felt like slow motion.
Robert.
“Glad to see you’re in one piece,” Robert said, as he stepped to stand beside Maya. “I got a little worried there for a minute.”
Robert was here? Why was he here? How was he here?
Robert draped his arm over Maya’s shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Will stood there, wide-eyed. An odd sensation bubbled up within him.
Anger. Pain. Jealousy?
His breathing grew heavy and rapid.
“Hey, Luka!” Maya said, snapping her fingers in Will’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting really strange. I think you’re in shock.”
You could say that again, Will thought. His eyes narrowed. Through clenched teeth, he said, “I’m fine.”
Maya’s own eyes narrowed, the red reflection of the stone flashing across her face as it spun around her neck.
“Hey, bro,” Robert said, “don’t speak to her in that tone of voice.”
Bro? Did he know? Impossible.
“I am not your bro. Leave me alone, both of you.”
Shock registered on Maya’s face at his words. Robert’s expression turned angry.
Before he could unload, Will stomped off up the stairs, Riley and Harkin moving to follow him.
Will turned around, looked at Riley and Harkin, and said, “That goes for you two, as well.”
“But—” Harkin started to say.
“This is my house, for Iket’s sake. The king’s palace. No one is going to try to kill me in here,” Will said. His last sentence sunk in. No one was going to try to kill him… yet. But if Maya knew who he was, she might try to kill him. If the king knew who Will was, he would kill him.
Will left them all behind and rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, he pressed his back against the wall and sank to the floor, hands over his head.
Robert was here.
Somehow, over the last three months, he’d managed to find his way into the castle. That didn’t surprise Will, Robert was resourceful. But Robert and Maya? Was it an act? It didn’t look like he was faking it. Had he really thrown in with Drygo?
Will felt betrayed. Betrayed by Robert for joining the king. Betrayed by Maya for having a relationship with Robert.
The soft patter of shoes drew closer. Riley turned the corner. Will stood as she started to whisper, “What was…” then she paused and looked down the hallway in both directions. Another guard walked toward them, oblivious. “Come on. Follow me.”
She led Will through the palace and up a flight of stairs. She stopped in front of a door. “Inside,” she said.
Will opened the door and stepped through. A wide room lay before him. A giant four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room against the far wall. Rich red and black fabric hung from the top and flapped in the gentle breeze that came through the open window nearby. Beside the bed was an oak nightstand. On it sat a lamp and a stack of books. In front of the nightstand and next to the bed lay a large plush rug that covered the white marble floors.
Will walked into the room and Riley shut the door behind them. She moved to shut the window while Will took in the rest of the surroundings.
Beyond the bed was a small personal library. The library was in its own separate room, circular and raised on a small platform. At the top sat a desk, strewn with papers, and a chair. There was no door to the library. It was a natural extension of the bedroom.
Riley closed the window and turned on Will. “What just happened down there?” she demanded, placing one hand on her hip, the other pointing out the bedroom door.
“What do you mean?” Will asked.
She huffed and got in Will’s face. “Cut the crap. Why did you yell at them?”
“Aren’t I supposed to? Aren’t I some spoiled rich kid who always gets his way?” Will said, crossing his arms.
She looked Will in the eyes and said, “No, you’re…” but she couldn’t finish. She looked away and sighed.
“What?” Will asked.
“This is just… weird.”
“What is?”
“This,” she said, holding out her hand, palm up, indicating Will. “You. I know what you can do, but I’ve only ever seen you in that other body. And I’ve spent the last month guarding Luka. It’s just… it’s a lot to take in.”
“Look, I’m sorr—”
Riley’s gaze snapped to Will.
“Right, never apologize. So tell me how I’m supposed to act, Ri,” he said. He turned and plopped onto the bed. With his arms outspread, he laid back on the soft mattress. He hadn’t slept in a bed for months, and he’d never been in one that comfortable. He took a deep breath and relaxed.
“Are you done? This is serious.” Riley said, losing her patience. “We need to hurry, if anyone finds me in here, I could get fired from your detail.”
Will sat up. “Why? I mean, whatever I say goes, right?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way,” she said.
“I’m the son of a princess, right? Isn’t my mother the king’s sister?” he asked. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Not when your father is my boss,” she said. “Now come on. We’re running out of time. Tell me what’s going on with you and the princess.”
“I already told you,” Will said. “I thought that’s how I was supposed to act.”
“Don’t play coy with me,” she said, putting her finger in his face before sweeping it back toward the door. “I saw what happened down there. You totally changed when Robert showed up. You know him somehow. Who is he?”
Will hung his head and whispered, “He’s my brother.”
“I’m sorry… what?” she asked, cleaning out her ears. “I couldn’t have heard you properly. Did you say he’s your brother?”
Will nodded.
“What’s he doing here?” she asked.
Will stood and shouted in frustration, “How should I know?”
Riley glanced back at the door. “Keep it down,” she said. “We don’t want anyone—”
Someone knocked.
Riley cursed under her breath. She stepped behind the door and pressed flat against the wall. She nodded at the door.
Will’s stomach rose up into his chest, his heart beating a little faster. He swung open the door, ready to…to do what? He didn’t know. His shoulders relaxed when Ocken’s face greeted him on the other side. Will let him in, glanced down the empty hallway, and closed the door behind them.
Ocken looked to Riley, who had an annoyed look on her face.
Riley told him about the incident. “…did you know Robert is his brother?” She drew out the syllables on the last word.
Ocken shrugged as if he didn’t care.
“Now what?” Will asked. “Do you have any idea where my stone is?”
“Probably in the king’s chambers down the hall,” Ocken answered.
Riley pushed it shut. “Are you crazy? You can’t just waltz in there.”
“Why not? You two keep an eye out while I search for it,” Will said.
“You can’t just do what you want,” Riley said, shaking her head. “You’ll get yourself killed. The king is not to be trifled with. You don’t know the first thing about being Luka.”
“All right then, tell me,” Will said, plopping back on the bed.
“He’s a brat, not bossy,” Riley explained.
Ocken chuckled.
“What?” Riley asked.
“Doesn’t boss you around,” Ocken said, smiling. “Nobody bosses you around.”
“So about Luka,” Will said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“He’s high on himself, but he knows his place,” she said. “He loves to annoy Maya, but he would never yell at her like that.”
“He did excellent with Callum, though,” Ocken offered.
“The grand marshal and his son don’t exactly see eye to eye,” Riley explained.
“So tone it down with everyone but my father,” Will said. “Got it.”
“And then there’s your schedule,” Riley said.
“My schedule?” Will asked, incredulous. “I’m, like, almost twenty, aren’t I?”
“And lazy,” Ocken said, snorting.
“Callum demands that you start each day running with the new guard recruits,” Riley said. “Following calisthenics, on Mondays, you weed the gardens. On Tuesdays you do laundry. On Wednesday—”
“Hold up,” Will said, raising his hand. “I’m doing chores? I’m a princeling.”
“No you’re not,” Ocken said.
“Titles are inherited through men and Davion Callum is not a royal,” Riley said. “The only way you get a title is if your mother becomes queen.”
“Which will only happen if both the king and Maya are dead,” Ocken added.
“Like it or not, Luka has no power in this palace,” she said. “You are here solely under the good graces of the king, but you’re an embarrassment to your father. He requires that you follow his schedule or he’ll have no qualms about throwing you out.”
Soul Render (Soul Stones Book 1) Page 25