“Oh, well, that’s nice of you, Master Luka,” she said, still looking over his shoulder.
“Do you mind?” Will asked, looking back at her. “Please?”
“Oh,” she said, backing away, “I apologize, sir.”
Will popped the lid on the jewelry box. The Soul Render stared back at him. He picked it up, ran his finger across its smooth surface, then stuck it in his pocket.
He started to close the lid when something else caught his eye. A piece of parchment with a note scribbled on it. It read:
We want the same thing. If you want help taking him down, meet me this evening after everyone has gone to bed. Use the hidden passage in the library. Back wall, third bookcase from the left, second shelf, look for the thick red book.
—The Raven
Will grabbed the note and slipped it into his pocket as well.
What’s that about? Lotess asked.
The Revenant, Will told her. It’s a rebel group seeking to overthrow the king. I think I may have made contact with their leader.
“Find what you were looking for, Master Luka?” Shelly asked.
“Uh, yes,” Will said, then mumbled to himself, “and then some.”
Shelly gave him a nervous smile and kept glancing at the door.
“Right,” he said. “I’ll be going now.” He nodded and took his leave.
Will left the king’s chambers and Shelly shut the door behind him. He turned to head back to his room.
As the door snapped shut and the lock engaged, a pair of hands grabbed Will. One hand covered his mouth and the other restrained his arms.
“Got you!” a man shouted in victorious, raucous laughter.
31
The man whispered in Will’s ear, “After months, you show up in my city and you think to slip by me unnoticed? You might have fooled the others, but not me.”
Will fought back, but the hands held him tight. He slammed his head back into the man’s nose and the hand around his mouth fell away. Turning his head, Will found Shaw staring back at him.
“You’re going to pay for that,” Shaw said slamming his elbow into the back of Will’s head. Shaw grabbed him again and held him tight.
Break free and tear him apart, Lotess said. What are you waiting for?
I can’t, Will replied. He’s got too much of Drygo’s power in him.
At least try! Lotess said.
I can’t. I can’t.
Lotess growled in frustration. You’re the same scared and frightened kid I found at the start. I thought you would have grown up by now.
Shaw’s touch had crippled him. He was too fresh off of reliving John’s death. Shaw’s hands only reminded him of that captivity. He felt helpless then, just as he did now.
Shaw dragged him down to the entrance hall of the throne room, past that grotesque fountain, up the staircase, and past the scary dragon. It was all a blur. Will didn’t try to fight it. He didn’t try to resist.
Shaw kicked the double doors open and everyone in the throne room stood and turned to see what was going on. The sun had set and the flickering of the lamps cast long, eerie shadows across the room.
Will summoned his resolve at the sight of Drygo sitting smugly on his throne, as he did on the day John died. He straightened his back, stood a little taller, and stared at the man who killed his brother.
“What is the meaning of this?” Callum yelled at the sight of his son being dragged into the throne room.
“You gave me a mission,” Shaw said as he kicked Will to the ground in front of the king. “I’m fulfilling it.”
“Mission?” Callum asked. “What mission? Where have you been?”
Will stood, defiant before the king once more.
Drygo, elbows propped on the arms of his chair, steepled his fingers and said, “Interesting.”
Maya, Robert, and Khal ran down the stairs from the observation area. Maya pushed her way through the guards to stand beside her father. To protect him no doubt. Did she think Will was a threat surrounded by the king’s finest men?
“Are you certain?” Drygo asked Shaw.
“Yes, sire,” Shaw said. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Drygo’s eyes turned black as he entered the Soul Sight then faded back to normal.
“Very interesting indeed,” Drygo said. “You always were an enigma.”
“Certain about what? What’s interesting?” Callum thundered. “Will one of you tell me what’s going on and why he’s got my son?”
“This isn’t your son,” Shaw said. “Hasn’t been since yesterday afternoon.”
“What are you talking about?” Callum said. “Of course he’s my son. What’s going on, Alexander?”
“Watch your tone, Callum,” Drygo warned him. “Shaw has a theory, an interesting theory indeed, which might explain a few things. You see, Shaw thinks the boy we executed several months ago—who sat in this very spot, actually—has stolen your son’s body.”
“He what?” Callum yelled. “Do you have any proof of this?”
“None,” the king said. “But I know a way to find out. Seize him!”
Will closed his eyes and braced for heavy hands to clamp down on his arms, but they did not come.
“Get your hands off of me,” Robert yelled.
“Let go of him!” Maya said at the same time. “What’s going on?”
Will opened his eyes and two guards shoved Robert to the ground at Will’s feet.
“Kill him,” the king ordered Will.
What? Will thought. Will’s heart began to pound. Another brother, another murder. Drygo would not stop taking his family from him. Will stared, dumbfounded. He couldn’t think clearly. He didn’t know what to do.
“What? Daddy, no!” Maya pleaded. “What did he ever do to you?”
“He lied to you, for starters,” Drygo said. “This boy is a Revenant spy. I’ve known it from the day he came to us, but he’s been such a useful pet to keep around.”
“What? No!” Maya called out. “No, that has to be a lie. Tell him, Robert. Tell him it’s not true.”
Robert looked up at her, fear in his eyes, Will could see it plain as day, but he didn’t say a word.
“No,” Maya said in denial, shaking her head. “No. You can’t have been. Not you. You used me!” She slapped Robert hard across the face.
“Why do I feel like I’m forgetting something?” the king said, bringing a finger to his chin. “Oh yes, the person who vouched for his loyalty. Guards!”
Khal was shoved to the ground next.
“No. Uncle Khal?” Maya said in disbelief. “You too? How could you? How could you do this to me? I trusted you!”
“I trusted you, too, Khal,” Drygo said. “You have no idea how deeply it pained me to discover that you lead this rabble you call a rebellion.”
So he is the Raven! Will thought.
“Somebody give the boy a sword,” the king said, motioning to Will.
“Are you mad?” Shaw asked. “What if he—?”
“What if he what? Hmm?” the king asked. “He’s surrounded. If he tries anything besides what I ask of him, he’ll be dead before he takes a step. Now do as I say. Give the boy your weapon.”
Shaw grumbled something indecipherable, but he drew his sword and handed it to Will. Will took it, though not out of any desire to fulfill the king’s commands.
Will guessed at the king’s motives. Luka would have no familial or personal attachment to Robert and upon learning he was a spy, should react the same way as Maya and be itching to kill him. If Will couldn’t kill Robert, then he would reveal himself to be a spy as well.
“Kill them both,” the king ordered.
Callum stepped forward and said, “Now hold on a minute—”
“Silence!” the king roared. “I said kill them! Now!”
Will’s fingers tightened around the sword’s grip, the leather groaning at his touch.
What did he do? Everything he fought so hard for would fall apart if he didn’t kill Robert. Was it
worth the life of one person? Not just the life of any person, but his only other living brother? Could he even do it? Was there another way? Another option he couldn’t see? Would he get another chance to get this close to the king and find the Soul Siphon? But if he died now, he’d lose the Soul Render yet again.
The king stood and pointed at Will, saying, “Kill—”
Maya stepped forward. “Give me that,” she said. Yanking the sword from his hand. “You deserve every bit of this, you lying traitor.” Then she plunged the blade, not into Will’s heart, but Robert’s.
No!
Not again. He couldn’t lose another brother. He couldn’t. Will stood, paralyzed. His breathing became ragged and he blinked in disbelief, staring at the blood pouring from Robert’s chest, watching as life drained from his eyes. Will’s mind began to shut down. It was happening all over again.
No, he would not go down that road again.
“He couldn’t do it,” Drygo roared with an outstretched finger. “It’s him. Kill him!”
Shaw grabbed the sword of the guard next to him and advanced on Will.
“No!” Callum called out, drawing his own blade while moving to intercept.
Before either of them reached Will, all the candles in the throne room blew out at once. Someone screamed in fright.
Something flew through the air and tackled Will to the ground. The swish of a blade cut the air where he had stood not a moment before.
“If you want to live,” Khal whispered into his ear, “then follow me and stay close.”
Khal stood, pulling Will up with him. He held on to the tail of Khal’s shirt as he navigated through the darkness. Will should have questioned where they were going or why Khal would save him, but if his assumptions were correct, Khal knew exactly who he was. How? Will didn’t know, but right now he didn’t care. He kept his head down as they ran.
Khal pulled open a door and a stream of light pierced the darkness.
“Over there!” Drygo shouted. “They’re getting away. After them.”
Khal and Will ran down the steps and out into the entrance hall. Riley and Ocken were walking toward them when their eyes went wide with alarm.
“What’s wrong?” Ocken asked.
Khal pulled a dagger from his waist and held it up defensively.
Will put his hand out. “It’s okay, they’re with me.” To Ocken he said, “No time, follow us.”
They continued their mad sprint through the palace. Guards scrambled to get out of their way, unaware the king wanted them dead. They descended the grand staircase leading to the doors that led out into the palace grounds. Khal cut a sharp turn and led them down a hallway and into the library.
Khal ran to the back wall and pulled on a red book on one of the lower shelves.
The secret passage! Will thought.
The bookcase swung away from the wall.
Riley gasped.
A passage sat behind it leading down into darkness. A lamp hung at the entrance. Khal grabbed the lamp and ushered Will and the others inside.
“I saw them come in here!” a voice echoed through the library.
Khal grabbed a handle at the back of the bookcase and pulled it shut.
“Come on. We can’t rest just yet,” Khal said. “We have to get out of here. They’ll find that entrance eventually. Drygo won’t stop until he’s found us.”
Khal led them through the tunnel as fast as they could move. Will didn’t have a chance to explain everything to Riley and Ocken. He hadn’t even had time to process Robert’s death himself. He didn’t know if he wanted to. Fear of being caught and the anticipation of answered questions drove him forward when all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and weep.
They ran for what felt like an hour. The corridor was dark and narrow, hewn out of the cliff the palace sat against. Then, without warning, they turned and came upon a wooden wall.
Khal pushed up against the wall and whatever it was slid out of the way, light filling the corridor from the room beyond.
“We’re here,” Khal said.
Will, Riley, and Ocken spilled out of the corridor and into a large room filled with beds. It reminded Will of a military barracks, but significantly smaller.
“Wait here,” Khal said. “And don’t touch anything.” He picked up a crate of red rocks. Pyridis. Will did a double take. Where did they get that? Khal took the crate and went back into the corridor.
A moment later an explosion shook the room. Will dived to the ground and covered his head. The dull thud of rocks tumbling down the corridor preceded a wave of dust that blew into the barracks from the open door.
Khal emerged a moment later, dirt covering his face. “That will hold them off for a little while at least,” he said.
Heavy footsteps drew Will’s attention to the front of the barracks. A man came running into the room, worry painted on his face.
“What was that?” he asked. When his eyes settled on Will and the others, he drew his sword.
“Easy, Strike,” Khal said. “They’re friends.”
“Looks like the Callum brat and a couple of palace guards to me,” Strike said. “Are you mad, bringing them here?”
“Just trust me,” Khal said, pushing past Will, bumping him in the shoulder. “Come on.”
He led them out into a wide chamber. Off to the left stood a large opening. It led to a cove. The night sky shined at the far end of the cove, on the other side of a ship that was docked there. Waves crashed against the rocks and the smell of salt water drifted in through the opening.
“Is everything all right?” a woman asked. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Will.
Khal started climbing a set of steps that led up into another passage.
“Hold up,” Riley said. “I think we’re safe enough. Will someone tell us what’s going on?”
“I’d like to know the same thing,” the woman said, placing her hands on her hips.
Khal glanced at the woman, then addressed Riley as he said, “Your boy’s been outed. Drygo wants his head. I saved his life.”
“One day…” Riley scoffed, looking at Will. “Months of preparation and you don’t last one whole day.”
“What is this place?” Ocken asked, eyes scanning the room.
Khal gave a short chuckle and smiled. “This is the Revenant base.”
“So you are the Raven then,” Will exclaimed.
“No,” Khal said, shaking his head. “I’m the Raven’s Talon.”
“I’m the Raven,” a voice said from the dark hallway at the top of the stairs.
Maya emerged from the darkness and stepped down the stairs.
32
Shock. Anger. Fear. Confusion. All of these settled onto Will at once, but mostly anger.
“You,” Will said, his voice dripping with venom. “I’ll kill you for what you did!”
Will launched himself at Maya with abandon. She sidestepped, caught his wrist, and spun, driving him to the ground. She dug her knee into his back and then put him in a chokehold.
“Go on, kill me,” Will shouted, struggling to break free. “Cause if you let go, Raven or not, I’ll kill you.”
Maya said, “Shut up and listen for one—”
“No!” Will roared. “You killed my brother. You killed Robert. You—”
“Will?”
No, it can’t be, Will thought.
He stopped struggling and looked up at the top of the stairs. “Robert?”
Robert stood there. Alive. No blood. No hole in his chest. Will was dumbfounded.
He didn’t have the words to speak. The same four emotions washed over him again. His breath was ragged. Maya released him and backed away.
“How?” Will managed to ask. “How are you here? I saw you. I saw her kill you.”
“You only saw what I wanted you to see,” Maya said.
The hole in Robert’s chest reappeared, blood soaking through his clothes. Will recoiled and fell back. Then it was gone again and Robert was whole and
unblemished.
“Will someone explain to me what’s going on?” Strike asked.
Khal said, “We—”
Maya held up her hand. “May I?”
“You don’t need my permission, my queen,” Khal said, bowing and extending his arm.
Maya pulled the amulet out from under her shirt. It’s large gem glowing a bright red, swirling with power beneath its surface.
“The soul stone!” Will exclaimed.
“It’s called the Soul Shade,” Maya told them. “It gives the power to alter perceptions. Illusions, to put it plainly.”
The stone darkened, revealing it to be empty, as his own stone appeared in his pocket.
“How long have you had this power?” Will asked.
“Merva gifted me her soul as I fled through the Wandering Wood after our scuffle with Shaw,” she said.
“So how long have you known it was me and not Luka?” Will asked.
“From the moment you came into the palace yesterday,” Maya answered.
“You don’t seem angry that Luka is dead,” Will stated.
“Oh, I cried. And I yelled,” she said. “I yelled in your face, but you didn’t see it or hear it because I didn’t want you to. But you experienced all that pain and hurt when you thought Robert was dead, so consider us even.”
“Hold on,” Strike said, raising a finger. “I’m confused. You all seem to be speaking in code here. I need someone to spell it out nice and slow.”
“This is not Luka Callum,” Maya said. “His name is Will Sumner, and he’s Robert’s, err… Blaze’s brother.”
“Blaze?” Will asked with upraised eyebrows.
“Later,” Robert said, brushing him off.
“Will was executed several months ago,” Maya continued explaining to Strike. “But since he had the power of the Soul Render, he didn’t die. We crossed paths a few days later and he helped me get the Soul Shade.”
“About that,” Will said, raising an index finger.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. I thought you wanted it for yourself and I needed it if I hoped to oppose my father.”
“So this new stone,” Riley said, butting in. “What can it do?”
Soul Render (Soul Stones Book 1) Page 28