K: The Awakening (The Shadow Chronicles Book 1)

by K. R. Fajardo

  The story seemed to weigh heavily on Jaron, who sighed deeply. “That sounds right. Waking up after being down for that long, she most likely wasn’t able to control the transfer.” He was still propped against the bed, which seemed to be the only thing keeping him from collapsing to the floor. “She didn’t have that scar on her eye the last time I saw her, so it must have been a result of this last capture. I have no idea what they did to her while they had her, but from the look of her …” He shook his head, unable to finish. “As for Jarod, he will wake up in the morning, a little sore, but hopefully back to his normal pleasant self,” he huffed with more than a hint of sarcasm.

  “Will he remember what happened?” Citera asked, limping over to the bed. Looking him over without his black gear he normally covered himself in, it became clear to her why he was so angry. Everyone, including her, had always thought of him as invincible, an unstoppable force that many had wondered if the Shadows themselves truly had the ability to control. But underneath the anger and black gear he had been hiding a secret from them all.

  Guilt began to consume her as she began to understand why he had become so angry by what she said; it was true. He was a slave and he bore the marks to prove it. Line after line of scars zig-zagged every inch of visible skin, a testament to all his years of service to the Shadows. Yet the ones that intrigued her most were the circular ones in the palms of each hand and in the center of his chest, proof that he had suffered the terrible punishment of being staked, and somehow survived.

  Everyone knew that the Shadows were notorious for staking people out; it was their favorite form of punishment. Once sentenced, the guilty subjects were taken to what is commonly known as “the yard” and placed on the atonement table in the center of the enclosure. The table, which in reality was a single thick, wooden beam raised only slightly off the ground, was where the people the Shadows wanted to make an example of were put on display. The punished were forced to kneel on the ground with their backs to the atonement table and their ankles secured so they couldn’t pull them out from under them. They were then pushed back onto the table facing the sky above with hands extending outward as metal spikes were driven into them, holding them in place. There they would be left in that awful position, exposed to the elements, and denied food, water, of formula for days or weeks at a time; usually until the Shadows felt they had succeeded in making their point, or more commonly, until they died.

  “He will. It may take him a minute, but it will all come back, and then he will be forced to face his demons yet again,” Jaron answered, noticing her fascination with the marks. “He’s survived much worse than this.”

  “Come on, Citera,” Mikel broke in, “let’s go cover that wound on your neck and wrap those ribs, it will make you more comfortable and allow you to move easier. Then I think we should get some rest.” He threw Citera’s arm over his shoulder and led her to the stairway, Dirik and Rigar—who had been waiting for them in the hallway—followed close behind.

  Once they were alone, Jaron turned his attention back to his incapacitated comrade. “I’m sorry, old friend,” he said as he surveyed the damage; he too was seeing much of the scarring for the first time. The two of them never spoke of what went on in the Tower, it was sort of an unspoken agreement between them, and although he was aware that he had endured some abuse at the hands of the Shadows, he couldn’t help but be angry at himself for not realizing to what extent Jarod had allowed himself to suffer at their hands.

  “I can never apologize enough for everything that I have put you through. I convinced you to stay with them, and because of me you have been forced to endure more than one person should ever have to.” Jaron took notice of the tag tightly encircling Jarod’s wrist. “And I can’t help but fear that I am losing you to them. These outbursts are becoming all too common, and if I don’t figure out how to help you soon, I’m afraid the persona of the Enforcer may consume the Jarod I used to know forever.”

  Jarod remained motionless, appearing peaceful in his slumber. With a heavy heart, Jaron gave another pull on the restraints. “But I swear to you, somehow I will get you out of there and make this right or I will die trying.”

  Chapter 10

  Secrets Revealed

  The sun rose on the next morning to a reveal a beautiful fall day. Outside the sounds of people going about their daily lives filled the streets. Everyone slept later than they normally would have, and it wasn’t until mid-morning that the first of them began to rise.

  Mikel woke up for the first time in two weeks in his own bed feeling refreshed and well rested, as if the night’s events had been nothing more than a bad dream. But as he began to crawl out of his bed, his body weak and sore, he was quickly reminded of the reality he was in and in a panic hurried down the hall to Citera’s room to be sure she was all right. Much to his relief he found her sleeping safely in her own bed, and after taking a few moments to watch her sleep, mainly to assure himself that she was indeed okay, he wandered into the living area where he found Dirik and Rigar both sleeping soundly.

  Not wanting to disturb the rest of the household, Mikel made his way down the stairs from the apartment into the clinic. If felt like a normal start to a normal day. But as he stepped off the last step, surveying the broken floor boards and damaged walls, Mikel was quickly reminded of what lay in the room across the hall. Stopping at the first door he came to, Mikel peeked through the window to check on Jaron and Jarod.

  Through the small glass he could see the Enforcer was still unconscious and restrained to the bed. True to his word, Jaron had reinforced the restraints with a metal chain that Mikel usually reserved for use in only the most extreme cases, going so far as to wrap it completely around the bed and over his body in a circular pattern covering his entire torso.

  But try as he might, Mikel couldn’t see Jaron anywhere. Finally giving up on the window, Mikel cracked the door and slowly made his way inside, scanning the room for any signs of the Enforcer’s companion. He was completely into the room before he spotted him in the far corner; sound asleep in a chair much too small for someone of his size, with his head propped against the wall.

  “Jaron,” Mikel whispered, afraid of how he would react if he startled him. “Jaron.”

  Slowly he began to stir, then looking at Mikel through tired, squinted eyes asked, “What is it?”

  “You have stayed true to your word and allowed us all to rest easier. Why don’t you go upstairs and get some rest yourself, I’ll stay here with him.” Remembering no one in the house, except for K, had had anything to eat, Mikel added, “If you need formula, look in the fridge, I think we have some for Rigar in there. Help yourself to whatever you need.”

  “Thank you, but I’m all right,” Jaron said, rubbing his face. “What I could use is a cup of coffee.”

  “Coffee? You drink coffee?”

  “Well of course I do,” Jaron answered half laughing. “Don’t you?” Then, noticing the perplexed look on Mikel’s face, realized why the Terrian was so confused. “Oh, right. Look, K and I are not what you would call ‘normal’ Full-bloods. We are able to eat and drink real food without any ill effects.”

  “Why is that?” Mikel asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

  “I think that question would be best answered by K when she is ready.” He rose to his feet. “In the meantime, I will take your advice and see what I can find upstairs.” Mikel watched as he headed toward the door; he wanted to push Jaron for more answers but decided now was probably not the best time.

  “Oh, if he does wake up while I am upstairs, don’t take the restraints off, no matter how much he threatens.” Jaron called back to him, “You must wait until he can calmly tell you exactly what happened last night. That is the only way to be sure he is back to himself.”

  And with that he disappeared through the door, leaving Mikel alone in the room with more questions than he had answers and a lot more nervous. He shook his head as he pulled the chair out of the corner and made himse
lf comfortable. A few minutes later Citera wandered into the room with a large cup of coffee and handed it to him. “You should be resting,” Mikel said, standing up to greet her. “Here, sit down. Is your side bothering you?”

  “No, it’s all right, I’m going to go back upstairs. Did you know that Jaron eats and drinks food like us?” she asked suddenly. “He is upstairs in the kitchen cooking, and to be honest, it smells really good, like when Mom used to cook for us.”

  “He’s cooking?” Well that did it, he was completely confused. Jaron and K, not to mention the Enforcer, broke nearly every stereotype of what he considered to be a normal Full-blood. Nothing they did made sense, and now he had one upstairs in his kitchen, apparently able to cook better than he could.

  Lila at the inn was the only other Full-blood he knew of that could cook normal food, but as far as he knew she didn’t eat it. He had asked her once how she learned to cook something she couldn’t even eat and make it taste so good. “It’s all in the smell,” she had answered with a sweet smile on her face. “When the food is combined together right, the aroma in intoxicating.”

  However, Mikel couldn’t imagine Jaron saying such a thing, and he had already admitted to eating normal food. “I don’t understand these three,” he remarked, watching the sleeping Enforcer. “Hopefully K will be well enough for them to leave soon,” he wrapped his arms around his daughter gently, “and we can return to our normal boring lives.”

  Citera glanced over at Jarod strapped to the bed. “I don’t think things can ever return to how they used to be,” she stated, turning to her father. “How can it? We have seen so much in these last two weeks, heck the last twenty-four hours, there’s no way we can just forget it all and pretend it never happened.”

  Mikel knew his daughter was right. Even if Jarod didn’t intend on killing them all when he left, which he still wasn’t completely confident of, there was no way any of them could ever see the world in the same way again. “I suppose not, but let’s not talk about these things now. Go upstairs and get you something to eat. We can get together with K and Jaron later and see what they can to tell us.”

  Mikel walked her to the door, but as she was about to step out a noise from behind him caught their attention. Mikel turned around in time to see Jarod’s arm move against the restraint. Quickly he hurried Citera out the door, not wanting his daughter anywhere near the room when he fully awakened.

  “Dad, maybe I should stay with you, you shouldn’t be alone in there with him,” she protested.

  “No, definitely not, if he wakes up still angry, you will be the one he is looking for. Go upstairs with the rest, but let Jaron know that he is stirring and he might want to get back down here as soon as he can.”

  Citera reluctantly agreed and headed back up the stairs. Mikel watched as she disappeared through the doorway, and caught a whiff of Jaron’s cooking as she opened the door, reminding him of how long it had been since he had anything to eat. He took another sip of his coffee as he turned back into the room and sat down in the chair. It wasn’t long before another flinch came from Jarod, and soon after another.

  Mikel remained silent, carefully watching and waiting. Then out of nowhere, from his slumber, Mikel heard Jarod say something he couldn’t quite make out. He leaned in closer, hoping for another opportunity to hear, and after several silent minutes he said it again, and this time Mikel could hear it clearly. “Maya.”

  Standing up, he moved closer to the bed. Surely he had misunderstood. Jarod couldn’t possibly be calling the name of the inn keeper’s daughter.

  “Maya, forgive me,” he begged from his sleep, once again pulling against his restraints.

  “Did he say what I think he did?” Dirik asked, walking into the room and startling Mikel.

  “I think so, but how does he even know Maya, and why would he be apologizing to her?”

  “Maybe it has something to do with what happened at the inn. The patrols picked him up there the morning after his visit here,” Dirik answered. “They say Maya’s father accused him of attacking her in the night and raping her.”

  Mikel spun back around and studied the hard face of the man known as the Enforcer. He like everyone else knew this man was a killer, but he had never imagined him as the sort who would force himself on a young girl. “Do you think he did it?” Mikel asked as his mind replayed the images of his daughter hanging helplessly in his grasp.

  Dirik shrugged. “I don’t know, he was interrogated by the Shadows along with the chief who took him back. Well, you see who survived the interrogation,” Dirik remarked as he joined Mikel by his side. “Besides, I don’t believe anything her father says. He is one of the most evil people I have ever met, maybe even worse than him.”

  Mikel was fully aware of what Dirik was referring to; it was no secret that Sam made a regular habit of beating both Lila and Maya. Many times in the middle of the night he had been called to the inn to help reset broken bones and fix various other injuries Sam had inflicted on the defenseless pair. The patrols had been notified many times of the wrong doings, but gladly looked the other way with the help of frequent free meals and rooms for them to bed down with their mistresses. No, Dirik was right, if he had to pick someone to believe in this instance, as strange as it seemed, it would be the Enforcer. But that still didn’t explain why he was laying here calling her name.

  They continued to question how he could possibly be connected with Maya, when suddenly Jarod gave another hard pull against the restraints and his eyes shot open.

  “What is this?” he yelled, eyes going wide, then narrowing as he struggled to free himself. “Let me out of these this instant.” He gave another hard pull against the restraints, and this time Mikel could hear some of the links in the chain snapping. Having no desire to be in the room alone with him when he got loose, Mikel turned to Dirik. “Dirik, go upstairs and tell Jaron he needs to come down here. Now!”

  Dirik didn’t have to be told twice and took off up the stairs leaving Mikel alone to try and deal with the massive, angry Full-blood. “Please, calm yourself. Jaron will be here in a moment and we will get this all straightened out.”

  Jarod’s head spun Mikel’s direction, eyes glowing red. “You will let me out of these things, or so help me when I get loose there won’t be a single living soul left in this place when I get done.”

  “Threatening me really isn’t going to motivate me to remove the restraints,” Mikel said, trying to maintain his composure.

  “I assure you they are not threats,” Jarod roared once more pulling against the chains, and again Mikel could hear the links surrendering to his strength.

  “Crap,” Mikel muttered and glanced toward the stairs, hoping to find Jaron coming down them. But to his disappointment the stairwell was empty. “Jaron!” Mikel yelled toward them. What could be taking him so long? Then, turning back to Jarod, he remembered what Jaron had told him. “Listen, Jaron said I could release you when you could tell me what happened last night, what you did.”

  “You will let me go now!” Jarod demanded. Massive arms tensed and flexed, while nostrils flared. “I don’t need to explain anything to any of you.”

  Where is Jaron? Mikel was desperate for anyone to come down those stairs. What could be keeping them? In the very least Dirik should have come back by now. Well, if they aren’t coming down then I’m going up after them, Mikel thought as he walked toward the door. What was I thinking saying I would stay in here alone?

  “Oh no, you don’t,” Jarod yelled after him. “Don’t you dare leave me here in these chains.”

  “I’ll stay with him,” a voice called from the doorway. “It would be my pleasure.”

  Rigar stood in the doorway with a twisted smile on his face. Jarod raised his head to get a look at the volunteer. “I bet you would,” he smirked, relaxing back into bed. “Can’t face me while I’m standing, so you want to take advantage of me while I’m chained down? How very cowardly of you.”

  “You call it cowardly, I
call it smart.”

  “Either way, I am not leaving the two of you alone,” Mikel stated, glancing again toward the stairs. “Why isn’t Jaron coming down here?”

  “He’s trying to make a point,” Jarod answered jerking against his bonds with a huff. Though he still sounded angry, his voice was much calmer than before and his body much more relaxed, “and enjoying a good laugh at my expense, I’m sure.”

  Mikel and Rigar looked at each other; talk about a sudden mood swing. Since he was no longer straining and jerking against the bonds, they cautiously approached the bed. Mikel, noting that the Enforcer’s eyes were no longer red, stood beside him. “Will you answer the question?” Mikel asked calmly, praying he answered so they could all get out of this mess. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

  The Enforcer grinned. Ignoring Mikel completely, he turned to Rigar on the other side of the bed. “You want to kill me don’t you? Well, here’s your chance, go ahead.”

  Rigar stared down at the bound man, his face a mask concealing his emotions. The offer was tempting. He carefully studied the Enforcer, as he lay defenseless before him exposed, pale scars shining against his olive skin. Jarod, frustrated by his hesitation, gave another hard pull on the bonds. “You better hurry, one or two more pulls and I’ll be free. And when I am, I will snap the neck of everyone in this wretched clinic before going to pay a visit to your lovely wife and daughter.”

  Mikel watched as his friend’s normally calm demeanor gave way to a deep, unbridled anger, one he no longer tried to conceal. Rigar walked around to the head of the bed and placed his hands firmly on both sides of Jarod’s head.

  “Rigar don’t,” Mikel pleaded calmly. He was unsure as to why the Enforcer was provoking him, but he had a pretty good idea what would happen if his old friend succumbed to the taunting. Holding his hands up in a nonthreatening manner, Mikel took a few steps toward Rigar, “Please my friend; this is exactly what he wants. If you kill him like this they will come for you and your family. You are better than this, you are better than him.” Mikel walked up beside his friend and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please, if for no other reason, than for our families. Think about it, Jaron is upstairs and K is in the other room, they will not tolerate us killing him.”