*
As the door began to open, Elena pulled the dagger from its sheath on her thigh. The city alarm bell had woken her, and as usual her first reaction was to rush to see if Alderlade was safe. She was dressed in a flimsy silk nightgown and slippers, but even so she would not let any harm befall the boy. Behind her, cowering under the bed covers, was the king.
“Stay there, Alderlade,” she said, with more confidence than she felt.
Memories of the night when she had rescued the then baby prince from assassins flashed into her mind. This time, however, there was no Davik to defend them and buy them time. No, this time they were prisoners of Alderlade’s uncle Ricard, and under guard by Trentian’s zealots. In short, there was nowhere for them to run.
The door opened, and Elena sighed in relief as Sophia Cunning stepped through.
“Sophia? What are you doing here?” Elena asked in confusion.
“We’re here to get the king out of the capital and to safety. It’s good to see you, Elena,” Sophia said, a smile on her face. The two women embraced.
“I’ll get us ready for travel,” Elena replied.
She hurried over to the bed and took the king’s hand. The boy looked petrified, but a few soothing words were enough to placate him. She then moved over to one of the large ornately decorated wardrobes that stood in the corner and pulled out a simple tunic and trousers, which she then put on the king.
At seven years old, Alderlade still needed some help with the simple things. Once he was dressed, Elena then went into her room which was joined to the king’s. She changed into the clothes she used for travel: a linen shirt, trousers and boots. As well as those, she took a yellow travel cloak off of a peg and wrapped it around her shoulders. She tucked the knife into her belt.
“We need to reach the throne room and the escape tunnel,” Sophia said, watching out of the window for signs of the garrison’s return.
“There’s a secret staircase in the hallway that will take us there,” Elena said as she helped Alderlade tie up his shoes. “I trust that alarm bell has something to do with you?”
Sophia nodded. “Ferran went after Trentian. The archbishop is in league with the N’gist. We heard him speaking with one of their agents in the tunnels beneath the city.”
Elena gasped at the revelation. “I never trusted that old creep. I dread to think what he had planned for the king.”
Alderlade stamped his foot in anger. “The archbishop! I shall have him hanged,” the boy shouted, his face flustered.
“I wouldn’t worry too much, Your Majesty. I think Ferran had the same thing in mind when he went after him.”
“Good!” Alderlade replied.
Sophia led the way out of the king’s chamber and signalled to Hannah, who was still standing guard at the top of the staircase. Elena walked over to the wall and, with a grunt, ripped the tapestry from it. She then felt the stonework until she found a loose section. She pushed it inwards. A loud crack sounded, and the section of wall slid aside to reveal a very narrow and very dark staircase.
Hannah stepped forward and used her magic to summon a light.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sophia said leading the way, her short sword held in front of her.
*
Yinnice strode through the palace, her long red dress flowing behind her. As the high witch of the N’gist, she had been tasked to make sure the king remained their prisoner. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her green eyes were narrowed in annoyance. Around her neck was an amulet. The intricate design was of the N’gist.
The garrison had, like fools, all flocked to the alarm in the city, not even considering that someone might be making a play for the brat. Like her brethren, she had been operating in secret amongst the city’s upper classes. The capital was ripe and ready to fall; all it would take is the word from Danon, and Delfinnia’s greatest city would be his. With the legion trapped in Bison and Trentian already Danon’s servant, there was no one to oppose them. The old wretch’s goons had done their work well; the citizens were afraid and weak. The fear had been that the people would rise to fight the hated old enemy once they realised that their city had been infiltrated. Now, they simply cowered in their homes, praying that they would be left alone.
Marching at her side were two Crimson Blades assassins. If her suspicions were correct, and a rescue of the king was under way, she would need their assistance. She’d heard stories of the bravery and skill of the heroes of Eclin, and she still couldn’t believe that her teacher and master Cliria had been bested by them. A wicked smile crossed her lips.
“This time there is no wizard to aid them,” she cackled.
The N’gist bounded up the stairs and stepped out onto the king’s floor. As she had suspected, the men tasked with guarding the child were lying in pools of blood, silver-tipped arrows sticking out of their throats.
“The Witch Hunter,” she snarled as she studied the arrows. One of the Crimson Blades pointed to the wall of the corridor and a banner that was lying on the ground. She rose and ran a hand over the stone’s surface. Sure enough, she felt a breeze coming through the stonework. Placing the palm of her hand on it, she channelled her magic. The section of wall crumbled to dust, revealing a staircase.
“Well, well, a secret passageway. Come, they cannot be far ahead. We must stop them before they reach the tunnels.”
Following her words with actions, she led the way through the secret door and down the narrow spiral staircase.
*
Elena pulled the lever that opened the doorway into the throne room. Behind her, Sophia and Hannah held their weapons at the ready. Rusted gears squeaked as a section of wall slid aside to reveal one of the king’s banners obscuring the view into the room beyond. They tensed, waiting for a cry of alarm or the sound of charging armoured feet. To their relief, they were greeted with silence.
“The guards must all be in the city still,” Sophia said. They could still hear the city’s alarm ringing out in the night. Whatever was happening hadn’t ended. If it had, then the bell would have stopped ringing. She stepped forward and moved the banner aside. The throne room was empty and dark; the only illumination came from a single lit brazier that hung on the wall close to the tall golden throne.
“The switch is in the right armrest,” Elena explained as she took Alderlade’s hand and hurried across the room towards the throne.
“Someone’s coming,” Hannah warned. The sound of fast-moving footsteps came from the passageway they had emerged from. Elena hit the switch. A vibration shook the room as one of the marble slabs in the floor slid aside to reveal another set of stairs. Just as the escape route was revealed, two familiar crimson-clad figures entered the room, daggers in hand. Behind them was a woman wearing a long flowing red dress. A wicked grin crossed her face as she realised that she had caught up with her prey.
Sophia loosed an arrow, but the Crimson Blade swatted it aside with supernatural speed. Elena gripped Alderlade’s hand tightly and began to edge towards the escape tunnel. Hannah held her staff in a defensive position, just the way her mentor had instructed to.
“Nice try, Witch Hunter,” the woman mocked, “but the boy stays with us. Lord Danon has plans for him, and it would displease him greatly if I told him that he had been stolen away by the likes of you.”
Sophia loaded another arrow onto her bow.
“Get out of here!” she shouted to Elena.
Yinnice shook her head in amusement. Just as Elena began to move towards the escape tunnel, she raised a hand and using magic snatched Alderlade from Elena’s grip.
“Alderlade!”
The boy screamed as he was carried by the invisible force and delivered into the waiting arms of one of the Crimson Blades. The assassin held the boy and roughly dragged him behind Yinnice and his comrade.
“You have failed,” Yinnice said. “Now I will give you two choices: flee this place and live to fight another day, or try and rescue the king and die. I am High Wit
ch of the N’gist, Witch Hunter; you know the power I wield. You are powerless against me. Your wizard and Nightblade friends are not here to help you.”
Hannah stepped forward, determination on her face. To her surprise, she felt no fear. Instead, she felt determination. She was no wizard, but she was a mage and magic was on her side.
“A mage and a weak one at that. Please, girl, do not make me laugh,” Yinnice scoffed.
Hannah narrowed her eyes and focused, remembering the lessons Thanos had taught her in Caldaria. With a shout, she lunged forward unleashing a blast of magical fire from her palm. The attack blasted the other Crimson Blade with full force, instantly setting his robe ablaze. The assassin staggered backwards under the assault, but as was their way made no sound even as their flesh was being cooked. Yinnice frowned, and with a hand gesture contemptuously put out the flames.
“I am a High Witch, girl, do you not know what that means?” Yinnice snarled. Sophia loosed arrow after arrow at the witch, but none reached their target. Using her magic, Yinnice had created a shield that shattered the projectiles before they even got close. She touched the amulet that was around her neck. The stone in its centre glowed red. Instantly, Hannah collapsed to the ground gasping for air.
“That sense of weakness, of powerless is because of this amulet of N’gist. Any who wield the magic of the light feels its effects. Those who wield the darkness are strengthened by it.”
Sophia rushed over to Hannah and helped her back onto her feet.
“We cannot beat her. It took a team of Witch Hunters to best a witch with her power in the past,” she said to the petrified mage.
Elena was beside herself. She had protected Alderlade for his entire life. She could not leave him in the hands of the N’gist. Not after everything they had been through together. She pulled the dagger from her belt and charged the witch.
“Elena, no!” Sophia shouted.
Yinnice let the woman get within five paces before flicking her wrist. A sickening snap echoed about the room as Elena’s neck was broken by magic. Death came instantly. With a crash, Elena’s lifeless body fell to the ground. Hannah screamed, tears streaming down her face. Yinnice smiled.
Fear was all Sophia felt. She stared in shock at the body before her. She had known Elena for years; now she was just another in a long list of those people taken by the evil of the N’gist. Hannah sobbed beside her. Sophia could not allow the witch to kill her too; she would not allow it. She took the young woman’s head in her hands and looked into her eyes.
“Run, Hannah. Go, find Ferran and get away from this place.”
Hannah shook her head in refusal. “I will not leave you!”
“You must. Go!” Sophia shouted as she shoved the mage towards the escape tunnel. She reached the top of the stairs that led down into the tunnels and looked at her friend, pleading in her eyes.
She smiled. “Go,” she said softly.
Hannah nodded, tears streaming down her face. With a deep breath, she began to descend the stairs and enter the darkness below.
*
Sophia spun to face the witch and drew her short sword from its sheath. A bow would be of no more help this night. With her free hand, she reached into the pouch on her belt and fingered the small metallic ball within. The witch may be powerful, but she would discover that this Witch Hunter still had a trick or two of her own up her sleeve.
“Just you and me now, bitch,” Sophia said calmly.
The Crimson Blades bristled at her words, but Yinnice held up a hand to keep them back. The assassins’ relationship to the N’gist had long been a mystery, but it was clear that the N’gist witches had some hold over them. They had served Cliria devotedly and now served the High Witch.
“How noble of you to save the little mage. It matters not; she and all her kind will bend the knee to Lord Danon eventually, and then they shall become N’gist, the very thing they are sworn to destroy. It has been many years since I’ve killed a Witch Hunter. I remember it being a very enjoyable experience.”
Sophia circled the witch, her sword held in front of her.
“Do you ever shut up? Hiding like a scared rabbit these past years must have been torture for someone as vain as you,” Sophia chided. From all of her experience, she knew that all witches possessed a single major flaw. They were all extremely vain. Even when haggard and old they continued to boast of their foul deeds. It was that vanity that had enabled Sophia to hunt down so many over the years; they often gave themselves away.
“Oh, we won’t be hiding for much longer. In case you haven’t realised, this city is already ours. Once Danon arrives –”
A loud crash interrupted Yinnice.
Outside, a new alarm bell began to toll loudly. One of the large stained glass windows that lined the throne shattered inwards, broken by a piece of masonry. Angry shouts sounded from outside.
Seizing her chance, Sophia pulled the small metal ball from her pouch and struck it against her sword. The ensuing spark lit a short fuse attached to the ball, which she now threw at the witch with all her might. She covered her eyes with her arm. Yinnice spun back to face the Witch Hunter just as the ball exploded in a blinding flash. Fragments of burning hot metal struck her, setting her dress on fire, and metal ripped into her face, shredding it. She screamed in agony and fled the throne room, still ablaze. That left Sophia alone with the two Crimson Blades and the petrified King Alderlade.
Sophia then drew a knife from her hip and threw it with deadly accuracy at the Crimson Blade that Hannah had set ablaze. The dagger struck the stunned assassin right between the eyes, dropping him permanently. Not losing a second of momentum, she dove forward into a roll and threw another knife to cut down the second Crimson Blade. The assassin’s grip on Alderlade loosened as it sank to the marble floor. Sophia darted forward and took the boy’s hand.
“Come with me, Your Kajesty.”
“Elena … we cannot leave her,” the king sobbed.
Sophia’s heart ached at the look of desolation on the boy’s face. He had lost everyone who had ever cared for him. His parents were assassinated when he was just a baby. Davik murdered, and now Elena. The woman who had been like a mother to him was dead, killed right in front of him.
The sounds of fighting grew louder from outside. It sounded as though the city’s populace had finally had enough of the oppression of Trentian’s goons. No doubt Sophia’s husband had played some part in riling up the populace. She snatched the boy up into her arms and carried him to the escape tunnel. She just hoped that she’d be able to catch up with the distraught Hannah.
*
Ferran was waiting at the tunnel entrance that they had used to enter the city earlier in the night. The sky flickered orange as the enraged populace continued their rampage. How many times had the city seen rioting over the past few years, he wondered? A part of him was satisfied with his handywork. After killing Trentian, he had fought his way out of the Cathedral and took the battle out into the night market. At first, the population fled in fear, but as it became clear that someone was fighting the hated vigilantes, they rose up. He had watched as the crowds attacked those who were attacking him. Once they had been dispatched, he had directed the crowd’s fury at the palace. He had hoped that the rioting would prove a good distraction for Sophia and Hannah. After that, he slipped out of the city and headed back to the rendezvous point outside the city walls.
It felt like hours had passed before he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the tunnel.
“Ferran!”
It was Hannah. She sounded distraught.
He stepped into the tunnel and held up a irestone to illuminate the dark passageway. Hannah’s magelight was weak, only casting a dim glow. As she stepped into the light, he rushed forward and caught her before she collapsed. He held her in his arms and brushed her hair away from her forehead. She was deathly pale. A knot of worry formed in his gut.
“Where’s Sophia?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
&nb
sp; “She… she …”
“She’s right here.”
Ferran and Hannah looked up at the tunnel entrance. There stood Sophia, the boy king in her arms.
Hannah cried out in relief and staggered over to her.
“You’re alive!”
“Yes. I don’t know about you two, but I want to get away from this place,” Sophia said tiredly.
Ferran took the boy from his wife and held him close.
“The city is doomed, Ferran. The N’gist are everywhere,” Sophia said as she watched the city’s flickering light. Screams and smoke filled the air.
“I know” the Nightblade replied.
Dead.
17.
The Isle
Breathing in the fresh sea air, Luxon sighed. It felt like an eternity since he had seen the outside world – the real world. He stood on a cliff top, the Sanctuary of the Isle mages behind him, and watched the waves crashing against the rocks below, his green wizard’s cloak flapping in the wind.
“It’s time to go,” Yepert said from behind him.
Luxon’s shoulders slumped slightly at the words. He felt rested and revitalised, but the mere thought of what was to come weighed heavily upon him. Once he had emerged from the Waters of Magic, he’d had a long conversation with Esma. Using magic, she had shown him what was happening in the realm. What he had seen had filled him with dread. The world was unravelling. Danon’s armies were besieging Bison and spreading like a black scourge across the land. Dragons were destroying and slaying anyone they encountered in the east, and more black-sailed ships were landing on the southern shores. With every moment that passed, Danon grew in power.
Quest for the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga Book 3) Page 13