by M. L. Greye
“General, you’re involving me in this conversation, thus, it is a lady’s matter.” She smiled sweetly. “Tell me what your project entails and I will let you know what I know of Archrin.”
He raised an eyebrow again. “It’s a bit complicated.”
“I’m sure I can keep up.”
“Several key Kendren leaders, myself included, are planning an attack on the Kendren brothers,” he replied.
“And that’s too complicated for me to understand?”
“Do you not wonder why?”
“You said nothing belongs to you – that it all belongs to the kings.” Tiara frowned. “I’m assuming you’re sick of not having any freedom.”
“That’s partially it.”
“What’s the other-”
“The Kendrens are not the rightful sovereigns,” he said, cutting her off. “They must be removed from their self-proclaimed throne.”
“But Lorianna is dead…” Tiara let her voice trail off. If the Kendren brothers were not next in line for the Tlaidian throne then who was?
“Lorianna was not the rightful heir either,” Voiel answered her silent question. “Nor were her parents before her. They were merely stewards of the slowly collapsing kingdom of the Saerds.”
“Of the Saerds?” Tiara had heard of the kingdom of the Eves, but never just of the Saerds.
“Tlaid was once the capital world of the Saerds, long before the fall of Balinorre,” Voiel explained. “Over the generations, it slowly grew apart, like the kingdom of Eveon worlds. When the Kendren brothers overthrew their sister, they began to rebuild the Saerdian empire, but at the expense of Tlaid. Our people do not own our lands, our crops, even our children. All belongs to the brothers. They can take what we have from us at any time.”
“But,” Tiara frowned, “if not the brothers, then who?”
“I fear the one known link may be dead.”
“What makes you think that?”
“You would know better than I would.”
His words startled her. “How would I know?”
“Were you ever acquainted with the former resident of your home in Drivian?”
She blinked. “In Drivian?”
“Yes.”
“Not really.” She pulled a face. “We moved into the home when I was a little girl.”
Voiel frowned. “Shame.”
“Why? Who was it?”
“She was whom we were searching for.”
“And who was she?” Tiara asked slowly.
“A former Equilan, Avlin Delqueda.”
Tiara’s mouth dropped. “What?”
Voiel noticed her reaction, but only nodded again. “She was the rightful heir.”
She was gaping. How had her mother missed that little detail? She was royal! She, Tiara, was royal! Had her mother not known this fact? No, Tiara was sure her mother knew her birthright. Avlin must have simply not cared enough to claim her throne. To Avlin, it was far easier to leave the kingdom to her distant relatives, the Kendrens.
“Are you alright?”
“Was she the reason why you sent Archrin to my home that day? To find Avlin?” Tiara felt dizzy.
“Partially,” Voiel replied. “We had found rumors tracing her to your house.”
“Then, why did you leave the Drainers on if you thought she was there?” Tiara demanded. “Drainers affect Equilan just as they do Eves.”
“Drainers hurt Equilan?” Voiel blinked. “You did know her, didn’t you?”
“I knew her.” The words left a bitter residue on her tongue.
“Is she alive?”
An inner cold swept over her. “No.”
Voiel’s brow furrowed. “Did she have any children?”
Tiara continued to hold his gaze for a moment. Then, “She had me, General. I’m her daughter.”
* * * * * *
It had all happened so quickly. One moment she was walking with Treveri, and the next some Nagreth, who smelt as if he hadn’t bathed in weeks, was carrying her off. What had he said his name was? Kor? Olinia wrinkled her nose. Whatever his name was, she didn’t like him. And where was he taking her?
Olinia bit her lower lip. She should have paid closer attention to the woods. Despite the small warning in her head, she and Treveri had trudged along a deserted road during the day. Treveri had claimed it to be unpopulated – a path few were known to take, and never by Dreens or Nagreth. Ha! Olinia should have known better. The Nagreth may not have been seen in the forest, but they certainly had been there. Nagreth were famous for their stealth after all. It was really her fault for not discovering them sooner. Then again, wasn’t this what she had wanted all along? The plan had been for her and Treveri to let themselves get captured so as to make their way to Caiden. The girl wasn’t dead after all. After meeting with Treveri and his family, Olinia had decided to Globe to find Caiden, using Treveri’s memory to relive the night he’d taken Caiden’s Heart. Olinia had followed Caiden up until the moment the Dreens had found her. Caiden wasn’t dead. No, she was simply a captive of the Dark.
The Nagreth’s horse bucked slightly beneath her. Olinia grunted as she focused on remaining its passenger. Riding sidesaddle with a Nagreth’s thick arm around her middle was neither comfortable nor safe. She glanced up at the looming dark clouds and frowned. The Nagreth hadn’t found Treveri, of that she was certain. In truth, they had not seemed all that interested in him. When Olinia had snapped her fingers in the woods to send Treveri invisible, the Nagreth had only turned on her. Of course they had. In Caprith, the gifted were hunted. It was only natural to capture her. Did they even know who she was? Olinia grimaced. Perhaps, it was better that they didn’t. She should be terrified of them discovering her true lineage. Actually, she should be terrified period. She was in the hands of her enemies without any sort of protection.
Her last words to Treveri had been for him to find Caiden. Hopefully, he would follow her command. While he searched, Olinia would do the same. As long as the Nagreth did not learn of her birthright, she would be sent to the Dark with all the other gifted Capriths. Easy enough, right?
“Stop squirming,” the Nagreth holding her ordered.
Olinia pursed her lips, once again regarding his strange accent with distaste. She doubted Eveon was ever meant to sound so ugly. It was almost like an Arthelian version of the somewhat lyrical language. “Well, maybe if you could learn to ride a horse, I wouldn’t be stuck struggling to stay on top of it!”
“Idiot girl,” he muttered. “I’ll be happy to put you in the Dark.”
So, she was off to the Dark after all. Olinia’s heart quickened somewhat. Even though the Dark had been her goal, she was still anxious about entering the legendary pit. “Why to the Dark?” She asked after a moment.
“You’re a Silver Heart,” he replied so matter-of-factly that it startled her. She hadn’t even thought of the necklace. But naturally the Nagreth would notice Will’s Heart, dangling innocently around her neck. Olinia bit back laughter. Of all the things the little group of Nagreth could have captured her for, it was Will’s Heart.
“We have to make a quick stop to the Captain before we continue to Avyrithe Castle.” The Nagreth told her. “You’ll be handing over your little trinket to him.”
Olinia grunted. Can’t wait.
About an hour later, the sun was setting. Sazx stood at the window of his study. Yet in the distance, the sky still showed hints of its light, casting a peach glow up onto the heavy overhang of clouds above Avyrithe. The distance was the dry lands, otherwise known as White Sands. It hardly ever rained there. Of course there wouldn’t be any clouds above it. In truth he didn’t mind the clouds. They sat well with his ill mood. Earlier that morning, Dagon sent a messenger inquiring after Sazx’s progress in the capture of his niece. It had not been a pleasing start to his day.
A knock sounded behind him on his office’s door. Sazx didn’t answer. He was in no mood for visitors, and especially not from Kor. Sazx waited for the second knock. If
Kor’s attempt for communication were of any real importance, the door would be struck again.
It was. Sazx sighed and turned away from the window toward the door. “Yes?”
The door creaked open, scraping across Sazx’s nerves as it did so. He would have that noise fixed immediately.
Kor stumbled in, somewhat breathless. Sazx raised an eyebrow. His Third must have run to his study. Kor took a moment to catch his breath, and Sazx’s temper was grated further. Too impatient to wait any longer, he asked again, “Yes?”
The Third bowed once at the waist. “We have found another Silver Heart, Captain.”
“Another one?” Sazx blinked. He doubted that. It was either the lover of the Silver Heart Kor had already captured, or it was the real Silver Heart and the girl Kor had found was no more than a scared Caprith.
“Yes, sir.” Kor nodded. “And she’s wearing the Heart.”
Sazx grunted. This was most likely the real Silver Heart after all. “Where is she?”
“Waiting outside.”
Sazx followed Kor to the courtyard. Before he even reached the door to it, his ears were met with shouts and groans. “What’s going on out there?” Kor muttered, hurrying out.
The scene Sazx walked out into was honestly surprising. Five Nagreth encircled a somewhat small figure. She stood in the center smirking while Sazx’s men lay cringing on the ground.
“What’s going on here?” Kor demanded.
The girl looked up and for the first time Sazx saw her face, startling him further. She was stunning.
“Sorry.” She shrugged, still grinning. “I didn’t know that I could do that.” Her tones were not the usual guttural sounds of Caprith. Sazx frowned, trying to place her accent.
“Could do what?” Kor muttered.
She laughed and outstretched her hand. “Here, I’ll show you.”
Kor stared at her and even Sazx couldn’t help himself from raising an eyebrow. He turned to Kor. “Who is this girl?”
“A Silver Heart.”
Sazx blinked. “You didn’t ask her name?”
“No, he did not,” the girl answered for him. “But I could tell you her name, if you’d like.”
Sazx regarded her for a moment. “Do you not fear your situation?”
She glanced down to the Nagreth at her feet. “I guess I don’t feel very much like a captive. So what am I to fear?”
“What can you do?” Kor interrupted the exchange. Sazx narrowed his eyes at his Third’s rudeness. Even if she was a captive, she was a Heart if anything. Her status demanded respect.
“I already offered to show you.”
Sazx had the impression that this girl was not just any Heart. She held herself with a rare confidence. “Who are you?”
Her head cocked to one side. “You’re the captain, aren’t you?” She began towards him, stepping lightly over the fallen Nagreth. “Second only to Dagon himself, you are a man of great power.” She paused a few feet from him, gazing up. “What’s your name, Captain?”
“How dare you?” Kor sputtered.
She turned, surprised. “How dare I what?”
“He is practically royalty! You are not to speak so casually.” Kor fumed.
“Oh.” She blinked. “Nagreth protocol, I’m assuming. Well, no need to fret. I’m sure my place in this realm gives me more than enough right to speak as I do.”
Kor snorted. “The captain of the Nagreth holds a higher place than any Silver Heart.”
“Well, I’m not a Silver Heart.”
Sazx frowned. “Are you not?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What is your name?” Sazx was growing impatient with her guessing game.
“First yours, Captain,” she shot back, her eyes challenging.
Sazx’s jaw tightened slightly, but decided that humoring her would be the fastest way to end her riddles. “Sazx Tharrne.”
“Well, Sazx,” she raised a hand, halting Kor’s unspoken protest, “perhaps you could answer a question for me.”
“Which is?”
Her eyes narrowed, and Sazx realized with a start that they were brown. “What has my uncle done with my brother?”
Olinia Reien. So, this was the princess. Sazx stared at her, while Kor stood gaping. The torch light of the courtyard cast flickering shadows across her hair, giving different layers to its sheen. As Sazx held her gaze, he noted her dark eyes, like her hair, held gold within them. The spots of honey offset the endless darkness, deep and luring. A Wend’s eyes. For a brief moment, her beauty once again astonished Sazx. Her slight frame, somewhat pointed nose, high cheekbones, long neck… Was this really the half Saerd Dagon wished him to seduce? He frowned. She would sooner seduce him.
“Orders, Captain,” Kor hissed, bringing Sazx back to the present.
“Put her in one of the rooms upstairs,” Sazx replied, his eyes still locked on hers.
“Not to the Dark?”
Sazx’s anger flared. He whirled, his gaze icy. “She is High Royalty, Third. Placing her in the Dark will not only be pointless, it would be a shameful disgrace to her blood and name. Would you like to explain to her uncle what you have done?”
Kor’s gray face became a faint shade of pink. He motioned for two Nagreth to take hold of Olinia. “Take her to the east-wing.”
“Yes, sir,” one murmured as he tentatively reached out for her arm.
“I wouldn’t squeeze too tightly. You never know what I’ll do next.” She smirked.
As Kor led her and the Nagreth up the stairs and inside, Sazx remained where he was. Before she passed him, she paused catching his gaze once more for a moment. Then, “You didn’t answer my question.”
He was not given the chance to reply. She was pushed inside – taken from his sight.
16
---------------
Will stared into the crackling fire he shared with a few Eves. He was in Caprith, on the soft, moist ground – knees raised and back to a fallen tree. Two of the Eves across from him were complaining of Caprith’s wet weather. One remembered that the last time he’d been here it was just the same. Will tilted his head back and shut his eyes. How did he get placed as the leader of Eveon warriors, some twice his age? Most had far more experience in warfare than him, yet they swore him their allegiance and respect, following his orders with exactness. Apparently, as the Key’s heir, he held some sort of authority. At the moment, Will didn’t feel very adequate.
Yrond had given Will the leadership of forty-nine Eveon warriors. A devatte. In the Other Worlds, bodies of soldiers were counted in devattes, levattes, and vattes. Devattes were constructed of forty-nine men plus an officer, making fifty total. A levatte was a hundred men, or two devattes, and a vatte was five hundred or five levattes. Dallyn had been given a devatte as well, but he was a more likely candidate. Making Will an officer of a devatte was huge, especially with him being nothing more than an Ethon who had gotten himself mixed up in another realm. But Yrond wanted his granddaughter found, and according to him, Will was the best man for the job. Did everyone know Will loved her?
Through the use of her Vrylaen Stone, Queen Archelda had found Olinia in Caprith and Tiara in Tlaid. Two perfect worlds for them both. After learning of this, Yrond sent Will and Dallyn off after Olinia, and Archrin to find Tiara. For some reason, Yrond took an interest in the young Drivian.
Upon entering Caprith, Will and Dallyn, along with their men, had set out for Avyrithe. They traveled throughout the day in groups of four or five, being sure to take different routes so as to avoid suspicion. Will’s unit had taken the lead. When they arrived at the outskirts of Avyrithe, they hid at a forest’s edge, only a mile or so away from the castle and seashore. Slowly, the other groups found Will’s, until at last Dallyn’s joined the throng. He had been the rear. Once Dallyn had some food in his belly, he and Will decided to wait the night out there. In the morning, he and Will would venture into the city to learn anything about Olinia’s whereabouts. Their men would remain i
n the forest, hidden.
Will wished it were already morning. He was sick of feeling restless. There was no way he would be getting any sleep until he knew Olinia was safe.
“Dreaming already?” Will heard Dallyn drop onto the ground beside him.
Will grunted. Dallyn knew he wasn’t asleep. “I’m trying to take after the Eves, sleeping only two hours every week or so.”
“And here we are just trying to follow your example,” Dallyn replied. Will could hear him smiling. “It looks like neither of us is going to get much rest tonight.”
“What of it?”
The Eve was silent a moment. Then, “The best spying is really done at night – in the local taverns.”
Will opened his eyes and turned to his friend. “You want to go out tonight.” It wasn’t a question. Of course Dallyn did. He was almost as anxious as Will was.
Dallyn grinned. “I’ve already saddled our horses.”
* * * * * *
Tiara peered into the faces of the Kendren rebels one by one. Most displayed uncertainty, but some held newfound determination. Voiel had just explained to his circle of confidants her shocking heritage. Well, it was shocking to her. And oddly ironic. The Kendrens had invaded Drivian upon the suggestion of Voiel. He had found evidence from royal documents that the Equilan heir had retired to Drivian generations before and then married. If not for her mother, Tiara might still be living carefree in her blessed home world, completely unaware of her right to a throne. She would never have met Archrin. Tiara winced inwardly. Not having Archrin caused her chest to hurt, but her mother’s death was almost as painful. It didn’t really matter now though. Her mother was dead, and her life was about to, once again, closely involve the Kendren brothers. This time, however, she would not be bound on her knees.
“We must strike before the holiday ends,” Voiel told his fellow Tlaidians.
That made sense. The brothers would be in one location during the Month of Liberation. Tiara twisted the ends of her leather belt as her mind wandered. Voiel’s secret meeting was being held in his kitchen. Despite its considerable size, the kitchen looked small, filled with the bodies of Kendren officers and soldiers, along with some mere citizens of Desnbi. Tiara seemed to be the only one sitting. The men surrounding her were standing to make room for everyone. Voiel stood to her left at the front, his back to the fireplace.