Sons of Evil: Book 1 Book of Dread

by Adams, David

  Adrianna folded her arms and regarded him placidly.

  Luke cleared his throat to break the stalemate. “Sorry to butt in, but would either of you mind telling me what or where Krangstand is?”

  “It’s a prison,” Adrianna said.

  “Not just a prison,” said Darius. “A place for the worst criminals in Longvale. Murderers, traitors, and worse. The king has never been shy about executions, but those he wishes held for life go there.”

  Luke turned to Adrianna. “So this is the sort of person you want us to risk our necks with? I have to agree with Darius, much as it pains me. Sounds crazy.”

  “Darius, your description of the place is true enough, but much has changed over the last decade. You’d be surprised at the ‘enemies’ the king and his minions have locked up. The man I seek is named Silas, and he is as far from being a murderer or a traitor as anyone I know. Let me ask the two of you something. If we’re caught with the book, do you think the king would consider us criminals? Possible execute us, or put us in one of his prisons?”

  Their silence was answer enough.

  She nodded. “You’re wise to hold your tongues. There is a reason you travel as you do, and watch what you say and who you say it to. You’re both as guilty as Silas, probably more so. I’m sure he has no stolen property that belongs to the king himself.”

  Seeing a protest rising in both the brothers, she held up a hand. “And I am an accomplice now, and equally a criminal in the eyes of the king and the law. Silas will be, too, once we show him the book. He will aid us if he can.”

  Darius blew out a frustrated breath. “I still don’t like the idea of showing the book to a prisoner in Krangstand, whether he’s a friend or not.”

  Adrianna shook her head. “And we won’t. Think. If we walk up to the prison gates and ask to be admitted, they would certainly search us. We can’t take the book in.”

  “Then how can we—” Darius shook his head. “You can’t be serious.”

  “We’re going to break him out,” Luke stated. “I don’t suppose you want to tell us how we’re going to do that.”

  The left corner of Adrianna’s mouth curled up ever so slightly. “I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”

  *

  Two days later they stood looking at Krangstand through the gloom of a steady summer rain. The lead-gray clouds were only a shade darker than the walls of the prison, an old castle atop a rock outcropping that was ideally suited to its new purpose. The only way in or out was a long, winding path that was easily visible from the castle-prison. Sheer-faced rock that promised death to any who fell formed the other three sides of Krangstand’s base. Lightning flashed in the distance and framed Krangstand for just an instant, the sharp metal spears that had been added as a further barrier atop the already high walls suddenly stark and forbidding.

  “I’ll go on from here,” Adrianna said. “Stay out of sight.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Darius told her.

  “We’ve already talked about this. The book—”

  “The book can stay with Luke.”

  “Hey!” Luke protested. He was stopped by a piercing look from his brother.

  “Look,” said Darius. “If we do this, we’ll have cast our lot with this Silas. We’ll be on the run together, like it or not. I want to meet him first. You’ve already said you can get in to visit. It’s the getting out that’s tricky. I might be able to help.”

  Adrianna hesitated. “Maybe. You understand if you go along, you really will be considered an outlaw. The guards will have seen your face.”

  Darius nodded. “It’s too late to turn back on that account. As long as we have the book, we’re all wanted. And besides, my leave is up, so I’ve forsaken my duty to king and kingdom and my life is forfeit. I decided days ago that I wasn’t going back, that I’d see this through, whatever the cost.”

  After holding his gaze for a long moment and seeing his unflinching look, Adrianna finally relented. “Okay,” she said. “Just keep quiet and follow my lead.” She pointed to his sword and added, “Leave that here.”

  “Great,” said Luke sarcastically as Darius handed him his sword and pack. “I’ll just sit here and wait.”

  Darius patted him on the back. “Good. I knew we could count on you.”

  Luke let out a low growl and gave a mock slash with the sword as his companions headed off.

  It took nearly fifteen minutes to traverse the path to Krangstand’s main gate. Not only did the road double back on itself as it climbed, it was covered in many areas by loose rock that would have made the going slow even without the rain. By the time they arrived at the top Darius was so out of breath that Adrianna’s admonition that he keep quiet seemed rather pointless.

  The doors of Krangstand were of heavy oak, the thick timbers held together by wide metal bands. They stood nearly twenty feet high, and by all appearances would open only with great effort, and slowly. In addition to this, a portcullis of heavy iron had been added, such that even when open the wooden door itself did not provide full access to the prison.

  Darius finally found his breath and asked, “Should we knock?”

  “No need,” Adrianna said. She pointed to one of the crenulations in the battlements above, and Darius saw the head of an arrow there, aimed in their direction.

  “I’ve come to visit a prisoner,” Adrianna called in the general direction of the archer.

  “By whose leave?” he asked.

  “My own,” she answered.

  “Which prisoner?”

  “Silas, of Tasvold.”

  There was a pause, then another voice joined that of the archer in a short, whispered conversation. The new voice answered. “That one’s trouble. I’m not sure he should be receiving any visitors.”

  “I have the password,” Adrianna said.

  “That’s well, but he’s a problem, that one. It may take a special password.”

  “I’m willing to speak it.”

  Darius turned to Adrianna with a questioning look. She silently waved his concern away.

  The inner door slowly ground open, only wide enough for one guard to show himself and for his friends to show their weapons. He eyed Adrianna and Darius with open contempt, then said, “You’d better not waste my time.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it,” Adrianna answered. From beneath her cloak she produced a small bag, held it up for the man to see, then slid it through the bars of the portcullis.

  He snatched it quickly, loosed the drawstring, and reached inside. His fingers danced and everyone could hear the unmistakable sound of gold coins clinking against one another. “Hmpf,” he said. “Enough for a short visit, but just barely. Only ’cause I’m in a good mood.”

  This brought barely stifled laughter from the other guards. He turned on them and shouted, “Shut your noise and open the gate! And be thankful I don’t give the lot of you waste bucket duty.”

  This threat spurred the others to quick action, and the portcullis soon was drawn upward by heavy chains. The man backed up, gave a mock bow, and said, “Welcome to Krangstand.”

  In its former life Krangstand was anything but gloomy, with large windows and open, airy rooms. But it had been reshaped for this new purpose, the windows replaced with stone and the inside now all halls and cells. Only the diffuse light of dirty lanterns lit the halls, and the cells for the most part were dark.

  Many of the cells were empty, their doors slightly ajar so the guards could tell which were occupied and which were not. “Most of ’em are in the yard,” the guard explained. “Except for the hard cases and those that don’t ever get to leave their little homes.”

  This last comment naturally caused Adrianna and Darius to study the occupied cells with a bit more vigor. Their eyes were rarely met, as those inside were broken of spirit if not body. Most of the prisoners lay or sat listlessly, although now and then one paced a cell, mumbling incoherently, and twice an inmate charged the bars of their pen at the sight of outsiders w
ith pleas for help and protestations of innocence. These prisoners the guard swatted at in passing.

  Finally they came to a door which the guard unlocked and pulled open. “Give a wave to the tower when you’re done and you’ll be let back in.” He pointed a finger first at Darius, then at Adrianna. “No funny stuff, or you’ll be filled with arrows.” In case they somehow missed the obvious meaning of the comment, he added a throat-slashing gesture for good measure.

  The yard was the central courtyard of Krangstand, open to the sky above but surrounded by high walls on every side. Guards paced atop these, each armed with bows that could be used on the prisoners below if needed. A tower loomed another thirty feet above the wall, which gave views not only of the courtyard, but also the entire area around Krangstand as well. Around thirty prisoners milled about, talking or exercising, and they were not all men. Apparently some of the worst criminals in Longvale were women and children as well. Darius’ eyes were drawn to a frighteningly thin child, a girl of no more than eight years, who wore such a hollow look on her pale skin that one might argue that she had seen a ghost, or perhaps even was one. All the words Adrianna had used to tell Darius how things had changed, how Silas being here did not mean he was a criminal or someone to be feared, were unnecessary once he laid eyes on this child. How could this small child possibly be a threat to the king or to Longvale?

  He became faintly aware that Adrianna was speaking to him. He forced his gaze away from the girl. “Sorry.”

  “Silas is over there,” she said.

  They came up behind a man whose well-toned physique was both impressive and intimidating. He was doing push-ups, and although each was accomplished with little strain, they could tell he must have been at it for some time. The sweat on his bare back and bald head stood out even as the rain continued to fall.

  “Three…four…five…six,” Adrianna said, implying he had just started.

  Silas stopped and rolled over into a sitting position. His clean shaven head and dark goatee gave his face a sinister look when he scowled as he did now, but he only held the look for an instant. Recognizing her he couldn’t help but smile. “I was up to eight, I think, but now I’ll have to start over. You made me lose my place.”

  “You never were good at numbers. Or at keeping out of trouble.”

  He raised an eyebrow at this but otherwise ignored it. “Did you come here to visit, or are you now a fellow occupant of this fine establishment?”

  “I come and go at my own choosing. You know that.”

  “Of course,” he said, adding a mock bow.

  Adrianna introduced Darius and then asked if it was safe to talk. After Silas indicated that it was, she told him the key points of the brothers’ tale, and that they hoped he might be able to help them figure out how best to deal with the book.

  Silas listened to the tale with his arms folded over his chest, an occasional nod the only indication he was following along. When she finished he asked, “Is the book somewhere safe, with this Luke?”

  Adrianna said it was so.

  “I’ll need to look at it. I assume you already knew that.”

  “I did, although the way you get yourself tossed in here so much I wonder if I should be helping you out.”

  “That’s up to you. But since you’ll be needing my help…” He smiled broadly

  “Yeah, yeah,” Adrianna said with a wave. “And you’re lucky we do, or I wouldn’t be risking my neck for you again.”

  “Sure you would,” he said, stating a fact.

  “All right. Enough small talk. You need anything before we go?”

  “Just my robe.”

  As he went to retrieve it, Darius looked hard at Adrianna. “What are you going to do? Just march right out?”

  “The two of you are,” she answered.

  Darius turned to the returning Silas, and was surprised at the brown garment he wore. “You’re a cleric?” he finally managed to stammer out.

  Silas nodded, a slow, composed gesture. The robes seemed to completely change the aspect of the man. A moment ago it would have been easy for Darius to picture him in a barroom brawl or wielding a mighty sword in battle. Now it was serene meditation and prayer. He wondered where in the continuum between those extremes the real Silas existed.

  While Darius was inspecting Silas, Adrianna was subtly doing the same with the guards atop the wall. “No way to get out of sight,” she said aloud, “and we’d draw attention if we tried. But they seem disinterested for the most part. The one with the red beard worries me a bit, though. He seems semi-alert.”

  Silas smiled. “Forbes. Not a bad man. Trying to do his job, I suppose…not really a surprise.”

  “Darius, try to keep an eye on him without making it obvious. We’ll need a few moments when his attention is focused elsewhere.”

  “I’ll do what I can,” Darius said, positioning himself so he could look past Silas at Forbes while appearing to be talking to the cleric.

  Adrianna addressed Silas. “I’ll need something that belongs to you. Something personal.”

  “I have a cross on a chain around my neck. A gift from my mentor.”

  “That’ll do. And I have a ring I’ll hand you. No need to wear it. Darius?”

  “Not now,” Darius said. “He’s pacing the wall, facing us…turning…now.”

  Adrianna and Silas made their exchange. No call from above indicated that they had been seen.

  “Darius, is he still looking away?”

  “He is, but he’s running out of space. He’ll turn in a second. I’d wait until he cycles back again.”

  “Okay. When I’m done, you two will need to go as swiftly as you can. It’s a tough spell to hold, especially when the two involved are separate.”

  Darius started to ask what spell Adrianna had in mind, but Silas spoke first. “What about you? How are you going to get out?”

  “Don’t worry about that. Once you two are gone, I’ll have plenty of ways to make an escape. I shouldn’t be too long.”

  Darius, seeing the guard ready to pivot away from them, knew his question would have to wait. “He’s not looking.”

  Adrianna mumbled a few words in a language strange to Darius, and then in an instant Adrianna and Silas seemed to change places. There was no flash of light, no slow changing of features, no loud bang to indicate something had happened. If Darius had turned his head at the right moment he might have thought they were playing tricks on him. But he hadn’t, so he knew better. He managed to limit his reaction to a stifled gasp of surprise.

  The guards had seen nothing, but one of the other prisoners had. A girl of perhaps sixteen years stared at them with wide-eyed astonishment. Darius spotted her and quickly drew his companions’ attention to her. She appeared nearly ready to let out a scream.

  Silas—at least what appeared to be Silas—lifted a hand ever-so-slightly, wiggled his fingers and said a few words.

  The girl clutched at her mouth and swallowed hard three times. She worked her jaw back and forth and was able to open her lips only a small fraction of an inch.

  Adrianna’s voice emanated from what appeared to be Silas’ body. “She’ll be fine, and we’ll be gone before she can speak. You two should go now. Silas, avoid speaking.”

  He nodded while Darius waved to get the attention of the guards in the tower and then pointed at the door. Adrianna wondered off and resumed exercising, avoiding further eye contact with the girl, who was trying to get her mother to understand what she had seen and what had befallen her because of it.

  It took some time for the message to get from the tower to the guards below, but soon the door opened and Darius and Silas-Adrianna exited the yard before the girl could interfere or call further attention to them. It was unlikely she wanted to do so, but the shock of what she had witnessed made her a dangerous wild card the two escapees were happy to leave behind. They only hoped she wouldn’t complicate things for Adrianna.

  “Nice visit?” the same guard who had escorted them
in asked sarcastically.

  “Good enough,” Darius replied.

  “Oh, so you can talk.” He leaned toward Silas-Adrianna conspiratorially. “Thought you might have a mute that followed you around to do your heavy lifting.”

  Silas-Adrianna gave a half-hearted smile and shrugged.

  Two guards pulled the outer door open with an effort, and the two guests were escorted out. “If you come back,” the guard whispered to what he thought was an attractive young woman, “leave the boy behind. You’ll need to offer more than coin to get in again.”

  Silas pulled his hood up and moved on so the guard wouldn’t see any reaction on his face. His hand clenched into a fist, and it took all his willpower and a swift prayer to keep from wheeling about and knocking out the guard’s teeth.

  They moved as quickly as safety and discretion allowed back down the winding path, fighting the urge to look back, uncertain when the spell would wear off. When they finally reached the small grove of trees where Luke waited, they both sighed with relief.

  Darius scratched his ear as he looked from Luke to Silas-Adrianna, unsure how to proceed.

  “What happened?” Luke asked with a grimace. “I thought you’d be bringing this Silas guy back with you.”

  “Oh, we did,” said Adrianna’s form in a deep voice.

  Luke gripped the hilt of the sword and stepped back.

  “This is Silas,” Darius explained. “Adrianna worked some of her magic.”

  “Literally,” Silas added.

  “So I see,” said Luke. He studied the person before him with far more scrutiny than he would have dared a few hours earlier for fear of being accused of ogling her. “Flawless, except for the voice. And does she look like you now?”

  Silas nodded.

  “Then how’s she supposed to get out?”

  “She didn’t feel the need to tell us,” Darius replied. “Only that she would. I don’t doubt her.”

  “Nor do I.”

  “Then you young men are wise, which is a good thing,” said Silas. He found a tree that had kept the ground relatively sheltered from the rain and therefore dry, and sat beneath it. “I guess we’ll just wait here for her.” He held up Adrianna’s hands and studied them for a time. “Amazing. Although, I have to admit, now that I’m free of Krangstand, I’ll be happy to be myself again.”