Despairing Tides (Fate's Intent Book 12)

by Bowles, April

  “Go over the wall?” Ruby wondered. “We can’t climb it like they can.”

  “I never said we were going to climb it.” Adele smiled as she looked over at Darius.

  He knew exactly what she was thinking and smiled back. “Fuck yeah, we can get you up there.”

  “Good. Now once we get inside, we’ll have to hold off the rebels while Darius and Dirk remove the barricade from the gate to let the army through. That’s when we can move inside and deal with the head of this raid.”

  Everyone nodded and turned back to the wall. Seth and I turned our eyes black and we climbed up the wall first, settling at the top. I looked over into the courtyard and so far it was clear. The rebels haven’t noticed us. I turned around to the others back on the other side and signaled them to follow.

  Darius nodded as he stepped close to the wall with open hands and Adele approached him. She put her hands on his shoulders for balance as she lifted up her right leg, putting her foot in his clasped hands. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “Remember, make it quick but not too hard.”

  Darius nodded and tossed her up the wall. She did a back flip and landed on top next to me in a crouched down position. She was still so amazing that I couldn’t help but smile even when the rebels have yet to see us still and she signaled everyone else to follow.

  Dirk stepped up toward the wall by his father and held out his hands. He tossed Lana up the wall to us and Darius tossed up Ruby. Next, Dirk tossed up Cadence then Naomi while Darius tossed up Jaylyn. They turned to Troy and Bryce, waiting.

  “Well?” Darius asked. “Are you coming or not?”

  “I guess we don’t really have a choice.” Troy said. “Just don’t overthrow me.”

  Darius laughed. “I won’t.”

  Troy put his hands on Darius’s shoulders and his foot in his hands. Darius easily tossed him up the wall to us and Bryce stepped to Dirk and he tossed him up the wall then turned to his father. “Okay, now you.”

  “How will you get up then?” Darius asked.

  “I have a way. Now come on.”

  Darius stepped toward him and put his hands on his shoulders with his foot in his hands. “Give it a little extra for me but not too much.” Dirk nodded and tossed his father up the wall to us. “Good. Now let’s see you get up here.”

  Dirk just smiled, confident in his chance to succeed. “Lana!”

  She looked down and smiled, holding out her hand. She turned her arm into a long tentacle and Dirk grabbed a hold of it and used it to climb up. It was kind of creepy. I wasn’t much used to her using her abilities around me but it was useful.

  “Okay, good.” I said quietly. “Now, everyone down onto the stable roof. Move.”

  They nodded and we turned to the inside of the wall and carefully got down onto the stable roof eight feet below us. We snuck low and climbed up the peak to look over. There were four rebels standing around the gate and six others just before the entrance of the palace.

  “Oh, fuck.” Bryce said as he turned around and put his back up against the roof to hide himself. “Now what? There’s got to be over a dozen just waiting inside.”

  “Exactly.” Troy nodded. “We have to get them to come out.”

  “Right.” I said. “All or nothing. First, let’s send them into a frenzy. Lana, I want you to take down someone by the doors but don’t shoot unless you get a clear shot of his neck. Understand?”

  “Got it.” Lana quietly turned around to the peak with me right next her. She reached down at her side and pulled out her blowgun then took out a single dart from a leather pouch. She put the dart inside the blowgun and aimed it toward the door as she muttered to herself. “All right, turn your head just a little more that way. That’s it. Perfect.”

  “Good.” I said. “Take the shot.”

  Lana blew the dart toward one of the rebels and she and I immediately hid behind the peak. It only took a few seconds until we heard him collapse and the other soldiers shouted for aid. “The walls have been breached! Search the grounds!”

  We heard others march out of the palace like planned to search for the intruders and Seth peaked over and probably saw the dead rebel on the ground. “Shit, Lana. What was in that thing? He’s dead.”

  “What substance do you know that could kill that quickly?” She answered with her own question.

  Seth looked offended. “How did you get my venom?”

  “I didn’t get it from you. Daddy-Blue-Eyes here gave me his.”

  She gestured to me next to her and I couldn’t hide my smile for hearing her call me that. I haven’t heard it before or maybe she’s just never done it around me until now. “The point is, it worked. Now it’s time to take back what’s ours. Darius. Dirk. Head to the gate. We’ll distract them.”

  They nodded as we all came up over the peak and slid down the other side to the ground. The rebels saw us and immediately started attacking while Darius and Dirk headed toward the gate to disassemble the barricade.

  I killed the first one by dodging a quick attack then snapping his neck. After the rebel fell dead, I quickly turned around with one of my short staffs out and swung at another to cut his throat.

  It was all I got to do with so many of us fighting at the same time but it only lasted a minute or so.

  “Well, that went as predicted.” I said. “Now let’s go inside and finish this, shall we?”

  The others agreed and followed me to the palace doors. Adele held out her hand next to me and blew the doors open. We entered the main hall and a man was sitting in my throne, clapping his hands like he just watched a show. “I knew you would submit to your hostile ways to get in here, Zayden. You always were prone to violence.”

  “Who are you to come into my city and take what does not belong to you? I instruct you to step down before we take you down!”

  The man paused for a moment and tapped his right pointer finger on his chin. “No. I think I’ll stay. I rather like it here. I’ve had my eye on it for years, you know?” I was angry but confused. I had no idea who this man sitting in my throne was. “Oh, what, Zayden? Don’t tell me you don’t remember me?”

  “Should I?”

  The man laughed. “Well, you probably forgot about me the moment I walked out those doors after you so effortlessly waltzed right back in here and reclaimed your birthright, ending my chances of ever gaining the title as King.”

  I thought back and remembered. “Lamar.” My angry tone sparked the memory for my brothers and the long awaited departure of the royal advisor to my father.

  “Very good, Zayden. So, you do remember.”

  “You escaped the island?”

  “Escaped? Please. It’s not like I was being held there.”

  “Then the sharks must have just thought you to be one of their own.”

  “Quite.”

  “What made you come back?”

  “For what should have belonged to me long ago but your pesky father had to grant you and the other members of your dishonorable return amnesty which pushed me back in the running.”

  “And you think by being here now, that I’m just going to give it to you?”

  Lamar laughed. “Oh, Zayden you do protest too much. I’m not asking you for it. I clearly already took it and they say this palace was to be impossible to seize.” I was getting mad and took a step forward, ready to just rip him out of my throne. “Ah, ah, Zayden. Don’t you see the barrier between us? It would be wise of you to hold your position.”

  “What barrier?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. How rude of me? How about now?” Lamar held up his hand and the area around him began to haze with some form of energy.

  “What is that?” Jaylyn whispered.

  “I don’t know.” Adele whispered back. “Some kind of shield.”

  I put my hand just two inches away from it and sparks started to swarm to my presence. It was obviously something that would protect him from harm.

  “You see? There’s no way
in. You can try but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  I put my hand down and glared at Lamar through the shield. “So, you think this is going to hold me back from you? Well, you’re wrong.”

  Lamar laughed. “Not this time, Zayden. This time you’re the wrong one. I can say anything I want in here and there’s nothing you or anyone else here could do but watch. In fact, I’ll prove it. You know what I did when the news of your father’s death reached my ears?” There was a pause and no one answered. “I thought to myself, hmm, that was sooner than expected. I was unprepared for the infection to spread so quickly.” My eyes got wide, hearing of this, hoping he was wrong but he wouldn’t stop. “I mean, after ingesting the poison his death was inevitable but I’ll admit, the timing wasn’t good for me.”

  “You killed my father?!”

  Lamar laughed. “Oh, come now, Zayden. You don’t honestly believe that his death could not be explained. People don’t just die for no reason, you know? There’s always a cause.”

  I was heated with anger but couldn’t do a thing about it with this shield in front of me. “And my mother?”

  “Ah, yes. I do recall that.” His voice deemed proud of his past deeds. “That was just an added bonus for me. I always despised Izin’s insatiable love for her being what she was that I had no choice but to end her life as well.” I closed my eyes for a moment and shook my head. This was all still too unthinkable for me. “And look what you’ve done. Taking right after him by involving yourself with one of those ghastly Kalu Assassins.”

  “No.” I looked back and Adele was stopping Lana from acting. “He’s only trying to get us angry. This is what he does.”

  “Leave them out of this.” I said to Lamar.

  Lamar laughed. “What is this exactly but an unpleasant exchange of words? For you couldn’t possibly plan to fight me. I wouldn’t have it you know.”

  “That’s why you cower inside your box because you know what would happen to you if you came out.”

  “Oh, yes. I’m well aware of your desire to kill me but I’m not about to let you take away everything I’ve worked so hard to obtain. You were never fit to uphold this throne. As I see it, you should have never been named King. Your loyalties in the past have proven to fail for this country as they have so recently done when I was able to take this city without an ounce of hostility from its King because he was nowhere to be found. Now, tell me, what kind of a King leaves his city unguarded and unprotected, risking its fall? I’ll tell you, the unsuitable kind.”

  I didn’t know how much longer I could just stand here and listen to him but it seemed it wouldn’t be for that much longer. I was mad so my eyes have been black and I felt something in there with Lamar that he had no clue about. It could only be one thing and I was right.

  Lamar felt a pain and put his hand to his chest as blood started to run down his shirt. He didn’t know what just happened but we did. We could see blood drenching a weapon in the shape of a fan.

  Naomi reappeared at his side and leaned into his ear. “You were right about one thing. People don’t die for no reason. No one insults our King.”

  Lamar’s eyes got wide as Naomi took out her other fan and opened it. She spun around and slit his throat. Lamar’s head dropped down and he was dead but remained sitting in my throne.

  Naomi closed her fan and turned to us. “Well, I think we’re done here.”

  “Good work.” Cadence smiled. “But how are you going to get out of there?”

  “Same way I got in, of course.”

  She turned herself invisible and walked through the energy shield. “See.” She reappeared. “Simple.”

  “Okay, but it’s still there.” Lana said as she pointed at it.

  “That’s strange.” Ruby said. “How do you get rid of it?”

  “Maybe it has to be done from the inside.” Adele thought.

  Everyone turned to Naomi. “What?”

  “Try it.” Troy suggested.

  “All right.” She turned herself invisible again and walked back through the energy shield then reappeared. “Now what?”

  “Find a way to bring it down.” Seth said.

  “Oh yeah, like how?”

  “I don’t know. You figure it out.”

  Naomi sighed. “All right. Then let me think but I won’t object to help!” Naomi paced as she took one of her fans and started fanning herself. “I don’t know!” She threw her hand up at the same time and her fan came out of it. She noticed when it didn’t come back down and looked up above her. It was sticking out of the top of the energy shield like it was just stuck there. “Huh. That’s interesting. Maybe if I—”

  “Don’t touch it!” Adele shouted but not soon enough.

  Naomi leaped into the air and grabbed her fan. At that moment, she pulled it out and part of the energy shield came down with it like a sticky substance.

  Adele sighed. “I told you not to touch it.”

  “Sorry.” Naomi said, holding completely still.

  Sparks began to circle at the top above her and she slowly looked up.

  “That can’t be good.” Lana muttered.

  “Naomi!” Bryce shouted, taking an urgent step forward.

  “No.” Dirk said, stopping him.

  “Naomi, get out of there.” Cadence said calmly.

  Naomi took a deep breath in and let it back out. “This is probably going to hurt. If I die in here, I blame all of you.”

  “Naomi! Get out of there!” Cadence shouted.

  “I’m sorry.” Naomi said quietly. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from us.

  We didn’t know what was going to happen but something was.

  “No!” Bryce shouted as Dirk continued to hold him back.

  The spiraling motion of the sparks intensified as the energy shield was being sucked up into the vortex and completely disappeared in one last burst of lightening, taking Naomi along with it.

  I had to turn my head away from the brightness but when I turned back Naomi was gone.

  “Naomi?” Jaylyn called.

  Bryce stepped up to where she was standing and turned back, holding out his arms. “She’s gone.”

  A portal opened above him and Naomi fell down, landing in his open arms. He was almost knocked back by the surprise but managed to keep his feet.

  “Naomi!” Cadence said as she went to Bryce.

  Naomi was unconscious in Bryce’s arms and he gently set her on the floor. The rest of us went over and stood over her.

  “Is she okay?” Seth asked.

  “Yeah. She’s just unconscious.”

  Bryce put his hand on her chest and his eyes only had to glow for a moment before Naomi woke up and quickly got to her feet. “Did you see that?! That was incredible!”

  “I’m glad you think so.” Bryce muttered. “What happened?”

  “I’m not entirely sure.”

  “Are you okay though?” I asked. “No physical damage?”

  “No, I’m fine but it was weird.”

  “As long as you’re okay.” We stood through the silence and glanced around. “Well, welcome home everyone.”

  “It’s good to be back.” Darius replied.

  “Less the unplanned hostile takeover.” Troy added. “It is good to be back.”

  Everyone laughed and the General entered the palace. “Your majesty. The rebel force has been destroyed and the city is secure.”

  “Very good. Arrange for the repairs and get the mess cleaned up.”

  “Yes, sir.” The General nodded and turned away.

  “So, what about the mess in here?” Ruby asked, looking at Lamar still in my throne.

  “Get rid of it.” I said in disgust. “He was never welcome here.”

  “We should have killed him years ago.” Darius said. “Can someone tell me why we didn’t?”

  “Maybe it was because we didn’t think he would come back after our last conversation when he said he lost all respects for this country.” Troy answered.

&
nbsp; Darius had a look of astonishment on his face. “How do you always remember shit like that?”

  “I don’t know. If I hear it, I’ll remember it.”

  “Huh.”

  “All right.” I interrupted. “Could we please just forget about it and would someone do something with him.” I turned away from looking at Lamar and started walking the other way. “I’m taking some personal time.”

  It was quiet while I walked away but even my mind wouldn’t let me be. It’s been eight years since my parents’ death and through that time I never knew what happened. He never even came here to give me any kind of peace. I just had to live with it but it was freshly in my mind again and I didn’t like any of these answers.

  Adele caught up to me in our room. I was out on the balcony looking over the damaged city and I felt her with me when she gently touched my back. “Zayden.”

  I didn’t turn around to her but responded. “I’m fine, Love.”

  “You know this wasn’t your fault. There was no way to know this would happen.”

  “I should have never left. If I was only here, I wouldn’t allow this to happen.”

  “And so you won’t again. You have no further reason to leave.”

  “And yet acts of the past managed to breach the walls and send the city into chaos.”

  “We got here in time. The damage is minimal and can be repaired.”

  “And my past? Can it ever be repaired? My parents were murdered. How could I not have seen that?”

  “None of us would have wanted to see it that way, Zayden but you stepped up the way they expected you would and you’ve given this country hope.”

  “What if things happened differently? If we did kill Lamar back then, none of this would have happened and my parents would still be alive.”

  “Don’t live on ifs. You know Fate intended for all of this to happen, giving you the chance to prove yourself and you have time and time again. I couldn’t be more proud of you and you should never doubt your place.” She made me look at her. “I love you, Zayden and I don’t want you to feel like anything you ever did was wrong. We’ll make it through this. We always do.”