The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set

by Heidi Catherine

  Rani’s world spun faster than ever before, as several things happened at once.

  She saw her father turn and look up at the window, his mouth falling open as he locked eyes with her.

  She felt Aarow push past her as he grabbed hold of Taavi and placed his palm across his mouth to silence him.

  She heard the eruption of noise in the Round as people moved and pounced and screamed and ran.

  She smelled the fear as Taavi twisted from Aarow’s grasp and put space between them in the only way he could find.

  The window.

  He climbed onto the windowsill, telling Aarow to keep his hands off him.

  Aarow raised his palms as a sign of peace, but even this simple movement caused Taavi to panic and lose his balance.

  He toppled, and Rani reached out and grasped his shirt, but the fabric tore in her hands and down he fell, his arms flailing and his legs kicking as he fought against the pull of gravity as it raced him to his death.

  And once again she locked eyes with her father who stood frozen, the only body in the Round not in motion apart from her brother, who was never going to move again.

  Their element of surprise was ruined and the peaceful revolution had turned to panic. To think that of all the people in the kingdom and the person to betray them had been standing right by Rani’s side. She’d failed her kingdom in the worst possible way.

  Her confidence in the revolution’s success lay in pieces alongside the broken body of her brother—the person she’d failed the most.

  This was anyone’s war now.

  AAROW

  THE BATTLE

  Aarow looked at the giant Orbs of Time wishing there was a way to draw the sand back up and reverse time.

  Rani’s brother had fallen from the window and was unmistakably dead. And it was all his fault.

  “Taavi!” Rani called out. Her eyes locked on her father, who was still staring up at the window.

  “I’m so sorry,” Aarow said, drawing her away before she leaped from the window herself.

  “He’s dead,” she said, as if saying it out loud would help her believe it.

  “I know. I really am very sorry.” He felt his shoulders drop as if the weight of holding them up was too much with all the guilt piled on top.

  “Oh, Aarow,” said Rani, turning her back to the window. “Please don’t take the blame for this. You were only trying to keep him quiet. He could so easily have ruined everything. If you hadn’t grabbed him, I’d have done the same.”

  He was glad it hadn’t come to that. There was no way he wanted Rani to carry this burden for the rest of her life. This was something he alone was going to have to learn to come to terms with himself.

  “Why did he do it?” Aarow shook his head, trying to shake the image of the falling boy from his mind.

  She put a hand gently on his arm. “I’m no expert on people, but I think he was scared.”

  “Of my touch or the revolution?”

  “Both,” she said. “He seemed scared of…everything.”

  The noise in the Round took on a new level and they went back to the window, knowing there wasn’t time to discuss this now.

  People were moving in all directions, screaming with both excitement or fear, depending on which side of the battle they were on.

  Aarow’s eyes went straight to Taavi’s body and he saw the Emperor standing over him, trying to protect him from being stepped on, but not seeming to know how to do this while avoiding touch, both of the people and his son.

  “He needs help,” said Rani.

  “Colonel!” Aarow called from the window, trying to get the attention of his father who was busy calling out orders to his people, directing them to bring him the members of the Board.

  “I have to go to Taavi,” said Rani. “This isn’t right. We need to move him out of the way.”

  “No,” said Aarow firmly, knowing she was safer up here, but also that she was right. Ensuring Taavi’s body was treated with respect was the least he could do given he was responsible for the life having just flowed out of it. “I’ll go.”

  “We’ll both go,” she said, her eyes lighting up.

  He shook his head. “You’re needed here. It’s part of the plan. You know that.”

  Perhaps he shouldn’t leave her. His part in the plan was to protect her. What would happen if the people stormed the building? Everyone would want a piece of the princess. What if the Chairman broke free? He couldn’t risk anybody getting their hands on Rani, whether they were the Chairman or not. Things could turn very quickly in situations like this.

  “Aarow, we have to hurry!” Rani pointed to the archway. The gates had been forced open and people were pouring into the Round now. Soon, it’d be impossible to fight his way from the palace doors and reach Taavi before his body was trampled.

  He had to make a decision. And fast.

  “I’ll only go if you promise to stay here,” he said, taking a step toward the door. The only thing riskier than her staying behind was having her out there in the chaos in the Round.

  “I want to come with you,” she said.

  He shook his head. “We need you here. Please. I’ll just go to Taavi and then I’ll be right back.”

  “Then go!” She seemed to know he meant what he’d said. He wouldn’t leave if she insisted on coming with him. “Hurry.”

  “Don’t move from this room. Do you understand?” He looked deep into her eyes, hoping he could trust her on this.

  “I’ll be right here,” she said. “You’ll be able to see me at the window.”

  He had no choice but to believe her. He had to get to Taavi’s body. It didn’t matter how badly he’d betrayed them. He was only a boy. A boy who’d been raised in one of the most brutal and confusing places that could ever be dreamed up. He could hardly be blamed for his actions. He hadn’t deserved to die for what he’d done.

  Aarow looked at Rani one last time, swearing that when he returned to her safely, he was never going to leave her side again.

  He closed the door behind him and heard her slide some kind of lock into place. They didn’t have locks in the Colony as their doors were made from thatch. They didn’t see the need for them either. Although, right here, right now, a lock was an excellent idea.

  Stepping out of the palace into the battle was even more of a shock than stepping from the Colony into the hot sun. This wasn’t just like hot soup, it was a whirlpool of boiling determination and rage.

  Aarow’s eyes swept the Round. Men and women alike were taking hold of the guards and Board members, grabbing them with bare hands as they shrank back in terror, not accustomed to being manhandled.

  When this kingdom had been attacked with arrows or cannons, they’d successfully defended themselves from a distance. But the Colony had known that hand-to-hand combat was their weakness, with the simple placing of a hand on a shoulder seen as an assault. Lack of touch was supposed to be what saved their kingdom, only right now it was their downfall.

  All this time, the Shining continued, casting rays of light across the Round, bringing the faces of the people into sharp focus. More people were running into the Round, impossible to tell which side they were on, for they were all dressed the same, until they revealed themselves with the fearless way they touched anyone who stood in their way.

  Aarow looked up and scanned the windows for Rani, seeing her leaning out as she searched for him in return. She saw him and pointed to her brother, urging him to hurry.

  This side of the Round wasn’t as crowded as the entrance and he spotted Taavi’s small body with the Emperor bent over him. His own father was standing a mere few paces away, too caught up issuing instructions to be of any assistance. Or perhaps not seeing much need at this point. He wouldn’t even know who Taavi was or why it was important to bring his body to safety.

  Aarow ran toward the Emperor, only to be forced to grind to a halt when a guard stepped in front of him and held up his hands.

  “Stop!” the gua
rd said. “Nobody touches the Emperor.”

  The guard was a tall man. Broad too. Not the sort of man anyone would choose to pick a fight with. Aarow guessed he did his job as a guard well. Until now. Because Aarow was determined to get past him.

  “Move out of my way,” Aarow said, taking a step. “Nobody needs to get hurt.”

  The guard waved his two gloved hands like a flag. “Stop! Now!”

  Aarow really didn’t have time for this. The Round was filling with more people with every moment that passed. He had to move Taavi’s body.

  Aarow raised his hands and positioned his feet firmly on the ground. He’d been training for this moment his whole life. He was ready.

  The guard flinched at Aarow’s stance, not used to anybody defying his instructions or perhaps preparing himself for whatever was coming next.

  “Last chance to move,” said Aarow.

  Instead of stepping aside, the guard reached out to grasp Aarow by the shoulders. Aarow was ready for this and deflected him by snapping out his forearms in a quick, practiced action. The guard recovered quickly and went to grab him again, but again Aarow anticipated his move and took hold of the guard’s dominant arm and twisted it behind his back.

  Aarow placed his free hand on the guard’s shoulder, not because he needed it there to hold him still, but because he wanted the guard to see the bare skin of his hand touching him.

  It had the desired effect and the guard yelped, trying to break free of Aarow’s hold. The more he struggled, the more pain was inflicted. This guard may be tall, but Aarow was strong. And he knew exactly how to hold him in place.

  Standing behind him now, Aarow pulled the guard in close until his torso was pressed up against him, feeling the guard squirm.

  “If you don’t move, it won’t hurt,” he hissed in the guard’s ear. “We’ve come here to help you, not to cause you pain. Have you ever wondered who your parents are? If one of the women you walk beside each day is your mother or your sister? Have you ever wanted to meet your son? Surely a big man like you has had a son. I wonder if he looks like you.”

  The guard groaned. It was the sound of a man in mental anguish more than the sound of a man in physical pain. Aarow had hit a nerve as he thought he might if he appealed to his ego. A big man like this would no doubt want to produce a carbon copy of himself.

  “We’re here to change all of that,” continued Aarow. “You’ll be able to find your son. You’ll be able to live in peace. No more releasing innocent people into the desert. Surely that’s not part of your job that you enjoy?”

  The guard grunted. “They were only released if they broke the law!”

  “What if the law itself is what’s broken?” As Aarow spoke, he saw a woman run dangerously close to Taavi’s body, almost tripping over him. The Emperor called something out to her as he threaded his fingers through his hair and knelt on the ground beside his son.

  Aarow needed to wrap this up.

  “I’m going to give you two choices here,” he said. “In a moment, I’m going to let go of you. You can choose to fight me again, and I promise that you’ll lose. Or you can join with me and fight by my side. I’m not going to hurt your Emperor.”

  Without waiting for a reaction, he let go of the guard, and ran toward Taavi and the Emperor. As expected, the guard didn’t make chase, choosing instead to stand in his place with his eyes blinking and his mouth agape. He’d join the revolution. Aarow was certain of it. Nobody liked to back the losing side.

  THE EMPEROR

  THE BATTLE

  The Emperor crouched over his dead son, his heart overflowing with sadness for the boy who’d come into his life as quickly as he’d just departed.

  Taavi was a confused boy, so different to his older sister, who’d run into the desert with no concern other than escaping the clutches of the Chairman. And now here she was, having not just returned to the Round, but having returned with an army. An army who were quickly seizing power, no matter whether the surprise of their arrival had been ruined or not. How had Rani achieved such a thing?

  For there was no doubt that this was what was happening. Power was being seized. And he couldn’t be happier about it, especially if Rani was at the helm. Which kingdom had she convinced to help her? Surely it must be Wintergreen.

  A woman holding a guard firm in her grasp, bumped into him as she passed, sending the Emperor wobbling as he tried not to topple onto his son’s body. He held out his hands to catch his fall, when he felt a firm grasp around his waist as he was hauled to his feet.

  “Don’t hurt me!” the Emperor cried, recoiling at the feeling of another human’s hands upon on.

  He twisted his head to see the man who held him was the same one he’d seen standing next to Rani in her window. The man released his grasp and shook his head. “I’m not going to hurt you. Rani won’t allow it.”

  “Who are you?” the Emperor asked, straightening his back, as he tried to lessen the height difference between them. He knew he wasn’t the bravest man in the kingdom, but he had some self-respect. He was the Emperor of The Sands of Naar.

  “My name’s Aarow. I found Rani in the desert and brought her to safety. We’ve returned to save the rest of you before it’s too late.”

  “Well, it’s too late for my son,” the Emperor said, trying to decide if he could trust this man who bore the name of a weapon. Was that a good omen or a bad one? He guessed that depended on whether or not he’d actually saved Rani.

  “I’m sorry about your son,” Aarow said. “I wasn’t fast enough to stop him from falling.”

  There was something in Aarow’s eyes that swayed the Emperor into believing him. A sadness tinged with sincerity. He was here to help them.

  Now wasn’t the time to ask what happened or why Taavi had jumped from the window. Not with all the mayhem surrounding them.

  The invaders were dragging the Board members to the steps of the palace and the Emperor wondered if Aarow was going to do the same to him and if so, why he hadn’t taken hold of him by now.

  “I’m not going to touch you,” Aarow said, as if reading his mind. “But I am going to touch your son. We need to move him out of the way.”

  The Emperor nodded, grateful that someone had come to his aid at last.

  “Thank you,” he said, watching as Aarow lifted Taavi’s body as if it weighed nothing. How must it feel to possess that kind of physical strength? Yet the gentle way Aarow cradled Taavi in his arms convinced the Emperor that this was indeed a kind man.

  Aarow carried Taavi to the top of the palace stairs and took him inside, out of harm’s way. Not that anything could harm him further now.

  A wave of despair for his son washed over the Emperor. He’d never even gotten to know him. It wasn’t right. None of this was.

  The sun shifted in the sky and the Shining came to a close. Would he live to see another? Would anybody? Please let these new rulers of their kingdom not destroy the Orbs of Time. Although, he knew if Rani had anything to do with it, the orbs would be safe. Nobody appreciated their magnificence more than she did, even if sometimes he wondered if she looked at them more with dread than delight.

  The Board members seemed to have accepted their fate and stood with their eyes cast down, having realized things may go more in their favor if they complied. But not the Chairman. He struggled against the captors holding him firmly by his forearms. When he attempted to kick them, they twisted his arms behind his back and held him at a distance while he yelped for mercy.

  The Emperor hid a smile, feeling no sympathy for the heartless man who’d caused his daughter such anguish. Let him feel what it was like to have no control over who put their hands on you and how.

  The Round was filling with people now, shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip as they pressed themselves into the communal space, eager to see what was to come of this most unusual invasion. Some of the faces the Emperor recognized and he wondered what the invaders had told them in order to bring them on their side. Although, it w
ouldn’t have had to be much. When you handed a prisoner a key to their cell, they didn’t usually stop to ask you why, before turning the key in the lock.

  A tall man paced the line of Board members, inspecting them one by one, pausing longer at the Chairman to spit on the ground at his feet. This must be their leader.

  He turned to face the crowd, fully trusting his soldiers who held his captives still, cleared his throat and held up his hand.

  The crowd fell still and silent, including the guards who’d been captured, many of whom had been released and stood side-by-side with the people.

  The man spoke. “We come here in peace.”

  “Doesn’t feel too peaceful to me,” shouted the Chairman, putting up a new struggle for release, quickly silenced by another twist of his arms.

  “For too long the Capital has been ruled by fear. And we’re here to tell you that we’ve had enough!” The man’s voice echoed off the walls, bouncing in the same way the light had only moments before.

  “Enough!” called out someone in the crowd and the Emperor found himself nodding, along with the rest of his people.

  “My name is the Colonel,” the man said. “I am your new Board. I am your new Emperor. I am the new leader of this kingdom.” A murmur traveled across the Round as people took in this news. The Emperor himself felt no angst at these words, not feeling as if any power had been taken from him. He’d never had any in the first place.

  “But I will not rule alone,” the Colonel shouted. “Look to the window above and you’ll see your Princess.”

  The Emperor followed the collective gaze of the crowd to Rani’s window and she leaned out, so they could see her better. Aarow had returned to her side and was hovering next to her as if he were her private guard. The Emperor was glad. She’d be safe with a strong man like that to protect her.

  “You may be surprised to see me,” Rani called out, her voice loud and clear. “You were told that I was released.”