“Aren’t you forgetting that I am the one they want?” Ivan crossed his arms and Elijah carried on as if he hadn’t spoken.
“I’ll go in, they will free Sienna and she can come to you. Then,” he looked sternly at his friends, “and only then, will you come to my aid. Can I trust you to do this?”
“Are you all going to pretend that I am not here?”
“Yes,” Gianna snapped. “Now be quiet, you cannot go.”
Ivan stepped forward and puffed up his chest. “The note said, for the heir of the throne to come alone. Heir of the throne, that’s me.” Sahab laughed. “Something funny?”
He nodded. “Yeah, you’re pretending to be him.” Elijah gulped as Gianna and Ivan turned to look at him. “So, give it up already If you want to come along to keep up appearances, then fine. Don’t get in our way.”
“I should have known.”
Elijah stepped closer to Gianna. “I was going to tell you. I just…”
“Never found the right time. I suppose after they killed Prince John everything has been happening so fast around here. You know you can trust us though. We are more than the elite guards to the princess, we are friends.” Elijah pulled her into a quick hug and released her.
“It still says the heir has to go alone,” Ivan pointed out. “We can’t all go.”
Elijah sighed. Unfortunately, the pretender had a point. “We stick to the plan. You all wait outside. I go in alone. Once Sienna is safe, then and only then do any of you come to my aid.” He looked back at the door up to the main floor of the castle.
“Gianna, you know he is right,” Sahab said.
Elijah could always count on his best friend to back him. My best friend, Elijah, smiled to himself. I’ve never had one of those before.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Huh?” Elijah shook off the smile, hiding the embarrassment at being caught. “Nothing, just Sienna.” He shied away, hoping they would get the hint. They both knew his feelings for the Princess were more than duty.
“That’s why you’re doing this. Not because you’re some long-lost heir to the throne, but because you like her, more than you should.” Gianna was looking straight at him, her eyes showing Elijah that she already knew the answer.
“I met her once, before the official introductions,” Elijah admitted. “She was sneaking about the castle, and we bumped into each other.” He smiled at the memory. “She pretended to be someone else, so I didn’t act differently, I suppose, but it only made me act more like an idiot. I puffed up my chest and everything.”
Gianna shook her head, but she couldn’t hide the smile.
“Well, that’s not surprising. What happened after that?” Sahab asked, eager to know more.
“She took me into the kitchen, stole some food, pushed me up against a wall and then disappeared off down the corridor. Didn’t even let me do the gentlemanly thing and walk her to her room. I felt like the biggest idiot in the world when I met her officially the next day.”
“Was that the horse ride? You saved her even then,” Sahab said, pacing the room.
Elijah nodded and then looked to the floor with a smile. “Yeah, I guess it was. Somehow I convinced myself it was all a dream until I found out Sara was actually Princess Sienna.”
“This is brilliant. No wonder she was so reluctant to marry Prince John, rest his soul.” Gianna clapped her hands together. “You’re going to need something special to get your girl back.”
“Are you thinking, the darts?” Sahab asked, with one eyebrow raised and a cheeky glint in his eye.
Gianna nodded and pulled out a box from one of the shelves. “These are Ivory Darts. You place them in this tube and blow them out, they are laced with poison and burst into flames on contact.”
Elijah’s eyes widened. He didn’t know weapons could do things like that. “How?”
“Who knows,” she shrugged. “Magic isn’t exactly welcome here in Adelith. Not since that mad sorcerer burned down the castle and everyone inside it.”
His memories flashed images of the burning castle through his mind. He was looking over Magda’s shoulder. They were carrying him away from the flames. Eli shook his head.
“Are you alright?” Sahab placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder to steady him. “You’re going to do this, Elijah. Princess Sienna will be fine.”
“Master Eli?” Buisan’s voice weaved into the room, his elongated ’s’ echoing around the room. “Are you in here?”
“Yes, Buisan, how can I help?” Elijah replied, as the librarian came into view.
“It is I who can help you. I know where this place is.” Buisan’s golden eyes stared at him, unblinking. “You do not have to be afraid of me. I will not lead you into a trap.”
“Well, that fills us with confidence,” Ivan muttered. The librarian shot him a scowl and returned to look at Elijah.
“There is a room below the broken tower,” Buisan paused, causing Gianna and Sahab to lean closer. “I know because I built it for your father, but there is another way inside. A bigger door. It may give you an advantage.”
He knew my father? Now wasn’t the time to ask questions, but Elijah couldn’t stop them from filling his brain.
“Where is this room compared to the castle?” Knowing the castle was built with multiple secret rooms, corridors and passageways made Elijah curious as to how this room could exist.
“It’s below. Below everything,” Buisan said. “It’s big enough to hold creatures that no longer exist and are hidden by magic.”
Elijah’s hair stood on end. What had been going on here before they knew he was alive? Maybe I should have stayed in Rheanydd?
“Come, I will show you.” Gianna and Sahab turned to Buisan’s words. “You may both come if it will allow you to trust me.”
“What about me?” Ivan said, loudly. Elijah looked over his shoulder at the pretender who was stood there with his arms folded.
“Only one of us can go in alone. How far do you want to take this, Ivan?” Elijah raised an eyebrow. “Are you willing to die for her?” Ivan didn’t say anything, so he turned to his friends. “You two will have to stay outside.”
“Fine, but as soon as Princess Sienna comes out, we are coming in to get you,” Sahab said, grabbing his sword.
Elijah nodded, and they all followed Buisan out of the Armoury.
Their journey took them around the castle grounds and up to the river. Elijah was having doubts about Buisan, like how he could take him away from the actual entrance in the broken tower, when they reached a rock face. The Librarian placed his hand on it and the rocks seemed to just fall away.
The image of the grey and white stone disappeared as a colour deep red burned through to reveal two doors. They were enormous, and if they stood upright, they would tower over the trees. However, they were at an angle, laid down on the floor like the doors to the cellar in the kitchens, and when Buisan got one side open, it revealed a set of stairs.
Elijah was sure he heard Buisan say something about dragons, but it was too quiet to hear clearly. He also didn’t want to cause any animosity between them, considering the vast knowledge of the librarian had about him and his family.
Gianna and Sahab both took in deep breaths as they stepped forward and looked down the steps. Sahab stumbled back, tripped on a rock, and fell over.
“Steady now,” Gianna said, grabbing him by the elbow and helping him up.
Ivan looked and stepped back. “No, I’m not going down there.”
“I didn’t think you would,” Elijah muttered.
“Hey,” Ivan said, pushing Elijah. “I came here and risked my neck.”
“And? What do you want, a medal? You did that for selfish reasons, not because you want to help. The only reason you are here now is because you think it will win you the crown. It won’t. If the king loses Sienna, you lose everything too.” Elijah took a deep breath to calm his emotions.
Ivan backed away and sat down on a rock. Without breaking the silence, Eli
jah turned to the steps and started down two of them.
“Be careful down there. You don’t know what they have planned.” Sahab held a stern gaze.
“Master Eli will be fine, provided he follows the lights. The kidnappers won’t suspect he knows about this entrance,” Buisan said.
Elijah nodded and turned to the steps and stood at the top. There was a sickness bubbling in his stomach. Ignoring it, he took one step forward, then another. With nothing on his mind other than freeing Sienna, he descended the stairs.
At the bottom of them, Elijah could see an un-lit torch. Reaching up to grab it, he jumped back as the flames erupted. How did that happen? He walked forward a few more steps and another torch in front of him lit itself, followed by another.
“Follow the lights,” he said to himself and did exactly as he was told.
The corridor opened into a bigger room. It was still dark, even with the torches light around him. Huge pillars were spread out across the room, leaving enormous gaps between them, and enough room for 1000 men to pass through.
The floor comprised black stone, warm to the touch. He could feel the heat coming through the soles of his shoes. I hope this doesn’t burn.
Moving through the room, he came to another entrance where two people were. One was kneeling, hands behind their back and the other standing. Elijah crept forward and ducked behind the pillar for cover as he listened.
“Your prince isn’t coming to save you, princess,” snapped a voice Elijah had heard before. Cynster was the one who had taken her. “Looks like my sources were incorrect, and he doesn’t love you after all.”
“I don’t know who you think is coming for me, but I can assure you they won’t be a prince!” she fired back. Elijah lost himself for a moment and smiled at her feistiness.
“The one the Master has been trying to eradicate for years. The true Prince of Adelith, the one who survived the castle’s attack.”
“Everyone died in that fire that night. No one survived,” she stated. “You’re crazy.”
Elijah turned his head away at her voice. It sounded scared, weak. God, I wish I could just run in and grab her.
“He will come, princess, he has to come.” Elijah moved slightly so he could see. Cynster was pacing in front of her. “They hid him for so long, but master knew, he said he could feel it. He is alive, and he is here. Master is never wrong. Do you see?”
The princess looked away as Cynster grabbed her chin. “I know nothing, you won’t get what you want,” she whimpered.
The Agent of Cyran let out a deafening laugh. It was deep and angry. When he stopped, he was staring straight at Elijah. “I wondered when you were going to turn up. Prince Kane.” The words rolled off his tongue like water dripping from a tap.
“I’m here, like you wanted. Now let her go,” he called, putting on a deeper voice.
“Come into the light, I want her to see your face.” Cynster’s shouts echoed across the room. “Then I may think about agreeing to your request.”
“Let her go and I’ll do anything you want.”
Cynster backhanded Sienna. “No, no, little prince. You do what I say or the princess gets hurt. Now come out into the light or I will hurt her again.”
With a deep breath, Elijah stepped out into the light. The feeling of safety disappeared as a grin spread across Cynster’s face.
“Elijah?” Sienna had tears streaming down her cheeks.
“That’s it, come forward, let her see you.”
He stepped slowly forward, expecting some kind of attack. His right hand clenched the pipe with the darts in his hand.
“Such a precious moment.” Cynster grabbed Sienna’s face again. “Did you think it would be him? Did you know?”
“Let her go,” Elijah demanded, the pipe calling for him to use it. Cynster cocked his head to the side. “Let her go, you can do whatever you want with me.” The agent turned his face back to Sienna, and Elijah took his chance. Firing the dart at Cynster’s neck, it hit his mark, and the agent fell to the floor.
He ran to Sienna and untied her.
As it released her hands, they found his face. “Why did you come?”
“I couldn’t leave you. Now you have to go. You’re important, you have to go.” Something grabbed his boot. “Now, Sienna.” He pushed her back as pain shot up from his ankle into his leg and caused his knee to buckle. Turning, he punched Cynster in the face, cutting his lip, but he didn’t let go. “Sienna, run!”
She turned and ran, something fired from Cynster’s other hand narrowly missing her. Sienna screamed and dodged, hiding behind one of the pillars. Elijah’s other leg went numb, he couldn’t move, but he could still speak.
“Follow the lights, Sienna! Get out of here!”
Cynster stood over him and smiled. “No matter, I don’t need her here.” He rubbed his neck and nodded. “That was an excellent shot, but magic doesn’t hurt me. It was a minor inconvenience.” He bent down and looked him deep in the eyes. His purple and white robes were touching the floor and moving the dust around. “Now then, young prince, what do I do with you? Did you know my Master has been after you for nearly twenty years?”
Elijah stayed silent. I’m nearly nineteen. How could he have been after me since before I was born? Unless the witch told him, the boy wasn’t born yet…
“I didn’t paralyse your face, you can speak.” An icy hand crashed against his cheek.
“No, I did not know that. Did you know that there are two Kane’s in the Castle?” From the wide eyes Cynster gave him, Eli knew he did not. “He arrived recently, ready to claim his throne. Are you sure you picked the right one?”
Cynster shook his head and made a huffing noise. It sounded as if he was trying to clear some fluff out of his nose. “I am sure I have the right one. You are the son of Hector and Rhohesia Kane.”
“Why? Why are you so sure it is me?” Elijah felt his anger flash through his eyes. No-one can be truly sure it’s me, or Ivan.
Bending down in front of him, Cynster grabbed his chin and forced him to look up into his eyes. “Because you have your mother’s eyes, father’s strength, and the prophecies abilities.” Letting go, Elijah’s head hit the ground. “Not that you would understand any of that.” His other hand touched his chest and Elijah felt something inside his chest burst to life.
“By prophecy, you mean the word of an old crone who your Master believes. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. Magic hasn’t been used in Adelith for centuries. The sorcerers, yourself not included all but disappeared when Roderick took the throne.”
“True,” Cynster agreed. “But not all of us forgot the old ways. Our Gods still watch over the land and grace a few chosen people with magic.” His hand came out at Elijah and as Cynster muttered some foreign tongue, pain surged through him again. “Can you feel the power, Prince Kane?”
Elijah cried out. His insides were on fire. There was something bubbling inside him which was causing him more pain than the actual torture itself.
“Magic is all around us, Prince Kane. You’ll realise it one day. Just because your precious Cadeyrn family don’t allow the practice of it doesn’t mean it isn’t here.” Cynster stopped his attack. “You have caused me a slight concern, though. This other Kane puts doubts in my mind. I shall have to take you to the Master alive and let him decide if you are the right one.”
Words he did not understand floated around his mind. The need to speak them on the tip of his tongue. The words formed in his mind and then the pain stopped.
Cynster grabbed the back of his top and dragged him along the floor. “No more deliberating, I can talk to you on the way there. Master will be impressed with me.” The sorcerer laughed.
He didn’t move far before Elijah felt the numbness of the paralysis slip away. Fingers twitching, Eli moved his hand slowly, making sure it wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Once he had enough movement in his arms, he reached inside his jacket and grabbed one of the small knives he had hidden there. In
one fluid movement, he jabbed it into the sorcerer’s hands. Cynster cried out as he dropped Elijah’s clothes.
Eli rolled over out of reach of the Agent of Cyran and stood up. He took a few seconds to gather himself as the dizziness subsided.
“The effects of the paralysis shouldn’t have worn off yet. How did you do that?” Cynsters shouts echoed around the room and his eyes bulged.
Elijah was panting, his energy depleted. “I did nothing. Maybe you’re not as good at magic as you thought,” he taunted.
“Shut up,” snapped Cynster. “I am one with the old ways. It flows through my veins like blood flows through yours.” The sorcerer muttered something, and a gust of air threw Elijah into one of the stone pillar. His back smashed against the rock and he slid down to the floor.
Trying to get up was useless, he needed energy and rest. Elijah needed help. He silently prayed that Sienna had got to anyone who would come to his aid. Hoped, that someone was on the way to save him.
“On second thought, maybe I will kill you and the other Kane boy you mentioned. Then I’ll be done with this!” Cynster’s voice echoed around the room.
Another voice only broke the echoes. One which gave Elijah hope. “Or maybe you’ll fight someone your own size and die.”
30
Rescue Party
Merrick stood behind the sorcerer, sword in hand. His friends, Sahab and Gianna were behind him and as his mind battled with what was happening, Elijah was certain he saw Jaxon. Exhaustion took over as the edges of his vision blurred, making everything feel like it was a dream. He moved his eyes to Cynster and watched as he conjured up things to protect himself. Swords clashed together; magic hung in the air with a buzz.
There were a few moments where Cynster directed his magic towards Eli, causing pain to erupt all over his body. Breathing became difficult, his vision blurred more than it already had, and the noise in his head drummed louder with every attack.
“You’ll not get away with this,” Cynster shouted. “The Master will have his head.”
“You, old fool,” Merrick said. Looking up, Elijah saw they were facing each other. Gianna and Sahab were down. Jaxon was by his side, trying to lift him up. “The only way you’re getting out of here alive is if you kill us all.”
Kingdom of Lies (The Kane Saga Book 1) Page 23