The only answer she received was their grins as they looped their arms through hers and guided her out of the ballroom.
8
Kidnap
Kyle looked around The Tankard and raised his eyebrow. “Not that I’m complaining and all, but this place is … a little quieter than usual.”
Interrupted by a chuckle, they looked up to see the barkeeper, Tim, who refilled their mugs from a jug.
“Well, it normally is quiet for a few days after the guards have been through to haul you three out.” He grinned at them before heading back to the bar.
Alex shook his head. “Remind me to dig out some of that allowance from Father and give Tim a bonus for his troubles. Well, I guess things being quiet tonight may not be such a bad thing since William put himself out to give us some time out. Particularly since the King just ordered protection details on the both of you.”
Kyle spluttered, looking between Jess and Alex.
“Both of us? Wait, the King only ordered guards to follow Jessalan around everywhere. Not me.”
Jess chuckled and sipped her wine, frowning at the slight aftertaste.
“I think you need to review that whole incident. The King included you in the whole deal.”
Kyle buried his face in his hands and groaned, much to Alex’s amusement.
“You know I’m a better swordsman than your guards, right?”
Alex just shook his head, grinning at Kyle’s misery. While he knew his friend was correct, an order from the King was an order the guards would not refuse. He picked up his goblet, his eyes glancing around the bar, picking out the guards scattered throughout the regular patrons. Still, while it was a little more constraining than he’d prefer, he appreciated William acknowledging that they might need time away from the court and didn’t want to cause him any more issues than he already had. Alex pushed back into the corner, his back against the wall behind him feeling the coolness of the rough stone wall through his shirt and vest. Resting one booted foot on the wooden bench he glanced around the dimly lit bar. As always, there were musicians in the corner, although tonight, given the absence of the usual crowds, they played only quietly in the background.
Movement at the door caught his attention, as two women accompanied by a tall, athletic man walked in. After glancing around, the three moved to the bar, speaking to the red-haired barmaid that had served them when they had first come into the bar. He saw the three glance in his direction, then the barmaid busied herself behind the bar before handing them a jug and a platter.
“Wait, isn’t that the blonde and brunette from the other night? Although it looks like they have company tonight, or is that the guy you entertained from the other night Jess?” Alex looked toward Jess, raising his eyebrow in enquiry.
Jess smiled and tilted her head to get a better look toward the bar.
“Those are the women you two had plastered all over you but no, that isn’t Damien.” Jess grinned at Alex and Kyle, detecting the hint of regret in her own voice.
“Oh, Jess, really? Are we going to track the mysterious Damien for you?” Kyle teased, his eyes sparkling. He laughed outright as she shoved him.
“He should be easy to find, he’s a hunter. Said he’d come to Vallantia to help with the court’s progress to the Summer Palace, so I think I’ll run into him again soon enough.”
Jess grinned, taking the teasing of both Alex and Kyle with good humour. After the evening she’d had it was refreshing to have a little piece of normal.
“Well look who we found. Could we tempt you three to fun tonight?” The blonde smiled and held up a fresh jug she’d just purchased from the bar. The brunette slid a platter of food onto the table and moving around the side sat on the bench, giggling as Kyle grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, kissing her.
Alex held out his hand to the blonde, who placed the jug onto the table before allowing him to draw her into his arms, settling contentedly against his chest. Tilting her head back, Alex laughed and kissed her.
The male placed a couple more mugs he’d brought with him on the table and refilled Alex and Kyle’s goblets before turning to Jess, smiling at her.
“Refill?” He tilted his head, eyebrow raised, not refilling her glass until she nodded consent.
Jess turned her glance from him to the two girls then back to the male, who she had to admit was doing his best to be charming. She smiled, guessing they were likely all from one of the pleasure houses, out for the night. He finished one jug they had brought over then poured the two girls and himself a drink from the second.
“May I?” He gestured to the empty place on the high-backed bench chair next to Jess and grinned as she nodded assent. “I’m Oliver.” He stretched his arm out around the back of the chair and, when she didn’t object to his hand resting on her shoulder, began to trace idle patterns on her with his finger.
“Pleased to meet you, Oliver. I’m Jess.” Jess turned and looked into the dark eyes of the man she was certain charged for this kind of attention. Thinking of her mother’s horrified reaction if she were to find out which bar she was in and in which part of town—and that she was in the arms of a man of pleasure—Jess grinned. “What the hell.”
Jess reached up, twining her fingers in his thick black hair and pulled him down until their lips met. As she’d suspected, he was agreeable to the notion and kissed her back, wasting no time at all in sliding onto the chair next to her.
Jess shook her head, trying to make sense of what was happening and where she was, immediately regretting it as the world began to spin around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again to see Damien leaning over her, looking concerned. His lips moved, but the words were as indistinct as the blurry room around her. He gathered her in his arms and picked her up. Jess swallowed, trying not to be sick as she pressed her face into his shoulder.
She knew she must have blacked out for some time because the next time she became aware she was in the forest, although not moving; Damien was still holding her. He smiled, brushing the hair back from her face and kissed her on the forehead. Jess struggled to sit up, but he stopped her.
“Shh, rest Jess. You were drugged; that man meant you harm. You’re safe now, although as much as I hate to say it, you need the care of a healer.” Damien looked just as good as she remembered and she lost herself in his deep blue eyes.
“Wait, what about Alex and Kyle?” Even the idea she had been drugged alarmed her since it meant that her friends were likely in trouble.
Jess reached for the power of the veil and stopped, stunned, as she realised she couldn’t sense it, let alone channel its power. This was an experience that had never occurred before, one that she didn’t know was possible. If anything, it made her panic even more. As a wave of nausea washed over her, Jess turned to one side, supported by Damien’s strong arms as she heaved up the contents of her stomach.
“I’ll get you to safety then I will try to help your friends. Try not to move too much—it will make the effects of the drug worse. Don’t use the power, you won’t be able to channel it, but struggling to reach it will also make you worse.” Damien held her close then stood, walking through the forest.
“Palace, take me to the palace, to William.”
Jess closed her eyes, not waiting to see if Damien conceded with her request, his words not sinking in or making any sense, except for the try not to move part. She could feel steady movement and even that made her sick. She held her eyes closed to help with the effect.
“I hope you have enough clout to get us into the palace, Jess. Otherwise it will cause a fuss if I do it my way.” Damien’s voice was low. “We’re approaching the main gate now and I don’t think the guards look happy to see me.”
Jess opened her eyes again, realising that she must have fallen asleep, since there was no way they could have covered the distance between the town and the palace in the time in which her rather foggy brain insisted they had. She pushed this concern aside,
focusing on the guards, who were demanding that Damien identify himself and state his business.
“Guardsmen, get out of the way.” Jess was appalled by how weak her voice sounded.
“Now listen here, miss ...”
Jess’ eyes snapped open. “Guardsman, if I wasn’t so sick and sure I’d fall flat on my face I’d skewer you for that. Alert Captain Jackson, now. I need to speak to William.”
The guards’ confusion caused her to groan and close her eyes again, although she heard booted feet running so she guessed someone was running for help. Getting in and out of the palace was so much easier in the company of Alex and Kyle. Then again, it was also much easier when she wasn’t feeling so ill.
Jess wrenched herself back from darkness, hearing a commotion. Lamps flared, men were yelling and running. She opened her eyes and realised with relief that she recognised the guard doing the yelling as Guardsman James. So while he wasn’t Captain Jackson he was, in some ways, better. He recognised her, which explained the yelling for the guard to be turned out and healers summoned to attend the Lady. It took her drug fogged mind a few moments to realise she was the Lady he was demanding healers for. She was sure he’d been bellowing more orders as they walked across the courtyard into the palace but she hadn’t caught them all.
Jess recognised the passages they were taking her down. They were taking her back to her rooms and from the direction the running servant was going, they were heading toward the healers.
“Take me to William.”
Jess, surprised at how soft her voice sounded, raised one hand, slapping it on the guardsman’s arm to gain his attention. His concerned face swam into her view.
“Relax, My Lady, we will get you to your rooms, and the healers are on their way.” His eyes and tone expressed concern rather than judgement, although she could see by his glance that the senior guardsman reserved his judgement of Damien.
“No. Take me to William. You know I have access, any time of day or night. I must speak with him. Damien rescued me, he’s not a threat.”
Jess tried to sound commanding but her voice was anything but and she decided that moving her head around too much was ill advised. It made her head spin and darkness encroached on her vision, threatening to plunge her into unconsciousness again.
Guardsman James nodded abruptly and without a pause in his stride they took another hallway that led further into the heart of the palace. The drumming of the booted feet as they made their way through the seemingly unending hallways lulled her back into darkness, despite the urgent need to pass on to William what had happened.
Jess came to again, hearing rather insistent voices. Yelling in the Royal Wing wasn’t recommended. She thought about insisting she could stand, then considering how sick she was, decided that her dignity could be damned—being carried in was fine.
Jess opened her eyes as Damien settled her on a couch, only to see his face replaced by William’s.
“Jess, what’s wrong? You need treatment by the healers. I’m sure this can wait.” William’s concerned face kept fading from her vision. Trying to concentrate, she opened her eyes as his hand touched her shoulder.
“We were all drugged, William. They’ve got Alex and Kyle.” Jess’ vision faded and she wasn’t certain if she had said the last part aloud or not.
“The guards are already out Jess; I’m sure they will be all right.” William’s face showed no concern at all except for her. He turned from her briefly, barking a demand for the healers to attend to her.
“No William. You don’t understand. We were at The Tankard, then things got confusing—I don’t know what happened. I can’t draw the power, I’ve never felt like this before. Damien found me, he can guide the guards back to wherever it was.” Jess sank into the darkness once more. “Something is wrong, William. The boys are in trouble.”
Jess continued to struggle until she heard his precise orders to the guards. Then William took her in his arms and settled her in a soft, comfortable bed. She let herself sink into unconsciousness, the healer’s cool hands on her forehead.
You’ll be fine My Lady. Relax, let me help you. Jess allowed the blackness to claim her, sinking into nothingness.
9
Kyle Defends Alex
Kyle woke up groggy, his head pounding disproportionately to the amount of alcohol he remembered consuming. He groaned, realising that not only did he not have any clothes on, neither did the brunette lying unconscious next to him. Kyle leaned over the side of the pallet and his stomach heaved, emptying its contents onto the floor. He lay back in the bed covered in sweat, breathing deeply for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts about where he was and what had happened.
Through the fog that his last memories seemed to be, Kyle remembered being in the ballroom of the palace; it had been an official function. He then remembered that they had left after an incident involving Jess and her mother … hooked up with the women—who were undoubtedly ladies of pleasure—which would explain where he was. It wasn’t a room at The Tankard. Groaning, he realised it was likely he would have to endure yet another lecture from his mother about family responsibility.
Kyle reached for the power to settle his queasiness and the general fog over his mind, and froze. He couldn’t touch it at all. It was there, he could still see the power flows and feel it, but every time he tried to grasp it, nothing happened. Panic rose, threatening to overwhelm him. His instinctive reaction was to fight against whatever barrier was standing between him and the veil. Kyle closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. Something had happened, he needed to know what.
Trying to prod his sluggish mind, he replayed the last things he remembered: the palace, leaving the ballroom. Kyle frowned, and the glimpse of a small track lined by trees flashed in his mind. He knew that was their path into town, one that Jess had found years ago; the entrance wasn’t recognisable unless you knew what you were looking at from the main road. It was a shortcut that always ensured they arrived at the minor portal to the town well before the guards that likely trailed behind them.
The next series of images flashed through his mind in quick succession. Kyle let them flow one after the other without trying to grasp them. He knew now where they had been. The Tankard, one of their favourite haunts, the girls from the other night showing up with the company for Jess, the three of them being plied with alcohol and food.
That was all normal—blacking out and ending up somewhere he didn’t remember getting to was not. Kyle opened his eyes and looked at the sleeping brunette next to him. Neither was waking up naked next to a woman he had no recollection of sleeping with; that wasn’t his style.
The next flash of memory sent Kyle sitting bolt upright with an overwhelming sense of wrongness. He took a long, slow breath then pushed against that barrier that stood between him and the veil.
Trembling with exhaustion, Kyle stopped trying to wield power, fighting down the fear that rose when he realised that he couldn’t clear his body and head of any of the sickness he was feeling. Taking a few deep breaths, he concentrated on trying to calm himself—thankfully, not all his skills were due to being one of the Tainted. He may be cut off from the power, but he was hardly powerless.
Suddenly, the brunette’s words flashed into his memory.
“Relax, My Lord Kyle. Jana will look after His Highness and Oliver is more than competent to take care of Lady Jessalan.”
Then she had poured more of whatever was in the bottle down his throat, and that was the last he had known. They had known who he and Jess were, who Alex was. He was certain that was something none of them had revealed. And the guards who had come to drag them back to the palace had not worn uniform bearing the Royal Sigil. Oh, the regulars knew they were of some rank, but other than the publican, he doubted they knew or cared exactly who they were.
Kyle dragged himself out of the bed, breathing deeply and swallowing as his stomach heaved again. He glanced over at the woman, who had begun to stir. While he didn’t fully und
erstand what had happened but he had no doubt that she had been involved. Kyle picked up the heavy candlestick holder on the crate next to the bed and turning, rapped her on the temple as her eyes started to open. Kyle tossed his improvised weapon aside as the woman lapsed into enforced unconsciousness once more.
Kyle glanced around the room and saw his clothing, which had been tossed in the corner. Easing himself to his feet, he was unable to stop the groan that escaped his mouth as dizziness and sickness assaulted him. Thinking of Jess and Alex, he bit his lip, concentrating, and instinctively tried to pull in the power of the Veiled World, only to fail again.
Kyle took some steadying breaths, pushing down the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He opened his eyes and turned. Leaning against the wall, he reached down for his clothes. Of all the consequences of using the power, the healers had never warned him of anything that could block him. Only of the risk of overusing it. Pulling on the last of his clothes he registered that his weapons were missing. A small smile touched Kyle’s lips; if any of their assailants had seen it, it would have chilled them to the bone.
“As if that will save them.” Kyle turned back to the brunette in the bed. “Now for you.”
Grabbing what he presumed was her shirt, he ripped it into strips then carefully bound her hands and feet before stuffing a wad of cloth in her mouth and securing it in place. Satisfied, he turned and concentrated on what he was doing rather than the desire to just curl up in the bed and wait for the guard to find him. Something was unaccountably very wrong.
Kyle was almost relieved to hear the whispering voices through the veil flickering in and out of his head; he didn’t have the capability to block them out. He paused, wondering if this was what it was like for the Sundered. They were driven mad by the whispering voices in their heads that they couldn’t explain and didn’t have the training to block out. Casting the idea aside for another time, he pushed away from the wall.
Shattering Dreams Page 7