by J E Reed
Elite raised his sword again, but Reece’s lowered, and the man’s eyes darted toward Kiuno. A man shouldn’t let himself become distracted during a fight, nor was he supposed to let his enemy escape, but when Reece ran from the hall Elite did nothing to stop him.
61: Reece
Realm: 5
Day: 355
I loved you. Her words echoed like a mantra in Reece’s head. He repeated them. Over and over and over.
I loved you.
Maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t, but the power of those three words enabled Reece to pull himself together and flee from the underground torture chamber.
His body screamed in crippling agony. His wrist pulsated and the roots gripped the muscles in his forearms, but he didn’t give in. He wouldn’t. Not until he separated himself from her.
With distance from the orb, Reece’s magic returned. He could reach out to the seedlings in the dirt and force their growth.
Green burst from the ground and wrapped itself around his body. His stomach plummeted as he lifted himself from the hole and back into the sunlight. Reece squinted, trying to see what enemies might come for him.
Those standing around the hole cried out and moved from his path as he hit the ground then sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him.
He kept his head down, his eyes still adjusting. Lifeless bodies left from the battle passed by as he ran.
The clashing of steel grew louder, but his vines whipped out before him to create a path. He couldn’t fight. All he could do was run through the raging battle. Monsters and people. Magic and steel.
None of it compared to the nightmare in his head. The constant sharp prick against his mind urging him to yield.
He dodged swords, shields, magic. His name might have been called once, but he didn’t pause.
Reece tripped and choked as his vision faded, but he yanked back, playing tug-of-war with the unseen force.
Kiuno. Focus on Kiuno.
She’d brought him back.
He gritted his teeth at the memories and took off running again.
Reece had done the unthinkable. He’d tried to kill her and the longer this thing grew beneath his skin the less control he’d have. What would happen next time?
Would he vanish from existence or forever be condemned to a prison? Would he watch as his own hands killed those he cared about?
A pulse ran through his arm, echoing over his body and Reece hit the ground. The surrounding creatures paid him no mind, their sole purpose to obey and kill.
The roots wriggled and Reece clawed at the skin as they rose toward his elbow.
He took several long breathes and stared at them. They’d kill him. He’d already come to terms with that, but it still left him with a choice. Either watch those he cared for die or end things while he still had a shred of control.
Reece bit his lip and drew his knife. He yanked the fabric back and plunged the blade straight through his wrist. Blinding pain shot from the jewel and the roots gripped his muscles in a vise.
He withdrew the blade and plunged it into the other side, but his world went dark and he floated back into the recesses of his subconscious.
Back to his prison.
And for the first time in his life, there was nothing he could do to escape.
62: Shadow of Death
Realm: 5
Day: 355
Silver grasped Kiuno’s arm and helped her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her back and draped hers over his shoulder. Maltack lit the way.
Bodies of reptilians, as Reece had called them, lined the tunnel’s floor. Some were charred beyond recognition while others had been punctured or had their heads removed.
She shivered and Silver tightened his grip on her wrist. Kiuno glanced at her friends, observing the scrapes along their bodies and the blood on their blades. After everything they’d been through, she prayed they wouldn’t encounter another obstacle on their way out.
Reece.
Why was this happening to him? How did the creator convince him to use something so dangerous?
Would others want to kill him after what he’d done?
Kiuno tripped, but Silver maintained his hold and shifted his hand to support her further.
Her midsection burned. God did it burn. It seemed every part of her body had either been ignited or frozen. Like different parts rested on two planes of existence.
The evening sunlight entered their view and it did nothing for her pounding head.
Plants unfurled from the ground and Maltack wrapped his magic around their bodies. One vine pressed painfully around her stomach and she winced when they lifted from the ground.
At the top, a small group of people guarded the hole. The battle had moved far enough away to be little more than an echo.
She took in a breath, but even that came in a sluggish muddle. Like her body no longer knew how to care for itself.
Reece. K.J.
She had to fix it. With both of them.
Kiuno’s body trembled and she fell to her knees when Silver released her. She needed rest, but there wasn’t time. She needed to warn the others. Tell them—what exactly? What could she do except beg for Reece to be spared? He was dangerous now. Uncontrollable. Just like her magic. But they’d found a way with that.
Her arms shook and Maltack tilted her head back to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
What wasn’t wrong?
Her world tilted again, and a black haze hovered over her vision. Maltack ran his fingers along her abdomen. “She’s bleeding.”
“So fix it,” Elite said.
Kiuno tilted her head and watched as the red and black banners of K.J.’s army floated in the breeze. The corner of her mouth lifted. He’d come.
“I need Palindrome’s help. Something’s not right.”
Elite cursed and took off, leaving her alone with Maltack.
“Hey, I need you to stay awake.”
“I’m awake,” she assured him. Though she didn’t quite know how. She was helpless as they lifted her onto a cot and trotted toward a castle she thought she’d left for good.
~~~
KIUNO GROANED as they dropped her outside the gate and Maltack ran toward the guards. She didn’t have much strength, but Kiuno rotated her head to watch the exchange. Maltack waved his arms in a frantic fury until they agreed to let him through. After that, he disappeared.
How ironic. Her life depended on the person K.J. had thought she’d killed. Would they even permit her inside? Knowing Palindrome, K.J. wouldn’t have a choice in the matter, but if Palindrome blamed her too…
If Kiuno hadn’t been so cold she might have been more afraid, but her body welcomed rest. She closed her eyes, promising herself it would only be for a moment. Her consciousness floated, but a rough hand shook her shoulders.
“Stay awake.” Elite’s hand ran down her arm and wrapped around her fingers. She tried to smile.
“Bring her in,” Maltack’s voice called.
Kiuno’s heart jolted slightly, woken only a little from its need to slumber. The looming gates passed by as she stared at the clouds above, but Kiuno closed her eyes as they ran through the crowds.
She knew they watched. Whispered. Pointed. Maybe they knew her as a traitor. Maybe they had no idea.
The castle walls blotted out the sun and her vision dimmed as they entered the keep. The jostling ride kept her awake. Maybe they should run all dying people up a few flights of stairs. No one could die during that ride.
They set the cot on a bed and Maltack knelt at her side. Elite and Silver stood over her like guardians. The cracks in the ceiling drew her attention.
Kiuno wondered if they’d formed during a battle or if the creator had paid attention to the smallest of details and included them in the design.
Gruff voices echoed down the hall. Someone sat beside Maltack and a new wave of magic washed over her body.
It twisted the burning sensation and sent pain coursing through her abdomen. K
iuno yelped and tried to curl in on herself, but Maltack grabbed her shoulder and held her flat.
She wanted to fight, half torn between pain and exhaustion.
Then she turned to the woman.
Palindrome.
Their eyes locked and Kiuno’s heart beat faster as she looked at the man in the hall. He leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, but Kiuno couldn’t tell who his concern rested with.
“She’s good now, but she should eat something before she rests.”
“Palindrome?”
The woman gave her a sweet smile. “You’ll be all right now.”
With that, she stood and left, and K.J. followed.
63: Hope
Realm: 5
Day: 356
After eating a few pieces of bread and devouring a bowl of soup, all at Elite’s command, Kiuno fell into a deep sleep. She didn’t dream, but upon waking every surface of her body ached. They’d piled furs on her so thick she wasn’t sure anyone would know a person lay beneath.
Kiuno moved to sit up, but Elite pushed her back.
“You need rest.”
“We have to leave. We’re not welcome here.”
“Palindrome said you could stay. Until you recovered.”
Kiuno pushed his hand away and swung her legs to the side of the bed. Dizziness threatened to throw her back, so she tucked her head down and sat still for several moments.
“I’m awake, that’s good enough.” She studied the stone floor. “Reece is being controlled by the jeweled relic.”
Elite sighed and sat back. “I know, I saw it.” He pulled the orb from his pocket. “And Maltack found this.”
She took the round sphere and rotated it in her palm. The colors shifted as light passed through.
Kiuno handed it back. “What are we going to do now?”
“I don’t know. Silver went to speak with Samar. He isn’t happy about Reece’s involvement and from what I understand K.J. isn’t either. Reece is the one who led the attack.”
Tears stung her eyes. “We have to help him.”
Silence settled in the room. Elite sat forward and took her hand. “We can try, but we don’t know anything about the relics. With what he did. He might be a lost cause.”
She tightened her grip on Elite’s hands. No. He wasn’t. Her friend was still in there. All she had to do was draw him out.
“In the meantime, I have something that might take your mind off it.”
Kiuno glanced at him.
“Scorpios is awake.”
~~~
EXCITEMENT. DREAD. Excitement. Dread.
If she went an entire year without either, Kiuno’s heart would thank her for it.
She was excited. No. Ecstatic. To see Scorpios up and well. But the thought of running into K.J. in the hall sent her stomach twisting in knots.
No battle had ever given her so much to fear. She’d rush in, damn whatever might happen to her physically, but when it came to her heart? Those were the battles she’d never be ready to face. To have her soul torn in two as someone she loved looked at her as if she were a person they no longer recognized. That was hell.
Neither Elite nor Maltack wanted her to walk, but she didn’t want to be bound to a cot either. Kiuno had settled upon allowing Elite to guide her toward Scorpios’s room.
Her vision swirled as they walked, but she kept her focus on the ground. Kiuno avoided peering into the corners, afraid her former friend might be watching.
She knew K.J.’s mind was churning, thinking of all the ways she might get around what she’d done. What advantage it might have given her and why he was still alive. Maybe he thought her incapable of completing the plan. That’s sure what he had implied when he’d banished her.
She limped around another corner and her thoughts drifted to Reece. He’d wanted her to kill him, yet if their positions were reversed, she knew it wouldn’t be an option. Reece would tear down entire alliances for her, and she planned to do the same.
Kiuno’s heart skipped when they stopped before a door and Maltack emerged.
“How is he?” she asked.
“He’s weak, as expected, but otherwise good. He’s been asking for you. It seems everyone has been cryptic with him to avoid unnecessary stress.”
“Scorpios not knowing what’s going on is stress.”
Maltack cracked a smile. “I know, but I thought you should be the one to explain.”
Scorpios gave her an expectant expression when she entered the room. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to visit me.”
Kiuno left Elite’s arms and all but ran to Scorpios. His clothes seemed too baggy on his frame, but the smile on his face eased her fears.
Scorpios laughed and patted her head like a child, but for once she didn’t care. Kiuno pulled back and seated herself on the edge of his bed. Elite stood at the end.
“All right, who’s going to explain?” He glanced between her and Elite. “I have all my limbs, I know how I received my injury, and all my friends are alive. So, why is everyone keeping secrets?”
She tilted her head. “Driving you crazy?”
“Kiuno.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ve been banished.”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“It’s a long story.”
He glanced around the room. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She sighed. “Where to start?”
Kiuno gave Scorpios a detailed account of her meeting with Atilla and how he’d betrayed them instead of helping which resulted in K.J.’s accusation. She reiterated her guilt for the entire mess and how she had plans to fix it, though didn’t know how to just yet.
He nodded, but stayed quiet as she recounted her kidnapping by Reece and the torture session he’d put her through. Kiuno then told him about the relic and her not so detailed plan to set that right too.
Scorpios shook his head. “How long have I been out again?”
“Too long.”
He shifted and winced. “Have you spoken to K.J. yet?”
Kiuno shook her head, recalling him in the doorway. “I don’t think he wants to see me.”
“So, you’re sure he’s made up his mind? You’re here aren’t you?”
“I am, but I think he needs time. It’s not as though we can blame him. I know what it looked like.”
“Appearances are deceiving, and assumptions are worse. One shouldn’t cloud their mind with such things. He should trust his instincts. Even I know what they’re telling him.”
“He trusts facts and rationality.”
“Then he should know it’s impossible for you to do what he thinks you did.”
Kiuno lowered her gaze. “Maybe.”
They were silent for a short moment. “Maltack mentioned you were here to take me with you?”
“Only if you feel up to it.”
Scorpios smiled. “I think it’s you we should be concerned about. You’re white as a ghost.” He shifted again. “Maybe some fresh air will do us both good. Besides, Palindrome will keep me cooped up for the rest of my life if she has her way.”
“At least half your life.”
The two laughed and Elite helped Kiuno move as they allowed Scorpios to shift his legs to the bed’s edge.
Maltack entered and draped Scorpios’s arm around his shoulders and the four hobbled from the room. Kiuno imagined Palindrome throwing a fit at the entire scene.
Outside the castle, a wagon waited. Kiuno didn’t have the nerve to ask if Maltack had sent for it or if Palindrome had provided it.
Scorpios let out a breath as he sat in the far corner. “I don’t remember ever feeling this weak.”
Kiuno groaned, pulling herself up beside him. “Blue couldn’t protest at your unfairness now.”
Scorpios chuckled. “That he couldn’t, but I doubt I could stand straight let alone get a good hit in.”
“Do you need anything before we go?”
“I think my current company is good enough.”
The gate slammed shut after they rode through and the guards took their rightful positions.
She looked at the large doors and a small shred of hope blossomed in her chest. He’d allowed her help. He might have even come to check on her. Perhaps those gates wouldn’t always be closed.
Kiuno glanced to the top of the wall and her heart clenched. K.J. didn’t move. He didn’t wave but stood as a statue guarding his people.
His cold expression told her his feelings hadn’t changed and she was still an enemy in unwanted territory. But his actions. His actions told her all hope wasn’t lost.
64: Reece
Realm: 5
Day: 370
Reece slammed back to reality and then into the nearest wall. Breath left his lungs as he slumped forward and a fist hit his jaw followed by another to the gut.
The footsteps retreated thereafter and stopped once the creator reached the balcony. “I gave you a simple command.”
Reece spit blood on the stone. “Maybe you should take it up with the crazy thing you put inside me.”
“You still don’t get it. I didn’t put anything inside you. I released you. I gave you freedom from the oppression you suffer from due to your morals and emotions. You are still you.”
“That’s horse shit.” Reece staggered to his feet and leaned against the stone. “I would never hurt Kiuno.”
At that he turned, his eyes glaring. “Hurt her, hurt her how?”
“You mean with your all-seeing abilities you don’t know?”
The man stalked forward and swung, but Reece ducked and slammed his shoulder into the man’s back. Reece lunged toward his neck, but the creator blinked out of existence only to reappear behind Reece where he kicked Reece to the ground again.
“I wasn’t watching. I was waiting and you never showed. I assumed Kiuno had given you a run for your money.”
