by Cait Marie
“Don’t touch her,” a voice called behind him as he reached out to feel for a pulse. Shane twisted to see a woman standing in the shadows. When she stepped into the light, her bright green eyes caught his attention, making his breath catch. He slowly stood and tried to place how he knew her.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked instead.
“Same thing that’s wrong with all of them.” When he looked around without responding, she raised a brow. “You don’t know?”
“No,” Shane said. Phillip remained quiet, but his posture shifted. He was tense, and Shane wondered if he knew what was going on.
Something in the woman’s gaze changed. It softened as she took in his honesty. She nodded once, almost as if she had been debating her answer and finally made a decision. “You should come with me.”
Phillip stepped forward, angling himself in front of Shane.
“I will explain things better but not here,” the woman said.
Shane didn’t understand why she couldn’t just tell him what sickness infected the people of this street. But after looking at the woman slumped on the ground once more, he nodded. “I will go with you, but we need to get her help.”
“And what of the rest of the people?” The woman flung out a hand with frustration, pointing around her. “There are more than you could imagine, and we have limited means.” He opened his mouth to tell her that he could help, but she held up a hand to stop him and continued, “No, not here. Follow me.”
She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she turned and stalked back through the shadows. Phillip gave him a pleading look not to go, but Shane shook his head. With a sigh, Phillip placed a hand on the pommel of his sword and followed after her with Shane right behind. They stepped over piles of debris and puddles he tried not to look at too closely. The woman knocked three times on a wooden door, whispered something to a figure who opened it, then motioned for them to enter the old stone building.
They walked down a flight of stairs to a series of underground halls. Hallway after hallway they followed, and with each one, Shane grew more nervous. He knew she was leading them in circles to confuse them. They didn’t pass any windows or come across another person. Eventually, they made their way back above ground and exited the building.
They found themselves in a bright, sunny courtyard. Homes and shops opened up to the enclosed space, and Shane felt as if he’d stepped into another world—one of the past. A fountain bubbled in the center and children laughed as they played around it. An old brick church sat on the edge of the open area. Its bell tower stood high in the sky, and Shane wondered where in the city they were that it could remain unseen.
The woman led them in through a side door of the church and down more stairs to a dimly lit basement. Phillip stopped suddenly, and Shane bumped into him.
“What…” he started, but his words trailed off as he took in their surroundings.
The room was filled with people—dozens of them—all staring at the newcomers. The woman quickly went to an older man that the others seemed to gravitate around. She whispered a few things to him, pointing their direction, and he quickly nodded and walked toward them. He looked them over with a scowl.
“You should not have brought them here, Gwyn,” the man said.
Gwyn, the woman they met in the alley, stepped up beside him. “He wanted to know what’s happening to the people. He has no idea why there are so many ill in the streets.”
“Is this true?” the man demanded.
“Yes, sir.” Shane stood next to Phillip, making sure his friend didn’t make any rash decisions. He didn’t want to cause trouble. His friend seemed to understand how outnumbered they were and lowered his hand from the blade at his side. Shane knew he could have it out in an instant if necessary though. The people around them watched with anxious stares. No one made a sound. The man considered him a moment then looked to Gwyn, who nodded in encouragement.
He let out a sigh before sticking out a hand. “William.”
Shane shook his hand. Unsure whether to trust these people, he gave his middle name, “Gideon.”
After Phillip introduced himself, William said. “Come, sit down. It’s a long story.”
The people moved out of their way, some going back to their own business. Most stayed nearby as the four of them took seats at a small table in the corner. Shane could feel the tension in the room.
“What do you know of the Kald?” William began. He quietly thanked a woman, for bringing over a pitcher of water and cups as he waited for Shane’s response.
“The illness? Just that it once plagued the land and sea. It nearly brought about the destruction of all the surrounding kingdoms before it was cured. Wait.” Shane looked between the three sitting at the table. “It’s been over a century. Are you saying that’s what this is? The Kald is back?”
“Yes,” Gwyn said.
Phillip held up a hand. “It hasn’t been confirmed. There aren’t any definitive cases.”
“You knew about this?” Shane asked his friend incredulously.
“You’ve had enough to deal with,” Phillip whispered.
“He’s right,” William went on. He poured water into a glass and passed it to Shane, trying to calm him down. As he passed one to Phillip, he said, “It hasn’t officially been confirmed, but it is definitely a similar illness spreading. It has all the same symptoms that were recorded last time.”
Phillip took a drink of the water, then subtly nodded to Shane that it was clear.
“Why isn’t it being reported? Why is no one doing anything about it? It was cured before, surely it can be again,” Shane said. He took a sip of water, his head spinning.
“It is being reported,” Gwyn replied. “Those in power are doing their best to keep it quiet. They’re refusing to tell the people anything.”
Shane glanced to Phillip whose jaw clenched. He gave a minute shake of his head, refusing to acknowledge the prince and the questions arising with every new piece of information. The room was quiet, people listening. Shane looked around and wondered how many of them had loved ones who were ill.
“How many?” he asked quietly.
William shook his head. “It started with just a few. They were mostly homeless—no one who’d be noticed. People didn’t think much of it. But then it started spreading. Still in the poor neighborhoods but to people with families and friends.”
“It’s hard to know exactly how many are infected now,” Gwyn continued. “At least two dozen have died though.”
Shane covered his face with his hands. He rubbed his eyes. Disbelief coursed through him, but he heard the honesty in their words. Regardless of if it was the Kald, his people were suffering and dying. And he had known nothing about it. He stood suddenly, his chair nearly tipping over.
“How are you all not sick?” Phillip asked as Shane began to pace.
“It doesn’t appear to be airborne.”
“Then how?” Shane stopped moving.
“That’s what makes it so terrifying,” William said. “We don’t know.”
“There is one theory… a popular theory among these parts.” Gwyn crossed her arms, but Shane saw the tremble in her fingers before they were hidden from view. “People think that it’s being spread intentionally.”
“What do you mean?” Phillip asked with a stern tone.
“It started as a rumor,” Gwyn continued. “Some—many—think that the king is somehow involved. They think he’s been experimenting and brought back a strand of the disease. We just don’t know how he’s infecting people.”
Shane gripped the back of his empty chair, making the wood groan from the pressure. They still didn’t acknowledge him as the prince, and he hoped that meant they didn’t know. He knew as soon as they found out, they would stop feeding him information.
“You all think this?” Shane raised his eyes to meet Gwyn’s gaze.
Gwyn nodded. “Most of us do, yes. This group—”
“Gwyn, enough.” T
here was a finality in William’s voice.
She looked at him and lifted her chin, showing more confidence than Shane suspected she felt. He admired her determination. She turned back to him, and their gazes locked. She didn’t look away as she spoke to William. “We can trust him. If he wants to know what is truly going on throughout the kingdom, then he should have all the information.” William sighed but didn’t stop her from talking. “This group is a rebellion of sorts. The church is called O’ Chwedlau, it’s been here for centuries, housing those who fight for the people of Detmarya. We’re working to find out the truth of the Kald, but we also want King Emyr off the throne.”
Shane blinked, trying to not show any sign of his thoughts. Phillip sat up higher. He wore his uniform, so there was no doubt they knew he was a royal guard. Shane, however, had opted for more mundane clothing. Nothing marked him as the prince.
“You want to dethrone the king,” Phillip whispered. The tension in the room had grown tangible. People waited to see his reaction, whether he’d run off to the other guards and arrest them all for treason. He looked to Shane, who shook his head slowly before sitting down again.
“We do,” William answered. “With proof that he is causing this disease, killing his people, we hope to take his power.”
“And if you can’t find proof?” Shane asked. “What will you do then?”
It was Gwyn who spoke firmly, “Then we will find other means. He will not be our king for much longer.”
Shane took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. Phillip asked the question he knew Shane couldn’t, “What about the rest of the royal family—the prince and the princess?”
Gwyn and William glanced at each other. “No harm will come to either of them,” William finally said, looking to Shane. “They are not a reflection of their father. I have seen the work of the king for many decades. With the death of the queen… I fear this isn’t the worst of what is to come. He has lost his mind, and I would never fault his children with his actions.”
“The prince is said to be the opposite of his father,” Gwyn said. “They say he is kind and cares deeply for the kingdom. He doesn’t know his people though.”
Phillip spoke up quickly, “He does care for the kingdom and its people tremendously. I know him personally and can attest to that.”
Beneath the table, Shane put a hand on his friend’s arm. William nodded and looked to Shane. “We know. That is why we want him on the throne with new advisors.”
We know. Shane wondered if the man’s words had a double meaning. He waited a beat, taking in all this new information. The situation with his father was far worse than he imagined. It wasn’t just a plan to force other kingdoms into a war. Could he be killing his own people? Shane didn’t want to believe their words. He needed more information—proof that his father was involved—before he would act. He needed to work alongside these people to find the truth.
“How can we help?” he asked without further hesitation.
Gwyn and William smiled as they began explaining their plans. They had been trying to infiltrate the castle to find signs of the experimentations. Phillip and Shane confirmed that they had access to the castle, with Shane claiming to work in the kitchens. Together, they’d search for anything related to the Kald. He knew there were physicians and scientists working for his father, but he never dreamed that they’d be working on something so malicious.
Arm in arm, Brienne and Stuart strolled up to the guards outside the small, plain building used as a jail. The others had scouted it out before Ada and Ren joined them. They knew the building had two exits. Three guards stood at the front with only one at the hidden side door in the dark alley, making it their target.
Ada watched as Brienne and Stuart pretended to stumble into the guards by the main entrance. They caused a loud commotion, drawing out more men from inside. That was their signal. While everyone was distracted, Ada and Ren approached the other door while George kept watch from the corner.
They crept through the shadows, careful of their footsteps. The single guard in the alley leaned against the brick wall. He took a step toward the front of the building with a hand on his sword. Before he could decide what to do, Ren was behind him.
Ren wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders and neck, cutting off his air. Ada looked away, not wanting to see the man die. Besides her mother, she had never seen death. As she listened to Ren lowering the man’s body, Ada took a deep breath through her mouth, willing her stomach to settle.
A hand fell to her shoulder, and she jumped. Ren hushed her. “It’s just me.”
She fidgeted with the end of her sleeve, as he removed the sword and belt from the man and then a ring of keys.
“Ada, he’s not dead.”
Her eyes snapped to the man. “What?”
“He’s just unconscious.” Ren began trying the lock with different keys. “He will wake soon, so we need to hurry.”
Ren groaned. There were at least three dozen keys on the ring, and without enough light, they couldn’t tell which was the right one for the door. After multiple failed attempts, Ada pulled a pin from her hair and pushed him aside. She stuck it into the lock before grabbing another one. Ren watched in surprise as she twisted them, expertly unlocking the door and letting them in. The short hallway beyond was quiet and empty.
Ren stared at her, and she shrugged. “I was a nosy child.”
They moved into the empty hall that came out to a longer corridor lined with cells. There was a crispness to the cool fall air outside, but the building had a deeper coldness to it. Ada shivered and pulled her cloak tighter.
A figure appeared, and Ren lunged. The man put up more of a fight than the last. He twisted and pulled, but Ren had several inches on him with far more muscles. Ada glanced to the front door, worried they’d draw unwanted attention. With a final heave, Ren cracked the man’s head into one of the cell bars, and Ada gasped. He crumpled to the floor immediately.
Ren didn’t hesitate. He tilted his head, indicating she go to down the left wing while he went to the right. She passed cell after cell with increasing worry. All stood empty. As she neared the end, a cleared throat had her spinning around. Ren motioned for her to join him on the other side.
She ran to him, hairpins out and ready. The sight inside the cell made her breath catch. Captain Lee was slumped in the corner. He stirred as she began picking the lock but didn’t move to stand.
The metal bars were cold beneath her fingers, and they groaned too loud as she yanked the gate open. Ren pulled out his sword. If his earlier fight hadn’t told of their arrival, the bars surely had. Ada quickly stuck the pins back up in her hair as she moved inside. She dropped to her knees beside the captain and pulled her cloak off. She gently put it around his shoulders, keeping one hand on his arm.
“I thought I told you to stay on the ship?” His voice sounded rough as he looked up at her through hair that had fallen across his brow.
“Yell at me later. Can you stand?”
When he nodded, Ada shifted to help him. She lifted one of his arms over her shoulder and stood. He grunted in pain, and she struggled under his size, but eventually they made it to their feet. Ada reached up and brushed his dark hair from his face out of instinct. Their eyes met as she realized what she had done.
“Are you all right?” she asked, her fingers lingering on his cheek.
Before he could reply, the sound of the front doors opening echoed down the hallway.
“We need to get out of here, now,” Ren told them.
Together, they shuffled forward. Ren handed Lee the extra sword from the outside guard and then hurried them to the door. As the guards neared, Ren pushed Ada and Lee outside, telling them to keep going, before slamming the door in the faces. She wanted to wait—to argue that he needed to come with them—but Lee kept her moving.
“He’ll be fine,” Lee whispered as they made it to the end of alley.
“Yeah, that’s what I was told about you too,�
�� she argued.
“I would have found a way out.”
“Tell me that when your lips aren’t blue and your teeth aren’t chattering,” she snapped.
Instead of answering, he let out a breathy laugh. They joined George at the corner of the building. He moved to help support the captain, but Lee waved him off.
“Ren is inside, help get him out,” Lee instructed as he secured the sword around his waist.
“Brienne and Stuart were in the front, distracting the guards,” Ada said. “They’re probably in their now too.”
“They’ll all be fine.” Lee looked back to George. “Get everyone out, get the supplies, and head to the ship. Ada and I are going back this way and will meet you there.”
George nodded in understanding and ran off. Lee ignored Ada’s questioning glance and led her down the street. The farther they walked, the more his strength returned. The fresh air seemed to rejuvenate him. By the time they reached the next road, Ada barely supported his weight.
The area they came to was alive with people. He stopped to remove the cloak and drape back over her before putting an arm around her shoulder once more. He told her to walk casually. Together, they’d draw less attention.
The crowded taverns were louder there. Lee laughed as the sound of shattering glass made her jump. A couple provocatively-dressed women stood leaning against one of the buildings. They called out to Lee as they passed. The noises coming from inside made Ada blush. He waved a hand in their direction but kept walking.
Laughing again, Lee pulled Ada in closer. He whispered against her ear, “Not the crowd you’re used to, Princess?” When she didn’t reply, he asked, “Never heard those sounds before?”
