by J. G. Maltos
The night feels heavy in silence as we continue further into the Earth Kingdom. The only noise that echoes around us is the sound of our feet crunching against the gravel and soot beneath our boots. I wrap my arms around me as the wind assaults me with another sudden cold gust.
With each footstep, my anxiety grows at having an encounter with the lightning guards. Will they know to keep an eye out for me? Do they know what I look like after spending so many years hidden away?
Rowan's sudden grasp tears me away from my thoughts, shoving me into the shadows of an alleyway between a pair of broken homes. I swallow back a scream while his large hand covers my mouth. I look around frantically but Rowan's body blocks my line of vision. His muscles contract beneath his shirt as his breathing increases.
Rowan simply puts a finger to his lips as he peeks from around the corner. The others must have caught on to the footsteps earlier than me, seeing as how they had their backs pushed against the wall behind Rowan and me already.
With each crunch of gravel getting closer, my heart grows louder in my ears. Suddenly, that familiar smoky scent surrounds me and I feel calm— but only slightly. Again, I glance up toward Rowan, trying to see if he shows any indication of sensing Aries as well, but he is too focused on the coming Lightning Guards to give anything else away.
From around the corner, I hear a pair of laughs echoing and my teeth grind at suppressed anger. Two guards pass by our alley, too entertained at whatever banter they were going on about to notice us hiding right by them. Their armor plates shine against the moonlit night, hitting the spot that holds an intricate image of a shield with a bolt striking across it.
Above it is a crown encased in flowers. It is the Lightning Kingdom crest, but the second image was something that must have been added after the invasion of my kingdom. It is meant to signify the power of the crown. My mother's crown. My crown.
Without a second thought, I step forward, and a loud crunch rings beneath me. I freeze at the realization of what I had just done. The guards stop in the middle of the road. With panicked eyes, I turn to Rowan in hopes to see that I had not pulled us into a deep mess.
Unfortunately, he, too, is frozen in place. He has zeroed in on the guards that have turned in our direction.
One of them has an arm stretched forward, a neon blue glowing from his hands. Both of their stances are relaxed, despite the heaviness of the situation.
"Come out," demands the tallest guard. There is a bite in his tone that makes me flinch. "It will be much worse if you make me come get you."
Rowan looks down at me, a thousand things running across his eyes. After a moment, he clenches his jaw, dropping his hand from my mouth and turning to Koura.
"If anything, the castle is not far from here," he says barely above a whisper. "You'll be able to get there if you keep heading straight down. After that, the princess can guide you through the secret passage away."
Koura gives him a short nod. I suddenly realize what Rowan means, and a picture of Nina pops inside my mind. She had already lost someone to the Lightning Kingdom, I would not want to be the reason she lost someone else.
Don't— Aries' voice echoes in my ear, but I'm already one step ahead of Rowan. Before I know it, I'm out of the alley, facing the guards when a bolt of electricity shocks me to my knees. My hands grip my chest, feeling the currents still within my body.
"I came out, didn't I?" I bite through strained breaths.
"That was for making us wait." The tall one snickers. He bumps shoulders with the younger one who also forces out a laugh, before sobering up back into his arrogant stance.
"Name and purpose?"
Lie. Aries' voice brushes my ears.
"Maliha," I spit out quickly. “From the mines. I just needed a little rest from the hours of labor." My legs struggle beneath me as I try to stand and I find myself leaning against the wall for support. Who would have known a shock of lightning could be so powerful.
"We can give you a few days of rest if you like," he says lightly. "A favor for a favor, I guess you can say." The crooked smile on his face gives me all the information I need to know.
Back away. This time, Aries' voice came out as a growl. My back stiffens at the seriousness of his voice. I look at the guards hoping they did not hear Aries. They talk within each other giving me relief they did not. I take a few steps back and freeze once their gaze lands on me again.
"No, No." I take a cautious step back, toward the alley where the others remained. "It was only a moment's rest I needed. Nothing more. I should be getting back to the site."
The tallest guard springs forward, wrapping a sweaty hand around my elbow. My blood rushes at the force, and I have to bite back a wince.
"Not so fast," His breath surrounds me and I am acutely aware of the harsh smell of alcohol that invaded it. "You still need to be punished for leaving your post."
I try to wiggle from his grasp, but his grip is like it was cast in iron. "It was a simple mistake. I won't be doing it again."
The man sighs, and I am hit by the smell of wine. "If we let these simple mistakes pass unchecked, there would be chaos in the kingdoms." He leans in closer, if that is possible. "Petty crimes are gateways to something bigger."
Princess. Aries sound urgent now. Get free.
"I get it," I finally bite out. It is meant towards Aries' but obviously the guard thought something different.
"Oh, feisty one aren't we?"
I claw at his hand with my free one and just as I'm about to lift my knee, the guard loosens his grip.
Step back. Now!
I do as he says with enough time to see a shard of ice slicing through the air. It whistles past me and into the shoulder of the guard, just in between his armor's plates. He swirls around by the force before collapsing onto the ground. My hands fly to stifle my gasp. Nathaniel steps out from behind the alley, a murderous look crinkling the scar in his eye.
That's another way of handling the situation.
His hand remains outstretched in front of him, confirming it was his doing. I take a step back and I hear a tussling next to me. Koura's ice shards cut through the younger guard. Nausea hits my stomach as the guard collapses next to this comrade.
Zee runs out from the shallows in seconds, an urgent look on her face. "There are more coming. I feel them. We have to hide them."
It was like a fire was lit up from under us. Koura and Nathaniel lift the large guard and drag him into the alleyway where we hid. Rowan starts dragging the younger one and I hesitantly go over to him, lifting the limp guard's leg onto my shoulder, pushing against its weight.
Zee is already standing next to the larger guard. Her hands glow a light green. The earth shifts from beneath us as she creates a gaping hole in the ground. A grunt escapes her lips. Her arms shake from the force needing to expand the hole to fit both men. The ground shakes in protest but the hole expands. I close my eyes. The feeling of hopelessness slowly starts creeping inside of me but I quickly push it back.
I raise a hand, wanting to lift even a fraction of the weight, but Koura grips my hands.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Koura warns.
"Done," Zee says, exhausted from the work. Her hands are trembling next to her. The green glow in her veins is slowly dimming. Beads of sweat trickle down her pale face. Nathaniel and I share a look of worry. The guys have started to drop the guards in the open hole. Just before the last body hits the ground Zemirah's body starts to tilt. I rush towards her, catching her in my arms before she hits the ground. "What's wrong?" I rake over her body, trying to find any evident wounds. I didn't see her get hurt.
"I-I'm just tired." She chuckles breathlessly. "My body's energy is low as it is. It takes a little more out of me to use my powers." Her body relaxes against me. I look down at her in worry. I notice the dark circles under her eyes are more defined. How haven’t I noticed how worn out she is? I shake my head at my carelessness. Nathaniel and Rowan make their way towards us.
"Sh
e can't keep going like this." Rowan lets out another sigh. "She has to stay and recover. Someone has to be with her in the meantime. She won't be able to handle a set of guards alone."
"I'm fine," she insists, but her tired eyes flutter closed. She tries to say something else, but it's all a muffled noise. I look at the group and notice they are all covered in dirt and scrapes from all the travel. Nathaniel seems to be in the worst condition. I can only imagine the stress he would be under during all this time.
"You stay," I nod toward him. He looks like a walking corpse and I won't risk him, too. "Both of you need your rest."
Despite his low energy, he suddenly stands high and heated. "I have to ensure your safety every step of the way. No!"
"You can't do that if you're dead," I stress out. "A gust of wind could best you in the condition you're in right now."
The scar on his face wrinkles as his eyes narrow. "I am not weak."
"Gee, thanks," Zee mumbles, but Nathaniel stays fixated on me.
"I know that," I rise to look at him. "None of you are. You have brought me safe thus far. Now let the others carry more of the load."
He rises with me and crosses his arms tightly, "Princess, it is my duty to protect you." I feel a pang of guilt as he uses my title. If he wants to talk about his duty to me, then I will use my title to protect him as well.
"It's your duty to do what is asked of you." I keep my tone firm. "And I order you to stay behind with Zemirah."
Nathaniel's body goes tense. I never had the need to use a firm tone with Nathaniel but I am looking out for Zee. I trust he would be able to protect her. I look at Koura but he remains silent. He is normally the one giving orders but even he won’t get involved in a decision I have already made.
I try to swallow the knot that has collected at the base of my throat.
"Is that an official command?" His nose flares. "Princess."
“Nathaniel,” Koura says in warning, but Nathaniel ignores him. His sapphire blue eyes are cold as stone. He may be all jokes but he also takes his job seriously. Which is something I truly admire.
I straighten my back. A kingdom can only be so sure of their princess as she is of herself. “Yes, it is.” Those words are heavy on my tongue. My decision will always be questioned and fought against. I know Nathaniel is furious with me at the moment but I care more about his safety than anything else.
I look at Koura but his gaze is on Nathaniel. He too is looking back at Koura, waiting to see if he contradicts my decision, but he does not. Realization passes through his eyes and gives a stiff nod. Without another word, he kneels back down and lifts Zee into his arms. I try to meet his gaze, for him to understand my decision, but he turns without another word.
Chapter 17
The air feels heavy with unspoken tension. Rowan and Koura remain silent as I make my way over to them, brushing off the dust from my knees and pulling my wild hair away from my face.
I look around us and feel uneasy, “We must hurry." Zee comes to my mind again. "She said there were more of them coming our way. We just need to head straight?"
Rowan straightens out his gear at the mention of the possible threat. "We'll reach the servant's entrance within a few blocks. Are you ready?" He waits for our responses before starting down the path again. "Stay close. And this time, let's try and be quiet."
We manage to steer clear of the guards by the time the castle peers over the horizon. Although it has been years since I've last been anywhere near the Earth Kingdom, the last thing I expect to change is the weather. It was the only constant thing I remembered. The air was always a soft chill that would breeze through the streets. Now, it sits heavy, as if the heat and fumes from the mines have settled permanently over the land.
My breaths come out in heavy puffs, and my clothes stick to every uncomfortable fold in my body. I let out a sharp gasp as a petty sweat landed itself in the corner of my eye, sending a burn and distracting me for a single moment. I miss a sharp rock protruding from the gravel and I tumble onto the dry ground.
"Shit," I spit out. A shard of stone pierces the side of my ankle.
Koura spins around in an instant, catching me in his boulder-like arms. "Is that any way for a princess to speak?" The humor in his voice does little to mask the genuine worry that settles in the corner of his beautiful hazel eyes.
I offer him a smile, but the sudden glare Rowan shoots us keeps the smile from reaching my eyes. Koura rolls his eyes and smirks. The Frost soldier waits for Rowan to turn his back before exaggeratedly rolling his eyes and I bite back a chuckle.
Rowan puts even more distance between us, and I struggle to keep up. The ten blocks would have been manageable if it didn't involve climbing up a damned hill the entire time. It's sad to say, but I never had a chance to step out of the castle while I was younger, so even this is something new to me.
I don't think I would have been able to recognize its outer walls had it not been for Rowan's help. When my parents would go out into the town if ever, I would always be ordered to stay behind. Even on trips to the Frost Kingdom, I will be heavily guarded in my carriage before we even step foot out of the main gate. Everything I know of the town is from what I saw in paintings or photographs.
How sheltered have I been?
As we pass another broken home, I catch a glimpse of the castle once again. The tip of the west wing kisses the moon that hung high in the night sky. My old chamber would have been a few stories down on that wing, right below to the top of the stone wall that guarded the castle. Even now, as I stare at it from this distance, I can see how time and negligence have cracked against my home's walls. What should be a beacon of hope, stands only as a reminder of that forsaken day.
"A home becomes what inhabits it." Aries' voice rings in the air around me as if he senses the sadness that has overtaken me again. "Soon, you will make it strong once more."
There is no sign of him as I studied my surroundings and all I see is rubble. “Remind me after I’m no longer a disaster waiting to happen." Rowan glances back at me, with a questioning look on his face. I give him a small smile but he just turns back around. Great, now he thinks I am crazy. We rush in between large boulders that dotted the rest of the path toward the castle walls.
We near the castle walls and catch sight of guards patrolling the perimeter. Rowan signals for us to crouch down, and we follow. We rush towards the stone wall and quickly press our backs against the cool stone. Koura slowly raises his head to see over the wall.
"We have to guide their attention away from their post," I whisper to the two, eyeing the large boulder we had just come out from. “Rowan, you think you can sneak your way over and get them away from the entrance?"
Immediately, he shakes his head. "It's not a good plan to split up—"
I raise my hand to stop his protest. "Listen, we're working with what we got. We can't afford any more disappearing guards if we want to come in and out unnoticed."
He struggles for a bit, looking between Koura and me before letting out a heavy sigh. "It's a simple extraction mission. If the crystal isn't there, you get out of there quickly." He looks at me. "No exploring. If you aren't out in one hour, I'm going in regardless of how many guards I have to take down."
“Understood,” Koura affirms.
I nod despite the sunken feeling in my stomach. "We got this, Rowan."
Rowan gives us one final glance before sprinting away from us. My heart lurches into my throat as I see him disappear behind a boulder and again into the other side of the wall where the guards waited.
The wind rushes past, blowing free a few strands of hair. A smoky scent envelopes me, and I feel myself relax, knowing we have a little extra help on our side.
A light tap reaches my shoulder, and I jump away, meeting Koura startled eyes. "Whoa," he whispers. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
I say nothing as I sit back against the wall, too embarrassed to come up with any excuse. There's no humor in Koura's eyes now as he watches
me. I have fought countless people before and ended their lives. I have been frightened but the possibility of me returning to the cells terrifies me.
"I get it," He says lightly. "I wasn't exactly the toughest guy in my first mission either."
"That's hard to believe," I say, remembering the fierce look in his eye as he took down that lightning guard.
"Far from it. I was leaving frost prints behind. I couldn't control my powers for the life of me." He lets out a chuckle at the memory. "I had a good team that helped me through it, like you. I won't let anything happen to you. Just stay close." I give him a nervous smile. Koura leans forward and pecks my lips.
Blood rushes to my face, “What was that for?”
He shrugs and smiles, “Just a little distraction.” His smile broadens. “I am good at distractions,” he taunts, gripping my chin. My heart slams against my rib cage at his closeness.
A loud crack sounds from where Rowan has run off to and I freeze. Koura releases my chin and tilts his ear towards the sky. Seconds later, the sound of metal plates clinking against each other hints that the guards have gone to investigate.
We sprint towards the door but it’s locked. Koura grips the handle and shakes it causing a rumble to sound within the castle.
“Stop!” I hiss. “We do not want to alert the other guards.” I look around frantically. I look up and see an open window. If I remember correctly that hall is close to the guest bedroom. “How far can you throw?” I say still looking up.
Koura follows my gaze and smiles. “Give me your rope,” he orders and I do as he says. The cold breeze picks up and the sounds of boots sound in the distance. I look at Koura with worried eyes but he is calm and collected.
He uses his frost to create a frost-like spear and ties the rope at the end. He takes a few steps back and throws it with all his might. He uses his frost right before bringing his hand down and throws a sheet of ice against the end of the spear, causing it to fly forward with greater speed. You hear the spear connect with something in the room. Koura runs to the rope and pulls on it with force.
