Mark if Destiny

by K. T. Webb

  Honor could hardly believe what he was saying. “You are disgusting. I did not know your father, but I can guarantee you I have far more respect for him than I could ever have for you. I knew your mother, though, Ash. I loved your mother as part of the family that took me in when I had none. You will pay for what you did to her,” Honor promised.

  Ash had still not appeared, he was replying to her from an unseen location. It made Honor nervous not knowing what direction he may attack from. She kept her sword at the ready, prepared for anything. Harcos would undoubtedly be searching for her soon, but she had no way of knowing if he would arrive before she needed him. Ash was nearby, she could feel it. Once again, her instincts proved correct, and she felt Ash step up behind her.

  Honor whirled around with her sword in time to strike against his blade. They traded blows as he forced her back against a wall. “This is going to be fun,” he taunted as she fought him off.

  Honor redoubled her efforts against him, fighting harder than she ever thought possible. All the anger and frustration she had let build up since she found out he was the one who betrayed her family was finally boiling over. Honor pushed against the pain in her arms from the weight of her sword. Ash seemed to have endless energy as he parried her blows with little effort. She thought she had an opening as he left his side unguarded. As she lunged forward, an excruciating pain resonated through her temple. Honor fell to the ground in a disoriented heap.

  “I do not understand what made you think you could win this. You are nothing, Honor. Your mother is dead, and your father must not have wanted you, or he would have stuck around.” He loomed over her as she desperately tried to regain some semblance of control. “Deeming yourself the one chosen to fulfill the prophecy is bad enough, but your claim to be the daughter of King Junius was a pathetic attempt at being special. Did you think you could sacrifice yourself for his real daughter?”

  Fury bubbled inside her. She was not fighting for the right to be known as the daughter of someone she abhorred. Honor fought so no one would ever have to suffer at his hands the way she and Legacy had . . . the way everyone in Alderwood had. She was not about to defend her title to someone who had no understanding of why she even claimed it. Her anger gave her enough fuel to rise to her feet. Her right cheek was warm and slick with blood flowing from her head wound. Ignoring a wave of nausea, Honor tossed her sword to the side and drew two daggers. She did not have the balance to fight with the heavy broadsword; the daggers would have to do the trick.

  “Come on then, Honor. If you are so desperate to die, let us get this over with.”

  Honor held her ground, forcing him to make the next move. He stared at her for a few moments before his impatience got the better of him and he lunged at her once more. She stumbled to her left, turned the dagger in her right hand down and drove it into his lower back. Ash howled in response, turning back to her without much hesitation. He was ready to take the fight to the end.

  “Ash! Stop!” Gray’s voice came from the direction Honor had entered the alley as she chased Ash.

  Ash had his back to the group that approached them, but Honor could see them clearly. Rowan looked as though he may vomit; he was covered in blood and staring at her with a mixture of relief and anger. Gray had his bow at the ready, flanked by Soren and Agnar who both had weapons drawn. Eirny peeked out from the satchel that crossed Rowan’s midsection. Honor turned her attention back to Ash, preparing for the next attack. Ash crept sideways to allow himself the advantage of having his back against the solid wall that had been next to him. He was not about to let Gray sneak up from behind while Honor covered his front.

  “Oh look, the cavalry has arrived. If you give me a second to finish up, I’ll be more than happy to focus all my attention on you, Gray.”

  “Have you not taken this far enough? Do not do this, I beg you,” Gray’s tone remained even.

  Rowan inched closer to Honor, putting himself in a precarious position. If Ash decided to go for it, he would reach Rowan before anyone could stop him. Honor could not allow that to happen. She watched him carefully, judging every miniscule movement to determine if he was ready to strike. It was a struggle for her to even stay standing, let alone pay attention to what was happening around her. The blow to the head had taken a toll.

  Before Honor could register what was happening, she felt the tiny prick and instant relief of Eirny’s bite. Almost immediately, her focus became clearer and her mind less clouded by pain and injury. Honor looked around trying to find Eirny, but all she saw of the creature was her tail-end disappearing back into the bag Rowan carried her in. She allowed herself to be distracted for a moment. It was a moment too long.

  Ash rushed forward, driving his sword through the satchel and into Rowan’s side. Honor knew from the positioning that the visions Rowan had told her about were coming true. Blood soaked through Rowan’s shirt as he fell back against the wall behind him. The satchel grew wet with a silvery substance. Honor watched her husband and his best friend fall to the ground in a never-ending moment that seemed suspended in time. She snatched up her discarded sword in one fluid movement and rushed Ash, taking him by surprise. With a twist of her body, Honor swung her sword through the air. The blade connected with flesh, slicing cleanly through muscle and bone as she separated his head from his body.

  Honor fell to her knees next to Rowan. Gray dropped down on the other side. Rowan was not breathing; his eyes were open and fixed on the sky. The first thing she did was lift his shirt, revealing his mark. The blood that had been flowing freely had ceased. The spot where the sword had pierced his flesh was closed and colored the same silver as the substance that soaked the bag. Slowly, like dye spreading across fabric, the brilliant colors of Eirny spread across his side. He took a gasping breath and gripped the hand she placed on the healed wound.

  “Eirny?” A single tear escaped his eye.

  Honor felt a mixture of emotions while she grabbed the satchel and tore the top flap open. She was relieved that Rowan was alive and well, curious about the black lines that began to trace themselves away from his mark, and terrified by what she may find inside the bag. It was clear to her as she peered in at what was left of Eirny that the silvery substance must have been blood. Honor’s throat was raw with pent-up emotion as she tried to find the words to tell Rowan what she found. As she turned to break the news to him, something caught her eye.

  The impaiso had been sliced cleanly in two, there was no way any creature could survive such a wound. And yet, something moved inside the satchel. Through the unshed tears in her eyes, Honor watched in wonder as the front half of the impaiso began to knit itself back together with the back half of her body. It was impossible.

  “Honor? What is it? Tell me if she is okay!” Rowan demanded.

  “I, uh, I cannot say if she is or not. By all rights she was dead, just as you were. But, I think she is going to be okay. Here, look for yourself.” Honor thrust the bag into his hands.

  Rowan looked inside, fear in his expression. The fear turned to confusion as he witnessed the same strange phenomenon. “Impossible. She can regenerate?”

  “Impaisos can regenerate if they sacrifice themselves for another. She must have known she would be making that sacrifice for you. It is actually a big deal, they can only do it once. If or when she dies again, it will be permanent,” Agnar whispered.

  Honor once again learned something she had never known about one of the strange and wonderful creatures of Alderwood. Despite the circumstances, Honor laughed. She buried her face in Rowan’s chest, thankful he was alive and wishing the battle was over. As her brain began to catch up with what had occurred in the alley, she realized the people who were with her should have been elsewhere.

  She turned to Soren first. “Where is Legacy? Were you not given explicit instructions to guard her with your life?”

  “Welcome back, Honor. That was a short-lived mental breakdown you just experienced. Well, if you must know, I left Maris and Harcos with L
egacy and Renata so I could come in search of you. Harcos is quite cross with you,” Soren advised.

  Honor dropped her head. “He probably is. Has everyone arrived then?”

  “Yes. All but those following with extra weapons have infiltrated the city. It was wise for you to make a back-up plan in case of a double cross. That boy was quite a piece of work,” Soren added.

  Honor glanced at the dead body that had once been her friend. He was a misguided soul. No matter what anyone would have said, he would have chosen the path he did. It made Honor wonder about his destiny. He had not been old enough to receive a mark, what would his future have been like had he lived long enough to see what it may have held?

  Eirny had yet to regain consciousness so Rowan kept her in the satchel, close to his side. Their group retraced the steps she had taken when following Ash until they returned to the square. The battle had died down since Honor made her vengeful exit. Blood flowed in the streets as the first part of the battle ended. The Makt had retreated into the inner walls of the castle itself. From what Honor could see, there were heavy losses on both sides, but the Makt seemed to have far more soldiers than they had anticipated. For now, they would take the opportunity to regroup and make their next plan of attack.

  Chapter 25

  With the Makt hiding behind the castle walls, the Resistance fell back to assess the damage their forces had sustained. Honor’s heart was heavy as she surveyed the people who had become soldiers for their cause. Many budding members of the Gildi had lost their partners; both valiant canthions and brave humans had lost their lives. Many of the survivors were soaked with blood that did not belong to them. The impaisos and practitioners were busy rushing from soldier to soldier healing any wounds they could.

  Honor felt Harcos before she saw him. A mixture of emotions flowed from the canthion to Honor as she approached him. If he could have pouted the way a human child does, he would have been pouting.

  “Harcos, I know I do not have to tell you how sorry I am. I should have stayed with you,” Honor apologized as she crouched next to him.

  He eyed her carefully. “I know why you did what you did. But if you had waited for me, I could have protected you and Rowan.”

  “That may be true, but I do not think that was how things were meant to play out. I am far more comfortable with your decision to stay and protect Legacy. She is more important to the future of Alderwood than I will ever be.”

  “You have no idea how important your own role in this revolution truly is, do you? Even after all the sacrifices that have been made by people who followed you to their deaths in the name of our mission, you still think you are secondary. True, you are not the one who will sit upon the throne, but that does not mean you are expendable,” Harcos assured her.

  Honor furrowed her brow. She had not intended to be self-deprecating in her comments. She simply knew the end goal was for Legacy to sit upon the throne. Surely, if Ash had managed to kill her, someone else would have been ready and willing to take the life of King Junius. There were always going to be many things she would not understand about the path destiny had laid out for her. Honor shared her confliction with Harcos through silent communication. He understood her better than she would ever understand herself. He leaned his head against hers in a gesture of forgiveness and acceptance.

  “Honor?” Legacy’s voice broke through the chatter of soldiers.

  Honor pulled her sister into a hug. “I am so glad you are safe. When we got here, and the Makt was ready, I could not help but wonder what you would face upon your arrival.”

  “Everything is fine. This is a battle, Honor. I was not expecting to show up and have everything peacefully settled. I am prepared to fight if needed,” Legacy replied.

  Honor noticed for the first time that her sister wore an outfit similar to her own. Normally, Legacy wore dresses and had her hair down; it was odd to see her in the same leather corset-like top as Honor. It was a good look for her.

  Renata stood nearby wearing a simple scarlet hooded robe, tied at the waist with a silver cord. It was a traditional outfit worn by practitioners for important ceremonies. The attire was out of place amongst the tattered and torn battle gear of the Resistance fighters.

  Once everyone who could be healed was made whole, they fell in line with their battalion leaders. Varya and Justice reported fewer losses than Agnar and Soren. The first wave had definitely taken the hardest hit during the early stages. Gray’s archers were mostly intact; only a few had fallen victim to the spears thrown by the enemy. Rowan reported no losses for the practitioners and impaisos, though Eirny had yet to rouse. The Gildi soldiers had also suffered heavy losses. The partners who remained insisted on continuing the fight, even if they had to switch battalions to do so.

  Night was beginning to fall in Pallisaide and Honor realized they had yet to see a single civilian. Surely the King had not been kind enough to evacuate the city due to the impending battle. There had to be a reason there were no other people around. Her stomach twisted as visions of burning bodies piled high in Milltown resurfaced at the forefront of her mind. Would he really be so desperate to maintain control that he would slaughter the entire city aside from his own soldiers? She already knew the answer, but it did not seem like a smart battle strategy. No, the King would use civilians as a distraction.

  “I think you are right, Honor. We should keep vigilant for anything that seems out of place. As night falls, we will be at a disadvantage here,” Harcos replied aloud to her inner thoughts.

  As they worked to get everyone situated and begin the next phase of attack, a growing sound echoed in the darkening night. A sound that made her heart skip a beat and her stomach twist in knots. Somewhere in Pallisaide, the Makt were marching. The repetitive reverberation seemed to be coming from all around, it was impossible to pinpoint which direction they may come from. Every soldier in the Resistance stood battle-ready in case they were blindsided by an attack.

  The sound was constant, but there was something off about it. There was no way the Makt had managed to regroup so quickly and begin marching on the Resistance already. The sound was odd and uneven, as though the soldiers were not trained to act as one. Could they have recruited more soldiers without time to train them? Was this a scare tactic to keep the Resistance from resting before rallying their attack on the castle?

  “Gray, send scouts to climb the buildings nearby. See if we can find the source of the sound. Agnar, position your men around the wounded. Harcos and I will have the Gildi create a protective circle around our soldiers.”

  Each member of their army moved without hesitation. It was time to act. The wounded were being healed at a rapid pace, it would not be long before everyone was ready to jump back into the fray. Once the Gildi were circled around their army, Honor glanced up at the nearest roof top. Gray had yet to come back, it was unnerving to think of what they may be seeing from there. In her mind, Honor pictured endless torrents of Makt soldiers pouring out from every direction. She held her bow and arrow ready.

  “Honor, you need to see this!” Gray called to her from above, sounding more than afraid, he sounded petrified.

  She had never known him to be afraid of anything. Honor nodded at Harcos to remain with the other Gildi. He knew she would not be far, so it did not take much for him to agree. She quickly approached the side of the nearest building and began to scale the drain pipe that ran from the ground up. She reached the top quickly and rose to her feet with the help of one of the archers.

  “Look!” Gray held a seeing glass out for her.

  Honor held the contraption to her eye, peering in the direction he pointed. From the far side of the castle, a long row of soldiers was marching haphazardly toward them. She glanced back at Gray for further explanation. He told her to look again. This time, Honor squinted and twisted the seeing glass until she was zoomed in as close as she could. These were not soldiers.

  “Oh my. What have they done?” Honor looked at Gray in utter shock.
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  He could not offer an answer. “Do you think we should start shooting when they get in range?”

  Honor’s stomach twisted. It was as though the King knew she wanted to spare as many people as possible. It was as though he wanted to make sure her wish did not come true. The army marching toward them was clearly not in control of their own bodies. There were men, women, and children dressed as Makt soldiers, armed with swords and spears and marching in their general direction. They looked as though their will had been removed and they had no idea what they were doing. There was only one answer. They were being controlled by the Shadow Mages at the request of the king.

  They had no choice but to attack. “We are going to have to do our best to save as many as possible. I am not sure how.”

  She pushed the images of what she saw to Harcos. He replied with a growl in her mind that sent chills running down her spine. Their shared rage at the position the King had put them in was beyond anything either had ever felt alone. Honor closed her eyes, attempting to gain control of the anger she felt boiling inside her.

  “You and your men need to remain here. Try to go for injuries that will stop them from attacking, do not kill unless absolutely necessary, Gray. Especially the children. I mean it.”

  She already knew she did not have to give the final instructions to Gray; he would do everything in his power to avoid harming any of the children. Honor made her way back down to those waiting for her on the ground. The others knew it was bad when they saw her troubled expression. Honor locked eyes with Legacy and jerked her head to the side to get her sister to follow her. As they approached Justice and Soren, Harcos, Agnar, and Varya joined them.

  “We do not have much time to rally. The Shadow Mages have taken control of the civilians. They are using them as soldiers,” Honor explained.

  Legacy threw a hand over her mouth. Soren swore under his breath and ran his fingers through his hair. The reactions of the others all fell somewhere between those two. Honor was at a loss. No matter what they did to defend themselves, they would hurt innocent people.