“Why? What does King Elysian want?”
“He wants to rule everything. Not just Obscurum but the entire Stone-Hearted realm. And he doesn’t want you or your family in the way. He thinks if he has you and your sister in his possession, he can convince your father to surrender to him.”
I sat quietly for a moment, contemplating what James had confessed to me. I was terrified of the idea that King Elysian wanted me and my sister as leverage. Mostly because I knew he was accurately exploiting my father's weaknesses. It wasn’t hard to imagine my father waving the white flag. His will to fight for anything, especially his kingdom, had dissolved long ago.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a commotion from down below in the village camp. Loud shouting and yelling could be heard, causing both James and I to look at each other in confusion. As if reading each other's minds, we both quickly stood, making our way over to the barred window to see what was happening.
A string of white cloaks had filtered into the camp, a rather divergent contrast against the black cloaks that were accumulated together. They glided toward the Obscurum soldiers like a swirling cloud, elegant yet menacing. At the head of the line of white cloaks was a woman, surrounded by several of her guards. The hood on her head was pulled back from her face and the shimmer of her long alabaster hair glimmered in the morning light. She was utterly beautiful, Stone-Hearted, and her snow-like skin looked crafted as if from a granite sculpture.
From the little I’d studied on politics, I knew the white cloak was the color of Severesi—the cold kingdom. I’d seen the drawings in textbooks. Heard of the castle made of ice, and the people that were so pale, they had myths spoken of them being spirits.
“Why is the Severesi kingdom here?”
“It looks like a meeting for an alliance,” James explained.
Both our eyes stayed transfixed on the scene below.
The assembly of white cloaks came to a stop and was greeted by a group of Obscurum soldiers. Amongst them I quickly recognized Tassadar, his red hair an effulgent flame among the whiteness. The man I now knew as Obsidian stood beside him. The murmurs and the talking below became a noisy buzz, as everyone else in the camp seemed to be rallied by the sudden encounter.
“If Obscurum allies with Severesi, then Obscurum’s armies will nearly triple. Aveladon will be defenseless against them. James, did you know this was going to happen?”
“No, I had no idea this was part of the plan.” Even James looked a little pale watching the events unfold.
Obsidian held up his hand and the murmuring ceased. Once again I felt an eerie feeling. Something about him was so familiar, but I didn't know how that could be.
From up in the tower I couldn’t make out any of the conversation. I could only speculate what was being exchanged when the women gave a respectful curtsy and Obsidian bowed in return. My heart began to quicken, my breathing becoming rapid. My stomach gave a gut-wrenching twist, and I gripped the barred windows, my knuckles turning white.
“No. . .” I whispered under my breath. I wished I could stop what was happening, but it was already too late. I could do nothing as I watched Obsidian, the captain of the Obscurum Army, reach out and join hands with the alabaster-haired woman, sealing Aveladon's fate and causing the camp to erupt into chaos.
SIX
The black arrow that soared through the crowd was barely noticeable, piercing into one of the Severesi guard's shoulders. The guard cried out in pain. The two parties drew their weapons in the blink of an eye, a full-fledged fight quickly erupting.
I moved away from the window and pressed my back against the brick wall, my heart racing.
“Why would someone shoot?” I asked appalled.
“Princess, stay calm, I’m here to protect you.” James's face hardened with determination. He drew his small dagger hidden beneath his cloak and took a fighting stance by the tower door.
Someone had sabotaged the alliance. And with such a fragile set up, the rebellious maneuver of sending an arrow into the crowd had created an instant blood bath.
I looked back out at the fighting and began searching the crowd for the white-cloaked woman but she was nowhere to be seen. In my pursuit to locate her, I was surprised to find something else out of the ordinary. A man dressed in a brown cloak. He had a bow strung across his shoulder and he was making his way toward the tower. He moved past fighting Obscurum and Severesi soldiers, casually walking through the sea of commotion as if no one could see him.
“Someone is coming toward the tower!”
“Stay behind me, princess,” James ordered.
Clamoring footsteps and a series of loud shouts were heard coming down the hallway. A door slammed shut, and the floor shook as if something hard hit the ground. I could pick out a couple of groans from outside the cell door and then everything went suddenly still.
An ear-shattering crash echoed throughout the tower as the door handle broke and the wooden door splintered open. I could only let out a terrified whimper as the brown cloaked archer I’d seen in the midst of the commotion appeared behind the door.
James lunged violently at him, his dagger outstretched.
The intruder didn’t seem phased by the sudden attack and simply waved his hand in James’s direction. A yellow glow illuminated from the intruder’s outstretched palms, and then in the blink of an eye, James was on the ground, slumped on the floor unconscious.
“Are you all right?”
I was surprised to hear the words that came from the archer’s mouth, not expecting the kind question. I slowly pulled myself from the wall I was scrunched up against, still shaking.
The man that burst into my prison was not who I had expected.
He was tall, his skin a golden tan. His features were perfectly proportioned, like most Stone-Hearted, his nose pointed and his cheekbones slender. His brown hair reached his shoulders in soft delicate waves, and his eyelashes were dark and thick, framing his eyes.
His eyes—they were unlike any other color I’d ever seen. Emerald green, with scarlet speckles in them. They were the most beautiful pair of eyes, and they held the most enigmatic expression.
“We’ve got to get you out of here. I need you to stay close to me. Can you keep up?” He unlocked the chains around my ankles, releasing me from my confinement.
“Did you kill him?” I whispered frantically, crawling across the floor next to James’s fallen body.
“No, he’s just sleeping,” the archer explained callously, obviously not concerned.
I grasped James's face in my hands, scanning his features for life. I was relieved when I saw his chest rhythmically rise and fall.
“He was nice to me. I can’t believe you just did that!” I squeaked.
The man rolled his eyes. “He’s not dead. Now, do you want to get out of here or not?”
“Is he going to be all right?”
“Yes, he’ll wake up soon. Now come on. We need to hurry.”
“Wait how do I know that I can trust you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyes narrowing. “How do I know you’re not taking me to the Obscurum king yourself?”
“I saw the band of men that took you while I was traveling. I tracked them here and waited to help you escape. You have to believe me. Look”—he gestured toward the brown cloak that was wrapped around his shoulders—“I’m from Ethydon. I’m not with these men.”
“Do you promise to help me back home?”
“Yes, but right now we have to get you out of here.”
I remained unmoving, still hesitant.
“I promise you are safe in my hands.” His tone softened, and despite not knowing him, something in me felt he was being sincere.
I finally nodded in agreement, realizing this was probably my only chance of escape, and reluctantly followed after him down the stairs from the tower.
After descending the staircase, we wandered through several long hallways and abandoned rooms. My rescuer peered around each corner, making sure the path wa
s clear before gesturing for me to follow him again. Every once in a while we’d pass Obscurum soldiers he’d fought along the way and carefully step over their unconscious bodies. I could only hope, like James, that they were really only sleeping.
We ended up in the basement, coming face to face with a large metal door that led to the outside. He leaned into the brassy handle, and it screeched open unwillingly.
“Come on,” he hurriedly whispered.
We scurried around the edge of the building, and I didn’t know how we would make it through the village without anyone seeing us. But I continued to follow after him, too afraid to turn back.
We hid behind a set of storage wagons and then one of the village bungalows, trying to distance ourselves from the fight that was still raging. We ended up behind an abundant woodpile, stacked several feet high. It was tall enough to shield us as we fled into the tree line.
We went about half a mile into the forest before my rescuer decided to slow to a walk. He turned to me, his breathing haggard as he tried to catch his breath.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
His dark curls were wildly falling into his eyes, his lips cherry red from the cold.
“Yes. . .I’m fine.”
I wanted to appear strong, but my weakened body was denying the words. I leaned against one of the nearby trees, also trying to catch my breath. The adrenaline soon faded, and it wasn’t long before the cold winter air seized me, and I began to shiver.
“Here,” he said, taking his brown cloak from his shoulders and wrapping it around me. It was instantly warmer, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the soft coco fabric smelled like pine trees.
“Who are you?”
“You can call me Mid.”
Without his cloak on, I could see the faintest of silver glowing beneath his cotton wool sweater.
“Where are we?” I asked, looking around at the snow blanketed forest.
“Severesi,” Mid said. His eyes flitted to the path we’d just come from. “We need to hurry and get back to my camp. I can’t say how long it will be before they notice you are gone.”
Mid turned around and treaded through the snow again. I followed after him, trying to force my tired limbs to keep moving.
“I need to get home. My family is looking for me.”
“I’ll take you home as soon as I can, but first I need to get back to my camp and finish what I came here for.”
“And what exactly did you come here for?”
“I was on my way to visit a friend of mine not far from here.”
"My family is going to be worried about me. We really can't be making unnecessary stops.”
“It may not be what you want to hear, sweetheart, but it’s the only way back home for you.”
I stopped in my tracks, not in the mood for delays.
“They need to know that I’m okay.” I folded my arms across my chest, determined not to move until he agreed to take me back.
It took him a moment, but once he realized I wasn’t following him anymore, he turned around. He assessed me with an irritated glare, obviously annoyed.
“Take a look around. What do you see?” He gestured towards the alabaster trees. Every direction I looked I could see only white that stretched on endlessly. Even the sky was an infinite pallid canvas, removing all evidence that a sky even existed.
I narrowed my eyes at him, not answering his question.
“Nothingness. Without me you’re going to get lost, or worse, captured again and never find your way back. I just need to reach my friend, and then I promise I’ll take you wherever it is you need to return to.” He walked back over to me, coming about a foot away from where I was standing. “What do you say, sweetheart?”
“My name is not sweetheart,” I snapped irritably.
He smirked knowingly. “What should I call you then?”
“Sa . . .” I stopped myself unsure if I should give my real name. Did he know I was the princess? “You can call me Ehren.” It was my mother's name and the quickest thing I could bring to my mind. At first he didn’t respond, and I worried he could see right through me.
“Well, Ehren, my camp is about a mile ahead. Do you think you can keep up?” He flashed another sarcastic grin in my direction, which only made me angrier.
“I can keep up just fine,” I said and lifted my chin a little higher.
He took off into the trees again and I followed begrudgingly. Nothing was said between us as we treaded the mounds of snow. My moccasins were quickly soaked in the moisture and my feet became numb halfway through the journey. By the time we reached his camp, I was anxious for a hot fire and some food.
Luckily there was a fire still going when we arrived. It was a few flimsy remains, but it was a fire all the same. Quickly, as if my life depended on it, I ran over to the hot scraps of wood and yanked off my soggy moccasins from my pruney feet. I stuffed my toes nearly into the flame and sighed with relief when I felt the hot sting against my skin. Slowly the feeling returned to my numb feet and toes.
“Would you like some food?” Mid asked.
He hung his bow on a low tree branch and then reached into his pack to pull out a canteen of water and a loaf of bread. He handed me the rations, and I eagerly took them, quickly stuffing the bread into my mouth and swallowing it down with several gulps of water.
“Mmmm. . .how I’ve missed real food,” I commented, taking another eager bite.
Mid walked over to the tent he had set up and disappeared inside. I then took the liberty of observing the camp a little further.
His tent was set up in a small clearing of pine trees and stationed a couple feet from the fire. There was even a makeshift wood table with an assortment of supplies set out and what looked to be fresh game.
“You’ve been traveling alone then?” I called, eyeing his belongings. “Not alone exactly,” I heard him mumble from inside the tent.
“Is another person with you?” I questioned, looking around suspiciously. I left the warmth of the hot fire and tiptoed across the snow, eyeing the trees for another tent.
“I wouldn’t exactly call him a person,” I heard Mid say.
The pine trees I was scrutinizing suddenly trembled with movement and a deep growl suddenly resonated from behind the snow covered limbs.
My screams echoed into the frosted void, as a paw the size of my head and claws resembling dinner knives, came sweeping inches past my face. I stumbled backward into a cushion of snow, unable to contain my absolute horror. A massive white creature with ebony eyes and four tree stump legs stood towering over me.
“Easy now, you’re going to startle him.” Mid came casually strolling from the tent, carefully putting himself between me and the giant bear. Its ears were pricked up curiously at the sight of me. Its black nose sniffed the air with interest.
“What is that?” I panted in disbelief, unable to tear my eyes from the terrifying creature.
“This is Ghost.”
The big bear stared at me hungrily, and I laughed weakly at the expression on its face. It looked at me like I might be something delicious for its next meal.
“Is it tame?”
He reached out and stroked the polar bear’s head a couple of times, and it closed its eyes, making a small growl in its throat.
“Only when he likes you.”
I shook my head, unable to believe my eyes. I’d heard of creatures such as these becoming pets. But in Aveladon, to own such a rare creature would’ve been forbidden to just any man in the kingdom. Only someone royal, or with high status would be allowed an animal so dangerous.
“Do you always scream that loud in the presence of fear?” he asked, smirking as he reached out to help me up from the ground.
“Do you always rescue young girls from the enemy, and then proceed to kidnap them further by not letting them leave?”
He chuckled aloud, obviously amused by my sarcasm.
“I’m not kidnapping you. I’ll be taking you home just as promi
sed. We’ll just be stopping at a friend’s house along the way.”
“So how are we supposed to get to this friend of yours?” I asked grumpily. Mid smiled knowingly and walked over to gently pat the curve in the white polar bear’s back. I gave him a look of complete incredulity.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
SEVEN
Riding on the bear wasn’t as dreadful as I’d imagined. The bear was well-behaved with his master guiding him, and it was more comfortable than riding on the Mage. I was warm, pressed against the big bear's fur, wrapped in the cloak Mid had given me.
“So, Ehren, how did you manage to get captured by a group of Obscurum soldiers?” he asked abruptly. My mind reeled for an explanation.
“A group of soldiers attacked my town in Aveladon during a village gathering. I had heard of threats at the borders, but I never imagined they’d attack our village.” I created a story derived from the night I was taken. It seemed to satisfy his curiosity.
“I’m sorry to hear your village was attacked. Ethydon has had encounters with them too. They have been raiding our supply ships.”
Ethydon was a small kingdom settled not far from Aveladon near the waters. They were known for their ships and trading with other kingdoms. They were a peaceful people and never stirred contention.
“You risked your life for me, stopping the alliance back there.” I remembered the way he walked through the commotion as if he were taking a summer walk, strolling casually through the fight.
“No one wishes Obscurum to gain more power. Saving you was my first intention, but stopping that alliance was also a satisfying second.”
“How did you put all those men to sleep, and how did they not see you?”
“My gift–it lets me control what people see, what they feel.”
I thought back to the silver glow around his heart and couldn’t help but think how amazing it would be to hold such power.
“So you’re like an illusionist?” I asked, still trying to understand.
“Sort of something like that. I can make people feel pain even if they aren’t injured, make them see a tree even if it's a flower, and make them sleepy even when they are wide awake.”
Granted (Granted Series Book 1) Page 5
