The Chosen

by Kaitlin Himmelstoss

  “Too late.” she growled.

  Revna snapped her head around.

  “Dagny! Get to her!” Leif shouted to Revna.

  Revna took off down the hall. As she approached Dagny’s door she didn’t slow down, instead she ran full force and kicked up her leg. She slammed her foot into the door. The sound of splintering wood could be heard as the door frame fractured.

  The door opened and fell to the side. Revna could see Dagny with her back against the far wall and a masked man straining with a dagger in one hand and holding Dagny to the wall by her throat with the other. Dagny was gripping his arm holding the dagger away as the man forcefully pushed to drive it down into her chest.

  Revna reached across her chest in her jacket. Almost in slow motion, she grabbed the handle of two darts. They were shaped like a T, with the handle being the straight top and the dart, flaring out and then back forming a sharp, doubled bladed, one-inch point.

  She swung her arm out and released the darts. They slammed into the man’s side and he jerked back from the impact. Dagny was able to break free from the man’s grip and ran towards Revna. She was breathing hard in a panic as she hid behind Revna.

  The man looked back and saw the blade spinner. He knew he couldn’t get past her. He couldn’t be caught either. He turned and dove head first out the window. Below was a cart of hay that he landed on. He didn’t wait, despite the extreme pain he was experiencing.

  He rolled off the cart and sprinted into a dark alley. By the time Revna got to the window, he was gone and she didn’t see which way he went. Revna looked back at Dagny. She was holding herself in the corner shaking with fear.

  “Are you injured?” Revna asked concerned.

  She couldn’t speak. She just shook her head. Revna nodded and went over to her. She scooped her hand around Dagny and led her out of the room.

  Desmond ran until the pain in his side was too much. He stopped and fell back into the stone wall of the alley he was in. He reached up and dug his fingernails into the sides of his face, trying to separate the mask from his skin. As he pulled the edges away, the mask returned to its normal plain state until it came off completely.

  Desmond caught his breath. He looked at the mask and then grimaced in pain. He reached his hand to his side and felt the hard metal object. Gritting his teeth and holding in his shouts of pain, he yanked the blade out from his side and looked at it. Such a small thing wasn’t fatal, but had he remained, Revna would have filled him with more holes then he could muster. He stared at the small dart and saw it was covered in his blood. He dropped it and it clanged to the ground. He reached again and pulled out the second one.

  He had to heal and come up with a new plan. Dagny was still alive. The Order would not be pleased with him with this recent failure. He glanced back down the dark street as he gasped. He was sure no one followed him but he couldn’t chance it. He pushed himself off the wall and staggered further away from the inn, all the while, gripping his side as his shirt soaked in his blood.

  Revna and Dagny entered Leif’s room. Dagny let out a slight whimpered gasp as she saw the decapitated succubus laying on the floor. Its body was shriveled up into a black charred lump, barely recognizable.

  Leif came over to Dagny concerned.

  “Are you alright? What happened?” he asked looking up to Revna.

  “She was attacked by someone wearing a warlock mask.” she said in a low voice.

  Leif’s eyes widened and he looked at Gorm. “He got away before I could remove the mask, but he is injured.”

  “We should hunt him down.” Gorm growled.

  “No, he is long gone. If he had a warlock mask then he is working with them.” Leif said glancing back at Dagny. “We need to stay together until morning. Isadore will know what to do.”

  Gorm and Leif removed and disposed of the dead succubus. They all remained in Leif’s room. Dagny was sleeping on the bed with Revna sitting up next to her. She had her back against the bed post and her arms crossed as she dozed off, keeping guard next to Dagny.

  Gorm and Leif could hardly sleep. They remained sitting in two chairs by the fireplace.

  “Warlocks involved; this can’t be a coincidence.” Gorm said in a low voice.

  “I think Isadore suspected something. He has a lead.” Leif said nodding.

  He glanced over at Dagny sleeping. “They tried to kill her. I want to know why.” he whispered.

  Gorm drew a long breath and nodded.

  Chapter 11

  Isadore entered the room quite surprised. He paused a moment looking around the room at the group. Leif and Gorm were slumped down in the two chairs near the fireplace. The fire was nothing but white ash, slowly smoldering. He looked over and saw Revna sitting on the bed with her head hanging low as she too was sleeping.

  He approached the bed and saw Dagny. She was under the covers and the only one in a night gown. He thought a moment trying to piece together what happened. After a few minutes he walked over to Gorm and stared at him.

  “Is anyone going to get up?” he asked loudly.

  Gorm jerked awake and grabbed his ax. He stumbled out of the chair and immediately took a fighting stance.

  “I’ll cut you down demon!” he growled.

  His vision took a second to adjust. When his eyes met Isadore’s, he let out a slight guff and lowered his ax. “Sorry Izzy, I’m a bit on edge.” he mumbled.

  The rest of the group all woke up to the shouting. Leif rose from his seat.

  “Isadore, we must talk.” he said relieved.

  Isadore’s presence was welcomed.

  “What happened here?” he asked looking around the room.

  He walked over to where the succubus had been killed. Although Leif and Gorm had cleaned it up and there was no trace of the beast, Isadore knew how to smell a demon. He glanced around and looked back at the group. “A demon?” he asked surprised.

  “Not just any demon, a succubus.” Gorm said. “She went after Leif.”

  Isadore walked back over to them. He looked over at Dagny who was sitting up with the covers drawn tight to her chest, clutching them.

  “What else?” he asked, as if sensing this was not the only issue they encountered.

  Leif walked closer to Isadore.

  “She was attacked. It wasn’t a caster but he was wearing a warlock mask. He was trying to kill her.”

  Isadore looked at Leif slightly taken back. He swallowed hard and nodded.

  “This makes sense.” he whispered.

  He looked at Dagny with his cold stare. She just stared at him, still terrified. Revna got up and walked over to them.

  “We should bring her home. It is not safe here.” she suggested.

  Leif turned to Dagny.

  “You would be safer if you were to return home and remain there while we finish our investigation.”

  “No.” Isadore stated.

  They all looked over at him. Dagny still had not said a word, but she was not going to argue returning home. She wanted to lock her doors and remain there until the fear she held in her chest disappeared.

  “No? Izzy she was attacked. Someone is trying to kill her.” Leif said confused.

  “And sending her home will be even easier for them to accomplish that task. No, she remains with us, where we can guard her.”

  Isadore walked over to Dagny looking her over. He glanced back at Leif. “The succubus was a distraction. They wanted her unguarded.”

  He looked back at Leif. Leif swallowed hard, realizing he was right. He felt guilt swell in his stomach. He looked at Dagny.

  “I am sorry. I should have known it was a trap.”

  Dagny, who drew a long breath, finally, opened her mouth to speak.

  “You could not have known it was a trap. This succubus or demon, it has abilities, correct?” she asked, unsure of what it really was.

  “It seduces and paralyzes. If one is unaware, they are drawn into their spell and when they do realize, it is too late.” Isadore sa
id.

  Dagny looked back at Leif.

  “You were under a spell. You could not have known.” she said shaking her head.

  Isadore nodded in agreement. He looked towards the window seeing the sun starting to glow brighter and brighter.

  “I did find out more regarding your parents Dagny.” he said drawing the attention now to their investigation. “Your father was more than just a ship builder. He was involved with a secret society called Clover.”

  Dagny shook her head.

  “I don’t understand, a secret society?”

  “Yes. It is not well known and for good reason. I had my suspicions but the research I have gathered confirms this suspicion. You father worked with Clover and provided services to them in regards to smuggling.”

  Dagny became slightly defensive.

  “My father was an honorable man; he was not a smuggler.”

  Isadore remained unmoved with his cold stone face. He paused watching her. She was slightly flustered.

  “He smuggled people. Clover is a protective society. It works against protecting casters, primarily young casters, clandestine, from being taken by The Order.”

  The room was silent. Dagny let out a slight breath as she pondered over this information. She swallowed hard as Isadore continued to watch her intently.

  “My father protected casters?” she asked in a small voice. “He never spoke of them, he never mentioned anything of this.”

  “He couldn’t. He and your mother needed to protect Clover. The Malachite Order is growing. They do this by seeking clandestine individuals and taking them. They use many manipulation tactics to get them to conform and serve The Order as a warlock. Clover aimed to protect those casters by ushering them away, undercover, with the use of your fathers many shipyards. They have created a safe haven where they are living, far from The Order’s grasp.”

  Dagny was speechless. She looked away just staring at the bed covers before her. She couldn’t believe any of it. It seemed so far-fetched and out of character from the reserved, wealthy, proper, politically correct image she had of him. Her father and mother never strayed from the lines; they never broke the rules. They followed appropriate society manners and dress. Working with a secret society for casters, it went against everything she grew up believing.

  For her entire life she believed that all casters were warlocks and evil. She understood after meeting Isadore that assuming that was incorrect. She was just starting to grasp that there were casters that were good. To now learn that her father worked with them was difficult to process. She felt her cheeks burning as she thought about the day at the brook when she manifested a water bolt.

  “Was my father a caster?” she managed to whisper out.

  Isadore drew a long breath.

  “No, I do not believe so. Neither was your mother.”

  “Is that why they took my brother. Did The Order take my brother because they believe he is clandestine?” she asked suddenly.

  Isadore looked at Leif with a cold expression. He looked back.

  “It is the main theory I am going with right now. The Order works silently. They do not like to be seen or known. The simple fact that you have hired sell swords to investigate his disappearance, and the evidence of magic existing, I can safely conclude that the assassin that tried to kill you last night was sent by The Order.”

  “But why kill her?” Leif asked.

  Isadore tilted his head slightly looking over at Leif.

  “Because if she exposes them Crown Bay will finally realize that warlocks have been infiltrating the city for years and they are only growing stronger.”

  Since Dagny was now marked, they could not allow her to return to her home. The safest place to keep her was under their watch and protection. Leif decided that they would depart Crown Bay and make their way to Sard. Since Sard was on the island of Lode, they would need to find transportation on one of the ships. Dagny stated that she could manage this, since her fathers’ shipyards were on both Crown bay and Sard.

  The group left the inn and started to make their way towards the docks. They packed some things for their journey, since they didn’t know how long they would be gone. Isadore believed The Order had Arman, which meant the group may be facing a difficult task; breaking into Malachite fortress. Dagny was relieved in the hope that Arman was still alive, but she was still hesitant to believe he was a caster. They were twins and very close. He never expressed anything to her about symptoms, such as Isadore had described.

  Dagny felt a deep burning in her chest as she thought about the strange sensations she had experienced and the day at the brook. When Isadore described them, she felt as if her face would have revealed to him her thoughts. She thought about it and realized she never said anything to Arman about it, she was so afraid. She wondered if he had experienced anything similar, perhaps he too was afraid to say anything to her. She was embarrassed by these strange urges but still refused to believe that she or Arman were casters, despite the fact that she had displayed powers she couldn’t explain. She pushed those thoughts deep down inside her. The experience scared her to the core.

  It was like any other day for Dagny, she was up and about the estate and she was prepping for a nice ride on her horse in the back lot, which had manicured trails. She went with Arman, as they often enjoyed a quiet trail ride to start their day. They had made their way down the trail with Arman leading. She stopped her horse to get off and look at the small brook that was rushing past them. She was always fascinated with water and its movement. As she was down near the edge of the brook, she crouched down and stuck her hand in the water.

  It was almost a natural feeling to her. She lifted her hand and without thinking, a water bolt shot across the way, slamming into the tree on the other side. She was so startled by it she gasped and retreated back to her horse terrified as to what had happened. She knew she had done it but she was so afraid of being an outcast. She thought all casters were warlocks and she never wanted to be anywhere near any of them. Arman was kidnapped just a day later.

  As they made their way to the docks, Crowley swooped down and landed abruptly on Isadore’s shoulder. Dagny let out an astonished gasp.

  “Ah the fifth member of the Brotherhood.” Leif said with a laugh. “Dagny, this is Crowley.”

  He gestured to the crow as it sat perched on Isadore’s shoulder. Isadore looked at Dagny.

  “Would you like a demonstration of what a Seer can do?” he asked slightly amused.

  Dagny nodded with a smile.

  “Yes, please.”

  Isadore gave a slight bow to her and then held his hand out. Crowley leapt to his hand and perched there looked the group over. Isadore remained staring at the bird a moment. Dagny watched as his bright blue eyes changed. They were getting darker and darker until they were nothing but two solid black holes. His vision was now linked to Crowley’s.

  “Find the Marfell shipyard.” he stated.

  Crowley took off and gained height. He soared up and over the roofs, gliding along the road towards the docks. Isadore could see everything below as they passed and swooped down closer to the water. Crowley sailed quickly along and then rose back up and landed on the mast of a ship docked in the bay.

  Before the bird was the shipyard, with several ships already anchored in the bay. Crowley looked around taking in the area. Isadore could see everything. He pulled himself out of the trance and his eyes returned to normal.

  “That was interesting.” Dagny said.

  Isadore looked at her with a slight smirk. He gave a bow.

  “Your shipyard is just ahead, and Crowley has shown me that the area is clear from suspicious individuals.” Isadore said glancing at Leif.

  Leif nodded. The group continued their walk down the street towards the docks.

  Dagny arranged for them to gain passage on one of the ships out of her family’s shipyard that was heading to Sard. It was a supply ship, which was the main bulk of the business. Trading occurred across the
land of Suloo as well as the surrounding islands of Lode and Frostmare.

  The ship they were boarding was pulled into the port. They made their way up the wooden plank connecting to the dock. The ship was large and provided a lot of room for shipping. The five of them and Crowley, who remained perched high up on the mast of the ship, remained on the upper deck watching the sailor’s prep for their departure.

  They had just pulled in the plank ramp and were pulling off the rope ties when there was shouting coming from the dock. Leif squinted at the angry man who was storming down the dock towards the ship. When he realized who it was his face changed to one of panic.