by Kealohilani
“Rezarahn, I will offer you this one chance. Swear your allegiance to us here and now. Kneel before me, give me your fealty, and this will be your ceremony of liege homage. I know your word means something to you. Swear it on your life— for that is exactly what you will be wagering. If you betray us again, you will not get another chance. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I swear it on my life that I will serve you only from this day forward. You truly are your father’s son.”
Rezarahn bowed his head and placed his fist over his heart in homage. Jharate turned to face the others.
“There you have it. He is one of us now. Drop your weapons.”
“THAT’S IT?!” Arante yelled in disbelief, relaxing her hold on her bow and throwing the three arrows to the ground without taking her eyes off of Jharate. “That’s all you are going to do? After what he did to us, you’re expecting that we’re just going to trust—”
“Yes, Cousin Arante. That is exactly what we are going to do. Remember to whom you speak. Do not question my judgement.”
Jharate moved until he was face to face with Arante, and leaned his mouth extremely close to her right ear to whisper his next words so that no one else could hear— but despite the whispering, Jharate’s tone was extremely forceful.
“Especially in public. I will not stand for it. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Arante hissed, through clenched teeth— but turned her mouth near his left ear and also whispered. “It’s funny. You show more mercy and forgiveness toward your enemy than you do toward the woman you love.”
“You forget your place, Arante. I am still Heir to Trisakne and your ruler.”
“Trisakne has fallen!” she reminded, her voice breaking slightly from acknowledging this painful fact. “And with it, any power you ever had over me!”
“This is not the time to challenge me!”
“I think it is the perfect time. You are trusting your enemies and blanking your friends and family. I do not think you are fit to rule this camp anymore— let alone a kingdom!”
“I still have the birthright! I still have my father in me. I am still meant for greatness.”
“Whatever! You can keep your precious birthright for now. Just know that I won’t let you jeopardize us forever!”
Arante pivoted on her heel and marched off before he could reply. Jharate glared at her back as she got further and further away. He slowly realized that everyone was staring at him.
They had all obeyed him and dropped their weapons. Rezarahn had been clever enough to extricate himself during the commotion and had found a tree to sit against. Jharate stared the rebels down until they dropped their gaze or looked away to some undetermined point out in the distance— everyone except Lani.
When Jharate turned to look at her, she looked straight back at him. He raised an eyebrow as he regarded her. He searched her face. No scowl. No frown. No smile.
Furthermore, her eyes held no malice, no sadness, and no warmth. He shuddered imperceptibly, looked away from her, and strode off in the opposite direction from which Arante had exited.
Oh Snap
The moment Jharate walked away, Lani rolled her eyes and turned her back on everyone. She walked about twenty feet away from the fire that Rezarahn had started with his gift. Satisfied she was far enough away, she lay down— flat on her back— staring up at the stars that were just beginning to pop out against the darkened sky. Rezarahn watched her intently— but she took no notice.
Lani sighed. As physically exhausted as she was, she was even more tired of Jharate. She was glad that he had spared Rezarahn— it was what she felt was the right thing— but she was done with both of them.
No more chaotic spinning. No more arguing with herself. And no more trying to figure anything out. Just flat out, no take-backs, d-o-n-e- done.
As she lay there stargazing, she suddenly closed her eyes and slowly clicked the heels of her riding boots together— whispering quietly to herself.
“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”
She reluctantly opened one eye and saw the brilliant shape-shifting stars still there— far above her in all their glory. She exhaled slowly and opened the other eye. Monkeys! She was still here. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but it had been worth a shot.
Lani shrugged and tried to clear her mind until it finally stopped buzzing with all the unanswerable questions she’d been asking— for who knows how long now— so that she could just be here, and simply exist in this enchanting environment. It felt surprisingly nice— in a detached and apathetic sort of way.
She was glad that no one came near her. Maybe they could tell that she needed some time to herself. Or maybe they were just afraid she would start glowing again and kill them all. Whatever the reason, not having to think or talk about anything with anyone helped keep her in her Zen state.
Lani breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. She settled into the grass and was struck by how comfortable it was. It felt better than Lani had ever thought grass could feel— as if each blade were made of silk.
As she stared up at the heavens above, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. She wanted to consciously linger in this calm and peaceful haven— but with each blink it became harder and harder to reopen her eyes.
Lani finally gave in to the demands of her body and drifted off into a deep sleep— hoping that her dreams would stay as pleasant as her surroundings.
Two seconds after succumbing to sleep, Lani saw Drakne. She rolled her eyes. Of course! Why shouldn’t he be here in her dreams?!
She shook her head in surrender and watched him with irritated interest. She followed him as he snuck up the stairs and into the throne room in Trisakne.
He walked deliberately behind one of the thrones and pulled out a hidden golden box— adorned with the same double heart symbol that was formed by the gold filigree around the purple stone of the necklace from Arante, which Lani wore around her neck.
She leaned over Drakne’s shoulder to see what was inside the box as Drakne opened it. A small cloud of golden dust filled with particles that sparkled like diamonds flew up from it. He reached inside and took out a golden scroll. More particles swirled through the air as he unrolled it.
Lani gasped as she realized what it was. A thrill rushed through her. If she could find out who they were, they would be better able to protect them! The war might end!
She focused intently, ready to read the list of Half-Hearts— but something changed. It was now as if she were inside his mind rather than inside the room— and she could only see the names he read.
Keanu Jhoran Marubain Kelamosakai Inihma.............. Terminated
Sarana Annea Kinartma........................................... Terminated
Narah Deskarin....................................................... Terminated
Drakne’s eyes skipped through the list of remaining names and suddenly stopped on…
Adrienne Brielle Arvanatasi..................... Whereabouts Unknown
Lani felt like an icy hand wrapped around her heart. Did Drakne know her true identity? Wait a minute… Lani thought. I’m a Half-Heart?!
She hadn’t been sure until now. Karsenia had said that Lani would find out soon— but Karsenia had given no indication as to which way things would turn out. Finding out felt strange, even though Lani had known since her vision on Lake Helasi that there was a one-in-two chance that she might be a Half-Heart. She hadn’t let herself fully hope that she and Jharate were both…
Lani was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t even see the other name that Drakne had found so interesting. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have known who it was. Lani flinched and looked back as she heard the same noise that Drakne did.
She realized she had regained control of where she could look again and quickly turned back to read the list— but Drakne was already hurriedly rolling the scroll back up and
putting it inside the box.
Dang it! Why hadn’t she paid closer attention? Drakne disappeared from where he stood the instant the box was closed.
Lani woke up with a jolt and sat straight up. It was quiet all around her, but her mind was once again buzzing loudly.
What was she to do now? Now that she knew she was a Half-Heart, what was she to do about Jharate? Should she tell him?
No, he wouldn’t believe her. And even if he did, Jharate’s mom had told her that they had to love each other so much that it wouldn’t matter if either one was a Half-Heart or not. He obviously didn’t love her enough at the moment to take her unconditionally— if he felt any love for her in his heart at all. And, she suddenly remembered that Jharate’s mom had made her promise not to tell Jharate whether she was a Half-Heart or not, once she discovered the truth. So that was completely out.
But at the same time, how was she supposed to pretend that she didn’t know this? She had the key to saving two worlds and she couldn’t say a word? For the love of humanity!
She could possibly just talk to him about their relationship again. Lani put her fingertips to her temples at the very thought.
Hadn’t she just sworn off all of that? Then again it seemed it was her only choice. But when? And what could she possibly say that had not already been said?
Lani felt an incredible urge to run over to Raoul, wake him up, and tell him what she had just seen. She nearly did so but something told her not to reveal the fact that she was a Half-Heart to anyone— at least not yet.
It was as if a quiet voice whispered it into her ear and carried it to her soul. She felt as if some danger would come from disobeying the warning of the still small voice— and she had seen enough by now to know that she had to trust her instincts.
Lani’s eyes fell on Jharate and she started. It had been so quiet that she had assumed that everyone was asleep and yet, there he was, staring at her— again.
Unbelievable! What is his problem? Spell or no spell, this had gone on too long. I have half a mind to— Lani took a careful breath, looked at the ground, and whispered quietly to herself.
“Get a hold of yourself, Lani. It’s okay. Just breathe… Just breathe. You don’t want to risk a repeat of whatever happened earlier with the whole glowing thing. You’re okay. It’s okay. Inhale. Exhale. Just breathe…”
Lani continued her carefully measured breaths until she managed to quell the raging fire in her chest. She did not look at him again.
It was obvious that she wasn’t ready to talk to him just now. Not calmly, anyway. And with two worlds hanging in the balance she needed to be sure that she could keep her wits about her. She lay back down and rolled over to go to sleep again.
As she opened her eyes within her dream she realized that she had landed in another vision. She threw her hands up over her eyes and held them tightly there. Not again!
And We Thought Drakne Was Bad
Lani slowly opened her fingers and peered out between them to see what was going on. Vranah had a new captive in his throne room, but he was letting someone else have the fun this time. A woman. Lani squinted to see the woman more clearly. She looked so familiar.
Lani stared at her but just couldn’t place the face. The woman had fiercely white skin— so white that it reminded Lani of the siren. Her luxurious curly locks were arranged flawlessly so that not a strand was out of place— flowing down to her waist— and so dark brown that they could have been black. However, the hair color seemed unnatural.
Lani studied her more closely to see if there was any hint of how she might know her. Her dark-emerald-green dress was completely made of taffeta and her collar stuck out in a menacing way. The nearly-plunging neckline was fringed with black lace in a gesture at modesty— although that was clearly not her intent.
She wore a huge emerald necklace. And while her flawless make-up was artistically done— it was as dark and harsh as everything else about her.
She carried herself with a natural grace and appeared to be quite as obsessed with perfection as Lord Asharen had been. Almost everything about her bearing would indicate class— however, there was a feeling of affectation that Lani couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Though she seemed as if she were in her early forties, she could still pull off thirty quite easily. Lani could tell that this woman would have been extremely pretty, if she had not been so horribly severe. Lani still could not identify her.
“Darrahn Kolie,” the woman said with a haunting bell-like laugh. “You have fought too long against your true lord and master. Naughty, naughty, naughty!” She shook her finger at him with a coquettish smile.
Lani shuddered at the sound of her careless voice. She longed to leave— feeling that there was no possible way this was going to end well. But her vision held her rooted to the spot where she stood.
Lani gasped and reflexively put her hands up in front of her eyes as the woman threw a dagger at Darrahn, who was chained up against a thick freestanding wooden wall that must have been brought into the throne room just for this purpose.
Lani peeked over the tops of her fingers and sighed in relief as she saw that Darrahn was not dead— but quickly put her hands in front of her face again as the woman threw another dagger. And another. And yet another.
Each time Lani tried not to look as much as possible, while still feeling the morbid need to know what was happening to Darrahn, and if he was okay. She noticed that he was only flinching slightly as dagger after dagger was propelled at him.
The woman flinging them had perfect aim. Each blade touched him— but only just. Some pinned his clothing to the wall, while others scratched his skin and drew small amounts of blood. None of the knives came even slightly close to killing him— yet— but it was very clear that was by design.
Lani felt her skin crawl as the woman giggled and pranced about the room— squealing gleefully and clapping her hands each time she hit her mark. How evil did someone’s soul have to be to take joy from something like this? The shock over this behavior kept Lani transfixed and unable to look away any longer.
It didn’t take long before Darrahn’s whole body was entirely outlined with bejeweled daggers. Lani felt her heart drop another level as she looked at him. He was so fatigued it was frightening. Especially because he was such a large, rugged looking man, with huge muscles— in the prime of his life.
But his muscles were now unable to even hold him up enough to keep the chains around his arms and neck from digging into his skin and partially choking him. He hung there with his eyes glazed over.
Lani put her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out as she saw the bruises on his arms, legs, and face more clearly— as well as the gashes that could have only been made by a whip. What was left of his shirt was tattered and bloody— and from his knees down, his pants were in the same condition. His bare feet were covered in smaller gashes that Lani didn’t even want to guess the cause of.
“Beg for mercy,” the woman demanded with a bored tone.
Wake up, wake up, wake up, Lani— WAKE UP! Lani thought desperately. It was no use. She was stuck here and she was going to have to witness it so long as it played out.
Her heart beat against her chest like a caged wild animal. She could feel little beads of sweat glistening on top of every pore. She wondered if this was only happening within this vision or if her sleeping body was experiencing the same thing.
Lani wanted to cry out to Darrahn— if for no other reason than to let him know that he was not alone in what was inevitably his dying hour. But she knew that he would not hear her and that worse— Vranah might. She had to put the fate of both worlds over this one moment.
Her sense of panic and despair increased as Darrahn remained silent. It was apparent he knew his death was coming no matter what he said— and that he no intention of giving that wretched woman the satisfaction of his begging before he left this mortal existence. Lani wanted all the more desperately to save this courageous man.
/> “Too brave for mercy?”
The woman grinned as she casually flicked another dagger— but this time it sunk into his right shoulder. Lani threw both hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. Hot tears stung her eyes and fell down her cheeks as Darrahn groaned in pain.
Vranah descended from his throne to stand beside the woman. “Where are your manners, Zarkania? You should at least tell your guest why he has been so honored as to have been brought before me to die— rather than being killed where you found him.”
Zarkania smiled and walked over to Darrahn, leaning in close to him and caressing his jawline with her index finger as she talked.
“Quite right. Where are my manners? Well! You, my gorgeous boy— happen to be a Half-Heart. SURPRISE! Your parents would be so proud if they had known they had been blessed with a Half-Heart in the family.”
Zarkania daintily dabbed her eyes with a black lace handkerchief, pretending to cry like a proud mother.
“Oh! That’s right. They’re dead,” she said, flatly.
She put the lace handkerchief away and looked at Darrahn in the way a cat looks at a mouse when it’s starting to getting bored and wants the mouse to try to run in order to make the final kill more challenging.
“An unfortunate accident, right? About ten years ago— when you were fifteen— in Tofan. Their house burned down inexplicably,” she made quotes with her fingers in the air, “with Mum and Dad tragically inside— all whilst you were out doing your chores in the yard. If I remember correctly, that is.”
Zarkania faked a frown to complement her mock sympathetic tone.
“That was you?!” Darrahn asked angrily— speaking for the first time with all the strength he could muster.
“Oops! Did I let the cat out of the bag? It was supposed to be a secret. I’m so bad at keeping secrets!”
