I didn’t exactly know what I would be looking for but knew I didn’t want to face it on this narrow path. I climbed up on a ledge and made my way west into Kalu on a little higher ground. I made sure I stayed in the shadows and looked around for signs of life. I saw no one. Perhaps it was just an animal as Zayden said. I was about to turn back but then I heard someone’s voice not far in the distance. My eyes gazed that way for just a moment before I decided to quietly approach.
The voices—they sounded feminine. I almost hoped for it, knowing who we were already waiting for but there was more than one and I listened before I was close enough to see.
“How much farther must we go? My feet can’t take much more of this. I never thought I’d miss the stiffness in my legs from straddling a horse so much.”
A girl’s laugh echoed. “It’s only been couple days. It shouldn’t be too long anyway. We’re approaching the border. I feel we should be running into them shortly.”
I was close now and stood up against a rock and slowly peered around it at the women below. There were three. They were all wearing long wool hooded cloaks in various colors. One had on a black cloak, another tan and the last gray. My eyes stopped on her and I was distracted from my duty.
She was sitting on the edge of a rock next to another girl and the moon reflected off her blonde hair that sat up in a twisted way on her head. I was being drawn in by the green light in her eyes. They were beautiful to me. She was beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone like her before and my mind drifted to Zayden’s humorous comment about his intentions with the General’s daughter. Having not known which of the three it was, I couldn’t let it be her. She was my reward; the perfect trophy.
“I hope this doesn’t take long. I hate being out here.” The girl next to the blonde one seemed to have a shade of red hair I could barely see due to her cloak’s hood but her expression clearly shown her discomfort.
“Look on the bright side, Ruby. We finally get to have some fun so you should just learn to deal with it.”
“What’s wrong with you, Jaylyn? How can you be so happy when we’re miserable out here?”
Jaylyn. Even her name was beautiful but I have yet to see her whole face. It was hidden by a mask, probably to keep her precious nose warm. “I don’t know. We’ve got to have fun somehow.”
“You’re absolutely right.” The one called Ruby picked up her right foot and pushed Jaylyn down off the rock with a victorious smile that reminded me of Darius. “That was fun.”
Anger overcame Jaylyn. Her eyes squinted, almost narrowing while she got off the ground. I didn’t much understand it. Even seeming angry, she was still beautiful and I couldn’t get enough.
“That’s enough!” The other girl, whose name I have yet to discover, jumped down in between them before action was taken. “I’ve had enough of you two so stop! Now!”
Jaylyn took a breath as if trying to calm herself. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to see the good in all of this. It’s been awhile since the Queen sent us on a mission but she’s just being such a—”
“I know. Let’s just try not to turn on each other just yet. We need to make it through this alive, understand? I will not tolerate your differences out here.”
Whoever she was, she must have been in control. The other two listened to everything she said and it only made me think of us. We’ve always been that way with Zayden and not only because he’s the Prince; he’s our friend. I knew he would want to know about this. As much as I didn’t want to, I got my last look at Jaylyn before I forced myself to look away and start to head back. I knew I would see her again soon and I’d make her mine. It’s all I thought about while I walked back.
“So, what’s the report?” Zayden asked.
“Someone is definitely out there.”
Darius jumped up with excitement and grabbed his sword right off his back, ready to fight.
“But it’s a group of women.” I informed him.
He slowly lowered himself back down to the log and put his sword away with a look of wonderment on his face. “Women?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“How many?” Zayden asked.
“Three.”
Eyes shifted and a silence followed.
“Were they—good looking women?” Darius asked, an already delighted smile growing towards his cheeks.
I could only smile back, thinking to my first sight of Jaylyn and how beautiful she was even with half her face covered. I didn’t need to say a word.
Darius took that look as a good sign and leaned back to look up at the starry sky. “Fate loves us.”
“Do you know what they want?” Zayden asked. “Just travelers?”
“No. This is going to sound crazy but I actually think that they were sent by Kalu to take us out.”
Darius bursts out laughing, quickly rising back up. “What?! You’re joking, right?!”
“No. One of them said something about how it’s been awhile since the Queen sent them on a mission.”
“Tell me more about them.” Zayden said, eager to know. “I want to know everything.”
“Me too!”
“There not like the women we’re used to. I could tell just by their attitudes. I can’t really explain it further but you’ll know what I mean when you see them. Two of them are named Ruby and—”
“Ruby! I like it!” Darius cut in. “Was she wearing red?”
I thought about it for a moment. My eyes were mostly on Jaylyn at the time but I did manage to get a look at the other two as well. “A little bit from what I could see and she did have really red hair too. More so than yours.”
“A Kaluian redhead, huh? I hear they’re supposed to be pretty wild.”
“Where have you ever heard that?”
“I can’t have my own fantasies?”
“I guess. It was actually kind of weird. They matched us in the most unusual way but you’ll have to see for yourself. It’s hard to explain.”
“Wait a minute.” Zayden held up his hand for silence and a sign not to be disturbed in his thought. “Not Ruby as in the well-known Ruby Paige, right?”
“Well, another one’s name is Jaylyn.”
Zayden sat there for just a moment and slowly started to laugh.
I couldn’t help looking at Darius and wonder why. “Is something funny about that?”
“Adele.”
Darius looked at me this time and still seemed confused. “Who?”
“She’s the General’s daughter. The General’s daughter is a Kalu Assassin. Oh, I’m looking forward to her revenge.”
“It’s really the Kalu Assassins?”
“I’ve heard the name Ruby to be pretty well known in the enemy world. She’s supposed to have hair the color of freshly spilt blood.”
“Really?” Darius was only sounding as if he were even more interested, not terrified.
“Well, some more bad news. We can’t just kill them and get it over with. We don’t kill women. You put in place that rule after the Leccan incident.” I turned my glance to Darius who was the reason for the rule.
“Oh, that was not my fault!” He bellowed loudly.
“Anyway, what do you plan to do?”
Zayden paused before starting to smile. His eyes traced to Darius and back up at me growing with curiosity. “Well, you never did answer. Are they prize worthy?”
Darius sat up a little and they both had their focus on me. I just stood still and thought back to what I was seeing and what I had already decided. My words then came out clear and direct. “I get Jaylyn.”
Darius laughed. “Oh! I see! So we’re picking?! I was kind of looking forward to getting at all of them!”
I wouldn’t have it. I immediately stepped towards him with a single step and put my hand down on my sword as if I was getting ready to pull it out. It was an instant dramatic move and my words came out as such. “You’re not touching her!”
Darius’s look became more serious. Dumbfounded by my sudden
outburst, he glanced over at Zayden, waiting for his response.
Zayden too was looking somewhat addled to see my behavior. “What’s with you? She’s just a woman. You’re not getting sensitive about this, are you?”
“Of course not!” I said bluntly. I kept my hand down on my sword, more so just resting it there now. “But you know how he is. There’s no need to have to share. There’s three of them and three of us and the blonde one is mine.”
“All right. I suppose that is fair.”
“What?! I have months to make up for! It can’t be done through just one of them!”
“You’re lucky that we’ve stumbled into this opportunity at all. Make up for the time when we get home. Troy obviously has his reasons on why he’s chosen and we’ll play it through. That leaves the wild redhead to you and the General’s daughter to me.”
“Well, when are we getting home?” Darius asked, sharing a quick look with me like I should have been asking it too. We’ve been out here for so long, I guess I should have.
“Soon. These aren’t just passing women we can use for our purpose. They’re the Kalu Assassins, supposed to be our greatest enemy. We’ll take them back to Randal and they’ll be judged there as custom. That gives us a few days to spend in their company.” Darius and I smiled and Zayden started picking up the site. “Now hurry! We must move if they’re approaching through the pass.”
We picked up our gear too then hid high amongst the rocks to await the right moment. I was excited for it. I just wanted to see Jaylyn again and felt better knowing Zayden was letting me have her all to myself.
Chapter 7
Adele
I led my companions through the pass, looking straight ahead while I walked and we came up on more freshly fallen rocks and snow in our way. “This is where it happened.”
We walked around the pile and I had my eyes down, looking it over. I walked up and blew snow off a dead Kaluian soldier. The sight caused me to close my eyes immediately and turn my head away while I covered the face back up.
“We must be getting close.” I stood up in anger and looked around but there was nothing but darkness swallowing all areas around us.
“On this side of the border too.”
A light breeze started to pick up and the moment I felt it, I anxiously held out my hand towards Ruby. “Hold the wind! It won’t happen that way.”
The wind settled. “Sorry. It’s just—”
“I know.” I cut in before she said too much. “Believe me. Just hold it. We’re here.”
“How do you know?” Jaylyn asked.
I looked ahead and the clouds uncovered more light from the moon. A great archway made from white granite was ahead, symbolizing the entrance into Seni. They were known as the Gates to Seni. White horses were beautifully carved statues on each side with a half sun over the arch. A familiar sight to me.
“It couldn’t be more obvious.” Ruby said, bantering Jaylyn for asking such a question.
We walked to it but I stopped just before stepping foot on Senian soil with Ruby and Jaylyn right at my sides. Not a sound was heard through the night.
“So. It doesn’t look so bad over there.” Ruby said.
I sighed and closed my eyes. If she only knew. She did know but if she only thought of it the way I did. It was all too familiar to me and I knew all too well that not everything on the other side was bad. I only felt the torment in thinking about it, images of my dream coming back to me of those many years ago. I couldn’t believe I was back. I never planned to be but here I was.
“Five years is a long time.” Jaylyn put a comforting hand on my shoulder but could never imagine what I was truly going through to have to be here. My very soul was tearing apart just thinking about it.
“Yet not nearly long enough. The White City never forgets.”
“Then let it not.” Ruby sighed. “It’s not like we’re going there.” She took a few steps forward and approached the left side of the arch, reaching up to climb.
“What are you doing?”
“Call me what you will; superstitious, apprehensive or just plain uneasy but I’m not walking through that thing. It says death all over it.”
“I don’t know.” Jaylyn cocked her head to the side, staring with a child’s curiosity. “I think it’s nice.”
“Of course.” Ruby’s breath drug from her lungs for her words and she sat herself comfortable atop the archway. “So, are we going to get on with this any time soon?”
Jaylyn looked to me. I would have been the one to answer but have been standing the same way, staring through the archway into Seni.
“Adele?”
My eyes merely lifted. “You should get down from there before you break your neck.”
Ruby threw her head back and laughed. “Break my neck?!”
“You know you’re prone to—” Ruby started to tumbled backwards from laughing so much before I could even finish. “Fall.”
She gasped when it happened, trying to prepare her body for impact but her landing was softer than she imagined. Her eyes were squeezed shut like she didn’t dare to look. “Am I dead?”
“Not yet.” Jaylyn’s voice was straight, even toned. Her eyes were wide open at the sight. As were mine.
Ruby never hit the ground. In fact, she was cradled over four feet above it, safely for now in the arms of another.
Curious, Ruby slowly opened her eyes, peeking with just one at a time. Silver. That had to be what she first saw. A silver horse. Her eyes traced up and met a face. It startled her but her reaction didn’t seem so. She remained still; her eyes looking into those riddled with fire.
The mysterious face began to change with a smile and with it a deep voice. “Are you all right?”
“Put her down!”
My voice boomed in my ears and halted any kind of response Ruby was about to make. I intensified the demand by stepping through the archway with Jaylyn anxiously on my side. I wasn’t about to let Ruby get hurt by whoever he claimed to be but he actually listened and started to lower her.
“Forgive me. You were falling.”
“Ah—yes—thank you.” Ruby stumbled over her words and I didn’t even want to think of why.
I grabbed Ruby’s arm and pulled her towards me. I wasn’t fooled. His armor said it for him. He was Senian and no amount of good looks would change that.
“Not another move.” I said.
“Adele.” Ruby pulled her arm away and made sure I didn’t pursue him. “Mustn’t detest the actions of my rescuer.”
“You’re blinded from his motive for doing so.”
“Perhaps you have me confused for someone else.” He couldn’t hide his smile and that only made it obvious.
“Or perhaps they don’t.”
I turned my head and looked back towards the border. Another stood, leaning with his back against the inside of the arch. His eyes lifted, evergreen as emeralds.
Jaylyn seemed to freeze next to me; sincerely memorized. Great. His brown hair was slicked back over the top of his head and the warming smile he gave accommodated his words towards her specifically. “He’s always been much too obvious.”
The other one’s eyes rolled to the presence of him. “Glad you could join us, Troy.”
“Wasn’t about to let you have all the fun.”
“You never do.”
“Well, don’t you ladies seem to be a long way from home?”
Jaylyn was still staring. “More like feet really but never mind the details.”
His smile grew and he straightened his body, standing fully upright while taking a step in our direction. “What exactly are you here for? By my count, one of you already owes one of us a repayment of your gratitude.”
Ruby turned her eyes back to the one that supposedly saved her from the fall, his chest directly in front of her eyes, making her lift her head to meet his. He was still smiling and I knew Ruby felt more than welcome to oblige to the payment she would pay for saving her. It was in the look she gave
and I had to stop it.
“No.” I pulled her back towards me by her arm and looked between the two surrounding us so they knew my words were for them. “We will do nothing of the sort. We’re looking for someone actually. Goes by the name of—Zayden. You know him?”
“Zayden?” Troy asked slyly.
He looked over us to the other man and he started taking his steps around us to join Troy in blocking any kind of escape back across the border. “Hmm. Can’t say that we do.”
His voice was amused, almost playful but I knew better. I wasn’t going to allow their handsome exteriors to cloud my judgment. I already knew who they were and called them on it. “You’re lying.”
Something or someone jumped down off the rocks and landed behind me in a sudden attempt to give us another jolt of fear. “Well. Well. Well. What do we have here, gents?”
It wasn’t going to work. I for one wasn’t afraid. I turned right around to meet him.
No. It stuttered in my mind and I had to hold my breath in a complete silent feeling of disbelief. I wasn’t asleep. I was awake for sure but it was worse than I feared. It was those eyes. I was looking into those very blue crystal eyes that were the highlight of my dream that’s been haunting me for the last five years. I didn’t want it to be true. It couldn’t be.
This was the man whom I saw so many years ago on my test mission. He was more grown up and even more attractive than what I remembered with his golden blonde hair highlighted under the moonlight. I couldn’t believe he was actually standing before me once more. I wanted to smile and show my joy from it but I was frozen just like before and the more I thought about it, the more the fear made me realize that the one I obsessed over for so long was in fact the very person I have set out to kill. He was Zayden, Seni’s Prince. I was within the palace walls when I last saw him but never seemed to make the connection before. I was always too distracted by his face to think. Even now, this wasn’t helping.
I stood in front of him in a stare like I was paralyzed from moving and he continued to speak with a smooth confident voice, penetrating my very soul. “An answer to our prayers?”
Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) Page 3
