Burning Shadows

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “I’ll come,” one of them said. He leisurely made his way toward me, whistling. Before he could get too close, I turned back down the hallway I came from, out of sight from the soldat still posted at the stairwell.

  “What’s the matter with the Kriger?” the man asked when he turned the corner to join me.

  “She fell and hit her head.” While speaking, I allowed him to move closer to me.

  “The king won’t be pleased she’s hurt,” he grumbled.

  “I know.” Since I didn’t have a lot of energy, my options were limited. I turned to face him.

  “Wait a minute—” he said, coming to an abrupt halt.

  Not giving him a chance to raise the alarm, I jabbed my fingers into his eyes, and then kneed him hard in the groin. He fell to the floor, squealing. I kicked him in the groin several times to ensure he didn’t get back up.

  Not certain if the other soldat guarding the stairwell heard the scuffle, I swiftly unlocked the nearest cell and dragged the man inside. After locking him in, I bent over, trying to calm my raging nerves and the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I still had one more man to get by in order to enter the castle. I could do this.

  I headed back to the stairwell, my head now throbbing from putting forth so much energy fighting and maintaining my shield. Clutching my hands into fists, I pictured Anders, and a surge of strength flooded into me.

  “Where’s Dag?” the soldat asked when I turned the corner and entered the hallway alone. He unsheathed his sword.

  “He’s in the cell with the Kriger. She’s hurt pretty badly.” I neared him.

  “Who are you?” he asked. “I don’t recognize you, and there’s blood on your face.” He readjusted his grip on his sword.

  Thankfully, years of training with my father when I was completely worn out and exhausted had prepared me for this. I gritted my teeth and ran at him, tackling him to the ground. Pain rippled through my body, but I ignored it. The soldat dropped his sword and twisted his body, getting on top of me and pinning my arms down. I squeezed my leg up and under him, kneeing his stomach. When he let go of my arms, I slammed my palm into his nose, smashing it. Blood exploded over his face. He cried out, turning away from me. I grabbed the sword and flung the hilt at the side of his head. His body crumpled to the ground, and I dropped the sword.

  Closing my eyes, I called on my inner power to ensure my shield remained intact. It did. I pushed the man off me and knelt on the ground, trying to catch my breath. My vision blurred, so I remained there, working through my fatigue.

  The knowledge that Anders lay burning in a fire propelled me to push myself harder. Staggering to my feet, I took hold of the soldat’s arm and dragged his heavy body down the hallway. At the first cell, I unlocked it and shoved him inside.

  Covered with sweat, I returned to the stairwell and picked up the sword. Feeling a surge of confidence with the weapon, I hurried up the stairs to the iron door and exited the dungeon.

  ✧

  The corridors were dark and empty. I passed by a window, the stars twinkling brightly in the sky confirming it was night. Heading down the hallway, I walked slowly, pretending to be a soldat on patrol. I wanted to run and hide instead of being out in the open like this.

  In Morlet’s bedchamber, I had felt my weapon from a nearby room, which meant I needed to reach the second level of the castle to retrieve it. This direction led to the main hall, which would be guarded by soldats. In order to avoid the King’s Army, I needed to use the servants’ passageways. When I had stumbled upon the two female servants the other day, the one went through a narrow doorway around here somewhere. I slowed, not wanting to miss it.

  Consumed with fatigue, I forged on until I found the doorway I was looking for. Turning right, I headed along the claustrophobic passageway until I came to a steep set of stairs. I leaned against the wall, resting while listening for footsteps. Not hearing anything, I pushed off the wall and headed up. At the top, I paused and listened again. The only sound came from my own labored breathing. Instead of going up another flight of stairs, I went down the hallway until I came to a door. When I pressed my ear against it, I didn’t hear anything on the other side, so I pulled the door toward me, peering around it. All was quiet. Slipping into one of the main hallways, I flattened my body against the wall and tried to gain my bearings. The area looked vaguely familiar from the last time I was there. This was the corridor Morlet’s bedchamber was located in. Most likely, there would be two men standing guard outside of it. I remained there, not moving, until I spotted the soldats about fifty feet to my right. Terror took hold, and I couldn’t move.

  Closing my eyes, I attempted to sense where my bo staff was located without calling on my power. My hands tingled and I knew, without a doubt, it was in a room three doors to my left. Slowly, I inched my way down the hallway, sticking to the wall. Thankfully, no torches were lit and the hallway was fairly dark, allowing me to remain hidden in the shadows.

  The sound of footsteps came from the right. The closest hallway was back the way I’d just come from, about five feet away. Out of options, I slid against the wall, going back until I reached the hallway. I slid around the corner, pressing myself against the wall and remaining as still as a statue. The steps increased in volume. A soldat passed by only a few feet from me, never glancing down the hallway in which I hid. That had been close. Too close. Remembering what Anders told me about patrols, this was the safest time for me to be out in that corridor, assuming the next patrol wouldn’t come through for a few more minutes.

  I tiptoed around the corner. Once again, I flattened my body against the wall. Slowly, I inched my way closer to the room I sensed my bo staff in. When I reached the door, I lifted my hand, placing it carefully on the handle. Turning it, I pushed the door open a foot and squeezed inside the room.

  In the moonlight, I could just make out a desk, a large table, and several chairs. Bookcases lined one of the walls, and an empty hearth was on another one. Something on top of Morlet’s desk started glowing blue, mesmerizing me. As I walked over to my bo staff, it glowed brighter with each step I took. My fingers curled around the smooth wood, and I picked it up. My body instantly relaxed. I had my weapon back. The shield around me strengthened tenfold.

  A piece of paper floated off the desk, landing near my feet. I picked it up, angling the paper so the moonlight illuminated it. There was a sketch of my weapon, along with notes regarding the mark engraved on it. In the corner of the paper, the words Power Source were written, as well as plans for expanding the mines and extending the work hours. There were also words in the old language, but I didn’t understand any of them. Under the scribble was a picture of a stone the size of my hand. It appeared to be a larger version of the sapphire Vidar owned. The blue was eerily similar to the Heks magic the miners unearthed.

  I put the paper back on the desk, my hands shaking. I would sort through all of that later… when I wasn’t in imminent danger. I clutched my weapon, letting it replenish my strength and calm my raging nerves. Now that I had my bo staff back, it was time to save Anders.

  ✧

  I tiptoed out of the office and headed back toward the servants’ passageway. Once I reached it, I took it to another hallway in the main part, far from Morlet’s bedchamber, and went toward what I hoped was the center of the castle. I came to a long corridor lined with windows overlooking the courtyard. I peered outside. The courtyard was aglow from the massive fire. Anders lay in the center of it, his entire body engulfed in flames.

  I forced myself to focus on the details. A dozen soldats stood guard around the perimeter of the courtyard. Another dozen patrolled the rooftop. In order to rescue Anders, I had to neutralize these men.

  Desperation coursed through my body. It was impossible. Closing my eyes, I leaned against the wall, trying to calm my frantic heart. My father trained me for this, and I had Heks power running through my veins. Nothing was impossible—I just had to want it badly enough.

  One girl against
two dozen men. For Anders, I would do this.

  I crept through the servants’ passageways until I found a stairwell to the third floor. From there, I easily located the tower leading to the rooftop. Crouching in the shadows, I observed the area. A single soldat marched along the parapet. My bo staff hummed with suppressed power, begging to be released.

  I leaned my head back against the wall. I had to fight twelve men—and not just any men, but soldats from the King’s Army. It would be difficult to do so and maintain my shield. If I let my shield slip and used my power, fighting the men would be significantly more manageable, even easy. But foregoing my shield meant Morlet could sense me. However, if he were asleep, as I suspected he was, he probably wouldn’t even notice my presence.

  Deciding to take the risk, I dropped my shield and connected my power to my bo staff. I stepped out of the shadows. The soldat jumped in surprise. Before he could grab the torch and wave it to raise the alarm, I pointed my weapon at his torso and shot him with my power. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. I gripped my bo staff tighter, thankful to have it back in my hands where it belonged, making me feel complete again.

  I heard a hiss, and then an arrow sailed by mere inches from my head. I spun around, angled my weapon toward the area the arrow came from, and released my power, hitting a soldat’s leg. He nocked another arrow and pointed it directly at my head. I aimed for his chest and struck him with a chunk of my power.

  Someone tackled me from behind. I fell forward, landing on top of my weapon. When my attacker rolled me over, I punched his face. He grabbed his nose, cursing. Two more soldats ran toward me. Instinct, and years of training, took over. I flung my legs up, wrapping them around the man who sat atop me, shoving him backward so my body rose to a sitting position. At the same time, I reached over, grabbed my bo staff, and swung it around toward my oncoming attackers, releasing my power and striking them both. They toppled over. I jumped off the soldat, ramming my weapon into his stomach and incapacitating him as well.

  Five men down, seven more to go. My arms stung from my fall, but using my power with my weapon was so euphoric I barely noticed my injuries. Not seeing any other soldats in the vicinity, I snuck along the parapet. When I came to the turret, I flattened my body against the stone wall and peered along the wall walk. Three soldats huddled close together, laughing with one another.

  I’d never be able to fight all three of them at the same time. Thankfully, I had my bo staff and my power. I could—and would—do this to save Anders. I didn’t have to kill these men, just render them unconscious. Remaining in the shadows, I inched closer to the men. After I lifted my weapon, I called on my power and sent it out through the end, striking one, then the other, and then the last man. All three collapsed. My hands shook. That had been too easy.

  Four soldats remained on the rooftop. I needed to move quickly before they noticed men were missing. The sky remained dark; however, I didn’t know when Morlet would wake. Once he did, he would surely feel my presence. Glancing around, I noticed a soldat on top of the watchtower to my right. If my power missed him and struck the stones instead, I’d wake everyone in the castle. I needed to be closer to ensure my aim was accurate.

  Ducking, I ran along the parapet to the base of the tower. I whistled. The man looked over the side, down at me. I shot a larger-than-normal amount of power at his face. He flew backward, landing with a soft thud. Three more men to go. Most likely, they were on the opposite side of the rooftop.

  The cool night air whipped through my hair as I ran to the other end of the roofline. At the tower, I squatted, peeking around the side. Two soldats patrolled the parapet. Lifting my bo staff, I aimed for the nearest one, freeing my power and striking him down. The second man turned toward me, and I hit him with a blast.

  Strong arms wrapped around me. “You sneaky bastard,” the man said. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” He squeezed me, and I gasped with pain, afraid he would crush me to death.

  I slammed my head back against his jaw. His arms slackened, and I rammed my elbow into his stomach. Spinning around to face him, I swung my bo staff at his head, knocking him over. He grabbed my leg, tripping me. I rolled out of his reach.

  He sprang to his feet, cursing as he approached me while I still lay on the ground. He unsheathed his sword and lifted it above my chest, preparing to plunge it into me. Letting go of my weapon, I turned my palms face up, toward him, and released my power. He stumbled, and I grabbed my bo staff. Pointing it at him, I let power flow from me, hitting him until he toppled over, not moving again.

  I counted in my head—he was the twelfth soldat. Crawling to the edge of the rooftop, I glanced over the edge. The men in the courtyard below remained at their posts, oblivious to what had just happened above them.

  ✧

  Standing in an archway hidden in the shadows, I observed the soldats evenly spaced around the perimeter of the courtyard. I refused to let my eyes stray to the fire where Anders lay burning. In order for this to work, I had to be convincing. After strapping my bo staff to my back so it wouldn’t stand out, I sprinted into the courtyard, still wearing the soldat’s tunic. I bent over, heaving deep breaths, trying to keep my face down so no one would realize I was a girl. “Southwest gate,” I yelled, panting. “About a hundred people here to attack the castle.”

  Several of the soldats ran toward me.

  “We’re under attack?” one of them asked.

  “It’s the rebels!” I cried. Five soldats were close enough for me to touch, and the rest were on their way over. I needed to draw them in so no one could get away once I attacked.

  “Is there a message from the king?” one asked.

  “Are we needed at the front gate?” another inquired. A couple of the men moved toward the entrance of the courtyard.

  Everyone was close enough for me to strike. Connecting to my inner power, I shoved it out, wanting to reach all twelve men at once. It wouldn’t be nearly as potent as it would be with my bo staff, but it should be enough to stall them so I could render them unconscious.

  The soldats grabbed their heads in pain, some falling to their knees and crying out. I continued the onslaught, not letting up as I reached back, clasping my weapon. My power flared when I touched my weapon, ready to be released. One man grabbed the hilt of his sword, so I pointed my weapon at him, striking him first. Another lumbered toward me, and I hit him next. One by one, I angled my bo staff at the soldats, releasing just enough to knock them out.

  Once all twelve lay on the ground, I collapsed to my knees, exhausted. The heat from the fire smoldered against my back. I clambered to my feet and rushed over to Anders. He lay amid the fire, screaming, the sound lost in the roar of the flames.

  Something slammed into my head from behind. I fell forward, dropping my bo staff and scraping my palms on the ground, my vision blurring.

  “Who are you?” a man demanded.

  “No one,” I replied.

  “I doubt that seeing how you just rendered my entire squad useless.” He kicked me in the ribs.

  I cried out, pain radiating through my body.

  The man started laughing. “You’re a girl?”

  My bo staff was on the ground behind me. Anders always yelled at me to not lose my weapon in a fight. I imagined him chiding me now.

  “Come here nice and slow,” the man said. “I’ll take you to the dungeon for questioning.”

  “I’ve already been there and have no desire to return.” Stifling my pain, I sprang to my feet.

  He swung, and I ducked, countering by slamming my elbow into his stomach. He grunted and withdrew his sword. This was just like sparring with my father in our apartment.

  “I wanted to do this quietly,” he snarled, swinging his heavy sword at me. I spun out of the way and snatched my bo staff off the ground. Twirling it around, I hit his sword arm. His weapon clanked to the ground. I darted in closer, jamming my bo staff hard and fast into his stomach. When he hunched over, I slammed my weapon against hi
s back. He collapsed, hitting his head on the stone pathway and passing out. Blood trickled from a cut on his head.

  I scanned the courtyard, not seeing anyone else. I turned back to Anders. His face contorted in pain. I didn’t have time to think about what he was experiencing—I needed to get him out of there. There had to be a ward on the flames because, like Anders, the wood wasn’t burning. The last time I reversed a ward, I had to strike it with every ounce of my power. It had completely drained me for several minutes.

  However, when I removed this ward, would Anders burn to death? Would I be too weak to save him? I clutched my bo staff, trying to think this through. How could I destroy the ward while rescuing him from the flames at the same time? It seemed ironic that the fire was constructed on top of a crumbled water fountain.

  One of the soldats stirred on the ground. I needed to hurry. Removing the red tunic, I wrapped it around my right arm in order to protect my skin. I held my weapon in my left hand while readying my right. I only had one shot at this—I couldn’t strike the ward and wait to see if I disabled it because Anders would burn to death.

  On the count of three…

  One…

  Two…

  Three.

  I forced every ounce of power in me to my weapon. Pointing at the base of the flames, I released it. Blue light shot out of the end, striking the flames. I reached my tunic-covered right hand into the fire, grabbing Anders and yanking him, board and all, out of the raging fire. We tumbled to the ground, the board he was attached to smoking. I fumbled with his bindings, untying his arms and legs. The second he was free, I collapsed, my body shaking.

  “Kaia!” Anders cried, his voice hoarse from screaming. “You shouldn’t have risked your life for me. You’re too important.” He wrapped an arm around me, lying next to me on the ground. Tears slid down his cheeks.