by Farah Cook
“The weapons are just designed to kill.” I say, “and trust me the new Emperor’s list of enemies is long.”
“Magnus has not yet been crowned Emperor –” says Karen. “When he is Emperor I only hope, he doesn’t hide inside the palace like Empress Benedikte did.”
“He’ll never do that.” I say. “You know nothing…”
“I know enough,” says Karen. “I know he cares about you, but I am not sure you care… do you?”
I stop and think of Frederick. The feelings I suppress every day for him rage inside me. If I ever come face to face with Frederick again what will I do? What would he do? I face a doomed fate, this I know now.
“I care, but not the way you think—”
Karen turns to face me hard. Her eyes are wide and dangerous.
“Do not be fooled by the Verans. They cast evil spells – black magic and manipulation. Wilhelm’s son—”
“No,” I say. “I’d have known.”
“Love is a drug, but you’re not drugged you’re drowning and for the wrong reasons. Nora, contain your heart or you stand to lose everything.”
Who has she been talking to? I’m convinced Allan has a hand in this. How would she otherwise know about Frederick? Karen wants something from me. Commitment. I can feel she’s afraid I will follow in my dad’s footsteps. She’s already lost a husband, and doesn’t want her only daughter to defy the obligation that was bestowed upon me.
“How much time do I have to get out of the death spell?”
“That depends,” she says, “how badly do you want to kill Maja?"
16
THE MASQUERADE BALL takes place inside the marble hall in Slotsplads – a lavish annual event to celebrate the City of Skies’ rise from the ashes to create a world for high society. Karen has brought me along as her guest. All the important people from the senate will be there – the chancellors, embedsmen and the Sovereign Republic and some highly-respected members of society, not to mention lords and ladies, and I am sure the Lumini Lords will be present and in disguise.
My gut tells me it’s a bad idea to be at the masquerade ball so soon after the event in the towers. A sudden confrontation with Maja could get ugly if she decided to show up. All I really want is to speak with her. Then kill her.
Magnus dismissed the incident at the towers as an accident, and has through his acquired knowledge from the late Empress frozen the death curse for a day. Once the curse is reactivated, death will follow me more closely than my own shadow.
It’s been fourteen days since Empress Benedikte died and the palace is transformed. There are guards at every corner and security is tight with cameras and spies. With Magnus, soon to be appointed Emperor it’s in his interest to increase security at the palace. It is said that until recently the hallways were empty, but now they buzz with helpers.
His enemies have made it clear they want him dead. But Magnus is making every attempt to make his mark. No, he will not hide. He’s fighting back. He’s determined to become Emperor of the Triangle, and reinforce forgotten traditions that are no longer expected from the Empire – although he’s at high risk of being murdered only because people know he’s different. He’d want to take his duty serious, and that means he will pose a threat to the Republic.
Whispers of plots against him, and rebel groups in the inner circles of the West division began forming the day he was named Emperor. His official crowning has been delayed till further notice. He doesn’t feel safe and may have seen something in Odin’s wandering eye.
The Empire has never been popular, and was something of a redundant function for years attracting curiosity over anything else. An unbroken line of Viking Emperors and Empresses has survived through alliances to hold on to the Empire’s elite position. The only loyal servants to the Empire are their own kind, the Goths. Some were knighted raiders and they serve their true Empire, which has benefitted from many raids, bringing them the wealth and glamour they enjoy today, including the famous Ruhni diamond – a precious stone to be placed in Magnus’s future crown.
If the powerful Viking assassin weapons fall into the hands of the Empire, things will turn around. No longer will they have to bow to the Republic.
Inside the marble ballroom people are dressed in feather boas, funny-shaped hats and long gowns. I wear a black lace dress and a mask that covers most of my face. My outfit is decorated with heavy golden accessories. Around the lapels and cuffs hangs white lace in ruffles. My ivory-colored brocade is visible underneath the high collar of my dress.
I feel uncomfortable, but figured no one will recognize me underneath the sparkles and glitter. I wear black matching gloves and a tall and lavish silver wig. I had to convince Karen that my disguise has to be believable. She didn’t want me to join her in the first place and when she finally agreed the dresses she chose were too low cut at the back and would have revealed my tattoo. Beautiful and spectacular dresses, which had me thinking that some women go to extreme lengths to appear attractive and mysterious. I want to avoid both.
I peek out from behind my striking black mask, bejeweled and patterned with embossed swirls and a white feather hanging from one side. The mask sits molded to my face, revealing the tip of my nose and chin. I lower my gaze, and avoid direct eye contact with anyone, in case it reveals my identity.
Tonight, my mission is to kill Maja, in the subtlest possible way if my path crosses hers. My sword sits in a golden scabbard at my side. Acting as a matching accessory, no one has noticed this centuries-old weapon I carry with me. Am I nervous? No. I’m afraid that my cover will blow and everyone will know who I am.
Taking someone’s life is a heavy burden to carry. How do you forget a kill? As Judith, I’m coming to terms with what I have become. There’s no denying it and before I grow too comfortable in my new skin as an assassin I want to make sure it is something I will be able to live with. It was not as if I had a choice.
I scan the room, but I don’t see anyone I recognize. Karen has given me a new advanced chip that gives cues and picks up senses from people that are registered in my memory. The chip is also able to catch signals from in the Forbidden Ares. The only person the chip doesn’t pick up cues from is Frederick. I wonder why that is. Have I really suppressed him so much that he doesn’t connect with my emotions?
Hurt and wounded from Maja’s betrayal, I’m not going to give up easily. Before I kill her, I will give her the option to explain herself.
If Magnus is right and it is his love she’s hungry for, I’ll have neither mercy nor kindness. To kill for love is cowardly, and is not something an Elite Raider would be caught doing. We are not exactly known for our soft side and feelings.
Magnus sounds certain in his theory, but I am convinced there’s a bigger explanation behind her motives for killing me.
I skirt the edge of the checkerboard floor drawing as little attention to myself as possible. Curious eyes follow me – a group of guests wearing black cloaks and oddly shaped masks stare me down. Some of their masks are pale white, others are golden, and each has either an expression of horror, tragedy or comedy.
There are very few things that scare me, but looking at the masked group from a distance doesn’t just scare me, it freaks me out. I do not hear their thoughts, or read their minds through my heightened senses. They’re silent as graves with an ice-cold presence looming over them. Karen takes my arm and sweeps me away.
She looks stunning in her long blue lace dress. Her blond hair spills like sunflowers over her slender shoulders. The fine lines around her mouth, eyes and forehead make her graceful ageing visible. We walk toward the table with all sorts of fancy nibbles and colorful drinks.
Karen whispers delicately into my ear. “Stay away from the seven Lumini Lords.”
They are powerful and the older members see and hear everything. Some say they even read the future. Their combined powers are strong enough to manipulate all commoners in the Triangle, but they’re not powerful enough to control Goths and only w
eaken their positon, which they have continuously held for the past one hundred years. I turn my back and feel my heart racing as the sweat creeps onto my skin under the tight fabric pressed against my limbs. They’re on to me.
“What do I do now?” I whisper through gritted teeth.
“To the left, see those large glass doors? They’ll lead you out to the rose garden,” says Karen. “Leave now before they break into your mind and blow your cover.” I take a blue bubbly drink into my hand and zigzag my way through the masked crowd. The opulent affair is just getting started as lavishly dressed guests pour into the marble ballroom.
Out in the rose garden, I sit on a stone bench and loosen the pins in my hair. I dare to take off my wig and put it to one side, swirling my hair loose. The night is silent, and the moon clear and bright, bathing in its own beauty. I take a sip of my drink, but immediately spit it out.
“You are beginning to surprise me, Nora,” I turn around and creep in a smile.
“Why aren’t you in there dressed up like all the other fools?” Magnus squares his jaw and laughs. “One thing I admire you for is your bravery. It’s the reason I chose you. By Odin, you are fearless. To dare to come here after all that’s happened to you can only mean one thing.” Magnus turns his face away from mine. I take off my ridiculous mask and throw it away. “I knew you had it in you. Killer instinct.”
“Look at me, Magnus! Look into my eyes and tell me what you see?”
“I see great potential,” says Magnus.
“I didn’t ask to lead the Jarl Dynasty, but still you trust me.”
He nods coming closer to me now, so close that I smell his scent.
“There are codes and ethics you must follow. We don’t usually give responsibility to raiders that are from a different division. I’ve made a generous delegation. You have what it takes to lead, but you have to make a decision and pull the Judith out of your mind, Nora.”
“Being a Judith has nothing to do with it. I’m a Goth at heart.”
“But not a Veran. To defeat the enemy, you have to blend in. That’s how our clan stayed alive all this time and the only reason we’re not exposed. We’ve trained our minds to adjust and be just like them.”
“We’re weaker than our opponent. That is what corrupted Maja, I believe.”
“That’s another reason,” says Magnus. “But I’ve known Maja my entire life. I’ve gauged her thoughts and every emotion. She’s guilty,” Magnus sighs heavily.
“She will pay for what she did,” I say. “There’s no denying that, but I still want her to tell me to my face why she did it.”
“Blood is thicker than water, Nora. Goths stick together. We’re evolving as a powerful clan, and we must protect our interests. Maja may have had other expectations and got sick of waiting for the Empire to gain its power back, but things are changing for us. She’ll not live to see the day when we become mighty again.”
“Because you trust me,” I say. Magnus furrows his eyebrows. His face shines under the starry night sky.
“The only reason you were chosen by the gods is they must have seen something else in you. A great potential – and that killing runs through your veins. You’re a natural-born Viking warrior. Not only were you raised a savage among tribal hippies in the East, but you descend from a line of Viking assassins.” I feel offended by Magnus’s sudden condescending remarks. I thought that’s what he liked about me. Was I wrong?
“That’s all you see me as? A killer?” He takes my hand into his and removes my gloves. His hands are soft with rough edges.
“We’re on the brink of losing everything and you are the only one who can make a difference because you were gifted by the gods and come from a line of assassins. Our dynasty could face destruction because of the mistake Maja made. She’s a traitor. Odin’s eye revealed her. Like your ancestors, you have to serve and protect your own kind.”
“Serve and protect?” I swallow hard thinking, what if I don’t? Will I disappoint my clan and become a traitor too? Easy for Maja to break out of the mold, she was never our kind. But my fate was written on my back before I was born. There’s no escape.
A loud screaming escalates from the marble ballroom and rings in my ears. I stare pointblank at Magnus who turns and runs out of the rose garden and I find myself sprinting right behind him. The Rognvald Raiders have entered the ballroom and it’s Frederick – he’s been hurt.
“Help him, Father!” screams Tommy, Frederick’s brother and takes off his mask. I haven’t seen Tommy since Dock Harbor. He looks different. Like he’s grown up somehow.
Frederick drops to the floor and Tommy holds his head in his lap. Lord Wilhelm rushes to the floor, where Frederick’s thick blood keeps pouring out from his chest. He’s gasping for air, counting his breaths. The other Raiders stand motionless, with faces stern. Among them, Peter and Mona. And the two Nesferati, Nanna and Diana.
My heart tightens beneath my lungs. This can’t be. He can’t be dying.
“Frederick?” I scream and reach out to him. He looks at me once and shuts his eyes. Lord Wilhelm carries his fading body out of the room making a rash escape. The raiders follow him like an army. The expedition… he’s been wounded badly. His chest had a large scratch mark. Did they enter the Shadow Forest? What did they find and what did they see?
All eyes fall onto me after the emptiness Frederick leaves behind. I feel exposed and quickly compose myself and take a deep breath and stand tall. Now I see some of the faces, as their masks drop. I spy with my little eyes and see Maja standing behind tall frames. Her eyes are charcoal and deadly – ready to rip the flesh away from my bones.
“Get her!” whispers Magnus. “And don’t let anyone see you.” I sense his irritation. My display of public affection for my enemy was witnessed by many and I am afraid of what it means. I eliminate the thoughts of Frederick from my mind, but that’s not easy, my soul is shaken and my heart, my heart is in a coma.
Maja suddenly makes a move to leave. She is faster than the wind, but I am on her tail. She’s dressed in a long green gown and white-feathered mask.
I make a quick jump forward almost flying, which surprises me. In hostile environments, my senses take over and my powers become uncontrollable. Tove is right behind me and takes out her long leather whip, and Tene follows with her daggers.
“No!” I say. “This is between Maja and me.” I leave them behind and run out in the rose garden looking for her. She’s standing still next to the maze with her back to me. Slowly she unclenches her fists and turns to her side. The look in Maja’s eyes is grave, and much to my surprise she doesn’t pull out her raider weapon.
In fast motion Maja rips away her dress and underneath it she wears all black attire. She takes out her bow and arrow, aiming at me. She shoots the first arrow and immediately afterwards the next comes darting in my direction.
I grab hold of the arrows, one in each of my hands. My reflexes are very fast. I tear the lace ruffles away from my dress and shoot out the poisonous bolts from my wrists, aiming for her neck. But I miss. I jump as high as I can and take hold of the large tree branch hanging over me. I swing around it and jump again, landing on my feet inches from Maja.
“See if you can dodge this,” she shoves the palm of her hand hard against my chest so I’m pushed into the tree trunk behind me. I’m flat on the ground and before I get up, Maja grabs hold of my arm and swings me around. I stagger backwards, hitting my head on the ground. She’s stronger than I thought. I jerk to my feet aiming my poisonous arrows at her shoulder, but she lowers her body. My hand shifts and lands on the ground. She grabs my arm, but I twist it to release her firm grip.
We roll onto the ground, and I lay flat on my front. She’s wiggled to her side. For a brief moment, we exchange mock-impressed glances.
“Why did you do it?” I ask in a high tone. “Why did you betray me? I trusted you. You were my friend.” Maja quivers a suppressed mirth.
“You can’t have it all, Nora Hunt,” she fires at
me. “The Emperor, the enemy and the dynasty. What have you done to earn any of it? Nothing. I’ve sacrificed my life for the Goths, and what do I get?”
“Maja, it doesn’t have to be that way,” I say. “Take back the death curse, and I will make your death less painful.” She gives me a resentful glare.
“Silly choices are made in time of distress,” she says, “But my choice to get rid of you is conscious. The curse is from an ancient spell book of the trolls in Norumb. Why don’t you see if you can break the spell?” She stretches her fingers towards me, and whispers something in old Norse. A stabbing pain hits my forehead. I take my head into my hands. The venomous pulse of the pain travels through my body and settles between my eyes, and makes me lose focus on everything.
Maja laughs viciously, her spell is stronger and the pain has left me paralyzed. I don’t know if I am dying, but the pain feels like slow death. She crawls up the stone wall that leads into one of the towers. The walls are covered in roses and she scratches her wrist against the thorns. The leaves catch her blood and she climbs into the narrow window and is gone.
Tene, Tove and Magnus run toward me. My body turns numb and I shiver violently, crossing my arms over my chest. The thick summer air feels heavy carrying me to the ground like a soft cushion. Magnus towers over me. His lips are sealed, and eyes wide open. I hear his thoughts loud and clear speaking inside my head.
Don’t give up, Nora! You can’t, because I love you.
17
WHEN I WAKE up the soft summer light pinches my eyes. I’m in a white room, in a soft bed. The springs dig into my spine and my body longs for the hard wooden floors. The wind rustles through the limp curtains and I know where I am. I crane my neck. It’s a large room, nearly empty and I notice a bed next to me with Karen asleep in it.
