Death's Queen (The Complete Series)

by Janeal Falor

  He opens the box and pulls out the pieces. Soon we are set up and playing. I win three out of four games while the night edges in. It's a good way to pass the time, though it feels fruitless with what’s going on outside these walls.

  In the middle of the fifth game, there’s a knock on the door, and cautiously, two guards open it, weapons ready. I can’t help but be glad to see a familiar face.

  “Your Majesty.” Inkga runs over to me, large bag in hand, and kneels on the ground next to me. “Are you all right? I've been so worried since I heard how the crowd was acting.”

  “Please stand, I'm fine.”

  She gets off her knees. “The guard said so, but I had to hear it for myself. What did you need me for?”

  I can't say the real reason. I just needed a friend in all this chaos, but what excuse can I give? “Why don’t you put this room in order so I can spend the night?”

  “Consider it done.” She takes a dress out her bag. “I also brought something for you to change into.”

  I look down at the over-sized disguise I’m still wearing. “Thank you, Inkga.”

  I change and watch Inkga work, trying not to fidget. She does a good job of keeping me company, but it's hard to focus on her words or do anything but wait for what comes next.

  “Tell me what you know,” I tell Inkga as she flits from one place to the other.

  “I'm sorry to say it, but the people are angry with you. The Kurah are upset because of their raised taxes. The Medi and Poruah are upset you keep changing things around, though I heard some say they’re grateful you were honest with them about why changes took place like they did. I don't think anyone expected you to explain yourself.”

  Not even me, if truth be told. “Do you think they'll forgive me?”

  “The Medi and Poruah will with time. The Kurah? I don't know. It's hard to say.”

  She's wiser than I thought. I wish I’d asked for Jem too. I need to reinstate her as my Head Advisor.

  Stird walks in the doorway, followed by an older couple and Wilric. I assume the couple are Stird's parents, but I don't get a chance to find out for sure. Wilric walks up to me and says, “I know where they're holding Nash.”

  Chapter 38

  “Where is he?” My heart feels as if it will thump right out of my chest. “Is he alive or…” Is it just his body? I gulp past the fear.

  “I don't know.”

  “Then we have to hurry. The longer we take to get him, the more likely they are to kill him.” I hop on my feet and head toward the door.

  “There's just one problem.”

  I turn back at the sound of Wilric's voice. “What is it?”

  “The reason I came back—I need more guards. There are over fifty men in the house Nash is in.”

  I give a short, hard gasp. Fifty? That's more than even I can deal with. I round my shoulders. There's no way we'll get him out alive. I straighten.

  At least we can get him out, even if it's just his body. I owe him that much.

  “What about Stird’s parents? How did you get them out?” Maybe we can do the same.

  “He was held in a different spot, nearby but less guarded.”

  Drat. “How did you find out where he is?”

  “I did some reconnaissance around the area before we went in. Saw Nash through a window.”

  I want to ask how he looks, but I don’t dare hear the answer. “He’s alive?” That will have to suffice.

  “I couldn’t tell under the circumstances, but I’m certain it was him.”

  “We're going. Afet, gather as many men as you can get on the sly. We'll do whatever it takes to get him back.” Without crossing any more ethical lines, that is. But we will get him back. Even if he's already gone.

  I choke back my emotions, struggling to get them under control while Afet leaves the room with a, “Yes, my lady.”

  Eldim approaches. I know what he's going to say, and I don't want to hear it. “I'm going. There won’t be enough men to keep me safe, but I need to be there. Need to do this. Nothing you say will make me change my mind.”

  He opens his mouth and closes it again. With a bow, he steps out of my way. I head toward the barracks, wondering if I should send his mother a note. She has a right to know what's going on, especially if I don't survive. Problem is I don't want to take time to write a note. The more time we waste, the more likely Daros is to move Nash.

  “Inkga?”

  “I'm here, Your Majesty.” She hurries forward, pushing her way through the group of guards surrounding me. “How can I be of service?”

  “I need you to go to Nash's family's house. Tell them what’s going on and that I'll do my best to bring him back safely.” I can't bring myself to say he'll probably be dead. They'll have some closure at least. We all will.

  “Consider it done.”

  Before I can say anything further, she’s commandeered four men from the back of my group and is headed in the opposite direction. I send her good wishes. If only there was more I could do for her. For all of us.

  I wish the First Queen was here to reign with her commanding presence, so I'd be even freer to go after Nash. But I'm going to do it anyway. I've done so many stupid things since he was taken. Why not add one more to the list?

  Besides, he's calling to me. I can feel it.

  Wilric is by my side. I say, “They’re going to have a lot of men in there. What else do we need?”

  “Just the guards,” he says. “If we have enough, we can take him. Your Majesty, I hate to say this, but—”

  “I know.”

  “I have to say it anyway. Once they see us coming, they’re unlikely to keep him alive.”

  “I know.” All too well. “We'll have the dark on our side. If we keep as silent as possible…” I'd like to say there's a chance, but really, there's none with Daros in charge.

  “We'll do our best.”

  By the time we make our way to the barracks, a large group of guards is gathered. It would be nice if I had time to change out of my dress, but I don’t—not when lives hang in the balance.

  There are enough men here to take down Daros. He better be at the same place as Nash.

  Wilric gets a report that there are one hundred and three soldiers here. That should do the trick. He leads the group, while Afet and Eldim cushion me in the middle of the soldiers. They were serious about keeping me safe.

  If only it was that easy.

  We march through the city more quietly than I thought we could. I don't glimpse anyone else out and about, but then being stuck in the middle of the group limits my sights. By the time my gaze reaches them, the people are probably hiding, not understanding that we aren't coming after them.

  My people need to know they’re safe, but that'll have to wait. When they realize we didn't attack them, and instead attacked a known culprit, they'll understand. I hope.

  We don't make talk on the walk. It's much too fraught with nerves and danger. I grip my daggers like they're an extension of me. For all purposes tonight, they are.

  We come to a house that looks like any other in the neighborhood, and the guards surround it. It isn't far from where Daros used to live. To think we were that close to Nash all this time and didn't know it. They hid it well when we were looking. That, or they’ve been moving him around.

  How have they gotten away with having so many men and not being noticed by the neighbors? Daros always had people coming and going, but I never knew how he did it.

  Everyone is silent. There's no movement inside. No flickering candlelight. Nothing.

  They have to know we are here.

  They're staying inside, waiting for us to attack one by one. It's the best way to take out larger numbers, and I wish they came out swinging.

  On the signal from Wilric, my men storm the house. The only sound is the clanking of metal and feet moving. Though I have a good number of people on my side around, Afet and Eldim have me hanging back with several other guards.

  Why did I come?
I'm of no use back here, doing nothing.

  Several minutes pass, before I can't take it anymore. “We're going in.” I hurry forward, my guards rushing to keep up.

  Afet says, “Are you certain it's safe, Your Majesty?”

  “Safe enough. We haven't heard a sound since they went in.” Which could mean a lot of things.

  Eldim opens his mouth like he wants to argue, but shuts it again without saying a word.

  Smart man.

  We move into the house, Afet going before me and Eldim after, along with the other guards. Plenty of my people are around the house, though. Two are stationed in the first room we enter. It's a big room, bare of furniture. The large window shows the outside, where three of the five moons shine bright.

  “Send men to the neighbors,” I say. “I want to know if they've noticed any unusual activity here the last few days, and if they know the person or people that live here.”

  “I'll go,” a guard I don't recognize says. Another joins, him and they leave.

  It would be strange if nobody had a clue, with fifty men supposedly being here.

  I move deeper into the house and find more of the same. Blank walls. Uncovered floors. No furniture. It's like no one has ever lived here—or if they have, it's been a long time.

  Footsteps thud down the hall. I pull out my weapons, though it's unlikely to be the enemy, with so many guards about.

  Wilric comes into view. He says nothing about my being in the house. “No one's here. There's evidence that Nash might have been here, though.”

  “What evidence?”

  He grimaces. “I'm not sure you should see it.”

  “Show me.” My tone holds no room for not following orders.

  With a nod, he leads me past an unused kitchen, down some stairs, and into a basement that has several guards with torches. Flickering in the torchlight in the corner are splashes of crimson.

  Blood.

  Nash's most likely. And chunks of brown hair the same color as his. That can’t be good.

  A set of heavy chains hang from the wall, unlocked. And on the opposite wall, a small barred window to the outside.

  Where is he? Why didn't they leave his body behind? And where are the fifty men that were supposed to be here?

  I brace myself against a wall as I stare at the stains on the dirt floor. This shouldn’t have happened.

  There's a patter of feet coming down the stairs. It's the guard who went to speak with the neighbors.

  “What news do you have?” I ask.

  He bows. “They knew something was going on, but thought the neighbors were having lots of parties. Lots of guests. There's been a lot of movement, but they didn't see anyone leave.”

  “Then where are they?” Better yet, where is Nash?

  Chapter 39

  I pace the basement, seeking an answer that doesn't exist. Most of the men are upstairs, going through things. More likely, waiting for me to be ready to go. But I won't be until I find him, even if it’s just his body.

  My stomach churns.

  Afet, Wilric, Julina, and Eldim are down here with me. Watching. Waiting.

  I feel like a bear, trapped in a cage. None of this is doing any good, but the kidnappers can't have disappeared.

  Then it hits me. It could be like the palace, with hidden rooms and halls. No wonder no one saw them go out. No wonder they didn't attract enough attention for guards to come crawling all over the place. There has to be a secret way out of this place, and the sooner I find it, the sooner I'll be on Nash's trail.

  I move to the closest wall and run my hand over the rough wooden beams. “Look for secret entrances.”

  I knock on the wood, looking for a hollow sound. There's a solid thud, like it's got packed earth behind it. I continue knocking all over the entire wall, high and low. If it's here, I will find it. Nothing unusual manifests itself. Nothing to make me think I'm on the right track.

  But then I think of Daros’s secret torture chamber, the one back at his house. The one I was all too familiar with. There has to be something like that here. An exit.

  I cross over to the dried blood on the floor. I've been avoiding the area, but I can't any longer. I have to find the way, even if it means facing things I don't want to face. I keep my gaze away from the stains of rust-colored blood and focus on the wall. Bad move. Now that I'm this close, I see more flecks of scarlet.

  It was as I feared.

  Even in the end, they didn't go easy on him.

  Swallowing the rising bile, I knock on the wood. Then knock again. Hollow. There's something back there. I just have to reach it. I run my hands against the pieces of wood, pressing against it. There are no lines to indicate where the door might be, and I'm not finding any ways to open it. It's almost like magic, but that can't be. People don't use magic in this country.

  So how do I open it?

  I search the area again, more thoroughly.

  There’s a crack that’s cleaner than the rest of the wall. I run my finger along it. I find nothing out of the ordinary until there’s a small bump of a switch. Heart pounding, I press against the wall the same time as I flick the switch.

  The hidden door swings open.

  I glance at the long, dark tunnel revealed before us. The others flock around me.

  Afet says, “I'm going for backup.”

  And I'm going forward, no matter how many men I have to fight with only a few guards. No sense waiting when every second the Daros could be getting farther away. I take a torch from someone next to me, pull out my dagger with my other hand, and hurry forward. The others follow me.

  The way is dank. Dusty. Filled with cobwebs. Nothing here to indicate anyone's been through lately. Maybe I was wrong.

  I bend and let the light shine on the floor.

  Red splotches stain the ground. I touch it with the tips of my fingers. Still wet.

  For the first time since I came to this house, hope fills me. I wish there was a way to know if it’s Nash's or not—to know if he’s still alive and if they’re taking him to his doom. I will get his body back if nothing else.

  I clench my jaw.

  Whatever the case may be, I bolt to my feet and run through the passageway as fast as I dare. It tilts downward, going for some distance. I don't bother checking if there's more blood in the passageway. Whether there is or isn't, it doesn't change my destination.

  Spider webs tug at my skin. I brush them away with the back of my dagger hand and press forward.

  “Maybe we should go back,” Eldim says from behind me. “Or send someone else in our place.”

  “At least let one of us go first,” Wilric adds when I don't respond.

  “It'll be fine.” It has to be. I need it to be. I can't give the kidnappers another minute to get away.

  We continue, the path tilting up slightly now. And then we come to a dead end. I hit the dirt wall. Nothing but earth. I try the walls on each side, but they're as solid as the first. What now?

  “Any ideas?” I ask.

  “Turn back,” Afet says.

  I ignore him. He has my best interest at heart, but I have to press on. Only there is nowhere to press on to.

  I want to punch something, but that wouldn't help me get any closer. There's a light tread of noise. I glance around. It wasn't one of my men. It comes again, louder this time. I look up. Why didn't I think to try above me?

  If I try now, though, someone will be waiting for me when I pop up. My guards stare up at the ceiling. They must know to stay quiet, because none of them say a thing despite the continued noise from above.

  That noise could be one of the people holding Nash. The thought spurs me forward. I don't care if they're waiting for me or not. If they have Nash and haven't killed him yet, there's a chance I can save him.

  It's a small hope, but I grasp onto it.

  With a torch still held in one hand and a dagger in the other, I turn sideways and shove on the boards above me. Because they are boards. I don't know how I misse
d it before. They go flying open.

  “We're under attack,” a female voice calls above me.

  Before our opponents get any farther, I jump up and shove myself over the side, throwing my torch ahead of me and using its flame to drive them away. My right hand takes a cut, but nothing deep. After me, a guard tries to scurry to where I am.

  It's dark up here. Once on my feet, I grab my torch again. As soon as I swing it upward, there's a young woman diving for my face.

  I block her with my dagger, blood seeping down the back of my hand. She grins like I gave her a prize. A girl after my own heart.

  “Are you sure you don't want to fight on my side?” I ask.

  “Why? So you can oppress us all with your rules?”

  I slash at her with my dagger. “Rules your master told me to enforce. I've only made them as they are because of him.”

  She sneers. “You know nothing.”

  My guards storm up the room, attacking others around them. It’s tight with bodies and blades. They had better be trained well enough to handle a job such as this.

  With a quick thrust, the girl dives in toward me, sword in hand. I block it, smirking. “I don't, do I? Except how to beat you. Your left side is weak, and your swordsmanship is sloppy.”

  “Like you would know.”

  She comes at me, full force. I easily step aside and smash the hilt of my dagger into her head. She falls to the ground.

  “I know all when it comes to fighting,” I say. With a few more swipes across her head, she finally goes unconscious.

  There's plenty more struggling going on—my guards fight people in Medi clothes. It's hard to tell who's going to win at this point. My reinforcements better arrive soon. I whirl my torch around the room, trying to decide who needs my help the most when I spot someone with a shaved head, covered in blood.

  Someone I would recognize, no matter what they did to him.

  My heart stops.

  Nash.

  Chapter 40

  I run toward him, but a man with a giant sword steps between us.

  “Little girl, you better run home to your momma.”