I'm used to waiting so I busy myself with thoughts of my child. A beautiful child growing inside Shadowen. Amazing that she is so far along and had not noticed. Yet now when I think about it Shadowen's stomach has grown but I simply haven't thought about it. She is several months along already. I wonder if she will be blessed with her magic early like Shadowen. I know she will definitely be loved and cared for by me. Already I'm aching to be near Shadowen. Shadowen... I call to her.
I'm here. Are you alright? Her voice caresses me.
I'm just missing you my little one. I'm pleased we are still able to have such a strong connection at such a distance. How are you and our child? I ask with longing.
We are just fine. Shade is out with the others and I'm feeling a bit alone. Prince Harridan is going to give me a tour of the castle when it becomes dark.
Shadowen I do not think it wise for you to go anywhere with him.
Why not?
He likes you too much.
Don't be absurd.
Shadowen!
I can handle him just fine.
Shadowen, do not make me jealous of this surface fool. I will kill him should he touch you. My mind wanders over all the ways I could make him suffer if he should touch her.
You should not think such things. I'm your Consort, only yours. Not to mention we are about to have a child. I hardly think he will be interested.
Don't count on it. You are the most beautiful woman there, in fact anywhere.
He doesn't even see my features. You know that. She giggles.
He feels your magic with his and he wants you. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise. I will return as soon as I take care of this matter here.
Reis...
Yes, little one?
I love you.
I love you too.
Don't be too long, I miss you.
I'll be there before you know it.
I lean back into the shadows sighing. I still have more hours than I care to count before I can leave. I do not like the idea of Shadowen being alone with that Prince. No I don't like it at all. I turn my mind inward and concentrate on my surroundings. It's a technique to focus our thoughts and bodies, it will remove any distractions I have of Shadowen right now.
Hours pass swiftly in this meditation and I become alert immediately when my mark appears. I would know him anywhere. My heart slows and my blood becomes cool, a gift to assassins to help us move fluidly. I do move too, swiftly through shadows and darkness. I can feel his heart racing as he hurries. He must feel the threat in the air. Not surprising though, some surface dwellers know when they are being hunted.
He moves through the darkening street but so do I am and I'm far quicker about it as the shadows help me with ease. I seize the opportunity just as he readies his key placing it in the lock of his door. My stov-vo-kiev instantly moves in for the deadly blow. His body stiffens as I make my mark. I feel his body reacting, stunned at the piercing of his heart, and now his life begins to fade as his hand turns the handle of his door. The door opens and as he falls through the doorway. I note a small child, a girl standing waiting to greet him. I slip back into the shadows. The girl's screams fill the air and now I'm moving away from the scene, but her small face and terrified eyes seem to follow me.
I feel nothing at what I've done. It is my job to eliminate threats to the Royal House and yet this somehow feels different. Is it that he has a child and I am now about to have a child? Is this what is sticking in my mind, not allowing the face to leave my mind? Life and death has different meanings in different cultures and I know if I die my soul and shadow will be safe. My soul will be in Shadow Hall and my shadow will... I never thought about my where my shadow will go.
I scold myself; there is no room for doubt. Goddess guide me. I pray to Mysteria even while I move through shadows to the abandoned building. I sway back into the shadows and my mind is reeling of all the possible outcomes. I then hear Shadowen's voice. You are in distress! I will come to you.
No. I'm fine.
You do not feel fine. I am here and I can come to you.
You are not to come. I will be with you soon.
Why do I see the eyes of a child in your heart?
Shadowen...
You are protecting the Royal House. You are protecting me. Do not forget this.
I have not forgotten. Yet for a moment I had forgotten. I tilt my head looking up at the ceiling. I'm lurking deep within the shadows my body poised against the blackened wall. I must return to Shadowen and yet I still have three more marks. I must make them before daylight.
Reis?
Yes little one?
Come back as soon as you can.
I will.
I feel our connection is silent once again. I do not truly understand why I am at peace, but I am. Shadowen is correct I am not just protecting the Royal House, but I am protecting her. My mind and body once again aligns itself with who I am. The Royal Assassin. I do not even hesitate to move within the shadows but suddenly painful energy floods my body with the brightest white light I've ever seen or felt. I'm engulfed in a frantic wash of brightness; my shadows cower as I plummet downward into a blind abyss.
Eighteen
I'm not fully aware of my surroundings. I only know I cannot open my eyes due to the blinding searing pain of light. My magic is stunted somehow and I cannot explain it. I can feel my ankles are firmly bound together along with my wrists behind my back. I'm actually in a kneeling position and when I move I can feel my wrists are even bound to my ankles. I'm grateful that my veil is still in place along with my clothes.
I've heard no sound for the past four hours except the sound of dripping water and even that is making an echoing effect so I cannot truly place where it stems from. I've heard no voices and can smell nothing other than musky odors, which indicates too many possibilities. I have no idea where I am, what I'm doing here and who has done this.
Each time I reach out with my magic I'm engulfed in white searing pain that nearly knocks me out. I can taste the white magic and it's bitter on my tongue because it is death magic. Death magic and life magic doesn't mix well at all. In fact they are total opposites even if both magic is white, or dark. My magic is life magic and there is more than one person with white death magic here over powering me. I'm being assaulted on two fronts the white and the death.
I finally hear footsteps. I try to not use my magic but my other senses, yet I fear I have relied too heavily on my magic and my other senses are dull with non-use. I keep my eyes closed and concentrate. I quickly pick up three distinct foot patterns. One is heavy with a slight limp. The second is soft and feather light. The third is more a shuffling. Now I hear something being dragged across the floor, a chair perhaps. I cannot tell for sure.
Finally a voice, it's thick with an accent that I know, but I can't quite place it. “Allow me to welcome you, Royal Assassin, or may I call you Reis?” I do not reply but I do lift my head slightly. I try to open my eyes but the light is simply too bright and I must quickly close them. “Sorry we have to meet under such circumstances but we must protect ourselves and... it is... what it is.” What does he mean by that?
“I'm sure you have questions so how about I simply try to answer them.” I hear scraping along the floor again and I distinctly here him sit down a short distance in front of me. He then begins speaking again. “I'm sure you want to know where you are, why you're here and who we are. So let's start with the easy part, the beginning.”
Now there is another scrape and I can hear the others sit next to him. One on each side. “I'm not sure you are aware or not, but the Royal House of yours is corrupt. Quite corrupt in fact. We... my colleagues and I leaked some false information to them to see how far up this corruption is and well...” He pauses. “You showed up so we know it's from the top. They would not have sent you unless otherwise.”
I remain silent. I know the Royal House has had its share of problems, just like any of the other houses, but corrupt? I find
that very hard to believe. His voice begins again and now I recognize his accent, Inda. This man is from Inda. Why would anyone from Inda be concerned with Myst and our politics? Or even with the politics of Minia? “Oh please excuse my impoliteness. How is your Consort? Shadowen, isn't it?” My heart stills at the mere mention of her on his lips. My magic flares in anger right along with searing pain. I do not mean to produce any sound but a small snarl does escape my lips.
“Now, now, no need to become angry. I was only asking.”
Through my gritted teeth I hiss at him. “Just say what you've come to say.”
“There, you see. I knew you could speak. I just needed to discover what motivates you. Of course it would be her. So getting to the point. Have you never wondered why your lovely Consort's father is never punished? Have you never wondered how he can get by with his atrocities against her without even so much a warning, reprisal or anything?” I have wondered but I don't want him to know this. I'm also trying to figure out how he knows.
He's quiet a moment, no doubt studying me, he finally says, “Of course you have. Well you need not wonder anymore because today I have the answer for you.” I hear fabric move then I'm met with silence once again. I can hear breathing though. My dull senses are trying to awaken it seems. I smile slightly.
“I'm sorry, looks like I am not to reveal this information yet. I can however tell you that Phantom is corrupt and he has corrupted the Royal House. He has used his daughter on more than one occasion. I will be honest in saying we do not know how he uses her only know that he has. If you had not taken her out of his home when you had we are positive it would be far worse for us than it is now. A war is coming. It has been foreseen and we know Phantom is the one orchestrating it. He is protected and we cannot move against him. So are his corrupted allies in your precious Royal House.” I hear disgust in his tone. “You know as well as we do that all of Myst follow the Royal House. Our ally inside of Myst will not help us or allow us to move against the Royal House unless we remove you and your Consort from danger.”
I hear him stand up along with the others. It is then I feel a slight touch of Mystic magic. It is ever so slight, but now I know the one with the limp is a Mystic. I can sense also the light stepper is an Ikian female. My senses are on full alert now. I can smell them and taste them in my mouth. The Inda man has death magic streaming off him and he is binding the others magic. He must be one powerful man to be able to do this.
“Although I would like to trust you and ask for your assistance in this matter, I cannot. So instead you will remain here as our... guest until we have made our move against your House. Your Consort seems safe enough outside of Myst and to ensure her safety we have sent one of our Mystic operatives to her to watch over her.”
My gut burns and my mouth is bitter again as the death magic swarms over me. “Do not try to escape or we may have to take your Consort as a prisoner instead to have your compliance. Our operative is with her now and he will not hesitate in taking her by force. Either way I expect your obedience. So the question you need to ask yourself is this. Do you want to remain bound or do you want us to bind her like this?”
“I will kill you if you touch her.” I say smoothly.
“Splendid, I take it that you will remain with us for the duration of our little adventure into Myst.” I hear clothing rustle and I'm once again met with pure silence once they leave. I wait and think. But I cannot figure out how to get out and I need to reach Shadowen, I need to warn her. I try to reach out to Shadowen with my magic and I fall over in excruciating pain then nothing but white.
Nineteen
I awaken from a dream of Shadowen and me together in bed. I could almost taste her magic it felt so real as it twirled around me. Her shadows touching, dancing and spinning to a point it brought my darkness to the surface. All the sweet spinning and spinning making me dizzy in love with her and her magic even more. I can hardly believe it has been almost four months since I was captured. I am no longer bound but I'm imprisoned in white death magic. I would not have thought it possible but these people are smart and why wouldn't they be if they have Mystics working with them, helping them.
My bitterness is still real at feeling so betrayed by our own people, but then again I know many Mystics do not consider me a true Mystic due to my Nightelf blood. So betraying me means nothing, but to betray the Royal House? It's madness.
I miss Shadowen so much and I know my child needs me and here I am rotting in this prison of white death. My mind drifts to my unborn child and suddenly I realize that I need to get out of here, my child needs me. She needs my magic or she will not survive. Mystic children are not like Nightelves in that the father of the child must bond with them while in the womb. My daughter needs me and if I'm not released soon Shadowen will have to find another male for her to bond with. My heart aches at the very idea.
I take a long breath and suddenly something feels different today. I can't place what it is but something is just different. I try to sit up but it's like my body is bound. Not a physical binding and not exactly by magic. It's like a presence a... shadow. Yes, yes, a shadow is lying atop me, not exactly holding me down but... I've not used my voice and I fear what it will sound like, “Do I know you?” I ask. I feel it caress my face and lips. My heart speeds up. “Shadowen?” I ask almost afraid to voice my hope and fear. Suddenly it pierces my flesh and it's not gentle as it moves through me until it makes it to my head. Now I hear a soft lulling voice that I recognize as Shade. Open your eyes Royal Assassin and escape.
I open my eyes and I'm suddenly aware of everything. I know the bright death magic is still here. I see clearly all of it but somehow I've been encased in a shadow. It's not a true shadow it's a spell a very powerful spell. I smile as I taste not only Shade but Shadowen in this spell.
I need to move and move quickly. I look around the room and there is light from all directions so a shadow is nowhere to be seen. I raise my arm to block light in front of me and try to produce a shadow but there is light in all directions so it doesn't matter. I simply cannot produce a shadow to move in.
I've had four whole months to plan an escape and now that a real opportunity presents itself I'm still stuck. There was something from my dream... Shadowen was telling me something in my dream. Oh what was it? Spinning?
I turn, and then turn again, then again. I feel the movement stir inside me. I turn again then again and more movement inside of me. The shadows are in the spell! I must spin to release them! Ingenious! I start spinning round and round and I can feel the shadow moving out of my body and the white death magic can't even penetrate it and in an instant my hand is in the shadow and I'm moving fluidly through it to another to another and right now I have no idea where I'm going I only know I'm out of that wretched prison.
My eyes are watering and burning with non-use and even the darkness feels bright to me. But I keep blinking and I'm casting a healing spell and it seems to be helping. Now I stop to get my bearings and I see it is early morning and the sun is about to rise. Damn. I wish it was night. Traveling on the surface in the daylight is exhausting. But I'm sure not going to complain because I am free. I also must hurry to Shadowen. I cannot allow her to be taken by that Mystic operative. The Operative could have been a lie to keep me in place. Yet I do not believe he lied about that and I will not take the chance of him getting Shadowen.
I can tell right away. I am closer to the Dindea Desert than to the Badlands. So this will take me several hours to reach Castle Amai. Crossing desert is much harder than going through the forest lands. My connection to Shadowen is not near as strong as it was even though I am away from the white death magic. I can just barely feel her, but at least I do feel her. I can't feel Shade or anyone else though.
My hands slip easily in the shadows and after an hour I must rest. I'm not quite out of the desert but I do pass through some of the Badlands. I'm giving thanks to Mysteria for allowing me safe passage so far. The surface is very dangerous to us if we are we
ak and right now I'm very weak. I am still having a hard time with my eyes but I start forging ahead again.
I can tell instantly when I touch a shadow within forest it's like a soothing balm of coolness sweeping over me and I immediately feel the excitement of darkness. The canopy of trees protecting me from the sun allowing me to move even swifter all the while I relish the darkness rushing along my skin. I reach a clearing and know the Jenji River is ahead. Rivers can be difficult to cross if you happen to select a shadow under the surface and not above. Water has a way of mirroring our shadows almost perfectly and you need to be sure it's not a reflection you are slipping into.
I take a moment and find just the right one and now I'm on a steady path to Shadowen. I feel her even better and now I'm very unhappy. Her thoughts are not of me but of... Darken. My blood goes cold and I stop right outside the Garden Grove where I know she's at. I move cautiously trying not to alert anyone to my presence. Not even Shadowen. I move within a shadow and I see her now. She is so beautiful and I cannot help but allow my eyes to be drawn downward to her swollen belly. Our child.
Now I look up and see Prince Harridan kneel on one knee before her. I will kill him if he so much as touches her. I can see right away he's trying to woo her. Damn him! Where the hell is Shade! He's supposed to be protecting her! Shadowen gently touches his cheek and my cold blood turns to ice, my heart stops and now I'm in assassin mode, ready to strike. Her voice reaches me though. “Prince, I have told you so many times. I cannot be your consort, only your friend.”
The Royal Assassin: Shadows of Myst Page 15
