“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
“What’s the point in staying? We’re not getting in, you heard the soldier at the gates,” Ocken said, pointing in that general direction.
“What happened to ‘Not taking no for an answer,’ ‘being strong,’ and ‘holding my ground?’ ” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Are you just going to give up so easily?”
“Sometimes it’s not worth the fight,” Ocken said.
Riley’s lips puffed up and her breath turned ragged as a tear threatened to streak down her face. She stormed from the room leaving Ocken speechless.
CHAPTER IV
Riley stomped across the porch and down the steps. The sun had dipped beyond the horizon and the sky was darkening with each passing minute. She sat down on a stump and sulked in frustration.
Pulling the stone from her pocket, Riley turned it over in her hand.
All this trouble over a silly stone, she thought.
Sure, it was pretty, but was it really worth everything it had cost her? Why had her mother entrusted this to her? Why had she not been told about it sooner? What was the big deal anyway?
The answers mattered little. Her mother gave her life to protect it, and Riley would honor her death by upholding her mother’s wishes to keep it safe. She knew Ocken wanted the same thing, but how could he know what she felt? He hadn’t just lost the only person who ever meant anything to him.
There had to be a way to get inside the abbey and speak to Lady Yesenia.
“Hurry up, Eugene,” a voice called.
Riley looked up from the stone and followed the sound of the voice. The farmer across the road fastened his wagon to two horses. A lanky boy about Riley’s age bumbled around loading the last of the farmer’s crops onto the wagon and covering it with a tarp that stretched the whole length of it.
“We’re running behind,” the farmer said. “We’ve got to get up to the abbey before the last light of the sun disappears for the night.”
The abbey? Riley thought.
They were going to the abbey? What was it the soldier had told Ocken? The only people who got in were essential deliveries?
An idea popped into her head. Riley glanced back at the old woman’s house. She should tell Ocken about the farmer, but there was no time. The farmer and the boy, Eugene, were climbing up into the driver’s seat of the wagon.
Without another moment’s hesitation, Riley slipped the stone in her pocket and darted across the road. She lifted the tarp as quietly as she could and slipped inside the wagon along with the farmer’s delivery.
A second later, the wagon lurched forward. Riley’s heart beat heavy in her chest and her breathing was ragged. She took big, deep breaths to calm herself down. She couldn’t be discovered. This was her only shot to get inside that fortress.
The wagon hit a huge bump and the stack of crates next to her toppled, one of them slamming into her hand. She hissed in pain, but didn’t cry out. She pulled out her hand and it teetered precariously, leaning up against the other crate, but threatening to spill its contents.
“Whoa, there,” the farmer said as the wagon came to a stop. “Don’t want to bruise the apples. Fix that crate, my boy.”
Panic flooded through Riley.
Boots hit the ground up ahead of her. She gave the crate a nudge, and the back end fell free, leveling out upright in the cart.
“Never mind,” the farmer said. “Must have come loose on its own. Get back up here, quick.”
Wood groaned and the wagon leaned slightly as the boy climbed back aboard and they were off again.
Five minutes later the wagon came to a stop again.
“You’re late, Milton,” a gruff voice said. Riley recognized it as the soldier from the abbey gates.
“Gah,” the farmer replied. “Day straight out of your nightmares it’s been.”
The soldier snorted. “Well, let’s have a look, shall we?”
Riley’s heart caught in her throat. Being discovered by the farmer was one thing, but by the soldiers at the gate? She’d be thrown in prison for sure.
“Gah,” the farmer said again. “Don’t got time for that right now. Same delivery as always. I’m already in enough trouble as is. You know how Gladice gets when she’s got to hang ’round on account of me running late.”
There was a brief pause. Riley held her breath, hoping beyond hope.
“All right,” the soldier said. “Go on through, but you’ll have more to worry about than Gladice if you show up this late again.”
The farmer didn’t reply. Metal clinking accompanied the rising gate and the wagon once again began to roll forward.
Riley tried to calm her beating heart. She would be the youngest person to die of a heart attack if there were any more surprises.
When the sounds of the gate receded off into the distance, Riley lifted up the end of the tarp and peeked out. The sun had given way to darkness and Riley could see little beyond her hiding place.
She couldn’t wait any longer and slipped from the wagon before it reached its destination. With any luck, her unaware benefactors would be none the wiser.
Another problem presented itself. Riley had never been to Celesti. She didn’t know how to get inside the abbey itself nor where to find Lady Yesenia inside. Surely her reception hours were long past, if any were even being held with the gates closed.
Based on the small, city-within-the-city that Riley now found herself in, she imagined there would be plenty of nobles to entertain despite the lockdown. Buildings rose up all around her. The streets zigzagged up the side of the mountain.
After three levels of structures, the road continued up even farther, ending at the abbey standing tall at the top of the hill, nestled against the mountain walls.
At least she knew how to find the abbey.
The wagon continued down a different street. Where it headed, Riley didn’t know, but it wasn’t going up to the top of the mountain.
Riley clung to shadows as she followed the road upward. Her caution proved to be pointless, though, as she found the streets deserted. The abbey loomed closer the higher she climbed, its grand spires towering high into the sky. An odd feeling filled her heart.
Riley thought she would feel pride or accomplishment. She had breached the gates. She’d gotten closer to their goal. But instead, her hands shook and her heartbeat increased.
What was she doing? What was she even supposed to say to Lady Yesenia if she found her? Ocken was the one with the plans. She’d foolhardily rushed in without considering her next moves.
She was in too deep to back out now.
Riley pushed aside the fear and remembered why she’d come. Her hand gripped the stone in her pocket. She was here for her mother. She was here to fulfill her dying wish to protect the stone.
The slope leveled out as the road reached the abbey grounds. The soft, rhythmic pattern of boots on the ground drifted in on the wind.
Riley ducked in low behind an outcropping of stone alongside the mountain. The patrolman strolled by oblivious to Riley’s position.
She waited for him to leave then slipped out from her hiding spot and entered the abbey. She hadn’t gone a step inside the hall before another set of footsteps drew closer.
Riley didn’t think she could keep getting lucky, so instead of hiding, she moved in the opposite direction of the sounds as fast as she could. She took a right turn, then a left. She ascended a set of stairs and went down a hallway.
Riley was well and truly lost, but she was safe… for the moment. She took a deep breath then wandered around the abbey, going door to door. It probably wasn’t the wisest tactic, but it was her only tactic.
Eventually she would find Lady Yesenia, whether in her chambers, an audience hall, or at dinner. She would find her or be jailed in the process. There was no other option for her.
Pulling down on a door handle, Riley eased open the door and peered inside. A grand sitting room greeted her, dirty and dusty with white
sheets everywhere. At first, she assumed it was some unused wing of the abbey, but then she saw the paintbrushes, the ladders, and the tools. Lady Yesenia was renovating this room.
Riley didn’t know much about renovations, but she did know one thing: the room must have been important. That meant that she was likely close to Lady Yesenia’s chambers.
Two more doors and Riley found it. The sitting room paled in comparison to Yesenia’s private chambers. Riley was used to finery. She was a princess after all, but the Haerford queens lived like paupers compared to the Lady of the Celestian court.
Riley crept throughout the whole room, but Yesenia was nowhere to be found. She weighed her options. She could leave and continue her search or wait until Lady Yesenia returned. Riley opted for the latter.
She pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. She crossed her legs and tapped her knee with her finger. Before a minute could pass, she was on her feet again. She’d never been one for sitting still, much to the dismay of her etiquette instructor, Hilda.
An open chest of jewelry sat upon the bureau inviting her curious eyes. Riley bounded over and began digging through the chest’s contents.
Gold necklaces, silver earrings, diamond rings, ruby amulets, sapphire bracelets… everything a young girl could imagine. She picked up one of the rings and slid it onto her finger. A perfect fit! She held it out at arm’s-length and splayed her fingers.
The door swung open and Riley jumped back away from the chest.
“Who are you?” a woman Riley assumed to be Yesenia said. Her eyes drifted to the diamond ring and went wide. “Thief! Guards!”
Riley wrenched the ring from her finger and tossed it back on the bureau then held up her hands. “Whoa! Hold on. I have an important message for you.”
Yesenia scoffed. “Messengers do not steal from their superiors.”
“I wasn’t stealing it. I promise. I—” Riley shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I bring news from Berxley. The queen is dead. Shadowhold is on the move and it’s only a matter of time before Celesti comes under siege. You must send for aide. You must rally your defenses.”
Yesenia’s eyes grew wider yet. Then they narrowed. “Who are you that I should believe you? You would purport to bring me important news all the while stealing from under my nose and you expect me to heed your warning?”
“I am not trying to steal from you. Look,” Riley said, pulling the Soul Render from her pocket. “This is—”
Yesenia gasped. “A soul stone.”
“My mother gave it to me and told me to protect it with my life,” Riley said. “I must keep this out of the hands of King Drygo at all costs.”
“Your mother?” Yesenia asked.
Riley cursed herself. Ocken had given a false name for her earlier. He must have had his reasons for doing so and now she’d betrayed her only secret so readily.
“Yes,” she said. “My name is Riley Haerford, daughter of Queen—no. I guess I am now the queen of Berxley, or what’s left of it.”
“My dear child,” Yesenia said, suddenly dropping her aggressive stance and wrapping her arms around Riley. “Word has reached us of Berxley’s fall. I am so terribly sorry for your loss. How can you be so sure that Drygo is heading any farther inland? What makes you think he targets Celesti?”
“All due respect, ma’am,” Riley said. “Drygo is ruthless. He killed my mother, destroyed my home, and attacked my people all in the name of getting what he wants. He won’t stop until he has it. He will find me. He may already know I’m here. He and his army could be marching here this very minute.”
Yesenia thrust Riley out at arm’s-length and gripped her tight, her visage hardening once more. “Foolish child! What have you done? It is not enough for your cultish family to doom your own kingdom, but now you’ll jeopardize mine? Guards!”
“No… wait!” Riley said, but it was too late.
Four armed guards spilled into the room with their weapons drawn.
CHAPTER V
Ocken sat at the dinner table, bouncing his knee. The chair scraped across the floor as he pushed himself away from the table and stood.
“That’s it,” Ocken said. “I can’t take this anymore. I’m going out there.”
He walked to the door with purpose, pushed it open, and jogged down the steps of the house.
“Look, Ri, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Ocken said. “I just—
Ocken looked around but he didn’t see Riley anywhere.
“Ri?” he asked.
He took a tentative step forward and then another.
“Riley?” he asked, louder.
Ocken’s heart began to beat a little faster. He jogged around the house and checked the property lines. Cupping his hands to his mouth he yelled, “Riley!”
Hinges creaked and the door smacked against the doorframe. Ocken spun around to regard the old woman.
“She’s gone, hasn’t she?” the woman asked.
“No, no, no, no,” Ocken muttered to himself. He glanced at the old woman and said, “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” There was a pause. “You’ve got a real firebrand on your hands,” she added with a chuckle. “Good luck.”
Ocken wasted no time. There was only one place Riley would have gone. He backtracked to the road they had taken just hours earlier and drew nearer to the abbey gates.
It was dark, and Ocken didn’t want to be mistaken for an intruder, so he stopped just inside the tree line to catch his breath and calm down. He was just about to advance on the gate when a pair of soldiers ran up in a hurry and addressed the two on duty.
“Jasper, Jonah,” one of them said, “Lady Yesenia demands your presence immediately.”
“Why? What is it this time?” Jasper snapped.
“Word is some girl slipped through the gates on your watch,” the man said.
“My watch?” Jasper retorted. “How’s she for knowing when this happened, if it happened at all? I haven’t seen anything suspicious.”
“I’m thinking that’s the point,” the man replied. “Best hurry along now or it’ll be your heads.”
Ocken shrunk back into the safety of the trees and cursed.
That’s got to be Riley, he thought. What’s she gotten herself into?
Now what could he do? He had no idea how Riley made it past the gates let alone how a man of his size could accomplish such a feat without being seen. One thing was certain, though, he had to find a way in and get her.
Only one thought came to mind and he didn’t like it one bit. She wouldn’t either, but he had to do it. He might hate himself—she might hate him—but he had no other options.
Ocken left the abbey gates behind and returned to the city.
Where was it? I was walking here and—
Ocken stopped and stared down a narrow alley to a house beyond. A soft, warm light filled the windows on the ground floor. Ocken closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Was he really going to do this?
Yes, he decided.
Riley’s life could very well depend on him pushing aside his pain and potentially causing more. But heartbreak was nothing compared to what might be happening to Riley.
Ocken proceeded down the alley, opened a small gate around the house and walked up to the door. Raising his fist, he hesitated then gave a light rap against the pinewood door.
“I’ll get it,” a female voice said—Khate’s voice. Ocken hadn’t heard it in nearly five years. It was as sweet today as it was back then. She continued, “You put the children to bed and I’ll be along for goodnight kisses in a minute.”
A man issued a playful roar and children squealed in delight. Heavy thuds like a stampede of horses ran up the stairs. The sounds quieted just before the door swung open.
“Can I help—?”
The broom Khate was holding clattered to the floor. His eyes met hers and they both stood there speechless.
Ocken opened his mouth but Khate rushed forward. Placing her forearm on h
is chest she shoved him against the wall of her house.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “How did you find me?”
“It’s good to see you, too,” Ocken said.
“I wish I could say the same, but I can’t,” Khate said. “Now answer the question.”
“That answer is going to take more time than either you or I have,” Ocken stated.
“Fine, tell me what you want,” Khate said. “You’ve got three minutes.”
“There’s another stone,” Ocken told her.
“What do I care?” Khate asked. “Two minutes.”
“The girl who has it is being held captive by Lady Yesenia,” Ocken explained. “I need to get into the abbey and rescue her.”
“I want nothing to do with this, Ocken,” she said, letting go of him. “I’ve found a new life here. I’ve left the old one behind. Whatever it is you’re doing here, leave me out of it.”
“Drygo knows about the stone. He’s after her. He’s probably on his way here right now,” Ocken said. “Like it or not, your old life will find you. You can’t ignore who you are forever.”
“Who I was is of no great importance. What good can the sister of a dead queen do?” Khate asked. “But who I am now? I’m a wife, and a mother. I have responsibilities, and I’ll not put my family in danger for your crazy quests.”
“I—”
“Honey!” her husband called from upstairs. “Are you coming to say goodnight?”
“Look, I’ve got to go,” she said walking back inside the house. “It was good to see you again,” she added with a forced smile as she slammed the door in his face.
***
Riley sat in the corner of a cold, dank prison. Lady Yesenia wasted no time. She had apprehended Riley, stole the Soul Render, and stuck her in here to rot.
All hope seemed lost. Riley wanted to cry, but no tears would come. So she sat there. Consumed with replaying everything over and over again in her mind. She saw her mother, the stone being placed in her hand, the castle falling into the ocean, Ocken rescuing her from Callum, her sneaking into the Lady Yesenia’s office, and that witch stealing the one piece of her mother she still had.
Soul Siphon: Set includes four books: Midnight Blade, Kingsbane, Ash and Steel, Sentinels of the Stone (Soul Stones) Page 21
