The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

  “You and Hinju are related, which therefore makes him related to Solus.”

  Kinaju kept his mouth wide open, his eyes bigger than the smile that he wore around those that deserved it. “How in the world did you catch on to that?”

  “Do you assume that royalty means stupidity or density? Because I think I’m inclined to slap you once I’m out of this cell if you do.” Kinaju quickly shook his head. “I just figured that there was some deep bond between you and Hinju because you seem closer than most other members of the Order of Helix. It’s like you’re his right-hand man.”

  “His son, actually,” Kinaju admitted sheepishly. “Youngest of three.”

  Leilana leaned back against the cage as if catching her breath. “I didn’t anticipate that you were his son.” Kinaju narrowed his gaze, his smirk ever present. So, the big talk was halfhearted. He’d considered as much coming from her. “So Solus is Hinju’s son.”

  “Yep,” Kinaju said simply.

  “And you don’t have magic, but Solus does.”

  “Yep,” Kinaju repeated.

  “And he’s a Necromancer.”

  “The only one from our clan’s lineage. That makes him the land’s designated prince, not as formally as you or Remiel, but he’s an heir all the same. I would have taken his place due to his allegiance with Rem, but, you know, no signs of magic. So, I digress.”

  “I know you said winded, but this is more in lines of loaded.”

  “I could have made the explanation longer, but I didn’t want to trouble you with information, Highness, because there’s more that I need to bring you up to speed with before the night’s end.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Tomorrow, Solus is supposed to tell the world about Prince Remiel’s passing. If he does, then that ushers in our legion. Those that act as followers to the Necromancers will storm Adrylis if word gets out, and no order will be granted to the world. The end is right in front of us. I have a plan to stop it in its tracks, but I need your help to accomplish it.”

  Leilana sighed. “All right. What do you need me to do?”

  Solus watched the sun shrink away as the moon paved its way into the sky. He left his dinner untouched and tossed it out of the window once it became cold and inedible. Hinju had given him the freedom to explore the castle of his own accord, but he couldn’t drag his feet along the halls—all that would be waiting for him would be affluent citizens under his control. He was no one’s leader. People deserved to have their hearts intact, not eclipsed by a spell.

  He laid his head on the windowsill. How he wished that he could jump without consequence. Maybe all of this could be avoided if he ended his life. Necromancy would no longer take hold on the innocent civilians, and their bodies would return to their former state. Everyone could live a little longer, and he could even find solace. The world would be better off without him lingering in the shadows, pulling the strings on this endless misery. He didn’t deserve Rem’s kindness; he couldn’t be king, and it was something he had accepted from the very beginning.

  “You didn’t deserve this,” he whispered.

  He had tried so hard to come to terms with Rem’s death, but his deep care for the young prince would never fade. There was so much that he had to live for, and now the vibrant days were blanched with smite and ruin at every corner. They would continue to dampen until only darkness and hatred remained, and all hope was lost. The world’s magic would be snuffed out, and all because he was still alive. The Warlords didn’t accept him, and even Adrylis rejected him. He was a scourge, one that wielded a heart of stone and a blade of steel, and yet, here he stood, watching, waiting.

  Meanwhile, Leilana was doing the same. He came to her rescue once, and he wasn’t sure if he could pull it off again with the same fervor and determination as he did while she was crystallized. Rem would have tried countless times if it meant her safety. But he wasn’t as adequate to rescue a princess—that was a true prince’s job.

  Tomorrow was another day, but if the Warlords wished it, it was going to be his last.

  Leilana rolled over onto her side, her arms wrapped around her stomach, swallowing slowly to ease the building nausea. More than two days had passed since she last ate, and she was beginning to get lightheaded. Her strength was wearing out to the point where she could barely grasp the metal bars confining her to the hanging cage. The nights spent in captivity became frigid, and she was left with little to reduce the affliction.

  Leilana’s eyes were half-lidded, her teeth chattering. “C-Cold… so cold…”

  Not a cry for food nor the need for salvation; the altitude of her cage from the ground reared its ugly head and tortured her ailing body. She pushed herself to a sit, the slightest movement siphoning away her motivation and stamina. The sensation was all too familiar after several years of training. The moonless night was almost upon them, but she was basked directly the heart of the kingdom, where the moon’s power came to shield her. Hinju’s powers would be waning just as much as hers. The cursed night of the Warlords would be their opening. They were running out of time.

  Leilana rested against the bars of the cage, slipping into unconsciousness. She slowly lifted her hand, shaking the chain around her wrist. Her throat was coarse, and for the past hour, every word that she tried to muster up emerged in the form of raw coughs. The chilly air around the solitary confinement continued to grow as if a blizzard had swooped in and taken her by storm. Still, her mind was only fixated on Solus. He had to be worried. He didn’t have a sinister bone in his body like Hinju, and if he did, his concerns were still going to lie with his goal. Solus always gave his heart to others above himself, whereas Hinju sought necessary power to carry on the legacy that his ancestors provided. But their executions differed, and their hearts acted in distinctive mannerisms. Solus wasn’t crazed with the idea of sacrifice. That was the key variance between Solus and his father.

  Night fell. Leilana found herself facing the midnight hue. Her heart rate was decelerating to a standstill. This wasn’t the first time that this sensation had overcome her, but this time it was far more sluggish of a trek.

  “Where… did I go wrong…?”

  She outstretched her hand towards the sky, reaching for whatever help from the heavens could ascend to her aide. It was a lost cause; heaven wasn’t a tangible place where she could rest her weary body. Angels and demons weren’t real. There was no sitting God to guide her to large white gates. They were nothing more than glorified spirits in a book no better than her own.

  She allowed herself to slip away. Right as her breathing slowed, a pair of hands wrapped around one of hers, as if trying to drag her back. Rem was never going to leave her alone.

  “You’re not giving up over a little pressure, are you? That’s not the Leilana that I know. It’s not over yet. Wake up.”

  Leilana’s eyes flew open, the irises lining the pupils a grotesque shade of lavender. She slammed her hands against the plating under her, igniting the cage. When her efforts came to nothing, she wrapped her hands around the metal bars, electricity surging from her fingertips. The quiver of lightning streaks rushed down her back, but she continued to shift her priorities around escaping and surviving. The shackle holding the cage in the air burst into flames before snapping, her prison dropping several feet. The cage hit the ground, the chains around Leilana’s wrists and ankles snapping out of place.

  Leilana kicked the cage door open as the guards watching the entrance stormed into the room. Her eyes darted over to them, but her hands maneuvered far faster than their staves. She clenched her fingers closed as she levitated them from a distance that rivaled her previous altitude, watching them choke on their last breaths. With a forceful grunt, she slammed their bodies to the ground and watched them writhe in pain before they stopped moving altogether. She was seconds from passing out until she caught herself mid-fall, holding her hands out in front of her to secure her balance, her eyes returning to their calm blue shade. She felt woozy, ev
en a bit nauseous, but she couldn’t afford to lose her chance at a proper prison break. She needed to get back to Solus.

  The halls were oddly quiet, but she didn’t allow that factor to deter her progression. If there was silence, that never rejected the idea of danger at any turn. Every glance down a corridor had to be timed, subtle, and careful. Every step forward needed precision. Leilana stumbled upon the palace courtyard after passing through a door down several hallways from the dungeon grounds, brushing some hair out of her face, leaning against the stone exterior.

  Linmus was a depressing place, but that was to be expected after all the turmoil that the kingdom had to endure. Still, she wished that she could have explored it with Rem and Solus before the crisis settled in. It was lonelier now without the royal family to secure it. It was lonelier without Rem. There was too much grasped in Hinju’s hands, and now she hoped that Solus could withstand the false virtues of justice that his father had in mind.

  She needed to see him. But not now. The candelabras inside were burning bright and would continue to for several hours. There wasn’t enough time to sit and wait. It was too risky to scale the walls and search for whatever room he was cooped up in. It was best to try and hide until dawn when things were settled, and more infiltration could be made.

  She watched a carrier pigeon leave a room further right, taking to the skies and leaving Linmus behind, disappearing from her sight. She sighed of relief. The guards that secured her in confinement were out of the picture, and confirmation of the fruitful message being sent off assured that Kinaju’s plans were finally in motion. Now all that awaited her was an opportunity.

  The castle remained silent all night. The sun wasn’t present, leaving the empty hue of a crimson sky in its departure, awaiting the empty moon’s reprisal. Leilana kept hidden in the bushes, fighting sleep to avoid the lurking guards that could have come to check the perimeter. The ferns pricked her skin and wearing Ennis’s cloak barely helped keep her warm from the blustery winds once the sun went down, but the trials didn’t deter her. She kept repeating mantras from the grimoire a bit at a time to keep her mind at bay. Time was flowing all too freely, and it was demoralizing to come to terms with this last chance to overthrow Hinju well upon them.

  A balcony door opened across her line of vision from a corner right of the castle, dust flying off the rusted hinges, followed by slight coughs. She kept her focus on the open door while sinking further into the bushes, mindful of her need to be seen and not heard. The curtains brushed away, and beyond them came the fair prince she had been dying to see since they arrived. Her face flushed, watching as he untied the thick braid keeping his hair in place.

  There were no guards to tear them apart, allowing her to pursue him with little consequence. She stepped from her hiding place, pressing her hands to the wall underneath his vicinity before whispering loudly, “Solus!”

  He was startled but quickly warmed up when her voice registered. His heart was fluttering when she caught his eye; this time, he wasn’t seeing her in his dreams. She was free, waiting for him. Solus put a finger to his lips before gesturing to a patch of nearby vines suitable for climbing. Leilana observed her new bearings with disdain, rolling her eyes. It was no better than climbing a tall tower to reach the princess. It was almost too perfect to see their roles swapped. She gripped to the vines, locking her feet in the loose ends, continuing the process until she was mere inches away from Solus. He outstretched his hands to her, and she leaped over, landing in his arms. He continued to hold her hands in both of his, pressing his forehead to hers.

  “You never fail to surprise me. I’m glad that you’re safe.”

  “I’m glad that you are too,” she responded before freeing her hands. “But there’s a lot that we need to talk about, and I’m not sure how much time we have before someone finds me.”

  “Ah, of course. I probably have a lot of explaining to do myself.” Solus guided her to the unmade bed, pushing some of the covers aside before the two took a seat.

  Leilana folded her hands. “I want to ask you one thing first. You’ve told me that Kinaju is your younger brother. Is Hinju your father?”

  Solus averted his eyes to the ceiling before responding, “My birth father. But my real father was Cyril Brenner, as I’ve mentioned to you before.”

  “Is it true that after we split up, you willingly joined Hinju’s cause?” Solus grew silent, dropping his head. “I’m not angry. I just want to hear it from you.” He didn’t know where to begin, or how, but the cat was very much out of the bag and he couldn’t turn tail and run from it.

  “I was given a mission to seize the throne from the moment my potential was realized. I’m the last living Necromancer with a line of followers beating down my back, and there’s much that I’m meant to accomplish with them behind me. I don’t remember any of it.” Solus wrapped his arms around his stomach, lacking the courage to face her again. “Bits and pieces come back to me in nightmares. I was to become close to Remiel and then kill him, using my powers to corrupt his soul. The day that we met, he took me by the hand, and he led me away.”

  “You didn’t kill him,” Leilana concluded. “Because you wanted to protect him.”

  “I couldn’t rip away his smile. He would have become a mindless zombie, much like the rest. I was deluded into creating these monsters that walk the streets of my happy home.” He continued to sink further and further into despair. “I stole everything that Rem worked for. In the end, I couldn’t protect him, the only deed I was given in this lifetime. I couldn’t save anyone, not even myself. And now Hinju wants me to tell the world that I’m taking Rem’s place.”

  Leilana laid her hand over one of his, prying it from around his stomach, kissing his index finger. “Now, now, you know better than to blame yourself. Rem’s actions were his own, and I think he picked a brilliant successor. If you didn’t have the will to push forward, you wouldn’t have come this far.”

  He was beginning to ease up, taken by her affection. “Hinju’s desires were made out for me and Kinaju from day one. This world is chaotic in his eyes. I can see it now, vivid as the morning sun. He wants Necromancy to act as the stable bridge to magic, stealing every ounce of remaining free will. There’s nothing left that I can do.”

  “That’s not true. It’s not as though you’re deciding everything on your own. Now that we’re together, we can plan.”

  Solus stared at her in disbelief. “You can say that even after I’ve betrayed you?”

  Leilana smiled, shaking her head in disagreement. “It wasn’t me that got betrayed. And I’m sure Rem wouldn’t have thought that either. You overcame your adversities, and now you’re standing here, alive, well, and I hope that you’re still thinking things through.” She rose to a stand, dusting off her cloak upon noticing dirt spots from the bushes lining it. “You’re the ruler of this kingdom now, Solus Brenner. What do you think is best for us?”

  That was a loaded question. Naturally, it was up to him to decide as soon as possible, but executing it in front of Hinju now would be too risky. He only had until the formal announcement to the public to act. That window was steadily decreasing.

  “Kinaju and I have a plan,” Leilana began. “And we need you to know about it if we’re going to overthrow Hinju.” Solus briefly eyed his locked door, wondering if his father was just lurking, waiting for him to slip up. If he found out that Leilana was free or that they were conspiring against him, they would both be in mortal danger. He couldn’t risk losing her again.

  “This isn’t the time,” he tried to reason.

  “What do you mean? This is a perfect time-”

  “No, it’s too dangerous for you to be here.” Solus laid his hands on her shoulders. “We can’t afford to have you be captured again. I’ll work out things from this end, but I want to ensure your safety first.” Leilana stared at him in disbelief, unsure of where the sudden evasions stemmed from. She knew that he was looking to help her, but why avoid the task at hand?
r />   “What’s the matter?” she asked him. “You can tell me.”

  He needed to hide his heart. That was the last thing that he could do for her, to keep Hinju’s clutches from wringing her neck.

  “Nothing’s the matter. I just don’t think this is a smart decision. Besides, something that Kinaju came up with may not be veritable to execute right under Hinju’s nose.”

  “Kinaju and I came up with the idea together,” Leilana cut in. “We think it could work.”

  “It’s not smart,” he repeated.

  “You don’t think I can handle things on my own?”

  “I never said that, please don’t mistake what I’m trying to say,” he said quickly.

  She scoffed, resting her hands on her hips. “Then what are you trying to say, Solus?”

  “I just want you to be safe,” he admitted.

  “If you’re going to keep dodging the objective, then I’m going to leave,” she said simply, already making way for the balcony door. Solus laid a hand over his heart, almost wishing that it would stop beating. Of course, he was dodging it; he needed to keep his totem in check for just a little longer. Hinju knew how to worm his way in, and if he came any closer, he’d be able to find her. But telling her that wouldn’t do either of them any good in the long run.

  She stopped short, keeping her hands pressed against the glass. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull right now, but… I’m sorry that you don’t trust me enough to let me in on it.” His mouth fell open, his bottom lip quivering.

  “No,” he nearly whined. “That wasn’t what I was going for either.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll get it eventually.”

  With bated breath, she left his presence and climbed down the twisted vines to reclaim a spot beneath the bushes. Solus kept his eyes on her from the balcony, watching her disappear beyond the crimson light. Their first meeting in days, and now he was leaving her in the dark, left without a kiss. Still, Kinaju came through with his word, and she was safe, even if she was as consumed in emotions as he was. One day, he could tell her the truth.