The Chronicles of Lorrek Box Set

by Kelly Blanchard

  Seeing that all matters were handled, Caleth nodded. “Very well then. You will be seen to your chambers. Princess Gremina, one of our own will take your father’s body, and you may accompany him.” As he said this, a male Athorian magicked into the throne room, marched up to Gremina, and scooped the body of King Roskelem into his arms. “However,” Caleth continued, waiting until Gremina looked at him. “I expect you to return...and with the Black Stone.”

  Gremina nodded. So much had transpired here that it overwhelmed her. She didn’t know where to start.

  Therth stepped toward her. “I’m coming with.” She looked at him, relieved.

  Heldon frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t. There are matters we must discuss—as a family.”

  Therth shook his head as he cast his cousin a look. We are not family, he almost said but kept it to himself as he offered his hand to Gremina and placed his other hand on the arm of the Athorian. Once Gremina took hold of his hand, he nodded to the Athorian who magicked them away.

  With that issue resolved, Caleth rose to his feet and addressed the others. “You will be shown to your chambers to refresh yourselves. We will convene at a later hour to solidify our plans.”

  Another Athorian appeared and motioned for their guests to follow. Lorrek shared a look with Heldon and Theran and then fell into step with Vixen and Radella following closely behind them. A lot needed to be discussed.

  28

  In the common area of the chambers which were reserved for the travelers from Cuskelom, Radella watched as Vixen swirled a black blade in her hand and then threw it at a basket, embedding it deep within the weave. Vixen then rose to her feet, yanked out the blade, returned to her previous location, sat down, twirled the blade some more, and then threw it again.

  Meanwhile, Theran, Heldon, and Lorrek spoke in the other room. They had requested privacy, so the brothers could talk, and that was how Radella found herself observing Vixen. She noted something else about the former assassin too. “You’re troubled.”

  “Quite insightful,” Vixen muttered sarcastically as she threw the blade again then rose to retrieve it.

  Radella sat back in her chair. “You care about Lorrek.”

  Vixen shot her a glare then scoffed with a laugh, shaking her head. “I spent a decade searching for that ungrateful wizard. Of course I care about what happens to him. I’d prefer to be the one who puts the dagger through his heart rather than anyone else.”

  “He looks like Loroth.”

  Radella’s statement caused Vixen to snap her gaze around to her. She glared at her as she balanced a blade in her hands. “How do you know about Loroth?”

  A smile tugged at the corner of Radella’s lips as she looked at Vixen. “I may have been in a coma at the time of your visit to Jechorm, but I wandered a lot.” She tapped on the side of her head, indicating to the magic realm. “I saw him. I saw the two of you. You shared a deep love.”

  Vixen scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t know if I ever loved him.” She threw the dagger again, and Radella looked at her with furrowed brows.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean...” Vixen yanked the dagger out of the basket. “I mean I married him to save his life from the Assassin Houses, and I stayed married due to obligation. Love has no place in an assassin’s life.”

  Hearing this bewildered Radella, and she leaned forward, interlacing her hands together as she fixed her eyes on Vixen. “What did you feel each time Loroth stopped breathing in the middle of the night?”

  The memories of those incidents came rushing back, and Vixen had to inhale a deep breath to ward the hurt away. She clenched her dagger tightly. “Fear...I was scared.” Even as she said this, she hated to admit it, but she had already said so much—she might as well continue.

  She sank into a chair across from Radella but refused to make eye contact as she stared blankly, remembering those nights when she suddenly woke, sensing something was amiss. She would turn onto her side and rest her head on Loroth’s chest, holding her own breath to see if he breathed. When he failed to draw a breath, Vixen reached into the bond they shared with Lorrek and shouted for him, jerking him out of sleep, and he immediately magicked to them. Vixen retrieved her robe and stood by as Lorrek channeled healing powers into her husband. Sometimes it took longer than others, but each time Lorrek was able to bring Loroth back from the brink of death, and Vixen always let out a huge sigh of relief.

  “I didn’t want him to die,” she admitted to Radella. “He was the only one who ever took time to understand me, and he didn’t push me. We were both people of the shadows, and I preferred it that way. However, Lorrek!” She glared at the room where the brothers talked. “Lorrek is an altogether different man. In many ways he reminds me of Loroth, but then he has this...extreme, undeniable power that is hard for me to understand. Yes, Loroth had unique abilities too, but nothing as intense as Lorrek. And Lorrek has this mindset where he must save everyone or sacrifice himself while trying because he has all this power.” Vixen clenched her fist. “Sometimes I just want to stab him!”

  Radella chuckled. “Lorrek has...a complex view of power and responsibility because he has so much of both. I recall the first time I encountered him in the magic realm. He didn’t see me at first, but his presence was like a bright shining beacon. There were many others in Jechorm at the time who had entered the magic realm, yet Lorrek did so with ease and precision. He knew how to manipulate it to his will. It was intriguing.”

  “You’re drawn to Lorrek?” Vixen shot her a curious look while trampling an odd sense of resentment for Radella.

  “I’m intrigued by his magic and his masterful hold of it. You see, I was never supposed to have magic. However, my birth mother was a magic user, and the Jechorians kept this hidden from my parents, since my parents had specifically demanded my surrogate mother be a non-magic user. At that time, their magic extraction was imperfect, but still they used it to strip me of my magic. Being a child, I didn’t understand what I was missing, yet I knew there was something amiss, and I lashed out at those around me, killing a few by accident. Verddra was forced to restrain me, and then she learned the true reason behind my behavior. She tried to channel her magic into me, yet that was a foolish attempt. I don’t remember much after that. All I know is that magic is natural to me, and it took me a very long time wandering the magic realm to determine the necessary ingredients required to put the pieces of my mind back together. You were influential in that, actually.” Radella motioned to Vixen.

  Vixen narrowed her eyes as a realization came to her. “Verddra had the Jechorians kidnap me and put me in that operation against my will. Because of that, I was forced to flee Jechorm, and I lost my husband forever.” She willed herself not to move—not to overreact, although she wanted to slam her blade into Radella’s hand. “It is because of you I lost him. Because of you, I was never able to say goodbye.” More pieces fell into place, and Vixen could not remain seated. She stood and paced. “Because of you Roskelem gained his powers. Because of you, he gained the ability to turn people to stone! If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even be here!” Fed up, Vixen spun around and threw the dagger at Radella.

  It stopped in mid-air right in front of Radella’s chest.

  Radella looked down at it then up at Vixen. She plucked the suspended knife out of the air, weighed it in her hand, and then looked back at Vixen as she rose to her feet, tsking. “Blame me if you must, but each person is responsible for their own deeds—not the deeds of others. That is exactly what Lorrek cannot grasp, and that is what irks you so much about him.” Radella pulled back her shoulders. “I did what I did to survive. I used people for my own means, yes, but I was not the one who persuaded you to leave Jechorm. I am not the one who persuaded King Roskelem to lash out at Lorrek and everyone else.” She turned the blade over to Vixen, offering it to her.

  Vixen stepped right up to her and wrenched the knife out of her hand. “You. Gave. Him. The. Means!”

  Rade
lla remained unflinching. “The means, yes, but that is all. He did the rest himself.” With that, She headed out of the room.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Vixen watched her leave.

  Glimpsing over her shoulder, Radella smiled. “To see my mother, of course.” And then she magicked away.

  Vixen growled under her breath. She wouldn’t be surprised if Radella was working to get Verddra released, and Vixen didn’t want to think of what troubles that would bring. She turned back to the basket and threw another blade.

  29

  Meanwhile, in the other room, Theran stood off to the side of the room and watched Heldon sitting at a table, rolling a grape in his hand as he thought. Heldon insisted Lorrek bathe before they talk, and Theran suspected that was because Heldon hadn’t been ready to talk with their youngest brother. He needed time to process everything and determine what exactly his thoughts were on the matters at hand. Lorrek had argued, but Heldon used his rank as King of Cuskelom to get him to submit, so the two of them waited for Lorrek’s return.

  “You make a good king.” Theran finally broke the silence between them, and Heldon looked up at him, surprised he had spoken. Theran nodded, confirming his words. “I don’t know if I could ever be king.”

  A sad smile crossed Heldon’s face, and he looked back at the fruit in his hand. “You were always meant to be king.”

  “Yet Honroth and you have made better kings than me.”

  The two paused at the mention of Honroth.

  A hollow silence draped upon them, weighing them with grief still not yet fully understood.

  Heldon sighed as he set down the grape and looked up at his brother. “I miss him—a lot. Sometimes I see my own reflection, and I think it’s him. There have been times that people in the court have mistaken me for him.”

  “You do look like him,” Theran interjected, and Heldon just looked at him.

  “We were identical!” Heldon snapped, but then he sighed and bowed his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just...when he was alive, we were always told we looked alike. I always hated that.” He chuckled as he recalled the numerous times they confused people in the court. “That is why, when he grew out his goatee, I didn’t.” He lifted his hand and stroke the hair on his chin that he had allowed to grow since he became king. “I wanted to be different—wanted to be myself.” He sighed, lowering his hand, and shook his head. “I suppose I wanted him back more than anyone else. Erita tells me my new look gives more authority to my presence. That’s why I’ve kept it.”

  Theran hesitated. He wasn’t sure what to tell his younger brother, who still grieved for his twin. If Theran hadn’t been so reckless and instead had taken the crown when their father passed, maybe Honroth would still be here. He shook his head. It didn’t help dwelling on such possibilities.

  Before they could continue the conversation, the door opened, and Lorrek emerged, shirtless, as he worked to pull on a tunic. However, this brief moment allowed Theran and Heldon to see numerous scars on Lorrek’s chest. Several narrow ones appeared to be stab wounds, while one large, ugly one across the center of his chest must have been some kind of magical burn. Theran remembered how Roskelem had gravely wounded Lorrek all those years ago, and he suspected that was the scar from it. Lorrek pulled on the tunic, covering the old wounds once more, and fastened a belt as he approached his brothers with determination in his eyes.

  “This is what we are going to do.” Lorrek placed his hands on the table and braced himself. “Heldon, you will return to Cuskelom in case the thymords return there. Theran, you will allow me to remove you from that suit—”

  “Lorrek, stop.” Theran gave his little brother a firm glare. When Lorrek looked at him with furrowed brows, Theran shook his head. “This is the first time we’ve been together as brothers. Can we take a moment and enjoy that?”

  “We were together a year ago shortly before Heldon’s coronation...”

  Heldon threw down the fruit and scowled at Lorrek. “We were grieving the loss of Honroth and trying to decide who should be king. You stuck around long enough to witness my coronation, but then you left. Theran is right. This is the first time we’ve been together as brothers for over a decade. We can take a moment. The rest of the world can wait.”

  Lorrek paused. He had never really considered that. He was still used to Theran being off on his own with Heldon tagging along, both getting into mischief, which Lorrek always had to drag them out of. Seeing them sitting here actually desiring his company surprised him, and he slowly lowered himself into a chair across from Heldon. “Very well...” He wasn’t sure how to approach this conversation.

  Heldon tapped his finger on the table, trying to think of something to talk about and failing. He looked up at Theran, who remained standing with folded arms. Thankfully, Theran wasn’t wearing his helmet, so he was easy to read. Heldon could tell he was just as uncomfortable as the rest of them, so Heldon tried to think of a funny memory. He smiled. “Do you remember the time when we cut Mordora’s hair?”

  Both Theran and Lorrek groaned and rolled their eyes.

  “She was so furious!” Theran chuckled.

  Lorrek smiled slightly but kept silent.

  Heldon noticed the smile and cocked his head to a side. “What? You have something on your mind.”

  Lorrek shook his head. “Nay, you wouldn’t believe me. It is nothing.”

  “Nothing?” Now Theran wanted to know. “What is it? Tell us.”

  “Don’t make me use my rank as King of Cuskelom again....” Heldon warned, and finally Lorrek sighed, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table.

  He glimpsed between both his brothers. “Theran, I planted in your mind the idea to dare me to cut her hair.”

  “Wait...what?” Theran widened his eyes. “Why?”

  Lorrek sighed heavily. “I knew she had magic. I also knew once she began experimenting with it, her blond hair would turn black, and I knew her father would suspect something and set the magic minders upon her to seal her magic. I didn’t want that for her.” He shook his head as he sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I knew her hair would grow back black, though it wouldn’t be due to my own magic but rather her own. I merely wanted to give the illusion that my magic was responsible for her hair turning black, so her father wouldn’t suspect anything.”

  “And she kicked us out of the kingdom because you were only trying to help her.” Heldon clicked his tongue and shook his head.

  “I’ve helped a lot of people, and they have never fully comprehended it.”

  Uneasy silence fell on them.

  Heldon looked up at Theran, who shifted on his feet.

  Neither of them knew what to say.

  Finally, Theran cleared his throat. “Lorrek, I...” He hesitated but met Lorrek’s gaze. “I need to apologize...for being so...careless in my younger years, for making you clean up my messes.” He shook his head. “You shouldn’t have had to do any of that. My actions likely robbed you of having any fun yourself.”

  Heldon nodded. “I should apologize too—for following in Theran’s footsteps.” Then he glanced at Lorrek. “And for believing you were dead. Theran never gave up though.”

  Theran crossed his arms. “I knew he was too clever to die. It was just a matter of finding him.”

  As his brothers spoke, Lorrek lowered his gaze as a knot tightened in his throat and tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tight, willing the tears away.

  “Lorrek?” One of them asked, and he had to drop his hand and laugh, but it was a bitter sound.

  “Clever?” He shook his head and lifted his teary eyes to look at Theran. “I was never clever. I fully expected to die. I didn’t know what was on the other side of that Orb. I didn’t know if I could survive.” He wiped his tears away, feeling ashamed for crying. With a deep breath, he found his center once more and went on, “The one thing I will never understand of anything is why everyone insisted I planned i
t all—from Jechorm, to Atheta, to falling into the World Orb...” He set his gaze on his brothers one at a time, pleading for them to understand. “I...” His voice cracked, so he swallowed hard to try again. “I didn’t plan any of it. I had no control over it. All I did was what I could in that moment to protect everyone. However, people seem to think just because I am one of the most powerful sorcerers in this world, surely I planned it.” He shook his head again then reached for the pitcher of water to pour himself a drink. “I am not as clever as you may think. I am simply desperate at times.”

  Heldon and Theran watched him down the water, and they shared an uncertain look with one another. They’d never seen him shattered like this, and it made them uncomfortable. They weren’t sure what to think or what to say.

  Theran looked down at his gloved hand and made a fist, listening to the leather crack. Power—he understood something of power now. At times he hated it. He wanted nothing more than for everything to return to the way it used to be. He wanted his own skin back, wanted his ability to touch without fear of breaking something. In a way, he understood Lorrek’s struggle. It almost seemed like everything Lorrek touched crumbled. Suddenly, he understood his brother better now, and that cold realization sank beneath his skin. He turned away, struggling with his own emotions.

  Heldon stared at the fruit bowl on the table as he thought of all Lorrek said. Power—he remembered a time when he had considered Lorrek all-powerful, and he never imagined having that kind of power. However, as king, he has his own unique form of power. Although he wasn’t able to fully comprehend things on the same level, Heldon looked at his little brother and regarded him with much respect. “Lorrek.” He waited until his brother locked eyes with him, albeit hesitantly. “As King of Cuskelom, but more importantly as your older brother, I thank you for all the sacrifices you have made on behalf of Cuskelom and our family. I can’t fully understand it, but I am grateful.”