by Day Leitao
They descended the stairs. Ayanna went ahead, with Cayla on the back. The staircase descended and had sharp ninety-degree turns.
Karina whispered, “This is hidden in the wall, right?”
“Yes.” Ayanna no longer whispered.
“How do you learn about these passages?” Cayla asked.
Ayanna shrugged. “This one was by accident. Too much time up here.”
“Where does it lead?”
Ayanna shrugged. “Why should I know?”
Cayla snorted. “Awesome, Ayanna.”
“If you’re not happy, go back and find your own exit.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Karina said.
Darian sat down by the river near the old part of the port, in Siphoria’s side, where fishermen and small merchants discharged their loads. There was something calming about watching people in their hustle of daily lives, but this time, it didn’t make sense at all. The sun was still shining, and everyone was working as if everything had been normal, as if Darian’s heart hadn’t been shattered in millions of pieces, as if nothing had happened. He had trouble understanding how life could go on normally.
He’d taken an old cloak before leaving the castle, but it was thin, and he should be cold, except that he could no longer feel anything.
He looked down at his necklace. It still shone. Perhaps malfunctioning, or it was some stupid irony. Maybe its shine didn’t mean that Cayla loved him, it just meant… whatever. Something. One of the many things he never had the time to quite understand. Darian closed his eyes and took in the smell of water, and even the smell from the ocean not so far away. Maybe this was his chance to go north, to forget everything. But then, maybe he had made a mistake—or a few. So terrified he’d been that something could happen to Cayla that he’d forgotten her own say in all this.
A lift flew past him. Not from the army, a private one. More and more merchants had those. The lift landed in the castle port, though. That was odd. He then noticed three more lifts moving towards the castle. Two were from the army, and it should be normal, except… Something was wrong.
He straightened and took in his surroundings. With the cloak, no one should have recognized him, but he hadn’t checked whether he was being followed. Stupid. He sighed. He had obviously been followed. Congratulations, Darian, you were so worried about Cayla that now that something's really happening you won’t be able to do anything.
No. There had to be a way. Darian got up and walked slowly away from the banks. From the corner of his eye, he saw a young man watching him on his right and a soldier on his left. No way to see if they were friends or foes, though. Darian got to a street and strolled casually through it. He couldn’t look back directly, but he turned and looked at a shop. The two young men were on his tail. Maybe it was nothing.
He walked a little more, then turned quickly in another street and jumped in an open window. It was a restaurant, but empty, and he crawled through the tables in the direction of the kitchen. He heard someone walking through the front door, hid behind a vase and saw that it was one of his pursuers. Darian fumbled his pockets. He had nothing, nothing, not even a knife. Not that he would like to use it.
After the man walked past him, Darian went to the window and moved outside. He climbed up quickly and found himself on the roof, running as fast as he could away from that place. He heard a wheezing sound, then something was around him, like a net, and he fell. Right. Now a knife could have been useful. Stupid, stupid, stupid Darian. He saw a pair of boots in front of him and two more people approaching, and looked up to see yet another man.
“What a catch,” the man said. “The self-declared king.”
“We could negotiate,” Darian said.
“Maybe,” the man replied. “After I get my reward.”
Great. Now Darian would be powerless to even defend himself. Cayla came to his mind, together with an overwhelming feeling of shame and regret, as a flask was waved in front of him and everything turned black.
24
Resist
The girls came to a metal door at the bottom of the stairs.
Cayla turned the handle a few times. “Locked.”
Ayanna stepped closer to it. “No. It’s a code-lock.”
Her sister squinted. “Doesn’t look like it, though.”
“Cause then it’d be obvious.” Ayanna turned the handle as if she were opening a locker, a couple times for each side, except that it didn’t turn as far as a locker code. “Got it,” she said.
Karina was still unsure if escaping was really necessary, but then, if Sian planned to attack the castle, eventually he’d make his first move, and it would be a good idea to be far from there, so they could at least regroup and plan something away from it.
Cayla stepped forward, opened the door slowly, and peeked. She looked back and gestured for them to follow. They were not outdoors but in an underground tunnel. On top of them, there were metal plaques with holes in it.
Cayla put a finger in front of her mouth and pointed up. “It’s the lift field.”
Ayanna’s room must have been a place for someone important some time before, as it had such a convenient emergency exit. Above them, there were sounds of steps and of things being dragged.
“Are these all?” A man asked from above the metal grid.
“For this round, yes. You can take them to the crate prison. We’ll go over the castle to see if we find a few more guards.”
“Easier than expected.”
“For now. Let’s see what happens when more forces come back from Arlenia. I’ll believe we won when the new king and queen have been in power for a few weeks.”
New queen? Liam had said it, but she’d only half believed it. Karina's insides were knotted, but she shouldn't think about it. Why should she care if there was someone in a position she didn’t even want in the first place? There were more important things they had mentioned. Her eyes met Cayla's, who seemed to also have understood what was happening. The castle had indeed been taken. Her eye also had a glimmer of hope. Come back from Arlenia. It meant that Cayla's mother was likely coming back—and more forces as well. Karina thought she should hear what Liam had to say about the northern kingdom, but then remembered she’d left the disk in the room upstairs. This was no time for going back, though, and no time to have a possibly tracking device with her.
The other guard asked. “What about the princesses?”
“They’re of no consequence.”
Cayla stuck out her tongue.
The men walked away, and after a while, more sun came from the openings. A lift had probably taken off. The girls remained there for a few minutes, in silence, waiting. Above the grid, there were some steps, but nothing more. Karina gestured to the others to keep walking. Hopefully they’d find an exit, as they couldn’t talk there, and they had to do something. Quick.
The tunnel got dark again and descended. They walked for a few minutes until they reached a metal door. Ayanna was about to open it when her sister gestured for her to stop.
“We need to think,” Cayla whispered. “What are our next steps?”
“You mentioned a bridge Sian would have to cross, right?” Karina asked. Cayla nodded. Karina continued, “We could get a small force and block it, couldn’t we? Apparently there’s nothing north. All we need to do is delay him long enough until Lylah comes back.”
Cayla sighed. “Where are we going to find this force if we don’t even know who’s on our side?”
Karina had an idea steering on her mind. “I think I know someone. The impression I got is that she’s against Sian’s plans. I’ll try to find her. And you can fight well, right, Cayla?”
“Kind of. Not sure I can stop a horde of creatures on my own, though.”
“I can fight a little,” Ayanna said. “I learned how to manipulate energy.”
Cayla turned to her. “Magic?”
“It’s not called that in the books I read.”
“I can help as well,” Karina sai
d before the sisters started arguing about terminology. “This girl I know, at least in theory, she fights well. She might know someone.”
“Might? In theory?” Cayla rolled her eyes. “Sure sounds like a great plan.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Karina was asking in earnest. She agreed that her own idea was super crappy, but she couldn’t come up with anything better.
Cayla was thoughtful for a moment, then asked. “Do you know how to find this friend of yours?”
“Acquaintance. She’s in Siphoria.”
Cayla shrugged. “Let’s give it a try.”
Ayanna opened the metal door by turning the knob a few times. As they opened it, the tunnel extended for a couple meters, ending on a decrepit wooden door. They looked at each other, Cayla pulled the door open, peeked out, then opened it, and they stepped out. It was somewhere underground, like a cellar. There were some barrels on a corner, and a narrow staircase going up. The girls went up the stairs, Cayla in the front. They came up in a seemingly abandoned deposit with dusty wooden boxes. Cayla pulled up a hood and covered her head.
“I don’t have a hood,” Karina said.
“But nobody knows you.” She turned to Ayanna. “Or you.”
Karina remembered all the people that evening at the Junction when she’d spent most of the night sitting by Sian. Weird how only now she took in the significance of the gesture. Her chest felt hollow except for the imaginary ice forming in it. But Sian wasn’t the point, just the people. They surely knew what she looked like. Would they recognize her, though? Days later, in plain daylight? Probably not.
Karina nodded. “Fair enough.”
They headed to the door and walked outside to the colorful streets of Siphoria. Karina recognized the area where she was. It was sort of downtown, near the Junction, near Malena’s hostel, and not far from Alessa’s house. If she could find a reference point to remember in which direction to go… The towers. There was the military tower, and the tower by the river. Alessa’s house had been away from both of them, in a street where there were rails. Perhaps she could find it.
“This way,” she said to the others.
There didn’t seem to be anything different in the streets. Maybe fewer soldiers than usual. Wouldn’t they know about the castle? Or were they aligned with Sian’s traitorous group? As much as possible, Karina chose streets full of people and tried to blend in with crowds.
It was hard to find a way while at the same time trying not to look lost, not being able to ask for information, and avoiding stopping too long at one point. As streets were getting quieter and the sun was going down, Karina felt the irritation of her companions behind her, but after about half an hour walking, she found Alessa’s street. She was going on the vague hunch that the girl was interested in acting against Sian. Hopefully that was not a wrong hunch. At least her hunch in terms of direction had been correct, as she stood in front of Alessa’s red door.
Karina knocked, and the door opened by itself a few seconds later. She looked back at her friends and stepped in. They were in that indoor garden that led to Alessa’s house, and the door closed behind them.
Karina then felt someone pushing her, was thrown on the ground, and had her hands tied. She turned and saw Ayanna tied, while Cayla struggled against three masked people until they tied her as well. Karina’s stomach sank as she realized she’d made a mistake.
One of the people removed their hoods. It was Alessa. “What do you want here?”
“Help,” Karina said.
Alessa raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
Karina decided to be honest. “Against Sian. We can’t trust anyone in the army, and we have to stop him.”
Alessa laughed. “I have a policy of not displeasing customers, you know?”
“You seemed interested in figuring out what he was doing.”
“Did I?” Alessa asked. “Impression maybe. I’ll let you go, though. And please understand that this is not my real house. I’d never allow my enemies to find me.”
“I’m not your enemy,” Karina insisted. “I’m no longer with Sian, and he has a horrible army that’s coming to attack the city and the castle.”
“What for?” the girl asked. “He already took the city.”
“The forces from Arlenia are going to return. If his army is not here, he’ll be defeated. That’s what we can do. We can delay his army.”
“What army?”
“Kyons. Some horrible creatures from the Darloom castle.”
Alessa sighed. “Sounds idealistic, but it’s terrible business to go against Sian. I’m sorry.”
Cayla then spoke, “Wouldn’t it be good business to help the queen’s daughter? And you could wear a mask. Nobody needs to know it’s you.”
Alessa looked at Cayla. “You. Oh.” She crossed her arms. “What’s the task and what’s the pay?”
“We have to block the forces on the gateway bridge. The pay is my gratitude. If one day you need something—”
“You might no longer be queen,” Alessa replied.
“True,” Cayla replied. “That’s why I’m not giving the price in money. Depending on what happens, I might not have any. Still, you never know.”
“How many people are going?”
“Us three,” Cayla said. “And then maybe you or your two other friends.”
“Against how many?”
Cayla looked at Karina, who said, “A couple, uh, maybe a few hundred kyons. But they have no weapons.”
Alessa looked back at her friends. “What do you think?”
Darian woke up in a luxurious cell, decorated very much like a regular bedroom, with a comfortable mattress and covers, a table and chairs, and a private bathroom. It had a heavy metal door, and other than that, he only knew it was a cell because he’d visited it before, or maybe because all the furniture was welded to the floor. At least he was a high-profile prisoner. Some consolation. No consolation. He’d messed up big time, and his heart ached when he thought of Cayla. The only odd thing was he knew this was a Whyland prison, and wondered what exactly was happening out there. He still had his necklace. Should he try to contact Cayla? He decided not to. Not when he felt ashamed, and when he was powerless to help her.
The door opened, and Sian’s friend who’d contacted him about a month before came in.
“Surprised?” Liam asked.
For sure. Liam was part of Whyland’s army. Was he overseeing a cell where Darian was being kept? “Who are you working for?”
“Nobody right now, and I want to change it soon, if you’ll help me.”
“Who’s in charge of this prison?”
“Ah, that’s what you wanted to know? Your dear brother, Darian. In a swift coup, he imprisoned the loyal guards standing in Siphoria and the castle. Wasn’t that hard, when everyone’s taking a vacation in Arlenia.”
That didn’t make sense. “Why?”
Liam laughed. “I’ll leave that for you to figure out. I have a proposal, though. I know this room is nice and all, but I believe you must be eager to leave, aren’t you?”
Darian was still trying to process how on earth his brother could have anything to do with this prison. Hold on. “Are you doing this to pave the way for Arlenia?”
Liam held out his hands. “I’m not doing anything. And your brother isn’t doing this for someone else to step into the throne. Don’t worry about it. I mean, worry about your brother, not Arlenia.”
“One month ago, he was enchanted, and you came to me for help. Now you’re doing this?”
“Again, I’m not doing anything. I want to get you out of here.”
Darian crossed his arms. “Why?”
“I have good news for you. Maybe. But I think it’s good. Cayla has escaped. She hasn’t been imprisoned or found. I know you can find her. I need to find the girl who’s with her.”
“Why do you think I can find Cayla?”
Liam shrugged. “I just know.”
“And you want to get me out so I’ll
lead you to Cayla? Why would I do this?”
Liam shrugged. “Thought you wouldn’t want to leave her by herself. I don’t know.”
“I’m not leading you to Cayla. No way I’m doing this.”
Liam shook his head. “You don’t understand. I’m not doing this for Sian. I’m no longer his friend. It’s for personal reasons. I won’t lead anyone to your future wife, if that’s what you fear.”
Darian sat on the bed. “The answer is no.”
Liam sighed. “Call me when you change your mind.”
He turned around and left the room. Darian was left with his thoughts. His brother. How unfair, after all he and Cayla had done for him. And surprising.
Karina, Ayanna, and Cayla slept in Alessa’s house, Alessa’s alleged not-house, or something. The girl, her sister, and her sister’s boyfriend, not that guy from that evening at the Junction, had agreed to help them. Well, only Alessa would fight with them, but her sister and the other guy would fly them there and pick them up. Alessa’s two other friends said they couldn’t do it, and it sucked because they were really good fighters. Oh, well.
From their calculations, the Kyons were unlikely to reach that bridge until the next day, and the best they could do right now was rest. On a thin mattress on the floor, Karina shivered, though. The covers were warm, but for some reason, she’d gotten so used to Sian by her side that her body felt cold. Somehow she missed being squeezed tight, which was odd. Not odd. It had felt good to have his arms around her. Everything a lie. It had been a good fantasy while it lasted, though. Ignorance had indeed been bliss.
Cayla lay by her side, with eyes closed, but she seemed to be awake. She hadn’t mentioned Darian once since they’d left the castle, but she probably still thought about him. Karina wondered where he was, if he’d been caught with the others, or if he was free. Perhaps he’d be able to help them, but she wasn’t sure Cayla would want to talk to him right now.
Karina tried to focus on the day ahead, in delaying the kyons. Would they be able to do it, in such a small number? It was worth the try.
