by Alex Shobe
“Oww….” I groan.
Even in the dim lighting, the color drains from her face.
“Let me see.” She lifts her hand and removes mine from my jaw, giving her a clear look at her damage.
When there’s no wound to be found, she looks into my eyes, confused. I try to stifle a laugh, but it squeezes through and fills the air. She lightly shoves me in my chest then finds herself laughing as well.
“So, you’re okay?” she asks when the laughter settles.
“You have the speed, yes, but you’re not quite there on your strength yet.” I grin.
She beams, no doubt proud of her improvement in agility. She’s worked hard over this past hour or so, soaking in all I’ve taught her. She’s a good student, and I know she’ll be a good queen.
Something catches my eye in the treeline behind us. A light winks as though the moon is reflecting off of something metallic. I narrow my eyes and make out a shadow moving between the trees.
Leona lifts her damp hair from the back of her neck and lets the cool breeze reach her shoulder blades. “Do you want to keep pract—”
“Down!” I grab her shoulders and force her to the sand. The top of my arm burns. My heart pounds against Leona’s as we lay chest to chest, my body covering hers like a blanket. I jerk my eyes back toward the forest.
Someone’s attacking.
Leona
My mind is racing, running closely being the pace of my heartbeat. The moment is a blur. One second, I’m standing, and the next, I’m lying against the sands under Colton’s body. My hands still clutch his shirt from the fall.
“Are you okay?” he breathes.
I nod frantically, unsure of what just happened. His eyes leave mine and gaze beyond us. I shift my head to see what he’s looking at.
“Fuck…” he growls.
He holds onto my body as he rolls us sideways over the sand, five, six times, until we near a large boulder. When we stop, I look back to our starting point as arrows rain down, stabbing the earth where our bodies once lied.
Behind the boulder, sharp pinging sounds ring out from what I can only assume are more arrows hitting the rock. Colton and I stay crouched down on the other side. He’s breathing fast, his head turning as he looks for any other attackers. I keep my eyes on him, afraid to look elsewhere. There’s a gash on his arm. Blood flows in a thin river down his skin.
“Your arm,” I whisper. “You’re bleeding.”
He pulls his gaze from the survey and drops it to his shoulder, pulling his arm toward his center for a better look. “Just a graze.” His eyes meet mine. Arrows no longer hit the rock. “Stay here and stay down, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Before I have a chance to argue, he turns toward the village and lets out a call that echoes in the night. I flinch. In a chorus, other people respond by mimicking the sound.
“North woods! North woods!” Colton calls out as the others, maybe seven or eight men, run toward us. A gust of wind blows my hair off my shoulder, leaving my bare skin exposed. I look and Colton is no longer by my side. Recalling his words, I keep low and peek around the edge of the boulder. At the head of the group, Colton’s outline dashes past the treeline. Their yelling becomes distant as they venture further into the woods.
When I no longer see them, the reality of my lonesomeness sets in. I shudder and press my back against the rock. Remembering my dagger, I pull it from my belt and clutch it tightly.
I look back and forth within my scope of vision. If there’s anyone else out there, I’m going to be ready for them this time. At least, I hope. Colton has taught me well, thus far, but with only one lesson under my belt, I’m nowhere near ready to down a man.
The minutes drag on. I focus on my breathing and look out into the ocean. The moon reflects on the water, along with the countless stars that dot the sky. The water is a dark blanket that stretches as far as my eyes can see. I’ve never been this close to the ocean before. Of all the luxuries that was afforded to me during my life, spending time on the shore was never one of them. How amazing, it must have been, for Colton to grow up in a place where the sea breeze wakes him up every morning.
My cheeks warm at the thought of him. He was impressive tonight. I can still feel his hands on me as he pressed against my body, shielding me from danger. It felt… intimate. Though, I could be imagining things. Perhaps he was only protecting the queen.
I’ve seen the way he looks at me, caught him when his gaze lingers a moment too long. I don’t bring attention to it, despite my deepest desires. I’m an ousted queen on the journey to reclaiming my throne. Romance will be a distraction.
I shake my head, pushing the thoughts from my mind. My eyes close and I exhale slowly. When something touches my shoulder, I gasp. My eyes snap open and, reflexively, I swing the dagger in the direction of the intruder. My wrist is caught in mid-air. I follow the hand gripping me up its arm until my eyes land on Colton’s. He’s crouched at my side.
I exhale again sharply and shoot him an annoyed glare. “I could’ve killed you.”
He releases my wrist, grinning. “Maybe you could’ve if I was blindfolded with bound hands while drunk and already on the verge of death.”
I roll my eyes and put my dagger away. He rises and extends a hand to help me up. I quickly look him over. No additional injuries.
“So,” I say, “is it safe?”
He crosses his arms in front of him and sighs. “We’ve caught the attacker.” He nods toward the village. “Come.”
I follow him up the beach. An uneasiness burrows a pit in my stomach as he leads me to the unknown.
“Who was it?”
He looks down at me as we walk, our footsteps in sync with one another. “A man. No one recognizes him and he’s refusing to answer any questions.”
“Was he alone?”
“As far as we know, yes. We have people keeping an eye on the woods just in case he has any friends still out there.”
I nod. The uneasiness fades gradually but is still ever present. We’re quiet for the moment. A nagging feeling pulls at my thoughts with words begging to be said. “Thank you,” I say, simply.
He flinches his head back slightly. “For what?”
“I would’ve been dead if it weren’t for you.”
He stops walking and I stop with him. He looks at me, his light eyes appearing darker in the night. “Rule one of village life—you never have to thank me for protecting you.”
I gaze up at him, trying to find any underlying humor on his face. There’s none. My appreciation of him grows deeper.
“But,” he says, resuming his walk, “you’re welcome.” He winks at me. I smile and hurry alongside him.
He leads us to the village square. Torches now surround the area, their cadenced flicker making the moment even more ominous. A crowd has gathered. Those in their homes must have come out at the sound of the chaos. They all look at Colton and I as we approach. The crowd splits to let us through.
In the middle, a man sits on his knees. His wrists and ankles are bound with rope. In the torchlight, his tawny hair is a reddish hue. I come from behind and slowly circle around to face him. Splotches of blood cover his forehead and cheek. When we lock eyes, he spits a mouthful of blood at the ground before me, then drops his head down.
The crowd is quiet and curious as they watch me inspect this man. He seems familiar, but it isn’t until I notice the gleaming gold buckle on his belt that I realize I know who he is. The buckle is unique, foreign white crystals embedded in the metal, and there’s only one man I’ve known to have it. The belt buckle at his waist was a gift from Aerok. Aerok, a man whose true joy comes from the things that glitter in the sunlight, uses such things as payment for services. Part of me knows the answer to my question. Yet, I can’t bring myself to accept it. I may not have been in love with Aerok, and surely, he wasn’t in love with me, but I would’ve never put assassination as a key element in our relationship. Uneasy, I step forward.
“Did Ae
rok send you?”
Kaleo steps forward as well, joining me next to the man.
“Do you know him?” he asks.
“Yes.” I keep my eyes locked on the top of the traitor’s balding head. “He’s a bounty hunter from Heraeda.” I turn to Kaleo. “The Lord Commander often employed him to capture debtors.” I turn my eyes back to the hunter. “Your name’s Crary, is it not?”
The man remains silent, his eyes focused on the ground.
“We haven’t got much out of him, so far.” Kaleo bends down and grabs a fistful of the man’s remaining hair. He yanks until the man is forced to look at me. The man growls, dried blood covering his face like a mask.
“Who sent you?” I move closer to him. There’s emptiness in his eyes, a pool of black surrounded by the whites. He doesn’t blink. I stoop down so at I’m eye level with my attacker. He reeks of destruction, but I keep my calm. “If Aerok wanted me dead,” I whisper so that only Kaleo and Crary can hear, “he should’ve chosen someone more skilled than a failed bounty hunter-turned-assassin.”
My words finally draw a reaction from him. “Bitch,” he mutters. He growls again through gritted teeth. He tries to get at me, but his head jerks violently as Kaleo keeps a firm grip on his hair.
I rise and take a step backward. “You will stand trial for treason and be stripped of any titles and lands you hold.”
His eyes soften, but his gaze is still cold and distant. Cracked lips turn upward into a sinister grin. “Trial?”—he chuckles—“You’ll never see the throne again.” His haunting laugh echoes throughout the square. The crowd murmurs.
Kaleo releases the man’s hair and steps toward me. He pulls his sword from the scabbard, the torchlight beaming off of the blade. “There’s only one way this encounter can end, Your Majesty.” He extends the sword to me and juts his chin to the man. “You may have the honor.”
I hesitate before taking it with both hands, the weight of the sword sagging my shoulders. Kaleo walks away, leaving me alone in the center of the crowd with Crary. His eyes are still down, blood falling in thick drops onto his legs. A surge of energy flows through my body as I watch him bleed. I’m finished bending to the will of others. Court has been ruthless to me—so maybe it’s time I returned the favor.
I should kill this man. I should run the sword through him and smile as his blood soaks in through the dirt. My parents’ deaths require penance, and he could be the down payment.
In the crowd, no one says a word. They watch me with anger in their fists and hope in their eyes—hope that I’ll end Crary’s life as he tried to end mine. My stomach twists into knots, and I loosen my grip on the hilt. It almost slips from my fingers, but I grasp it tighter, my knuckles turning white.
I want to kill him, but the sword gets heavier every second I leave Crary breathing. A tingling envelops my toes and paralyzes my feet, keeping them planted firmly in place. My eyes bounce from Crary to the blade and back again. My fingers produce another tremble that won’t stop. I can’t kill him.
A warm hand slides around mine, around the hilt.
“Let me do it,” Colton says against my ear.
I nod, and Colton takes the sword from my hands, relieving the weight from my shoulders. He flexes his wrist as he approaches Crary, and in a swift motion, he drives the blade into the man’s chest. The sound of metal on bone chills my spine as he retracts the sword from Crary’s body. The bounty hunter crumples to the ground. Colton pivots and looks back at me, his mouth downturned. I drop my gaze to the pool of blood expanding near his feet.
From behind me, Kaleo whistles and calls two men over from the crowd.
“Get rid of him, yeah?” he commands the men. “I don’t want the children to see it in the morning.”
The men grab each end of the body and haul it away. Blood pours onto the ground as they move, leaving a trail of the disposal. I close my eyes and try to breathe through the thick air that threatens to crush me where I stand. When I open them again, Colton is by my side.
He leans in close. “Are you okay?” His eyes watch me carefully as though I might shatter.
Although my cheeks burn, I muster the strength to pull my mouth into a smile. “I’m fine.”
He raises a brow and shifts his lips to speak, but I walk away, and hope, for my sake, that he doesn’t follow.
Leona
The muted chatter of the villagers drifts through the night as I bask in the privacy of the stable. Though their expressions had lacked disappointment from my failed attempt to kill Crary, my thoughts contain enough defeat for all of us. I should’ve been able to kill him. But instead, the idea of taking a life magnified my reluctance until Colton took the burden from me.
I lean against the stall and reach my hand through the slats. The white and chocolate-spotted horse swishes his tail and let out a snicker at my touch. I stroke my fingers between his large brown eyes, just as I’d done eight years ago. My shoulders slump as I release a sigh. So much has changed in eight years. The horse snorts then nudges his nose against my hand.
“Looks like Maxim remembers you.”
My back goes rigid, but I don’t turn to face the voice. I can’t. If I do, I’ll just be met with the affirmation that I’m who Colton always said I was—a noble girl—someone who’s never had to take vengeance into her own hands when a perfectly capable guard was standing by. I run my fingers over the horse’s snout until he shakes his head and steps to the strung bundle of hay in the corner.
“I’m glad you didn’t kill him.” Colton’s voice is a murmur.
I pull myself from off the stall and turn around. Colton leans back against the planked wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He regards me with brows pulled in, the lantern next to him reflecting in his eyes.
“It should’ve been me who did it.” I rake my fingers through my hair and sweep it to one side of my shoulder. “Everyone was expecting it to be me.”
Colton lower his eyes to the floor and shakes his head slowly. “Kaleo shouldn’t have put that responsibility on you. I think sometimes he forgets it’s not easy to take someone’s life.” He pulls a hand out of his pocket and drags it across his jaw. I study his face and the grave expression it makes when he speaks. “When you do, it takes something from you as well.”
I’ve seen him kill three men in the past couple of days, not to mention the countless others who died by his hand in the arena. If each death comes at a price, how much of himself has he lost?
“Does it get easier?”
The lantern’s light casts half of his face in shadows. He stirs against the wall, his mouth opening and closing in failed attempts at speech. After another moment, he walks over to me and drapes his arm over the stall’s wooden railing. Maxim glances at him. When Colton doesn’t move to open the gate, the horse flicks his tail and returns to his meal.
Colton’s chest rises and falls in an uneven rhythm as he fixates on a warped section of a slat. His eyes dart over the wood, but he says nothing. The stable shrinks in size from the silence between us and the air gets warmer. Finally, he looks at me.
“It does get easier.” He taps his finger against the wood. “But that’s not always a good thing.”
I nod, keeping my eyes on his. The pale green contrasts against the red in his iris. Dark lashes rim the lids. Slices of moonlight streak through gaps in the wall’s planks, leaving stripes of glowing blue along his collarbone. Colton’s mouth twitches and he clears his throat.
“So, I lied to you,” he says, turning his view toward Maxim.
My breath catches and my body stiffens. I shift away from him. “Lied about what?”
“I wouldn’t have figured out how to calm him if you hadn’t come along.” He glances at me, his mouth pulling up into a grin. “I remember I’d been struggling for most of the afternoon because I refused to ask anyone for help.”
My mouth falls open. The tension in my chest releases like the end of a coil being freed. The memory of that day comes rushing back to my mind in a
flood of images. Though Maxim was much smaller then, the growing foal still towered over his poorly-trained handler. I click my tongue and cross my arms over the slats. “I knew you didn’t know what you were doing.” A lightness starts in my stomach and rises until it frees itself as a chuckle. “You were so arrogant back then. Not much has changed, I see.”
Colton flinches and presses an open hand to his chest. “I prefer the terms expertly unqualified, thank you.”
There’s a brief pause as I stare at him, wide-grinned, until we both burst with laughter. Maxim startles and lets out a whinny at our pandemonium. No one has been able to make me laugh quite like Colton has. He gives me a different sort of adrenaline and a warmth that radiates within my entire body.
Through our mirth, a bell clangs in the distance. Colton’s face sharpens as he snatches his attention toward it. What was once a bright smile, dims into a frown. His brows squeeze together again.
A quiver dances in my chest. “What is that?”
“A summoning.”
I follow Colton and the rest of the villagers to the meeting hall. The largest building in the village, even bigger than the church, the meeting hall displays no decorations, only torches evenly spaced along the walls. A grand table fills the center of the room. Everyone gathers around it, and I find a spot at the head of the table near Colton and Kaleo. On the walk over, Colton explained that the bell is only used when there’s an emergent need for the village to gather. He also mentioned that the last time they’d used it was after men began getting stolen away in the night for crimes they didn’t commit.
Parchment messages lay neatly on the tabletop. I bite my lip and stare at them, the thoughts of doubt swirling in my head like a summer fog. The villages have already been through so much—lost so much. They’ve suffered while I was wistfully unaware. If they’ve chosen to refuse to help me, it’d be of no fault but my own. A few more people stroll into the hall, their mouths stretched long with yawns. When everyone’s movements settle, Kaleo begins.
