Soul Catcher

by E. L. Todd

  Morkarh

  21

  They passed through the desert in the night. The strong wind blew against them and slowed their progression to the city. Accacia pulled the Serpentine Guild hood further down her face to protect her eyes from the grains of sands that were carried in the current. The flecks of dirt blurred her eyesight and she wiped them away as she stumbled through the never-ending hills of sand. If Aleco was experiencing the same frustration, he didn’t voice it. He said nothing to her as they moved forward. He didn’t look to verify she was still behind him, acting as if she wasn’t even there.

  They approached Morkarh from its front gate and Accacia stared at the stone walls, fascinated by the height and depth of the gray slabs that protected the immaculate city. Nature took advantage of Accacia’s glimpse, and she groaned in frustration as the sand returned to her watering eyes. Through her squinted gaze, she could see the Prisoner’s Circle towering over the wall. Tremors ran through her body at the remembrance of her captivity. Aleco rescued her from that awful place, but there she was yet again.

  Aleco pulled her behind a covering of rocks before they were within sight of the gate. He finally addressed her but kept his eyes glued to the entrance. “You will enter alone, Accacia,” he said. “I’m not going with you.”

  “What?” she asked incredulously. “Why aren’t you coming?”

  “I can’t,” he growled. “They will spot me in a second. I could go through the back gate and risk it, but I can’t afford to. If I don’t return then you will have no one to escort you.”

  “Won’t they recognize me?”

  “No,” he said. “If you keep your hood up, it won’t be a problem.”

  She leaned against the rock and clutched herself with her arms. The boulder was giving a grateful respite from the gusting wind, and she didn’t want to move from the sanctuary. The idea of going into the city alone, searching for a woman she didn’t know, was frightening. Accacia didn’t want to do this.

  Aleco recognized her fear. “If you don’t return, I’ll come for you.”

  Accacia rubbed her shoulders through the fabric of the thin cloak, the friction of her movement bringing some heat to the area.

  “Accacia, you don’t have to do this,” he said. “I am the one who needs to make the payment.”

  “No,” she said. “This is payment for both our lives. Of course, I will do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. When the sun rises, you will go into the city and continue to the mineral district, which is in the back, right corner. At the tavern, ask for Lydia. The bartender will point you in the right direction,” he said as he withdrew the coins from his pack. He picked five gold pieces and handed them to Accacia. “And buy a warm jacket. You are going to need it.”

  She shoved the money back. “I don’t want your money.”

  “You can pay me back,” he said.

  “I already owe you too much.”

  Aleco sighed. “Then what’s a little more?”

  Accacia continued to rub her arms but said nothing.

  “Accacia, stop this now,” he snapped. "You will freeze on our return to the old man. Believe me, you need a damn jacket.” He shoved the coins back into her hand. She didn’t argue and took the coins. She didn’t want their confrontation to escalate. They were already on shaky terms as it was. “Get some sleep,” he said. “I’ll wake you at sunrise.”

  Aleco’s voice stirred her from sleep. His hoarse voice barked into her ear and dragged her painfully away from her dreams. It was very different from the way he woke her up the day before. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

  “Are you sure you can do this?”

  “Yes,” she said as she ran her hands through her hair. Aleco watched her fingers glide through her strands, and noted its common occurrence before a crucial moment. He knew it was a habit stimulated by fear and anxiety.

  “Then do it,” he said. “I will wait for you here.”

  She discarded the guildsmen cloak and wore her thin, brown cape. As she approached the city, the heavy wooden door swung open for the merchants gathered outside the gate and allowed them to enter. Accacia huddled near a group of farmers who had brought their goods to market and crept behind them as they passed through the gateway. None of the guards noticed Accacia as she walked through, but they didn’t have the opportunity to study her since so many bodies were entering at the same time. Accacia assumed they weren’t looking for her anyway. Why would she return to the city she had initially fled from? Getting out of the city would be the difficult part. She walked to the far back corner of the city, the mineral district, and entered the local tavern.

  The bartender was quite taken with Accacia and enjoyed the business her presence was bringing to the tavern. Men slouched in the corner and stared at Accacia with interest as she questioned the bartender of the whereabouts of Lydia. Even though their glasses were already full, the men approached the bench and ordered another pint of ale just to get a better look at her. Accacia was completely oblivious to the commotion she was causing and continued to speak with the friendly tavern keeper. He smiled at her and asked her to lower her hood as payment, knowing the attention it would bring to his establishment. She did as he asked, forgetting Aleco’s earlier command. His eyes widened with surprise at her exquisite features. The tavern keeper immediately recognized her face, but couldn’t recall where he had seen her.

  “Thank you for your assistance,” she said with a smile. She left the tavern and entered the streets of the mineral district. As she strolled down the sandy streets, it became evident why the district was granted its reputable title. The shops along the streets all sold goods produced from minerals, including beautiful pottery, exquisite frames of looking glass, and beautiful quartz necklaces. Accacia looked at the products with interest, especially the jewelry, which she loved but was too embarrassed to admit. Lord Drake had gifted her many jewels, but she attested that she loathed them. She refused to wear them, but in truth, she adored them and wore the beautiful gems when she was alone. She sat at her vanity and watched the diamonds catch the light of the glass mirror, marveling at their beauty, but tucked them away when the duke returned. She had no quarrels with the jewelry; just the man who had given them to her.

  In the center of the district, she noticed a commotion of people working. Some were carrying heavy wheelbarrows across the street and dumping rocks and sand into a growing pile of rubble. Others were placing raw minerals into a large cart, which were hooked up to four dray horses, who flicked their tails with impatience, tired of standing still. Accacia was unsure what they were working around, it was difficult to see at a distance, and she didn’t want to risk being spotted with any further exploration. She would ask Aleco when she returned.

  She found Lydia’s home quickly. Lydia lived in a small wooden home that leaned slightly to one side, and Accacia wondered just how safe the abode was. She spotted two children playing in the sand directly in front of the house, throwing dust into each other’s faces then laughing when it flew into the other’s mouth. Lydia opened the front door and smiled at the children fondly, but her grin dropped when she realized how filthy they were. Her eyes widened with anger at the sight of them. The children’s laughter died instantly and was replaced by looks of fear as Lydia stared them down. Accacia laughed at the exchange and approached the family. “Hello.” She smiled.

  Lydia looked up from the children. “How may I help you?” she asked harshly. Her face was still set in a scowl. The tone in her voice made Accacia wonder if Lydia thought she was filthy too. Lydia gripped her children by the shoulders and told them to go inside. The boy and girl stared at Accacia in wonder. When Accacia waved to them, they giggled and dashed into the house.

  “Your children are beautiful,” she said.

  “What do you want?”

  Accacia was taken aback by her hostility. She wasn’t accustomed to this culture, or any culture for that matter, but the ang
er in her voice startled her. Accacia didn’t know what offense she had committed, but whatever it was, she wished she hadn’t. “I have something to give you,” Accacia said as she fetched the bag of coins from her pack. “This is payment to Devry for services rendered. He instructed me to give it to you.”

  Lydia took the bag and counted the coins. Her eyes widened in surprise at the amount.

  “Are you his wife?” Accacia asked bluntly.

  The look of anger on Lydia’s face made her regret her question. She thought she was getting the culture down, but apparently that wasn’t so. Lydia stared at her in silence, and Accacia knew the sneer on her face was the only answer she was going to receive.

  “I apologize for my rudeness,” Accacia said. “I’ll leave now.”

  “I’m his sister,” she said.

  Accacia smiled at the unexpected elaboration.

  “Thank you for bringing this,” Lydia continued. “We are running low on water.”

  “You’re very welcome,” she said politely.

  Accacia waited for Lydia to say more, but Lydia only turned away and walked into the house. Accacia assumed her actions meant the meeting was over. Lydia turned back to Accacia. “Well,” she said impatiently, “are you coming?”

  This was as close to a proper invitation she was going to receive, she assumed. Lydia’s contradictory behavior was confusing Accacia, but she decided not to dwell on it. It would only confuse her even more. She walked through the open door into the humble home. The entryway was small and comprised both the kitchen and the sitting room. Patches of dirt sprinkled the floor, and the enclosure contained the scent of lingering dust as if someone had just swept a filthy carpet. Accacia kept a stoic countenance as she entered the area. She didn’t want to offend Lydia for her poor living accommodations. Moth eaten chairs were lined up in the sitting room along with a rug on the floor that also contained tears and holes. Everything was the same color: red. But Accacia assumed that wasn’t always the case. The red sand had stained the house with its hue. Even the children were covered with the red grains of dirt. They sat before the fire and pulled the sand from their hair. Accacia wondered where their father was and hoped he wasn’t working at the site she had passed. It looked like backbreaking work. Lydia ran a rag through the children’s filthy hair and across their skin to clean the grime from their bodies. “Can’t spare the water,” she explained as she continued to scrape the sand away from between their fingers.

  Accacia nodded. “What are their names?” she asked as she smiled at the children. They both had prominent dimples in their cheeks when they grinned.

  “This one is Vance,” she said as she wiped the sand from his black locks. “And he is eight.” She turned the towel to the younger girl with beautiful golden curls. “This is Sadie and she’s six.”

  “Beautiful,” Accacia whispered. She felt tears bubble below the surface of her eyes at the sight of them. She had seen only one other child in her existence, and because of her unfortunate situation, his life had been threatened. For Accacia, the sight of children was a rare occurrence. At Aleutian Keep, she was confined to the palace, mainly their bedchamber, and never saw kids during her imprisonment. In Orgoom Forest, none of the Naturalists had offspring, nor did Father Giloth, so she hadn’t seen them at that time either. The idea of children was almost mythical to her. Her heart constricted as she gazed at their smiling faces.

  Absentmindedly, Accacia placed her hands across her stomach and remembered the time she was with child. The pregnancy had been short, one that was both depressing and exciting, and had ended with a miscarriage. Initially, Accacia was repulsed by the child she carried, but after her stomach began to bulge, she grew excited at the life inside her. She picked out baby names and sang to her distended figure by the fire, glowing with joy at impending motherhood.

  When Drake found out, he was more than displeased—he was angry. “I can’t have an illegitimate child,” he yelled. “He will not be recognized as an heir to the Aleutian throne by the council. And now is not the time for our nuptials.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do, Drake?” she asked. “Hide the child’s existence?”

  “Why haven’t you been taking your herbs? Did you plan this?”

  “No, of course not,” she said. She ingested Hinue, the herbal concoction to prevent conception, every morning with breakfast. The duke watched her take it daily to ensure she followed the prescription. Accacia didn’t know how he could accuse her of such deception. Even if he wanted her to carry his child, she would refuse to do it.

  “Then the midwives will take care of it,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” she asked as her eyes widened in fear. “I’m not giving my child to someone else.”

  Drake looked at her. “We won’t be giving it to anyone.”

  Accacia covered her slightly protruding stomach with both hands. Drake was an evil man, she knew this, but the meaning of his words was too horrifying, even coming from him. The duke left the room and returned with two of their skilled midwives, Lena and Livia.

  “She is with child,” the duke explained to them. The midwives smiled at Accacia and their eyes glanced down to her extended stomach. “You are to remove it without hurting her.”

  “No.” Accacia stepped back from him. “I will never forgive you for this. I mean it, Drake.”

  He smiled at her. “How many times have I heard those words?” He turned to Lena. “Get the guards.” Accacia stared at Drake from the other side of the room. Tears streamed down her face as she protected her abdomen with her hands. Drake met her gaze then looked down to the floor, unable to meet her pained look a moment longer. Lena returned a moment later with three large men. “Hold her down. Do whatever is necessary,” he said.

  Accacia ran to the corner. “Drake, please don’t do this,” she begged. “This is your baby, too. I’ll do whatever you want. Please don’t do this. Don’t kill my son.”

  Drake ignored her. “Guards, seize her.”

  They grabbed her by the arms and dragged her across the room. “Wait,” she cried. “Please, wait.” Drake nodded for them to continue.

  They carried her to the infirmary. She jerked her body away from their grasp, but their grip was too strong and she flailed helplessly in their hold. Her legs kicked out and hit their ankles, but that didn’t stop their progression or even slow them down. She screamed as they carried her down the hall, shouting Drake’s name, her loud sobs blending with her cries. The midwives turned away from the painful sight and listened to her screams recede down the hallway. They both adored Accacia.

  The Lord Aleutian bore his intimidating gaze on them. “I want no illness to befall her. If she is injured or killed, I will have both your heads.” The midwives nodded. Their hands shook slightly at his threat—they knew he meant it. “Now go.”

  Accacia still felt the medication inside her when she woke, lingering behind her eyes, trying to lull her back to sleep. She reached to her stomach and felt the absence of the bulge, and realized her stomach was as flat as it had been before. She rolled onto her side and shook with sobs at the loss. Her memory was shattered by the young boy’s voice.

  “Who is that, Lydia?” He pointed at Accacia from his seat before the fireplace, just as fascinated by her as she was of him.

  “What is your name?” Lydia asked.

  Accacia’s eyes were glued to Vance’s face. “My name is Accacia. It is very nice to meet both of you.” She smiled.

  Vance walked over to her and grabbed her hand. “Are you staying?”

  The girl walked over as well and wrapped her arms around her leg. “Please stay. We never have anyone to play with.”

  Accacia knelt down and wrapped her arms around them both. “I will visit for a little while but I need to be going soon.”

  Their crestfallen faces shattered her heart. She had just met these children and she already loved them. Her mind wandered to the thoughts of her own child and how much she loved him, even though he ha
d never been born. Somehow she knew he would have been a boy.

  “I think it would be best if you left soon,” Lydia said. “I recognize your face. Your portrait is hung within the city and the reward for your return is hefty.” Accacia hadn’t noticed the pictures within the town. Her concentration had been focused on finding Lydia and returning as soon as possible. “I know the duke,” she continued. “He is a man that always gets what he wants.”

  Accacia stood up and faced Lydia. “How do you know him?” she asked fearfully.

  “I used to work for his family.” She sighed. “His mother rescued me from the life I was living. I worked as a prostitute at the brothel in Letumian, and she recruited me as a maid in the staff. A nicer woman I have never met.”

  Accacia’s eyes widened at the revelation. She had never seen Lydia in the palace walls, and she wondered how this story could be true. “When did you leave? How did you escape?”

  Lydia sighed. “When the Lord and Lady were murdered by their disturbed son, Drake dismissed every palace worker and refilled the positions with new people. He even terminated the guards and replaced them with new bodies,” she said as she rested her hands on her hips. “He obviously wanted a fresh start to his regime.”

  “Who killed them?” Accacia asked.

  “The older son,” she said. “Aleco was his name.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Killed, from what I heard,” she said. “Personally, I think death was too good for him. His punishment should have been more severe.”

  Accacia looked down at the floor and pity for Aleco rose in her heart. “Are they certain he was responsible for their deaths? Drake has such a black heart. I find it hard to believe he wasn’t involved.”

  “Well, I agree with that statement. Drake was always peculiar in his ways,” she said. “I caught him holding a dagger to the throat of the other maids, more than once, as he ran his hand up their skirt, touching them against their will.”

  “Did the late duke approve of this?”