by A D Lombardo
Writhing against the nightmare Kai woke and bolted upright. Eyes open, he held his head. Unlike a dream, these images felt real. There was a sense of urgency in their delivery. There was no stopping them. He only wished he knew when and how to prepare.
He peered around his room, fixing the layout in his mind. The chamber smelled of roses. The small table near the panes held a large vase of roses, and the tray of food Opal had provided. Bright moonlight spilled in from the two large windows across from his bed.
He swung his legs to the floor and went to the window. The estate seemed very peaceful at this hour. No lights sprang from the other windows as he looked out into the gardens. The grounds were different from home. This bedroom was only two floors up, while it was far from small, it was nothing compared to his room in the palace.
He touched his chest above his heart. How he ached to be back home. He knew this was meant to be an adventure, to challenge him, but he couldn’t keep up with all the changes that adulthood and responsibility were imposing.
He picked up the large pitcher and poured water into the washbasin. The water turned a muddy brown as he washed his hands and face. Hunger pressed on his stomach, and he snatched a few morsels and drank some wine. It was a little different than home but still good.
The star-filled night relaxed his mind, and he felt tired once more. Back in the soft bed, he was thankful they were no longer traveling the open road. Hands tucked behind his head, he lifted slightly to see Smoke resting on the floor. The wolf’s breathing was steady and slow. How Kai missed his puppy days, Smoke sleeping on his bed. It was all he could do not to join his friend on the floor.
Tomorrow would be a big day. This Lord Victor had a strange manner and he did not relish spending an entire summer with him. He only hoped there would be time with Shane and Haygan. Time to explore and enjoy the more leisurely pace this small town might provide. He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep. No more visions chased him.
◆◆◆
Kai awoke to a presence in his room and a low growl from Smoke. Disoriented, he looked to the door. A female figure stood holding a pile of clothes, her face hidden in shadow. “Put these on and come with me, Prince Kai. There are things you must see firsthand,” she instructed.
Dresnor stepped up behind her. “Hurry, Prince Kai. We have little time to waste. This is Marabella. We can trust her.” Dresnor pulled Marabella from the room and closed the door behind them to give Kai privacy.
Without question, Kai hurried into the rags she called clothes. They were threadbare, stained, and torn. He was relieved they did not smell. Through the open window, he could tell it was just before dawn.
When he entered the hallway, the low light illuminated Marabella’s face. Her gaunt features shocked him, and he looked to Dresnor. “What is going on?” Another look revealed her clothes were also well-worn, the edges stained with dirt. She smelled of earth and waste. It was difficult to process, but he trusted his Kempery-man with his life. Whatever this woman had been through, Dresnor seemed invested. He too wore old, stained clothing—but Kai could see the daggers at his waist and one barely visible in his boot.
Dresnor motioned toward the back stairs. “Follow Marabella, she knows the way.” He glanced down at Smoke and touched Kai’s shoulder. “When we get outside, let Smoke roam. His presence might give us away. Do you understand?”
Suddenly nervous, Kai looked at Smoke and then back to Dresnor. “What’s wrong?”
Marabella did not stop to offer an explanation. She moved quickly through the corridor, descended a narrow winding staircase, and exited through the library onto a terraced garden. The moonlight bathing the garden offered little concealment. She darted across the landscape, hiding in the shadows as they neared a large wall.
Shrouded in darkness, they waited under a large oak. Motionless, Marabella focused on one point—a wrought-iron gate. Silently they waited. Crickets chirped into the night, breaking the silence. She did not move. Kai had no idea where she was taking them, but he saw her determination and courage. Behind it all, there was sorrow and fear.
Using his natural sight, Kai observed their surroundings and saw no one. He wanted to know why they waited. To detect her concern, he needed to glean. Connected to his sight, he followed the wave of energy. Around the perimeter guards patrolled. In the distance, Kai discovered a person hiding in a tree. The guard turned the corner approaching the gate. Breathless, they waited as the man passed.
The woohoo of an owl, once, twice and a third time echoed from the man’s position. He was her lookout. Marabella darted. She pushed through the gate, Kai and Smoke alongside. Dresnor secured the latch and ran after them. Under cover of the trees once more, Kai looked at his Kempery-man. Genuine concern crossed Dresnor’s face. “Now can you tell me where we are going?” Kai persisted.
“Marabella has much to show us about the truth of Hamrin and its people. Seeing is believing.” Dresnor fell silent as they reached the open streets in town.
Smoke stayed a reasonable distance behind. Without him near, Kai felt exposed. Through their connection, he sensed his wolf on the outskirts of town. The current streets were empty, but loud, angry voices echoed through the buildings, deeper into town.
Marabella crossed the street into a narrow alleyway. She stopped and pressed her fingers to her lips for them to remain quiet. Fear etched on her face, and her eyes welled with tears. They sneaked further down the alley before turning left between two buildings. With each step, the yelling and screams got louder.
Up ahead, a man yelled, “Wake up, bums. Move on. Get your belongings and go, or we’ll burn it all and you with it.”
In return, Kai heard men, women, and children crying.
“Please, we have no place to go.”
The men showed no mercy. “You can’t sleep in the streets. You live like filthy animals. Go sleep in the woods, or I will lock you in the mines with the other slaves. Either way, you can’t stay here,” the cold-hearted voice hammered.
When they reached the next road, Marabella pulled Kai forward and pointed. Soldiers were grabbing people and shoving them down the streets. “How many times must we run you off? You’re worthless trash. If you can’t work, get out. There’s no free food here.”
One soldier stood out, broad-shouldered. A man who took great pride in his work, smiling as he grabbed a woman and pushed her down the street. The man with her pushed the soldier in the back. He looked like a flea trying to move a mountain. “Leave my wife be, Tarren! You’re the animal.”
Angered, Tarren backhanded the man in the face. Knocked back, the older man hit the ground with a thud and his screaming wife scrambled to his aid. Barely able to stand, she pulled her husband to his feet, and they scurried away.
Tarren yelled after them. “Raise your hand to me again, old man, and I will have your head. How will you provide for your wife when you’re dead?”
Shocked, Kai stepped from their hiding place. “We need to help them.”
Dresnor yanked Kai back into the narrow alley. “No. Watch. Listen and learn.”
It was agonizing to watch Tarren, and the other soldiers continue to harass the people. Each family roused in the darkness, gathering what they could before they were pushed down the road. Behind them, another group of men collected leftover belongings, tossing them into a horse-drawn wagon.
The man, Tarren, seemed strangely familiar. Then Kai recalled seeing him. He was one of two brawny men who stood with Lord Victor when Kai arrived. Tarren continued to bark orders. “Get this mess cleaned up. We need all the homeless removed and the streets cleaned before morning.”
Marabella clutched at her stomach, unable to contain her own grief. She pushed between Kai and Dresnor back down the way they came. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Dresnor pulled Kai away from the oppressive display. Out of sight, the berating shouts and terrorized screams rang out down the alleyway.
Again, they crept through the cover of night across town. Off through the woods,
they reached a tall structure where another man barked orders, and the cries of children were the only answer. This broke Kai’s heart. “What is this place?” he asked Marabella.
No answer came.
Upon closer examination, Kai determined the two-story building resembled an old barn. Two glassless windows were lit brightly against the night. He followed Marabella closer and closer until they could see inside. This was indeed an old barn that had been turned into a home for children—an orphanage.
Relentless cries echoed inside as children were dragged from their beds. “Get up, waifs. Get this place clean, Miss Grimley. Get them clean. When the prince visits, they say nothing. He is here early. We warned you to get ready. You must cast some of them out—there are too many. Just one urchin per bed. Get rid of the rest.”
Kai could not see the woman he addressed, but he could hear her freighted voice pleading. “Please, they are only children,” she begged. “Please. I do all I can with what we have. Where will they go?”
Her frail, boney form came into view as she stepped around the children. She wasn’t much more than a child herself. Frizzy blonde hair blocked her face from view, but Kai knew this girl—or rather, he’d seen her in his dream. His heart clenched with the thought of what was to happen next. From where he stood, he could only watch.
The man stepped forward, and Kai saw his massive stature. In desperation, she reached her trembling hands to calm him. Without warning, he struck her across the face. She dropped to the ground in a heap, clutching her face.
“Shut up, Alissa. You are here only by my grace. Know this—you can be replaced and sent to the mines.” The soldier towered over the poor girl; his frustration curled his mouth into a snarl.
Cowering on the ground, Alissa whimpered. The brute grabbed her by the neck and pulled her to her feet. His massive hand clutched her throat. Alissa struggled against his mighty grip. The man lowered his face close to hers. His evil grin told Kai that the man enjoyed his work. “I will have what I want from you Alissa, or I will put you in the ground like the last girl. Are we clear? Even if I must continue to beat you, you will submit.” Finished, he tossed her to the ground like a rag doll. “We do not have to tend to these unwanted children. It is by Lord Victor’s mercy these children are not turned out into the streets to starve.”
The children sobbed as Alissa grabbed at her throat, gasping for air. “Please, Bevon, they are just children,” she croaked. “Can Lord Victor not offer a little more food?”
Kai could now see her gaunt face. Her neck and cheek bloomed red by the assault, and a small stream of blood ran from her lip.
Near his limit, Bevon thundered at Alissa. “NO! Get rid of some of them, and you will have enough. Talk back to me again, and I will burn this place to the ground, with you and them inside.”
The children muffled their sobs and cowered around Alissa. The door to the orphanage opened, and the light illuminated three figures. The men stormed out in force against the night. Bevon took the lead and bellowed. “A waste if you ask me. Why do we bother to keep this place? Nothing but unwanted brats. They serve no purpose until they are old enough to work the mines. When the prince leaves, I will deal with this new girl. She is too bold for her own good.”
Devastated, Kai clapped a hand across his mouth. He dared not speak, but he wanted to have the man thrashed for what he’d done. Instead, they hid in the bushes. When the men were well away, Marabella silently led them back to the estate.
Kai had no words for what he’d witnessed. Heartbroken, Kai returned to his chamber. His Kempery-man followed him inside and paced the floor.
“Dresnor, what am I to do? I don’t understand what’s happening here. There is no real poverty in Diu. Rowdy areas, yes, but no starvation. I have never seen men like this Terran and Bevon. And the orphanage… I cannot even begin to understand what I saw there. How can this be happening in a Diu town? Why has nothing been done?”
Dresnor dug at his beard. “There is no way the Grand Duke would have sent us into this situation had he known. The people here are frightened. I am surprised Marabella was strong enough to come forward.” Dresnor turned away, concealing his emotions.
“Unfortunately, if dukes pay their taxes and pledge fealty, they are often left to run their districts as they see fit. Kai, I respect your father. Before Iver was king, he tended these towns for his father. Once he became king, he made less time for his people outside of Diu city.”
A pained look crossed Dresnor’s face. “Forgive me for saying so, but the king stopped enforcing Diu law after your mother died. Even now, he travels the ocean searching for riches, building trade routes, and affirming allegiances elsewhere. He has forsaken his own people outside of the capital.”
The words stung. How dare his Kempery-man blame his father for the atrocities they’d witnessed? But even though Kai wanted to argue, he knew part of it was true. His father had stopped visiting their own country.
Kai leaned back, taking stock. “What is Diu law? I know from my history lessons you cannot own slaves. If these people are paid anything, they are not actual slaves. Mistreated sure, overtaxed probably, but not slaves. Although if they are locked up in the mines as Bevon said…” He let his voice trail off.
Lost by the horrors, Kai wanted to scream. Instead, he pounded his fist on the table. “We need people willing to give testament. This mine I heard them mention, what is Victor mining?”
“Marabella tells me there are two—copper and marble. Both dangerous, backbreaking work. If Victor is making money and not paying proper taxes, that is one charge against him. It seems he is also keeping the town visibly small and starving his people. That could also be a chargeable offense.” Dresnor’s green eyes glared with anger.
“So, you recommend we use the law to end this mess?” Kai asked.
“Victor is responsible for the orphanage. If he is aware of the mistreatment of the children, or aware of the men locked in the mines, he could face prison. All criminal offenses. This Bevon character, he may have committed murder. We need to know what Victor knows. We need the Grand Duke. In your father’s absence, Dante can enforce the law of the land.” Dresnor paused, shaking his head. “We only have a dozen armed men. Victor’s men will not go easy. They enjoy their work and the life they’ve established. There will be a fight.”
Dawn peaked through the trees and splashed through Kai’s chamber window. A mix of fear and anger welled in his chest. “How can I face this duke? This Victor Hamrin? Am I expected to sit with this man and act like I know nothing?”
Dresnor shifted to the creaking door as Drew entered. “Drew, what have you learned?”
“Sir, for a small town, he has amassed a large force—over a hundred men. Loyal men. He pays them well, and they do anything he says. They live like kings off the backs of the villagers. I had our men remove their Diu uniforms to learn what they could. Their men boast openly about thrashing the locals. They drink themselves into disgrace.”
Drew clenched his jaw. “One of our men reported he found a tavern full of men drinking and fighting amongst themselves. They have no code. Best he could tell, most are unaware the Prince is even here. I have sent a bird with your note, but it will take time. And I have Finlee and a scout ready to board this morning’s ship bound for Diu. They will take the letter you provided straight to the Grand Duke.”
“Well done, Drew,” Dresnor said. “You may go.”
Kai crossed to Dresnor. “Now what?” He looked down the hallway after Drew, noticing Opal speaking with Kempery-man Albey. “Do we sit and wait until reinforcements come if they make it in time?”
Dresnor placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Our scout will inform Dante of the number of men required. Now we need to continue to gather information. Determine Lord Hamrin’s culpability. Bide our time if we can. This town is on the cusp of breaking. Our early arrival has caused an unexpected storm. They were unable to properly prepare.”
Hearing his Kempery-man’s words, Kai felt
a little better about their chances. “We simply need to make it through the day. Ask a few questions… I can do that. We need to change for breakfast. I am sure Victor is expecting us.”
Dresnor shook his head in disagreement. “No. We need to make him wait. You need to avoid him this morning. I want to see how far we can push the old man. Become the spoiled prince he expects. When we confront him, I want him seething, disrespectful, and overconfident. Redmon is informing Haygan now. Together you should take your morning run. Get a lay of the land. Given what you’ve just witnessed, I doubt you are prepared to dine with Victor and play nice.”
His man was right. It was best he take the time to process all he’d witnessed. Relieved he could put off facing this duke, Kai breathed easier. “What of Marduk and Shane?”
“I will speak to them,” Dresnor assured him.
Chapter 28
Childhood’s End
Kai found Haygan waiting in the estate gardens with Shiva and Smoke. He leaned against a tree, dressed in black and gray. His shoulder-length hair was tied back. “Good morning, Kai. Kempery-man Redmon informed me we have a situation brewing. I am to keep you outside of town until late afternoon, buy us some time and allow you to calm down.”
Kai nodded toward the gate. “We are to get a lay of the land. Dresnor believes things could go bad before help arrives. The longer we can avoid a confrontation, the better. There are well over one hundred men in town loyal to Lord Victor. He could easily turn on us. And yes, I need to prepare or I might punch the man in the face for what he’s done.”
Keenly looking around, Kai pushed through the wrought-iron gate. He couldn’t help but notice how Victor’s estate was rather large and opulent considering how poor the townspeople were.
Haygan closed the gate. “I get the impression the groomsmen are most fortunate to work within the estate. They would not speak with me about the conditions, but it is easy to see even they are struggling.” Haygan quickened his pace and glanced over his shoulder. “We are being followed. Two men.”
