War of the Princes 03: Monarch

by A. R. Ivanovich

  Rune clutched his arm and his eyes darted across the floor as he thought.

  I went cold with disappointment.

  Why do you have to do things like this, Dylan?

  “So, he's been working for Raserion all along?” Kyle asked. “What happens if we find him in Breakwater? What do we do?”

  Carmine shrugged, at a loss for suggestions.

  “Whispers and paper mean nothing,” Rune declared, striding out to rest his arms on the surface of the bar. “If you'd obtained the note, that would be evidence. Our choice now could determine whether Axton lives or dies. If he still is in the city, if he is innocent of this and we leave him, can you live with that error? I can. Easily. But I don't want to be that person anymore.”

  “We don't have time for this!” Carmine protested. “I don’t want my life to end here, do you?”

  I'd caught my breath, but I felt like I was running again. We had to make a decision, and quickly. I'd never truly recovered my trust for Dylan. He'd given me little reason to, and this was too much. But if there were a slight chance he wasn't working with the prince, it would be wrong not to find him. Besides, if he had anything to do with the Monarch's attack on Caraway, I'd want to deal with him myself.

  “I know what to do,” I said, pushing a lock of damp hair behind my ear. “I'll use the Pull to point me to the harbor.” I turned in a semi circle and stopped, facing the wall of beverages and bar table. “There. We know the keep is that way.” I pointed to the back room where we'd entered. “The tunnel was a straight line. So now, all I need to do is focus on Dylan. If he's still in the keep, it's safe to assume he was resting and had nothing to do with the Monarch. The pulse would have killed him too. If I know one thing about Dylan, it's that he'd do anything to save his own skin. If he's at sea, it’s safe to say he's our enemy, and we leave this instant. All I need to do is...”

  Focus. On. Dylan.

  I was exhausted, and my Abilities depended in part on my physical energy. After running across an entire district of the city, this was going to be more difficult than usual.

  A sharp pain, like a pinprick, stabbed at my arm, breaking my concentration. “Ow!”

  Carmine smiled sheepishly. “Sorry dear, you had a splinter. And what in all of Lastland happened to your dress?”

  “It's a long... story.” My head felt heavy. My shoulders felt like they weighed a ton.

  Dylan.

  “Oh,” I exhaled. “I don't know if I can do this right now. I think I need a break.”

  “Just take a minute.” Kyle held a hand up to Carmine before she could protest. He was crazy about her, but he'd never compromise his judgment or a friend's well-being. Stubborn as a bull. That's what I loved about him. “You can't keep pushing yourself so hard.”

  “Yeah.” My voice came out wispy. The red tavern with its starry lights and many cushions and curtains looked like it would be a pleasant place to rest. “I will. It was just so far.”

  “Do you need something to drink? Anyone?” Rune offered from beside the bar.

  “No... I... don't... think... so.” Was I speaking slowly? Or was the room turning?

  “Is something wrong?” Rune asked. I could hear his concern. What was he concerned about? I was so foggy.

  I felt like I might collapse into a fitful slumber. There was something I needed to do. It was so important. Determined, I pressed my lips together, narrowed my eyes and forced what was left of my energy to find Dylan. As the Pull guided me, I felt like I was thigh-high in mud. I looked up and saw the door to the tunnel that led straight back to the keep. He was still there! He wasn't working for Raserion!

  Sluggish, I turned back around to tell my friends.

  We have to go get him! We have to hurry!

  Rune had his back turned to the bar and the wall of spirits when the Gateling showed itself. Its shoulders were crooked, its head was twitching to the side and its wide white eyes were locked onto Rune. I shouted to warn him, but it was too late. The Gateling latched onto his injured forearm, squeezing until he screamed in pain and his legs buckled. Like the giant shadow beast in the courtyard, the Gateling's form expanded to overwhelm him. Rune fought back in futility. It covered him, driving him to the floor, coated in a dark mass of shadow.

  “Gravity, no!” Kyle gasped.

  Sadie was on her feet in an instant, hissing and lashing her tail, ready to attack the creature.

  When it happened, Carmine had her long, shapely leg up on top of a chair. Her skirts were pulled back as she adjusted a stocking. Calmly, daintily, her hands reached her thigh. Past the lacy black garter was another with leather straps. She unholstered a small pistol, already packed and loaded. Like she was picking flowers on a light, sunny day, she hummed to herself, smiled, and shot Sadie in the head.

  Kyle turned to her in horror, and she flicked her skirts to the side, produced a second pistol from her other thigh, and shot him square in the chest.

  Chapter 52: Nothing Personal

  My scream was guttural. Kyle staggered backwards. The look on his face was of the deepest sadness– it was heartbreak. “Carmine,” he whispered like he didn't understand. Chin to chest, he looked down at his wound as an afterthought. Blood gushed through his white shirt, the crimson climbing his collar as it seeped into the fabric. It soaked his blue and gold brocade vest, turning it a cruel shade of purple. He didn't touch the wound or clamp his hands over it to stop the bleeding. He just fell. When he hit the ground, he squirmed and let his pain manifest in a weak sound. “Uh.” His chest heaved one last exhale. His head rolled to one side. He stopped moving.

  I tried to run to him, but my knees weakened with every step until I lost the strength to move. I collapsed against a chair, banging my head on the corner. The pain didn't mean anything. I struggled to get up but my muscles wouldn't obey. I blinked hard to clear my foggy vision, and salt water ran down my cheeks. I didn't sniffle or sob, the tears ran on their own. “No,” I said, trying and failing to raise a single leaden arm. “No, Kyle, no! Not you... not him... please.”

  Shaking, I turned my attention to the person responsible. Carmine was slipping her pistols back into their holsters, and brushing the dust from her skirts. Her smooth, short brown hair was perfect, not a lock out of place. She stepped over poor Sadie to have a look at Kyle. She folded her bottom lip and nodded as though what she saw was satisfactory.

  Turning back to where Rune lay at the foot of the bar, covered in a lump of darkness, she clapped her hands twice. “Come now! We don't have all night.”

  The lump moved, tightening around Rune's body until it was a second skin over his own. The shadows smoldered like black smoke, curling off him. His head was barely distinguishable in the haze, but for a pair of narrow white eyes.

  Rune...

  The Gateling had taken him over. I'd never seen or even heard of such a thing. In combination with Rune, the Gateling looked more muscular now, its neck muscles fed into its shoulders, supporting a sloping head with a pointed snout. It was like he was wearing the mask of a storybook monster, but this was not fable or fiction. I had to believe that he was okay under there. Did he see Carmine shoot Kyle and Sadie? Did he see me weak and withered and propped against the legs of a chair, unable to stand? Or was he in the ruin of Shadows within Shadows, a prisoner of Prince Raserion?

  “Get that door open and be quick about it!” Carmine ordered the Gateling that possessed Rune.

  He bowed his head slowly and walked to the front set of doors.

  If I had the energy, I might have been sick. Tears dribbled down my cheeks and I pawed helplessly at the red carpet.

  She killed Kyle... she killed Kyle!

  Fatigue smothered me, making it difficult to speak, but a cold rage was building in my chest. “You.” A spark cracked over my fingertips, but I didn't have the strength to direct it. I tried again, but the power of my shock wouldn't do any worse than the static from a doorknob. This was what Rune had told me about. Physical exhaustion, whether natural or induced
, could extinguish an Ability.

  She looked at me and raised an eyebrow like she was surprised that I was talking to her. “I have to hand it to you, Kat, you are resilient. I pricked you with enough sedative to down a grown man.” Taking off a glove, she revealed a ring that covered one finger like armor. The tip came together in a needle-sharp point. She waggled her fingers at me and smiled charmingly. “Don't tell me you've never seen one of these before. Not as handy as that Ability-dissolving bullet of yours, but it can still do the trick. Not so easy to call the thunder down on someone when you can barely open your eyes, is it?” She walked behind the bar, produced a bottle with amber liquid and poured the beverage into a tiny glass.

  I glanced at the scratch in my arm. She'd drugged me.

  My eyelids dragged downward and I had to fight to keep them open. “The Gateling... following us... it was you all along.”

  She gulped down the drink in one smooth shot, and wriggled her shoulders as it went down. “Yes. It was my doing. The Gateling, the Monarch, and all of this.” She looked down at me casually and clicked her tongue. “Come now, don't be that way. I thought you'd learned by now.”

  “Learned what?” I wanted to blast her through the wall and send that stupid glass with her.

  “It's just business, love.” She poured herself another drink. “Nothing personal.”

  “H-how can you say that, after what you've done?” There was nothing more personal than murder. Kyle wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a trained soldier. It wasn't just another ugly part of war. There was no warning.

  “Lamb, I'm a spy– it's all part of the job. Leaving my Northern citizenship papers in a compartment on the Fish where I knew you'd find them, making myself appear vulnerable, as endangered as the rest of you, that was all part of it. Tell someone what you want them to believe and they'll doubt you forever. Lead them to a conclusion indirectly, let them believe they were the one to figure things out, and they'll eat from the palm of your hand.”

  “You...” How long had she been doing this? What else had she subtly orchestrated?

  “Yes, I chose you at the docks. No, I won't divulge my sources. Yes, I know I'm good. Brilliant, you might even say.” She found another bottle, this one with blue liquid, and swished the contents around. Unstopping the cork, she sniffed at it.

  “You had a family, you were helping the children.”

  “Oh, I'm always helping them,” she said to me like we were two conspiring girls at a sleepover. “Allow me to introduce Jemmie and Walton.” She swished her skirts aside again to show me two pistols strapped to her outer left thigh. “Sonny and Pauline.” She showed me the two fastened to her other thigh. “And little Aubrey.” She reached down tapping at yet another holster on her ankle beneath her boot. They all had pretty handles with unique engravings. “Everything I do is for them,” she sighed. “And the Flying Fish too, of course. I love that ship.”

  I didn't understand it. We'd met by chance. “How did you know about us?”

  She shrugged and took a sip of the strange blue liquid, then put it away with a look of distaste. “What does it matter? Job's done. I'd been ordered to watch the city, Breakwater, mind. Look for anyone with strange behavior. Rumor was, a Commander... Fallux I believe his name was. Well, this Commander had found a Lodestone. Silver-eyed. Black-haired. I worked the place for a good nine months. Finally, I caught a tip that three, maybe four silver-eyed youths were wandering the marketplace screaming every time they took sight of an elephant. All I needed to do was investigate, see if I'd found some real life Lodestones. Turns out, I had!”

  I didn't let myself look back at Kyle. I didn't move my eyes to Rune, who had opened the doors and strode out into the violent night. I held on to her story in shock and outrage, using my emotion to keep me from slipping into unconsciousness.

  Oh gravity, what have I done? Why didn't I know? Why couldn't I have seen through her? Kyle, I'm so sorry.

  Maybe the sedative she'd given me would wear off. I could still help Rune. All I needed to do was stay awake and not crumble into pieces. I wanted to sob and scream, but I didn't. All of my attention was on Carmine.

  “You...” I swallowed. My throat was dry and my cheeks were wet. “You rescued us. In Cape Hill. Why?”

  Carmine yawned into a cupped hand. “What is taking them so long? At this rate, I'll be drunk as a Hussar before our men arrive. Let's see, Cape Hill... oh, yes. Well, I knew that you were Lodestones. I certainly could have left you there to be captured or killed, but I had a bigger catch in mind. I began to notice certain physical similarities between this one,” she pointed at Kyle. “And young renderings of Prince Varion. Word from my contacts here in Caraway suggested he was missing. Have you ever gambled? No, I don't suppose you have. It's like that. You win a small amount, and sure, you could simply gather your earnings and go home. But sometimes you have this sense, this feeling that if you just hold out a little longer, you'll win big. I always win, and would you like to know the secret? Patience.” She winked at me.

  I wanted to slap her. Or worse.

  “I followed through. We were sent north. It was risky, but that's how you know you're in for something big. And here we stand, wealthier than ever before! Thank you, Mister Kiteman!”

  “He loved you.”

  “I know.” She said it in a quiet, genuine way. “And I know what I am to men. It turns out your little Prince was no different than the rest. He was kinder than most, I'll give him that.”

  “You make me sick.”

  That made her laugh, but it wasn't happy or mocking, it was defensive. “Yes, I suppose you would say that. For what it’s worth, I'm sorry. This is really your fault you know. If you hadn't insisted on looking for that cocksure, idiot lord of yours, we could have had another journey before all of this. Could have spent a little more time with him,” she nodded down at Kyle. “And him,” she nodded at the door that Rune had walked through.

  I wouldn't let her make me feel responsible for what she'd done. Static popped at my fingertips as I attempted again to form a burst. “What did you do to Dylan?”

  “He won't be rescuing you, if that's what you're after.”

  Oh gravity, oh gravity he's dead too. She's killed Dylan too.

  I'd fallen for her lies in this very room. Just like she said, she'd dropped leading pieces of information that would make Dylan look untrustworthy. She let me decide that he'd betrayed us again. If Rune hadn't been so intent on determining his innocence, we all may have followed Carmine's plan to its very end. I was so stupid. I needed to be smarter. I needed to be more careful.

  Nothing is wasted.

  I didn't know what Raserion was going to do with Kyle's body. If he was a blood relative of the real Varion, would that be enough for the vengeful prince? Sadie would be dropped into a tube, drained and compressed to aid in the making of the glowing aquamarine dry water. I'd be drained by Raserion or used like the poor woman in the Monarch. I couldn't save her. What had Block said her name was? I'd forgotten and I couldn't save her. Just like I couldn't save Kyle, or Dylan, or Sterling.

  Rune. You're still alive aren't you? You must be.

  Rune had said that I could use an Ability while physically exhausted, but that it could burn me up and kill me. It was worth it. I'd do it for him. I had to keep Carmine distracted so that I could try. I just needed a few moments to concentrate.

  “It's too bad you've gone to all this trouble over us,” I said carefully. “Since I killed Prince Raserion with the Monarch.”

  “Ah, nice try. We only just spoke about this. I'm not going to fall for it. You are a fast learner, Katelyn. What have we here? A battalion of belated buffoons,” she said drolly as shadowy Rune returned with a troop of infantry and Dragoons. “Pleasure doing business with you!”

  “W-where are you going?”

  “Didn't I already say it? Job's done. It's time for me to disappear.”

  What? No!

  She did this. She couldn't just walk out the door and leave. S
he killed Kyle and Sadie! She ruined Rune! She'd damned me to a fate worse than death, and she was just going to stroll away like it was last call on a slow night!

  “I'll find you,” I growled.

  She laughed, this time with humor in her tone. “No, you won't.”

  Her bronze skirts swished as she walked, elegant as ever, past the line of black armored soldiers to the door.

  “If I live, I'll find you.”

  That gave her pause. She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder like she was contemplating the weight of what I’d said.

  My words were low and full of meaning. “You know that I can... so you'd better get used to running.”

  This time she didn't argue, and walked a little faster out the door.

  * * *

  Usually, I enjoyed the scent of burning wood. Campfires were particularly enjoyable, but here the smoky scent meant that homes were burning. Lives were being ruined. The districts of Caraway would look like those in Breakwater, ashen and crumbling.

  Rune had lost his parents in a fire like this one. Life could be unforgivably wicked like that. He could control fire. He could have saved them if they were together.

  Kyle was afraid of the flames. It didn't matter anymore. His entire life amounted to one bullet, fired by a friend.

  I had to help Rune. If only I could open my eyes.

  The tears on my cheeks soaked into my skin, and the salt began to dry on my face. My heart beat so slowly I feared it would stop.

  Raserion's soldiers filled the red room and began to encircle the bodies on the floor. I could hear their boots shuffling on the soft crimson carpet. I needed to get up and fight. My eyelids were closed like they'd been glued together. I was still conscious, and that was something.

  Come on, Kat. Get up. Pull yourself together and move! On three! One... two... three!

  I was determined. My mind was clear. I believed I had the energy, and I willed myself to open my eyes and stand and command the Spark to shower the room with electricity. I pushed myself hard, and all of my effort amounted to the twitch of my little finger and a crack in my eyelids.