The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Bailey Ardisone

  I didn’t listen.

  It really sucks that he had been right. That all this could’ve been avoided had I listened to my grandfather in that moment. But none of that mattered now. I could dwell on my regrets later.

  “Tell us,” my grandmother urged. I thought over my words carefully. On the ride here, I had nothing but this conversation to work through beforehand, and yet, I couldn’t seem to figure out a good way to say it.

  “What I’m going to say will be a huge disappointment to you. In fact, you may even hate me afterward.” I made an “o” shape with my lips and slowly let out a deep breath. “But please listen to everything I have to say before you judge me or make any decisions. Please. I need you two now more than I ever have in my entire life. It’s so important.” I started rushing my words together, growing anxious, so I worked hard to rein myself in. I was also acutely aware that I didn’t have time for my craziness. I had to stay calm. Stay focused.

  “You have our full attention,” Döron said encouragingly.

  “I need your army. I need an alliance with Lassaira,” I blurted it out quickly, just to get it over with. Their eyes widened. In this moment, I had to believe they thought I was insane. “I know, I know. It’s crazy to even mention it. But listen, you’ve commanded them before, can’t you do it again? It’s for a worthy cause. And I wouldn’t just be rallying your army. I’ll be getting more. Lots more.”

  He shook his head. “Why do you need such an army? It is far from feasible. Long has it been since outlying kingdoms joined together and fought on the same side.” I felt a tear prick my eyes at his confirmation of my overwhelming hopelessness, but I fought against it. “As to your mention of my commanding the Lassaira army, that was before our king was made aware of it. None will listen to me now. Not whilst I sit just short of exiled in our humble hovel. It is folly to even try.”

  “I get all that. I do. But I’m desperate. I’ll do anything. And…my father is begging.”

  “Your father?” my grandmother gasped. “You are acquainted with him? How? When? We believed him to be dead.”

  “Yes, but only recently. Apparently, everyone believed him to be dead.” I thought of how Mycah had told me he was, a time that felt ages ago, but really wasn’t that long. Back when this had all begun. “He’s very much not dead. He’s begging of you now to restore that alliance you and he once had. We both are. Back then, you joined together to save my life. An infinitely dangerous task that I could never repay you for, or even begin to properly thank you. And now…now we’re both begging you to help us again. Please, grandpa.” I tried out the foreign word, and it fell flat on my tongue. It was awkward. I couldn’t deny that there was a part of me that liked it, though.

  A look of surprise mixed with pride flitted across his face before he replied, “You have yet to tell me the reason for this need. What could you possibly need our army for? The Isil army is much greater.”

  “You’re right. It is. And that’s the reason we need yours and any other we can get to join it. Ender has a plan. A crazy, messed up, more than likely won’t work plan, but nevertheless, a plan. It’s our only one. The only option we have, giving us no choice but to at least try it.” I still couldn’t bring myself to say it was to save several of their enemies. The true king and the prince of their enemies, no less.

  “Nariella my child, you must tell us this plan.” My grandmother pleaded for understanding.

  “Okay, okay.” I closed my eyes as I spoke. “We need to build a stronger—a much stronger, like, way way stronger—army than that of Aselaira. And the reason is…well, they have captive several people that I love. One of which, I’m…in love…with.” Yeah, this was awkward.

  “In love?” she whispered in surprise. I nodded my head, my chest tightening as an image of Mycah caressing my cheek resurfaced in my mind.

  “They’re to be executed the night of the Hunter’s Moon. That means we have a very short time to assemble a massive army that can bring down Ohtar. We need you.” I wanted to tell them it was Mycah and Rydan I was desperate to save, but I was terrified they wouldn’t help me if I did. Instead, I focused the discussion on their hatred toward Ohtar. “Even if it means you have to defy your king again…it would benefit not only me and those I love, but your kingdom most of all! We’d finally put an end to this vicious war that continues to rape your lands. Don’t you want that? To clear Lassaira of all things Isil?”

  And then I regretted that. It didn’t seem wise to play off a prejudice I was in no way a part of. It’d only lead to disappointment once they found out the ones I loved were Isil royalty. Like I had deceived them…misleading them to believe I was someone different.

  “None here would not wish that.” I smiled hopefully, but he immediately countered my obvious hope with, “Do not misunderstand. We are loyal to our king, but he has changed. It is common knowledge that there is a sickness growing in his mind. He rarely, if at all, leaves his tower. He keeps himself locked away, refusing to mingle with his people, unlike days of old. Since the night of Queen Nariella’s death, he has been a different king than the one we had come to know with fondness. He cares not that his subjects sacrifice their lives to keep his kingdom safe against the Isil army. He does nothing to defend us or aid us. King Aglar ceased ruling over our kingdom quite some time ago. Therefore, he would never agree to your request, and the army of Lassaira believes me to have betrayed them and our holy king. None would dare defy the orders of their king and heed my command, as much as you or I may wish for it. I truly am sorry, my dear. It cannot be done.”

  I let go of a long, pent up sigh. The air shook and trembled as it left my rigid body. I braced myself for what I had to say next. It was time for Ender’s Plan B.

  But before I could even open my mouth to say another word, a low growl had my head jerking to the far corner of a room darkened to black. My heart slammed up into my throat as my eyes met vibrant purple ones staring right at me from deep in the shadows.

  I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t even gasp or scream.

  There was nothing I could do but stare, because I was paralyzed with fear.

  It had to be a creature of Aglar’s. He found me.

  Chapter Two

  ~Naminé~

  The peril of Aselaira had grown tumultuous. It had darkened into new depths—a limitless abyss of evil, suffering, and despair, ready to swallow each of its inhabitants into nothingness.

  Along with the heartache of its true king, so did the kingdom fall further ill.

  What frightened me the most was that no one realized the destruction happening around them, nor did they recognize Ohtar as the source.

  It was utterly maddening.

  Sarqua threw my crumpled body into a cold, gritty cell, and my skull cracked against the stone wall it hit. I held my aching wound and ground my teeth in a seething stare. He smirked smugly as he closed the heavy iron door with a clang, locking it behind him.

  My gaze surveyed the others who had been tossed here unwillingly before me. Though I could not see their faces through the veil of darkness, I counted fourteen in total, each with dirt and grime smeared on their pallid limbs. It was unusual to see my kind in this deteriorated condition unless they had been tortured, neglected, and starved.

  It did not bode well for me to now be imprisoned amongst them.

  “Naminé?” a weak voice whispered from a dark corner. “Why? Why is it that you are here?”

  “Falla?” I recognized the voice and immediately crawled to her. My mind tried to grasp why she was here, and yet the surprise in her voice over my presence puzzled me more. I reached her and clasped her hands tightly with mine. “I do not understand. What has happened? What is everyone doing here?”

  “King Ohtar. He summoned us here. We are to work night and day to locate the traitors Ender and Nariella from Lassaira who had escaped. The question is, my friend, is what reason could there possibly be for you to have joined us?”

  “You? How are you to locate them? You ar
e an Animal Healer!” There was something in the way she spoke that worried me. In the way she gaped at me in astonishment. “Tell me, why are you so surprised that I was brought here?”

  “The answer is rather simple, Naminé.” The pressure on my hands that she now held grew tighter. She maneuvered herself to be straight in front of my face. “Each one of us here are Maite’Ona. Which begs the question, why are you here when you are not?”

  “Oh, Falla, forgive me.” I had completely forgotten she was unaware of my dream-weaving gift. She had no idea I was also a Maite’Ona. “I was much too frightened to admit before, but now I want to shout it to the world. I am also a Maite’Ona, though I refuse to assist in Ohtar’s vile sins.”

  “By the sea and stars,” she whispered, covering her mouth. “It is grave indeed your gift has been discovered by our king. Naminé, you must assist in whatever it is he asks of you! If we do not, we will be tortured relentlessly until the night of the Hunter’s Moon.”

  I gasped in horror, tears straining my eyes. They were all fated to death? I shook my head. “Falla, do you not see? He has promised us all to the Hunter’s Moon! We cannot help him, we cannot grant him more power!”

  The prison door opening again so soon startled me, for I had not expected it, and dropped Falla’s hand to turn around.

  Ohtar strutted in and wrenched my head by the hair until I was forced to prostrate at his feet. “You sicken me, quisling. If I did not have use for you, I would slit your throat this instant just to watch you suffer.”

  “How can you be so selfish? How is it you can murder so many and believe the people will approve?”

  “Silence, you twit. It matters not what the people approve; once the night of the Hunter’s Moon passes, there will be nothing anyone can do to stop me.” I opened my lips to rebut him, but instead he clamped a hand over my mouth and grunted in my face, “I do not wish to converse with you. Now tell me where Ender and that harlot from Lassaira have gone! Tell me where they are!” He threw me violently against the hard wall made of stone with his forearm digging into my throat. “Tell me!”

  “Never. I will never help you. Torture me if you must, but I would not tell you what you want to know, even if I did contain the answers.” His open palm struck the side of my cheek with bitter force, and a horrifying gleam shone in his eye, for we both knew he could not kill me before the rise of the Hunter’s Moon. But he could make me miserable until then.

  “Oh, you will do as I ask, traitor, if it should be the last thing you do before I snap your neck for the entire kingdom to see.” He dug harder into my windpipe, extinguishing my airflow.

  A horrid feeling crept into my mind—one that made my bones ache and spine shudder. My eyes closed as I fought with all my might to resist what I knew was happening.

  Ohtar was poisoning me to do his bidding. Pouring his malicious will into my own so that I would break to him. If I did not resist, he would have me on all fours obeying his every command like a trained dog.

  But I knew better. And I refused to give in to him. I would not betray my true king. Not before, and not now. Whatever torment Ohtar had waiting for me, I would fight it until my very last breath.

  We were prodded like cattle out of our prison cells and unto the shaming posts. The cold, lifeless iron of the shackles bit into our skin with finality as they clanged closed. Ridicule and torturous words were shouted at us as the sun dipped below the horizon, extinguishing all light.

  What power we once had, was lost. Drained from our life’s blood by use of lorda potion, strength and vigor would not return; it mattered not how much we strived for it. Our beautiful, magnificent Fëa received the worst of it, for they were strung up beside our despicable restraining stations. Their power was so great, it required more to subdue them.

  Oh, how I writhed in agony over Calen and Lómë’s pain. I cared not of my own when burdened with theirs. I would gladly welcome twice the amount of discomfort if it meant they were spared.

  Remycah was kept separate from us, leaving Rydan and me in public alone to be tormented, for Ohtar had other plans for him. But for the two of us, we were to be used as examples—it showed the people of Aselaira what would happen to them if they should disobey the king. And they relished showing their scorn for us as traitors. Continuously spat at and used as target practice for rotten food, we were forced to endure hours of punishment until the moment when we would be returned to our cells.

  Suddenly, a familiar person approached me cautiously. He did not linger for long, but pretended to be violent and discourteous. He whispered, “Is there another way that leads to the entrance of the dungeons? One less noticeable by guards?”

  He then slapped my already swollen cheek from Ohtar’s beating. Rydan growled with a fierce anger and tugged vigorously on the restraints. The kindness and remorse shown in his eyes had me confused. He sternly whispered, “Answer me!”

  “Yes, if you should use the servant passageway in the corner of the kitchens, to the left, you should not be seen easily. Why do you ask this of me? What need have you with the dungeons?” my voice trembled.

  “Don’t help him,” Rydan said to me. He then glared daggers at the Isil before us. “If I get out of this, you’re going to pay for laying a hand on her.”

  He ignored Rydan as he replied softly, “Thank you.” His voice was kept lower than a whisper, speaking only to me. He turned to leave, but there was something that I did not understand.

  “Please, please wait!” I begged, and I did well to match his volume, for I did not wish to alert any guards to our discussion. “I do not understand. Are you friend or foe? Do you mean us harm? I cannot know if you are to be trusted, or if you shall betray us to Ohtar. Please, I beg of you, what is the meaning of you coming to me now?”

  “I cannot answer your questions here. Not when unfriendly eyes and ears are so heavily surrounding us. You would do well to pretend I am only here to deal out hate and punishment. I am no more than a passing citizen, similar to everyone else.” His yellow eyes gleamed brighter as he moved away, and I felt my curiosity multiply. “Farewell for now, Naminé.”

  Without another word, he disappeared into shadows and out of sight. Rydan was quick to inquire, “Are you okay? What’s going on? Who was that guy?”

  “I have only met him once before. I do not deny he has caused me great confusion since that first moment, and this second time has not resulted any differently. My distrust and logic tell me he is foe, most certainly foe and on Ohtar’s side. I would be most confident of this if it were not for the warning in my heart. For there, he feels most definitely a friend. Oh, Rydan, I do not understand, but I hope we shall learn where his true allegiance lies in due time.”

  “What makes you think he can’t be trusted?” Rydan questioned wisely, and then in a whisper he added, “And then what makes you think you can?”

  “He is a servant of Ohtar’s. A strong Maite’Ona used against whom all those he pleases as a companion to Ohtar’s own gift, for Ohtar is powerful in sniffing out deceit, but fails to discover truths. I met this Isil servant during my captivity in Ohtar’s chambers, during my first time of being forced to give service to him by way of my gift. I pray this Maite’Ona follows Ohtar’s orders unwillingly, as did I. But we live in a time when nothing is certain, and our list of allies grows thin, for there are many Maite’Ona in the dungeons where I am being kept who are working hard to assist Ohtar.” My chin trembled at not only the dire predicament of being the only one capable of resisting Ohtar, but also the memory playing before me of the time I had first met this powerful Isil. It had been such a horrendous ordeal that had ravaged my nerves and emotions. It had taken me days to recover from it, for I had thought for certain I had been caught, which would have led my family to be killed.

  “Naminé, you alright?” Rydan spoke to me in such warm, caring tones with only those few words. It sent my heart flapping butterflies into my stomach.

  “Mmm, yes, forgive me.” I shook my head to dispel t
he images and anxiety that had unforgivably bubbled forth. “I became lost in a frightening memory. A moment I never wish to live through again. Which is the reason I fear this Maite’Ona.” My fingers clenched together with firmness. “However, my family and I are already sentenced to death. I needn’t be kept in fear of that moment recurring. For my nightmare has already come true.”

  “I’m so sorry, Naminé. If I could…” he paused and let out a horrible sigh. His eyes found the ground and then slid closed. I watched as his lips broke apart and then re-closed a few times over, as if he worked hard to come up with the best words.

  “Rydan, do not be troubled.” I did not wish to see him so distraught. It broke my heart. “It is not your fault, or anyone’s fault but Ohtar’s. I do not fear death. My greatest fear is over the safety of my family. But I am beginning to make peace with the fact that our situation cannot be changed.”

  “Do you think you can keep resisting Ohtar’s power of persuasion? Naminé, it kills me to know he’s hurting you over it. I…I wouldn’t blame you if you gave in. No one would. I doubt you’ll be able to reach Nari and Ender even if you did try dream-weaving with them. And who’s to say they’ll even be able to tell you where they are.” He looked at me with determination strong in his eyes. “I can’t stand him hurting you. If it’ll make it stop—”

  “I understand, Rydan,” I interrupted his growing concern for my well-being. I gave him a small smile for comfort. “No matter what Ohtar inflicts upon me, I can withstand it. I will not give him what he wants. Please do not worry for me. I am much stronger than you realize.”

  He breathed, yet his shoulders remained tense as he shook his head. “Oh, so who did you say that guy was? What’s the part that makes you think you might be able to trust him?”

  “The reason I cannot stop wondering if he can be trusted is because although I had been about to be caught for treason by Ohtar, and this Maite’Ona was the one with the power to reveal it, he did not. I was utterly baffled by his lie, for he did not inform Ohtar of my treachery, but instead, protected me,” I whispered as low as I could, determined to keep this a secret.