An Oath Of The Kings (Book 4)

by Valerie Zambito

  Cael Trathen rushed over and grabbed his arm. “Please, no! She didn’t mean it, my Lord Duke! She just put so much effort into digging this trench.” He hesitated. “We all did.”

  Rayan yanked his arm free. “Get off me and start working! All of you! I want this trench filled in. Every last inch of it.”

  He swung up onto his horse and raced back down the hill along with the water that was now soaking the road once again.

  Kiernan bloody Atlan! I don’t know what brought you here to Lewstin, but I do know one thing. You will not be leaving alive.

  ****

  Kiernan tried to wrestle her nerves into control as two Falcons on either side of her led her to the town square. The townsfolk followed behind—most were silent, but a few brave souls demanded her release.

  She steeled herself to be tied to the same whipping post where Cael had been lashed when they first arrived to town, but the guards directed her across the sandy pit to a row of wooden cages that she had never noticed before. At just four feet high, she wouldn’t be able to stand upright once inside, and a moment of panic gripped her and sent her heart hammering to break free of her chest.

  “I’m sorry, Mistress Malley,” one of the Falcons whispered to her. “I’ve got to follow orders, you know.”

  She nodded. “I…I do know. It’s all right.”

  After he opened the door, she swallowed heavily and crawled in.

  The guards shouted to disperse the crowd. It took a fair amount of shoving and cursing, but finally the women and children were ushered into the barracks and the men sent back to their lonely homes.

  Where is the Duke? she wondered. Will he come for me soon? She spent hours in fearful dread of the moment he would appear to punish her, but he did not come. The night deepened with her alone and freezing in the corner of her cage, with the cold wind cutting right through the thin dress she wore. Her jaw ached from her teeth chattering uncontrollably. Pain in her legs alternated between excruciating cramps and tingling numbness. She rolled into a tight ball to try and keep warm and played games inside her mind to keep from succumbing to sleep. She was afraid if she did, she would never wake. To make matters worse, the stomach illness she’d contracted caused her to suffer with nausea through most of the night.

  When dawn finally came, she felt glad just to be alive.

  She sat up wondering where Cael could be and prayed that he was safe. She hoped the Duke would not take out his anger with her on him or any of the others. They had been so happy—some for the first time in their lives—and the Duke crushed them for it. Why would he destroy their joy? To keep them immersed in fear, that’s why. To maintain his control over them.

  “Did you have a pleasant night?”

  It was only through the grace of the Highworld that she managed to stifle the scream that opened her throat.

  The Duke leaned insolently against a tree outside of her cage.

  She didn’t answer him as she buried her shaking hands in her lap.

  He looked over his shoulder. “Bring him over.”

  Two guards dragged Cael close and dropped him to the ground. His face was bruised and bloodied.

  She scrambled to her knees and grabbed the wooden slats of her prison, sympathy welling inside of her at the sight of him. “What did you do?”

  The Duke shrugged. “I wanted to see how much he knew, but apparently he doesn’t know anything.”

  “About what?” she spat.

  “About you?”

  “Me?”

  “Tell Cael who you really are, Mistress Malley.”

  Kiernan’s stomach fell and she felt like she might retch again.

  “Tell him!”

  Cael lifted his chin to peer at her through eyes swollen shut. “What is he talking about, Larkin?”

  “Tell him!” the Duke barked again.

  Kiernan swallowed. If she had been honest with Cael long ago, he might have forgiven her. But, she hadn’t, and in this moment all of the words that sprang to mind sounded empty and deceitful. “My name is not Larkin Malley, Cael, but I can explain.”

  Cael’s puffy eyes tried to widen. “You lied to me, didn’t you? I had my suspicions at first, but you convinced me to take your word for it.”

  “Yes, I did, but if you will—”

  “Tell him!”

  Kiernan suspected that with her next admission, her life as Larkin Malley and in Lewstin would be over, and she would forever mourn the simple life and the friendships she made here. Her loving relationship with Cael and Tilly most of all. Will I ever get the chance to explain? Will he ever understand? Will any of them? She took a deep breath. “I’m Kiernan Everard.”

  “Kiernan Everard?” He questioned the name as though it were a dirty word. “Princess Kiernan?”

  “Yes.”

  “But, how? Why?”

  “It’s a long story, Cael, and one I should have told you from the start.”

  Tears welled in the slits of his eyes. “How could you do this to me? I’ve fallen in love with you. Tilly loves you.”

  She refused to let it end like this. She reached for his hands through the bars of her cage. “Don’t let this come between us, Cael. Please. I’m begging you.”

  “Between us?” he roared.

  “We can build a life here! Just give me a chance.”

  “Oh, your husband is very much between us!”

  Kiernan hissed and fell back against the cage wall with a hand to her mouth.

  Cael’s tear-stained face loomed as he crawled closer. “Are you going to pretend that you don’t have a husband?”

  “If I do…I didn’t know. There was an assassin…and…my memories are all muddled.” She had never felt so alone in her life. “Cael, help me!”

  “Help you? I never want to see you again! Go back to Nysa and have your laugh at the fool oreshifter you duped in Lewstin!”

  “No! Cael! Please, listen to me!”

  Cael staggered to his feet, turned his back on her and walked away.

  Kiernan sat there, stunned, unmoving. Dead inside.

  “Get her out,” the Duke ordered his guards.

  These were not the compassionate guards of before, but two Falcons she had never seen before. They were not gentle as they reached in and dragged her limp body from the cage. Her listless feet dragged behind through the new mud, and that…that…made her want to cry more than anything else.

  “Where are you taking her?” she heard someone ask and glanced over her shoulder. Several townsfolk stood along the road armed with whatever they could find that would serve as a weapon. Brooms, sticks, rakes. A skillet or two.

  As much as Kiernan feared for their safety, fierce pride welled inside of her that they were finally taking a stand.

  “Leave her be!” another shouted and it sounded suspiciously like the matron, Marian.

  The sounds of violent fighting broke out, but Kiernan couldn’t see what was happening as she was hauled toward the palisade and whisked out through the gates. She knew that there would be no further help for her now.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Where no one will hear your screams,” the Duke answered with a chuckle.

  She growled and slammed a mindshifted thought at him, but it went nowhere, her magic disappearing on the wind.

  The Duke led the way on a path through the heavy woods. Morning mist hugged the ground, chilling Kiernan’s skin to the bone. She made a vain attempt to struggle against her captors, but it had little effect. They walked for a very long time, away from any living beings, before the Duke finally stopped in a small clearing. Kiernan looked around. Remnants of blood and women’s clothing covered the ground. Four stakes set in a square had been hammered into the dirt. Loose rope curled at their bases.

  You sick bastard.

  Two hands slapped her back and shoved her up against a tree. Rough bark scraped her cheek as her arm was twisted painfully behind her.

  “Don’t do this,” she begged.

  He l
et go of her arm and moved his hands up to her neck, his fingers tightening around her throat. She gasped as she struggled for breath, the blood thudding in her ears. He’s going to kill me here. Now.

  “You’re killing her.”

  “Isn’t that the point, you idiot? Now, shut up!”

  Her vision blurred. Her head felt like it was growing in size and about to explode. When her legs buckled beneath her, he finally let go.

  The Duke lifted her back up and spun her around so she was facing him. He seized both of her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head. With the other hand, he reached for the laces at the bodice of her dress. Laughter sounded behind him as he ripped the ties and material apart, baring her breasts.

  She wriggled one of her arms free and struck him, connecting with his nose for the second time.

  “Demon’s breath!” he cried out and backed away. “Tie her up!”

  Amused, the guards came for her, but she ducked beneath their grasps and took off at a run. I know my way around a forest, she thought, but didn’t know how she knew. If only I can lose them somehow.

  The fist that came out of nowhere slammed into her temple and dropped her like a stone. The Duke jumped on her, straddled her and began to strike her in the face with closed-fist punches, one after the other. Blood filled her mouth and nose and she moaned in pain as she tried to fight him off. A flash of metal appeared in her vision and she saw the dagger in his hand.

  “No,” she whimpered. “Please stop.”

  As though in slow motion, she watched him lift the dagger and slam it down into her chest. She screamed and arched up off the ground. He stabbed her again, burying the blade to the hilt, and then a third time. He then tore her dress, her shift and undergarments the rest of the way off. The night air accosted her naked body, sending shivers racing up her arms and legs.

  “Bring her back and tie her up.”

  Kiernan’s breath rattled in her chest, her collapsed lungs refusing to fill with air. She felt like she was floating over the scene watching from afar as the guards lifted her and carried her back to the clearing and dropped her on the ground. They tied each of her hands to the posts on either side of her head. Then, they pulled her legs apart and secured her ankles.

  No, please, no.

  The pain started to fade as she lay there exposed to their lecherous eyes. Her body grew heavy and she started to sink downward into herself. Reality became disjointed, splintering into tiny fragments of cognizance.

  Rough hands groping her breasts.

  Laughter.

  A shadow moving close, hovering, and then lowering down on top of her.

  More laughter.

  Frantic breathing. Insistent. Hips thrusting against her. The slap of flesh on flesh.

  Dear Highworld, no.

  As if in answer to her prayer, the labored, excited pants dissolved abruptly into a startled scream. A wet, salty spray hit her face. The shadow lifted away.

  Ferocious growls. More screams.

  Heat. Unbearable heat.

  Then, silence.

  Chapter 43

  Broken Walls

  The eerie silence seeped into Kiernan’s bones more deeply than the wet, cold ground beneath her. Too terrified to open her eyes, she lay there, shivering, her body seizing in convulsions. Nearby, something burned. She worried that if she didn’t move soon, she would be consumed by that same fire, but her ruined body refused to obey. I’m dying. The knowledge did not terrify her. She felt lighter. More at peace. The worries of the world no longer of concern.

  She felt a gentle tugging at the ropes on her wrists and then her ankles. Are the spirits setting me free? She idly wondered if her father would be waiting to greet her when she passed into their realm.

  I’m here, Princess.

  Kiernan’s eyes snapped opened. White filled her vision and love filled her heart. No, not her father. Her beloved Bajan had come.

  I made it. I’m in the Highworld.

  The tears came then, trickling in rivers down her face at sight of the enormous Draca Cat that she cherished so dearly. “Oh, Bajan.” He leaned down to lick the moisture from her cheeks and she ran her hands through his silky fur, pulling him close. “I’ve missed you so much,” she cried.

  Bajan made a susurrus noise deep in his throat and she smiled, letting her eyes roam his face, taking him in. He looked so unbelievably beautiful. His pristine white coat, his glistening dragon scales and those large, intelligent eyes. Eyes the color of hers.

  She froze. No. The eyes were not the color of hers. They were amber.

  She pulled back. Who are you?

  I am Regus.

  Regus?

  We do not have time to spare, daughter of Kenley, you must bond me.

  Bond you?

  Yes, your injuries are very severe. The Healing Breath alone will not save you. You must bond me to live.

  She shook her head. No! I can’t. Bajan is my bondmate!

  Bajan is dead and you will be, too, if you do not bond me.

  I can’t, she moaned.

  Bond me! he roared.

  She covered her ears and shook her head in anguished denial. No!

  You will, for it is not only your life that you will be saving. A child grows within your womb.

  Kiernan howled in shock, but the moment Regus said the words, she knew them to be true. All of her symptoms. Her stomach illness. Her lack of magic. It could all be attributed to pregnancy.

  Bond me.

  Her mind whirled in turmoil. A baby. And, somewhere on this island, the husband who had made it so. I have no other choice. Bajan, please forgive me.

  She reached for Regus once again. Yes. I will bond you. Come close. The massive head leaned in. Kiernan locked on to the Draca’s amber gaze and drifted out a mindshifted thought. Once again, the magic simply vanished in the air. It’s not working! she told him, panicked now to save the life of her child.

  Here, allow me give you a whisper of Healing Breath. It should help you to use your magic.

  Regus hovered his muzzle over her lips. She inhaled deeply and the ancient vapor wafted into her mouth, sending curative waves through her body.

  The Draca Cat suddenly stiffened when the sinuous stream bumped up against a dark, shadowy presence in her mind.

  What is it? she asked.

  A curse.

  Sorcery is responsible for my missing memories?

  Yes. Try to get around it to reach your magic.

  She took a deep breath and hammered away at the barrier in her mind with the strength of her will. The Healing Breath joined with her to help augment her power. She screamed with effort, throwing every ounce of resolve she possessed at the vile obstruction.

  The shadow shuddered, weakening beneath the relentless attack. Now! She reached in and pulled a sliver of her magic through the barrier.

  There! It’s done!

  In frantic haste, she grabbed Regus’s head once again and locked gazes with him to establish a magical pathway. She blasted a thought through the channel into his mind harder than she intended and it sent him flinging backwards through the air.

  Tears of joy sprang to her eyes as the familiar Dracan presence began to build in her mind, growing stronger with each breath.

  She hesitated. What is that?

  A deep power throbbed with life beneath the scales of Regus’s chest and it scared her. Something potent lived there, and it pulsed hot and bright like an uncontrollable sentient fire.

  She was about to question him again, but stopped short when she identified an intense emotion rolling off him in waves.

  Reluctance.

  Kiernan delved deeper into his thoughts and her joy turned to heartbreak. Regus had not wanted to bond her, but felt compelled to save her life due to the Kenley oath. The power that she sensed, the one that resided deep inside him, caused him to shun all others. This fierce loner wished only to be left alone.

  Kiernan sat up. The Draca Cat was just getting to his feet. Pale, green eye
s looked back at her.

  Lie back down, Princess. You are not yet healed.

  She did as he asked and allowed him to administer the Healing Breath more fully this time. Where it felt like a trickle before, this time it felt like a flood. The magic flowed through her body, healing wounds, repairing organs, energizing her. It took up the assault on the damaged barrier in her mind and won, shattering the assassin’s curse and its hold on her.

  She bolted upright and gasped for breath as the missing years crashed down on her like a torrent. Her royal life, her beautiful children, and…Beck. Oh, Beck. What must he think?

  Other, more upsetting memories pushed through to the forefront, like the recent death of her father, but she willed them away for another time.

  Regus stepped away from her and sat back on his haunches.

  I’m sorry, she said softly.

  Sorry for what, daughter of Kenley?

  That you were forced to bond me.

  He hesitated, clearly not used to someone knowing his thoughts. It was my duty to save you.

  She nodded. While I feel very fortunate to have you as my bondmate, I will understand if you prefer to go your own way.

  I cannot do that now.

  He was right. The bond would make it difficult for them to be apart.

  I hope that I do not disappoint you, he told her.

  Of course, you won’t. Your friendship is all I ask.

  But, you do not understand. Bajan is a hero of legend in Callyn-Rhe. I cannot live up to that. I can never be him.

  Nor would I expect you to. For the first time, she looked at the three bodies burned to a crisp on the ground. It was a far more charitable death than the Duke of Lewstin deserved. What is the power you harbor inside, Regus? The one that causes you pain?

  He hesitated. It is the fire of the dragon.

  You can breathe fire?

  Yes.

  You have a unique power, Regus. Embrace your heritage! You must never be ashamed of who you are. I think you are beautiful.

  He nodded his head. Thank you. I will think on what you said.

  Good, because we’re going to need that fire of yours. She got to her feet, grabbed her dress off the ground and stepped into it. Next, she picked up one of the Falcons’ fallen swords.