The King's Secret

by Maryam Durrani

  “Help me,” she croaked. “Help me . . .”

  I jerked Walnut away automatically, yanking on her reins. The woman fell to the floor, croaking, reaching . . .

  And then she stopped moving.

  Taj stared down at the body, wide-eyed. “How did she manage to survive this long?”

  The Knights looked horror-stricken.

  I had no answer.

  “Let’s keep moving towards Illkis. It seems like we’re almost there.”

  We continued on the trail, the snow getting higher and higher, making it difficult for the horses.

  “There,” Lance pointed. We saw the smoke before the town itself. It rose high into the sky, swirling as if the fires had just been set.

  Illkis was in ruins.

  It looked worse than I had expected. I yanked out a bandana, dampening it in the snow, and then tied it around the bottom half of my face. The cloth felt cold and uncomfortable, but I had to protect myself against the thick smoke. I instructed everyone to do the same, and then we marched into the fallen village.

  I could hear muffled cries and sobs in the near distance.

  “Help whoever you find alive. Burn the rest—” I stopped myself. “Just . . . try to save as many people as you can.”

  Illkis was one of Astodia’s biggest towns and a significant center of trade through the kingdom.

  Now it had been reduced to piles of rubble and ash.

  Cold wind blew across our faces, making me lose feeling in

  my cheeks. I stretched my lips, moving them to return feeling

  to my face.

  We trudged through the snow, following any signs of distress. Sharp angles of wood protruded from the ash-ridden snow. I carefully avoided the collapsed beams, rubble crunching beneath my boots.

  And then I heard the crying.

  It sounded like a baby.

  The cries were coming from a heap of rubble where a house had caved in.

  “Over here!” I shouted, waving my arms. Ashes looked up from where she was digging and started to run towards me.

  “What is it?” she asked breathlessly. Only the upper half of her face was visible, her cinnamon eyes watery from the stinging cold.

  “I think there’s a child in there,” I said, falling to my knees and pressing my ear against the remains of the house. Ashes climbed to the other side.

  “I hear it. You,” she motioned to one of the Knights, “get the others.”

  His blue eyes met mine, and I knew what he was thinking. There were very few chances the baby would come out in one piece, but he didn’t argue. He turned, returning a few moments later with six other men. Together, they heaved broken beams of wood out of the way. Slowly, the muffled cries became clearer. I climbed towards the sound, digging with my gloved hands. My eyes scanned the wreckage for any movement when my gaze caught something.

  It was a hand, protruding from where Ashes had just pushed a charred plank of wood that shattered at her touch. The cries

  had subsided now, and I felt uneasy.

  Her wide eyes caught mine.

  “Over here!” Ashes shouted, motioning for everyone to

  help her. Together, they cleared the space. There, amidst the destruction, lay a woman. She was covered in dirt, unmoving, in a crouched position as if she had been protecting something. I reached forward, checking her pulse.

  Nothing.

  “Dead,” I mumbled. “Check under her.”

  As they pulled the woman back, there lay a baby. Dried blood was caked across its forehead, its body covered in soot.

  Ashes pulled her out. It was a girl, a tattered bow still stuck in her hair. Her eyes were closed, the screams completely ceased.

  “She’s hungry and cold,” I said to Ashes. “Give her something to eat.”

  Fortunately, we had come prepared with materials for anyone we found. Ashes took action, wrapping her up warmly and holding her close to her chest.

  I left the site, walking as far away as possible, and looked up to the hazy sky. I wondered if the drakon would return. I wondered where it was. What were the attack patterns? Was it aiming for something, or just ruthlessly destroying everything?

  If that were the case, wouldn’t it have reached Dystalphi by now?

  A small part of me secretly hoped it had.

  My eyes fell on a charred boot lying on the cobblestone path. I stepped over it.

  There were survivors, but they were no longer here, just like

  that woman we had met on the way to Illkis. She was trying to get help, but we were too late. Not that any of us could help with burns so severe.

  When we had completed a full circle around the town and

  then many through it, we found a grand total of twenty-three

  survivors.

  Six boys, four girls, eight men and seven women. They had been injured—one of the men so severely I could tell he wouldn’t make the journey.

  “My child,” one of the women sobbed. “My baby. Oh, my daughter. I’m so sorry . . .”

  She wouldn’t stop pleading for us to go get her daughter, but when we checked, Taj found her lying amidst the rubble, her neck bent at an odd angle.

  “She’s in a better place now,” Lance comforted the sobbing woman.

  I took one of the men aside. He was tall, his arms streaked with blood and shirt left in tatters. I handed him a blanket to cover himself with and ordered one of the Knights to give him something to eat. Ashes and Lance tended to the others’ wounds.

  The man seemed to be running a fever. I took his wrist, checking his pulse, and then I assessed his wounds. He would survive if we brought them back as soon as possible.

  “Did you see what it was that attacked you?”

  He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

  “I’m . . . I’m so cold and tired.” Deep circles formed under his eyes, his lips blue from the cold. “All I remember was that it came from the sky. There was so much fire, and this loud sound . . . this . . . roaring. I thought I was imagining it,” he said, licking his chapped lips. “but then I saw this creature flying. Its wings were so large I thought the day had turned to night as we fell under its shadow. Then it opened its mouth and unleashed a hell over us all.” He turned, pulling off the

  blanket, and with a wince, peeled the cloth away from his skin.

  As I looked at the damaged tissue, I swallowed back what I had said earlier. He wouldn’t survive this, I was certain now.

  I could see layers of skin and muscle peeling away, the scent of burnt flesh and blood causing my empty stomach to lurch.

  He was in shock. Maybe it was from the immense cold that he could barely feel anything, or maybe his nerves had been completely destroyed because he was too calm.

  I swallowed, adjusting the bandanna that covered the bridge of my nose and below.

  “What did this creature look like?”

  “The color of coal,” he replied immediately. “Its tail destroyed houses with a single hit. Buildings toppled at its roar. You don’t . . . you wouldn’t understand until you see it with your own eyes.”

  I nodded, pushing myself up. “Thank you. You rest.”

  I turned to leave, but his firm grip stopped me as he grabbed my wrist. I turned to look at him.

  He looked at me with wide eyes. “It cannot be defeated by man. Gather everyone together and say your prayers, because this is truly the end.”

  I patted his hand calmly.

  “Nothing is that strong.”

  His eyes flickered, scanning the wreckage around him.

  “That’s what I always believed as well.”

  A shiver ran up my spine as I gently pulled my wrist from his grasp.

  We had brought extra horses, so the survivors doubled up on those and were taken back by six of our knights.

  “We have to keep moving,” I said, mounting Walnut. I turned to Lucan and Reyner, who were preparing to take the survivors back.

  “Tell the queen to send ten guards to each villag
e and town

  around Astodia. If there is any sighting of the drakon, they are

  to let us know immediately. Let her—” I paused, swallowing,

  and then continued, “let her and Xavier know that we’ll be going straight to Dystalphi from here.”

  They nodded, leading the horses back the way we came from. The baby was wrapped tightly to Reyner’s chest.

  I whipped the reins, the Knights following. Now, Lance, Taj, Simon, Asselin, Batch, Kay, and Galien were the only Knights left—not including Ashes.

  We started towards Dystalphi.

  FIFTEEN

  Day One.

  It was as if the universe was truly against us.

  We were caught in a blizzard. I had sensed it coming, the skies turning a dull white. We set up our tents, pitching them into the ground and taking shelter. Kay started a fire which would undoubtedly go out but would be helpful as long as it lasted.

  Ashes covered the horses with Batch’s help, tying them to the trees, close together to keep them warm.

  I was the last in the tent. It started as a flurry, gradually increasing into a relentless chaos of pure white fury. The blankets had been distributed evenly through the tents. The Knights would be fine.

  I finally entered the tent, tying it shut. The winds were strong, but the tents were tied down securely.

  “Something doesn’t want us to make it to Dystalphi, I think,” Ashes said with a laugh. Her eyelashes were frozen, little bits of ice forming around each lash. Her cheeks were red; already peeling, her lips dry and cracking. Ashes’s eyes watered from the cold, and I tried to imagine what I looked like.

  She wrapped herself in the blanket, then opened one end up. I raised an eyebrow.

  “You want me to—”

  “Let’s put our differences aside. Body heat is a real thing,

  and I’m looking out for myself, Assassin.”

  I thought about it. I wasn’t going to do it, but as soon as a gust of air rattled the foundation of the tent, cold air shooting through the open flaps of the cloth, I found myself scooting closer towards warmth.

  We sat in silence.

  I wondered how far we’d be buried by the time the storm was over.

  “It’s the first time I’ve been stuck in the middle of a snowstorm,” Ashes said, a cloud of cold air forming in front of her mouth. I could feel her shivering, and I rolled my eyes but moved towards her all the same.

  “Mine too,” I admitted. “I usually admired the beauty of the storm from high up in the castle and even my small home in Crea. Who knew something so alluring could be so implacable?”

  Ashes covered the lower half of her face with a black bandana, then laid down on the floor of her tent. I did the same, our backs facing each other.

  Moments later, I heard her soft snores, and was shocked, wondering how she could sleep through such a situation. I sat up, faced her, and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, enough to cover her face.

  The storm ended the morning of Day Two. Out of pity, it took breaks, giving us enough time to restock our tents with food and other items.

  The snow had piled to the horses’ knees, allowing them to move through, but painfully, delaying our arrival to Dystalphi.

  By the sixth day, the sun had melted through half of the snow, giving us leeway to travel at high speed. We didn’t stop during the night due to the delay—there was absolutely no time to waste. We only slept four hours a day, waking up with the sun.

  The winds beat against our faces as the horses galloped, cutting through the air like bullets.

  We were running out of food for them, and soon they would slow down. We, too, were beginning to get impatient and hungry.

  “We should have eaten the wolf meat,” Simon groaned as we stopped beside a frozen stream. They pulled out their swords, slamming the hilts against the ice to reveal fresh, icy water underneath. By some miracle, the stream was still running below the thick layer of ice.

  We let the horses drink, then refilled our waterskins.

  “Wait,” I said, peering into the water with a frown. “Are those . . . fish?”

  “They’re too small,” Simon protested.

  “It’s enough to survive on,” I scowled, wondering how he had the guts to be picky.

  “Batch,” I turned, looking for the caramel-skinned Knight. His green eyes met mine, and he knew what I was about to say. I washed off my face with water and then turned around, giving Galien instructions to start up a fire. They needed to warm

  up and regain their energy.

  The seventh and eight days passed through with ease. By the ninth day, I noticed a stag blending in against the trees.

  I didn’t bother trying to shoot it with my horrible aim. Now was not the time for target practice.

  Instead, I handed the opportunity to Ashes, who aimed straight for the eye, and that’s exactly where she hit. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of proudness.

  We stopped for the night, the aroma of the meat cooking over the fire making my mouth water. I was hungry—we all

  were.

  I rubbed my hands together, shivering. I could feel my nose running, and wiped at it. The weather dropped to such low temperatures at night, I could barely feel my body.

  Simon, Ashes, and Kay took the first shift, standing on guard. Lance took a seat beside me.

  “If you get any closer to the fire, you won’t have any eyebrows left to make that angry face.”

  “This is my normal face.” I scoffed, holding out my arms.

  He lowered his voice to a whisper. “We were prepared that we might have had to head straight to Dystalphi.” He narrowed his eyes. “Something tells me you knew we were definitely going this whole time.”

  “The Knights were warned. They shouldn’t be so upset—we gave them a chance to say their goodbyes long ago.”

  Lance sighed. “And once we get there? Do you think the king will welcome us with open arms?”

  “He should. We’re coming peacefully. If not, we fight our way in. We came,” I said, turning to face him, looking into his eyes to show him how serious I was, “to die.”

  Lance’s eyes always reminded me of forests. Lush ones, not

  dying, autumn trees. They were fresh. Full of life. His eyes were always hopeful.

  I reached out, brushing a hand against his cheek.

  Things had changed so much.

  “You’ll give them hope. I know you.” If he gave me hope, there was no doubting he would have the same effect on the Knights. Lance reached up, his fingers gripping mine. I could barely feel them, but the pressure was strong enough to let me know they were there.

  Then, he dropped my hand and faced the fire.

  Day Twelve.

  We were fine until we reached Valnorn, a small village—much tinier than Illkis.

  I was surprised to see it alive and thriving.

  I knew people in Valnorn—I had stopped through this particular village many times in my lifetime, which is why I wasn’t surprised when Emeline approached me.

  “Is that you, Adalia?” she asked, stepping forward. A crowd had gathered now, distracted from their daily chores. They were covered in thick furs and boots, the dresses and tunics heavy for the winter.

  I blinked. She had gotten much older. The last time I’d seen Emeline, she had been at the mere age of twelve.

  Emeline had always looked up to me, and I’d figured it out when she had admitted how she admired my way of life. She had always wanted to live in a castle and meet the prince himself. Fortunately, she had never found out the details of my ‘way of life’, and I spared her that much.

  I pulled down my scarf, grinning.

  “It is me.”

  Emeline nearly shrieked with joy. She spun around, waving her arms as if trying to get someone’s attention. “Quinn! Didn’t I tell you? It’s her! She’s back!”

  Quinn was Emeline’s best friend. He was three years older than her, but he had been at the stage where his voice was n
either a man’s nor a child’s the last time I’d seen him.

  As Quinn appeared through the crowd, I was definitely pleased to see how much he’d grown. He would be exactly twenty now.

  He was over six feet tall, a short beard covering the lower half of his once bare face. Approaching us, he stood close to Emeline.

  “What brings you here?” he asked, slinging deerskin over his shoulder.

  “We were just passing through,” I answered. I frowned, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

  Emeline frowned at Quinn, who looked straight at me, his gaze unmoving.

  “Follow me. Emeline, you stay here,” he said. “Show them where they can stay for the night.” Quinn gestured to the Knights, and then motioned for me to follow him.

  I turned to Taj and Lance. “I’ll be fine.” I lowered my voice. “Stay alert and prepared. Ashes, follow me.”

  Taj nodded, and I watched as he and the Knights split away, following a confused Emeline who kept giving us sideways glances.

  Quinn led us to a small hut, pushing open the door and letting us in first. I rested a hand on the hilt of my sword, prepared for any signs of an ambush.

  “Don’t worry,” Quinn said, opening up his jacket. He

  pulled out his knife and set it on the table, followed by his sword. “I’m not going to hurt you. That’s the last thing I’d be

  trying to do.”

  “Why did you bring me here, then?”

  “Are you here because of . . .” he swallowed as if he didn’t think I would believe what he said next. His eyes flickered to the door, and my grip tightened on the hilt.

  “Because of what, Quinn?”

  “Look,” he said, holding up his hands. “I haven’t told anyone what I saw, but I did see it. I’ve been trying to protect Emeline. We were packing up to leave for the castle, but now you’re here. That must mean I didn’t imagine it.”

  “Just spit it out already!” Ashes snapped, taking a step for-

  ward. I held out an arm, stopping her.

  “I saw a dragon in the sky. At first, I thought it was this huge bird, but that wasn’t possible. How could a bird have a tail of that size?” I glanced at Ashes who was already looking at me.