The first servant barged into the room. "They're done waiting, my lord. They say they will enter the house forcibly if you don't meet with them right now."
"All right, I'm coming down."
After a quick look in the mirror, Tylen stepped out of the room and down his manor's grand stone stairs, then across red and gold carpeting. He reached the open front door, where the Imperial Guards stood.
"All right," Tylen said. "What the hell do you want?"
An older man with gray hair and a clean-shaven face stepped forward from a crowd of six. The black diamond border on his red dragon surcoat marked him as a commander. "There is no need for attitude. Not with us."
"Just get to the point. You woke me up for something. I trust it's important."
"You are late on your taxes," said the commander. "Two days late, in fact."
"Well, your records are wrong. I always pay on time. I am a good servant to our emperor. You have no right to come to my home and question my loyalty."
"We are not questioning your loyalty, merely your payment of taxes."
Tylen gritted his teeth, trying to keep his temper under control. "Can I see the books?"
"No, you can't. We don't answer to ordinary citizens."
"Convenient," Tylen muttered. "You're robbing me, and you know it."
The commander smiled. "Be that as it may, you have to pay us."
"You're no better than highwaymen." Tylen narrowed his eyes. "How much?"
"Five hundred gold coins should do."
Tylen took a few deep breaths, his temper stirring again. That was a lot of money, even for someone as rich as he. However, to stay in the emperor's good graces, Tylen had to pay these taxes. Sure, he might win a legal argument, but it would reduce his standing in the emperor's eyes. With his ambitions of becoming high lord, he couldn't afford such a risk.
He turned to his servant. "Go to the vault and retrieve five hundred gold coins."
"Yes, my lord." The servant hurried out of the foyer.
Tylen glared at the Imperial Guards. "Why, might I ask, did you feel the need to wake me at the crack of dawn? Surely this could have waited a few hours."
"We do not make our schedules fit the convenience of citizens. You answer to us, not the other way around."
Tylen chuckled mirthlessly. "It's so comforting to know that you can do anything you want to us without fearing the repercussions. It's amazing anyone leaves their houses."
"Oh, we know when to stop," said the commander. "Ordinary people might not be able to kill Emperor Warrick, but they could kill many of us before he's able to step in and stop the riot. It's not as easy a life as you think."
The sound of jingling coins alerted Tylen to the reappearance of his servant, who handed the heavy bag to one of the Imperial Guards.
The commander shook the bag. "I trust you didn't shortchange us."
"That would be a stupid thing to do."
"Yes, it would."
Tylen thought they would leave, but then the commander stepped into his house. "Nice place you have here. You mind if we talk someplace private?"
"What do you want?"
"Just a quick word."
"All right," Tylen said. He felt wary as he led the commander to a sitting room.
They didn't sit down. Instead, the commander pulled Tylen over to a corner of the room and spoke in a low voice. "I'm giving you a warning. Just so you know, you might want to spend the next couple of weeks somewhere like Riverside or Varner City."
"And why is that?"
"I can't give away details, but Crayden is not where you want to be in the near future. There's something planned involving the city, and it would be dangerous for you if you stayed. I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but since you're one of the most loyal nobles here in Crayden, I figured I'd let you in on the secret. Don't let anyone else know." He stepped away. "We'll know if you do."
The commander left the room. Tylen watched him go, uncertain what to make of the warning. Couldn't the man have been more specific?
Whatever the case, Tylen wasn't going to let anyone boss him around, not even an Imperial Guard commander. Crayden was his city—would be his city—and he could only become high lord if he stayed there.
Surely whatever they were planning couldn't be that bad.
* * * * *
Nadia spent her day in the library, looking for more information on Woodsville. Her father's selection of Tylen as her suitor would only make her leave sooner. She read through accounts of Woodsville again and again, trembling at the thought of its dark creatures. Wraiths. Skeletons. Other evil spirits and undead creatures. The most troubling of all was an entity known as the Silver Wisp. With one touch, it could make a person disappear. None of her books told her where such a victim ended up, and she didn't want to find out herself.
At the moment, her father was talking with Tylen in his study, probably about how they'd control her. Whenever she thought of her father, and especially of Tylen, she felt hot stabs of anger.
Then she thought of the Order meeting tonight, of the threat to Crayden, and her anger turned to fear. What could Warrick be planning? She supposed she'd find out at the meeting. Once again, she would leave the castle with Varek and Len on the pretense of visiting the inn Kara's father owned.
She read through the day, taking breaks only to eat, then left the castle with Varek and Len that evening. As she walked to Kara's home, her intuition assailed her with sudden warnings—a quick series of scattered images she couldn't decipher.
"You okay?" Len asked.
"I'm fine, just a headache." But she'd felt more nervous than usual all day. It was the same kind of nervousness she'd felt the day her mother was captured. She didn't share her concerns, though. Whenever she mentioned her intuitions, she got strange looks.
Len put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she felt that attraction to him again. Yes, he was annoying at times, but his concern for her seemed genuine. Maybe she could make room for love in her life.
But what about Ander, and their kiss last night? She had never kissed Len, though she'd been tempted on numerous occasions.
Ander was the logical choice, of course. A fellow member of the privileged class. Lately, she'd dreamed about a comfortable life with him in the moments when she doubted her chances of killing Warrick, but she couldn't have that life after her father's decision last night.
Maybe Ander could accompany her on her quest, though he'd never given any indication he intended to leave Crayden. Nor had Len.
She turned to him. "If I left home to kill the emperor, would you come with me?"
"Of course I would. Isn't that what the Order's about—doing something that matters?"
"Is that the only reason?"
He hesitated. "Well, I do kinda like you too." He shook his head. "Not that we could ever have a life together. We're from different worlds."
"That doesn't matter. I'm leaving this life, this world, behind. You can do the same. We won't be what we are now. We'll be two travelers, completely equal in station."
His look was distant. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
Later that night, Nadia stepped into the meeting location, a different house this time, on the city's eastern side. She'd felt the whole way there as if people were watching them. Her intuition kept sending her warnings.
Kara chose to sit up front with Aric and Ander, taking the last seat in the front row. Nadia sat down in the third row of seats, the one closest to the back of the room. As the meeting filled, some people had to stand in the back. Nadia recognized most of them, but a few looked unfamiliar. Maybe they weren't regulars. This was an emergency meeting after all.
But she had her doubts.
* * * * *
Darien felt sick to his stomach as he leaned on the wooden table. He didn't like what the Webs had shown him regarding Nadia. Her path was suddenly doubtful, filled with more danger than ever. How could he get things back on track?
It all might depend on Mark
us, oddly enough, and on Commander Glenn's ability to get him back home in time. Darien could not intervene and risk drawing the suspicion of Markus and Nadia. Every path involving his direct interference ended in failure.
No. He had to rely on others, had to rely on Markus and Nadia being Weavers. Weavers had a way of drawing what some people might call coincidences.
In truth, it was their ability to alter the strands in that giant Web. Some said that God made certain people Weavers, and that seemed as good an explanation as any, but Darien had seen no evidence that God existed.
Darien would plan the future according to his wishes, and no one else's. But there were nagging doubts in the back of his mind, subtle hints that someone else was out there, guiding the Webs as well, hiding the truth from Darien.
He didn't like that thought at all.
Chapter 13: The Escape Attempt
After resting most of the day at a Tate City inn, Markus and Rik set out for the mountains, using the dark of night as cover. The journey passed more quickly than Markus had expected.
At the foot of the mountain, he said, "I guess this is our last chance to turn back."
"We're not turning back after we've made it this far. Sure, Imperial Guards might kill us, but I think we've built up some good karma by now."
"Good karma?" Markus said. "Where does that phrase come from?"
"Don't know. Something to do with fate, I think. If you build up enough good stuff in life, you're bound to get some good luck." Rik made the first stop onto the mountain, where the green plain gave way abruptly to rocky hills. "No point waiting around."
Once again, Markus wished he could share Rik's optimism.
They climbed over zigzagging paths cluttered with jagged rocks, sweating in the muggy nighttime air. The higher they climbed, the more beautiful the view became. Every once in a while, he and Rik looked back at the distant glow of Tate City.
"I guess the Imperial Guards already know we're here," Markus said.
"Probably," Rik said. Even he couldn't disagree with common sense.
The path steepened, winding around the side of the barren mountain. The lack of trees bothered Markus, striking him as unnatural. Clearly, Warrick had created these mountains, like he'd created so many places throughout the Empire. There was nothing natural about them.
The hours passed, but night remained a shadow upon the jagged landscape. At one point, they came across a cave and stared into its black depths.
"Should we go through there?" Rik asked.
"No, let's stick to the path."
They continued around the side of the mountain, climbing a little higher but choosing a path that would take them nowhere near the summit. Markus's entire body ached, so when they found a narrow defile, they chose it without hesitation, avoiding further climbing.
On each side of the defile, reddish cliffs rose thousands of feet, and Markus felt dwarfed by them. The longer they stayed there, the more trapped he felt.
His chest felt tight. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone this way."
"You're just scared," Rik said with a grin. "We're not turning back."
Taking deep breaths, Markus focused on putting one foot in front of the other in an automatic, lifeless motion.
They walked and walked, their surroundings unchanging. Markus's feet ached more with every step. These last few days had been more tiring than he ever could have imagined. Ahead of him, Rik soldiered on, whistling a cheery tune.
"You sure you should do that?" Markus asked. "Imperial Guards might hear."
Rik stopped whistling. "Didn't think of that."
Soon the pass widened, for which Markus was at first grateful, but then a chasm at least a thousand feet deep opened in the middle of the path, narrowing it. Rik stopped, his face pale in the moonlight.
Markus placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"
"I don't like heights. They make me dizzy. Remember that time when you dared me to climb that tree and I fell and broke my arm? I've never been able to go anywhere high since."
"Just don't look at it," Markus said. He felt like mocking Rik for being the scared one now, but resisted the temptation.
"That's easy for you to say."
"You were fine with the rest of the climb. We've been high this whole time."
"It's not the same," Rik said, turning paler. "But you're right. I can't let a stupid little fear like this keep us from getting out of the Empire."
For the next few minutes, Markus kept a hand on Rik's shoulder, and Rik's color returned a bit. Eventually, the canyon opened up in front of them, leading to the mountain's downward slope, and Markus exhaled with relief.
"We're so close now," he said. "And no sign of Imperial Guards."
"Do you have to say that? That's asking for something bad to happen."
"Things don't work like that, Rik."
"How do you know?"
"I guess I don't," Markus said, starting down the slope. "Let's get moving. Standing around here only makes it more likely that they'll find us."
Going down the mountain, Markus discovered, was just as grueling as going up. His leg muscles burned so much he could barely walk.
Once the sun rose, Markus and Rik wiped sweat from their faces every few seconds. Rik splashed water against the short red beard he'd grown since leaving home. Markus could grow a beard himself, but it reminded him too much of his uncle.
Anger burned within Markus whenever he thought of Uncle Theo.
Beyond the mountains, closer than Markus had ever imagined, green land stretched to the horizon. He hastened his pace, the promise of freedom bubbling within him. Their path zigzagged, however, and the terrain became so uneven at times that they had to crawl.
Voices echoed, and Markus tugged at Rik's arm. "You hear that?"
Rik's voice was flat. "Yeah, I do. But we can't say we weren't expecting it."
They continued down the uneven slope, wiping sweat from their eyes. Before Markus knew it, he'd drained his canteen. Hopefully they'd find water beyond the mountains.
The voices grew closer behind them, and Markus knew they wouldn't make it in time. Now he could see the Imperial Guards in the distance, approaching at an angle that might allow them to overtake Markus and Rik.
"We have to go faster," Markus said.
"Don't see how we can. Not without falling."
Rik was right. The path was so uneven, so full of tight spots, that increasing their speed would prove suicidal. The far side of the mountain loomed close now, but they had to take an indirect route. Off to their left, the Imperial Guards navigated an easier trail.
"Stop right there!" said one of them.
Markus's stomach lurched. Uneven terrain or not, he and Rik increased their speed.
A few hundred feet to go. The path straightened and flattened, allowing them to go faster. Markus began running, his leather sack banging against his back. Every muscle in his body ached, but he didn't care. Freedom was so close.
And so were the Imperial Guards. In fact, they stood now atop a nearby outcropping of rock, within bow range.
"Stop, or we'll shoot you," said one of them.
"What does it matter?" Markus shouted back. "You're gonna kill us anyways."
"If you stop now, we'll spare you. Don't take another step."
"I don't believe that," Rik said. He put his hands on Markus's shoulders. "Let's go. If we're moving, we'll be hard to hit."
Markus wanted to agree, but he'd seen his uncle's deadly aim, a common trait among Imperial Guards. He and Rik took off, pushing toward the edge of the mountains where the rocky slope gave way abruptly to green grass.
"You've been warned." A brief pause. "Shoot them."
Arrows rained down from the sky. To Markus's relief, they all clattered against the rocks behind them, oddly off-target for a windless day.
"Next time, we won't miss."
Markus and Rik exchanged glances. The end of the mountain was about fifteen feet away. If they sprinted, they could make
it.
"The barrier doesn't stop arrows," said the Imperial Guard.
"I think they're bluffing," Rik said. He moved to start running, then let out an agonized scream and collapsed, clutching the back of his left leg. Markus rushed to Rik's side to see an arrow sticking out of his friend's leg.
"God, that hurts!" Rik said, his face losing color. When he tried to stand, he collapsed, screaming again. "Markus, go on without me. I'm not gonna make it like this."
Markus fought against a sudden onslaught of tears. "No. Friends stick together. I'm not leaving without you."
With the Imperial Guards growing closer, he took on most of Rik's weight and carried him. Maybe it was the stupidest choice of his life, but he wasn't going to leave his closest friend to die alone on a mountain.
Markus's muscles screamed at the extra burden, but he ignored the pain. The Imperial Guards were now within twenty feet. Four among the contingent were archers with arrows nocked.
"This is your last chance," the commander said. "This time, we'll shoot to kill."
But Markus didn't believe them. Something about this entire situation seemed odd. Under normal circumstances, Imperial Guards wouldn't hesitate to kill people fleeing the empire. Maybe it was because of Markus's relationship to his uncle.
But why would they spare Rik?
Dragging Rik with him, Markus reached the end of the slope. He was about to step onto the grassy plain at its base when it felt as if he'd hit a solid stone wall. Confused and thinking it was just Rik's extra weight, he tried to push on it. The wall remained.
The barrier did not only imprison Warrick. It imprisoned everyone.
Markus dropped Rik and slumped against the invisible wall, unable to keep the tears away. After all these years of planning, all the effort expended on this journey, it was going to end like this, with him sitting here against an invisible wall.
Chapter 14: Captured
The Imperial Guards approached Markus and Rik with swords drawn. Markus wanted to fight, but he had no chance against ten Imperial Guards.
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