Markus nodded. "Like this. Like Crayden. Your mother. My parents."
"Like the mountains imprisoning us," Alana said. "Like these chains that bind us."
Nadia took a few deep breaths. "Let's go to the palace."
They crossed the mountain's rocky summit, a place that was strangely flat. Apart from them, no one stirred in the area, but Nadia knew the palace would be bustling with activity. Secure in his immortality, Warrick put few limits on who could enter his palace.
He will regret that today, Nadia thought, smiling although she wasn't happy.
They crossed the sturdy stone bridge leading toward the palace's open gate. A wide moat ran beneath the bridge, and Nadia thought she saw something swimming in it.
The instructions on the scrolls kept running through her head. Even more importantly, she tried to figure out how they'd get to Warrick. Yes, he was lax about security, but was he that lax?
After crossing the bridge, they stood at the entrance. Inside, people were walking back and forth, paying no attention to the small party. Most were dressed in the lavish robes of nobility, but a few wore clothes that looked more suited to traveling.
"This is the place I never thought I'd be," Nadia said.
"I don't think any of us did," Markus said.
"Well, this is our last chance to turn back," Nadia said. "The point of no return."
Alana gripped her staff firmly. "We're not turning back."
Chapter 58: The Power of the Scroll
Nadia's hatred intensified as they walked through the palace's gold-lined corridors. So much wealth had gone to help so few. How could Warrick dare to speak of equality?
People crowded the hallways, talking amongst themselves and going briskly about their business. Nobles. Imperial Guards. Servants. All blended into a giant mass of people. With so many demands on Warrick's time, how would they get him alone?
"This isn't what I expected," Markus said. "I thought it'd be emptier."
"Well, Warrick does rule from here," Nadia said. "No one can rule alone." She felt more hatred for these people who walked through the Golden Palace as though there were nothing disgusting about it. These people sought only their own personal gain.
Alana peered around the golden corridor. "We need to find a map."
They all stepped upon rich red carpets embellished with gold stitching. Magical torches cast a warm glow upon everything, accentuating the splendor of the gold. The excess.
Many of the other people in the corridors were armed, though perhaps not as much as the party, but Nadia still felt conspicuous. She might possess the key to defeating Warrick, but they couldn't risk detection.
They found a map at a nearby junction of hallways. Nadia moved close to it, checking for the throne room, Warrick's most likely location. Her father had said Warrick preferred to sit in his throne room with only the company of a steward.
"Any idea how we'll get into the throne room?" Markus asked.
"I'm still working on that," Nadia said.
They located the throne room on the map, memorized the route they'd need to take, then started walking again.
The palace's corridors branched in a neat grid pattern where everything looked the same. They passed door after door, working their way past more servants and a few Imperial Guards. To Nadia's surprise, the guardsmen didn't stop them.
After rounding a few more corners, Nadia saw the large wooden door leading to the throne room. When she saw no one waiting outside, her tense shoulders relaxed
Two men did flank the door, however, and they watched the party approach. One of them, a short young man with curly brown hair and a matching beard, stepped forward. "Do you have business with the emperor?"
To Nadia's astonishment, it was Markus who answered. "Tell the emperor that Markus, nephew of Theo, has come to reconsider his previous offer."
The man—probably the steward, though he looked young for the role—scratched his head. "And who are the two women with you?"
Nadia took a deep breath. "I am High Lady Nadia Cray, formerly of Crayden. I wish to speak to the emperor about rebuilding my city and preventing another tragedy."
"And I am Alana, formerly of the Oasis Outpost. I have information that could help the emperor in his efforts to eradicate the threat of Cyrus Middleton." She took on an earnest expression. "We've come a long way to see the emperor."
The steward nodded, opened the door, and stepped to the side. "All right. Good luck in there." He chuckled and gave them a curious look, almost as if he knew what they were doing. "I think you might need it."
"Thank you," Nadia said as she stepped through the door, feeling more than ever that she should turn back. The room stretched almost endlessly, and bright magical torchlight glowed upon the golden walls, giving the chamber a warm feeling.
In the distance, the room made an abrupt turn to the right. Somewhere beyond, Warrick was sitting on his throne, unaware that he would face death in a few minutes.
Or so Nadia prayed.
"I just had an idea," she said softly, holding out her arms to halt their progress. "I'm going to stay out of sight so that I can read the scrolls. You and Alana will have to occupy him."
"And how can we do that?" Markus asked.
"You'll have to keep him talking." She turned to Alana. "And you'll stay out of sight as well. If Markus can't distract Warrick, you'll have to use your staff."
"I understand," Alana said.
Nadia could hear the sadness in Alana's voice, for it was obvious that Warrick would kill Alana as soon as she started throwing spells at him. Alana was skilled, but not enough to stand up against Warrick.
Nadia and Alana went with Markus up to the point where the room turned to the right. Then they ducked behind one of the many pillars and peered around the corner to see that Warrick did sit at the end of the chamber. Now it all depended on Markus.
After a deep breath, Nadia started reading the scrolls.
* * * * *
Markus's heart pounded in his ears. Step by step, he made his way toward the end of the throne chamber, toward Warrick who sat upon the golden throne, watching Markus approach. Markus could read no emotion on the emperor's face.
The urge to turn back hit Markus, and he felt as though his legs had turned to lead, weighing down his movements. The red banner of carpet running along the center of the throne room seemed to stretch forever. But Markus would reach its end.
All too soon.
Warrick sat up straighter, focusing his gaze on Markus. Once Markus reached what he thought was an appropriate distance, he got down on one knee and bowed to the emperor. He hated that he was doing it, but he had to make the sacrifice.
"You may stand, Markus," Warrick said. "Is this a sign that you've changed your mind?"
"Yes, it is, my emperor," Markus said, looking into the man's eyes. Please don't let him see through my lies.
"How did you get here, Markus? I'm curious."
"I returned to my uncle. He brought me here through the teleportation system. I thought that, after the way I spoke to you in Riverside, I should apologize to you in person." Markus was amazed at how easily the lies slipped from his mouth, but would Warrick believe them?
"A nice gesture, if it were true."
"I assure you, my emperor, it is true. I have come to my senses and realized that I should serve you."
"You are a poor liar, Markus. You're here for another reason. Don't tell me you think you can kill me. Even you would not be so foolish."
"I would think nothing of the sort, my emperor. I wish only to serve you."
"This conversation has grown tiring. Tell me what you really want."
"Why don't you believe me, my emperor?"
"Because I know you're not alone, Markus. That's a gift of my magic. I can sense that there are others in this room, hiding just out of my sight. If you were here for the reason you stated, your companions would not feel the need to hide."
Markus felt as though someone had punched h
im in the gut. They should have known that Warrick would see through their ruse. Markus opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped.
Soft footsteps sounded behind him. Alana, approaching with her staff raised, launched a burst of lightning at Warrick. The emperor didn't move, watching the spell approach as though it were an annoying fly. The spell struck an invisible shield and dissipated.
Warrick laughed. "Did you really think such a poor excuse for magic could harm me?"
Alana's face turned a ghostly white. She fired a jet of pressurized water at Warrick, but it disappeared as soon as it came within a foot of him.
"This is tiresome," Warrick said. A wave of darkness shot from his fingertips. Markus turned in time to see it strike Alana. Her face twitched in momentary surprise, and then she hit the ground. Dead.
"That's what happens to people who try to kill me in such a pathetic manner," Warrick said. "I almost feel sorry for her. I can't imagine what went through her head in that last moment. Perhaps she realized the futility of opposing me."
"At least she died doing the right thing," Markus said. "You'll never understand that. When I was younger, I tried to convince myself you were okay. I'm glad I didn't."
"Even if it means your death, Markus."
"I'd rather die than serve you."
"Not so fast. I think we have another problem to handle first." Warrick raised his voice. "Nadia, I know what you're doing back there."
* * * * *
Nadia had just finished reciting the scrolls when Warrick had addressed her. The second she'd finished, warm power had coursed through her.
"You are going to let that spell die," Warrick said. "If you don't, it will kill Markus."
Nadia stepped around the corner, the warmth of the spell surrounding her, but she felt frigidly cold on the inside. Yes, she could unleash White Fire, but in doing so, she would also kill Markus.
Warrick had wrapped an arm around Markus, who appeared to be trapped by some kind of magic as well. Alana lay on the floor, dead.
"You don't have a choice," Warrick said. "Do you want to see him die?"
Nadia tried to think of a way out of this situation, but nothing came to her. The warmth of White Fire hummed through her. How long would it last?
At a loss, Nadia said, "How did you know what we were planning?"
"Do you think I pay no attention to potential threats to my life? I can read the Webs of Fate better than anyone else. I knew this was a possibility. I was ready for it."
"Then why didn't you kill us long ago?" Nadia asked.
"Let's just say you were part of something much bigger than a foolish assassination attempt. I needed the future to play out this way."
"So you could eliminate the last threat to your life?" Nadia said.
"In part, yes, but that's only part of the story. That's the problem with people like you. You don't see the big picture. I'm not the evil man you think I am." He chuckled softly. "No doubt I've done things you'd call evil, but I've done them because that's the only way to save the world."
Nadia glared at him. "Do you expect me to believe that?"
"No, but that doesn't change the facts. In killing me, you would doom the world. You might not believe it, but I regret every innocent life I must take. Even your mother, Nadia."
Nadia trembled with anger. "Don't you dare talk about her!"
"I see you can't be reasoned with. You have a choice to make now."
She did, and it was the worst choice she'd ever faced. For so long, she had thought of nothing but killing Warrick. She had the opportunity now. All she had to do was release the spell. But she loved Markus and couldn't bear the thought of living without him.
"Do it, Nadia," Markus said.
Warrick's expression was calm. "By all means, keep delaying. As soon as the spell dies within you, I'll be able to kill you without fear."
And that decided Nadia. No matter what Warrick said, he would not let Markus go. This was her only chance. She had to do this for everyone Warrick had ever killed or oppressed.
For her mother.
A tear trickled down Nadia's face. She shared one last glance with Markus. "I'm sorry."
She released the spell. A brilliant white glow filled the room, so bright she couldn't see anything. She shielded her eyes, focused on killing Warrick, ignoring her doubts. She never should have made room for love in her life.
It had only caused her pain.
The glow died. Nadia blinked her eyes a few times as the room came back into focus. No evidence remained that Markus and Warrick had ever been there.
Nadia's legs collapsed, and she hit the ground hard. Tears fell from her eyes, landing on the red carpet within seconds. This was the moment she should have felt exhilarated, the moment she'd changed the world. Instead, she felt hollow, as though she would never be whole again.
Not without Markus.
You did the right thing, she told herself. You did what Markus wanted.
But that didn't stop the tears, didn't keep her from feeling the cold dread that came with loss, with the knowledge that she might never love another man the way she'd loved Markus. The knowledge that she'd sacrificed more than she'd ever thought she would.
She no longer cared if she lived or died. In death, at least she could join Markus.
Footsteps sounded off to her left. She glanced up through the haze of tears, spotting a door at the side of the chamber. Two people stepped through that door.
The last two people Nadia expected to see.
She wiped the tears from her eyes, but there was no doubt. Warrick had stepped through that door, clutching Markus. Cold sweat washed over her.
Warrick stepped closer. "You're probably wondering how I escaped that, aren't you? Well, when you've been expecting something for so long, you've prepared for it. It's the way my teleportation ability works. I can't simply teleport any time I want to, but if I set up the spell in a location beforehand, it's quite easy. As soon as you released the spell, I simply teleported."
Nadia couldn't get to her feet. She closed her eyes, praying that she was dreaming. As horrible as she'd felt moments earlier when she'd thought she'd killed Markus, she felt even worse now.
Everyone who'd ever doubted her was right.
No one could kill Warrick. Not even Nadia. Nothing could kill Warrick. Not even White Fire. She should have seen it all this time. So caught up in her desire for revenge, she'd thought anything was possible.
She was wrong. She always had been.
"Now what are we going to do about you two?" Warrick said. "I think a quick death is too kind." He paced across the room and let Markus go. "No. I think I'm going to starve you two to death. No one ever escapes my dungeons." He chuckled. "And even if you did, you wouldn't pose any threat to me, not without your spell."
Nadia turned at the sound of footsteps. From behind came about ten Imperial Guards with swords drawn. More tears trickled down Nadia's face.
"Yes, I called them to me with magic," Warrick said. "I trust you won't give them any problems. After all, you've failed in your life's mission, Nadia."
She didn't need the reminder, not from him
She and Markus placed their weapons on the floor, one by one. The Imperial Guards grabbed Nadia and Markus, and they didn't resist. The next few minutes passed in a blur of emotions.
Soon they entered a darker area. The dungeon—cool, damp, and smelling of mold. The dark corridors, greenish in color, twisted along endlessly. Nadia didn't bother taking note of where the Imperial Guards were taking them. It didn't matter. They wouldn't escape.
And even if they did, they couldn't kill Warrick. Nothing mattered anymore.
Before Nadia knew it, the Imperial Guards shoved her and Markus into a large cell. She hit the ground hard, skinning her knees, then heard the loud click of the barred door locking.
"Have fun starving to death," said one Imperial Guard. "What kind of crazy person actually thinks they can kill the emperor? You're getting exactly what
you deserve."
Nadia couldn't summon the energy to argue. She watched through tears as the Imperial Guards rounded the nearest corner. Then she turned to Markus.
"I always knew we might fail," she said, choked up with emotion. "But I never expected this."
He put an arm around her, warm and comforting despite the situation. "At least we'll die together."
* * * * *
Darien knelt on the floor in his empty throne room. The Imperial Guards had wanted to clear Alana's body from the room, but he had told them not to.
Now he looked down at her, at her closed eyes, her pale face. She was another in his long list of crimes. It hadn't been necessary. The Webs of Fate hadn't demanded it. But he'd done it anyways. In the moment, he'd felt so angry that she'd dared to attack him.
He ran a hand over her cold face. Unnecessary. So unnecessary.
Was that what he'd become? A man who killed because it was convenient? Despite all his manipulation of the future, had he lost sight of what he intended to be? Had he become the monster his opponents claimed he was?
She was dangerous, he tried to convince himself. A member of the Order. Someone who fought against his plans. Such people deserved death, didn't they?
And he'd made it quick. He tried not to delight in unnecessary torture, though that was often a difficult fight. He recalled the day back in Riverside when he'd briefly tortured Markus. It had taken a lot of control to keep from inflicting the worst pain imaginable on him.
Markus had disrespected him, just as Alana had.
Regardless, the past was the past. He could only plan the future, and now that he had Nadia and Markus where they needed to be, now that their quest was over, he could finally relax.
For now.
Chapter 59: Passage to Freedom
Berig sat on a chair close to Aric's bed while Cyrus examined Aric.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 50
