Sleepers

by Megg Jensen

  “Does he know the father?” I asked. “Would he even care?”

  “Oh, he would care,” Mags said. “He would care very much. And that’s another reason I won’t tell you. If the king doesn’t know, then no one else needs to know either. It was our agreement, made in the dark, that no one would ever know. Do you see now why you need to save Trevin? If you can get away with him, the king can kill me and be done with it. Trevin would never inherit the throne. His brothers are in line before him. No one would even care if I am gone.”

  I felt the fire flicker. I imagined the flames blue, no longer red, burning out slowly. My belly relaxed, my muscles softened. She’d allowed herself one night, one moment to herself and she was willing to accept the consequences.

  “I have no life here, Lianne,” she continued. “If I die, I die. My older sons will be raised to the throne and Trevin will live happily elsewhere. With you. You’ve been so kind to both of us and I know you would make a good mother to him.”

  I wanted to laugh, but I held my tongue. I saw how serious Mags was, how much she wanted this scenario to be true.

  “I could never be a mother to him. He’s your son. I do love him, but not like a mother should. He needs you and I can make sure you have each other.”

  “How?” she asked. “I can’t leave. Everyone would see me go. I’m the queen, everyone knows my face. And I know you, Lianne. I know you don’t have it in you to kill Rotlar.”

  “I can figure something out. We have a week’s time. Please Mags, don’t give up. Not yet,” I begged. I was angry with her, but I couldn’t condemn her to death.

  The chamber door opened and Albree walked in, flanked by two guards.

  “We’re here to take you in to custody, my queen,” the first said. He didn’t look Mags in the eyes. Whether it was out of shame or deference, I couldn’t tell, but Mags stared straight at them. She placed Trevin back in his bassinette, stood up straight and threw her shoulders back.

  “I’m so sorry, my queen,” Albree cried, throwing herself at Mags’ feet. “We got here at the same time. I didn’t mean to walk in with them. Please don’t think I had anything to do with this.”

  “Who will be caring for my son?” Mags asked the guards, ignoring Albree. “I won’t leave until I know he’s in safe hands.”

  They still wouldn’t look at her and she glanced over at me. I knew what she wanted, for me to run with Trevin. But I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t let her sacrifice herself.

  “The king has chosen a family for him, for now,” the guard said. His throat bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “He will stay with the family of your lady-in-waiting.”

  He pointed at Albree. She pulled herself off the floor, smoothed out her dress and walked over to Trevin’s bassinette. I sighed. At least Trevin would be near me. I’d have to give up my nights with Kellan, but for Trevin, I’d do it.

  Then he looked at me. “You are dismissed and ordered to leave the castle.”

  “No!” Mags screamed as Albree picked Trevin up out of his bassinette. The guards held on to Mags’ wrists, as she strained toward her son. “You can’t do this to my baby. My innocent little boy.”

  Tears spilled down her cheeks, her bloodshot eyes reigniting. She struggled against the guards, but they were too strong.

  Albree turned around, Trevin in her arms. She bent over and kissed him on the nose. “Who’s the sweetest little baby?” she cooed at him.

  Mags dropped to her knees, sobbing. I ran and fell on the floor next to her, holding her in my arms. Her tears soaked the top of my dress, but I didn’t care.

  “Get up,” a guard yelled, kicking her leg. They tugged on her arms, trying to force Mags to her feet. I held on tight, not taking my arms off of her. They would have to pry me away.

  Mags leaned over, her head next to mine, her lips on my ear.

  “Don’t let them get away with it,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and strained. “If you can, kill him.”

  Mags pushed herself out of my arms and stood up, resuming her composure

  again, ever the queen.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Do you have everything, Lianne?” Trevin squirmed in Albree’s arms. She didn’t even attempt to soothe him, instead she pulled his blanket tighter to keep him still.

  She hovered over me while I packed my few belongings. I stuffed clothes into a bag and placed a few trinkets in it. I was surprised how little I’d collected in sixteen years of living in one place. No gifts from my mother or sister to pack. No gifts from anyone, really. I had my clothes and the rest technically belonged to Albree and my mother.

  My so-called mother had been informed I was dismissed but she didn’t even bother to see me off. I hadn’t expected her to either. Albree was only here to make sure I didn’t take anything that wasn’t mine. She’d already pulled a ribbon out of my hand, claiming it was really hers.

  I didn’t argue. I didn’t care enough about a stupid ribbon to fight for it. I had a bigger battle ahead, one that didn’t require pretty ribbons in my hair. I had to save Mags and I had to get Trevin away from Albree.

  “I have everything that I care about, Albree,” I replied.

  I was done trying to hide my hatred for her. It didn’t matter now. Albree laughed, making Trevin cry.

  “Stupid baby.” She put him down in the bassinette one of the guards had brought in. “Be quiet.”

  “You’d better be nice to Trevin.” I couldn’t even stand to think of him in her arms. The angry fires licked at my belly, but now wasn’t the time to act. If I took Trevin from her, and I knew I could easily overpower her, I would have no hopes of saving Mags. Until I had a plan they both had to stay in the castle, each in their own prison.

  “Of course I’ll be nice to Trevin,” Albree said. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because you’re never nice to anyone.” I didn’t bother with niceties anymore.

  “Lianne, you are not one of us. Trevin may be a bastard, but he is still Fithian. We care for our own, not for some pathetic adoptees thrust on us.”

  “Thanks for caring.” I wanted the words to sting.

  But Albree had already turned her attention to the window. She leaned over the windowsill, her breasts hanging over the ledge, giving the men practicing their maneuvers outside the full view. She called out to them, waving. Their cheers rose up to the window. They were obviously happy with the distraction. Aric yelled, scolding them to pay attention.

  I fought the urge to kick her in the butt and send her flying out the window. It would be too easy. I pulled my bag onto my shoulder and leaned over Trevin’s bassinette. He smiled and blew bubbles when I tickled his chin.

  My heart pounded, like it wanted to break out of my chest. I was leaving my only home and I could only hope Kellan would take me in. It wouldn’t be easy. Aric didn’t know I’d been spending my nights there, but he would know I’d been dismissed from the castle and he might get in trouble for harboring me. I wasn’t sure any place was safe.

  I left the room, not bothering to say goodbye to Albree. She didn’t say anything either. She was probably happy I’d left.

  As I walked through the castle halls, people whispered to each other while they eyed me. Word traveled quickly in a castle and I was the newest scandal. Well, not me, but I was connected to it. A casualty of Mags’ infidelity.

  The fire flickered in me, begging to be set free. My only instinct was to fight, but I restrained myself, knowing, once again, it wouldn’t help. If I got in trouble now, I’d be put in the dungeon with Mags and never have a chance of setting her free. If I could force myself to walk out of the castle without creating a scene, I’d be free to make my plans.

  I needed to get to Kellan. He’d said he had ideas for getting in the castle, ideas that revolved around my access to Mags. But now that I’d been banished, I wasn’t sure how I’d get close to the king again, close enough to kill him with my bare hands.

  I’d never been allowed to touch a weapon. Aric knew his place and
only taught us hand-to-hand combat. He broke the rules by teaching us to fight, but kept us from being too deadly by withholding weapons training. Kellan carried weapons to and from the training grounds all day, but he only learned strategy. He’d never wielded a sword or a mace in practice or in battle. It was his job to learn strategy and bring it back to our people. But handling weapons, well, I wondered who was supposed to teach that to our people if we were supposed to be the links from the Fithians to the Dalagans. Maybe the Fithians didn’t want anyone to know how to fight.

  They were smart, using us as pawns in their war. If it weren’t for the Awakening, I would have gone on appreciating them. I never would have seriously wondered if they really had my best interests at heart. I shook my head, wondering how I’d been clueless for so long.

  Kellan, Bryden, and I weren’t allowed the same luxuries as the natives. We spent our days serving like many other Fithians, but at night, instead of being restful were spent learning about the war. Our teachers told us it was cultural training, but there were many nights I spent blanketed in a cold sweat from the nightmares I’d had about my own people.

  Their mysterious magic floated around in my dreams, destroying everything it touched. It was enough to make me fearful of returning home when I turned twenty, knowing if magic hadn’t been bled from them, I’d never be able to defend myself. Never be able to teach them about the wonders of the Fithians and how they saved us.

  I laughed at my naiveté. I’d believed them so easily, trusted them to care for me and protect me. Knowing the truth now, I couldn’t wait to destroy them. I didn’t understand how Bryden survived for so long and played along with the charade, and yet he still didn’t want them killed.

  Maybe his injury softened him, and not just his leg. I just couldn’t understand why he sympathized with them. Mags and her sons were the only Fithians worth loving and I would do anything for them. But everyone else just followed the king’s edicts, no matter how twisted.

  By the time I arrived at Aric’s house, it was nearly evening. They’d be done with their training, probably home cooking dinner. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door and steadied my hand. I’d have to face Aric sooner or later. Might as well know my fate now.

  I knocked and heard nothing but silence. The door opened just a crack and I saw Aric’s eyes and Kellan hovering behind him.

  “Lianne,” Aric said, loudly, as he opened the door the rest of the way. “You shouldn’t be here. You’ve been banished and I can’t offer you a place to stay.”

  Tears filled my eyes. My last hope and I’d been turned down before I could ask for help.

  “Come back when it’s dark and sneak in the back. Kellan tells me you’ve done it once or twice before,” Aric whispered. I didn’t glance up at him. If anyone walked by they would have heard the first part, but not the second.

  I bowed my head down, in an attempt to look defeated, but I couldn’t help a smile. My hair hung over my face, shielding it from anyone who might be nearby.

  Instead of answering, for fear my voice would give me away, I nodded and walked away. I headed toward the forest, to my grove, to spend some time alone. It was probably for the best. I wasn’t sure yet how much I could tell Aric, how much I should tell him.

  He was kind to allow me sanctuary in his home, but if I told him the whole truth he would know too much. He’d never agree to help me kill the king and I don’t know if his conscience would allow him to keep quiet. He trained the men whose sole job it was to protect the king and the kingdom. Asking him to keep this secret would be going too far and I respected Aric too much to do that to him.

  When I arrived at my grove, I sat on the largest rock in the middle. My pack slid off my arm and dropped to the ground, barely making a sound on the lush grass. I rested my elbows on my knees and caught my face in my hands. Alone, I finally felt my body relax and the tears I’d held back began to flow.

  In my mind all I could see was Mags, screaming and begging for her son. The fires burned and for once I welcomed them. The pain helped me feel like there was something in this world that mattered; it told me I was alive and ready to fight.

  I wanted to know who did this to her. If I were to kill the king, there was still someone out there trying to get rid of the queen. I didn’t want to kill anyone else, but if the betrayals continued how would I know when to stop?

  A battle waged in my body. The flames in my belly licked upwards, striking at my heart, but it fought back by flashing pictures of the good times I had in my life, when things were simpler and I didn’t have to worry about using my skills as a fighter to actually hurt someone. I’d trained for love of exercise, of the way it made me feel power over my body, not power over someone else.

  I had never trained with the intention to kill, yet here I was with hatred and death creeping into the corners of my heart. I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand myself. A life for a life. Why had it all come to this?

  I jumped off the rock and landed on the ground with a stomp that stung the bottoms of my feet. Raising my hands to the sky, I screamed. Every emotion I’d been feeling flew out of my mouth. I didn’t care if anyone was nearby, though the village outside the castle was a good fifteen minute walk away. I was probably alone in the forest, a feeling I treasured as much as the love I held in my heart for Mags and Trevin.

  When my voice cracked and the scream subsided I crumpled to the ground, landing in a tiny heap. The tears dried. The anger subdued. The only thing that remained was love and a strange tingling in my hands.

  Under the cave of my body, I opened my fist, one finger at a time. There were no nettles stuck into it, as I first thought. Nothing punctured my hands, but the tingling grew anyway. I stretched my arm out, afraid of what was happening. I looked beyond my hand at the rock I’d been sitting on. It wobbled and then toppled over. The tingling in my hand stopped as the rock settled in its new position. A rush of ice swept through my veins and my breath caught in my throat.

  “How?”

  I never would have been able to move such a huge rock on my own. I glanced back at my hand and again at the rock. The tingling started right before it moved and stopped when the rock landed. My palm had been pointed toward it.

  “Magic?” I don’t know why I whispered since no one was nearby. “Impossible. It’s gone. Bled away.”

  I glanced at my palm again as the sun moved behind the line of trees. Tentatively I reached out to the rock, but nothing happened. No tingling, no movement, nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe I’d had nothing to do with the rock’s movement.

  I lay on the ground for a few more seconds, waiting to see if the tingling returned, but my body felt barren, empty of everything. The fires cooled, my heart didn’t pound, and I felt at peace for the first time since the day before my birthday. Enjoying the silence, I closed my eyes and listened to the wind rustling in the trees.

  For a moment I wondered if everything would be okay, but then the thought of Mags’ arrest invaded my mind again. I sighed, knowing no matter how peaceful I might feel now, it was only the calm before the storm.

  I stood and brushed the dirt off of my pants. Time to sneak back to town and Kellan’s house.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  I crept through the darkness, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep the night away. But when I squeezed through Kellan’s window, I wasn’t alone. Kellan and Aric were waiting for me. I’d have to face them, but I was hoping it would have waited until the morning.

  Aric reached out a hand, grabbing my pack as I squeezed through the window. I tumbled on Kellan’s bed and kicked my shoes off before they could touch his sheets. The soles were littered with grass and gravel and I didn’t want to get his bed dirty. They were being kind enough allowing me to stay here. The least I could do was keep the place clean.

  “Why did King Rotlar take the queen into custody?” Aric asked before I could catch my breath. He reached behind me, glanced out the window and closed the curtain
s. I knew he was worried about getting caught and I worried I was putting him in too much danger.

  “He made an accusation against her. The king contends Trevin is not his,” I said.

  “The queen cheated on the king? It’s unbelievable.” Aric stared at me, not blinking. “Does he have proof?”

  “He says he does, but I haven’t seen it and neither has the queen. We don’t know what kind of proof there could be for a transgression like that anyway. Mags is clearly upset and scared for Trevin.” I decided not to tell Aric the truth. What would be the point? He’d only feel obligated to tell the king. “She’s horrified he would give credence to any rumors.”

  “Well, if the king says he has proof, then he must,” Aric conceded. “But why were you dismissed? I don’t understand.”

  I wondered the same thing. Other than my heritage, there was no good reason for him to dispose of me. But to protect the queen, and the plan I was hatching, I had to continue lying to the one man who’d always been so kind to me.

  “I believe he thinks I helped her. Maybe he also thinks I’m a bad influence. I don’t really know for sure. His guards ordered me out, not the king himself. I packed up and came here for help.”

  Kellan stayed silent. I wanted to talk to him so badly, but I couldn’t be open in front of Aric. I know he agreed or he would have already jumped in and corrected me. It was nice to know someone so well that we could communicate without words. I’d come to the right place.

  “I’m sure I’ll be briefed in the morning,” Aric said. He placed his palms on his knees and pushed up to standing. “Keep yourself hidden and don’t come out. I might be joining the queen in the dungeon if anyone finds you here.”

  I nodded. “Of course I’ll be careful Aric. You’re like a father to me. I’m so grateful you’re allowing me to stay here.” I jumped up and hugged him. That wasn’t part of the lie; I genuinely appreciated the risk he was taking for me. He wrapped his strong arms around me and squeezed. I pulled back and kissed him on the nose.