The Ghost, The Dragon, and The Lost King (Fated Chronicles Book 4)

by Humphrey Quinn

  “Do it, and find out.” Her tone went from pompous and playful, to cross, fast.

  “I have a feeling my answer should be, I’d like to keep all my body parts, thank you.”

  “Good answer.” Her grin returned. “You’re full of yourself, but smart at least. So, have you been here before?”

  “Yes. But not since the takeover. And I expect a full tour before dark.”

  “Let’s get started then.”

  Elisha popped into his mind. “I’m going to hunt.”

  “Okay. Keep your eyes open. I have a strange feeling they’re trying to hide something from me.”

  “Not on my watch, they won’t.”

  “Never,” agreed Colby. He watched his Catawitch saunter away.

  It wasn’t far in that they ran into Ardon.

  “Katana,” she nodded in greeting. “And Colby. Hello.” She was surprised to see him there.

  “Ardon, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re KarNavan’s number two?”

  “Correct.”

  “I was just giving Colby a tour of what’s going on around here,” explained Katana. “My father, and Juliska Blackwell, have left the island for a meeting with Fazendiin.”

  “KarNavan did not inform me of this.”

  “It was rather a sudden departure,” informed Colby. “My father doesn’t like to wait.”

  “No leader does,” Katana replied a touch snidely.

  Ardon gave her an evil eye that warned, “Watch yourself.”

  Colby just gave a clipped chuckle. “She’s right. We don’t like to wait.”

  “I’m returning home for a late dinner,” Ardon informed Katana, her silent addition, I’d better see you there. “Colby, when you’ve finished the tour, I’d be pleased to have you join us.”

  “Thank you. I will.” He cast a priggish grin no one understood. He was thinking how much KarNavan would hate that he was eating at his table, with his daughter, and second in command. Something about pissing that guy off was far too much fun.

  “Shall we continue?” suggested Katana.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, before you go,” stopped Ardon. “How long will KarNavan and Juliska be gone?”

  Katana deferred to Colby.

  “No idea. You’re stuck with me for the time being. Is that a problem?”

  “Not at all, Master Colby. Katana, make sure you take our guest to visit our new prisoner. I believe they are already acquainted.” Ardon made to leave, catching the surprise in Katana’s jade-colored eyes. Not over the fact that Colby and Jae had met previously, but that she wanted Colby to know where Jae was. Just what was her aunt up to?

  Regardless, she’d gotten the hint. And wondered if this had something to do with the mysterious plan B Ardon was putting together. Because Katana didn’t think Colby’s dear old daddy was any more trustworthy than her aunt did. And her father was blind to this, for some reason that made no sense. It wasn’t like him. He wouldn’t talk about the deal he’d made with the Grosvenor, just insisted it would be worth it. But she intended to make it to her eighteenth birthday.

  They would not betray KarNavan. But they had a plan B coming together, just in case his lack of sense, backfired. Which she and Ardon, unfortunately, were worried might happen.

  They reached the barn and a guard stepped aside.

  “Who’s in there?” asked Colby. It was more like a command. He didn’t like walking into strange places not knowing what was inside.

  “Juliska’s pet.”

  “Pajak?”

  Katana laughed. “No, not the creepy little demon spider.”

  She threw open the doors to reveal the cage inside.

  Jae swung around.

  Colby breathed in.

  Their eyes met, equal parts disdain and instant understanding.

  So this is where Jae ended up. Back in Juliska’s clutches. And now, a prisoner from the looks of it. Colby had the strangest thought that it might as well be him, inside that cage. His own was just much larger and included a non-stop climb up a mountain with no top.

  Jae grunted, and cast his gaze aside. He wasn’t surprised to see Colby come waltzing in.

  But seeing Jae in that cage did something strange to Colby. It drew some invisible line in which they were both on one side of, equaling some kind of mutual, if not a sick, sort of respect.

  It also made Colby furious. And for the first time since he’d numbed himself, and killed all those Mazuruk, his mind raced like it was flying across the sky. The Magicante woke up and charged at full steam.

  “Let him out.”

  “What?” Katana replied, stunned.

  “You heard me. Let. Him. Out.” The Magicante was strumming hard to pick up the excess emotion tearing through him. Something about seeing Jae in that cage infuriated him. Perhaps because it was too much like the cage around his own heart. The cage his father had him in. The cage he’d volunteered to live in.

  When Katana passed her gaze between him and Jae, unsure if she should obey, Colby lifted his arm and with a crushing motion, broke the lock on Jae’s door.

  Oddly, Jae had no problem leaving the cage. Something about Colby was… what the heck was it? He couldn’t put it into words, but this guy wasn’t going to make him kill anyone. Or hurt anyone. Which made no sense to think, or believe, as Colby was a killer.

  When Jae was free of the prison, Colby raised his hand and with another crushing motion the cage imploded in on itself. The bars snapping and breaking.

  “Not a fan of cages, either?” noted Jae flatly.

  Katana watched, in awe of it. Such power. And she sure as heck hoped her aunt knew what she was doing. Because Jae was out of the cage now.

  He made his way to Colby. They just eyed each other for a long minute.

  Neither truly trusted the other, and yet there was an unsaid understanding, between them.

  It was an odd situation.

  “You’ll come eat dinner with us.”

  “That might not be a smart idea,” Jae replied.

  “I’m in charge. So it’s only my say, that matters.”

  “My father and Juliska have gone to meet with Fazendiin,” explained Katana. There was a gleam in her eyes that mimicked, now the rest of us get to play. Jae wasn’t in the mood. “And just so you know, I was going to get you out of this cage. He just beat me to it.”

  Jae eyed her incredulously.

  Colby frowned at her. “You were going to try to free him?”

  She shrugged, suddenly a bit timid. Maybe admitting that to the guy in charge wasn’t the best idea, even though he’d just done the same thing.

  Colby’s mouth turned up in a tight grin. She might be KarNavan’s daughter, and a Striper, but he kind of liked her.

  “It’s not like you can leave the island anyway,” Colby aimed at Jae.

  “No,” agreed Jae. “How long is Juliska gone?”

  “We don’t know that,” Katana returned. “Looks like you get a reprieve, Jae Mochrie.”

  “What are you talking about?” Colby demanded.

  She hurriedly explained what Juliska had planned for Jae.

  Somehow, during the course of the explanation, Colby felt himself slide down that invisible mountain just a few steps. His father was okay with all of this? And he was supposed to be too.

  But wasn’t there a way to get what they wanted, without needless killing. He’d killed before. Yes. He’d done it for his father. But having Jae kill his family just because… something didn’t sit well with that.

  Jae was his sister’s friend, too. He’d looked out for her. He kind of seemed like… a good guy. But also on his side, in a way. Not by choice, but still, there anyway.

  “Someone’s having an existential crisis,” mumbled Katana.

  Colby straightened himself. “Am not.”

  “Wow. You two could vie for brooder of the year.”

  Jae shook his head. At least in this moment, it looked like he might have just a lit
tle more time. It wasn’t much of a reprieve. And he wasn’t that hungry. But it was better than being in a cage all night.

  They left the barn and joined Ardon for dinner. She didn’t even act surprised when Jae made an appearance. Although she did order him to take a bath before sitting at the clean kitchen table. Which he did, gladly. Although with speed, as being alone in the hot water, which was relaxing, was something he did not need. He might be out of that cage tonight, but he could just as easily be put back inside, tomorrow.

  Dinner was awkward, to put it nicely. It was an odd group. Two Stripers, Colby, and Jae. And even stranger, a face he recognized was serving their food. Oliver Stamm. Dr. Stamm’s son. Now eleven. Maybe twelve, Jae couldn’t quite remember.

  Oliver had gasped and frozen upon seeing him. Jae had tried to smile and then let it drop. He was technically the enemy now, back from the dead, so to speak. That pretty much lost what little appetite he had.

  Oliver dropped a plate while setting up the table. It didn’t break, but he stuttered through an apology and disappeared back into the kitchen to fetch a clean replacement.

  “What is it my father calls him?” Katana said. “Oh, right. Oliver Stammer.” She chuckled. “Because he can’t get through a sentence without stuttering.”

  “Really?” Colby replied. “Have we sunk so low as to make fun of a kid who stammers? And why wouldn’t he? He’s scared to death.” God. Where was all this coming from? Actually, and so sickeningly so, this response wasn’t unlike his father. He would not tolerate that type of behavior. Hell, maybe he would. Colby wasn’t sure anymore. He’d been raised one way, but his father’s actions didn’t always align. He was willing to sacrifice anyone necessary to get what he wanted. And yet lived a life where education and knowledge, and things like manners, were prized. He was a walking contradiction.

  Why was his father allowing all of this to take place?

  There it was again. Still so many unanswered questions. But this must have something to do with Juliska. This was her territory.

  “I wasn’t really making fun. We just literally have nothing to talk about. Talk about your awkward dinner parties.” Katana sighed in an annoyed fashion. She had a point there.

  Oliver came back in with a new plate, and returned shortly after with a thick pot of stew.

  Colby eyed the kid, who was so ridiculously scared it wasn’t even funny. He got up, grabbed a bowl, filled it with stew, and ordered the kid to go back into the kitchen and eat.

  Oliver obliged, although a little stunned. He was not allowed to eat until everyone else was finished.

  “Why exactly are kids playing slave here?” Colby directed at Ardon.

  She didn’t bat an eye. “He’s here, in this house, because his father is currently hiding out on the island.”

  The group of escapees, he’d heard of.

  “I’m guessing you think his father might attempt to reach out to him in some way?”

  “That’s KarNavan’s thoughts on the matter.”

  “But not yours,” Colby assumed.

  “The escapes won’t be in hiding much longer. They will run out of supplies soon. They’ll have to give themselves up.”

  Colby ate the rest of the meal in silence. Having a private conversation between him, and his Magicante. The cranky old voice encouraged him to push out and test his powers. And he was thinking about doing just that.

  If he was indeed, The King, who was there to stop him?

  Ardon liked this plan B. Well, it was more like Plan C. She was throwing out her original backup plan. This Colby kid, he was the key to getting the Stripers out of this mess of a job. As long as whatever he did could not be traced back to her in any way, they were golden. Let him stir up trouble. Then they’d get a free pass off this island and back to normal life. And normal jobs.

  Poor kid was a mess though. Probably sitting there thinking he’s king of the world.

  And that’s exactly what she hoped he was thinking. She only hoped she could contain the mess he’d make, and it would work to their advantage. Maybe she did still need a Plan B.

  CHAPTER 36

  Meghan and Sebastien sat at a table across from Aloyna and Jasper. They each stared, thinking silently, to themselves. This was a most unique moment. Neither party, entirely sure how to handle such an insane situation.

  After a few more quiet minutes, Aloyna got up and poured them some tea. When she reclaimed her seat, she finally spoke.

  “I can smell your blood, and Jasper says you speak the truth, but even in all the magic I have seen, I’ve never seen anything like this. You say you are my granddaughter, from far in the future?”

  “Yes. I am. The situation is complicated.” How much she was permitted to share, without altering the course of the future, she had no idea. “We were, um, sent here either by a curse, or I think, by someone trying to stop that curse. That’s a guess and an oversimplified explanation of how we got here.”

  Aloyna dropped her head. “It was my son, wasn’t it? He had something to do with this?”

  “How-how did you know?” Sebastien shouldn’t have been surprised by this. They were fighting Fazendiin even in this time.

  Aloyna got up and paced. “Because somehow, my son is always involved. Even so far into the future.” She stopped pacing, staring into air. Her voice held only pure disbelief and regret that so many years in the future, her son was still a threat.

  Jasper got up and rubbed her shoulders.

  “Perhaps they’ve come here for a purpose.”

  “To stop him? I’m starting to wonder if that’s even possible.”

  Meghan let out a disgruntled clearing of her throat, which didn’t help any. Because it meant she agreed with that sentiment.

  Jasper retook his seat, rubbing his hand across his chin deep in contemplation. Or actually, as Meghan watched him, he thought his actions were more like Colin’s. He was a Projector after all. He had to keep his emotions in check so they didn’t overwhelm his magic and turn it all skitso! Meghan gave him the time, having nothing else to say anyway, other than adding more doom to the gloom. And having no viable reason for why they were here.

  It also sucked beyond measure that Jasper wasn’t even alive in her future. He’d died at her brother’s hands. Colby had killed him, and stolen his Projector’s powers. Man, it sucked to have him alive and sitting here like this. The one man who could help her other brother. Well, her non-brother by blood, but Colin would always be her brother no matter what. If only there was some way to keep Jasper alive.

  He slid back to the present and passed his gaze between Meghan and Sebastien.

  “You’ve met us both, in this future, haven’t you? You recognized us.”

  Meghan nodded, about to explain their relationships better when Jasper raised his hand to stop her.

  “Don’t say too much. We can’t chance messing up the future.”

  “So we do have to worry about that?” Meghan stated grimly. “I was hoping that was just a thing of fiction.”

  “Afraid not. Messing with time, that is a scary business right there. This is new magic to me. I cannot even fathom the consequences of it.”

  “It’s not like we had any choice,” grumbled Sebastien.

  “No, not from the sounds of it,” Aloyna agreed. Her eyes got glossy and she reclaimed her seat. “My granddaughter. I have a grandchild. And you are so very much…”

  “Nothing like her father,” finished Sebastien on their behalf.

  Meghan added, “But I’m guessing, trying to do the same thing in my time, that you both tried to do in yours. Trying to stop him.”

  “So that has not changed,” Aloyna spoke dismally. “Well, that is a depressing thought.”

  “And probably enough information,” warned Jasper. “We can’t let the potential future stop us today,” he reminded.

  “Unless somehow we’re meant to change something?” It slipped out of Meghan’s mouth without her thinking first.

  “Like what?�
� asked Sebastien.

  “Well… um… I can’t honestly say. But, we were sent to this time for a reason. Right?” She turned to Aloyna and Jasper. “Okay, so I think I can tell you this part without risking the future. I was doing a spell which should have allowed me to look at past memories from my own bloodline. I was hoping to look into my father’s past. Instead, something weird happened. Like he always seems to, he expected I might try such a thing, and he was ready for me. And I’d swear he was about to get my brain permanently locked into some memory of his choosing.”

  Her hosts listened, hanging onto her every word.

  “But just as this was happening, something interfered. I won’t go into too much detail, but it was someone I’d met before. They sort of showed up, and saved me from my father’s curse, but then sent Sebastian and me, here, instead.”

  “Almost like she’d been waiting to do it,” added Sebastien.

  “Yeah. And that.” Meghan shrugged, as in, what do you make of that?

  “Perhaps the reason you’re here will reveal itself,” hoped Jasper.

  “It cannot be to change anything,” Aloyna whispered.

  “Why do you say that?” asked Jasper.

  “Because in her future, the war is still going.”

  “Maybe that’s what we came to change?” Meghan had no clue as to how.

  “Changing the direction of things now, would change the future,” Aloyna warned darkly. “In ways you cannot even imagine, sitting here, only talking about it.”

  “You mean things like, Meghan and I might not even exist,” assumed Sebastien. “Our friends or family might not.”

  “But so might not my father,” Meghan put out there with a hard swallow in her throat. And maybe Jasper would. Perhaps she needed to save Jasper. If Colby was never born, maybe Jasper kept his powers and was able to continue fighting. Ugh, so many possibilities. How was she to understand what her purpose was here?

  “Well this is a rather gloomy conversation.” It was none of the four who said it, and their heads swung around to see an older, scruffy looking man standing in the doorframe.

  “Robert!” Aloyna got up and hugged the man. Jasper clasped his arm wearing a relieved smile in welcome.