Soul Shade (Soul Stones Book 2)

by T. L. Branson

  Kessler folded her hands and placed them on top of her desk, forcing a smile as she looked at Maya and Khal.

  Maya called upon her power and her vision slipped into the soul realm. Everything around her turned a shade of red, save the souls of each individual in the room. The governor’s soul was a mixture of purple and blue. Aside from minor swirling, its movement was steady and calm.

  So the governor was nervous, but not fearful. Whatever she was going to say would be truthful, though not necessarily forthcoming. Maya had learned that the emotions of people who lied were off the charts, but someone who was completely honest would have no conflict at all. She saw neither present in the governor.

  Truthfully, she’d never known anyone in a political office to be honest—those that were never lasted long. They’d either upset her father with their forwardness or they had refused to compromise their morals to do what had to be done and had been surpassed by others with less scruples.

  “It is as I said before,” Kessler said. “I and my garrison have struggled just as much as any of the other cities to quell the unrest. That our streets are safe and life relatively returned to normal speaks volumes about the dedication of my men.”

  Maya opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she noticed something strange. The guard behind the governor’s left shoulder—his soul seemed muted or unfocused, but when she turned to look at him, nothing seemed to be amiss. The man shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, though otherwise stood firm.

  Before she could scrutinize the guard any further, Maya’s head began to ache as if she’d taken a direct blow from a wooden club. She winced and looked away.

  “Is something wrong?” Kessler asked. “Does Sergeant Farrow make you uncomfortable?”

  “It’s nothing,” Maya replied as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m just tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep since the attempt on my life.”

  “What?” Kessler blurted out, standing in alarm. “Surely not here? Not by my people?”

  “No, not in Havan,” Maya said. She waved at the governor, bidding her be seated once more. “But it’s what I’ve come to discuss with you.”

  Maya glanced around again at all the guards. She couldn’t be sure about them. Any one of the men could be spies or assassins in waiting. She didn’t know them, and she didn’t trust them.

  “Can we speak somewhere else, Governor?” Maya asked.

  “My chambers are secure, we’re safe here,” Kessler reassured her.

  “No, I mean in private,” Maya explained. “Just the two of us.”

  Kessler’s eyes moved side to side and she subtly shifted in her seat.

  “Surely you’re not afraid of your queen?” Jade asked.

  All eyes turned to her.

  “I’m beginning to wonder whose protection these guards are for—ours or yours,” Jade continued.

  Maya blinked, realization dawning on her.

  Kessler’s right hand reached for something on her desk.

  Before she knew what she was doing Maya was on her feet, drawing her sword, Twilight. A heartbeat later, every person in the room was armed and held a weapon pointed at somebody else.

  12

  “Let’s all just calm down,” Merva said, appearing beside Maya.

  Everyone in the room recoiled except Maya, their weapons wavering.

  “Who are you?” the governor asked. “And how did you get in here?”

  “She’s Merva,” Maya answered for her. “And she’s my goddess.”

  “Your goddess?” Kessler asked with wide eyes. “Why should we believe you?”

  Maya sighed. She was getting tired of explaining this to every person who met Merva.

  “Because you don’t have much choice,” Maya answered.

  All around the room, weapons vanished from the hands of Havan’s guards. They hadn’t actually disappeared, but Maya masked their visibility. The guards gasped in surprise and dropped their seemingly invisible blades, which then fell and clanged onto the floor.

  In turn, Maya sheathed her weapon and her companions followed suit.

  “Let me be perfectly clear so there is no confusion,” Maya said. “I’m not here to harm you; I have no malicious intent. I am not my father and I will not rule with fear, but make no mistake, my patience and mercy only go so far. This kingdom will stay together. It must stand united if we are to weather what lies ahead.”

  “And what is that, exactly?” Kessler asked.

  Maya’s eyes lifted to settle on the two guards behind the governor.

  “You’re dismissed,” Kessler said, waving her hand.

  “But, Governor,” Farrow protested.

  “That’s enough, Sergeant,” the governor said with finality.

  “Yes, Governor,” Farrow said, raising two fingers and spinning his hand in a circle. The guards hurried from the room, Farrow bringing up the rear and closing the door behind him.

  “We’re alone now, my queen,” Kessler said. “I apologize for my behavior, but you must understand—”

  “No, it’s you who needs to understand,” Maya said. “I was nearly killed three nights ago by assassins from Berxley.”

  “Berxley?” the governor asked, narrowing her brow. “Are you sure?”

  Maya shook her head. “Nothing is certain, but the two men were dressed in the colors of the old Berxlian kingdom before the Unification.”

  Kessler frowned and looked to the side as if in thought.

  “What do you know?” Khal asked.

  “Rumors, mostly,” she answered. “But the word is that Kent is in full-scale anarchy and the military has taken over the island.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” Jade asked. “The military supports the crown.”

  “Depends on who the commanding officer is,” Maya said, looking at Khal.

  He turned his head away in thought for a moment, and then winced.

  “What?” Maya inquired.

  “It’s Kosta,” Khal said reluctantly.

  “Kosta?” Jade asked, confusion on her face. “I thought we killed him.”

  “General Kosta,” Khal explained, “the late grand admiral’s brother. He knows what we did, but he was also responsible for moving that shipment of pyridis we hijacked. We hurt his family and wounded his pride. I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but I think it’s fair enough to assume fealty to the queen is not on his agenda.”

  “What about Berxley, though?” Maya asked, turning back to the governor. “What news of them?”

  “Nothing,” Kessler said with a shake of her head. “My… informants have gone dark.”

  “Spies?”

  “Did I say the word spy?” the governor asked.

  Maya ignored her. “You have spies in other cities of my kingdom? Do you have spies in Shadowhold?”

  “N-no, Your Majesty,” Kessler answered. “Shadowhold is our oldest ally, I would never—”

  “So we’re your ally now? That’s not the history lesson I received as a child,” Maya said, standing and leaning over the desk toward the governor. “Before my father conquered Havan, Havan attacked my home and failed. That doesn’t sound like something ‘allies’ do.”

  Kessler’s hands rose up as she attempted to placate Maya. “Poor choice of words, I apologize. Havan has been and will continue to be faithful to the crown. We are at your command. If you but speak the word, it will be done.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, because I’m raising an army,” Maya told her.

  Kessler coughed. “You’re doing what now? Against who?”

  “I don’t want to incite panic if the threat isn’t real,” Maya answered. “Just be ready to marshal your army. If I send for aid, I want you ready to march within the hour.”

  “Is that all you need, my queen?” the governor asked.

  “There is one more thing,” Maya said, smiling.

  Flames writhed and moved with life as they consumed Kent City building by building. As Khate crept through an abandoned alley, shouts filled t
he air all around her and glass shattered somewhere nearby.

  Khate reached the end of the alley and was about to cross the street into another when the pounding of boots halted her step. Withdrawing into the shadows, she held her breath as ten armed guards bearing heavy shields ran past.

  Khate peered around the corner, tracking their movements. Four men emerged from a side street, unaware of the guard’s presence. One man carrying a large iron bar smashed it into a shop window, breaking it into countless pieces. His comrades laughed and cheered at the destruction.

  “Citizen!” one of the guards called out.

  All four men turned their heads, simultaneously backing away from the guards.

  “Cease and desist,” the guard continued. “There is an active curfew. Please return to your homes. We are authorized to use deadly force.”

  Another one of the men held a bottle with some fabric protruding from the top. Lighting the cloth on fire, the man tossed the bottle at the guards. They raised their shields and the bottle smashed against one of them, igniting into a ball of fire.

  As quickly as they appeared, the flames receded. When the guards turned their attention back to the street, the men were gone. Splitting into three groups, the guards chased after the vandals.

  Khate waited until the street was empty before darting across into the relative safety of another darkened alley. She’d been moving about for the better part of twenty minutes, and everywhere she went was more of the same.

  Looters, criminals, and ne’er-do-wells of all kinds were everywhere. So far she’d managed to avoid direct contact, but evidence of their presence lay around every corner—shattered glass sat on the sidewalks, trash filled the streets, and burnt paper flew through the air on the wind.

  Khate hadn’t seen such devastation since…

  Placing her back against a wall, she closed her eyes. She could never forget that day. Ocken had shown up at her doorstep after five years and asked for her assistance in freeing a girl from Celesti’s prisons.

  Khate had initially refused him, of course—she had a family to think about—but when her husband had caught wind of it, he’d insisted they help. What Khate couldn’t have anticipated was that that very day her brother-in-law, Alexander Drygo, had invaded and conquered Celesti, laying waste to the city.

  Khate’s family had almost gotten by unscathed, but when one of the other guards, in order to save his own life, had outed her husband as a traitor for helping Ocken and the girl escape, Drygo had him killed. That was fourteen years ago.

  For a while, she’d hated Ocken with every ounce of strength within her. If only he had left Khate alone, if only she had refused, if only that girl had never been caught—the list went on and on. Eventually, she forgave him, though she never saw him again after that. As the saying goes, ‘Time heals all wounds.’

  Well, almost all wounds, Khate thought as she remembered why she was in Kent and what she was doing there.

  She crept through the streets and alleys, keeping to the shadows and being sure to avoid any of the streets that were too overrun by flames. The fires seemed targeted to Khate, as only certain buildings were ablaze. By now, the flames had traveled to neighboring buildings, so it was impossible to determine a pattern or point of origin, but they were in random pockets rather than in any one particular place.

  Khate didn’t know what she was looking for, if she was being honest with herself. Part of her just wanted to scout out the turmoil, while the other part stayed focused on her task to find a soul stone.

  She supposed she’d hoped what they had seen from the ship had just been a trick of the eye—that perhaps only a few buildings were affected and life was continuing on as normal elsewhere. As she had come to find out, that hadn’t been the case. So whatever she had thought would happen—maybe find a local that might have useful information—was far from the reality of the situation.

  Either way, Khate wouldn’t stop until she got what she came for or died trying. At the very least, she needed supplies—hiking gear, rope, that sort of thing. She made her way to the nearest general store, a place called Goode’s Goods. The sign rocked in the wind, hanging by a single chain. Below the shop name it read, ‘ ‘tis only Goode that’s got the Goods.’

  Like all the other shops in the area, the windows had been smashed in and the door teetered on one hinge propped against the wall. Khate stepped through the debris, glass crunching beneath her feet.

  Shelves were bare or upended. Splintered wood and damaged goods littered the floors. A fifty-pound sack of grain had been left in the middle of the room, its contents spilling out of a tear at the bottom where it had caught on a raised nail in the floor. The looter had likely given up when he realized it would be empty by the time he got home.

  Khate dug through the rubble, tossing unwanted junk into a corner and standing the shelves upright to see what lay beneath them. After nearly half an hour, Khate stood empty handed.

  As she stepped over the threshold to exit the general store, a hand reached out and grabbed her left elbow. Pulling a knife, she spun and placed the blade against her assailant’s throat.

  “Easy, lass,” Bryn said, raising his hands.

  Khate’s eyes opened wide and she pulled away. “What are you doing here? I told you I’d be back in a couple of hours.”

  “About that,” he said. “See, I’m getting old and my hearing’s not what it used to be.”

  “Uh huh,” Khate said, crossing her arms.

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” Bryn asked.

  Khate pursed her lips and debated on whether she trusted him enough to answer his question.

  “I’m coming along whether you like or not. You might as well let me help you,” he added.

  “Your fragile bones won’t be able to handle it.”

  “Gah!” Bryn said. “I might look it, but I’m not that old—the salty air just aged me prematurely.”

  Khate eyed him with suspicion, but after all he’d already done for her, she could think of no reason why he’d betray her.

  Why not? she thought. “Fine. But you better keep up.”

  “I missed the part where you told me where we’re going.”

  “To the volcano,” she answered.

  “I always wanted to see Mount Hanwick,” Bryn replied casually.

  “Inside the volcano,” Khate clarified.

  13

  Sergeant Farrow led Maya and the others to their bedchambers. It was late, the sun having set hours earlier. Farrow pushed open a door and motioned for Maya to enter.

  Inside sat a sprawling room. It was mostly empty with white marble floors, a white nightstand and armoire, white curtains, and four-poster bed with white sheets. Maya had never seen so much white. With the light from several lamps, the room appeared as bright as day despite the night that loomed just beyond the balcony curtains.

  “In light of the news you shared with the governor, she insists that the guard keep a round-the-clock watch at your door,” Farrow explained. “I hope that you find this agreeable?”

  “We could sleep aboard the Wave Wraith if it’s too much trouble,” Maya said. “In fact, I would feel much safer in a familiar place.”

  “Nonsense,” Farrow said with a bow. “It is no bother to us, and surely your quarters aboard the ship are not nearly as spacious or restful as the royal suite?”

  Maya looked at the king bed with the sheets pulled down, inviting her to a night of restful bliss. “We’ll stay the night and will gladly accept your protection,” she said. “Thank you, Farrow.”

  “I’ll take my leave, but know that we’ll be right outside your door should you need anything.” At that, he bowed again and exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

  Jade spun around the room, taking in the grandeur of it, and then fell backward onto the bed with her arms out wide. “Ah, I can’t tell you the last time I slept in a proper bed. The barracks in the cove and crew cabin on the Wave Wraith just don’t compare.”

&nb
sp; “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Khal said. “But I need someone to go back and prepare the ship for departure. We weigh anchor at sunrise and set sail for Berxley.”

  Jade sighed, but didn’t move from the bed. “I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”

  “Hop to it,” Khal said.

  Jade took a deep breath, a huge smile across her face, then she stood and left the room.

  “Do you need anything, my queen?” Khal asked.

  Maya shook her head.

  “Then we’ll let you get some rest. Evie and I will be in the guest suite across the hall.”

  Khal turned to leave, but Evangeline didn’t follow.

  “I’ll be there in just a moment,” she said.

  Khal nodded and left the two of them alone.

  Maya and Evangeline walked over and sat down on the bed beside each other.

  “How are you holding up?” Evangeline asked.

  Maya let out a chuckle that turned into a stressful sigh as she fell onto her back, running her hands through her hair.

  “This was not how I pictured my first two weeks as queen,” Maya said as she lay there staring up at the canopy above the bed.

  Evangeline turned toward her and ran a finger along Maya’s face, pushing back a lock of hair. “You’re doing a great job.”

  “I don’t feel like I am,” Maya replied. “The kingdom is literally falling apart around me.”

  Evangeline frowned. “I know it seems like nothing is going your way, but you have to stay positive. It’s the only way to keep going. Your family is by your side, and Havan still stands with us. That’s something to be thankful for.”

  “If you say so,” Maya said, sitting up. “I just can’t help but wonder what will happen if I can’t rally the kingdom. What will happen if the elves invade? What if they already have and we just don’t know it?”

  “Over here!” Robert called out.

  Ocken looked up in the general direction of Robert’s voice, and then returned his attention to the ground. A raccoon lay on its stomach with its legs sprawled out. It seemed like such an odd posture for an animal to take. Every dead creature he had previously come across in the wild had been laying on its side.