by A D Lombardo
Chapter 21
Precious Moments
After a long, emotional night, Kai held Rayna’s hand as they wandered through the woods, headed for Diu. “How, by the way, did you find yourself in Chenowith?” he attempted to fill the silence and avoid the thoughts twisting his insides.
“Well, let’s just say that after you flew off without so much as a goodbye—I was angry, about a lot of things.” She tilted her head to look at him. “Considering there was little I could do to stop you, I watched your dragon fade into the night. Your grandfather, Lucca, charged up the hill, insisting Simone chase after you. She refused. Like me, she hoped you would see reason and return on your own. Unsure what else to do, I even begged her to take me to follow you. Again, she said no.”
Thankful that her tone held no malice, Kai took her other hand in his. He could tell the pain behind the memory was fresh, but he waited for her to continue. “Then Lucca ordered Benmar to bring you home, but your other grandfather would not respond to anything Lucca said. It was like Benmar was in a trance, focused on the sky. Your grandfather muttered a few incoherent words and then turned to Lucca and said, ‘Kai needs my help.’ In a flash, he transformed and charged after you. We all stood there in shock. Lucca again pressed Simone to follow, but she insisted two people forcing Kai home would only make matters worse. She felt you had to want to come back on your own. Naturally, they both tried to get me to go with them back to Katori, but I insisted that when Benmar managed to bring you back, I would be waiting. Mostly I wanted to give you a piece of my mind, and then I just wanted you back safe.”
“Again, I am sorry for abandoning you. I was wrong about so many things, but mostly about not trusting you.”
Her eyes softened, and she continued. “The following day, I decided one way or another I would get to Diu, to stop you or save you—I did not care which. I knew you hoped to save your father, and I only wished to arrive early enough. It took me about four days: walking, running, and camping, but I finally reached Chenowith. It took me a day to find Albert since I knew him, I felt he was the one to trust. He escorted me to his father, and they offered to let me stay with them while I recovered from traveling.”
It felt like a fist crushed Kai’s heart. “I am sorry the Chenowiths misled you. They are good people, very loyal to Diu. I cannot blame them, but it does anger me. I hope they did not mistreat you.”
She shook her head. “Not really, not at first. I must admit when they would not let me leave, I was less than cordial. I might have broken a few glasses and a vase.” She winced in guilt. “They did not restrain me, but when Lord Oliver could not get me to settle down, he sent in Lady Clair. I only met her once two years ago before the Winter Festival, but she is a commanding woman for one so delicate.”
Kai nodded in agreement. Lady Clair’s statuesque frame and golden locks, matched with her elegant clothes, gave the impression she was a fragile porcelain doll. Instead, she was anything but. The woman had a way of setting you at ease while ensuring there was no doubt who was in charge. “What did she say?”
“Well, Lady Clair reminded me that a lady commanded more respect when keeping her head than when showing her anger. She was kind enough to explain that Queen Nola hoped that by bringing me to Diu, I could convince you to turn yourself into the authorities. Lady Clair was not convinced it was right to use me to lure you out, but she did agree that you would come to Diu if you found out I was there.”
“Do you remember when Lady Clair found us dancing in the gardens?” Kai laughed, hoping to lighten the mood.
Rayna blushed. “How could I forget? A second later and she would have found us kissing.”
It was true. Kai had meant to kiss her. Their lips were so close, but then he heard a woman clear her throat. “She must have known, but she only commented on the late hour and said something about a lady’s reputation is defined by many things, including the hours she keeps.”
Rayna pulled Kai’s hand, trying to continue their journey. “I cannot imagine what she would say of our current hour.”
He pulled her back into his arms. “Seems to me, she interrupted a moment.” He kissed her on the lips, then twirled her away before he lost himself in the moment.
♦ ♦ ♦
Dawn trickled across the snow-covered landscape as they neared the edge of the forest. Kai glanced down at his appearance and then to Rayna—neither of them were at their best, but Rayna never seemed more beautiful. Perhaps it was because this would be their last morning together, or perhaps because he wanted her to know how much he loved her, but either way he could not let the moment pass. “I love you, Rayna.” He took her hand in his and cupped her face with the other. “I loved you from the moment we met. I have no right to ask, now that I am sentenced to death, but I want to spend my life loving you.”
Rayna blushed. “And you will.” She rose on her toes and kissed him. “When this is all over, you will ask me properly, and we will live wherever you want.”
Her sincerity stirred his spirit. Time was a precious gift, and he did not intend to squander it, so he kissed her again.
Chapter 22
Convergence
The warmth of Rayna’s hand sliding into his stopped Kai at the edge of the forest, and her strength added to his. Today he would need every ounce he could get, even if it were not his own. Part of him was glad she was here; he did not want to stand alone, but he also wished she were safe in Katori. If they took him away in chains, how could he guarantee her safety?
His eyes drifted to the bridge, a hundred feet from where he stood. Over the past few days, they spent more time running and hiding than searching. It would be the hardest walk of his life, but this was the only way he could think to end a war.
I am so tired, he thought. Just a few steps left, and it will all be over. Words cluttered his mind; if only he knew the right combination to save himself and send Rayna to safety, but she was stubborn, and she loved him. “Are you sure you want . . .”
She squeezed his hand, and he let the rest of his question drop in the cold snow at his feet.
Before the moment passed, he swept her into his arms. “I love you, my dear Rayna. Never forget that.” He cupped her face with his hand and kissed her sweetly.
Then Kai noticed they were no longer alone. The Alpha and his pack approached. Deep in the forest, their nature called to him, but he held them back.
This is not your fight, Alpha, Kai said to the wolf’s mind. I will not let you fight for me, not this time.
He gleaned the woods, allowing his mind to wind through the trees to see his old friend one last time. Snow-covered branches gleamed with his magic, giving the gloomy day a much-needed brightness. Stopped in a thicket, the Alpha stood proudly with his pack. They heeded his request, but they did not leave.
Stay hidden, he told them. I must speak with the other humans.
Kai’s thoughts betrayed him, and he knew his true desire was to run away and start over.
Come with us, Beastmaster, and we can show you places no human ever treads.
Tempted by the thought, Kai took a few steps back into the forest, still clutching Rayna’s hand. Then a rustling sound brought Kai’s mind back to his body. Twisting his head around, he searched for the sound again. Rayna jutted her chin to the right. He raised his hands, ready to fight his attacker.
“You are off your game, boy,” a familiar voice shouted.
The tension level in Kai’s neck and shoulders relaxed, but only a little, when he heard his friend’s voice.
“Sabastian?” He craned his head to see around the tall snowy pines. His friend stepped out of the shadows with another familiar face. Kai could not believe his eyes. “Kendra? You both came.”
They were alone, so he assumed the worst, but hope still lingered. “Did you find Iver’s body?” he asked and knew the answer from the sadness Kendra could not hide.
“I am sorry.” Kendra took Rayna’s hand in hers, keeping her gaze on Kai. “Every rickety shack,
abandoned farm, and cemetery between here and Black Bear Fort has turned up nothing. I questioned many travelers, even a few Katori, but nobody saw anyone trying to hide or dispose of a body. If you searched from here to Port Anahita; there is no place left to look. Whoever took Iver is simply—gone.”
Not wanting to be ungrateful, he looked away as he asked, “So, what are you doing here?” He hated saying it, but he did not want more people to suffer because of his mistake. “There is nothing left you can do for me. Being here could put you both in danger. I am not sure I can stop what is coming.”
“Sabastian and Kendra are here for the same reason we are,” Yulia called through the gloom. “We stand with you. You are our family.”
Kai turned to find Yulia and Riome trudging through the snow. A lump caught in his throat. Riome had warned him not to come back. What could he say to her? As she neared, he saw her expression held its own burden. Did she blame herself for not saving Iver? They both let the moment pass with a slight nod.
“Thank you for coming.” Kai's eyes wandered to the gloomy sky, and he asked Yulia, “Any chance you could make my last day sunny?”
She laughed and rolled her hands in a familiar motion. “Who do you think has been making all this snow?” Kai felt Yulia pull fiercely at the energy around them. “It is exhausting work; every few hours I stoke the clouds with new moisture. If proving your innocence meant coming back to Diu, I knew you would need cover. Your silver dragon shines in the moonlight, and I have made it snow nearly every day since I heard you broke out of prison, from here south to Port Anahita and west to Henley. My storm spread like none I have ever created.”
The clouds parted, and the afternoon sunshine warmed Kai’s face, making him almost feel hot with his thick cloak. “I do not suppose you were able to discover any clues about what happened to Iver’s body?”
Yulia shook her head. “My network did report your father Keegan came to Diu with six Beastmasters and two Kodama, and left carrying you from the city. The woman who witnessed your abduction did not interfere because your father has the reputation of a madman willing to murder anyone who gets in his way. Even we Katori avoid engaging with anything he does. She reported no other signs of anyone else being suspicious.”
“As best I can tell,” Riome said next, “your father never left the palace. He never left his bed. There is no blood trail—not one drop of blood around his bedchamber. Sure, I found stains on the rug next to the bed, supposedly the spot where his murderer stood and withdrew the blade. There were a few drops on the tile leading to the hallway, and a large spot where Nola fell and dropped the blade.”
Riome’s clinical response left Kai cold as he thought about standing in that very spot. He could almost feel the bloodstain on his hand, and he tried to wipe it away once more. “But how is that possible? There was so much blood. Maybe they wrapped him up in a cloth?” More questions bubbled up in his throat, too many to verbalize.
“The real question is: if Iver bled to death, where did all the blood go? Not into the bed. There was not enough to convince me he died in his bed, so where did he go?” She glanced around the group as if giving them time to soak up her conclusions. “Instead, I found singe marks on the canopy fringe. Silk burns slowly and recoils from fire, leaving behind a dark bead of gritty ash on the edge. There was a fire in that room—a small, controlled fire.”
Theories swirled around the group like a tornado. They had more questions than answers and no time. Kai interrupted the speculation. “So, we have all searched Diu and the surrounding towns and found no evidence of Iver leaving the city, so you would have us believe he is still in the palace?” Kai looked around to ensure his account was accurate. “And because there is no trail of blood showing where he went, we are to consider he never left the bed? Or at least when he did, he was no longer bleeding? I am not sure where to go with this.”
“I am not saying your father went up in a ball of fire,” Riome said, “but something else happened in that room. He may have left his bed, but he was not bleeding out as you would expect from being stabbed with a blade only moments before.”
A low rumble of thunder emanated from the ground. Kai could feel their vibrations before seeing them—the rhythmic march of many horse hooves. Eyes closed, he gleaned the approach of multiple groups.
Admiral Roark Raebun and Kempery-man Philip Dresnor led the Fort Pohaku army along Port Anahita’s southern road. They were close but not yet within eyesight. The first group had mounted warriors followed by men marching five-wide along the narrow dirt road, and there seemed to be no end to the trail of men pouring into the area.
High on the hillside across from Kai, Drew and Robert Henley led a small contingent of men. They were riding at a brisk pace through the trees. He imagined they would arrive first, and he could only hope Drew might stand with him.
Within the Diu city walls, he also noticed movement; a horde paraded through the palace gatehouse and into the streets. Milnos and Diu soldiers merged like coordinated ants, with Regent Maxwell riding beside Queen Nola near the front. Their sight made him clench his jaw.
On Baden Lake, Kai watched Lord Chenowith and his son Albert stand at the ready with thirty men set to disembark the moment their ship reached the Diu pier. His friend had done as he promised. Now the question on Kai’s mind was on which side his friends would stand. Would Albert continue to have faith and stand with him? Would Drew or Dresnor believe his innocence?
They were surrounded, and Kai knew there was no turning back now. Even if he wanted to change his mind, everyone came to see if he was a man of his word. Ready to face his fate, he climbed the hill to the road leading to the Stone River Bridge. The sound of water rushed down the partially frozen spillway below Baden Lake dam.
Sabastian pointed behind them. “We are about to have company. Men and women. Lots of them. Not warriors, but they carry weapons.”
Kai pivoted with his mind and searched the valley behind them. “It is Lord Eugene Sknash, and he is leading around one hundred people. He must have nearly a third of the population from Town Hope with him.”
Lord Eugene Sknash soon arrived with the large group. It was odd to see a man in a suit ride, out of place atop his noble chestnut horse. His old friend eased out of the saddle, and Kai noticed his awkward waddle. Eugene was not much for riding, but the man’s composure let him know a friend approached.
Sweat poured down Eugene’s forehead, and he looked exhausted, as did everyone else in his group. Kai offered a hand to Eugene. “Lord Sknash, what brings you to Diu? Is there trouble in Town Hope?”
Eugene accepted his hand but slipped by him to Rayna. “My dear lady, you are not in prison?” he questioned, reaching for her hand. “We came to Diu to protest your capture. Days ago, word came from the town of Chenowith that Queen Nola was taking Rayna to Diu. Knowing everyone searched for Kai, I surmised the Queen meant to use the dear girl as bait. King Iver was a good man, and Nola is our Queen, but I do not trust her. Not to mention, she rescinded my invitation to the Winter Festival because we were too small to merit attendance. King Iver would never exclude Town Hope. Mind you she will take our taxes, but not accept us in the palace.”
Rayna hugged Eugene. “Thank you for coming,” she blushed at the attention. “Kai means to turn himself over to the Diu authorities today.” She motioned to the bridge, letting her eyes swell with tears as though a looming presence waited to spirit Kai away.
Horses’ hooves thundered across the bridge. Kai separated himself from his group and approached the lead rider. “Drew, have you come to escort me to Diu?” He watched his friend slip from the saddle before his stead even came to a halt.
Drew’s doubt clung to him like a wet shirt. “I did not think you would come.” He turned back to the other riders just reaching the bridge.
Kai stood tall and proud in front of Drew, his head held high. “Of course, I am here. I gave my word. I searched for my father’s body, but I am afraid I could not find the person who took
him. I have no proof against Nola. It is a Queen’s word against mine. There was a time my word meant something, but as you said, I spent the last nine months lying to everyone. You have lost faith in me, my friend, as have so many others.”
Robert Henley joined his son. “We have little time, Drew. You must make up your mind before it is made for you.”
All eyes turned to the city, where hundreds of soldiers spewed out of the Diu gatehouse. Another army approached from the south; Admiral Roark and his sizeable army had arrived. There was no mistaking his well-groomed ginger beard in stark contrast against the winter snow and his midnight blue regimental surcoat.
Robert was right—they were all out of time.
“I can walk this on my own.” Kai patted the air to make the others stay behind.
Drew pulled on Kai’s shoulder to draw him away from the bridge. “I am sorry, Kai. I should have believed you; helped you, even. I can only guess my grief blinded me. I could not see past the anger and all the broken promises, but despite all that, I know you could never willingly hurt your father. I stand with you. Let me convince Roark to see reason; perhaps we can get Cazier to help. We may yet stop this nonsense and find the truth.”
Kai wondered why Drew had had a change of heart; he could only guess years of friendship and faith still held them together. “It means a great deal to have you here,” Kai said, “but Queen Nola will not see reason. After all, she was there the night my father died. Her hand pushed the dagger into mine and then into my father. There is no reason for her to let you search for a third person. The Queen and the Regent think war against Katori, a presumably peaceful nation, will be easy. They have no idea what is coming; Admiral Roark’s men and the Regent’s Milnos soldiers will not be enough. The only way to stop this war is to turn me over. I would be willing to die to stop this war. But, if I am honest, I doubt this will be enough. Please, save yourself. If you march with me, you only put your life in danger for a lost cause.”
