He whirled and lashed out. All he saw was a blur of brown before he’d been grabbed on the arm, twisted, yanked around, then pinned on the floor.
Jacob blinked, recognizing his attacker. “Aloren?”
She glared at him. “Don’t try to attack me again.” She glanced at his mom. “Kenji and Ebony hired me to bring your son to them. They need his help to get the key.”
“Key?” Jacob asked at the same time that Mom said, “What happened to the key?”
“It’s been stolen. The Lorkon are doing everything they can to get Jacob in their control. They planned to use it as bait. Judging by how this place looks, they took things a step further.” She frowned at Jacob. “I told you your family was in danger. Why didn’t you listen?”
Jacob scowled, shifting. “Get off me.”
Aloren glared again, her eyes flashing. “Not until you swear you’ll come with me. I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it.”
Mom moaned. “Please tell Kenji and Ebony we’re so sorry. We should’ve told him earlier.”
A faint wailing of sirens filtered into the house, and Aloren scrambled up. “You’re coming with me,” she said, grabbing Jacob’s arm and yanking him to his feet and toward the door. “I have to get to Maivoryl City.”
Mom reached for Jacob, and Aloren released him. He stepped to her, taking her hand, feeling his heart and insides twist at what had happened—was happening.
“Go, son,” she said. “Find Dmitri and your sister. Bring them back.” She looked at Aloren. “Do you know who my son is? Who he really is?”
Aloren nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“Then take care of him. Your future lies in his hands.”
Chapter Three
The front door opened and slammed shut. “Hello?” Matt called out.
“We’re up here,” Jacob yelled.
He heard Matt dashing through the living room and heading up the stairs. Matt yelled as he passed the first dead body, then shrieked again as he passed the second one.
“What on earth is going on?” he asked, coming to a halt in the doorway to Amberly’s room. “Are you okay, Mom? What happened? Where are Dad and Amberly? And what the freak are those things?”
Jacob grabbed his brother, trying to get his attention. “I have to go with Aloren to get Dad and Amberly back. Mom can explain everything—pretend you’re the one who called 911.” He turned to Mom, taking her hand. “I’ll do my best. Take care of yourself.”
She held on tightly. “Be careful, son. The Lorkon are dangerous and will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
The sirens got louder outside, and flashing lights bounced through Amberly’s window.
“Come on, Jacob, let’s go,” Aloren said.
Jacob said goodbye to Matt and Mom, wondering what they’d say to the paramedics about those bodies, then followed Aloren downstairs. She led them out back just as the paramedics came through the front door.
“The Makalos will be waiting for us,” she said, running into the forest that bordered Jacob’s backyard and heading to the small canyon behind the house. “They’ve been very anxious since the Lorkon stole the key.”
Jacob grabbed her. “Hold on. Stop.”
She pulled away. “We don’t have time.”
“Wait! Where are we going? I’ve been all over this canyon and forest. We’re not going to find anything up here.”
Aloren scowled at him, turning to run again. “Obviously, you don’t know everything.”
Jacob kept pace with her. “Please, at least tell me what’s going on.”
Aloren flipped her hair over her shoulder, sending him an irritated glance. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“Then tell me again. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“That’s evident.” Aloren sighed in exasperation, slowing down. “Okay, so you’re a prince. We call you the Forsaken Prince. Your parents are royalty. They’ve been in hiding—protecting you and themselves from the Lorkon—since you were a baby.”
Jacob was a prince? “Why didn’t my parents tell me anything?”
“Look, I don’t know. I wasn’t part of the decision-making process. I wasn’t even alive when everything went down.”
“Why are you so mad at me? Obviously, I wasn’t part of that decision either.”
“Because I don’t have time to deal with this. I was hired to bring you to the Makalos and to help you get the key, not coddle you and make sure you’re comfortable with the information no one knew you hadn’t been given. Okay?”
Jacob’s mouth opened and closed. He had no response for that.
Just then, a flash of light filled the forest, and a miniature woman, about two inches tall, with dark hair and wearing a white dress, appeared, floating in the air. She didn’t have wings.
Jacob’s jaw went slack. What the crap?
“Are you coming, Aloren?” the woman said. “Kenji says you must come faster.”
“Yes, Early, I’m on my way. Tell them plans have changed. The Lorkon got there before I did—they kidnapped King Dmitri and his daughter. Also, if the Makalos want to send someone with us, they’re going have to be ready the minute we arrive.”
The little person nodded and disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing only seconds later. “They say okay. The way to Eklaron is open.”
“Thank you.”
The little person disappeared, and Jacob followed as Aloren took off at a jog.
“Eklaron?”
“It’s a sister planet of earth,” Aloren said.
“We don’t have a sister planet.”
Aloren sent him a glance that told him just what she thought of that.
The path became springy under Jacob’s feet, the bushes on either side of him thickening. The rich smell of old wood assailed him, and he looked up in surprise. The aspens and evergreens had given way to maples and magnificent oaks—trees he’d never seen in this forest. Had he gone farther now than he’d ever been before? How was that possible? He and Matt had thoroughly explored these forests on numerous occasions. For a moment, hysteria nearly overcame him. He started to look for markers, familiar trees, other paths—anything so he could find his way back in case Aloren lost him.
She didn’t lose him, though. She led him through the ancient forest and into a meadow. The sun was close to setting, its rays lighting the weirdest tree Jacob had ever seen. Its branches were old and twisted, circling each other in a haphazard race toward the sky. The trunk of the tree was massive—nearly as big around as Jacob’s house.
His attention wasn’t on the tree for long before he noticed it had a gaping hole in it near the ground. Short people were pouring in and out of that hole, and he realized with a start that it was a door. Then he noticed that the people weren’t human. There was something off about them that he couldn’t figure out.
He and Aloren were surrounded by chaos as the creatures noticed them and began clambering around them.
“Aloren, did you see them?”
“Molgs! Tons of them!”
“They attacked without warning.”
“Couldn’t have predicted it.”
“Oh, you brought Jacob!”
“Jacob, help us! Help us!”
“We need you!”
“Stop it!” Aloren shouted. “Where’s Brojan? Where are Kenji and Ebony?”
“Here, Aloren,” a woman with blond hair said, striding through the group. “Patriarch Brojan was injured—like the rest of the wounded, he’s sleeping it off.” She motioned to the sides of the meadow where Jacob noticed for the first time that there were tons of the shorter people sleeping, bandaged up.
“Ebony, we’ve got to go,” Aloren said. “Now. The Molgs took King Dmitri and the princess. Every minute we spend here is a minute they get closer to the Lorkon castle.”
“Jacob, glad to meet you” a man said, joining Ebony. He interlaced his fingers through Ebony’s. “Wish it could’ve been under different circumstances. Your father and I are clo
se friends.”
“Um . . . good to meet you too. I wish I’d known about you earlier.”
“Yes, so do we. But your parents chose not to explain anything to you, and now we must live with the consequences.”
Jacob raised an eyebrow. That was harsh. How did him not knowing lead to people being attacked? He seriously doubted he had anything to do with it.
“My name is Kenji. I’m a Makalo. We’re a magical species that once ruled Eklaron. When the Lorkon attacked the first time seventeen years ago, they reduced our numbers drastically, and now, we hide here, in Taga Village.” He motioned to the canyon walls around them.
Jacob glanced up, seeing a tall crevice in the stone walls on either side. More Makalos were in the crevices near squat buildings. The canyon reminded him of Mesa Verde in Colorado. He’d gone there a couple of times on vacations with his family.
Kenji turned to Aloren. “Seden will go with you—like you, he has a particular motivation for getting to Maivoryl City.”
Jacob glanced at Aloren. “Particular motivation?”
She ignored him. “Good. Anyone else?”
“My son, Akeno.”
Aloren nodded. “Are they ready?”
“Nearly.” Kenji turned to Jacob. “We’ve packed everything we thought you might need—food, water, bedding. You can take Early to facilitate communication with us. Please keep us posted on your travels.” He motioned to Aloren. “Make sure you and Seden warn him about everything. Answer all his questions.” Kenji rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, whatever you have the answers to.”
“We’ll do our best,” she said.
Chapter Four
Aloren folded her arms. “With the increased danger and the Forsaken Prince’s obvious lack of knowledge—which puts him in even more danger—my rate has doubled.”
Kenji sighed. “I understand. We’ll meet whatever extra demands you may have.”
“Thank you.”
Jacob stared at Aloren. What a mercenary. For the first time, he noticed what she was wearing—tight brown leather pants that laced up the legs, a leather top, and very durable shoes. A short sword was slung over her back, a knapsack hung over her neck and one arm, and she’d pulled her hair into a ponytail. Not a speck of makeup was on her face—not that she needed it. This girl was intense. He decided then and there not to cross her again if he could help it.
“If you see the witch, run,” Kenji said.
Aloren half smiled. “Of course.”
Kenji ran off to get Seden, and Aloren glanced at Jacob. “Everyone says that. It’s a stupid myth, not something we need to worry about. She doesn’t actually exist.”
Jacob folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t know if there was a witch or not, but Aloren’s know-it-all attitude was getting on his nerves. “You don’t know everything.”
Aloren rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I know more than you do.”
“Right. About this world.” He couldn’t help but wonder what her story was, though. What had the Makalos required of and promised her? And why was she so angry and intense?
A huge man with bronzed skin and dark hair and eyes strode up to them. “Aloren, Jacob, are you ready?” His voice was deep, booming.
“Yes, Seden,” Aloren said.
Jacob noticed a Makalo with black hair and bright blue eyes hovering behind Seden. He glanced at Jacob, then quickly away. Seden ignored the Makalo, but Aloren motioned to him.
“Are you Akeno?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Good. We’re all ready, then. Seden, lead the way.”
Seden sent her an irritated expression—he obviously liked being bossed around as much as Jacob did—then strode across the meadow and into the forest on the opposite side from where Jacob and Aloren had come.
Not waiting for the others to catch up, Seden started up the trail. Jacob followed him, not wanting to walk near Aloren.
When he noticed that Jacob was just behind him, Seden said, “A witch lives in the forest just outside the entrance to Taga Village. If you see anything, run.”
Aloren chuckled, making pace with Jacob. There was just enough room on the path for them to walk side by side with Akeno trailing behind. “It’s all myths, you know.”
The man shrugged. “Maybe so, but I don’t live my life according to solid facts. There’s a bit of truth in everything, and that belief has kept me alive for a long time.” He glanced at Jacob. “I’ve been informed that you don’t know much about this world.”
Jacob nodded, half expecting Seden to chastise him. The man didn’t, though, thank goodness.
“I’ll do my best to fill you in on what I know. Have you heard about the war already?”
“A bit. I know the Lorkon came and killed a lot of people.”
“Yes. It happened about sixteen years ago—right before you were born.”
“Tell me more about them,” Jacob said.
“They’re disgusting and very dangerous. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss them later. For now, though, we need to get through the basics.”
Seden proceeded to tell Jacob about that war. The Lorkon had kidnapped Princess Arien—Jacob’s mom. Jacob’s dad had gathered a group of followers to go after the Lorkon, fighting through many traps the Lorkon had set. In the end, almost everyone had died, including Dad’s best friend and half of his group. Kenji had been part of that group.
“One of the Lorkon traps has been neutralized, but the others have not. We’ll need you, Jacob, to get us through them so we can rescue your family.”
Jacob shook his head, stepping over a log that had fallen across the trail. “Are you serious? I’ve never been here . . . that I remember, anyway. What could I possibly do?”
“Your father led his group through those traps, and no one has been able to follow since. Because of that, people have great expectations of the Forsaken Prince. You can thank your father for that.”
“Great. Just great.” Jacob shifted the heavy knapsack Kenji had given him. “And why does everyone call me the Forsaken Prince?”
“Many reasons. The Lorkon had you in their possession and let you go. Now they seek you diligently, though we don’t know why. Your parents took you to a strange land to hide you, practically giving up your rights. You’ve been forsaken, forgotten, and left alone for years by your own people. And now, when the Lorkon rule has gotten increasingly horrible, they are finally remembering you. They place a great deal of hope in you—hope that you’ll dethrone the Lorkon and return your father to his rightful place. That you’ll cleanse the land of the effect the Lorkon have had. And that you’ll make their ways of life happy once more.”
“Wow. Talk about pressure.”
Seden sent him a smile. “Don’t worry about it—your father is the one who should be feeling it. As king, he’s technically in charge, and it was his choice to take you away from your subjects.”
Jacob’s thoughts went to his dad. How long had he and Amberly been gone? Were they hurt? And if so, how badly? Jacob fisted his hands. Those Lorkon would regret every injury they gave his family.
The group fell silent as the trail took a sharp turn upward. Jacob watched the sun finish setting, casting a rosy glow through the trees and canyon. Eventually, Seden stopped hiking and motioned to a relatively level section of canyon off the trail.
“We’ll camp here. Akeno, would you set up some huts?”
Jacob had almost forgotten the Makalo was there, he was so quiet. He looked back and nearly jumped out of his skin. Akeno’s left ring finger glowed a brilliant blue. The light from his finger increased exponentially as Akeno stepped off the path, holding up his hand.
“Whoa,” Jacob whispered. “That’s freakishly cool.”
Akeno sent him a smile. “Thanks, I think.”
As Jacob watched, the Makalo put his left hand on a tree trunk and closed his eyes. The branches of the tree and bushes started to move, encircling Akeno. Jacob stared, hardly believing his eyes, then jumped out of the way a
s a squirrel darted across the ground, followed closely by intertwining branches.
“What’s going on?” Jacob asked.
“Makalos control living things,” Aloren said, arms folded, watching as the branches started forming huts.
Moments later, two rounded little forts had been created. There were small openings in the roofs, and the walls were made of tightly woven branches. Jacob stepped inside the first one, joining Akeno and Seden. The floor of the hut was matted and springy—perfect for sleeping.
“This is amazing.”
Akeno gave him a sheepish smile. “I don’t technically control living things—I ask favors of them, and they agree.”
“I’ve only been around Makalos for a few days, but I’ve never seen a living thing say no to one,” Aloren muttered behind Jacob. “That’s control, if you ask me.”
Jacob resisted the urge to shake his head at her. That girl had issues.
Seden told everyone to eat up and go to sleep. They wouldn’t be starting a fire—he didn’t want to wait for it to die out before they hit the sack. They didn’t have enough water on hand to douse it.
Jacob found beef jerky, cheese, bread, and nuts in his bag, and ate, listening as the others discussed plans for the next day. Apparently, they’d be going through an infected forest, stopping at the cabin of an old friend of the Makalos, and then encountering one of the traps the Lorkon set up for Dmitri several years ago. There were a lot more details, but Jacob’s head began to whirl. He was too tired to take in much more. Instead, out of habit, he powered up his phone and tried to check his texts. He didn’t have service—that wasn’t surprising. It was ten, and Seden wanted to get an early start the next morning. Jacob turned off his phone, pulled a blanket from his knapsack, and fell asleep.
Chapter Five
After what felt like only a few minutes, Seden was waking everyone.
“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today,” he said. “We’ll eat as we travel.”
The trail got steep again, and everyone had to use their hands to hike, pulling themselves up using roots, rocks, and vines.
Forsaken Prince (Kilenya Chronicles Book 1) Page 2
