Jacob felt something touch his back, and he jumped around to see a woman with greasy hands and hair trying to grab his shirt. He shoved her away, knocking her into a deformed man behind her. He glanced around. Hundreds of people with mangled bodies poured out of the buildings on both sides of the street, many carrying knives and sticks.
He fought the hands off him, finding that the people were weak. But their numbers . . . there were too many to fight. He and Akeno shoved their way through the group of people and sprinted as fast as they could toward the fork in the road.
Jacob glanced over his shoulder one more time before they turned a bend. The people didn’t pursue them beyond the last house. It looked as though some invisible boundary kept them from leaving the city.
He stopped when they reached the main road, bent over, and put his hands on his knees. “They’re not . . . following us,” he panted. “Why?”
“Not sure,” Akeno said, also gasping for breath.
Jacob straightened and motioned toward Maivoryl City. “Did you see how they swarmed all over Aloren? We have to go back for her—I knew we shouldn’t have left her there!”
“There’s nothing we can do. We aren’t prepared to fight. We’ll end up stuck there too.” Akeno grabbed Jacob’s arm, forcing him to look away from the city. “Listen to me. We can’t do both. If we try to get her, we’ll fail at getting your dad and sister and the key.” He paused, then resolution crossed his face. “Only a couple of hours. We’ll meet her at the tunnel and . . . and help her then.”
Jacob closed his eyes, focusing on the air rushing in and out of his lungs. He didn’t want to contradict Akeno—Aloren wouldn’t be meeting them in two hours. “All right, let’s go.”
The road led them deep into the forest, and for a time, the castle was out of view. After following the winding trail for several minutes, the forest ended, and the castle loomed up before them, large and magnificent. An intense pang of fear clenched Jacob’s heart, and he was almost overcome by a sudden urge to run away as fast as he could. He took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm his heart. He realized he could lose everything that was important to him—his family, his friends, his freedom, his life, if he did the wrong thing.
The surface of the dirt road blended into cobblestones and led under the castle’s huge archway and into the spacious courtyard. There were no guards visible, and the place had an eerie quietness about it that unsettled Jacob. The air seemed to press down upon him, and the silence was almost deafening.
“There’s no sense putting off the inevitable,” he said, then started forward. He crept up to the left side of the archway, Akeno following. Leaning against the wall, he glanced around, again making sure no one was watching them.
“How do we get in?” Akeno asked.
“I’m not sure,” Jacob whispered, then laughed a short, almost hysterical laugh. “Maybe we should knock on the door. They’d probably welcome us in with wide-open arms.” Akeno frowned at him, and Jacob stopped smiling. “I’m kidding, Akeno. Let’s go around the castle and see if there’s another way in.”
“Okay.”
They crept along the stone wall, staying close to it. Coming to the corner, Jacob peered around it and saw nothing but a long wall with no windows or doors. For a second, he considered turning back to the front, but then something occurred to him, and he looked at Akeno.
“I’ve got an idea. Come on.”
He went back to the start of the wall and put his hand on it, feeling around, searching for warmth. After a few seconds, he sprinted, keeping his hand on the wall the entire way. Akeno jogged behind him, keeping up.
Jacob paused when he felt warmth in the surface. It was tiny, though, so he continued running. “Wow,” he panted. “The Lorkon really know how to build strong walls.” A thought popped into his head, and he stopped. “Hey, maybe I have the ability to sense weakness in things!”
“Excuse me?”
“That has to be it. I think I’ve known it since we were in the cave. I’m looking for a weakness in the wall so I can make an opening for us.”
Akeno frowned. “When you feel the heat, you mean?”
“Yeah,” Jacob said. “And when I reshaped the rock from the cave wall, I somehow knew how to make it stronger. That’s pretty cool.”
“Okay, great,” Akeno said. “Let’s concentrate on getting inside.”
Jacob focused again on the temperature. After running the entire length of the wall, he turned with it as it formed the back of the castle. Ten or fifteen feet later, he found what he was looking for—a spot warm enough to do what he needed to do. Holding his hands over the stone, he felt it heat up beneath his palms and fingertips and become soft. He made a hole in the stone, about waist high, then bent over to peer through it. He didn’t see anyone on the other side, so he continued working with the stone until the hole was big enough to climb through. Akeno followed him.
They turned to survey what Jacob had thought would be the inner courtyard. It might have been a room in the castle, as it was walled off, and there was a roof overhead. Light streamed through a few windows near the ceiling, making it possible for Jacob to see a door on the opposite side. Crossing the room, Jacob put his hand on the doorknob, ready to open it.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Thinking better of the idea, Jacob pointed to Akeno’s knapsack. Early could make sure there wasn’t anything dangerous on the other side of the door before they walked through it.
Seeing Akeno’s knapsack reminded Jacob of something. “Oh, no . . .” he groaned.
Akeno jumped. “What?”
“I still have Aloren’s bag. I completely forgot to give it back to her.”
“You can return it when we reach the tunnel. She probably won’t need it before then anyway.”
Jacob nodded in agreement. “Would you get Early out?”
Akeno did so, and when the Minya floated in front of Jacob, he said, “I need you. Keep to the shadows and see if you can go through the keyhole in this door. If you can, check out the other side, then come tell us if it’s safe to open the door.”
Early flitted to the keyhole, and after wriggling around, she was able to get through. Moments later, she returned to tell them there was a courtyard on the other side of the door, and no one was there. “There’s also a servants’ entrance to the castle. I checked the room where it leads, and there wasn’t anyone in it, either.”
Jacob thanked her, and Akeno returned her to her container. Jacob opened the door and poked his head through. As Early had said, the place was empty. Motioning for Akeno to follow, he crossed the courtyard and sneaked through the door.
Shutting the door behind them, Jacob inspected the room they’d just entered. It was a large kitchen and looked as though it hadn’t been used for quite some time. He ran across the room to the door on the opposite side, and once again had Early go through the keyhole. She returned to inform them that the hallway on the other side was empty as well.
Jacob quietly opened the door, glancing through the crack. There were many doors leading off the hallway, and he turned to Akeno, thinking. The Fat Lady had been pretty forceful about his need to get the key before he searched for his dad and Amberly, and after everything she’d said, he agreed. “Where do we find the key?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t really think about what we would do once we got inside.”
Jacob folded his arms, looking around the room, trying to decide. A long search of the castle was a bad idea—it would draw attention to them. But what else could they do?
Just as he thought this, he was overcome with vertigo. He sank to the floor, feeling feverish, blood pounding hard in his head.
“What’s wrong?” Akeno asked.
“I . . .” For a second, it felt as though he could see another person’s thoughts, similar to what had happened in the cave except this time without the emotions. Pictures flowed into his mind, and he saw the way to the key. Realization dawned on him, and his headache began clearing as suddenly
as it had come. He became aware of Akeno hovering over him, and he rubbed his temples. The headache was mostly gone now, and the dizziness had passed. He slowly got to his feet and took a deep breath. “Uh . . . I know how to get there.”
Akeno startled. “You do? How?”
“I don’t know how,” Jacob said. “It just came to my mind. And we’ve really got to hurry. No one’s around the key right now, but I doubt it’ll stay that way for very long.”
“How can we be sure it’s not a trap?”
“I don’t think we can be.” Jacob closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the images, making sure he had them memorized.
“What other options do we have?” Akeno asked.
“We could send Early to find it.”
“That might work.”
Jacob thought this through. “Except if we got split up, she might be stuck here for the rest of her life. It’s probably better if we stay together.”
He opened the door again, peering both ways down the hall. It was still very quiet. He took a few cautious steps, being as silent as possible, then scurried down the hall and into another room. There was a set of stairs on the opposite side, which he took two at a time. It felt weird to be so sure of the way, as though he’d been there before, but he knew those memories weren’t his. They belonged to someone else.
He pushed open a heavy door. Hearing someone coming, he hid behind a curtain, motioning for Akeno to follow. A dark figure strode past them, turning a corner. Jacob couldn’t tell if it was human.
They waited a moment, then Jacob led the way past an alcove to a door behind another curtain. He put his hands against the rough wood. “This is where we’ll find the key.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Jacob whispered. “Stick close to my side. Let’s just run in, grab it, then get the heck out of here.”
Jacob opened the door a couple of inches and glanced into the room, verifying that it was empty before pushing the door all the way open.
The room looked nothing like he’d anticipated—his vision had shown a magnificent white throne room lined with paintings and statues. The walls in this room were covered in thick drapery—there was no throne or artwork. There was, however, a simple table in the center with a beautiful box on top. Warmth struck Jacob in the chest, and he knew this was where the key was kept. The box was intricately designed in silver, and he could have sworn there was a slight glow around it. He’d never seen anything like it before. He walked to the table, Akeno close on his heels.
Jacob couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard a quiet strain of music. He looked around, trying to find the source. The heavy draperies made it obvious the sound hadn’t come from outside. Focusing his attention back on the box, he could now see for sure that it was glowing, and there was light coming from under the lid.
He drew the box across the table. It wasn’t very big, maybe four inches long and only two or three inches tall. The silver was shaped into ivy, roses, and flowers.
Jacob opened the box and got a brief glimpse of the key before he was nearly blinded by a beautiful radiance that filled the entire room—warm yellows, light pinks, greens and blues all together—the happiest and most peaceful colors he had ever seen.
Accompanying the glow was a beautiful melody. Joy and melancholy hit him simultaneously as he was reminded of all the happy times he’d had with his family—laughing with his little sister while playing dress-up, throwing a football or playing basketball with Matt, camping with his dad, talking to his mom. A pang of homesickness hit Jacob hard in the stomach, and he wished his family could feel the joy as well.
“Wow,” Akeno whispered.
His eyes adjusted to the light, Jacob lifted the box and reached in. The moment his fingers brushed the key, warmth filled his entire body and he stood still, overcome by feelings of joy and happiness. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he tried to make the moisture go away while allowing himself to revel in the moment. He hadn’t fully realized how much pressure he’d been under, or how stressed and frustrated he’d been, until now. It felt as though the sun had broken through the clouds of a storm that had stayed for several weeks. His heart no longer ached over Seden’s death.
“We’ve got the key—let’s find your dad and sister now,” Akeno said.
“Okay. Just give me a second.” After a moment, the wave of emotions subsided, and he pulled the key out to inspect it. The melody stopped as soon as the key was removed from the box, and the glimmer faded away. He put the key back to see if the music and the glow would return, and they did.
Jacob brought the box closer to his face. The key was silver, delicate, and several hundred years old, judging by the scratches and wear. It looked as if it would break with the least amount of applied pressure. The handle was intricate, and diamonds lined the shaft. Two of the diamonds were different from the others, giving off a rosier sparkle.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” a rough, deep voice said from the left side of the room.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jacob stiffened and dropped the box, causing the key to fall onto the table. The glow and the melody ceased, and the room was once again bathed in eerie light from the windows. Jacob put the key into the box and shut the lid, then turned to the voice.
The heavy curtains that had covered that side of the room were now drawn back, showing the throne Jacob had seen in vision and a large, cloaked figure that now sat there.
“Though, I must say, it never gave off that light and music until you arrived.”
Swallowing several times, Jacob couldn’t respond. Finally, he asked, “Who are you?”
“Do you even need to ask? You know who stole the key.”
“A Lorkon?” Jacob tried to keep his voice from cracking.
“Of course,” the Lorkon said and then laughed.
Jacob’s stomach churned in response to the sound, and he was aware of how close to him Akeno stood. On either side of the Lorkon, two bodies stirred. His heart lurched when he realized they were his sister and dad. Neither were chained, and he almost threw up when he thought of all the things the Lorkon would do to ensure they wouldn’t try to escape. Oh, his poor, poor dad and sister.
“You may refer to me as Your Majesty,” the Lorkon said. If he noticed Jacob’s preoccupation, he didn’t let on. “I am king here. Now activate the key.”
Jacob had a hard time pulling his thoughts away from his family. Amberly was sitting up now, her big blue eyes on Jacob, fear and relief warring with each other on her face. She looked unhurt. Oh, thank goodness. But Dad . . . Oh, Dad. He was in horrible shape—bloodied, bruised, unmoving. Was he dead?
Totally ignoring the Lorkon, Jacob rushed to his father’s side, dropping to his knees. His hand hovered over his father’s shoulder, not sure if he should touch him. Dad’s entire body was swollen and bruised. Not a section of skin was normal-colored anymore. His face was puffy, the features barely recognizable.
“Dad?” Jacob whispered.
Dad stirred, and tears sprang to Jacob’s eyes. He was alive! Jacob wasn’t too late.
“I haven’t infected him yet,” the Lorkon said. “We saved that for last, instead breaking every bone we could without killing him. It was . . . enjoyable.” He laughed. “Look at the expression on your sister’s face. You didn’t know what was happening, did you, sweetheart?”
Jacob’s entire body trembled with the effort not to lunge to his feet and tackle the Lorkon. Realizing he needed to distract the Lorkon from his father and sister, he got up, calmly walking back to the key.
“We didn’t want to taint her mind in case you didn’t come, so we have kept her in complete isolation.” The Lorkon shifted his robes, leaning back in his throne. “Did you purposely ignore my earlier request? Come on, child. The key was deactivated, and only you can activate it.”
“You don’t even need it,” Jacob said, “now that I’m here. So why ask me to do it?”
“Oh, we do need the key. Very much. W
e realize how powerful it can be and how much good it would do us.” The king leaned forward, stopping just shy of the light streaming in from one of the windows. “Of course, it isn’t anything without you.”
“Get on with it!” a voice said from behind Jacob. “Enough chatter!”
Jacob whirled to see three Lorkon step forward from the curtains.
“You would do well to hold your tongue,” said the king, almost standing from the throne. “How dare you speak out in my presence? This is none of your concern. I will deal with it.”
“Forgive me.” The voice was full of bitterness, and the three Lorkon stepped back again.
The king stood, and Amberly flinched. Jacob fisted his hands at his sides. Oh, he would destroy the Lorkon the first chance he got. But first, he needed to figure out how to get his family and Akeno out. Dad was obviously not in good shape. Aside from being scared out of her mind, Amberly looked fine, thank goodness.
“As you can see, Jacob, we have grown impatient in our wait for you.” The Lorkon king paused, then strolled across the room.
Jacob straightened, keeping his hands at his sides. The Lorkon stopped right in front of him, towering over Jacob by three feet at least. Then he bent until his face was close to Jacob’s.
“Do it,” he whispered.
Jacob’s stomach curled at the close-up sight of the Lorkon’s crimson face. It was just as Seden had described—black hair, eyes the color of blood with bright green irises. He drew back when he saw the creature’s chafed and peeling skin.
“You are disgusted by my appearance, are you not?”
“Yes. You’re exceptionally ugly.”
The king chuckled, straightening to his full height. “And yet, you control your fear well.” He reached to Jacob, who took a step back. The hand was just as revolting as the Lorkon’s face—scabby and peeling, with blood on the fingers. Jacob’s stomach clenched as he looked at it.
The hand stopped short of touching Jacob’s face, and the group behind them shuffled their feet.
Forsaken Prince (Kilenya Chronicles Book 1) Page 15
