Splintered Fate

by ylugin

  Lana was about to track back, like Kirill had told her to when she noticed the iron. Behind the wooden door they had gotten open was an iron gate. They needed to get that gate open. There was a chain leading from the gate secured to a lever off to the side. Clyte was closest to the lever.

  “Clyte! The gate!”

  Clyte looked over at the lever “I got it!” she called out.

  An unseen dagger cut through the air towards Clyte, Kirill’s sword came out of nowhere and stopped it short. “I will cover her. Now get away from the door!” Kirill yelled to Lana.

  She moved away from the entrance only a few steps before another Rami cut her off. He brought down his sword as Lana brought up hers, stopping his assault. A second blade formed in her other hand as she pierced his flesh. The Rami went down and Lana turned, looking back at Clyte and Kirill.

  They had gotten the Iron gate opened.

  Off to the side she could see Zorin fighting a small group of Rami with Dorian. The two worked skillfully together. It was true that Zorin was the best with the sword. He moved like untouchable liquid even when there were multiple threats. He maneuvered around his obstacles with ease and his Aorra was the same.

  Dorian moved with quick stealth. His body curved and twisted around anything threatening until he found a weak spot. Then he would silently pounce. No Rami wanted to be found at the end of his deadly claw or tooth. He and Zorin moved as if they were made to fight beside each other. There was not a single step missed, not a single flaw in their deadly dance.

  Seeing that the two seemed to have everything under control, Lana turned back to the hallway. Around the hallway that they had arrived were two sets of stairs leading to a small balcony over the entrance room they were all in. On that balcony a familiar face walk by. Garin. Her heart catapulted into a race beneath her ribs at the sight of him. Kaidens brother, she had found him.

  Garin walked alone, without even looking down at her, unknowing that she stood just below him. He turned down a hall, out of sight.

  Lana reacted, running up the steps after him. She could feel Ardin hurry to be by her side. Once she got up the steps the hall was clear of any sign of life. Without pause, Lana hurried down it, freezing in an open doorway.

  Chapter

  Nineteen

  A Rami stood in the stone room, his back turned away from the entrance. He was looking at a painting of a black wolf that hung on the wall. The room he stood in was large, made of pure grey stone and cold, not once has anyone attempted to bring warmth to it. Thick pillars of fabric hung from the celling around the edges of the room, in the same cold stone grey color.

  Ardin stopped beside Lana in the doorway.

  I don't like this. He thought to her just before she walked into the room.

  Lana NO! Ardin screamed at her as he jumped in after her. He isn't alone. Ardin warned, a moment too late. A Rami appeared in the entrance of the door the two had entered from.

  Lana and Ardin turned to the sound of the door closing behind them as one of Garin’s guards spun to face them. For a moment Lana was stunned at the presence of another. There was one other door to the room but it too was closed, no doubt it had a Rami guarding it on the other side. There was not going to be a way out without a fight.

  I’ll keep an eye on him, but don’t get too close to Garin. Ardin’s voice calmly filled her mind as he faced the guard by the door. Lana suppressed the shiver that ran down her spine.

  She turned to see the Rami who faced away from her moments ago, staring directly at her with piercing blue eyes. They were Kaidens eyes, yet they were not. The similarity was evident but there was no warmth there, just cold loathing.

  He froze her as if she were in a trance. Lana could literally feel the presence of his eyes on her as they raked over her body. They were dark and oozing raw hatred. It was gripping. She could hear her heart rapidly beating in her ears as memories flooded her mind from their last painful encounter.

  “You don’t have to do any of this Garin-” Lana began, holding her hands out in a none threatening gesture.

  “Oh, don’t I?” His voice cut her off, booming off the empty walls of the room Lana was now locked in. “You took my only blood from me.”

  “I did no such thing, Kaiden saved my life, but he still loves you Garin.”

  “Is that what he tells you? The moment he knocked me out from behind, like a coward to save…” Garin’s hard eyes looked Lana up and down before continuing “you.” His voice portrayed such hatred that Lana had to resist an urge to take a step away from him. The three yards between them suddenly seemed too close. “He betrayed my trust, his brother, for what? A weak little Madonian he knew as a child and for only one moon time? I have been with him since he first drew breath. He and I were a team. HE IS MY BLOOD!” Garin’s voice yelled out, echoing off the walls.

  “Have you no forgiveness in your heart?” Lana barely finished her question before another voice came from her left.

  “There’s nothing to forgive.”

  Lana wanted to sigh in relief at Kaiden’s sudden presence. The door closed behind him as soon as he entered the room. A familiar face stared back at Lana from the Rami who had just allowed Kaiden to enter. It was Seff, the stocky Rami from when she had walked into their camp in Abder.

  “Seff”, Kaiden began as he turned to see his once friend closing the door behind him.

  “My friend! I see you have brought us this girl. Well played! Tell us you learned something valuable.” Seff spoke.

  Lana looked to Kaiden in confusion. He mimicked the same confusion back at her. Garin responded to Lana’s confused face.

  “Of course there’s nothing to forgive, brother.” Garin smiled.

  “What do you mean?” Lana spoke as her eyes darted around the room. “Kaiden?”

  “I have no idea what he’s talking about.” Kaiden replied though his body tensed.

  Garin’s smile widened. “Finally, we don’t have to hold this charade anymore, little brother.” He turned his cold eyes to Lana. “What, you actually thought he cared for you, Council tramp? He is my brother. Blood is thicker than whatever you think you have going on. Nothing comes between blood, that is the Rami way.”

  “I don’t know what game you are playing but…”

  Lana was cut off by Garin. “For instance, we know you are the councilwoman of the Selvirian Madonian lands. You are the sole council for those parts, which makes you quite valuable. Your mother and father were killed by our hand, but they were both a part of an inside job.” As he spoke Lana’s eyes darted to and from Kaiden, she didn’t believe it, Kaiden would never... would he?

  Garin continued, “You have enemies in your homelands, Lana. You also traveled to the hidden city of Alogrin with an old man and two kids.”

  Mortified, Lana’s head snapped to Kaiden, who stood very still. She felt lightheaded, how could Garin know this? A cold chill ran through her. Could this have been a trap all along? She wanted to ask him if it were true, but she couldn’t find the words. She felt sick, wishing for it not to be true, wishing to not hear any of it. Kaiden was her friend, she trusted him with her life, with all of the information she had shared with him. She had trusted him with absolutely everything. Her knees threatened to give out.

  “This is not true.” Kaiden took a step towards her and she took a step away, shaking her head in disbelief. Suddenly afraid of what she may not have known. Fear gripped her, tightening around her, constricting around her throat till she could hardly breath.

  “Sure it is… If you happened to develop feelings in the process, Kaiden, then that's too bad. You knew the mission when you took it. You told us that you could handle this. That you could get her to trust you, for her to feel safe with you, that you could learn all you could.”

  “They are lying!” Kaiden shouted. His eyes filled with rage. Was the rage real or another ploy?

  “You left us messages in the woods.” Garin spoke with a smile. Kaiden did not reply to the accusation.
r />   “Did you?” Lana found the voice to ask Kaiden, who now seemed flustered.

  “I…” He paused in what seemed to be a panic and Lana knew, there was truth to what Garin said.

  No, please no. She wanted to vomit. A cold sweat uncomfortably prickled her skin.

  “You were willing to risk everyone's lives!?” Lana cried out, lip curling in anger, while Ardin grumbled. She was unable to control herself, to keep herself composed. She feared what Garin was saying had truth to it, she knew it had truth to it. Her horror was replaced with rage.

  “I wasn’t trying to do that.” Kaiden uncomfortably shifted on his feet.

  “We had children with us, Kaiden! We were trying to get away and you were leaving him breadcrumbs to follow! Breadcrumbs with information about us, information about me!”

  “No. I wanted him to understand why I did what I did, my intentions were never to hurt you or endanger anyone.”

  Garin looked at Kaiden sideways. “Little brother, do you actually fancy this girl? You knew your mission, that you would have to get close in any way possible. I thought you might have some fun, not develop feelings. Do not worry we will help you forget her.” Garin finished with a wink. Lana’s hands balled into fists.

  “Stop it.” Kaiden snarled.

  “Oh come now. This was planned for years, ever since we were children and you went to that dreadful school.”

  Lana froze, unable to even draw breath. Garin’s eyes watched her as he spoke, as he crippled her with words. His deadly, icy, eyes held her in their painful grip. White teeth flashed as he smiled, speaking to her.

  “Kaiden went to Ucu knowing a child of a Madonian council member would be going. He went for the sole purpose to get to know you. You, Lana Casteel, were his very first mission for King Zakran. He even managed to return with a few new tricks.” In Garin’s palm played a glowing light of electric energy, before he dropped it. He didn’t even try and harm her with it, he didn’t have to. With his words he was tearing her apart, and when he finished she would have no where to go. She and Ardin were trapped.

  Lana turned away from Garin’s gripping stare to Kaiden. His face was flushed, eyes pained.

  “So you getting close to me…” Lana breathed, having to stop herself for fear of tears. Betrayal was not a feeling she had ever experienced. In this moment Lana didn’t know what to believe. Garin knew a lot, things he shouldn’t know. Things that Kaiden clearly told him. Could Kaiden have been harmlessly reaching out to his brother? If that were true then why did he never tell her about it? Was her friendship with him a sham, created for the single purpose of gathering information? Was there any truth to what they had or was this all a trick?

  Kaiden took another step towards Lana with an open pleading hand. Lana stepped back, away from him. Her eyes scanned his for anything that could tell her what was real. But his eyes were the same, the same ones she had grown to search for every day. They were familiar to her, non threatening. He had held her, kissed her, she had felt something, it was real. Or did she just want it to be real so badly that she had placed a veil over her own gullible eyes?

  Had she led him right into Alogrin? Her hands began to shake despite her best efforts to keep them still. What had she done? Who had she believed?

  “Garin is twisting everything. We are close, Lana, you and me.” His voice lowered, softened as he spoke to her. “This is not fake. I would never bring you any harm. You, are my people and I am yours.” He took another step towards her and she took another step away. “You know me.” Kaiden spoke desperately.

  Suddenly Ardin’s warning voice sounded in her head. You need to stop moving away from Kaiden. You are getting too close to Garin. Lana glanced to Garin who smiled at her before she turned back to Kaiden. Could Kaiden be herding her closer to Garin on purpose? Was he still working with his brother? Could this be why he didn’t want her to face Garin without him? So that he could protect his brother. Has the one person she trusted most in this world besides Ardin have been deceiving her all along?

  Kaiden turned to his brother and Seff. “What is wrong with you guys? Seff, we grew up together, Garin you are my brother...How could you just.”

  “Just what? Nothing's wrong here. Just hand over the girl and kill that dog.”

  Ardin growled fiercely, facing the Rami behind Lana, yet peering over at Kaiden.

  “I will not.” Kaiden spoke.

  “Don't be stupid. We are giving you a way back. A way home where you won't need to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”

  I think they may be messing with us. Ardin’s voice entered Lana’s mind.

  Can you read anything on Kaiden? Lana inquired.

  He is nervous and scared. I can smell fear coming off him. He wouldn’t feel fear if he did not care about you.

  So you really think he left Garin messages just trying to explain himself? Lana asked Ardin.

  Even if that is not the case and if he helped you only to betray you, it doesn’t seem like he wants that any more. If he is on our side, we want to keep him there.

  “Just get rid of them and we will be able to go home.” Garin instructed. “You will be in high standing with the Rami people.”

  “I will never hurt Lana or her Aorra. You and your games, your tricks and hatred for a person you don't even know disgusts me. Coming here, threatening a small civilian town like this. You are weak, big brother, that's what hate does to you. It makes you weak.”

  Why are they taking their time? Ardin questioned. If Kaiden actually was not a part of this plot they say then they are dragging this on too long. If he were spying on us, he now turned them down. If Garin is lying and he wanted to give Kaiden a chance to rejoin the Rami then he still turned them down. They should have attacked or something by now.

  Lana pondered Ardin’s words. If Kaiden was truly not helping us as some kind of ploy, if he wasn’t working with his brother then why did they let him in so easily? Then a wave of nausea hit her. Garin wanted the two of them together, this was a trap and they played into it so easily. She played into it, and Kadin came to find her.

  Ardin, come to me. Lana called for her Aorra. This was a trap and he was too far out of her reach. Quickly Ardin turned towards Lana, but it had not go unnoticed. Even something as small as their location in the room was planned out. The way she and Ardin entered from one door and Kaiden another. The way Ardin was pulled to another location within the room while she focused on Garin.

  Abruptly seven Rami came from the edges of the room, surrounding Ardin, keeping him from Lana. The Rami had been in the room the entire time, hiding behind the thick pillars of fabric around the edges. Ardin must not have noticed them. He was paying too close attention on the few he could see and ignored the sounds of fighting beyond, ignoring the others in the room at the same time.

  Immediately a shield went up around Ardin before the first blow of blue light could hit him. Lana turned towards him but before she could act, powerful arms closed in around her and a blade was pressed to her neck.

  “If I see the smallest glint of silver dust around you I will cut your throat and your dog will definitely die.” Garin spoke with a hot breath into her ear.

  Horror flooded throughout her. She felt completely trapped. It was suffocating. Her entire body tensed while she watched the Rami slash at Ardin’s shield.

  They knew Garin wanted Kaiden and Lana together, yet she still followed him. Foolishly, she didn’t think it strange, Garin standing alone in a room. Now his men surrounded Ardin and Lana couldn’t do a thing to help. Her head began to spin at the energy she was giving Ardin so that he could protect himself.

  Kaiden took a step forward but was stopped by his brothers dangerously cold eyes, “You too, brother. Any closer and my steel will happily bask in her blood”.

  “Don’t do this.” Kaiden pleaded, “When did you turn into such a monster? If you care about us please, brother, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Laughter came from behind Lana
as the man holding her spoke, “You can no longer hurt me, and I will never make the mistake of trusting you again. You side with the Madonians who kill our kind.”

  “And we kill theirs!” Kaiden shouted out. Lana could hear a hint of panic in his voice, she wondered if Garin noticed it too. Her eyes could no longer look at him, they were glued on her Aorra.

  “We are at war, little brother, and she is a first of the council.” He yanked Lana so that her back pressed against his chest. His grip on her tightened and finally her gaze met Kaidens. For a moment their eyes locked. There was a deadly look in Kaiden’s eyes that she had never seen in him before. His entire body was rigid.

  “Why are you doing this? She never harmed you.” Kaiden’s voice was clear, no longer pleading.

  “But she did. Do you not see it? She broke us, she took you away, bewitched you. You are my blood, a man does not willingly betray his own blood!”

  “If its me you really want then let her and her Aorra go, I will go with you willingly.”

  “No. Unfortunately, I cannot. For what you have done, the only way to set things right is if you kill her. You can consider her death an act of war for your people, for your blood. You will be welcomed back, the king will be pleased with you, you will have wealth.”

  Kaiden’s eyes met Lana’s for a small moment. There was a hitch in her throat as silenced spanned the room. What if he would agree? Then all her attention was yanked towards her Aorra.

  “NO!” Lana screamed out. She struggled to break free from Garin’s grip, but his blade, cutting into her neck, stopped her. Sweet power swiftly flowed into her, she could feel the strength from within her veins. Ardin was giving her his strength.

  “Ardin don’t do this.” Lana pleaded, her shoulders tense even though she no longer struggled. There was a sting at her throat where Garin had allowed his blade to cut her, taking the fight from her. You are my only family left.

  And you are the only family I ever had. He replied as his shield began crumbling around him.