The Rising King

by Shea Berkley

  Kera touches my arm. We’re both unsure what to do. How do you comfort a guy who’s tried so hard never to need it?

  “Dude,” I say. There is a way of saying that one word that says everything to a guy. There’s empathy and frustration and anger all rolled into that one word.

  He drops to his knees and bends over. He can’t catch his breath. I know the feeling. Hell, I was in that exact position when Kera was taken from me.

  “Wyatt, we can go after her,” I try. “Talk to them…”

  Even to my own ears that sounds lame, but I don’t know what else to say.

  Kera’s fingers tighten on my arm and the next moment, Wyatt is on the ground. She drops her weapons and races to his side. “He’s hurt.”

  I go to him and see red seeping through his shirt. I yank his dirty clothing up and find six clean knife wounds, deep and deadly, to his gut. My gaze snaps to Kera’s. “Can you help him?”

  His hand slaps on mine. Blood bubbles to his lips. “Protect her.”

  “We will,” Kera says as she feverishly tries to stop the bleeding. Her eyelashes prickle with tears when she looks up at me. “I can’t stop the bleeding. I don’t know what they did, but nothing is working.”

  “Keep trying.”

  “I am!” she snaps.

  “Don’t die, dude.” My hand grips his, tightens around it as if I can force him to stay if I just hold on tight enough. “I can’t lose you.”

  He licks his dry lips. “She’s scared.”

  “We’ll help her,” Kera says. Her hands glow over his torso and her tears mix with his blood. “I promise.”

  He slips his hand into her hair and pulls her head to his until their foreheads touch. “It’s okay.”

  His hand slowly slides from her hair and his fingers loosen on my arm. His chest rises once. Twice. And then it stops. I can feel his soul separate from his body and I grip tighter. “No. Don’t. Don’t.”

  Anger like I’ve never felt rushes to the surface. With the magic I inherited, I could catch them and punish them for Wyatt’s death. Everyone would see how powerful I am and fear me. My head falls back and my teeth press together so hard my jaw aches.

  I just stood there and let them kill Wyatt. Why didn’t I see it coming? Why?

  I want to let go, but the power I’d radiate would be indiscriminate. The death toll horrific.

  Heat builds in my core. I glare into the trees where the sisters disappeared, and I envision them, one by one, burning into a cloud of hot ash.

  “Dylan.” Kera’s voice sounds far away. She grabs my shoulders and shakes me, calling my name over and over. “Don’t lose control. Not here. You’ll kill everything. Everyone.”

  I fight the evil that’s rising in me and imagine the innocent lives that would be lost. I’m sick of killing. I’m sick of this place that only knows violence and hate. And it sickens me more to know I’ve been infected by the darkness I inherited from Navar when he died. I’ve never felt such hate, and I don’t like it.

  Kera’s soft lips find mine. Again and again, small quick kisses land on my mouth. They mingle with her salty tears and her demands that I pull myself together. I grab her and hold on, press her close, feel every soft inch of her. She wraps her arms around me and takes on my pain. My sorrow. My guilt.

  No matter how powerful the dark magic makes me feel, I rake it deep within me and lock it away. I post guards to that dark place and tell them never to leave.

  I hold Kera tighter. She’s the reason for living. Not the dark magic that’s been chipping away at my soul.

  “We have to follow them,” I say against her neck even as I feel her silky hair cool the heat of my cheeks. “Hold them accountable for what they did.”

  “We will, but not now. We can’t leave Wyatt out here. We need to take him back.”

  My next thought nearly brings me to my knees. “Reece. What am I going to tell Reece?” My gut twists. I feel sick.

  Kera’s arms are wrapped so tightly around me, she won’t let me fall. I should be alarmed that I’m the one falling apart and not her, it’s not at all manly of me, but I’m not used to this constant state of death. Leo’s grandpa died. Then Jason. Now Wyatt. I don’t lose people well because I’ve never had anyone close to lose. It’s a new phenomenon, one I’d gladly give up.

  I push away, feeling toxic. Mom saw how dangerous I was and kept her distance. Maybe she was right.

  “Don’t you dare push me away.” A flash of anger, ignited by her own pain, enters her eyes. “I won’t allow you to give up. We’re in this together.”

  “But people I know keep dying.”

  “Everyone dies.”

  That’s exactly what Wyatt said. Everyone dies. I’m just not willing for it to be someone I know. Someone I love. Selfish? Yes. Immature and unreasonable? Absolutely. But there it is. I don’t want to compromise. And I hate being forced to do it.

  I look down at Wyatt. He deserved so much more. I stoop and pick him up, laying him over my shoulder fireman-style. He’s not light. I flex my powers, remembering the day he outran me. He had heart and skills few had. With Kera at my side, I carry him back to the Ruined City. The blood from his wounds drips down my back, making him paler by the second. I try not to think about it. I try to remember him as he was. Strong. Confident. Full of life.

  When we enter the Ruined City, we see the destruction caused by the Nightmare Men. Wyatt isn’t the only one lost. I try to remember that. Today has been a bad day for far too many people.

  I see Reece and Signe along with Leo and Lucinda, helping the wounded, doing what they can for them and their families. I stop, suddenly unable to move. Kera touches my arm. I look down at her and feel her sadness roll into me. The scent of burned molasses tickles my nose, and it’s that scent that has Signe turn around. She sees us and tears up, a smile lighting her face. She looks from Kera to me and then the body I’m carrying. Her smile slowly vanishes and she slants a heavy glance at Reece.

  Leo and Lucinda grow still. Leo grabs her hand and pulls her forward, but stops, as though there’s a force field that won’t let him get any closer.

  Halim appears with bandages. He sets them down and takes a halting step forward. His gaze rockets from me to Reece and then back again. “Wyatt?”

  Reece twists around at the mention of his brother’s name. The look he gives me changes as his eyes land on Wyatt. He rushes over. “How bad is it?”

  My throat seizes up. Nothing escapes, not even the little bit of air still in my lungs.

  “How bad?” he demands as he moves around to my back and gently tilts Wyatt’s face up—Wyatt’s deathly pale face. “Shit!”

  He grabs his brother off my shoulder, sees the blood soaking my back, and his face darkens with panic. “No.” He stretches his brother out on the ground, kneeling close, hovering over him. “Wyatt!”

  “I’m sorry, Reece.”

  He points a shaking finger at me. “Don’t say it.” Turning back to his brother, he finds the wounds and his gaze pops to mine, then to Kera. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t just stand there. Heal him.”

  “I can’t.” She looks to Signe, at her sorrow, and her face crumples with grief. “I don’t know why.”

  He rises and grabs Kera’s shoulders. “Heal him!” He shakes her hard, his fingers digging into her muscles.

  Signe puts her hand on his arm, but he shrugs her off. The pain of his loss transforms his features into a face of pure agony. He looks deeply into Kera’s eyes. His voice cracks. “Why didn’t you heal him?” It grows louder, harsher, spitting out the pain he feels onto her. “Did you even try?”

  The dark circles under Kera’s eyes grow pronounced as the last hint of color drains from her face. She stands quiet and lost and looks away, blaming herself like I blame myself.

  I push him off her, seeing how his words are tearing her up. “That’s enough.”

  “Who did it?”

  “Does it really matter?” Lucinda asks, her usual bored tone subdued
.

  “Who?” he demands.

  I know him. He won’t let it rest until he knows, so I tell him. “The Seven Sisters.”

  “Not Neve,” Kera says in a soft voice. “She tried to stop them.”

  “But you didn’t,” Reece snarls at Kera.

  I know how he feels. He needs to blame someone for his loss. I get it, but I won’t let him hurt Kera anymore. I step between them and face Reece. “If you blame her, you have to blame me. I was there. I saw them do it. We didn’t know what they were going to do. We never suspected.”

  “I did.” Leo’s deep voice grabs all our attention. He still stands with Lucinda, holding her hand until his knuckles pale and her fingers pinken, but she doesn’t complain. “The sisters weren’t happy, and I knew it.”

  “We all knew that.” Signe braves Reece’s rejection again and touches his arm. This time he doesn’t pull away. He doesn’t even respond. “Even you, Reece. We all knew they would never let her go. Wyatt knew it, too, but he had to try. He loved her.”

  “He was an idiot.” Reece pulls away, bends over Wyatt, and places his hand on his brother’s cold, pale forehead. He stares, though I’m not sure he sees anything. Wyatt’s eyes are still open. Reece slowly closes them and bows his head.

  We all stand there, quiet, supportive. Halim inches toward Signe and slips his hand within hers. I wrap my arm around Kera, and Leo tightly holds Lucinda’s hand. It’s a protective circle, one we don’t dare break.

  Suddenly, Reece picks up Wyatt and stands. Our circle opens as he pushes through. There’s a purpose to his stride, and I call out after him. “Where are you going?”

  He stops and turns. The hard glint in his eyes sends a chill down my back. He doesn’t speak, he just turns around and walks away.

  Before I can go after him, one of the council members approaches and tells me my dad wishes to see me.

  “Go,” Kera says. “We will help Reece. Right now he needs to mourn. He won’t go far.”

  “When he’s done, he’ll want to find the sisters. Do you know where they are?”

  “No.” She slants her gaze at Lucinda. “But I know someone who does.”

  War Within

  Dylan left with the council members, and Kera returned her attention to the others.

  “Reece can’t go after the sisters.” Halim’s brow furrowed with worry. “He’s hurt.” He lunged forward, but came up short. Signe still held his hand. He tugged once, then again, but she wouldn’t let go. His face folded into angry lines. “They’ll kill him.”

  “He’s not going anywhere,” Kera said. “I promise. I won’t let him.”

  “You must go, Kera.” Faldon, Teag’s sage and Dylan’s grandfather, said in a dry voice that invaded their sorrow.

  Kera turned to find Bodog panting like a dog after a hard run, and in his hand, the walking stick that housed Faldon’s spirit. The two were inseparable. Bodog planted the walking stick in the ground and motioned Kera closer. Faldon’s face appeared haggard within the etchings of the wood, and when she stopped before him, he whispered for her ears alone. “I’ve had a vision.”

  A chill swept her spine, and they moved farther away from the others, especially Lucinda, who had no love for Bodog even on the best of days. Kera leaned close. “What kind of vision?”

  “You must go with Reece and destroy the Seven Sisters.”

  “Now?”

  “It is paramount that it be soon. When they were brought here, it unleashed a terrible chain of events in which Wyatt’s death is just the beginning.”

  That got her heart beating in an uncomfortable way. Her hands shook and she clasped them together, willing them to still. “What did you see?”

  “Our enemies surrounding Teag will unite. The Seven Sisters will join them, and Dylan…” Faldon paused and Kera’s eyes grew wider.

  “And Dylan?” she asked.

  “He will pay the heaviest price a man can pay for his people.”

  Her breath froze in her throat and she forced it out. “He dies?”

  “You know my visions are not always complete.”

  “But you sensed a terrible end? You sensed death?” she pushed for an answer. Faldon’s face paled as if the wood had been bleached by the sun, and he nodded. He wasn’t a reactionary man. He never gave hope where none existed and he never gave sorrow where it could be avoided.

  She swallowed hard, and blinked to clear her mind. She had to concentrate. Dylan’s life depended on it. “I don’t know where the sisters are.”

  Faldon’s gaze switched to Lucinda, who was curled around Leo like a snake in a tree. “Ask the one who brought them here. And be careful. The sisters come from an ancient power and are far more devious than any of us suspected.”

  This wasn’t good news, but she was grateful for it. “Thank you.”

  She kissed Faldon’s weathered cheek and squeezed Bodog’s steady hand before she went back to the group. Stepping back into the circle, she eyed Lucinda nuzzling Leo’s neck like a cat demanding a pat and rub.

  Halim was clearly agitated over Reece and showing an impressive temper. Signe kept calm and swept her hand through the boy’s hair. “There is nothing we can do.”

  Halim shrugged out of her caress, unfazed. “We don’t even know where he is. What if he needs us?”

  Kera stared at Lucinda until the startlingly green eyes stared back. “What?”

  “You know where to find the Seven Sisters.”

  All eyes turned on her. The green eyes narrowed on the retreating form of Bodog before she faced Kera. Leo’s overly affectionate pet swept her heavy white braid over her shoulder, enjoying the attention. It was a dangerous thing. If Lucinda thought she could have more fun not telling her, Kera would never find out. “Why should I help?”

  Closing her eyes, Kera sighed. Why was it never easy when it came to Lucinda?

  “Cin…” The tone of Leo’s voice made it clear what he expected.

  She leaned close and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. “The sisters and I are kindred spirits.”

  “I know, but—”

  Her head popped off his shoulder and her voice cut into his. “Your friends wish to kill my friends. I cannot allow that.”

  “What if I promise that won’t happen?” Now Kera had everyone’s attention.

  “You? A promise?” The smile that flashed Lucinda’s canines held more threat than any verbal cut. “Broken promises have consequences.”

  Kera wound her magic around Lucinda in a bid to force her to reveal where the Seven Sisters hid, and said, “Let me worry about that.”

  Long white hair crackled. A sharp wind bit at Kera’s skin. Lucinda’s stare hardened. Time suspended, but not for Kera. Lucinda was suddenly beside her, snarling in her ear. “Do not dare use your powers against me.”

  Kera blinked and Lucinda was once again standing beside Leo, her hand intertwined with his. She looked to be contemplating Kera’s motive as if nothing had just happened.

  That trick shook Kera to the core, though she couldn’t let it show. She stood emotionless before Lucinda, something the woman couldn’t abide. Her whole existence centered on causing an uproar. That Kera wasn’t playing along visibly irritated her. “Our trust has never been strong, little liar.”

  “No, it hasn’t,” and then Kera cracked. “But then, when have you ever cared about anyone but yourself?”

  An arched eyebrow rose, signaling Lucinda’s interest.

  Leo stepped between them. “That’s not fair, Kera. You’re asking her to betray her friends—”

  “They murdered Wyatt.”

  Lucinda’s eyes narrowed. “As if your kind has clean hands? Have you been to the coliseum?” She motioned toward the massive structure rising in the distance. “If you search its underground labyrinth, you will find it full of lost lives and terrified souls.”

  What was Lucinda talking about? Kera had just been to the coliseum tending to all the Teagians seeking safety from their enemies’ attacks. All the refugees
were being temporarily housed there now until the threat surrounding Teag could be eliminated. No one had died. She would know if they had.

  “I’m not defending the sisters,” Leo said, “but they’re still Lucinda’s friends who she’s not willing to betray, which shows she actually does care for people other than herself.”

  From behind him, a victorious smile lit Lucinda’s face. She curled her arms around Leo’s waist and nuzzled his neck with her nose. “I could never betray my friends.”

  What kind of twisted logic did Lucinda have him believing? The hateful minx had poor Leo wrapped so tightly around her finger, it had nearly neutered him. Kera switched tactics. “What are we, Lucinda? What’s Leo? If it were him lying dead in Reece’s arms, would you stand there so calm?”

  Her smile instantly vanished, but she didn’t say anything. Not a peep.

  A hot boil rolled up within Kera. She turned on Leo. “Even you can’t crack open that heart she keeps under lock and key.” She turned to go, and then turned back. “Wyatt deserved better, Leo. All he did was love Neve and they killed him like he didn’t matter, but he mattered to me. I guess we’ll find out soon enough if he mattered to you.”

  It was a manipulative, hateful thing to do, but Kera wouldn’t take it back. Leo petted Lucinda and made excuses for her outrageous actions time and again. It was time he held her accountable and saw her for what she truly was.

  Kera grabbed Signe’s arm and pulled her away. Halim followed close behind.

  At this time of night, the city should be asleep, but everyone was awake, picking up the pieces of their lives one more time. She saw people from her own town of Ainsbury Cross mingling with people from towns all over Teag. She passed several of those who’d been labeled “tainted” because they were half human, like her. Most were powerless and had been hunted into near extinction by the firsts. Their existence had nearly been reduced to living like animals. How much more upheaval and chaos could they go through? Once Jason died, it had taken all of her persuasive powers to convince everyone living in the caves to come to the recently built Ruined City and claim a normal life. It was unfair to see fear hiding in their eyes once again.