The Rising King

by Shea Berkley

  Behind Baun, the Rodarians become restless. Baun nods and they run forward. At the same time, the Nightmare Men are getting bolder and go after my friends with a vengeance.

  Behind me, a first appears. Then another and another. They pour out of the Fall Gate like a tsunami, heavily armed and ready to meet the Rodarians head-on. One of Wyatt’s top soldiers, Cahl, appears and helps me to my feet. We dip behind a pile of debris, and he relates what he knows. “The bulk of the city has been evacuated. The only ones left are those who are in the coliseum.”

  A huge explosion erupts close by and we both hunker down further. The coliseum isn’t far from where we are right now. “Why there?”

  “It’s where Baun has been taking those who have refused to give him allegiance. It’s there he kills them and takes their magic. Three days ago, thousands of us possessed magic. Now we are barely five hundred.”

  “Why does that sound familiar?” It was at the core of Navar’s madness when I first arrived in Teag. A madness inherited from my father when he had given Navar a portion of his magic to gain his release. Instead, the darkness infected Navar and had him demanding the people of Teag bend a knee to him or give up their powers.

  It’s not a shock to learn my father has been up to no good for a while. And it’s clear his kind of desperation has him doing anything, sacrificing anyone, to get what he wants.

  I see Halim…just a kid…and because of me, he’ll likely die.

  Reece and Signe. They’re finally allowing themselves to love each other, but after today, they’ll be dead.

  Reggie moves within a section of the broken-down carts. A Nightmare Man runs at him and he pops off more than a few rounds from his shotgun, shooting the ugly warrior to pieces. So far, he’s been lucky, but the Nightmare Men won’t stay down long. Their various body parts reconnect, clicking together like a demonized child’s toy. It’ll just be a matter of time before Reggie gets overrun by them. Before we all do.

  “Tell Reece and Halim to meet me by Reggie.” I point to where Reggie is battling the Nightmare Men.

  Cahl holds out his hand, and I take it. “Keep safe.”

  “You too.”

  I watch him run into the battle, and then I turn my focus on Reggie. Parts of an old wooden cart are burning near him and smoke rolls gray and thick into the sky. I take the choking cloud and push it toward the Rodarians, wiping out their ability to see and hopefully breathe.

  I settle alongside Reggie. “I’ll handle the Nightmare Men. You shoot the Rodarians.”

  Reggie props his gun barrel on a piece of wood and shoots. A Rodarian drops and disintegrates into a puff of ash. He eyes me. “Does no one just die here?”

  “Not really.” I move to a place where I can cover Reggie’s back without being seen. The Nightmare Men swarm, and I take them down, separating their parts by tossing a few key bits and pieces over the wall.

  One of the dragons overhead splits from the others. The ground shakes as it lands. It’s big, and its scales are scarred and familiar-looking. “Blaze?”

  The dragon lets out a low, affectionate rumble and nudges my shoulder. I don’t know how he got here, but I’m more than happy he is.

  He spits fire at an oncoming Rodarian, and without warning, Kera hops off his back with the help of a rider I can’t see.

  My vision narrows in on Kera and only her. I don’t move. I can’t. I’m stunned. Leery. A bubble of happiness tries to rise, but I’m not sure I should let it. “You’re alive?”

  It’s a stupid thing to ask. She’s obviously alive. She stands there, her hair a matted mess, her clothes ripped and charred, her skin speckled by dirt, and her weapons strapped to her as usual, and all I can think is that she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how she found Blaze or if he found her, or why she’s fighting with me instead of against me, but a lump lodges in my throat.

  Her eyes soften. I can feel her love like a caress. It’s not enough. I go to her and she flings her arms around me and says close to my ear, “It was the magic. I swear. I would never hurt you on purpose. The last thing I wanted was to leave you, but I had to. To protect you.”

  I pull Kera into a space between two buildings, and for the time being we’re protected by Reggie and Blaze. “I knew it wasn’t you. Down deep I just knew it.”

  She puts her hands on both sides of my face. “I gave up my magic. I’m human again. One hundred percent.”

  “How? Where is it?” Magic just doesn’t disappear. It had to go somewhere.

  “I made a Keeper of Life. It was stupid of me, but I had to get rid of the dark magic…and…and then Baun took it. I couldn’t stop him,” she trips over the words in her rush to explain.

  “Baun has all the magic?”

  She holds out her hand to show me a ring. “Not all.”

  “Is that the Salter’s magic?”

  With a quick tug, she slips the ring off her finger. “Baun wanted it so desperately, but it wouldn’t let him use its power.”

  Magic with a conscience? I can’t say I’m upset about that.

  “It’s given me what I wanted.” She places the ring in my palm. “It’s yours now.”

  The ring untwists and slips along my fingers, where it turns into a heavy ring that matches the one Kera had. I guess we really are two halves of a whole.

  I can’t imagine Kera wanting anything. “What did you ask for?”

  Rising on her tiptoes, she places a kiss on my lips and breathes, “To be here with you.”

  “It’s getting thick around here. You need to cut it short,” comes a familiar voice. “Blaze and I are going back up.”

  I glance past Kera and see Grandma peering around Blaze’s huge head. My grandmother—my sweet, nonviolent grandmother—is sitting astride a dragon. If flying monkeys had suddenly appeared, I couldn’t have been more surprised. “Grandma? What are you doing?”

  She’s riding a dragon, that’s what she’s doing, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around what I’m seeing. Grandpa’s going to have a fit when he finds out.

  She kicks Blaze on his sides and the dragon spits another fireball. A Nightmare Man blows apart behind us. A smirk tips her lips. “Protecting you.” She pats the dragon on the neck. “A large group of firsts is pouring out of the forest and headed this way. Baun has sent part of his army to intercept them.”

  “That would be Grandpa.” I don’t want to tell her, but she needs to know. “He’s a little banged up, but you know him.”

  “Ooohh, that man,” she sighs, the sound sharp and hard. “I’d best go help him.”

  Before she leaves, she pulls off Blaze’s whistle from around her neck and tosses it to Kera. “Call if you get into trouble.” She gives me a hard stare. “Don’t let Kera get into trouble.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Grandma nudges Blaze into position for takeoff, and his sides quiver with expectation.

  “Wait,” I yell before she leaves. I create a protective spell for her. She glances at me, her look confident, she thinks I’ve got everything under control. I wish I did. She leans forward and kicks Blaze in his sides. “Let’s go, big boy.”

  The dragon jumps into the air; his powerful wings push them higher and higher. A massive storm approaches and lightning flashes in the sky. They don’t stop, and soon they’re circling the area with the other dragons, firing at the nearest threats, and tearing into the Dark Souls.

  I stare after her, more than a little proud. “She’s fearless.”

  Kera smiles, and it takes me a moment to realize the sound of battle is gone.

  Out of the smoke I hear Halim call my name. Something in his voice doesn’t sound right. When he sees me through the smoke, he stops and points the way he came, hopping from one foot to another. “It’s Signe. She’s in trouble.”

  Reggie jogs over, his shotgun and rifle slung over his shoulders, a frown on his face. “It’s too quiet. Where’d everyone go?”

  Everyone stands fighting ready, but th
ere’s no enemy. I grab Kera’s hand, and following Halim, we break through the smoke. I can’t believe my eyes. Baun is gone and all the Rodarians look like Signe. Only the glimmer of red eyes gives them away.

  Reece turns to me, his face a hard mask. “I warned you. Now you damn well better fix this.”

  How am I supposed to fix this? The Rodarians slowly fall back. The Nightmare Men retreat into the shadows, and Granel and the Dark Souls are nowhere in sight. Even the dragons are gone. I’m not sure if they’re chasing the Dark Souls, or if they’ve taken cover from the approaching storm. The clouds overhead are so dark, I’m not surprised when the rain comes. I hate my dad. He’s making it as difficult as he can to stop us. He really doesn’t know me. I don’t stop.

  Halim separates himself from Reece, who’s pacing the area like a madman. The boy gets close to me and whispers, “What if Signe’s dead? I don’t think Reece is going to be okay with that.” He hesitates for second. “I-I’m kind of not okay with that.”

  “She is alive.” Kera grabs his shoulders and looks him square in the eyes. “Baun must have caught her when she went for the ring, and had the Rodarians change their appearance to match hers so we can’t easily find her. But trust me. The Rodarians cannot take on the form of someone who is dead. She’s alive.”

  “It’s freaky.” Halim nervously scratches red streaks across the dirty skin of his left arm.

  “That’s it then,” Reggie says. “They have her. We follow them.”

  “What?” I couldn’t have heard him correctly. Reggie’s been amazing, taking on his responsibilities without question, and there’s been some really strange stuff flying his way lately, but that’s crazy. “Going exactly where they want us to go sounds like a trap.”

  “I’m not just some dumb sheepherder. They’re the sheep. All they’re doing is following the shepherd. But why? Your dad wants us gone from here. This spot. Otherwise he would just kill the girl.”

  It’s a harsh statement none of us want to hear. “So, either there’s something special about this place or they want us somewhere else before they exterminate us.” I look around. This part of the city is a dump. I can’t imagine what they could want here. Nothing jumps out as being useful unless they need wood for a fire. I shrug, wondering if anything will ever make sense when it comes to my dad. “I don’t know what’s going on in Baun’s head.”

  Reece shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. We have to go.”

  Everyone nods. I tip my head back and let the rain pour over my face. We’re soaked and it’s getting colder by the second. I can see my own breath. None of this sits well with me, but I really don’t have a choice.

  Reggie pulls me aside. “I’m staying here. My gut says they’ll be back, and I want to know why.”

  I don’t know what he’s expecting, but I agree. “I’ll leave a few guys with you.”

  I rejoin everyone else. As we start forward, I slant a quick glance Kera’s way. I don’t want to ask her, but I have to. “Have you seen your dad?”

  She comes alongside me and slips her hand in mine. It feels good to have her back. “No. I’m almost scared to know what’s become of him.”

  “He’s with Baun.”

  She stops. “That’s impossible. He would never…”

  “I know. But he’s with him.” I wait for a second and then ask, “Can you think of a reason?” The only one I can think of doesn’t have a happy ending.

  “They were friends, but that ended when my father sent Baun into exile with the pux. I would think Baun is furious about that, but he hasn’t said a word. Not this whole time.”

  “He’s waited for his magic.” We both know why Baun needs his magic.

  “He’s going to send my father to the pux, isn’t he?”

  “That’s what I’m thinking. It fits my dad’s style.”

  The horror in her eyes makes me want to turn around and take her someplace safe. Someplace happy.

  “We have to save them both,” she insists. “To lose either of them…”

  Her face says it all. It would destroy her. Kera has already lost so much.

  I pull her close and kiss her temple. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “I know you will.”

  Until now, I’ve been fighting to keep Kera safe. To find us a happy ever after. But this is far bigger than her and me, and now I’m trapped. Whatever I do, whatever choice I make, I’ll never be free. I can’t leave now. I have to finish what my dad started. His legacy is marred by greed and selfish motives. He’s hurt countless people. Worse, he’s become a cold-blooded murderer.

  My dad is the villain of my story. He’s the one I have to stand up to, and one of us isn’t going to walk away. Maybe neither of us should.

  Snatches of conversations I’ve heard over the past months crowd my mind. Kera senses my mood. “It isn’t hopeless.”

  My gaze searches her bright, violet eyes. “Baun used to be a good king, right?”

  She nods. “At first.”

  “He used every bit of his magic to better his people,” I think out loud. “That’s what everyone says…but it was never enough.”

  “Dylan.” Kera’s mouth softens as the sympathy she feels flows from her lips. “It never will be enough. People will always want more, even if they have everything.”

  “Yeah, I get that, but how did he go from wanting the best for everyone to this—someone who wants all the power for himself? Who thinks nothing of killing for it?” My usual confidence wavers. “His power flows through me. He wants it back. He told me the first time I met him that’s what he wanted…”

  “You cannot give it to him.”

  “But if I keep it, will I become a crazed tyrant too?”

  I’ve never seen Kera more shocked or so heartbroken. “How can you think that? Baun is your father, but you are nothing like him.”

  My cheeks warm with shame. “Kera…” It’s all I can do to say her name, but I force the rest out. She needs to know the real me. “I struggle not to be like him every day.”

  “I know.” She wraps her arms around my neck and whispers softly in my ear, “And that is why I love you. You choose to do what’s right.” Her hot tears mingle with the cool rain as she hugs me close.

  My breath stutters in and out of my chest. She knows. Of course she does. She had the same horrible power within her. If anyone understands me, it’s Kera. “How am I supposed to end this?”

  “You will know when the time comes.”

  I brush a sodden strand of hair off of her cheek. “You have a lot of faith in me.”

  “Not just me. They do too. They deserve a king who cares.” She nods to the weary people shuffling down the street. “It stopped being about us when I crossed the barrier and found you. They believe in you, Dylan. Now you need to believe in yourself. If you don’t, there is no point in following them, because all we will see is them dying, and I don’t want to see that.”

  I take her hand in mine. “Neither do I.”

  Fatherless Son

  The streets of the Ruined City are eerily quiet and completely deserted. The shops stand abandoned, as if the owners temporarily stepped out. Tables at an outdoor café still have plates of food on them. An empty pram sits on the sidewalk, a baby blanket spilling over the side as if the baby was snatched in a moment of terror. A riderless horse trots down the street, dragging the reins along the cobblestones. Everywhere I look, I see snapshots of what panic left behind.

  We’re a scruffy band. Dirty. Tired. Bruised and bloody. It’s been a long day, one I want over as much as the next person. Kera constantly checks her weapons and worries at her bottom lip. Not knowing what Baun has planned for Signe is torture. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t care who he hurts so long as he gets what he wants.

  An eerie light shines from the top of the coliseum. We don’t sneak up on it. Why should we? Baun led us there, and it’s not long before the towering structure rises before us. We gather in front of it, rows and rows of firsts who dare to defy
their power-hungry king. It’s an impressive sight. Almost as impressive as the arena with its stone facade intricately carved with scenes of warriors and maidens battling all sorts of creatures I’ve never seen.

  “He sure likes flash and bang,” I mutter.

  The gladiatorial style of the carvings should have been a red flag. When I first saw the coliseum after he’d built it, I only thought my dad had a love of ancient civilization, a time when there was only one ruler and everyone was a subject to his whims. Yeah. Huge red flag.

  “It’s disturbing. Lucinda told me underneath it is a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers filled with lost souls Baun deemed harmful to the success of our people. She tried to warn me then Baun wasn’t the man we thought he was.” Her full lips turn down with sadness. “How could I have been so blind to who he really was?”

  “We all were.” I squeeze her hand. “We wanted to believe he’d changed. I think even he wanted to believe it.” But it was an unspoken lie.

  My dad is crazy—he always has been—and it’s time we ended his reign of terror.

  The rain around us is heavy, but over the arena it’s dry. Reece, Halim, Kera, and I stay toward the back of the firsts who silently wait, a stark contrast to the crowd’s raucous cheers pouring from the arena.

  I don’t even want to know what they’re doing in there. Halim nervously scratches his arms, peering at Reece, who paces, unable to stand still. Suddenly, he whirls around. The light of an idea shines from his eyes. He calls Cahl over. “Can we get into the labyrinth beneath the arena without being seen?”

  The soldier isn’t fazed by the rain. While I shield my eyes and resist the urge to shake the water from my hair, he stands, back straight, hands on his weapons, and ignores the fact that his dark hair is plastered to his head. “I know a way, but once in, there are guards everywhere.”

  “And they’re all loyal to Baun?”

  “Terrifyingly loyal. Just like everyone else. If they didn’t swear their allegiance to him, they were threatened with death and stripped of their powers.”