“Don’t make me regret it.” He jumped to his feet, pulling me up with him. “Go to sleep. I’ll let you know when it’s time to leave for the tower.”
So much for my great escape.
***
Morlet gingerly shook my shoulder, waking me. “Let’s go.”
Getting out of bed, I stretched. Morlet looked vastly different without his cape on. He transformed from a villain into an utterly handsome and regal man. However, there was still a dark sadness hovering around the edges.
“You’re staring,” Morlet said taking a tentative step toward me. It felt slightly invasive, almost too close, but I didn’t move away. His bright eyes studied me. Not wanting to be sucked into a spell, I tried to focus on him without actually looking directly into his eyes.
“I never thought the last Kriger would be a girl,” he said, his voice gruff.
I raised my eyebrows. “You have got to be kidding.” He sounded like Anders and Vidar. “What has you so upset isn’t the fact that you’re going to slaughter twelve innocent people, but that one of them happens to be a girl?” I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze.
A sly grin spread across his lips. “What I mean is that I’m sorry it’s you.”
“You should be sorry you’re murdering people.”
“I’ve killed so many over the last hundred years that it hardly affects me anymore.” He went to the chair where his cape lay. “I imagined being happy when I reached the end. But … something doesn’t feel right.”
“Maybe you should be the one to die instead of the twelve of us. Have you ever considered that?”
He slid the cape around his shoulders and pulled the hood over his head, concealing his face once again.
I forged on, “Once you kill us, the magic returns to Skog Heks. Is that what you want?”
“What I want?” He bitterly laughed, the sound dark and foreboding. “I want the curse to be over. I don’t care how, so long as it ends.”
What would happen if the Krigers managed to kill Morlet? Would the magic die with him? Would Nelebek be free from Skog Heks? If so, how was that possible if everything had to be in balance?
“This predicament I’m in? It’s all Skog Heks’s fault, and yet, I’m the one who has to kill.” He reached his hand out, placing his palm against my cheek. I wanted to move away, but something kept me rooted in place. “I had no idea she planned to kill my family in order to put me on the throne.” Morlet’s other hand came up, cupping my cheek. “Do you know she planned it the entire time? She wanted to rule through me.”
His hands shook. He released me and took a step back. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to see your family slaughtered like pigs? In my brother’s room, there was blood splattered everywhere. My mother’s throat had been slit. My father stabbed in the heart.”
I couldn’t imagine seeing my father murdered. “Do you know who Skog Heks hired to kill the royal family?”
“No.” Is that how Anders was tied into all of this? Was he the assassin who murdered them? The thought made me sick.
“Skog Heks had to know when she used her magic to control you in order to rule Nelebek that the balance of power would be off, and she’d never succeed.”
“She didn’t realize she could lose her magic,” he said. “She still believes she’s capable of anything, including outsmarting the Heks power source deep within our world.”
“Is that why you opened the mines?”
“Yes. She insists she can obtain power if we dig deep enough to find it.”
“I think the world would be better without Skog Heks.”
“Perhaps, but then the balance of power will be off.” He opened the door, revealing half a dozen guards in the hallway waiting for us. “Now if you’ll accompany me, we are going to the tower.” He tilted his head down so no one could see his face as he stepped into the corridor, his cape billowing behind him.
We entered the great hall. Skog Heks leaned on a walking stick in the middle of the vast room. She smiled, revealing her decaying brown teeth. “Do we know where it is?”
Morlet reached back and grabbed my arm, pulling me forward. “We’re on our way to the tower. I promise we’ll have the location shortly.” His fingers dug into my skin, and I realized he was afraid of the evil witch.
She wobbled over and backhanded me across my cheek. My head flew to the side from the impact. Instinct took over, and I raised my hands, forcing all of my power at her.
She screamed and stumbled backwards. “Stupid girl!” she chided.
Morlet pinned my arms down, blocking my power with his own. The evil witch ran at me. She shoved her thumbs against the base of my neck, making it difficult to breathe. My vision blurred.
“No,” Morlet insisted, “you can’t kill her yet.”
Skog Heks didn’t loosen her grip. Morlet pried her thumbs off, and she reluctantly halted her assault. My knees buckled as I gasped for air. Morlet grabbed me, keeping me upright.
“Let her fall to the ground,” the witch said, seething with rage.
He let go, and I tumbled to the floor. Skog Heks kicked me. A searing pain shot through my side. I reached out to grab her foot to trip her, but Morlet stepped on my wrist. The witch jumped on top of me, pulling my hair and hissing at me.
I twisted my hips and flipped on top of her, pinning her down. Morlet grabbed me from behind, lifting me off her. He held me against his body while I thrashed my arms and legs, trying to break free.
Skog Heks scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild, skin flushed. “I want her in my chamber.”
“No,” Morlet responded. “I’m taking her to the tower so we can finish this.”
Her shoulders rose and fell as she stared at me with hatred in her dark eyes.
“Do I need to remind you that I am the one with your magic? If you want it back, stand down.”
Her head jerked back, startled. “You do not order me around,” she snapped. “Fine. Let’s go to the tower, but I’m going to play with her.” Her eyes gleamed with pleasure.
Morlet tensed. This wasn’t good. The king dragged me to a narrow staircase. “Why did you attack her?” he whispered in my ear as we started climbing.
I refused to answer. At the top of the winding staircase, we came to a circular room. Twelve open windows revealed the sun hadn’t yet risen. Chains were attached to the stones under each one. In the center of the room were black markings I’d never seen before. Morlet shoved me inside.
Six soldats entered and spread throughout the room. Skog Heks stalked toward me. I raised my hands, and Morlet wrapped his arms around my body, holding my arms down.
“Let me go!” I threw my head back, head butting him. When his grip loosened, I angled sideways and elbowed him. Hooking my leg around his, I seized his wrist, about to flip him over my shoulder. Something zapped through my body, paralyzing me. I crumbled to the ground.
Skog Heks hovered over me. “My turn.” She kicked my ribs, and I grunted in pain. She laughed as she repeatedly kicked me until something cracked. Grabbing my hair, she lifted my head a foot off the ground and then slammed it down onto the stone floor. Pain exploded and white dots floated around in my eyes.
There was nothing I could do to defend myself.
“Enough,” Morlet said. “I need her to be able to link power with the others.” He knelt next to me, his hand on my shoulder. A slow ebb of warmth seeped into my body. Was Morlet healing me? Maybe he wanted to ensure I didn’t die.
The witch spit on my face. “Foolish girl. I will destroy every last wretched human in this kingdom. You are powerless to stop me.” She kicked my face, and my world went dark.
Chapter Sixteen
Frigid liquid filled my mouth, cascading down my throat. My eyes flew open as a jolt of energy surged through me. Anders’s eyes loomed above my body. “Am I dreaming?” I croaked.
He held a finger to his lips while slipping his free arm under my back and lif
ting me to a sitting position. A stinging sensation radiated down my side, but it was manageable.
“The concoction I gave you will only last for thirty minutes or so,” he whispered in my ear. “We must be off the grounds before then because your pain will once again become unbearable.” Anders wore snug-fitting black material that covered his entire body, including his hands and head, leaving only his face exposed. He carefully pulled me to my feet. Six soldats lay on the floor, each with a dart sticking out of his neck.
“Put this on.” He handed me black fabric similar to his. “Morlet is bringing up the other Krigers as we speak.”
I stripped out of my bloody clothing, not caring that Anders watched. With shaking hands, I slid on the constricting material, pulling the close-fitting fabric over my head, making sure my hair was covered.
Instead of going to the stairs, Anders waved me between two windows. “Outside, next to this window, the tower meets the main section of the castle. We must stay in the corner where the shadows will conceal us.” The sun had not yet risen and darkness blanketed the land. “I’ll go first,” Anders said. “After I’m out, place your feet on my shoulders. I will bear your weight on the way down.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“If you’re in too much pain, I can carry you.”
I shook my head.
“What is it?”
“I’m a fool,” I admitted. “I fell for Morlet’s tricks.”
Anders’s face softened. “I think you’re incredibly strong. It’s your desire to see the good in people that makes you special.”
Voices echoed from the stairwell. Anders grabbed the rope nailed to the stone window ledge. He slid his legs over the side and descended. Hopefully, the concoction he gave me was potent enough to hold my body together until I escaped.
I climbed onto the ledge and slid my legs over the side. There wasn’t any pain, which was both frightening and comforting. As soon as my feet found Anders’s shoulders, he started to descend. I grabbed the rope to keep my body steady.
The sentries on the roof carried torches, but they didn’t notice us since we were dressed in black fabric that blended in with the coloring of the castle.
Something oozed into my eye, and I wiped it away. My gloved hand was covered in blood. My head must be bleeding, and I couldn’t even feel it. Not wanting to panic and risk falling, I ignored the thick liquid dripping down my brow and focused on putting one hand below the other as we descended the rope. We had one more level to go.
Anders froze as three sentries passed below us. He held the end of the rope over his shoulder so it didn’t reach the ground where someone could stumble against it. For once, I was glad he was an assassin and knew how to enter and exit a fortified compound unnoticed. His body shook ever so slightly from supporting my body weight.
He started to lower us again, this time much faster than before. The guards were probably on a rotation, and he knew exactly how long we had until they passed by again. I moved my hands as fast as I could, trying to help. When his feet hit the ground, he reached up and brought me down beside him.
Anders unsheathed a dagger from his boot and threw it toward the top of the rope, slicing it through. The knife plummeted to the ground, and I picked it up while he shoved the severed rope under a nearby bush.
Crouching low, we sprinted away from the castle toward a cluster of rocks. I dropped to my knees, resting against them as Anders surveyed the surrounding area. Breathing became difficult, and my vision blurred. A ragged scream pierced the air. Morlet must have discovered I was gone. His shadow passed by one of the tower’s open windows. We didn’t have long until his entire army was searching for me.
Anders placed his hand on my shoulder. “Ready?”
I couldn’t speak. My stomach and head were throbbing with pain. He pulled me to my feet and pointed to the right. I nodded, and we started running. All of my energy focused on staying upright and following Anders. When we reached a tall oak tree, we stopped. Leaning against the trunk, an odd sensation washed over me.
“Morlet is searching for me,” I said. “Do you have the medallion?”
“No. Too risky. Perhaps you can block him.”
“I didn’t think that was possible.”
He shrugged. “The other Krigers can’t communicate with Morlet like you can. I tend to think the rules don’t apply to you, and anything is possible.”
“Do you have any idea how to block him?”
“Instead of projecting your power outward, keep it around you like a shield.” He glanced to the left. “Let’s go.”
We started running.
Reaching inside myself, I coaxed my power to my hands and envisioned wrapping it around my body like a blanket. A wave of dizziness overcame me. Anders grabbed my arm, keeping me upright. I continued to use my power to form a protective layer around me, having no idea if it worked or not. I no longer felt Morlet searching for me, but my body was in so much pain, I couldn’t be sure.
We finally reached the wall surrounding the castle grounds. Anders motioned for me to stay put. I nodded, and he slunk away. Three guards fell from the top of the wall, hitting the ground with a horrific thud. I refused to look at their still bodies. A moment later, Anders was at my side with a rope and crossbow.
“I had them hidden under a bush,” he explained. He attached the rope to an arrow and shot it to the top of the wall. I heard a soft ping as it stuck into the stone. Anders pulled on the rope, ensuring it would hold our weight. Satisfied, he turned to me. “Can you climb?”
I tried to pull myself up, but my arms were like blades of grass.
“Luckily, you’re light. Get on.” He crouched to the ground, and I leaned on his back, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He tied the end of the rope around both our bodies, securing me to him. The muscles in his back flexed as he scaled the wall, pulling us up with his arms.
When we reached the top, he flung the rope to the other side, and we quickly descended.
The sun started to rise, turning the sky a dull gray. Shouts rang out, and the sound of a horn blasted through the air. The army was getting into formation. Anders started moving at a frantic pace. The sound of hundreds of boots marching on the ground came from somewhere to the right.
At the base of the wall, Anders untied the rope, and I slid to the ground, my legs mush. He dragged me along, and we stumbled down a small slope until we reached the moat surrounding the outside of the castle wall.
His eyes darted around, surveying the area. “Come on.” He lowered himself into the water. “Be careful not to splash. Soldats are probably close by.” Worry flashed in his eyes.
Attempting a smile to reassure him, I crawled into the frigid water. I tried moving my arms and legs, but pain engulfed me, making it difficult to move. It seemed as if I’d been cut in two and my head had been crushed by a rock. I slipped under the water, unable to swim.
Anders wrapped his strong arm around my chest, just under my arms, lifting my head out of the moat. He swam, hauling me along with him. If we were caught, he would die because of me.
“Take a deep breath,” he commanded. I inhaled, and he shoved me under the water, holding me down, my lungs screaming for air. After a few long seconds, he tilted my head back so only the top portion of my face surfaced, allowing me to breathe. Anders did the same, his face right next to mine. Soldats searched alongside the moat looking for me. We stayed in that position, with only our noses and mouths above the water, until they moved far enough away. Anders started swimming again, pulling me along with him.
We reached the other side. He waited a few minutes, observing the area, before climbing out of the water and dragging me out behind him. Remaining on our stomachs, we crawled forward through the tall grass. The city was only fifty feet or so in front of us. Several men held torches, searching the open area. The nearest one was only a short distance away. When Anders froze, I froze. When he moved, I moved.
My arms and l
egs started violently shaking. A sharp, shooting pain pierced my stomach. Curling into a ball, I tried not to scream. Blood continued to drip down my forehead.
“The medicine is wearing off,” Anders whispered near my ear. “Climb on top of me. I’ll get us to the streets. From there, it will be easy to hide.”
I nodded, unable to speak, and shimmied on top of Anders’s back. Tears streamed down my cheeks. His muscles tensed as he moved, trying to remain quiet and unseen. Dogs barked in the distance, and he started crawling faster. If the castle hounds were searching for us, they’d lead the soldats straight to the moat. From there, it wouldn’t take them long to figure out I’d swum across. My head pounded, and my ribs ached. Anders patted my shoulder and eased me off his back.
He stood, lifting me in his arms. We were next to a building at the edge of the city. “I need to get you to a healer.” He sprinted alongside the building, turning down the next street.
The pain intensified, and my eyes rolled back. I gasped, the sound wheezy. I was going to die.
“It’s not far from here,” Anders whispered. He ran, careful to stay hidden in the shadows of the tall apartment buildings. Occasionally, he would stop or hide in a doorway. I closed my eyes, attempting to use my power to heal myself. I couldn’t focus long enough to force my power to do anything.
Anders opened a door and entered a dark room. We descended a flight of stairs. Metal rattled, and then I heard a door open and close. He descended another flight of stairs, the air turning cool and smelling of damp earth.
“Where are we?” I mumbled.
“We’re in the tunnels below the capital.”
“Tunnels?”
“We have men working in the mines who have dug tunnels under the capital. There are also tunnels from the natural springs that used to flow underground decades ago. We use the tunnels to get in and out of the capital, hide from soldats, and communicate with each other.”
I remembered the first time I met Anders and the tunnel we used from the tailor’s shop to the brothel. “There are others like you?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the pain.
Rise Page 16
