Steel Maiden

by Kim Richardson

  “Really?” I wasn’t surprised. “The Anglians were lucky to have kept their way of life after the rebellion. They still live in the exact same way with all their gold and their grand houses. Nothing really changed for them. They weren’t forced into the Pit to rot like us.”

  “No, they weren’t, that’s true,” he answered. “Those with gold used it to their advantage when the greedy priests came to collect. The wealthy kingdoms signed a treaty with the priests and paid to keep their lands and way of life.”

  “Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.”

  I pictured Landon and Thea laughing and drinking his fine wine from golden goblets as they looked out over his vast vineyards and crystal castle.

  “Not really,” he shook his head. “It’s more about biding their time. Would it surprise you to know that most of the noble families want the monarchy back in power?”

  I stopped walking and turned to him.

  “It would, yes. But…Where are you getting this information? I mean, since when did you become an expert in everything royal?”

  Had I been blind all these years not to have noticed? Had I been too preoccupied with my own agenda to have seen this coming? Could it even be true?

  A sad smile spread across his face.

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Elena.”

  His comment stung a little, but I kept a straight face. He started walking again, and I followed.

  “I’m sure there is,” I said.

  I thought about my own secret and wondered if one day I’d be able to trust him enough to tell him the truth.

  “I conduct transactions… I do business with a lot of wealthy families from time to time,” he informed after a moment of silence.

  This came as a surprise to me. I furrowed my brows. “What kind of business?”

  He chose not to answer my question. What kind of business did he mean?

  “I meet with them on a regular basis,” he said and raked his fingers through his dark locks.

  “I know you look at me and see a nothing but a street thug,” he said quietly. “I’ve seen the way you look at Landon, and it’s not the same way you look at me.”

  I felt an edge of jealousy in his tone, and I felt my ears burn.

  I didn’t know what to say. It was true. That’s how I’d always thought about him. And now that I knew that Landon was a prince, it did make things more … complicated.

  “But there’s more to what I do in the Pit, and why. There’s a reason why I keep a close relationship with the priests, you know, and it’s not because I admire their wardrobe.”

  “Such as?” I didn’t care to hide my skepticism.

  “Such as I need to keep them close to know what they’re up to.”

  He paused and then added, “And there are other reasons, too. But I can’t tell you, not yet at least.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I said firmly.

  “It means that there are things that I can’t tell you yet,” he said abruptly. “Things that are not entirely up to me to tell you, to discuss with you.”

  I snapped my head back to him. “I doubt that. You’ve never needed anyone to tell you what to do.”

  “This is different.”

  “How so?” I pressed.

  “I can’t talk about it.”

  I shook my head. “You’re so infuriating. What can you say then?”

  A sly smile spread across his face. “Did you know that Prince Landon isn’t the only royal in this race?”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. “What? You mean in the Anglian group? Prince Landon has siblings?”

  Mad Jack laughed, and I found myself smiling.

  “No, in the other groups. There’s Philippe Touraine, Duke of Fransia.” He pointed to a short, stout man with too much lace around his high collar.

  “And over there is Enrico Caserta, Duke of Romila.” He pointed to a tall and handsome young man around my age.

  “The big one over there,” he pointed to a giant of a man with light hair and fair skin, “that is Otto Sassen. He’s the would-be-king of Girmania.”

  “And over there,” he pointed behind us cautiously. “The older gentleman with the hat is Bartolomeu Dias, a nobleman from the royal household of Purtula.”

  “The only female royal here is Isabella Velasques, Princess of Espan.” He motioned towards a tall, dark-skinned woman who carried more weapons than Mad Jack and I together. Her eyes were fierce, and she resembled a warrior more than a princess. I remembered her from the first day of the race. Her eyes had sparkled with curiosity when she looked at me then.

  If he hadn’t pointed them out to me, I would never have known.

  It was obvious Mad Jack knew much more than he let on, and much more about the royal families, too.

  “Why would any of these royal families risk their lives in this race? Why are they even here if they want to restore the monarchy?”

  “Same reason as everyone else, for the stone. I think that getting the stone is part of bringing the monarchy back. Well, in essence at least.”

  “How so?”

  “Well,” said Mad Jack. “The stone is called the Heart of Arcania because it is a talisman that represents power. To possess it would bring great honor to the winning kingdom. It would bring back hope to the kingdoms who had lost it when the priests turned everything to hell. No one has ever been able to claim it before. It would show strength to claim a prize that even the priests had failed to grasp. And if someone actually does manage to retrieve it, then I think it’ll signal a new beginning.”

  We walked in silence. The high priest had told me that the stone was a symbol of power, too. But what if it was more than that? Would the royal families risk their lives for a stone that was merely symbolic? Or was there more to this mysterious stone?

  CHAPTER 22

  WE PASSED THE REST of the day in agreeable conversation, reminiscing about our childhood in the Pit. I was surprised at how much Mad Jack and I had in common. We both grew up poor. We both got into loads of trouble as kids. We both stole fresh bread from Mr. Aird’s bakery, and both our parents were dead. (I didn’t tell him that my father was a priest. To me he was just as good as dead.) His mother had died of the fever eight years ago, and his father had died a year later in a fishing accident.

  After a while I noticed that Will and Leo were walking alongside us. They had been listening in on our conversations, and now they began adding their own thoughts every now and then. I wondered if they knew of Mad Jack’s involvement with some kind of revolution. The three of them were as thick as thieves, and as we talked some more, it became very clear that they did.

  They never spoke to me directly. It was always more along the lines of ask her, and tell her, and the occasional would she… It became clear that they distrusted me and even feared me because they had seen me bring the crown to Mad Jack. They were suspicious because they couldn’t explain just exactly how I had acquired it. Those touched by sorcerer’s fire died, and here I was—still alive.

  Their apparent hatred for witches or anything remotely magical made me nervous. I had hoped to keep my secret hidden at least until the end of the race when I put this damn stone into the high priest’s hands. The priests had been drilling the idea that magic was evil into our young heads since I can remember, so Will and Leo’s fear of me was understandable. Magic bearers were demons. Anyone involved with magic had always been executed—until me.

  At nightfall, we made camp in a miraculously green glade. As usual I set out my bedroll away from everyone else. I was able to make a fire easily because it had been so dry. But the nights were surprisingly cold, and I was grateful for the warmth of my little fire.

  I had caught Landon throwing glances my way a few times during our excursion today, but his face had been unreadable. I suspected that he felt what had happened between us had truly been a mistake.

  It didn’t help that I felt ashamed, too. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help the heat that flushed
my face whenever our eyes met. I’d been a fool to think there could ever be more between us. He was a prince while I was a peasant and probably a witch.

  My stomach growled, and I attempted to ease my hunger with tea. Tea, I had plenty of. Food on the other hand was scarce, and I was too proud to beg for it. It’s not like I wasn’t used to starving, I could always manage to find food if I had to.

  I was conscious that Mad Jack seemed to have taken it upon himself to watch out for me, not that I was going to need it. I wasn’t planning on another fling with the prince. But I was surprised that I wasn’t annoyed by his supervision. In fact, I was rather pleased that he was keeping an eye on me. I didn’t feel so utterly alone.

  We reached Hollowmere City near noon of the second day, earlier than I’d first thought. Although the sun was hidden in dark clouds, the city itself was alight with blazing yellow fires. We marched through the iron gates in silence. It was a wretched city surrounded by iron walls, and the fires we had seen as we arrived turned out to be burning above the countless tombs that dominated the landscape.

  I couldn’t see any bodies, but I could smell the dead flesh. Bone dust blew in the unforgiving winds. And when I inspected the ground more closely, I could see that the cause of the dust in the air was bones that had been shattered. It was as though someone had taken a great hammer and crushed them. The air smelled of sulfur and rotten flesh. There must have been the bones of thousands of bodies littering the city. Where had they come from? And who lit the fires?

  “This place smells like death. Is it what you expected?”

  Mad Jack’s expression was just as alarmed as mine. I regretted sharing my doubts and fears with him, but it was too late now…

  “I’m not sure what I expected,” I answered truthfully.

  A cold shiver rolled down my spine, and I tried not to panic. “There’s no life here, only death. I feel like I’m staring at a glimpse of hell.”

  “I think you’re right.” Mad Jack stiffened. “This place gives me the creeps. It feels like all the happiness would drain out of me if I stayed here, you know. Like this place feeds on it.”

  There was no use pretending that I didn’t feel it too.

  “Yes,” I nodded absentmindedly. “I know exactly what you mean. I can feel it too. It’s like a perpetual doom is waiting for us, waiting to devour our souls.”

  “Makes you wonder what the hell we’re doing here, don’t it?” I turned to see Will and Leo walking towards us.

  “This place is unnatural. I’m sure that witches live here. See all those bones? That’s their doing. They eat us and spit out our souls. I can feel their wickedness all around. It’s everywhere. We shouldn’t be here.”

  Leo’s pale eyes met Mad Jack’s. “Hope you’re sure about this.”

  The two men watched one another in what I believed to be a silent argument. The stiffness in Leo’s shoulders revealed that he wasn’t here of his own accord. Perhaps they came at Mad Jack’s orders.

  “Smells vile,” said Leo. He wiped his nose rudely with the back of his hand.

  “Best be moving if you don’t want to fall behind.”

  “Why don’t we wait here and let them fools get the stone for us,” said Will. “Then we can steal it from them. Makes more sense to me that way. Why should we risk our necks for a bloody stone, anyway?”

  It was the same train of thought that I had had earlier. I was surprised at how openly they discussed their plans in front of me.

  “Forget it,” growled Mad Jack with such authority that the other two men were silenced. “Stick to the plan.”

  Pinching the stone wasn’t a bad plan, and I was pretty sure we weren’t the only ones who had thought of it.

  “Are you ready?” he startled me. “This is where the real race begins.”

  I’d been staring out into the city, lost in my own thoughts.

  “Not really,” I said, which was the truth, and I tore my gaze away from his. “But what choice do I have?”

  Not for the first time, I wished I were back in the Pit with Rose, conversing about our simple and uneventful lives.

  “Everyone will be out for blood. It won’t matter if they’re a prince or a princess or a street peddler from the market—don’t let your guard down for anyone.”

  “Even you?” I said dryly.

  Mad Jack clenched his jaw. “Don’t worry about me. Focus on what you need to do and get out.”

  My jaw dropped, and I didn’t try to hide my surprise. “Don’t you want the stone?”

  Mad Jack drew his sword.

  “We’d best be moving. Watch your back, Elena. Don’t trust anyone.”

  He moved away with his trusted bodyguards at his side. Their job was to keep him safe, but their faces were pale and their weapons twitched nervously in their hands.

  I followed behind them, staying alert. I gasped when we reached the gates. I could see mountains of human bones inside the iron walls.

  Statues of dark gods and demons, temples, and tombs were scattered throughout the city. I had felt a darkness emanating from the witches’ carved poles when we had come across them earlier, but this was by far more terrifying. It was a nightmare. Human bones lay everywhere. Some were so old they looked like fossils, while others oozed with fresh flesh still clinging to them. And yet, there were no worshipers, no demons, nothing. I don’t know why, but this horrid place reminded me of the priests and the Temple of the Sun.

  A cold and heavy rain started to fall, and the bones of the people who had been sacrificed here lay in a filthy mixture of shadow and putrid water. I retched. My throat was burning with bile, and my eyes welled with water.

  We all gathered around the gates.

  The large man, Otto Sassen, pushed his way to the front with large battle-axes in both hands. The Duke of Fransia looked as if he were snickering as he let Otto and his people move towards the gates. Princess Isabella glared at me briefly as she whispered to the other Espanians.

  It was starting.

  I braced myself and followed the others through the iron gates.

  Hollowmere wasn’t a large city. It was more a village. A few stone structures had doors and windows, so people did live here, but it was hard to imagine anyone thriving here. There were still no signs of life. Hollowmere was more like a shrine where you went to sacrifice animals. The silence was unnerving.

  An array of fantastic gods and grotesque sculptures were etched into the walls. Their faces had been carved to ward off intruders and to make sure we knew we were being watched. But by whom?

  Fires blazed in iron braziers that were spaced randomly around the city. Someone had lit those fires. So where were they?

  I recognized the tallest building as the temple-like structure on my map. It was the complete opposite to the lavish golden temple in Soul City. This structure was made of high stone walls covered in stucco. It was a square building with a flat top and with a wide, double-stone staircase that led to a large archway. The architecture was simple, elegant, and unique.

  The stone was in there.

  It was obvious that everyone knew where the stone was being held. Nothing in this great race was secret. It seemed strange that a stone called the Heart of Arcania would be in such an obvious place. It didn’t make any sense.

  We were afraid that any sudden noise would jinx us, so we moved as quietly as we could. While I could see that everyone was uneasy about entering the building, they also watched their opponents with suspicion. The tension in the air and the gloom of this place gave me goose bumps.

  The Espanians and the Girmanians moved with purpose towards the temple. They moved faster and faster, until Otto sprinted ahead.

  I dropped my bag, drew my short sword, and started to jog. But something held me back. I felt eyes on me. I stopped and looked behind me. Nothing. But I felt it. There was something lurking in the shadows behind the stone buildings. Something waited.

  My senses screamed for me to run, but I stood there. I turned around. Mad Jack ha
d stopped, too. He was watching me, and his scowl showed that he felt the same fear as I did.

  “I think…” I frowned at him and fought the chill that ran down my arms. “I think this is a trap.”

  And just as the Girmanians and the Espanians arrived at the large stone steps of the temple, an army of men wearing billowing black cloaks and golden-skull masks jumped out at us from the shadows.

  CHAPTER 23

  THEY DROPPED FROM THE top of the temple like a rain of slashing silver swords. The sound of metal against flesh chilled me to the bone. The air filled with guttural shouts as many of our number died at the foot of the stairs. They were foaming at the mouths, convulsing, and screaming as the poison from the swords entered their blood streams. They never stood a chance.

  I was shoved and pushed. I cried out as someone elbowed me in the face. And in the confusion and screams, I stood frozen in panic for a moment. I knew what violence just one of these masked men was capable of.

  Blood trickled from my nose as I blinked away my tears and found my courage again.

  “Their blades are poisoned!” I shouted.

  Mad Jack looked confused for a second, then he ducked and parried the sword of a masked man. With surprising skill, he spun and ran his sword through the masked man’s back.

  “How do you know?” he shouted back.

  He blocked another attack from two masked men and drove them back. I watched as the masked men spread out like a shaken silk sheet. They spilled out of the building like an army of ants.

  “Because I’ve fought one of them before.”

  The blood pounded in my ears. I heard Mad Jack shout something to Leo and Will, but I couldn’t make it out over the screams and shouts that surrounded us.

  My attention shifted to the three masked men that came at me.

  I didn’t have time to think. I could only react. I raised my sword and parried the first fierce blow instinctively. My attacker’s cape entangled him for a second, but it was all I needed. I rammed my sword into his gut, and he spit out blood into my face. As he hit the ground next to me, I was already moving towards the other two.