A World Apart (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 1)

by Tolle, Steven A.

  The Imp had the half-men put the selected soldier on a horse. Keria saw the demon say something to the terrorized young man, pointing to the carriage. The soldier nodded, then turned and raced away to the north, as fast as the horse would go.

  The Imp was joined by three more demons and their followers. They had the half-men gather some horses to replace the dead ones on the carriage. While the half-men complied, the demon that captured her climbed back into the carriage. Shortly, the carriage was moving deeper into the Forest.

  "Obey my commands and you will not be hurt. Disobey and I will give you to my followers as a plaything." The Imp said, sitting across from her, black eyes glittering. "Do you understand me, Princess?" Keria nodded fearfully.

  "My father will pay you any ransom you ask." Keria said softly, hesitantly.

  The demon laughed, cold and cruel. "I am sure he would, but what makes you think we want ransom, foolish girl?"

  "Then why have I been taken, if not for ransom?" Keria asked, frightened to hear the answer.

  "Simple, girl. You're bait." The demon said, smiling that frightening smile.

  "Bait? Bait for who?" She whispered.

  The demon only smiled wider.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  In the dim light of the candles, Keria was lying down on the stone bench in her windowless cell, trying to gather her courage, not knowing whether it was day or night. In the silence, she heard voices on the other side of the door, coming closer. A chill descended on her, her body shivering uncontrollably, and she knew that a demon was coming for her.

  She had arrived the day before, after a three-day ride. She had tried to leave clues behind, circumspectly pulling off some beads from her dress and dropping them on the ground, terrified that she would be caught. Despite her fear, she had been treated correctly, despite the leering and comments of the half-men.

  When she arrived, she had been placed in the care of female guards and taken to the cell. The guards were like the half-men, with that slightly crazed look, clearly under the influence of the demons. She had food brought for her. She was given a bucket of water to wash up and a plain woolen dress and sandals as a change of clothes.

  After ensuring that no one could see her, she had stripped off her clothes, dirty and stained with blood, and used the water to quickly bathe. After her old clothes and bucket were taken away, she had no contact with anyone.

  Steeling her resolve, reminding herself that she was a princess and needed to act like it, she stood as she heard the lock on her cell rattle. She watched as the guards came in, standing on either side of the door. The doorway seemed to darken, the candles fading, as a figure entered her cell, ducking its head.

  She quivered with terror as it rose to its full height, standing nearly eight feet tall. It was dressed in a dark, belted robe, but she could tell that it was muscular, with broad shoulders. Its hands were large, ending with short, sharp-looking claws. Its face was surprising human-like, though hairless, with only its black eyes and pointed teeth standing out.

  "You are indeed lovely, Princess; more than the reports had indicted." The figure said quietly, its deep voice echoing off the stone walls of her cell. "I am Creatos, the lord of this place. You are my guest and to be treated properly until I have the boy. I plan on giving you to him as an incentive to obey me, so I want you unharmed…" it chuckled, an ugly sound "…and unspoiled."

  Creatos reached over to touch her face, caressing it. Keria fought down the urge to scream. "Lovely, indeed. If he is stupid enough to refuse, I may keep you for myself after I kill him." The demon said with a leer.

  Keria was terrified, but forced herself to ask. "What boy is that?"

  Creatos laughed, the sound chilling Keria's soul. "The boy from the other world, of course, this Jake Thomas."

  …

  It was late afternoon when Jake and Dominic rode up to the North Gate. They had stayed on the main roads, Dominic deciding speed was better than stealth this time. They had made good time, with Jake appreciating sleeping in a bed at the inns and waystations rather than on the ground.

  The guards saluted Dominic when he approached. Dominic returned the salute as he rode past, Jake right behind him. Dominic wanted to speak with Jonas first, before word of their return spread, so they headed directly to the Temple. They rode up to the side of the Temple and dismounted. Tying the horses off at the fence, they went through the gate and straight to Jonas' apartment.

  Dominic knocked on the door, waiting a few moments, then knocked again. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned and went into the Temple. He went over to the first cleric he saw, a pretty woman in her early thirties. The woman gave a start at seeing him, then smiled warmly.

  "Sister, where is Jonas?" Dominic asked politely.

  "He has gone to the palace to meet with the king, Dominic. He will likely be there until this evening." She replied, voice kind. "You can wait for him in the library if you like."

  Dominic mulled it over for a moment. "Thank you, Sister, but we will go to Mastersmith Norlan's home." He finally said. "Would you please inform Jonas that we are back when he returns?"

  "Of course, Dominic." She said, giving him a slight bow.

  "Is Hailyn here?" Jake asked, looking around.

  "She is currently busy in the healing clinic." The cleric said, smiling at Jake's question. "I will let her know you have returned when she is done with her duties."

  "Let's go, boy." Dominic said, gesturing towards the door. "I'm sure that Madalin will take it out of my hide if I do not bring you to her right away, to show her that you are still in one piece."

  They went out, mounted up and rode over to Norlan's. Jake noticed the surprised looks and whispers as they rode through the city. Remembering that some blamed him for the attack on the city, he hoped those stares and whispers were only for Dominic's return.

  After they tied off the horses, they headed to the front door and Dominic knocked on it. After a few moments, Madalin opened the door. Her eyes widened as she took in the two of them standing there, clearly stunned to see them, then without a word, came over to Jake and pulled him into a tight hug.

  Jake returned the embrace, surprised to see tears in her eyes when she let him go, a wide smile on her face. She went over to hug Dominic as well, thanking him for returning Jake safely.

  "Come inside, both of you." She said, wiping away her tears. "Are you hungry? I can make you something."

  "We had some rations on the road, Madalin." Dominic said. "There is no need to make anything special." He glanced around. "Is Norlan at the smithy?"

  "Yes." She replied. "I can go get him."

  "I can get him faster on Shadow." Dominic said, turning back to the horses. "Spend some time catching up with the boy."

  Madalin led Jake into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. Before he knew it, she had a plate of fruit and some sweets in front of him. As he gratefully ate, he wondered where Cherise was and asked.

  "She is at a friend's house tonight." Madalin said, a smile on her face as she put her hand on Jake's. "She started her apprenticeship a couple of weeks after you left. She has become close to one of the other girls there. I'm so happy she has found a friend her age."

  Her smile faded and she sighed, then continued. "She still has nightmares about the attack, but gets a little better each day. She takes the dog with her when she leaves the house, but her instructors and her friend's family are very understanding."

  They sat there talking, Jake telling her all that had happened to him since he left. They were discussing his return trip when Norlan and Dominic came in the door, Norlan carrying something wrapped in a blanket. Jake stood up to greet Norlan and was pulled into a hug.

  "It is good to see you whole and healthy, Jake." Norlan said when he released him. He set his bundle on the table, unrolling the blanket. Jake saw that there were two sets of sheathed swords and daggers, each attached to the black leather belt wrapped around it. Norlan picked up one of the sets and turned to Dominic.<
br />
  "Apparently, this Tomaris sent Jonas a recipe for an alloy that he claims is stronger than steel, even though it is much lighter. It looks like Jake has armor made of it." Norlan said, nodding towards Jake. "Jonas passed it along to me. It took some time to get the ingredients and we only had enough to make these swords and daggers, but it was marvelous to work with. This is Helman's master piece." He held it out to Dominic. "I give this to you in thanks for keeping Jake safe."

  Dominic took it and drew the sword. The double-edge blade was a little longer that Dominic's current blade, but it was bright, similar to Jake's armor. Dominic balanced it on his fingers, then swung it a few times, apparently liking what he felt. He put it back into its scabbard, then gave Norlan a courtly bow. "It is a princely gift, Mastersmith. I will use it with pride."

  Norlan nodded, then turned to Jake. He picked up the other set and held it out. "This one is for you, Jake, for rescuing Cherise. I made the sword and dagger myself."

  Jake took it, noting its lightness. He removed his old swordbelt and belted on the new one. He partially drew the sword, the blade sharp and bright, the hilt feeling secure in his hand. He resheathed it and turned to Norlan. "Thank you, Norlan. I'm not a swordsman like Dominic, but will try to make you proud."

  Norlan, smiling, clapped him on the shoulder. "You already have, Jake."

  Madalin cleared away the blanket and had them sit down. She brought out some wine and cups to celebrate their return. They were quietly catching up when there was a knock on the door. Norlan went over to open it and Jonas came in, followed by Hailyn.

  Dominic rose and went to greet Jonas, exchanging a quick embrace. Jonas also embraced Jake, a warm smile on his face.

  "It is good to see you again, Jake." Jonas said, looking closely at him. "You seem healthy and Tomaris wrote that you have gained good control over your power."

  "I hope so, Jonas." Jake replied. "It's nice to see you again, as well."

  Jonas, smiling, went over to the table to greet Madalin, Dominic and Norlan following. Hailyn had stopped when they entered, but when Jake smiled at her, she came over to him and threw her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. He returned the embrace, then gently broke it, conscious of the rest watching them. Hailyn smiled back, then flushed when she saw Jonas watching with a knowing look on his face. They went over to the table, joining the rest. Hailyn helped Madalin prepare the food while Dominic and Jake told Jonas and Norlan about their time at Tomaris' Keep.

  After Jake helped Madalin with the dishes, they decided to head outside to enjoy the night air. As they were sitting and talking quietly on the patio, they heard the sound of a large number of horses riding up. Dominic was on his feet in a flash, striding towards the side gate, the rest of them right behind. Jake saw that there were at least twenty Royal Guards sitting on horseback. Jake was surprised to see Sir Alleon enter through the gate. He came up to Dominic, giving him a salute, his face carrying none of the good humor that Jake recalled from the encounter on the road.

  "Dominic, I have orders to bring you and your charge to the palace." Alleon said unhappily. "You must come with me now."

  While Dominic simply stared at Alleon, not saying anything, Jonas interjected. "What is this about, Sir Alleon? I was at the palace this afternoon and no mention of this was brought to me."

  "I cannot answer that, Brother Jonas." Alleon said. "All I know is that a rider came up from the south about an hour ago. Shortly thereafter, I was ordered to find Dominic."

  "Do your orders say anything about me?" Jonas asked.

  "More Guards were sent to the Temple." Alleon replied. "I assume that their orders were the same as mine."

  "If we must do this, let's get it finished." Dominic said, shaking his head. "I take it that we are not under arrest, Alleon?"

  "I was given no such order, Dominic." Alleon said. "Only that I was to make you and Jake come to the palace immediately, even if I had to use force." He looked decidedly uncomfortable with that.

  "That will not be necessary, Sir Alleon." Jonas said smoothly. "We will come right now."

  "Should I come?" Norlan asked. "I am as responsible for Jake as the others."

  "My orders did not say one way or another, Mastersmith." Alleon replied. "Come if you like."

  The four men went over to Shadow and Dontas. Norlan climbed up behind Jake while Dominic took Jonas on Shadow. They came back over to Alleon, who had the Royal Guards form up around them and started off towards the palace.

  Dominic rode next to Alleon. "How was the west, Alleon?" He asked quietly. "When did you return?"

  "It was quiet, actually. I saw more flies than anything else." Alleon replied, some good humor returning, relieved that they were moving. "I arrived back around two weeks ago. I was actually called back to court around three weeks ago, but I was delayed a few days in leaving. I was told to leave my men behind, so I had to make sure everything was in order."

  "Why were you ordered back?" Dominic asked, a frown on his face.

  "I was told when I arrived that I was supposed to have commanded the princess' security detail, but I missed the departure." Alleon said. "Apparently, they got Armartas to leave the stables and do it instead."

  "Then why send for you in the first place?" Dominic mused. "There are others here, besides Armartas, who could have done it."

  "You know how court works." Alleon said, softly laughing. "I was in the west, so I could not argue against it."

  They arrived at the palace to find it a hub of activity. Soldiers were going to and fro, all looking serious. They dismounted and went inside, Dominic walking with Alleon, the others right behind them. They arrived at the Great Hall doors and were shown in immediately.

  The king was sitting on his throne, looking pale and haunted, Lord Genela standing next to him. The buzz in the room faded as they approached the throne. As they approached, Jake saw Marcus standing near the dais, his face a mask of anger. He stared at Jake as he got closer, his expression not changing. Jake started to get a bad feeling about this.

  They halted before the king and made their bows. Alleon stepped forward and said. "As I was commanded, Your Majesty, I have brought Dominic and the boy Jake. Brother Jonas and Mastersmith Norlan also have come as guardians of Jake."

  "What is this about?" Dominic demanded, voice hard.

  "Peace, Dominic." Genela replied, raising his hands, glancing at the king. "We have received disturbing news. On her return trip from the south, the princess was captured by demons and her escort destroyed. The lone survivor was released to tell us their demands."

  Jake suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Keria kidnapped and in the hands of the demons. Captain Armartas, whom Jake liked, dead.

  Genela pointed at Jake. "Our enemies have demanded that we turn over this boy. If we do, the princess will be released unharmed. If not, then they will send her back in pieces."

  Jake stood there, stunned. He now understood why Marcus was upset; this was his fault. He made to say he would accept when Dominic spoke.

  "Since when do we do what our enemies demand?" He said loudly, voice tinged with anger. "I will not allow the boy to be made a sacrifice, no matter who it would save."

  "That choice is not yours to make, Dominic." Genela said sharply. "The king will decide." He motioned to the guards, who started to come towards them. "Until that time, we will keep the boy here at the palace."

  Dominic stepped away from the group and drew his sword, the blade catching the light, the guards hesitating when they saw that. "I am the boy's champion, Genela." He said loudly, so all could hear. "I will not permit you to take him." The hall went silent and all eyes looked up to the throne.

  Alleon stood there, staring at Dominic, stunned as they all were. Jake reached for his sword, but Jonas grabbed his hand. "Don't make this worse." He said firmly.

  He strode over to Dominic. "Put that away, Dom." He demanded. Dominic and Jonas traded looks, then, with a nod, Dominic sheathed his sword.

  Stepping back i
n front of the group, Jonas stabbed his staff down, the silver cap ringing on the polished stone floor, golden light shining brightly as his embraced his power. "I have heard much from you, Lord Genela, but I have not heard anything from the king." He said, voice even. "I want to hear what he has to say."

  "Until His Majesty and I come to an understanding, I place the boy under the protection of the Temple." Jonas announced, staring grimly at Genela. "To try to seize him will mean that you seek to violate the Agreement and I will have to take steps to defend it."

  That statement seemed to rouse the king. He waved off the guards and Genela, his face now angry. "They have my daughter, Brother Jonas, and I will do what I must to rescue her." He stated, tone sharp. "But I will not be the one to violate the Agreement."

  "I have no wish to challenge you, Your Majesty, but I cannot allow an innocent life to be thrown away to satisfy our enemies." Jonas said more softly, sympathy in his voice. "I know that you are heartbroken, but please do not do anything rash."

  "What do you suggest I do?" The king demanded, rising from his throne and coming down to stand in front of Jonas.

  "If you are willing, we should send a party in force to win her back." Jonas said. "I will accompany them myself, along with other clerics, to battle the demons and try to free the princess. It is better to fall fighting them than to acquiesce to their demands."

  The king smiled grimly. "Then we are of the same mind. I have already ordered two hundred soldiers to be ready at first light to ride to the Forest where she was taken. You and as many clerics as you think appropriate will be a welcome addition."

  "Also, a messenger will be sent to mobilize all of our southern garrisons. Once they are ready, I plan to sweep the entire Forest to drive out the demons and their followers. I will burn it to the ground if that is what it takes." He finished, face set.