by K M Reynolds
“Well, we don’t know anything. Truly. Our daughter disappeared months ago, with no word on where she was going or why. We don’t even know if she’s alive.”
“That’s unfortunate,” sighed Lord Bainbridge. “I was hoping we could help each other out.” He stood, motioning for Martin to do the same.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint, sir,” Martin replied, rising to his feet.
The blow came from behind, crashing into him with ferocity and causing Martin to stagger, clutching his side. Another blow came, and another, pummeling his head and abdomen. Martin dropped to his knees, bile rising in his throat as he tried not to regurgitate the full meal he had just enjoyed. A blow landed squarely between his legs and he couldn’t hold back the nausea anymore. Tears poured from his eyes as he heaved, wrapping his arms tightly around his body in a feeble effort to protect himself. The blows kept raining down, even after the contents of his stomach were long emptied. He tasted blood in his mouth and for a brief moment it felt like he was floating. Then the darkness swallowed him.
Chloe jumped as the heavy door swung open and footsteps shuffled down the damp stone corridor. The jailer huffed to her cell door and opened it, motioning her to her feet.
“Come on, you. It’s your turn.”
“Where’s Martin?” Chloe’s lips trembled and she stood, eyeing the jailer warily. “Where’s my husband?”
“You’ll be back with him soon enough.” He turned on his heel and waddled back the way he had come, calling over his shoulder, “Come on, now. Don’t make me drag you.”
Chloe followed him up out of the dungeon, her eyes burning as they emerged into the courtyard. Her mind was racing as she worried about Martin’s fate, and she paid no mind to the cold that stung her bare skin. They made their way into the castle and the jailer led her down a long hall. They stopped in front of a large door and Chloe realized she was salivating, and that delicious aromas were dancing in the air. The jailer flung the door wide to reveal a richly-robed man and a tall, thin woman seated at a table in a lavish ballroom, surrounded by a feast fit for the gods.
“Chloe, my dear, welcome!” the robed man smiled, his booming voice filling the room. “Thank you ever so much for joining us today!”
unrest
S weat dripped from Cambria’s brow and she clenched her jaw. In her mind’s eye, she pictured her parents, happy and laughing in their little bakery back in Redloch. As she concentrated, the image grew larger, surrounded by swirling colors until Cam thought she would be swallowed up in the rush. Just when she couldn’t take it anymore, everything stopped.
Cambria blinked, orienting herself to her surroundings. She was floating high above the ground, soaring just below the clouds. She cried out, flailing her arms in a blind panic as her stomach dropped within her. After a moment passed, she realized that she was not falling to her death, rather, she was effortlessly gliding along high above the land. Looking down she could make out a river snaking south from a mountain range, with a small town nestled beside it. She was descending slowly as she flew forward towards the mountains, and with a start she realized where she was. “Those are the Evermores, and that must be Willowdale.” A flock of snow geese flew below her in a tight formation, their white wings glittering in the sunlight. She watched them go, flying away until they vanished into the clouds.
The wind whistled in her ears as she flew north over the snow-capped mountains, and she shivered. Winter had come in full here in the mountains, and the air was bitter and cold. Below her, the once-vibrant green mountainsides were now striped with dark green and brown and frosted with white. Everything was still and silent, and she could smell the heady scents of evergreen and snow from her lofty position. She smiled, drinking in this unique vantage point. It looked like a painting, or something from a dream. Her pace began to slow as she continued her descent, and as she crested the last mountaintop she gasped. There in the valley below was the now-familiar sight of Greystone Castle, standing proudly beside Grey Lake. The lake had frozen over, and snow was piled high around the banks and the castle walls. She turned her head and could make out the town of Hampstead to the south, nestled in the valley. To the East, she could make out the mountain where she and the others had travelled with the Time Glass.
She continued her descent, trying to steer herself away from the castle but unable to divert her path. She flew closer and closer, as though pulled in by some kind of tether. My parents must be here in the castle, she realized as she flew toward the ramparts. Her stomach fluttered and she clenched her jaw, dreading discovery by a lookout. To her relief, there was not a guard in sight as she flew over the outer turrets. She closed her eyes and prepared to land on the inner stone wall, reaching out her arms to balance herself. She felt her feet touch down on the cold stones and she opened her eyes, ready to run. She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. A string of expletives burst from her lips and hot tears quickly gathered and spilled down her cheeks. She was back in Wynne’s den.
Chloe opened her swollen eyes, blinking heavily as her vision adjusted to the darkness. She heard Martin beginning to stir in his cell across the way, and she sat up. Searing pain ripped through her midsection and she gasped, clutching her abdomen. Gingerly, she ran her fingers over her body, assessing the damage. Broken ribs, bruised tailbone, aching muscles, split lip… She shuddered as she remembered the violent beating Lord Bainbridge and his associates had given her, after feeding her like a calf meant for slaughter. Bile rose in her throat as her mind replayed the cruel trick.
“Chloe, my love, are you okay?” Martin whispered, his deep voice echoing in the dungeon.
“Oh, thank The Five,” Chloe cried softly. “You are alive. I was so terribly worried when they didn’t bring you back.”
“Yes, I’m alive my love. A little worse for wear, but alive.”
“What did they do to you?”
Martin sighed. “It was a nasty trick. They had this feast…”
“Yes, they did the same to me,” Chloe interjected. “It was awful.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that too.” Martin’s voice cracked with emotion.
“It’s over now,” Chloe tried to reassure him. “We survived it.” She kept her voice calm, but her mind was screaming at her. What else do they have planned?
“Yes, you did survive,” a voice hissed from the darkness. “You survived because we wished it so.”
Chloe’s heart leapt into her throat and she cried out, “Who is it? Who’s there?”
The dungeon was suddenly awash with green light and Chloe blinked, squinting against the brilliance. There, standing in the corridor between their cells, was Thanaeron. She glanced back and forth between the captives, a wide grin splitting her skeletal features. Her black eyes glittered in the swirling emerald light that engulfed her.
“I wanted to be the one to tell you,” she hissed. “Your execution date has been set.”
“Execution date? What have we done?” Martin rose to his feet, shielding his eyes from the glare. “We are innocent!”
“You are bait,” Thanaeron snarled at him, whirling to face him head-on. “Your execution is to take place in thirty days, publicly, unless your traitor daughter and her companions turn themselves in to Lord Bainbridge and surrender to his mercy.”
“No!” Chloe cried. “I refuse to sacrifice her life for my own.”
Thanaeron turned her gaze to Chloe, smiling and pressing her fingertips together. “Well, that’s the beauty of it all. You won’t be. Whether or not she shows up, you both will die.” She gestured back and forth between Martin and Chloe. “The question is, will it be quick and merciful, or deliciously excruciating?”
“No! No, no, no!” Martin gasped, dropping to his knees. “You can’t!”
“Oh, can’t we?” Thanaeron sneered. “Your daughter and her companions have branded themselves as heroes. They will come to save you, and you will all die. That’s how stories like this work. I know their type, I’ve faced them befor
e. And I’m the one still standing.”
“Have mercy, she is just a child!” Martin pleaded.
“You are evil,” Chloe sobbed. “Pure evil.”
“And you are so… good. And look where that’s gotten you.” Thanaeron chuckled. “Anyway, I have to be going. Enjoy the rest of your stay, and do try not to die before the execution. It’s going to be glorious.” She snapped her fingers and vanished, plunging the dungeon back into darkness.
For several long moments, Chloe and Martin were both silent, absorbing the information Thanaeron had presented them with. Finally, Chloe spoke.
“Martin, what do we do?”
“We stay strong, dear heart. We don’t let them break us.”
“But what about Cambria?” Chloe’s voice cracked and she inhaled sharply, struggling to speak. “They are going to kill our baby.”
Chloe could hear the tears in Martin’s voice as he replied, “We will just have to pray to The Five that they keep her far, far away from this place.”
“You know our daughter, Martin. She will come if she believes it means she will save us. She would never knowingly let us die without trying to intervene.”
“Then let us pray that the news of our execution does not reach her until it is too late.”
Tears rolled freely down Chloe’s cheeks as she agreed, “Wherever she is, whatever her cause, I hope one day she and Addie are able to achieve it, especially if it means destroying these evil monsters that sit on the throne.” She paused, her breath shuddering. “I wish I knew more about what they are up to, but I’m glad I don’t. I just know I want them to win.”
“Indeed. I pray they will win, for all of Echaria’s sake.”
“Cambria, be reasonable,” Wynne sighed in exasperation, running her hands through her thick hair. “It would be irresponsible to go in blind, especially when we aren’t certain your parents are in there. The travel alone would be dangerous, especially since winter has arrived. Think this through.”
“Be reasonable?” Cambria screeched, flinging up her arms. “Be reasonable, Wynne? Really? Think this through? That’s what you have to say when I tell you my parents are being held by that bastard tyrant—”
“What would you have me say?” Wynne thundered back. “That we should just drop all of the important work we are doing here and go on a half-cocked rescue mission to save your parents, who may or may not even be there?”
“Well, yeah, for a start!”
“Not happening!”
“How can you just leave them there to be tortured? How do you expect me to focus on anything else, to care about anything else?”
“I expect you to pull yourself together and realize that sometimes, as hard as it may be, sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”
“That sounds an awful lot like Daskuji bullshit!” Cambria was trembling, her fists clenched at her sides so tightly that her fingernails drew blood in her palm. “Maybe you’ve been playing us all along! This ‘important work’ we are doing is just a bunch of stupid busywork, when the real fight is out there in the real world! You are keeping us sequestered away here, unable to do anything of real value to save Echaria.”
Candles on the table behind Cambria began to flicker wildly as she continued, “Maybe this is all part of the grand plan. Maybe you’re just another evil, manipulative Daskuji bitch!”
As if in punctuation, the candles roared, their once-tiny flames leaping high into the air. Bowls and jars flew off their shelves, smashing into the opposite wall. Cambria shuddered, her fiery gaze never leaving Wynne, who stood perfectly still, staring back at Cambria with narrowed eyes.
“How dare you, Cambria.” Her voice was calm and controlled, despite the chaos unfolding all around them. “You stupid girl. You know me better than that. I understand that you are hurting, and you are lashing out at me. But don’t you dare stand there and pretend that I don’t have your safety and best interests at heart, or that of the people of Echaria. Don’t you dare.”
Cambria whirled on her heel and headed for the doorway, but Wynne’s voice cut through the air, stopping her in her tracks.
“If you walk out that door right now, you keep on walking and don’t come back.”
Cambria hung her head, breathing deeply. After several moments of silence, she unclenched her fists, for the first time noticing the blood dripping from her palms. “Wynne, they’re my parents.”
“I know.” Wynne nodded and approached Cambria, gently placing her hands on her shoulders. “And I know it must be awful, not knowing what is happening to them. Their safety is, of course, a priority. I do care deeply about what happens to them, and to you. But you know full well that we can’t just go flying in there when we don’t even know the full situation.”
“I know. I know you’re right.” Cambria’s eyes stung with tears and her throat tightened. She turned to face Wynne, lifting her tear-filled eyes to meet Wynne’s gaze. “I’m just so scared. Wynne, I’m so scared I can hardly breathe. I can’t lose them.”
“We will figure this out,” Wynne whispered, drawing Cambria into an embrace. “I promise.”
family reunion
T he sound of ringing steel cut through the crisp morning air in the yard. Adelaide’s cheeks were flushed as she parried and leapt, easily evading Charles’ blade. Their swords met again and again as they danced around each other.
“Remember when you could hardly swing my sword at a tree?” Charles panted as he thrust forward. “Look how far you’ve come!”
“I also couldn’t hit the broad side of a tree with an arrow, but we’ve solved that problem, too,” Adelaide smirked, dropping her sword to the ground and raising her hands, signaling for a break. “It helps that I have a sword of my own that isn’t practically my size!”
Charles sheathed his weapon and drew Adelaide into an embrace. “This is true; I’m glad Wynne had that sword available. Archery is well and good, but I was wrong before.” He lowered his head and growled playfully into her ear, “sometimes, getting close and physical is necessary.” He playfully nipped at her earlobe, holding her tightly.
Adelaide squealed and swatted him. “Of course your mind would go there,” she teased. “You are absolutely ridiculous.”
“You love it.”
“I love you.”
They shared a kiss, lingering briefly in an embrace before Adelaide stepped back. She wiped the sweat from her brow and inhaled sharply.
“What’s wrong, my love?” Charles’ voice was soft and he grabbed her hand. “Are you hurt?”
Adelaide shook her head and closed her eyes, squeezing his hand. “No, no I’m fine I think. I just got a little dizzy all of a sudden. Like a wave. But it’s gone now, mostly. Just give me a minute. I’ll be ready to continue training as soon as I catch my breath.”
“No more training this morning,” Charles commanded. “Let’s get you inside and get some food and water into your belly. You hardly ate at breakfast, so maybe that’s the problem.”
“You’re right, I forgot about that,” Adelaide agreed.
“If you are feeling better this afternoon we can train again. Otherwise, we will lay low for the rest of the day. I don’t want you getting sick.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
The lovers walked arm-in-arm back to the house in comfortable silence. Once they were inside, Charles situated Adelaide on the couch and busied himself in the kitchen.
“I can help you with that,” Adelaide mildly protested.
“Nonsense, my queen will not serve herself when she has a capable hand who can serve her.”
“You make me sound helpless and demanding,” Adelaide chuckled. “A real royal snob!”
“That’s not my intention,” Charles laughed. “You are one of the most independent people I know. I just mean that… well… let me help you!”
“Fine,” Adelaide sighed, closing her eyes. She grimaced as another wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to
see Charles standing there with a tray of food, scowling at her.
“It happened again, didn’t it?”
“I’m fine—”
“That didn’t look fine,” he interjected. “We are telling Wynne about this when she and Cambria return today.
“I don’t want to worry them, please. I’ll probably feel fine once I eat and rest a little.” Adelaide pouted her lower lip and batted her eyes at Charles. “Please?”
Charles sighed and set the tray down next to Adelaide. “Fine. We won’t tell them if you are feeling better after food and a little nap.” He ran his hands through his hair. “But if you are still feeling poorly, all bets are off and I’m telling them.”
“That’s fair.”
“It’s only because I love you.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on Adelaide’s forehead.
“I know. I love you too. I’ll be fine. “ She watched him walk back into the kitchen before another wave of nausea overtook her. Something is wrong.
Cambria squinted as she flew over the snow-covered peaks of the Evermores. Up ahead, she could make out the glittering spires of Greystone nestled in the valley. The sun was blinding in the cloudless sky, and her breath made little clouds in the frigid air. Below her, the world was still and white, blanketed in winter splendor. She flew nearer and nearer to the castle, feeling butterflies mounting in her stomach. This time, it will work.
Finally, she reached the walls of the castle. Her gaze darted from one end of the rampart to the other, ensuring that there were no guards. I’ll aim for the courtyard this time, she decided, willing her body to go beyond the walls. She held her breath as she landed, her feet touching down softly. A door opened across the yard and she dove behind a pile of snow, her skin prickling in reaction to the icy slush.
Cambria peered around the heaping snow drift and watched as a portly man exited the dark doorway, breathing heavily. A young man was right behind him, holding a lit torch which he extinguished in the snow. Their voices carried as they crossed the courtyard.
