by K M Reynolds
“I can’t wait for the execution. Having to take these stairs every day is killing my knees,” the fat man wheezed. “That baker and his wife are more trouble than they are worth, let me tell you. I don’t know why Lord Bainbridge is keeping them alive. It would be easier to just kill them outright.”
The young man mumbled an affirmative reply, keeping his head down as he shuffled behind his companion.
“Speak up lad, for the love of Echaria. You know I don’t hear that well!”
“It’s the trap, sir. They are being kept alive to trap the others.”
“I know that, you idiot. Can’t a man complain a little?”
The young man’s response was muffled by the door to the castle as they opened it and entered. Cambria was left alone in the courtyard, her stomach roiling.
“They do have my parents,” she whispered to the stones around her. She took a deep breath and rose from her hiding place, scurrying quickly across the courtyard to the door the jailer had emerged from. She clenched her jaw and grasped the handle, anticipating a locked door. Instead, her hand went right through the handle. I’m not really here, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and stepped forward, her body passing effortlessly through the solid door.
She opened her eyes and blinked several times, trying to acclimate to the darkness. She extended her arms in front of her, feeling for a wall. When she grasped only air, she carefully sank into a sitting position on the cold stone floor. She pictured a candle, the tiny flame gasping and flickering in the darkness. Within moments, a small light materialized in front of her, illuminating the room. She drew her breath sharply. Right in front of her, a steep, narrow staircase wound down into the darkness below. One false step and I would have fallen to my death, she realized. This realization was followed by a question. Can I die while astral projecting? She furrowed her brow, deciding to ask Wynne when she returned to the lake.
She rose silently and began the descent into the darkness below, the small orb of light hovering in front of her all the way down. She shivered as the damp air chilled her to the bone, and rats scurried away in the shadows. She reached the bottom of the stairs and gazed down the long dark corridor in front of her. She was in the dungeon. She began to make her way forward, pausing at each cell to glance through the metal grating, searching for the occupants inside. The only sound was the steady dripping of water somewhere in the darkness.
A soft gasp cut through the chilly air, startling Cambria. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she adopted a defensive stance, glancing wildly about for the source of the sound. She didn’t have to wait long. A familiar face pressed up against the bars at the edge of the ring of light cast by the orb. Worn hands reached toward her and Cambria rushed into them, forgetting for a moment that she was not truly there.
“Mama!”
Adelaide pulled the blanket around her tightly curled body and closed her eyes. The nausea had not eased up after the food and water, so she had retreated to her room to rest. She had tried not to let Charles know just how poorly she was feeling, but by the way he looked at her, she could tell he suspected something was amiss.
“I’m just tired,” she had told him. “I feel fine, I just need a nap.”
He had let her go without any fuss, and now here she was, curled up on her bed with the world swimming around her. She groaned as another wave of nausea came and went. Maybe a little nap will help, she thought as she buried her head in her pillows. I’ll be fine when I wake up. She could feel herself sinking into the soft bed as her muscles began to relax.
Adelaide blinked and looked around. She was standing on the shore of the lake, and it was summertime. The sun beat down from an azure sky, and the cries of birds echoed across the water. She turned slowly, taking in the sudden change in scenery. What she saw coming towards her made her gasp and fall to her knees. A young child with deep auburn locks was toddling toward her down the gentle slope from the lake house. His arms were outstretched and as he beamed up at Adelaide.
“Mama, mama!” the child cried out joyfully as he stumbled toward her. “Mama, hi mama!”
“Hi, baby!” Adelaide responded enthusiastically, wrapping the toddler in an embrace. “Hello, my love.” She gazed into the child’s wide brown eyes and took in every feature of his cherubic face.
“Malcolm!” Charles’ voice boomed from up the hill. “Malcolm?”
“He’s here!” Adelaide called back, her heart skipping a beat. Malcolm. Adelaide felt her eyes misting as she ran her fingers through Malcolm’s thick curly locks.
“Your son is quick!” Charles laughed as he strode down the hill. “I turned around for a moment and he had vanished.”
“My son?” Saying the words aloud felt strange to Adelaide, but in her heart of hearts she knew them to be true.
“Alright, fine. He’s my son too, I suppose I can’t lay all the blame on you for his wild nature,” Charles teased. “Really though,” he sobered up, “we need to teach him to swim soon, because he may wander a bit too far next time.”
Adelaide cast an alarmed glance at the lake. “You are right. I don’t want anything to happen to him.” She pressed her lips to Malcolm’s forehead as he cooed happily in her arms. “He’s everything.”
“Absolutely, he is!” Charles scooped Malcolm out of Adelaide’s arms and tossed him into the air, eliciting a shriek of joy from the tot.
“Careful, Charles!”
“Addie, he’s fine. Look, he loves it,” Charles shushed her, tossing Malcolm into the air again.
Adelaide watched them playing together, soaking in the delight radiating from them. She never wanted this beautiful moment to end. But as quickly as it had come, it was over.
Adelaide started awake to a knock at her door. Her heart racing, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she oriented herself. It was just a dream.
The knocking came again, more persistent. “Addie, you alive in there? It’s been a few hours and I wanted to check on you. Cambria and Wynne just came back, and Wynne said we all need to talk.”
“Come in, Charles.” Adelaide licked her dry lips and took several deep breaths. Charles entered the room, crossing it quickly to sit beside her on the bed.
“What is it, my love? You sound troubled.”
“I just had the strangest, most wonderful dream,” Adelaide mused, nestling into Charles’ arms. “I didn’t want it to end. It felt so real, and so… so right.” She felt a single tear trickle down her cheek and she sighed. “I don’t know what it meant but I hope I find out soon.”
Charles placed a kiss on her temple. “How are you feeling? Less dizzy?”
Adelaide paused for a moment, thinking it over. “Actually, I am! I must have just been overtired. The food and the nap cured me.”
“You aren’t running a fever, so I think that’s probably what it was,” Charles affirmed, feeling her forehead with the back of his hand. “We’ve probably been pushing a little too hard. Let’s focus more on taking care of your health while we train. We don’t want a repeat of today.”
“That sounds great.” Adelaide stretched her arms over her head and yawned. “Tell Wynne and Cam that I’ll be out in a few minutes, let me just freshen up quickly.”
“Deal. I’ll let them know.” He placed another kiss on her head as he rose from the bed. “Don’t be too long, based on what Wynne said, it’s pretty urgent. I haven’t seen Cambria yet.”
“I’ll be right there. I promise.”
Charles nodded and ambled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Adelaide crossed her legs in front of her on the bed and rested her head in her hands. She rolled her dream over in her mind, trying to etch Malcolm’s features into her memory. What could it all mean? I am going to have a son some day? Why were we still at the lake? The questions bubbled one over the other in her mind as she slowly stood and made her way to the wash basin. She splashed her face with cool water and turned to her wardrobe to change into a fresh dress. She moved slowly but deliberately, and
was quickly ready to join the others. Her mind still swirling with the implications of her dream, she made her way to the sitting room. Her train of thought crashed to a halt as she took in Cambria’s swollen, tear-streaked face.
“By the Five, Cambria what happened?” Adelaide cried out as she rushed to her best friend’s side. “Are you okay?” When Cambria didn’t answer, Adelaide repeated the question. “Are you okay, Cam?”
Cambria drew a shuddering breath and spoke through her tears. “I found my parents.”
Cambria’s vision was blurred as she peered through swollen, tear-filled eyes at her friends. She was shivering uncontrollably, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she fought back sobs. Adelaide was beside her, stroking her arm. She spoke, but it sounded as though her voice was coming from far away, muffled and distorted. Cambria turned her bleary gaze to Adelaide, trying to see through the haze that enveloped her mind. The question came again, this time clear as a bell.
“Are you okay, Cam?”
Cambria shook her head and took a breath. Her stomach churned and she fought off a sob that threatened to burst from within. Finally, she spoke. “I found my parents.”
Adelaide gasped, gripping Cambria’s arm. “Dear gods,” she murmured.
“They are being held captive by Lord Bainbridge in the dungeon at Greystone Castle.” Cambria felt her voice cracking, but continued, “they are being brutally tortured for information about us.”
“What do they know?” Charles’ voice was somber. “I’m sorry to ask, but the more they know, the more in danger we and our cause are.”
“They know nothing,” Cambria snapped, fresh tears spilling from her eyes. “They are completely innocent, and they are being abused because of me.” She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso and began to rock back and forth, images of her parents battered faces playing in her mind. “It’s all my fault. This is my fault.”
“Shhhhh, no, it’s not your fault,” Adelaide crooned, running a gentle hand down Cambria’s face. “None of this is your fault.”
“If I hadn’t followed you, and I had just let you go on your own, then my parents would be fine. We would all be fine!” Cambria sobbed.
“And Adelaide never would have made it here,” Wynne added softly. “Cambria, you play a much larger role than you realize. You are vital to this story that is playing out, whether you want to be or not. I am deeply sorry about your parents, but this is all meant to happen.”
“Meant to happen?” Cambria’s voice cracked like thunder as she rose from her seat. “My parents aren’t being horrifically tortured and abused because it’s part of some master plan,” she screamed. “If this is what the gods have planned, then may Elios devour them all!”
“Cambria, please—”
“No, Wynne! Please nothing. If you want to help, then help me mount a rescue to get my parents out of there! Otherwise, shut up and stop pretending to help.”
“I’ve said it before, we can’t go in blindly without knowing more details—”
“Fine! Then I’ll get more details. I’ll get a map of the whole damn castle if I have to, but we are getting my parents out of there.” With that, she spun on her heel and strode out of the room. A few seconds later, the door to her bedroom slammed shut.
“Wynne, we have to do something,” Adelaide pleaded tearfully. “This is her family.”
“We will do what we can,” Wynne replied somberly. “But I don’t think it will be enough.”
heartbreak
A delaide opened her eyes, blinking away the cobwebs of sleep. She stretched languidly and rolled over, yawning. She had had another dream about Malcolm last night, and she clung to the quickly-fading memory, desperate to engrave his sweet face and voice on her heart. Malcolm. Who was this boy, and why was he constantly appearing in her dreams lately?
The sun was beginning its ascent, leaving pale streaks in the ever-lightening sky. Frost glittered on the window and Adelaide padded across the room to gaze out on the snow-dusted landscape. The world was quiet and still, trapped in those brief moments between sleeping and waking. After a few minutes at the window watching the sun rise, Adelaide retreated to her wardrobe to dress for the day. As she finished, there was a soft knock at the door.
“Come in!” Adelaide spoke as she picked up her comb, running it through her tousled hair.
The door swung open and Wynne stepped inside, closing it softly behind her. “I’m glad you are up. We need to talk.”
“Yes, I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Of course.” Wynne nodded, making her way to Adelaide’s bed. “But first we need to talk about Cambria.”
“What about Cam?” Adelaide’s fingers were now deftly working her hair into a plait. “Did something happen?”
“Nothing new, at least not yet. But I’m worried about her. She spends every day astral projecting to her parents, and neglecting her other practices. It’s not healthy.”
Adelaide’s fingers ceased their braiding. “Wynne, those are her parents. You can’t expect her to just give up and not spend time with them.”
“There are more important things at stake here, Adelaide. Cambria is the Keeper of Shadows and she needs—”
“Do you honestly think she cares about being the Keeper of Shadows right now, Wynne?” Adelaide interjected sharply. “Her heart is breaking for her parents, and it’s absolutely heartless of you not to recognize that. This is her family, Wynne.”
“I do recognize that she is grieving, but I’m also thinking about the big picture and the wellbeing of the entire Kingdom. Her parents have a role to play but it’s not one she wants to hear.”
“Would you want to hear it?” Adelaide’s voice trembled and she clenched her fists at her sides. “Would you want to hear that your family was going to die horribly and that you should just stop worrying about it?”
“No, I wouldn’t, but sometimes we have to hear things we don’t like.”
“I can’t talk about this with you anymore. We are never going to see this the same way.” Adelaide felt her neck growing hot as tears filled her eyes. “These people are like family to me, too.”
“But we need to do something about Cambria.”
“Yeah, we do. We need to leave her alone and let her deal with this in her own way.”
“But—”
“No! No more. This conversation is over.” Adelaide stormed to her door and flung it wide motioning for Wynne to leave. “I’ll see you later, but we won’t speak of this again.”
“What about what you wanted to ask me?”
“It’s not important. Besides, I really can’t be around you right now.” Adelaide felt her heart pounding in her throat and she struggled to draw a full breath. “Please leave.”
Wynne nodded somberly and trudged toward the open door. As she stepped through, she turned to Adelaide. “I’ll go, but please reconsider. I’ll be waiting to talk if you do.”
“I won’t.” Adelaide spoke through gritted teeth.
Wynne sighed and made her way down the hall back towards the main room. Adelaide closed the door firmly and pressed her back against it, sinking slowly to the floor as sobs wracked her body. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, dampening her skirt with hot tears.
As she cried, a wave of nausea swept over her. She staggered to her feet and across the room to the wash basin, where she heaved into the porcelain bowl. She cried harder, fighting her roiling emotions and the nausea that battered her like a ship tossed by a storm. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the sides of the wash stand, willing herself to remain on her feet.
At long last, her stomach settled, leaving her feeling weak and drained. She stumbled to her bed and collapsed, curling into a ball and letting her grief and anger pour over her unhindered. She cried until the exhaustion was too much and the sweet release of sleep claimed her.
Cambria sat cross-legged in the darkness, watching her parents sleep in the soft glow of a small orb sh
e had conjured. She had been there for hours, watching them drift in and out of consciousness, weak from hunger and thirst, their bodies beaten and broken. She longed to hold them, to wrap her arms around them and heal their pain from the inside out. But in this ethereal form, she could do nothing but watch as they suffered.
Softly, in an almost imperceptible whisper, she began to sing a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her when she was sick or frightened. As she sang, her parents stirred softly in their cells. Chloe sat up, wincing as she rose.
“Oh, baby girl. You are still here?”
“Of course I’m here, mama.” Cambria’s eyes filled and she felt her throat burning. “I won’t leave you. I’m going to be right here for as long as I can, every day, for as long as it takes.”
“But this must be taking so much energy, you have to rest,” Chloe protested.
“I’ll rest when you are safe. Until then, I’m here with you.”
The sound of the dungeon door swinging open interrupted them, and Chloe motioned frantically for Cambria to hide. Cambria scrambled farther into the dungeon, extinguishing her tiny light and melting into the shadows.
The torchlight revealed the jailer waddling down the corridor, followed by Thanaeron, who seemed to glide effortlessly over the stones. Shadows danced around them as they stopped in front of the cells. Thanaeron glanced around, peering into the shadows. Silence filled the dungeon as Chloe and Martin waited for someone to speak. Finally, Thanaeron stopped searching the darkness and directed her cold gaze to the prisoners.
“Well, tomorrow is the big day. You both will be executed in the courtyard, with the gates open for any passers-by to see. Your daughter hasn’t revealed herself, and it’s doubtful she will arrive by tomorrow, but rest assured, we will catch her and her little band of traitors. And when we do,” she grinned, her black eyes glinting in the torchlight, “we will crush them like the vermin they are.”
“We are not afraid to die,” Martin spoke, his deep voice echoing off the stone walls.
