The Stolen Princess

by Kristen Gupton

  Keiran lowered the weapon and smiled at his brother. “I never even gave this sword a second glance. I was too wrapped up in what was happening with Kayla and Baden.”

  “Then, perhaps, getting stabbed with this served a greater purpose other than reinforcing my desire to not go out into the wild,” Garhan said with a laugh, though it quickly faded. It had worsened his agoraphobia considerably.

  “Thank you, Garhan.” Keiran gave a smile. “You and Mari believe this will be the evidence Theryn needs?”

  “We believe it is your best chance.” Garhan tipped his head toward the sword. “A dagger could just be a dagger, but that is definitely from Athan’s armory. Tordanians are brilliant with steel, but that inlay…that took quite some work, and Talausian artisans are known for their gem cutting. The Alerian crown jewels were of Talausian origin, from the days before Athan, of course. Athan might have given you something like the dagger as a gift if you were friends, but a marked sword like that would only be issued to members of his own court. Theryn should be able to see this is not a forgery. The daggers link to this sword, this sword links directly back to Athan.”

  He nodded. “All right, but as Jerris said a while back, all this does is prove a link between Talaus and Tordania, which is already known to exist.”

  “Mari didn’t tell Theryn about Athan being my father, though,” Garhan said.

  “What do you plan on asking Mari to say about it?” Keiran asked.

  Garhan closed his eyes and sighed deeply. “If Theryn is told Athan is my father, and Adira’s assassination was the result of him discovering what had happened to me, it might be enough. But…”

  Keiran cocked his head to the side. “But what?”

  “I’m going to have to be the one to tell Theryn,” he said, slowly opening his eyes again.

  He blinked at his brother, motioning with his free hand. “Garhan, that means you’d have to go to Aleria.”

  “Unfortunately, yes, it would.”

  “But what of your fear?” Keiran asked.

  Garhan sighed and turned toward the window. “I’m afraid I can’t hide here forever. If it’s what I must do to keep Theryn from putting a price on your head, then I have no choice. You risked your life for me.”

  The younger vampire didn’t know quite how to respond. Concerns about Garhan actually going out and making it that far passed through his mind.

  He could sense his brother’s doubt, and he shook his head. “I know it seems terribly unlikely. Keiran, I’ll find a way to force myself out there next spring. Theryn has to hear it from me. Having Mari and I both there to plead your case is the best way of doing this. We simply have to convince Theryn of his motivation.”

  Keiran nodded and stared at the sword again. “I hope to God you are right.”

  * * *

  Though late, Baden couldn’t sleep. His thoughts were jumbled and confused, and since his father had woken back up, he’d done his best to avoid him. Now that he’d been back for a while, it was becoming easier to convince himself that Kayla had been trying to manipulate him, though his doubts were lingering enough to leave him adrift.

  As he wandered down a corridor, he heard the faint chimes of tiny silver bells. It was a sad, delicate song, each note pure but not terribly loud.

  He’s at it, again, Baden thought to himself, stopping before a heavy wooden door. It was only a matter of time before his father read into his thoughts, so there seemed to be no advantage in delaying the inevitable.

  He reached out and slowly opened the door, already knowing what he’d find within.

  The impossibly complex automaton Athan had forced Vinson to build years prior was running. A music-box song played as the life-sized figure of Kayla acted out a brief scene. The base of the automaton stood to the height of a table, so Kayla’s eerily perfect likeness loomed above the rest of the room.

  She stood with her arms raised slightly before her. Her eyes blinked, head tilting back and forth as she transferred a mechanical raven from one of her hands to the other. Even the bird moved, its head bobbing and its wings giving a subtle flap now and then. How Vinson had created such a thing baffled Baden, and it might as well have been moving from magic rather than gears and pulleys.

  Baden slowly walked around the machine, looking up at his mother’s porcelain face. Though Vinson had never seen Kayla himself, he’d captured her with painstakingly lifelike detail.

  Athan sat in a chair close to the machine, a goblet of wine in his functioning hand. He glanced at Baden as he neared before fixing his gaze back onto the automaton.

  “You’ve been running this thing quite a bit since you found out she was still alive,” Baden said quietly, stopping beside his father’s seat, his eyes on the machine.

  Athan took a sip of his drink then licked his lips. “It helps me focus on the problem at hand.”

  Baden’s eyes narrowed, a twinge of fear coiling up in his chest. “Why do you really want her back?”

  “You know why I want her back, Baden. I’ve told you multiple times,” he replied, setting down his goblet. “She’s a threat to me, and I can’t have someone capable of deceiving me running around out there.”

  “So why is she still alive? Why didn’t you kill her? Every other threat to your status you’ve ultimately eradicated.” Baden shifted to look down at his father. “It confuses me.”

  Athan still wasn’t feeling well. His injury was determined to get worse before it began healing. As such, he was lethargic and unmotivated to do much of anything. His senses were annoyingly dull, leaving him closed off to the rest of the world.

  The older vampire drew in a long breath, tipping his head toward the automaton. “You can’t always kill that which threatens your power right away, Baden. Sometimes, it is in our best interest to study those with unique gifts, so we can learn to deal with others who might have the same abilities later.”

  Baden followed his father’s gaze, looking up at the inhumanly smooth actions of the figure before them. “You’ve always told me power was the most important thing we have, and we should never let anything else come before it.”

  “Words I stand by,” Athan replied, leaning back in his seat. “I’ve raised you to know this. Power is what we have, and we must use it over these petty humans. Otherwise, they would have us all eradicated. It’s our means of self preservation.”

  He looked down at his father, studying him. “You didn’t have this built because you feared what she could do to you after she escaped. This has nothing to do with that.”

  Athan’s eyes widened and he slowly stood up from his seat to be eye level with his son. Baden had never challenged him on anything before. “Building this was a test of Vinson’s skills. Nothing more.”

  “This was built out of your obsession with my mother. You don’t want her back because she’s a threat. You only want to own her.” Baden straightened to his full height. The fear in his chest was unfurling, heat breaking across his skin.

  Athan didn’t respond for several seconds. The corners of his mouth twitched, hinting at an amused smile, but it never quite manifested. He tried to reach into Baden’s mind to see where this was coming from, but his senses were diminished, and Baden’s thoughts were a stirred mess.

  “What do you think you’re doing, boy?” Athan finally asked, his eyes narrowing down. “What did she tell you? I know we haven’t had a chance to talk about what happened to you in depth yet. Clearly, something transpired while they held you.”

  Baden didn’t wish to push his luck too far. His mother had been right; Athan had killed his own children when they’d challenged him or drifted out of his control. Suicide was not his motive.

  “Father, I simply worry you are letting a single human woman distract you from your greater goals,” Baden said gently, trying to keep Athan from exploding with rage. “After meeting her again, I understand she does have a gift to get into one’s mind and disrupt their better senses. I’d hate to see that happen to you. She’s caused you en
ough trouble already.”

  Athan’s eyes moved back to the automaton again. Baden seemed to be back pedaling now, or, perhaps, he hadn’t truly been challenging him. He knew he wasn’t in his top form, and while he would have punished or killed most others for confronting him like this, Baden was too important to kill on a whim. He knew he couldn’t act in such a way until he knew definitively what was going on inside his son’s head.

  “My boy, you need not concern yourself with such things. After as long as I have survived, I think I know when I’m putting myself and all I’ve built up at risk.” He forced up a smile. “Don’t let whatever she told you poison your thoughts. She is a manipulator. She can make you see one thing within her mind when another is actually brewing beneath the surface. If she was able to fool me, she most certainly has the power to fool you.”

  Baden could feel Athan’s attempts to see into his mind, but there was no strength behind them. He gave his best humbled smile and dropped his gaze to the floor. “This is true. I know I am nowhere near your level. I still have much to learn from you, and again, I wish to counter anything that threatens to take that opportunity away from me. I would hate to think the mighty Athan Vercilla was simply in love with a woman and willing to put things at risk for it.”

  Athan’s body went rigid, his eyes locking onto his son with a venomous glare. “This mere woman has interfered with my plans. This mere woman has the power to partition her mind like no one else can. This mere woman could go on to train others to do the same. I don’t have to explain to you my reasons for going after her, Baden. Perhaps I will simply kill her someday, but not until I have her under my control. It is about power. Power is all that matters. It is all that will ever matter, Baden. You need to put whatever is hiding in your own mind out right now. Once she sinks her fangs into your brain, you have no idea how hard it is to rid yourself of those shackles!”

  Baden raised his hands slightly before him and bowed his head, signaling his submission. He’d pushed his father far enough, it was time to retreat before he lost his life. “My apologies, father. Please forgive my ignorance and lack of experience in such matters.”

  Athan’s left eye twitched, his fangs aching. He couldn’t afford to lose Baden, not now. If his son was going to become a distraction, however, he would have to end him. Still, the young man was his only solid link back to Kayla for the time being.

  “I think, Baden, it would be in your best interest to leave this room. I’m not feeling particularly social at present,” Athan said.

  Baden caught a glimpse of his father’s fangs and took a step backward. It had been exceedingly rare he’d seen those fangs emerge as a result of Athan’s frustration or anger toward him.

  “I should turn in for the evening. Again, I apologize for any insolence. It wasn’t my intent,” Baden replied, continuing to back toward the door.

  Athan said no more, watching his son depart the room and close the door behind him. He might not have gotten far into Baden’s thoughts, but he’d seen and heard enough to know things were not as they’d been.

  He’d spent years getting Baden to where he’d wanted him. How Kayla could have undone that in such a short time was a testament to the woman’s dangerous nature.

  Still, Baden had been right, even if Athan had a hard time admitting it to himself. It wasn’t about power or the notion she was dangerous. Athan’s obsession with her was driven by his heart.

  * * *

  Vinson had been taken to his room for the night and locked back inside. As Baden had promised, he’d not been tortured since their talk, allowing him to get some proper sleep.

  The door to his room was thrown open, and he startled.

  Baden saw his brother sitting up in the darkness, and he strode over. “Vinson, get dressed.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re leaving.” Baden placed a sword across the foot of Vinson’s bed. “Meet me by the doors to the courtyard as soon as you can manage.”

  Vinson started to ask a question, but Baden retreated before he could get the words out. The door to his room was left ajar, however, something he never saw happen. It was always locked to keep him inside before. His instincts told him Baden wasn’t playing a trick on him, so he got up and hastily began to dress.

  * * *

  “Sabetha?”

  The harpy lifted her head and opened her eyes, pulled out of a deep sleep. She saw Baden before her. “What?”

  “I know you’re tired, it’s night,” he said, reaching out and smoothing down the feathers on the side of her neck, “but I have a favor to ask of you.”

  She gave a tired nod, her eyes threatening to close again.

  Baden jostled her enough to get her eyes back opened. “Remember when we used to play hide and seek when I was small?”

  She nodded again.

  “You always won because you could see where I was,” he said quietly. “Now, Vinson and I are going to play a very big game of hide and seek with Athan. You have to promise me, Sabetha, you won’t tell him where we are. He’ll try to get you to do so, but I need you to pretend like you have no idea. Can you do that?”

  Yet another tired nod and a weak reply. “I won’t let Athan cheat. I hate people cheating at games.”

  Baden gave her another neck scratch and leaned in to kiss the end of her beak. “Good girl, Sabetha. I knew I could trust you with this. I will give you a very big gift later on for not breaking the rules.”

  She made a tired but pleased squeak at that, but her exhaustion won out. Her eyes closed again and she ruffled her feathers, grunting.

  Baden began to retreat, hoping the harpy would remember the conversation come morning. If she didn’t, he and Vinson were as good as dead.

  * * *

  Athan stood before the fire pit in his throne room, staring down into the flames. He’d not noticed Baden and Vinson’s absence at first, several hours passing in the morning before he went to check on Vinson’s progress.

  The younger vampire hadn’t been at his desk as he’d come to expect. Baden had taken on the responsibility of getting Vinson to work, and the moment he saw the desk sitting vacant, anger stirred within him. Without going to look in Baden’s quarters, he knew he’d find his other son missing, too.

  They were simply both gone.

  He’d done his best to temper his rage, and he went to Sabetha, hoping to find out where they’d disappeared to.

  She stopped her grooming and rotated her head around to look straight back at Athan when he entered her room.

  “Sabetha, I need you to tell me where Baden and Vinson have gone,” he said, closing the distance between them.

  Her long, clawed fingers curled and she pivoted her body around toward him, her head remaining stationary as she did so. “Baden and Vinson?”

  He gave a curt nod, waving his hands toward her. His patience was gone. “Where are they?”

  Sabetha dipped her head down and closed her eyes. She saw them easily enough, riding down a road together on horseback. Though her instinct was to begin describing the scene to her master, she remembered the promise she’d made Baden the night before.

  Her eyes snapped open and she shook her head, feathers ruffling up. “They are nowhere.”

  “You can’t see them?” he asked, frowning.

  “Nothing. They have ceased to be. You will have to find them yourself,” she said, wings drooping down at her sides.

  For all of his mind-reading abilities, Sabetha’s thoughts had always been off limits. Her mind wasn’t human, and it didn’t work in a way he could pry into properly. However, he had no reason to doubt her claims as she’d never misled him before.

  Athan’s jaw tensed down, and he let out a growl. “Kayla must have given him the ability to hide from your sight, just as she had for herself during her travels. Damn them both!”

  There was a swell of pride within Sabetha. She’d never played such a game before, and having Athan believe what she’d told him thrilled her. She hopped up and down
twice. “I can’t see them, I can’t see them!”

  He groaned and turned away from her. Athan didn’t have the energy to put up with her antics. She’d been tiresome enough when Tordania had disappeared from her view.

  Athan’s frustration boiled over at that point. He left Sabetha’s quarters and rampaged through the fortress for an hour. There was no effort from him to reel in his anger, the momentary loss of his conscious actions almost a relief as his tantrum ran its course.

  The place was a mess in his wake. Furniture and décor had been destroyed, thrown and smashed as he’d given into his fury. His injured arm hadn’t slowed him down in the least. Those unfortunate enough to cross his path hadn’t fared well.

  The last victim of his tirade now lay before him in the fire pit. Her last, piteous twitches slowing as the fire consumed what was left of her. He felt no remorse as he watched the flames curl around her blackening flesh, the stench of the smoke not bothering him, either.

  Now, the pain in his shoulder served to give him something to focus on while he regained control. He’d ordered his men to collect all of the work Vinson had done, to see if there was enough there to proceed with the project. If the brothers had taken any key schematics with them, the ramifications of their departure would be devastating.

  “My Lord, we have finished our inventory.”

  Athan didn’t turn to face the guard behind him, his eyes burning from the heat of the fire. “And?”

  “All of the plans were left behind. There are some details that will, inevitably, come up missing, but your men believe there is enough to work with,” he said, dropping down to one knee as he spoke. “They can see the direction Vinson was going with his design clearly enough.”

  Athan slowly turned around and sighed. “The first good news of the day.”

  The guard remained where he was. “The guards have completed another sweep of the area, but we have found no trace of either Baden or Vinson.”

  His jaw tensed, but it wasn’t a surprise. While Baden was capable of shifting form and disappearing, Vinson had not developed that skill. His tracks, however, would have been swept away in the snowstorm raging outside.