by K. T. Webb
“This room had something evil in it before,” Legacy stated as she stepped across the threshold between tunnel and cavern.
Now, the emptiness of the room revealed multiple archways that appeared to be cells. Vertical and horizontal bars crisscrossed each opening. A knot formed in her stomach as Legacy imagined what could be held behind the cell doors. The creature from the pit resurfaced in her memories; what if they opened those doors and bigger, deadlier creatures sprang forth to devour them. Legacy swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Now was not the time for her to be afraid, she needed to find Noble.
“Hello?” The voice sounded weak, but it was most definitely human.
“Show yourself!” Evander demanded to the disembodied voice.
“I am in a cell. I would come to the door, but I have been without food for weeks. I fear I do not have the energy to walk.”
Legacy began to approach the cell she thought the voice had come from. Evander walked beside her, shoulder to shoulder as they approached the cell. The Queen looked at the oversized keyring with far too many keys for her to sort through; how would she ever find the right key if they were to release whoever was inside?
“What is your name?” Evander asked gently. He was peering into the cell with utter disbelief. The light from his torch danced over the features of an unkempt woman.
“It has been a long time since anyone cared to ask, I am Arabella.”
Evander gripped the bars desperately, “Get her out of there.”
Legacy tried to understand the sudden change in his demeanor while she fumbled with the keys. They fell to the ground with a metallic clang. He desperately pulled at the bars as though sheer force could open them. By the time she picked the keys back up, Renata had come forward and touched the lock. It sprang open under her command. Before the door was fully opened, Evander pushed his way into the cell. The odor from where she stood was already bad enough, Legacy could not help but wonder how he was able to breathe as he exited the dark place with a frail woman in his arms. He gently laid her on the ground.
“Is there anyone else being held down here?” he demanded.
Arabella pointed to a cell on the opposite side of the cavern, “She was there, but I have not heard her voice in quite some time.”
Evander and Renata rushed across the space, opening the door without pausing. Legacy sat with the poor woman’s head resting in her lap. Of course, she wanted to help these women, but she also desperately needed to find her brother. Evander returned with another woman who looked even less alive than the one Legacy held. He knelt by the woman in her arms while Renata focused on giving some of her own life force to the other.
“Arabella? Why were you being held here? Do you know?” His eyes traveled the woman’s body as he took in the malnourished creature she had become.
“The baby. No, he would be a boy now. He came through with that young man; it was my job to care for him. Where is Noble?” Arabella uttered.
Legacy looked to Evander and saw tears glistening in his eyes. “Arabella, what did the young man look like?” she asked her.
She turned her focus to the Queen, “It was dark. I did not see much, but I heard them.”
“It must have been Noble with Emrys,” Legacy said.
Arabella tried to sit up, “Emrys? My son?”
Legacy looked at Evander again. Now she understood why the state of this woman had affected him so profoundly. This was the mother he had long accepted as dead. More pieces of the puzzle left behind by her father fell into place. Arabella had been a practitioner summoned to deliver a baby. She disappeared after that delivery. Noble. The King did not dare allow any witnesses to the birth of his son to leave the castle. She said it had been her job to care for him. Surely, she must have known the boy’s mother.
Legacy glanced at the other woman for a moment. The stringy black hair seemed limp and unhealthy. Her bones were clearly visible through her skin and threadbare rags that covered her body. Legacy could not say for sure, but she felt a sense of recognition as she stared at the other prisoner. Could she be the treasure missing from Theon’s castle?
Evander was sobbing as he rocked the woman in his arms. He had been unable to form words after the confirmation that this was indeed his mother. Legacy gently placed her hand on his shoulder to help soothe him long enough to speak to him.
“Evander, I think you should stay with your mother. She needs help. I will have Renata look after both of these poor women, but you should stay with her,” Legacy went to Renata to check on the other prisoner.
“She is alive, but barely. These poor things have been without food for over a month. It appears they have been hydrated by the water that drips from the cave walls. I saw a bucket in both cells,” Renata’s tone was a mixture of awe and disgust. “It is a wonder they are even alive. If we had not found them now, I do not think they would have made it past the end of this week.”
Legacy felt the hot spark of hatred bloom in her heart. She already thought her father was a monster, but this was too much. These poor women had been taken from their families and treated like animals all because he was afraid others would learn his dirty secrets. She wondered how many babies Arabella had been forced to deliver that were later killed. Even worse, she wondered if there had been other practitioners who lost their lives for their insignificant role in the greater plan laid out by King Junius. It was disgusting. She forced herself to swallow her anger and hatred. Legacy leaned over the woman while Renata went to check on Arabella. She stroked her hair and hummed the one song she remembered Noble singing to her that he credited his mother with teaching him. A song her older sons also remembered. The woman stirred and opened one dull blue eye.
“Daenera?” Legacy whispered.
Her brows furrowed as though she was desperately trying to place the young woman who spoke to her in that darkened cavern. There was a recognition in the sad expression that told Legacy she knew her own name. Legacy offered a gentle smile to her.
“Do not worry, Daenera. Your sons still love and remember you. Your husband still holds you in his heart as his greatest treasure.”
“Arkin?”
Legacy shook her head, “I do not know where he is. I am so sorry.”
A single tear escaped Daenera’s eye. Legacy gently squeezed her hand to reassure her that everything would be okay. Junius was a monster. The only thing Legacy could fathom that was worse than destroying those families by murdering the women who held them together was to keep those women alive. They knew their families waited for them. They knew their children wept for them. They knew they were missing every moment of the lives they helped create. But there was nothing they could do to change it. Escape was impossible, especially if the evil presence Legacy sensed on her last visit had been guarding them.
“Renata, I need to keep looking for Noble. There is another tunnel on the far end of the cavern. If he was with Emrys, I need to get to him. Please help Evander get these women upstairs. Feed them, make them comfortable.” Legacy leaned over to whisper, “I think this is Noble’s mother.”
Her final statement before leaving caused both Renata and Evander to draw in a sharp breath. Legacy rushed across the cavern, leaving the sick women in capable hands. Legacy carried her torch as she jogged into the tunnel where she suspected Emrys had taken Noble.
Why would Emrys take her brother? Had the Shadow Mages gotten to him? Noble had to be terrified. He had only been out of the castle once, and that was with her and Evander. He had felt safe and loved; he met his half-brothers. This experience would be far different. She pushed her legs harder, trying desperately to reach him before he could be harmed.
Every second was agonizing. So many thoughts were racing through her mind. She wondered if the two women would make a full recovery and if she would be able to reunite another family before the end of the day. Her heart pounded against her chest as though threatening to burst its way through her skin. Still, she pushed
herself forward.
To her surprise, the further she ran, the less she needed the torch. The tunnel narrowed until she had to turn her body and shimmy through the opening. There was no telling how far she had traveled underground until she extinguished the torch and pushed herself the rest of the way through the narrow gap. It took her a moment to orient herself. The castle would have to be behind her, but she did not see any buildings around. As she turned to look for the city, she realized the tunnel had emptied at the edge of Pallisaide where the farmers worked their fields. The night was beginning to give way to dawn when shouts echoed in the silence. Two distinct voices yelled at each other somewhere nearby. Legacy took off at a run to find the source of the heated dispute.
“L-l-l-let h-h-him g-g-go!”
She recognized the flustered stutter of Nero.
“Get out of my way!” Emrys spat.
“N-no. No-not until y-y-you . . .” Nero was cut off by an angry shout from Emrys.
“I do not have time for this!”
The sound of clanging metal sent a wave of nausea crashing over Legacy as she surged forward. Noble and Nero were both in danger now. She had to help them. The sun was coming up and giving its light to the field she was charging through. Ahead, Noble was lying on the ground; he appeared to be sleeping. Nero was standing between Emrys and a strange shadow that seemed suspended in midair. It looked as though Nero was trying to keep Emrys from taking Noble any further.
They fought with weapons found on the farm. Nero held a pitchfork to defend himself against the sickle scythe Emrys swung at him. Legacy looked around, hoping to find something she could use to help her brother and Nero. Nothing appeared readily available, all the weapons were on the opposite side of her and the two young men preparing to fight. Emrys swiped at Nero’s midsection, the boy narrowly missed the attack. The older of the two had far more experience in hand to hand combat than the sad young boy who only wanted to protect his family. There was no way for Legacy to get to the tools to help, but she could reach Noble if Nero kept Emrys distracted.
She inched closer to her brother. Before she reached him, Nero made a fatal mistake. He glanced in her direction. His attention was split just before Emrys cut across his belly with the rusty implement. The boy dropped to his knees before falling to his face, stunned by the wound he sustained. Emrys turned his attention to Noble, which meant he caught sight of Legacy. Now that stealth was no longer an option, the Queen rose to her feet and tried to close the distance between herself and her brother.
“You,” Emrys spat as he readied his scythe to slice her open.
“Get away from us. The Guard will find you soon enough. You will never see the light of day again for kidnapping the Prince.”
Emrys laughed openly, “Oh, is that what you think happened? I hate to tell you, Your Majesty, but your precious little brother came to the dungeon and let me out.”
“You are a liar!” Legacy hated the way he emphasized her title as though he was mocking her position.
“No, it was the strangest thing. His eyes were all glazed over, and his voice was much deeper than it should have been. He said I was to bring him here. What a bonus it will be to get to kill that blithering idiot and the so-called Queen in one night.”
She knew from his description that it was entirely possible Noble had been in a trance again. It made perfect sense. Emrys had not escaped, he had been released. There was only one explanation for the strange hypnotic actions her brother had taken in the tunnels and earlier that night when he released Emrys—the Shadow Mages were back, and they wanted Noble. Absolutely no part of her wanted to find out what their plan really was.
Legacy made a split decision; she knew she could either carry Noble or try to attack Emrys, but not both. He would catch her with little effort if she tried to run. Instead of letting him attack over her brother’s unconscious body, she dove toward Nero. Silently hoping the boy would recover from his wounds, she picked up the pitchfork that had hit the ground before Nero himself. The land around him was wet with fresh blood.
“Stay with me, Nero. I found your mother,” Legacy knew she could not be guaranteed the woman was indeed his mother, but if that thought gave him the will to cling to life, she would say it a thousand times.
A crackling sound drew her attention to the shadow hanging behind where Nero lay. From her vantage point, she could clearly see there was something within the dark mass. Her stomach did a flip as Legacy peered into the hole that she suddenly realized was a portal to another place entirely. It was a place she knew well; one she had visited many times in her unconscious mind. The mossy trees and scattered multi-colored mushrooms had not been claimed by the mystical fire she saw in her nightmares, but it was the same forest. Legacy knew from her visions that she would be in that place, searching for Noble. But if she could change her nightmares, there was a possibility she could change that future too.
“Get away from him!” Legacy cried.
Emrys had hoisted her brother over his shoulders. In one agonizing second, she realized he planned to run through the portal with Noble. She had to stop him. Emrys began his jog, giving her a wicked smile to tell her there was nothing she could do to stop him. He was wrong. Legacy gripped the pitchfork as though she were drowning and it was the only thing that would keep her afloat. As Emrys came within reach, Legacy hesitated for a mere second before driving the pitchfork in an upward arc. The sickening feeling for something sharp piercing human skin under the force of her own movement was quickly forgotten as Emrys used his dying moment to heave Noble through the air. It happened quicker than Legacy could process, but the damage was done before she could make a move. Noble was swallowed by the portal just before Emrys’ lifeless body hit the ground.
“No!”
Her anguish was cut short by the groan of pain Nero released as he tried to stand. She knelt beside him. There was nothing she could do to help Noble; she had to focus on the young man who put himself in harm's way to save his half-brother. She turned him over as gently as she could. He had lost more blood than she had seen from one person. Somehow, he was still breathing steadily, and his eyes fluttered open to focus on her.
“Stay with me, Nero. I need to find you some help,” Legacy hoped workers would begin to arrive so she could enlist their help moving Nero. “I have to go see if I can find anyone. Do not close your eyes.”
Legacy ran toward the road on the opposite side of the field. She knew her guards would be searching the city and was surprised they had not made it as far as the fields yet. The longer she left Nero alone, the higher the chance was that he would close his eyes and never open them again. She had to find someone. When she crossed from dirt to grass to cobbled road, hope surged in her chest. People were beginning to set up their wares along the main road that led to the square. This was her best chance to find some of the guards. When she reached the edge of the first building, people were beginning to stare. They all knew who she was and had seen her walking through the streets of Pallisaide before, so the gawking took her by surprise.
“Your Majesty!” A voice rang out ahead of her.
She strained to see who had caught sight of her, only to be met with the terrified expression of Theon. Legacy needed assistance, but she was not sure the best person to provide it was the father of the wounded young man lying in a pool of his own blood. She was in no position to turn down the first able-bodied person she found.
“Come with me, Theon. There are things I need to tell you and someone who is in dire need of your help,” she approached an elderly man pushing an empty cart, “I am sorry, sir, but we require the use of your cart. I will see to it that it is returned to you or replaced.”
Theon was still giving her sidelong looks as she instructed him to take the cart and follow her. He was reluctant to question her, so Legacy felt it was up to her to find out what was troubling him. “Theon, why are you staring at me like that? We do not have time for the apprehension I see on your f
ace.”
“Your clothes are covered in blood. I heard they were looking for Noble and that bully from the Makt. Please tell me that is Emrys’ blood.”
Legacy looked down for the first time. The deep red liquid had coated the front of her tunic and trousers. She looked at her hands, and they too had been crusted with blood. There was no telling what belonged to Emrys and what belonged to Nero. She gazed back up at Theon with agony at the news she would have to share.
“The blood does not belong to Noble, but he is not somewhere we can help him right now. There are two people this blood could belong to, and one of them is indeed Emrys. I killed him. But . . .” she paused as she tried to find the best way to tell the man his son had been gravely injured. The words came out in a rushed fashion, “We have to hurry because Nero was hurt. He tried to stop Emrys and save Noble, but Emrys got him with a scythe.”
Theon instantly picked up the pace. His face was pale despite the accelerated speed they had both adopted. He let Legacy take the lead as she ran down into the field. The cart was not made for rough terrain, so Theon followed along the edge of the tilled area. The return to Nero took far longer than she recalled the trek to find help. Every second counted, and every moment was another chance that Nero would take his last breath alone.
“How much farther?” Theon demanded.
“He was just past the edge of the field near the fence. He lost a lot of blood, but he was awake when I left him,” her lungs were bursting in protest.
