Demons and Kings (Hartland Book 2)

by J. B. Jenn

  Hartland:

  Book 2

  Demons and Kings

  By

  J.B. Jenn

  Text Copyright © 2017 J.B. Jenn

  All Rights Reserved

  Front Cover Image:

  Found:

  Golden Eyes:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/486811040943548476/

  Fire:

  http://mrg.bz/hNjE1l

  This is a work of fiction and a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Dedicated to all the people who have believed in me and encouraged me to continue when I have doubted myself. To the people who believe I can do anything I set my mind to, thank you!

  The presence of the Old Gods has faded. The Servants of these Old Gods continue to protect what They care for most: the people.

  They protect them from things they don’t understand. Things which have long since been forgotten. Things few people believe in. Despite the betrayal of Their people, the Old Gods remain the guardians of mankind.

  Arem

  From where he stood on top of a sand dune, he stared out across the glistening sand. His brown eyes took in all the dead bodies; demon and human alike. All the blood soaking into the sand. All the dismembered body parts. There were less bodies littered across the ground than he had expected.

  Sadness came to him as he stared at them. He looked to each of their faces, some were mutilated beyond recognition. Horrific images flashed through his mind as he remembered the battle. He knew it could have gone much worse.

  He felt for the families who had lost someone here today. Sorrow encompassed his eyes as he stared at the few remaining bodies of demons. At one point, they, too, were human.

  The battle was over, except for a few fights. Unfortunately, Arem knew the war wasn’t. There was still much to do. Mercea knew it and had already started making plans. If not for him, she’d still not know what was happening. He hated how he had to deceive her to get her to see what King Barend was doing.

  She would have ended up in Carthoda on her own, but it would have ended in disaster. She would have never escaped and King Barend would have her. Arem didn’t know the kings plans. He didn’t imagine they were beneficial to anyone but the king.

  Even if she didn’t admit it, she had needed him. He hated the fact he had to manipulate her and put her in danger, but the Servant hated wytches and hadn’t wanted to listen to him. Things could have gone so much easier if she’d just listened to him.

  His eyes landed on Urian’s shifting body. He watched Ogden crawl out from under it, unscathed. The moment he saw the man, Arem understood what had happened. From the look of awe on the others’ face, they did as well. He wondered if the man knew what he’d gotten himself into by accepting Servanthood. Ogden’s life had changed forever. He could no longer do what he thought was right. He had to do Their bidding.

  Arem turned his gaze to Mercea. She would go after King Barend in a futile attempt to reverse the damage the man had caused. There wasn’t a way. He had researched and researched and had tried and tried. He had even managed to capture a few demons in an attempt to turn them back. It was only then he had killed his sister when there was no hope left for her.

  During his research of trying to reverse what was done to his sister and countless others, it was how he had discovered information about the Servants of the Old Gods. It was how he had discovered who Mercea was, though he hadn’t discovered why Barend wanted her.

  It was pure chance he was in the throne room when King Barend had given the order to capture Mercea. De’Nae had assured them the Servant wouldn’t be a problem. After reading about her, Arem had known otherwise and knew he had to act. He knew he couldn’t allow King Barend and Queen De’Nae to gain access to her. He could only imagine what they wanted of her. As he had listened to their orders, it was then Arem had started forming a plan to counter the king.

  At the time, all he had wanted to do was run a dagger through the man’s heart for everything he’d done. He hadn’t acted, knowing he couldn’t get close enough. There were too many guarding the king. Too many creatures ready to kill him at a moment’s notice.

  From where he stood on the sand dune, he looked down to Trester. The man was killing demons who hadn’t disappeared. The Seeress appeared behind him from nowhere. When Arem realized what the woman was planning, it was too late.

  Her dagger sunk into Trester’s chest. She said something to him wearing a twisted smile before showing herself as the Queen of Carthoda. And then, she vanished.

  Arem raced down the sandy hill, sliding in places to reach the man faster. He knelt beside him. Trester’s pulse was weak and his breathing so shallow he appeared dead. Blood was pooling under the man, soaking into the sand.

  Placing his hands over Trester’s wounds, Arem closed his eyes to concentrate. A pale light erupted from his hands. Trester’s skin stitched back together. Trester gasped, breathing life into his lungs again. He attempted to sit up. Arem steadied him.

  “Easy friend, you’re weak. Don’t overdo it. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  “Rosha,” Trester whispered.

  “Yes, I know. I saw what happened. I’ll tell the others. Stay still.”

  “You’ll tell us what?” Mercea asked in her cold tone. He looked up at her and sighed. “What did you do to him?”

  “Nothing,” Arem answered through clenched teeth. “Why would you think it was me? Why would I even do this? There was no reason to.”

  “It was Rosha,” Trester whispered. He tried to rise, but Arem forced him to stay. “Janessa!” Trester shoved him away. “I have to get to her.”

  “Why? What did Rosha say?” Arem asked.

  “She said she couldn’t let any of the Stone’s live.” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “Don’t tell me she’s dead. Please, don’t tell me she’s dead.”

  Mercea turned her fierce, golden eyes, specked with green, on him, as he hurried toward the palace. Arem faltered. He knew she hated him. She viewed him as a coward. She thought him a man who’d run when things became difficult. He had never imagined she’d think him a murderer though.

  “Where were you hiding?” Mercea asked. “You just seemed to have disappeared. Again.”

  “He helped save your life quite a few times, Mercea,” Ogden said, coming to his defense. “He saved my life, too.”

  “Let him explain.”

  Arem stared at her in silence. After Ogden had rushed up Urian’s side, he had raced up the sand dune to protect him and Mercea. He couldn’t continue from where he was. Demons were swarming him. Fighting his way to the top of the sand dune was difficult but he had made it. From there, he could see everything. He could see where his magic was needed.

  “Rosha isn’t Rosha,” he answered, refusing to argue with her.

  “Is she who you thought she was?”

  “Yes. She stabbed Trester, changed her appearance, and disappeared. It seemed she wanted Trester to know who killed him before she left.” Arem fell silent for a moment. He met her eyes. “She was never so powerful before. It worries me how she obtained that power.”

  “Did you try to stop her? Or was that part of your plan as well?”

  Arem growled at her. “There was no time to! How was I supposed to stop her! I was up there, protecting you,” he said, pointing to one of the tallest sand dunes.” He turned away from her. “Forget it. It’s not worth my time. The point is, she possess power she shouldn’t.”

  Mercea frowned. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would his wife pose as a Seeress who he’d then kidnap? Why would she go through all that trouble? If I was her target, why didn’t she just kill you and attempt to take
me back at the lake?”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t make any sense, but I know what I saw.”

  “I think she was planning to come back to you, Mercea, when we found her in the Spindle Mountains,” Trester said. “She didn’t know we were there. She didn’t know King Barend sent us as back up. He doesn’t trust his wife. I don’t blame him. When we found her, she was circling back. Maybe she was returning to you to capture you.”

  “Why wouldn’t she try to escape though? If she is as powerful as she seems, it would have been easy,” Ogden said, frowning. “Why allow herself to be captured, and let it continue for so long?”

  “I think it was because of me,” Trester answered. “She was most curious about me. I thought it was because she saw an opportunity for freedom with me. I’m uncertain what her real plans were or why she didn’t try to kill me sooner.”

  The moment they entered the courtyard of the North Gardens Palace, silence hit them. Arem looked about. His eyes landed on King Maik. He was holding the limp form of a woman’s broken body against him. He wept silent tears. Galtrand sat there, staring at them. Emotionless. Unable to move.

  Trester’s face paled as he hurried to his sister. He didn’t touch her. He stood there, staring at her lifeless face. His clenched jaw accompanied the fists at his side. A dark look came to his brilliant blue eyes, turning them several shades darker.

  Mercea stared at the woman, grim-faced. A look of defeat and great sorrow sat in her eyes. Arem studied her for several moments, wondering what it meant.

  “Heal her, like you did me,” Trester said. Arem looked to him in surprise. “Heal her, damn it! Save her!”

  “I can’t bring back the dead, Trester. There’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry.”

  Maik

  Three days had passed since the battle with Urian. To him, it felt like an entire lifetime had passed. A mixture of soldier and demon blood layered the desert sand outside the palace. The wind had helped cover some of it, but there was still enough visible to see what had happened.

  His soldiers were gathering the dead. Family and friends identified their bodies. Others prepped them for an honorary burial. Tears of people who had lost loved ones filled his courtyard and his halls. His own eyes were swollen and red.

  Maik knew it could have been worse. The city could have burned. More people could have died. Yet, it was difficult to think about it when his own heart ached as it did.

  When he had learned how Janessa had died, he had felt foolish for letting the enemy in his palace. He should have gone with his instinct. He had known something was odd about Rosha, and yet, he had allowed her to remain among them. Isol had told him there was no way he could have known what would happen. Part of him didn’t believe his cousin.

  It still didn’t make sense. Why would Rosha… No, why would De’Nae need all the Stones dead? Why were they such a threat?

  Grief encompassed most of this thoughts. He had remained busy, trying to keep the mind-numbing feeling of emptiness at bay. There was a demon army in Carthoda, comprised of unwilling people.

  When he had first learned of the horror King Barend was causing, he had felt distant. Now, he mourned for them. After witnessing the monsters, everything had become real. What king would do that to his own people and for what purpose? They were the people a king vowed to protect. He knew he would never understand the reasons King Barend and Queen De’Nae had.

  He had always prided himself on thinking clearly in bad situations. Today, his thoughts were addled and distant. Tonight, they would watch Janessa’s body burn. He had never dreamed of having her love. He had imagined sharing their lives with one another until old age claimed them. They would have children and raise them. They would love their grandchildren. The future had held so much for them. Now… Now there was nothing.

  She was no longer here to give her opinions or share in the horrors. Part of him thought the Old Gods were to blame. He felt she was the sacrifice he had to pay for the help of Mercea. He had said he was willing to pay anything, but he had never thought it would be her.

  Maik sighed, shaking his head. He didn’t see the Old Gods making Janessa pay for the calling of Mercea with her life. If They had, They weren’t the Gods everyone believed They were, or had once believed They were. Maybe it was why people chose to believe in the new God.

  Maik ran his hands down the sides of his face. He knew what he was going to do. He was going to fight. He was going to make certain none of their deaths were for nothing. This was going to end.

  There was more death in the future. He knew that. To protect humanity, they were going to have to fight more demons and more people would die. Janessa wouldn’t want him to sit back and wail. She would want him to fight. She would want him to end this nightmare.

  He turned away from the balcony’s rail. He had come here to grieve away from others. The magnitude of what had happened, threatened to crush him. He hated the way the servants pitied him and he hated the way it was difficult to breathe when he thought about her. He hated how empty he felt.

  Maik sucked in a deep breath, telling himself to focus. There was so much to do. Kenokel needed rebuilding, but it was too soon for that. They had larger problems to worry about. Carthoda. He knew he would carry through on his promise to Janessa to help rebuild Cascade, but he had to see Hartland safe again.

  Despite the heavy death toll, the Desert was fortunate. The battle hadn’t destroyed them. He sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace. Watching men bring in the dead was depressing. Maybe, here, he could think on future plans and force Janessa from his thoughts.

  Maik leaned back against the chair and stared at the tan wall. They were going to need everyone’s help to defeat the horde of demons. He had to send correspondence to Horizon and Golden Valley. They needed soldiers. He wondered if they would believe what he was going to tell them.

  Once they heard the words demons and Servants, he was certain they would stop listening. Both kings were avid believers in the new God.

  He agreed with Mercea’s demands for an army. How they were going to form one in the time they had, he had no idea. King Sabin Ward of Golden Valley was an old man and set in his ways. King Flynn Narum of Horizon was slow to act, wanting to think through everything. If worse came to worse, they would have to rely on Yul, the remaining Desert and Cascade soldiers, and the two Servants. If it came to that, he prayed it was enough.

  A knock on the door deepened his scowl. He wanted to be alone. Maik sighed. There was no time for sorrow. Things had to be done. Things had to be set into motion before it was too late. Time was running out. Yet, he sat there, thinking about what needed to happen instead of taking action. With every thought, came the wondering of what Janessa would think of this.

  “Come in.”

  The door creaked opened and Trester stood in the doorway, just as grim as ever. Since meeting the man, Maik didn’t think he had ever seen him smile.

  “May we speak?” he asked.

  “Of course.” Maik watched the man sit down in front of him, but then silence ensued for several moments, annoying him. “Trester, just say what you came to say. It’ll be easier on both of us if you do.”

  “I’m returning to Kenokel after tonight. I belong there. The people need me there. They need to know their king hasn’t abandoned them.”

  Maik said nothing for several moments. They could use the power he had shown everyone he had in the coming battle. As he stared at the man, he knew he couldn’t change his mind. He had lost his entire family. He was certain some small part of Trester had thought one day he’d return to Kenokel and reunite with them. Now, he would never have the chance.

  “If this is what you want to do, do it.” Trester looked to him. Maik saw surprise. “If you feel you must leave, I understand that sense of responsibility. However, I will voice my concern it may be too early to start rebuilding. I, too, would like to see Cascade flourishing again, but we have a demon army to worry about. Janessa knew that. She stayed here
because there was nothing she could do for Cascade, not with the threat. There is still a threat, but you know this well. You saw them. You know what’s going on better than anyone here, other than Arem.”

  Trester lowered his gaze. “We both know that wasn’t the only reason Janessa stayed here.”

  Maik said nothing. He watched Trester rise and walk to the door. Before the King of Cascade closed it, he looked back at him. Maik could see he was uncertain about his decision.

  Maik knew everything was an uncertainty. Even life. It was a lesson he would never forget.

  Mercea

  She stared at Ogden from across the room. Although he had earned the right to become a Servant, she pitied him for it. She viewed his Servanthood as a personal failure.

  He had no idea how difficult this life was. He had no idea he would watch his loved ones grow old and die, and there would be nothing he could do about it. His heart would break over and over. His children would have children and they would have children, but they would no longer know who he was. He would watch them grow old and die and he’d live on.

  Like her, he would watch over his family, but would never be part of it again. The Gods would call him away, and he’d learn most of his family was killed.

  She couldn’t keep the sadness from her golden eyes whenever she looked to Ogden. From the way he shifted under her stare, she knew she made him uneasy.

  “This life you chose isn’t an easy one,” Mercea said. Her voice broke the awkward silence between them. Ogden looked to her. “You’ll spend time with your wife and child, but They’ll call you away. You’ll just become a memory to them. You’ll watch over your descendants and you’ll watch them die, too. You’ll be forgotten, eventually. They won’t know who you are. Sometimes, to protect them, it has to be that way.”