by J. B. Jenn
“You act as if we’ll part immediately.”
Mercea sighed. “Let’s just go.”
De’Nae
The palace in Horizon had a rather simple design. It looked more like a large house than a place where a king would live. De’Nae shook her head at such simplicity. Kings and queens should live in luxury. After all, they were royalty and people should worship them.
She thought about approaching the gates as a normal person, but decided against it. There was no fun in pretending she was normal. She had vast amounts of power and she planned to use it.
De’Nae’s lips twisted into a smile as she appeared in King Flynn’s throne room. He was in session with his advisors, just as she had hoped. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at her, open-mouthed. De’Nae met their gazes, wearing an amused smile on her red lips. Many of them stood and stepped away from her, uncertain what to expect.
“What are you doing here?” King Flynn asked, raising one of his blonde brows in irritation. “I’m in court at the moment. This is no way for you to arrive and announce yourself. I will have no business with a wytch if she cannot follow ordinary rules.”
“Don’t you get it, your Majesty?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she studied him. “We’re above the rules. I’m above the rules. If you could only see that, you wouldn’t be so hesitant in joining us. You know Carthoda will one day rule Hartland. Join us and we’ll see to it you’re well rewarded.”
A grim look settled over his face. He rolled the gold band on his wedding finger around and around as he studied her. De’Nae stood there, looking to the people who viewed her with wide eyes. She smiled at them, planning to give them further demonstration of what she was capable of.
“Here is not the place to ask for such aid,” Flynn said, pulling her from her thoughts. “We will discuss what you have to offer at a later time. For now, I’m dealing with matters in my kingdom.”
He snapped his fingers and a unit of guards entered to escort her out. De’Nae found herself surrounded. She looked to the king, completely amused he would even consider this would work.
“These men can’t stop me, your Majesty,” she said in her silky voice. “But, I believe you already know that.”
“They are only here to escort you to your chambers. I will call upon you when I have time.”
De’Nae tilted her head to the side again. When she saw Flynn wasn’t going to budge on the matter, mirth filled her eyes.
“Very well.” She turned to the guards surrounding her. Each of them gave her wary glances. “By all means, escort me,” she said, sweeping her arm in front of her.
They led her from the throne room and up a flight of stairs in silence. Walking with them, she thought about disappearing and reappearing at a more convenient time. And then, she paused. A smile parted her lips. Mercea was coming here. She could feel it. She chuckled. Poor, foolish Mercea.
The Stones might be dead, but this was still needed for an easy victory. Her husband needed one. They needed one before it was too late. Verite was gaining too much power.
“These are your chambers,” the captain of the unit told her in a stiff, disapproving voice. De’Nae nodded. “I will send a servant up to inquire of your needs, my lady.”
“That will hardly be necessary, but as you wish.”
De’Nae stood in the doorway, watching the men leave. She had never imagined King Flynn would have her escorted by guards. She sat down in a large, overstuffed chair and stared at the fireplace. The air had a chill to it.
As Oytlin sat on the northwestern edge of Hartland, the winter rain had a bite to it. With just a thought, she brought fire to the logs inside the fireplace. Staring out at the drizzle, she found she preferred snow over rain.
She wondered how long she would have to wait for the king. If he was wise, it wouldn’t be long.
Relyck
He wasn’t anything special. Yet, he was assigned to patrol the border between the Desert and Carthoda. His skill with the sword was passing. Nothing spectacular. He wasn’t comfortable being in charge of men’s lives.
King Maik had sent orders about demons coming across the border and they were to stop them. He hadn’t known what to make of it. King Maik wasn’t known for jesting.
After today, he knew demons were real. His hands still shook from what they had just fought and somehow survived. It had been so horrifying, things of nightmares.
Relyck looked down at his sword. It was almost useless now. He turned his gaze to a young boy, barely seventeen.
“Korick,” he said, motioning the man to his side. “I need you to go back to the North Gardens Palace and request additional soldiers from King Maik. We also need more equipment. Tell him everything you’ve seen here.”
Once again, he looked down at his sword. The edge was jagged. Small holes pocked the once, flat, smooth blade.
Korick nodded, swallowing. The young man looked toward the other soldiers. Then his eyes moved to the burnt sand all around them, littered with a few of their dead.
“Those were demons, sir?”
“Yes.” He furrowed his brow. “Tell King Maik, it’s worse than he feared.”
Relyck looked toward Carthoda and shuddered. Fear crept down his spine. There were demons in this world and they were fighting them. It was difficult to believe King Barend was sending them across the border to kill them. Where had the safety he felt only a few days ago gone to? Hell, he would take a few hours.
He looked back to Korick. “Make sure you make it back to him. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold them off. Some demons may have already gotten through. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.”
Korick swallowed hard. His young eyes darted about the area. “Sir? How am I supposed to fight off any demons on my own?”
“Don’t fight them. You run for it and keep running. You must reach the king. You have to inform him of what’s happening out here. These men, not just the ones right here, are counting on you to succeed.” Korick swallowed hard. Relyck patted the young man’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine as long as you listen to your gut. If something tells you to run or keep moving, you listen to it. You will leave now.”
He watched the boy gather his gear. Only when he could no longer see him in the distance did he turn back to the mess around them. Most of the demons had disappeared upon death, but a few had remained. He had never imagined demons smelling as they did. They smelled worse in death, assaulting his sense of smell.
Relyck looked toward the rest of his men, fighting down the feeling of impending doom. Although his sword, like theirs, had holes in it and an uneven edge, it was going to have to do. They had to hold the line or the people of the Desert would die.
“What do you make of this?” one of the older men asked, shaking his head.
“This is madness and I don’t see any of us making it through the next week. They’ll keep coming. We’ll keep fighting until we can’t. It’s the only thing we can do.”
“We could run,” one of the other soldiers answered.
Several turned and looked at him, scowling. Relyck sighed.
“We could run, but I won’t. There are too many peoples’ lives at stake to run. So run if you must, but don’t try to seek a place in the Desert for your home. People will come for you and I’ll be leading them when this is over.” The men nodded. “Bury those bodies.”
Trester
He had sent Galtrand away. As the man had left, he had seemed a hollow version of his former self. It was almost as if the man seemed to think he had no reason left to live. More than ever, he was convinced sending him away was the right thing to do.
In sending Galtrand to Cascade, it had left him in a difficult situation. There were soldiers here he didn’t trust. He was certain they didn’t trust him either. Most of them believed the stories that he was a coldblooded murderer. He could see it in the way they watched him.
Tre
ster closed his eyes. How was he ever going to earn these peoples’ respect? There were so many rumors about him. He knew he had no choice. All he could do was remain in the open with them and they would see him for who he was.
Trester snarled. Half the time he didn’t even know who he was. For the last several years, he had lived off of his anger over what his father had done. For years, it had felt as if the entire world had abandoned him. At one time, he had believed his family should just accept him for what he was. After speaking with Janessa, he realized they had accepted him for who he was. He had also accepted he was dangerous, just as his father and all those people believed. He wished he had been able to tell his father he forgave him.
Standing, he went out to the gardens to clear his mind. Hyal, a man who had guarded his sister, followed him. His first instinct was to release the man from duty as his sister was dead. He knew it wasn’t fair, it was why he had waited as long as he had in speaking with the man.
Trester turned to him. “I’ve a question for you.” Hyal nodded, swallowing hard. “What were you doing when my sister was attacked? You were supposed to be guarding her, were you not? If you were near her or paying attention, you could have either stopped the attack or gotten help.”
Hyal stammered incoherently for several moments before pausing and taking in a deep breath. “I was on the wall, shooting the demons coming toward the palace as was she, your Majesty. I never once thought someone from inside the palace would attack her.”
“And what about after she was attacked? I’m certain there was some kind of noise. Why didn’t you alert anyone?”
Hyal lowered his eyes in shame. “I… I heard nothing, your Majesty.”
Trester studied the man for several moments. Straightening his spine, he folded his hands behind his back. “I hereby relieve you of duty. You are not fit to guard anyone. You’ll join the regular soldiers and fight demons. It’s what you’ve deemed more worthy than my sister’s life.”
“That isn’t fair! You can’t do this. I have always been a royal guard.”
Trester turned angry eyes on him. “It isn’t fair you abandoned your duties and my sister is nothing more than ash.” He turned away from the man, took several steps, and paused. “You should feel fortunate you can still be useful and kill demons. My father would have had your head.”
He entered the palace again, knowing he wouldn’t find peace out in the garden. As much as he wanted to look back at the pathetic man, he didn’t. His decision hadn’t been easy, but he felt it was the right one. He couldn’t depend on the man to protect him when he needed it.
The worst part of him being king was he felt he had failed Janessa. He kept wondering if he had allowed her to join the battlefield if she would have survived.
Trester sighed. He needed to focus on their current predicament. If they didn’t find a way to stop King Barend and Queen De’Nae, Hartland would be lost.
Ogden
He knew he should be thinking about the task at hand. It was difficult to stay focused when all he could see was sand glittering in the sun.
Looking behind him, he wished he could rush home and hold Hethera and Acen close. Those two were the reason he was out here. They were the reason he was now a Servant, but his heart yearned for them. As long as he was away, he would long to be with them. At least, he had sent a messenger to Lovic. Hethera would know for a certainty within a few weeks, he still lived.
His gaze found the back of Mercea’s head, wondering if what she had said was true. Would he lose them because the Gods would keep pulling him away from them? He prayed it wouldn’t happen. However, after fighting Urian, he knew Hartland needed its Servants. There were other families who needed protection. He just hoped when the time came, he would be brave enough to make the right decision.
As he continued forward, he wondered what Hethera would think of this. Was this what she had seen when she had told him their lives would change forever? He knew she was most likely worried sick, if she didn’t think he was dead. All he could hope for was she had seen something to indicate he was still alive.
Ogden ran a hand through his thick, brown hair. He loved her so much and knew he would do anything for her and his son. He had to see to it Hartland wasn’t destroyed, even if he was never able to see his family again.
“How long have you been a Servant?” Ogden asked, breaking the silence between them. It had formed a little more than three days ago.
Mercea glanced at him. “A long time.”
He shook his head. She was a frustrating woman. He hoped the passage of time didn’t turn him into her. He wanted to have faith in people. He wanted to believe in them. He had seen, even in his short lifespan, people could make a difference. Mercea seemed to believe people couldn’t be trusted. Several times, since he had met her, he wondered what she had seen over the years. What had made her so jaded against the world?
“Mercea, that isn’t an answer.”
She came to an abrupt stop and swung her leg out. It took Ogden several moments to realize he was laying on his back, staring up at the sky, breathing heavily. She knelt beside him. A fierce look had settled in her golden eyes. Ogden met them.
“Let’s not get friendly with one another. That’s not our job. Our job is to protect the people of Hartland and to work together. That’s all you need to know. As long as we can talk to each other, there isn’t a problem.”
“I know what our job is,” Ogden said in what he hoped was a patient voice. When she raised one of her thin, black brows, he didn’t think he had. “Mercea, I’d be able to better protect Hartland if I knew I could trust the person working beside me. No one knows anything about you.”
Mercea sighed and rose. She stared at him for a few moments. “I’m a Servant, Ogden. It should tell you everything you need to know about me. I will do whatever is necessary to protect this world from anything or anyone. I have done so countless of times.” She studied him for a moment. Ogden made a conscious effort not to squirm under her fierce gaze. “I trust the same is true for you or you wouldn’t be here. They would have never chosen you. For that, alone, you have my respect, and trust, even if you are inexperienced.”
“That may be true, but it doesn’t mean I can trust you not to leave me behind because you thought there was another way. We have to work together, Mercea, whether you like it or not.”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she focused her attention ahead of them. As he stared at the back of her head, he wondered what she was thinking.
Hours passed by in continued silence.
Several times, Ogden wanted to say something, but thought better of it. He doubted she would even listen. As they walked toward the edge of the Desert, he would stare at her for long periods of time. He thought about her past and wondered how old she was. He always diverted his gaze when she would sigh and turn to look at him. Irritation flickered through her golden eyes.
“This is where we part ways,” she said. Ogden looked to her for an explanation. “Your journey will be longer than mine.” For a moment, she studied him. Ogden watched a small smile flicker before the seriousness set in again. “I hope you can convince King Sabin of what must be done to protect Hartland. I’m uncertain I’ll have any luck with King Flynn.” Her eyes grew distant. Ogden waited. “I have this odd sensation about meeting with him. It makes me uneasy. I want to ignore it, but I shouldn’t, not when Hartland needs everyone to band together. Still.” Her voice trailed off.
“If you’re uneasy about it, it might be wise we go together. There may be a trap waiting for you,” Ogden said. Mercea shook her head. “Maybe we should just not go to King Flynn for help then.”
“I have a feeling I need to do this on my own. Despite the danger I’m sensing, I’m compelled to go. They want me to go. When you’ve been a Servant longer, you’ll understand.”
Ogden studied her. She was a difficult woman to read. “At least consider what I’m saying.”
Mercea gave him a sad look. “I have. This is some
thing only for me.”
Ogden watched her leave his side. There was sadness in her eyes as if she knew she wasn’t coming back. As much as he wanted to follow her, he knew his destination was Golden Valley. There was a gentle pushing within his mind, telling him Horizon was not his place.
“I wish you well, Mercea,” he said before beginning in a southwestern direction.
Barend
With De’Nae gone, he felt better. He was no longer lying awake at night, thinking about killing a woman he had loved. There was something different about her now. It felt as if she had betrayed him. Worse, it was for more power. She had given his life up for her power. It wasn’t fair and left him feeling like she had discarded him.
With the thought, his eyes strayed to the glass globe, swirling in different shades of orange. It sat in the corner of the room. The globe seemed unnecessary now. If Verite needed to, he could contact him without it. Verite was a stronger presence now, and it frightened him. He was far stronger than he had been when his wife had first made the deal with him. It was one of the reason he felt as if De’Nae had betrayed him. Whereas she was still beautiful and strong, he was growing feeble and old.
As he lay in bed, thinking about his wife, he knew it had been a mistake to allow her to pursue such wild dreams. He should have never married a wytch. In that respect, his father had been right. De’Nae was only concerned with herself.
Back before this had started, he had been willing to do anything to please her. Now, he realized if he hadn’t allowed her to make contact with the demon, they would be happy. No. He would be happy. She would still want more, but there wouldn’t be demons in his kingdom. His people wouldn’t be dead. They wouldn’t be scrambling to break free of Verite. He wondered if they even could. He wondered if they could end this, or if it had gone beyond repairing.
