“It depends,” she carefully said. “Mako mentioned that an heir from the previous royal family exists.” Savenek nodded. “Have you met this person?”
“No. But what does it matter?”
“How can you remove one ruler and place someone else on the throne without knowing what that person stands for? What if this heir you so desperately believe in is worse than Barjon? After all, he’s been in hiding for seventeen years. What does he know about the politics of our kingdom? Does he even know how to rule?”
Savenek sat very still, staring at Rema. After several moments, he said, “Mako believes in this heir. And I trust Mako.”
“Still,” Rema continued, “don’t you think it a bit naïve to overthrow one king when you don’t even know who the next one is going to be?”
Savenek’s eyes slid past her. Rema glanced back and found Mako standing behind her with a warm smile. “Care if I join you two?” he asked.
“We would be honored,” Rema said, sliding over to make room for him.
Mako sat down. “I see Savenek is trying to get you to join our cause.”
Savenek’s attention was on his food in front of him.
“He is,” Rema said. “Before I can dedicate myself to something like this, I have questions.”
“Of course you do,” Mako said. “But now is not the time. Tonight is for celebrating our freedom and hard work. We can talk politics another day.”
“Is there any word on my aunt and uncle?” Rema asked.
Mako glanced to Savenek. “Yes, they are well. No need to worry.”
Rema wished he’d tell her more but was glad she at least knew they were well. Several large, burly men holding pewter mugs sat down next to Mako and Savenek.
One patted Mako on the back. “Making progress.” He took a sip from his mug. “I just wish the king didn’t have his army all over the place searching for us right now. It’ll be harder to attack with them spread out.”
“Can you believe the massacre down in Jarko?” another man asked.
Rema’s head shot up. She hadn’t heard anything about a massacre.
Savenek stood. “Rema, care to join me for a dance?” Rema didn’t feel like dancing. She wanted to hear what these men had to say about Jarko.
“Good idea,” Mako said to her. “Go have fun. You don’t want to hear us old men talk all night.”
Savenek came around and took Rema’s arm, pulling her up and leading her away.
“I’m from Jarko,” Rema said.
“I know. Trust me; you don’t want to hear what they have to say.”
“I do!” Rema said, trying to pull her arm free.
Savenek tightened his grip. “When you join our cause, you can be privy to that sort of information.”
Rema stood still, looking into Savenek’s eyes. “So that’s it? Join and you’ll give me information? Or don’t and you’ll keep me in the dark? I have a right to know! Bren’s family is in Jarko. My aunt and uncle are there right now!”
“You’re a spoiled brat!” Savenek spit. “The world doesn’t revolve around you. Would you put the lives of everyone here in jeopardy just so you can know what’s going on? You’re a stupid girl who doesn’t know anything.” He released her arm. His face was an angry shade of red as they stood still in the middle of the room, between the dancers and the tables, facing one another.
It felt as if everyone in the room faded away, and Rema only saw Savenek. At least now, she really knew what he thought about her.
She slapped him across the face so hard her hand stung.
He grabbed her wrist, restraining her.
“I know you have the misguided notion you’re ready to command an army. Well, you’re not.” Rema was seething mad. “You’ve devoted your life to fighting a cause you don’t truly understand. What do you know of the royal family? Nothing but what Mako tells you. You want to restore the throne to someone you’ve never even met. I’m not the naïve one, you are. Have you ever even been in battle? Have you watched someone you love die before your very eyes? You may know how to wield a sword and shoot an arrow, but you don’t know the first thing about being a real leader.”
Savenek’s face was bright red where she’d hit him. His eyes were glassy and it looked like he wanted to tear her to pieces. Rema pulled her arm free and stormed out of the gathering hall, the music floating into the corridor as she ran away.
The walls felt like they were closing in. She didn’t ask to be here. All she wanted was to be home with her aunt and uncle. Mako said she wasn’t a prisoner, but she felt like one. Her river—she needed her river. She longed for the freedom of running through the forest and jumping from her cliff into the cool water below.
Searching through hallway after hallway, Rema finally found the small, wooden door Savenek had led her through when he took her outside the castle walls. She slid the lock open and unlatched it. Frigid air slammed against her body as Rema stepped outside. She carefully shut the door behind her. The moon was bright, lighting the sky enough for Rema to see her way without tripping and falling.
It was stupid to be out in this weather. Rema knew she couldn’t make it down the mountainside. She was high up in the Middle Mountains with no way back to Jarko, no way to find her aunt and uncle. But she couldn’t be inside the confining walls right now. Otherwise, she’d suffocate. All Rema wanted was freedom.
Spreading her arms, the icy wind whipped around her body, giving her the allusion of flying. She just needed some time alone. Perhaps there was a water source nearby where she could sit and calm down. The archery range was down this hill, and she had no desire to go there. Walking to the other side of the fortress, Rema found a dirt path covered with frost, which disappeared between several trees. She followed the trail, wondering where it went. After about a hundred yards, she came to a stone wall four times her height. Following alongside it, Rema realized that it must surround the entire castle. Staying in the shadows cast by the wall, she glanced up and saw that there were soldiers on top, looking out away from the castle, each armed with a bow.
Rema walked along the wall until she came to a wooden door. There was a soldier directly above. Searching the ground, Rema found two rocks the size of her hand. She slowly slid the long bolt open, pulling the door toward her. After slipping to the other side, she wedged a rock between it and wall so she wouldn’t be locked out. Rema threw the remaining rock inside the compound. The soldier above turned and looked back in the direction of the sound. Rema took the opportunity to run into the cover of the trees about twenty feet away.
She kept jogging, trying to stay in a straight line so she’d be able to find her way back. After heading downhill for several minutes, Rema slowed. There was a large boulder up ahead. It was taller than she was, but there were enough other rocks surrounding it that she had no trouble climbing it. The top of the boulder was dusted with snow. Pulling her legs to her chest, Rema sat and breathed in the chilly night air. Thousands of stars loomed overhead in the clear night sky. It seemed that if she reached her hand out, she could touch them.
Now that she wasn’t moving, Rema’s fingers turned numb, and her entire body shook. She’d been running on adrenaline, and now it was gone.
“And here I thought it was going to be difficult getting you alone.”
Rema jumped, twisting to face the direction the voice came from. “Who’s there?” she asked, her breath coming out in a white puff, hanging in the air before her.
A cloaked figure detached from a tree, moving toward the rock. “You’re going to freeze in a matter of minutes if we don’t get you warm.”
She knew that voice. But it couldn’t be. How had he managed to find her? “Darmik?”
He pushed back his hood. “Shh,” he said, “don’t use my name.”
Was he there to capture and return her to the castle?
“Come down from there. We need to talk.” Darmik pushed the side of his cape back, revealing his sword. A dagger was in his left hand.
“
So you can take me to Lennek to be executed? I don’t think so.” Rema glanced around, looking for something she could use as a weapon to defend herself.
“No,” he whispered. “All I want to do is talk. I promise to see you safely returned behind the fortress wall.” Darmik pointed toward the direction she’d just come from. “Hurry, we mustn’t been seen, and we need to get you warm.”
Rema slid down the rock. It was stupid of her to leave the protection of the castle. She could no longer feel her hands, and her legs were beginning to go numb. Her ears and nose were so painful that she feared they might fall off. Rema would either freeze to death, or Darmik would kill her.
In one swift move, Darmik removed his cape and draped it around her body. “Follow me,” he ordered, “and no talking. We don’t want to alert anyone.”
Rema contemplated running—but she wouldn’t get far until she tripped and fell, froze, or Darmik got her. The only option was to follow him, hoping he stayed true to his word and safely returned her to the fortress. Rema wasn’t sure she could actually move, but the warmth of the cloak and the familiar smell of horse gave her the strength to carry on. They wove between trees for about a quarter of a mile until they came to a large rock.
Darmik scanned the area, and then removed some branches, revealing a dark hole three feet wide. Before Rema had a chance to say anything, Darmik took hold of her arms and lowered her into the hole. It was pitch black inside.
“Bend your legs a bit,” Darmik said. “I’m going to release you. There’s a two-foot drop.”
He let go. Rema felt herself falling, but only for a second. Her feet slammed into the ground, and she quickly regained her balance.
“Move out of the way,” Darmik called down. She heard a rustling sound, and then a thump next to her.
Light appeared before her eyes. Darmik stood, holding a small torch. “This way.” He turned and walked away from her. Rema looked back in time to see that the hole was again covered with branches.
Rema hurried after Darmik. Light bounced off the low ceiling and walls as they moved through some sort of tunnel. The only sound was the crunching noise from their feet walking on the dirt ground.
Where was Darmik taking her and why? If he wasn’t there to capture and return her to Lennek, then what did he want? Darmik moved through the tunnel with familiar ease. His hair was a little longer than the last time she’d seen him. The plain clothing he wore reminded her of when she met him by the Somer River. Rema’s heart squeezed. She was supposed to hate this man—he betrayed her, right? She recalled Mako saying that Darmik let him escape with her. Yet Darmik had left her to rot in the dungeon and be executed. So why was she feeling drawn to him? Why did she want to hug him?
After ten yards, the tunnel opened into a small cavern. There was a fire in the center, along with a man. “Neco,” Darmik said, “give us a moment alone.” The man stood and exited through a different tunnel. “Sit.” Darmik pointed to the fire. “You need to warm yourself.”
Rema dropped to her knees before the fire, practically putting her hands in the flames trying to warm them. Darmik draped a heavy, wool blanket around her shoulders, on top of the cloak. She needed to be alert, and keep her head on straight. Rema avoided looking at Darmik, not wanting to get lost in the depth of his brown eyes.
Feeling gradually returned to Rema’s fingers and toes. She sighed, knowing it was time to figure out what was going on. “Why are you here?” she asked.
Darmik sat down on the other side of the fire, across from her. His face gave no hint of his thoughts or emotions. He didn’t respond.
Rema glanced around. Two bedrolls were off to the side, along with two sacks. Was it just Darmik and that one other man, Neco? Or were more soldiers there, hidden somewhere?
“What do you want to talk to me about?” Rema asked, returning her attention to Darmik.
His face was covered with whiskers, making him look older and slightly sinister, leaving no trace of the gentleman who once kissed her. “I want you to be completely honest with me. What is your real name?” he asked.
Although he looked a little different, this was still Darmik. He knew her. So why was he asking her such a silly question? “You know my name,” she responded.
“I want to hear you say it. Your name.”
“Rema.”
“Really?”
“What do you want?” Rema dropped her hands into her lap and forced her eyes to meet Darmik’s across the fire. Her heart skipped a beat. Although there was a hard edge to him, his eyes were tender.
“Rema isn’t listed in the kingdom’s birth records,” Darmik said. He scooted around the fire until he was sitting to her left. “And do you know the names of your parents?”
“No,” she admitted, wanting to put some space between them.
“But Kar and Maya are your aunt and uncle?”
It felt like he was interrogating her. Where was the Darmik she had known and loved? Had it all been an act? “What are you getting at?” Rema’s eyes filled with tears. She didn’t want to sit here with this man right now.
“Neither Kar nor Maya have any siblings,” he stated.
That didn’t make any sense. There was probably just some error in the records then.
“Do you know who Mako is?”
Rema nodded, curious where he was going with this conversation.
“He was the commander of the army for the previous royal family,” Darmik said. “The records state his baby daughter is alive.” His eyes bore into hers, and she couldn’t look away. “But we both know, records can be . . . incorrect.”
“What are you getting at?” Rema asked.
“Seventeen years ago, Mako escaped the castle with a baby. You.”
She shook her head. There was no way Mako was her father. What game was Darmik playing? What was he trying to do? Make her mistrust Mako? “I should go,” she said, removing the blanket and cloak from her body. She wanted no part of this.
“Just one thing, and then I will escort you back to the fortress.” Darmik put his hand on her arm, keeping her in place.
“What?” she whispered.
“Can you explain the tattoo on your shoulder?”
Darmik
Confusion filled Rema’s face.
Darmik wanted to believe she was innocent of treachery, but he had to be sure.
“You’re mistaken.” Rema smiled as her shoulders relaxed. “That’s just a mark from birth.” She held her hands out to the fire again, her body shaking, the cloak and blanket lying on the ground beside her.
“It’s not a birthmark,” Darmik said. He reached for his bag, pulling out two small mirrors and a magnifying glass.
She ducked her head, embarrassed.
“I know my behavior toward you has been appalling since your arrest, but I’d like to explain things from my point of view.” Her large, sapphire eyes bore into his. Darmik forced his hands to remain on the objects he held instead of reaching out to her.
Rema bit her bottom lip. Finally, she nodded, not saying a single word.
Relief filled Darmik. She was giving him a chance—that was all he wanted. Darmik pointed toward her left shoulder. “You’ll need to remove your arm from your clothing in order to see what I’m talking about.”
Rema’s face reddened. “Turn away,” she demanded.
He twisted his body to give her some privacy. His thoughts drifted to their kiss in her bedchamber. He’d been spellbound in her warm embrace when Lennek walked in and interrupted them. That was when Darmik had first seen her tattoo.
“Okay,” she said. Turning back around, Darmik saw her exposed shoulder and arm. Goose bumps covered her flesh. Desire warred with common sense—he wanted to lean forward and caress her skin with kisses. Bloody hell, he needed to maintain control of himself. He couldn’t let his want for her cloud his judgment.
Darmik handed Rema a mirror, while he held the magnifying glass up to her shoulder. “Look in the mirror,” he instructed. When he saw her fa
ce reflected back to him, Darmik raised the second mirror, so she could see the enlarged tattoo.
The mark was pale, almost a soft gray, with delicate lines of red interwoven into a complex symbol—one that appeared near impossible to replicate. It looked like a unique piece of jewelry. The entire tattoo was one inch wide and circular.
Rema dropped the mirror, shattering it. Her entire body shook. “What is that?” she yelled, the color draining from her face. “I don’t understand.”
“Cover up,” Darmik said. “I will explain everything.” It felt like the huge chasm that had opened up between them was suddenly closing. His suspicions were confirmed. Rema had no idea she was Princess Amer.
Darmik watched Rema slip her pale arm back in her sleeve, awkwardly lacing her shirt closed behind her neck.
“All right,” Rema said, sitting down next to Darmik, careful to keep a safe distance between them. “Explain.” She pulled his cape tight around her body, shivering.
Darmik cleared his throat and started at the beginning. He told her about the rumor he first heard in Telan, shortly after they had met. Darmik told her about the rebels, and everything he’d come to know and understand since his first encounter with them. He even told Rema about his father’s proof—the head and tattoos. He told her about Trell and the secret royal tattoo, which led to his discovery that an heir existed. He explained everything in as much detail as he could, except her identity.
Now it was time to reveal that she was indeed the heir.
“As I mentioned before, Mako was Commander for King Revan. What you may not know is that he had a daughter named Tabitha.”
Rema froze, reaching for her identification band that wasn’t there. Darmik remembered it was marked with the name Tabitha. But the girl before him went by Rema—Amer spelled backwards.
Darmik continued, “I’m certain Mako switched his baby Tabitha with Princess Amer. They would’ve been about the same age. Mako smuggled Amer out of the castle. Then he placed her with Captain Kar. Now that the princess is of age, Mako and his rebels are ready to restore Princess Amer to the throne.”
Red (The True Reign Series) Page 17
