Forsaken (The Shadow Chronicles Book 3)

by K. R. Fajardo

  Garnering every bit of strength he had left in his aching muscles, Mikel lifted his daughter’s body off the hard wooden floor and placed her on a nearby bed; which he then pushed flush with the bed in which Dirik lay. Taking a step back, he studied their sleeping forms, laying peacefully next to one another, before looking behind him at Tyran and Ivy a few beds down.

  “My dear, wife.” He sighed heavily. Taking a seat in a chair near his children’s beds, he buried his head into his hands. “I know it’s been a while since I talked to you last, and for that I apologize. But if you can find it in your heart to forgive me… I am in desperate need of your guidance.”

  “I swear Lilith, I swear I am trying my best to do what is right by our daughter, but it seems the harder I try, the worse things keep getting. And I know I can’t blame anyone but myself. After all, I am the idiot who brought K into her life.” Shaking his head, Mikel’s eyes burned with the tears he no longer had to shed, “And even though I knew deep down that woman had ulterior motives… I allowed us to be sucked deeper into her web of lies because Citera trusted her wholeheartedly. And she is so much like you Lilith.” Mikel paused, smiling weakly as he leaned back into the chair. “you could always read people so well. And I guess, deep down, I wanted to believe that she was right and that K had her best interests in mind, but with each new thing I learn about this supposed queen, I find myself questioning that decision more and more. It is for this reason, I beseech you Lilith, give me a sign. Show me what I need to do to free our daughter from this fate I have bestowed on her.”

  Silence descended over the room, as Mikel sat into the late hours of the night alone in the confines of the tent. Certain even his deceased wife had forsaken him for endangering their daughter one too many times, Mikel stood beside Citera’s bed to kiss her goodnight. But just as he bent to place a kiss upon her cheek, a crystal blue moth flitted in front of him and landed softly on her forehead. Having never seen a moth such an odd shade of blue before, Mikel furrowed his brow and watched as it slowly walked around in a small circle before taking flight once again, this time coming to a rest upon the wrist containing K’s mark. Once comfortably settled, the moth opened its beautiful light blue wings, revealing a pair of haunting blue eyes staring back at him. Sucking in a startled breath, Mikel backed away from the shocking site until he bumped into the bed behind him.

  “To save me, you must save her.” Citera whispered from deep in her sleep, snatching Mikel’s attention back to her. “And to save her, you must break the curse.”

  “What curse? And how?” Mikel asked. Rushing forward he grabbed tightly to the rails of the bed. “Just tell me how and I will do it.” But no more answers were to come as Citera once again fell into her peaceful sleep, exhibiting no other signs of life other than the steady pattern of her breathing.

  Seeming satisfied that it had delivered its message, Mikel watched disheartened as the moth flew into the air and flitted into the darkness of the night, leaving him with even more questions and still no answers.

  Chapter 13

  Marko stood inside his king’s apartment, nervously twisting the hilt of his sword as he awaited Mallok’s return. He had been summoned there earlier in the day, via a messenger who had told him nothing more than that Mallok requested his presence inside his room and that if he wasn’t there when he arrived he was to wait there until he returned. Now, after nearly two hours of standing in this massive room alone, with nothing but his own thoughts of impending doom to entertain him, Marko was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

  Three days had passed since K’s collapse and his betrayal. Three long days of dodging Mallok so he wouldn’t be forced to admit what he had done. And while he had desperately hoped that if he bought her enough time, K would awaken and deal with Mallok and the Council herself. However, that had yet to occur. K still laid in her gilded cage, unconscious and vulnerable while he now stood in this room, about to face the wrath of his king who would most likely have his head when he learned the truth of his betrayal.

  Inhaling a deep breath in hopes of steadying his nerves, Marko strolled across the room to the patio. Upon stepping outside into the openness of the landing, he dragged in a lung full of the fresh spring air and instantly felt a bit of relief. No longer feeling constrained by the cold granite walls within the room, he strolled to ledge, wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, and watched the people below casually stroll the paths of the garden. Taking advantage of his peaceful surroundings, Marko did his best to clear all negative thoughts from his mind while praying he was just overreacting.

  He had almost succeeded in convincing himself that he was here, inside his king’s room, for nothing more than a routine meeting when off in the distance, he spotted the fire elemental child, Henry, running as fast as he could across the garden lawn. Watching the young boy weaving his way around people and jumping over paths in a mad dash toward the garden exit, he couldn’t help but wonder what had the child in such a panic. His curiosity was quickly abated when Marko glanced back in the direction from which he had seen Henry come and spotted a very unhappy looking Mrs. Brendall and a pack of scowling school children, shouting angrily as they chased after him. It wasn’t until the group passed the balcony and Marko spotted the large burn on the seat of Mrs. Brendall’s skirt that Marko finally figured out what all the fuss was all about. Unable to control himself, Marko burst into a fit of laughter as he continued to watch the furious teacher and her students chase poor Henry through the gates of the garden.

  “Sorry I took so long.” Mallok’s steady voice directly behind him, interrupted his laughter and caused Marko to jump. “I hadn’t intended for my prior meeting to take so long.” Stepping up beside him, Mallok peered into the garden below, while Marko took a moment to calm his rapid heartbeat. “What did I miss?” Mallok asked, motioning to the garden.

  Facing the garden once again, Marko placed his hands on the railing. “It appears young Henry has once again proven to be a bit much for poor Mrs. Brendall.”

  Upon hearing the rambunctious fire elementals name, Mallok’s lips quirked, “Oh, and what has our young protégée done this time? Dare I ask?”

  “Seems he somehow managed to set alight the young teacher’s dress.” Marko grinned back, “Thankfully Mrs. Brendall wore enough petticoats so that the placement of said burn was not more revealing than it could have been.”

  Mallok chuckled and shook his head. “I dare say that poor girl has the potential of being as great a teacher as her mother, I just wish she would take my advice and ask her for a bit of help.”

  “Yeah, well it isn’t always easy trying to live up to the expectations everyone has of you because of who your parents are.”

  Frowning, Mallok turned away from the garden to face Marko. “Are we still speaking of Mrs. Brendall?”

  Marko shrugged and faced his king. “Let’s just say I can sympathize with her desire to find her own way.”

  Mallok studied the young man closely before offering a slight nod. “I understand the need to find your own way… just remember not to take for granted the abundance of knowledge you can gain from those who have lived before you.” His expression becoming serious, he narrowed his gaze at his young captain. “After all, it can prevent you from foolishly repeating the same mistakes.”

  Watching Mallok turn and head back inside, Marko swallowed hard as he beckoned him to follow. Once inside, Marko stood back and watched as Mallok proceeded to his wardrobe and pulled open the large wooden doors. “Tell me Marko… have you been avoiding me?”

  “What? No, my lord. I would never…”

  “Be careful what you say next Marko.” Mallok snapped, as he spun to face him. “Lying is one thing I will not tolerate… no matter whose son you are.”

  Dropping his eyes to the floor, Marko could feel his king’s heated gaze upon him. “That is what I thought.” Mallok continued as he turned back to the wardrobe and unbuttoned his shirt. “You see, a funny thing happened today. Since you mis
sed our last few meetings, I took it upon myself to stop by the queen’s room to check for myself to see how she was doing. And can you guess what I found?”

  “The queen asleep, my lord.”

  “Exactly!” Removing his shirt, Mallok pulled another from the wardrobe and threw it on before turning to face him. “Now I am going to ask you a question Marko, and I want you to think long and hard about how you choose to answer that question… do you understand?”

  With his gaze still trained on the floor, Marko nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

  “How long has she been asleep?”

  “Three days… going on four, if you count today my lord.”

  Silence enveloped the room as Mallok continued to stare him down from across the room. “I see.” The words, cold and emotionless, sent a shiver down Marko’s tense frame. “And may I ask when it was you planned on telling me she was down.”

  Swallowing hard, Marko’s hand instinctively searched for the hilt of his sword. Wrapping his hand around the smooth, round surface, he began to twist it slowly. “Whenever you found me to ask me my lord.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that, had I not searched you out today, you would still be keeping this a secret from me?” Marko could hear the disbelief, mixed with rage in his king’s steady voice as he approached him rapidly. Not daring to move, though the instinct to run was overwhelming, he listened to the sound of his own heart rate pounding faster and faster in his chest with each step closer Mallok came to where he stood.

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Stopping only inches from him, Marko could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. “Why?” The question, spoken with the same steady voice that Mallok was famous for, radiated with his barely contained rage. And Marko was certain, if he was brave enough to dare look, the flames on the candelabras behind him were likely double the size they normally were. “Look at me and tell me why?”

  Slowly meeting his gaze, Marko flinched at the fury staring back at him from Mallok’s piercing green eyes. Knowing there was no way to escape the truth of what he had done, Marko released a heavy breath. “Because she asked me to.”

  Shock flashed momentarily across his stern features as Mallok narrowed his gaze. “She was awake when you found her in the bathroom?”

  “Yes sir,” Marko confessed, not daring to lie since the only way Mallok would have known such information was if he had already spoken with the guards. “She fell unconscious shortly after I entered, so I carried her back to the bed.”

  “And before she fell unconscious, did she say anything to you? Besides asking you to buy her a few days, that is.”

  “Yes, sir.” Marko hesitated, but the crossed arms and an arch brow of his king swiftly encouraged him to continue. “She told me her Link had been attacked and seriously injured back in Vanteria. That she used what was left of her energy to save her and that was why she passed out by the patio, then again in the bathroom.”

  Upon hearing of the young girl’s misfortune, Mallok’s tense form visibly relaxed. “I was afraid something like this would happen.” Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair. “That was why I wanted the girl brought here with her. I still don’t understand why she sent her back unprotected, knowing the effect it would have on the both of them.”

  “I don’t believe she was expecting to return home sir, and she did not want to risk the girl being trapped here… alone.”

  “She told you this?”

  “Not in those exact words. But she has mentioned several times that she is confident she will not be returning to her people.” Raising his gaze to meet Mallok’s, Marko asked the question that had been weighing on his conscious since first learning of K’s desire not to tell Mallok the truth. “Is she right, my lord?”

  “I don’t know yet.” With a heavy sigh, Mallok stepped away from him and made his way to the small bar across the room. Picking up a glass decanter filled with amber liquid, he pulled the stopper from the bottle, and poured them both a drink. “Is that the reason you kept her being down from me for three days… because you feared we would entomb her?” Heading back toward Marko, Mallok extended a hand containing one of the drinks.

  Happily taking the glass, Marko downed the drink in one large swallow. “Yes. Well… I guess.” He sighed shaking his head, “Honestly I don’t know… I just…”

  “Felt sorry for her?” Mallok interrupted. Marko nodded weakly.

  With a sad smile, Mallok wrapped his arm around the young man’s shoulders. Stopping to grab the bottle off the bar, he led him over to a nearby table, and shoved him down into one of the chairs. Scared and uncertain of what was happening, Marko watched as Mallok poured them both another drink as he took his place on the other side of the table. “I should have known she would get to you.” He said, passing him another drink. “It’s what she does. And she is damn good at it.” Downing his own drink, Mallok offered Marko another, but he waved it off as he tightly clutched the still full glass in his hands. Shrugging, Mallok poured himself another. “She lures men in. Makes them believe she is weak and in need of their help, then she uses them. Builds them up with false promises to get them to help her obtain whatever twisted goal she has in her warped mind. Then, once they have served their purpose and she no longer has need of them…” Throwing back another drink, Mallok slammed down the glass and pulled open the front of his shirt, exposing the massive star shaped scar in the center of his chest. “She tosses them aside like yesterday’s trash.”

  Staring at the pale lines of the scar, Marko felt instantly ashamed of his behavior. After all, the very same woman he was trying to protect did indeed stab his king. And while he knew the reason K had done what she did, Mallok did not. And to know he was suffering terribly, believing the woman he loved had betrayed him and then managed to convince him to do the same, Marko felt the weight of his own conscience weigh down on him heavier than before. Tossing back his drink, he paused enjoying the burn of the liquid as it slid down his throat, before he looked up once again to face him. “I am sorry, my lord. I honestly didn’t think about it from your point of view. I just saw her, starving in that room, wasting away and couldn’t help but take pity on her.”

  “Don’t worry, my boy. I of all people know what it is like to be wrapped up in that woman’s spell.” Leaning back into his chair, Mallok stared blankly at the ceiling above. Marko remained quiet, allowing him his few moments of silent contemplation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mallok rose from his chair and motioned for Marko to follow as he headed toward the door. “As long as we are back to understanding what your duties are and to whom your loyalties lie, all will be well.”

  “Of course…” Raising from his seat, Marko remained close to the table twisting the hilt of his sword. “But ummm… Your majesty, I think there is something else I should let you know.”

  Realizing his young captain wasn’t following, Mallok turned around with a frown, “Go on.”

  “I ummm…” Halting his twisting, Marko gripped tightly to the end of his sword, and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Ivan received word a few days ago that six Vanterians, five men and one woman, crossed the border and are making their way toward the city.”

  Expecting he would be furious that he had not told him of the intrusion earlier, Marko was stunned when a twisted grin tugged at the corners of Mallok’s lips. “Excellent. How long until they arrive?”

  Confused, Marko furrowed his brow. “I sent Ivan out to escort them back to the palace the same day he told me. They should be arriving any day now.”

  “Then we don’t have much time.” With determination set in his features, Mallok spun and headed toward the massive double doors of his room as his fingers steadily worked to button his shirt. “Yuri!” he shouted as he neared. Almost instantly a tall, thin man dressed in a butler’s uniform appeared before him. “Send word out to the Council members that we will be meeting in an hour. Let them know they all need to be there, no exceptions. The queen has finally w
eakened enough to be read so her sentence will be decided today.”

  “Yes, my lord.” The gangly man answered with a curt bow, then disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. Returning his attention to Marko, Mallok sighed, “You have a duty to preform, my boy. Can I trust that you are not too compromised or shall I find someone else?”

  “No, my lord. I know what I need to do and what is expected of me, I will not disappoint you again.”

  Mallok paused, carefully scrutinizing him, then nodded. “Good.” Walking to the other side of the room, he tucked in his shirt tale, as he met Marko’s stare in the mirror. “Now go and take a few minutes to clear your head. And I will see you in one hour in the Throne Room.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Bowing at the waist, Marko headed toward the door and was just about out of Mallok’s room when he heard his name called once more.

  “Oh, and Marko?”

  With his hand on the knob, he turned back to look at Mallok over his shoulder, “Yes, sir?”

  “Don’t lose your faith in me just yet my boy… things are not always as they seem.”

  Confused by the strange words, Marko stared openly at his king’s back as he continued to peruse his wardrobe. Realizing he wasn’t going to elaborate any further on his vague statement, he then turned and headed out the door. With a heavy heart, he returned to his room and collapsed onto the comforting softness of his sofa. With one arm draped over his head, he closed his eyes and tried his hardest to forget that in a less than an hour’s time, he would be forced to bring an innocent woman to her demise.

  *****

  Burdened with the knowledge that this was most likely the final time he would have to make this particular trip, Marko solemnly retraced the steps he had become all too familiar with over the past few weeks. His heavy boots hitting the smooth granite floors were the only sound that broke through the overhanging silence that surrounded him, creating an ominous beat that drew the attention of the few people that still remained in the hallways. Keeping his eyes forward and his head low, Marko could feel their sideways glances and curious stares watching him, only compounding the weight of the guilt he was already carrying over what he was about to do.