“You will not lay a finger on me.” K warned, glaring past him up to the others now all gathered around. “None of you… If you do, you will regret it.”
“You don’t have the strength.” Chuckling lowly, Cato leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “And now that your boyfriend is no longer on your side, there is no one left to protect you.”
“Y-you have never u-understood.” K panted, her body trembling under the intensity of the pain.
“Understood what?”
“It was not him that was protecting me.”
An evil laugh rose up from K as she slowly raised her reddened gaze and locked it on the gangly Seer. Immediately realizing his mistake, Cato hurriedly backed away, but it was already too late. With an angry cry, K lunged forward and knocked him flat on his back. All around, the Throne room filled with screams of terror as the Council and their witnesses watched helplessly as K straddled his struggling body and pulled back her fist. Knowing full well her intentions, Mallok and Elymas rushed forward to intervene, but unfortunately weren’t fast enough. With a sickening crunch, K slammed her fist into the side of Cato’s head and his body fell limp.
Full-fledged panic ensued as most of the witnesses scrambled for the door, while a few others, such as Marko stood back, torn between assisting their leaders and saving their own lives. “K please stop!” Lady Kirsten’s plea rose over their fleeing cries. At the same time, Brink appeared just behind K. Sword in hand, he was hoping to take her by surprise as he raised the glistening metal into the air. Unfortunately for him, the light of the surrounding candles reflected off the sword in a way that warned K of his impending attack. Rolling out of the way in time to avoid his swing, she popped up behind Brink and snapped his neck before he had a chance to escape.
“Enough!” Mallok’s booming command echoed the rage boiling his blood at the site of two of his fellow Council members being so easily dispatched. Feeding off his rage, he summoned his connection to the magical shard within K, and with a brutal twist, sent a stabbing pain into her chest that ripped the air from her lungs.
Doubled over in agony, K fought to draw air back into her lungs, while Elymas, taking advantage of her incapacitated state, slipped up behind her and wrapped his broad arms around her petite frame. With her arms pinned to her side, K struggled against his hold while still fighting for air. However, the more she fought, the tighter his hold became until she could feel her ribs beginning to crack under the immense pressure.
“Please stop K, I don’t want to do this.” Elymas whispered solemnly.
“I can’t,” she forced out through her crushed lungs. “I can’t let this happen.”
K could feel the consciousness rapidly slipping from her air deprived body. In a last-ditch attempt to free herself, she kicked back with a well-aimed blow and dislocated the knee of the burly Caster. Immediately releasing her from his grasp, Elymas cried out in pain and clutched the offended extremity. Somehow managing to balance precariously on one leg, he began to chant under his breath as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of red liquid, which he then rapidly downed.
Free of his hold, K backed away to the far side of the room as she fought to replenish the air in her starved lungs. And with each breath of air she breathed, K’s rage only grew stronger. Eyes trained on the pair of them, she reached up and wrapped her fingers around the blocking band encircling her neck. “No more will I allow myself to be treated as an animal.” A single tear streamed down her cheek, as she jerked it free and dropped it to the ground beside her. “No more will I allow myself to be manipulated by the likes of you any longer.” Reaching up she grabbed ahold of one of the bands on her arms and soon it joined its companion on the ground at her feet. “To be used when my skills serve your purpose then cast aside once you are done with me.”
With each word spoken, another band fell to the floor until no more remained. Knowing she was on the verge of letting the darkness completely overtake her, Mallok tried once again to use his bond with the shard to subdue her. “K you will cease this nonsense!” Twisting his wrist mercilessly he sent K collapsing to the ground. K however, like before, refused to stay down. Biting her lip until she drew blood, she fought her way back to her feet. Fangs extended and black marks shining against pale white skin, she glared at Mallok as he continued to increase the pressure on the shard.
“My Lord, reinforcements are on their way!” Marko shouted, as he rushed forward along with Hilda to join the Immortals. Behind him two large Shifters came to a stop. “And all the witnesses except for these two, who refuse to leave, have been evacuated.”
“We will not leave our queen’s side,” a broad shouldered, blonde headed man added, glaring down at Marko.
“They can stay, but no reinforcements. I don’t want this turning into a blood bath.” Mallok interceded, turning his attention to Hilda, “Go my dear, tell the guards at the door to seal them tight and under no circumstances are they to let anyone come in.” Heaving a heavy sigh, he turned to glance back at K. “This is our problem and we are the only ones who can settle it.”
Looking uncertain, Hilda glanced from Mallok back to K. “It’s okay dear, go.” Mallok encouraged. “Get out of here.” Dropping her gaze, Hilda gave a curt nod, before she took off running for the door.
Watching her until she was out of sight, Marko turned his attention to K and cringed as a sadistic grin spread across her face. No longer recognizing the woman who stood before him, Marko pulled his sword and faced her head on. Ignoring him completely, K turned her attention back to the Council. Taking each of them in one at a time she slowly began to advance their direction as rage and hatred emanated from her looming form.
Knowing they only stood a chance against her if they stuck together, Mallok and Elymas stood side by side placing themselves between K and the female members of the Council. Flanking them, along with the Shifters, they all slowly backed away, making sure to keep K at a safe distance. Drawing upon every drop of energy left within him, Mallok tried once more to use the shard to debilitate her, but other than a slight falter in her smile, no other sign that the shard was having any effect on their aggressor was apparent.
“Why isn’t it working?” Serefina asked, grasping tightly to Elymas from behind. “Or for that matter why isn’t the Link working? She should be in excruciating pain allowing this much rage to surface.”
Elymas, fully recovered thanks to his spell, narrowed his gaze at the encroaching woman. “She has to have done something to the Link. Perhaps she has figured out a way to down her so that she cannot feel her rage… and if that’s the case, there is a chance she is drawing energy from her as well.”
“Damn it.” Kirsten cursed next to Marko. “But that still doesn’t explain why the shard isn’t working. It has nothing to do with the link, it only binds her to Mallok so she can’t leave the castle. Surely she doesn’t have that much strength in her.”
“I don’t know.” Mallok growled, pulling all their attention back to him. “I think we have been fooled.” Staring at the dark black line running down her face he furrowed his brow. “When she came in here we all thought she was fully unmasked, but look at her now” He paused, gesturing to K and her black markings. “Half those marking weren’t visible a few moments ago, and yet there they are now.”
Marko bit his lip and dropped his gaze. Elymas furrowed his brows, “You’re right, I don’t recall ever having seen those markings before.”
“She even has one on her face.” Kirsten whispered lowly. “It looks terrible. Was it there the last time you saw her Mallok?”
“No, otherwise I would have realized she was still masked.” Mallok sighed, “She has definitely been through something since… ”
“It’s not nice to talk about people.” K interrupted with a sinister purr. Chuckling lowly, she threw her hand out in front of her and before he could stop it, Marko’s sword flew from his hand and straight into K’s. Shocked Marko stared back and forth between his empty palm and K. �
��H-how….”
“Damn it, she’s retaining more power than I thought.” Mallok yelled. Widening his stance, he placed both palms facing one another and called forth the fire from the candles in the room. Swirling them together he created a massive ball of fire larger than himself. “Elymas we need to stop this now before she allows the rage to consume her completely.”
With a curt nod, Elymas began chanting. Focusing intently on K, he pulled a vial from his jacket and threw it across the room where it shattered at her feet. The instant the vial broke, swirling chains of golden light appeared and started winding around her feet and ankles. Rapidly increasing his chant, Elymas waved his arms directing the movement of the chains as they snaked up her legs binding them together. “Now, Mallok!” he yelled out as the chains reached K’s waist. Upon his direction, Mallok released the fireball.
“No fair teaming up.” K tsked.
Marko gaped as he watched his once trusted blade become encompassed in a black swirling mist. Opening her eyes to reveal pitch black orbs, K swung the sword down and sliced through Elymas’s golden chains as if they were nothing more than butter. Freed of her bonds, she jumped out of the way just in time to allow Mallok’s fireball to crash into the column behind her.
“Now it’s my turn.” Chuckling maniacally, K rose to her feet and tilted her head. With narrowed eyes and a wide grin, she flipped the sword in her hand and sent the obsidian blade flying across the room on a direct course for Mallok.
“My lord, watch out!” Rushing toward his king, Marko knocked him out of the way just in time to prevent the blade from piercing his chest. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough to avoid getting struck himself. Crying out as the sword pierced his shoulder, Marko fell to the floor bracing the bleeding wound. “I-it’s burning!” he yelled. Writhing about the ground, he reached to pull the sword from his shoulder only to find himself restrained by Kirsten and Serefina. “What are you doing? Let me pull it out, it’s burning.” He yelled continuing his useless struggle against their hold as the pain moved from his shoulder into his chest. “Why is it burning so bad?”
“It’s the mist of rage.” Kirsten soothed. “Touching it will only make the pain spread faster.”
“Awww Mallok, look at what you made me do.” K taunted from across the room. “Don’t you feel ashamed letting the mortal take a blow for you?”
“Tend to him Elymas.” Mallok ordered, ignoring K’s prodding. With his eyes locked on her, he placed his palms back in front of him. However this time, instead of generating another fireball, Mallok concentrated his energy on creating a white ball of electrical energy. “I’ll deal with her.”
“What are you doing Mallok?” Wrapping her gloved hands around the hilt, Kirsten waited for Elymas’s signal, while Serefina tightened her grasp on Marko’s writhing body. “That’s only going to anger her more.”
“I’m not trying to harm her, only contain her. But if this works I’m going to need the boy’s help to maintain it. So, hurry up and get him back on his feet.”
“I’ll do the best I can, but his body is mortal, he will not heal as fast as one of us would.” Reaching into his jacket, Elymas produced another vial of red liquid. Removing the lid, he nodded to Kirsten, who ripped the sword free of his shoulder and tossed it aside. She then resumed helping Serefina hold him down while Elymas poured a portion of the red solution into his mouth then the rest into the open wound.
Trying his best to block out his good friend’s cries of pain, Mallok continued to work on growing the ball of electricity within his hands. Once satisfied its dimensions were suited for the task at hand, he made aim, pulled back his arm, and hurled it at K.
“I don’t think so.” K growled, deflecting his attack with a mere swipe of her hand. “I have no intentions of being ‘contained’ any longer.”
Hands swirling in the black mist, K extended them before her and used her mist to create a ball of magic of her own. “How about you try it instead?”
“Mallok…” Lady Kirsten yelled as the swirling void came careening their way. In a blur of movement, her two men shifted into massive wolves and placed themselves between her and the incoming attack.
“No! Stay back!” Throwing his palms out in front of him Mallok leapt between the others and the deadly mist. Drawing up all the strength he could muster, he generated an electrical shield and deflected the black mist just in the nick of time. Drained by the amount of energy it took to hold off the attack, Mallok fell to his knees and watched in terror as K began to generate yet another cloud.
“Mallok, what are we going to do? None of us have the strength to take her on like this.” Elymas asked, coming to stand next to his crumpled form. “She is completely consumed by the darkness.”
“I know.” Following his gaze, Mallok watched hopelessly as the black cloud continued to grow in size and strength. “I fear we are going to need a miracle.”
Chapter 14
The sun had barely made its way into the sky on their third day of travel when Maya and the others crested the final hill leading to Lanoria’s capital city. Mouth agape she and the others paused on the peak of the hill and stared in astonishment at the spectacular site spread before them. “It’s so beautiful,” Maya sighed, staring out over the numerous tall buildings. From her vantage point, Maya easily made out at least a half dozen or more schools, temples and gardens, each one appearing to be just as gorgeous and well-kept as the next. However, it was the towering castle, with its massive spires and intricate engravings, set in the center of the picturesque scene that was truly the gem of the city. “I never imagined a city could be so… so big.”
“That’s no lie.” Liam mumbled, intently studying the intricate network of streets that twisted their way through the city. “There’s no way we would have been able to navigate this place on our own.”
“Perhaps if we used the rooftops.” Rico offered unsurely.
“Even then, doing so without being noticed would have been impossible.” Zach joined, pointing out the balconies and gardens covering many of the rooftops. “It seems we might have lucked out winning ourselves an escort.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” Jaron mumbled lowly. Narrowing his gaze at the back of Ivan’s head, he watched as he and his men continued down into the valley without them. “As much as I would like to believe what he says is true, it doesn’t change the fact that he still works for Mallok… and Mallok can’t be trusted.” With a disgruntled sigh, he ran a hand across the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, we have no choice but to follow him. So everyone stay alert and be prepared for anything.”
Nodding quietly, they dropped the conversation, and continued in silence until they met up with Ivan and his men at a stable outside the city wall. Pausing there to allow them to tend to their horses, Jaron and the rest of the men huddled together to once again discuss their strategy for getting K out of the castle once they had her. Not feeling up to hearing this conversation for what had to be the hundredth time, especially when none of them knew what they faced inside the castle walls, Maya left the men behind and approached the massive stone gates. “Wow.” She gaped, watching the rays of the sun reflect off the castle’s shimmering white walls in a rainbow of colors.
“That’s definitely not the Tower.” Stepping beside her, Jarod laid a gentle hand to the small of her back and followed her gaze to the cathedral style structure in the distance.
Studying the rows upon rows of brightly colored stain glass that lined the structure on nearly every side, she sighed. “No, it’s definitely not.”
Together they stood engrossed by the mesmerizing site until the smell of something cooking nearby caught Maya’s attention. Trying to ignore the growl of her stomach, she dropped her gaze to the courtyard just inside the gate where an open-air market was currently in full swing. The vast open area was filled to the brim with canvas tents selling quite the eclectic selection of food, clothing, jewelry, and various other wares while men, women, and children casually milled aroun
d perusing the varied merchandise.
Everywhere Maya looked people were laughing and smiling as if they didn’t have a care in the world. She doubted if even Oasis could boast a life as carefree and happy as the one these people before her were so clearly enjoying. The entire marketplace pulsated with energy and life, and it took every bit of Maya’s self-control to resist running into the midst of the bustling activity, and experiencing for herself, if even for only the slightest moment, what a life such as this could feel like.
However, she feared darting through the Lanorian gate without the permission of their guide, could possibly anger Ivan and cause problems for her and the others. After all, there still remained a level of mistrust between them and the men escorting them. And while she would give anything in the world to be a part of all that lay before her, the last thing she wanted to do was cause trouble for her group by succumbing to her childish whims. So instead she turned away from the hub of activity and into Jarod’s waiting embrace.
Feeling the conflict building inside her, Jarod leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “One day.” He soothed, as his hand slowly ran down the length of her hair.
“One day what?” Ivan’s booming voice startled her from her self-pity. Glancing from her saddened expression to the open gates, understanding smoothed his wrinkled features. “I meant everything I said before about you being our guests, not our prisoners, so if you wish to go inside and look around feel free to do so. Once we get things settled out here and are ready to continue, we will find you.”
“You’re certain?” Maya asked, barely able to contain her excitement. “I mean, I know your people aren’t accustomed to ours being around and I don’t want to cause any problems.”
“Not at all my dear. With the borders open for the trial, there are people of many races inside the city at the moment. No one should pay you a bit of mind. Honestly, most will just assume you are Shifters based on his size alone.” Hesitating, Ivan glanced back up at Jarod, “Although…” Turning around over his shoulder, Ivan spotted a young man working at a forge and headed his direction. Confused, Jarod and Maya watched him talk to the young man, pointing once their way. Shrugging, the man then reached behind the counter for something and handed it to Ivan, who paid him and walked back their direction.
Forsaken (The Shadow Chronicles Book 3) Page 33
