Suddenly, Rhada was cursing at herself under her breath. What good does it do to stand here and tremble in fear- wishing someone else was in my place? She could not believe the wave of cowardice that had consumed her just then. It is not like me! She knew she was brave. She pulled back to her memory all the times she had rushed head-first into battle without even a second thought. This is no different. Without wasting any more time, Rhada pushed open the door to Thurdan’s room and entered the dank and foul smelling chamber. She closed the door behind her and waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.
There were only two candles that could be spared for Thurdan. They sat on either side of the bed, pouring out what little river of light they could but they did nothing to hide the darkness that loomed in Thurdan’s face.
He lay sprawled on his back, breathing heavily into the night air as though he could not take in a full breath. His eyes were on her, studying her face as she stepped to his bedside. He looked so much like Merek in that moment, pale and broken. His skin hung loosely off his skeleton, making it seem as though he were only moments away from death.
Rhada stopped at the edge of Thurdan’s bed and sat in the chair that was previously occupied by Merek. She laid Bloodbinder across her lap and held onto it tightly, wanting the sword to always be at the ready.
“How are you feeling?” She asked in a soft voice. She knew the answer he would give but used the question as a way to start the conversation.
Thurdan shrugged his shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. “It cannot be explained.” He pulled his arms underneath him and pressed his weight into his elbows, lifting himself up so that he may speak on the same level as the High Protector.
“So many lives…” He whispered. He shook his head in disgust. “And I did not see it coming.”
“Our Sorceress failed to see it as well.” Rhada told him, trying to alleviate the guilt he felt.
“No one could have.” Thurdan struggled to keep himself up but continued speaking through his exasperated breath. “I should have died that day. I should have been consumed like the rest of them but I was spared.” He said this with an air of regret- as though living through what he had lived through was a greater punishment than death.
“What do you mean you were spared?” Rhada asked in confusion.
Thurdan shook his head once more. “You should not have come here.” He said with anger. His eyes narrowed and he looked to her as though she was the one who brought the destruction down upon Tyos. “You should have stayed away.”
Rhada was the one shaking her head now. “You know I could not have. It is my duty to help.”
“You cannot help!” Thurdan shouted in anger. Rhada leaned back in her chair and watched as his eyes fluttered and he began struggling for breath once more. His chest rose and fell as he wheezed into the air around him. Rhada stood and reached a hand behind him, trying to help push him forward so that he may breathe but he turned rapidly and shoved her hand away.
“Do not touch me!” He shouted again through his struggled breaths and Rhada took a step away from him and waited for him to calm down. When his struggling ceased and he was able to breathe, he leaned forward and spoke quickly in his raspy voice.
“I was consumed by the flame but I did not burn. A dark shadow emerged from the fog and wrapped me in its cold embrace. I felt the presence of pure darkness enter my mind and it has lingered there ever since!” His eyes met Rhada’s once more and she thought she could see the faint shimmer of tears forming.
“You do not know the meaning of cold until you have felt his icy grip from the inside. It is a cold so fierce, it burns!” He hissed these last words and began to cough hysterically. He thrust himself forward in the bed, coughing into his tightened fist but this time, Rhada kept her distance.
When he lay his head back down, he did not look back to her. He kept his eyes fixed upon a spot on the ceiling and Rhada could not bear to look at him any longer. Instead, she looked out the small window that had been covered in a thin sheet and noticed the faint glow of the morning sun beginning to peek through. She suddenly felt the urge to bolt from the room and enjoy a pipe on the deck. She shuffled her feet and was ready to turn and leave when suddenly; Thurdan reached a hand up and grasped her by the wrist, pulling her down to his face. Rhada instinctively reached for Bloodbinder and held it into the air but did not unsheathe it. He laughed at the sight of it but did not release his grip on her.
“That will not save you.” He said, fixing his eyes upon hers. “Do you understand what I have told you? I have seen him! He came to me because he knew that I was like him. He knew that my mind was susceptible to his control. He has been with me ever since, whispering to me that all is lost and never shall I escape his grasp!” Thurdan’s grasp loosened on Rhada and she lowered her sword away from the poor man. She suddenly realized that Thurdan was dying and threatening him would do no good.
“That is why you should not have come.” He continued, turning his gaze back to the ceiling. “My eyes reveal everything to him. Whatever I see, he sees. And he sees you now.” Thurdan’s head turned to the side and he began to gasp for breath. “He will come for you, Rhada, High Protector. I feel his desire for you. You are no longer safe.” With those words, Thurdan shut his eyes and soon he was snoring. Rhada knew he had passed out from exhaustion and she angrily shoved Bloodbinder back into its belt strap and left the room.
She stomped through the hallway and made her way towards the front door. Without a word to anyone, she pulled it open and stepped into the cold morning air.
She found her horse grazing behind the lodge and when he saw her, he stood tall and proud, knowing that they were riding into battle.
Rhada pulled herself into the saddle, unsheathed Bloodbinder, and kicked him into motion, letting him run at full pace through the deserted streets of Tyos and to the town below. She knew she could not wait at the lodge any longer. She could not sit idly while her enemy gathered his strength. She would not cower behind the false safety of the lodge’s walls like Merek- she would ride out and meet the shadow walkers head on. If they were aware of her presence, it would do no good to try and run. She would end this war before it even began. She had Bloodbinder- the sword that was forged to end the Dark War. Its entire purpose for existence was based on this moment. If Rhada could not stop the force of darkness that festered in the fog below, they were all doomed.
As the cloud of fog appeared, her horse slowed his pace and whinnied in fright. Rhada kicked him angrily and he jolted forward, plunging them headfirst into the darkness.
She did not pull her horse to a stop until she reached the edge of the Blood Sea. She dismounted and pushed herself forward into the fog. Once she was out of eyesight from her horse, she stopped and peered through the dense cloud that surrounded her.
“I am here!” She shouted into what appeared to be nothingness. She knew, however, they were out there- they could see her. “Come and face me, cowards!”
Not a moment passed before shadows began to emerge from the fog. They appeared slowly and silently and Rhada raised her sword in defense. The shadow walkers surrounded her on all sides but she was not afraid. She could fight her way through them. She stood poised and ready to attack as they marched closer and closer. Men and women and children, previous citizens of Tyos, emerged and looked to her with their dead eyes. Their faces where grave and hollow and some were missing flesh where it had been burned away, revealing the greying bones beneath. Rhada knew they desired nothing but her death. She would strike them first. She would not allow any of them to lay a finger on her. She would lay waste to the army of dead that stood staring at her with their cold eyes. She was ready to strike but before any of them got close enough for her to attack, they stopped.
She could not count how many shadow walkers surrounded her. They stood in a circle, staring at the blade she held in the air and suddenly a realization hit her- they were afraid of the sword. They recognized the blade she held in her hand an
d dared not venture forward. Rhada found herself smiling and she stood as tall as she could.
“This is Bloodbinder!” She shouted to them. They all stared at her in silence as she spoke. “It was forged to quell the dead who rise again. Come any closer and you shall feel its sting!” For a moment, Rhada felt the sweet satisfaction of conquering her enemy- until the cold hit her.
It came through the fog like a breath of wind and struck her as though she were its target. Rhada cried out in surprise as the force of it knocked her back. The air around her seemed to turn to ice and she could feel the blood in her veins begin to coil. Her fingers loosened their grip on her blade and her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
She stood with nothing but her cloak to shield her but her arms were too cold to reach for it and wrap it around herself. It was as Thurdan had said- that it could not be explained. The cold that had found her pierced through her skin and began to freeze her from the inside.
Rhada cried out in panic and tried to shield herself from the worst of it but there was no escaping the cold that consumed her. She felt her entire body begin to shake with fear as. The shadow walkers looked to her now with hatred and some of them began to smile and laugh at her pain though none of them moved forward to attack. She knew in that moment she was completely helpless against them.
Then suddenly, the world around her grew darker and the fog seemed to thicken. Rhada felt a wave of terror rush over her, making her unable to move from the fright.
It was pure darkness that emerged from the shadows- a shadow within a shadow. It rose up before her and began to take form. She watched in horror as the shadow slowly turned into a man and though she could see his silhouette, his features remained hidden underneath the
darkness that shrouded him- all she could see were his eyes. They were glowing red like a fire, and despite the cold, she could feel it begin to burn her flesh. She felt her hand loosen completely and Bloodbinder fell helplessly to the ground at her feet. She tried to cry out for aid but no sound could escape her lips. She knew the moment of her doom had come. She could see it in his eyes. They were the fire that would consume her flesh and end her life. She knew she could not fight it- she could not flee.
A cold hand reached forward, grasped her by the throat and lifted her off the ground as though she weighed nothing. She felt her mouth open but no sound escaped. Instead, she gasped for breath but could find none. Then the coldness that surrounded her pierced through her head and entered into her mind. She could hear herself scream but knew the sound did not escape her lips. The darkness that entered blinded her and consumed her very soul. Soon, her entire world was gone and all that was left was an empty shell.
It was Mayvard who rushed forward, grasping Bloodbinder and thrusting it at the shadow walkers around them. Rhada fell from the force that held her in the air and lay limp at Mayvard’s feet. The darkness that had surrounded her vanished and the shadow walkers ran back into the foggy abyss.
Mayvard stood stiff for a moment, holding Bloodbinder in the air and waiting for any of them to dare attack again. When none returned, he looked down to Rhada and saw that she could not move. She lay on her back, staring blankly up to the sky. Her entire body shook as though she were naked in a blizzard and a slow, steady stream of saliva escaped her mouth.
Mayvard wasted no time in lifting her off the ground and hoisting her onto his steed. He shivered when his hands touched her flesh and felt the sting of its iciness. He knew she needed aid but there was no one that remained in Tyos that could help her. He kicked his horse and the beast, sensing his urgency, rushed forward into its quickest gallop. They ran through the dead city of Tyos, leaping over piles of debris and ignoring the blinding fog. They raced up the hill towards the upper city and as they rushed past the lodge, Merek emerged from the door and ran to the street to greet him. Mayvard, however, did not stop and did not look back as he raced forward and away from Tyos.
“Come back!” Merek shouted after him and he ran as fast as his feet could carry him. “You promised you would take us to safety! Come back!” But his words were lost in the wind and soon, Mayvard and Rhada were gone from his sight.
Merek stood alone in the street, shivering in the cold and cursing at the emptiness before him. It wasn’t until the fog from below began to creep through the street and he could see the shadow walkers begin to emerge from the deserted homes around him that he turned and made his way back to the lodge, locking the door tightly behind him.
Chapter 27
The first thing Emeric felt when he woke was cold. He shivered and pulled the blankets over his naked body, holding them to his chin to ward off the chill of the night. He had not expected the castle of Axendra to be so drafty.
It was still dark; still night. The darkness filled the unfamiliar room, revealing to him only the outline of furniture. He rolled to his back and stared at the black ceiling, wondering at the hour. He felt a growling in his belly and knew that it was full of wine with no food to settle the bubbling.
He shifted his shoulders on the pillow, feeling the heaviness of his exhaustion weighing upon him. He closed his eyes and began to slip back into sleep, when he suddenly remembered his purpose for being there.
Get inside, rescue Terryn, get out quickly. That had been his plan. His plan was failing. He turned his head and saw the outline of the Queen lying next to him. Her pale skin was like moonlight in the dark room. Her breathing was soft and light, barely audible over his own breath. She lie on her back, one arm overstretched above her head, the blankets pulled down around her feet, nakedness exposed. She was beautiful; one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. His desire for her began to grow again- he felt it stirring within him like a slumbering beast, catching scent of its prey and waking.
Rescue Terryn! His thoughts shouted at him.
He wanted to reach over and touch her- stroke her breast, kiss her lips. He sighed and pushed himself away from her, knowing that a man’s life depended on him and he should have been ashamed of himself.
He sat up slowly, hoping not to wake the Queen. He leaned over the bed and pulled the blankets over her so that she would not be cold as she slept. She sighed and turned her head then continued her rhythmic sleeping breath.
Slowly and quietly, Emeric pulled the blankets away from him and stood. He felt through the darkness for his clothes. He found his wool underclothes and hastily put them on, then felt for his leather armor and decided it was too dark to tell if he was putting it on correctly. He found his tunic, pulled it over his head, then rolled the rest of his leathers up and held them tightly in his arm. He kicked around the floor for his sword and lifted it in his hand when his toes touched it.
He turned and looked to the Queen once more, frowning at the prospect of leaving her. He could stay here with her all night, pulling her warm body in close to his, pushing her thighs apart with his knee, kissing the soft skin of her neck. He turned away quickly, throwing those thoughts aside.
Focus on what you came here to do! He scolded himself. He pulled the door open without making a sound and stepped out into the dark corridor, which was surprisingly colder than the room he had just left. He shivered and pulled his leathers in tighter.
He looked both directions, wondering which way he should go. He was unfamiliar with the layout of the castle but Lord Ivran had told him that the stairs to the dungeons were not next to the main staircase, but close to the kitchens. He decided to go right, hoping the kitchens were somewhere around the back of the main corridor.
He trudged lightly, keeping a hand on one wall to guide his way while holding his leathers and his sword in the other, trying not to drop them. The sword was heavy and the leathers were heavier than he realized. When he was wearing them, he did not notice, the weight being distributed evenly, but when they rested upon his arm in a heap, they weighed it down. He could feel his arm begin to shake and knew he would have to stop to dress himself completely. He smiled at his luck when he turned a corner and found a lit sconce.
He stood underneath it and sorted out his clothes. He put his leather pants on first, followed by his boots. His bracers were next then chest piece that covered his arms and protected his heart during battle. His gloves were last and when he was properly dressed, he stood up tall with sword in hand and felt a fresh wave of confidence wash over him. He pressed on quickly, knowing he had wasted too much time already.
Each corridor of the castle linked to another in a maze-like pattern. It did not take Emeric long to realize he was lost. He passed so many closed doors he lost count and was frustrated that he could not see what lay behind them. There was not reference point for him to follow- no guide to show him the way- and he knew he had taken a wrong turn somewhere when he ended up at the doors to the great hall.
He looked to the great double-doors with trepidation, turned and looked back the way he had come, scratching at his head.
“Where in the bloody blue skies do I go?” He asked to the darkness. He jumped when the darkness answered.
“Where is it you are wanting to go?” The voice was that of a woman and Emeric was not at all surprised to find the Queen standing next to him when he turned. She smiled at him through the darkness- her black robe blended into the black walls of the corridor and all he could see was her ghost-like face, floating in the air.
“Majesty!” Emeric cried out. He felt his face begin to sweat and his hands begin to shake. He was uncertain what he would say to her; how he would explain what he was doing wandering around the castle alone at night.
“I know this castle better than anyone- every dark corner and hole. Tell me where it is you wish to go and I can show you.” She smiled sweetly, as though there was nothing suspicious in his actions.
Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) Page 28
