Fight for the Crown

by Emilie MacCauley

  “And he loves you?”

  She shrugs. “I think so.”

  “He does,” Knot cuts in. Those two words out of his mouth make her feel as though everything will be okay.

  “His name is Mikah,” she watches carefully for her father’s reaction.

  “Mikah,” he grins. “That is a name I haven’t heard in forever. If you love him and he treats you as though you are the only thing in the world that could make life better, then I approve.”

  “I don’t know how to save him.”

  “You will,” he reassures her.

  “It’s getting late, you should all get some rest,” Harlow announces to Rowan and Knot as she passes out blankets to each of them.

  Her father excuses himself to get ready for bed while she checks out the rest of the area. It’s large for a secret passage, like an entire guest house hidden within the castle.

  Her exhaustion wins the battle between reason and sleep. Reason being staying in the passageway is a bad idea. Going to sleep means being vulnerable, but not getting enough also risks depleting her energy. She is torn between allowing herself to trust the female who raised her and this male, who sired her, but whom she also just met.

  Looking out the window she can see the shadows of Darkwraiths lurking behind the trees in the woods. If Knot and her decided to leave, there’s no way they’d make it a couple of feet before running into trouble. That’s even if they somehow make it past the guards.

  She looks across the room watching as Knot lays a blanket down on the floor instead of on one of the many couches in the room.

  She walks over to him noticing how quiet and dazed he seems. “Are you okay?” She asks concerningly.

  “I don’t know,” he whispers. “I was fine. I was distracted with keeping you safe and now it’s night time and I’m just supposed to sit here in silence and sleep?”

  “What’s on your mind?” She sits down on the blanket next to him.

  He holds his shaking head in his hands. “What am I supposed to do without him?”

  “Do you remember that night I tapped on your window and you said I was interrupting you. You were with Arlo, weren’t you?”

  He nods. “Yes. He stayed over most night’s when he could. Sometimes we couldn’t bear being apart.”

  “You told me you two weren’t serious or exclusive.”

  “We weren’t,” he smiles, “but we were going to be. He was waiting to be king before he could make me his husband at his side. He promised we would rule together. He promised me a life beyond anything I could have ever deserved. Now it’s all gone. Everything I saw for myself is gone. How am I ever supposed to love again?”

  She puts her hand on his back to comfort him. He turns burying his face in her shoulder, holding her as he lets out a sob. “I don’t know,” she answers truthfully. “Your heart may always be broken over the thought of him, but the great thing about loving—is you can love more than one person in your life. I’m sure somewhere in your life you’ll meet a male who makes you forget how to breathe, or makes you smile at the simplest things. A male who can take away all of your pain and replace it with unforgettable pleasure. We are creatures meant to love.”

  He pauses for a heartbeat. “You love Shadow?”

  “So much and in such a short period of time that it surprises even me,” she chuckles and he joins her.

  “We can’t help who we fall in love with or how quickly we fall in love.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The Overseer stands on the balcony looking out as his new subjects bring him gifts to welcome him as the new king.

  He stands on the balcony looking out as his new subjects disobeying their new king by trying to rally against him. The smell of blood fills his nose, one of his favorite scents in the world.

  Death.

  He watches as his performers-turned-soldiers wreck havoc on the Shevka village, just as Syro’s soldiers did his first night as king on low blood villages.

  “Sir,” Blade frantically enters the balcony.

  “I am the king now, you will address me as such,” he stares straight ahead not caring to look at him.

  The Overseer has known Blade since he was a child. His father a foot soldier who died in the invasion that killed King Bren. He always felt a fatherly need to protect Blade who has always been reckless and impulsive. Blade tried escaping Cirvka many times. He wanted to leave so he could have a life where he didn’t have to perform in front of Shevka.

  One day, he was successful in his escape. The collar wasn’t working and he left. Shadow was sent out after him but it took nearly a year until he was found. He fell in love with a Dakra female. The Overseer manipulated the memory out of her, but recently he seemed to remember the memory of her and attempted to escape again. The burn marks around his neck from the electrical shock the collar gave him, still haven’t healed.

  “Sorry,” Blade corrects himself, “Sire. We have a problem.”

  “What kind of problem?” He turns his head to meet the scared eyes of his former knife performer.

  “One of the soldier’s is rejecting the manipulation.”

  “What?!” He barks. He pushes past Blade walking into his new master bedroom three times bigger than the entire headquarters building at Cirvka. “What do you mean rejecting my manipulation?”

  “Exactly that, Sire,” he stammers “She’s somehow snapped herself out of the manipulation. She’s been fighting guards all day.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Lola, Sire.”

  “Then go find her,” he dismisses Blade wanting to be alone.

  He closes the balcony doors and locks the main door to his bedroom. This room used to be Bren’s, decorated differently, but this is a room he spent many mornings, afternoons, and evenings in, talking to the male he thought to be his best friend.

  They grew up together, Bren was the sole heir to his father. His father, also named Bren, had him late in life, his first and second wife barren while his young third wife was able to produce a son. Around this time, The Overseer—born Robin—was sired by the first King Bren’s own Commander. From then he was groomed to take his father’s place as commander and Bren to take his place as king. They grew up together to establish trust all kings and commanders should have. It creates a bond and allegiance that ensures loyalty.

  The castle has been his home since birth, he met his wife there and she gave birth to their first child in the healer’s ward in the west wing. Here he watched his best friend coronated as king, marry the love of his life, and find out she was pregnant with their daughter. This is the same room he admitted many fears and many secrets to him. It’s where they talked business or just simply talked about anything and everything. Their relationship was one of a kind. It was ruined the day King Syro slit Bren’s throat.

  He had everything until that instant when he had nothing. The King was dead and he had to take his wife and son and escape the only home he ever knew. Cirvka was born and it was an act of kindness before it was an act of malice. He wanted to help the low bloods who were being mistreated by the new Shevka rule. They took so much from him and yet they continued to take and take until he was left mad with revenge. His plans have been years in the making.

  Take back his home and make them pay.

  * * *

  Lola’s mind is torn in two. One side wants her revenge on the Shevka that killed her family, her lover, and the life she should have had. The other side knows this is wrong. What The Overseer is doing is wrong and she must find Roe.

  Roe.

  She fights the dark part that is trying to invade her mind, body, and soul. She has to fight. She promised to be by her side and she is already failing at that.

  The last thing she consciously remembers is being down in the dungeon and talking to Shadow. She remembers him mentioning her lover and the baby she lost due to a miscarriage. He claims he and her baby are alive, but it’s impossible. She remembers that day so clearly,
all the blood…

  The Overseer had grabbed Shadow forcing him somewhere else. She remembers him saying they were needed in the throne room. He left Lola standing there in a manipulation and Melani in her cell bearing the same dark eyes. Both of them were unable to do anything as they waited for their next command.

  She has to find Roe. She has to find Shadow and learn the truth of her lost lover and child. If what he said is true, it changes everything. She has to find them.

  She plays pretend trying to blend in with the rest of the newly formed army wearing The Overseer’s wicked collar. She stays toward the back waiting to slip away from them to search the castle on her own. They patrol the corridors looking for Roe, but she vows she will find her friend before any of them can get to her. She waits for an opportunity to disband, hiding in a nearby closet waiting for the marching sound of footsteps to pass. She needs the quiet to think of a plan. She’s going to get killed if they discover her but it’s worth the risk. Right?

  She opens the closest door slowly until halfway it hits something hard. She closes her eyes tight hoping it’s nothing, but knowing it’s something—someone to be exact.

  “Lola,” the voice breathes out.

  “Morris,” she sighs in relief. “What are you doing here? I thought you were under his manipulation?”

  “I was, but I guess it didn’t work for long. One moment he was in the dungeon and I was forced to stay still and when he left, I was back to myself. But you weren’t,” he frowns.

  Prince Morris had stopped her, Roe, and Melani in the hallway while looking for Shadow. She used her good looks to keep him distracted, she didn’t know how far she would go, but she’s heard stories of the princes from Roe. She claimed them to be ruthless, but he turned out to be surprisingly sweet. She asked him all sorts of questions about himself, learning he is seventh in line to the throne and doesn’t really care that much. What was most surprising about what he told her, was that he understands why Roe used Lola as a distraction to get away from him. He said he never showed her love because he didn’t want to appear weak to their brothers, but her absence had been making him sick. The whole time they talked he was genuinely worried about Roe and where she was. She knew in her heart that she could trust him. She asked him the way to the dungeon and followed him there.

  “I saw you go this way, I was looking for you. My brother overheard that you were out of your manipulation. The Overseer and his army are looking for you.”

  “I have to find Roe,” she chews her bottom lip nervously. “We can’t stay here for too long, another group will be making their rounds here soon.”

  “Did you find her?” A male nearly identical to Morris turns the corner. He stops, staring her down. “Is this her?”

  “Yes,” he nods. “Lola this is my twin brother, Zakariah.”

  “How do I know I can trust him?” She crosses her arms. She wasn’t going to allow a traitor to come with them to find Roe so he can betray them by dragging her back to The Overseer for a handsome reward.

  “I agreed to my brother being king, not him,” he says bitterly. “He tricked us.”

  “We can trust him,” Morris assures her.

  “We have to go,” Zakariah leads them away from the part of the castle heavily infiltrated by The Overseer’s army.

  Lola isn’t completely out of the manipulation. They have to take breaks when her mind goes blank, her eyes turn black and she’s ready to fight. Morris has to hold her down while he repeats: Rowan needs saving.

  Roe needs her.

  She asks how long she was out that time and they reply about five minutes. Each episode is longer than the last. They have to act quickly.

  “Don’t you know any spells to protect yourself?”

  “I don’t know what kind of magic is in the collar,” Lola frowns. “It must have been crafted by a sorceress more experienced than I.” Her bet is on Madame Tallulah.

  If she could find her, the chances of her knowing how to destroy the collars could be the next step to winning the war. She hasn’t seen her amongst the soldiers, nor by The Overseer’s side. She wonders if she has her own protection spell to get out of the manipulation and simply vanished, escaping the chaos.

  “What happened to your other brothers?” Lola asks. They can use all the help they’re going to get. If Roe is going to win this war, or have a fighting chance, she needs more allies on her side.

  “Gawain was killed by Arlo and Aaryn was killed by The Overseer. Ferris and Rafe are the only ones left and they’re unaccounted for,” Zakariah sighs.

  Morris curses under his breath. “There’s only four of us left?” Zakariah nods his head sadly.

  “I’m sorry for your losses,” she bows her head in respect.

  “It’s funny,” Morris chuckles to himself. “We’ve always fought. We’ve always wished for the other to die just to one day sit on the throne, but now that half of them are dead...I’d give anything to bring them all back.”

  “Being sixth and seventh in line for the throne we didn’t care much,” Zakariah continues. “I always knew I wanted to help Arlo. Out of all my brothers he protected me the most and in return I always said I would be by his side. Now he’s gone and Ferris’ is next in line.”

  “None of your brothers are next in line,” Lola snaps. “It’s Rowan’s right. She is the Lost Heir to The Sorching King.”

  “And we will find her and help put her on the throne. We solemnly promise,” they put their fists over their hearts.

  “I don’t even know where to begin to look for her,” Lola rubs her forehead feeling overwhelmed. “For all I know she could have left the castle.”

  “I doubt it. The Overseer has the perimeter surrounded. They would have seen her leave and reported it back to him. I’ve heard nothing. I believe she’s still in the castle, hiding.”

  “This castle is just as big as the outside,” she groans over exaggerating. “We will never find her.”

  “Lola, we grew up in this castle. We know all the secret passageways. All the in’s and out’s. I’m sure she’ll come up,” Morris pats her back.

  “I hope you’re right,” she chews on her fingernails.

  They check one of the secret passageways first. It is a door within a door. They open a broom closet that looks like a regular broom closet but the unlit lantern hanging outside the door has a button on it. It opens another door in the back of the closet. They sneak in crawling through a tunnel until they get to the other side.

  The secret room is far from looking like a panic room. It looks like a bedroom fit for a royal with the same marble flooring, decorated wallpaper, furniture with expensive velvet fabric, and beds larger than the five mattress they had in her tent back at Cirvka combined. There is a fireplace and on each side of the fireplace are two open doors. Lola starts walking toward one of them to see what’s inside when a female exits the room standing in the threshold with a shocked, but happy expression.

  “Boys!” She cries out.

  “Mother!” They sound relieved. “We thought you were dead.”

  “I thought the same. I had hoped you somehow escaped the castle.”

  “There’s no way out,” Morris shakes his head.

  “I know,” she frowns. “We need your help.”

  “We?” Zak raises an eyebrow.

  “I found Rowan, she is hiding out along with a male named Knot.”

  “Rowan is okay?” Lola asks frantically. “Take me to her!”

  “You are a friend of Rowan’s?” The former queen asks politely.

  “Her best friend. She needs me! I have to be by her side. We’ve been searching the castle for hours.”

  * * *

  Rowan and her father stay up all night talking. They talk mainly about each other, learning everything they can, and they talk about their worries. As morning approaches she can tell her father is losing his energy rapidly and urges him to sleep. Leaving him to slumber, she sits on the bench near the large window and watches the outside.<
br />
  She tries to come up with a plan, but fails at thinking of anything that can be helpful. Without her magic she is powerless, she has no way of defending herself. She has Knot and his super strength—he is an undefeated champion, but with the collar around his throat he can easily be taken from her. At any minute she can lose her only ally. Once The Overseer realizes that Knot is nowhere to be found, he will activate the collar and manipulate him. She never thought she would have to rely so heavily on Knot, she also never thought she would feel so alone.

  Her previous naivety makes her feel ridiculous. She was always unsure of her destiny, unsure that she has what it takes. It’s when she practiced magic with Madame Tallulah and felt the fire at her fingertips, she believed she could do it. She thought the journey to overthrowing King Syro would be easy, and maybe it could have been had Arlo and The Overseer not taken the crown for themselves. The road to taking the throne isn’t going to be easy, but it’s even harder now that she is chained—helpless and alone.

  Out the window is a slew of guards circling the perimeter of the castle. There is no way for them to escape. There is no plan in her head that ends with them successfully getting away from the castle uncaptured. If only Lola was with her or Solana, they could have provided a tonic or potion to make them invisible and sneak out. She misses her friends most of all. Maybe this pressure could be bearable if they were with her. She misses Pepper’s optimism, Solana’s witty sarcasm, and Lola’s caring consideration. At least during a time like this they could make her laugh.

  Knot sits on the bench next to her. “We will figure something out.”

  “I hope so,” she gives him a small smile. At least he’s trying. She turns to look out the window to watch the sun rise.

  “It turns out we had less food then expected,” he frowns. “Harlow went to scavenge some food.”

  “What? She left? When?” If Harlow is caught by anyone she’ll be executed on the spot, or worse become a puppet for The Overseer.