Shades of Prophecy

by Tessonja Odette

  I faced Lex and King Carrington. “I’ll lead my forces south to Darius’ end of camp.”

  Carrington nodded. “I’ll take the west, Ben will take the north, and Lex will take the east. Your men have their orders?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Luck be with you.”

  “Luck be with you,” Carrington echoed, then joined his forces.

  Lex lingered, his face pale under the moonlight. He extended his gauntleted arm. “Don’t get yourself killed, all right?”

  I extended my own arm, plated in the crimson armor of the Red Force, and grasped him at the elbow. “You too, Lex.” I fought back the lump that rose in my throat as we parted ways, forcing my posture to remain upright as I approached my Black Force.

  The men already had their faces covered, showing nothing but their eyes. For a split second, I expected my brother to be among them. But no, he was at the veil where I hoped he was safer. For now, at least.

  “You know how to move like shadow,” I said, voice loud enough for them to hear, yet not so loud that it carried through the quiet night. “You know how to strike like a viper. I don’t need to tell you to remember your training, for it is in your blood. You proved your capabilities at Centerpointe Rock, and tonight we face a similar foe. Again, we face the Norun legion. Again, we face a man with powers unusual to this world. And again, we will win.

  “You may see things that frighten you, visions of wraiths from the nightmares you’ve had since that horrific battle not too long ago. Tonight, I ask you to ignore these visions. Tonight, these visions will serve you. Let them terrify the legion. Let them chase our enemies out into the night, onto our waiting spears and swords. Give them not a second thought, nor a second glance. They won’t hurt you.

  “First wave Black Force.” A section of the group saluted. “Invade the camp, retreat when they become alerted to our activity. Second wave Black Force.” The remainder of the group saluted. “You will await those who come to you. Deal with them swiftly.”

  I turned to the other portion of my force, the men in red-painted armor. “Red Force. Once the first and second waves have begun, we invade the camp and take down those who remain.” I regarded the men, looking from the Black Force to the Red, meeting the eyes of my soldiers. I saw a mixture of fear and bravery, a reflection of what I felt inside. “Ready.”

  Instead of a shout, the men brought their fists to their chests.

  I nodded. “First wave Black Force. Go.”

  36

  REBELLION

  Lex

  My sword arm was heavy, and blood splattered my face, dripping on the inside of my helm. Yet, I kept swinging, kept killing. I did it for Lily, for her brother, for the future of our unborn child. I did it for peace in a land that had known nothing but suppression. I did it so we wouldn’t have to rely on a stupid wall to keep us safe from now on.

  I gasped for breath as I tore my sword from a man’s stomach, no longer fighting the urge to retch, as I’d become dulled to the sight of blood, to the eyes of dying men. How much longer?

  As if in answer, a horn called out, two blasts. Then again.

  “The eastern camp has been secured,” said Clemence, Captain of my Princeguard. My remaining men had finished their foes and came to join us. “What are your orders?”

  It took me a moment to get over the shock that the east—my quarter of the camp—was the first to become secured. Yet the battle wasn’t over. Three quarters remained, and I could still hear the clash of swords in the distance, screams and shouts amongst the flaming tents illuminating the dark of the early morning. First light had yet to creep over the horizon, but I knew it couldn’t be far off. “Let’s move to the north end of camp and see how my brother’s forces are doing.”

  With that, we took off, stepping over bodies and discarded pieces of armor, dodging wraiths that wandered, searching for people to terrorize. At least they aren’t terrorizing our side this time.

  Sounds of fighting grew closer as we approached the northern end of the camp, and before long, we fell into the melee once again. My Princeguard moved around me with the grace of dancers, while I lumbered around like a bear in armor. However, even as a bear I wasn’t too bad. I mean, I had been working out, training each month since the Battle at Centerpointe Rock. Never mind my muscles were hard to see beneath the fat. They were there.

  “I’ll have your head on a pike.”

  I started at the voice; its whining, grating tone could belong to only one person. With a whirl, I saw Ben, his scrawny form sauntering up to…is that King Isvius?

  My stomach did a flip, and I nearly missed the sword that swung near my face. At a warning shout from Clemence, I darted back and engaged my foe, blocking his sword with my own. We exchanged blows, his striking the armor over my chest. I stumbled back from the force of it, feet slipping in blood and mud. The man came at me with a shout. This is the end, I thought as I struggled to regain my balance.

  Clemence threw himself between me and the man, his sword plunging into the enemy’s neck. Without hesitation, I spun toward where I’d seen Ben, only to find him sprawled on the ground at Isvius’ feet. My mind reeled at the sight. Why was Isvius even here? Father’s forces were supposed to have drawn him to the western side of camp.

  Don’t tell me he’s defeated Father.

  I ran for them as Ben backed away from Isvius, hand to his bloodied cheek, his other arm limp and useless at his side. Ben’s eyes flashed to the sword that lay in the mud not too far away, but Isvius kicked it out of my brother’s reach. The king’s sword was sheathed, but there was murder in his eyes as he squatted before my brother. “You are nothing but a little bee. Your sting only annoys me.”

  I was within striking distance as Isvius turned my way, and with a calm, swift step, unsheathed his sword and blocked my blow. Ben scrambled further back.

  “Now the big bee wants to play,” Isvius said with a smirk, reminding me too much of his despicable son, Helios.

  “Where is my father?”

  Isvius’ face darkened. “I’d like to say King Carrington fell to my sword, but I am not a liar. However, you and your pathetic brother will do.”

  My heart leapt. That meant my father could still be alive. I charged Isvius again, and my Princeguard surrounded us, engaging Isvius’ men. I knew it was a battle I could not win. No one bested King Isvius.

  I don’t have to win. I just have to hold out.

  “Hey, did you know I watched your son die?”

  Isvius was taken aback for a moment before he swung at me. “Don’t speak about my son. I know how he died. That ally of yours murdered him.”

  “Nah, it was that ally of yours who murdered him,” I said, labored breathing and all, as I blocked his blow. “I mean, Morkai did it indirectly, considering it was his Roizan that killed Helios, but it’s pretty funny how he still convinced you to side with him. Even more funny that you now side with his dad!”

  Isvius blinked hard, as if he were trying to make sense of my words.

  “Oh, did you not know that? Yeah, the immortal King of Syrus is the father of Morkai, the evil wizard that nearly got your entire army killed. How embarrassing.”

  “What’s embarrassing is how easily you lie,” Isvius said, grinning as if our fight were a funny game. My Princeguard remained close, likely so they could step in if things looked dire. Well…things were dire, and they obviously couldn’t tell.

  Four horn blasts. And again. That meant the western camp was now secured.

  Isvius let out a roar, his expression no longer amused, and he came at me with renewed vigor. I blocked his sword with my shield, feeling my muscles scream in protest as I struggled to maintain hold. He continued to pummel my shield, and I ducked, covering my head as I swiped out at his legs, sword crunching into his armor. That distracted him enough to allow me to back away.

  Isvius heaved, teeth bared as he shouted toward the brightening sky. A battle cry. It was finally daybreak, and Isvius was preparing to come in for the kill.
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  “I think that’s enough,” I said, trying to keep the tremor from my voice.

  Isvius narrowed his eyes, a dark smile pulling at his lips as he shifted from foot to foot. “Getting tired, boy? Ready to surrender?

  I shook my head. “No, it’s not that. I was just saying I think it’s been long enough for your palace to be ransacked. You have a lot of nice things there, right?”

  Isvius frowned. “What lies do you speak of now?”

  I pointed my sword at the horizon, where the first rays of the sun shone behind the trees—trees shrouded in smoke. In fact, pillars of smoke rose in the distance from every direction. “Can’t you see? While you’ve been fighting here, Norun has been falling to a mass rebellion. You’ll hardly have a home by the time you get back to your palace.”

  A runner in Norun livery approached, spoke to one of Isvius’ men. My heart sank, seeing one of my Princeguard dead at the soldier’s feet. I risked a glance at the fighting still going on around us, relieved to see most of my men were still alive. Isvius’ soldier approached the king and delivered a hushed message.

  Isvius’ face twisted. “How do we know it’s true?” he muttered to his man, though his eyes remained fixed on me. “Where would they get the weapons?”

  I smiled at that, and Isvius’ eyes widened. My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath, waiting to see if Isvius would charge. Tense moments passed, the king and I locked in our stances.

  Isvius took a step away. “Pull back,” he shouted. “Retreat.” The runner blew a horn, a single long blast, and others echoed through the camp.

  “What, you don’t want to finish the fight?” I called out. Isvius ignored me, fleeing with his men as arrows rained over their raised shields. “Good, me neither.” I scrambled across the camp, looking for Ben. I spotted him at the edge near the trees, one of my Princeguard at his side. Where was his Princeguard? As I made my way toward him, stepping around bodies in Tomas yellow and green, I knew my answer.

  Ben whimpered as I kneeled before him. “I could have taken him.”

  “No, Ben, you couldn’t have. Neither could I.”

  “What did you say that scared him off?”

  I smirked. “I said our wall isn’t afraid of him anymore, so he better run home.”

  Ben pouted, then winced, bringing the fingers of his good hand to his cheek. “He broke my arm and…slapped me.”

  “You’re lucky he didn’t do worse.” I sat next to Ben in the mud, listening to the sounds of fighting growing quieter. Where were the other horn blasts, signaling that the other sections of the camp were secure? “I hope Teryn finds Cora.”

  Ben cocked his head, then winced again. “Here? Why would he find her here? She’s in some place called the veil.”

  My eyes widened, locking on Ben. “What? How do you know?”

  “We had a messenger. It was days ago.”

  “Why didn’t you deliver it to King Teryn?”

  “I’m not a servant,” Ben said. “I left it in Father’s study.”

  I rubbed my temples. “If you weren’t injured, I’d punch you right now. You’re lucky I’m glad you’re alive.”

  Ben had the decency to look ashamed. “I’m…sorry. I didn’t know it was important.”

  “If you’d listened to anything we’ve been talking about at the war council—”

  “If you included me I would! If you didn’t treat me like a child, like the idiot you think I am, I would know what’s going on.”

  “If you didn’t act like a petulant turd, I would want to include you! You act like every meeting we have is beneath you!” We eyed each other, our faces red. Something rumbled in my throat, then erupted into laughter. “Petulant turd.”

  “It’s not funny, Lex.”

  I sobered, rubbing my eyes. “I think we both have some things to work on. If you want me to respect you, you need to respect me too, all right? You have a lot of growing up to do. But, I admit, I haven’t been warm to you…ever. Can we start over? Can we, you know, act like the princes Father wants us to be?”

  “Are you only saying that because I might be crippled forever and you feel bad?”

  “Yes, but I mean it.” I tousled Ben’s hair, which earned me a smile. I looked up at my men, who were trying to act like they weren’t paying a lick of attention to our brotherly moment of insults and bonding. “Clemence, find a runner. Tell him to find King Teryn at once. Deliver the message that Cora is not here, she’s behind the veil.”

  * * *

  Teryn

  One short horn blast. And again. The north. That meant three quarters of the camp were now secure, not to mention the Norun legion had retreated. It should have given me hope, yet the fighting was still thick around me.

  A wraith ran between me and my opponent, ethereal sword swinging toward the other soldier, but my enemy ignored the attack, charging through the apparition instead. I cursed and met his attack with my sword. Unfortunately, the wraiths didn’t seem to have had as strong of an effect on Darius’ men as they’d had on the Norun legion. Perhaps the men from Norun recognized the wraiths, remembering the power they’d had the last time they’d been on a battlefield.

  Not so for Darius’ soldiers. Only a small portion ran toward the Black Force’s ambush, and the ones who remained fought fiercely and incessantly. My muscles screamed with every blow, every swing of my sword. The rising sun told me we’d been fighting for hours, and I still hadn’t made it to Darius’ tent.

  Impatience made me reckless, my heart racing as I beat back my opponent, taking a few hits on my red armor. I pressed in closer and closer, forcing him back while closing the distance between us. The soldier lunged for my midsection, but I spun to the side, crunching the hilt of my sword into his helm and sending it flying to the mud. With his head exposed, I swung my blade through his neck, not waiting to see him fall before I took off deeper into the camp.

  A figure jogged up alongside me—Lord Jonston, followed by a few others of my retinue. “The king’s tent should be up here, in the middle of his camp,” he said, leading the way as we cut down the soldiers who charged us at the sides.

  I heard my name being called in the distance and turned to find a runner in Tomas livery sprinting toward us. “Your Majesty,” the runner called. “Queen Cora isn’t—”

  A soldier sprang from behind a tent and cut down the runner. One of my men charged forward and cut him down in turn.

  My heart raced, bile rising in my throat as I turned away. What was the runner trying to say? Cora isn’t what? I shook the worry from my mind and continued deeper and deeper into the camp until I finally spotted the top of a tent, taller than the rest, flying an indigo banner. I charged ahead, swinging wildly at anyone who stood between me and that tent, my retinue finishing the job as I continued to race ahead. As I approached the tent flap, Jonston called out for me to wait for him. I turned to heed his caution, but an enemy soldier engaged him.

  Without a second thought, I charged into the tent. I spun around, blinking into the darkness inside, searching for sound and motion.

  It was empty.

  I upturned tables, kicking aside bags and blankets. There was nothing—no sign of Cora. No hint at where she could be now. My heart sank.

  A long horn blast rang out, lower than Norun’s signal for retreat, but it was a retreat signal nonetheless. I let out an agitated roar and stormed out of the tent.

  “Where is he? Where is Darius?”

  Jonston and my surviving retinue jogged toward me. Bodies littered the ground, belonging to both sides. “Another runner came. Darius’ army is retreating into the woods outside of camp,” Jonston said.

  “Is the Black Force still out there?”

  “Yes,” Jonston said. “And some of our Red Force are pursuing the retreat.”

  “Then let’s join them. I need to find Darius alive.” I took off for the southern edge of camp, blood pumping with every stride. My throat was raw, and my legs were revolting as I pushed them harder.
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br />   We approached the edge of camp, where tents still burned. Ahead, figures retreated beyond the tree line, disappearing into shadows. I waved my men forward, their feet pounding behind me.

  A figure in black armor appeared before us, as if from nowhere, and I skidded to a halt. My retinue flanked me. Darius, free of helm but with sword in hand, flashed a dangerous grin. “Looking for me?”

  In a rush, my confidence fled, the heat from battle draining from my veins and leaving me in terror as I found myself frozen in place. No longer did my reckless abandon to get to Darius seem anything close to an intelligent choice. Before me was a man who could close the distance between us in the blink of an eye. He could plunge his sword into my heart before I even had a chance to see him move.

  I knew I couldn’t fight him. I’d never intended to in the first place. Breaking his defenses and finding Cora had been the only goals for this attack. Now that I’ve succeeded at the first, all I need is the second.

  I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, then sheathed my sword. “You’ve signaled your retreat, and you will have it. I’m here for Cora.”

  Darius laughed, but remained where he was. “You thought she was here?”

  My stomach sank. “Where is she?”

  Amusement twinkled in Darius’ pale, gray eyes. “Perhaps we should bargain. You tell me where I can find the tear in the veil, and I’ll tell you where Cora is.”

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to do? If I gave him the location of the tear, would El’Ara be ready to face him? My heart begged me to say anything to get Cora back, but I forced myself to shake my head.

  In the blink of an eye, Darius was in front of me, hand on my shoulder. “I think I can persuade you.”

  The shouts of my men were cut off, replaced by the sound of shuffling bodies. It took me a moment to orient myself, realizing I was now beneath the trees, facing a group of Darius’ soldiers. I craned my neck to look behind me, expecting to see my retinue, but all I saw were more trees. And more soldiers. Thousands of them. He worldwalked with me. More surprising, though, was how still the soldiers remained. They weren’t retreating after all…they were gathering.