by Jayden Woods
Cristoff studied him a moment longer, then shook his head briskly. “I don’t believe you, Arken. I don’t believe your mother, either. Perhaps you don’t plan to harm the queen. But I don’t trust a single word from a Jeridar’s mouth, so I’m not going to risk it. All I know is that Grand Prince Gerald is dead, and I find it hard to believe his death came by accident. If you truly wish to proceed, you will surrender your weapon and tell me everything you know.”
For a moment, Arken considered. Perhaps he would stand a better chance against the Wolven if he could convince someone like Cristoff to help him. But he didn’t have time. And even if he did, he no longer possessed the patience.
He lunged forward and swung at Cristoff with all of his might.
Cristoff blocked his attack easily. But Arken had expected this. He also knew that as soon as he attacked Cristoff, the less experienced soldier would try to move behind him. Arken continued to fling attacks at Cristoff, forcing the larger warrior to stay on the defensive, while the younger guard attempted to flank him.
Arken waited for his moment. Then he jumped back, crouched down, and swept the soldier’s feet out from under him. As the guard lost his balance, Arken pushed back up with all of his might, and rammed the fellow’s chest with his shoulder.
The guard yelled with surprise, then fell toppling from the balcony to the ground far below.
Cristoff watched with a brief gasp of shock, but as soon as Arken tried to take advantage of his surprise, Cristoff struck back. Arken shifted to deflect the tremendous sword swinging towards him, but he could not redirect the strength behind the strike completely. He felt a jolt of pain through his arms, and though he grit his teeth against it, his hands lost their grip on the baselard. It clattered onto the floor as he tried to dodge the blade speeding towards him.
He moved back in time to keep Cristoff’s sword from slicing him in half. But the tip of the weapon slashed across his torso, cutting a deep gash through his stomach and chest.
Arken fell forward onto his hands and knees, curling over the wound as he watched the blood pool beneath them. He felt a moment of numbness before the pain struck all his nerves like a whiplash, and he cried out with agony.
He watched Cristoff’s feet settle next to him, sinking into a rock-steady stance as he lifted his sword above him. He planned to deliver the fatal blow swiftly, before Arken had a chance to recover.
One small factor saved Arken’s life: Cristoff assumed he had wounded Arken more deeply than he actually had. Arken recovered more quickly than Cristoff anticipated—quickly enough to watch the reflection of Cristoff’s sword in his shinguard and wait for the right moment to dodge it.
He dropped and rolled just before Cristoff could hack him apart. He retrieved his short-sword as Cristoff’s heavy blade slammed against stone. Then he stood in plenty of time to stab the Grandil warrior in the stomach. He could not stab directly through the chest, thanks to the warrior’s armor. But Arken angled his blow upward, aiming for Cristoff’s heart.
His efforts paid off. He waited to make sure that the large man would not recover. Then Cristoff fell forward with a wet sigh, slipping from the tip of Arken’s blade.
Arken took a moment to regain his breath. Briefly he recalled that Cristoff had a wife and daughter. He had been one of the noblest members of the Royal Guard. But Arken could not afford to dwell on that now. He flung the blood from his sword and kept moving.
No one else opposed him as he neared the Elborn tower. Anyone who might have done so was already dead. Arken found himself wading through a river of blood. But these men and women had not died at his hand. Most of them exhibited small puncture wounds or slices near their throats or chests. A few still had knives sticking from their flesh.
Xavier.
Arken saw the queen’s chambers ahead, across another trail of dead bodies. Xavier had given Belazar more than enough blood, Arken suspected. And all because Arken had tested the Wolven’s temper.
He saw the door to the queen’s chamber hanging open, and another stream of blood trickled out of it.
“No. No...”
Arken staggered onward, pushing through the corpses, his vision constricting until nothing seemed to exist but for a narrow tunnel leading to Nadia’s dead body.
“NADIA!”
He fell at her side. He lifted her torso from the floor and clutched her body to him. He stared into her face, white as snow, beautiful even in death. But the life of her deep hazel eyes had been washed out by a veil of oblivion. His tears dropped onto her cold skin.
“Nadia...”
His blood mixed with hers in a growing pool beneath them. He felt his life and spirit flowing out of him, just as surely as hers had, and he wished that he might die here beside her, if it was the last thing on earth he ever desired.
CHAPTER 9
Luck of a God
Selene kept running, even when she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t know anything anymore, except that she no longer trusted anyone in the castle. The tears streamed endlessly down her face; Serafina wailed and wriggled in the tight grip of her arms. Fortunately, in the chaos of the castle, where guards ran in a confused frenzy and the House Leaders shouted accusations at each other through mobs of yelling people, a weeping woman with a crying baby drew little attention.
She had watched through the side door as Nadia fell to Xavier’s blades. And as much as Selene wished to stay by her best friend’s side, she knew she would accomplish nothing by doing so. The last good deed she could do for the queen was to protect her newborn child. So she ran, and kept running. She didn’t talk to anyone—never paused to explain her purpose or ask for anyone’s help. Right now, she trusted no one but herself. In the wake of Gerald’s death, and now Nadia’s, no one else even knew of Serafina’s birth. Best that it stayed that way.
“Lokke’s luck be with me!” she prayed as she ran.
Without thinking it through, Selene found herself at the castle stables. She didn’t know where to go next. Her instincts told her that the safest place for Serafina was as far from the castle as possible. But could she afford to keep going alone? She did not wish to leave her family in the midst of this madness. Even the safety of the queen’s daughter did not equate to the cost of her own.
Then she saw someone else climbing on to a horse nearby. There was no mistaking the perky young woman with thick blonde curls spiraling around her little shoulders.
“You!” cried Selene. “You’re Vivian Trell, aren’t you?”
The young woman turned with a frown, her foot pausing in the stirrup of a giant Kresdil horse. “Who’s asking?” Vivian blinked through the shadows as Selene walked closer, the baby squirming in her arms.
For just a moment, Selene wondered at her own stupidity. The Wolven had killed Nadia. This foreigner, Vivian Trell, brought the Wolven into Krondolee. Nadia’s death might very well be this woman’s fault. But something deep in Selene’s gut told her that she could trust Vivian, for reasons she did not understand. And right now, she saw no other option.
“Oh... I know who you are. Selene Perin.” Vivian’s blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through Selene as they examined her. And when they fixed on the baby, they widened with shock. “I think I know who that is, too.”
Selene didn’t understand how. She had seen Vivian from a distance and heard plenty about her ridiculous antics from Nadia. But they had never been introduced. If she truly recognized the baby... “Then you know more about us than I know about you. And I can only hope that you are a friend, and not an enemy.”
Vivian sighed wearily. “I don’t feel like anyone’s friend today, dearest. I never meant for all this to happen, you know. Then again, I didn’t really come here with a plan. I should have known one of Belazar’s bastards would ruin everything. Right now, I just want to get away from it all. ”
“If you wish to make amends for the damage you’ve caused, you can take this baby with you. This is the queen’
s daughter, Serafina.” Her heart thundered with fear as she pushed the baby forward. She prayed silently to Lokke that she was not making a huge mistake. Tears of desperation pricked her eyes. “I beg you. If the Jeridars find out she’s alive, they will probably try to kill her. She is not safe in the castle. All I ask is that you take her away from here. Help her live. And give her a good life if you can.”
Vivian looked uncertainly from the baby, to Selene, and back again. She reached up to scratch at one of her big curls. “Um... maybe I would... except, you see, I don’t plan on staying in this body much longer.”
Selene’s heart skipped a beat. She blinked a few times. “What?”
Vivian grinned and stepped closer. She reached out and clamped her little hands on Selene’s shoulders. “I know who you are, Selene, because you’re one of the smart ones. You know that most of the gods are full of nonsense—except for me. Hmm... maybe especially me. Anyway, at least I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. Except that I do, all the time.” She giggled and shook her head. “Oh, explain it however you’d like. In any case, I am the master of mischief.”
“You...” Selene might have dropped the baby, if Vivian did not lower her grip and help support her. “You’re... Lokke? But... how? And... why... ?”
“I couldn’t keep my honor as a trickster if I explained my methods,” said Vivian. “As to the why... isn’t it obvious?”
Selene could do nothing but shake her head in bafflement. This was all too much. Nothing made sense anymore.
Vivian’s grip tightened, steadying her. “Listen to me, Selene. This is what you should do. Take the baby to Arken.” Vivian closed her eyes a moment. “I believe he is on his way to Nadia’s chambers now. You may think the worst of him, but he never meant for all this to happen, either. He loved Nadia very much. And if there is any hope for that poor fragile heart of his, I trust that he will love her daughter, as well.”
At first, the idea seemed ludicrous. Then Selene remembered Nadia’s wedding day. Like most people, Selene had believed Arken would abandon the queen as soon as he learned he would gain no power by marrying her. Instead, he would have left the entire castle behind if only to stay with her. She remembered the hurt and pain on his face when he realized Nadia didn’t feel the same way.
“Yes...” she breathed at last. “You may be right. But how will I reach him? The castle is in an uproar. Everyone has turned against each other. Arken will have a harder time escaping than anyone. Most will believe he arranged Nadia’s death on purpose.”
Vivian nodded as she considered this. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll clear the path for you. I’ll clear the path for Arken, as well. I’ll leave a horse for him at the Forest Gate, with what supplies I can muster.” A wry grin twisted up her face. “I’ll make sure he gets the fastest horse in the kingdom.”
Again, Selene wanted to ask how Vivian would manage such a feat, but she resisted. “Oh, my lord Lokke, I don’t know how to thank you.”
Vivian leaned over and kissed Selene’s cheek. “That’s thanks enough for me, my dear. Now run along. Stay swift, and you’ll have all the good luck you need to succeed.” Vivian winked.
Selene nodded, and rushed back to the Elborn tower as quickly as she could.
CHAPTER 10
Escape
Arken waited for death to come to him, in some form or another. Night darkened beyond the windows, and the one lingering candle of the queen’s chamber melted to the bottom of its wick. Nadia’s blood grew cold and hard against his clothes. Her hair tangled in his grasp. He heard the sounds of yelling and swordplay echoing through the fortress around him. But to his surprise, no one came to seize him.
Why, in the name of the gods, did no one else come for Nadia? Did they not even know she had died? Whatever the case, he had a plan, once they arrived. He would pretend to put up a fight. But he would let no one else die for his mistakes. He would lose on purpose, and let the Royal Guard finish him off.
To his surprise, a high-pitched wail announced the approach of his first visitor. He peeled Nadia’s body from his with all the tenderness he could manage. Then he rose to his feet with his sword held before him. He winced as the pain of his wound nearly pulled him back to the floor. But he gripped the edge of the bed and stayed strong.
He staggered again when he recognized who walked through the door. It was Selene Perin, sweaty and out of breath. A tiny bundle wriggled in her grasp.
“Selene? What... ?”
“Arken. There’s no time to explain.” She held out the baby. “You must take Serafina.”
“Serafina...!” He gasped, then winced and clutched his wound. Even drawing breath caused him agony. “This... this is Nadia’s child?”
“Yes. But... I didn’t know you were injured.”
“I’ll be fine.” For the first time since seeing Nadia’s dead body, hope fluttered through his heart, feeding his body strength. Nadia’s child lived. Her body had been covered with so many slashes, he had assumed the worst. But if Serafina was alive... “No one else knows about her?”
“I think everyone who saw her birth is dead now, except for me. I fear that if your family finds out...”
“Yes. They would kill her.” He peered anxiously at the squirming bundle of life in Selene’s arms. Serafina’s survival changed everything. If Tanya and Tristan didn’t know about her, then they would not even know to come looking. Arken could raise her in secret. He would do it for Nadia. And he would do it for himself, so that when Serafina turned old enough, Arken could bring her back to Krondolee and use her to take the crown from his brother.
Trembling, Selene took another step forward. Her dark eyes studied him carefully, daring to trust him. “So. You are willing to protect her, at the risk of your own life?”
“My life is already forfeit. My family believes I betrayed them. And now... I most certainly have.” He reached for the baby, perhaps a little too eagerly.
Selene moved back again. “What will you do with her?”
“I’ll protect her. I’ll take her far from here, where my family can’t harm her. I’ll raise her as if she were my own flesh and blood.” The hesitation in Selene’s eyes angered him. “After all that has happened, how could I do otherwise?”
At long last, Selene nodded. Then she motioned to her shoulders. “Take the cloak. It was Nadia’s, but...” She rapidly blinked tears from her eyes. “You can use it to carry the baby.”
“Yes. Good idea.” The fabric was heavy and coarse as he pulled it from Selene’s shoulders. He knew the weight of the baby would be strain enough on his injured torso. He closed his eyes and focused his will upon the fabric. He felt the fibers shifting under his fingers, transforming shape and then reweaving thread by thread. When he was finished, he held a long swath of silk in his hands. He extended it towards Serafina.
Ever so carefully, Selene placed the baby in the silk. As her weight sank into his hands, Arken realized the extent of his commitment. He didn’t know anything about raising a child. How could he possibly hope to protect her? But this would be his true chance for redemption. This little girl would be his, and his alone, to nurture and foster for the rest of their lifetimes. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
He groaned as Selene tied the silk around him, doing her best to avoid his wound. Together they lifted Serafina and positioned her on his back, so that he could hold up her weight with his shoulders.
As soon as Serafina was secure, Selene nodded. “You must go now. A horse will be waiting for you at the Forest Gate. It has all been... er, arranged. Head straight for the gate, Arken. Do not let anything distract you, understand? You must move swiftly if you hope to succeed.”
He could think of a few things he would love to bring with him. But he forced a nod. “Very well. There is only one last thing...” He crouched down next to Nadia’s body and reached for the necklace.
“Arken, leave it!”
“No.” He gripped the key and lifted
the necklace free. Then he placed it around his own neck. “I won’t let this cause any more damage.”
“If you insist.” Selene shook her head helplessly. “Now go!”
And so he did. Despite his wound, his exhaustion, and the crying baby on his back, he kept moving. He used the night to his advantage and slipped through the shadows whenever he got the chance. He found himself recalling the same route he had once planned for Nadia to escape on her wedding day. He didn’t know whether to consider it poetic or tragic that he would use it now to save the life of another man’s baby.
In any case, he found it much easier to move through the castle than he expected. Small riots broiled at every turn and corner, heated enough that no one bothered to notice him. Only when he nearly reached the gate did he fear for his success.
A group of royal soldiers stood near the Forest Gate, blocking any passage. Arken crouched in the shadows a long while, not sure what to do. And just as he was beginning to form a plan, Serafina cried out from between his shoulders.
The guards drew their weapons and turned towards him. Arken saw all his hopes dashed once more before him. Everything would be for naught if he could not even take Serafina from the castle.
“Look! Over there!” cried one of the soldiers suddenly. “I see Arken Jeridar, I see him! He’s trying to climb over the wall!”
To Arken’s puzzlement, the guard pointed in a completely opposite direction from where Arken actually stood. The section of the wall he indicated seemed to contain nothing but shadows. But all the soldiers turned eagerly, yelling with their lust for Arken’s blood, and ran from the gate towards the empty wall.
The guard who had pointed remained last, and as soon as the others were gone, he turned towards Arken and winked. “Now’s your chance. Go on!”
Arken blinked at the man in puzzlement, but decided not to question his luck any further. He took off running.
As Selene had promised, a horse waited for him on the other side of the gate. And when he saw the tall, slender beast standing in the grass, her long ears twisted towards him, fresh tears welled in his eyes.
