WRATH (Rise Book 2)

by J. M. Kearl

  Madison leans back and her eyes survey Daelyn’s wound. “What hit you to make it split like that?”

  “A sword hilt, I think,” Daelyn says moving her hand to touch where it hurts. “I’m sorry we left you. We thought…”

  Jordane steps in and gathers both of them in his arms. “We’re both very sorry.”

  The three of them press their foreheads together, closing their eyes. “I figured you three thought me dead if I was alone in the forest with a cloak over my body. To be honest, I thought I’d die. I thought it was too late for the potion to work.”

  Jordane pulls Madison into his arms and they hold each other for a long time, as if they might never hold each other again. Daelyn watches them with a smile then wonders where Boaden is. “Is Boaden hurt?”

  Madison pats her on the shoulder. “He’s fine. We killed the attackers. I showed up just in time but more might be coming,” she says and they walk back into the Burda Inn. “Boaden went upstairs to look for you but your father and I saw the carnage in the kitchen and we guessed where you’d gone.”

  “Carnage?” Daelyn asks and then she sees the mess of her magic. Tables broken, knives stuck into the walls, silverware and food are scattered all across the floor. “Oh, yes, I see what you mean.”

  “Boaden is worried about your magic, so is your father,” Madison says stepping over a turned table. She picks up a piece of fruit and then takes a bite. “Can you not control it?”

  “Not really,” Daelyn says. “But at least I can protect myself.” Daelyn finds it’s strange that they are conversing with Madison as if they never left her, as if they never thought she died. Straight back into life. But how are we supposed to act?

  Madison peeks over her shoulder. “That’s debatable. If that knock on your head had made you lose consciousness, you’d have been taken.”

  “How do these people even know who we are?”

  Madison heads up the stairs, Daelyn and Jordane trail behind her. “It’s hard to say,” Madison says. “The man at the gate most likely. He kept looking at me as if he knew me when I came through.”

  The stair creaks under Jordane’s feet and he says, “Enden will have put word out to every major city on the continent. The only place we will be safe is Delhoon.”

  “Why do they want to take us and not just bring our heads for proof of our execution?”

  Madison pushes open the door to a room. “Those men tried to kill your father and Boaden, it’s you they want alive. They didn’t try to kill me but strangers won’t know the difference between us.” Madison pauses. “Enden may still want you for his wife.”

  “Uhhh,” Daelyn groans. “Why did you have to put a love spell on me?”

  Madison chuckles and turns to her daughter and says quietly, “Have sex with Boaden and it will break the spell on Enden. The spell only works on a virgin.”

  Daelyn blushes and looks up at Boaden, who appears in the doorway. His hands find his hips. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

  ”I’m here now,” then under her breath to Madison, she says, “Mother, what if he heard you?”

  Madison cackles, the way she always does. “So what if he did? It’s not like he hasn’t thought about it.”

  Given that it almost happened last night, he’s probably thought about it a lot.

  Boaden strides across the room and looks at the cut on her head. “Where did you go?”

  Daelyn sits down in a chair by the fireplace. “I was blocked in by two men and I just ran through the first door I saw.”

  Boaden pulls out a rag and a bottle from his bag. “Can you believe it?” His green eyes flick to Madison. “When I saw her step through the entrance, I thought it was you, but I’d just saw you run the other direction.”

  Jordane smiles. “I thought the exact same thing then your sword cut into that first man and your hood fell back.”

  Boaden spills a good amount of liquid from the bottle over the cloth and then places it on Daelyn’s wound. “It’s my turn to heal you now.” He glances at his right shoulder where he’d been cut deeply in the Gap of Freeole. “But we should not linger. As much as I’d love to have a celebratory drink and meal with you, Madison more men could be coming. And the owners of the inn will be angry about what happened. We’ll have to leave quickly.”

  Madison nods and says, “I’m flattered you’d celebrate my return, but I’m well aware of the situation. Besides it’s not a surprise to me that I’m alive anymore. I got over that a week ago.”

  They all laugh but Daelyn can’t keep her eyes from her mother. The last time she had seen her, blood was everywhere. She has a dark feeling that if she looks away Madison will suddenly disappear. All the sorrow and grieving has left her head spinning. But… Why hadn’t my mother sent us a note? “Why didn’t you tell us you were alive? I cried every day for you.”

  Madison places a hand on her hip. “I didn’t want you coming back for me.”

  “She said as much to me but it wouldn’t have been bad for us to wait a day for you,” Jordane says giving her a stern look.

  Madison shrugs. “You’d likely have thought the note was trickery from someone else. Enden and one of his magic users perhaps.”

  Daelyn hates that Madison is right all the time. They probably wouldn’t have thought a note from a woman they watched die legitimate.

  “Anyway, we need to go. We can’t go through the main gate,” Jordane says grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. Madison’s gaze lingers on Jordane, she probably finds that he looks like a different man now, shaven and having eaten food enough to gain some weight back. Although, he’s still much thinner than he should be.

  “No, we’ll have to find someone to show us a way out of the city and they’ll want paid,” Boaden says. “But all but a single gellian I had on me for our supplies. I won’t part with my ring.” He glances down at his forefinger where a silver band shaped like a phoenix rests. A blue stone is centered in the piece.

  Daelyn takes a thin gold chain from around her neck. “I was given this at the castle. We can sell it.” Daelyn takes the gray cloak from the hook on the wall and throws it over her shoulders. The deserts of Nordia brought hot sun like she’d never felt and although the cloak made her sweat it protected her skin from burning and blistering.

  They quickly make their way out to the horses. Asha whinnies seeing them. Daelyn pulls her cloak tighter against a chill. “Why is it so cold? I don’t remember it being this cold the other nights.”

  “Winter will soon be coming. Although, in Nordia that just means it's cold at night and warm during the day. We’re lucky we won’t have to deal with snow,” Boaden says grabbing Hess’s reins. They lead their horses from the stable and through the mostly deserted streets of Moor. It’s late and the moon is high in the sky. A few men here and there stand against a building, sipping on whatever is in their cup. There are a few torches that burn signaling that the place, Daelyn assumes is a tavern, is still open. Boaden leans over to Daelyn, “Stay close to me. Theft is common here.”

  “Does this country even have laws?” Daelyn asks watching a man stare at her as they pass by.

  “There is no king here. Each large city in Nordia has a ruler, a Venre they call it. But anyone with wealth can get away with pretty much whatever they want, and the poor are left to defend themselves, and often steal to survive. If there is a farm, the Venre will force that family to feed him and his friends first, and whatever is left over is theirs, if anything should be left that is.”

  “Why do you think those men were hanging from the walls?” Daelyn asks. Remembering the horrible smell makes her almost gag even now.

  “They probably hid food or stole from the wrong person,” Boaden says, eyes ever searching the area around them. “I’ll need to go into one of these places and find us a guide out of the city.”

  “Alone?” Daelyn asks, not liking the idea of that. Even though he’s Boaden and has proven himself completely capable in just about any danger
ous situation, something could still go wrong.

  “Jordane will go with me. You and Madison draw too much attention,” Boaden says and hands Hess’s reins to Daelyn. “Wait here. We’ll be quick.”

  He waves to Jordane who follows him through double doors into what sounds like a rambunctious place. She only catches a glimpse but there aren’t any women in there that she can see.

  Madison stands near Daelyn holding the leads of two horses. “They better be quick. I don’t like standing out here in the open with who knows how many people after us.”

  Daelyn’s stomach turns as she glances about. Before they left the Burda Inn, she forgot to wash the blood splatters of the man she killed from her hands, reminding her that he probably won’t be the last life she’ll have to take before they leave this city.

  She turns to Madison. “How did you find us?”

  Madison smirks. “I knew you were coming to Nordia, and I went the way I would, and hoped that’s where Boaden would go, too. Turns out I was right. I found the right inn only by luck. I heard those men who attacked us talking about finding a trio of Delhoon.”

  “I know we’ve had our fair share of fights over the years but I love you, Mother.” Daelyn looks back at the doors. “And maybe now that you’re here, you can fix my father. He’s hurt, and not just from what happened to you.”

  Madison’s lavender eyes fall for a moment. “I’ll help him as best as I can.”

  6. Boaden

  Boaden and Jordane sit at the bar top and order a pint of cheap ale. The room is full of loud, rough looking men and even the smoke can’t mask the smells of body odor and piss. A group playing cards draws the room’s attention as a long bearded man jumps to his feet and pulls a knife. “You cheated!” he shouts and knocks their drinks off the table.

  A tussle ensues but is quickly stopped by two burly men who drag the fighters to the front door. The bartender returns and sets their mugs in front of them. “You two aren’t from here, are you?”

  Jordane leans his elbows against the hardwood in front of him and takes the mug. “How can you tell?” he asks with a half-smile.

  The bartender picks up rag from behind the counter and begins wiping the inside of a glass. His eyes fall to Boaden. “You may be dressed rough like the rest of us but you’re too fine looking, and you’re skin is too light,” he says and then nods to Jordane. “And you with the bright blue eyes. Though both of you speak our language without an accent, which is odd.”

  Boaden gives the large bartender another look. At first he’d taken him for just any old man but he’s perceptive.

  Jordane lifts the mug to his mouth and takes a few large gulps. “I think I missed ale more than food.”

  The bartender sets the glass down. “You been in prison, son? You look thin, and if you missed this cheap ale then…” he trails off waiting for a reply.

  Jordane narrows his eyes at the big bellied man. “Ten years.”

  “Hey, bartender we need another round!” calls a turban wearing man from a nearby table. A grumble escapes the bartender and he turns to grab glasses.

  Boaden takes a sip of ale. Jordane has been very quiet about what happened to him. Rarely does he sleep for more than a couple hours at a time and he often wakes in night terrors. The past couple weeks of food and drink has improved his appearance some, but Boaden doesn’t believe that Jordane’s mind will ever be akin to what it once was.

  Boaden nudges Jordane’s arm. “Wait until you try my family’s honey mead. Much better than this,” he says not even wanting to take another taste of the piss poor watered down drink.

  “It’s not the taste I craved,” Jordane says taking another big slug. “Knowing that your best friend betrayed you, took your wife and child does a lot of damage to a man. And what I did in Lanloc… what happened in the mines. The desire to be free.”

  Boaden nods but stares at the foam in his glass. He can feel the brokenness of Jordane with his ability to sense emotions. Boaden has never felt someone who’d been so—shattered before. Madison is close but she hides her pain well. “I sympathize with you.”

  The barkeep returns. “So what brings you gentlemen in here tonight?”

  “We’re needing some assistance,” Boaden replies.

  The old man sets his hands on the countertop. “What kind of assistance?”

  “We need a way out of the city.” Jordane sets his empty cup down. “A discreet way out that is not the front gates.”

  The bartender lifts his chin towards the corner of the room. “The man in the far corner there, with the black hat and baby face. You’ll want to talk to him. Don’t let his young appearance fool you.”

  Boaden nods in appreciation, flipping him the last gellian coin he has, and they head over to the young man who doesn’t look over nineteen. Given that Boaden at nineteen was as deadly as a man could be, he rarely underestimates anyone. The kid sits with one other who appears to be much older. “We were told you were the man we needed to speak with,” Boaden says.

  The pair stop their conversation and tilt their heads upward. The kid lifts the brim of his hat to get a better view. “Depends what you’re looking for.”

  “A way out of here,” Boaden replies. “We have two women with us as well.”

  The kid cocks a dark brow. “I don’t see any women.”

  “They’re waiting for us elsewhere,” Boaden says. “We’ll pay you in gold once we’re safely out of the city.”

  “Half now.” He scoots out of the booth. “You understand, I’m sure.”

  Boaden is surprised at the boy’s height. He stands a few inches over Boaden making him at least six feet seven inches. “Fine, but first tell us how you get out of here so I can know if I can trust you. You understand, I’m sure.”

  The young man scratches his brown cheek. “There is a small gated opening in the stone wall that lets water into the city about a mile from here. But it’s guarded.”

  Boaden believes what he is saying, feeling a truthfulness coming from him. “How do you get rid of the guards? I assume, if you do this often, you don’t kill them.”

  “That’s why I require half upfront,” the young man replies. “You can pay anyone off in this city. The men who guard this gate are low life shit heads. They don’t care for anything but money.”

  “How do I know you’ll not betray us once you lead us to this guarded gate?” Boaden asks.

  The young man shrugs. “You don’t. But you look quite capable. I also sense a magic ability in the both of you, and with your light skin… Delhoon warriors perhaps. Not a pair I or the guards at the gate would want to screw over, I’ll wager.”

  Boaden smirks but he hadn’t sensed magic in him. There might be a cloaking tea in his cup instead of ale. “The only way you could know of our magic ability is if you have it yourself.”

  The young man shakes his head. “Unfortunately no, but it’s something I can sense for whatever reason.” He holds out his hand. “The name’s Bones.”

  Boaden takes his hand and squeezes it firmly. “We need to leave now, Bones.”

  They quickly exit and find Daelyn and Madison waiting where they’d left them. Daelyn smiles with relief when she sees him. A small flutter waves in his belly at the sight of her. It amazes him that even still she elicits that reaction. “Daelyn, will you hand him the necklace please?”

  Daelyn quickly removes it and places it in Bone’s palm. He inspects it with a grin and says, “I thought you were only giving me half now? This is worth much more than a trip to the gate.”

  “You’ll only take half of that gold chain for your payment. And give half of your piece to the guards,” Boaden moves closer to him. “You can have it all now but if you double cross us, I’ll kill you first.”

  “Understood,” Bones says and breaks the chain. “You have my word.”

  “Forgive us if we don’t trust the word of a Nordian,” Jordane says, mounting his horse. “But as he said you won’t make it to sunrise if anything should happen to u
s.”

  Bones tucks the gold chain in the pocket of his jacket. “I don’t usually ask questions but you wouldn’t happen to be the group of Delhoon that prince Enden has put a reward on?”

  Boaden takes the reins to Hess from Daelyn and says, “It’s King Enden now. Lead the way.”

  Bones tilts his head and takes them down the roadway. The sounds of the horse’s hooves pattering on the dirt seem loud in the otherwise eerie silence. It’s not typical for a city this large to be so quiet. He supposes that many people don’t venture out at night given the high risk of being murdered or robbed.

  After winding through barren streets, right, left, right… Boaden stops keeping track finding no use for it; they won’t be going back. Next they descend down a hill full of sagebrush and to the entrance of a tunnel.

  The two guards who sit playing a game of cards stand, seeing the crew. “Eh, what you doing here?” one asks.

  Bones lifts his hat. “It’s me. I’ve got some friends here that need to pass.”

  The two guards look at each other than inspect each of them, their eyes linger longer on the women. “You got payment?”

  Bones holds out the piece of the thin gold chain. The guard snags it and hangs it in the torch light. “This isn’t enough.”

  “It’s more than enough.” Bones voice becomes forceful. “It’s pure gold.”

  “Nah,” the same guard says shaking his head. “By the looks of ‘em, they have a lot more where that came from.”

  Boaden knew deep down that it would take more than simple bribery to get out of Moor. Men easily corrupted are usually greedy on top of it. He steps up next to Bones, the two of them together both large in stature and height should be intimidating to the smaller guards. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Boaden says. “I suggest you take your gold and shut up.”

  The guard draws his dagger. “You don’t talk to me like that.”

  Boaden pulls his long sword, which makes the guard’s dagger look like a child’s toy. “You’re out matched and outnumbered. Step aside.”