Despairing Tides (Fate's Intent Book 12) (8 page)

Chapter 18

Seth

My father started down the hill and no question, we followed. We were all sour about this.

The gates to both walls looked to be smashed open with some great force and were incapable of re-closing, allowing us to ride through and we made our way through the city.

The people were running around trying to put out the fires as the soldiers held back the rebels but we knew we had to help—well, the ones of us that could.

“Make it through to the palace! We’ll clean up here!” My mother said. Father nodded and rode swiftly to the palace with everyone else. “Cadence! Seth! Break northwest and northeast! We’ll douse these fires! Then get to the palace!”

Cadence and I nodded and we began to ride separate ways to save what we could. The fires in some sections were too powerful to move through the street and I had to find alternate routes to get to my position within the city triangle. I moved down alleys, over and around fallen stones and timber until I finally reached my position.

I quickly got off my horse and turned to the center of the city with my hands up in front of me. I was ready and pushed forward. A strong wind passed down every street of the city in my area, snuffing out the fires instead of making them stronger.

It was almost complete but I had to let it go because a couple of the rebels discovered what I was doing and were ready to attack. I actually welcomed the bit of action even if it did distract me for a second or two.

I put my hands down and quickly pulled out my sword. I cut down the first one with ease as a second one came at me from the side and knocked me over, making me lose my sword. I quickly rolled up to my feet as the rebel was running at me but I wouldn’t let it end like this because I was a much better fighter and he was about to find out.

I held up my hand and moved it in front of me nearly unseen, making my sword come up off the ground and fly towards the rebel. It stuck in the side of his chest while being thrown to the left a few feet from the momentum. It was beautiful to actually see my sword in action without me but I still wanted it back, ripping it from his lifeless body.

“Thank you very much. This is mine.”

I looked ahead and leaped to one of the roofs so I could see the damage. I mostly only saw smoke, no fires. It looks like Cadence and my mother had done it. The fires were gone. Now it was time to get to the palace and hopefully they’d be there so we could assist in putting the culprit to justice for this mess.

Chapter 19

Zayden

We sped through the city as fast as we could and made it up to the palace where the General and other soldiers were trying to break through the gate like it had been locked inside. I was pissed.

“General!”

He turned around and saw us getting off our horses to help. “Your majesty! The rebels have broken in and barricaded the gates. There’s no way through.”

“Who’s leading them?” I demanded with willingness intentions to make them regret ever stepping foot into my city.

“That’s uncertain but he claims he’s the rightful King.”

That made no sense. I thought for a moment as to who it could be but came up empty. I was the rightful King. “How many are inside?”

“Roughly two dozen but you know how impossible this wall is to penetrate and it would seem they knew it as well and are hiding inside.”

“Stop them from breaking through the gates. I want them to remain intact. We’ll get in another way.”

The General nodded and called off the soldiers from the gates. “Cease advancement! Hold the line!” The soldiers stopped what they were doing and turned. “Advance through the city! Take out the remaining rebel force!”
The soldiers all rushed off through the city for the command and I turned to everyone else. “We need a way in. Any ideas? I know how I can get in but that won’t work for the rest of you.” They all looked around at each other like no one could come up with one or at least one that wouldn’t affect the structure of the wall. “Damn it. Where’s Adele when you need her?”

“Did someone call me?”

I turned my head as she approached with Cadence and Seth.

“We’re locked out and need a sound way in.” Ruby said.

“And there’s about two dozen rebels inside waiting to greet us.” Jaylyn added. “We could really use one of your bright ideas.”

Adele gained a smile on her face and everyone leaned in to hear her plan. “All right, we’ll have to get in without giving them a chance to escape. Zayden. Seth. You know what to do. As for the rest of us, we’ll have to go over the wall.”

“Go over the wall?” Ruby wondered. “We can’t climb it like they can.”

“I never said we were going to climb it.” Adele smiled as she looked over at Darius.

He knew exactly what she was thinking and smiled back. “Fuck yeah, we can get you up there.”

“Good. Now once we get inside, we’ll have to hold off the rebels while Darius and Dirk remove the barricade from the gate to let the army through. That’s when we can move inside and deal with the head of this raid.”

Everyone nodded and turned back to the wall. Seth and I turned our eyes black and we climbed up the wall first, settling at the top. I looked over into the courtyard and so far it was clear. The rebels haven’t noticed us. I turned around to the others back on the other side and signaled them to follow.

Darius nodded as he stepped close to the wall with open hands and Adele approached him. She put her hands on his shoulders for balance as she lifted up her right leg, putting her foot in his clasped hands. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Remember, make it quick but not too hard.”

Darius nodded and tossed her up the wall. She did a back flip and landed on top next to me in a crouched down position. She was still so amazing that I couldn’t help but smile even when the rebels have yet to see us still and she signaled everyone else to follow.

Dirk stepped up toward the wall by his father and held out his hands. He tossed Lana up the wall to us and Darius tossed up Ruby. Next, Dirk tossed up Cadence then Naomi while Darius tossed up Jaylyn. They turned to Troy and Bryce, waiting.

“Well?” Darius asked. “Are you coming or not?”

“I guess we don’t really have a choice.” Troy said. “Just don’t overthrow me.”

Darius laughed. “I won’t.”

Troy put his hands on Darius’s shoulders and his foot in his hands. Darius easily tossed him up the wall to us and Bryce stepped to Dirk and he tossed him up the wall then turned to his father. “Okay, now you.”

“How will you get up then?” Darius asked.

“I have a way. Now come on.”

Darius stepped toward him and put his hands on his shoulders with his foot in his hands. “Give it a little extra for me but not too much.” Dirk nodded and tossed his father up the wall to us. “Good. Now let’s see you get up here.”

Dirk just smiled, confident in his chance to succeed. “Lana!”

She looked down and smiled, holding out her hand. She turned her arm into a long tentacle and Dirk grabbed a hold of it and used it to climb up. It was kind of creepy. I wasn’t much used to her using her abilities around me but it was useful.

“Okay, good.” I said quietly. “Now, everyone down onto the stable roof. Move.”

They nodded and we turned to the inside of the wall and carefully got down onto the stable roof eight feet below us. We snuck low and climbed up the peak to look over. There were four rebels standing around the gate and six others just before the entrance of the palace.

“Oh, fuck.” Bryce said as he turned around and put his back up against the roof to hide himself. “Now what? There’s got to be over a dozen just waiting inside.”

“Exactly.” Troy nodded. “We have to get them to come out.”

“Right.” I said. “All or nothing. First, let’s send them into a frenzy. Lana, I want you to take down someone by the doors but don’t shoot unless you get a clear shot of his neck. Understand?”

“Got it.” Lana quietly turned around to the peak with me right next her. She reached down at her side and pulled out her blowgun then took out a single dart from a leather pouch. She put the dart inside the blowgun and aimed it toward the door as she muttered to herself. “All right, turn your head just a little more that way. That’s it. Perfect.”

“Good.” I said. “Take the shot.”

Lana blew the dart toward one of the rebels and she and I immediately hid behind the peak. It only took a few seconds until we heard him collapse and the other soldiers shouted for aid. “The walls have been breached! Search the grounds!”

We heard others march out of the palace like planned to search for the intruders and Seth peaked over and probably saw the dead rebel on the ground. “Shit, Lana. What was in that thing? He’s dead.”

“What substance do you know that could kill that quickly?” She answered with her own question.

Seth looked offended. “How did you get my venom?”

“I didn’t get it from you. Daddy-Blue-Eyes here gave me his.”

She gestured to me next to her and I couldn’t hide my smile for hearing her call me that. I haven’t heard it before or maybe she’s just never done it around me until now. “The point is, it worked. Now it’s time to take back what’s ours. Darius. Dirk. Head to the gate. We’ll distract them.”

They nodded as we all came up over the peak and slid down the other side to the ground. The rebels saw us and immediately started attacking while Darius and Dirk headed toward the gate to disassemble the barricade.

I killed the first one by dodging a quick attack then snapping his neck. After the rebel fell dead, I quickly turned around with one of my short staffs out and swung at another to cut his throat.

It was all I got to do with so many of us fighting at the same time but it only lasted a minute or so.

“Well, that went as predicted.” I said. “Now let’s go inside and finish this, shall we?”

The others agreed and followed me to the palace doors. Adele held out her hand next to me and blew the doors open. We entered the main hall and a man was sitting in my throne, clapping his hands like he just watched a show. “I knew you would submit to your hostile ways to get in here, Zayden. You always were prone to violence.”

“Who are you to come into my city and take what does not belong to you? I instruct you to step down before we take you down!”

The man paused for a moment and tapped his right pointer finger on his chin. “No. I think I’ll stay. I rather like it here. I’ve had my eye on it for years, you know?” I was angry but confused. I had no idea who this man sitting in my throne was. “Oh, what, Zayden? Don’t tell me you don’t remember me?”

“Should I?”

The man laughed. “Well, you probably forgot about me the moment I walked out those doors after you so effortlessly waltzed right back in here and reclaimed your birthright, ending my chances of ever gaining the title as King.”

I thought back and remembered. “Lamar.” My angry tone sparked the memory for my brothers and the long awaited departure of the royal advisor to my father.

“Very good, Zayden. So, you do remember.”

“You escaped the island?”

“Escaped? Please. It’s not like I was being held there.”

“Then the sharks must have just thought you to be one of their own.”

“Quite.”

“What made you come back?”

“For what should have belonged to me long ago but your pesky father had to grant you and the other members of your dishonorable return amnesty which pushed me back in the running.”

“And you think by being here now, that I’m just going to give it to you?”

Lamar laughed. “Oh, Zayden you do protest too much. I’m not asking you for it. I clearly already took it and they say this palace was to be impossible to seize.” I was getting mad and took a step forward, ready to just rip him out of my throne. “Ah, ah, Zayden. Don’t you see the barrier between us? It would be wise of you to hold your position.”

“What barrier?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. How rude of me? How about now?” Lamar held up his hand and the area around him began to haze with some form of energy.

“What is that?” Jaylyn whispered.

“I don’t know.” Adele whispered back. “Some kind of shield.”

I put my hand just two inches away from it and sparks started to swarm to my presence. It was obviously something that would protect him from harm.

“You see? There’s no way in. You can try but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

I put my hand down and glared at Lamar through the shield. “So, you think this is going to hold me back from you? Well, you’re wrong.”

Lamar laughed. “Not this time, Zayden. This time you’re the wrong one. I can say anything I want in here and there’s nothing you or anyone else here could do but watch. In fact, I’ll prove it. You know what I did when the news of your father’s death reached my ears?” There was a pause and no one answered. “I thought to myself, hmm, that was sooner than expected. I was unprepared for the infection to spread so quickly.” My eyes got wide, hearing of this, hoping he was wrong but he wouldn’t stop. “I mean, after ingesting the poison his death was inevitable but I’ll admit, the timing wasn’t good for me.”

“You killed my father?!”

Lamar laughed. “Oh, come now, Zayden. You don’t honestly believe that his death could not be explained. People don’t just die for no reason, you know? There’s always a cause.”

I was heated with anger but couldn’t do a thing about it with this shield in front of me. “And my mother?”

“Ah, yes. I do recall that.” His voice deemed proud of his past deeds. “That was just an added bonus for me. I always despised Izin’s insatiable love for her being what she was that I had no choice but to end her life as well.” I closed my eyes for a moment and shook my head. This was all still too unthinkable for me. “And look what you’ve done. Taking right after him by involving yourself with one of those ghastly Kalu Assassins.”

“No.” I looked back and Adele was stopping Lana from acting. “He’s only trying to get us angry. This is what he does.”

“Leave them out of this.” I said to Lamar.

Lamar laughed. “What is this exactly but an unpleasant exchange of words? For you couldn’t possibly plan to fight me. I wouldn’t have it you know.”

“That’s why you cower inside your box because you know what would happen to you if you came out.”

“Oh, yes. I’m well aware of your desire to kill me but I’m not about to let you take away everything I’ve worked so hard to obtain. You were never fit to uphold this throne. As I see it, you should have never been named King. Your loyalties in the past have proven to fail for this country as they have so recently done when I was able to take this city without an ounce of hostility from its King because he was nowhere to be found. Now, tell me, what kind of a King leaves his city unguarded and unprotected, risking its fall? I’ll tell you, the unsuitable kind.”

I didn’t know how much longer I could just stand here and listen to him but it seemed it wouldn’t be for that much longer. I was mad so my eyes have been black and I felt something in there with Lamar that he had no clue about. It could only be one thing and I was right.

Lamar felt a pain and put his hand to his chest as blood started to run down his shirt. He didn’t know what just happened but we did. We could see blood drenching a weapon in the shape of a fan.

Naomi reappeared at his side and leaned into his ear. “You were right about one thing. People don’t die for no reason. No one insults our King.”