Rise (20 page)

Against my better judgment, I asked, “Are you all right?” Most likely, he’d depleted himself healing me.

“I’m fine. Just tired. The warmth helps.”

Squatting next to him, I had no idea what else to say. One second he was inflicting pain, and the next he was helping me. “I don’t understand you.”

A small smile spread across his face. “Neither do I.” His shoulders slumped. “Kaia, I have to kill you.”

“Then why did you bother using your magic to heal me?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.” He wouldn’t look at me.

I stood and prepared to kick him so I could make a run for it. His arm shot out, and he grabbed my ankle, yanking it hard. I tumbled to the ground, stunned.

“Don’t make me regret it.” He jumped to his feet, pulling me up with him. “Go to sleep. I’ll let you know when it’s time to leave for the tower.”

So much for my great escape.

***

Morlet gingerly shook my shoulder, waking me. “Let’s go.”

Getting out of bed, I stretched. Morlet looked vastly different without his cape on. He transformed from a villain into an utterly handsome and regal man. However, there was still a dark sadness hovering around the edges.

“You’re staring,” Morlet said taking a tentative step toward me. It felt slightly invasive, almost too close, but I didn’t move away. His bright eyes studied me. Not wanting to be sucked into a spell, I tried to focus on him without actually looking directly into his eyes.

“I never thought the last Kriger would be a girl,” he said, his voice gruff.

I raised my eyebrows. “You have got to be kidding.” He sounded like Anders and Vidar. “What has you so upset isn’t the fact that you’re going to slaughter twelve innocent people, but that one of them happens to be a girl?” I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze.

A sly grin spread across his lips. “What I mean is that I’m sorry it’s you.”

“You should be sorry you’re murdering people.”

“I’ve killed so many over the last hundred years that it hardly affects me anymore.” He went to the chair where his cape lay. “I imagined being happy when I reached the end. But … something doesn’t feel right.”

“Maybe you should be the one to die instead of the twelve of us. Have you ever considered that?”

He slid the cape around his shoulders and pulled the hood over his head, concealing his face once again.

I forged on, “Once you kill us, the magic returns to Skog Heks. Is that what you want?”

“What I want?” He bitterly laughed, the sound dark and foreboding. “I want the curse to be over. I don’t care how, so long as it ends.”

What would happen if the Krigers managed to kill Morlet? Would the magic die with him? Would Nelebek be free from Skog Heks? If so, how was that possible if everything had to be in balance?

“This predicament I’m in? It’s all Skog Heks’s fault, and yet, I’m the one who has to kill.” He reached his hand out, placing his palm against my cheek. I wanted to move away, but something kept me rooted in place. “I had no idea she planned to kill my family in order to put me on the throne.” Morlet’s other hand came up, cupping my cheek. “Do you know she planned it the entire time? She wanted to rule through me.”

His hands shook. He released me and took a step back. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to see your family slaughtered like pigs? In my brother’s room, there was blood splattered everywhere. My mother’s throat had been slit. My father stabbed in the heart.”

I couldn’t imagine seeing my father murdered. “Do you know who Skog Heks hired to kill the royal family?”

“No.” Is that how Anders was tied into all of this? Was he the assassin who murdered them? The thought made me sick.

“Skog Heks had to know when she used her magic to control you in order to rule Nelebek that the balance of power would be off, and she’d never succeed.”

“She didn’t realize she could lose her magic,” he said. “She still believes she’s capable of anything, including outsmarting the
Heks
power source deep within our world.”

“Is that why you opened the mines?”

“Yes. She insists she can obtain power if we dig deep enough to find it.”

“I think the world would be better without Skog Heks.”

“Perhaps, but then the balance of power will be off.” He opened the door, revealing half a dozen guards in the hallway waiting for us. “Now if you’ll accompany me, we are going to the tower.” He tilted his head down so no one could see his face as he stepped into the corridor, his cape billowing behind him.

We entered the great hall. Skog Heks leaned on a walking stick in the middle of the vast room. She smiled, revealing her decaying brown teeth. “Do we know where it is?”

Morlet reached back and grabbed my arm, pulling me forward. “We’re on our way to the tower. I promise we’ll have the location shortly.” His fingers dug into my skin, and I realized he was afraid of the evil witch.

She wobbled over and backhanded me across my cheek. My head flew to the side from the impact. Instinct took over, and I raised my hands, forcing all of my power at her.

She screamed and stumbled backwards. “Stupid girl!” she chided.

Morlet pinned my arms down, blocking my power with his own. The evil witch ran at me. She shoved her thumbs against the base of my neck, making it difficult to breathe. My vision blurred.

“No,” Morlet insisted, “you can’t kill her yet.”

Skog Heks didn’t loosen her grip. Morlet pried her thumbs off, and she reluctantly halted her assault. My knees buckled as I gasped for air. Morlet grabbed me, keeping me upright.

“Let her fall to the ground,” the witch said, seething with rage.

He let go, and I tumbled to the floor. Skog Heks kicked me. A searing pain shot through my side. I reached out to grab her foot to trip her, but Morlet stepped on my wrist. The witch jumped on top of me, pulling my hair and hissing at me.

I twisted my hips and flipped on top of her, pinning her down. Morlet grabbed me from behind, lifting me off her. He held me against his body while I thrashed my arms and legs, trying to break free.

Skog Heks scrambled to her feet, her eyes wild, skin flushed. “I want her in my chamber.”

“No,” Morlet responded. “I’m taking her to the tower so we can finish this.”

Her shoulders rose and fell as she stared at me with hatred in her dark eyes.

“Do I need to remind you that I am the one with your magic? If you want it back, stand down.”

Her head jerked back, startled. “You do not order me around,” she snapped. “Fine. Let’s go to the tower, but I’m going to play with her.” Her eyes gleamed with pleasure.

Morlet tensed. This wasn’t good. The king dragged me to a narrow staircase. “Why did you attack her?” he whispered in my ear as we started climbing.

I refused to answer. At the top of the winding staircase, we came to a circular room. Twelve open windows revealed the sun hadn’t yet risen. Chains were attached to the stones under each one. In the center of the room were black markings I’d never seen before. Morlet shoved me inside.

Six
soldats
entered and spread throughout the room. Skog Heks stalked toward me. I raised my hands, and Morlet wrapped his arms around my body, holding my arms down.

“Let me go!” I threw my head back, head butting him. When his grip loosened, I angled sideways and elbowed him. Hooking my leg around his, I seized his wrist, about to flip him over my shoulder. Something zapped through my body, paralyzing me. I crumbled to the ground.

Skog Heks hovered over me. “My turn.” She kicked my ribs, and I grunted in pain. She laughed as she repeatedly kicked me until something cracked. Grabbing my hair, she lifted my head a foot off the ground and then slammed it down onto the stone floor. Pain exploded and white dots floated around in my eyes.

There was nothing I could do to defend myself.

“Enough,” Morlet said. “I need her to be able to link power with the others.” He knelt next to me, his hand on my shoulder. A slow ebb of warmth seeped into my body. Was Morlet healing me? Maybe he wanted to ensure I didn’t die.

The witch spit on my face. “Foolish girl. I will destroy every last wretched human in this kingdom. You are powerless to stop me.” She kicked my face, and my world went dark.

Frigid liquid filled my mouth, cascading down my throat. My eyes flew open as a jolt of energy surged through me. Anders’s eyes loomed above my body. “Am I dreaming?” I croaked.

He held a finger to his lips while slipping his free arm under my back and lifting me to a sitting position. A stinging sensation radiated down my side, but it was manageable.

“The concoction I gave you will only last for thirty minutes or so,” he whispered in my ear. “We must be off the grounds before then because your pain will once again become unbearable.” Anders wore snug-fitting black material that covered his entire body, including his hands and head, leaving only his face exposed. He carefully pulled me to my feet. Six
soldats
lay on the floor, each with a dart sticking out of his neck.

“Put this on.” He handed me black fabric similar to his. “Morlet is bringing up the other Krigers as we speak.”

I stripped out of my bloody clothing, not caring that Anders watched. With shaking hands, I slid on the constricting material, pulling the close-fitting fabric over my head, making sure my hair was covered.

Instead of going to the stairs, Anders waved me between two windows. “Outside, next to this window, the tower meets the main section of the castle. We must stay in the corner where the shadows will conceal us.” The sun had not yet risen and darkness blanketed the land. “I’ll go first,” Anders said. “After I’m out, place your feet on my shoulders. I will bear your weight on the way down.”

Tears filled my eyes.

“If you’re in too much pain, I can carry you.”

I shook my head.

“What is it?”

“I’m a fool,” I admitted. “I fell for Morlet’s tricks.”

Anders’s face softened. “I think you’re incredibly strong. It’s your desire to see the good in people that makes you special.”

Voices echoed from the stairwell. Anders grabbed the rope nailed to the stone window ledge. He slid his legs over the side and descended. Hopefully, the concoction he gave me was potent enough to hold my body together until I escaped.

I climbed onto the ledge and slid my legs over the side. There wasn’t any pain, which was both frightening and comforting. As soon as my feet found Anders’s shoulders, he started to descend. I grabbed the rope to keep my body steady.

The sentries on the roof carried torches, but they didn’t notice us since we were dressed in black fabric that blended in with the coloring of the castle.

Something oozed into my eye, and I wiped it away. My gloved hand was covered in blood. My head must be bleeding, and I couldn’t even feel it. Not wanting to panic and risk falling, I ignored the thick liquid dripping down my brow and focused on putting one hand below the other as we descended the rope. We had one more level to go.

Anders froze as three sentries passed below us. He held the end of the rope over his shoulder so it didn’t reach the ground where someone could stumble against it. For once, I was glad he was an assassin and knew how to enter and exit a fortified compound unnoticed. His body shook ever so slightly from supporting my body weight.

He started to lower us again, this time much faster than before. The guards were probably on a rotation, and he knew exactly how long we had until they passed by again. I moved my hands as fast as I could, trying to help. When his feet hit the ground, he reached up and brought me down beside him.

Anders unsheathed a dagger from his boot and threw it toward the top of the rope, slicing it through. The knife plummeted to the ground, and I picked it up while he shoved the severed rope under a nearby bush.

Crouching low, we sprinted away from the castle toward a cluster of rocks. I dropped to my knees, resting against them as Anders surveyed the surrounding area. Breathing became difficult, and my vision blurred. A ragged scream pierced the air. Morlet must have discovered I was gone. His shadow passed by one of the tower’s open windows. We didn’t have long until his entire army was searching for me.

Anders placed his hand on my shoulder. “Ready?”

I couldn’t speak. My stomach and head were throbbing with pain. He pulled me to my feet and pointed to the right. I nodded, and we started running. All of my energy focused on staying upright and following Anders. When we reached a tall oak tree, we stopped. Leaning against the trunk, an odd sensation washed over me.

“Morlet is searching for me,” I said. “Do you have the medallion?”

“No. Too risky. Perhaps you can block him.”

“I didn’t think that was possible.”

He shrugged. “The other Krigers can’t communicate with Morlet like you can. I tend to think the rules don’t apply to you, and anything is possible.”

“Do you have any idea how to block him?”

“Instead of projecting your power outward, keep it around you like a shield.” He glanced to the left. “Let’s go.”

We started running.

Reaching inside myself, I coaxed my power to my hands and envisioned wrapping it around my body like a blanket. A wave of dizziness overcame me. Anders grabbed my arm, keeping me upright. I continued to use my power to form a protective layer around me, having no idea if it worked or not. I no longer felt Morlet searching for me, but my body was in so much pain, I couldn’t be sure.

We finally reached the wall surrounding the castle grounds. Anders motioned for me to stay put. I nodded, and he slunk away. Three guards fell from the top of the wall, hitting the ground with a horrific thud. I refused to look at their still bodies. A moment later, Anders was at my side with a rope and crossbow.

“I had them hidden under a bush,” he explained. He attached the rope to an arrow and shot it to the top of the wall. I heard a soft
ping
as it stuck into the stone. Anders pulled on the rope, ensuring it would hold our weight. Satisfied, he turned to me. “Can you climb?”