Rise (21 page)

I tried to pull myself up, but my arms were like blades of grass.

“Luckily, you’re light. Get on.” He crouched to the ground, and I leaned on his back, wrapping my arms and legs around him. He tied the end of the rope around both our bodies, securing me to him. The muscles in his back flexed as he scaled the wall, pulling us up with his arms.

When we reached the top, he flung the rope to the other side, and we quickly descended.

The sun started to rise, turning the sky a dull gray. Shouts rang out, and the sound of a horn blasted through the air. The army was getting into formation. Anders started moving at a frantic pace. The sound of hundreds of boots marching on the ground came from somewhere to the right.

At the base of the wall, Anders untied the rope, and I slid to the ground, my legs mush. He dragged me along, and we stumbled down a small slope until we reached the moat surrounding the outside of the castle wall.

His eyes darted around, surveying the area. “Come on.” He lowered himself into the water. “Be careful not to splash.
Soldats
are probably close by.” Worry flashed in his eyes.

Attempting a smile to reassure him, I crawled into the frigid water. I tried moving my arms and legs, but pain engulfed me, making it difficult to move. It seemed as if I’d been cut in two and my head had been crushed by a rock. I slipped under the water, unable to swim.

Anders wrapped his strong arm around my chest, just under my arms, lifting my head out of the moat. He swam, hauling me along with him. If we were caught, he would die because of me.

“Take a deep breath,” he commanded. I inhaled, and he shoved me under the water, holding me down, my lungs screaming for air. After a few long seconds, he tilted my head back so only the top portion of my face surfaced, allowing me to breathe. Anders did the same, his face right next to mine.
Soldats
searched alongside the moat looking for me. We stayed in that position, with only our noses and mouths above the water, until they moved far enough away. Anders started swimming again, pulling me along with him.

We reached the other side. He waited a few minutes, observing the area, before climbing out of the water and dragging me out behind him. Remaining on our stomachs, we crawled forward through the tall grass. The city was only fifty feet or so in front of us. Several men held torches, searching the open area. The nearest one was only a short distance away. When Anders froze, I froze. When he moved, I moved.

My arms and legs started violently shaking. A sharp, shooting pain pierced my stomach. Curling into a ball, I tried not to scream. Blood continued to drip down my forehead.

“The medicine is wearing off,” Anders whispered near my ear. “Climb on top of me. I’ll get us to the streets. From there, it will be easy to hide.”

I nodded, unable to speak, and shimmied on top of Anders’s back. Tears streamed down my cheeks. His muscles tensed as he moved, trying to remain quiet and unseen. Dogs barked in the distance, and he started crawling faster. If the castle hounds were searching for us, they’d lead the
soldats
straight to the moat. From there, it wouldn’t take them long to figure out I’d swum across. My head pounded, and my ribs ached. Anders patted my shoulder and eased me off his back.

He stood, lifting me in his arms. We were next to a building at the edge of the city. “I need to get you to a healer.” He sprinted alongside the building, turning down the next street.

The pain intensified, and my eyes rolled back. I gasped, the sound wheezy. I was going to die.

“It’s not far from here,” Anders whispered. He ran, careful to stay hidden in the shadows of the tall apartment buildings. Occasionally, he would stop or hide in a doorway. I closed my eyes, attempting to use my power to heal myself. I couldn’t focus long enough to force my power to do anything.

Anders opened a door and entered a dark room. We descended a flight of stairs. Metal rattled, and then I heard a door open and close. He descended another flight of stairs, the air turning cool and smelling of damp earth.

“Where are we?” I mumbled.

“We’re in the tunnels below the capital.”

“Tunnels?”

“We have men working in the mines who have dug tunnels under the capital. There are also tunnels from the natural springs that used to flow underground decades ago. We use the tunnels to get in and out of the capital, hide from
soldats
, and communicate with each other.”

I remembered the first time I met Anders and the tunnel we used from the tailor’s shop to the brothel. “There are others like you?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the pain.

“Well, no, not like
me
. But there are others who wish to help the Krigers. Your father is one of them. Having him work in the mines has significantly aided our cause.”

He knew my father?
Why had Papa kept all of this a secret from me?

Anders pushed open a door, entering a small room. Soft light glowed from oil lamps hanging on the walls. Two men sat on chairs playing a game of cards. One jumped up and opened another door for us. Anders carried me into the second room, this one much larger and filled with over a dozen men talking animatedly with each other. When they saw us, silence fell.

“I need a healer,” Anders said. “Immediately.”

One man nodded and left.

“Over here,” someone said. “Lay her on this cot.”

Anders gently lowered me onto the hay mattress. “Back up and give her room.” He carefully pulled the fabric off my head.

“She’s covered in blood,” one of the men said.

“Get me a basin of water and a washcloth,” Anders said.

“What happened to her?” someone else asked.

The pain became unbearable, and I passed out.

***

Peeling my eyelids open, my father sat on a chair next to me. Was I dreaming? I blinked.

“Oh thank the moons!” Papa cried. “I thought I’d lost you. You’ve been asleep since yesterday.” Tears glistened in his eyes.

“Where am I?” Pain seared my throat.

“You’re safe,” he answered. “You’ve been badly injured. There’s a large gouge on your head that the healer had to stitch together. You also have several broken ribs, and you’re covered in bruises.” His voice broke, and he clutched my hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me I’m a Kriger?” I croaked.

“Shh, we can talk about that later. Right now, you need to rest.” He lifted a cup to my lips, and warm liquid dribbled down my throat. The steeped listerblossom soothed me, and I closed my eyes, falling fast asleep.

“Kaia?” Morlet asked, his voice desperate.

“I
…
can’t
…
” I didn’t have the strength to answer—to tell him that I was so injured, I couldn’t even lift my head.

“I’m sorry Skog Heks did that to you.”

“No
…
you’re
…
not. You
…
could have
…
stopped
…
her.”

“Open your eyes,” he prodded. “I’m in my bedchamber. Let me help you.”

I didn’t want to accept anything from him. However, if I didn’t let Morlet help me, it could take months for my body to heal, and I needed to flee the capital and reach the safety of the forest as soon as possible.

Opening my eyes, I found myself lying on Morlet’s bed with him sitting at my side.

“There isn’t much time,” he said. Raising his hands above me, he moved them in a circular motion while speaking softly. A blue light shone below his fingertips, and then he pointed at my stomach. The light flashed, shot out of his hands, and plummeted into me. I wanted to scream except my body was paralyzed. The light moved through me, cold liquid slithering to my limbs, healing my injuries. My strength gradually increased. Once the light extended to my head, healing my laceration, it shot out of me and returned to Morlet.

He collapsed on the bed, motionless, exhausted from using so much of his magic to heal me. I easily sat up, rejuvenated. It was time to return to my consciousness so I could escape out of the capital.

Except I couldn’t stop staring at the king.

It seemed as if there were two personalities trapped inside his body—Morlet, the evil man who tortured innocent people, killed children, and had no mercy; and Espen, the man who made a mistake and had been suffering a century for it, the man who healed me, the man who had compassion. However, it didn’t matter that there was good in him because there was also evil, and I had to defeat that evil in order to restore peace to the kingdom of Nelebek. I couldn’t afford to feel anything but disgust and hatred for him.

So why was I still sitting here next to him? I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Thank you,” I whispered before standing and concentrating on returning to my body in the underground room.

My eyes opened, and several men I didn’t know stood near me.

“You were talking in your sleep,” one of them said.

“What did I say?”

“Don’t know,” another answered. “Couldn’t make out any of the words. Your father told us to keep an eye on you, so that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Blood was crusted all over the pillow near my head. “Where is my father?”

“Out with Anders. They went to make sure the
soldats
aren’t looking in this area for you.”

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood, and everyone’s eyes widened. “Maybe you should lie down,” a man said.

“I healed myself using my own power.” If I told them the truth, no one would understand.

The door opened and Vidar and Anders walked in. Vidar ran to me, a questioning look on his face.

“Healed myself.” I repeated the lie easily this time.

He whooped and picked me up, swinging me around in his arms. When he set me down, he kissed my cheek. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

Anders’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Either he didn’t believe my lie, or he didn’t think Vidar should be so rough with me only moments after my miraculous recovery. “Thank you, Anders. I would have died if it wasn’t for your daring rescue.”

“Looks like you didn’t need me after all,” he mumbled as he turned and left the room.

Vidar grabbed my face and kissed my forehead. “I was so afraid we’d lost you—not because you’re a Kriger,” he said, sensing I was about to argue with him. “But because I would miss
you
.”

My father entered the room, and I bolted over to him, throwing my arms around his neck.

“You’re not coughing,” I said, relieved.

“No,” he replied, his voice filled with joy. He held me at arm’s length, observing me. “Anders gave me some more medicine. I’m doing much better. Looks like I’m not the only one, though.” He smiled, his face alight with wonder.

“I healed myself with my own power.”

He kissed my cheek. “Just like your mother.”

“I’ll give you two a moment alone,” Vidar said. He left the room.

My father and I sat on the cot away from everyone else. “There are
soldats
everywhere,” he said, squeezing my hands. “It’s only a matter of time before they start interrogating citizens. You need to leave, and we must make sure they know you’re gone.”

“Of course. I’m strong enough to go right now.”

He smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. Papa looked older than I remembered. “It has been decided that Vidar and Anders will take you to the cavern. You need to retrieve your bo staff so you can access your full power. We can’t do anything else until you have it.”

I didn’t want to leave my father again, but he’d never be able to travel in the forest with his failing health. I hugged him. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, squeezing me back.

“For everything.” The training, keeping me safe, and the tunnels.

Vidar came back into the room. “We need to go. It’s almost dawn.”

My father kissed my forehead. “Be safe. Remember everything I taught you.”

“I will.”

“Most of all,” he said, tapping a finger to my heart, “remember who you are, and always believe in yourself. You will bring peace to our kingdom. You will save us all.”

Tears swelled in my eyes. I stood, blinking them away.

The other men in the room looked like they were ready to leave too. One wore Anders’s black outfit and hood. The man noticed me staring at him. “We’ll lead the
soldats
in the opposite direction.”

“Thank you.”

Vidar grabbed my hand, pulling me to the other room where Anders waited for us. “Are you sure you’re well enough to travel?” he asked, releasing me.

“Yes. I’m completely healed.”

“That is one miraculous recovery,” Anders observed. “You were only asleep one day. I’m surprised you didn’t deplete yourself for a full week using your power like that.”

A week? Would Morlet be bedridden that long while he recovered? If so, it should make our escape a lot easier. When I didn’t respond, Anders tossed a bag to me. “Put the commoner clothing on first, the
soldat
uniform on top.”

After we all changed, Anders led us up several flights of stairs to a small room. “When we leave this place,” he said, “there will be absolutely no talking. Walk with purpose, head up, and shoulders back. Don’t shy away from anyone. Understood?”

He opened the door, stepping into a narrow alleyway, Vidar and I close behind him. We walked down the center of the streets in the early morning light. Although there weren’t any citizens out at this hour, there were several dozen men from the King’s Army roaming the streets. Luckily, they didn’t pay us any heed. Anders maintained a fast pace as we traveled across the capital.

The sound of dogs barking echoed in the distance, making the hair on my arms rise. I stepped closer to Anders. “They’ll be able to smell me. We can’t outsmart dogs.”

“Didn’t you notice the man wearing your black outfit? The smell of your blood on the fabric will attract the dogs. He’s leading them away from us.”

“What about once the animals catch up to him? The decoy isn’t a girl. The
soldats
will know they’ve been tricked.”

Anderson tugged at the collar of his snug-fitting tunic. “We better be on the other side of the capital’s wall and in the forest by then.”