The Emerald Prince (15 page)

Chapter Twenty Eight

Elliot paced back and forth across his chambers, waiting for night to fall so he could rescue his sister.

“Sit down. You’ll wear yourself out, and you’ll need your energy tonight.”

“That’s easy for you to say. It’s not your sister that’s being executed in two days.”

“
Yes
. It is.”

Elliot collapsed onto his bed. He was too tired to fight. “None of this makes any sense.”

“I agree.”

“No, you don’t understand. My father…my father just isn’t like this. He dotes on Victoria. There is nothing he’d deny her. So to kill her… It’s like someone else is wearing my father’s face.”

“Maybe he’s in love with Zariya. Love can make a person mad.”

“Mad enough to kill their own child?”

“Possibly.”

“I don’t believe that. There is something going on in this palace that I just can’t put my finger on.”

“Get some rest. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”

Elliot tried to sleep, but it was fitful and uncomfortable. His sheets still smelled of Zariya’s heady perfume, so when he dreamed, he dreamed of her. Chasing him. Devouring him. All of Tys burning to the ground with her cackling in front of it.

He snapped awake, panting and drenched in sweat. Blaine had fallen asleep in the chair but woke moments after Elliot did. He walked over to Elliot and rubbed his back.

“What’s wrong?”

The prince shook his head. “I’m not sure. Is it time?”

Blaine glanced out the window. “Yes. It’s late enough.”

Like most palaces, there were secret passages that connected many of the rooms. If ever the palace came under attack, the royal family would have a way of escaping.

Blaine and Elliot took the passage that connected to the prince’s room out into the center courtyard. Then they crossed the courtyard and took a second secret passage that lead down to the dungeons. Elliot held his breath, afraid of what he might find as he crept towards the cells.

Common criminals were kept in another part of the city so the dungeon was nearly empty.
Poor Victoria, alone in the dark. She must be terrified.

Elliot halted in his tracks when he heard his sister whispering. Who could she have been talking to? A guard? But why would she whisper to a guard? A man’s voice spoke to her just as softly but Elliot could not make out what the man was saying. Victoria giggled.

Elliot stepped from the shadows with Blaine following close behind and walked up to the bars of Victoria’s cell.

“Who’s that?” Elliot asked, pointing to the olive colored man that was holding Victoria in his arms.

“Elliot!” His sister shrieked far too loudly. The prince looked around to make sure no one was coming. She jumped up from the dungeon floor and reached out to touch him through the bars.

“Be quiet. We’re going to get you out of here. Who is that with you?”

Victoria looked behind her. “Oh, him? That’s my fiancé, Lorr.”

Fiance?
Elliot had not been gone long enough for his home to change this much. But there was no time to discuss it. “Blaine and I are going to get the keys from the guards. Then we’re leaving for Raven’s Flight. No one will notice you’re gone until morning. That should give us plenty of time to…”

“No.” Victoria shook her head.

“What do you mean? We’re getting you out of here before you’re executed.”

“That’s not important. You need to stop Zariya. That’s all that matters.”

For a moment, Elliot feared his father was right and Victoria was so determined to kill Zariya she’d sacrifice her own life. “Are you mad? They plan on executing you. You don’t consider your head more important than who Father marries?”

Victoria sighed. “You don’t understand. She’s a witch, she admitted it to me herself. She’s controlling father, and if she becomes queen, there will be no stopping her. She’ll ruin us all.”

Elliot believed her. It was the only thing he’d heard in days that made any sense at all. Dark and evil magic had to be behind this. Why else would his father call for Victoria’s head? “What can I possibly do to stop her?”

“I’ve been thinking about that. My mistake was I went after her in secret. No one else knew what was going on. But if you confront her before the entire court, then everyone will know. And she can’t possibly use her powers on everyone.”

“And what about you? I can’t just leave you here.”

“Elliot, if she manages to become queen, neither of us will be safe anywhere. Don’t you see? If she has children with Father, she’ll want
them
to be next in line. Not us. If you don’t stop her, we’re both as good as dead anyway.”

Elliot knew his sister was right. He couldn’t believe he’d been so worried about damaging Zariya’s honor by taking her as his second wife. And now she was a day away from becoming his mother.

“Elliot, depending on how this ends, we may never see each other again. I just wanted to say something.”

The prince’s chest tightened as he stared into the dark green eyes that mirrored his own. “Yes?”

“I just wanted you to know, that I was right about everything and Zariya is a complete monster, but there is a chance you were under an evil spell, so I can’t really hold your lack of common sense against you.”

Elliot reached through the bars and took his sister’s hand. As much as they irritated one another, he knew she’d walk across hot coals for him. “I love you, too.”

Leaving his arrogant, know-it-all sister in that dungeon for another night was one of the hardest things Elliot ever had to do. But if he helped her escape now, he’d have to send her and Lorr toward Raven’s Flight alone, and Zariya might change her plans for the wedding if she knew Victoria was free. He needed everyone in that room at the same time. He didn’t know how far Zariya’s powers reached.

Elliot and Blaine sneaked back into the prince’s chambers the same way they came. Elliot couldn’t fall asleep for a minute. Tomorrow, he would have to face Zariya.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Blaine did everything in his power to distract Elliot from his situation. He never had a sister, but he could see the pain in his husband’s face. The night dragged on forever as they waited for a chance to stop Zariya.

Blaine wished he could just sneak into her chambers and drive a dagger through her heart, but history had taught them the best way to deal with magic was with sheer numbers. She couldn’t enchant them all or she would have already.

It was strange to think of her as such an evil creature. She seemed so kind. Blaine shook his head. That wasn’t him; that was her dark spells doing their work.

As the time approached, Blaine fought to get Elliot dressed for the wedding. The prince didn’t see the point when they weren’t even going to the temple, but Blaine felt it would be less conspicuous if they didn’t go charging in to the Great Hall in their travel leathers.

They headed for the hall wearing the same suits they’d gotten married in. Blaine didn’t have another formal suit with him, and Elliot refused to pick anything else because it “didn’t matter.”

A large mass of people filed into the Great Hall. Blaine reached out and took Elliot’s hand to keep from losing him in the crowd. Time slowed as they pushed through the crowd. Every bump made Blaine tense and turn to Elliot to make sure he was still unharmed. Zariya would have to get rid of both the king’s children eventually. Anyone in that crowd could be an assassin.

The two of them finally made their way inside and stood in the front row to wait for the wedding to start. Blaine was ill at ease, not only because they were about to accuse the future queen of the realm of being a witch, but because ceremonies like the one they were attending tended to be for second wives. If a lord instead of a priest had been officiating the ceremony, it would have been exactly like the king was taking a second wife. He half expected to see the ghost of the dead queen, standing off to the side, a veil over her face to maintain her dignity at such a trying time.

The music started, and Zariya walked in, followed by a precession of noble ladies and Marla, who walked right behind her, protecting her as she used to do with Victoria.

Next came the king, followed by all the high lords of the kingdom, including Blaine’s father.

Once the music stopped, Blaine glanced at Elliot. The prince’s face was set in stone. He remained silent as priest stood before the couple and addressed the crowd, speaking of the king’s unconquerable love for Zariya.

“Witch!” Elliot yelled without warning.

The room erupted in confused chatter. The accusation Elliot was making was no small thing. Such words could kill a person. And if proven false, could be reason enough to execute the accuser. If Elliot was unable to sway the crowd, he might find himself in a cell right next to his sister.

The prince stepped in front of the crowd, pointing at Zariya. “This woman is a sorceress. She used her powers to seduce me, and when I wasn’t enough, she moved on to my father. Why are we even here? No woman of decency would be married in this fashion. I swear to you, if she were to step into any temple, water would fill her lungs or she would burst into flames or the ground would open up and swallow her hole. That’s why we are here. Because she is a witch!”

Zariya looked at Elliot with water-filled eyes. “It wounds me to no end that the one I would joyously call son would be so quick to condemn me. I am a stranger to this land, and while I respect your faith, I do not share it. That is why I chose this ceremony. But the challenge has been made. And I must answer it. I choose trial by combat.”

Marla reached for her blade. Blaine pitied her, she was a good fighter, but Elliot could defeat her. She would die because of the witch’s hold on her.

Elliot drew his sword. “Forgive me, Marla. But I do what I must for the kingdom.”

Zariya raised her hand, halting Marla’s advance. “You are a brave woman Marla. But it is not you that I choose to be my champion.” She addressed the crowd. “I choose Blaine.”

Elliot lowered his sword. “What sort of nonsense is this? Blaine isn’t going to fight me. He’s my husband. He would never do anything—” Elliot paused at the sound of Blaine’s sword coming unsheathed. “Can’t you see? Can’t you see she’s using magic right now? She must be stopped!”

But Entians were used to seeing the magic of priests and priestesses. They saw magic as fires coming from nothing, trees growing from blood. A Rynden pulling a sword on a Kalsen, that wasn’t magic, that was politics. So no one moved to help.

Elliot backed away, raising his sword, but he never got any further away. That was when Blaine realized he was walking towards him. He was being used like a puppet. He was going to kill his love. And there was nothing he could do to stop himself.

It wasn’t as if he’d lost control of his body, if he tried to move his arm, he could. It was much worse than that. It was as if he’d lost control of his mind. As if he kept falling asleep, and when he awoke, seconds later, his worst nightmares were coming to life.

Flashes of swords clashing. Elliot straining to fend off his attack. His prince was good, but he was better. If Zariya had full control of his abilities, he’d win.

The moments when Blaine did have control, he struggled to lower his guard. To give Elliot a chance to wound him or kill him. Whatever it took for the prince to win. But Elliot wasn’t taking his openings. When his sword arm lowered for a second, Elliot stopped attacking, only to have to defend himself once again when Blaine lost control.

Things couldn’t go on like this. Blaine had been used for so much in his life. To steal crowns. To kill innocent people. To ensure children starved all in the name of maintaining the realm. But this was too far. This he would not do.

His next moment of control he dashed for the nearest window. Afraid to slow down, afraid if he looked back he’d lose control again. He dived over the railing.

As he fell two floors, he was giddy. He had done it. He had saved Elliot. He regretted nothing.

Chapter Thirty

Elliot barely noticed when Zariya collapsed. He glimpsed her from the corner of his eye as he ran for the balcony. Blaine was spread out across the grass, a line of blood moving away from his body. He had to get to him.

The Great Hall was in chaos. No one understood what had happened or knew what to do. Elliot pointed to Zariya’s unconscious body. “Take her to the dungeon and shackle her. And set my sister free.”

The guards looked at the king for conformation that they should be dragging his intended down to the dungeons. The king looked as though he’d just woken from a long sleep. He nodded absently. “Yes, take her.”

Zariya woke up as the guards were lifting her off the ground. Elliot grabbed her chin, lifting her face to meet his glare. “If Blaine dies, you will beg to join him before I’m finished with you.”

The priest that had been preforming the ceremony stood there with his mouth hanging open. His red robes indicated that he served Isla, which was of no use to Elliot. He needed a priestess of Arye, a healer. “Fetch the High Priestess.”

Frozen in shock, the priest didn’t seem to realize Elliot was addressing him.

“Go now!” the prince snapped. The priest was startled for a moment but then finally started moving.

Elliot dashed out the door. On the way downstairs he ordered a couple of men to follow him. When he reached the garden, Lord Rynden was already by his son’s side. Tears welled in the old man’s eyes as he rolled his son onto his back.

The groan that escaped Blaine’s lips was like music. He lived.

With great care, the men, including Blaine’s father, carried him to the nearest bed. The wait for the High Priestess seemed to take forever.

Elliot folded his arms across his chest, trying to hold himself in one piece. His insides felt like they’d fall out if he moved too much.

This was love.

This terrifying, painful thing that made him feel like he was going to be sick. He didn’t like it one bit. Why would Blaine jump? They could have found another way.