Chapter 25
I turned to my father and mother again, begging them to see reason. “Please, this has to stop. We are condemning these contenders to death!”
“Oh, Lana, my heart.” My father coughed so much he stopped talking for a moment. Andras rested a hand on my father’s shoulder. “Every once in a while, there is a rogue contender, who takes things just a little too far. All will be fine.”
“Rogue contender? Father, it seems like far more than a rogue contender. He killed Frederich in cold blood!”
The king’s eyes narrowed. “The trial continues, Illiana, now sit down.”
I looked at my mother for some sort of validation, but clearly, she sided with my father, regardless of how she truly felt. Her face, cold and neutral, as her rigid fingers grasped the edge of her throne, whitening the longer they held on. The other royal advisers were all whispering about the disaster on the field.
Kade caught up to Ian as they raced toward Edmund and the now-deceased Frederich.
Lord West glided across the finish line, still in Ian’s hawk form and shifted back.
Fucking coward. Stealing magic so callously and not doing a single part of the obstacle. He cheered, acting as though nothing was amiss with the others, and standing, waving at the crowd. His brow furrowed at the lack of attention he received. I grinned smugly, glad he had been forgotten about. The guards on the field quickly corralled him into the winner’s area. He’d taken first but lost what little respect I may have had for him.
Ryland sprinted past both Ian and Kade as they ran in the opposite direction, not even bothering to stop and ask what they were doing. Clearly most of the contenders would have no distractions when it came to winning this trial.
Ian and Kade continued to run toward Edmund, who became more and more erratic, his sights set on the crowd fleeing directly above him. They stopped in front of the devastation of Frederich’s body. Edmund basked in the path of Frederich’s blood, letting it coat his shoes.
“Be careful,” I shouted down to the pair. My palms were sweating as I watched them approach Edmund.
The once-reserved- and quiet Fae now knelt in a pool of blood. Nausea overpowered me as he dipped his hands into the stream of crimson, wiping it down his face before he shifted to face Ian and Kade.
He had turned Frederich’s blood into war paint.
Pure horror rattled my body. Fae in the stands were exiting swiftly, shouting, and crying as nobody understood what was happening.
The Royal Guard didn’t know what to do, either. Everyone stood lost in a state of confusion, no one daring to interfere with the trials.
“Father!” I grasped his arm. “This is madness.”
The king sat stoically, as glued to the scene before him as the rest of us. One crazed Fae wasn’t enough to warrant stopping the trials apparently.
Ryland crossed the finish line, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. For someone so athletic, cardio was not his forte.
Ian, sword drawn, lured Edmund from Frederich’s limp, bloodless body. Edmund made the same arm movements he’d done before Frederich, and Ian’s step faltered, blood appearing on his face.
No!
But Ian was the decoy and served enough of a distraction to allow Kade to tackle Edmund to the ground.
Kade punched Edmund in the face, and even without any magical abilities, I could hear the crack of his nose as it thundered throughout the arena.
Edmund merely laughed.
The blood flowing from his nose grew darker, thicker than the blood already on his face.
I was going to be sick.
Edmund tried to sit up, but Kade repositioned himself on top of him, pinning his legs to the ground with his hips and punching him in the face once more.
What was he waiting for? Just end this already!
His shadows could have taken care of this easily from what I’d observed a few days ago.
“Do you have him?” Ian shouted.
Kade’s growling response was so powerful it reverberated in my chest. “Yes, make sure he’s alone.”
“It’ll be by foot,” Ian shouted.
He moved away from Kade and Edmund, looping back toward the earlier obstacles, surveying his surroundings. I knew he searched to find if anyone else lurked in the area as Kade continued to work with Edmund on the ground.
If I hadn’t witnessed Kade fight before, and if I hadn’t been so focused on him, I would have missed the whisper of shadows leaving his fingertips and weaving around Edmund’s neck.
Edmund jerked, just once, and then his head fell back, limp.
Finally done. Gone.
Kade ran in Ian’s direction, and when he caught up to him, he clasped his shoulder. My useless ears could not hear the conversation that passed between the two of them.
Checking the timer, it neared the one-hour mark. Ian and Kade would have to hurry to finish the trial to keep from being eliminated.
“The time,” I screamed from the stands, reminding them not finishing would mean elimination since these fates-forsaken trials weren’t ending despite the horrors experienced here today.
They took off toward the end of the obstacle course, Kade’s shadows behind them, pushing them faster. They cleared the forest, climbed the wall, and bolted to the finish line with mere seconds to spare.
Both were covered in blood, furious, and panting, trying to catch their breath as soon as they crossed.
Lord West, Ryland, and Hale stood off to the side in their pristine clothes. Shame and guilt riddled Hale’s face as he took in the sight of Ian and Kade covered in blood.
My father stood before the remaining crowd, amplifying his voice once more. “The second trial has ended. Please, everything is all right. My people, there is no threat.”
Some of those retreating paused, wary of the words which didn’t match the atrocity that had played out before them. Others continued to flee.
“This happens sometimes, as evident in recorded history of the trials. Contenders use advantages to try to win, and Edmund fell prey to the thrall of the trials. No matter. Congratulations are in order for our top three contenders, Lord Casimir West, Ryland Lockbane, and Hale Bardot. The trials and contenders' date will continue over the next two days, as will the Festival of Blessings! May nature guide you and be safe on your travels home this evening.”
Shifting to face my father, once more, my disgust morphed to outrage, bubbling inside of me, ready to explode. “What was that?”
The king turned to me slowly and sighed deeply. “It appears Edmund had been cursed with the darkness. The very same darkness has been taking over some of our lands.”
“You lied to them,” I spat. “And what the hell was a razorven doing here?”
The king’s expression hardened. “The razorven I do not know about and will assume Edmund had something to do with letting a beast like that in, given his predicament. And of course I lied. What would have been better, Illiana? Allowing mass panic to take over? Having people believe it might be unsafe here in Ellevail? Inside the palace grounds of all places.”
Andras stepped forward and stood beside the king, like an equal, grinning. “Fear not, Princess, it appears the captain and Kade were able to take care of the erm, issue, for us today.”
The king’s eyes narrowed, and he called Ruppert to come forward. “Send for Ian, now. Both of you will accompany Princess Illiana back to her rooms.”
Ruppert started to protest, but my father silenced him. “I don't care if Ian is a contender or that he is currently covered in blood. He will accompany you both, ensuring Princess Illiana goes directly back to her rooms. I want the palace secured, and I want to figure out how this came to be. You will provide updates on the hour.”
Ruppert bowed his head and waved me forward. The other royal guards had already begun to move my father and mother out of the pavilion and back inside the palace.
Ian was already waiting at the bottom of the pavilion stairs by the time Ruppert let me move.
Ian grasped my hand, and though I wanted to ensure he was truly safe, he kept me at arm’s length, whispering in my ear, “We’ll talk in your room. Not here, not now.”
I nodded, and the three of us moved quickly through the open grassy area, into the gardens, and then entered the palace through a staff door instead of the usual main entrance.
The different entry point didn’t help. The palace was in utter chaos. The staff were running about, whispering to each other as we tried to move through the halls, to my room. Nobody knew what to do, or where to be, between ensuring the stadium cleared, and securing the halls.
There had never been a time in recorded history where the palace had been attacked. We had not reviewed such protocols in so long. Well, if ever, but we especially hadn’t reviewed protocols for what to do when we had so many additional guests roaming the corridors.
We rounded the corner before the central staircase and Kade appeared, armed to the teeth with daggers and swords. Clearly, he had stopped by the armory after leaving the arena. How did he even know how to find it? Unless he had his own personal armory with him.
A question I would have to ask when our lives were not upended, and additional killer Fae weren’t potentially waltzing around the palace.
He tossed me a sword, and Ruppert’s jaw dropped as I caught it with ease. He didn’t let his surprise distract him for long and moved to contain Kade, but I grabbed his arm. “He’s okay. Let him be.”
“The king said Ian?—”
“I trust him,” I said, shocking myself with how adamantly I meant those words. “I said to let him be, Ruppert.” I didn’t give my guard a chance to utter any further protests.
We dodged Fae running wild throughout the passageways, guards joining in, trying to escort groups of them out through the corridors, sectioned off for the public. Most of the entrance and exit plans were going to shit.
At the next flight of stairs, Hale joined us, running forward with two swords in hand. “Thought you might like additional eyes on the princess,” he said.
I offered him a smile, grateful he thought of me, even if I could handle myself. Well, mostly. The thought of the magic the Fae used on Frederich and then Ian made me shudder, but we pressed on. Only two more flights to go before we reached the royal wing of the palace.
The closer we got to my rooms, the fewer people we encountered, reassuring us the chaos might be over soon. Finally, reaching the last staircase, we made one last push toward the safety of my chambers. Cresting the landing, Ruppert took the lead, with Ian and I next, and Kade and Hale close behind.
Ruppert abruptly stopped in the hallway, and I ran into his back. Shoving him forward, I asked, “What are you doing? Don’t stop.”
I stepped around him, surprised he didn’t respond at all as he stood, unmoving. Insufferable man.
But when I finally looked up, I, too, stopped moving.
Stopped breathing.
Ian and the others hadn’t noticed the body on the floor yet. It was dark, as some of the lamps had gone out. The clothes on the woman blended into the rug lining the hallway.
Cautiously, I stepped forward. I knew that apron. I knew that greying hair.
“Elisabeth?” I whispered.
A faint moan was all I heard in reply.
“Elisabeth!” I screamed as I dropped my weapons where I stood, the clang of metal on the corner of the tile peeking beyond the carpeted floor, reverberated throughout the hallway, as I raced to her side.
Whatever happened behind me, I knew nothing of it. My world stopped. My eyes, my mind, all of it focused only on Elisabeth. I collapsed next to her, instantly feeling my dress dampen in the pool of blood forming beneath her body.
“No, no, no, no. Elisabeth.” I choked on a sob as it bellowed out of me. “You have to heal yourself. Ian,” I cried. “Ian, do something. Call another healer!”
I peered behind me, wondering why no one moved. Ian just stood there, his hand over his mouth, completely pale. He shook his head. Ruppert, Hale, and Kade all stood beside Ian in silence.
“Don’t just stand there,” I bellowed.
“My sweet, sweet girl.” My head whipped back to the woman who had practically raised me alongside my parents. “I love you with all of my heart.”
“No, no. This can't be happening!” My hands shook and I moved her clothing around, trying to locate where the blood originated in order to stop the bleeding on her side. Regardless of how close I inspected her, I couldn’t find a lone source. The bleeding stemmed from too many wounds. Wounds which covered her entire chest. There were too many.
I frantically searched for her satchel. Noticing it off to the side, I quickly rummaged through the bag. “What can I give you? Elisabeth, what would work?” When she said nothing, I whimpered. “Please, please talk to me. Help me.”
Elisabeth placed her hand upon my own, and I dropped the bag next to me.
Useless.
Magicless .
Useless when it mattered most.
“Hush now, child. There’s no coming back from wounds like this. I have mere moments more. Let me look into your eyes one last time.”
Tears streamed down my face as I stared into Elisabeth’s eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes dulled as the life drained from her body. “I can’t lose you.”
“I have loved you from the moment you were born. Never underestimate yourself, my child. Trust in the king and queen and trust in the prophecy. Find yourself a good healer, you’re going to need it.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a choke.
“I don’t accept this.” I held my hands over her chest. “Give me something, now!” I argued with nature, pleaded, and begged in a way I never had before, not even for my own life in those damned dungeons. “I will honor you. I will make sure Brookmere adores you. I’ll give you anything. You can’t take her.”
I couldn’t see, the world blurred around me as my tears blocked everything. My body convulsed from sobbing so hard. I sat there, shaking, and repeating my oaths to nature over and over, until my hand dropped. Elisabeth’s chest slowed to an almost unmoving stop.
I rested my head on her chest, and she used energy she didn’t have to stroke my hair for the last time. With her dying breath, she said, “Love is the most powerful magic there is. Don’t let the darkness rule this land, or your heart. You are the light, my love. You are the light. And I will—I will always love you.”
Her body released one last, small breath, barely noticeable to anyone else. But I saw it. I felt it reverberate through every part of my soul as she left this world.
I heard screaming. Screams reminding me of torment and agony. I clung to her, not realizing they were coming from me until they muffled when I lowered my head into Elisabeth’s side, curling up.
I clung to her. The woman who knew me better than my own mother. Who had healed me time and time again, without question. She knew more about me than most, and I could not live my life without her.
She never failed. I could not fail her now.
I lifted my bloodied face to meet Ian’s gaze. “Where is the healer?”
Hale ran down the hall, to where I cared not, except if it were to find someone to fix Elisabeth.
“Lan.” Ian approached me as if I were a wounded animal, and I hated it. I hated the look in his eyes. “She’s gone. There’s nothing more we can do. I am so sorry.”
Ruppert put his hand underneath my arm to pick me up, and I shoved him away. “Don’t touch me. I will not leave her!”
“Give her a moment,” Ian scolded.
“My job is not to coddle her, boy, know your place,” Ruppert said with authority, as if his opinion mattered.
“This is why you are a terrible guard. And lest I remind you, I outrank you . You will listen to my command like the soldier you are.”
“How dare you speak to me that way?” Ruppert seethed as he tried to pick me up once more.
I shoved him away, harder this time, as sparks flew from my fingers. Ruppert jumped back in shock as I clung once more to Elisabeth’s body. “You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay, Elisabeth. I love you.”
“Lan.” Ian’s voice broke as he knelt beside me. When I looked at him, the sadness on his face made it harder for me to pretend this would be okay. That somehow, she would return to us if a healer arrived.
“She’s gone,” he said.
Ruppert bellowed at Ian, and he left my side, the two arguing in hushed voices.
Let them argue. Nothing mattered.
I stroked Elisabeth’s hair, closing my eyes to pretend she just slept. This couldn’t be real.
I felt a whisper of heat down my arm as a warm hand rested on my shoulder. “It’s time to get you to safety now, Little Rebel.”
The smell of a summer’s rain, and the cool breeze of a familiar shadow enveloped my body.
“I will not leave you here. I will not leave,” I whispered as I rocked back and forth beside Elisabeth’s body. The shadows were alluring, enticing even. Perhaps they would make it all better. But I couldn’t leave her.
Something sickly sweet accosted my senses, and a vial appeared under my nose. “I’m so sorry, Lan,” Ian whispered in my ear.
Kade’s shadows wrapped tighter around me.
“I have to get you to safety now,” Ian said.
My body swayed once, and the last memory before my world faded to black was of stormy eyes watching me as though they could take my grief far away from here. Forever.