26. On a Stormy Night
On a Stormy Night
Kaiden
This had to work. He had left Vidrena behind and chose an empty clearing between its first and second borders to make camp.
“Sending Idalia was certainly a bold move,” Fintan grumbled, his voice nearly drowned out by the storm raging outside of their large tent.
“It’ll certainly strike fear into the girl’s heart.” Jasper sat on piles of fur sharpening his blade. “If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll do as the witch commands.”
“Idalia is as wild and reckless as this storm,” Rhydar said.
“Stop worrying,” Cahira said. “Aradia has been through worse.”
The tent was quiet for the first time. Even the wind ceased howling as if contemplating whether or not their botched-up plan would work.
Everyone had been updated on all that had transpired since Kaiden, Fintan, and Cahira had left Arkan. Still, he wondered about how big of a statement it would be to send Idalia after her. Kaiden trusted Wilouhby and Wilouhby trusted Idalia. Nonetheless, he had done his research.
Idalia was well-known for her short temper and took pleasure in bringing her victims to excruciating pain before they died.
Her reasons for killing were as simple as “they resisted me” to “they looked at me wrong.” All her victims would remember from this life would be the pain she inflicted upon them.
Kaiden hoped the girl was smart enough not to resist her.
“Idalia is on our side,” he said.
He was already on edge and although Fintan spoke truthfully about the danger, Kaiden knew for some reason she wanted this as much as he did.
They hadn’t figured out what she truly had to gain from all of it.
She wanted to stop his father from destroying all of Peraynia and was willing to help him.
It was all he needed at the moment, no matter how suspicious.
Rhydar stood by the entrance, arms crossed, and scowling out into the rain.
Cahira prepared an array of fruits, cheese, fresh bread, and wine for the incoming guest. Kaiden knew whatever happened between her and Aradia played a main factor in Cahira’s quietness.
Fintan stood, pacing behind Rhydar, pretending not to be bothered by the plan.
Jasper, of course, sat in the corner of the room set apart from the group, which gave him the ability to view the entire tent.
A small table was placed in the corner and Kaiden sat behind it shrouded in darkness.
The dagger which dropped out of thin air and landed in the middle of the tent was undeniably a message from Idalia.
She would never even own a dagger with such simplistic carvings.
It was small, compared to the weapons he was used to.
Perfect for a young woman or an average hunter.
If this was the only thing she had to defend herself, she was either dumb-witted or truly powerful with her magic.
He prayed it was the latter. The dagger appeared almost an hour ago. Idalia’s magic would not have worked so accurately if she wasn’t close. Inwardly sighing, he bounced his knee quietly underneath the table.
“How much do you know about the girl?” Jasper asked, his voice like a whisper.
Kaiden turned to him. A lethal man and one of very little words, he let his weapons speak for him most of the time.
He had served the Valencia family for years.
At age eight, Kaiden had found him abandoned by the borders of Randale, cast out and left to fend for himself.
He was half starved and dying of an infected wound across his split-open back.
Kaiden never questioned how he obtained the deep scar across his face or the ones he knew ran deeper than the eye could see.
Jasper never offered an explanation on it either.
It took months nursing him back to health, but he had repaid his family’s generosity tenfold by becoming the best shadow in the country.
A man made in darkness and battling his own demons, like Kaiden — like them all.
Jasper sat against a pole with one knee propped, balancing a dagger perfectly on its hilt.
“She’s bloody powerful, but only when in danger or pushed to the edge.
Her magic is sporadic and certainly not trained.
Whichever highborn laid with Eslanda was not around long enough to teach her magic.
Mixed with her priestess blood it's a wonder she doesn’t self-combust when easily agitated.
” Cahira popped a grape in her mouth and chewed slowly.
“She’s loyal. We can use that. She also hates us, so tread carefully. ” She threw a pointed glare at Kaiden.
“And the king?”
“What about the king?” Kaiden closed his fist and squeezed under the table.
Jasper didn’t miss the movement. “He wants her dead or alive.”
“What of it?” Fintan asked slowly.
“So, everyone missed the meaning behind his words?” Jasper huffed a breath as they all stared at him. “He doesn’t need her alive to use her. So where does that leave us?”
Kaiden had a million guesses on how deep his father’s plans went but in truth he didn’t know what the real answer was.
“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.
Jasper’s nostrils flared. The only indication he was annoyed. “What do you know?”
Kaiden smiled only to hide the uncomfortable feeling of asking his friends — his family — to risk their lives for the unknown. He didn’t even know what he was walking into.
“Not as much as I’d like to.”
The tent fell quiet as they all glanced at one another. The tension was palpable and once more Kaiden’s knee began to bounce underneath the table.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, looking at them all.
Cahira folded her arms but nodded as if the question asked was elementary.
“Yes,” Fintan said.
Rhydar huffed but shook his head. “Till my dying breath.”
Kaiden slowly turned to Jasper who sat still as the grave.
He blinked black eyes at Kaiden and remained silent. It was answer enough.
Kaiden nodded but breathed a bit easier.
Rhydar rubbed his bearded face, his shoulder length hair was braided back in a warrior style. “To go against ya king …” He left the sentence open.
Kaiden shook his head. “If anyone wants out” — Everyone stilled at his words, the underlying meaning — “now’s the time to walk away.”
He threw Rydar and Jasper a questioning look. They glanced at each other curiously. There was a small silence before Jasper spoke.
“You know who we stand with,” he said, catching the wobbling dagger and placing it back on his knee.
Rhydar nodded furiously. “Aye, you cheeky bastard. We’d die with ya or fer ya. I’d much prefer not to though, at least until I’ve had a good run in the sheets with a pretty northern lass.” He barked a laugh at his own joke.
They all joined in, aside from Jasper who never laughed, but looked away, hiding a shadow of a smile.
“In all honesty, I’m not sure what I expect from this transaction. Sending Idalia shows hostility, yes, but it also shows strength. We’ll need to portray every cursed lie as if it's true. At least until we know where her allegiance lies,” Kaiden said.
“Her allegiance will lie with herself.” Fintan mumbled.
“No,” Cahira said sharply. “She’ll need us more than she realizes and we need her.”
“There’s nothing she can do that we haven’t done a thousand times.” Jasper’s voice floated in the air like a poisoned mist, coating its victims into a stilled silence.
“Untrue,” Cahira muttered.
“We’re” — Kaiden struggled for the right words — “entering a new era. A new time where we don’t hold all the answers.
I’d rather work together than continue fighting a fight I know nothing about.
” He thought of Idalia's words. They were to work together if they wanted any type of fighting chance against the king.
Thunder clapped outside the tent, drawing Rhydar’s attention back outside.
“They’re coming.” Rhydar pushed himself off the entry post and stood like a mountain in the entrance.
Kaiden leaned back as he heard small, hurried footsteps drawing nearer.
The flap flew open and Idalia entered. She truly was terrifying and coming from Kaiden’s line of work that was saying something.
Her white eyes did little to hide the dangerous witch beneath.
In one glance Kaiden surveyed her from head to toe.
Thin silver hair matted to her head from the rain and discarded hygiene.
From her tattered cloak to her tall boots, she seemed to be stained with mud and dried blood which never seemed to wash off.
The clanging of her ironclad hand echoed in the silence of the tent.
His gaze snapped behind her as Aradia entered the tent.
This is her?
He was hardly ever surprised but with this girl …
Hazel eyes were wide with fear, but she held her head high.
Long dark curls drenched by the rain cascaded down her back, giving her the appearance of a drowned lion.
She was surprisingly shorter than he imagined, but then again Cahira said she did lean more toward her mother’s heritage.
Eslanda hailed from the southern isles. The girl’s skin was the same deep hue as the warm pimenta berries imported into his kingdom.
Even with her drawn face and soaked clothes she stood awkwardly still and sinfully beautiful.
Rhydar took a step forward, making the girl jump backward. She held her hand up like it was a weapon before clutching it to her body. Fintan was right, sending Idalia was a mistake.
“Easy, lass, remember me?” Rhydar comforted, holding his hands in the air. “I ain’t gonna hurt ye.”
A strangled laugh came out as she looked around. “Hurt me?”
What he assumed would sound more like the honeyed rich tone on a normal day was airy and high pitched with emotion.
“You sent a demir witch to hunt me down!” She threw an accusing look at Cahira as she pointed at Idalia.
He noticed the wounds around her wrists.
Idalia turned her head slowly in his direction. She lifted the cup of wine and raised it in greeting.