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Katrina curled into a tighter ball in the corner of her dark cell, hoping her chilled body would yield enough warmth to stop her teeth from chattering. Her stomach growled. She only allowed herself to eat enough food to keep herself alive, but already the dark thoughts from this wretched land crept into her dreams and plagued her wakeful moments.
The woman who often checked on her had found an old blanket, but it didn’t stop the cold of the damp stone floor from reaching her cramped bones. How many days had passed? Or had it been weeks? She hadn’t seen the sun for so long, she’d almost forgotten how the sky looked anymore. All she could see were dark shadows, except in those moments when the woman, who called herself Brie, ventured into the chamber to bring her water or her next meal. At first, she said little to Katrina, but lately, she’d tried to offer bits of encouragement to not give up.
Brie said she’d been begging the dungeon master to move her to the upper floors. He couldn’t make the treacherous walk down into the underground cavern, and Brie had a difficult time, as well, with her feet shackled together as they were.
Katrina’s fingers wrapped around the only familiar object that she’d managed to bring with her: the medallion King Shaydon had given her that showed she was one of the Wisdom Keepers. She breathed out a sad sigh. If only she’d thought to have kept her satchel with her. Then she’d have her Ledge-o-graph, as well. Then she’d know if her Curian people had reached the Halls of Knowledge safely. Alyra and Tarek were leading them and many of the Wilderland creatures to Denovo. Then Darnel had attacked.
Everything after that became a blur. The Racan forces hit Denovo first, then found a way through the mountains that protected her beloved Halls. The Dark Ruler had done it once before and knew the way through. She’d been just as foolish as her ancestors, thinking she was safe and out of harm’s reach.
The familiar sound of chains dragging over the stone floor drew Katrina out of her depressing thoughts. Her next meal, most likely. Such as it was. The food and the darkness hanging over the land affected her in more ways than just her troubled thoughts. She’d grown weaker and frightened of every little noise. Not even her medallion brought the comfort it once did.
When Brie’s weathered face appeared through the bars, she was smiling. This time, she didn’t carry a tray, but instead, had chains in her hand.
Katrina gasped and pressed against the wall.
“No,” Brie said in her usual whispered voice. So, quiet and timid. Normally kind, but those chains frightened Katrina. “Hush girl. I’m here to bring you out of this nasty place. We’ve finally been granted permission to move you to a more comfortable cell. You’ll see. It was once fit for a princess. You’ll feel much better there, and I’ll be able to tend to you easier, as well, dear. So please, be good and come along with me.”
Katrina drew the blanket tighter under her chin.
Brie gripped the rusted bars. “Have I harmed you girl? Ever? Haven’t I always looked out for your best interest?”
Katrina gave a nod. “Yes,” her voice came out raspy from lack of water and speaking. “Yes, you have. W-who permitted you to move me?”
“King Darnel,” Her brows furrowed as she hissed the name. “Ol’ Ben told him you were wasting away down here and he didn’t think you had much time left. Seems Ki— uh, seems his Majesty doesn’t wish for you to come to harm, girl. Sometimes, he can show compassion.” She looked away as she said the last word, “sometimes.”
Anywhere had to be better than here, Katrina reasoned. She slowly pushed herself up, clinging to the wall for support. Her head swam, and her legs trembled with the effort to stand. Perhaps she was weaker than she realized.
Brie hurried into the cell and offered a bit of support. “I’m afraid I’ll have to chain your wrists together. Just till we reach your new room.”
Katrina gave a nod and held out her hands. The rusted metal scraped against her skin, but she remained quiet.
Brie took the blanket and gently wrapped it around her shoulders. “My, but you’re not bigger than a sprite. With you being on the upper level, we’ll be able to take better care of you, I promise. It’s so hard to get down here with my bad ankle.”
This was the most verbose the woman had been up to this point. The prospect of her job becoming a little less difficult must have lightened her mood considerably. Katrina wanted to ask more about her history. She had a suspicion this might be Tarek’s mother, but she feared to mention too much here. Better to keep everything to herself.
They walked with arms entwined as they supported each other along the steep incline. Brie’s dragging chains got on Katrina’s nerves. She hated that the poor woman was forced to constantly wear them.
But no, she’d not feel sorry for anyone here. She could not let her guard down. This move might provide more comfort, but at what cost? Yes, she’d need to remain vigilant and watch what she said and what she did.
Katrina was sure everything was reported to the Dark One. Had he only decided to show her compassion out of the hope of gathering important information from her? He had to realize she had a great deal of knowledge concerning King Shaydon’s plans.
Eventually, the light grew, and Katrina blinked her eyes until they adjusted. A throbbing pain pulsed in her forehead. The walls took on a sharper form with colors of slate gray and shades of blue. The ceiling rose until they reached a hall of smoothed walls and softer, sandy ground.
“Just a little farther,” Brie panted. “You’ll be right comfortable and much warmer.”
Weariness dragged Katrina’s steps, but the promise of somewhere warm to rest her aching body kept her moving almost to the point that she was dragging Brie along with her.
They finally reached a row of larger cells. Brie walked right past all of them until they came to a narrow crevice with a thick wooden door at the end. A tiny barred window was all that provided an opening. Katrina halted in her steps, wondering if she wasn’t trading her cage for a tomb.
“It looks worse on the outside. But I assure you, it’s not as bad as it seems.” Brie ambled up to the door, pulled a key from her skirt pocket, and unlocked it.
The moment Katrina entered the cell, reality hit her like a bucket of snow poured over her head. Everything Alyra had ever said about leaving her comfortable suite of rooms to live in the dungeon was true. Except, somehow, she’d managed to not suffer too much from the lack of comfort. A few simple dresses hung in a small alcove. The bed was covered with a dusty, yet thick silky blanket and plush pillows, most likely snagged from an upstairs room in the castle.
As Alyra’s memories had begun to return, they would sit up late into the night while her dear friend recalled how she’d sneak up to her old room and steal the things she missed most. Nobody knew about the secret passageway she’d found as a young girl. There was even a small table where some of her personal items such as a hairbrush and washbasin were stored. And a few books— oh, thank Shaydon! —along with some paper to write on.
“Told ya.” Brie beamed a wide smile. “You’ll be much more comfortable here. And I’ll be able to stop by to visit when I can. A young girl like yourself shouldn’t be left alone in the scary dark.”
Katrina bit her bottom lip to keep in the laugh that wanted to bubble up. If only she knew that even though Katrina only looked barely eighteen summers, she was over eighty, and still young by Curian standards. When she’d first met Brie, she’d thought the woman had recognized what she was, but since then, if Brie suspected, she kept those thoughts to herself. Much to Katrina’s relief.
“Thank you,” Katrina whispered, turning to the woman with a grateful smile. “I do appreciate your kindness.”
Brie unlocked the shackles. “Just remember what I said in the beginning. Say nothing you don’t absolutely need to. And keep that little trinket hanging around your neck hidden. Matter-of-fact, you’d best not even wear it. Keep it hidden. You’re welcome to those dresses, though they might be a trifle big on you. Still, there are pockets to keep things you don’t wish for others to see. Use them.” With that, she shuffled out and locked the door. “I suspect Ben will visit you soon. Take care when you speak to him. He seems nice, but he has a serpent’s tongue.”
Katrina pressed her face to the small window and watched the woman shuffle away. She was convinced now that Brie was Tarek’s mother. If only there was a way to get word to him. He’d want to know she was alive. For all Katrina knew, all her friends might think she was dead. Who would believe Darnel would keep her alive after he’d killed so many of her kind?
Yet, she was alive. Why? What could the Dark One possibly want her for?
Her stomach churned with worry. She turned back to the room and looked around once more. For a moment, it was almost as if she had her friend close again. “Oh, dear Alyra, I miss you and the others so much.” A tear escaped and slid down her cheek. “Bless you for your antics and for finding a way to provide a comfortable spot, even in this hateful place. You are a marvel, dear girl.”
* * * *
Tarek dangled the gold medallion from between his fingers, watching it spin one way, then the other. The metal reflected the dim torchlight burning outside of his cell. The emblem on one side was a flaming sword surrounded by a burst of light. He was indeed an Empowered Illuminate. He could easily burst out of this cell with only the flick of his hand. He didn’t even need to use a weapon anymore.
“You should have returned straight to Alyra, you daft troll-brain.” He tapped the medallion against his forehead none too gently. “This was a stupid idea.” He started to rise, ready to get out of the dank cell and start heading back home.
“Tare?” The voice froze him in place. Through the semi-darkness, a flickering glow of light floated toward him. Soon a willowy form emerged that took on the shape of his sister, Vesia. “Did they hurt you?” Her voice sounded strained.
“No.” He wrapped his arms around his knees, pulling back the energy he’d begun to gather to help him escape. Maybe, just maybe there was still a slim chance. But not if he frightened her with his light. His family had always been afraid of his abilities. Pa had called Tarek’s gifting a curse. Ma kept her opinions to herself, though she never seemed as put off as others were.
Vesia set her oil lamp on the floor beside her feet. It cast enough light that he could make out her features. Gone was the tough little girl that used to ride on his back or follow him around like a shadow. She’d grown in height, beauty, and even grace. Her reddish-blond hair was pulled up in a tight bun, yet she still let her long bangs hang into her green eyes. He imagined that’s what their Ma once looked like before a hard life wore her down. He swallowed down the painful sadness that clogged his chest every time he thought about his broken family.
Her hands wrapped around the weathered bars. “What happened to you? Where’s Pa? Do you know he left Ma behind in Racah?” She growled out a curse.
Tarek slowly stood and moved to the door of his cage. Placing his hands over hers, he looked deep into her troubled eyes. “Pa’s gone, Ves. He was killed in a battle.”
She laughed and shook her head. “That’s a sick joke, Tare. Pa in a battle. That’s a....” Her laughter died on her lips, and she gave a slight shake of her head. “Wait, you’re serious.”
He nodded. “I was there. He...um, he died in my arms.”
Her hands slipped from beneath his. She took a step back. “I don’t understand. Pa never would... what battle? Who were you fighting for? Did you bring the princess back to... him? Can we go back home—? Try to find Ma?”
Tarek held up his hand to stop her questions, then motioned for her to sit. “I’ll explain everything, but don’t interrupt until I’m done.”
She settled herself on the dusty ground, wrapping her long skirt tightly around her legs.
He updated her on all that he’d been through since leaving Racah. His near-death in Denovo, to being captured and taken to Aloblase. Then his trek across Alburnium with Alyra and her brother who took him to Drakensburg, then back down to Denovo as he once again fled the enemy soldiers. True to her promise, she didn’t interrupt him once, though several times she opened her mouth at the mention of Princess’ real name.
By the time he finished his story, nearly all the lamp oil had burned away leaving only a tiny flickering flame.
“I’m serving King Shaydon now. He’s real, Ves.” He showed her his medallion. “All the stories Ma told us, they were true.”
She remained silent as she stared at the dying flame.
“Vesia. Come with me. When Prince Issah leads his army to Racah, we’ll be able to rescue Ma.”
Her pale brows furrowed. “If she’s even still alive, which I bet she isn’t.” Her voice wasn’t much louder than a breeze before a storm.
“I refuse to believe that,” Tarek argued. “I saw her only a couple of months ago.”
Vesia scrambled to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides. “Wait. How could you have seen her? What are you not telling me? Did you return to Racah, after all?”
“No! I...uh....” Dare he tell her? So far she seemed to believe his story, but this was a bit much for most people to take. If he’d not seen the all-seeing telescope in Miss K’s library and Darnel’s study, he never would have believed such an instrument existed. But since entering Aloblase, he’d seen some amazing things. “I had access to an Imagi-scope, and I looked in on her.”
As expected, Ves shook her head. “You almost had me there, Tare. That trinket, so like Ma’s. I even nearly believed your bit about traveling to see the dragons, though you didn’t see ‘em, did ya? Said you turned tail and ran afore you reached the mountain. That I do believe!” She slapped her palms against the bars as her voice broke. “Was anything you said true? Bet not.” She spat at him. “Should have known you were up to your usual pranks.”
“This is not a joke, Vesia. We have to get out of here. Please come with me.”
She picked up the little clay lamp. “You’re not going anywhere, brother. They’ll come hang you in the morning.” Vesia retreated a couple of steps. “You turned your back on us when you let that runaway princess slip through your hands. You cared more about her than us. And I’m supposed to drop everything to follow you? To join some insignificant king who’s powerless against the Ruler of Racah?”
“He’s not powerless!”
“Really? Then why is Darnel in power? He controls us and every town I’ve ever been to.”
“You’ve only seen a few places, Ves. He’s—”
“Enough!” She held her hand in front of his face. “Just stop. There’s a reason Pa forbade Ma from telling her stories. They’re nothing more than foggy dreams. Fantastical tales like the Fae’s enjoy spinning. That King, the one you claim to serve? He’s no better than Darnel. And certainly, not any more powerful. He has no claims here. He’s not interested in us. Or me. And probably is only interested in you because of your freakish powers. How can you allow yourself to be used like that?”
Tarek took a step back, hearing Pa in her voice. The old man wasn’t so dead after all. “If you could only see what I’ve seen.”
“Right. Lot of good that did Pa. And Ma? She’s still trapped in that awful land. What did you see, Tare? When you supposedly looked in on her with that magical scope? Where was she?”
He cringed. “I think she was in the dungeons.” He didn’t want to say she was shackled. “But she’s alive. That’s all that matters. We need to stick together, Ves.”
“I used to believe that. Then you left us. And Pa left Ma. Then Pa left me here with our Aunt and Uncle. At least I have a roof over my head, and Auntie is teaching me how to sew. I can earn a living and make a life for myself. What can you possibly have to offer? What reason is there for me to go running across the wilds into some battle that has nothing to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you, Ves. You’re a part of this world. It’s time for us,” he waved his hand between them, “all of us, to stand against that evil impostor. I want to see him brought down.”
Vesia heaved a loud sigh. The light from her lamp was fading fast. “Then what? More than likely, someone, or thing, worse will take over his empty spot. At least, as things stand, Darnel leaves us alone. This town does well compared to some of the places we’ve been. It’s a decent community where we all live our lives the best we can. If you want to foolishly live a vagabond life, I wish you well.” She took a step backward. “I need to get back before I’m missed.”
“Ves,” Tarek tried one more time. “Will you at least think about what I’ve said? I came back as soon as I was able. We’re family.”
“Right. I’m hoping Uncle can talk them into sparing you, but as far as I’m concerned, I have no family anymore. I have only myself to depend on.” With that, she turned and rushed down the narrow walkway.
Tarek slowly sank to the floor, too distraught to even think about breaking out. His sister had completely lost faith in him. How could he blame her?
He forced himself to stand and studied the lock for a long moment, his thoughts all tangled in a crumpled web. She’d seemed so interested in his story. Until he went too far, told her too much. He banged his forehead against the bars. What a mistake he’d made coming here. But he’d had to try, hadn’t he?
Blowing out a long breath, he steadied his rampant emotions. Vesia had always loved Ma’s stories. They offered a bit of hope in their dreary lives. Maybe what he needed to do was wait. Give her time to think about what he’d told her. At least a couple of hours. He’d wait until the dead of morning, when everyone should be asleep, to make his escape.
Hadn’t he read somewhere in the King’s Book of Letters that hope came with the morning light?
He hoped beyond everything that his sister would come around.
Resting his back against the wall, he closed his eyes for a moment and might have dozed off for a while before a noise caused his breath to catch. The sound of footsteps. Whispered voices he couldn’t make out, but they didn’t seem friendly. Had the town’s leaders decided to come for him so soon? He’d not let them hang him, but he didn’t wish to kill anyone in his attempt to escape, either. That wouldn’t help his cause with his sister. Not at all.
