When the winds cleared, she found herself in the palace courtyard. Bahkar loomed over her, his eyes ablaze, a grin forming on his lips. Clouds covered the morning sky. A thick fog just beginning to disperse made everything more ominous. The palace was eerily quiet. Surely the others knew they were here. She scanned the area, looking for any movement.
Bahkar grabbed her wrist and yanked her close. “Remember, my flower, your purpose here.” He leaned his face down to hers. “Or else.”
She nodded, letting her fear show freely. She had to be careful because he truly meant what he said.
He gave a short snort of laughter and turned around to face the great doors of the palace, the frozen clock above. “That didn’t take long.”
Claire followed his gaze. Lianna stood, hands on hips, in her full leather armor, an annoyed look on her face. Relief filled Claire. It was good to see a friendly face. If anyone could match Bahkar in battle, it was Lianna.
“At least you have saved us the trouble of seeking you out,” Lianna said. “Come, Claire.” She held her hand out to Claire.
Claire hesitated, not sure what to do. Bahkar’s hand tightened around her wrist. “We have come to liberate you,” he said. “All of you.” He glanced over his shoulder.
Claire did the same. Razi had appeared behind them, blocking the entrance to the courtyard. Unlike Lianna, he wore a simple shirt and slacks, with only his dagger at his side. A frown formed on his face. His hand went to the hilt of the dagger, but he didn’t draw it, yet.
“Release her,” he said, his voice rising with anger.
Bahkar laughed. “You fools,” he said. “You are mere tools. But together, we could be more. We could be free.”
Razi’s face twitched. He was well aware of his predicament. But Claire didn’t think he would help Bahkar any more than she would. She hoped…
“I am no damsel that needs saving,” Lianna said. “Now, let her go and leave, or we will fight you.”
“I was hoping that you could see things my way,” Bahkar said. “But I look forward to a challenge.” He released Claire and she took several steps back from him. His magic rose sharply within him, causing her own to stir inside her. “Have it your way then.”
Lianna’s mark came alive, the purple glow illuminating the ground around her. Razi’s did the same. The power within the courtyard became suffocating. Claire took a few more steps back. This wasn’t going to be good.
A burning sensation flared along her scar, and the fresh wound at her neck throbbed even more, her mark reacting to all the magic. She didn’t want to use it, but she might not have a choice.
A fireball suddenly exploded around the madman, engulfing him in bright orange flames, shaking the ground. Claire recoiled, holding her arms up to shield herself from the intense heat. She glanced around. Where had that come from? Then she saw him. Atop the eastern wall, Farron stood, another arrow nocked, the tip blazing with fire, aimed and ready to release.
Although she was glad to see him, she had mixed emotions about his presence. Not only did Bahkar want him dead, but the Council did as well. Once again he was putting his life on the line to rescue her. Not that she could stop him, but she sure didn’t like it.
The flames died down and the ground shook as the stone barriers Bahkar had erected slid down back into the earth. The madman laughed, unscathed.
“You’ve come for your flower, I see.” He shot Farron with a glare and started to kneel down.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Claire yelled and dropped to her knees, slamming her hands to the hard stone of the courtyard. Spikes burst up in a line toward Bahkar and he jumped back.
Razi rushed him then, Lianna disappearing into a dark cloud. Farron jumped down off of the wall, rolling as he hit the ground. He got to his feet swiftly and took aim again. He stood opposite from her, the madman between them. He loosed the flaming arrow, but Bahkar blocked it with another barrier. The madman turned just as Razi was almost on him. Razi drew his dagger, running his hand down the back of it. Sparks shot out around the blade as he swung it at Bahkar. The madman leaped back, narrowly avoiding each attack. Claire sent another volley of spikes after him to try to block his escape, but he just dispersed into a black cloud. His laughter echoed through the courtyard.
“Do not forget my words, my flower.” His voice crawled along her skin. A lightning bolt struck close to Farron.
Farron jumped to the side and rolled away. Claire’s heart leaped up to her throat. That was too close. She scanned the sky for any traces of the madman, but in her panic couldn’t find him. Taking a deep breath, she ran for the massive wooden doors that led into the palace. Farron followed, avoiding another bolt of energy. He helped her push open the doors and then close them once they were inside. The ground shook again, the doors vibrating.
“That was close,” Farron said, trying to make it sound light. He pulled her close and looked her over. “Are you all right? Did he do anything?”
“I’m fine,” she said, trying to catch her breath, her pulse still hammering in her chest. “Mostly. He wants to destroy the palace and kill your brother. Well, he wants me to kill your brother. Said he would kill you if I didn’t.”
“I feel like everyone wants me dead these days,” he said with a grin.
“You shouldn’t have come back here.” There was a thunderous boom outside and the ground shook.
“You know that wasn’t an option,” he said, his face serious. “That man, he dies here today.”
Claire nodded. It wasn’t often that she agreed with him about killing, but this was an exception.
“Do you have a plan?” she asked, hoping that they did.
“Sort of.” He shrugged. “I only just got here. Lianna and Razi said that they felt your presence as soon as you took the bangles off. They appeared in the forest soon after that man took you. They saw what he could do. We only came back here to regroup before going after you. But then he saved us the trouble. So, not really according to plan. We are improvising now.”
“Where are the other Star Children? He may go after them next.”
“Hidden in the bowels of the palace. They should be safe down there for the time being.”
“And your brother?”
He shrugged again. “Lounging in a bath, for all I know.”
It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if the king actually was in a warm bath at the moment. But it did worry her that he wasn’t accounted for and hidden away somewhere safe. He was the king, after all, and his life was currently in danger.
“In any case, it might not be the best idea for you to know his whereabouts,” Farron said. “If that is Bahkar’s goal.”
Claire nodded, feeling stupid for forgetting how Bahkar could dive into her memories. When he finds out that she wouldn’t kill the king, he was surely going to go after him himself. And Farron. They needed to end things quickly.
“What now?” She looked up at Farron.
“I guess we see how tough he really is.”
“I can’t ask you to hide by any chance?”
He lifted an eyebrow.
That’s what she’d thought.
Farron’s head jerked to the side, his eyes flashing before he suddenly pushed her to the side, out of the way as rubble came crashing through the doors. He jumped in the opposite direction at the last moment. Dust filled the air. Claire rolled over on the floor.
“Fare?” she called out, not seeing him.
“I’m fine,” he said. He came around the wreckage and pulled her to her feet. “That was close.” He took her hand and started to lead her down the hall. “Come.”
They raced through the maze of halls until they burst out into Lianna’s garden, brown and dull from the winter cold. Farron scanned the sky while she closed her eyes to try and pinpoint the others. She felt the tug of magic just around the side of the palace and it was moving, fast.
“There,” she whispered. “They’re coming this way.” She turned to Farron. “We’ll need to work together to bring him down. Be careful.”
“You, too.” He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.
“If you can, try to stay out of his sight. He won’t hesitate to kill you.”
He nodded before slinking off. If anyone could hide from Bahkar, it was the King’s Shadow.
Claire jogged to the center of an open area and cast out a small amount of magic, hoping to draw Bahkar to her. A moment later, his magic collided with her, the sheer power of it knocking the breath out of her. He materialized before her, the wind stirring the bushes and sending her hair flying about her head.
“My flower,” he said, frowning. Blood dripped down the side of his face. “Why aren’t you off killing that bastard fae?”
She gulped. The wind died down and the silence was unnerving.
“Because I’m not going to,” she said, her throat too tight.
A gust of wind brushed her back. “He is tougher than he looks,” Razi said.
Claire glanced at him to make sure he was all right. He looked a little winded, sweaty, a few cuts and bumps, but nothing too serious.
“But not invincible,” Lianna said, stepping out of the dark whirlwind to Claire’s other side.
“You are all fools!” Bahkar shouted, his face contorted into a snarl. “Together we could end all of them! Earnehard has to pay!”
Lianna cocked her head, a confused look crossing her face. “King Earnehard? He has been dead for years.”
“He’s mad,” Claire said, keeping her voice low. “He keeps confusing them.”
“I see,” Lianna said and shrugged. “No matter. His plan ends here.”
“Do you have something in mind?” Claire asked, hopeful.
“Yes,” Razi replied instead. He exchanged a glance with Lianna.
Lianna sighed. “Yes, yes,” she said in a dismissive manner before charging at Bahkar.
The two vanished in a cloud of dark haze, lightning flashing, the deafening crack echoing off the palace walls.
Razi rushed over to Claire. “We will wear him down, you draw him in. He underestimates you, it seems.”
Claire nodded. Farron’s lessons were coming in handy. She just had to come up with a plan. Before she could ask Razi, he had disappeared. She took a deep breath as she watched the battle. An opening… How was she supposed to know if she could hardly keep up with them?
“Any ideas?” She glanced over at Farron as he stepped out of the shadows.
A light sprinkle of rain began to fall, sending shivers through her body.
“Close combat is dangerous,” he said. His eyes narrowed as he watched the sky. “He’s too fast for ranged attacks.” He looked over at her. “When he had you, did he lower his guard at all?”
She nodded. “I should have ended it then. I just couldn’t…”
Farron took her hand in his and squeezed it. “Lucky for us, I think he underestimates us both. That will be his last mistake.”
The palace shook as they raced down the halls once more. How much damage were they doing? By the day’s end, there might be a pile of rubble in its place, whether they won or lost.
Farron and Claire split up, each going their separate ways, a plan in place. It was risky. She just hoped that it worked, for all their sakes. She had had Farron tell her the location of the king and had given him a look, hoping he would get her plan without her having to say so. She wasn’t sure how much Bahkar could see in her memories, but she was hoping that in a moment of haste, he wouldn’t get her thoughts with everything else. Thankfully, Farron only took a few moments to get what she was implying. His hesitance would only help.
The map chamber underneath the palace—that was a convincing place as any for a king to seek out safety during an attack. She had asked Farron to find the king to protect him for her memory, had tried to make her voice as frantic as possible. Bahkar had to be persuaded for this to work. She let the sequence play over and over again in her mind to keep it fresh. It would be close quarters, but she was hoping the surprise would catch him off guard enough for him to hesitate long enough for an attack.
She didn’t like the fact that Farron was bait, putting his life right in the line of danger, but it was all they had at the moment.
Claire rounded the corner and slammed into a solid, heavily armored man, so big that the hallway felt cramped. She stumbled back a few steps. And then her heart dropped. In the middle of a regiment of guards stood the king, an exasperated look on his beautiful face.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. She looked away quickly, but it was too late. The memory was already imprinted into her mind. “What are you doing here?” She didn’t mean to sound so impudent, but her plan was now ruined. What now?
The king arched an eyebrow. “And where is it I should be?” He waved a hand and the guards in front of him moved to the side as he stepped forward toward Claire. “My home is currently under attack. Should I be cowering in the cellars?”
“Yes!” she shouted before thinking. “That man, he wants you dead. He killed your father and he won’t rest until he does the same to you.”
“What did you say?” His eyes narrowed and focused on her. “That man, he killed my father? How do you know this?”
“He told me. Said that King Earnehard had known about his powers and had tried to use him. So, he killed him. He’s mad. His mark, it has corrupted his mind.”
The palace rumbled around them, the floors shaking. The king didn’t flinch. Perhaps he was made out of stronger stuff than she’d thought.
“I see,” he said, his eyes trailing down her arm.
Claire shifted uncomfortably. He thought the same would happen to her. Not that she could blame him. It was something she feared as well.
“I will not hide,” he said, the authority in his voice not belying any fear. “This is my home. Let him come for me.”
“But you’re—”
“I will be in my quarters,” he said as he glanced back at the guards.
With a nod from the king, they fell into formation again and led him down the halls.
Claire just stood there and watched as he turned the corner. What should she do now? Her plan had fallen apart. There was no time to search for the map room deep in the bowels of the palace. It would collapse on top of them by the time she could get there.
A loud crash brought her back to the present, the rumbling more violent than before.
The safest thing would be to stay away. She was a liability. But she couldn’t let Lianna and Razi risk themselves when she could do something, anything. She ran toward the commotion. If anything, she could at least provide a distraction.
Claire turned another corner and skidded to a stop. Light poured in through a gaping hole in the outer wall of the palace. She inched near it, the view making her head spin. The ground fell away, dropping sharply down a cliff side of jagged rocks, the town too far down below for her comfort. Claire pressed her back up against the opposite wall. Debris and dust dulled the shiny marble floor. Bricks of the wall still crumbled away, falling down, down, down…
She took a deep breath. There was no time to panic. There were more important matters at hand. She closed her eyes and focused her magic, reaching out, searching. They weren’t far. All three were like burning torches in her mind. A slight relief touched her. At least there were still three.
Claire had barely had time to move when she felt his presence. Her eyes snapped open, a gasp escaping her.
“This has gone on for too long,” Bahkar snarled. His shoulders heaved. A gash crossed his left eye, blood streaming down his cheek. “Where is Earnehard?”
“He’s dead,” Claire said. She reached out with her mind for the others, her magic spiking, the sting along her scar intensifying.
Bahkar surged forward and slammed a hand on the wall behind her. The walls shook and stone shot up and down, closing the hole, cutting off Lianna and Razi’s approach. It wouldn’t hold for long, but it was precious moments wasted.
Claire turned in an effort to run. She couldn’t let him into her mind. Bahkar smashed his fist into the wall, cracking the marble, trapping her in place. She reached within for the strings of her magic and conjured up a blue orb. She shoved it into his chest. He barely flinched, the only sign of pain his clenched teeth.
Bahkar grasped her neck and slammed her against the wall. Her head hit the stone hard, stars dancing along the edges of her vision. Then his other hand was on her forehead, followed by the sharp pain as he dived into her memories. A scream ripped up her throat. Her feet kicked helplessly as he lifted her up off the floor. She struggled to breathe, her hands clawing at his arms in vain.
Memories flashed in her mind, too quick to distinguish one from the other clearly.
“You thought you could trick me?” Bahkar muttered. He leaned his face close to her ear. “You disappoint me, my flower. Together we could have built a whole new world, free of tyrants, free of those that wish to use us. It could have been ours.”
His hand squeezed harder around her throat, cutting off her screams.
“There,” he whispered as the memory of the king from moments before replayed. “That fool. So much like Earnehard. Today will be his last.”
He released her suddenly and Claire slid to the floor, coughing. When she looked up, Bahkar was already gone.
“No,” she whispered. She got to her feet and ran, hoping she was going in the right direction. It could already be too late.