Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets, Book 2) Page 12

  They entered a large hall with a dozen people milling about. Kerdan headed directly toward the center of the room where the king stood surrounded by a handful of sentries. When the prince neared, the sentries backed up several paces.

  Allyssa stopped alongside Kerdan’s soldiers, ten feet away from the king. A fire roared in the large hearth, barely heating the massive room bathed in dull gray light from the high windows.

  Kerdan dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty.” He stood. “I am headed to the garrison to ready my men.” He pulled on a pair of gloves, flexing his fingers.

  “Have them prepared to leave with the second wave in a fortnight,” the king responded.

  “Your Majesty!” a young boy about ten years old called out, running into the room and toward the king. “This letter just arrived for you.” He held out a piece of paper, breathing heavily.

  King Drenton snatched the paper and opened the seal, reading the contents. His face turned red, contorting in rage. He shoved the letter at his son, who silently read it. “Where is the messenger?” the king demanded.

  “I…I don’t know,” the boy stammered. “He gave it to me and bid me bring it to you, Your Majesty.”

  The king unsheathed his sword. In one swift motion, he brought the weapon down, slicing off the boy’s right arm. The boy screamed, falling to the ground, blood gushing from the wound. Horror filled Allyssa, and she ran toward the boy. If they stopped the bleeding soon enough, the boy would live.

  Kerdan grabbed her by the jacket, throwing her to the floor and placing his large boot atop her back. “Where do you think you’re going?” he snarled. “I told you to stay put. Do not move unless I tell you to. Understood?”

  “Someone has to help the boy.” He was running out of time.

  Kerdan kicked her side. Pain exploded in her torso, and she curled into herself, not expecting such a violent outburst from him. “Apologize to the king,” he demanded.

  “Apologize? For what?” She rolled over, facing the boy. He had passed out, blood pooling around his still body. “Someone help him!” His skin turned white. He was only a child and had done nothing wrong.

  No one moved.

  Why wouldn’t anyone help him? A sob escaped her mouth. The prince crouched next to her, a small knife dangling from his gloved fingers. “If I have to repeat myself, you will wish you were that boy.”

  She glanced up into Kerdan’s cold eyes and knew he meant what he said. She tilted her head toward the king. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” she wheezed, still trying to catch her breath from the kick. She hated the prince for allowing this to happen, she hated the king for harming the boy, and she hated Russek for existing.

  “Son,” the king said. “Is that the princess?”

  “It is,” Kerdan replied, standing.

  King Drenton laughed, the sound savage in the vast room. “You’re forcing her to serve as a soldier?” He slapped his son’s shoulder in approval.

  “I am forcing her to serve all my needs, Father.”

  A new fear trickled through her. If word got out that she was holed up with the prince, her reputation would be ruined.

  “Well done,” the king said. “Just don’t let your stepmother find out. She would be upset.”

  “Queen Jana is not my mother,” Kerdan softly replied. He returned the message to his father.

  Allyssa glanced at the boy. His chest no longer rose and fell. The blood turned dark around him. So much death and destruction in this vile kingdom. She staggered to her feet. Bloody hell, that hurts. She wanted to fight back but knew the effort would be futile in a room filled with armed men.

  “I need to deal with this,” the king said, folding the paper in half. “Not having access to the river impedes our supply chain.”

  River? Supply chain? Allyssa had been right about Russek using the river when they invaded. “What happened to your soldiers at the cave in the Romek Mountains?” she asked, hating to call the men soldiers—they were animals who had slaughtered her men. And one day, Russek would pay.

  “How do you know about that?” Drenton demanded.

  “Prince Soma took me there,” she said, altering the truth slightly.

  “You were at the cave with Soma?”

  “Yes. We left when word reached him that a squad of Emperion soldiers were nearby. He was worried they would find and rescue me.”

  The king balled the paper and growled. “You.” He pointed at the closest sentry. The man’s face drained of all color. “Come here.” When the sentry neared, the king punched him. “Soma should have stayed and fought.” Drenton punched the sentry again. “His skills could have made the difference.” The sentry fell, and the king turned his attention to his son.

  Allyssa fought a smile. Her men must have killed the Russek beasts. Good. They deserved it.

  “Instead, Soma chose to bring Princess Allyssa and Prince Odar here.” Kerdan lowered his voice to a whisper and said, “I’ve been telling you, Father, Soma is under the queen’s command. Not yours. Now if you’ll excuse me, there is much to be done to make up for Soma’s errors.” Kerdan grabbed Allyssa’s arm, pulling her away from the king.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Allyssa stumbled to the middle of a courtyard, the imposing castle surrounding her on all four sides. The sky above boasted beautiful white clouds, a stark contrast to the twelve heavily armed soldiers sitting atop horses, waiting. Kerdan shoved her toward one of two saddled horses, a stable boy holding the reins.

  “Get on,” he barked. Then lower, so only she could hear, “You better be able to ride like a man.”

  “You’re a bastard,” she mumbled.

  Ignoring her, he mounted the large brown gelding. Not having any other feasible options, she climbed onto the mare. Once on the saddle, five soldiers maneuvered their horses around her. Apparently, Kerdan wasn’t taking any chances.

  The prince led the group through an archway and around the foreboding castle. When they came to the dreaded narrow bridge, the men began crossing single file. Allyssa leaned down, patting her horse’s neck and silently praying she made it over that blasted bridge without falling to her death. Thankfully, the horse remained steady as it made its way across. Safely on the other side, the soldiers resumed their positions, five surrounding her, Kerdan leading the way east.

  The wind picked up, rushing past Allyssa’s face, making her eyes water and her nose run. “How far are we going?” she asked the man on her right. As far as she could see, snow covered the hills and trees. The brightness hurt her eyes, forcing her to squint.

  He held up five fingers.

  “Five miles?” she asked.

  He nodded and then put his finger to his lips, indicating for her to be quiet. She sighed, not wanting to waste time thinking about why they couldn’t speak during their trek to the garrison. These soldiers looked similar to the ones she’d seen throughout the castle. Large, bulky men with black marks painted on their faces. There was a savageness to them that she didn’t understand. As if they thirsted for fighting and blood.

  They descended a small hill, coming to the bottom of a ravine. A stream rushed by, the water low, chunks of ice floating in it. Kerdan led them to the other side and onto a narrow dirt road. Allyssa considered herself a decent rider. However, she was in no position to make a break for it given the weather conditions and her lack of appropriate clothing and food. Instead of brooding over her situation, she used the opportunity to study her surroundings and try to memorize as much of it as possible. If she managed to escape one day, she’d have to navigate her way out of this hellish kingdom.

  After a while, everything started to look the same, and she lost her sense of direction. Perhaps Kerdan was taking them a roundabout way on purpose. She wouldn’t put it past him. Barmy. The road wound its way up a low hill and to a seemingly empty valley. As they trudged along, the garrison suddenly appeared before them. She hadn’t noticed it at first because the whitewashed building blended in with the snow. Kerdan pulled his horse to
a halt, everyone following suit.

  Two stable boys ran out and took the reins to Kerdan and Allyssa’s horses. She dismounted and surveyed the area. There were two buildings close together—one presumably the garrison and the other one the stables. Several soldiers, dressed in white fur capes, patrolled the area.

  A hand slid around her arm, startling her. “Remain at my side,” Kerdan said, pulling her along.

  “Don’t touch me.” She yanked her arm free, tired of being led around like a dog, sick of the brutal violence, and unable to forgive the prince for not helping the boy earlier.

  “Don’t test me in front of my men,” he growled, his voice low and laced with fury. Not giving her a chance to respond, he turned and entered the garrison.

  Oh, he did not just walk away from her all high and mighty. She stormed after him. How dare he act so egotistical when he was the one who allowed the boy to bleed to death? And then he hurt her for trying to help. She would knock some sense into him.

  Passing under the archway, she entered a dark hall that led to a large, open training room. A hand latched onto the back of her neck, shoving her against the wall.

  Kerdan’s angry face loomed before her. “This is my domain, my men. You will stand down.” He released her but remained towering above her, making her feel small and insignificant.

  “Do not order me around,” she snarled.

  “Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Would you rather be in the dungeon? Or in Soma’s filthy hands?” He was so close she could smell a hint of horse and sweat hanging on his clothes.

  “I would rather not be here at all.”

  “But you are.” He stepped back, putting a foot of space between them. “Shut your mouth and observe your surroundings. And whatever you do, do not challenge or question my authority in front of my men. Deal?”

  She nodded, realizing she had pushed him too hard. He had warned her ahead of time that he had a reputation to uphold. Her actions jeopardized that. Plus, she needed to speak to Odar, and, right now, Kerdan was her best chance of making that happen. As far as trusting him or having any sort of understanding between the two of them, well, she couldn’t work with someone so cruel and heartless.

  “Try to blend in.” He turned and strode into the training room. A group of men were sparring with one another using wooden practice swords. When Kerdan approached the sweaty men, they stopped and bowed.

  The prince gestured for them to resume practicing. Hovering along the edge of the room, Allyssa observed them. They appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties. Definitely younger than most of the soldiers and sentries she’d seen in the castle. They smiled and joked with one another while sparring, at ease before their captain and prince. None of these soldiers wore black paint on their faces. Interesting. And there was something else…these men weren’t as cold and harsh as the other Russek soldiers she’d previously encountered. They offered one another advice, and if someone went down, his partner helped him to his feet. They maintained a friendly banter with one another.

  After a few moments, the prince came and stood next to her. “What do you think of my men?” He folded his arms, watching them.

  How long had they been under his command? How old was Kerdan? Instead, she asked, “How many do you control?”

  “Five thousand.”

  The number of men in Russek’s army was astounding. She tried not to balk or appear impressed by this information. Instead, she watched them, mentally taking note of their strengths and weaknesses. While they weren’t as large and burly as other Russek soldiers, they did wield their swords with brute strength instead of precision and skill. However, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, they were exceptional. The key to winning a fight against these men would be to beat them at the blade. She didn’t want to ask Kerdan if Russek employed archers and tip him off. Emperion had some of the best shooters on the continent.

  “I see you assessing them.” He rubbed his chin. “I took control of this company less than a year ago. With time, they will improve.” These men didn’t need to improve. They were lethal enough. “Do you want to spar against one of my men?”

  She curled her fingers around her arms, hugging herself. While she wanted to spar to not only regain her strength but also to become better acquainted with her enemy, it would not be wise. She shook her head. Protecting Emperion was her number-one priority, and she didn’t want Kerdan or his men learning from her. Whatever knowledge she could gain from them meant they could equally obtain from her.

  “You still don’t trust me, do you?” he asked.

  “No. And I never will.”

  “We live in a world where trust is given too freely. It makes us weak.” His focus remained on his men. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was talking about himself. “You shouldn’t trust anyone.”

  “You mean I shouldn’t trust anyone in Russek?”

  “No. You shouldn’t trust anyone—ever.” His face hardened, and she wanted to know what happened to him that made him this way.

  She leaned against the wall, considering what he said. “I trust my parents, and I have several close friends who I trust.”

  “Do you?” He peered down at her. “So, you don’t keep secrets from your friends? Your parents are always honest with you?” It felt as if he’d punched her heart. “That’s what I thought.” He looked away.

  “I don’t want to live in a world where I can only trust myself.”

  He chuckled. “You trust yourself? Even after the Jarvik and Odar mix-up?”

  Allyssa wanted to slap him. Except…there was an element of truth in what he said. She had kept things from her friends. Grevik—her best friend—hadn’t known her identity. Marek, Mayra, and Madeline hadn’t known about Lilly. And her parents. She knew they were keeping something from her. They all had their secrets. But did secrets negate trust?

  He shrugged. “If you’re not going to spar, then I am.” He slid off his jacket and grabbed a practice sword.

  The prince’s men crowded around him, forming a loose circle. He pointed at one, and that man stepped into the ring, preparing to fight. Their wooden swords clashed. The muscles in Kerdan’s arms protruded as he held his sword high, keeping his opponent at bay. Then he attacked with lethal speed and efficiency. He was an excellent swordsman, but not as skilled as her father or Odar. However, what he lacked in technique, he made up for with his physical strength and prowess.

  He knew she was watching him. What did he intend for her to see? He must have felt like he had something to prove. Bloody hell. Why was she standing there while the prince and his men were busy? The soldiers who had ridden here with them were nowhere to be seen. They must have remained outside the garrison. She slid along the wall toward the exit.

  A soldier crept out of the shadows of the hallway, blocking the path. She froze. He pointed to his eyes and then at her. Allyssa cursed. Kerdan must have assigned the man to watch her. So much for trying to escape.

  She turned her attention back to the prince. He sideswiped his opponent’s legs, and the man toppled to the ground, conceding the match. Kerdan reached down, helping him to his feet. Another soldier stepped forward. The prince removed his tunic, his undershirt dripping with sweat. The two began their dual.

  “Faster,” he instructed. “Keep your focus on me so you don’t give away your next move.”

  No one watching the match seemed to notice her. Being in Russek, she had the unique opportunity to do something to foil their invasion of Emperion. She would need to be vigilant so when an opportunity presented itself, she would be ready to act.

  After sparring with a few more men, the prince came over to Allyssa. “Follow me.”

  He wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm. She put a few feet between them since he stank of body odor. In the corner of the room, they went down a long, narrow hallway lined with several doors.

  “Most of these are offices. A few are meeting rooms.” At the end, he pulled out a key and unlocked the last door. She stepped
into a small office lit by a single window. Kerdan moved to the door at the back of the room, unlocking it. He waved her forward. She stepped inside the dark room, the door clicking shut behind her. “Hang on,” he mumbled. “I need to light the oil lamps. There we go.”

  “What is this place?” The room contained one small cot, two chairs, and a dresser.

  “This is where I live when I’m not at the castle.” He sat on one of the well-worn chairs.

  “Why?” The castle wasn’t far from here, and this place wasn’t very befitting for a prince.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” He leaned forward on his arms, his eyes intense. She didn’t like the way he seemed to be always watching her—assessing her every move.

  She broke eye contact and examined the room in greater detail. His bedchamber at the castle had no personal possessions. This room had stacks of books on the floor, tapestries of horses on the walls, and several weapons scattered throughout. It somehow felt familiar and comfortable.

  “I find you rather puzzling,” she said, sitting on the empty chair next to him. Did he truly dislike his stepmother and stepsiblings so much that he would rather live at the garrison? Did Soma really try to kill him? Where did the lies end and the truth begin? “I’ve dealt with enough deceit from Prince Odar; I don’t have the energy to handle yours as well. How about we be frank with one another?” She slumped back in the comfortable chair, too exhausted to maintain her pristine posture. If she was going to stop Russek, she needed to begin with this man. He could be the key to saving Emperion.

  “I hoped you would say that.” His eyes flickered, warming infinitesimally. “Tell me, are you really Princess Allyssa of Emperion?”

  “Why do you keep asking me that?”

  “To make sure the queen and her children aren’t concocting some sort of ruse.”

  She lifted her hand, revealing the ring that identified her as the heir to the Emperion throne. “What makes you doubt my identity?”