Dimension Shifter

  Chapter 18

  “You look lovely, my dear,” Trox said, looking at Kyrin.

  She was staring in the mirror at the white, long sleeved, long skirted dress she wore. The skirt trailed several feet behind her and left nowhere to put her flail.

  “You don’t need your flail tonight,” Trox said, sensing her problem. “There will be 100 knights in attendance along with most of the kingdom’s leaders.”

  “I’m going to be sick,” she whispered softly.

  “Just take a deep breath.”

  She spun and disappeared into the washroom as Trox chuckled.

  Alric walked in, fully medaled out in his royal tunic and even a thin gold crown on his head. “How is she?”

  “I think she’s sick.”

  Alric cringed. “Really?”

  “She’s had no color for almost an hour, so yes, I think she’s sick.”

  “Are you okay?” Alric called through the door.

  “I changed my mind,” she said weakly.

  “It’s too late. Everyone’s here and we start in 20 minutes.”

  Trox smiled. “I’ll have her there.”

  “If she seriously can’t get out of the bathroom, we can do this in secret.”

  “The kingdom needs to see you married. It’s important for royal blood to hold the line.”

  Alric sighed. “I know.”

  “However…”

  “Don’t say it,” Alric said. “We’re not even discussing children until she’s comfortable with marriage.”

  Trox nodded. “Good idea. Sire, you better head down.”

  Alric glanced again at the door and then walked out.

  “Kyrin, dear, are you okay?” Trox asked.

  “I can’t do it.”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  “Just go for me.”

  Trox laughed. “That, I can’t do.”

  When she walked out, she was pale with a tint of green. “I need to lie down.”

  “It’ll mess up the dress and your hair.” Trox had watched for four hours while two women from Valhara had strung white beads and tiny white flowers into Kyrin’s dark hair.

  Kyrin turned again and looked in the mirror. She would give almost anything to change into her fighting tunic and pants. She also would feel better if she had her flail. Auldian and some of the top-ranking elves were there, and she would be defenseless.

  “You do look quite lovely,” Trox said again.

  She turned to him. “What precautions are in place in case I decide to cast on everyone and get away?”

  “What makes you…,” he sighed, “a lot.”

  “What?”

  “Well, Alric will have your hand.”

  “I can still bring them together.”

  He smiled. “I will have the other.”

  “I won’t cast,” she said, looking sideways in the mirror at her hair.

  He smiled and put his hand out. “Good, well, it’s time to go.”

  She instantly paled and looked at his hand.

  “Calm down.”

  Kyrin nodded but didn’t take his hand.

  Trox reached out and took her hand, then pulled her out of the door as she slightly tugged against him.

  “I’m going to puke,” Kyrin said when the voices of the gathered could be heard.

  Trox just laughed and then stopped at the doors where four knights were waiting, facing inside the castle’s chapel. Everyone grew silent and Kyrin briefly considered shifting out of Paragoy when she heard Sithias’ voice.

  “Please stand out of respect for the bride.”

  The knights moved aside, and Kyrin backed away when all eyes fell on her. Trox pulled harder and finally got her through the door.

  A broad grin crossed Sithias’ face when Kyrin walked in, and Alric shook his head and motioned for one of the knights at the door. The knight looked down at Kyrin and the flail grasped tightly in her hand. He reached out and took it, half expecting her to turn him into a flaming ball of fire.

  Kyrin was too nervous to even notice that the flail was taken. She focused in on Alric, trying to ignore the oohs and ahhs of the crowd. Trox again started walking down the aisle and pulled her along behind two little girls from town that were throwing rose petals at her feet.

  Once standing before Sithias, Alric took her right hand, and Trox kept her left as he stood beside them.

  Sithias motioned for the audience to sit down, and the room grew silent.

  His voice boomed through the church, and Kyrin looked up at him with wide eyes. She pulled slightly at her hands, but they were being held tightly.

  “It is a joyous day when the king of Valhara finds a wife. The kingdom is then blessed with the kind nature of a woman who can tame the wild heart of such a young leader.”

  Kyrin frowned slightly and wondered if he was actually referring to her.

  “What we have here may be a bit different. This bride is unique and brings a power to this kingdom that hasn’t been seen in centuries. Her harsh nature and brutal ways are just what this kingdom needs.”

  She was completely confused by his words, and it was while she mulled over what he was saying that he went into the actual marriage part of the wedding. As Sithias spoke of the roles of a husband in a marriage, she looked over to the side and saw Trox watching his god intently.

  It wasn’t until Alric nudge her that she looked up at Sithias. He was smiling. “Dear, are you listening?”

  Kyrin didn’t know what to do and was too afraid to lie, so she simply shook her head. A soft laugh sounded from behind her, and the panic within her grew. She tried again to get her hands free. A spell popped into her mind that would freeze everyone in the room, and she could get away.

  She struggled harder against Alric and Trox, trying to get her hands free.

  “Calm down,” Alric whispered, and squeezed her hand softly.

  “Ozehshiesh,” she whispered, hoping for once that she wouldn’t need her hands to touch but nothing happened.

  Sithias stopped speaking and looked at her when she spoke.

  Alric shrugged slightly and smiled. “She’s okay.”

  The god nodded and continued. Kyrin felt her throat closing off. She’d made a mistake and had realized her deepest fear. When had she agreed to this? When had she actually said she would marry? Her head began to spin, and she looked nervously around her, praying for a way out. She begged for Daemionis to come and get her from the hell she agreed to.

  When Alric spoke next to her, she looked at him but couldn’t hear what he was saying over the pounding in her ears. The thumping grew louder and faster as Alric looked at her and his lips moved.

  He saw the terror in her eyes and leaned forward to whisper into her ear. She wasn’t sure how, but she could hear his soft voice, “Calm down. This is almost over.”

  Her heart raced and she felt herself becoming weak. “Help me.”

  He kissed her softly and then looked into her eyes. “I’m here, okay? Just focus on me.”

  When he felt her start to give way under his hand, he took her hand in his other and wrapped an arm around her waist. Trox looked over at him, concerned, and then motioned for Sithias to continue.

  When Sithias called her name, she looked up at him. It was like looking through a tunnel, and she started to pull away but hands held her firmly.

  “Do you take him?” Sithias asked again, clearly entertained at her fear.

  Kyrin looked at Alric, and he leaned forward again and whispered, “You have to say yes.”

  She was trapped. Daemionis wanted this marriage, as did Sithias and Alric. No one was going to back her if she turned and fled. She had nowhere to go that would take her fully out from under Daemionis. Not having a choice, she managed to whisper a strained, “Yes.”

  Sithias’ voice boomed. “As god of this land and over the people of Valhara, I hereby announce the union of the Lord and Lady of Valhara, Alric and Kyrin.”

  A
cheer erupted, and Trox almost lost Kyrin’s hand when she jerked suddenly away from him. His hand tightened as he looked at her, noticing she was still pale and would run at any moment.

  As was customary, the guests left first to go to the reception in the ballroom, while Sithias, Kyrin, and Alric stayed behind to be anointed in private. This would make them the official royalty of Valhara. Trox stayed behind, as requested, to keep Kyrin’s left hand.

  Alric dropped to his knees when asked, but Kyrin remained standing, not sure what to do. Her stomach was settling down now that she didn’t have hundreds watching her, but she was still wondering how to shift out of Paragoy.

  “Kyrin, I need you on your knees,” Sithias said, smiling down at her.

  She shook her head and tried to get her hands free.

  “Do it.” Daemionis’ voice rang out angrily in the room. Trox and Alric both looked around but didn’t see the demon.

  Again not having a choice, Kyrin dropped to her knees and lowered her eyes as Alric’s hand tightened on hers.

  Sithias finally began, “Alric, having been born of noble blood and of great Kings, you are taking this woman into your life to rule my honorable kingdom of Valhara. Such trust in another is dangerous, and it will be your responsibility as her husband to see that she is learned in the ways of our people and adheres to the laws of the land. Do you so agree?”

  “Yes, my Lord,” Alric said.

  Sithias gently touched the tip of a long, glowing sword against Alric’s right shoulder. “I hereby anoint you as her husband. Your souls will become one.”

  He lightly touched the tip of the sword to Alric’s left shoulder and stepped back. Alric stood and took the sword from his god, and then turned to Kyrin.

  He knelt down and whispered, “Kyrin, I need both of my hands. Swear to me, you aren’t going to cast.”

  Kyrin felt his hand release, and she nodded slightly as Sithias chuckled behind Alric. Alric stood finally and used his right hand to draw the cross of Sithias on his forehead before taking the sword in his hands.

  He brought the tip to Kyrin’s right shoulder. “You, Kyrin, being chosen by the king of Valhara of the noble Holy Knights of Sithias, are hereby touched by the sword of the gods, anointing you as ruler of the land of Valhara. You are forthwith to abide by the sacred rules of the ruling lands and to always put the people of Valhara before yourself.”

  Alric stopped talking when Kyrin’s finger twitched slightly at her side. He was secretly waiting for her to panic and turn all three of them into trees.

  “Go on,” Sithias whispered after a few seconds.

  He cleared his throat and moved the sword tip to her left shoulder. “By agreeing to abide by the laws of Sithias and Valhara you are anointed as Lady of Valhara to go forth and do the bidding of Sithias and to honor the king and the laws of the realm so long as you live. I pass this virtue to you.”

  She swallowed hard and looked up at him when he handed the sword back to Sithias and again knelt by her side. He took her hand in his and held them out in front of them.

  Sithias pulled a thin gold chain out of nowhere and bound their wrists. “This chain is to remind you that you are now bound, body, mind, and soul.”

  He then laid the sword down in front of them. “The sword a reminder that you are to protect each other and the people of Valhara.”

  Again out of thin air, a delicate gold crown appeared, and he placed it on Kyrin’s head. “The crown a symbol of your loyalty to Valhara.”

  Sithias laid a shield before them. “The shield a symbol of respect, reverence, and duty to myself and to the kings of the past.”

  “Lastly, you swear of your purity, of which gives you the ability and obligation to further the noble family line of Alric’s family, and to…” Sithias stopped talking when Kyrin tensed.

  “Skip that part,” Alric said, tightening his grip.

  “I cannot skip it,” Sithias told him. “She has to swear that she is pure.”

  “We know she is! Now skip it.”

  “Kyrin has to go through this ceremony,” Trox told him. “It’s been done for hundreds of years.”

  Sithias sighed. “Alric, we know she’s pure, but the ceremony must be done. It’s her promise to remain so, to ensure us that any children she produces are of noble heritage.”

  With that, Kyrin sprung forward. Alric and Trox weren’t expecting it, and she slipped out of their grasp, grabbed the sword in front of her, and turned it on the two Valharans and their god.

  “Kyrin,” Alric said, putting his hands out.

  She glared at him, her eyes black. “You said nothing about children.”

  “That’s because it’s not a decision we have to make right now,” he explained. “It’s not going to be forced on you.”

  “That’s not what he just said!”

  “He has to say that. It’s tradition. I’m not my father, nor his father. I don’t feel like it’s my duty to have children.”

  “It is your duty,” Sithias told him. “We cannot have non-noble blood ruling Valhara.”

  “Can we not?!” Alric snapped at him, and then his eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry, my Lord.”

  Sithias chuckled. “Understood, however, she must know her responsibilities as Lady of this land.”

  Alric looked back at Kyrin. “Listen to me, okay? I’m never going to force you into anything. What Sithias is saying is just tradition. We’re almost done and then you’ll see that nothing will change. In the morning, you’ll feel the same, and we’ll go about our lives the same as we have been. I swear to you.”

  She shook her head. “No! You talked me into marriage, fine… but I am not going to agree before your god to have children!”

  “I can’t change the ceremony,” Sithias told her. “However, let’s finish and we can all discuss this later.”

  “No! I’m done.”

  All three from Paragoy gasped when Daemionis appeared suddenly behind Kyrin. She didn’t see her god, so she kept the sword pointed at the men. “I agreed to this marriage to appease Daemionis and to try to stay with Alric, but it’s not worth it if you’re going to force children onto me!”

  Without a word, Daemionis slammed his fist into the back of Kyrin’s neck, and she crumpled to the floor.

  Alric rushed forward to see if she was okay, and Sithias glared at Daemionis. “Was that entirely necessary?”

  “She sometimes forgets that I am in charge, and she is to do as I ask,” Daemionis said, pleased. “Now you may finish this ceremony once and for all.”

  “Leave”

  Daemionis glanced down at Kyrin, smiled wickedly, and then disappeared.

  “Is she okay?” Trox asked, joining Alric on the floor.

  “Kyrin, can you hear me?” Alric asked, brushing the hair from her face.

  Sithias reached down and picked up the sword, and then stood back and watched them.

  “She’s alive,” Alric said. “I think he just knocked her out.”

  “Seemed a bit harsh,” Trox said, irritated.

  “You can expect nothing more from a demon,” Sithias said. He walked up and looked down at her. “We should take advantage and finish.”

  “While she’s unconscious?” Alric asked.

  Sithias smiled. “Yes, it could save your life.”

  Alric sighed when Sithias continued, “Swear of your purity, of which gives you the ability and obligation to further the noble family line of Alric’s family, and to bring happiness to this castle in the name of your… erm… in my name.”

  Sithias again touched the right shoulder of both Alric and then Kyrin, and smiled. “As my power extends, so shall you reign.”

  Trox shut his eyes and lowered his head, followed by Alric.

  “She’s going to have quite a headache,” Sithias said, smiling down at her.

  Alric opened his eyes and then sighed. “Yes, she is. I’ll go get her to bed and put a cold rag on her eyes. That might help.”


  Trox shook his head. “I’ll do that. You need to attend the reception.”

  “I’m not going to leave her side when she’s like this.”

  “Trox will watch over her. You still have your duty,” Sithias said, and then he shimmered and disappeared.

  Alric took her hand. “I shouldn’t have done this, Trox. She’s not ready.”

  “She will see soon that her fears are unfounded, and her life won’t be as different as it was before,” Trox said. “This will make it easier. She no longer has to fear marriage.”

  “But children. She doesn’t even know how they are made.”

  “I know, and as her husband it’s your duty to teach her about all of that. Now go to the reception. I’ll watch over her,” Trox said. He bent down and lifted her gently.

  Trox watched over her until she started to stir. He’d shut all of the drapes and had a cool rag over her eyes. She sat up and grabbed her head. “What happened?”

  “Daemionis has no patience at all, does he?” Trox asked, handing her a glass of water.

  She shook her head and took a drink. “I don’t remember the end.”

  “Sithias finished and then I brought you here to recover. How is your head?”

  “Bad,” she said, and then laid back on the bed.

  “The reception will be over soon, and Alric will be back to care for you.”

  She nodded and then shut her eyes. Her head was pounding, and her neck felt like it wasn’t aligned properly. “What am I going to do, Trox?”

  “You’re going to trust your husband. He has only your best interest at heart.”

  “Don’t trust anyone,” she whispered.

  “It’s a little late for that. You have to trust your husband, and you have to try to understand what he tells you. Alric is a good man, and a good king, and it’s not in his nature to hurt those he has sworn to protect,” Trox explained.

  A few minutes later, Alric came into the room and sat down beside them on the bed. “How are you?”

  She just shook her head and drifted off to sleep.

  “She has a headache,” Trox said, irritated. “That demon is lucky he didn’t paralyze her, hitting her neck like that.”

  “I know,” Alric said, touching her face lightly. “I never thought I could love anyone like this, Trox.”

  “You are going to have your hands full tonight, so I will leave,” Trox said, and then quickly left after shutting the door.

  “Kyrin?” Alric whispered softly.

  She stirred slightly and then pulled the rag from her eyes and looked up at him.

  “Are you okay?”

  Kyrin nodded.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “My back hurts,” she said, shifting slightly.

  “Maybe from the fall when Daemionis hit you.”

  “Or this bed.”

  He smiled. “That too. Would you prefer the floor?”

  She nodded and then Alric helped her off of the bed. He handed her a nightgown, and she went into an adjacent room to change. The room was for bathing and had a giant tub in the middle. She looked at it, shocked, and wondered how many servants with buckets it took to fill it. After changing, she put the white dress on the side of the tub and walked back out to Alric. She was nauseous because of the headache, so she immediately laid down on the floor.

  Alric watched until she fell asleep, and then he put his hand against her forehead. His hand began to glow slightly, and he chanted softly, moving his hand down her head and onto her neck, where he concentrated further. He was afraid Daemionis had injured her badly, and he wanted her to feel better when she woke up.

  As the night drew on, he watched her sleep and held her in his arms. His back began to ache though, and just before dawn, he moved up to the bed and fell asleep.

  The sun was high in the sky when Alric woke up. He first glanced down and saw that Kyrin was still asleep on the floor. He wondered how she was able to sleep so well without any comfort but figured you would get used to what you had. He stretched and then stood up and opened the curtain. When he turned back, Kyrin was opening her eyes.

  “Good morning,” he said, sitting down beside her.

  She sat up and nodded.

  He smiled. “So do you feel different?”

  She laughed. “No.”

  “I told you that you wouldn’t. I don’t even have shackles set up for you yet though.”

  Kyrin looked at him. “I’m sorry I threatened you.”

  He laughed. “We had it coming.”

  “You should have told me that I was expected to have children.”

  “I didn’t tell you because I don’t expect it. I don’t want you to do anything out of character or anything you’re afraid of.”

  “If I don’t feel any different, why do brides speak so badly of their wedding night?”

  He smiled. “When you trust me more, I’ll tell you.”

  She nodded and then stood slowly.

  “Why don’t you go take a bath, and I’ll get breakfast,” Alric suggested.

  “Someone will need to fill it.”

  “We have a system for that. It’s already full.”

  “Fancy,” she said, and disappeared into the washroom.

  Alric heard voices outside of his door, and he grew furious. He pulled on his clothes and then stepped out, shutting the door behind him. Trox was there along with two priests and one of the historians.

  Trox bowed. “We’re here.”

  “No,” Alric said sternly.

  “We have to. It’s tradition.”

  “I don’t really care, and as King, I say no.”

  “Even the king cannot deny this,” the historian said. “It’s done to protect the noble bloodline.”

  “You aren’t going in there.”

  Trox sighed. “We already know, my Lord. We just have to see for the marriage to be complete.”

  “It’s barbaric and I’ll not allow it.”

  “If you’re worried that Kyrin will know, we can be quiet and discreet.”

  “No”

  “Are you worried that we will find nothing?” one of the priests asked.

  “You can take this up with Sithias, but I’m not letting you in there,” Alric said again.

  Trox frowned. “Did you not…”

  “You’re not getting in there.”

  “My King, the marriage isn’t complete until…”

  “I know, now leave,” Alric said angrily. “Have our breakfast brought up.”

  They watched Alric disappear into his bedroom and slam the door.

  “I’ll ask Sithias what he wants to do,” Trox said, and they all headed down the stairs.

  Back in the room, Alric quickly gathered up her blankets and shoved them under the bed, and answered the door when their breakfast arrived. The servants loaded up the table by the fire and then bowed and left.

  Kyrin came out a few minutes later, freshly bathed and back in her tunic. “Where are my blankets?”

  He smiled. “I hid them.”

  “Why?” she asked, sitting down to eat.

  “We’re supposed to share a bed. It would start rumors if they knew that I slept on the bed, and you slept on the floor.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  He sat down and dished up his plate. “There are a lot of stupid traditions around marriage.”

  She nodded and took a bite. “So will I be moving out of the Lady’s chamber then?”

  “Yes, this is your room now too.”

  Once finished, she sat back and watched him.

  He smiled when he saw her looking at him. “What?”

  “What do I do now?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged.

  “Are you expecting me to tell you what to do?”

  Kyrin just watched him.

  Alric chuckled. “Do what you want. I’m not an authoritarian that is going to tell you what to do.”

 
Her eyes narrowed. “You have no wishes for me today?”

  “You have no idea,” he said, and then grinned.

  “So spill it.”

  “Not right now. I need to go talk to Sithias. Why don’t you go do something?”

  “Like what?”

  “Kyrin, I’m not going to tell you what to do.”

  “What if I want to go horseback riding?”

  “I’d say have fun,” Alric said, and then stood up and kissed her lightly. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour.”

  She nodded and watched him leave, still half expecting him to turn around and order her to do something. When he didn’t return, she went in search of her flail. The captain of the knights had it and returned it after talking to Trox.

  Once her weapon was in place, she went out and found a horse waiting for her. She felt like the people in the castle were watching her and talking behind her back. Soft whispers stopped when she walked by, and it was making her nervous.

  Kyrin still felt awkward on a horse but was starting to learn to enjoy the speed. As she was in a hurry to get far away from the people of Valhara, she kicked him into a fast run. They tore through the trees, and she smiled. Nothing had happened last night, no beatings, no tortures or punishments. She was sure when she’d pulled the sword on the king, that she would have to endure humiliation and agony.

  Her horse stopped suddenly and reared back, sending her flying over the back of him. She hit the ground hard, and it knocked the wind out of her. It wasn’t until she got to her knees that she saw eight men standing around her, all wearing the battered armor of the Qualsax Warriors.

  She started to grab her flail, but it was torn out of her belt, and she was pulled to her feet and restrained by two of them.

  “Fancy meeting you out here,” one of them said, smiling at her with black, cracked teeth.

  “Surprised she could ride a horse after the wedding night,” one of them said, laughing.

  “She married a Valharan. That’s why. I bet she’s even walking right.”

  “Wouldn’t happen if she married a Qualsax!” They all laughed when the man spoke.

  “Leave me alone,” she yelled.

  “Or what?” the Qualsax asked, walking up to her. He reached down and kissed her forcefully before grinning and stepping back. “Now that you’ve had a Valharan, maybe we need to show you the ways of the Qualsax.”

  Kyrin struggled to get her hands free when he reached out and began to squeeze her breast roughly. He just laughed and then tore her tunic open in front, leaving only the thin white shirt beneath it.

  “It’s obvious why the king picked you,” he said, running his tongue along his lips. “At least he has good taste. I’ll give him that much.”

  The Qualsax moved back to her and kissed her again, using his hand against the back of her head to smash her face into his. His other hand slipped into the back of her pants and painfully squeezed her butt. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, she bit hard, and her mouth instantly filled with blood.

  He moved back angrily and then backhanded her. “You’ll behave, or I’ll have your head.”

  She spit the blood at his feet and then glared up at him.

  “This is the way I see it,” he said, now grinning again. “If I take you, then there’s a chance that the next heir to the throne of Valhara will be a Qualsax.”

  The Qualsax restraining her forced her to the forest floor, and she kicked out when he came near her. “Last warning.”

  “Last warning?” he said, laughing. “Or what? You don’t know us… and by the time your king finds out I’ve had my way with you, I’ll already have ruined you.”

  He reached down and swiftly removed her pants, and then stood up and admired her body. “Damn.”

  Kyrin kicked out at him again, catching him squarely in the groin. He doubled over and she almost got loose from the Qualsax restraining her, but they retightened their grip.

  One of the watching Qualsax moved to her quickly and kicked her in the side several times, before the other regained composure and stood up. “Stop, I’ll get her in other ways.”

  Kyrin couldn’t breathe. She had stabbing chest pains, and each breath made it worse. She was also filled with a panic, not sure what the Qualsax had in mind to do with her. The look in his eyes was feral, and it sent terror through her.

  The Warrior knelt between her knees and ran his hands up her hips. “I do hope you aren’t already impregnated. I would love nothing more than to have a Qualsax ruling Valhara.”

  He dug his jagged nails into her stomach and ran them down, leaving bloody trails along the sides of her abdomen. When she screamed in pain, the others laughed and his grin broadened.

  “Now to show you a real man,” he said, and began to unfasten his belt.

  One of the Qualsax holding her arm relaxed the slightest bit, and she jerked her arm free. It had taken less than a second.

  “Ozehshiesh.” She twisted and slammed her hands together, and the Qualsax Warriors instantly froze.

  Catching her breath, Kyrin pulled her arm away from the frozen Qualsax and crawled out from under the one at her knees. Her stomach was bleeding from the scratches, and her side hurt to even move. She clutched it as she stood against a tree and looked back at the Qualsax.

  First, she pulled her pants on, and then walked over to the leader of the Qualsax and removed a dagger from the sheath at his side. She walked up to the Qualsax he faced and cut his neck, stepping back as the blood poured out over the floor, and he sunk to the moss-covered ground.

  “I don’t know what made you think I’m an easy target,” she said. She knew they could see and hear her but couldn’t do anything about it.

  She did the same to the next Qualsax but held a handful of his hair so the blood squirted out over his companions. When she let go, he also fell motionless to the forest floor.

  By the time seven of them were dead, she was covered in blood and feeling the evil running through her veins. She walked over to stand before the Qualsax leader. “You aren’t going to get off as easily as them. What were you going to do to me?”

  She walked slowly around him, studying his armor and the tattoos across his face.

  When she faced him, she grinned maliciously. “You are going to feel pain, and you can’t do anything about it. I’ll offer up your suffering to Daemionis. He’ll enjoy this.”

  Once he was dead also, she mounted the horse and kicked him, heading back for the castle. She had to take it slowly, as the sway of the horse made her side hurt worse. The adrenaline was wearing off, and her pain was becoming more prevalent.

  By the time she got to the castle grounds, she was slumped over and fighting unconsciousness. Breathing was almost unbearable, and her head was pounding.

  Knights rushed at her when they saw her, and one of them pulled her off of the horse and laid her down on the lush green grass in front of the castle.

  “Get the king,” he said, looking her over.

  “Four of you head out. Find what attacked her,” the captain yelled. Four knights immediately mounted horses and disappeared through the trees, following the direction she’d just come from.

  “The king will fix this,” the knight said, taking her hand. “What attacked you?”

  She swallowed hard and managed to speak in gasps, “Qualsax.”

  His eyes flared. “Qualsax Warriors attacked you?”

  She nodded and then squeezed her eyes shut tightly. The world had begun to spin, and the voices of the knights seemed far away.

  “I’m going to move you inside, okay?” the knight asked her.

  She groaned slightly when he picked her up, but he moved slowly and managed to get her into the castle without much pain. When he laid her down, he turned suddenly.

  “What happened?!” Alric yelled, running into the room.

  “She was attacked by Qualsax,” the knight said, bowing.

  “What did they do?”
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  He sighed. “We don’t know yet. Knights are out looking for them.”

  None of the knights wanted to state the obvious. They knew what the Qualsax wanted, and no one knew if they had succeeded except for Kyrin. Alric sat down beside her and immediately began working to get rid of her injuries.

  He wanted to know immediately how far the Qualsax had gone, and what exactly was said and done. His eyes flared when he saw the deep gashes along her stomach, but he was able to heal them with time. Priests came to help, but he didn’t want anyone else near her.

  “Sire,” one of the knights said, coming into the room.

  Alric looked over. “Did you find them?”

  He bowed. “Yes, sir. There are eight dead Qualsax about two miles into the trees.”

  “Dead?” he asked, moving his hands slowly over the bruise on her cheek.

  “Yes, the throats were cut on seven of them… and the eighth…”

  Alric looked up when he hesitated. “What?”

  The knight paused. “Mutilated, sir.”

  “How so?”

  “His tongue has been removed, a few fingers, and he has long gashes down his body. I think the fatal blow was… well… his heart was torn out, sir.”

  Alric’s voice was angry. “Was he dressed?”

  The other knights filed out of the room and shut the door before the knight spoke, “His belt and pants were undone, but that’s all.”

  “Leave”

  The knight bowed again and left his king alone. Trox silenced the knights and had them all in the war room, awaiting word from the king.

  “Kyrin?” Alric said softly, and took her hand. At first, he couldn’t understand why she was still so ill, but then he found the mass of bruises on her side and was able to repair the damage.

  She opened her eyes slowly. “Where am I?”

  “You’re back in the castle,” he said, and kissed her forehead lightly. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “No,” she said, and then sat up slowly.

  He helped her and then looked into her eyes. “Tell me what happened.”

  “They were waiting out in the trees for me, eight Qualsax.”

  He nodded.

  “They kept saying they wanted to have a Qualsax running Valhara.”

  Alric grew furious. “How far did they get?”

  “They hit me a few times, kicked me.”

  “No, how far?”

  She frowned slightly. “To what?”

  “Did they… well… did one of them undress at all?”

  “He started to, but then I got my hands free.”

  “I need you to concentrate and tell me exactly what they did. Even if you don’t understand it, I want to know.”