Blade Heart

  Because if he felt the slightest reaction in her, he’d allow the woman to watch. He might even suggest she did it herself. Jaw still hard as ice, the king barely controlled his growing impatience.

  “Not today. Anyhow, don’t you have anything else to do? Like taking care of our son, for instance?”

  So this indifferent, capricious woman was the queen of Agravar. Plenty of ammunition there to supply his cruel needs.

  “He’s in the castle? I thought you had sent him to Borgom with the nursemaids. Good fresh air over there.”

  The queen was a nut case. As she blabbered on, hot anger coloured her husband’s cheeks. With a swift move, he pulled the dagger away to straighten up to his wife, keeping a firm hand on Cara’s throat.

  “Why in the name of the Mighty Gods would I send him away? He must learn what it takes to be the greatest ruler of all times and I want him here by my side. As if I gave a cow’s shit about Borgom’s fresh air anyway. Get out, you twerp! Now, out of my sight, now!”

  The shuffle of clothes withdrew towards the entrance. Even rebuked, the queen didn’t seem to care one way or the other.

  “No need to get snappy, dearest. I’ll see you at supper.”

  As she exited his chambers he uttered a furious grunt and threw the blade at the closed door. Cara heard the hilt emit a low vibration when the pointy end of the dagger was driven into the wood panel.

  But he was only giving vent to his anger because the queen was gone. His fingers tightened around Cara’s throat and he snapped his head to face her. Eyes bloodshot with rage he blurted out, “And you!” Panting with pent-up frustration, he stuttered his will. “You shall spend the night in the pit of my dungeons. Tomorrow morning you talk or you die. Is that clear?”

  Crushed under his unshakable grasp, she had a witty retort in mind but simply blinked to indicate her agreement. A night might seem short yet it could give her an opportunity. Grimacing from pain, she got to her feet when he released her and gave orders to the guards.

  Without another look at her, the king strode out of the room and rushed downstairs. She figured his son might not need fresh air but he certainly did. He disappeared from sight while two soldiers took her down damp, winding stairs. No windows here, no natural light.

  Built under the castle, heavy stone walls formed the dungeons consisting of two rows of cells facing each other, separated by thick iron bars, and with guards at the entrance to keep a watch on the prisoners. Lit with torches fastened to the walls, the background reeked of humidity, decay and other stuff she didn’t want to give a name to.

  They led her to the last free cell. One of the soldiers shoved her inside so forcefully that she stumbled to the ground. Her cheek and hands stung, her elbow and shoulder lanced with pain and she couldn’t breathe to full capacity. Finally able to wallow in misery, she curled up on her side and closed her eyes.

  Just for a minute. Just to clear her mind and come up with a new scheme. If plan A failed, always have a plan B. But as she pictured Morgan’s face approaching hers, a whisper reached her ears.

  “Cara.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The murmur came from the next cell. Raising her head, she glanced up at the man sitting behind iron bars. His grin warmed her.

  “Caius?”

  “It is you. Bless the Heavens, you’re alive. Is Morgan in the castle?”

  “No, we got separated. But I don’t understand, how come you’re here? I thought you could deal with the dragon riders.”

  A sheepish expression appeared on his face. “So did I. But two ground units had been hiding behind my house and they took me by surprise. Morgoth, the king’s wizard, was with them. He had me brought down here yesterday, but I’m sure I haven’t seen the last of him. I can’t wait to get my hands on that stinkpot!”

  His usual composure scattered to the four winds and his fingers twisted around two cell bars, Caius gritted his teeth while recalling the episode. Maybe his rival wasn’t such an idiot after all. The wizard’s emotion induced Cara to smile. But when her sore cheek throbbed anew, she winced and he took a better look at her.

  “By the Mighty Gods, what has Devlyn done to you?”

  “He beat me up and it hurts. Can you do something for me?”

  Sadness and infuriation clouding his eyes, Caius shook his head. “He’ll pay for that. Morgan will never let this go unpunished. In the meantime, I’m very sorry to say I can’t heal you. Morgoth didn’t just lock me up. He stripped me of all my powers.”

  “Can he do that?”

  “I hadn’t encountered him for a long time and I guess he’s been studying witchcraft. He’s more gifted than I ever thought he’d be.”

  Bad news. They might have escaped with the help of his magic, but without it they were just a wounded woman and an old man.

  “Is there a way to get your powers back?”

  “There might be. He’s trapped them in a binding sphere, but if I could break it my magic would flow back into me.”

  Now that rang a bell. As Cara recalled the multi-coloured orb on the mantelpiece of the king’s chambers, her heart beat faster and a strategy formed in her mind. If she played it right, Caius might have a chance to get out of this hellish place. At least one of them would be free.

  “I saw the sphere, it’s in Devlyn’s room. If I manage to destroy it, will you be able to escape?”

  “Absolutely. But what about you?”

  “Never mind me. Just get away from here and find Morgan. I don’t know where he is, but he shouldn’t be far.”

  Without commenting, the wizard knitted his brow. He must be having doubts regarding her plan and she hoped he’d just follow it. Summoning her will, Cara sat on the cold floor and edged towards him.

  “Caius, I did it.”

  He asked in low tones, “You did what?”

  “I mended the severed thread. I restored the fabric of time and existence on both sides. Our worlds aren’t in any danger.”

  His anger at Morgoth and Devlyn clearly vanished while his mouth dropped open. Gaze fixed on her face he looked at her with astonishment.

  “But how? When? Are you certain?”

  “We fell from Haedron during the attack, but instead of crashing to the ground we woke up in my world. I think the quartz is a magic conduit and it transported us over there the same way I ended up here in the first place.”

  The wizard listened intently. When she mentioned the quartz he released the bars to pinch his nose and shake his head. His unexpected gesture ignited an odd sensation in her belly and Cara paused.

  “I’m not lying. I’m pretty sure I succeeded.”

  “Dear Heavens, but this changes everything.”

  “What does it change? Caius, you’re scaring me.”

  Letting go of his nose, he waved to her to disregard his interruption and to go on with her story. “I’ll explain later. Please, tell me the rest.”

  “Well, the pulling sensation came back and we followed it. Just like in my nightmare. We went into the same building. When the floor opened up I knew with absolute certainty that the room wanted the quartz. It felt so weird yet unmistakable.”

  “And then?”

  “As soon as I had let the rock fall into the black hole, the vortex began to close up. Morgan held my hand and we both jumped inside. When I came to in the Four Kingdoms this morning he wasn’t beside me. I tried to find sign of him, but I got caught by one of the king’s patrols and they brought me straight to the castle. Although I have no idea why we got separated this time, I think Morgan is looking for me. I’m worried about him.”

  “He can take care of himself. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  Features unreadable, Caius scratched the side of his head. He definitely wasn’t worried about Morgan. Watching him, Cara got the impression that he was about to drop a bombshell and she couldn’t shake the dreary feeling.

  “Caius, talk to me. You’ve got me edgy here.”

  “Sorry, it isn’t my intention, but t
he deed is done. You have indeed restored the cosmic fabric. You’re a very brave young woman, Cara.”

  His sudden praise touched her more than she’d have imagined. Although they had only met the day before, she had come to like the wizard and respect his judgement. True, he enjoyed keeping secrets, but he was reliable—except maybe when their opinions diverged.

  She whispered a genuine ‘thank you’ as he laced his fingers in a gesture of prayer and his eyes sparkled with faith. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened while he drew in a long breath.

  “As long as the fabric was torn the prophecy’s significance couldn’t be misinterpreted. Your deed changed everything so that’s not the case anymore. Now if you will, I must ask you a personal question.”

  “Fire away.”

  “Did Morgan touch you?”

  When he rubbed his hands together in an awkward fashion verging on profound embarrassment, Cara realised what he was getting at. Sure, she could have put him out of his misery, but the sight of the wizard’s cheeks flushing was too enjoyable a moment.

  “What do you mean ‘touch me’? I told you, he held my hand when we jumped back to the Four Kingdoms.”

  “Yes, yes, this isn’t what I’m talking about.” Lips pursed and his face turning red, he twisted his fingers some more. “I mean, has he been intimate with you?”

  Doing her best not to burst out laughing, Cara feigned surprised understanding. “Oh, right, I get you. And the answer is no, we didn’t make love.”

  Prophecy be damned, she had no intention of bragging about her personal life. What happened between Morgan and her didn’t involve anyone but them, and it would stay that way. Yet when she saw the sudden relief illuminating the wizard’s face, she wondered why the news excited him so much.

  “Why? It has nothing to do with the prophecy anyway.”

  “You couldn’t be more wrong. It’s actually crucial to the prophecy and you can’t imagine how relieved I am.”

  Holy shit, what is he going on about now? More questions burned her lips yet she didn’t dare voice them. Then the opportunity passed her by as Caius dropped the subject to launch into new enquiries.

  “While you and Morgan were in the other world, did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Any strange occurrence you aren’t used to?”

  “I don’t think so. We only stayed a short time and New York looked the same to me…” Her voice trailed off. A vivid recollection flashed in her mind and she snapped her fingers. “Wait a minute! As a matter of fact, something happened—the northern lights.”

  “The what?”

  “An aurora is like a green glow lighting the sky at night. It’s a natural phenomenon, but it appears so rarely that most people never see one in their whole lives. It’s beautiful, but I don’t see what it has to do with the prophecy.”

  The more she talked, the more Caius’ expression bordered on hope. She’d have called it elation, had he been a man prone to excessive displays of emotion. But what was he hoping for? Sighing, she listened as he recited from memory.

  “In which Shade squanders Light

  By his Hollow Sealed Fortunes

  The Fateful Sentience shall awaken.”

  Although Cara hadn’t learnt the mysterious words by heart, she had read the parchment often enough to be familiar with them. Indicating with a nod that she hadn’t forgotten the first half, she watched him unlace his fingers and regard her with shining intensity.

  “Bear with me. The northern lights represent the shade squandering light. You’re the hollow who has sealed the fate of the universe. Magic is the sentience that has been awakened. Are you following me?”

  “Every step of the way. What about the second half?”

  “That part still lies ahead of us, but I have no way of knowing when and how it will happen. The future dependable or set in stone. It’s difficult to predict and I’ll have to study the skies.”

  Cara understood he meant a rare natural phenomenon would also occur in the Four Kingdoms and trigger the rest of the prophecy. Fun as it had been so far, she prayed for having no part in that.

  She had already achieved what was expected of her and she could very well do without torture, pain, dark holes trying to gobble her up and fear gripping her stomach every other minute. No problemo. On the other side of the bars, Caius ended his litany.

  “In which Light squanders Shade

  By his Blood Unbounded Portents

  The Seventh Son of the House shall arise.”

  Although the words hadn’t changed since she had last read them, something in the wizard’s voice disturbed her. Once more, the weirdest sensation hit her as he concluded the short narration and began to explain.

  “I might have been wrong in believing the prophecy foretold of despair and misery to come. In fact, the terms ‘unbounded portents’ signify the prophetic child will bring peace and freedom over the lands. Thus Devlyn’s son is to be ruled out of the equation.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “The only kingdom powerful enough to defeat Agravar is the House of Palance. You see, magic connects everything so the child must be a descendant of Kylor and Anya’s royal bloodline. He has to be the firstborn of the seventh generation and heir to the throne. That means he’s the son of Melchior, the current prince of Palance.”

  Something didn’t quite add up here. Although the king of Agravar had used her as a punching bag, her brain still worked fine.

  “Hold on a sec! Back at your house, didn’t you say Devlyn’s son was the only child from the seventh generation?”

  “I did, because Prince Melchior is unmarried and hasn’t begotten a child.”

  “Well then, whose is it?”

  Wriggling a hand between the two bars keeping them apart, Caius reached out to enfold her fingers. Cara’s mouth got dry. Sensing the bombshell had finally found its way to her, she stared at the wizard.

  “It’s yours.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  It never stopped, did it? Each time she solved a puzzle another one peeped around the corner. And she couldn’t win. Pulling her hand out of Caius’ grasp, Cara rose to her knees in spite of her sore body.

  “Are you insane? I don’t have any children.”

  “Not yet. But you will bear the son of Prince Melchior and give birth to the prophetic child. From your womb, the seventh son of the house of Palance shall arise to save our world.”

  She swung her head from side to side. No, no and no. For Morgan’s love, she had thrown herself into hazard on many occasions and this was the reward? Her brain seeming to hurt as much as her aching limbs, Cara pressed her fingers against her eyelids.

  “Please, tell me you aren’t asking me to spread my legs and have sex with a complete stranger.”

  “That’s precisely what I’m saying.”

  “Right.”

  Coloured spots danced behind her shut eyelids. God, but she felt so tired of their crap. Why couldn’t they deal with their problems without her? She just wanted to be left alone with Morgan, was that too much to ask? Removing her fists, Cara looked at the wizard’s enthusiastic face.

  “Caius, I’d never give myself to a stranger.”

  Except that she already had. The first time Morgan had brought her to ecstasy she hadn’t even known his name. But that didn’t count. That belonged to the secrets of her heart. Unaware of her musings, he displayed an unnerving grin.

  “This might seem as a shock and I understand your reluctance. But do you recall my earlier warning? No matter our actions, true prophecies will always be fulfilled.”

  Although she very much doubted he grasped the notion of being ordered to show her cunt to a man she had never seen, Cara didn’t pursue the matter. No point, the wizard wouldn’t change his mind—nor his beliefs.

  “Why me?”

  “Because you’re the hollow. In other terms, you’re the vessel destined to carry the prophetic child just like you carried the magic quartz. You might refuse your destiny now, yet ultimately fate
will catch up with you. And believe me, you will bear the heir to the throne of Palance.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  Fuck this shit! Fuck the ancient piece of paper that meant nothing to her, and fuck all their mighty gods! Whatever they might say, she’d have none of it. What she would do was get her lost past back and take it from there—day by day.

  “Caius, we need to get out of here. Are you ready to escape?”

  “Of course. What do you have in mind?”

  “Leave it to me. Just make a break for it as soon as you have your powers back. And please, find Morgan.”

  Getting to her feet, she grabbed and rattled the bars of the cell door while shouting at the top of her voice, “Hey, guards! I require to see the king now.”

  She kept on yelling until the sound of fatigued feet shuffled in her direction and a soldier stood in front of her.

  “What do you want?”

  “Inform the king I’ve changed my mind. I’ll give him everything he asks for.”

  The guard smirked as he lowered his gaze on the swell of her breasts. His expression shifting from bored to tawdry, he passed a wet tongue over his lips.

  “Yeah, I bet you will.”

  “Well, don’t just stand there like a big lummox. Go tell him!”

  Although anger wiped out his bawdy air on hearing the biting tone of her voice, he walked back towards the entrance of the dungeons without a word. Cara figured her request alone wouldn’t have done the trick, so he must have received former orders from the monarch himself. Sighing at the idea of facing Devlyn again, she turned to Caius.

  “As soon as you’re able to, you’ll cast a memory spell on me. I’ve put this off long enough, but it’s high time I remembered who I am.”

  As he used a bar to help himself up, the wizard suddenly looked tired and somewhat worried about her.

  “No spell will work on you.”

  “Can’t you at least give it a shot?”

  “Had you been anyone else I would have attempted it. But magic has chosen you so the act of remembering can only come from yourself.”

  Right there and then Cara tried. She closed her eyes and concentrated on a time before the meadow—before waking up on Morgan’s lap. But all she got were images of the diner she’d worked in and her apartment in Brooklyn. Same old pictures, nothing new. She uttered a short cry of frustration.