“Are you sure about this?” she murmured. She wasn’t going to ask, but the question slipped out.
“Yes, I’m sure.” The confidence in his voice boosted hers.
Kyrin closed her eyes and prayed silently as she nestled her head against his shoulder. When they parted, he kissed her forehead and kept his hands on her shoulders.
“Remember, Elôm is at work in this. It’s no coincidence we met up in Dunlow.”
A smile finally claimed Kyrin’s face, and she latched onto the forgotten truth. Elôm had surely orchestrated this, and she had to trust Him with the outcome. Her father squeezed her shoulders, and then turned to Kaden. Father and son hugged tightly.
“I wish I could go with you,” Kaden said, his voice husky.
“I know. Perhaps someday it will no longer have to be like this.”
Kyrin shared that hope. The last two days had given her a glorious taste of how life could be together, and she longed for it to continue.
Her father and brother parted, and Kaden took his place at her side again. Their father looked at the two of them and, this time, his eyes appeared a bit moist. “I love you both so much.”
Kyrin fought to keep her own tears from robbing her voice. “I love you too.”
Kaden had to clear his throat. “Me too.”
Their father smiled at them and turned to his horse. They couldn’t prolong the inevitable. After mounting, he looked down at them before his eyes shifted to Darq and Talas, who had approached.
“We’ll be waiting at the arch at ten tonight,” Talas assured him.
William nodded. “Wait there an hour. If I don’t show up, I’ve been detained and will bring the Scrolls out with me in the morning.” His gaze returned to Kyrin and Kaden. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The two of them nodded, and their father guided his horse away from camp. Kyrin stood on the edge as he made his way down the slope, not moving until he disappeared among the trees below.
The gold-hued surrounding wall of Auréa Palace loomed above William as his horse clopped down the cobblestone street. People passed him, bustling from one location to the next. Some nodded in respect as they hurried on their way. He hadn’t visited Valcré since the emperor’s public decree against worshipping Elôm, but life seemed to go on as normal. Most probably thought nothing of the executions, though he hoped the city had a strong secret following of those who believed in their King.
Halting his horse, he addressed the guards at the main gate. “Captain William Altair with news for the emperor.”
The guards nodded in recognition of him and allowed him to pass. William nudged his horse and rode into the sweeping courtyard. His eyes slowly climbed the towering stories of the palace before dropping back to the entrance. At the base of the wide front steps, he stopped again and dismounted. An attendant took his horse, and he climbed the steps, where the door guards let him inside.
The grand foyer opened up before him to display the full glory of its polished gold and black marble floor, glittering chandeliers, and rich, dark wood, all accented by tapestries and fine art. After taking a moment to adjust to the splendor, he focused on a man who approached—one of Daican’s low-level aides.
“Welcome to Auréa, Captain,” the tall, thin man greeted him. “Can I help you?”
“I have news for Emperor Daican pertaining to the search in the Graylin Valley.”
The aide gave a quick nod. “Please, follow me.”
William trailed him into one of the more spacious meeting rooms close to the emperor’s office.
“If you will wait here, I will inform His Majesty of your arrival. Please, make yourself comfortable.”
William nodded, and the man left him alone. Clasping his hands behind his back, he let his gaze roam the furnishings, but he did not take a seat. He wasn’t as concerned about this as his daughter was, but this would be the first time he would see the emperor since the executions had begun, and that in itself was unnerving.
He did not have long to anticipate the meeting. In a short couple of minutes, footsteps echoed in the hall—confident, steady strides. The door opened a moment later, and Daican stepped in, followed by Sir Richard. William briefly made eye contact with the cruel man, but turned his full attention to the emperor and bowed at the waist. “Your Majesty.”
“Captain Altair.” Daican came to stand before him. “I was not aware you were part of the search in the Valley.”
“General Veshiron sent me to aid my son in his mission.”
“And what news do you bring?” The emperor’s voice had risen in eagerness, no doubt with hopes they had caught the crete.
“Not good news, I’m afraid.”
Daican’s brows inched down, though his voice and manner remained calm. “Go on.”
“When I arrived in Dunlow three days ago, my son had apprehended a man in connection with a crete named Josan Silvar. This man’s brother and the crete escaped, but Marcus hoped to learn their whereabouts from the prisoner.” William paused and braced himself for the emperor’s response. “I regret to inform you that I was taken captive by a group helping the crete. They were well armed and had a large group of dragons. They threatened my son’s men and offered me in trade for the prisoner. Marcus had no choice but to accept or the dragons would have killed everyone.”
A heavy silence followed. The anger of defeat glittered in the emperor’s eyes, but he maintained almost perfect control over his emotions and hid them better than Richard, who wore a dark scowl. William was careful to project just the right amount of penance over his capture to cover his true intentions.
“Do you believe the crete was this Taan we’ve been after?” Daican questioned, his voice still calm and even.
“He could be, my lord. Marcus stayed behind in Dunlow to see if he could find any more information before returning to Fort Rivor.”
“But even if he finds it is the same crete, they’re likely long gone by now.”
“I would expect so.”
The muscles along Daican’s bearded jaw twitched as he contemplated the design in the rug. Finally, his deceptively generous eyes rose back to William. “Did you recognize any of the men who held you captive?”
William cringed inwardly. “Half of them were cretes. The others must have been Arcacian rebels.” He prayed the vague answer would satisfy the emperor.
Daican’s very gaze seemed to probe him for further information. “Did you learn anything of interest from them?”
“They didn’t hold me long. They were anxious to rescue the prisoner.”
“I see,” Daican murmured. He nodded again in apparent acceptance of what was done. “Thank you for delivering the information, Captain. You must be weary from so much travel. Please accept my invitation to remain as long as you like and join me for supper this evening.”
“Thank you, my lord. I would be honored to join you and rest here for the night. Tomorrow, I intend to ride on to Fort Rivor to bring the news to General Veshiron.”
“Of course,” Daican replied. “Now, I must return to my office. Do you have anything planned for your day?”
“I do, my lord.” William hoped not to say more, but Daican’s questioning stare prompted him to speak. His insides reacted again. This was one of the most difficult aspects of serving the emperor while hiding his forbidden faith. Everything he did felt like a lie, especially covering for his actions. Was it all wrong? He couldn’t say for sure, but the conflict of it weighed on him. “I thought I would look through the library . . . for information we have on the cretes. Perhaps it could be of some use.”
Daican stared at him a moment. “Excellent idea.”
William silently exhaled.
“Let one of my aides know if you need assistance.”
“I will.”
Daican motioned to the aide by the door. “See that Captain Altair is shown a room and served lunch.” To William, he said, “I’ll expect you for supper at seven.”
With Richard following, the
emperor left the room, and William breathed a little more easily.
Many said Auréa’s library was one of the most amazing sights in Arcacia, and William didn’t argue that fact. Row upon row of full bookshelves occupied the giant hall, but that was only the ground level. Around the perimeter of the massive space, large balconies rose one above the other, to the vaulted ceiling six stories up. Between the ancient scrolls, books, and parchments, there had to be well over a million separate articles to read. William just stood at the door for a long moment in uncertainty of where to begin. Would one day be adequate time to find the Scrolls? The last thing he wanted was to have to manufacture an excuse to stay longer, and he prayed for success.
“Can I help you, Captain?”
William turned to the old spinster librarian. “Miss Winna.” He gave her kind smile. She was a slight, but dignified woman, her long gray hair coiled up around her head. Though a bit stiff, she’d been kind to him on the few occasions he’d had reason to interact with her in previous visits to the palace. “Actually, I’m looking for information on the cretes—family histories and such. Perhaps you can tell me where to start.”
One of the woman’s thin brows arched. Not many people had interest in the cretes anymore. “I believe,” she said slowly, “you should look down here.”
She walked to the end of the hall with short, quick steps. William followed. In the far right corner, Winna waved her hand toward multiple bookcases.
“Most of what we have on the cretes would be in this area.”
William eyed the shelves. It would still be a daunting search, but at least he had a place to start. He smiled again. “Thank you for your assistance.”
She gave a curt nod. “If you need anything else, I’ll be around.”
Left alone to his mission, William scanned each of the bookshelves. At least he could skip over the books. That narrowed the search by about half. He had seven scrolls to find in total and, Elôm willing, they would all be together. Most of the scrolls on the first shelf alone matched Josan’s description, but only the King’s Scrolls would be marked with a tag bearing a small hawk symbol.
William slid a ladder down and meticulously searched every shelf. For each scroll he pulled out, he checked the description tag before sliding it back into place. He came across many crete family histories, but none bearing the symbol he sought. The shelves contained a surprising amount of information on the cretes. Most of it must have been collected years ago, when they still inhabited Arcacia.
The morning passed swiftly, and he had only searched half the bookcases before a servant appeared to guide him to a parlor for his lunch. He followed reluctantly, but returned to the library within the hour.
With afternoon creeping forward, his sense of urgency rose. What if the Scrolls weren’t here? Being disguised as family histories, the emperor could have had them thrown out. But William didn’t believe Elôm would allow that to happen, so he pressed on.
After losing count of how many shelves he’d searched, he leaned against the ladder and sighed. He closed his sore eyes and rubbed them as he prayed for guidance and success. He was quickly running out of time. When he opened them again, he turned to the next bookcase to see how many scrolls it contained, and his gaze snagged on the edge of a tag halfway up. He tipped his head for a better look. A dark spot on the tag resembled part of a bird symbol. His heart rate jumped, and he peered around the library. He wasn’t sure where Winna had gone, but the hall was silent.
William moved the ladder in place and climbed up to the scroll in question. Sliding it out, he flipped over the tag and let out a breath that had caught in his lungs. It was just what Josan had described—a family history title with a small black hawk inked beneath it. He reached for the other scrolls and checked each tag. A small smile grew as he pulled the seventh and final scroll free and tucked it under his arm with the others.
He climbed down the ladder and glanced again at the Scrolls, feeling the magnitude of what he had in his possession. Elôm, we desperately need Your Word right now. Help me get these Scrolls safely to the others where they can be used for the greatest good.
With a thankful heart, he left the bookcases and strode toward the entrance to the library. He’d almost reached the door when Winna walked in. He paused, keeping his manner calm as he showed her the Scrolls. “Would it be permissible for me to take these back to my room to look through?”
The woman bent and squinted to inspect one of the tags. “Of course.” She sniffed. “I don’t know why we even keep such histories. They’re of no value to any of us.”
William just smiled and thanked her, continuing on his way with a silent prayer not to meet anyone else. However, as he neared his room, another man came around the corner. His heart lurched against his ribs, but the moment he recognized the man, he let out a sigh of relief. “Aric.”
“William, I just heard you were here.” Emperor Daican’s head of security glanced at the Scrolls. “The emperor told me of the news in Dunlow and said you were looking for information on the cretes.” A hidden question settled in his eyes.
William glanced up and down the hall and motioned for Aric to follow. Inside his room, he closed and locked the door, laying the Scrolls on the table. After scanning the room just to be sure, he faced Aric and barely more than whispered, “These are a complete collection of the King’s Scrolls.”
The other man’s eyes widened. He, too, spoke quietly, though his voice held a reverence that seemed to fill the room. “The King’s Scrolls?”
William nodded. “They were disguised as crete family histories and hidden in the library.”
Aric stared at the Scrolls, and then shot a look at the door as if someone could be listening. He shook his head. “Right here in the middle of the emperor’s palace?” He came closer to the table. “Have you looked at any of them?”
“Not yet.”
William reached for one and pulled the leather tie loose. Gingerly, he rolled the scroll open. A couple of feet of the parchment contained a dizzying list of crete names and information that would deter anyone, but it came to an abrupt end and pulled away from the main body of the scroll. Glancing at Aric, William continued to unroll this second section. There, in crisp black ink on the age-old parchment, were verses of Scripture. Both William and Aric bent over to read it. William barely breathed as he took the words in. He’d heard verses and passages passed down from believer friends, but he’d never seen them for himself. If only he could sit and read for hours, but he rolled the scroll up again.
Aric looked at him, his eyes and tone deathly serious. “You have to get them out of here. The emperor must never find out.”
“I’ll get them out tonight and pass them off to friends who will be waiting.” William secured the tie. “I just hope Daican doesn’t question my leaving so late.”
“Well, he knows you’re searching for information. Tell him you’re going to the library at Tarvin Hall.”
William nodded. It would be nice to see Sam and let him know about the Scrolls. Then it wouldn’t be a total lie.
With the Scrolls found, William’s next challenge was supper. Thankfully, the emperor was agreeable and engaging, despite the loss of Josan, and Prince Daniel proved to be an enjoyable dining companion. He had a keen interest in the different places William had been and the people he’d met. William sensed a bit of wanderlust from the young man, and his disdain at being kept near home. The tension between him and his father escalated throughout the meal, but a question Daican directed at William near the end brought the most discomfort.
“How is your family dealing with the treason of your son and daughter?”
His tone suggested genuine concern, though William had his doubts. He met the emperor’s gaze and held it steadily. “It has been difficult, especially for my eldest sons. They were all close.”
“It’s a shame the name Altair seems to bear such a curse. Let us hope it does not breed any more traitors among your family.” A flash of something
cold and cunning crossed Daican’s face.
William nodded slowly. “I pray every day that my children will follow the right path.”
“As do I,” Daican murmured, casting a glance toward his son. He smiled faintly. “After all, our children are our legacy.”
“Yes, they are,” William agreed, and thanked Elôm when the conversation shifted to a far less dangerous topic.
As the night grew late, restlessness tugged at him, though he took great care to hide it, particularly with Davira at the table. The princess, however, seemed to have little interest in him. Kyrin would be relieved. Close to ten, Daican finally announced that he and his wife would retire for the evening. After trading a few words with Daniel and his father and bidding the queen and princess a polite goodnight, William took his leave.
When he reached his room, he paused for a short prayer and slipped the strap of the satchel over his shoulder before walking out again. He kept his pace steady, but unhurried. The guards at the entrance only nodded to him before letting him out. He descended the steps and crossed the moonlit courtyard. The sound of his footsteps alerted the guardsmen at the gate as he drew near, but they, too, let him pass.
The moment he reached the street, he let out a long sigh and thanked Elôm. The riskiest part was behind him. He followed the street down from the palace, in the direction of Tarvin Hall but, when he reached the shadows, he turned northeast. About a block from the palace loomed a giant archway dedicated to the exploits of past heroes. An elaborate garden surrounded it and, though the plants had died off for the winter, it still offered plenty of cover for his covert meeting with Talas and Falcor. Darq had chosen those two since Talas had visited Valcré before and knew the city, and the two cretes were the stealthiest and quickest of the group. Even if someone happened to spot them, the chances were slim that anyone could catch them in the cover of darkness.