Page 14 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 13

Lana

W e rode hard through the barren land.

The pathways twisted and turned through more of the wild, wind-shaped trees.

Storm rode with Kade, barely sitting upright as the horses galloped faster and faster. Kade’s shadows worked overtime holding him in place.

Not once did the horses falter as they blazed their way through the terrain and into the mountainous region of the land, leading straight into a city. The city I could only assume my companions called home.

No one spoke, too scared to think about losing Storm to the poison. He groaned every so often, and Kade quietly whispered to him each time.

Tears formed in the corners of my eyes as the wind whipped around us. My hands raw from holding onto the reins too tightly for so long.

Kade shouted over his shoulder. “Stay behind us when we get to the palace, Little Rebel. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

The air racing past us whipped my acknowledgement away, and when Kade looked over his shoulder, his eyes held a desperation in them I wouldn’t ignore.

“Please,” he yelled.

I nodded, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

A few hours later, we passed the first sprinkling of houses along the outskirts of the city. What I beheld amazed me. The homes were built from beautiful gray and black stones. Even with the monochrome colors, the beauty astounded me. Light danced along the smooth glassy black portions of the stones, blinking as if showing off. The trail we followed arced upward, taking us into the mountains. The longer we rode, the more the buildings seemed erected as if they were extensions of the mountains themselves.

We climbed higher still.

After riding on the stone street, passing homes and curious gazes from the crowds throughout various points of the ride, large giant gates loomed before us. While the homes and buildings of the city were made from rocks and stone, the entire fortress of a palace protruded from the very mountain itself.

It screamed danger and power as turrets and stone walls jutted from the mountain, like the palace had always been a part of the stone and rock.

Raya, Jax, and Kade each rendered a salute of sorts, touching a fist to their shoulder and bowing their heads as they approached the guards at the gates. The two men standing at attention dipped their heads, and the steel gates opened just enough for us to pass through as we continued up the road to the palace.

Where the palace at Ellevail stood bright, filled with large windows to observe the gardens, this palace in Mysthaven was dark. The windows were smaller, and the glass appeared blacked out, tinted in a way I had never seen before. Columns of stone further accented the fact that parts of the walls seemed to be made of the mountains themselves .

We slowed the horses to a trot as we approached the massive staircase leading to the entrance of the palace. The intricately carved doors, lined in a metal I didn’t recognize, opened with a slow creak.

Reaching the edge of the stairs, Jax leapt off his horse and disappeared through a smaller side door hidden under the stairs. He moved with steady purpose to retrieve a healer for Storm.

A group of Fae emerged from the front of the castle, descending leisurely down the stairs. One man stood a head above the rest, dressed in all black. A strange power emanated from him, as my feet unconsciously slid back a few inches, before I realized who stood before me.

The king.

His long black cape billowed in the crisp breeze and a glittering obsidian crown sat upon his head. Guards in bright red dress uniforms flanked him on either side and marched down the stairs, stopping every couple of steps and assuming their positions as the king slowly made his way down toward us.

We dismounted, and Kade assisted Storm to his feet. Storm’s arm slumped limply over Kade’s neck as he barely maintained the ability to stand. My chest tightened as the formidable warrior appeared so weak in Kade’s arms. Blood soaked through his pants and dripped down his leg onto the ground. The wound must have opened again on the ride, or perhaps it had never truly begun to heal in the first place. A lanky man adorned by a robe a size too small lifted his chin haughtily. “Announcing King Dargan.” He waved his hand and bowed, scrambling backward as the king descended the remaining stairs.

Kade, Storm, and Raya bowed their heads as the king reached the bottom step. I instantly followed. The last thing I wanted to do was upset a king when I so desperately needed to be able to leave this land. None of those gathered on the steps in front of us bothered to look in my direction though.

Kade tensed beside me as we waited for the king to speak.

“You finally decided to grace us with your presence.” The king’s deep voice echoed, filled with barely restrained rage. “You have kept me waiting.”

Kade said nothing, keeping his head bowed. Weren’t there more pressing matters than the king belittling his soldiers? Like one of his elite Guardians bleeding out in front of him. The others followed suit after Kade’s, remaining bowed, as did I, watching through my eyelashes as best I could.

“Waiting for months ,” he seethed. The ice in the king’s tone sent an eerie chill racing down my spine. The king sucked in a breath. “In your absence, the traitors of this kingdom have run rampant. Your cadre was left to serve as the enforcers, for which they are clearly not equipped.”

He walked toward Kade and circled him like a razorven. A predator through and through, stalking around Kade as if playing with his prey, waiting to strike. I shivered, unaccustomed to the heavy magic lingering in the air around the king, raising the hairs on my neck. I didn’t dare lift my head to take in the scene more.

I’d never felt a magic like this before, but with it came an additional sensation. Something dark and foreboding slithering off him. A warning radiated outward, threatening and imposing.

The king stroked a pewter-colored amulet around his neck. “Disobeying me again will not be tolerated. Ever. Lest I remind you of how you will be punished. We do not want another public display, do we? I thought you’d grown tired of it, but perhaps my lessons didn’t sink in if you think you can disappear and neglect your duties for so long.”

Kade’s restraint weakened and his shadows slowly spilled from his fingertips, pooling at his feet. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him raise his head and stare at the king, who now stood directly in front of him.

My heartbeat quickened watching Kade appear so submissive. Except for his shadows, ready for a fight.

I wasn’t the only one to notice that either. The king grinned as Kade’s shadows grew exponentially.

“We’ll have to get that magic back under control, won’t we?”

I raised my head enough to see Kade’s face. His eyes darkened, that blackness taking over as he watched the king.

Kade dipped his chin. “Storm has been injured and we need to get him to Nadia right away. Dark ones attacked with some sort of poisoned weapon that’s preventing him from healing properly.”

The king cocked an eyebrow and took a step back, flicking his wrist in a gesture I assumed meant we could stop bowing since the others finally lifted their heads.

Murmurs sounded behind us, and I turned, seeing people standing on the other side of the gates we’d passed through.

My neck ached from keeping it bowed for so long, but I could finally take in my surroundings better. A tingle trailed my spine, the familiar warmth of Kade’s presence soothing my anxious soul. I glanced down, noticing it had been from a quick touch of his shadows along my calves.

The king stared at each Guardian, making no move to hurry despite Kade’s report on Storm’s injury, and the obvious pain of the injured Guardian before him. His strength faded with each moment we stood here.

Finally, King Dargan’s gaze landed on me, and a cruel smirk eliminated the warmth I’d felt a second earlier. “And who, may I ask, is this fair maiden? I don’t remember picking up strays being one of your missions.”

“We found her along our journey and Storm took a liking to her,” Kade answered without missing a beat .

Storm nodded in agreement. Even in pain, he winked at me. Though he moaned when he turned his head back.

What the hell are these two doing?

The king’s eyes narrowed. “And you think she is welcome here? In my home?”

Kade’s jaw ticked.

The king hummed. “I trained my Guardians to be stronger than that. Your soft hearts will get you killed." He looked me over purposefully, lingering on my chest before taking in the rest of my body. His gaze violated my space. It made me feel…less than. He clicked his tongue. “I suppose she’s pleasing to the eye. The Guardians already treat my palace like a brothel, so what is one more whore to add to their never-ending list?”

Kade’s power radiated off his body as he tried to restrain himself. His shadows flittered like they were itching to escape, pulsing on the ground around him. I knew better than to say anything smart in response, and not just because of Kade’s warning. The last thing I needed in this moment was another Fae’s attention on me, let alone a king’s.

The king gave the four of us one more sweeping glance, halting his studious appraisal at the sound of footsteps running toward us.

Jax returned, trailed by two women.

Kade made a move to pull Storm toward him, but the king grabbed his arm. “You will be dismissed only upon my command.”

“He’s dying,” Kade said, the menacing words flaring the king’s eyes.

“Our people are watching. I suggest you do as I say.” The king dropped Kade’s arm before plastering a sickening smile on his face. He stepped up two of the smooth obsidian stone stairs, grinning at his people.

Then he raised his hands to the crowd, waving, as their cheers filled the air .

I was going to vomit. This King Dargan was cruel, yet compelling. His demeanor was so unlike my father, who loved every single man and woman. He never would have delayed the healing of an injured Fae. Especially one of his own warriors.

“It seems we have something to celebrate, my people,” the king said. He spoke now for their benefit, ensuring his words echoed out into the space behind us. His eyes flitted around the crowd, searching, taking everything in. Almost too quickly.

The circular amulet hanging around his neck swayed. I swallowed, watching more closely. It wasn’t mere pewter. No, inside, the gem billowed with dark grays, purples, and blacks, swarming. Moving. Even with my lack of magic, I felt the thing. I shivered.

“Not only is our beloved Festival set to take place in two days, but the blood moon will also rise that evening. The first time in three years, which means the Fates have deemed it the perfect time to prepare ourselves for a sacrifice. To claim these lands as ours, to keep Mysthaven from collapsing under darkness, and to prove your allegiance to your king. Your faith that I, King Dargan, rule these lands with a just and mighty hand will be rewarded. Two days from now, not only will we hold our annual Festival of Swords, but we will also invoke the Blood Oath.” His lip curled up so far, it would haunt me as he took in the gasps and surprise in the crowd. Some clapped, some cheered, but most silently stared. “Warriors, prepare yourselves. For only a few will be found worthy to join the ranks of the Guardians.”

An eruption of cries echoed throughout the crowd. Kade, Storm, and Raya stood stiffly beside me, seemingly unnerved by the king’s proclamation.

I had no idea what a Blood Oath or a Festival of Swords was, let alone a blood moon serving as the inspiration to hold both. However, one look at my companions and I knew whatever it entailed would not be wholly pleasant .

I shifted toward Storm, whose head bobbed as the pool of blood grew at his feet. I needed to keep him with us, so I whispered, hoping the conversation would keep him conscious. “These people are going wild. They seem pleased. Is the Festival of Swords a celebration?”

Storm’s face paled more so than it already was, and he swallowed, but before he could speak, the king turned and began walking toward the steps to return to the palace.

The two women with Jax rushed forward to Storm, grabbing his arms as Jax assisted in holding him up.

Kade’s eyes met mine as he passed his friend to the women, and a frantic feeling hit me in the chest. He shook his head almost imperceptibly and turned away from me.

The king, once higher up on the steps, turned back again and waved at the crowd, who grew louder at his attention.

Finally, he beckoned Kade with his hand. He hesitated only slightly before he took the steps, standing two below the king. His shadows sank into his skin, into his being, hiding away fully for the first time since we’d entered these lands.

The king stopped him. “A joyous time indeed for all with the celebrations, knowing our prince will be a part of it.”

My stomach rolled, recoiling. Prince? Prince!

Kade turned, avoiding eye contact with me altogether, nodding to the crowd alongside the king. Then he raised his hand to wave.

This man wasn’t just the king. He was Kade’s father .

The king gripped Kade’s shoulder. “Come, my son, we have much to discuss now that you’ve returned home.”