Crimson's Captivation (24 page)

“He is.”

“I hope for your sake that he is, Tor.”

Sena waited until the footsteps of the two
disappeared and snuck back into the hallway. She exited Darya’s
room and made her way back to the king and Viktor.

“We have to act fast,” Sena told them.
“Kieran is somewhere in the palace, but I am not sure where, and
Gaten will be arriving after dusk with more men. Gaten and Kieran
will be too much to handle.”

“Men,” the king ordered, “Prepare your stakes
and pikes, we will move to the exit with the two hunters. Take them
out and surprise those in the courtyard from the inside. If you’re
injured, do not, no matter what, scream out and alert the
others.”

“What about Crimson?” Viktor asked Sena.

“She’s in Darya’s bedroom.”

Viktor beamed at the news. He had traveled so
far and now his love was only a short distance away. He felt like
screaming her name to the top of his lungs and couldn’t hide his
excitement.

“But she’s in a deep sleep, Viktor,” Sena
said. “I couldn’t wake her.”

“What do you mean? She’s alive, isn’t
she?”

“Yes. She’s alive.” Sena placed her hand on
the king’s shoulder. “I can get Crimson without a fight. Just slip
back in and take her out of the window.”

The king was shaking his head no before she
even finished. “No, Sena. We will rescue Crimson and put an end to
this trade today.”

Sena led the men toward the back door. From
behind a wall, she stood, and when the two hunters rushed her, she
slipped behind the wall. The hunters were far quicker than the
king’s men had anticipated and before they knew it, one hunter had
ripped the throat of one soldier and was making his way to a
second. The king tracked one just enough to pin him to the wall
with a non-lethal wound to the side. That gave Sena enough time to
attack and grab the one horror that was still free while Viktor
stabbed a stake into his heart.

“Don’t let the other one scream out,” the
king ordered, and his commander, in a rush of brash bravery,
sprinted to the trapped horror and placed his hand over the
horror’s mouth. The horror bit down and it took every ounce of
courage for the commander to not scream out. Sena rushed in with a
stake and slammed it through its heart.

“He should stay behind,” Sena said as she
looked at the commander’s hand. “They can smell blood.”

They stopped and bandaged the commander’s
hand before making their way to the palace door. Sena slipped
inside first, followed by the king, Viktor, and the remaining five
men. They inched toward the courtyard exit and stealthy entered,
but even as careful as they were, the hunters sensed them. Two
hunters targeted Sena while the other went after the king.

Sena tumbled into the wall near the door,
trying her best to hold off the two attackers. One ripped at her
shoulder and took a hunk of flesh with a single swipe. The other
had his hands around her throat. Viktor rushed one and buried his
stake through its back, but Sena was losing her battle with the
other one. Viktor saw no other choice. He rushed the horror and
Sena. His pike went completely through the back of the horror,
exited the other side, and pierced deep into the side of Sena.

The king was held to the ground by the last
horror and his five men were easily thwarted. In an instant, the
horror had bit the king’s neck. Viktor pulled his pike from Sena
and ran in the king’s direction while Sena fell limp to the ground.
Viktor only managed to inflict a slight injury, as the horror
swiftly blocked the pike from penetrating his main body. Out of
nowhere, the red headed commander with the injured hand appeared
and tackled the horror while another soldier was finally able to
apply the stake. It was too late for the commander; the horror had
taken his life in the quick scuffle.

The horrors were dead, but the king and Sena
were gravely injured. The king sat up covering the wound on his
neck with his hand. “Viktor,” he called. “I’ve been bitten.”

Viktor rushed to his side. “I know my king. I
know.”

“Kill me, Viktor. Do not let me turn,” the
king pleaded.

“Wait,” Sena said as she crawled toward them
before she got to her feet. “Don’t kill him.” She knelt beside the
king. “Let me bite you to complete the turn. Viktor and Crimson
will need you and your blood will heal me.”

The king only nodded and Sena leaned in. She
bit deep into the king’s flesh and took his blood. The king lay
there and his men were horrified with the knowledge that their king
would soon be a horror. The fresh blood began to heal Sena’s
wounds.

“Viktor,” she said. “Go to that yew tree and
bring me the mushrooms that grow underneath.”

Viktor motioned for a soldier to retrieve the
mushrooms. He sat on the seat of his pants, looking at his dead
king. “I fear, Sena, we will not rescue Crimson this day.”

“The day is not over yet,” Sena said through
a smirk, as she examined her wounds.

The soldier returned with the mushrooms and
Sena ate one. She gave one to Viktor and the remaining soldiers.
“Eat it,” she said. “It will give you strength and courage.” They
each ate the bitter mushroom and it colored their lips a chalky
white.

“Now to find Kieran,” Sena said as she stood
to her feet. Her wounds had stopped bleeding and were already
beginning to heal.

The king’s men picked up the king’s body and
placed him on the bench under the yew tree. One gave a quick
blessing and they all joined Sena and Viktor at the doorway to the
main hallway.

“Where do you think Kieran is?” Viktor
asked.

“There’s only one place he would be. In Tor’s
chamber.”

They entered Tor’s chamber to find Kieran
waiting for them with his back turned to the door. “Ah, Sena.
Should have known it was you. And who do you have with you?”

“My name is Viktor.”

Kieran turned and faced them. “And what? You
and your scared little men want to take me on? I can smell their
fear. Worse yet, young Viktor, I can smell yours.”

Viktor brought his pike alongside his body in
his left hand and selected a wooden stake with his right. “Then you
are confused, Kieran. I have no fear.”

“We shall see,” Kieran said. “We shall …”
Suddenly, Kieran was gone, replaced with a puff of smoke. The
soldier at the rear of the party screamed out in pain and collapsed
to the floor. Even before Viktor could turn around, another soldier
dropped.

Kieran reappeared next to the far wall in the
room. “Your heart pounds, Viktor. It pounds like your lover’s did
when I ran my hands up her leg in the auction house.”

Viktor looked to his left and Sena was gone,
then he saw her slinking along the other wall. He waited and when
she made her move, Viktor rushed Kieran, but he was too quick and
once again disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“Fight like a man!” Viktor screamed, “If
there is any left in you.”

Sena snuck near the large fireplace and
scooped up a handful of ash. When Viktor rushed Kieran, she made a
guess as to where Kieran would reappear and tossed the ash in that
direction. But it floated and settled to the floor.

“Clever girl,” Kieran said as he reappeared
right in front of Sena. He slapped her with such force that it
knocked her across the room. “Normally,” Kieran chortled, “I’d kill
you two without thinking. But I want revenge for my brother and you
two will die slowly.”

Viktor motioned for the last remaining
soldier to rush, but he didn’t. He only dropped his pike to the
floor and fell to his knees. “Please don’t kill me,” the soldier
began to plead and cry.

Kieran rushed the cowardly soldier and sliced
him across the face. “Don’t beg,” Kieran chided. The soldier
grabbed Kieran’s leg and would not let go while he begged for his
life.

Sena saw the opportunity and ran towards them
with all the speed she could muster, and before Kieran could pull
loose to turn into smoke, he took the full brunt of her body. He
barely budged and rapidly killed the soldier at his feet. Then he
turned his focus on Sena. She gouged at his eyes as he lifted her
toward the ceiling.

Viktor, once again, was in the position that
required that he’d have to go through Sena to get to the horror. He
hesitated until Sena screamed, “Now!” Viktor ran with his pike
level to his chest. He fixed at full speed on Sena’s back. The pike
continued through her where it centered on Kieran’s chest and
pierced his heart. Kieran let out an ending scream and they both
fell to the floor.

Viktor fell to his knees in despair. He
crawled to Sena and kissed her on the forehead. “You were the
bravest soul I’ve ever known,” he whispered to her. “I will forever
tell your tale.”

Viktor entered Darya’s room and almost cried
when he saw Crimson lying motionless on the bed. It all seemed
surreal to him and he had to touch her to make sure she was real.
The countess sat in the chair beside the bed, holding Darya’s
nightgown.

“Are you here for her?” the countess
asked.

“I am,” Viktor responded. He placed his hand
in Crimson’s and sat on the bed next to her.

“Was she worth it?”

Viktor leaned over her and kissed her
forehead. Then he kissed the bridge of her nose, and moved to her
cheek. He closed his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

Crimson’s breathing changed from shallow
breaths to heavy, deep inhales. She opened her eyes to see Viktor
staring at her. “Viktor,” she said lovingly. “You’ve found me.”

Viktor kissed her again. When their lips
parted, Viktor looked at the countess and said, “Yes, there is no
price greater than love. So yes, she was worth it.” He then wrapped
Crimson in his arms and whispered, “I never lost you.”

Chapter IX

~ Culmination and Relinquishment ~

Some say Viktor’s kiss contained an alkaloid
from the mushroom and that it counteracted the toxin from the yew
tree that coursed through Crimson’s blood.

Others say it was love and nothing more.

Crimson and Viktor went on to live happily
ever after, completely unconcerned with what others said.

A year later, the countess received a letter
from her Darya. It was postmarked from somewhere in France. In it,
she learned she was a grandmother of a beautiful young
granddaughter named Liberté.

King Charles did turn and he wreaked havoc on
the foundations of Gaten’s dark world of slavery. Tales like the
king’s and Viktor’s tale of rescue were the favorite subjects of
gossip and it exploded on the tips of tongues and found its way to
the far reaches of his kingdom. Idealism enraptured the hearts of
young girls. They knew what to do with love even if their men did
not. Liberation is often contagious and this one was no exception.
It swept across the generations.

Sweden lost the war, but the realm of freedom
had been won.

THE END

About the Author

C. B. Carter resides in the historic art
community of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He spent much of his youth
with his grandparents, uncle, and aunt near Roanoke, Virginia,
where he was exposed to classical music and the great writers of
the 50s and 60s. He's a veteran of foreign wars, having served two
operations with the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia after the Gulf
War. Chaos Theorem is his first novel.

Website:

http://www.cbcarter.com

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/writer.cbcarter

Other works by Author

Chaos Theorem

Project Northwest

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