Defy (34 page)

“Take him away.” The king waved his hand at me.

Desperation made my stomach turn violently as I jumped to

my feet. Iker walked toward me, and I backed up, blurting out,

“Sire, please! I know who his sorcerers are — I can point them out

to you. If you let them think you are agreeing to their treaty,

they’ll return your son to you. Then you can surround them and

kill them all.”

King Hector held up his hand and Iker paused, though his

eyes f lashed ominously.

“What good is having a traitor for a son?”

“He is not, my king. He is loyal to Antion,” I said. It was the

truth — Damian was loyal to Antion, just not to its king.

“Does he lie?” the king hissed, his voice low.

Iker gave me a look of pure disgust, and then turned to bow

to Hector. “No, sire. I believe he is telling the truth.”

King Hector contemplated me for a long moment, his cold

gaze calculating. Finally, he waved at Iker again. “If my son
is
a 275

traitor, that would mean you are as well, Alex. And though you say

he is loyal to Antion, I have my doubts. I’ll think on the guard’s

words. Take him to the dungeons until I decide what to do.”

“Sire, please.” I tried to keep my voice low, gruff, but I was

afraid my panic had already given me away. “They are only a day or

two behind me — they could be here tomorrow!”

But King Hector was truly done with me this time. Iker

grabbed my arm and yanked me away, pushing me to walk in front

of him. Once we’d exited the counsel room and the door shut

behind us, he faced me.

“After you, Alex. I believe you know the way.” He gave me a

little mocking bow, gesturing toward the courtyard surrounded

by all of the palace wings, and far below us, the dungeons.

I pulled my shoulders back and lifted my chin, walking as con-

fidently as I could, even though I was trembling inside.

I’d failed. The king had seen right through the lies, just as I’d

feared he would. All of that discomfort and acting to convince the

Blevonese army — and Antion’s spies — we were truly prisoners

was for nothing.

Now Damian, Tinso, and the others would arrive tomorrow,

believing I would be there, waiting to stop Iker. Instead, they

would find themselves walking straight into a bloodbath.

276

 thirty-nine 

T
he dungeon was worse than I’d remembered.

“What are you doing down here, Little Boss?” Jaerom

asked when he saw me come down the stairs with Iker on my heels.

“He is to be imprisoned until the king decides what further

use — if any — he has for him,” Iker said, his voice as oily as his thinning hair.

“He wants to imprison
Alex
?”

The shock on Jaerom’s face obviously didn’t sit well with Iker,

because he immediately snapped at him, “Give me those keys,

keeper!”

Jaerom jumped to attention, seeming to remember who he

was talking to. “Yes, sir. Here is the master key.”

Iker grabbed a torch and shoved me past Jaerom’s desk and

into the dark, putrid depths of the dungeon.

“This is as good as any, I suppose,” he said, stopping before an

empty cell about halfway down. He tried to grab my arm to toss

me in, but I pulled out of his grip and walked in of my own accord.

“Prideful to the end, I see. They say pride goeth before the fall,

Alex.” Iker smirked at me.

“Tell the king that I can help him win this battle, if he’ll let

me,” I said, making one last desperate attempt to accomplish my

277

goal. “I heard rumors when our guards thought we were sleeping.

King Osgand’s general is amassing sorcerers from all across the

nation of Blevon. He’s bringing as much of the army as he can. You

will be outnumbered. At the very least, let me fight for you!”

Iker’s dark gaze in the light of the f lames from the torch sent

ice through my body, and I had to fight not to shudder. Without

another word, he turned and left, slamming the door shut and

locking me into the eternal darkness and heat. I was completely

alone in the very cell in that I’d come to see Tanoori almost two

months ago. The same chair she’d been tied to still sat in the

corner.

I slid to the ground and dropped my head into my hands. My

eyes burned and I had to grit my teeth to keep from crying. They

were all going to die. General Tinso, Eljin, the Insurgi . . . Rylan.

Damian.

There was nothing I could do to warn them or stop the mas-

sacre that was sure to happen, if I was locked up down here in the

depths of hell.

Minutes, then hours passed, interminably slow. It was impossible

to tell how long I’d been imprisoned. I was unable to sleep at all,

even though I was exhausted. Jaerom brought me food, but I

could barely bring myself to eat the disgusting slop. It was not fit

for hogs. Instead, I paced and when my legs grew too tired to keep

it up, I slid down against the wall, and sat on the stone f loor, staring into the darkness.

I’d always joked about the inmates going insane down here, but

now I was one of them, and I already felt like I was losing my mind.

278

After staring into the darkness blindly for hours since the last

time Jaerom had brought me a meal, a key rattled in the door. I

scrambled to my feet and backed up to the wall. When I saw Deron

standing in the doorway, holding a torch and a sword, I was simul-

taneously overcome with relief and fear.

“Get out here, and hurry,” he whispered harshly, gesturing at

me. I cautiously stepped toward him, afraid it was a trap.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice hoarse from disuse.

“Something’s wrong. The king has ordered every able-bodied

man and boy to arm himself and assemble in the courtyard. He’s

made every army battalion in Tubatse come inside the palace walls.

He’s even forcing women to arm themselves and prepare to fight.

The rumor is that the entire Blevonese army is marching on the

palace.”

I stared at Deron in the f lickering light of the torch.

“Is it true? Are they coming?”

I nodded. “But it isn’t what you think,” I added when I saw

the f lash of fear in his eyes. “Deron, do you trust me?”

He gave me a sharp look. “What are you talking about?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Good.” I glanced down the hallway, but it was empty. “Where

is the rest of the guard?”

The skin around Deron’s mouth tightened and he closed his

eyes brief ly before answering, sending my heart pounding in

dread. “Kai and Antonio are dead; the king had them killed for

failing to save the prince. The rest of us were punished — even

those who were sleeping — but at least we’re alive.”

279

I stared at the scar on his face, realizing what it meant.

“Jude, too?”

Deron nodded. “Scarred, but alive.”

I couldn’t believe Kai and Antonio were gone, but there was

no time to dwell on it. “Where are they?”

“Gathering their weapons and preparing to fight. I told them

I was going to find more men, but Iker will notice I’m not there

soon if we don’t hurry.”

My heart began to pound as I thought of a plan — a very

risky plan.

“I need you to find me a mask,” I said.

“A mask?”

“Then I need you or someone else in the guard to help me get

next to Iker when the Blevonese army arrives.”

Deron’s eyes widened. “Next to Iker? Why?”

“Because if we are to have any hope of surviving this day, and

saving the prince and Antion, I have to kill him.”

Deron’s mouth dropped open.

“We have a great deal to talk about,” I said.

Deron recovered himself, and nodded. “Yes

.

.

.

yes, I

think we do.”

280

 forty 

T
here were so many people packed inside the palace walls

that there was hardly room to walk, let alone fight. If the

Blevonese soldiers were able to breach the wall, we’d be slaugh-

tered just as badly as they would be. If I wasn’t able to stop Iker,

the king was almost assured his victory — but at what cost? Did he

intend to be the king of a graveyard?

I stood near Deron and Jude. The other members of the guard

were spread out around the grounds in strategic locations, helping

me watch for Iker’s location. He couldn’t hide inside the palace

and fight. He’d have to be out here somewhere, most likely some-

where with a good vantage point over the fighting, but not within

range of archers. Not that a little arrow was anything he’d have to

worry about, I realized.

Jude’s face, which had always been so similar to his brother’s,

was now distinctly different. He had a long scar snaking down the

length of one side of it, just like Deron did. I understood now why

Damian had decided to do what he did, the necessity of the abduc-

tion. But it had come at a great cost to these men whom I cared

for — loved.

Even Jerrod seemed relieved to see me alive. For all of his

281

animosity, he didn’t want me to die any more than I wished such

a fate on him.

The oppressive heat of the jungle swelled in the burning rays

of the afternoon sun. The air was heavy with humidity and I was

already sweating beneath the mask Deron had found for me. I felt

like Eljin, with a scrap of black fabric covering my nose and mouth.

Deron had also found me different clothes, an old uniform from

someone in the army. I had a sword strapped to my waist as we

searched the crowd for my target. If I had any hope of inching my

way next to Iker in time, we had to find him soon. If all went

according to plan, General Tinso and his army had left an hour

after my captors and me. They would travel a bit slower than my

guards and I had, but they planned on arriving only a day or two

behind me. The Insurgi would also be with them.

Finally, Mateo f lashed a tiny mirror to signal us that he’d

spotted Iker. Mateo was standing near the stairs that went up to

the top of the wall, where the archers would be waiting to shoot

down the Blevonese soldiers before they got close enough to pull

out their swords.

“There he is.” Deron pointed and I nodded, my heart sinking.

Iker was walking up the stairs to stand atop of the wall. How

would I ever make it up there without him growing suspicious and

cutting me down? A member of the army wearing a mask in this

mass of people wasn’t too noticeable right now. But one running

up the stairs after him? Not good.

“How are you going to get up there without him recognizing

you — even with the mask?” Jude asked, echoing my own thoughts.

“I don’t know.” I sighed heavily. Why did everything that

could go wrong keep going wrong?

282

“We’ve got to get over there, though, so I guess I’ll think

about it on the way.”

Deron took the lead, using his bigger body and strength to

push through the mass of soldiers and palace workers. I followed

in his wake, with Jude right on my heels. If there hadn’t been so

many people in the way, I could have crossed the grounds to where

Mateo stood in less than a minute. Instead, it took us much

longer —
too
long. Before we made it there, Iker stood over us on the wall walk.

“People of Antion!” he shouted, his voice echoing over the

noise of thousands of people. A hush spread over the assembled

men and women. I was dismayed to see so many girls and women,

in their threadbare skirts, clutching weapons uncomfortably, fear

written plainly on their faces. Most of them were painfully thin,

and they jumped away from the men around them with looks of

terror. They had to be women from the breeding house. My stom-

ach turned and I looked up at Iker with hatred burning in me

stronger than anything I’d ever felt in my life.

“The army of our enemy approaches! Will we let them con-

quer us?” He paused and then screamed, “
No!
We will fight! We will fight for our king and for Antion! Show no mercy to the dirty

heathens who support the evil practice of sorcery!” A violent cheer

of approval rose up from the men in the crowd. The woman were

mostly silent, grasping their weapons with trembling hands.

“They have brought their sorcerers with them — but will we

let them win?”

“No!”
the crowd shouted back.

“We will fight them! We will
destroy
them! We will sacrifice

our very lives if necessary to protect our nation and our freedom

283

from the slavery of sorcery!” Iker punched his fist in the air and,

all around me, men and even some of the women did the same,

shouting and screaming in agreement. It sounded almost as if he’d

enthralled them in a spell of bloodlust and hatred for the very

power he wielded.

“If he were close enough for me to cut his throat, I would,”

Deron growled next to me, through the wild cheering around us.

“He’d throw up a shield and kill you before you knew what

had happened,” I muttered darkly.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Deron looked down at me.

Before I could answer, Iker turned and began to head back