Nightfall: Book Two of the Chronicles of Arden (34 page)

Joel cleared his throat. “I apologize for my impetuous reaction. I didn’t mean to lash out at you. This place seems to have brought out the worst in me.”

“You’re far from home. I don’t blame you for being on guard. Apology accepted.” Kirk sighed, his mouth curling upward, the first sign of a smile returning to his lips. “Now, about this Lord Hasain Radek of yours. We should keep looking—”

His sentence was cut short as the sound of sandals hitting stone pavers grabbed both men’s attention. Joel turned to look down the path as Kirk did the same. A young girl dressed in servant garb raced toward them. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun, drawing attention to the worried frown and creased eyebrows that had overtaken her pretty, oval face.

Kirk’s smile immediately fell away. “Kenisha? What’s wrong?” As she approached, he reached out to take hold of her slender hands.

The girl crumbled against his chest. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“What happened?” Kirk asked, embracing her gently around the shoulders. “Are you all right?”

Tears welled in the corners of her green eyes, but she blinked them away. Stealing a suspicious glance toward Joel, she lowered her voice a pitch. “I need to talk to you, brother. Right now.”

Kirk nodded. “Of course.” He kept one hand on her shoulder and motioned toward Joel with the other. “Kenisha, this is Joel Adelwijn of Arden. Joel, this is my sister.”

Joel offered his hand for a shake. “Lady Kenisha, it’s a pleasure to meet you—”

“Lady?” Kenisha stared at his hand in bewilderment, like she’d seen a ghost. Keeping her own hands a safe distance away, she jerked her head around to frown at Kirk. “I need to talk to you somewhere private.
Alone
.”

Kirk squeezed her arm. “It’s okay. You can speak freely, sister. He won’t betray us.”

Joel took a step back, giving the siblings more room. He could tell by Kenisha’s rigid stance that her suspicions were far from eased, but it appeared she was going to trust her brother. Paling even more, she spoke in such a soft voice that Joel had to strain to hear the words. “I’m making plans to leave the palace.”

Kirk’s voice dropped to an anxious whisper. “
What?
Keni, no—”

“I can’t stay long,” she continued. “The prince will be back from the gladiator match soon. But I had to tell you about this.”

“You can’t just leave! Where will you go? It’s not safe out there!”

“It’s not safe here either, Kirk! And I won’t allow that—that
vile pig
to touch me again.” Rage briefly flashed behind her eyes. “Listen, one of the handmaidens I work with has family on the western border of the city. Her grandparents own an inn out there, and she says they’ll hire me as a tavern wench if I mention her name.”

“The western border? Don’t you remember how dangerous it is out there?”

“I’ll be all right,” Kenisha replied. “It’s not like I’ll be on the street. I’ll work for my room and board. You don’t have to worry—”

Kirk shook his head fiercely. “You’re my sister. I’ll always worry. Besides, even if these strangers were willing to take you in, there’s no guarantee you can even get there. You can’t just go walking out of the palace gates! The guards won’t let you through.”

Kenisha’s eyes darted around the garden. “I’m not going to use the gate. I know another way out.”

“Another way?”

Her voice came out in a rushed whisper. “Over by the servant quarters, there’s a passageway that leads down into the catacombs. Fabius, one of the pages, told me he’s explored the system extensively. He says there’s a drainage opening that comes out on the far side of the palace wall, large enough for a person to slip through.”

“
That’s
your plan? That sounds crazy! How do you even know if you can trust this page? You could just as easily get lost down there and never find your way out!” Kirk gripped his sister’s hand again. “Don’t go. I’ll figure something out. Just give me a little more time.”

“Time is running out. I can’t stay here much longer. I can feel the stone walls closing in around me—”

“We have to stay together,” Kirk pleaded with her. “You can’t go beyond the dome. Not with winter on the rise. Please, reconsider.”

“You can’t protect me forever.” Kenisha smiled sadly, squeezing his hand. “You know I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, right? I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you. When Mama died, we both should have perished with her, but
you
saw us through.
You
kept our hope alive even when mine had withered away.”

Kirk’s jaw trembled. “It’s my job to protect you.”

“No,” she replied with a deep sigh. “Not anymore. I have to protect myself.”

“I’ll—I’ll go with you when you leave.”

“Absolutely not. You have a good, decent life here, Kirk. And what’s even more important is you have the opportunity to better yourself. I won’t let you throw that away.”

As Joel observed their interaction, he realized Kenisha couldn’t have been any older than Heidi. He couldn’t even imagine his own sister being thrown into a situation like this and him being powerless to help her. His heart ached as he watched the siblings, knowing the terror both must have felt.

Just then, the sound of voices from beyond the hedges floated over to where they stood, signaling the approach of newcomers. Kenisha raised her head in alarm. “I have to go. I’ll be in touch. When the time comes for me to leave the palace, I’ll try to get word to you.”

Kirk reached for her as she darted away, but his hand fell just short. “Keni, wait!”

She looked over her shoulder long enough to utter, “I love you, brother.” And then Kirk was left to stare at the back of her head as she ran away.

For several moments, the mage trainee stood there, hand still extended and eyes misty with tears, but finally he dropped the arm to his side and blinked the wetness in his eyes away. His silence betrayed his anguish as he stared into the distance as if he were lost.

Joel wrung his hands, unsure if he should walk away or offer words of comfort. He elected the latter, knowing if he’d been in the same position, kind words would have been appreciated. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

Kirk wrapped his arms around himself and gasped. “I feel like I failed her.”

“No,” Joel replied. He moved closer, reaching out to tentatively set a hand onto Kirk’s shoulder. “I don’t really know either of you, but only a fool could deny the love you share for each other. She knows you do your best.”

“My best isn’t good enough to keep her safe anymore.”

Joel didn’t know how to respond. All he knew was the more time he spent with Kirk, the more Joel wished they could be friends. But they couldn’t, not really. His time in Teivel was running out. Soon he’d have to return to Arden. He could only hope that Kirk and his sister found happiness. After all they’d been through, didn’t they deserve it?
 

Joel wandered in the direction of the suite, his troubled mind recounting the woes of Kirk and Kenisha Bhadrayu. He wished he could do more to help the siblings, but he couldn’t even help himself.
I feel so helpless in this place
. Sighing, Joel stopped to rest against a marble column.

Before him, the sun shone through a great window facing the courtyard, bathing him in light. The shimmering rays should have felt warm, but he could glean no such comfort from any of it. As far as he was concerned, the sun may never shine again.

“If not for where we are, it would be lovely, wouldn’t it?”

The breath caught in Joel’s throat as he whirled around. “Hasain! Where did you come from? I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Hasain’s pale face hung in a forlorn frown and his eyes were red. Joel couldn’t recall a time his cousin had looked so frail. The Radek lord opted to look out the window as he spoke in a trembling voice. “I needed a walk to clear my mind.”

Joel nodded. Reasonable. The royal garden had been a welcome relief after the gore he’d witnessed. Hasain must have desired the same reprieve. “Take care next time. I feel we shouldn’t wander alone here.”

“I needed to be by myself.” Hasain’s voice was clipped, and Joel knew better than to press further. “This place is barbaric. How could anyone fault my father for leaving?”

“I suppose they don’t know any better. If this is all they’re used to, they don’t even know enough to dream of anything better. Likewise, they don’t think to question the cruelty of their arena because it’s always been a part of their lives.”

Hasain gasped and tipped his head down. Joel politely ignored the strangled sob, allowing his cousin to regain the control he was typically so proud of. “They were slaughtered like animals. All of them, but especially him.”

Joel knit his brows together.
Who?

“They broke his wing and threw him in there like he was a wild beast.”

Oh. The demharlin
. Joel wished he could offer some form of comfort but didn’t know what to say. He’d never known Hasain sympathized so readily with the Otherfolk. He was often so aloof and contemptuous toward other humans that it surprised Joel to see Hasain so devastated by the death of the demharlin.

A few moments passed while neither said anything. At long last, Joel couldn’t take the silence anymore. “It was wrong for them to treat it—him—so badly. I’m sorry your heart is heavy with this burden, Hasain. You know there was nothing you could do, don’t you?”

Hasain’s dark eyes flicked up, and his dark orbs were just as troubled as before. “If I could—have no doubt—I would have slaughtered his captors the same way they slaughtered him.”

Cold spiked like shards of ice beneath Joel’s skin. He hadn’t been prepared for the unmasked rage in his cousin’s voice. Hasain didn’t even look like himself. Fury warped his features and contorted his face into a frightening caricature of his normal self. Joel withdrew slightly. What grief could force Hasain to look so terrible?

It’s this place
. Joel rubbed the back of one hand absently.
He’s not handling the Empire well
.
None of us are. How much more can we be expected to take before our spirits break?

The echo of footfalls through the hall broke Joel’s cold thoughts, and he glanced up to see who approached.

“Oh, look! We’ve finally managed to find the missing lords!” Prince Alerio’s voice danced along the corridor.

Joel shuddered. Hasain also seemed to withdraw farther into himself.

Liro strode alongside the prince like he’d always been a part of Alerio’s entourage. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d both slunk away to weep for the losers.”

Alerio laughed and his followers mirrored him. He waved a hand at Liro. “Stop now. My sides hurt.” He took a couple of deep breaths, managing to chase away his giggles, before standing back to his full height. “We go now to take refreshments after sitting in the hot sun. Would either of you care to join us?” The coy twist of his voice gave away his game. He was challenging them.

Hasain was dangerously quiet, and Joel found himself stepping forward to speak on both of their behalves. “Forgive us, Highness. Lord Hasain and I are not used to such blood sport. Refreshment may not set well with us just yet.”

Liro lifted his face to smirk at Alerio. “I told you they’d taken ill. As pampered as they are, the sight of a bit of blood has put them off.”

Laughter filled the entire length of the corridor as the prince and his courtiers enjoyed the joke. Joel could feel his face go hot but held his ground, hoping desperately Hasain would also be able to keep his composure.

Alerio flicked a wrist at them as he passed. “You Ardenians are too entertaining. I shan’t know what to do with myself when you leave. I would suggest you go take your rest, my lords, so you might be able to take your meal this evening.” He and the others walked on, their scornful laughter bouncing off the stone walls even after they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Joel’s feet were rooted in place. He shook so terribly he didn’t dare try to take a single step.

Hasain sighed heavily. “I hate this place. I want to go home.”

Joel couldn’t say anything, but he agreed. He wished, more than anything, that he could go home as well.