Shadow Dagger Ch. 20

"I don't know much about delivering babies," Sereph said, in that insufferable manner of his.

"So you want me to sacrifice another life to protect our secret, is that it?"

"It's just a suggestion," Sereph said absently, as he studied his notes. "What's one more sacrifice?"

Reynar stared at his loyal manservant. Had he really know him at all? He had been too lenient for all these years. It was just another failing that plagued Reynar's soul. "Are you really so callous toward life, Sereph?"

"On the contrary, my liege, I treasure life. Why do you think I'm helping you do this? I believe in what we're doing. I believe taking this child's power will save the world. Don't you?"

Reynar turned away and ran his hand through his hair. What did he believe? It was easy at first. The life of an unknown child against the world? It wasn't that hard of a decision. The mother and the child were just abstract concepts.

But now the mother had a face. A face Reynar loved. Which meant he loved the child, by extension. But if he continued ahead with his plan, he would lose them both. Was love worth sacrificing the world?

"My liege?" Sereph asked.

Reynar shook his head. "I don't know anymore, Sereph. We're doing this based on what a long-dead Magi told us to do. How can I believe anything that old woman told me? How do I know Jocelyn's journal is accurate?"

"You have to keep your faith," Sereph implored him. "You know what kind of man Jon Laurent is. You know he wants to bring back the War of the Gods. This child can't be allowed to live!"

"Who are we to judge that?"

"We are the loyal servants of the God!" Sereph cried. His eyes blazed with his passion. "You know the God had the True-born destroyed! That was why he forbade the Order of the 12 from mating with each other! Only their children were allowed to mate with each other. This child is an abomination, my liege."

"We don't know that," Reynar whispered, but even he could hear the doubt in his voice.

Sereph continued in a more gentle voice. "My liege, I don't dismiss the burden this has placed on you. But we both know it has to be done. The child won't have died for nothing. We will use its power to stop Jon Laurent and to remake the world the way the God wants it."

Reynar sighed in defeat. "You're right, Sereph. You're right."

Sereph had only reiterated the same things Reynar whispered to himself at night. He couldn't allow Jon Laurent to raise another false god. That's why everyone used the term 'The God,' instead of just 'God.'

He would do what had to be done.

An urgent knock came at the door. "My liege!"

Reynar strode quickly to the door and whipped it open. "What is it?"

"The Magi Lenard has returned," the guardsmen said excitedly. "He has Raynolt Teryus in custody!"

"Excellent!" Reynar boomed. It was the first good news he had heard in a long time. "Lead me to him."

"Right away, my liege!"

Reynar matched the guardsmen's excited strides as he quickly took him down into the lower levels of the palace. Several Magi stationed in the palace glanced curiously at them as they passed.

"We captured Raynolt," Reynar would tell them. The Magi would burst into smiles and talk excitedly to each other.

The word must have spread quickly because the Magi Reynar passed on last few floors bowed low to him and gave him pleased smiles. Reynar couldn't help but smile back.

God, it feels good to actually smile again! Thank you, Raynolt. This was the first pleasurable thing you ever did for me.

The guard led him at last into the dungeon holding cells. Here in the palace, the holding cells were nothing like the dungeons in the city. These holding cells were quite large and quite clean.

Several Magi were grouped around one such cell and were peering inside the room. They stepped back hurriedly when they heard Reynar approaching. Reynar approached the holding cell, his heart beating rapidly in excitement.

Lenard greeted him at the door. "My liege, I ran into Raynolt on my patrol. I convinced him I was still on his side. He revealed the location of their hideout so I thought it prudent to knock him unconscious and bring him back here so you could interrogate him yourself."

"You did very well, Lenard," Reynar replied. "I will see you promoted to the 9th Tier for this."

"Thank you, my liege." He bowed low. "Raynolt is still unconscious. He did reveal, however, that he was hiding out in the sewers."

"The sewers," Reynar mused. "We should've know. It was the only place we didn't check."

Reynar stepped passed Lenard and walked into the holding cell. Raynolt was sitting on a cot, his arms chained to the wall behind him. His head was slumped on his chest. Spells of binding were wrapped tight around his body.

"Wake him," Reynar commanded.

A Magi hurried into the room. He laid a small but complex healing spell on Raynolt's head. It took several moments for Raynolt to come around. He blinked slowly and looked up at Reynar.

"What..."

"Raynolt, I'm disappointed," Reynar said coldly. "I told you the price of betraying me. And still you did it."

Raynolt shook his head. His eyes cleared up and he finally took in his surroundings. He jerked several times at his chains but the binding spells held him tight. He looked up in fear at Reynar.

"What do you want?" he hissed.

Reynar crouched down to be on eye level with Raynolt. "How it must eat at you to know you've been outwitted."

Raynolt glanced toward the doorway. "You will pay," he growled.

"I'm terrified," came Lenard's lazy response.

Raynolt turned his gaze back toward Reynar. "How long has Lenard been spying for you?"

Reynar smirked. "For as long as you thought he was spying for you."

"And Morgana?"

"She was yours," Reynar said somberly. "We made it look like she was the spy but you're the one who chose to kill her."

Raynolt closed his eyes and hung his head. But Reynar wasn't fooled. He knew this man cared nothing for the lives of others. He was most likely mourning the end of his plans for power.

"Do you know who you've hired?" Raynolt asked quietly. "There's a reason why Lenard makes such a good spy."

Reynar glanced over at Lenard. Lenard stared back calmly.Yes, Raynolt, I use whatever tool I can. I have no choice.

"He murdered his parents," Reynar replied. "I know this."

Raynolt opened his eyes and laughed. "Murdered his parents? Yes, but that was just the start. I stopped by the village where his parents worked as magistrates. It was shortly after the War of the Desert. Do you know what I found there?"

"Do tell," Reynar said.

Raynolt shook his head. "You obviously know. But hearing something is different from seeing something. He had the whole village enslaved. Women were raped in the middle of streets. Men were worked to exhaustion. And he was trying to raise his own army."

"And so you subdued him, and took him as your own," Reynar finished for him. "You held a great secret over him. He would make the perfect tool to do your bidding."

"Then how? How did you steal him from me?" Raynolt demanded. He was already on the verge of breaking. It wouldn't take much to get the information he needed.

"He came to me," Reynar said, shrugging. "Do you think he enjoyed being under your boot? You will never understand why you can't take power, Raynolt. You don't care about anyone beneath you. You would build your foundation on crumbling ruins."

"I'll kill you," he threatened, but in a weak and fading voice. He knew he was beaten.

"Lenard tells me that your hideout is in the sewers. But the sewers are very extensive. I need to know where exactly to find your friends."

"Why should I betray them?" Raynolt mumbled.

Reynar laughed. "Betray them? You would have to care about them first to betray them! Tell me, Raynolt, and I won't kill you. You will be imprisoned but at least you would still be alive. There's always the chance you could break out."

"They're in the sewers near the west gate," Raynolt said in a defeated voice.

Reynar stood up and strode briskly toward the door. "Watch him," he commanded Lenard.

"Are you really going to let him live?"

Reynar stopped and looked back at Raynolt. He hung limply in his chains. He was the most pathetic thing Reynar had ever seen. "Once I return, and his information was proven correct, kill him. He has plagued my plans for the last time."

Lenard smiled. "As you command, my liege."

***

Evelyn stuffed the last of her dresses in the sack and closed it tight. She slung it over her shoulder and marched toward the door.

There's no looking back. I can do this. I can do this!

She didn't know how she would make it past the guards without being seen but she couldn't stay here any longer. Reynar was up to something and she didn't want to stick around to find out what.

If only I could use my magic, she thought desperately. The baby continued to churn inside her stomach, making it all but impossible for her to hold onto her magic. It was coming soon and she needed to be gone.

She reached the door to the hallway and pulled it open.

Sereph stood in the doorway. "Good evening, Your Grace."

Evelyn stumbled back. The sack slipped from her shoulder and landed on the floor. "Sereph! What--what do you want?"

Sereph entered the room and closed the door behind him. He glanced down at the bag on the floor and shook his head in disappointment. "Evelyn, Evelyn, where do you think you're going?"

"I..." She didn't know what to say. He caught her and there was no lying her way out of it. "I've decided I no longer belong here."

"Is that so?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in surprise. "King Reynar would be very disappointed to hear that."

Evelyn felt her fear fade. Sereph's attitude only served to enrage her. She took a threatening step towards him. "I know Reynar is up to something. So either get out of my way or I will make you get out the way. Your choice."

He backhanded her across the face. Evelyn gasped in shock and pain and wheeled backwards. "Don't threaten me, Evelyn. Especially when you're just bluffing. I know you can't use your magic right now."

Evelyn wiped the blood from her lip and stared furiously at him. "How dare you strike your queen! Reynar will hear of this!"

Sereph stepped closer to her. "Reynar will be too busy to hear anything you have to say," he whispered, his voice deadly soft. "Too busy claiming the power of your child as his own."

"No!" Evelyn shouted, just as she hunched over in pain. Water splashed across the carpet.

"Speaking of which," Sereph purred, his eyes staring lustfully at the wet spot on the floor. "So it begins."

"Noooo," Evelyn gasped, too weak to even shout. She fell back.

Sereph caught her in his arms and helped her to her bed. "Stay here. I will go fetch the King."

Evelyn shook her head but she was too weak to even move. The child was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

***

"How much longer?" Ashford wondered aloud.

Sophina glanced at him and flashed him an irritated look. "For the thousandth time, Ashford, I don't know when Peron is suppose to get back. When's Jon suppose to get here?"

"I get your point," Ashford snapped. He hated waiting. He had gotten use to always being on the move with Jon. This past week back in Astuari had been torture. They needed to do something quick before it was too late.

"I've seen Evelyn," Sanje suddenly offered. "On one of my patrols, I saw her sitting by the window in her bedroom. She was very large so she is still most definitely pregnant."

"That's something," Ashford mumbled. He glanced over at Sophina. "Sorry for snapping at you."

Sophina waved his apology away. "I'm right there with you, Ashford. The only difference is I've had to deal with this for three months." She smiled to take the sting out of the words.

Ashford returned her smile and went back to studying the city map. Peron was suppose to launch fire arrows into the sky by the west gate when he was ready. Ashford had studied the west gate himself and saw how well defended it was. He just hoped Marcus was up to the challenge.

"Where is that blasted Raynolt?" Sophina suddenly demanded. "I know he thinks these meetings are a waste of time but the least he could do is show up!"

Sanje shook his head. "I don't know. The last time I saw--"

"Master Victus!"

Sanje whirled toward the open doorway. A Magi Victus had come racing into the room. "What is it?"

"Fire arrows! In the sky by the west gate!" he shouted excitedly.

Ashford clapped his hands and Sophina punched the air. "Alright, time to put the plan into action!" Sophina cried out happily. "I need to go get Marcus. Ashford, take Sanje and prepare--"

"Nobody is going anywhere," a deep voice echoed off the sewer walls.

Ashford embraced his magic but runes of binding already wrapped around him, Sophina, and Sanje. Magi poured into the small room and covered all the exits. Sophina struggled against the bonds and shouted incomprehensively.

Reynar strode into the center of the room. "Hello, Ashford."

***

Jon almost shouted in relief when the last turn of the road finally brought the city of Astuari into sight. "We're here," he breathed.

Telez growled next to him. "Time for our revenge!" The men all shouted at once and raised their swords.

They rode for a month straight with nothing but revenge to drive them. Jon feed that rage. He told them how Reynar had planted Magi all throughout the tribes for the day he finally decided to take over.

The fact that the goddess was a Magi was the final blow that allowed Jon to convince them to ride for Astuari to seek revenge. He pushed them hard and they responded. Now here they were, barely a month from Oasis and already at the gates of Astuari.

I pray I'm not too late, Jon thought fervently. If the God really was kind, he still had time. They thundered down the road and made their way toward the west gate. At this time of night, the guards wouldn't expect what was coming.

Suddenly, the sky lit up. Dozens of arrows trailing fire flew up into the air. The men behind him gasped and swore. Was the city under attack?

"I'm too late," Jon breathed. He slapped the reigns and his horse picked up even more speed.

They sped through a small village on the outskirts of the city. They were almost past the village when the road in front of them was suddenly blocked by a large line of horsemen.

"Halt, or we fire!" came a shout that rang through the night.

Jon pulled up his horse hard. Rocks flew up as Jon and his men skidded to a halt. The night was too dark to reveal who the men were. Jon embraced his magic and kicked his horse into a small trot.

"Stay back," he warned his men. They grumbled but they listened to him.

"Who goes there?" came another shout.

Jon pulled up several yards away. "I am Jon d'Thelas san Ronar, Chieftain of the Desert Tribes of Raves."

The shadowy men in front of him were eerily silent. A figure in the front kicked his horse forward and rode toward him. Jon prepared a nasty spell just in case.

The moonlight revealed the rider as he stopped in front of Jon. He was a tall man whose skin nearly blended into the night. "You're no Chieftain," the man growled.

"The five hundred men behind me would disagree with that," Jon said calmly. This man was obviously a warrior from Raves. But what was he doing out here?

The man jerked upright. "Wait...are you Jon Laurent?"

Jon cocked his head in surprise. "Who's asking?"

"Peron, Chieftain of the Tribe of the Desert Snake."

Jon cursed. "What in the nine hells are you doing outside the city? Aren't you suppose to be inside helping Sophina Crews?"

The man rode his horse right next to Jon. "It is you! This appears to be a miraculous night, Astuarian."

"Again, why are you out here?" Jon growled.

"Sophina sent me outside the city to gather all my men for an assault on the west gate."

Jon shook his head in confusion. What was going on? "But why weren't your men inside the city already?"

"You have missed much, Jon Laurent. Come, we already gave the signal. Join your men with mine and let's take this gate."

"Fill me in as we ride," Jon said. He turned around and signaled his men.

"As you wish," Peron replied.

***

This wasn't good. Ashford could still use his magic but Sophina and Sanje were pinned with binding spells. Ashford would be killed by the time he got off a spell.

"No greeting for an old friend?" Reynar asked.

"Damn you, Reynar," Ashford growled. "Let Sophina go. She's not a part of this."

Reynar shook his head sadly. "Yes she is, Ashford, because of you. Why did you betray me? Why join with Jon Laurent instead of me?"

Maybe I have a chance, Ashford thought desperately.Maybe I can reach Reynar!

"Reynar, listen to me. You have it wrong! Jon Laurent is trying to save this world, not destroy it! You were fooled by--"

Reynar raised his hand and cut him off. He turned to the Magi crowding the room. "Leave us. But keep the binding spells in place. And stay close."

The Magi bowed to his command and retreated from the room. Only Reynar remained in the room.

"How did he do it?" Reynar asked. "How did he convince you to turn against me?"

"Just listen to me!" Ashford pleaded. "You were fooled, Reynar! The desert goddess is playing you! She's Jocelyn! That journal she gave you was nothing but lies!"

"Lies, Ashford? Lies?" He shook his head. "That book taught me more magic than I thought possible. How was that lies?"

"That's not--"

"And is Evelyn not giving birth to a special child?"

"Yes, but--"

"And can't this child destroy us if it so wishes?"

"Yes," Ashford growled. "But you're not--"

"Enough!" Reynar shouted. "You are blind, Ashford, to not see what Jon Laurent really is. He wishes to raise this child, doesn't he? To use its power?"

"It's not like that!" Ashford shouted.

"Please, listen to him!" Sophina pleaded. "You have it all wrong!"

"I haven't heard you contradict me," Reynar said. "Jon Laurent took enough of the truth to twist you around his finger."

"So what are you going to do to us?" Ashford spat. He knew he could never reach Reynar. It was over.

"Take you into custody and give you fair trials," Reynar offered graciously.

"To the nine hells with you," Sophina growled.

"Just kill us now," Ashford said.

Reynar shook his head sadly. He turned toward Sanje. "Is this what you wish, too?"

Sanje said nothing. Reynar sighed and turned back toward Ashford. "You were my friend, Ashford. Why? Why do this?"

"To protect Astuari," Ashford said simply.

"And I'm not?" Reynar growled. "Have I ever, in our friendship, gave you any reason to doubt me?"

"I know you think what you're doing is right," Ashford said slowly. And it was true. He couldn't really blame Reynar. He had been tricked by a very devious Magi. "But you're wrong. We're not the ones who've been fooled."

"I guess we have to agree to disagree," Reynar said sadly.

"Are you ready to kill your last friend, Reynar? Was Christiana, Altus, and Braxus not enough? We sacrificed everything for you."

"They were necessary sacrifices," Reynar whispered, his eyes wide. He didn't sound very convinced.

Ashford could only shake his head sadly. "Kill me, Reynar, and the last shield protecting you dies with me."

"I don't need that protection anymore," Reynar replied.

"No...I guess not. Just like you didn't need four friends who would sacrifice their lives for you. I guess they meant nothing."

"They meant everything!" he roared. "Don't you see? I have to protect Astuari! I have to honor the sacrifices all of you made! I must see this through!"

Ashford knew what he had to do. It was almost as if Jon was here and was whispering in his ear.