Island Shifters: Book 02 - An Oath of the Mage (26 page)

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16

A Colorful Revelation

Davad Etin raced along the passageway of the servant quarters frantic to find a place to hide, but every door was locked. Up ahead, he spotted one room with the door ajar, sprinted toward it and darted inside, but found the room filled with servants huddled together waiting out the battle for the city. The terrified faces peered up at him in shock, and he backed out hurriedly.

The sounds of combat drifted through the palace corridors, intensifying his panic. Finally, he found the last door in the corridor unlocked and quickly entered the small room. It was empty. He slammed the door closed behind him and threw the bolt.

Leaning back against the door, he clenched his fists. “Shut up!”

The voices would not stop! There were too many now and all talking at once! Pushing away from the door, he flung himself down on the narrow bed in the room and began to hum.

When had everything gone so wrong? One moment he was preparing to be crowned King of Iserlohn and the next, he was…planning a wedding?

Yes, the wedding was Ava’s idea and this is all her fault,
one voice whispered insidiously.

Davad pounded his fist into his palm. That was his way out! He could blame this whole disaster on that cow, Ava Conry!

Now, you are thinking.

He stood and began to pace, still humming.

Yes, lay everything at Ava’s feet, and the King will forgive you,
another voice encouraged.

He may even bestow a medal on you for thwarting her plans.

Do not forget Abram Winslow,
one reminded.

True. Maximus no longer trusts his old friend.

These troublesome voices were finally talking sense. Maximus was a fair and compassionate King. Despite Davad’s crimes, if he played his cards right, he would be shown mercy, he was sure of it.

A soft knock on the door startled him and he let out a small scream. He looked around quickly for a window or door to escape through, but there was nothing.

“Mr. Black,” called a sharp, urgent voice from the other side. “Open the door. It’s me.”

Mr. Black?

Yes, that is you. Open the door to your ally,
one of the voices ordered sternly.

The voice was right. Davad recognized now who it must be and sighed in relief. He hurried to the door and threw the bolt back. The tall man standing outside slipped in furtively and shut the door quietly behind him.

“Thank goodness you are here, Mr. Red.”

“What in the bloody hell happened, Black?” the man demanded.

Davad shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t know. Somehow, Gregaros must have taken the gates.”

Mr. Red shook his head. “No, Gregaros was never anywhere near the city, you fool. He was too busy engaging your army out on the battlefield. Mr. Blue was killed.”

Davad’s panic returned, and he reached around Mr. Red to open the door. “I don’t want to die! I am just going to have to throw myself on the mercy of the Court.”

Mr. Red grabbed his wrist in a steel grip. “You will do no such thing.”

“Ouch! You’re hurting me. Stop!” The man kept his arm lifted high, walked him back to the bed, and forced him to sit down.

Davad rubbed at his wrist, and a bit of his fiery spirit resurfaced. “Lay a hand on me again, and I will kill you, Red.” One look at the man’s face, however, made him back down quickly. “If you are so smart, what do you suggest?”

The man ran his hand through his hair in an agitated manner. “You really have screwed everything up, Mr. Black.”

“It is not too late, Red! We have thousands of soldiers in the city.”

“No, I am afraid that part of our plan is over. But, there is still a personal score that I must settle with the royal family.”

“What are you talking about? We still have a chance! Your presence here has convinced me of that!”

“Look at me,” Mr. Red commanded forcefully.

Davad lifted his eyes to the man’s gaze.

“You are a liability, Mr. Black.”

No!

Davad nodded his head and stood. “Yes, I am a liability.”

This man is dangerous! Turn away!

“You must die.”

No! He will kill us all! Turn away!

“Yes, I must die.”

Face slack, Davad Etin unsheathed the dagger with the eagle tip that he always wore at his hip. Taking the hilt in both hands, he held the dagger outstretched in front of him. At a small nod by Mr. Red and without the slightest hesitation, he thrust the weapon forward and buried it into his chest, silencing the voices forever.

Kiernan and Kirby crept along the servant quarters in their hunt for Davad Etin. As of yet, there had been no sign of the spineless Lord.

Every door they checked in the silent corridor was locked.

“Your Grace!” whispered Kirby, and pointed to the last door on the right with his head. Kiernan rushed to his side and he twisted the knob to the door and charged inside, naked sword in hand. Kiernan stepped in after him.

She could not believe her eyes.

“Roman Traynor! What are you doing here? Is Beck with you?” she asked, hope flaring to life within her like a beacon.

Beck’s personal guard dropped to his knee and shook his head regretfully. “No, Your Grace. I stayed in Kondor for several days, but there was no word about Beck or Airron Falewir in that time. I thought I could be of more help here than sitting around in a Dwarven castle.”

Kiernan wanted to lash out at the Saber. Not because his actions were incorrect, but because the sight of Roman without Beck seemed to presage a permanent separation. As long as Roman was away searching for his charge, there was a chance. When Beck’s friend and protector had given up, what was left for Kiernan to hang on to?

“Please rise.”

“The good news is, Davad Etin is dead.” Roman stepped aside and revealed the Lord’s corpse on the floor, an eagle-tipped dagger protruding from his chest.

Kiernan bent down next to the body. It was hard to believe that the handsome Lord she had known all her life and who had shown so much promise at one time was dead. Although, Roman may have yielded the weapon, the man’s own greed and apparent mental illness had been his true killer. It was just unfortunate that so many innocent people had been sacrificed along the way.

She stood and turned back to the two men.

“When did you get here?” Kirby asked Roman. “I saw you briefly in Bardot before we left for Nysa, but did not get a chance to bring you in on our plans.”

Before Roman could answer, the clamor of a violent skirmish sounded outside of the room. The two men raced out, and Kiernan unsheathed her sword and followed.

At the end of the passageway, three legionnaires stepped into their path, a dead Scarlet Saber at their feet.

All three were Badgers of House Conry.

Two of the soldiers rushed Roman and Kirby, and the third swung his blade in a one-handed downward stroke at her head.

Lifting her sword, she just managed to block the strike and turn it aside, the impact of the blades vibrating painfully through her hand. The man was much stronger than she was, but his overconfidence made his moves easy to read. Pivoting on the ball of her right foot, she ducked underneath his second blow and swung her blade in a full circle before making a slashing cut to the man’s stomach.

It was a lethal wound, so she ignored him and turned to Kirby and Roman, both of whom were engaging their opponents.

From the opposite direction and coming through the outer door to the royal gardens, another Badger appeared, and Kiernan ran at him with a scream. As his blade flashed toward her, she jumped to the floor in a slide and passed between the man’s legs with her sword in the air, slicing him from sternum to groin.

The soldier went down, but the act caused a shooting stab of pain to arc wildly throughout her abdomen. She dropped her sword and curled into a ball, groaning in pain and realizing that if another legionnaire appeared now, she would be dead. In a haze of agony, she continued to hear the clash of swords and then all fell silent.

“Pick her up,” she heard a voice order.

She felt two people lift her from the ground and begin carrying her down the corridor and up the back stairs. At this point, she did not care who it was. Her pain-clouded mind left little room for thought.

At the top of the stairs, her carriers pushed through the door to the main level of the palace. She heard Roman Traynor curse and lifted her eyes. The corridors were swarming now with soldiers, both allied and enemy.

Roman—and, who could only have been Kirby—ran with her between the fighting men. Behind, she heard a woman’s voice shout out. “What is going on? Where are you taking her?”

It was Miss Belle.

Ignoring the woman, Roman yelled out, “There!” and pointed with his chin to the open doors to Grace Hall. The Saber directed their movements into the vast room and as soon as they were inside, let go of her arm and she slumped the ground with Kirby still holding on to the other.

Roman ran back to the door and tried to slam it shut on Miss Belle, but the woman used her bulk to barrel inside.

“I will ask for the last time, what is going on here?” She looked in shock at Kiernan on the ground writhing in pain. “Do you realize this child is about to give birth?”

Roman grunted and shut the door. He turned toward Kirby. “There is no lock for this room. Barricade it as best you can. Use chairs, tables, whatever is available on hand.”

Kirby nodded and immediately started to drag chairs stacked neatly along one wall across the marble floor to the doors.

“Are you all right, child?” Miss Belle asked her, dropping next to her with a grace that belied her size.

Kiernan’s contraction subsided, and she could finally breathe enough to talk. “It is time, Miss Belle. Dear Highworld, I did not want this to happen now.”

Miss Belle stood again and rushed to grab a linen from one the dinner tables spread throughout the hall. Returning, she lifted Kiernan from underneath her arms and helped her onto the white tablecloth. “Nothing to be helped for it now, child, but I will not leave your side until this baby is delivered safe and sound. I promise you that!” She threw an angry glower over her shoulder at Roman. “I thought he was in Kondor.”

“He was, but…” Suddenly, a blatant impossibility surfaced in Kiernan’s mind. If Roman stayed in Kondor for several days before leaving, how could he have been in Bardot two days ago? Even if he left straight away, he could not have been able to travel that distance on horseback in the time she had last seen him in Deepstone. Even in her current state, she was able to arrive at an undeniable certainty.

Roman Traynor traveled through Aquataine to get to Bardot. And, the only way that was possible was if Roman Traynor was a shifter.

She sat up and turned to face the Saber. He had heard Miss Belle’s question and the sneer on his dark face confirmed her suspicions. She managed to clamp her mind shut, just as she felt the first mental probe of his mindshifting.

“Kirby! Watch out.”