Rise of Keitus (Kilenya Series, 4) Page 17

  No one answered, so Jacob took a step inside. Clothing and rotten food lay strewn across the mud floor. It smelled so strongly of sewage, he almost dry heaved.

  Someone wailed from the back of the house, and Jacob and the others followed the sound. A woman was huddled on the floor, bawling. Aloren rushed forward.

  “Rora!” Jacob said. “No, stop!”

  Aloren rolled her eyes and dropped to her knees by the woman, putting her arms around the lady’s frail shoulders.

  “What is it?” Aloren asked.

  “My . . . my husband!”

  Aloren looked up at Jacob. “What’s the name of the guy we’re searching for?”

  Jacob looked at the paper. “Liston.”

  The woman started. “Have you heard from him? Where is he?”

  Jacob shook his head. “No, we came to find him.”

  She fell forward, putting her face on the dirt floor. “Oh, Liston, my Liston.”

  Aloren rubbed the woman’s back. “Tell us what happened.”

  “He left to find food two days ago. He hasn’t come back.” She raised her head, her eyes filling with a fresh batch of tears. “The baby died an hour ago.”

  Jacob then noticed that the lady was holding a wad of fabric in her arms. He turned away, not wanting to see what was in it.

  “I’ve two other children. Why didn’t Liston focus on his family? Always so intent on helping that prince!”

  Aloren looked up at Jacob. “What do we do?”

  “We’ve got to find out what happened to him.” Jacob knelt in front of her. “Where did he go?”

  It took a while for her to respond. Her eyes glassed over for a moment and she rocked back and forth, holding the baby to her chest. “He left to find food,” she said. “In the fields. If that didn’t work, he was going to Gevkan.”

  “What does he look like?” Matt asked. “We want to help find him.”

  “Tall. Brown hair, brown eyes.”

  Jacob nodded. She’d just described pretty much every man in Troosinal. “What was he wearing?”

  “Always his green cloak with red patches. I tried to fix it best I could. He loved his cloak so much.”

  “Is there anything else that would help us recognize him?” Aloren asked.

  “A red spot on his neck—since his birth. About the size of a gold coin.”

  Gold coins in Troosinal were as big as nickels back home. That should be enough to go by. Jacob helped Aloren to her feet. “We’ll be back as soon as we find out what happened to your husband.”

  The woman thanked them—surprising Jacob—and they left her house. Jacob pulled out his map. “The fields are this way.” He pointed. “I’m guessing if we follow the main roads, we’ll get there.”

  They started walking, their pace faster now than earlier. The sun had set and the streets were clearing—not as many people to brush up against—but that made Jacob even more nervous. It meant the place was getting more dangerous.

  They’d been walking for twenty minutes when Aloren paused. “Dmitri said for us to return in a few hours. We can’t walk all the way to Gevkan to find this man—that’ll take forever. Jacob, how about you just Key—”

  “Not out here. And don’t bring it up in public—we have to be cautious. We really don’t know who we can trust or who will turn us over to the king. He’s too dangerous to mess around with, and we can’t afford to have any snags.”

  Matt sighed. “I just wish Dmitri and Kelson would trust us already. I mean, come on. It’s pretty obvious we aren’t spies.”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “Yes, obvious. A spy would never talk about these sorts of things out in the open.” He stopped and faced them. “Listen to me. You have to take this seriously, starting now. Otherwise I’ll take you home. No more talking about them in public—or anything else important—especially by name!”

  Aloren gave a half smile. “Okay, but Ja—Thojac, honestly. We can’t do anything that would majorly alter the outcome of events.”

  “I know, but we also can’t afford to jump back and forth between Mendon and Troosinal, which is what’ll happen if we do something wrong. And my heart can’t handle that or the constant pressure on it when we get close to making mistakes.”

  Matt grabbed Jacob’s arm and pointed. “Look.”

  A man was lying on the side of the street. He was partially covered in a green cloak with red patches.

  Aloren gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Liston.”

  “We have to verify.” Jacob approached, watching the man, hoping he wouldn’t suddenly jump up. A dried puddle of blood was on the ground around him, and he stank. “He’s dead.” Jacob leaned over and looked at the guy’s neck without touching him. “And there’s the red mark. It’s him.”

  “That’s awful!” Aloren said. “What do we tell his wife? How will she know we found him and we’re not lying?”

  Matt joined Jacob. “We can bring back the cloak.”

  Aloren snorted. “If you can get it off him without touching the blood.”

  Jacob noticed Aloren’s use of “you.” And he didn’t blame her—she shouldn’t have to do the gross work. Not while Jacob and Matt were around, at least.

  “No problem.” Matt got out his knife and crouched. He cut the strings around the man’s neck, freeing the cloak, which he then carefully lifted and inspected. “Wow. This stinks really bad. Like he’s never washed it.”

  “Probably hasn’t,” Jacob said.

  Matt rolled up the fabric so any dirty parts were inside. “Let’s go.”

  Jacob pulled the map out of his pocket, wanting to make sure he knew the fastest way back to the woman’s house. While he was studying it, however, an inkling of a feeling entered his gut, telling him to take the long way. He frowned. The long way? That sounded like a stupid idea. It would force them to remain in the dangerous area longer than he’d like to be there.

  He put away the feeling and the map, leading Matt and Aloren back the way they’d come. The most important thing was to complete their task and get back to Dmitri and Kelson as soon as possible. Too much time had already passed.

  A brief sensation of guilt crossed him, however, as he walked down the road. Was that feeling a warning? And how could he know for sure?

  The last time he’d ignored an impression had been when he and Matt went to Maivoryl City to rescue Aloren. And the outcome of that decision? They’d been attacked by men far more advanced and skilled, Matt had ended up with a broken leg, and Jacob with severe burns. Not only that, but they were not successful in getting Aloren.

  Jacob had learned a lot from that experience. But this was different—last time, he’d been told not to do something like that. He was pretty sure his instructions now would be to hurry, take the fastest route, and avoid the smaller streets. But how would he know? Was he being paranoid? And for that matter, should he follow every “bad” feeling he got, even if it was just fear speaking? Or would that turn him into a superstitious, jumpy person who freaked out at everything?

  Jacob shook his head at himself. He was arguing in circles. The best thing he could do was to make a decision and stick to it. And he’d already decided to continue onward.

  But the feeling of dread didn’t leave.

  Suddenly, Matt grabbed his arm. “Look,” he whispered, pointing.

  Up ahead, several men on horseback were heading their way. The people on the streets started moaning and murmuring, lowering their heads, gathering in the middle of the road.

  The feeling of warning hit Jacob once more. It wasn’t nearly as strong—almost like an afterthought—but it was there nonetheless.

  Realizing it might be too late to obey, Jacob threw aside his earlier confusion and decided to act like it had been a true warning. He pulled Matt and Aloren to the side of the road.

  “What’s going on?” Aloren asked.

  Jacob shushed her, entering an alley as the horsemen, dressed in the uniforms of the castle, neared. Jacob’s heart beat hard in his chest—
he was surprised the others didn’t hear it. The first door he tried opened and he stepped inside, dragging Matt and Aloren with him.

  He put his finger to his lips and waved at them to follow. It was darker inside, but he was still able to see that they’d entered some sort of butcher’s shop. The overwhelming smell of decaying meat flooded his senses, and he pulled his shirt up over his nose.

  Matt quickly figured things out. “Let’s go to the second floor.”

  Jacob nodded and the three of them tip-toed up the staircase near the door, entering a room at the top.

  A soft gasp welcomed them.

  “Get down!” a man said from a corner near a window. “They’ll see you.”

  Jacob and his friends dropped to their hands and knees.

  A woman shrank at the man’s side, staring at Jacob and his friends. The yellow in the air around her was bright—she was very afraid.

  “What are the soldiers doing?” Jacob asked.

  “Making their usual rounds. Searching for ‘volunteers.’”

  Jacob scurried across the floor, joining the man at the window. He peeked over the sill. “They do this often?”

  The man stared at Jacob for a moment. “Not from around here?”

  Jacob shook his head.

  “Every couple of weeks, they come by. If you resist, they kill you.” He gazed down at the soldiers. “Be quiet. It’s about to begin.”

  Jacob didn’t have to wait long to understand what the man meant. The soldiers watched as a cart pulled by horses neared, then they turned to one of the men who obviously was in charge. This man called out, “Citizens, come forth.”

  The people huddled together, only approaching by a couple of feet. The captain didn’t seem to notice their lack of enthusiasm. He pulled out and unrolled a piece of parchment, then started reading.

  “By order of the king, eight volunteers will be needed for his services this evening. First, four people between the ages of twelve and eighteen—”

  Jacob met eyes with Aloren and Matt, grateful they were upstairs and that he’d heeded the warning.

  “Next, an adult woman. Third, an infant, not older than six months. Last, two adult men. No more, no less. We’ll allow you two minutes to decide who shall volunteer.”

  The people began murmuring again, and Jacob watched with disgusted interest to see how it all would pan out. Arguments started and shouts echoed between the wooden buildings. Jacob couldn’t hear anything that was said, but it was obvious people were volunteering each other.

  Then the soldiers got tired of waiting. Still on horseback, they entered the throng, swords out, hitting people with the flat side of their blades. Jacob winced when the captain hit a woman who held an infant. She dropped to the ground, and he yelled at another villager to pick up and give him the baby.

  So horrible! Jacob was about to turn away when the butcher jumped to the window.

  “Hello?” he called to the people below. “I’ve got three teenagers here with me. Come get them—they volunteer.”

  Four soldiers who’d paused underneath the window looked up and leered at Jacob, then rushed around the corner, disappearing from sight.

  Jacob jumped to his feet. “What are you doing?”

  The man shrugged, the colors in the air around him showing indifference but also relief. “You fit their requirements. I’m just glad it’s not me and my wife.”

  Jacob and Matt sprang into action. Matt attacked the guy, and Jacob started searching for a hiding place or a way out that wasn’t the same as the way in.

  But loud boots stomped up the stairs, and the four soldiers rushed into the room. One of the soldiers grinned. “Wonderful. King Ramantus will be pleased.” He pointed to Matt and Jacob. “Get them. I’ll take the girl.”

  They dashed forward and Jacob crouched, prepared to fight. The soldiers were too fast and too well trained, however. Before he had the chance to take in a breath, he’d been hit upside the head, flipped around, and his hands tied together. Aloren screamed and kicked, Matt pummeled the soldier who’d grabbed him. But it didn’t do anything—these men were strong and experienced.

  That didn’t keep Jacob from trying. He struggled against the rope around his wrists, dragged his feet when the soldier pulled him down the stairs, and squirmed as much as he could.

  The evening sky greeted him as he was yanked out of the building. The street was in chaos—families of those being hauled off screamed and pleaded at the feet of the soldiers. Jacob closed his eyes and turned away when he saw the soldiers start raising the blades of their swords against the people who protested.

  “Sir, three teenagers here,” the lead soldier said to the captain. “Shall we throw them in the cart?”

  The captain barely glanced at the soldier as he cleaned his blade. “We’ve got enough—leave them for next time.”

  “But sir, they’re teenagers.”

  The captain pointed his sword at the cart. “The king’s requirements have already been filled. Let’s go.”

  The soldier released his hold, and Jacob scrambled to get his knees under himself before his face hit the dirt. Matt and Aloren were also released. Moments later, the king’s men surrounded the cart and rode away.

  Matt crawled to Jacob. “Turn around. I’ll untie you.”

  It took a couple of minutes, but the rope fell off and Jacob quickly undid Matt and Aloren’s knots. They got to their feet, surveying the damage around them.

  Bodies were strewn along the street. Some started moving, but others remained motionless. The wailing and sobbing continued as villagers tried to wake the ones who were probably dead.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Matt said.

  Jacob nodded and they left, heading the same way as the soldiers but maintaining a safe distance.

  That had been way too close. He couldn’t help but feel grateful, however, that what he’d sensed earlier was a true premonition. Of course, if he’d obeyed it right away, they would have avoided the scene altogether. But at least he’d done something right in taking Aloren and Matt into the building. He was positive that if they’d remained on the street, they would’ve been volunteered first.

  That would have definitely gotten him inside the castle, but not in the way he’d planned.

  By the time they arrived at the woman’s house, the last shades of purple and red had streaked across the sky, ushering in the night.

  Matt strode to the back room. The woman was there, in the same position as before. He crouched in front of her, holding out the cloak. “Is this Liston’s? He hadn’t gone very far.”

  She looked up at him, then at the offered fabric and took it, unfolding it. Her face crumpled, and she buried it in the cloak and sobbed.

  Aloren joined Matt. “I’m really sorry.”

  Matt stood and Jacob met eyes with him. How would they help her? Should they? What could they control, and would it ruin something to try?

  Jacob felt callous even thinking it, but their mission wasn’t to relieve the suffering of the poor. It was to get into the castle to work under Keitus. The long-term objective of preventing the suffering of millions was the most important thing.

  “We need to head back now,” Jacob said.

  The others agreed.

  Aloren patted the woman’s shoulder. “We’ll send someone to help if we can.”

  The woman grabbed Aloren’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  The three left and walked in silence back to Horse. Jacob sneaked sidelong glances at Aloren. She held her hand slightly away from her body, like it was contaminated, and he didn’t blame her. But the expression on her face wasn’t one of disgust. It was pensive, and if it weren’t for the colors of her emotions, he wouldn’t know what she was thinking at all. She was close to tears—the deep and light blues around her, signifying depression and sorrow, showed that much.

  They arrived at the royal guy’s house and sat on the front steps to wait. Jacob and the others didn’t say anything until Dmitri
and Kelson showed up a few minutes later.

  Dmitri strode up to Jacob, pulled him to his feet, and shook his hand. “Welcome to the group.”

  Jacob frowned. “But we didn’t even tell you what we learned.”

  Dmitri laughed, and Jacob started at the sound. Weird. His dad’s laugh in a much-younger version of his dad’s body.

  “We followed you, of course. All the way. Listened to everything you said.” The smile left his face and he met eyes with each of the teenagers in turn. “I’m sorry you had to witness my father’s brutality. But at least you understand the danger these people are in.” He ran his hands through his hair. “And I hate to be offensive, but you’re very naïve and incredibly inexperienced. Not only that, but you need to learn to be more quiet.”

  He looked at Matt and Aloren. “Thojac might be younger, but you must listen to him. He knows what he’s talking about. Don’t mention names of people in the group—code or real—outside of meetings. Don’t even talk about meetings unless you absolutely must.”

  Aloren and Matt looked at their feet, the colors for embarrassment flowing around them.

  Kelson jumped forward, shaking their hands. “But welcome, anyway! We’re excited to have three new people in the group. Things have been pretty quiet lately—too many leaving. Death, arrest, betrayals, all of that.”

  Dmitri handed Jacob a sheet of paper. “The next meeting will be held here the day after tomorrow in the evening.” He stepped away, putting his arms behind his back. “You still want to get into the castle?”

  Jacob nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’ll figure something out. It shouldn’t be difficult, since you’re definitely not the first to infiltrate. What area did you wish to be in?”

  “I want to work directly under the king, if possible.”

  Dmitri raised an eyebrow. “That’ll be hard to arrange, but I’ll see what I can do. Even being prince has limitations when dealing with my father. But I’ll let you know what I figure out when you come to the next meeting.” He looked at the other two. “Now then. Kelson and I are willing to train you.” He pointed at Matt. “Ondel, is it? We’ll start with you. First thing in the morning, I’ll show you around Troosinal. If you’re going to work with us, you’ll need to be more educated.” He smiled at Matt’s shocked expression. “Don’t worry—I do this all the time with the new members. Just to help them figure things out.”