Missing Royal (16 page)

Fuentes simply nods.

“You’re okay with that?” I’m kind of surprised, but perhaps that’s because I just expected a different reaction.

“Your journey will lead you many dangerous places. It is not my duty to tell you things you already know, Princess.”

I like this dragon.

“We need to go tonight,” I add.

“Then tonight we shall go.”

Sneaking out of the castle was the easiest part. Climbing onto Fuentes’ back? That was more of a task. But riding while he flies above the clouds in the dead of night is the worst. I’m so cold, I’m beginning to grow numb.

The wind rushing over me spikes my goose bumps. The hair at the back of my neck stands on end. The only comforting thing about riding on Fuentes’ back rather than riding Star is that he’s warm enough to keep me from freezing to death. I try to look ahead.

With the wind in my face, I can’t see much. But it isn’t long before Fuentes descends and lands in the only opening in sight in the forest below us.

I slide down from his back the minute I can and walk to the end of the forest. At the edge of the valley, the life ends. From that point to the middle of the valley where a large castle sits, the trees are black—black with a copper tint. It’s the strangest-looking forest I’ve ever seen. This is, no doubt, Mendina’s lair. The place where she has done the most damage.

Fuentes speaks to me with his mind.
“Do not go further. Return to the cover of the trees.”
I do as he says.

“
From here, you must walk. I will only approach the castle when I see that you are safely inside.”
This is not going to be fun.

I turn away from our destination and toward Fuentes. “See you in a little while, I guess. Wish me luck.” I’m unable to keep my voice from shaking.

“Shanice, you do not need luck. You
are
luck. I will see you soon, Princess.”

I know that if I reply or go closer to Fuentes, I will break down and never go farther.

On my heel, I turn and begin walking a lonely walk.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
I count each step. I stop, having taken my last one on ground that is not tainted.
Deep breaths. Heart steady. Clear mind, clear sight. Walk.
One step, and I feel it. Feel her. The very ground is tainted by her hate. It is her hate that has eaten every living thing here and turned it as black as her heart. The trees, the grass, the flowers, everything a reflection of her anger.

The path is dark and lonely. The sun cannot shine where I walk. I try so hard not to touch or brush up against anything but in the dense forest of darkness, it is inevitable.

Many thousands of steps later, I stand just within the tree line, watching, waiting for any sign of life. Speranza was very clear in her instructions.
Arrive before the sun sets. Do not go beyond the forest until the sun sets the sky on fire. Before stepping upon the grounds, make sure there is no sign of life, no guards or gardeners around to see you. Do not speak to anyone—do not make a scene. Walk in, go left and down the stairs. Find the dungeons and rescue Kajetan.

Go beyond the dungeon to the lower level hidden by light. Find the third door, walk in, and find Krea and Speranza. Take Kajetan and leave immediately.
The hardest part of her instructions sticks out painfully.
Do not argue with me when you arrive. Get in, find him, and get out as fast as you can. I cannot leave yet, nor can Krea. Not until our dear princess witch has been defeated. If you wish for us to be free, do that.
How can I be there, able to help, but she won’t allow it? If she leaves, Mendina cannot touch her.

The paths are clear. The door leading inside is right in front of me. I painfully wait for the sun to begin setting, therefore setting the sky on fire.

The moment the sun begins to rise, the light hits just right and I know it’s time.

The door creaks when I open it. It’s obvious that not many rooms are used in this mansion. The kitchen is abandoned, which makes me wonder if Mendina eats. Even if she doesn’t, what do her prisoners eat?

The halls are black. No sconces in the walls. No fires lit. Cold, damp, and dark, the whole place has a very unwelcoming feel to it. I haven’t been inside for a full ten minutes and my senses are begging, pleading with me to leave.
I wish I could.
But I continue on, following Speranza’s directions perfectly. For being a dragon locked up in the lowest level of the castle, she sure knows her way around. I wonder if Krea has helped her.

I try to think of anything except where I’m at and all the creatures that could be eying me right now. That thought makes me shiver, and I walk a little faster.

Mendina’s heart is as black as hate. I’m beginning to believe she doesn’t know any other colors because everything inside is the same. Black, black, black. That’s not what’s important right now.
Focus
. I chide myself and continue.

I reach the door I’m looking for and pull the handle. As I do, the door is pushed from the other side. I nearly jump out of my skin as a young woman comes forward. We both scream, just staring at each other.

“Who are you?” She asks. I myself take a minute, getting my heartbeat to a safe level. Now I’m at a loss for words. I was never told what to do if caught by someone other than Mendina.

“Who are
you
?” I counter, stalling.

“Amara. Now tell me what you’re doing here.” She folds her arms and stares at me. I clear my throat.

“Are you happy here?” I’m out of time.

“Excuse me? You don’t belong here, do you?”

No point in lying now. “Not exactly.”

The woman looks at me, her eyes wide with panic.

“You’re her, aren’t you? You’re here to kill he-” She is stopped mid-sentence by the pole in my hands coming in contact with her skull. I can’t let her get me caught.

“I’m sorry but it had to be done.” I step over her unconscious body and shake, realizing I just physically harmed another human being. Not something I ever want to do again. A shiver runs up my spine. I look around to make sure nobody was around to see or hear all of that before slipping behind the door and down the stairs.

It’s even darker down here. I rush down the steps until I hit the bottom. Here it’s is a bit lighter but not much. I find the door I’m looking for and open it.

Lying in a pile of blood and rags is a man. He looks very much like Javiar with his short-cropped hair, though this man is dirty from lying in the mess around him. I rush to his side and check for breathing and a heartbeat. He is alive, if only barely. There is a plate of food on it sitting next to him. It must have been brought by that woman. I stick my finger in the cup next to the plate and lick it.
Water. Tastes fine.
I pour some into the man’s mouth.

He gasps and sputters. Then his eyes open. “Who are you?” he asks, his voice raspy, putting his hand over mine.

“It doesn’t matter. We need to get you out of here. Can you walk?” I whisper, terrified someone else will find me. Will find him. He’s already been through enough. This man is in horrible condition, and I can only imagine what horrors he has lived through.

A screeching noise, following by loud bangs and shouting, alert me that Fuentes has arrived, successfully providing a distraction.

“I do not know that I am worth your time. There is nothing in this world left for me. Go, get out of here before you are stuck here forever, because I promise you, this is not a life worth having.” He leans on one elbow, grasping my hand in his.

“Your Majesty, I assure you, there are things worth living for. You have a wife waiting for you, and I promised her I would make sure you got there.” I bend down so I am eye level with him. Tears spring in his eyes. He sits up completely now.

“It has been many, many years since someone has called me ‘Your Majesty’. Who are you?” I can see him as king, sitting in regal clothing with a crown upon his head.

“I am a simple girl who made a promise. Now please, while we have the chance, come with me. I came to save you, and I’m not leaving without you.” I bring my face closer to his. “Your daughter is here as well. We’re going to rescue her too. Please, come with me.” I did not expect to cry. But tears come.

“And my son?” he asks.

“He is a hero. And my friend. And waiting with his mother for you to return home.” I know I shouldn’t lie. Javiar isn’t waiting. If he is waiting, it is for me. But I cannot tell his father that at the moment.

“Thank you.” Kajetan pulls himself to his feet and stands a head taller than me. “Tell me what to do.” He says it with all the power he can muster, which isn’t much. But it is enough.

“Follow me. We are short on time, and I must save Krea before we leave. I at least have to try.” I run now, down the halls and through the dungeon. This must have once been a very small kingdom. The dungeon is tiny. There are only a few cells before I reach the end.

A dead end, I realize. I look around and begin feeling the wall.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to find the door hidden by light,” I answer, standing back and looking. There is nothing. No door, no light, no signs.

“This way.” He grabs my hand and pulls me into one of the cells, the only one with a window. I look at the wall opposite of the window and begin feeling it. Hidden where only one who knows about it would find it is a small knob. I twist it but nothing happens. I pull it with the same result. Sliding it doesn’t work either.

“Do you know how to open it?” I stand back, frustrated. We’re running out of time, and we never had a lot of that. Beside the window, the shrieking, screaming, and battling is louder. I don’t dare look out there, afraid of what I might see.

“You must block all the light.” He stands in front of the window, blocking the light from touching the door. I barely touch the handle before the door opens with a loud pop.

Another set of stairs. I begin working my way down them, Kajetan close behind. The scene is eerily similar. And so is the room the stairs lead to—almost an exact replica of the pool room back home.

“My dear child, you have come.” I look toward the end of the room. There lays the most beautiful dragon.

“Speranza!” I rush toward her. She stands to her full height and smiles at me.

“Thank you for coming. I see you have more than one dragon on your side.” She smiles wider. The noise of the battle outside echoes throughout the room.

“They come in handy.” I smile back.

“Now you need to leave,” Speranza says to me before turning away.

“I cannot leave you here,” I say, mustering up all my sympathy when all I really want to do is grab her wing and drag her out of here before we are all caught. Tears pour down my cheeks.

“I promise, you are already saving me. Now please, go without me before the witch hears you.”

Our time is lost. I can hear the angry screeches of the princess who wants me dead. Mendina knows I’m here. Just when I fear all hope was lost, the wall to my right begins to shake. Fuentes breaks through, only moving enough bricks for us to escape.

His eye fills the hole as he looks in to make sure the plan hasn’t changed.

Fuentes looks at me, and then at Speranza. This is why he offered to come—he was looking for her. I wonder if Speranza and Fuentes are related.

But I don’t have time to dwell on it. I grab Kajetan’s hand and run over the rubble straight to Fuentes, who doesn’t take the time for us to climb on his back. He scoops each of us up in his claws and takes flight.

Above the black forest, and back where we parted ways, Fuentes sets us down. We don’t stop long enough for food or rest. I climb onto his back, and Kajetan follows me. Once we’re both holding on to the dragon’s scales, he takes flight once more.

I questioned for a long while whether or not to take Kajetan to Umare. But in the end, it has to be Garverdale. There will be too many questions if I take him home. So I take him to
his
home.