Soul Relenter (Soul Saga #3) (40 page)

Even with Laura’s aid, Zyle couldn’t
overcome the immaculate soldier before him. The man engaged them both with ease and swung both his swords at their necks, missing by a mere inch. Laura felt her body weaken under the strength of his blows and she feared she might fail. She knew how exhausted Zyle was by the sweat dripping from his brow. The cut along his cheek dripped with blood.

Zyle’s sword
faltered when the bells started ringing in the room. He glanced to his left and saw the second soldier that Roxian had engaged with. He pulled the string in the corner of the room, ringing the bells high up into the keep. Zyle felt the blow to his body as he was hurled backward, and Laura screamed as the man twisted her arm and broke her elbow, leaving her arm dangling uselessly at her side. Laura grabbed her sword from the ground and engaged him with her other hand but he overpowered her again, shoving her back against the wall. Zyle tried to rise but he felt the boot press against his throat, suffocating him. Zyle heard the sound of footsteps approach and saw soldiers enter the room, carrying their blades at their sides. Their leader stopped and stared at the fallen Asquithians. Roxian was unconscious and Zyle was almost blue from the suffocation. The warrior finally released his hold on his throat and let him breathe. The commander stepped forward. “What happened here?”

The warrior placed his hand behind his back and met his gaze. “They were trying to break into the dining hall, Commander Shane.”

Shane nodded and turned to Zyle, who he assumed was their leader. He studied his features and noticed he looked different than most humans. His features were exaggerated and his skin pale. He looked fairer than most humans. The two women shared the same similarities. “Why were you trying to enter the forbidden room?”

Zyle met his gaze and said nothing.

Shane grabbed his blade and held it to his throat. Zyle didn’t move. “Don’t make me ask again.”

Laura watched the knife dig deeper into Zyle’s throat with every passing second. Zyle took the pain and said nothing, refusing to answer his question.
The blood dripped down his neck and into his armor. “Remove your knife and I will answer you,” she said quickly. She couldn’t let Zyle be killed—not this way. She knew Accacia needed her husband more than her aunt. Shane turned his gaze toward Laura and smiled at her. Zyle stared at him with a look of hate.

“Then speak,” the c
ommander demanded.

“We needed to retrieve the stones,
” she said. It was obvious they failed in their attempt and there was no point in lying. Perhaps if they answered his question, they would live long enough to figure out a new plan.

“Why did you feel the need
to do that?” he asked with a smile. “They don’t belong to you.”

“The k
ing needs to be stopped—surely you must see that. Help us kill him.” The commander stared at her for a moment with a stoic expression. “Please?” she begged.

“You intend to kill the Sole Sovereign of the Unified Continent—the most powerful man in existence?”

“Yes,” she said. “Help us. Be free of him.”

He smiled at her for a
moment. Then he grabbed her head and snapped her neck, killing her instantly. Zyle closed his eyes as he heard her neck snap. He forced the tears back, knowing any emotion could get him killed. The commander let her body fall to the floor. Her head was turned at an odd angle and her eyes were open. Zyle forced himself to stare straight ahead—that could have been him.

Shane rose to his feet. “Grab them,” he said as
he left the room. I’m sure the king will be interested in meeting these special guests.” Zyle was pulled to a stand by the warrior he had fought and shoved forward. The men grabbed Roxian’s unconscious form from the ground and one man threw her over his shoulder. The last soldier grabbed Laura’s body and carried her corpse in his arms. Zyle was pushed forward toward the grand staircase and they forced him to ascend the stairwell. He hoped Aleco had defeated the king but he doubted it—he knew they wouldn’t survive this. Zyle was thankful Accacia had remained behind—he didn’t want her to watch him die.

Aleutian Keep

35

Aleco walked into the room and closed the door, leaving it cracked slightly so the Chief could listen. He stepped further into the room and looked at the opposite side of the study. Drake was leaning back in his chair, drinking a glass of wine, while he stared into the flames of his hearth, his mind somewhere far away. The king didn’t look up at Aleco’s approach. He assumed Aleco was a servant.

Drake’s face was identical to his own. The blue
eyes were bright and clear, just as Aleco remembered them. Aleco hadn’t fought his twin since the night he broke into the palace almost two years ago. He had tried to kill Drake then but he lacked the will. He no longer had such a reservation. Drake was larger than he remembered him. His muscles were massive and covered his body, giving him a large size under the clothing of his uniform. Aleco knew he was proficient in the blade by his muscled girth. He had trained his body for any attack.

Aleco noticed Drake was covered
in armor. It was black and sleek, but contained shiny sparkles embedded in the metal, making it appear like stars in the night sky. Aleco was surprised he was dressed in battle garb. Perhaps he wasn’t as much of a coward as he thought. Aleco realized it was probably just a precaution. The king didn’t appear concerned with the battle on his grounds whatsoever, like it would be over in a few hours. His brother’s cockiness annoyed him.

The Nature Priest stepped farther into the room, approaching his bro
ther slowly. His anger increased the closer he got to him. He looked at his features in detail and couldn’t believe their astonishing similarities. They really were identical. Their hair was the same length and they had the same posture. They even had the same habits. Aleco spotted the three empty bottles of wine on his desk. It wasn’t brandy but it was poison just the same.

Drake finally turned toward
the man who had entered his study. He saw the cloaked man before him but he didn’t react to the intruder. He stared at Aleco for a moment, appraising the sword at his side and the bow across his back. “I stand corrected,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. He placed the glass on the desk. “You have even less sense than the Nature Priest before you. I hope the Naturalists of Orgoom Forest pick a better candidate this time around.” Drake didn’t move from his seat. Aleco walked further into the room and stopped a few feet away from the desk. He didn’t reach for his blade. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this man. “I will grant you some mercy. Turn around and walk out of this room, taking your pathetic army with you, and I will let you live.”

“Are you afraid to fight me yourself? Are you that pathetic that you need to send on
e your lackeys to attack a mere Nature Priest?”

Drake narrowed his eyes at Aleco and sat up in his chair. “I would be honored to kill you. I would be two for two.”

Aleco felt the anger course through his body at the insult. His uncle had only died because he let himself be killed. He unsheathed his blade and held it at his side. Drake stared at the blade, interested by the unique sword. “You are from the guild?”

“I
am
the guild.”

“What kind of holy Nature P
riest unites with a gang of thugs? That doesn’t sound very honorable.”

“I never said I was.”

Drake rose from his seat and stepped around the desk, coming closer to the Nature Priest. “What do you want from me?”

“I have
n’t made that clear?” Aleco asked. “Or are you too stupid to figure it out?”

Drake shook his head. “There is so much anger coming from you, a peaceful man. I can’t think of a single action I have taken against you.”

“Actually, there are many.” Aleco gripped his blade and prepared to strike. Drake caught his movements. “You have committed too many crimes against the citizens of the Continent and it ends—now. Just because you weren’t loved by anyone doesn’t mean you can force people to care for you.”

The k
ing stared at him and his eyes blazed in blue fire. “
What
did you just say?”

Aleco stepped back. “Your parents loved your brothe
r more than you. And then you fell in love with a woman that will only take you against her will. You will never be loved by anyone, Drake. You can’t force it.”

Drake took a step forward. The man was aware of things he shouldn’t be. The news of his imprisoned courtesan was reasonable but no
t his childhood past. He had never confided that to anyone. “Who are you?”

“Father Rhonian—or
did you forget my name already?”

“You are lying.”

“I’m a Nature Priest, you idiot—I can’t lie.”

Drake flinched in anger at the insult. He knew there was more to this man
than he was letting on. He was hiding something—and he was doing it without lying. Drake began to fear the man before him, an enemy he didn’t understand.

Aleco watched the unease creep into his face. It was like watching himself in a mirror. Aleco couldn’t believe Accacia had ever returned his love. How did
she separate the man before him from the man that she loved? Aleco felt the anger swell through his body as he recalled what Drake had done to her. He had ripped an unborn child from her wound, making her possibly barren, and he had beaten her senseless too many times. Drake had stolen her virginity from her. It was unforgivable. “Perhaps this will clear your confusion.” Aleco grabbed his hood and pulled it down, revealing his face to his twin brother.

Drake took an involuntary step back. His eyes were wide open and his lips broke apart, giving him an astonished appearance.
He stared at Aleco for several minutes, studying the features of his face. Everything about him was the same; it was his twin. “You were killed.”

“Obviously I wasn’t,” he snapped. “You have gotten dumber these past twenty years, Drake.”

“You were the man who snuck into the palace two years ago,” he said to himself. Drake felt himself connecting the pieces of the truth. “You tried to kill me but you lost your nerve, too scared to actually do it, and I stabbed you with the Kadnit Knife, impregnating you with deadly poison, but you managed to survive.”

“Well, at least you are improving.”

Drake smiled. “You lost the fight then. You will lose the fight now.”

“I doubt
it,” Aleco said. “My reasons for killing you have changed. And I didn’t falter because I was scared. I didn’t want to kill my brother. Despite your horrible crimes, I still cared for you, even though you tried to kill me, but no more. I want nothing more than to see you dead.”

“What have I done that’
s so terrible, Aleco?” He took a step toward Aleco, and Aleco stepped away, keeping him at the same distance. Drake didn’t draw his blade but he circled him like a hawk, preparing for the dive. His armor gleamed in the light of the hearth, highlighting the gems embedded in the armor. “Yes, I killed Mother and Father, but it wasn’t a loss. They deserved to be eliminated.” Aleco shook his head at his words. His twin was clearly a maniac. “But I have done nothing to
you
.”

“So, framing me for the death or our parents—is—dirt under the rug?”

“Well, I guess that was a little harsh,” he said with a laugh. “But you should be over it by now. It’s been twenty years, Aleco. You could have moved on and I never would have ever known of your existence. But you decided to come here with a pathetic army and challenge
me
—the greatest ruler on this earth.

“Actually, you
aren’t
the greatest ruler,” Aleco said.

“What
? You consider yourself to be? The powerful Nature Priest of a few trees and baby birds?” Drake shook his head and laughed loudly. “I’m sorry but the idea is ridiculous.”

“I wasn’t referring to me either.”

Drake’s voice turned serious. “There is no other.” He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to circle Aleco. “So, are you going to answer me? What have I done, Aleco? Being a king isn’t as easy as I make it look. I’ve made some hard decisions—you can’t make everyone happy.”

“I will never forgive you for what you did to Accacia.”

Drake stopped in the middle of his footing and froze. He didn’t know how Aleco knew who she was or that she existed. He turned to his twin brother and dropped his hands to his sides. He felt the blood pump through his veins at the mention of her name. She had been gone from his arms for more than a year and he still missed her. He still thought about her every day. Drake even remained celibate because he had been unable to move on. “And what did I do to her?”

“Don’t be stupid, Drake. You know exactly what you did.
You forced her to be your slave, raping her and beating her whenever you felt like it. I will never let your deeds go unpunished. You will pay, Drake.” Aleco felt the anger scorch the blood in his veins from the heat of his ferocity. Drake made Accacia suffer too many nightmares and had caused her too much pain. He would never forgive his brother for what he had done to the woman he loved.

“I loved Accacia,” he said. “I know that she loved me in return.”

Aleco shook his head. His brother was clearly insane, unable to interpret the emotions and feelings of those around him. “Then why did she escape the Prisoner’s Circle? Why did she run from you?”

Drake withdrew his black blade and held it at the ready. Drake had never been angrier than he was now. He could combine ever
y unbearable experience he had suffered and it wouldn’t equal the rage he felt now. Accacia’s absence was the most horrific experience he had ever lived through. Every day he searched for her but to no avail, and his blood screamed every day he was apart from her. She was everything to him. She was air and water in his life. Now he knew who was responsible for his anguish. “It was
you
.”

Aleco held his blade ready. He said nothing as his brother stared at him
. Drake had made the connection. He saw his brother shake in anger at the revelation. Aleco didn’t doubt Drake loved Accacia, as disgusting and perverse as his feelings were, but he knew how angry the news would make him. Aleco didn’t confirm or deny the accusation, choosing to let Drake decide.

“You are the one who kidnapped her.”

“No,” Aleco said as he shook his head. “I’m the rescuer—you’re the kidnapper.”

Drake stopped circling hi
m and spun his blade in his hand, grabbing the hilt with both palms. “Why?” he asked.

“She deserved to be free.”

Drake breathed through the anger. “You are the reason why she’s dead. If you hadn’t intervened, she would still be alive.”

Aleco had no idea wha
t his brother was talking about. Accacia was alive as far as he knew. And if she wasn’t, there was no way for him to know that. “What are you talking about, Drake?”

“You didn’t know?” he asked. Aleco didn’t respond to his question, treading carefully with his words. He couldn’t lie and he didn’t want Drake to know she was still living. “Father Giloth informed
me a year ago. She had died in his arms from winter’s bite. She froze to death.”

Aleco felt the guilt wash through
him at his brother’s words. Now he understood why Father Giloth had died. He had lied to protect Accacia, and as a result he lost his powers. Aleco yelled at his uncle, calling him a selfish coward, but the man had died so Accacia could be free forever. He felt his stomach rise into his throat. He would regret the last words he said to the man for as long as he lived.

“So, you can blame
yourself
for that, Aleco.” Drake edged closer to him, preparing to strike. “Now I will kill you for stealing what was mine.”

“She was never yours, Drake.”

“It didn’t seem that way when I was thrusting inside of her.”

“Held down against her will—that’s an ultimate fantasy,” he said sarcastically.

“You wouldn’t know,” Drake hissed. “You have no idea just how amazing it was.”

Aleco held his blade up, prepared for an oncoming attack. He knew his brother was going to strike. “Actually, I do. And I have to say it was a lot better when she was willing. She rid me like sh
e never wanted another man more, telling me how much she loved me. She whispered my name as I made love to her, begging me not stop.”

The vein in Drake’s forehead was bulging in anger. His body shook at Aleco’s words
, and his neck was tight from the grimace he made. His lips were closed tight and his eyes dimmed in their color, turning the color of his heart. He gripped the handle so tightly that he thought would break his fingers. Accacia was his and only his. The idea of her being with another man—especially willingly—sent him to the brink. She had betrayed him with his own twin—making the act he even more nauseating. Drake had taken the throne away from Aleco, but his brother had stolen something even more important—his girl. Drake aimed his sword at Aleco’s neck, striking to kill, but Aleco parried the blow and moved away. Drake lashed at him again but Aleco blocked the blade with ease. The king was lost in such a frenzy of rage that he was lashing out uncontrollably, not timing his blows the way he should. Aleco had wanted this reaction and was using it against him. Aleco moved away from the next blow and shoved his sword deep into this brother’s neck, severing his head from his body. The head rolled away with the eyelids open. Aleco hoped his plan had worked. If Drake wasn’t conscious to use the Soul Binders, then he wouldn’t be able to use them—or so he thought. His head slid back to his body and reattached itself to his shoulders, returning to exactly as he had been before. Drake blinked his eyes and rose to his feet, smiling as he brushed the blood from his palms. “Nice trick, isn’t it?”

Aleco felt his heart fall. H
e was certain his plan would work. He didn’t understand how the Soul Binders had healed him. The gems needed to be accessed before they were used. How was this possible? Aleco dodged the blow made at his head and rolled away, jumping to his feet to block the next attack.

“Now look who’
s the idiot?” Drake said with a laugh. “You continue to engage a man who cannot be killed? I am practically a god, Aleco. You will never defeat me.”

Aleco force
d his blade into Drake’s armpit, the area between the plates of armor that was susceptible to penetration. His blade pierced his back and Aleco pulled it back through his body. Drake stopped for a moment then continued on as if nothing happened. Aleco felt his heart race in his chest. How many Soul Binders did he have?”

“What?” Drake asked as he cut Aleco along the arm. “Were you expecting something different to happen?” Drake cut his blade through the air in a dance and landed on the same cut, piercing the skin even further. Aleco growled at the cut and pulled away. His concentration was waning. Fear began to overcome him. Drake dropped his k
nife to the floor and held his hands in the air. “Go ahead, Aleco. Pick a different spot. Let’s see what happens.”

Aleco stabbed him through the thigh. He didn’t do
it in the hope of killing him. He just wanted to cause his brother pain. He may be able to heal himself but he wasn’t immune to the suffering. After a moment, Drake carried on like nothing happened. Aleco felt his heart fall as the truth sunk into his skin. He was going to fail.

“I’m growing bored of this, brother,” Drake said as he stopped for a moment. “Let’s finish this.” Drake attacked him in full force and stabbed him through the opposite forearm, piercing the skin and muscle underneath. Aleco could still use the arm but barely. He switched his blade to his other hand and blocked the coming attack. Drake pressed him with his weight and Aleco flew backwards, landing on the marble floor. Aleco grew desperate and held up his hand, calling to the elemental power coursing through him. Drake was almost upon them when the ground shook like an earthquake, toppli
ng Drake to the floor, and the king slammed his head into the marble. His skull cracked and the blood oozed everywhere. Aleco got to his feet and heard the audible hum from Drake. He was back on his feet, just as whole as he was a moment before. Drake charged him and Aleco spun out of the way, but Drake was on him again and kicked him hard in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs. Aleco fell back again and he commanded the earth to move once more, but Drake didn’t fall under the force. He stopped for a moment and looked at his brother. “That’s impressive,” he said with a smile. “But pointless.” Drake cut him along the thigh, breaking through the armor and releasing a tide of blood. Aleco screamed in agony then rolled out of the way, forcing himself to his feet. “I see it in your eyes, Aleco. You know you will not succeed in killing me. You are hoping that I kill you quickly, release you into the void with ease, along with the others who the gods deem unworthy to be channeled to the afterlife.” Drake swung his blade into Aleco’s shoulder and he fell under the blow, falling to the floor. Aleco couldn’t move his right forearm or his left arm at all, both arms were paralyzed. His thigh was dripping from the bleeding cut and his head was throbbing from the collision with the tile. Drake walked over to Aleco and kneeled next to him. Aleco wanted to move but he couldn’t. His body was unresponsive. He felt the life leaving his body as the blood drained from his heart, making him weaker by the second. “You want me to kill you now?”

Aleco didn’t respond. He knew Drake was toying with him. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, big brother, but that isn’t going to happen. I would have made it a clean blow since we are family, but now that I know you bogged Accacia—my woman—I will make it my life’s purpose to cause you as much pain as possible.” Drake smiled at his brother but Aleco didn’t meet his gaze. Drake tapped him on the injured shoulder and Aleco cringed in pain. “This is going to be fun.”

Drake rose to his feet when he heard a knock on the door. Shane entered the doorway followed by the two guards posted outside the forbidden room. The soldiers escorted a man into the room and carried two women. Drake studied the prisoners for a moment and noticed their facial features. They weren’t human. Drake felt his heart beat in his chest. They were Asquithians. “What have we here?” he asked.

Aleco turned at his words and met Zyle’s gaze. They both sha
red the moment of fear together. The men knew the battle was over. They had lost. The soldier dropped Laura’s corpse to the marble floor, letting her body slam hard against the ground. Aleco closed his eyes in despair. Accacia had lost her aunt. Shane marched Zyle forward toward the king. Zyle stared at Drake with a look of surprise. He looked identical to Aleco. He couldn’t tell them apart if they were dressed the same. Drake studied his features. “You are Asquithian.”