Legend of the Touched (30 page)

Jason was tired. It was getting later into the
evening, and normally he would be crawling into his bed and
sleeping before the earliest hours of the morning. A lot needed to
be done though, and a lot rested on his shoulders. He had to do the
right thing, and soon there would be no going back.

At around eight in the evening, Gwen had returned to
their suite with a letter from Navi. In it were several
instructions of things he had to do, but would rather not.

J,

I will try to keep this short for you. What I'm
about to ask is a lot, I know, but after tonight the gears will be
in motion with or without your help. There are two things I need of
you. The first is to free the Oceina prisoners. They're in the
dungeon, but I'm sure you already know that. Your brother is
staying behind. This can be an advantage and a disadvantage
depending on how you want to look on it. The second thing I need
for you to do is help Chris get inside of the castle again. The
back corner entrance near the pool is where I told him to come in
from at midnight. The Royal Guard is weakest there. I've tasked
Gwen with getting the horses for our escape. We'll be able to get
farther on hoof than by car. How many she gets is up to you.
Whether you want to leave with us or not is your choice. Perhaps we
won't even make it out alive, but I would rather die trying than
live here and watch your father's plan unfold. I'm through with
being his prize. Should you choose not to help, I'll understand as
well. I know how you feel about violence. Don't worry about your
father. I'll be taking care of him.

-N

"I'm sure you've made up your mind what you want to
do," Jason said quietly as he read over the letter several times.
Gwen shrugged, and he didn't press the matter further. He knew what
she wanted to do. He wanted to help just as much. The plan was
dangerous, but he couldn't keep pretending to be on a side he
didn't believe in. Straddling the fence wasn't going to work
either. He had to choose, and as much as it scared him to die for
it, the right thing was to free the captives and get out of Inero
and find the other Touched. That was his new quest.

And so it was settled. Three hours later, he prepared
to leave the safety of his room to go on the most dangerous mission
of his life. He adjusted the Royal Guard uniform that he wore,
making sure it was without wrinkle and perfect. Then he went about
fixing his hair. Good thing Gwen was handy with scissors because
without her help, he would not have been able to trim his dark hair
to the exact same style his brother wore. He stared at his
reflection in the mirror, impressed with her work.

"I don't know if this will work," he said at last,
keeping his voice low. No one may have been watching then. The last
thing he wanted to do though was tip anyone off.

Gwen squeezed his shoulders. "You two are identical.
It will work. If I didn't do it myself, I wouldn't recognize you. I
bet Kat wouldn't either. The only two I'd worry about are your
father and brother. I was told Kat was wanting to sequester her
husband."

"And I was told my father would not be a problem." He
didn't know what Navi was planning. In fact, he was pretty sure
she'd gone insane. Whatever it was, he hoped it worked.

Jason swallowed back bile rising from his stomach. "I
might be sick."

"If you need to, do it soon. I won't think any less
of you, but try not to worry so much. I believe we're being watched
over. Mother always told me God looks after those who are worthy of
it. You know what's happening isn't part of the big plan."

"But getting away on horses?"

"I'm skeptical too, but I'm confident in a
miracle."

I have to believe too.
He took in a deep
breath and then let it out, settling his stomach. "I
will
see you again soon. I love you." She kissed his lips, a slow and
lingering moment, before she nodded and stepped away to change as
well. She didn't say the words back, but she didn't need to. He
knew how she felt, and he could smell the salt of her tears. Saying
anything would cause her to cry. They both had to be strong.

Instead of sticking around to make things more
complicated, he went to the dungeon. There were the usual guards
there, and his disguise must have worked because they all saluted
him as he passed. Without error, he was able to return it with just
the same amount of confidence as his brother, making sure to move
quickly so no one thought to take a whiff of him. Masking the scent
of his fear was easier to do than trying to cover up the smell of
his purity. Matt had commented on how Jason did smell like more of
an adult. Jason attributed it to them moving closer to that final
step without actually getting there. It was just enough to make him
able to pass by unnoticed.

He was alone as he walked through the mostly empty
cells. The only sound was his heels echoing firmly all around. He
turned a corner and found a guard standing outside of one cell.
Inside were a man and a woman. They were clearly Oceina with their
lighter skin and blue eyes that shimmered in the low lighting. Both
gazed up at him. The woman was afraid and the man growled with
anger.

"Release them," Jason said firmly.

The guard blinked and did not move. "Sir?"

"I have business with them and my father. Release
them," he repeated trying to add more urgency and power to his
voice.

"Y-yes sir," the guard said and fumbled with the keys
to get the cell open. Jason was grateful for the lack of questions,
but who would dare try to ask about his brother's business? So much
of it was kept secret.

Jason grabbed the woman, putting a claw to her neck.
"Stand and cooperate with me, or she will die." The man did so, and
glared with an intense hatred Jason had never seen before.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" the guard
asked.

"No, I should be more than capable of handling them
on my own. You are relieved of your post." He faced the Oceina man.
"Don't get any ideas. Just because I will be taking you alone, does
not mean I'm vulnerable. I know your magic is gone and weakened.
You will not best me in a fight. Run away and she dies. So much as
raise a finger at me, and she dies. If you try to use another one
of my kin against me, she dies. Do you understand? Doing anything
but as I say will end in her death."

"So you've said a number of times." The man sneered.
The guard gave him a firm smack.

"Do not talk to him like that."

"I will punish him accordingly for his disrespect.
Now to my side boy," he said to the man putting emphasis on "boy"
for extra insult. The Oceina were prideful as well when they wanted
to be. With a nod, he marched the two prisoners through the dungeon
and tried to maintain the confidence he had earlier. It was
especially harder to do when he passed by the Royal Guard who were
at the entrance. They watched his every move, but did not say a
word. Matt had these men well trained.

Once they were in the halls, Jason brought them
through a much more secluded area of the castle. He couldn't think
of hardly anyone who went through there. It would be a longer
travel towards the entrance where he would be meeting Chris, but
the secrecy would be well worth the effort. He had a few minutes to
spare. He glanced down at the Oceina man's wrists and noticed the
glowing metallic wristband that was a mixture of the Terran olive
green and the Oceina blue. It was enough magic to hinder the man's
abilities, but also keep him from communicating in secret with his
bride. Clever, Matt had thought of everything.

Jason reached over and pulled the band off with ease.
It stung slightly from the Oceina magic coursing through the metal,
but he used his own magic to soften the blow. The man stared at him
with wide eyes of surprise.

"I'm not your enemy," Jason said in a low voice,
barely above a whisper. "I recognize you from our meeting. The
First Council. Do you remember me? Nod or shake your head." The man
nodded slowly. "Good. Then you remember that I don't fall in line
with the rest of my people. I need you to listen and do so
carefully because your cooperation is how we're going to escape
here alive."

Chapter Seventy-Two

The Oceina

I don't want to do this. I'm so scared. Darien, I
wish you could hear me because I need you. Please don't get mad at
me.
Tai silently pleaded as she waited for Navi to work her
charms on the Inero Lord. The time was shortly after eleven in the
evening. Her plan was to seduce the Lord to his doom. Tai's part
was simple. Wait and hide near the bed, and back Navi up if need
be. Darien would probably be furious if he found out she was
planning on putting herself in harm's way. A bit of a double
standard since she knew he would go to any limits to be with
her.

As Navi had explained to her, it would only be a
matter of time before the Inero Lord made an advance on Tai. Taking
her for his own would be the ultimate revenge, after all. The less
time she spent there, the better. She was confident in her
husband's ability to rescue her, but if she didn't have to wait for
him, she wasn't going to.

Voices could be heard right outside her bedroom door.
She recognized Navi's sultry voice and the dark laugh of the Great
Inero Lord. Tai's entire body tensed from her hiding spot on the
floor by the bed as the door handle turned. She peeked her head up
just enough to catch sight of Navi wearing a rather sexy looking
little black dress.

"Here my darling? I thought you would prefer to
reconcile in my room so our guest could be more comfortable," The
Lord said, his dark eyes clearly searching for Tai when he spoke.
"Where is she?"

"Elsewhere my lord. She's not your concern. Unless
you'd rather leave me again?" Navi pulled him into the room by his
shirt collar, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. How
could she ever stand touching him? Tai would have rather died than
be in the position Navi was in.

"I've rewarded her for her help," Navi continued.
"We've had many talks, her and I. In a way, it's helped me cope and
come to terms with everything. I realize how wrong I was to act so
irrationally. I was desperate and jealous. The only man's love I
want is yours." The words left Navi's mouth, smooth like honey. She
was a good liar, and it put Tai on edge. As much as she wanted to
believe the woman wasn't lying to
her,
there was no way to
be certain.

The Inero Lord gazed down at Navi with a gentleness
Tai never would have expected.

He truly must have believed what he and Navi had was
love. It made Tai a little sad.

He touched Navi's cheek gently with a few fingers.
"The only woman I want is you."

"Please, come lie with me my Lord." Navi pulled him
towards the bed.

Tai swallowed, moving towards the edge of the bed,
ready to close in and help Navi with the attack if need be.
Meanwhile Navi kissed the Dragon Lord with much more passion than
Tai would have imagined and giggled. Awkward and uncomfortable, Tai
waited for her part. A knife lay under the pillow. She noticed
Navi's hand slip underneath to grab it as she murmured the man's
name. The signal. Tai began to conjure what little magic she had
inside of her, something she wasn't even aware she could do.
Through Navi's instruction, she was able to learn a number of
things in a short period of time.

Tai stood up, and he was so lost in Navi's charms,
the Inero Lord didn't notice. Oblivious to it all, he rolled so
that the woman was sitting over him.

As Navi pulled the knife out on him, holding it over
his throat, his eyes went wide. Before he could strike Navi, Tai
put her hands on him, the magic of the water surrounding them
created a faint blue glow. He let out a scream and Navi shoved a
pillow over his face, pressing down on it to muffle the noise. Burn
marks were beginning to appear on his flesh underneath her hands,
and he squirmed wildly underneath her touch. The magic caused his
strength to fade however, and then to her surprise Navi thrust the
knife into his heart. His flailing lessened until he ceased to move
all together.

Without a moment's hesitation, Navi climbed off of
him and to the floor, pulling the knife out with her as she went.
She cleaned the blade with one of the blankets on the bed and
watched Tai.

"Are you coming? Or would you rather stay here with
his corpse and answer the questions?" Navi said.

Her entire body shaking, Tai stepped onto the floor
and walked to the door, not once looking back at the man she had
just helped kill.

Chapter Seventy-Three

The Oceina

It only took Darien around an hour to fly into the
country of Inero. While his uncles and cousins created a small
attack on the main border to create a diversion, Darien flew in
through a much less populated area. No doubt his presence would be
noted and reported to the Inero Royal Guard, but by the time they
did so it wouldn't make much of a difference. He wouldn't be in
their airspace much longer. Even if they realized his destination
was the castle, he went into the grounds discretely enough that
anyone who saw him would be unsure of if they had seen a dragon or
a cloud. There were a number of spells he used to mask his
appearance as well.

The easy part was getting to the castle. The hard
part wouldn't be getting in, but knowing where to go. One of the
spies had equipped him with a rough map of the perimeter, telling
him to enter where most of the women came and went. Since it would
be dark, there would be less traffic near there. He wore dark
clothes, similar to those of the Inero city people, an outfit the
spies had helped him put together in hopes that he'd blend in as
much as possible. He'd cause a fuss with his magic if he had to in
order to help his family get out of there alive. If any of them had
been harmed, he'd make things even worse.