Reluctant Prince (3 page)

“Sir.” Kai spat the word. “There is no excuse for disobedience. The ability to follow orders is one of the most fundamental qualities in a soldier. Without obedience he is useless to us. And what of loyalty? Has he none?”

Jackson spared the warrior a glare, but what could he say? Kai was right. Their laws were quite clearly defined. Jackson disobeyed a direct order from the King. The penalty for his crime was exile or execution. There was no grey area. How was he going to worm his way out of this?

“I understand that, Kai, and will take your argument into consideration, but one of the most fundamental qualities in a future king is the ability to make decisions. I would like to understand Jackson’s reasoning before condemning him.” His father’s tone left no room for argument.

A small surge of satisfaction shot through Jackson.

Kai snapped his mouth shut and settled the frown back into place.

King Maynard returned his attention to Jackson, effectively dismissing his advisor. “Do you understand the position you are in?”

“Yes, Father, I do.”

“You were included in the council with the seer. He has foretold of the girl existing in this kingdom, has seen her surrounded by light. Are you questioning the prophecy?”

Hmm. He hadn’t thought of that. “Perhaps I am. Is it possible Elijah was mistaken?”

Kai huffed.

King Maynard glared at him. “Send for Elijah.”

Kai gritted his teeth, went to the door, and sent a guard to retrieve the seer.

“Father, I’m sure this is not what’s meant to be. When I saw her, every instinct I had screamed at me not to take her. I respect your orders, and the visions of the prophet, but you’ve always taught me to respect my instincts as well.”

His father fingered the small, jeweled sheath at his waist. The razor sharp dagger it held had been the death of more than one traitor. “We’ll see what Elijah has to say.”

Jackson waited impatiently for the man who now controlled his destiny. Could he make them understand that force wasn’t always the way? They had lived in shadow for too long. Violence had become the answer to everything. Maybe it was time to change.

“Your Majesty.” Elijah bowed in the traditional greeting. “Has something happened?” He turned his piercing, ice blue eyes on Jackson. “Was the girl not where I told you she’d be?”

“She was there, sir.”

“Did the earth not shake?” His delicate hand fluttered to his chest.

“It shook. There was much destruction.”

Being a powerful sorcerer, Elijah had sustained the tremors much longer than they’d intended. “Then where is the girl? Has something happened to her?”

“No, sir.” He was tired of tiptoeing around. He squared his shoulders. “I mean no disrespect, Elijah.” He bowed his head in deference to the other man. “But is there any possibility you are mistaken about the girl?”

Elijah stared at the crossed swords hanging on the wall behind the throne.

The throne Jackson would one day ascend and rule the men who now held his fate in their hands. Unless he was executed.

“No.”

Damn!

Kai smirked.

“I have seen the girl, surrounded by light. There is no doubt she existed in Cymmera.”

“Okay, then.” He had to think, had to buy himself time to make sense of this mess. “Is it possible she came willingly?”

The prophet’s eyes widened. “I would have no way to know that, sir. I only know she will exist here, and she will return light to our kingdom.”

A shred of hope bloomed within Jackson, and he reached for it desperately. “Perhaps that’s the problem. What of the young child she protected?”

“I have not seen a child.” Elijah massaged his temples.

Was he was battling a headache or attempting to retrieve the vision?

Kai slammed his staff against the stone floor. Sparks ignited with the impact. “Enough of this. The seer has spoken. It is time for punishment.” Anger colored his cheeks.

“Your Majesty.” Jackson ignored Kai’s outburst. “I am not questioning the vision. I’m simply asking if it’s possible the girl enters Cymmera of her own free will.”

“Why would she do that, Jackson?” Kai’s voice echoed through the chamber. “How could she do that? Your disobedience and disloyalty to this kingdom are considered treason, and you should be punished accordingly.”

Jackson cringed, not because the warrior was wrong, but because he spoke the truth. Now if he would just shut up so Jackson could think, he might be able to find a way out of this mess.

King Maynard swiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “Enough, Kai. If you interrupt again, I will ask you to remove yourself.”

As second in command and Jackson’s trainer, it was well within Kai’s rights to be present during this meeting. As the king’s closest advisor, Kai had every right to voice his opinion. It was his sworn duty to protect his kingdom at all cost. Still, the fact that King Maynard issued the threat should hold any further comments from Kai in check.

“Continue, Elijah.”

“Please, Jackson, explain yourself.” Elijah stood, feet apart, hands clasped behind his back.

This was to be Jackson’s first solo collection and his final test before being ordained a warrior for the Kingdom of Cymmera. He’d parted the veil, opened a doorway to the world of the humans and stepped through, drawing his sword as he went. When his gaze met the target’s over a small child’s head, he’d been bombarded with a force of emotions he didn’t understand and aborted his mission.

The shock of the memory squeezed his lungs, made him short of breath, and he gasped as his gaze shot to Elijah.

The seer glared at him, stern, but not accusing. “What is it Jackson?”

He shook his head, struggled to clear the fog of the vision. “I don’t know. I feel something very strong when I see the girl, but I couldn’t kill her. Is it possible she’s meant to move between the realms?”

He was shaking his head no before Jackson finished the sentence. “I won’t say it’s impossible, but it’s highly unlikely. A human has never before been able to transfer between realms.”

“Hasn’t been able to, or hasn’t been given the opportunity?”

“What do you mean by that?” King Maynard ripped the sword from its sheath, slammed it onto a table beside the throne, and sat.

“Perhaps we rush too quickly to violence. Each time Elijah has a vision, a team is sent to kill the targets and transfer them to Cymmera. They live here, but lose the ability to return to their own realm. Maybe there is another way, a way to bring a human to Cymmera without killing them in the human realm. Besides, Elijah said he’s never had a vision where the objective brought light to the kingdom. Perhaps the girl is different. Are you sure she’s fully human?” That could explain the emotions that tore through him at the thought of her.

Maybe she had bewitched him.

“This is the future king?” Kai’s face turned purple. Spit flew from his mouth. “This is a disgrace. His ideas are blasphemous, and his punishment should be swift and severe. Your Majesty.” Kai moved forward and faced the king. “I have followed you for thousands of years, have served as your second in command for much of that time. I am telling you now, I will never follow your son.” He spun and faced Jackson, challenging him, his disgust and disappointment burning in the black of his eyes. “You are supposed to be a Guardian of Cymmera, a Death Dealer. I trained you myself, and yet you cannot perform the most mundane task. The simple acquisition of a human girl.” He spit at Jackson’s feet. “Your weakness disgusts me.”

King Maynard shot to his feet. “That’s enough. Jackson, approach the throne.”

Jackson swallowed. Hard. He held his father’s steady gaze. How could he convince him of his innocence? He couldn’t, because he was actually guilty.

“You have been assigned to carry out the execution and transfer of the girl from the vision, yet you have not done so. You are hereby accused of treason. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty, Your Majesty.”

“What is your defense?”

He maintained eye contact with his father. “I haven’t had sufficient time to prepare a defense, sir.” Sweat sprang out on his forehead, trickled down his hairline. The cool, damp air chilled it.

“If I allow you the opportunity to rectify your mistake, are you willing to do so at this time?”

“You can’t be—”

“That will be all, Kai. You’ve voiced your opinion, and I have taken it under consideration. Thank you.” He lowered himself to the throne effectively dismissing his advisor.

Kai glared at Jackson.

His father had offered him the chance to redeem himself. A small spark of hope flared deep within his heart. He would simply acquire the girl, and this incident would be over.

Well, probably not over. He would have to make amends with Kai, prove his loyalty to his mentor somehow.

Jackson opened his mouth to speak, to thank his father for trusting him to complete his assigned task, and froze. He gripped the small leather satchel at his side. The memory of her eyes flooded his heart, effectively dousing the small flicker of hope that had begun to smolder there.

He held his father’s intense stare. “No, sir.”

Disappointment filled his father’s eyes.

Jackson finally lowered his gaze. His shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m sorry, sir. I cannot.”

He didn’t bother to look at either of the other men. Their opinions didn’t matter to him as much as his father’s. He knew what he would find anyway. Elijah would be confused and Kai would be repulsed. Well, no matter. There was nothing left to do but accept his punishment.

But what of the girl? What would happen to her if Jackson was sentenced to die now? Surely, she wouldn’t be allowed to live. His father would simply send another Death Dealer to enforce the prophecy.

“Very well, then.” The king spoke through clenched teeth. “You leave me no choice.” He paused.

Jackson lifted his eyes to meet his father’s. “Sir, if I might ask for a little time. I would like the opportunity to properly prepare a defense.”

King Maynard slammed his hands against the arms of the elaborate throne and sprang up off the seat. “You think there is a defense for this insanity?”

“I do, sir. I’ve tried to explain, but I am too unfamiliar with what I’m experiencing to understand or accurately explain it. I would like a little time to do some research.”

“What kind of research?” He massaged the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“I believe the girl is meant to be here voluntarily. Please, sir, allow me a little time to prove it.”

Kai surged forward. “Damn it, boy. If you have a thing for the girl, take her as a mate once she’s been reborn in Cymmera, but give up on the voluntary transfer. It’s not possible.”

He bit back a response and waited for his father to sentence him.

King Maynard rested a hand on the back of the empty throne beside his. “Very well, Jackson.” He heaved in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “You are hereby banished from Cymmera pending the outcome of your trial.”

He would be allowed to live?

“I will allow you three months in the human realm to do whatever it is you need to do to prove your case.”

Relief flooded Jackson, not for himself, but because he’d bought the girl some time.

“However.” He lowered his hand to his side and straightened. “You will be completely stripped of your powers and unable to transfer back to Cymmera until such time has ended. At that time your trial will commence, and you will be called before this throne again.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” He bowed before his father, his king.

“You are dismissed.”

Kai’s glare seared a hole in his back.

How would he ever prove something he didn’t even understand? The threat of death loomed over him, followed him out of the chamber.

A rhythmic rocking comforted Ryleigh. She couldn’t open her eyes, but that was okay. She would just float in peaceful obscurity.

“Ryleigh.” A man shook her shoulder. “Ryleigh, can you hear me?”

Yes. She wanted to answer, but she couldn’t form the words. Humming, familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it. Something pricked her arm.

“Ryleigh, can you answer me?”

“Mmm hmm.”

Pressure against her head. Oww. Why did her head hurt so much? Why wouldn’t these people leave her alone? A flicker of memory teased her. Rocking, bumping, the floor moving. Was she moving now? She reached for consciousness, only to be dragged back into oblivion.

A bright light shone against her eyes. She lay still for a moment, enjoying the orange and black swatches of color that swirled behind her closed lids. The blackness began to take on shape, the oranges and yellows merging to form a halo around a human shaped silhouette. The silhouette of a guy with broad shoulders.

“Ryleigh.” The man spoke louder this time.

She struggled to respond. The dreamy image dissipated the instant her eyes fluttered open, but the memory plagued her, followed her into consciousness. Everything hurt, as if she’d been run over by a truck. Background noise intruded on her confusion, beeping, talking, footsteps, more beeping. Bright light burned her eyes, added to the already thunderous headache threatening to overwhelm her. Bile surged up the back of her throat.

“How do you feel, Ryleigh?”

“I hurt.” She struggled to sit up.

“Lie still, honey.” He pressed her back down, his deep voice comforting, firm, in control.

Why did that matter? Control. Everything was out of control. The memories poured over her in an avalanche of emotion, battered at her mind, threatened to suffocate her. She fought the restraining hands.

“Ryleigh.” Fingers tightened around her arms.

Longing to flee, she thrashed even harder.

“Ryleigh, you have to stop struggling. You’re going to pull your IV out.” The man’s voice was firm, but not unkind.

Sounds that had melded into a dull roar began to make sense. The machines beeping, moans and sobs, wheels clattering as a cart rolled across the floor. She was in the hospital. Was Mia here? Was she hurt? They would ask questions. Questions that were better left unanswered. “Ugh.”