Cloak of Darkness (The Destroyer-Blessed Saga Book 1) Page 4

  ~~~

  Red was running.

  The cities that she had visited throughout her short lifetime blurred together in flashes of changing bricks and confusing street signs. Red could see nothing ahead of her even as she continued to run. And she did not dare to look behind her as she pushed forward.

  Red dodged past nameless faces that would never fade from her memory. She could feel the bodies that belonged to those faces turn as she moved past them. Their feet pounded against the cobblestones in unison with her own hurried steps as they began to follow her.

  She ran from the darkness that was eager to swallow her whole. Onyx flames nipped at her heels and burnt through her cloak. A cold laugh echoed in her ears each time she let that darkness catch up to her.

  And no matter how fast she ran, that darkness always managed to catch up to her.

  The cries of pain and despair matched her haggard breathing, but she could not stop. If she stopped, she would be consumed, and she would be forced to face the darkness in the alleyways of her mind.

  She did not want to face that darkness.

  Red had worked too hard and too long to avoid that darkness. She would not let her memories get in the way of her work.

  So she kept running.

  Always running.

  ~~~

  Red jolted awake, her head slamming against the solid wall of her home. A string of curses flew out of her mouth between shaking breaths as she rubbed at her pounding head.

  Red tumbled around the crate, trying to untangle herself from the torn-up bedding. Her fingertips tingled, the shadows wriggling inside her veins. She pushed the feeling away, slamming that darkness back inside its buried prison cell.

  “You’re fine,” Red whispered to herself as she tried to slow the rapid beat of her heart. “You’re safe. You’re fine. The dead will stay that way. You’re fine.”

  Red wrapped her cloak around her despite the lingering afternoon heat, relishing in the familiar warmth it always provided as she tried to forget the images of her latest nightmare.

  The faces of the dead had always haunted Red’s dreams, even after all her years of training and discipline to rid herself of any useless emotions. Red only slept to survive, and even then, she hated letting her mind wander when she had no control over its nomadic journeys. She reassured herself that it was the heat getting to her before ducking outside of the box, leaving her cloak behind in a twisted heap of fabric.

  She quickly slipped through her alarm system, firmly grasping her belt to keep it from hitting the numerous cans and bottles lining the fishing wire. In just a few short blocks, Red joined the rest of the bustling city as Airaldan’s citizens took in the last hours of daylight.

  Out of all the kingdoms on the main continent, Red still thought of Airaldan as the powerful, glittering city that she had visited many times as a child. The main streets were always maintained and swept clean of litter. Some of the slums even had better conditions than others scattered throughout Cathal’s cities.

  And while Cathal’s kingdoms were all known for their unique beauty, Peragon was the prize of the land. Built atop the mines that the queen’s closest advisors had worked in, the entire city had a special glow that even the most hardened warriors could not gaze at without a sense of awe and wonder—Queen Snow White had an unrivaled taste for jewels.

  The cobblestones surrounding the palace sparkled with gem fragments baked into the bricks. Every affluent business owner incorporated glistening jewels into their magically warded window displays. And priceless gemstones sparkled from the necks of those who could still afford to keep them.

  The thought that she would have to leave the sparkling city soon was enough to dampen Red’s awe as she walked through the glittering streets. She was not ready to leave, but Red was ready to return to her home.

  Red took her time to wander through Peragon, catching sight of the most current fashion trends through beautifully decorated window displays. She snagged a few apples from a witless grocer, munching on the sweet treats as she made her way to Snow White’s palace.

  She was wary of the large number of guards that surrounded the high walls, but Red still managed to enjoy the palace’s beauty from afar. She knew that the inside would be more elegant than the outside. But the way the windows glittered in the light of the setting sun was more than enough to make her forget what she could not see within.

  Red almost laughed at herself. She felt like a mouse teasing a hungry cat. If only that cat knew that its prized possession was practically standing in its opened jaws.

  Chapter 2

  Queen Snow White sat upon her sparkling throne, looking down on the city guards kneeling before her. The jeweled throne room sparkled in the morning sunlight that shone through the wall of stained-glass windows. The colorful glass made beautiful rainbows shine across the queen’s face, but her hard stare only sharpened her beauty in the iridescent light.

  Snow White’s son, Prince Sampson, was perched on the edge of his equally magnificent throne. Like her, Sampson’s pale ivory skin almost glowed in the golden light. His curly, raven black hair held highlights of indigo that shifted as he tilted his head to look toward his mother with his calculating, caramel eyes.

  Snow White was proud to see that her son was truly interested in the simple dealings that she handled almost daily. She had taken General Helio’s words into consideration and had decided that her trusted companion was right.

  She could not shelter Sampson any longer. He was nearly twenty-two years old and fully immersed in his royal training. It was time for him to learn from real life rather than from examples in a book.

  “Let me ask you all again,” Queen Snow White stated, her words cool as they escaped her pursed lips. “Where is Red Riding Hood? How have my best men not found even the slightest clue as to where he is? How have there been no attempts by my people to turn in at least one fake menace?”

  The head guard rose and stepped forward, his hands trembling as he tried to hold them at his sides, “Your Majesty, no useful information has been brought to us yet. Some citizens have come forward to tell us what they know, but everything that we have received has led to a dead end. We did not deem what we received important enough to bother you wi—”

  “So you have gained no new information from the people of Peragon; I can live with that. What have you found on your own?”

  The guards only gave their queen blank stares that soon turned into looks of worry. Their eyes widened with the realization that they would no longer be able to please Queen Snow White.

  “You have been looking for the vagrant on your own, haven't you? I did not accept you all into my city guard just so you could sit around waiting for someone else to do your job.”

  The leader of the group dropped his head in shame, his hands clasped before his chest as if he were about to start praying. “We will send out as many men as we can spare as soon as we—”

  Cutting the guard off, Queen Show White commanded, “You will begin your searches immediately. You will send every available guard out until Red Riding Hood is found and brought to me. My announcement was made three days ago. Anyone with a dark track record would be smart enough to have left the city by now.”

  The queen gave a pause in her speech to look each trembling guard in the eyes before stating, “Now go before I find smarter men to fill all of your positions while I send the lot of you to the front lines with General Helio.”

  With the threat of their relatively safe jobs hanging by a thread, the city guards rushed from the throne room with countless bows and apologies.

  “You should have fired the head guard, mother,” Sampson stated when the last guard made his flustered exit from the room. His voice was quiet but steadfast, acutely aware that his mother’s temper could easily be sent over the edge if he pushed against her reasoning. “The rest of the guards probably would work harder if they saw that you weren’t just making feeble threats.”

  Queen Snow White beheld her so
n with careful consideration. The queen hated involving her son in the matters of the war and the current issues involving their kingdom, but he needed to learn before it was his time to rule. She was surprised at the conviction in his words, though knowing that he had not learned to deal in such drastic terms from her—no doubt a side effect from training with General Helio and the guards in his spare time.

  Snow White sighed, “The threat to their jobs should be enough to scare the guards into compliance. But if they fail to follow orders again, there will be consequences. I have rarely ever threatened the jobs of any of our staff members. It can either give you the results that you want, or people can grow lazy and resentful because they assume that they are already being replaced.”

  Sampson nodded his head in agreement, his eyes focused wholly on his mother. The prince was eager to prove himself. He wanted to ease his mother’s burden, but he knew that she would not pass it onto him without much struggle.

  “A small amount of fear can go a long way if you know how to use it properly,” Snow White continued, “especially when that fear targets losing support for a family. It's even more important during wartime because no one will risk upsetting us if it means they could lose their meal ticket or be sent to their inevitable death.”

  Sampson’s face was scrunched in concentration, his hands fiddling with the hem of his jacket as he tried to decide for himself what he could take away from his mother’s words.

  “It was a calculated risk, but this time there was a higher chance that it would work because there is nothing scarier than working under Helio’s command,” Sampson stated with a small smile, making sure that he understood his mother’s decision.

  Snow White sighed to herself again, this time in relief. She had sheltered Sampson so much that she had feared that even a simple question would be too much for him to comprehend. The queen was relieved that her mistake had not caused her son to fall behind in developing into the strong leader that she knew he would one day be. She cursed herself for doubting Helio’s opinion on the matter of her son.

  He was right.

  “You will find, Sampson, that being a leader for your people, being a king, causes a majority of the decisions that you make to be considered as calculated risks. There may not be a right or wrong answer to a question. No simple solution to a problem. Sometimes, there is only the lesser of two evils when it finally comes down to it.

  “Nothing will come easily, and everything will have its own set of consequences. There is no one as powerful as you when you ascend the throne. Wear the crown proudly, be just to your people, and know that I will always be there for you when you need me the most.”

  Sampson nodded with a newfound pride in his eyes. He looked out into the now empty throne room, his back going even straighter as he imagined what he would accomplish when he was crowned king.

  Snow White’s own heart filled with a hope for the future of their kingdom as she watched her son. She could see the future that her son would be able to create.

  A future where peace and trust were more than mere words in a dictionary.

  A future that, at that time, could only be found in a fairy tale.

  ~~~

  Hundreds of guards circled Peragon’s streets, each man heavily armored despite the evening heat. Every able-bodied man had been sent to search the city. Dozens of patrols had also been sent to Peragon’s neighboring cities in search of Red Riding Hood.

  Citizens were stopped for questioning. Homes and businesses were openly searched, the people inside left with no choice but to comply. Those who refused the searches were arrested for conspiring with Red Riding Hood.

  Hearing her title spoken aloud made Red smile. She enjoyed how her nickname was only building up her fame amongst the people.

  Being well known throughout Cathal was nothing new to her. Her mentor told her to leave her mark at the sites of her crimes for a reason. But Red liked knowing that she could still cause entire cities to fear her.

  Nothing could suppress the power that fear held against people. Their lives had been shrouded in it since the beginning of the war. Fear was woven into children's stories and folk songs. It reached across every corner of Cathal, tarnishing the soul of every being it touched.

  Fear had kept Red alive since the moment she had begun her life at the Rogue Manor. It was what kept her missions exciting. And Red knew the power that fear could hold over a person. The darkness inside her thrived off of fear, and she had seen the damage that too much fear could cause.

  But Red still welcomed the new fear that flowed through the city. It was a weapon. And she would wield it like a sword.

  Guards swarmed around every corner and alleyway like worker bees, but their main hive was located in the market plaza. Soldiers jumped between merchant booths and shops like flames from a wildfire.

  The light of the setting sun made even the dingiest armor look ablaze in dazzling golds and reds and oranges to fit their fiery tempers. It would have been a beautiful sight if the city had not been ransacked and turned upside down to find any dirt on their red cloaked menace.

  Red was ready to head back into hiding when she spotted Estra Ayrith among a group of the rougher slum guards.

  “I'll only ask you one more time, woman, who do you sell these ingredients to? All I need is a name, a description, anything!” the guard barked. He held firmly onto Estra Ayrith’s wrist, keen on holding her there until she told him something useful.

  Red began to back away from the group, readying herself to flee from the crowded square before she could be spotted when Estra gave the guard a bone chilling glare.

  She ripped her arm out of his tight grasp stating, “The business of my customers is their own. I do not ask questions. And, in return, they do not bother me in whatever schemes they get themselves into. As long as I get my money, I will sell whatever my customers want.”

  Red had no idea what she was doing, but with a few jabbing elbows and a loud grunt she pushed through the group of guards surrounding Estra.

  The guards were stunned at the surprise entrance of the small woman, but they did not show their confusion for long. Red cursed herself for acting so foolishly, but she threw a mask of worry over her face as she turned toward the guard who had spoken.

  She placed a hand carefully on Estra’s shoulder, the older woman following her lead as she demanded, “What is the meaning of this? What do you want with my grandmother?”

  The guard glared at Red until he finally took the time to really look at her. His hard stare softened with guilt as he took in her petite frame and undeniably young face. Red gave the head guard a shy smile, knowing that it would help her look more innocent than he believed her to be. She tilted her head up toward the setting sun, her eyes glittering like the richest emeralds.

  The guards were clearly shocked to see the small figure that did not match the strong voice behind it.

  After a few moments of Red letting the guards behold her like she was one of their daughters or sisters, she let her impatience shine through those dazzling eyes.

  The head guard shook his head as he took in her disappointment, stammering to make his statement. “We, uh, we were just questioning your grandmother about her customers. Red Riding Hood used a particularly deadly potion, and we were trying to see if she might be able to give us a clue as to who this menace is.”

  Red’s surprise was genuine as she realized that the guards thought that Estra Ayrith might know something about their mysterious killer. She threw a hand to her chest, giving a good show of her offense to the waiting guards. Red shook her head as if she could not believe what the guards were proposing.

  “The business of my grandmother’s customers is none of her or your concern. We love our customers, especially the ones that don't bombard us with unnecessary questions and threats.”

  The circle of guards turned toward their leader, his face flushing at the subtle accusation. The group shifted uncomfortably, but Red kept her stare in the flames of th
e sun to send the anger of her point across to the men.

  “I personally apologize for any despair that I brought to your grandm—”

  “I should hope you'd be sorry,” Red shot back, her fists rising to rest on her waist. “All we ask of our customers is that they spread the word where they got their fine ingredients from. Whether they use it for potions or medicine or just a hearty meal is none of our concern.”

  Red gingerly ushered Estra Ayrith past the group of guards toward the propped open door of her store. She was relieved to see Estra throw an annihilating look toward the head guard who gave a small, respectful nod to the older woman.

  Red turned over her shoulder as Estra stepped into the rickety building saying, “We will be sure to alert the closest guard if we hear or find any useful information on this Red Riding Hood. Goodnight to you, gentlemen.”

  “We are very sorry to have disturbed you and your grandmother,” the guard stated, motioning for his crew to move on to the bakery, its owners already waiting to speak with the men.

  “Happy hunting for your menace,” came Red’s reply before she followed Estra Ayrith into the confines of her store.

  ~~~

  Red slipped back out of Estra’s front door before the older woman could thank her. She continued to wander down the ever-darkening streets, not quite ready to return to her house. Her thoughts wandered as aimlessly as her feet. Red could not stop thinking about the whirlwind of events that had taken place in only a few days.

  Patrols of guards still roamed the streets, but their numbers had dwindled after the hot day and a lack of useful information on their menace. The fact that the queen had sent that many soldiers into the streets was surprising, yet understandable.

  The war was still nowhere near its end. And every ruler’s focus was on returning their troops to their borders, hoping that they could end eight years of relentless fighting with a peace treaty that had yet to be created. Their hopeful thinking was nearly useless.