Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(12)

“You go first,” he said, pointing at the hole.

My hands throbbed with pain. I expected to see something wrong with them, but they appeared normal. My vision blurred, my head felt like it was floating in water, and I swayed on my feet.

“Hurry,” Anders urged. “Morlet probably knows where you are and has soldats on their way.”

I heaved my body through the opening, tumbling down the other side. My head cleared, and the pain in my hands vanished.

The assassin came through the gap and picked up the blocks, jostling them back into place. “We need to make it to the cover of the trees before Morlet sends archers to the wall to shoot us.”

In the darkness, I could just make out the land before me. About a mile away, the Forest of a Thousand Lakes ominously stood. Anders started running, and I took off after him, trying to comprehend that for the first time in my life, I was on the other side of the capital’s wall. When we reached the edge of the foreboding forest, I stopped to observe the thick trees, taller than any building I’d ever seen. The heady smell of pine filled the air.

“Keep moving,” Anders insisted.

I followed him into the forest. We traveled single file, our pace only slightly slower than before. “I can barely see,” I said, but he ignored me.

An owl hooted, and something howled in the distance. I’d heard stories growing up about travelers who strayed from the road never to be seen again. The forest was said to crawl with brunbjorn—large, bear-like creatures that fed on human flesh. There were also rumors of fugls—enormous birds that could eat a person in one gulp. I shivered, trying to convince myself that was all they were—stories.

“Do you think the King’s Army will come into the forest searching for me?”

“Morlet will send them to hunt you down.”

“Why do you think you can keep me safe? Because of the medallion?”

The assassin stopped, and I almost smashed into him. He spun around to face me. “I have been assisting Krigers for years. In all my time, not one has questioned me like you.” Fury simmered in his low voice. “If you don’t keep your mouth shut and do as I say, I’ll leave you here to be eaten by a fugl.”

He turned and jogged away, heading deeper into the woods.

I hurried after him, not wanting to be alone in this strange place. Leaves crunched under my feet, yet Anders managed to move silently, gliding over the land. After an hour of traveling, my breathing became labored and my legs grew heavy. The events of the day started to crush me and tears threatened. I refused to let Anders see me cry. I couldn’t think about my father, Morlet, or being a Kriger. All my focus was on staying upright—one foot in front of the other. Never give up.

“Just a little farther,” the assassin whispered. “There’s a place ahead where we can rest for a bit.”

My foot connected with something hard, and I flew forward onto my stomach, my head smashing against a rock. Warm liquid oozed down the side of my face. My head collapsed onto the forest floor. Everything went black.

***

My forehead throbbed as if someone had smashed a hammer against it. I sat up and found myself on the rocky floor of a small cave, a low-burning fire next to me. The assassin sat on the other side of the fire, staring at me.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice raspy.

“You tripped and knocked yourself out,” he replied, his tone condescending. “I suggest you sleep some more. As soon as the sun rises and you’re able to see the ground, we’ll be on our way.”

We had been traveling at night through a forest littered with fallen branches and rocks. Of course it would be difficult to see—especially considering I’d never even been in a forest before. He was lucky that I hadn’t fallen to my death.

Gently touching my forehead, I felt some sort of thick paste that smelled of bracken fern covering it. A horrible thought occurred to me. “How did I get here?”

“I carried you. Now stop talking and go back to sleep.” Anders shifted his body, his back to me, so he had a view of the cave’s opening.

Lying down, I faced away from him. He must have thought I was an incompetent fool who had to be taken care of. Not that it mattered what he thought of me. My eyes grew heavy and I drifted off to sleep.

I stood in the middle of the deserted Town Square next to the execution platform. A thick fog coated the area, making it hard to see the nearby shops and buildings in the early morning light. A harsh wind blew through the square, tossing my hair in my face. The fog parted around the platform, revealing a lone figure wearing a black cape.

Morlet.

“Come here,” he commanded, his voice smooth and seductive.

Where did Anders go, and how did I get here? The fog swirled around my feet, sliding up my legs.

“I won’t hurt you,” Morlet purred. “I just want to talk.”

The fog reached my shoulders, slinking around my neck. A sense of calm spread through me and, without thinking, I climbed the stairs and stood before the king.

“You cut your hair,” he mused, his voice friendly. “And hurt your head.” I touched my forehead, feeling the gooey substance still there. “You’re different from the others.” Cocking his head, his face remained hidden beneath the cover of the black hood. “Where are you hiding?”

My palms throbbed with pain. “Isn’t this the Town Square?” I balled my hands into fists, willing them to stop hurting. Where were the soldats and all the people?