Chapter 25

Mykella realized that her eyes were opening and she moved her head to her left. She discovered that someone had laid her on a bed and then she saw who that someone was. She bolted as she sat up and tried to glare at the man-child who had been watching her in silence.

“I was beginning to wonder if I had killed you. You had been unconscious for nearly five hours.”

She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest and she did her best to calm herself. “Why am I here? Why did you take me out of Barbus’ room?” She was trying to sound commanding, but under the circumstances, she wasn’t having much luck.

He smiled and shook his head. “You heard what I ordered Master Whitaker; he was to bring you to me after you paid that visit to your Queen.” He saw that she had lowered her eyes. “He has not done this, so I took you instead.”

She stood off the bed to protest but he raised a hand to stop her. “It does not matter. He will be taken care of for disobeying a direct order.”

“No,” she shouted. “You can’t do anything to him; he’s your Master.”

“Ha!” He let the laughter escape and it almost felt good. “He may be my instructor, but no one is my Master. I am my own Master.”

“What…” she was horrified by any picture in her head that dealt with Barbus Whitaker. “What are you going to do to him?”

Orion smiled; he had not stood up yet, merely watched Mykella from across the room. “I think you should be concerned with what I am going to do to you, rather than worrying about Barbus Whitaker.”

He grabbed the arms of the chair and hoisted himself up and went over to her and leaned down.

There were a million emotions running through Mykella as she looked up into his dark eyes. But she didn’t want him to sense her fear. She must be in control as long as she can pretend.

Orion stared down at her for a few moments and then whispered, “Where do you come from, my sweet, and why are you so damned familiar?”

It was all she could do to tighten her muscles up as she shook her head. “I don’t understand what you mean,” she said truthfully.

He took her chin in the palm of his hand and grinned. “As I look into your eyes, I know that you are not of the Queen’s blood.” She looked away. “Who are you?”

It was now or never, she thought, she shoved Orion back several feet. “I am Mykella Brown – the last Dream Crusader.”

Orion laughed and clapped his hands together. “I knew it! You are the last and I am the first. Poetic, is it not?”

“I thought your mother was the first,”

Orion shook his head. “Nay. She had the power of sight, not dream travel.”

A pause fell between them and then he shook his head with a grin. “It still does not explain why you look so familiar.”

“Does it matter in the end?” she asked behind a smile. “I’m here to kill you after all.”

Orion smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose you are correct,” he said. “Would you wish to fight now or wait until my celebrations tomorrow night?”

She really hadn’t thought that Orion would actually give her a choice; she thought he would just begin fighting once he knew who she was. She could find no response to give him and he grinned back at her as she looked at him.

“It is all right; we will fight after my feast.”

All she could think about at that moment was that she hoped Barbus was still able to steal the book of the Forbidden Realms. She had to get to him before Orion unleashes his guards. How was she going to sneak past Orion now? She thought about trying to seduce him, but was sickened by the mere thought of it. In fact, even if she were to escape Orion’s view, how was she supposed to find her way through the castle faster than Orion, who was sure to be following close behind her?

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“You have me now; don’t hurt Barbus,” she suggested and he smiled.

“I admire your leadership; however, you are not leading me. In fact, I think Barbus shall be executed as we combat. That way you will be able to see my own leadership.”

“Then let me say good-bye to him,”

“And allow you to warn him? I think not, Mykella. He is down in the dungeon as we speak, sitting next to his damned Queen, that bloodless traitor.”

She could find her way down there if she had to, she knew. In fact, hadn’t Barbus explained to her that even Orion didn’t know all the secret passages? He had come from behind her without her even knowing it, so there must be another entrance onto the stairwell.

Mykella sighed and sat back down on the bed. “Fine,” she said. “Have it your way then.”

Orion laughed and then sat down in his chair facing her. “I always do, M’Lady,” he said behind a malicious grin that told the tale of a thousand crimes he loved.

* * *

Barbus felt everything he had lived for and fought for slip through his fingers in the span of a few seconds as he was jostled awake by three large guards. He knew them all by name but was not certain why they had awakened him in the middle of the night. “What are you doing?”

Before any of the guards could answer, Barbus was forced onto his feet while one of the guards picked him up by the collar of his nightshirt.

Barbus turned and looked at the one he was closest to with concern in his eyes. He was going to ask them again what they were doing but he felt his wrists shackled behind his back.

“You are to be taken to the dungeon, Barbus,” explained the one he knew best. Barbus could tell that it pained him to be saying this. “You are suspected of treason, Sir, and are scheduled to be executed tomorrow night.”

“On whose command?” Barbus knew that this day would come; he couldn’t pretend to be who he wasn’t forever. But still, he had to assume the role of the master instructor for as long as he could get away with it.

“It,” one of the other guards was stumbling over his own words. “It comes from our Prince, Sir.”

Barbus smiled at them. “He has ordered my execution?” He looked at the three guards who made a circle around him. “You do know what my occupation here is? I am Master Trainer Whitaker; I have trained all three of you. However, there are several tricks I have reserved for myself,” he said and took the guards off-guard as he jumped backward onto his bed. In that instantaneous jump, he had also jumped backward through his shackled arms, bringing his legs through so that his arms were now bound in front of him.

As he leapt onto the bed, he grinned and jumped back off, grabbing the closest guard and wrapping his shackles around his throat.

In a careless attempt at seizing the prisoner, one guard lunged forward with his sword out, trying to get at Barbus. But instead, the sword ran through Barbus’ flesh shield. Before he could withdraw his sword, Barbus swung around and grabbed the dead guards’ sword as it fell from his lifeless hand. In that same motion he swung with his borrowed sword and cut down the next man through his midsection.

Barbus now stood full-height in front of the last young guard who remained motionless with his own sword held in front of him, knowing he could never win if Whitaker chose to attack him. But the guard also knew that if he let Whitaker go, he would die anyway.

Barbus stared the young man down and grinned. “You could join me, Son. I can use a good man by my side.” He really didn’t know how long any of them would last, but he had to try and get out of having to fight this young lad.

The young man paused for a moment, never thinking that this was a possibility. He thought on this a moment, and then saw his body dangling from one of the many spikes out in the King’s Garden, rotting, letting the crows eat his eyes. No, it was better to die in a noble way if he could.

He lifted his sword. “Long live King Darvon and Prince Fear!”

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but Barbus knew what this young man was going through. He knew the punishment for letting a prisoner go free.

The young man charged toward Barbus, and Barbus shook his head apologetically as he lowered his sword to waist height and closed his eyes. Barbus didn’t need to see it, but he felt the sword stick something and he knew that the young man had forced his own body onto Barbus’ sword.

Barbus opened his eyes and he looked into the tear-filled eyes of the young man as he lowered himself down onto the cold floor. Barbus knelt over the young man and smiled. “I know, my Son. You choose your fate instead of Fear choosing it for you.”

He stood up and pulled the sword from the young guard as gently as he could and looked down at the young man. “Rest easy, Son; your next adventure awaits,” he said and then went to the first downed guard, finding the key to his shackles, and unlocking his wrists. Then he went to the door, looked out, saw that the corridor was empty and left his room to find Mykella.