The Lies that Made Us

Brynn

Dressed in a heavy leather shirt, Brynn felt off-balanced. He looked over at Melwa at his side to see her looking uncomfortable, wearing a deep plum dress made of some flimsy material that did the bare minimum of covering her. She pulled at where it was tied at her neck and tugged at the sides, trying to make it hide her better.

“How do the women here not freeze wearing such a thing this time of year? I feel like I am on display,” said Melwa.

“You would have been more on display were you not dressed as you are. Everyone here is wearing something similar. At least you aren’t wearing some ridiculously cumbersome shirt made of the hide of an animal.”

“Do you two wish to complain the whole way, or do you actually want to help Amelia?” asked Gareth irately. He looked more than comfortable dressed in his black leather shirt and thick cloak. He walked with the confidence that could only come from a king, even through such a treacherous area.

“How will we get into the palace?” asked Owain as he looked up at the dark building in front of them.

In the dying sun, the Castle of Night looked dark gray, but Brynn imagined it would bend in with the dark skies behind it as the light faded. It was made of gray stone with its roof slightly darker gray. It was not wide, but it had many towers and turrets. Brynn imagined it was a dizzying maze of hallways and stairs. Around it was a stone wall with a large gate up front. It was open to let in those invited to the palace festivities, but Brynn knew they would not be let in.

“We should go to the side of the wall and see if we can catch a servant coming or going. We can either pay them well or threaten them to let us in, probably both,” said Gareth.

“You think it would be that easy? You believe security at your palace is so lax?” asked Brynn.

“Maybe, but intruders would be eventually caught. So shall we, so we need to do what we came for with haste,” said Gareth.

Gareth led them to the right side of the palace wall. It wasn’t very long before a young man walked out of the servant’s gate, carrying a small bag. Gareth nodded to Brynn, who walked over to the boy.

“Do you work at the palace?”

The young man nodded. “Lived there almost my whole life. I hope to be a guard one day.”

“What do you do now?”

“Light the fires through the palace, some simple cleaning, and other things.”

“So you are very familiar with all rooms in the palace?” asked Brynn.

The man looked Brynn up and down. “I am, my lord.”

Brynn smiled. “Then I need your help with something. I can pay very well.” He took the man’s arm and brought him over to a large tree where the others stood.

The boy looked at them all, but his eyes lingered on Gareth, who spoke. “We need to get into the palace undetected by anyone, and you will tell us anything you know about the whereabouts of the Annelian prince as well.”

The boy continued to stare at Gareth, looking confused and terrified.

“You will do all the things I ask, and if you do, you will be richly rewarded for it.” Gareth pulled out a large bag of money. “If you do not, you shall pay for your insolence.”

Brynn exchanged glances with Melwa, but they kept quiet as the boy nodded. “There is a guard at the servants’ gate, but it is only one. He is my friend, though. If you let me speak with him first, I can get him to let you through with no problems.”

“You have five minutes,” said Gareth.

“Wait,” said Brynn. “Do you know anything of a young woman brought to the palace a day and a half ago? About the same age as me, very pretty with golden-brown hair.”

The boy glanced at Gareth before answering. “I might have seen something, but I can’t tell you where she is now, though I think it is close to where the court of darkness stays. I am not allowed in that area of the palace.”

“She will probably be on display for the festival, Brynn. We will find her,” said Gareth quietly before turning to the boy. “Go speak with your friend, and we will be at the gate shorty.”

Gareth paced in front of the tree and kept his eyes on the gate. Owain leaned against the tree and watched as Brynn stood close to Melwa.

“We should have some sort of plan,” said Owain as he pushed off the tree. “We can’t just go in with nothing.”

Gareth stopped pacing. “We will know where the boy is, so some of us should go get him while most are distracted for the evening. Owain, you should get the boy and take him back to the boat.”

“You want me to go after the boy? I came only for Lady Amelia, and I will not leave without her.”

“I’m not asking you abandon her,” said Gareth with a sneer. “But you know she will not be settled enough to do as we ask unless she knows the young prince is safe. If you go get him, then I will have an easier time convincing her to leave.”

“You?” asked Brynn in disbelief. “You think you should be the one to go find Amelia.”

Gareth nodded. “You and the princess should go to the main gathering and keep watch. You can use your power to cause a diversion if you must so I can grab Amelia. Once I have her, Amelia will hopefully be in a condition to help us get out while you and Melwa do what you must to escape.”

Brynn huffed, and Melwa touched his arm. “What he says makes sense, Brynn.”

“What makes you think she will go with you?” asked Brynn. “I believe she hates the sight of you.”

Gareth shook his head. “When will you ever grow up and see what is in front of you. While you were off doing the goddess’s know what across the sea, I was the one looking after Amelia’s welfare. I spent every day with her, entertaining her. We grew closer than you can imagine, Brynn.”

Brynn stepped forward to argue when Melwa moved between them. “It does no good to fight. Let us do what we came to do. Brynn, let him go to Amelia while we distract the crowd. Once she is free, she can make her choice.”

“Very sensible, your highness,” said Gareth with a smile.

Brynn grumbled but nodded his agreement, and they moved towards the servant gate as the young man waved at them. It was much easier getting into the palace than Brynn thought possible. The young boy told Owain exactly where to get the prince, and after getting assurances from Brynn that he would not leave without Amelia, Owain went on his way to rescue the prince.

The servant boy took Brynn, Melwa, and Gareth to a hallway and stopped them close to the end. “If you go forward, you can join the crowd entering the ballroom for the festival. You should blend right in dressed as you are.”

“Can you take me to the back of the hall, boy?” asked Gareth. “I believe I might find who we are looking for there, or I can at least sneak into the ballroom if needed.” The boy nodded, and Gareth looked at Brynn. “You two go on. Be ready to do as needed.”

Brynn watched his brother walk away with the servant boy before offering his arm to Melwa. “I suppose we should go in. We should split up when we enter to keep an eye on things but keep close enough to watch me. We might have to fight at some point.”

“I am ready, Brynn.” She was quiet a moment before they walked down the hall. “I know you do not trust your brother, but it sounds as if he has strong feelings for Lady Amelia. At least that should give you comfort that he will want to save her.”

“I just worry what his idea of saving her is. None of this feels right. It was much too easy to walk in here and do as we please. Whatever happens, make sure you get out of here. If you have to leave me, do it. Run to the boats and wait as long as you can, but at the first sign of danger, go to your ship.”

“You know I cannot leave you, Brynn. We are fellow Guardians, and you are also my friend. We are both powerful and stronger together. I am sure we can face what is waiting for us.”

They casually joined the crowd walking towards a set of open double doors. Once they finally got into the room, they found it full of women and men dressed as they were. Drinks were passed out, and many pulled out pipes to stuff something inside before lighting them. Before long, the air was thick with smoke, and Brynn found it caused his head to spin.

“Do not breathe in deeply if you can help it. Many are smoking something called dragon’s tail. It has hallucinogenic properties.”

“How do you know what it is?”

“Some in my new kingdom use it to mediate and increase their wisdom. They are misguided, of course, but it is quite popular amongst some lords and ladies,” said Melwa. “Most use it in moderation, but it looks as if many here are smoking as much as they can.”

“Hopefully, those who are dwellers are partaking, and it weakens their powers,” whispered Brynn.

“I will go to the right if you go to the left,” said Melwa.

“Any signs of Amelia, we both start moving towards her.”

Melwa nodded before moving to the right of the room. Brynn went to the left, grabbing a drink offered to him. He sipped it to find it very sweet and strong. Finding a table near the wall, he put it down as the noise in the room died down a little. He looked towards the center of the room to see that the doors had opened again as two men brought someone into the room.

Brynn tried to move towards the men as the crowd in front of him converged to get a good look. It took some maneuvering and pushing aside of those who were out of their senses for him to finally see the men had taken someone up to the dais. He moved in front of a tall man to see Amelia standing near a dark throne on the raised platform. She was clothed as an Achillian gown of dark blue fabric that appeared to twinkle in the dim light of the room. He was glad to see she looked unharmed, only warry of her surroundings.

Moving forward, he kept his eyes on her as he saw her searching. When she spotted him, she stared at him. He kept moving towards her, unable to keep away. He started to lift his hand as he came closer and closer, hoping to reach out with his magic to lend her strength and show her she could fight with his help. Before he could get too close, she was taken off the dais and out the back door. She kept her eyes on Brynn until she was out of the room.

Brynn immediately searched for Melwa. They had to find a way to get to Amelia. He moved through the crowd, looking all around. He finally found her speaking with two gentlemen, one who looked like he was having difficulty standing up. Brynn moved to her side.

“Here is my husband now,” she said happily. “I was just talking about you, dearest.”

“Oh,” said Brynn as Melwa took his hand.

“Mmm Hmm, I was saying that we are from the very tip of Erialla but are planning to move here as soon as we can find a decent estate.” She squeezed his hand.

He nodded. “Yes, and I was just speaking to someone about the very thing we want. I came looking for you so we could talk further about it.”

“Pease excuse me, my lords. I am needed elsewhere.” Melwa pulled Brynn away towards the center of the room.

“Did you see her?”

“Of course, I saw her. They paraded her in here like she was some sort of entertainment. Where do you think she went?”

“I’m not sure, but we need to get to that door. It took me too long to get over here to you.”

Melwa stopped. “Perhaps we should stay here a moment. Your brother is supposed to be somewhere close to here. He might be doing what is needed. He told us to stay with the crowd.”

“Mel, there is no telling what they could be doing to her,” said Brynn.

“They brought her out here for a reason, Brynn. Whatever it is they wish to do, they will do it for all to see.”

“So we just stand here and wait?” asked Brynn.

“No, we casually speak to those around us and find out what they know. Look for those on the verge of being senseless, but can still talk. They will let something slip. I know you can be charming, especially towards the ladies. Come help me.”

Brynn walked with Melwa around the room. She spoke with several men before Brynn found an older woman smoking a pipe and moving around as though there was music playing.

“Good evening, my lady,” said Brynn with a small bow.

The woman looked Brynn up and down before smiling. “I don’t remember ever seeing you, my lord. Are you new here?”

Brynn nodded, returning her smile. “I am from the edge of Erialla, looking to move here to Achillia.” He moved a little closer to the woman. “I find everything about this kingdom more to my taste.”

The woman took a draw from her pipe before laughing. “You seem like a charming young man, so I look forward to you joining us. You must either have money or power to be invited tonight.”

“Both,” he said. “I have long tried to hide some of my talents, but here I don’t think it will be necessary.”

“It will not be necessary anywhere, not when the Night has his way. I hope it begins this very evening.”

Brynn tilted his head. “The Night?”

“Yes, our leader. He is said to be the most gifted dweller in hundred of years, maybe ever. He is also very handsome and well situated.”

“Will he join us tonight?” asked Brynn.

“Of course, this is one of our most important days. It is said he has a big announcement for us. I hear it is the sacrifice of a Light Bearer, but you never know. He is usually very surprising.”

“You are comfortable with sacrifice?”

The woman laughed. “It is not what you think. No one will be killed, just their magic given to our goddess. Whoever the Lighter Bearer is, it is a great honor for her. Her power will be used to spread our goddess’s influence throughout the world.”

Brynn took a deep breath. The woman didn’t understand that the very essence of a Light Bearer, especially one as powerful as Amelia, was her light magic. I might be more merciful to kill a Light Bearer before you took their magic away. He wasn’t sure who Amelia would be if her light went out.

Brynn felt Melwa’s firm touch on his arm. “We should move on.”

Brynn bowed to the lady and walked closer to the front of the room with Melwa. “What did you find out?”

Melwa sighed. “Most think some form of sacrifice will be made tonight, something about taking a Light Bearer’s power.”

“That is what I was told,” said Brynn. “We have to get Amelia out of here.”

He turned towards the dais as the door close to it opened. Amelia walked through, but she was not alone. Behind her walked in Gareth. Brynn had no idea what was going on. How could he just bring her into the room? Why did he not run with her? He was so focused on Amelia and Gareth that he had no idea what was happening around him.

“Brynn,” said Melwa, sounding breathless. He looked at her to see everyone around her kneeling. She grabbed his arm and drug him down with her as she went to her knees.

“What is happening?” hissed Brynn.

“It is him. He’s the Night, their leader.”

“What?” Brynn looked up at the Dais to see Dugan kneeling near the throne. Gareth took Amelia’s hand and put it on his arm before taking her to the throne. She stood next to it as Gareth stood in front of it.”

“Arise, my friends,” said Gareth loudly. “It is officially Shadowseve, a time when our goddess is at her most powerful.”

Brynn stood up with the crowd as Melwa moved as close to him as possible. “What do we do?” he asked, not truly understanding what he was seeing.

Before Melwa could answer, Gareth spoke again. “I know there are rumors of what will happen here tonight, and I can assure you I do have an announcement for all of you. I have a way to ensure we gain everything we plan for our goddess. A way to spread the influence of the darkness throughout the world and free Achilia. What I will accomplish will go further than a sacrifice of any amount of Light Bearers.”

A low murmur went through the crowd as those around Brynn turned to whisper to one another. Brynn didn’t pay them any mind. He kept his eyes on Amelia as she looked at him. Her stare was so intense, he knew she was trying to tell him something. He raised his hand slightly and let his power move through his arm to reach out towards her. She closed her eyes for a moment as her own hand came up.

Brynn took Melwa’s hand and held it. “Use your power and help me connect with Amelia. She has something planned, I can tell.”

Melwa nodded, and Brynn felt her magic intertwin with his as it reached out towards Amelia. As Brynn sensed Amelia’s magic, Gareth took her hand, something mixed in with Amelia’s power. It was cold and heavy, and Brynn almost put his hand down to sever the connection. He suddenly felt the light in Amelia’s power grow brighter. He looked at her and could almost see her glow in the dim room.

“This is Lady Amelia Fox,” said Gareth as he brought Amelia forward. “She is the strongest Light Bearer in generations. I seek a partnership with her in a way that will ensure our power grows and the future generation continue to spread our influence.”

Amelia smiled, but she looked at Brynn while she did it. Gareth followed her gaze and grinned as he spotted Brynn. “We have other guests among us tonight, my brother and Princess Melwa of Tildia.”

All eyes turned on Brynn and Melwa, but Brynn kept his focus on Amelia.

“Brynn?” Melwa sounded uncertain.

“Just keep focused.”

“I need to make sure they are properly welcomed. I believe they will be staying with us for some time.”

A few in the crowd pushed Brynn and Amelia towards the dais. Brynn felt Amelia’s magic falter for a moment. “That is not what you promised.”

“Don’t worry, my loveliest one. They will not be harmed. I only wish to have my brother and his friend close to me for a while. I am sure it will make you more comfortable as well. It will help you keep your promises to me.”

Hands went on Brynn’s shoulders, and he glanced back to see Dugan behind him. Another man grabbed Melwa, and Brynn looked up at Amelia. She nodded, and Brynn threw Dugan’s hands off of him as he took Melwa’s hand again.

A burst of light came from Amelia as Gareth cried out. He fell to the side, pushed back by the force of Amelia’s magic. Brynn turned away for a moment, his eyes unable to stand the light. He quickly regained his bearings and threw out some of his power, pushing back the dwellers and others of Achillia around him.

Amelia jumped off the dais, the dark material of her dress flowing around her. She joined Brynn and Melwa as those around them started to regain their footing.

“Where is Owain?” asked Amelia.

“Hopefully, away from the palace with the prince, but I don’t know,” said Brynn. “There is no way to know.”

“How can we leave without him?” asked Amelia.

“If we stay here too long, we will be taken, and we will have no chance to help them even if they are being held here,” said Melwa.

“She is right, Amelia,” Brynn took her hand. “We have to escape while we can. Owain wouldn’t want you to be held by Gareth again.”

She finally nodded. “Stay close to me, and keep a hold of each other.”

“Do not harm Lady Amelia,” yelled Gareth from the stage. “Do what you must to the other two.”

Amelia squeezed Brynn’s hand, and he could feel her magic flow through him. “Do not be scared of the darkness,” she said. “Let it cover you. I think you will find it only increases your power.”

Amelia took a deep breath, and Brynn stared at her for a moment as he felt the darkness building around him. He felt it cover Amelia and mix in with her power, therefore covering his. His first instinct was to push it away, but he let it flow through him. He felt Amelia’s light shine brighter, and his own magic pushed through the darkness to reflect her power.

For one moment, he could see completely inside her. He could feel every emotion she was experiencing. She had fear, but not for herself, only for others. There was regret she held attached to Gareth, and above it all, a deep, strong love for him that took his breath away. She held his gaze for a moment, and he felt so connected to her that to let her go in any form at that moment would be impossible.

She threw out her free hand, and a pulsing light filled the area. Several shrieked and fell where they were. Others fled the room, hiding their faces with their hands. Melwa moved in front of Brynn and pushed out her hands. A wave of her power went in front of her, throwing those who stayed in the room aside.

“Run,” she said loudly.

Brynn kept hold of Amelia as he ran. She started to go with him but stopped as Gareth called out her name. He could feel some strange reluctance in her to leave. It was as if she felt a small amount of pity for him. She looked at him before squeezing Brynn’s hand. “Let’s go.”

They ran through the room as all three continued to use their power. As they came to the door, a row of dwellers met them, their darkness evident in the air around them. Amelia let go of Brynn and moved in front of him and Melwa. She threw her hands out, and two guards were pushed into the wall behind them. Melwa thrust her hand up, and a few dwellers on one end flew up into the air.

Those left standing sent a wave of darkness over them, but Brynn held up his hand, catching it as it hovered above. He let his power circle it until it mixed with it. With some effort, he pushed it forward, and it hit the remaining guards. They dropped where they were. Brynn ran through the door, and Amelia and Melwa followed. Melwa pushed out her hands and threw the door shut as Amelia collapsed against the nearby wall.

Brynn hurried to her as her eyes closed. “What is it?” he asked. ’

“We have to hurry,” she whispered. “I blocked his power for as long as I could, but it is too strong. It will come back to him at any moment. He can be here in a second once he realizes it.”

Before Brynn could ask her any further questions, Melwa touched his arm. “Grab her and run. We have to get back to the boat.”

Brynn picked up Amelia and ran behind Melwa out of the palace. They saw only a few servants as they came out the front. Guards met them close to the gate, but Melwa took care of them before they could react. Brynn held up one of his hands to blast the gate open, and they ran through into the village.

As they neared the edge of town, Brynn put Amelia down at her request. She blinked her eyes, saying she had recovered enough to run herself. Brynn expected to see Gareth at any point, but somehow they made it to the edge of the water where they had left their boat with two of Melwa’s guards.

Amelia cried out in relief to see Owain standing there with a boy that must have been the prince. Owain ran to meet Amelia, and she threw herself into his arms. He hugged her for a moment before letting her go.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

“Yes, I am fine, but we cannot linger. We must go now. Is the prince injured?”

“No, he is only frightened and confused,” said Owain.

Prince Aayden looked at them all with wide eyes. Melwa walked forward. “Come, your highness, we must get to the boat.”

Brynn and one of Melwa’s guards waited until they were all seated. Together, they pushed out the boat before hoping on to it. Brynn sat down next to Amelia and picked up an oar to help row. As they pulled away from the shore, Gareth appeared on the beach with five dwellers. Before Brynn could react, Amelia stood up. She raised her hands, and a wall of rocks on the shore rose up, blocking the view of them from Gareth and his dwellers.

As Amelia sent them forward, Melwa looked at Brynn. She nodded, and he stood as she did. They both raised their hands, and the ocean rose around them in a large wave. Their boat went high on the crest before they put their hands down. Their boat was propelled forward as a gigantic wave was pushed towards the shore. Gareth and his men were covered in rocks and water. By the time they would recover, there was no way they could see the boat.

“Will Gareth be able to travel to the boat?” asked Owain.

“No, there are guardians on board who have wards set up. We will also be a moving target. It would be hard to judge where to go,” replied Melwa as she sat down.

Brynn sat down as Amelia did. She leaned heavily on him, and he put his arm around her. “I will strengthen the wards when we arrive. I can keep him away from us now that I know what he is.”

Brynn knew he should have many questions for Amelia about this brother, but all he could think about was the connection he felt with her. Everything faded around him as he held her against him. All that mattered was she was there with him, safe.