Sword of Victory Read online

  “What else am I supposed to do? Someone has to do something.”

  “Maybe that’s what we should do. Find someone else to do this.”

  “He’s right, Edana.” Ianna’s tone was gentle. “We just lost our father. At least take a break for a few weeks. You can’t take risks like this.”

  “We lost a father, but the people lost their king. I won’t sit back and watch them struggle to feed their families when I can help. The new taxes were unreasonable. Besides, I’m only taking what would have been my dowry.” So far, she thought. The time had come when more was necessary.

  Kyl sighed. “Fine. Take the money to the baker. We’ll wait here.”

  Edana smiled and dropped down over the roof’s edge. A year ago when the taxes on the poorer families increased and her father stopped offering assistance to those who needed it, Edana had taken it upon herself to do what needed to be done--especially since her father’s advisor’s ignored her pleas.

  She stole. She justified her actions by saying it was for a good cause and the money would have been hers or her future husband’s. It was funny, she thought, that she didn’t start trying to justify anything until Kyl and Ianna found out what she was up to and decided to help.

  She didn’t feel guilt for the money she stole, but she did feel fear that one day they might be caught and Kyl or Ianna would have to pay the price with her. At this point though, it couldn’t be helped.

  When she slipped through the window, she laid the bag of coins on a table with a note instructing the baker to distribute the bread the money paid for to the families of Tara who needed it. The note was unnecessary. Alastair, the baker, had been helping Edana for most of the last year. He knew what needed to be done.

  When she had climbed her way back to the roof, she stood with her sister and her closest friend and felt at peace for the first time in nearly a week. Even if bread didn’t seem like much, any small way she could help would benefit the people until the taxes were repealed.

  There was only one way to make Morfram and the rest of the King’s advisors reconsider their stance. They had to make a statement. An example had to be set.

  “I think we need to make an example of Morfram,” Edana blurted it.

  Ianna and Kyl gaped at her as if she were mad.

  “Have you lost your senses?” Ianna demanded.

  Edana sighed. “No. I’ve had a moment of clarity.” She help up a hand to forestall an argument. “Let me finish. We won’t be able to do this indefinitely. A new king will be chosen and we’ll lose access to the treasury. We need to do something now. This may be our last chance to convince the advisors to repeal the tax. Now is the time to act. We may not get another chance.”

  CHAPTER 4--IANNA

  Edana’s lost her mind, Ianna thought.

  “We would have to get into his private suite,” Kyl pointed out. “It could be tricky.”

  “Don’t tell me you agree with her,” Ianna groaned.

  Kyl shrugged. “After a new ruler is chosen, we may not have the same access. We can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

  Ianna moved a few steps away to pace. The space on the roof was limited so she couldn’t go far.

  Despite being the youngest of the trio, Ianna considered herself to be the voice of reason. Edana didn’t always consider the consequences of her actions, often charging right in and relying on dumb luck and her strong personality to get her way. Kyl’s sense of loyalty and desire for adventure often had him following along in Edana’s schemes.

  “Edana, I don’t think this is the best time to try something like this. We haven’t planned. We haven’t prepared.”

  Edana waved this aside. “No one knows the citadel better than we do. How much more prepared can we be?”

  “Your arrogance is going to get us all into trouble,” Ianna pointed out. “There are so many things that could go wrong. We don’t know if Morfram has guards posted around his rooms, for one thing.”

  “That’s not exactly true,” Edana said.

  “Which part? The arrogant part or the rest?” Kyl asked with a grin.

  Edana glared at him. “All of it. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Morfram keeps the majority of his personal money in his office desk. There’s a hidden panel in the side of his desk.”

  “And you know this how?” Ianna asked.

  Edana shrugged. “I’ve been paying attention.”

  Ianna regarded her calmly. “You have been thinking about this. I’m not sure what worries me more, the fact that you’ve been thinking about this for so long, or that it’s Morfram you want to steal from. He’s practically family, Edana.”

  The flash of unease in Edana’s eyes was brief, but Ianna had been looking for it. If she hadn’t seen it, she would never have agreed to go along.

  “It’s the right thing to do. It isn’t personal. We have to do something, though. Our people are suffering.”

  Ianna couldn’t fault her sister’s motives. If there was one thing that never changed about Edana, it was her desire to help her people. Her willingness to do whatever was required of her for the sake of others. Ianna didn’t know if the rumors circulating about Edana becoming Eire’s next ruler were true, but she thought the people could do a lot worse.

  Ianna looked at Kyl. He was grinning at her, likely guessing her decision. She sighed. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

  ***

  Ianna crept across the dark room in silence, her black clothing helping her blend into the shadows. Even though she’d agreed to help, she hadn’t expected to be the one doing the stealing. In the past, Kyl or Edana had taken the role of sneaking into the treasury in case any fighting became necessary. Ianna knew her strengths, and fighting definitely wasn’t among them. Edana, on the other hand, had been training daily for the last five years and knew how to take care of herself. Which was why she and Kyl were standing guard in the corridor. If anything came up, they would be able to handle it without drawing too much attention, especially since they were often seen wandering the halls. Whereas, Ianna usually limited herself to her private chambers and the library.

  Morfram’s desk stood in front of a wide window overlooking the central courtyard. Likely this was so he could keep an eye on who came and went in the citadel. The moonlight pouring through the window provided enough light for her to move about freely. It didn’t do much to soothe her nerves though. She stopped her forward motion with every slight noise she heard, looking in every direction for the culprit.

  After the third time she stopped, she realized she was the cause of the noise. She was breathing too fast. She was getting light-headed, making her clumsy.

  Relax, she told herself. If anything had gone wrong, Edana or Kyl would have let her know.

  All she had to do was find the hidden panel and take whatever was inside. Simple.

  She crouched down in front of the desk, pushing on each section. When she reached a loose board, she worked her fingers under it until she could lift it out. Inside was a dark-colored cloth pouch that jingled when she lifted it.

  She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one had heard the noise as she tied the drawstring on the pouch around her belt. When she moved the wooden board to replace it, she noticed a small book inside. She lifted it out and turned so the light hit the pages.

  It appeared to be some sort of accounting book. Page after page was filled with numbers. Deeming it unimportant, she replaced it and righted the desk. Standing and turning, she began slinking her way back toward the door, much more quickly than she’d entered. When she reached for the door handle, a loud peal filled the air.

  Her breath backed up in her chest and Ianna thought she would pass out from the strain. The bells were ringing, and she couldn’t seem to move.

  As she stood there, paralyzed with the fear that someone knew what she’d just done, she heard the city’s bells ring out twice more.

  Three times the bells rang. The signal for death, all too familiar from the last time they heard its call, only days before. Who could it be this time?

  Finally able to move, she threw open the door to find Edana and Kyl moving quickly toward her.

  “What’s going on?” Ianna breathed.

  Edana shook her head as she grabbed Ianna’s arm and pulled. “We don’t know. Come on. We need to find out.”

  Without a word, the three turned down the corridor and ran. Fear was too sharp in their minds for anyone to voice the one thing in their minds.

  Who was it? Was the queen dead too?

  CHAPTER 5--PHELAN

  Phelan didn’t bother struggling against the guards who held his arms. It wouldn’t matter how hard he pulled, he wouldn’t be able to budge them without doing serious damage. It wasn’t quite time to tip his hand.

  He sighed and hung his head, thinking he would most likely be in a cell by the end of the night. This wasn’t the way he had wanted his night to go. He had been on his way to her room, the first part of his plan, when the casualty bells rang out.

  Did someone beat him to her? He hadn’t anticipated any interference. He glanced briefly at his guards. Obviously he had made some mistake in his planning.

  When he heard footsteps coming quickly down the hallway, he lifted his head. There she was, black hair flying behind her as she ran, worry clear in her blue eyes. Aside from the dark clothing she wore in her mourning, she looked just as she had in his dream.

  How he hated her for it!

  Her sister and another soldier he recognized as the man named Kyl followed closely behind her.

  Upon seeing him, she froze.

  Phelan smiled as he saw the recognition flicker in her eyes. Being captured might not be the worst way to meet her. She would likely feel a small measure of security, thinking she was in control.

  “I thought you were dead, Princess,” he smirked.

  She opened her mouth to reply when Morfram, the king’s chief advisor, came hurrying into the room, his dark robes flowing out behind him.

  “Thank the gods you girls are okay,” he breathed, enveloping them in a hug. “I was so worried.”

  The action surprised Phelan. Morfram didn’t strike him as the affectionate type.

  “What’s happened?” Edana asked, pulling away. “Where’s my mother?”

  “She’s gone,” he said rubbing her arm in a comforting gesture. “She’s still alive, that you can be sure of. One of the serving girls noticed she wasn’t in her room and came to find me. I’m not sure how someone managed to get past the guards, but I suspect this one here had something to do with it.”

  All eyes turned to Phelan once again. Anger and fear were clearly visible in the eyes of his captors.

  He found his eyes drawn to Edana’s. Along with the anger and fear, speculation clouded her eyes. Perhaps things would be more interesting now that he knew she was alive.

  Phelan gave what passed for a mocking bow, as the guards still held his arms. “At your service, my lady.”

  Edana glared at him. Today, especially in this moment, provoking her was probably not the wisest course to take. But he just couldn’t seem to help himself.

  “Where is she?” she growled at him.

  “Where is who?”

  Edana lunged for him. Kyl wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her back. “You know who!”

  Phelan watched her carefully as she struggled to regain her composure. “I learned your mother was missing at the same time you did, Princess.”

  “You’re a liar. I know why you’re here.”

  He offered a sly smile. “Ah, I can’t discuss why I’m here in front of all these people. What would they think if they knew of our history together?” His suggestive tone caused an angry Kyl to step forward. Phelan knew he was being a prick, but he needed to gauge the mood of everyone present.

  Edana moved to block the man’s path. “Kyl, no. It’s alright.” She glared at him. “He and I have much to discuss. I can’t do that if you kill him.

  “Take him to the dungeon,” she directed the guards, never taking her eyes off his. He smiled one last time as he left the room. They did have a lot to talk about.

  CHAPTER 6--EDANA

  I remember those eyes, Edana thought as the stranger was led out of the room. Wolf’s eyes, she thought again. She’d known the moment she saw him that it was the man from her dream.

  What in the name of the gods was he doing in her home? If he wanted to kill her, then why would he take her mother? Nothing made sense in this moment.

  When the man was out of the room, she turned to regard those gathered.

  “Are you sure she’s gone?” she asked Morfram.

  “We didn’t ring the bells until we checked everywhere.” Morfram shook his head sadly. “She’s gone, but there was no sign of struggle. It’s likely she was drugged first. I doubt they could have gotten her out any other way.”

  Edana took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Still the panic crept into her thoughts. This can’t be happening, her mind screamed. First, her father, then her mother. She couldn’t deal with another loss, especially not this soon. Horror coursed through her at all the possibilities.

  No! She told herself resolutely. Stay calm. Be strong. Maybe if she was strong enough she would find her mother. She needed to think. Her mother didn’t have any enemies capable of doing this that she knew of.

  She turned to Ianna and Kyl. “I’ll meet with the prisoner. When I finish, we’ll discuss what comes next. First,” she said to Kyl. “Coordinate with your captain. I want watches placed around the city. There’s a chance that whoever took her didn’t make it past the wall. Then, interview the guards on the wall. I want to know if they saw anything suspicious.

  “Ianna, I need you to go with Kyl--”

  But Edana,” she interrupted, “we should stick together.”

  Edana stepped forward and took her sister’s face in her hands. “I need you to go with Kyl,” she said slowly. “I need to talk to the prisoner and I can’t afford to be worrying about you as well. Please just go with Kyl.” She stared intently until her sister nodded. “Good girl. I’ll find you both when I’m done.”

  She turned and walked from the room, Morfram striding along beside her.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. “The man looks dangerous, and they caught him approaching your rooms while armed with several knives.”

  “I’m sure,” Edana said, not slowing her pace. “Wait here. I’ll speak to him alone.”

  Morfram stopped at her commanding tone.

  When she reached the dungeon, the guards were just finishing shackling his legs to the stone wall. He was dressed in dark clothing that she suspected had been black at one time, though now it was faded and torn. His hair was as dark as her own, hanging down just past his shoulders. The sharp line of his cheekbones, jaw, and aquiline nose contrasted severely with the softness of his sneering mouth. Dark brows were sharp over his shining amber eyes. The result was the cruelly beautiful face of what she suspected was a very dangerous man.

  “Leave us,” she ordered. “You, what’s your name?”

  “Phelan.” He gave her an insolent smirk. “And you are?”

  Edana raised an imperious brow. “You know very well who I am. It would be wise of you to not to play games with me right now. I’ve lost my father, and tonight, my mother was taken from me. At this point, I’m likely to kill you and seek my answers elsewhere.”

  Phelan laughed. Her bravado obviously amused him. “I don’t think you could kill a spider, your highness, much less a chained person.”

  His laughter died abruptly as Edana stepped forward, pulling a dagger from a small sheath that had been concealed on her hip and placed the tip to his throat.

  “Let’s get something straight, Phelan. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my family. I don’t think I would lose much sleep over your death.” The cold gleam in her eyes gave credence to her threat.

  “Very well, Edana. You don’t mind if I call you Edana, do you? It appears we won’t be getting rid of each other anytime soon.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that while I don’t know where your mother was taken, I do know why she was taken.”

  “And?”

  “And,” he said, smiling once again. “You’ll need my help to get her back.”

  ***

  Edana paced across the cold stone floor in what used to be her father’s study. By rights, it should be used as her mother’s, at least until their next ruler could be chosen. But she was gone. Edana supposed that left her momentarily in charge.

  Unlike other monarchies, Eirish leadership didn’t always pass down through a bloodline. It did happen. Frequently for that matter, but not always. Instead, it was customary that before a king’s death, he would submit the name of who should succeed him on the throne to the people of Eire as instructed in the Code of Kings. That person would then go to the Stone of Fal, also known as the King‘s stone and the Stone of Destiny. It was called by those names for good reason. If the gods considered the man worthy, the stone would tremble and that man would be crowned king. If it didn’t, which had only happened on one occasion that Edana knew of, the nobles would vote on the next name to go to the stone.

  Because of her father’s illness, many people, herself included, had expected the king to name a successor. Yet his death had come and he hadn’t named anyone.

  As far as Edana was aware, that had never happened before. She supposed that like the king’s study, the right to submit the first name went to her mother.

  Only her mother had been taken. Did the duty now fall to her? There was no precedent for this. Maybe Ianna would know.

  “Edana, are you listening to me?” Morfram asked. His pale blue eyes, framed by full dark brows, showed worry that had not carried through in his tone. If Morfram was worried, it was for good cause.