The True Ruler, page 17
part #5 of Worlds Apart Series
Cassie was going to be sick. Where would they even begin if the entrance was located outside The Palace? The possibilities were too numerous and their numbers too small.
“I agree, there may be another entrance from the outside to the area below us,” Candy said, “but it makes sense to have an entry within The Palace. Having two entrances would allow an easy exit for the Prime Ruler during an attack. Not to mention the practicality in feeding the prisoners. The Grand Hall is too crowded most of the time. It has to be down here. We just need to sweep the areas we already checked. Somehow we missed it.”
The idea of searching seventy percent of the large chamber depressed Cassie, but she could not offer a better alternative. They would just have to retrace their steps and look for things they did not notice the first time around. Thank goodness they did not have to cover the whole massive room.
Cassie took a few steps and stopped in her tracks. If she were going to hide something in a room, the best place to store it would be the most unlikely place anyone would look.
Taking in her surroundings with a new perspective, Cassie smiled for the first time in over a day. “Where is the last place anyone would look? In fact, where haven’t we looked?” she asked.
Candy regarded her quizzically. Her friend did not like riddles. Frazour, on the other hand, looked like he had found the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
“You are a worthy soul mate for Darden,” Frazour claimed. “We check the cells.”
With the acceptance of her idea as worthy, Cassie got a second wind and a thread of hope they would find Darden. Candy followed Cassie to where they originally started their search. Rather than passing the first cell, they entered it. They checked the exterior wall and the cell’s floor. The hope that had just blossomed started to wilt. She saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“I have something strange here,” one of the men from the penal colony called out. Cassie believed his name was Stellar.
Cassie immediately headed in his direction, daring to hope they had finally found what they sought. Stellar stood in the middle of the cell located in the center of the cavernous room. He had a smug look of triumph on his face. If Stellar found what she hoped, Cassie was going to grant the man anything he desired. She’d find a way to get him whatever he wanted.
“See all the footprints and then clean rock?” Stellar said. “Somewhere close by is something that will open a passage downward which will start right there.” Her savior pointed to the area he indicated that looked like foot traffic.
Cassie could clearly see why he felt he found the entrance. Now they just had to find the trigger that would open the hidden passageway leading down to the next chamber. Her eyes surveyed the area, looking for anything odd or out of place.
“We better hurry,” Candy warned. “I think we are going to have company fairly soon.”
“Chard and Tavlor, guard the entry to this level,” Frazour ordered. “If our friends above are as successful as I hope, we could have some of the Palace Guard wanting to secure the prisoners. Shoot to kill. Protect your old home like you did the penal colony against the Portal Guardians.”
The adrenaline in her body was pumping at a frantic rate. Cassie could feel the clock ticking down and was worried their rescue attempt may fail. She was about to give up, when a small depression in the stone not far from the footprints caught her eye.
Cassie ran to the spot and got on her hands and knees to examine the oddity. Frazour was right beside her before she had a chance to advise the others of her discovery. She blew into the depression to get a better view of what they were dealing with. A cloud of dust came back at her in response and Cassie quickly turned her face to avoid breathing in the stuff.
“Smart girl,” Cassie heard Frazour comment above her. “The depression appears to be the size of one of the bars. Check for a loose one.”
She sprung to her feet to help the small group find the piece of metal that would fit into the small hole. For an instant, she thought of all the movies and television shows she watched where prisoners held on to the bars in their cell and tried to shake them loose in frustration. Cassie had a different type of vexation, but was equally motivated.
“I have it,” Stellar yelled in triumph.
It only seemed right Stellar would be the one to find the piece of metal that would help them find Darden. The melody continued to play in her head and she needed to believe that Darden was somehow manipulating a crystal’s power to gain his freedom.
Stellar handed the metal rod to Frazour. The former vampire ran his index finger along the side of the bar. He then knelt beside the depression and ran the same finger around the opening in the floor. A smile once again graced his face.
“There is an odd edge to this seemingly round rod,” Frazour explained. “It just so happens this depression has a similar irregular shape. We just need to see what happens when the two meet.”
Frazour placed the rod in the hole, but nothing happened. Cassie let out a loud sigh of disappointment.
“You can’t think it would be that easy, Cassie?” Candy said. “Even in movies, you have to move the object to the right or the left.”
As if taking a cue from Candy, Frazour tried shifting the bar to the right. When nothing happened, he then tried the other direction. With a loud creak, the stone floor began to move.
“What did I say?” Candy clapped her hands. “Just like in the movies.”
A commotion began at the jail’s entrance. Chard and Tavlor shot their crystal weapons at whoever was trying to make their way down the stairs. Three additional penal colony dissidents joined Chard and Tavlor while Cassie, Frazour, Candy, and Stellar carefully made their way down the dark passage. Frazour pulled out his sword and the rest of her group readied their own weapons.
The walkway was dark, but Cassie could see light through a small square opening below. There was another door they had to get through to get to the next chamber. Cassie hoped it was unlocked; otherwise, they were screwed. On a positive note, the sound in her head was getting louder. She was getting closer to Darden. She knew it.
Cassie held her breath as Frazour reached for the door’s handle. She sighed in relief when she heard metal scrape against rock. They had found the lower chamber and hoped to find Darden and any other crystal telepaths imprisoned there. Every additional soul would be helpful in their fight. She just hoped Darden and the others were in decent shape.
Chapter 18
If she had thought the stench upstairs was bad, there were no words to adequately describe the foulness within the lower chamber. She lifted her jersey and placed it over her nose. Cassie concentrated on breathing through her mouth and not gagging when she accidentally took in the deplorable stink. Her vocabulary was not broad enough to come up with a better term. How could anyone exist down here?
Based on what she had sensed so far, Cassie was terrified about what condition Darden was in. She doubted they would find anyone else alive down here. Jeryl Jarlyn had a lot to answer for.
Unlike the first floor of the prison, this level had cells built into the cave. They would have to meticulously check every cell. There was a single torch lit, but several unused ones lined the walls. Each of them grabbed a torch and used the one already burning to light them.
They traveled together, staying close to take advantage of the light. There was also the possibility their friends above them would not be able to hold off the force attempting to come down to this level. Based on what Cassie saw down here, she could not imagine why they would bother.
The first door they approached opened easily. There was no reason for it to be locked. A body, so badly decayed it was no more than a skeleton, was chained to the wall. That man had once been one of the crystal telepaths who tried to unseat Jeryl Jarlyn. No one had bothered to bury the poor creature after his death. The sight made Cassie’s blood boil.
She was certain they would find the same scene with each cell they opened. They were wasting valuable time. Cassie would find her soul mate using the frequency she heard in her head. The melody would lead her right to him.
“Follow me,” Cassie said. “After we are victorious, we’ll come back and give these poor souls a well-deserved funeral. I know how to find Darden now. You just have to trust me.”
Cassie returned to the hall and let the increasing sound of the frequency lead the way. She continued the process as she made her way down corridor after corridor. They had to be beyond the confines of The Palace. Whoever suggested there was another entrance was right. Voices could now be heard within the cells they passed.
“We’ll deal with them after we free Darden and win the battle,” Candy said behind her. “There is no telling what their crimes were. We now know where everyone who has committed an offense has been sent since they stopped exiling people to the penal world. It’s only been a short time, but there are more people than I expected down here.”
It was one thing seeing the dead down in this hellhole, but now they knew living souls were here as well. The penal world was paradise compared to the conditions here. But Candy was right, they could not haphazardly release the possible criminals confined in these cells. One of the first things they would do when the battle was over would be to discover why these people were imprisoned down here.
“I’d like to talk to as many of them as I can,” Stellar suggested. “Some may be in good enough shape to fight. I would like to free any members of the dissident group I was with.”
“Fine,” Candy said, “but watch your back.”
Cassie came upon a door that was ajar. A light made its way through the exposed crack. She was about to shove the door back and enter, when Frazour placed his arm around her waist and pulled her back. It was clear he wanted to take the lead. Cassie did not want to waste any time arguing the point.
The sound the door made against the stone floor grated on her exposed nerves. Frazour blocked her view, so she was not sure what he saw when he stopped in his tracks. She pushed past him and froze when she saw what had cemented Frazour in place.
Darden was chained to the wall. He was bleeding from various spots and his face was barely recognizable. Barash lay on the ground, his skull split in several spots. It was the same sight her father had walked into when she had killed the crystal telepath over eight years ago. Their coming together had given Darden her mind control capabilities.
Cassie ran to free Darden. He was barely conscious, but somehow sensed she was there, because the frequency in her head fell silent. The power he used to kill Barash was also the beacon that reunited them. Their connection acknowledged she was near and his mind rested.
“Help me!” Cassie shouted.
“I do not see a key,” Frazour said, “but the chains are old. It is possible a good yank and at least we will release him from the wall.”
The powerful warrior grabbed the chains embedded in the wall and pulled. She could see the strain of his muscles as he successfully detached one of the chains binding Darden. Cassie and Candy positioned themselves to catch Darden when Frazour released his other wrist. She heard a soft moan from him as he collapsed on her left shoulder.
“We are here, Darden,” Cassie said through their link. “Everything is going to be all right. You just rest and gather your strength. We’ll get a med-tech to look at your injuries.”
Even though terribly bruised, Darden was a sight for sore eyes. She placed two fingers on his neck to take his pulse. It was weak, but steady.
“Lay him on the ground,” Frazour ordered, pulling the last of the restraints from the wall. “I am still partially a vampire, although the sun will no longer kill me. My blood may still have enough healing power to facilitate his body repairing itself quickly.”
Cassie nodded her consent. Frazour bit into his wrist and allowed several drops of his precious blood to enter Darden’s mouth. She was concerned he had not responded to her through their private channel. Then it dawned on her they had given him ground crystals that would prohibit telepathic communication. Fortunately, it did not inhibit his ability to attack using his telepathic powers.
“Darden, I am here,” Cassie said aloud this time. “Frazour, from the Nightshade universe, has given you some of his blood to help you heal.” She decided against telling him about the offensive to take over the Troyk government that raged above them. He needed to focus on allowing Frazour’s blood to help him heal.
Cassie had silenced the warrior channel link in order to concentrate solely on her soul mate’s rescue. She did not want anything distracting her from her primary mission. Once she knew Darden was safe she would join the others in usurping Jeryl Jarlyn.
Not being familiar with vampire blood, Cassie didn’t know how quickly Darden might heal. She was unsure how much longer they could remain here without the enemy attacking. Candy was pacing like a wild animal, which was not a good sign.
Darden had been floating after being trapped in his abused human body. He needed to fight to return to his world - Cassie’s world - regardless of the pain. He was in a kind of limbo, free from his injured mortal shell. It was similar to how he felt when navigating inter-dimensional portals. It was a feeling that used to frighten him when he was younger. He was pure energy.
Although he fought to leave this tranquil place, something was holding him back. He knew he had killed Barash. For the time being he was safe. Perhaps his body was healing itself, leaving him free to wander this plain. No one knew he was here. Someone would eventually come to see why Barash had not returned. Well, at least Cassie no longer had to worry about that bastard anymore.
Suddenly, he thought he heard Cassie’s voice. That was impossible because Cassie was safe in the Troyk penal colony world. Besides, they had laced his water with crushed crystals preventing him from accessing all telepathic pathways.
He tasted something strange, which should not be possible if he was still separated from his body. The taste was metallic and salty, like blood. For some reason, the name Frazour swam in his head. Was that not the name of one of Drake’s blood brothers? At one point, Koel had joked about using the vampires from the Nightshade universe when they made their move against Jeryl Jarlyn.
That single thought brought him back into his broken body. He struggled to open his eyes. Remembering one of his eyes was swollen shut, he concentrated on opening the other one. Unfortunately, he was so disoriented, he could not remember which eye was damaged. He was in terrible shape.
He licked his chapped lips. The taste of blood was still present. Somewhere along the way he must have bitten his lip and caused himself to bleed. After all, he was a bloody mess, what was a little more?
“Darden, I am here,” a precious voice said. He would recognize Cassie’s voice anywhere. “Frazour, from the Nightshade universe, has given you some of his blood to help you heal.”
Darden opened his good eye and caught the sight of Candy Phillips pacing. Though concern was written all over her face, she looked down at him and smiled.
“Welcome back,” Candy said.
“What?” Cassie cried. “He’s awake?”
His body moved as Cassie shifted and he suppressed a moan, not wanting to alarm her. They must have gotten him down from the wall and were waiting for him to regain consciousness. He struggled to rise, not wanting to appear weak before his soul mate. It did not matter he had been beaten, Darden wanted to appear strong for Cassie’s benefit.
“We’ve run out of time,” Candy said. “The best thing to do is find the other exit. We do not want to be trapped in here when the Palace Guard swarms us. Frazour can carry Darden.”
Cassie and Frazour helped Darden to his feet. He thought the vampire he once fought beside looked different, but his mind was not clear enough to determine why. Their rescue would fail if they did not leave the cell immediately. He did his best to aid Cassie and Frazour move him toward the exit. Movement made the pain unbearable, but he did not complain.
When Darden saw Barash on the ground, a better escape plan came to him. If he had the ability to destroy Barash’s mind, he should be able to open and navigate a portal. He was not sure how he managed to harness the power to kill his adversary, but he imagined opening a portal would require less energy. Starc could aid Shirl in portal travel, so why couldn’t Cassie assist him?
“I can open a portal,” Darden struggled to say. His voice was rough and scratchy, his throat dry from lack of water.
“You don’t have a charged crystal,” Candy responded.
“Look at Barash,” Darden suggested. “I did not have a crystal and I managed that.” He took a breath. Just communicating that amount was difficult. “Cassie can help me. The crystals above us are full of power.”
Darden gazed down and saw Cassie lift her face. She was so beautiful, and she was his. He could not count the number of times during his captivity he was afraid he would never see that face again. For eight years, he watched her grow until she was the woman who stood before him now. His soul mate.
“Shirl and Starc can do it,” Candy said. “I imagine the same can be true about the two of you. Darden managed to use your abilities, so it’s possible you have the ability to be a crystal telepath as well.”
Although she looked doubtful, Cassie said, “I’ll give it a try. What do I do?”
He imagined Cassie would be concerned about what would happen if he passed out while they were in the wormhole. As soon as they entered the portal, he would give her the frequency that needed to be sustained to get them to the penal world.
“Can you enter my mind, but not through telepathic communication?” Darden asked. “Use the same ability you use when you enter JoAnna’s mind. Until those crystals are washed from my system, we can only speak out loud to each other if you are unable to connect with me.”
