Her King Of Shadows

Chapter XVI.

They arrived at the port city in less time than they had expected. It was easy for them to travel now because no one was looking for them. She could see new hope in the faces of the warriors. They looked more alert but also almost happy. Their time together was ending. They rented a small traditional house on the very edge of the city while searching for a ship to take them out into the sea. Not all of them will go with her. It was decided that Gideon himself would provide her escort during the voyage to the north. The rest of them should try to follow on land as best as they could.

Shana was still thinking of the story David shared with her. She knew that more often than not there was more than one truth. And some details of things which happened a long time ago could be lost or even imagined. But still. The cruel behavior of two leaders leading to the death of an innocent woman terrified her. Made her question everything she knew about the world she was about to enter. And because she was so close to Rishon's territory, the darkness around her became lighter. Araphel could not reach her there. Or maybe he could, but his presence would be known to the enemy. He must have known where she was. He must have felt her close to the home of his enemies. And he must have been furious about it.

Now she was lying in her small bed not being able to sleep. It was difficult to close her eyes and let herself relax. Her heart was telling her that something was about to happen. Her soul was warning her to be prepared for the worse. She touched the black stone Araphel gave her. It seemed now so long time ago. She knew it would be wrong to think about him in such a place where even dreams could be detected. So, she hid the stone under her shirt and sat up. Listening to the sounds of the small house, she knew that Abel was close somewhere. Hiding in the darkness waiting for the enemy. David and Gideon were sleeping. She could hear their snores breaking the silence. Jonathan was in the port looking for a suitable ship and trying to make a plan to escape next week. Even if everything was going according to the plan in her heart, she knew that she would not be going to Araphels home. It was never meant to happen. At least not in this way and not now.

-Run!- there was a voice suddenly screaming in her mind. The power of it was so strong she fell to the ground putting her hands on her ears.

-Run!-it screamed again. She recognized it from the night, standing on the edge of her father's home. Only then it was telling her to jump. She managed to stand up and cross towards the door. She opened them silently and stepped inside the hallway. The house was quieter than she used to remember. Silently going down the stairs to the small living room, she noticed what was missing. The snores. The deep breathing of the warriors that were supposed to be sleeping. Reaching the living room, she suddenly stopped. She knew that smell everywhere. The metallic smell of blood and sweat. Someone was dying. Her heart started beating faster. It was here. Her end was coming near. And how will she meet it? Is she going down quietly as a victim? Or is she going to fight her way out? Neither. She ran to the main door, unclocking them. Not bothering about the noise, she was making. She was only a step away from breaking free when hands closed around her neck. Now everyone knew she was a child. She was barely a teenager at that time. A leader's precious daughter that would have been kept in the fort. But they didn’t count on her having a brother like Davon. A brother who managed to teach her a thing or two about fighting and defense. When she felt arms closing around her neck, she instinctively stepped back. And she did it with all her force, using the back of her head to strike a blow at her opponent. It would give her a precious second or two. She just needed as much to cross the threshold. To try to disappear into the dark. Warrior was pushed to the ground not expecting her escape. And Shana bolted from that house running faster than she ran in her life. Even if she didn’t know where she could go, she wanted to get as far away as possible from the smell of blood. From the bodies of warriors that she got to know in the last couple of weeks. And she couldn’t stop tears falling on her face when she thought about them. She wasn’t sure if they were all dead. She didn’t know if one of them had actually betrayed them and this was just a plan to deliver her to the most terrible enemy she had ever known. She just ran towards the dark knowing somehow that the darkness would hide her. Darkness will save her. Darkness will give her strength and hope to move on. So she kept running, noticing the heavy desert sand becoming depper. Her only weak light were stars in the dark sky.

She fell in the sand twice but each time she got up and continued to run even faster than before. Until his muscles could take no more. Until her breathing was too shallow and her lungs were begging her to stop. She let herself fall to the ground. She met by the soft sand and bowed her head. Relaxing her beating heart but still listening to anybody following her, she allowed herself a short rest. The enemy had found her again. After all their efforts, it was all in vain. And now she was alone in a territory where her life was worthless. Her mind kept going back to Araphel even though she knew it was wrong. He couldn’t help her anymore. She was too far from him and to ask for his help would just give her away. But didn’t he say that his darkness would follow her? Didn’t he warn her that his darkness would see each step she made? There was only darkness around her and nothing else. So, even if Araphel could not speak to her, he could hear her. He could still sense her.

She closed her eyes, trying to focus. Trying to remember him the best that she could. Those emerald eyes reminded her of mountain tops in the spring. Full of hidden strengths and cruelty. Her heart shuddered from fear.

-You need to let me go. You need to erace all your traces from me. Because when they find me here. And they will find me. They will kill me if you are felt.-she spoke in a whisper. Her heart was telling her that she didn’t have much time. Her connection to Araphel was already detected. The enemy was tracking her. They were coming closer. She looked at her hand but black traces were still there representing his symbols. Rishon will take one look at this and her life will be finished. He didn’t listen to her. He was still holding her. He didn’t want to let go. She closed her eyes again, not hiding the fear. Not controlling the despair in her soul, knowing that the enemy was near. She only had a short time left.

-If you care about me you will let me go and deny me. You will set me free for now. I give you my word I will not betray you. I promise you with my life I will not belong to another warrior, but you need to do it now. They are coming for me. Don’t you hear them? Don’t you smell them? Please, Araphel. I don’t want to end like this. Not in the desert where my body will be ravaged by the wild beasts. You kill me yourself but then bring me back to my father. Let me rest next to my mother. You have every right to do it. Erase your traces from my body. Kill yourself from my heart. Let me hide who I am and the leader I belong to until the time comes when I will be free. Do it or watch me die now!-she almost screamed. And she was met with a pain that she thought was impossible to bear. There was a fire raging in her body as Araphel was taking away all the dark things given to her by his kin. And he did it so cruely. He did it even though he didn’t want to do it. But he had to. There was no other choice. She fell to the sand, losing herself. The last thing she saw were the stars in the sky. And his voice. Soft as a whisper in the dry desert wing.

-You belong to me. Don’t you forget it. I can hurt you more than Rishon ever could. You come back to me. Don’t you dare to die. Don’t you dare to disappear. I will be waiting. My hate will be waiting for you Shana. -those were the words he chose to say goodbye to her.