The Forgotten Kingdom (Skyelorn Chronicles #2)

Agony and Applause

It took about ten minutes for Marithyda's eyes to adjust to the dank tunnel. Every few yards or so she saw tiny doorways and wooden crates filled with non-perishable goods such as nuts, dried meats, and jugs of water. Sabin carried two of them under his arms for later, and Marithyda led the way. Her best guess was that King Harlan had this tunnel built as an alternative escape route from the castle. She wondered how many of the guards knew about it, and worried that soon they could be fast on her trail.

Marithyda wordlessly trudged onward, trying to think about anything other than being caught. Who was that man that saved their lives? And how would the King react to news of their escape? After what felt like at least thirty minutes, the tunnel filled with heavy, moist air and the pungent smell of mold.

          "We're under Lake Heylweay," Sabin whispered. He labored under the weight of the crates but kept up with Marithyda easily. She could hardly believe it; they were free from the dungeons. They weren't going to die.

          Not so fast, Marithyda thought to herself. As long as they were on the castle grounds, they weren't totally safe.

          "Why do you think he helped us?" Marithyda asked. She couldn't help but feel guilty that they'd gotten the guard caught after ten years of working against King Harlan. His last words echoed in her mind over and over again: Until we meet beneath the waves.

          Did she know him from somewhere?

          "Maybe he was Touched and infiltrated the castle as a guard," Sabin suggested.

          "I don't think so," Marithyda replied, furrowing her brow. "The copper handcuffs would have stung him, right?"

          "I guess you're right," Sabin muttered. He shifted the crates in his arms again and glanced over at Marithyda. "By the way, I know I said this before, but ... Thank you for saving my life. After the Exposition."

          "Sure." She didn't quite know what else to say. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me had our roles been reversed."

          "I didn't even know something like that was possible," he pondered.

          Marithyda remembered the feeling she'd had when she Snapped under the arena. Her powers were always strong, but never before had she felt them so clearly. Every fiber of her being came alive with electricity, and in those moments she knew that nothing could have stopped her, even death itself. It was almost the same feeling she had whenever she touched Sabin. Marithyda looked at her hands and wondered when the copper would finally leave her system.

          The muscles in Marithyda's legs started to burn as the tunnel sloped upwards. Hopefully, they were nearing the exit. She wanted more than anything to take a short break and consume every crumb of the contents in the supply crates, but there was still the lingering fear that she and Sabin were being pursued by guards.

          "Look," Sabin said, nodding towards the end of the tunnel. There was a tiny pinprick of bluish light. He stopped walking and set down the crates, stretching out his arms. Marithyda noticed how hard he breathed; those days in the dungeon definitely didn't do much to help his recovery. "We need to disguise ourselves before we leave."

          "I can't use my magic, remember?" Marithyda moaned. Sabin smiled grimly and bent down to the ground, swiping up two fingerfuls of dark sludge.

          "We don't need magic."

          Without saying a word, Marithyda and Sabin matted their hair with dirt from the tunnel. Marithyda would have heavily objected in normal circumstances, but she already looked and probably smelled bad enough from being locked up. When she finished rubbing dirt into her face and pulling off tatters of her gown, she looked up to find that Sabin was nearly unrecognizable. He looked like one of the old beggars that wandered around Pathos city.

          "How do I look?" She asked, making a half-hearted pose.

          "Definitely not like Marithyda Skyelorn," Sabin said. That was good enough. "You ready?"

          "As ever," she replied, and the two of them headed towards the end of the tunnel. It was quickly approaching nightfall, and Marithyda wished she had a coat of furs. It was going to get cold, fast. The two of them stumbled out of the narrow tunnel and into—

          "Pathos forest?" Marithyda wondered aloud. The moon and stars twinkled through crisscrossing branches of dead trees, and a chilly breeze started to stir whatever foliage clung to the ground.

          "This seems familiar," Sabin whispered, walking further into the clearing. Wait, a clearing ...?

          "I know where this is!" Marithyda gasped, spinning around in shock. The tree trunk, the cluster of rocks sitting just so, the path back towards the castle; she'd recognize this place anywhere. "This is where Markus used to meet me. He had to have known about the tunnel!"

          And also Taileen, she thought. Was that how she killed the performers so easily?

          "Prince Markus?" Sabin asked, surprised. "You knew him? I mean, before the accident ... Well, before he was—"

          "Yeah," Marithyda said simply, leaving it at that. For some reason, she didn't feel comfortable explaining their relationship to Sabin. "I know exactly where we are now."

          It all made sense; this is how Markus was able to sneak out of the castle and see her all those times. Brilliant Markus. What would the King have done if he found out what his son was doing behind his back? Marithyda's stomach lurched and she suddenly thought of her nightmares of blood and glittering daggers.

          "Well, what's the best way to get to Pathos city without being caught?" Sabin asked. Just as Marithyda opened her mouth to respond, a voice was carried over to them from a distance. It made her skin crawl, and the evening breeze felt even colder.

          "Harlan," Sabin spat. "I wonder if he knows that we've escaped." Marithyda wanted nothing more than to run away in the opposite direction, but curiosity got the best of her.

          "Come on. Quietly," Marithyda whispered. They followed the leafy path back towards the castle. To her surprise, the performers' trailers were still intact from the Exposition. Her stomach hurt looking at them; how quickly things had changed. She could almost see Paolin stumbling out from her trailer, mouth cocked in a mischievous grin as he gathered his long white hair into a rubber band.

          Don't think about him, Marithyda scolded herself. Not yet.

          "Do you think he'll still try to go through with the execution?" Sabin asked after a moment.

"No idea." They got their answer seconds later. Harlan's voice was carried over to them on the wind, and through the trees they saw a large crowd gathered out on the field where the Exposition tents used to be. In the middle of the crowd, a tiny wooden stage was erected. King Harlan stood on one side, holding a glowing torch, and on the other side ...

"Oh no," Sabin breathed. Marithyda stood frozen in shock. It was the guard who had helped them escape. Oddly enough, Commander Taileen was nowhere in sight.

"To anyone who dares commit treason against the kingdom of Karvoth, let this be not just a warning, but a prophecy of your demise." King Harlan flicked his hand and a group of soldiers surrounded the guard, securing him to a pole that stood in the center of the stage. The onlookers screamed insults and hurled rocks at the poor man. His face was already bruised and swollen beyond recognition, and he could barely support his own weight against the pole.

"I can't watch this," Marithyda gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. Sabin looked at the ground, his face paler than she'd ever seen it.

"Marithyda Skyelorn," declared King Harlan. "Wherever you've escaped to now: hear this. My soldiers are ready. There are only so many places you can hide, and you better believe that I won't rest until I have you here before me, begging for mercy. This is your future."

Without another word, without ceremony, Harlan threw the torch at the man's feet. Glittering flame quickly started to climb up the wooden pole towards his toes. Overcome with guilt and sick to her stomach, Marithyda turned and stalked off into the forest, walking away as quickly as her legs allowed her. Sabin followed, but there was nothing they could do to escape the mingled sounds of applause and utter agony.