Unleashing the Shadows (Nine Kingdoms Book 1) Read online

  Unleashing the Shadows

  Nine Kingdoms, Book One

  A Novel by Ann Bakshis

  Copyright © 2019 by Ann Bakshis

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living and dead, actual event, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  Published by Ponahakeola Press, 2019

  Typeset in Caslon and B820 Roman

  Dedicated in loving memory to all our

  classmates we’ve lost too soon.

  Glenbard West High School

  Class of 1993

  Table of Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  One

  David

  The side of my hand feels as if it might blister from the rapid pounding I’m inflicting on the wooden door before me. I know she’s home—she must be. My baronet, Caster, keeps watch behind me to make sure I’m not noticed, even in such a remote location, since I’m not supposed to be away from the castle at this time of night, especially not in this section of the village. But it’s too late now. My fate has already been decided and it’s one I can’t turn my back on no matter the cost, though I know it will be high.

  The lock for the door finally gives and I rush inside, closing the door behind me while Caster remains outside. The look on Elizabeth’s face is one of terror until she realizes it’s me, then she wraps her arms around my neck and holds me tight. I wish I could stay with her for the rest of our lives, but if I don’t get her away from here tonight she won’t have a life much longer.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she says as her tears soak my collar.

  “I had to come at least once more,” I whisper. “But we don’t have time for goodbyes. The Vagter are on their way.”

  “How…how did they find out about me?” she asks, her voice quivering with fright.

  “I’m not sure, but I’d bet anything it’s my father’s spies. He has them hidden among the villages here in Geron,” I reply. Her piercing green eyes penetrate deep inside my soul and I feel lost in them. It takes her loving kiss to bring me back around. “Pack quickly.”

  She hurries around the small hut, grabbing whatever she can and shoving it into a duffle bag. I’m mesmerized by her beauty and the grace with which she moves even with a bulge in her belly—our child. I’m sure if I hadn’t gotten Elizabeth pregnant my father would’ve let me continue my affair with her, since he has many of his own. But now that I’m to wed a young woman he and my mother handpicked for me, Elizabeth and the child are in danger. I put off this moment for as long as possible and once hoped the two of us could elope one day, but that was young foolish thinking on my part. I should’ve known better, but I’ve been in love with Elizabeth since we were children, and that’s never going to end.

  “Here,” I say, handing her a medallion I’ve had since I was young. “Give this to our child once he or she is born. It’ll be a way for me to find them later if I can’t return to you before then.”

  She cries as she slips the chain around her neck with a silver medallion dangling at the end containing an image of a griffin with large wings, giant paws with sharp claws, and ruby encrusted eyes slightly raised. She tucks it under her dress as I hurry her out the door. Caster helps her mount his horse while I hold on to her bag until she’s safely in the saddle.

  “Caster will take you someplace safe,” I say, handing her the bag. “He’ll make sure you’re well looked after and cared for, but he won’t be able to stay with you as I need him here to offset suspicion when they discover you’re gone.”

  “I understand,” she says meekly. “I love you.”

  “I love you too. Now go.”

  Caster sprints off into the night with my love pressed against his back while my heart breaks, but my task isn’t over just yet. I retrieve a large burlap sack from the back of my horse, drag it into the hut, and remove a hunting knife from under my waistband. After untying the cord around the top, the smell of impending death fills the room as I pull the battered figure from its confinement. The woman who falls out is the same size and build as Elizabeth, but she’s a simple whore from one of the bathhouses in the village and no one will miss her. Her terrified eyes stare at me through her mangled hair while she lies on her side on the floor by the foot of the bed. Her hair is the same chestnut color as Elizabeth’s, so I’m hoping this will convince my father of my loyalty to him and the crown.

  I grab the woman by the hair and haul her onto the bed. She tries to scream, but the gag in her mouth muffles all her cries. She’s too weak to properly fight back, especially with a broken arm which Caster inflicted on her when we snatched her. I drape her hair over the rest of her face to block out her haunting eyes, then I take my knife and slit her throat, cutting her almost to the spine. As her blood pools down around the bed, I remove the gag as well as the ropes used to bind her wrists and ankles. I take the sack along with the rest of the items and shove them into the saddlebag. Then I stand and wait by the door as it swings open in the gentle breeze that’s starting to blow.

  The rustling of the leaves on the trees that encircle the hut is soon replaced by the stomping of hooves. Kerron, the head of the Vagter—the royal guards for the Geron Kingdom—is the first one to appear from the woods, followed closely by several of his men. His dark blue coat looks almost black in the dead of night, but the gold piping that runs along the trim of his uniform gives his ranking away. I’ve never cared for the man, even though we’re both the same age—all of twenty-three. My father cares for him more than he does for me, raising him like one of his own, though his mother was a whore like the one I just murdered.

  “David,” Kerron says casually as he stops only feet away, then dismounts his horse.

  The others don’t follow their leader’s action since they have to wait to be instructed to do so.

  “I told my father I’d take care of the situation,” I say testily, annoyed by Kerron’s presence.

  “Yes, I know, but the king needs reassurances that your mistakes won’t leave a lasting impression on his reign,” Kerron replies, the words dripping from his tongue like honey. He has the same cold, calculating demeanor as my father where I inherited my mother’s gentle spirit, which I killed tonight with my actions taken to protect Elizabeth.

  Kerron steps past me and into the hut, his heavy boots pounding on the thin wooden floor as he moves about the tiny room. I stay outside and wait anxiously for his next move.

  “I thought this woman was expecting your child,” he says while lingering in the doorway.

  “She wasn’t far along, so it wouldn’t have been noticeable,” I reply with ease.

  “And you willfully killed her?” he asks with heavy doubt.

  “What do you take me for, Kerron?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “I’m destined to be your ruler the day after tomorrow, so I’d watch how you address me.”

  “You’re not my king yet,” he says with a half-smile. �
�Our father will be most pleased at your handling of this unfortunate situation. He had very little confidence in you actually going through with his request.”

  “He’s not your father,” I correct Kerron, becoming angry over the implication.

  “He raised me just as he did you, therefore he considers me as his son. I only lack the heredity, but not the fortitude to rule.”

  “I loathe you,” I hiss.

  “And I you, brother,” he says, grinning, then signals for several of the guards to dismount. “Burn everything. Make sure there isn’t any trace of the body inside, then douse the flames to keep the fire from spreading.”

  “Yes, sir,” the group says in unison before getting to work.

  I mount my horse as they soak torches with kerosene then light them and toss them into the hut, which quickly goes up in a ball of fire because of its poor condition.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to,” I say as I turn my horse around, galloping into the forest without giving Kerron a chance to respond.

  I take the long way back to the castle to give myself some time to adjust to everything that’s occurred. I’m disturbed by how easily I found kidnapping that woman and slaughtering her was. I’ve killed before, but that was only in combat against another makeshift kingdom that tried to evade our forces. It never felt personal like it did tonight, but Elizabeth is safe and that’s all that matters at the moment.

  It takes me a little over ten minutes to reach Longemere Castle. Every light is burning both inside and out from what I can see. I proceed around the back to the stables, put my horse into his stall, then make my way up to my room by way of the rear entrance. My mother is pacing outside my door, wringing her hands, but relaxes when she notices me turn the corner.

  “Oh, thank God,” she gasps. “You didn’t return quickly enough, and I thought the worst.”

  “Everything is fine, Mother,” I say, taking her hand and squeezing it.

  “It’s all done then?” she asks, clearly worried.

  “Yes,” I reply solemnly, then open the door to my room and step inside with my mother following.

  “What did you do?” she asks as she quietly closes the door behind her.

  “What you told me to,” I reply as I remove my houpeland that’s spattered in blood.

  “And the medallion?”

  “Gone.”

  She takes my hand in one hand and brushes my cheek with the other. “Was the woman I selected the right one? Did she fit the description you were looking for?”

  “Yes. She worked out perfectly,” I reply.

  “Good. I’m sure your father won’t even realize one of his whores is missing since he has so many of them,” she chides. “Don’t ever do that to your wife, David, understand?”

  “Even if the person you’re forcing me to marry is one I despise?”

  “Yes,” she says adamantly. “You’re a better man than your father and you’ll respect everyone you meet, including your bride-to-be. Now get some rest and pray that Caster is back in time for the ceremony, as it’ll be quite difficult to explain his absence.” Before she leaves, she reaches under her collar and removes her medallion. It’s identical to the one I gave Elizabeth. “You’ll need to present this to your bride tomorrow since you no longer have yours.”

  “Won’t Father miss it if he doesn’t see you wearing it?”

  She tries to chuckle, but it comes out pained. “He hasn’t been with me in years, so I doubt he’d notice anything was off about me,” she replies. “Don’t worry about him. The two medallions are the same, so he’ll never notice this one is mine and not yours.”

  She gives me a kiss on the cheek. Once she’s gone I strip down before getting under the thick, heavy blankets. I dread tomorrow and the idea of being bound to someone I detest. I’ve never cared for Moyra even if we’ve been destined for each other since her birth. She’s a few years younger than me and the only reason my father is forcing this is because of a deal he made with Moyra’s father, the former King of Murias. That make-shift kingdom was on the brink of collapse when my father invaded. To ensure a peaceful merger of the two, Moyra and I were bound to each other. The former King of Murias died months ago, but I’m still obligated to go through with this charade.

  Morning arrives quickly and I haven’t slept at all. I’m barely able to keep my eyes open as I sink into the tub that’s being filled with hot water by a couple of male servants who’ve been with me since I was little. I scrub the dirt and dried blood from under my fingernails as best I can and linger in the water longer than I probably should, but I’m trying to prolong the inevitable. As I’m putting on a lush robe Caster enters, looking just as worn and exhausted. I order one of the servants to tend to him while I step out into my bedchamber to get ready.

  The knock on the door startles me since I’d been deep in thought hoping Elizabeth is safe, but when I open it I’m not surprised to find Moyra standing on the other side holding a food tray. I knew she wouldn’t wait until later to start harassing me. She tries to smile, but it’s clearly forced.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask harshly as she’s not supposed to be anywhere near my room until after the ceremony.

  “I thought we could eat breakfast together,” she says, holding the tray up for emphasis.

  I’m annoyed by her appearance, but step aside to allow her entry. She steps over to a small seating arrangement in the far corner of the room, sets the tray of food down on the table, then begins removing her clothes. I hurry over to stop her.

  “What are you doing?” I ask as I pull her dress back up over her shoulders.

  “Celebrating the good news, of course,” she says with a devilish smile. She pushes my hands away, lets the dress fall, and unclips her long red hair that had been neatly piled at the nape of her neck, letting it cascade down her bare back.

  “Kerron told you, didn’t he?” I ask, rage filling me .

  She saunters up to me and wraps her body around mine. “Why wouldn’t he?” she asks as she begins to unbutton my pants. “It’s his job to inform the queen about everything that happens in the kingdom.”

  “You’re not queen yet,” I say, trying to extract myself from her grip.

  “But you’ve already bedded me like one, David. On many occasions too,” she continues as she slowly pushes me back towards the bed. “I can’t help it if I want to revel in the fact that my competition is now dead and that my lover killed her.”

  “She wasn’t your competition,” I grumble.

  “She was a whore, nonetheless,” Moyra says with delight. “I know your mother spoke with you about not running around on me like Gregor does on her. It’s time you realized that I won’t tolerate it like she does.”

  “I’d never do that to anyone I love.”

  “Really?” she asks as I fall onto the bed, straddling me as she removes the rest of my clothes. “Then why were you still fucking her while you were screwing me?”

  “It was bound to happen eventually, so what does it matter when you and I started sleeping together? And besides, I never loved you and you know it.”

  “But you did love… Elizabeth, wasn’t that her name? I’m surprised that a man of your high honor would cheat on the woman he raves about while fucking me.”

  I thought Moyra hadn’t noticed the time I let Elizabeth’s name slip out during one of our more intimate meetings. Her face flooded my mind as a way to get through being with Moyra. It got so overwhelming that I cried out for her at the height of it all.

  “Keep your voice down. Caster is in the other room,” I say, hoping this will stop her, but it doesn’t.

  “Good for him,” she says as she maneuvers her body so I slip inside.

  I feel immediately repulsed, but this is how my life is going to be from now on, so I’ll need to find a way to overcome this wretched woman. Our breathing quickens as the heat builds and it’s over within minutes. I’m glad I can get through it quickly with Moyra. With Eliz
abeth we could go on for hours and never want to stop.

  How I ache for her.

  Moyra is dressing while I do the same and just before she leaves, she turns to me from the doorway and smiles. “I’m pregnant,” she says casually. “I have been for over a month now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I ask, still angered over our encounter.

  “Because I was waiting for the perfect opportunity, and today seemed like the best one. Not only are your whore and bastard child dead, but your heir lives within me, binding me to this kingdom forever,” she replies, then laughs as the door closes behind her.

  The lavatory door off to my left creaks open and Caster hesitantly pokes his head out of the opening.

  “Is the demon gone?” he asks as the water from his hair drips into his eyes.

  “For now, anyway,” I groan.

  “What did she want?” he asks as he slinks into the room, already donning his dark blue waistcoat with tails and matching pants.

  “To put me on my guard that she knows Elizabeth and the baby are dead, and that she’s pregnant.”

  “Fucking Kerron can’t keep his damn mouth shut,” Caster grouses. “I wouldn’t be surprised if those two are fucking each other behind your back.”

  “I wish that was true, then I could be rid of her,” I say. “Unfortunately, Kerron has been traveling around the kingdom for the last several months and just returned this week. Moyra is more than a month along, so it’s definitely mine.”

  “Shit,” Caster utters. “You better finish getting ready. The ceremony is in an hour.”

  I get the rest of my outfit together, which consists of a black waistcoat with tails along with the Geron griffin embroidered on the lapel, black trousers with dress shoes, and a chain consisting of small metallic insignia discs, or crests, that represent all the nine kingdoms in Reynes. I drape it around my neck like a noose. To finish the entire nightmare off, I strap a longsword around my waist and before we head out the door, I remember to snatch the necklace my mother gave me, slipping it around my collar so it displays predominantly for my father to see.