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Ryuu comes over to us, shaking his head, a small furrow forming between his brows. “I don’t believe the royals passed this curfew, nor that they know about these creatures. I think the guards took it upon themselves to act in their name. I have seen it happen many times before.”
“How can you be so sure? You’ve never met them. No one has,” I reply, forgetting for a moment who I am talking to.
Ryuu scowls at me, his frown deepening, but he doesn’t call me on it. “I cannot tell you with complete certainty what the truth is, but my belief is that the royals are unaware. There has always been a veil of secrecy among the Caligo guards. But there is a shift in some of them lately. A distrust and secrecy even among their own. There is something happening here. Something we do not see yet.” He shares a worried look with my mother before frowning at me again.
“It’s late. Let’s figure it out after some sleep.” My mother sighs, the exhaustion now thick and heavy in her voice.
But my mind is twisting and turning, trying to figure out if what Ryuu believes is true. It makes the thought of sleep the furthest thing from my mind.
Jarek’s conversation comes back to me, reminding me that this year’s guard’s competition is now held inside the palace grounds while all competitors also stay in the palace.
A spark of a plan begins to form with the thought.
If Ryuu is confident that the royals aren’t aware of the dark creatures, maybe it is time they find out.
CHAPTER 6
Icleave a path through the darkness, through the night and rain and treacherous storm.
It’s late. Too late for anyone to be out after the Caligo guards enacted their curfew.
They have already destroyed many Sidus homes under the guise of protecting them from the unlawful rebels. And even though many Sidus know the truth, the fear the Caligo evoke, the power they wield, and their abuse are more of a threat to them than attempting to provoke their wrath.
The heavy rain starts to ease as I slip into the shadows along the edges of the town to emerge near the river on the opposite side. The thick forest around it hides a peaceful small sanctuary, and among the darkness of night and threat of the guards, not another soul would attempt to visit it.
I move toward my hidden haven, the edge of a small riverbank, and think back to the last couple of hours.
With the first stage of my plan initiated, I can focus on how to deal with the more pressing fallout of my newest reckless decision: the captain and my mother.
They will not agree to what I just did, but there is no time left. With the dark creatures growing stronger and now the Caligoguards becoming more reckless, we need to move ahead with a plan.
The thick trees around the small river bring a small measure of protection from the rain, allowing me to pull my hood down and move closer to the water.
Taking a deep breath, I let my thoughts settle and my mind clear. A minute of serenity soothes my body and mind, giving me a fragment of peace in a moment of chaos. It aids my mental barriers, strengthening my will and intentions.
Our kingdom is struggling to survive, the bars on our cage tightening.
We cannot last like this. The Sidus people are already struggling with the rations of food we have. Jarek is right about one thing. We are all so busy trying to survive each day and minute that not one of us knows what it means to truly live.
I let my mind drift like the small current that seeps inward and attempt to shake my desolate thoughts.
My eyes trail across the glistening river as the moon above casts its light through the dark clouds and rain. My eye catches on something and I pause.
Stepping closer, I spot a sliver of darkness that coils and slithers through the river. More and more inky, dark strings appear, their origin seeming to be closer to the wall where the river seeps inward.
Moving around the edges of the river, I make it a couple of steps, noticing the dark taint growing outward, when I hear a terrified scream from somewhere behind me.
Turning around, I don’t think; I move, running in the direction of the sound.
The wet tree branches snap against my skin as I rush forward. Another scream pierces my ears, and I move through the void without thought, coming out of it to the edge of a grove of trees and a small open center.
My eyes widen when I see the dark creature stalking toward an injured woman trying to escape it.
Reaching for one of my daggers at my sides, I shoot forward and catch it unaware, driving it into the back of the creature’s neck and up into its head. It jolts as if hit by lightning before dropping to the muddy ground with a thump.
I look at the frightened woman now on the ground and reach out to help her up, but her eyes widen, focused on something behind me, the fear completely paralyzing her in place.
I spin around and my stomach drops as I watch a dozen dark creatures move toward us.
