Rising Sun (Fate's Intent Book 9) Read online

  Bonds that were created got serious. Aleks and Cynthia were never more than inches apart and Kathryn got close to Izin just after the loss of her son. It seemed like a heartbreak for everyone. It happened when we were back home. She put him to bed at night as usual but by morning, he was gone. He just vanished. No one knows what happened, if he was taken or got out of bed and wondered off. She was in a silent state of grief for weeks when he was never found and I could only imagine it.

  We finally convinced her that she just needed to get away and it was Izin that got her to become more like herself again. Of course she would never forget her son but we kept telling her she shouldn’t live in the past and being around Izin made things seem more bearable. I kept Torrin extra close since that. I never let him out of my sight when we were home and he went where I went. It was easy enough since he enjoyed following me around and he liked our trips into the mountains to see the people he can’t see back home. It was becoming like a second family but in all families there’s that one that wanted to ruin everything.

  Entry IV:

  His name was Lyle, a Senian soldier. I didn’t know much of him but that. He threatened to have us all exposed to the Senian King. I was one in the room when it happened, luckily Gwenyth had just taken Torrin to bed for me so he could not have seen. The words left his lips and my eyes widened, turning them to Izin whom he was looking at. Izin sat stiff. I still can’t erase it to this day. His eyes grew black with hate, part of an enchantment I knew he had but hadn’t seen until now. It was like he didn’t hesitate for a second when it happened. He got to his feet and approached Lyle. His eyes widened as Izin grabbed a hold of him and sank his teeth into the pulsing flesh of his neck. He was only allowed to let out a half a cry before Izin pulled back with a chunk of his throat in his mouth and pushed him down to the floor.

  He was dead and Izin spit the flesh down onto the body, speaking in amusement about how he couldn’t tell now and sat back down like what he just did was nothing. The room was silent and I think all eyes were on him.

  “Sorry you had to see that.” He said while wiping the blood from his mouth.

  Just using his regretful, friendly voice, everyone just simply forgot about it. I didn’t know how they could have. I can still remember what it was like to see it. There were no drops of blood. It poured like streams from his neck and Izin acted as if it were a pleasant experience. I couldn’t understand it surely but things started to get weird after that.

  Every time we gathered for another meeting, there would be someone new from Seni and I soon learned they were strictly for Izin to sink his teeth into. He treated it like a game, not telling them until he was about to do it. To be completely honest, it was sick but it was as if I were the only one to think that. Everyone else would laugh along with him. It was starting to get out of hand and I knew Aleks was beginning to see it after about the fifth time like the game had gotten old and he joined me in seeing how wrong it was.

  He said we had to talk to him and I agreed. We were able to pull him aside one night just before we knew he was about to do it again and we stressed our concern. I still saw him as a friend and he was but his reaction only reminded me that he was also still the enemy. He shrugged it off like we didn’t know what we were talking about, that we were wrong. He said it wasn’t dangerous, it was just fun and we couldn’t understand unless we experienced it. I wouldn’t have wanted to and he was the one that was wrong but we just couldn’t convince him of it. Nothing worked. He remained as proud as ever and kept it up.

  It wasn’t until three nights later that we had him turned around in his thoughts. He went completely out of control with news that the King knew about us and Kathryn was the closest thing to him. His teeth buried into her flesh and everyone panicked. Izin did too when he backed off to see what he had done. The blood was just gushing out of her neck. We knew she wouldn’t make it but that didn’t stop us from trying to slow the bleeding. Izin almost came to tears being by her side, knowing how this would end. He was indeed truly sorry and swore to her right there in front of all of us, never to do it again if it meant she’d be okay.

  It was a lost hope. His poisonous venom has surely dug deep within her blood already and she’d only have seconds but he never looked away from her eyes, only fearing to see them close. It was a hard time for all of us. We were all close with Kathryn and didn’t want to see it end this way. It was a tragedy that hit too close to home.

  Then the most unusual thing happened. We were able to almost completely stop the bleeding and Kathryn’s breaths were moving with her chest; she was still alive. It stunned us all silent, having seen it time and time again continuously kill but somehow Kathryn managed to survive. Others were trying to come up with theories why but Izin didn’t seem to notice any of the talking. His head was hung over Kathryn in a sobbing joy to know that she was okay and expressing how sorry he was. Kathryn managed to smile and gripped his hand, easily accepting his apology. She loved him and even an accident like this wouldn’t change it.

  After the shock had passed and Kathryn was bandaged so she could heal, reality set in to why it happened. The King knew. Everyone was expressing worry and we looked to Izin to figure out what we should do about it.

  “Nothing.”

  That’s what he said. Saying, we didn’t know if it was actually true but as an extra precaution we all decided to cut our stay short and leave in the morning. I remember Cynthia and Aleks saying their good-byes like they would never see each other again and Izin and Kathryn were doing the same thing. It was sad to see but I assured them this wouldn’t be the last time, we’d come back when we could as soon as the rumors dwindled down and it would have been safe. They easily wanted to agree with me and it made our parting just a little more tolerable though I was unsure how long that would actually be.

  We were home for weeks. It seemed unusual to be back so much and we tried to cope back into our normal lives but we could only think of what may be happening in Seni right now. If their King knew, then that means they could be getting punished right now and we wouldn’t even know it. Aleksander stayed away from us a lot during that time like he didn’t want to think about it and I saw him again when he came to me with news from Izin. We were going to meet again.

  Entry V:

  It was like a breath of relief for everyone. Like it’s all we’ve been waiting for. We couldn’t wait to go back and hear all that’s been happening but we arrived to the unexpected. Senian soldiers swarmed the mountain pass around us and began to slaughter everyone without warning. Admits the screaming and death, everyone was trying to find someone. Izin yelled for Cynthia to run over the border, farther into Kalu but she was hesitant. I took her arm and started to lead the way, my sword in the other hand, fighting to get through the soldiers. Gwenyth was on my side doing the same thing and we were able to get a small group of us safely away. A very small group. It was only Cynthia, Kathryn, Gwenyth and myself, thanking the stars that Anna wanted me to leave Torrin behind for some early childhood schooling lesson he would start so he didn’t have to witness all our friends being killed.

  The mountains became silent and we looked back towards the east. There was nothing. We waited and waited, hoping Aleksander and Izin would be following but they never came. Cynthia and Kathryn fell apart, fearing what happened and insisting that we go back. I looked at Gwenyth and she knew it was a bad idea but they wouldn’t stop. I agreed to the point that they stayed right where they were and Gwenyth and I would go. We’ve seen death before and had to deal it with a cold blade. Kathryn has too but she was more fragile than ever right now. It was just something neither of them needed to see and agreed to it as long as we didn’t lie about what we saw.

  They waited off the road and I headed back east with Gwenyth. Everything still seemed quiet and she was expressing her doubt. If they survived, they should have made it back to us. I knew it too but couldn’t believe it until I saw it for myself.

  The soldiers were gone but bodies remain
ed, bodies of our friends. I don’t know if any escaped back towards Seni but I knew Aleks and Izin would have followed us. There’s no way they would go the other way. It only made us fear the worst as we looked around, hoping not to see their faces. To our surprise, we didn’t. They weren’t dead—here at least. Gwenyth guessed that perhaps they were taken. I could see why Izin would just be but Aleks too? I didn’t like it. It meant they would have had a plan for him.

  Just when I started to think what could happen, Aleks came around the rocks to the east. My heart just stopped, sighing loudly to see him alive but it only lasted a moment. He looked upset and I knew something was wrong.

  He explained what happen. Izin was taken by his own father as a prisoner and Aleks feared that his punishment would be severe. I couldn’t even think of it. How could someone be so cruel to their own son? Then I remembered who we were talking about. Izin never grew up with him as a father. He was taken care of by the maids of the palace until he was old enough to look after himself and even then, his father never seemed interested in being one. It was like he only had him because he needed him. I get that but doing it to the extent that you won’t even bond with him? That’s not what a father is and I now feared for Izin. I knew he wouldn’t have him killed. It’d be much worse. He’d have to suffer in pain for the rest of his life for conversing with us; and awful fate.

  We had to tell Kathryn. It was hard to even think of what we’d say. That she’d never see him again? I didn’t want to bring that kind of pain to her so I let Aleksander explain. He had Cynthia under his arm the whole time and tried to get Kathryn to understand.

  She was in tears for hours. We couldn’t even talk about going home until she settled. She was hurt and no one could do a thing about it. Nothing helped.

  During the wait, Cynthia stuck close to Aleks and said she wouldn’t leave. She gave up her life in Seni when she journeyed with us back to Dorlin and she didn’t even take a glance back. She knew she couldn’t live without Aleks and the King had already seen his face. He could never live there with her. Aleks kept trying to stress about how dangerous it would be but she didn’t care. She wanted to be with him and would live in hiding just to do it if she had to. They were indeed in love.

  We finally made it back from the tragedy and the horror of our final trip. It was over. Everything that we built was torn down and we were just supposed to move on. It ended up being a lot harder than any of us thought. This wasn’t us just waiting around anymore to leave again. We were to stay here from now on and it became hard to accept at times. Kathryn was never the same. She was often quiet and kept plenty to herself until she broke down. The only five of us that knew still gathered together and Kathryn said her good-bye. None of us understood until she started to explain. There was nothing for her here in Kalu anymore. She was pregnant and more determined to go to Seni and find Izin, no matter the danger.

  Aleks protested but she wouldn’t hear of it. She was going and that was it. Aleks tried to reason. There was rumor about what happened to Izin, a victim of torture from his own father and we were unsure how it may have changed him. Still, she didn’t care. Aleks let out a sigh after the long pause and said he would go with her, not to stay but to see for himself. Izin was still a friend to him and he needed to know what happened.

  I agreed but stayed behind with Gwenyth. Cynthia of course, went with them. She was feeling remorse about letting her family think she was dead. She wanted to go and tell them that she was okay but wasn’t coming back. I supported every decision they made and wished them a safe trip. I would have gone but there were other things here that I still needed to do.

  Entry VI:

  Torrin was getting bigger and it was an odd coincidence that Gwenyth and Anna both discovered they were pregnant around the same time. I was overjoyed for Anna, knowing the child was mine but I was just a bit worried for Gwenyth. I knew the father of her child wouldn’t want anything to do with it and tried getting her to hold off telling him if she did at all. She didn’t listen and paid for it. He cursed her and the child and moved far away so she could never find him. Gwenyth was heartbroken but knew my shoulder was always open and came straight to me. I would always be there for her and told her that she’d be fine. This time, she believed me.

  Weeks passed and Anna was often tired, just wanting to relax. We had to explain to Torrin what was happening and he took it quite well. He would have a birthday and be seven by the time the child is born and would have a better understanding. I told him it would change nothing with us. I would still be there for him and he took the thought of having to share fair enough. He actually started to prepare and set up a place for the baby to sleep in his room at my house. It was good to see him this way. He was looking forward to it and I was glad to see it. It was the only good news I had.

  Cynthia and Aleks had finally returned from Seni. It was good to see them again but Aleks was not himself. He told me about Izin and what happened. The rumor was true and it had changed him like he feared. Izin was officially the enemy again. I didn’t want to believe it. Aleks said he hated him now and I couldn’t see it. They were always so close and now it was hate? As Aleks told me, I could hear anger on his voice as well. Did he really hate him or was it just that he hated what happened to him that made him change? Whatever it was, it was completely over now. Izin was gone from our lives and he took Kathryn with him. Though we gained Cynthia, it wasn’t the same. It was just a reminder to everything that happened and we found out she was pregnant too. It was an odd rarity but it only seemed to split us apart for a time.

  The months were passing and we focused back on our own lives. I would see Gwenyth periodically but Anna kept me awful close to her. Maybe somewhere she was thinking Gwenyth’s child was mine and just wanted to keep me away from her. I acted like I didn’t notice but it seemed obvious at times when her name came up. I’ll admit that I often wished that were true. I would be a better father to her child than anyone but I’ll still watch over them and my son will one day solely watch over her child. A girl, I assume. No male has ever been born into her family since she possesses the strong gene.

  Gwenyth was stronger than any woman I’ve ever known even Anna, braving to raise this child herself in the way of an Assassin as she was and one day, her little blessing would replace her in the field. I’ve longed to see it. If she’s anything like Gwenyth, she’ll be perfect in every sense.

  The day came. Morning in the cold of winter. Anna was ready with by her side. Torrin waited in the next room while the doctor tended to her and it was the perfect birth, much less stressful on her than the last time. She was happy that it was over and the doctor declared the child a girl. I had a daughter. Anna’s face went cold. She immediately ordered the doctor to leave. He handed the child off to me and left. When the door opened, Torrin came right in expressing joy and wanted to see. My eyes were still on Anna and I told him to leave. I don’t know if he did but kept my focus on Anna. She succumbed to tears and explained how she failed me. She thought I should have been holding a son. I would have liked that but this is what we got instead.

  Her tears left her and we actually argued about it. I had to set the baby down in the bassinet by the door because I was getting so heated. She was suggesting that we have her killed, just dispose of her because she was a girl. At first it sounded completely barbaric but then again, maybe she was right. A female has never been born into this blood before and it has been a past tradition.

  As soon as I calmed, I turned towards the child but she was gone. Anna was too laid up to look for her but I knew I didn’t have to look for her. I knew what happened. Torrin must not have left and heard everything. He must have taken her and I knew exactly where. Gwenyth.

  I immediately headed out and went next door to her house. She greeted me with a stiff face and my baby in her hands but she wouldn’t let go. She knew what was discussed through Torrin and wouldn’t allow it, explaining there was nothing wrong with having a girl. She knew she was going to and
asked if I would dispose of that one too if it were mine. What was I to say to her? I wouldn’t have been able to, not that she would have let me anyway. I didn’t know what to do but all Gwenyth had to do was give me that look and I’d give in. I chose her way over Anna’s and now had to try and explain.

  Entry VII:

  I couldn’t yet. I danced around the subject a few times until Anna gained her full health. That’s when I presented her with our daughter. She was furious. All this time I think she thought that I did what she wanted because I wouldn’t talk about it. Perhaps I should have. She completely changed when she knew our little girl was still alive. I had Gwenyth taking care of her throughout the wait. She gave birth herself merely five days later yet was still willing to care for them both. Now she might have to longer until my little girl no longer needed a mother’s milk. Anna refused. I couldn’t even leave her alone with her. I became afraid after her first initial attempt to kill the child herself. I guess you could say that even I changed.

  She wasn’t who I remembered being anymore. She used to be such a loving mother to Torrin when he was young but she wouldn’t have this child be a part of her. She was determined to kill her. I couldn’t see that happen. I was in love. My little Jaylyn stole my heart with her sweetness and that could never be replaced. I knew that I had to do whatever I had to, to keep her alive.

  Anna was gone from me. I no longer wanted her around and I told her. We argued of course but I was more determined and I won. She gave up rights to both children and she said she was to move far away. I stayed around just to make sure of it and I even watched her go personally, taking all of her belongings in a carriage out of the city. I wouldn’t allow her to come back here but I still lived in fear. It ate at me. I didn’t know what to do but I had to do something. I still felt like my daughter’s life was in danger. She may never come back but that wouldn’t stop someone else from doing it for her. It kept me awake at night until that day I happened to run into Aleks in the street.