For the rest of Heldraine, the Iron Claws were merely a prestige group of soldiers devoted to the most sensitive and urgent matters of the realm, when, in fact, their duty was to protect the rest of the kingdom from the secrets lying in Bryniard at all costs.
It was the Iron Claws that Alissa had seen standing on the exterior of the walls as she departed. It was they who killed her father mercilessly. Ranier’s division was the only one responsible for handling all Bryniard-related matters. This time, however, the task fell into Eldric’s hands, a decision that would prove to be a mistake, and whose consequences they had yet to fully grasp.
“Yes, sir. It was a Royal Guard. His name is…” Keilan narrowed his eyes and drew the paper closer to read the information more clearly. “Eldric Van Myr. Apparently, he was the only one in a nearby area with a horse in condition to pick up the shipment. Unfortunately, a virus killed several of our stallions.” Keilan spoke with no sense of awareness, driving the general mad in return.
“Why did this decision not go through me?” he growled in wrath.
Keilan stuttered, “I-It was Major Conan, sir. He specifically instructed us not to bother you with such irrelevant matters.”
Ranier grabbed the man’s neck in his hand, lifting him from the ground as his body weighed the same as a sheet of paper, and squeezed it. The soldier’s feet dangled, and his legs thrashed as air was prevented from getting into his lungs. When agonizing sounds came out of his throat and his eyes turned red, the general finally released Keilan, fortunately in time for the boy to catch his breath and live another day.
“Everythinghas to go through me, boy.”
“Of course, sir. That won’t happen again!” Keilan’s voice was still harsh as he recovered from the strangling.
General Uldor’s anger was almost uncontrollable. How could everyone be so incompetent?
Unable to control himself, Rainier yelled, “Fetch me the artist of our squad, have him speak with everyone who has seen the suspect and his friends, and have him draw me a portrait of their faces. You have ten hours to get this done.”
Keilan bowed. “Of course, sir.” The boy walked away, heading to the door. By the threshold, he looked back at his general. “What then, sir?”
“Prepare our men for traveling. We’re making a stop in Bryniard.”
It seemed the matters awaiting in Porjea were not beneath him after all.
Chapter 13
Who are You?
161 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
“You lied.”
Alissa could have recognized the sweet, high-pitched voice from miles away for the way it warmed her heart. She looked down to her left and saw the little girl staring at the walls that held Bryniard captive from the rest of Heldraine.
“What did I lie to you about, sweetheart?” Alissa asked.
“You said we would find out what’s beyond the wall together, but you left me behind.”
Alissa’s eyes filled with tears as she stared at the huge wall. It was like someone had taken hold of her heart and squeezed it hard between their fingers.
“I only did it to save you, honey.” Alissa knelt to hold the girl close. She wished she could embrace her forever, keeping her daughter warm, loved, and safe from any harm. She wished nothing would ever make her bleed, cry, or cause her suffering.
But as she tried to reach out to Dhalia to fulfill all those wishes, Alissa’s hands went right through her small figure, like she was made of fog instead of flesh and bones. Alissa desperately tried to hold on to her, to breathe in the scent ofjasmine that enveloped her small clothes, to touch her soft, rosy cheeks. But she couldn’t.
She saw, then, how, all of a sudden, the girl’s hair color faded from the shiny gold, her natural color, into pure white. White as bright as silver. She saw the color of her eyes change, from dark brown to light blue. She saw the black and white threads start embracing her all over again.
For a moment, Alissa thought she was having a vision of Dhalia’s appearance when Senectus Subita finally sucked the years of youth from her, aging the girl to her last breath. However, when she looked at the figure standing there, she didn’t recognize her child anymore. She saw a beautiful woman, her white shiny hair and eyes blue as the sky—the same woman she had seen in the canyons.
“She looks a lot like me at her age,” the woman said, but her voice was nothing like what she had heard in the canyons. This time, it was sweet and caring. “I hope she doesn’t make the same mistakes I did.” The young woman’s smile faded. Her expression darkened at whatever memory brought so much regret to her soul.
“Who are you?” Alissa asked, her voice faltering.
“If you find out the answer to that question soon enough, you might be able to save her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hopeyou, unlike all the fools before your little girl, can find out the truth in time, Alissa.”