Red (The True Reign Series) Read online

  “Apparently, I don’t need to tell you it is, since you already know it.” Neco ate the last bite of his jerky.

  “I have to find these rebels.”

  After a few silent moments, Neco responded, “I’d like to know why.”

  “What do you mean?” Darmik asked. On the surface, he was the commander, and it was his duty. Neco knew this, so why was he asking?

  “You have an entire army at your disposal,” Neco said. “Why not use them to find the rebels? Why do you have to find them? Is it because of Rema?”

  Neco rarely asked personal questions. Especially questions involving women. They often joked around, but when it came to things like love, Neco knew better than to ask. Ever since Jarcy was killed, the subject wasn’t discussed.

  Darmik looked at his friend, who patiently waited for him to answer.

  “You want honesty?” Darmik asked. Neco nodded. “I don’t know.” Neco remained silent, waiting for him to continue. “If I let the army find her, then Lennek will know about it. He’ll have her killed.”

  “But she was already sentenced to be executed. You didn’t intervene then.”

  “I had my suspicions that there would be a rescue attempt. I figured she’d be saved. Then I could decide what to do.”

  “I thought something was going on between you two. But then, well, at her sentencing, I wasn’t so sure.” Neco grabbed his sack and packed his blanket and supplies inside.

  “Neither was I,” Darmik mumbled. “I brought you with me because I don’t know what I’m doing,” Darmik admitted. “I don’t think Rema should be murdered. I made a promise to Trell not to kill any more people in the kingdom just because the king demands it. I want to be a fair leader, a good one.” Darmik couldn’t reveal Rema’s true identity. At least, not yet. “When I figure it out, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Very well,” Neco smiled. “Sure makes it a lot easier to be out here in the middle of nowhere if it’s for a good reason, don’t ya think?”

  Darmik laughed.

  ****

  They decided to climb further down the mountain until they could walk on foot again. Just when the solid rocks started to thin and the ground became visible, Darmik slipped and lost his footing. The terrain was still fairly steep, and he tumbled down about fifteen feet until he was able to dig his heels in and stop himself.

  Standing, he brushed himself off, lucky to have escaped the fall without any injuries. Crunching ground sounded as Neco ran to catch up. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine.” Darmik stood and readjusted his sack. He looked back up toward where he slipped. “A stone was loose, and I lost my footing.”

  Neco took the opportunity to take a drink of water. While Darmik waited for Neco to finish, he studied the area. Several of the rocks had slid down with him. Looking back to where he slipped, there seemed to be an odd arrangement of stones. Darmik hiked up to the area in question. In general, the boulders were set into the ground and spread apart. However, at the spot where he fell, there was an odd, almost unnatural cluster of rocks.

  Getting down on his knees, he examined several of them. They were all loose. Darmik moved the stones off to the side, Neco eventually joining him. After several moments, a black hole was revealed.

  “There’s something here,” Darmik said. The pair continued removing the rocks until the hole widened, and they discovered a small tunnel. Darmik easily passed through the three-foot-long section and entered a large cave.

  “Neco,” he called back to his friend. “Get our supplies and get in here.”

  There was enough light coming through the opening for Darmik to see a ring of small stones surrounding several logs.

  “Ah, you built me a fire,” Neco joked as he entered the cave and glanced around.

  Darmik pulled out some lint and began the process of lighting it.

  “What do you think?” Darmik asked. “This cave is situated similarly to the other one I found.”

  Neco looked at him with raised eyebrows. Darmik quickly explained how, after Rema’s rescue, he’d tracked the rebel to a cave that had provisions.

  “So we’re in rebel territory,” Neco mused. “Fun.”

  The fire finally caught, and Darmik stood. The light danced off the stone walls, and something off to the side caught his attention.

  “Bloody hell,” Darmik said with wide eyes.

  Scattered over the walls of the cave were three distinct scenes. Each one contained pictures of trees, rocks, and dots in a configuration, perhaps stars.

  “Interesting that there are no words,” Neco thought aloud. “Just pictures.”

  Darmik studied the black markings in more detail. They didn’t appear to tell a story. He turned around to the entrance of the cave. Starting to the right of the opening, Darmik walked around the perimeter, observing the three scenes.

  “It’s a map,” he declared.

  “How do you figure?” Neco sat on the ground next to the fire.

  “Each picture reveals the entrance to a cave—like this one,” Darmik said. “I’m assuming the previous cave, this cave, and the next one.”

  Neco stared at the strange pictographs, scratched his head, and grabbed his bag of supplies. He took out a small pan and suspended it over the fire, adding some vegetables while he spoke. “I’m not sure I follow your logic.”

  Darmik took a seat next to his friend.

  “Why would there be a map of this cave in this cave? It doesn’t make any sense.” The vegetables sizzled, and Neco stirred them with a spoon.

  “It’s actually a great idea,” Darmik mumbled. He leaned back, admiring the pictures. “The map reveals the next cave, and I bet that cave has a similar map revealing the one after that. This is how the rebels get to their base camp.”

  Neco set down the spoon. “Why not have just the one picture then? Why three?”

  “In case anyone finds the cave. There are three possible locations. The only way to know where the next one is located is to know where you’ve been.”

  “So the map doesn’t reveal the order of the locations?”

  “No. The caves are out of order.”

  “Fantastic. This keeps getting better and better. Any ideas on how to crack the code?” Neco asked.

  Darmik shook his head. They could attempt trial and error; however, if he chose wrong, they might be unable to find their way back to their current location in order to try another option.

  Rema

  Rema stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind her. The dimly lit corridor was void of people. Bright light came from the right wing, so she went in that direction. The floor was made of well-worn gray tile, the walls of similarly colored stone. Several arched doors lined the hallway, all of them closed.

  Wearing thick, wool socks and no shoes, Rema was able to quietly move down the corridor. After passing a dozen doors, she came upon a single torch hanging on the wall, revealing an intersection. The wing to the left was tinged with the gray light of dawn. Heading in that direction, it became colder with each step and the hallway gradually lightened.

  A voice shouted in the distance, and Rema froze. There was some sort of pounding noise. Rema carefully moved forward, curious to see what lie ahead. She came to a gallery—the wall on her left lowered to her waist, stone columns extending from the ledge to the ceiling—giving her a view of the outside courtyard below. Moving next to one of the columns, Rema leaned against the low wall, looking down below.

  Her heart froze.

  Hundreds of soldiers stood in perfectly formed lines. There were easily twenty rows with twenty men each. Everyone wore black, long-sleeved tunics and pants. With their backs to her, Rema was unsure if any embroidery or crest covered the front of their uniforms. Everyone held a single sword, moving in perfect synchronization with each other. Every time they changed from one position to another, they yelled in unison. One man stood at the front of them all, his hands clasped behind his back.

  These were not the king’s men, an
d Rema had no idea what she stumbled upon. This was something she should not be witnessing. Her hands shook, and her throat became dry. The feeling of danger overwhelmed her, and she took a step back, bumping into someone. Too afraid to scream, she spun around and found Mako’s brown eyes staring intently upon her.

  “You’re out of your room,” he said in a quiet voice, blocking her path. He wore a black tunic and pants, similar to what the soldiers in the courtyard donned. Mako’s black boots were covered with mud, his face bore a few days’ worth of stubble, and the skin below his eyes had a hint of reddish blue, indicating he hadn’t slept in days.

  Rema reached for her necklace, not sure what to say or do. The secret message inside the key told her to trust in Mako. Her aunt and uncle were here in this fortress, and they seemed to know and trust him. Rema had to assume she was safe, but she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling inside.

  “I, um, am trying to find my Uncle Kar and Aunt Maya,” Rema said. Mako remained perfectly still, looking at her with an unreadable expression. “Do you know where I might find them?” she asked.

  Mako stepped around her and stood before the railing, staring down at the soldiers below. “Are you well enough to be moving about?” he asked.

  Was he threatening her? Implying she should be in her room, not here witnessing the sword-bearing people? Or was he genuinely concerned for her? Rema didn’t know him well enough to determine what he was getting at, and his body and facial expression gave no clue.

  She raised her chin, feigning confidence. “I want to know where I am. And I want to know what’s going on.”

  The courtyard fell silent. The man standing in front of the soldiers glanced up and nodded to Mako. Mako raised his hand, giving the man some sort of signal or command. The man nodded once again, called everyone to order, and dismissed them.

  “Let’s go to my office, where I will explain everything to your satisfaction,” Mako said, turning to face Rema, his eyes not quite meeting hers.

  Hundreds of men wielding weapons in the courtyard seemed like an army to her. How did the rebels manage to amass such a large army? Rema had wanted answers; now, she feared what they would be.

  With the initial shock of the soldiers in the courtyard passing, Rema had time to survey her surroundings. The square-shaped castle contained six levels, with a lookout tower at each of the four corners. It was difficult to breathe the air in her room, and here, with exposure to fresh air, breathing was still laborious. Rema found herself constantly light-headed. She was also dizzy and tired, but that could be from the injury to her head.

  Clouds brushed the tops of the lookout towers. The temperature felt as cold as winter, but it was only the fall season. The fortress had to be high up in the mountains.

  Rema’s parents must have somehow known about this fortress, and that’s why they left the necklace for Rema telling her to trust Mako. She’d have to ask her aunt and uncle how her parents not only knew about this place, but how they came to know this man.

  “Lead the way,” Rema said, realizing Mako was patiently waiting for her to answer.

  He paused for a moment and took Rema’s arm, leading her down the hallway.

  They descended three flights of stairs, not passing a single person along the way. Walking down a brightly lit hallway, torches hung on the walls every twenty feet on either side. It was much warmer there than on the previous levels, and the pleasant sound of voices filled the air.

  The corridor contained several open doors, light glowing from inside. People went in and out of the rooms, others hurrying along the hallway. Everyone nodded to Mako with respect. Some looked at Rema with curiosity, but no one spoke to her. All the people wore heavy, black wool pants and tunics with a small, embroidered crest over the left breast. It was a white horse with wings and two red swords crisscrossed in front of the animal. It was the symbol of the previous royal family—Rema was sure of it. Aunt Maya showed it to her once.

  Rema peered into a room as they passed by. It was an office with a desk and chairs where men sat talking and laughing. Maps and weapons covered the walls. Glancing back at the people in the hallway, almost every person had a sword strapped to his waist.

  Mako stopped before a closed door. Unlocking it with a key, he pushed it open, holding the door for Rema. She entered an office similar to the other ones she’d just seen. A plain, wooden desk sat in the center of the room. Maps of the seven regions hung on one of the walls, while books and swords covered the remaining three. There was one single window fitted with glass facing outside the castle. Rema saw swaying treetops and fast-moving clouds similar to the view from her room. At various heights, several lit candles littered the desk, as well as the small shelves around the room. Beneath the desk, a large rug lay on the floor, which was so worn that she couldn’t determine any pattern.

  Mako offered Rema his brown, cushioned chair with a soft pillow for the back. She sat down, still dizzy and light-headed. This was the most activity she’d had in days. Mako went to the window, staring outside.

  After several silent moments, Mako finally said, “I’m glad you’re almost fully recovered from the incident.” He continued staring outside.

  Rema didn’t feel like her almost execution was an incident. It was more of a traumatic experience that she was trying to forget, and she didn’t want to sit there and talk about it. “I want to know where I am and what’s going on.”

  Pulling the necklace out from under her dress, Rema unclasped it. “Have you seen this before?” she asked, holding the key on her palm for Mako to examine. He turned around and looked at it. “Do you know what it is?” The chain dangled from her hand.

  Mako remained silent. Rema kept her hand extended, waiting for Mako to respond.

  “No, I’ve never seen it before.”

  Rema noticed he didn’t answer her other question. “Do you know what it is?” she asked again. At the castle, Ellie informed Rema the necklace was expensive. And Ellie was told to keep an eye out for the key. There were too many coincidences for this necklace to be some random family heirloom. It meant something, and if Rema’s parents knew and trusted Mako, then he probably knew its significance.

  “Yes,” he said, “it was your mother’s, and her mother’s before her.”

  “But how did my mother come to own such an expensive piece of jewelry?” Maya and Kar never talked about Rema’s parents, so she had no idea what their professions were. However, they couldn’t have been anything of consequence; otherwise, her aunt and uncle would be of a higher rank than simply merchants.

  “It’s probably been in the family for generations, passed down because of its value.” He bit his bottom lip and glanced to the door.

  Rema did not appreciate Mako’s elusive answers. “Then tell me why your name is engraved on the inside.”

  Mako’s brows bent inward, confusion filling his face. Rema snapped the key open and read the inscription aloud.

  REMA

  remember to always look

  back

  and you’ll be

  OK

  but not at night, only in the

  AM

  Trust in him,

  Your family

  Mako shook his head. “My name is not there.”

  “It is,” Rema insisted. “The OK and the AM. When you combine them, you get OKAM. Then the inscription says to look back, and when you do, you get MAKO. I don’t believe this is a coincidence.” This was in fact, the only reason Rema remained there at the fortress.

  “I . . . I don’t know,” Mako said, his voice hoarse. “Your father and I, we were friends. We fought side by side when the Emperion army invaded. I swore to your mother I would protect you. But how could they have known?” He shook his head, appearing lost in thought.

  “You knew my parents?” Rema was stunned. No one had ever spoken about them before.

  Mako nodded. “But I don’t know any details about the message in the necklace.”

  Perhaps Maya or Kar would have an explan
ation. “So,” Rema said as she put the necklace back on, “where are we?”

  “Make sure you keep that hidden.” He pointed to the key. “It is valuable, and I’d hate for you to lose it.”

  Rema slid it under the neckline of her dress. Leaning back in the chair, she folded her hands, patiently waiting for Mako to answer her question. She had no intention of leaving until he told her their location.

  “I’ve already explained that we are in a fortress.” Rema nodded for him to continue. “This place is located in the Middle Mountains.”

  The Middle Mountains? A chill ran through her body. Rema was stunned. She assumed they were on one of the mountain ranges, but not the Middle Mountains. No one lived there—it was too cold, and impossible to navigate. This place was not built quickly; it would have taken years to construct. Supplies would have had to have been transported, along with animals and plants.

  “Who does the fortress belong to?” Rema asked.

  Mako hesitated. “The previous royal family.” Rema wondered if her parents used to work in the castle. “The survivors came here.” Rema knew her parents were killed during the takeover. Were they trying to escape to this fortress when they were attacked and murdered?

  That was seventeen years ago. Vesha said she was stuck in this place; that she never left. But Mako knew the politics of the kingdom. Clearly, he didn’t remain here in this fortress. “I saw you purchase horses from my aunt and uncle,” Rema said, inviting him to share more information.

  “Yes. We need additional horses on occasion. Kar is the best breeder.” Mako glanced to the door.

  Rema waited for him to continue, but Mako rested against the window ledge, his hands folded in front of him. She suspected there was more to the story. They were in the Middle Mountains, in a fortress, harboring an army, and King Barjon was unaware of its existence. It didn’t make sense.

  In a previous conversation with Darmik, he revealed he was worried about the kingdom and the possibility of going to war.

  After several minutes of silence, Rema stared into Mako’s deep brown eyes and pointedly asked, “Are you rebelling against the throne?”