12

  A Kingdom’s Rot

  Adam had come to in a small, dark room, sitting on a wooden chair with his hands shackled behind his back. It had been a shock when he first woke up and he’d nearly broken his arm in panic and desperation, but now he was just aching. There were no windows in the room he was locked in, no furniture either, nothing at all that might give him the slightest clue where he’d been taken, which he suspected was intentional. It was just a vacant space with a steel door by the corner, roughly the size of his bedroom back home, lit by a single dim lamp casting a weak glow. Adam had no sense of how long he’d been unconscious, all he knew was that when he opened his eyes, he was alone and confined in this room.

  Letting out a heavy sigh, his mind drifted back to that warehouse, to the Gold-Rank knight he’d seen, how he’d been caught, and he wondered if there was something he could have done differently. He didn’t need to think far, the answer came immediately. Yes, there were lots of things he could’ve done better. For a start, he shouldn’t have tried to handle things alone. He should have told Elsa instead of taking a reckless risk. He should have expected that there might be some kind of magic that would find him even if he was hidden.

  There were so many things he should’ve done differently…

  And he’d known there might be danger, still he’d gone ahead anyway, without even having a proper plan. That wasn’t like him, it was as though there had been something else pushing him, that darkness, that strange desire to test himself against this world and satisfy some restless instinct, it had led him into doing something incredibly foolish.

  Adam shook his head as he tried to force the thoughts out of his mind. What was done was done, he could beat himself up later, assuming he survived this ordeal. Right now, he needed to prepare himself. The fact that the Gold-Rank hadn’t killed him on the spot suggested they had other plans, or at least, wanted to question him first, and he doubted that they’d hesitate to use torture if he proved uncooperative. Still, their choice to keep him alive, even if only for now, gave him a glimmer of hope. He had to make use of that.

  Adam looked around the room again and registered its sheer emptiness. Searching for some kind of tool that might help him escape this felt pointless, he might as well have been blindfolded. The shackles binding him to the chair also ensured that he couldn’t move an inch. But there had to be something he could do, some way he could call for help.

  Just then, footsteps sounded outside, several of them. Probably the Gold-Rank and his men. They were coming back. Adam’s stomach twisted and he strained one final time against the shackles, but there was no give at all, they didn’t so much as rattle.

  What kind of metal was this?

  The steel door opened suddenly and Adam’s pulse shot up, his gaze darting forward almost instinctively. He braced himself against the chair, forcing his face stay neutral, even as his heart pounded in fear. Three Bronze-Rank knights entered first, and one was carrying a small metal case tucked under one arm. He didn’t even glance at Adam once, just set the case down on the floor beside the chair. That alone made Adam’s jaw tighten and his heart nearly beat out of his chest. Whatever was in there, it couldn’t be anything good.

  Two Silver-Ranks stepped inside next and positioned themselves at the door, arms folded across their chest and their faces blank masks.

  Then the Gold-Rank stepped in, still wearing that warm smile, still calm, and it made Adam’s blood feel cold.

  He shut the door behind him, then his purple eyes swept the room as if he was trying to figure out if anything had changed. Sensing nothing different, he released a quiet breath and turned to face Adam for the first time, regarding him in silence for a brief moment.

  “Well,” the Gold-Rank said in that same cheerful tone. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d wake up. I worried they might have hit you too hard.”

  Adam didn’t say anything, but it didn’t matter to the knight, the silence only seemed to amuse the man more as his eyes brightened with delight and his smile widened.

  “Oh, I never properly introduced myself before, my apologies,” he said. “My name is Julius Darro, Gold-Rank from the ninth district. Now we both know each other’s names.”

  Not sure what to say, Adam chose to remain silent.

  “You know,” the Gold-Rank continued and took a step closer. “I expected you’d be louder… more panicked, desperate.” He tilted his head. “But you’re calmer than I expected, which leads me to believe this isn’t the first time you’ve been in a bind like this, and that’s good. It means we can have a calm conversation… I like calm conversations.”

  Adam didn’t try to convince him that he was actually panicked, he just wasn’t very expressive. There was nothing at all to be gained by telling him that. The knight crouched down in front of him, resting his forearms on his knees and bringing their faces level.

  “And let me be clear on this,” Julius added softly and his voice dropped to a gentler and more dangerous tone. “We are going to have a conversation. A long one.”

  Adam swallowed and spoke for the first time. “I’m not good at conversations.”

  The knight chuckled softly. “Oh, I like that, at least this won’t get boring,” he said calmly. “But anyway, don’t worry too much. I’ll do most of the talking. All I expect from you is clarity, a few answers. A little honesty between new friends, that’s all.”

  He straightened up and reached for the metal case, prying it open. Adam didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t stop himself. As he peered in, he saw a cluster of small tools inside. Hammers, blades, even things that looked almost medical; thin rods, clamps, strange metal pieces he didn’t recognize. His heart raced even faster and his mouth went dry. The blades at least were straightforward, the others looked like they could go anywhere.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  The Gold-Rank closed the case again and lightly tapped a finger on the lid. “You’re not in trouble, not yet,” he said calmly. “You’re simply… an unknown. To us, anyway.”

  He straightened and began to walk around Adam.

  “You were in the forest, maybe you met someone, maybe you were told something you shouldn’t have been told, or maybe it was just bad luck you were there that day. Who can say?” He paused behind Adam and his voice drifted dangerously low. “But only days later, you attacked the warehouse with Elsa, and then I find you spying on me. Surely, you understand why I can’t accept all that to be mere coincidence? Or simply bad luck.”

  Adam swallowed once more. He was so incredibly fucked. He couldn’t think of any explanation he might give the knight that would save him. That ship had sailed. He was as good as dead, they would dispose of him the moment he answered their questions. He kept his eyes on the door though he knew escape that way was impossible, but he had nothing else, only a fragile hope that someone might come bursting through to help him.

  “You might not accept it, but it’s true,” Adam said, deciding to do the only thing he could do in the moment, talk and stall for time. “I didn’t mean to be in any of those places.”

  Julius chuckled behind him. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. I just have really shit luck, like you wouldn’t believe.”

  Adam was afraid and panicked, but he’d realized that his fate was sealed either way, he might as well face it with dignity or defiance. And if luck was on his side, it might even buy enough time for someone to come for him, if they were looking that is. Adam wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious, but if it had been a few hours, then he’d likely missed supper and Katryn should be at least a little worried. But worried enough to go to Elsa?

  He hoped so, he hoped as hard as he’d ever hoped…

  Suddenly a gloved hand rested on Adam’s shoulder and his stomach clenched. The hand didn’t grip him tight or painfully, it just held him there, as though to hold him steady.

  “That’s amusing,” Julius said warmly. “But also quite unfortunate, if true. I suppose you’d want me to let you go, as you were simply a victim of circumstance.”

  “I don’t want to make demands, but yeah, that would be nice.”

  “Perhaps, I might consider it… if you answer a few questions of mine,” he said and stepped back into Adam’s view, his smile friendly and eyes bright with interest. “Who are you? Where did you come from? And what kind of meeting did you have with Arryn?”

  Adam only knew how to answer the first question. The second and third questions might as well be traps. He could try to answer them, but he was sure that his words wouldn’t be believed, and it might even make things worse for him. Still, what else could he do?

  Not answering wasn’t a real option he considered.

  “My name is Adam Wells, from America, and I didn’t meet anyone,” he answered each question in turn, forcing his voice to remain firm as he kept his gaze level with Julius.

  “America? I’ve never heard of a kingdom like that.” His eyes narrowed.

  “It’s far away,” Adam replied easily.

  “Hmm, how interesting, but perhaps we should begin with something simpler first,” he said and folded his hands behind his back. “How much do you know?”

  “I don’t know anything,” he answered.

  Julius watched him for a brief moment, then his smile stretched wide. He walked to the case waiting by the side and pried it open again, pulling out a slender hammer. “I would much prefer to do this myself, but I’m afraid I might kill you.” He handed the hammer to one of the Bronze-Ranks that had stood silently watching. “Break a finger.”

  The Bronze-Ranks stepped forward at the Gold-Rank’s gesture.

  Adam stiffened as two of them moved behind him, then metals scraped and before he knew it the shackle fell from his wrist. For a brief second, he tried to fight them off, but he was quickly overpowered as the knights seized his arms and hauled him upright.

  The knight holding the hammer approached slowly, almost casually, like this was nothing more than routine maintenance work. He set the metal case on its side, creating a flat surface. Adam was forced forward, his hand pressed down on top of it.

  His breath caught in his throat and his chest tightened in fear. He tried once more to fight the knights off, but even Bronze-Ranks were too much for him. The shift in the room was almost palpable, the silent anticipation too loud as the two knights held him down and one stood ready in front to crush his fingers with the hammer.

  Adam couldn’t hear anything but the sound of his heart thumping into his ears. He couldn’t see anything but the hammer inches from his thumb. There was no trace of mercy in the knight’s eyes, it was as though he’d done this many times before. All of them likely had. How many innocents had they done this to? How many had they disposed of?

  “Last chance, Adam,” the Gold-Rank said softly. “What do you know?”

  Adam breathed hard, his voice shaking. “I told you. Nothing.”

  There was a brief pause, then Julius signaled with a nod and a loud crack erupted as the hammer came down with force, smashing and tearing through his thumb and shattering his bone. A scream tore from Adam’s throat as pain shot through his hand. He writhed in pain, but the knights at his side held him tighter, keeping his hand steady on the case. His vision blurred and the room swayed. He gritted his teeth, struggling to even breathe.

  “See? This only gets worse if you lie.” the Gold-Rank murmured and stepped closer, as though to get a deeper look at his agony. “What did Arryn tell you in the forest?”

  “I never met him,” Adam hissed, voice shaking despite every effort.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Julius gave the signal again and the impact came. His index finger broke completely under the hammer’s heavy weight and his world exploded in pain, the sensation spreading like fire and dragging a hoarse sound from his throat before he could choke it down.

  “Who sent you?” Julius asked next, his voice sharp.

  “No one sent me!”

  “How much does Elsa know?”

  “I don’t fucking know!” Adam lashed out, anger and pain mixing together.

  The Gold-Rank hummed thoughtfully. “Stubborn… I like that,” he said. “You have eight more fingers to lose, then your kneecaps, and then your collarbones. After there is no more of you left to break, we’ll start cutting pieces out. First your eyes, then—”

  “Do it,” Adam forced out the words through heavy, ragged breaths. “But know this, someday, somehow, I’ll come for you.” His voice was quiet, baleful like he’d never heard it before, like someone else was saying the words. “I’ll take everything you have; your joy, your pride, your sanity. But I won’t take your life. No… you’ll live. You’ll live to wallow in endless torment, waiting and begging for the day I finally come to end it. And when that day arrives, no one you love on this earth will mourn. No one will even speak your name, for fear of drawing my anger. You will become a cautionary tale, I swear it.”

  There was utter silence after he finished speaking. No one in the room even moved, they all just stared at him. Perhaps, on a different day they might have laughed at him, after all he was powerless, a ninth tier adventurer threatening a Gold-Rank knight. But the raw conviction in his voice and the sheer intensity of the threat left them all startled. He might be weak, but at that moment, they all heard the truth in his words.

  And Adam meant it, every single word that had left his mouth came from the deepest part of him, as though the darkness residing inside him had gained a voice. He didn’t know how he would keep that promise, but he would. Even if he died here, he would find a way back. His miraculous resurrection might be a one-time gift, but he would force himself to live again, strike a deal with any entity—god or devil—if that was what it took, all for the singular purpose of keeping his promise. Nothing in this world would stop him.

  Julius Darro would die by his hands.

  For the first time, Julius’s smile faltered. It was slight, but Adam saw it, a faint hint of fear that crossed his face. The Bronze-Ranks still gripped his arms, but stared at him in curiosity, the Silver-Ranks were like statues by the door, and Julius was no different.

  Then something shifted in his eyes and he burst into rich laughter, as though only now seeing the funny side of a joke. “By the Divine, you almost had me there,” he breathed, wiping a tear from his eyes. “You… you really said that with a straight face.”

  Adam said nothing, he just stared at him with hate.

  “Oh, Adam,” he said in a warm tone as his grin widened into something disturbingly bright and off-putting. “You might be the most entertaining thing to walk into my life in years.” He looked at the Bronze-Rank holding the hammer. “Break another.”

  Adam reacted too slowly, but the Bronze-Ranks didn’t. His hand, already slick with blood, was slammed flat against the metal case again. For an instant, Adam’s eyes squeezed shut on instinct, then the hammer descended down with a viciousness, as if they wanted to punish him for his outburst. White-hot agony tore through his middle finger, sharper than the last, sharper than anything he’d ever known. A strangled sound escaped from his throat and his vision exploded into stars. For a moment he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t do anything but feel the excruciating pain that almost made him pass out.

  The Bronze-Ranks held him steady, they didn’t even flinch, and Julius watched the whole thing with mild, fascinated interest, his head tilted slightly. There was a smile on his face the entire time, and Adam would’ve given a limb to rip it off his face.

  “I’ll admit,” he said lightly, “I half-expected you to beg, but this is refreshing. Are you used to this kind of punishment, Adam? In that “America” you claim you’re from? Or are you a spy from the east? The partners were worried they would retaliate. No, you seem unskilled. We wouldn’t have caught you so easily if you were, and Arryn was devoted to the kingdom, he wouldn’t consort with a spy. So just what are you?”

  Adam tried to lift his head, tried to glare at him, but the pain drowned everything in his mind. His mangled hand shook violently, his flesh ripped apart and bones crushed.

  Then, suddenly, a sharp knock sounded, three times, and Julius’s expression soured faintly, as if someone had just interrupted his fun. One of the Silver-Ranks cracked the door and whispered urgently to someone outside, then he gave Julius a long look.

  “Well,” Julius muttered with some annoyance as he turned to face Adam again. “It appears I’m wanted elsewhere, what a shame. The duties of a knight never ends.”

  Adam let out a shaky breath, he was barely conscious.

  Julius approached him, bent down, and patted his shoulder almost kindly. “Oh, don’t worry, we’re not done. Not even close.” He straightened and glanced at the Bronze-Rank holding the hammer. His tone became sharp, all the warmth fading. “Continue.”

  The Bronze-Rank saluted sharply.

  Julius started to turn around, but stopped short and glanced at the Bronze-Rank one more time. “Don’t let him pass out. The moment he’s about to black out, use healing magic to patch him enough to stay awake.” His eyes drifted back to Adam and gleamed with dark amusement. “But don’t fix the damage, leave the bones broken. When he’s finally ready to talk, cut off his tongue, make him understand what it means to threaten a Gold-Rank.”

  From his words, Adam knew it was no longer about getting information, things had moved way past that, it was personal now. Julius was still bothered by the threat he’d given, or rather, his reaction to it. He seemed like one of those people who enjoyed dominating others, and that brief moment of fear he’d shown had wounded his pride. He wanted to correct that, he wanted to make sure there was no question as to who held the power here.

  Adam trembled, whether from rage, terror, or agony he couldn’t tell anymore.

  ***

  It was another slow afternoon at the inn. Usually, Katryn would have been bored, or at least keeping herself occupied by teasing her mother or going on short walks, but not today. She couldn’t bring herself to do much of anything, let alone even focus on the boredom. Heavy thoughts weighed on her mind, completely drowning everything else.

  Adam hadn’t returned to the inn last night.

  Katryn had started to get worried after he missed supper, but she’d thought he might just be running late so she’d waited, and waited some more. But he didn’t come back. She’d barely slept, worry had kept her awake throughout the night, and the first thing she’d done this morning was to check the stable, hoping he might have snuck in quietly. But he wasn’t in there, and it had confirmed her fear that Adam hadn’t returned last night.

  It was afternoon now, exhaustion had sunk into her bones, but she couldn’t rest, not even a little. Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined something terrible had happened to him. Perhaps he’d been kidnapped and whisked some place far away, perhaps he’d been attacked and left for dead, perhaps he was trapped in a ditch somewhere, or worse, so much worse. Katryn only had to remember the first attack that’d happened when he went to the cathedral, and then the attack he and Elsa had endured the other night—the one that had left his shoulder injured—to realize he was a magnet for danger.

  Katryn stood behind the counter with a cloth in hand and realized she’d been wiping the same spot on the wooden surface for a long moment. Her grip tightened on the cloth as she stopped and drew in a heavy breath, staring blankly forward.

  “Katryn,” her mother said in a rare gentle voice beside her, wiping down a mug as she always did when her hands needed something to do, or to settle her mind. “Don’t worry so much, I’m sure he’s fine, wherever he is. He’s a tough boy. He’s alright.”

  Yeah, Adam was tough, and clever, too. He was fine… probably.

  Katryn inhaled another breath to calm herself, then glanced at her mother. Her eyes didn’t lift once from the mug she was wiping, and there was a tightness in her jaw. She was worried too. She might never say it, but she was worried for Adam. Her mother had always been tough, hardly showing her feelings, but the worry in her eyes was all too palpable this time. It made Katryn’s heart tighten. She needed to calm herself. Her panic wasn’t helping anything, it was only making the woman more worried. She needed to relax.

  Katryn sighed deeply. “Yes, you’re right, Mother,” she said.

  Her mother gave a soft nod and set the mug down on the counter before picking up another to wipe. “Besides, Elsa is already out looking for him. She’ll find him.”

  At the mention of Elsa’s name, an intense wave of guilt swept over Katryn for what she’d done yesterday. She’d hurt her, the woman she’d claimed to love—it might not have been intentional, but she’d hurt her all the same—and it was driven by the burning jealousy that had consumed her entirely, jealousy that had been kindled because she’d noticed Elsa’s growing feelings for Adam. Elsa had tried to deny it of course, but Katryn caught the near constant glances she gave to him, the look in her eyes, the way she spoke to him, and it had nearly driven her mad. It had been a battle to keep it hidden. Why did Elsa want him? Why not her? She had known her longer, cared for her more deeply than anyone else. Yet, she didn’t receive her heart; Elsa had given it to Adam instead, someone she barely knew.

  Was she so unworthy of being loved?

  That intense feeling of jealousy and anger was what had pushed Katryn to seek out Adam that night, to sleep with him, and to say all the things she had to Elsa. She had hoped to drive them apart, to make sure Elsa wouldn’t want him anymore.

  She’d used Adam, lied to him about her feelings… no, that hadn’t been a complete lie. She did feel something for him, it was nothing compared to what she felt for Elsa, but she felt a spark, he was different, and a part of her even understood why Elsa was so smitten with him. But she had ignored all of those feelings, manipulated him, and then used him to hurt Elsa. Katryn knew it had been an awful thing to do, but it wasn’t until she saw the look in Elsa’s eyes—a mix of pain and disappointment—that truly understood the damage she’d caused. Since then, an almost suffocating guilt had gripped her. Would Adam forgive her if he knew how she’d used him? Would Elsa forgive her? She’d begun to consider how she might make amends when Adam disappeared, and the guilt had instantly doubled.

  It was like everything had crashed down on her.

  Elsa had been at the inn when supper passed and Adam didn’t return, and she had left immediately to go search for him. But a terrible thought had been twisting Katryn’s chest for awhile. What if Elsa hadn’t gone looking for him? What if she’d been too hurt by everything Katryn had done that she didn’t care whether Adam returned at all.

  No, Elsa wasn’t like that. She was the absolute last person who would do something so vindictive. Unlike her, Elsa was kind, good, and honorable. Katryn had to repeat it to herself over and over. Still, the possibility that she might have ruined things so completely that even Elsa’s kindness faltered struck her hard. She hoped to the divine she hadn’t.

  “I pray she does,” she whispered silently.

  Her mother was quiet for a moment as she wiped the mug. Then, suddenly, without looking up, she spoke. “You like him, don’t you?” Her voice was gentle, but still it sounded less than a question and more like a statement of fact.

  Katryn jolted in sharp surprise. “W–what? Mother, now? Really?” The cloth slipped from her fingers and her face heated instantly “This isn’t the time for that!”

  Her mother didn’t look at her. Not directly, anyway. She simply picked up the next mug and made a soft sound, something between a hum and a laugh. “Perhaps.”

  “I mean it, Mother!” Katryn insisted.

  “Mm.” Another quiet, almost invisible hint of amusement. “Of course.”

  Katryn stared at her, completely thrown off by the sudden twist, but her mother just kept wiping the mugs like nothing had happened. She was worried, yet somehow still found room to tease her. She hadn’t seen her tease in… she couldn’t even remember how long.

  Wait… was she trying to lighten her mood?

  ***

  “Commander, you look troubled,” Elliot said as he arrived.

  They were out on the busy street, the afternoon sun spilling long shadows across the cobblestones. Elsa stood rigid, her arms folded across her chest, her brows drawn so tightly that it looked like she hadn’t relaxed once since last night, and she hadn’t. She had waited for him at the inn, but he didn’t return, then she’d gone around at night looking for where he might be, but he was nowhere to be found. This morning, she’d thought about returning to the inn to see if he was back, but word would have reached her if he was, so she didn’t.

  “I am troubled, Elliot,” Elsa replied, her voice tight with fear.

  Elliot slowed and his expression sharpened. “Did something happen?”

  Elsa’s jaw tightened and she tried to settle the panic gnawing at her, but she couldn’t, her stomach was clenched tight and her heart pounded violently. “Adam was taken.”

  “The boy?” Elliot asked as his eyes narrowed.

  Elsa gave a single nod, it was all she could manage. Her emotions were bursting at the seams, threatening to spill over, and it took every ounce of control not to give in to wild desperation. For the first time in a long time, Elsa was genuinely afraid, and it wasn’t even for herself. Adam was gone, and she didn’t know how to even begin to find him.

  She hadn’t been able to sit still since last night, every second she spent not searching for him felt like another second he went farther away from her… from her? By the Divine, she was so deeply attached to him, and she couldn’t understand it. Despite everything that Katryn had told her, it had only taken him being in danger for it to disappear from her mind and for her feelings for him to resurface, perhaps even stronger than before.

  Elsa took a deep breath and shook her head softly. Now wasn’t the time to entertain thoughts like that. What Katryn had said, these strange feelings she carried, she’d deal with them later. All that mattered right now was finding him safe and sound. That was all.

  “How was he taken? Where? At the inn?” Elliot asked quickly.

  Elsa shook her head. “I don’t know,” she replied steadily. “I was told he left the inn yesterday afternoon, didn’t say where he was going, and he never came back.”

  She had already checked the places she thought he might be—the cathedral and the Adventurer’s Guild—but there was no sign of him. Elsa would’ve gone to the woman he’d said he was helping, but she knew nothing about her, and her jealousy hadn’t allowed her to ask anything. She deeply regretted that now. A small part of her thought he might have simply ran away because of the danger that surrounded them, but she quickly silenced that voice. He didn’t seem the kind to tuck tail and run. And besides, all he wanted since he had arrived here was to return home, and she didn’t think he had found any answers that could help him with that. He wouldn’t run, he wouldn’t leave…

  “Shit,” Elliot spat out with a thin vein of annoyance. “You warned him that he would be targeted, and he just left like that? What was he thinking?”

  Elsa said nothing in response, instead her gaze just drifted around the street, a habit she’d formed since last night, hoping she might just see him in the crowd. And if she did see him, she didn’t know whether she would lash out at him for his disappearing act or hug him tight in relief. Either way, that was a debate she would be happy to have once she saw that he was safe. She wished so hard that he was, more than she’d ever wished for anything.

  She didn’t want to consider any other possibility…

  “What now?” Elliot asked. “Do you want to go to the King’s Hand?”

  Elsa gave a head shake. “No, he’d just deny any involvement and claim insult. It’ll only waste what time we have,” she said thoughtfully. “We have to try to find him on our own first. They wouldn’t have killed him yet, Adam is too much of an unknown.”

  “You mean they’d want information,” Elliot stared at her for a long moment and his eyes tightened with deep concern. “That means… torture.”

  Elsa’s jaw clenched. “I know,” she replied in a low, cold voice.

  It was only an assumption, and though the thought caused an ache inside her chest, it was what she believed would happen. Adam was a stranger who had suddenly arrived in the kingdom; they already suspected he had ties to Arryn, and then he began looking into the abductions occurring throughout the realm. They would want to know everything about him, where he came from, whether he’d been sent by someone, and what his plans were.

  “We have to find him quickly,” Elliot muttered.

  She responded with a nod and her hands dropped to her sides. “Do you have contacts you can reach out to, someone who might have seen something?” she asked.

  “A few,” he said. “I’ll get in touch with them now.”

  Elsa lifted her head to the sky and uttered a silent prayer. “Please hold on, Adam.”