C. Bryant - Broken

“Father,” Cade said. “Will you take Ussay, as well?”

Nestor agreed, then helped Belesgar gather the girls and disappeared.

Octavion returned his attention to the paper. He was used to deciphering Shandira’s dark verse, she’d been writing it for years. He read the words again, certain he knew exactly where Kira had gone. “She is in Pride Meadow.”

Both Cade and Luka clamped their hands on Octavion’s shoulders and an instant later they stood near the stream where he’d watched Kira play with the cubs. Though completely dark, the silver light from the waxing moons showed them all they needed to see.

With his first breath, Octavion picked up the scent of Kira’s blood beyond the trees. He saw himself perched atop a fallen pine and an instant later he was there. He spotted one of Shandira’s blades lying in the dirt, but nothing else at first. He jumped to the ground and searched-from the amount of blood on the blade, and no other signs of it, he guessed Kira hadn’t been hurt badly.

“Octavion,” Luka yelled. “We have found her.”

Luka stood near the log that spanned the stream-Octavion joined him in an instant. Cade knelt in the grass blocking Octavion’s view of her face, but her lifeless legs and blood-soaked torso were in full view. Octavion grabbed Luka’s shoulder for support.

“Breathe, cousin. It is not Kira,” Luka said.

Octavion took the scent into his lungs and immediately recognized it. Shandira. “Is she dead?”

“Yes,” Cade said. He stood and handed Octavion a bloody piece of fabric. “This is the only thing that has Kira’s blood on it. It appears to be the sleeve from a woman’s shirt. It is not Shandira’s so it must be hers.” He pointed to the end nearest where the shoulder would be. There was a small cut and the strong smell of Kira’s blood. Even though it was soaked with Shandira’s blood, it still made Octavion’s throat burn.

Octavion glanced down at his sister’s body. He’d spent all these years hating her, but the sight of his own flesh and blood lying dead before him took a toll on his emotions. He knelt on one knee to get a better view.

He looked at the position of her body and the lack of blood on her skin. That, and the sleeve of Kira’s shirt, was evidence enough to know that she’d been treated with respect, even after her death. That Kira would take the time to lovingly tend to her appearance so her family wouldn’t have to see her in such a way, made him love her even more. He took solace in knowing her last moments were spent with Kira.

As he stood, the wind shifted slightly. A sudden burst of air hit his senses, burning his eyes and throat. The muscles in his back swelled to their full capacity and he turned to Luka and Cade to find them reacting in the same way. Blood-two scents were unfamiliar, but the other belonged unmistakably to Kira.

In full transformation, the gifts of each Royal were enhanced. With the swiftness and agility to run at speeds far beyond any animal it took only seconds to come on the scene. In the center of the road lay the lifeless body of a Royal, an arrow piercing his chest. Several feet away, the unfamiliar footprints of a man mingled with a fresh puddle of Kira’s blood-streaks and smaller drops led off into the forest. They followed them into the trees until they came to a small clearing. There was blood everywhere, but no bodies.

“Kira!” Octavion called. His voice echoed through the trees, but no answer came.

“Luka, circle around the perimeter,” Octavion ordered. “See if you can pick up her tracks leaving the clearing.”

Cade was already mapping her every move. His natural instinct to track sent him darting from one side of the clearing to the other. Octavion circled around in the opposite direction he’d sent Luka, only to meet up with him-neither having found any sign of her.

They tried to stay out of Cade’s way; their interference would spoil the trail and muddle his senses. From where he watched, Octavion could see bits and pieces of evidence that gave him little hope. White pieces of shredded fabric similar to her sleeve were scattered about and covered in blood. A dagger lay in the dirt on one side of the clearing near a pine tree, also stained with her blood. Even in the dark he recognized the hair stuck in the bark of a tree to be Kira’s. His mind played out the scene in his head-at some point during the scuffle, her attacker had slammed her head against that tree.

Octavion called out her name again, but the only response was his own voice reverberating in the distance. Where was she? “Cade,” he said in desperation.

Cade held his hand up to signal for silence.

Octavion, have you found her? King Belesgar’s voice startled him.

No, father. We have sign she is injured. Cade is reading the field now. Is all well there?

But you have found no body? His thoughts seemed disheartened.

Father, what is it? Have you news?

The silence spoke clearly to Octavion’s fears. He turned to question Luka, to see if he’d received similar enquiries from Nestor, but the furrow in his brow answered before Octavion could utter the words. He grabbed Luka’s arm to get his attention, but he averted his eyes.

“Luka, what have they found?”

Another moment passed as Octavion watched the expression on Luka’s face turn from shock to horror. When Luka finally turned toward him, Octavion could see it in his eyes. Kira was dead.

Octavion released his grip and stepped back. “Where is she?”

“I do not know.” Luka paused for a moment, looking at Cade, who now stood in the middle of the clearing, his attention on them. “A rumor has come from the village. It seems King Tyrious is bragging about avenging his son’s death.” He put his hand on Octavion’s shoulder, but he jerked away.

“Where is she?” Octavion demanded.

Luka shook his head. “They did not say. But. . they claim to have proof of death.”

Octavion could feel himself losing control. Where first he needed to find her, now he craved revenge. Luka grabbed his arm on one side and Cade appeared at the other, holding him against a tree.

“They are wrong, Octavion. The signs tell a different story.” Cade’s eyes held truth in them, but did little to dilute the fury building in Octavion’s heart. “Let me explain before you wage war on Kazedon. If I am wrong, I will fight by your side.”

“As will I,” Luka said. “Now breathe, you need to have your wits about you. We must know the facts of this before we give up all hope.”

“Show me,” Octavion ordered.

Cade walked them through his version of what happened. After being pulled from Althros, Kira had been dragged from the road, and thrown to the ground, but the Royal had not killed her there.

“Althros?” Octavion asked. “How can you be sure?”

“Because I have chased him down after getting out of the stables. One of his shoes has a bent nail, see?” Cade pointed to the print in the dirt. “She must have conned the stablemen into giving her a horse.”

“Althros is not a horse, he’s a beast.” The thought of Kira even getting close to the animal made his gut twist into a knot. “Continue.”

“Like I said, he did not kill her here. I have seen Royals do this when they hunt for sport and not to satisfy their cravings. He played with her, like a cat plays with a mouse.” Cade pointed to several spots where Kira had been tossed and dragged. “And then there is this. He pointed to the tree with Kira’s hair caught in the bark. “She was thrown against this tree. The Royal came at her, but then he stumbled back into the dirt. He lay flat on his back, not struggling or moving while she got up and walked to his side.”

They all walked to where Cade showed the Royal’s markings in the dirt. “And this is where it gets strange,” Cade said. “Kira takes four steps toward the trees and then-” He paused for a moment. “Octavion, I need some light. Can you still charm a stone?”