Defect of Servitude [Book #1]

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."
- Mark Twain

I awoke in pure bliss. The burning of my eyes and overall grogginess said it was entirely too early for me to be stirring, but being in Jaxon's arms offset any worries—until the shrill screeching of the perimeter alarm broke through my senses.

We both bolted upright from the bed, unsure of what we would find once we left the bubble of our room. Jaxon tossed me a pair of sweatpants and a short-sleeved shirt to cover my nudity as he did the same. I looked longingly at my dress, a heap of fabric on the floor, and found myself wishing I could return to the night. A sense of foreboding deep in my chest had me realizing that whatever was about to happen would leave things upside down.

The flashing red lights accompanying the alarm highlighted our way into the hall. There wasn't another soul in the corridors, the ominous blaring the only presence as we slowly shifted around corners. It took running to the Queen's headquarters before anything was amiss. Two newly appointed guards were hunched against the walls.

Jaxon rushed to their sides, checking the necks for any sign of life. He nodded at me, and I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. At least they weren't dead. We had little time to relish that we hadn't lost our members as a large crash sounded from the other side of the Queen's door, followed by shouting. I couldn't give a second thought to the people who lay unconscious. Only aware of my need to get to my Queen.

I used all my strength to open the door to Helen's office, but some barriers prevented me. Even with Jaxon's determination and need to reach his parents, the wooden entryway would not grant us access. Tenderly, I placed my hand on the wood and concentrated. I could feel the magic swirling inside, warding off intruders against the user's will.

Holding my mother's words in my head, I attempted to urge the magic to bend to my will. It was difficult, and a sweat broke on my upper lip. Burning erupted in my hand as they started to blister from the heat of trying to sway someone else's sorcery, but I refused to give in. Helen's yell of distress fueled my concentration and gave me the edge I needed to break the threads of magic. The door shattered open.

The room was in disarray, but I only registered that for a split second until all of my focus went to Helen and the King, surrounded by a group of four wickeds, holding their arcane sorcery and ready to strike. Jaxon acted first, ghosting directly behind the closest being and wasting no time destroying him.

I used every ounce of speed and took one of the others. The group became aware of our presence and tried to retaliate before they lost. The Prince tried to take out a second wicked but couldn't get close. The element of surprise was gone. Streams of sorcery flew in his direction but missed their mark. Focusing on him being attacked was going to get me in trouble. I shook my head quickly and zeroed in on my mission at hand.

The person in front of me was small, but that didn't deter the mastery of her skill. The static electricity she directed toward me prickled my skin, her intent to do more than only harm me. Fighting a wicked proved to be more tedious than others because of their ability to fight at a ranged distance and the difficulty of getting close to them.

With Jaxon and me distracted, trying to take down two of the group, the third still targeted the King and Queen. Helen was already in pain, apparent from the way she held her ribs tightly against her. The fight before we arrived, being five against two, meant she stood her ground proficiently. Gustav refused to step from her side—to leave her unprotected. The wicked stepped closer, his dark aura swirling in the air, visible to be seen.

It happened too fast. Jaxon finally defused the man he had been focused on, the main artery in his neck spilling lifeblood onto the floor. At the same time, I managed to get the upper hand on the woman when she noticed her fallen partner. I quickly snapped her neck, but I couldn't concentrate on what I had done.

The last surviving member of the intruders jolted the charge of sorcery, which he held straight at Helen. This was a killing shot; the air vibrated with murderous intent. The despair it traveled with froze the entire room. There was no possible way for us to intervene.

The Queen closed her eyes and accepted her fate.

King Gustav reacted automatically, throwing himself before his wife and taking the magical blow for her. He crumpled to the floor in a lifeless mound with his eyes still open but unseeing. Helen screamed in a violent expulsion of hurt for her husband, who lay dead in front of her.

Jaxon let out a guttural whimper of pain as he reached the assassin too late. When Helen stopped him, he was lost in his heart and ready to rid the manor of the last traitor.

"Son, don't." Her voice broke with sadness, but she still had her wits. "He could be useful for information. Incapacitate and bind him."

I followed her demands, running to Jaxon, who looked like he hadn't decided whether to follow his mother's command or take revenge into his own hands. I hit the man over the head with enough force to knock him out. After he fell limp in the Prince's grip, I wrapped his arms in a curtain ripped from the drapery pins that held it in place.

"Jaxon, I'll take it from here. Go be with your mother." He didn't need to be told twice. Immediately, he dropped the living wicked on his face and fled to his mother's side. My heart shattered for them.

Helen was clutching Gustav's body with all her might, sobbing into his chest. One thing I knew of him was he would always protect his Queen. If he could have chosen a perfect way to die, this was it, and yet, watching the remnants of his family's anguish, it was without doubt they would have traded places with him.

I didn't want to intrude on their grief. Instead, I hoisted the wicked onto my shoulders and carried him from the agony he had created. Each step I took was weighted with the realization that I wasn't fast enough to do my duty. Queen Helen's worst nightmare came true due to my failure. We all knew Denallsh was planning something, but we never thought it would be so bold.

He must have done the same, just as we had spies in his ranks. That was the only way he could have had a small group enter the manor, even while warded. My mind raced with thoughts and speculations as I made my way to the guard's quarters. There was a solid sterling silver door kept on lockdown. I learned what was behind it less than a month ago.

While the Rothschild rule was more forgiving than most leaders', they still needed an area to hold dissenters and beings who otherwise ignored the laws of the manor. It was only after I reached Commander Cole's office and entered the briefing room that I saw other guard members. Draven was wrapping a bandage around Harley, and other groups looked equally wounded or having trouble grasping reality.

As I walked in carrying the prisoner, everyone stared at me. Draven spoke first: "Maddie, what happened?"

"What do you mean? The alarms started going off, and a group of wickeds managed to sneak in." I slid the one I had bound onto the round table. "The others are dead, but the Queen said we should keep this one for questioning. Where was everyone?"

"We were all in here, trying to figure out the next move from Denallsh. After that, none of us remember; we had just woken up. Some of us have superficial injuries, mostly from falling over from wherever we were standing." Harley spoke, holding his head tenderly. Confusion leaked from his gaze after it landed on the wicked on the table.

"The wickeds must have had their magic ready, and this plan worked out right down to the last detail." Draven offered, making his way toward our new prisoner. "What were they after?"

"The Queen," I answered, my voice wavering with regret. "We weren't fast enough. The King is dead."

Silence and stillness settled over the room. Many guard members started to release tears of grief for their fallen leader. Harley broke the quiet with a slam of his fists on the table, the wood groaning in protest. "This war is costing us too much!"

"I agree, Harley. However, now is not the time to let pain rule our actions, " the Commander said as he joined the group and looked over the unconscious wicked displayed on his briefing table. Hopefully, we can get answers once this one wakes."

Cole lifted the being onto his shoulders and brought him to the cell door. He was the only member with the key to enter the room, and I didn't dare try to follow. I feared a room like that would only serve to pull memories from my head that were better left buried. The Commander disappeared from view as the door closed behind him with a loud bang.

"We should scour the rest of the manor, make sure that no one else managed to slip in unnoticed," said Annie in a voice that was merely loud enough for the room to hear. She put her hand on Harley's shoulder in reassurance. "Others should go to the Queen. She'll need help."

With nods of agreement, people started shuffling out into the hallways. Draven gave my head a light pat before following suit. He was about to take the last step out of the room before returning to face me. "Are you okay?"

"I don't really know, Draven. I feel like this was a major turning point. Something worse is coming." I couldn't ignore the pang of uncertainty that riddled my body. The danger was close, and I feared we wouldn't know until it was too late.

Denallsh has finally revealed his big plans. Do you think he will be pleased with the outcome? Will he try again with the Queen still alive? What will become of Jaxon after losing his father so unexpectedly? Continue to read to find out! 

Only 9 more chapters left!

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