The Judge Read online

  Connor and Rebecca ran to his side. “Easy, how are you feeling?” Connor asked.

  “I’ve had better days.”

  Connor could only imagine how much pain his father was in. The damage Vercin had done to his body was far worse than Connor had at first thought. Caderyn was covered in bandages. He was shirtless with a huge wrap around his torso, cuts and bruises ran at will around his face, arms and chest.

  “Your healing factor will kick in. You’ll be fine in a few days.”

  “Bones take longer to mend. I should be up and around soon.”

  “Why didn’t you let them give you something to rest? To at least ease the pain and let you sleep?” Rebecca asked, speaking for the first time.

  Caderyn eased himself into a sitting position again. This time he moved slowly. His shoulder-length grey hair fell on either side of his face. “I told them I didn’t want anything that would make me sleep or dull the pain because I wanted to be awake if you came.”

  Connor started to feel uneasy. Put him in a hunt for dragons, a crowd of undead, or a fight with a genetically modified Elite and he could handle that. This was something far out of his comfort zone. He took a step back so his mother and father could be next to each other.

  “Well, I did come, Caderyn. I came so I could hear from your lips what happened, why you left. I’ve been told, but I want to hear it from you.”

  Caderyn nodded. His eyes were locked on Rebecca and Connor could practically feel the weight of this moment. Connor’s unease was beginning to grow and he took another step back towards the door.

  “Connor, wait,” Caderyn said, “I want you to hear this, too.”

  Connor stopped moving but still gave them their space.

  “I fell in love, Rebecca. I fell in love with you and everything about you. You know now what we are and the rules we have. I, of course, knew that I wasn’t supposed to love you, but I didn’t have a choice. I tried not loving you, but you were the first woman in centuries that I felt this way about. I knew that I had found the one person I was meant to be with. I wasn’t going to lose you, no matter what the consequences.”

  So far Rebecca had been silent. She stood, arms crossed, next to Caderyn’s bed. Connor couldn’t see her face but he noticed a change in her posture. Instead of straight backed and rigid, she shifted her feet. Her head turned down as his father continued.

  “I’ve rehearsed this conversation and what I would say thousands of times. I had plenty of time to think during my stay in the Elite prison. I thought about what I would say over and over again, but you deserve the truth above anything else. I did what I had to, first to love you, second to protect you. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”

  Connor couldn’t believe his ears. His father wasn’t apologizing for anything and Connor was sure his mother would lay into him. Connor tried grabbing his father’s attentions with a scared look on his own face and chopping motions made across his own throat with his right hand. His father ignored him and continued.

  “I would rather have loved you and spent the time we did together than obey the Law and leave you the second I saw you. I wish I could have said goodbye, but to ensure yours and Connor’s safety, I couldn’t. If the Council knew that you were aware of the truth, they would have killed you as well.”

  The room was silent. Connor wasn’t sure how his mother was going to react or what he would do if he was put in a position to stop her from slapping his father. But he didn’t have to worry about any of that as his mother opened her mouth.

  “Oh, Caderyn. I’ve hated you and what you did to me for so long. To hear the truth now is—is so hard to process. But after hearing what you have to say—I think—I think I can forgive you.”

  Connor let out a huge sigh before he could stop himself. The noise reverberated through the quiet room. Caderyn and Rebecca were both smiling as they looked at their son.

  “Sorry.”

  Only smiles returned from his parents as Rebecca took a seat on the edge of the bed and Caderyn reached for her hand.

  Connor slowly turned. He left his parents to have a conversation that had been in the making for the past eighteen plus years.

  Connor was careful to close the door behind him without a sound. He didn’t want the slightest thing to disturb his parents’ reunion.

  Making his way down the palace hall, Connor couldn’t help but feel happy. He knew war was just over the horizon. There was no assurance that the antidote for Laren’s virus would work. A dozen other things should be wearing him down with worry, but Connor still couldn’t help but smile.

  His father and mother were together again. He had pictured this scenario a hundred times as a boy. Without a father growing up, it was something he had caught himself thinking about far too often. Never had he imagined events would turn out as they did. This proved that there was always hope. That things happened for a reason no matter how bleak they seemed.

  Connor had lost all sense of time. Jumping between the human world he knew and The Island played with his concept of where the hands on the clock would be at any given time. Now as he rounded a sharp corner in one of the palace’s many halls, Connor caught sight of the dark sky and clouds.

  The sky was showing signs that a storm was coming.

  Well, I guess that makes sense. The weather is matching the times. A storm is coming. All we can do now is prepare.

  Connor was interrupted from his thoughts at Lu’s unfamiliar, kind voice.

  “Hey, Judge. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “What’s wrong?” A shadow passed over Connor’s face. Lu had been watching the doctor and if he had another one of his violent outbreaks, then they may never find the cure. “Lu, you didn’t—”

  “Calm down,” Lu said. “I didn’t kill the doctor. He’s working hard to come up with a serum to shield us from the virus that made Laren human. He’s promising us that he’s almost there now. Morrigan is watching him. I came to let you know that we should have something by tomorrow morning. After that, we’re going to put him to work right away on a cure for Laren.”

  “Great. Thank you, Lu.” Connor’s heart went out to the large man in front of him. Lu would never admit it but Connor knew he was still hurting, too. “If there’s anything I can do, Lu, just ask.”

  “This might be because I haven’t slept for a few days, but I think I’m going to say something nice to you. You’re doing a great job. But don’t stop now, the final battle is still coming. If there was ever a time to push forward, it would be now.”

  “Lu, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. You must be exhausted.” Connor raised his right fist with two fingers extended. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  Lu raised an eyebrow. He threw a peace sign up above his head as he turned his back. “Get some rest, Judge. You’re going to need it.”

  ***

  That night Connor went to bed with a weariness that told him he would be out as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was. What he didn’t anticipate was his nightmare.

  It wasn’t a Vercin-induced dream this time. This time it was all Connor’s psyche.

  Connor was standing in a dark room with a pick axe in his hand. The same Elite he had killed in the cabin in the Catskill Forest was kneeling in front of him. The man was pale, fear in his eyes. He was begging.

  The man was practically crying as Connor lifted the pick axe. Spittle dripped off his lips as he begged. He pleaded with every ounce of his being for Connor to spare his life.

  Connor was panicking. He was ordering his arms to lower. He wanted to save the man. He didn’t want to lift the pick axe, but still the weapon rose above his head.

  Connor screamed at himself to stop, to lower the weapon and to show mercy, but nothing was happening. It was like he was in someone else’s body, powerless to do anything but watch.

  The pick axe rose higher and higher. The man screamed and begged. The tool-turned-weapon, came down with so much power it was nothing b
ut a blur.

  The axe sunk deep into the man’s skull, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Bile and stomach acid made its way to Connor’s mouth as his stomach threatened to empty at the thought of the man’s death.

  Connor woke up in his bed. His heart was racing as morning sun was kept at bay by dark clouds. Connor knew it had been a nightmare but the thought of taking life again poked at his conscience in a sinister way.

  Connor rose from his bed, freeing himself from the nightmare with a shake of his head. He knew there was still so much to do before the final showdown with Vercin. He even felt guilty for sleeping the few hours he had. Vercin would be coming soon and it was on him to get everyone ready.

  Connor ran through the motions of dressing and washing before he exited his quarters. He made his way through the halls on his way to the palace’s main room. If Connor thought palace life had been hectic before he didn’t know what to think now.

  With the promise of war coming their way, everyone had kicked it up into a higher gear. Now not only servants but Elites from every family found a job. This was to be the greatest confrontation in history, Elite or human. It seemed as though everyone was aware of the importance of the conflict and was running to complete their tasks.

  Nods, smiles, and grim looks of determination met Connor as he entered the large hall. Zheng was in the center of the tornado of productivity, directing people like the calm eye of a storm.

  Connor made his way to the King’s side. He caught the tail end of a conversation between Zheng and a small group of monks looking to their leader for direction.

  “When they come, brothers, our walls must be strong and hold like they never have before. We must be prepared to propel the attacker from the battlements at all costs. Make sure they are supplied with enough weapons to last not just days but weeks. In fact, over supply the stockpiles. The last thing we need is to run low during the heat of the battle.”

  The monks nodded and bowed. A swirl of orange hurried away to do their master’s bidding. Zheng turned with a smile.

  “Connor, you are already awake.”

  “Yes, I thought that I should check in with you to see what needs to be done. Where will I be the most use?”

  “Everything is moving well at the moment. Come, follow me.”

  Connor walked side by side with the King of The Island as they made their way out of the palace and into the large courtyard. Soldiers, monks, and servants ran around them, some stopping to say hello but most content with a smile or nod.

  Zheng led them down the stone walkway to the large double gates that led from outside of the palace into the courtyard.

  “I imagine the bulk of the fighting will take place here. If we can repel them from the battlements and stop them from climbing our walls, then they will focus on the gate.”

  Connor nodded, taking in the thick stone walls. The outside wall protecting the palace made a perfect circle around the estate. It was fashioned out of large pieces of rock and rose what Connor guessed to be eight to ten stories high.

  Even now monks ran up and down the long stairs that led from the ground to the tops of the walls. They carried with them all kinds of weapons. Connor caught sight of arrows, spears, and stones among others.

  “The arrows and spears won’t kill them, of course. Not with their Elite healing,” Zheng said as he noticed Connor’s eyes stray to the weapons. “But it will slow them down.”

  “I see. And the gate?”

  Zheng pointed a forefinger at a group of blue-eyed Elites. A dozen or more members were hammering away at the wooden doors. Steel and iron braces were being attached to the already thick wood. Connor noticed one man in particular directing the project. It was Randolph. The former enemy noticed the two men looking on and waved.

  Connor smiled and waved back.

  “I think he still feels guilty,” Zheng said.

  Connor turned to the tall lean warrior king. “Why do you say that?”

  Amber eyes playful, Zheng brushed his long goatee. “When the gates needed to be strengthened, he was the first to volunteer. Nobody wanted the job on account of the lifting and hammering. Randolph was eager for him and his family to show their worth.”

  Connor could see what Zheng meant. Although the sun was hidden by dark clouds, Randolph and his crew were sweating heavily.

  “I’ve already told him it’s forgotten,” Connor said. “But maybe he needs to do this more to forgive himself.”

  “Are you sure you’re only eighteen years of age, Connor?”

  Connor laughed and turned his head to the King, “Yes, I’m sure. You’re doing a great job. But you still haven’t answered my question. What can I do to help?”

  Zheng pursed his lips as he looked first to the walls, then the gate, and lastly the never-ending business surrounding them.

  “We have this under control. You may want to check in with Morrigan and Lupus to see how the doctor is coming along. We have another day at the most before Vercin comes. He can’t chance us appointing another ferryman and Orion losing his power to travel to The Island. We’ll need the immunizations the doctor is producing to ensure our Elite genes stay active.”

  “I agree.” Connor turned to leave but thought twice and addressed Zheng again. “You said that when the battle starts the gate will be the area Vercin attacks the hardest?”

  Zheng thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes, if he can’t breach our walls then he will concentrate his force on the gate. Even with the reinforced wood it will still be the weakest access point into the grounds.”

  Connor’s eyes narrowed as he examined the two large wooden doors. Randolph and his family were working like dogs dragging and hammering large pieces of metal in place. “Then when the fighting starts, I want to be stationed at the gate.”

  Chapter 22

  “Connor’s going to be so pissed if you break his arm.”

  “Please! I’m working as fast as I can!”

  Connor walked into the converted prison cell that now looked more like a mad scientist’s lab. Beakers of all shapes and sizes bubbled, sizzled, and smoked. The doctor was cowering under a desk. Lu had one of his arms in his hands as he dragged the small man out from under his haven. Katie watched, shaking her head in disapproval.

  “What’s going on?” Connor said.

  The trio looked over at him, each with a different expression. The doctor with relief, Katie with a smile, and Lu with a roll of his eyes.

  “Just in time. The doctor has finished the serum for inoculating us. Now when Vercin comes and uses what he thinks will cause us to turn human, he’ll have a surprise,” Katie said. “Morrigan just took the first batch out to the men now.”

  Katie was wearing a long blue robe with a deep hood that hung behind her neck. Blonde curls fell behind her at random.

  “That’s great news,” Connor said, motioning to Lu. “Now, what’s going on here?”

  “This animal is working me to the bone!” the doctor squealed. “He wants me to start working on the antidote for Larentia. I’ve slaved through the entire night! My brain is far past the point of exhaustion. Please, I need rest!”

  Connor walked closer and could see the doctor wasn’t lying. The scientist’s eyes were bloodshot. Bags were forming under his glasses and growing deeper by the hour. Instead of the swift Elite that had stabbed him in the street before him stood a weak and tired old man.

  “He has plenty left in him,” Lu said, jerking the doctor to his feet and roughly patting him on the back.

  The motion nearly made the doctor topple forward.

  “And we know the medicine that the doctor cooked up will work how?” Connor asked.

  “Oh, it will work,” Lu said, eyeing the doctor like a predator looking over its next meal. “I’d bet his life on it.”

  The doctor cowered under Lu’s gaze. “Yes, yes, it will work. I guarantee it. Please.”

  “Let him rest for a few hours, Lu,” Connor suggested. “If he’s tired, he’ll work sl
ower. He’ll be more likely to make a mistake. We can give him a few hours.”

  Connor could hear Lu growl under his breath but the head of the Abelardus family nodded.

  “Oh, thank you. Thank you, Connor. Rest and food and I’ll be up again as soon as I can to work.”

  Connor made sure no smile touched his lips as he looked deep into the doctor’s tired eyes. “Doctor.”

  There was something in his tone that made even Lu raise his eyebrows in surprise.

  “If you fail to cure Laren quickly, I’ll let Lu run his own experiments on you. Experiments that will make what you did to Faust Ulfric look like a game of dress up.”

  The doctor’s jaw dropped open. He nodded. Connor knew he had put the fear of god into him.

  “Okay, off to bed then,” Lu said, pushing the doctor in front of him and out of the room.

  Once the two men had left, Katie burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m sorry, Connor, but ‘dress up’? Really?”

  Connor took on a look of feigned injury. “What’s wrong with dress up? I thought it worked. I was going to say ‘a game of operation’ but I’m not sure he would understand the reference. I mean, he’s been locked up in Karnag for the last few centuries. ”

  Katie doubled over and Connor joined in. The two finally contained themselves and Katie was the first to speak.

  “Well, either way, I think you got your point across. I better get going. Morrigan will need help making sure everyone has had their vaccination.”

  Connor nodded as Katie brushed past him to the exit.

  “Kat, before you go… I mean, I don’t want to bring up a sore subject, but we’ll be in a war in under a day and… well, your mother is on the other side.”

  Katie stopped and turned, making her robe twist around her body in a way Connor would have once found attractive.

  “I know. I’ve thought a lot about what I would do. I mean if it came down to—to me choosing her over all of you. I won’t kill her but I won’t let her hurt anyone, either.”