The Outskirts: The Rogue Knight (Jace x OC) BOOK 2

The Rogue Knight: 21

I found Cole, Mira, Dalton, Twitch, Skye, and Minimus awaiting on the Red Road just outside the gates. Mira, Cole, and Dalton ran to me as soon as I appeared. They looked anxious and relieved.
"Are you all right?" Mira asked.
"I'm okay," I said. I felt reluctant to deliver the message from Trillian.
"You were gone for hours," Twitch said.
"What happened?" Dalton asked.
"Where's Jace?" Mira wondered.
"The torivor has Jace," I said. "We talked to him."
"What's he like?" Skye asked.
"I don't know," I said. "He visited me in a dream.
He's from another world, but in the dream he looked human. He has a pretty high opinion of himself. He could read my mind." I glanced back at the desolate view of the skeletal castle through the fence. "That place looks a lot different from the inside. Maybe what we see from here is a seeming. Maybe it's all a big seeming once you go through the gate."
"How scary is he?" Dalton asked.
"He's not that bad," I said. "He's scary because he's super smart and really powerful. He can get inside your head. He knows a lot. He said it might be possible for us to get back home."
"Are you serious?" Dalton's eyes lit up. "What do we do?" Where do we go?"
"He wouldn't explain how, but he told me somebody with enough power could change how it all works—could fix things so we could get home and stay there."
"That's wonderful news," Mira said. "And did you see Honor?" she asked, not quite keeping her voice steady.
"No," I said, deflating a bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't. Trillian has her, though definitely. He says he'll give her to us if we win a contest."
"What kind of contest?" Dalton asked.
"He didn't really explain," I replied. "Jace, Mira, and I have to do it together. All he promised is that we'd have a chance to win."
"And if we lose?" Mira asked.
"He keeps us," I said. "Like he's keeping Honor."
"Meanwhile he's holding Jace hostage?" Mira asked.
"Pretty much," I replied.
Mira tossed up her hands. "I have to try."
Skye stepped forward. "Are you sure? Without any daughters of the High King, the revolution doesn't stand a chance."
Mira shrugged. "I have three other sisters. Without honor, Elloweer is doomed. I'm not going to abandon my siter if there is a chance of saving her."
"Then I must insist on accompanying you," Minimus spoke up. "The Rogue Knight left you in my care."
"I don't think you're invited," I said. "Trillian made it pretty clear that the contest is for me, Jace, and Mira alone."
"The best way to protect me might be letting me go with Kendal," Mira said. "We don't want to cross Trillian. We're lucky he's willing to give us a chance."
"It might not be much of a chance," Twitch said. "How do you know the torivor isn't lying about the contest to get you to come to him? He may not let any of you go."
"He said he can't lie," I said. "Of course, that could be a lie."
"I'm willing to risk it," Mira said. "How about you, Kendal?"
I wasn't sure what they should do, but Mira needed my take at least.
"I don't know," I said. "I think it's a real contest. Of course, that could be what the torivor wants me to think. Trillian seems really smart. He was almost polite. He seems bored. He said he wanted to give us a sporting chance. I believe he meant it, but I have no idea how bad this whole contest thing will actually be. It could be a night-mare. But we can't just leave Jace in there. Honor either. It's up to you, Mira. If you're in, I'm with you."
"Let's go," Mira said, walking toward the open gate.
"If you're not back in a day, I'll come for you,"
Minimus pledged.
"That's up to you," Mira said, "Nobody has to come for us. I doubt it would do any good. Hopefully, well we see you soon."
"Be careful," Dalton said. He looked worried.
Cole nodded, looking just as worried.
"I will," I said quickly hugging them.
"You ready?" Mira asked, standing where the Red Road ended.
"Nope. Lets go." I said.
I crossed to her, and we stepped through together.
Hina and two guards awaited them on the far side, beside a fancy coach glittering with gemstones. A harness of red leather and gold connected six white horses to the vehicle.
"Welcome, Miracle Pemberton," Hina said. She made a gesture, and one of the guards opened the door to the coach.
"Where was this for me?" I complained.
"You're not royalty," Hina responded.
I glanced at Mira, who was taking in the glorious surroundings with astonished eyes. "That woman is beautiful," Mira whispered.
"Yeah," I grumbled. "We had to walk last time."
Mira led the way to the coach and climbed in. I followed her quickly, a little worried they might deny me permision to join her. Hina rode her beefy horse while the guards drove the coach. The crystalline landscape flashed by as the coach whooshed along the redder than red road.
We stopped at the ethereal palace, and Hina led them inside. She guided us up some glossy stairs and stopped outside of an ornate door. "Here is a room for you, Miracle," Hina said with a slight bow.
"Let me guess," I said. "It's nicer than mine?"
Mira shot me a wink. Hina ignored me.
"Go to sleep," I told her. "See you in Dreamland." Mira went inside, and Hina closed the door.
"You should treat a princess with greater courtesy," Hina said, with a scolding look.
"Like by trapping one in a castle?" I shot back.
Rolling her eyes, she led me to another door and indicated it. "You may stay in here."
The room was similar to the previous one. After the door was shut, I went straight to the bed. I wondered how long it would take me to fall asleep.
Apparently, the answer was not long, because I was back in the room with the fancy floor and the exotic furniture. Standing with his hands behind his back. Trillian greeted me with a nod. Mira and Jace were there as well.
"Welcome, Kendal and Jace," Trillian said.
"Are you all right?" Jace asked Mira.
"I've been better," she said.
"Miracle Pemberton could one day be High Queen of the Outskirts," Trillian said. "Of course, there are obstacles, three of them being her elder sisters Elegance, Honor, and Constance. Another is her father, who pretended to kill her and her siblings and probably wishes to kill her in truth now that he retains no portion of her shaping power."
"I never wanted to be High Queen," Mira said. "Elegance can have it."
"This is true," Trillian said. "You view your royal heritage as an unwelcome burden, the source of most of the trouble in your life."
"I've lived my life on the run," Mira said. "I've watched people around me die. Even back in Junction City, life was never easy."
"No life is easy," Trillian said. "I'll grant that yours has been uncommonly challenging. Some of that has been self-inflicted. I understand you're here to help rescue one of your rivals to the throne."
"Honor is not my rival," Mira said.
"If not for your father, Elegance would be High Queen," Trillian said. "Without Stafford and Elegance, the title would go to Honor. And what a queen she would make! She has a great deal of spirit."
"I'm sure you've spent time in her mind," Mira said.
"I offered to train her, but she refused," Trillian said. "If Honor regains her power, she could become a formidable enchantress."
"I want to see her," Mira said.
"I'm about to provide that opportunity," Trillian said. "If you can find her, you need only touch her, say her name, and not only will you be reunited, but you will be free to go."
"That sounds too easy," I said.
"She may not look quite like herself," Trillian said.
"What have you done to her?" Mira demanded.
The torivor smiled. "I've . . . adjusted her."
"How?" Mira asked, heat in her tone.
Trillian pointed at her. "That is up to you to figure out. I reserve the right to alter her more as the contest progresses. Each of you gets one chance to touch something and say, 'Honor.' I've prepared three locations for you to search.
Kendal will guess in the first location, then Jace, and finally Mira. Feel free to work together deciding."
"She could be anything?" Jace said.
"Anything alive," Trillian said. "No plants. Just animals, including humans. I have customized a seeming to prevent her from recognizing Mira or perceiving your true forms. To her ears, your voices will be scrambled if you ask about her identity, try to reveal your identities, or mention anything about this contest. Honor has no idea what you're doing."
"What happens if we guess wrong?" Jace asked.
"Each incorrect guess moves you to the next location," Trillian said. "If you miss all three guesses, you belong to me. To motivate you to keep the guesses coming, each location has a threat. While you hunt for Honor, something will also hunt you. Each threat will endeavor to kill all of you. Should any of you die before your guess is used, that guess is lost. Naturally, if all of you die, the contest ends."
The torivor had failed to mention that the contest might kill us. He had acted like at worst they would be his prisoners. I glanced at Mira, feeling horrible for dragging her into this.
"You never told us we might die," I objected.
"I'm telling you now," Trillian said. "Our lives are always at risk. If a threat gets too close, use a guess and move to the next location. You'll have ample opportunity to survive."
"What if we refuse to play?" Mira asked.
"My gate is now closed," Trillian said. "This contest is the only way any of you leave."
"Will it happen here?" I asked. "In this dream?"
Trillian chuckled. "No, you'll awaken for the contest. It will occur outside of my palace. When you exit to the grounds, the game will begin."
"Will it all be an illusion?" Mira wondered.
Trillian shook his head. "I'll accomplish most of it with changings, large and small. Every element of the contest will be perfectly tangible. My shaping abilities are unlike any in the five kingdoms. Let me worry about how it will be accomplished. Concentrate on winning."
"Do you want us to lose?" Mira asked.
"Not particularly," Trillian said. "Most likely you will fail. The contest will be difficult, but it is not rigged. You can win. And if you do, I will set you free, as promised. I'm eager to see how you perform."
"When do we start?" Mira asked.
Trillian clapped his hands. I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. The door to my room opened to reveal Hina out in the hall.
"Time to go," she said.
I followed her to a neighboring door, where she summoned Jace. Once he was with us, we went and got Mira. She fell into step with Jace and me behind Hina.
"What are you?" I asked. "Are you a seeming? Like a figment? Or a semblance?"
"I'm a woman of Elloweer," Hina said. "I've served Trillian for many years."
"You don't look very old," Mira said.
"It's an advantage of dwelling here," Hina said. "If you three survive the trial, you might join us."
"I've been this age for long enough," Mira said.
Hina led them to the front door of the castle. "Here we are," she said, reaching for the handle to open it. "Let the games begin."