To Stand Beside Her

  TO STAND BESIDE HER

  By B. Kristin McMichael

  To Stand Beside Her

  Copyright © 2013 by B. Kristin McMichael

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 0-13-041717-3

  ISBN-13: 978-1-62314-716-7

  Cover design: Wicked Cover Designs

  Editors: Morissa Schwartz, David Calver, and Eric Boler

  This book is licensed for your personal use only. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means without written permission of the author. All names, characters, and places are fiction and any resemblance to real, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Prologue

  Kay slipped on the cold stone but kept running, her shoes clicking lightly on the hard marble floors. It was her first level-four assignment, and she had failed. When she initially accepted it, she needed the money. Now it didn’t seem to matter. Kay looked down each hallway for a door or hiding place. The nobles’ quarter in the palace of Lior was unfamiliar territory.

  “Straight ahead,” the young man directed the men following him. The young guard led the chase, fueled by his embarrassment. He hadn’t noticed that the girl he had been questioning was a courier until she became flustered by his questions. The young lady with wavy light-brown hair and blue eyes looked friendly enough at the time; she had blushed when he searched her and her smile was nice to look at.

  Kay heard the men getting closer behind her. She needed a hiding place, but the large, bare hallways offered no help. Turning right at the next intersection, she continued down yet another unfamiliar hallway. Kay was lost.

  “Hey, watch where you are going!” a dark-haired, wide-built man said as Kay bumped into him.

  “So sorry,” Kay replied. “I am late to work.” Kay had heard Leila, her best friend and the best courier in the business, use that reply many times before.

  “Stop that girl!” a young guard yelled from the other end of the hallway.

  Kay quickly moved to pass the dark-haired man, but he easily clasped her wrists between his thick, masculine fingers. Kay looked into his eyes and tried her best to put on a flirtatious smile.

  “Mister, you want me to be late for work?” she asked innocently, batting her eyes. It always worked for Leila.

  The man’s grip did not loosen. Leila was right again; this was not the business for Kay. Try as she might to mimic her best friend, nothing seemed to work. If only I were Leila, Kay thought, letting her mind wander as she waited for the guards still running down the long hallway to catch up. Leila was the best. Most of the neighboring counties had begun calling Leila the Ghost Courier, and the description was an exact fit. Leila could easily enter any heavily guarded place and leave unnoticed with her assignment. Kay had watched her many times in action. Leila truly was a ghost.

  “I’m so sorry,” the young guard said as he bowed his head to the dark-haired man still tightly holding Kay’s wrists. “Lord Macarius, please accept my apologies.” The boy did not lift his head.

  “What did she do?” Macarius asked.

  “She was heading into the noble’s quarters,” the boy explained, still bowing. The boy handed Macarius the papers that he had confiscated from Kay.

  “Lock her in the jail for now. King Nalick will deal with her later,” Macarius replied.

  Kay turned to the stout man, Macarius, who was now smiling as he strolled away. He knew the truth behind the papers. Leila is going to kill me, Kay thought. She had taken the assignment against Leila’s warning. Leila was always right. Deep down Kay knew that she was not really meant to be a courier.

  When they arrived at the jail, the guard ushered Kay to the cell. Would Leila find her before the king tried her? Kay had heard the horror stories from the locals that King Nalick was a harsh man known to arrange for severe punishments. Kay moved to a bed in the corner of the room and stood on it to look out the tiny window. The sun was still rising, but Leila would begin to worry soon. Kay stepped off the bed and moved to the corner. Leila was not completely healed from her last trip. Both Leila and Kay’s employer, Roger, would be upset. Sighing, Kay huddled in the corner to wait. There was nothing else she could do. Kay was caught.

  Chapter 1

  Benét Leila quietly sipped her tea at a table on the patio of Veila’s Tea Shop. The quiet, demure character Leila portrayed was in stark contrast to her actual personality. Carefully, and in the most ladylike manner, she attempted to scratch her head. The black wig covering her naturally golden red hair and the scarf placed skillfully over it were beginning to prove bothersome. Maybe it was the persistent heat of the city that Leila was not accustomed to, or maybe it was the bad feeling she had because her best friend Kay was over an hour late. It was not like Kay to be late for their meeting to go home to Kay’s son. Leila sighed. They were losing their best chance to leave the city. Soon, the empty streets would be filled, and they would miss their opportunity to blend in and be lost from any of the trackers.

  As the noon bell struck, people began to slowly leave their shops and trickle down the street. Shortly thereafter, the streets would bustle with citizens. Every day as the sun reached its peak above the city, the city of Lexia would temporarily halt as all the residents proceeded home for their midday meal. Leila sat quietly, impervious to the noise around her, sipping her tea as she waited impatiently. Out of the corner of one eye, she noticed the tea shop owner closing the shop doors.

  “Just drop your money in the slot at the door before you leave, honey,” the wrinkled old lady said to Leila as she locked the door and slowly shuffled down the street into the forming crowd.

  Leila’s eyes followed the old lady down the street. Leila sat alone on the patio of the tea shop, but across the street a young man stood, trying his best to stay hidden. His dark blond hair was noticeable as he was a full head above the people passing him by. Lexia was a city full of olive skinned, black haired residents, and this man was obviously not a native. Despite his attempts to go unnoticed, the man followed Leila. New trackers were easy to spot.

  One, she thought to herself. No, two, she corrected.

  Two doors down a man was being unceremoniously pushed out of an adjoining shop as the owner tried to close for lunch. Leila had broken a cardinal rule: one must not stay in one place too long. She needed to keep moving.

  “Great,” she whispered under her breath. Not only was Kay over an hour late, now she had to lose the tails before she could go looking for her. Luckily for her, it was not her first trip into Lexia. The pay was always better when an assignment included a trip to Lexia. Over the years, she had been there so many times that it was beginning to feel like a second home.

  Leila stood and methodically stretched. She had waited long enough; it was time to move on and find out what was keeping Kay. Leila walked over and slid two coins into the slot in the middle of the shop door before eyeing each of the men trailing her.

  This should be easy, she thought, newbies.

  Leila knew the city better than any local. If Leila moved quickly, she could use the stragglers as cover on her way back to the inn. Darting between streets, she took care to blend in with the crowds. Before long, she had lost both of the trackers.

  That didn’t take much, she smirked at the thought of each man as she left him.

  It was always fun to teach the new trackers a lesson; Leila wasn’t worth their time. Leila was an expert courier. She had been hand chosen six years earlier at the age of twelve; now at eighteen years of age, she was the best courier of any neighboring country. No one, man or woman, could keep up with her. Leila was a ghost to many and a legend to everyone else. Through her training, she had perfected the use of multiple identities so that she could travel from
city to city, fulfilling even the most demanding assignments.

  After changing clothes and packing her bags, Leila followed the map in her head to the gate nearest to the palace jail. Kay was too late by now. She had to have been caught. Leila surveyed the area and only one guard was on patrol. She could easily sneak by, but if she was caught inside, it would draw unwanted attention to her. The guard paced between the gate and the gatehouse.

  What is the best way to get into jail? she thought to herself.

  “Excuse me,” Leila said, as politely as possible. “I heard from my uncle’s neighbor’s best friend that my sister was thrown in jail for some silly misunderstanding,” she lied to the young confused guard. Clearly he was not accustomed to being addressed by people on the street. Unaffected by his stunned silence, she continued her lie, “she is about this tall,” she indicated with her hand to the height of her shoulder, “and she has long brown hair. She is traveling with my grandmother and me and stopped by to find an old friend of our grandmother’s. From what we were told, some mean guard misunderstood her and threw her in jail without a single question and now we are distraught on how to get her out. I left grandmother back at the inn and told her not to worry. But now I think I might be in over my head. I have walked around these gates for hours, and it doesn’t seem like there is any way to get in to help her out. We are not from around here, and I am afraid we will run out of money paying for the inn before we can find out how to clear up this misunderstanding.”

  “I’m s-s-sorry,” he sputtered out. The young guard was having trouble talking to such a beautiful woman. “If there is any way I can help,” he quickly stammered.

  “You can help me?” Leila acted as graciously as she could while hiding her smirk. “That would be great; I don’t know how I can thank you. Grandmother will be so happy.” Leila hugged the stunned guard.

  “T-T-This . . . This . . . This way,” he stuttered. The guard began unlocking the gate, but before he could finish, the young, blond haired tracker from earlier trapped Leila’s arms behind her. Leila had let down her guard, and the tracker had seized the moment. The young guard bowed his head in shock. “S-S-Sorry Anatolio,” he apologized to the young man that held Leila’s arms behind her.

  “You’re better than I made you out to be,” Leila said to the young man.

  Her capturer, Anatolio, began to walk her through the gates and made no reply. It had been years since someone had caught her off guard, and Leila was enjoying the entertainment. Leila had lost him so easily in the streets that she assumed he would not find her again so soon. He must have been waiting here for me, she thought.

  Leila moved her arms a bit to see how tight the young man was holding onto her. Anatolio adjusted his grip and held on tighter as he began to push her through the doors to the palace compound. Leila was not foolish enough to run from him since he would lead her right to Kay. Leila slowed their pace a little, giving her time to look around and assess the corridors they were passing through. She had been inside the palace over a dozen times and knew where almost everything was, but it was always good to double check for any new problems she might encounter. Anatolio led her through a new section of the palace.

  “Nice,” she commented viewing the possible exits and layout of the palace.

  “Newly redone?” Leila asked but got no response from her silent captor. “The quiet serious type I see.” He still did not reply.

  “So I know where you are not leading me,” Leila said as she turned slightly to see his face in an effort to read his reaction. “We are not on our way to either the king or the jail.” The man’s expression did not change.

  “Is this the tour you give all the ladies you kidnap?” Leila asked trying to get a reaction. Anatolio just continued to push her through door after door. Since we are not headed towards Kay, this would be the best time to leave him, she thought, but her curiosity of where he was leading her made her continue.

  Pushed through a doorway, Leila heard the door lock click shut behind her and Anatolio released his grip. From all the twists and turns to get here, they were close to being right in the middle of the palace. Leila walked a few steps forward to evaluate the room she was in now, but to her surprise she was no longer in a room; rather she had been led to a garden.

  This is definitely not the spot I want to try to escape from, she thought viewing the forty-foot walls.

  In the corner of the garden, near the door they had entered, stood the young man, Anatolio. Leila cautiously walked near him and tried to catch his gaze, but he continued to look elsewhere. Approaching him, she studied him carefully. He was modestly dressed with no specific garb to indicate his position or job within the palace. He did not carry a weapon, so he was no threat in that way. He was taller than she, but from his face he was at least two to three years younger which meant much less experienced.

  This should not be a challenge, she thought.

  “Since you did not bring me to jail nor to your king, am I to assume you know who I am?” Leila asked Anatolio. He continued to look elsewhere. Leila moved closer right into his line of view so that he could not avoid looking at her.

  “Who gave you orders to bring me here?” Leila asked.

  “I did, Miss,” a voice said from behind her.

  Leila quickly spun around to notice an old man sitting so still in the garden that she was not aware of him before he spoke. As soon as they had entered the garden, Anatolio had been staring straight at the man. The old man had long, white hair and a beard to match that lay on his shoulders like a cascading waterfall. Dressed in a light blue robe, he should have stood out in the abundance of green in the garden, but he had blended in so perfectly that even the birds were startled when he talked. He was sitting between two flowering trees filled with small birds. He sat ever so still, that only his mouth moved as he continued to talk.

  “Since I know who you are, I will ask you the same question. Do you know who I am?” His eyes twinkled as he asked. He moved his head slightly as Leila thought of her answer. “You may leave us, Anatolio.” Anatolio bowed, turned to the door, and gave two knocks. The old man slowly returned his gaze to Leila who had yet to answer.

  “I will take a guess. You are the palace seer,” Leila answered.

  “The tales told of you do not disappoint, young lady,” the man commented, in approval.

  “I am Gabor, and you are Leila,” he said, while gently standing without disturbing the birds that were in the trees next to him.

  “Why do you think my name is Leila?” she asked. When traveling on assignments, she had never told anyone her real name. To know the real name of a courier was deadly; if this secret got out, Leila would never be able to work safely again. Only her allies knew her name, and she had never met this man before.

  “Do not worry, child, for I am the only one who knows who you are,” Gabor reassured her. “Not even Anatolio knows. To him you were just a favor to an old man.” He chuckled to himself.

  “So why am I here?” she asked.

  “Just as I have been told, always direct.” Gabor smiled at her as he moved closer. Not knowing if he was a friend or foe yet, Leila took a step back. “It is all right child, I will not hurt you,” Gabor tried to reassure her.

  “If you mean me no harm, why would you bring me here by force, and then keep me in a locked room?” Leila asked cautiously.

  “You are free to leave at any time,” Gabor assured her. “I merely asked for your presence and did not specify to Anatolio how to attain you.” Leila stared at his eyes as he talked. He was not lying. Gabor tried to move closer again, and this time she did not back away.

  “Would you like me to look into your future?” he asked, while offering her his hand.

  “No, thank you,” she replied, without taking his hand. “I live only in the present.” Gabor slowly withdrew his hand. Leila did not want to offend the man, but she also had no desire to be told what she would do in the future.

  Gabor returned to his seat on th
e bench between the two trees, disturbing the birds which flew to other trees in the garden. “Child, do you know why anywhere you go there is always someone there to help you if you get into trouble?” Gabor motioned for her to sit beside him. Guarded Leila moved closer and sat down. Gabor continued, “You are special. To the trained eye, you are an easy one to spot. The aura around you is pure white, and it does not change. Most people’s auras are different shades of color, and they change depending on the purity of their action. Yours, though, does not. When people come in contact with you, their aura becomes whiter in color to match yours. You have the power to change the world.”

  “Then, you will help me leave?” Leila asked.

  “I would not turn you down, but first I must ask you,” Gabor paused to look her in the eyes. “How long will you run? You continue to punish yourself with these incredibly hard missions time and time again, but that will not bring him back. Is it not about time you stopped running?”

  Leila was tempted to look away. How did this man know everything about her? It had been four years since Erich died saving her, and yet it was a hard subject for Leila to hear spoken aloud. Had she been better at what she did, Erich would not have died trying to save her from a jail.

  “I am not running,” she lied, responding to his question.

  “Just like you, child, I can tell when a person lies,” the old man moved to pat her shoulder. Leila quickly stood up before he could touch her. Her quick movement caught the old man off guard. “You can lie to me, but how long can your continue to lie to your heart?” He motioned for her to sit back down. “I have no desire to read your future; I already know what it is.”

  But how? I did well not to come into contact with him. Leila examined herself to see if she could remember any part touching him.

  “I know what can become of you. If only you,” Gabor started.