The Dark Rising (The Hidden of Vrohkaria Book Two)

“Let me in, my children are starving. Please!” We watch a woman plead amongst the large crowd that has gathered outside Wolvorn Castle. The Highers’s Guards are trying to attempt to calm them, pushing them back from getting within the walls. Up on the battlements, more of them have their arrows notched in their bows, ready to fire if it gets out of hand. I growl beneath my breath when I see bodies hung from there, limply. Sometimes those who are sentenced to death get hung there to warn others what will happen if the law is broken, but over twenty of them? That’s too many in a short amount of time, what is going on?

“They should let them in, they have enough room,” Leo snarls, standing at my side as we watch a male in tattered clothes swing at a guard. He shouts for food for his children, and he’s soon detained by another and taken away as the crowd shouts and cries for help. A child stands a little further back from the crowd, a bucket in one hand and clutching the hand of who appears to be her younger brother. I clench my jaw at their dirtied appearance. “This isn’t right.”

“It’s not,” I agree as a male knocks over the child and her brother. I move over to them, snarling at the male before crouching at their side, gritting my teeth at the burning that shoots up my back. The girl looks up at me with fear in her eyes, holding her brother close as they huddle, seemingly wanting to have the ground swallow them to protect them. “I won’t hurt you,” I tell her as softly as I can manage, but she grabs her brother’s hand and runs off into the crowd, scooting in between people. I release a sigh and watch on.

“You tried,” Jerrod says, watching the crowd as I am. “They fear us with what we are capable of, destroying creatures of all manner.”

“It shouldn’t be like this.” I shake my head at how wrong all this is. “Elites. Protectors, that’s who we are, what we have trained for. Yet everyone is scared of us. How have we gone so long to let it be this way?”

“It didn’t matter what people thought of us,” Jerrod says as I rise and scan the crowd. “Now, it’s different.”

“We really have had our eyes closed, haven’t we?” Leo asks quietly, and Damian nods.

“We have. How have we not noticed that it has gotten this bad?” Damian asks.

“We have been blinded, but no more,” I tell them, and the others nod. Rhea is right about a lot of things, and the one thing she is right about, above all else, is that we have no honor to speak of. Especially if I can’t even go up to a child and not have her be terrified of me. “No more. I won’t be an Alpha, an Elite that they fear unless they give me a reason to.”

“It’s time for change,” Leo says, gripping the strap of his armor going across his chest. “And I think it’s time to clean house. Find those who are loyal to you or the Highers. Rhea said some went to the Elites about their abuse and they turned their backs. I’m sure you don’t want members like that under you.”

“I don’t.” I grunt, watching as a brawl breaks out, the people of Vrohkaria going up against the guards. “This will start a war between the Highers and the Elites, and we don’t know how the people will react. We can’t let whatever Charles is doing continue. It’s time for a new authority and it is not the Highers.” No matter the cost in the end. “We have to tread carefully and hide that we are opposing them for as long as we can, as well as weed out the Elites that are not loyal to me. A war isn’t what we need right now with the rogures increasing, and the lands are already in disarray. We need to set up a place where people can go and be safe from the rogures. The Highers won’t let them in Wolvorn Castle unless they are no longer there.”

“It will take time to find a place. I’ll look into it,” Leo says, and I clap his shoulder. “We need to find where the people on that list are first.”

“We also need to find the memory crystal. I hope Rhea can shed some light on it.”

“I’ll stay behind,” Zaide says, and I look over at him. “Charles has a female on the regular who meets him in his office at certain times, she always gets there early when he leaves the door unlocked. I may be able to get some information from her.”

“Charles fucks females in his office?” I ask in disgust. He shrugs, and I hope to fuck they don’t use the chair I always sit in. “Be careful and don’t get caught,” I tell him.

“Always.”

A shout comes from the battlements, and the male with the tattered clothes struggles against a guard as he’s dragged forward. Another comes to them, a loop of rope in his hand, and he starts winding it around his neck. My eyes flick to the hanging bodies. The male shouts, and a woman screams below, looking up at him, begging for him to let go. I take a step forward, but it’s too late. The male is pushed over the wall, the drop and sudden pull as the rope tightening snaps his neck. Dead. I swallow.

The woman collapses as the others look upon the male in horror. The brawl starts to disperse, and I watch as the girl with her baby brother cling to a woman who holds them protectively, as another now goes to the sobbing woman.

They just killed a man for seeking sanctuary. That’s why there are so many bodies hanging from the wall.

“We need to find a place, quickly,” I order.

“Top fucking priority,” Leo growls.

We move through the halls, heading for the records room at Wolvorn Castle. Our presence hasn’t been noted yet, but I would be a fool to think the Highers currently in residence aren’t aware.

“Do you think we will have time to grab the documents showing where Rhea’s pack members have been assigned?” Jerrod asks, and I look over my shoulder at him. His body tenses when he meets my stare, but he doesn’t look away.

“I’m not sure, I don’t want to stay longer than needed, but it would be a good opportunity to look.” I see his shoulders slump before I turn and walk down another hallway.

We would have just ported here, but the Highers banned the use of them in the castle. Wards are placed on every wall that will activate when a port stone is used, denying the magic within that enables us to port. Rhea and I are the only exceptions to using port stones; the magic within not depleting. It must be an Heir thing.

“Does this have anything to do with the pup I have seen you with a few times back in Eridian?” Damian asks Jerrod. “You’ve been quiet since we came back, quieter than Zaide.”

“Which means you have been real fucking quiet,” Leo adds.

“I just want to check on him,” Jerrod mutters. He was close with the kid in Eridian for the time we spent there. Oscar, I think the kid was called.

Elites don’t generally settle down with mates, a family. Our life isn’t easy. Being away for long periods of time or being called away at a moment’s notice, not many can stick that out. So having pups is also not a common thing with an Elite.

Which pisses me off more for Charles’s demand of it.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Damian lies. We all know the pups were taken from their mothers when we arrived, going under health checks before finding their fathers. After everything we know now, we have no idea if that was true. All this could have been avoided if we had just taken Rhea alone. With Aldus at Eridian, we couldn’t have done much since he broke the barrier and Maize summoned the Elites on his order. I couldn’t keep them hidden.

I broke my vow.

“It’s been months,” Zaide grumbles. “Why haven’t they been brought back to their mothers and in a pack?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it? Why hasn’t Charles returned them to their old packs or a new one?” Leo asks. “This whole situation is fucked.”

I couldn’t agree more. Everything is fucked, and what I’ve seen over the past few months with Charles’s obsession in finding Rhea, and all that Rhea has told us… Regret threatens to bring these castle walls down with all that I have done, or didn’t do. We’ve all been so fucking blind, I’ve been so fucking blind. We all became Elites to protect Vrohkaria and with what we know now, we have all been helping it toward its ruin.

Unknowingly or knowingly so, we helped.

I open the large door and we enter the records room. Shelves upon shelves hold scrolls and books of Vrohkaria in alphabetical order on every single being in the lands. From pack names, our history and the Elite members and families, everything is held here.

I haven’t thought before about why we have these records, but now I want to know what the reason behind it is. Surely this much record keeping isn’t necessary.

We walk in between a row of bookcases, the smell of leather and paper filling the space. I look at the signs at the top, waiting until we reach the pack records section. I stop when I hear a shuffle of feet from further down the rows, and I grab my brothers’ attention, putting a finger to my lips, letting them know to be quiet.

I stalk down a row, letting my senses out and following them until I round a corner and come face to face with none other than Aldus.

“Oh! Alpha Darius.” He nods his blond head respectfully at me, shuffling the papers he has gathered in his arms.

“Higher Aldus,” I greet, folding my arms over my chest. I stare down at him, wondering if he knew what Rhea’s family did? Was he involved with Higher Charles? Drax growls within me. “Looks like you have been in here for a while?” I nod toward the numerous papers, keeping my face set into a natural façade, hiding the anger I feel brimming underneath my skin.

“Ah yes, record keeping is never ending. I feel like I live down here sometimes,” he chuckles. “Is there anything I can help you with?” He looks at me, and then to my brothers.

“We’re just here to check on some things before we head out again. Some members of a pack have gone missing,” I say carefully. “So we are checking to see if they had moved packs without telling their family, if not, then the rogures have probably killed them.” I watch for any reaction on his face.

“Ahh, yes, a few of them do that.” He shakes his head. “More work for us when they could just inform them.” He shuffles on his feet. “But rather that than the rogures getting to them.”

“Have you spoken to Higher Charles?” I ask.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him for some time. I’ve been out in the lands, updating records and seeing to the people the best I can in these trying times. I’ve been looking for Higher Aiden, but no one has seen him.”

Hmm. “Do you remember when I was around sixteen and my father brought me to your office?” I ask him, and he looks away, seemingly lost in thought.

“I do recall a time or two, why do you ask?” He moves those papers in his hands again.

“My memories were hidden, or blocked,” I say, and his light brows pinch. “I remember my Heir markings appearing, and then my father took me to your office some time after. I went in an Heir and came out forgetting I was one. Charles said he would speak with you about it.”

“It was quite a shock when your markings appeared many months ago. A male Heir hasn’t been seen longer than a female. It’s truly startling.” He looks over at me, at the marking hidden at my neck. He hasn’t seen me to know they are there, but it is in the history of the Heir’s where the markings are. “I do briefly remember your father coming to see me with you, we talked about the upcoming changes within the Elites. That was around twenty years or so ago, you were around sixteen. I have no recollection of you being an Heir then, which is troublesome considering I have an affinity with memories.” He adjusts those papers again. “Charles hasn’t spoken to me about such a thing yet. I will be seeing him for a meeting soon, so I will bring it up with him.”

“I went into your office as an Heir and walked out not being one.” I stare him down, wanting him to give me some answers. I know he attempted to conceal them, but I can’t let him know that.

He shakes his head slowly. “I’m not sure how that happened, and as far as I’m aware, your father hadn’t had the ability to tangle with memories. I certainly didn’t do anything with them.” Fucking liar. I want nothing more than to take him to my basement at the Vokheim and interrogate him, but doing so now will cause a stir that we cannot afford to happen. We are not ready to show our hand just yet. Aldus scratches his chin. “Is it possibly you did it to yourself?”

My brows furrow. “Not that I know of, I’ve never been able to alter memories or block them,” I lie. I know I hid my memories to protect myself from being an Heir.

“When you have some time, come and see me if you would like. I can go through your memories and try to find what triggered you to not remember.”

I nod, but he must think I have no brain cells if he thinks I actually will. “How is Kaden doing?” I ask instead, and his eyes flash for a second.

“He is well, considering,” he sighs. “Maize is keeping an eye on him in the east wing, but sometimes the memories that Rhea changed appear again. We continue to remove them to release his true memories. He gets confused, and can be violent.” So he’s still here.

If I didn’t know what I know now, I would believe his every word and go about my day. But I know better, especially after the last time I saw Charles. “How can fake memories come back, I thought you removed it permanently?”

“I thought so too, but it seems it’s embedded inside of him and it pops back up when he gets stressed, and is emotionally overwhelmed.” I tilt my head at him.

Rhea said his memories were altered, but Aldus and Maize told me they removed the block she had put on it. So what are they doing to him with these… interrogations?

“So Rhea was strong enough to embed a block inside of him?”

His eyes light up. “Yes, very powerful magic, and dangerous. We are lucky we can keep removing her power that’s trying to remove his true childhood memories. Unfortunately, he must stay in the castle for his own safety, and others at this point as we don’t know what he will do when he’s in between reality and the memories Lasandrhea planted inside of him.”

“Any word on her being sighted?” I want to know if they know anything.

“No, though with the posters up with her description and most of Vrohkaria knowing about her and the dangers she poses, she can’t hide forever.”

“You were her guardian, you must feel betrayed by her,” I say carefully, and he looks down for a moment.

“It is very unfortunate. Her parents were well respected, and if they saw what she had become, they would be howling to the winds in despair.”

“Were you close to her?” I fold my arms over my chest.

“At one point, yes. Though she was a little pup. Then I became busy with Higher business and I couldn’t be around as much. Then the news broke about her parents, and that she had gone missing. I’m not sure if her path could have been changed if I were more involved in her younger years, but it seems nothing could derail that girl from her ways.”

“I will let you get on, Aldus, you must be busy,” I say, stepping to the side to let him through, wanting to wrap my hands around his throat. Now is not the time.

“Yes of course.” He bows his head. “Come see me and we can try and figure out what happened to the memory of you being an Heir.” With that he walks past us, his arms still clutching those papers.

“Aldus is the only one who can mess around with memories,” Leo says quietly when he hears the door close. “Do you think we can find proof that he tried to mess with your memories, or Kade’s?”

“I don’t know, but maybe I need to go to my father’s home and see if there is anything there. He knew I was an Heir, he saw it for himself, maybe he kept his own record of it even though he never spoke of it again. There is also the fact that he went to see Rhea in the basement.” My father and I were not close. He trained me hard to be an Elite, and out of some sense of loyalty, I kept my last promise to him to do what Charles has asked. Now I know he wasn’t the male I thought he was, he wasn’t the Elite I thought he was.

My temples pound. I suppose Rhea can’t even stand to be near me, well, more so now after finding out my father was involved. But when we went to her old home to get Sarah and she caught my hand, I saw in her eyes that she didn’t blame me. No matter what went on between us, she didn’t blame me for my father’s sins.

How could my father have stood by and let Rhea be trapped in that basement? How could he have not gotten her out of there?

It seems the poison of the Elites runs deep, and I need to go even deeper to get rid of the rot.

“You haven’t been home since…” He trails off but I know what he’s going to say.

I haven’t been home since my family was killed by rogures.

“Maybe it’s time I did. My father was hiding things, especially concerning Rhea.” I remember every time we went to Zakith, where my father would go to the Alpha house and send me off around the territory. All that time, I hated him for shutting me out of conversations with Alpha Paul, I was to be the Alpha of the Elites. It was important I was present for talks and meetings. I know better now, he wasn’t there for conversations, he was there for her. I clench my fists and Leo and Damian eye me warily.

“Let’s not destroy another room, brother,” Damian says, and moves over to another shelf. “Let’s try and find these names and get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to be.” He slaps me on the back and we get to work, trying to find names from the notes we found in Rhea’s basement.

If we find any names that match, that confirm the Highers have been taking people right under our noses.

And we didn’t even realize…