Sentinel Read online

  Sentinel

  Trudie Collins

  Copyright © 2019 Trudie Collins

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 0-6485051-1-1

  ISBN-13: 978-0-6485051-1-2

  Also by Trudie Collins

  Diary of a journey through Hell

  Diary of a journey through Hell

  Diary of a Journey Through Hell - Kris's Story

  Tor's Quest

  The Guide

  The Maze

  The Bard

  The Pendant

  The Assassin

  The Beginning

  Vampire Hunters

  Vampire Hunters

  Greater Vampires

  Standalone

  Kwin

  Soul Eaters

  The Tor's Quest Saga

  Fox Among the Demons

  Sentinel

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also By Trudie Collins

  Sentinel

  Prologue

  Introduction

  Announcement

  Arrival

  Shield

  Poison

  Visitors

  Sex

  Hair

  Attack

  Interrogation

  Forn

  Dream

  Simion

  Accusation

  Punishment

  Rejection

  Wedding

  Fever

  Elopement

  Journey

  Daranis

  Slave

  Sobek

  Party

  Intimacy

  Conviction

  Queen

  Departure

  Fight

  Mirage

  Draygar

  Ceremony

  Traitor

  Plan

  Kidnap

  Scroll

  Imitation

  Disbanded

  Return

  Akar

  Declaration

  Tia

  Confrontation

  Ceremonies

  Death

  Epilogue

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  Also By Trudie Collins

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to Casey Mallia – an angel who returned to heaven far too soon

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to Pete, Julie, Terry and Wendy for their feedback.

  A special mention to Master Clint and Master John for teaching me an alternative way to shoot arrows.

  Prologue

  My name is Adara Marie and I am dead. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I still get to see the people I love, but seeing them is all I can do. Also, I can now remember almost everything that happened to me. I can see everything I did, after the age of about five, clearly as if it was only yesterday; every action, every interaction, every conversation.

  I have not moved on and will not do so until HE is dead. HE who is responsible for my death. And here he comes now, holding hands with a beautiful young girl. He is as stunning as always, dressed in his black cloak with the gold leaf design on the trim. His handsome face looks up to me, but he cannot see me. Sometimes he can, but not today, though he knows I am here. He can always sense when I am watching him. He looks back at the girl and smiles, but I know the cruelty behind that smile, and the heartache.

  I want to say something to her, but I can’t. Being a ghost means I can’t touch anything or communicate with anyone, no matter how hard I try. Maybe one day I will find a way. For now, all I can do is watch.

  My name is Adara Marie and this is my story.

  Introduction

  Let me introduce myself. When I was born, I became the fifth, and last, child of King Andrast and Queen Cyan, rulers of the kingdom of Amanet.

  I would tell you that the first three years of my life were great, that I was loved by my entire family and wanted for nothing, but I have no memory of those years. Everything changed when I was three. At least I assume it did. That’s when my mother died.

  I have been told that the fever took her fast and that she didn’t suffer, though whether that was just something I was told to make me feel better I have no idea.

  I have no memories of her. I have no idea what she looked like, whether she sang lullabies to me, whether she cuddled me. My siblings tell me she did and I believe them. Why wouldn’t I?

  I know I missed her, but I was so young when she left my life that it didn’t take long for my feelings to change. I ended up missing having a mother rather than missing her as a person.

  I was brought up by my nanny and the servants. Would it have been different had my mother lived? I’m not sure. I tell myself it would have. Sometimes I believe myself, other times I don’t.

  Father was a busy man; he did have a kingdom to run after all. He loved all of his children and spent as much time with them as he could, but I didn’t see him often. He was a good ruler, well-liked by his people. He tried to always do the right thing, but, like any human, he didn’t always succeed.

  And he loved my mother. A lot. My siblings have told me how happy they seemed to be together and how he mourned her death. Part of me thinks he continued to do so until the day he died.

  But enough about my childhood. Skip forward several years to when I was sixteen. That was when I first heard that HE would be living with us; the Sentinel.

  I knew what a Sentinel was, of course. Unbeknownst to my father, I attended lessons with my brothers. Their tutor didn’t mind and everyone kept it a secret from the king. In Amanet, like most other kingdoms, only males are educated. ‘A woman’s place is looking after her husband’ was one of my eldest sister’s favourite sayings. All she ever thought about was who she would marry and when. Neither Rosemerta (we all called her Rose) nor Olwen, my other sister, could understand why I wanted to learn about history, science, mathematics and other kingdoms. They were happy being taught how to read and write and nothing more. They did, however, keep my secret.

  My brothers, on the other hand, were both of the belief that if a girl wanted to learn she should be allowed to. Not only did they allow me to attend all of their lessons, they also helped me in their spare time.

  They drew the line at combat training. I have never even been allowed to hold a sword, let alone use one. Not that I had any interest in doing so. I watched whenever I was able to though. Archery was different. I received all of the training needed so that I would be able to hunt to feed myself, should the need arise. I would never call myself a marksman, but I became skilled enough to be able to kill a man with just one shot. But that comes later in the story.

  Back to the Sentinel. I still remember the day that his imminent arrival was announced as if it was only yesterday.

  Announcement

  “Why has Father called for a family meeting?” I asked excitedly, grabbing my brother’s arm to get his attention.

  Etain stopped walking and turned to look at me. At eighteen, he was only two years older than me, but those two years felt like a huge gap. It made him an adult, while I was still classed as a child.

  When he smiled at me, his whole face lit up. He was an attractive young man, with broad shoulders, a chiselled face and stunning blue eyes. Ladies flocked to him. His light brown hair, usually tied up, was hanging loose, almost touching his collarbone. This told me that the meeting had taken him as much by surprise as it had me.

  “It’s not just family,” he said. “I have no idea what is going on, but it must be important.”

  “Maybe Father is marrying you off,” a deep voice sounded behind us.

  I turned around and saw my other brother approaching. Though a couple of years older than Etain, Tephi was
a little shorter. When they were together, it was easy to see the family resemblance.

  I, however, looked nothing like them; a fact they regularly teased me about. Of all my siblings, I was the only one to inherit all my features from my mother. Rose had her green eyes and Olwen had her dark brown hair, but only I had both. Father once said that I looked so much like my mother it made him miss her all the more whenever he saw me. Maybe that was why he didn’t spend as much time with me as he did the others.

  Tephi grinned at me and ruffled my hair. “Come on Squid, we’ll never know what the meeting is really about if we stand here talking all day.”

  He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me around before giving me a gentle push forward. Unlike Etain, he had taken the time to tie his hair back and make himself more presentable. Then again, he always did make himself look immaculate; as heir to the throne, it was expected of him.

  As Etain and Tephi made their way to the throne room, I trailed behind them, listening to their conversation. They were discussing the fact that all of the ladies wanted to dance with Etain at a party they had attended the previous night and only approached Tephi when they were turned down.

  This didn’t bother Tephi. He knew that Etain was more attractive than him, but Etain never made a comment about it, never bragged or teased his older brother. Tephi was not the jealous type. Enough women wanted his attention to keep him occupied so he was happy to be in his brother’s shadow whenever they went out together. He was also aware that his marriage would be arranged; he would have no say in it.

  The same applied to all royalty, even my cousins, but if the rest of us ever fell in love and petitioned the king to allow us to marry, he would consider it. Tephi didn’t have that option.

  Part of me was jealous. I wasn’t allowed to attend parties yet, at least not on my own and how much fun can you have with a chaperone watching your every move and never leaving your side?

  The doors to the throne room were standing open when we arrived and a number of chairs had been set out. Most were occupied. All of Father’s advisers were present, including the commander of the army. This was not a good sign.

  Three seats were empty on the front row, next to my sisters, and we quickly sat down.

  While waiting for the last few stragglers to arrive, I looked up at the dais. It contained two thrones, but only one was ever occupied. I have been told that my mother often used to sit beside the king as he regularly sought her opinion, but I have no memory of ever seeing her there.

  Father was tapping the arm of his throne impatiently. He was usually a calm man and did not anger easily, but he liked punctuality and hated having to wait for others. This time, though, he said nothing. He had called the meeting at short notice so he couldn’t expect everyone to arrive on time. This didn’t, however, stop him showing his agitation.

  If his portraits are to be believed, he used to be a handsome man, but he stopped shaving when my mother died. It was a traditional sign of mourning. Men would remain unshaven for a year; only after twelve months had passed would they remove their facial hair and begin courting once again. Father’s beard remained in place, hiding most of his face. He was still mourning my mother. He had not so much as gone on a date with another woman since her death and part of me believed he never would.

  I quickly scanned the room, trying to see who was missing. There were a number of visiting dignitaries currently staying in the palace, but none were present. This, too, was not a good sign.

  Finally the last person arrived and took his seat. The doors were closed and my father rose.

  “Sorry for the short notice,” he said, loudly and clearly, “but I wanted you all to hear the news from me before any rumours started.”

  He took a deep breath before continuing. I was holding mine. I was eager to hear what he was about to announce.

  “After many weeks of negotiation, I have secured the employment of a Sentinel.”

  Gasps filled the room. One of them came from me. A Sentinel! I couldn’t help wondering if Father had gone insane. Those people were evil. They tortured for fun. What possible reason could he have for employing one?

  Everyone started talking at once, demanding an explanation. Nobody wanted to live under the same roof as one of THEM. The king waited until the noise had died down before continuing.

  “He will be here to protect me, my family and this kingdom. Many other rulers employ them and find their skills invaluable. I can assure you he will pose no danger to you or your families, unless, of course, you wish to cause me harm.”

  That last comment silenced the last few mutterers. “This Sentinel is the first of his kind to be a master in three disciplines of magic.”

  “Three?” someone called out. “That’s not possible.”

  While it was rare for a magic user to be gifted in two disciplines, it wasn’t unknown. Nobody since the written histories began had ever been able to do three.

  “Apparently it is,” Father said. “This Sentinel is also a Healer and a Shield.”

  That explained why the king thought he would be of use. As a Sentinel he would be able to detect if anyone speaking to the king was lying, as a Shield he would be able to protect my father and as a Healer he would be able to cure him if he failed to protect him.

  That didn’t stop me not wanting him in the palace though. Anyone who tortured people should not be allowed in the city let alone the royal residence. I strongly believed that all Sentinels were evil and sadistic, regardless of their other talents, and torture should be a crime punishable by death.

  Unable to keep my opinions to myself, I opened my mouth, but Tephi grabbed my arm before I could speak. I turned to glare at him and he shook his head at me, silently telling me that there was a time and a place for my objections to be voiced and that a room full of non-family members was not it.

  Father was still speaking, oblivious to my altercation with my brother.

  “As you can imagine, the rulers of many different kingdoms were interested in obtaining the services of this particular Sentinel, along with multiple members of the aristocracy. Even some of the richer merchants attended discussions. We are very fortunate that he has decided to work for me. He will be treated with courtesy and respect. Have I made myself clear?”

  There were a few mumbled replies of, “Yes, your Majesty,” but most people just nodded. Looking around, I saw a lot of worried faces. Though many of those present could understand the king’s reasoning, it didn’t mean they were pleased with the news.

  “The Sentinel will arrive early next week,” the king said loudly. “Dismissed.”

  I had never seen the throne room empty so quickly. Soon only Commander Keel and the king’s children remained. Keel waited until all of the guards had left and the doors closed before speaking.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea, your Majesty?”

  Keel was a well-built man of average height. His grey eyes now matched the colour of his hair. It seemed like only yesterday that it had been black. I had known him all of my life. He was well into his sixties and should have been due for retirement, but his apprentice was still in training and Keel wouldn’t leave the kingdom under-defended if it could be avoided.

  I was glad he had been the first to speak. He had a good head on his shoulders and my father listened to him.

  Father smiled at him and placed his hand on his shoulder, as though he was an equal rather than his subordinate.

  “I understand your concern old friend, but you have nothing to worry about. Sentinels have a bad reputation because people do not understand what they do.”

  I couldn’t remain silent any longer. “What is there to understand? They use torture to make people say whatever they want to hear. They are monsters.”

  King Andrast looked at Keel rather than me when he replied. “See what I mean.” There was no anger in his voice. It almost sounded as if he was amused.

  He turned to look at me, then glanced at each of my siblings, making sure
we were all paying attention.

  “As you are well aware, a Sentinel can detect if someone is lying. I have no idea how, but what I do know is that they can’t make anyone say anything they want. All they can do is make them tell the truth.”

  He then looked up, as though he could see the sky instead of the ceiling. “If I said that the sun was blue, a Sentinel would know that I was lying and would be able to force me to admit that it is yellow. Could their methods be classed as torture?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. I have never seen one in action.”

  “But everyone knows that the sun is yellow, Father,” Etain said. “I don’t understand why you need a Sentinel to tell you that.”

  Father put his hands together like he was praying and tapped them against his top lip. It was a habit he had when he was thinking.

  “Imagine I was blind and had been told that the sun was blue. If I repeated this information, I would have no way of knowing if I was telling the truth or not. A Sentinel would not be able to force to me to say the sun was any colour other than blue.”

  “So they don’t make people tell the truth, the person speaking just has to believe that they are not lying,” Olwen said.

  “Precisely. If I asked someone a question and they refused to answer, they wouldn’t be lying so a Sentinel would be powerless to make them tell me the truthful answer to my question. Am I making any sense?”

  “You are,” Keel confirmed. “I have no more questions. Unless you have further need of me, I will depart.”

  Father nodded his head and Keel left the room, though he still looked troubled.

  “How much is this Sentinel going to cost Father?” Tephi asked. “As heir to the throne, I think I have the right to know.”

  The king winced. “A lot. There was a bidding war, which we didn’t win. I went as high as I thought was reasonable, but the price kept going up. Nobody was more surprised than me when the Sentinel chose to take up my offer.”

  “Is he worth it?”

  Father shrugged. “I don’t know. I have been led to believe so. Only time will tell.”