Previously On Contractually Bound:
"You couldn't have known," Kal said gently. "None of us did."
He knew that Jor-El had a tendency to blame himself for things, even when they were not his fault. He knew also that until Ching, Zara, Jai, and Lois were found, his father would obsess over what he saw as some failure on his part. As though he should have been able to see into the future to prevent this tragedy from happening. As though he were some sort of superhero that should have been able to swoop in and save the day.
With a sudden start, Kal knew this to be true of himself as well.
He felt as though he should have been there. He felt that he never should have left Lois' side. He'd failed to keep his wife safe. He'd failed to protect his brothers. He'd failed to defend Zara. Shame burned Kal's heart. Logically, he knew that he should believe the very things that he was telling his father. Logically, he knew that there was probably nothing he could have done to alter the outcome of events. Being with the others would have only gotten him captured as well. It was a struggle to remind himself that his freedom now gave him the ability to find out who had taken his loved ones. And when he did find where they were, he would rescue them. He would make sure that the guilty parties paid for their crimes.
But for now, he had to be a rock for his father. He had to be a pillar of strength for the Supreme Lord to lean on. He was the only one that Jor-El had now.
"What if we don't find them?" Jor-El said, unashamedly airing his fears. "What if something happens to them?"
"We'll find them," Kal said again. "We've got to."
His voice broke as his own tears finally began to fall. For a long time, they both stayed as they were. They clung to one another, each the other's only lifeline to the world. Both men let their tears flow, unchecked. Neither one spoke another word. They didn't have to. They didn't have the strength to.
It was just before dawn when Kal finally collapsed into the armchair in the study and fell into a troubled sleep.
***
A Plot Uncovered
Kal awoke screaming. His eyes snapped open of their own volition even as his lungs emptied the last bit of air they carried. After a long moment, his scream trailed off into nothingness and died. Gulping for air, Kal looked around the room, for the moment disoriented. It took him a full half a minute to realize that he was in his father's study. He allowed himself to close his eyes again, trying to calm himself. He was covered in sweat and his broken heart was pounding so violently that it was fairly smashing itself against his ribcage.
A few minutes later, his breathing finally evened out, his chest no longer heaving with the effort to suck in enough air. His pulse slowly began to go back to normal. But the ache in his heart only grew.
He'd hoped beyond hope that his dreams had been just that; figments of his overactive imagination. He'd hoped to find himself within his own chambers. He'd hoped to find himself entwined in his wife's embrace. But now that he was awake, he knew that his nightmares had been undeniable truths. He was not in his own chambers. He was in the chair in his father's study; the same one that he had finally passed out in late the previous night. He wasn't in Lois' arms. The embrace that wrapped his body was only from a throw blanket that he'd somehow become entangled in as he'd slept. And Lois was still missing.
Kal groggily disentangled himself from the blanket that cocooned his body. Glancing around, he found himself alone in the room. There was no trace of his father, or anyone else, for that matter. For that, he was glad. No one had witnessed his scream. His body was sore and his neck was stiff from falling asleep while sitting upright. But it was the pain in his heart that bothered him the most. It was unbearable. A lump formed in his throat, and he tried valiantly to swallow around it.
The door to the study opened, taking Kal by surprise. He jumped a little at the nearly inaudible sound, then turned to it to find himself looking at his father. Jor-El looked worse than he had the night before. Kal wondered if the man had slept at all. But the Supreme Lord's head was held as high as he could manage, though he looked hollowly at his son.
"Dad?" Kal asked. "Are you all right?"
Jor-El sat on the couch and Kal sank back onto his chair.
"No," Jor-El confessed.
"Did you at least sleep at all?"
The Supreme Lord nodded, a shallow bobbing of his head. "A little and not at all well, I'm afraid."
"Me too," Kal admitted. "My dreams..." he let his voice trail off.
"Mine too," his father agreed, understanding what had been left unsaid.
"Any news?" Kal pleaded.
A shadow crossed Jor-El's face, darkening his drawn features even further. Pain and fear danced in his eyes.
"Nothing yet," he finally said. "I was just speaking with Bilan. He's had a fresh team out working since dawn."
Kal leaned his head back against the chair and let out a quavering breath before speaking. "What about leads?"
Jor-El shook his head, ever so slightly. Kal nearly missed the movement altogether.
"Not yet. But Bil assures me that it is still early. Most people aren't even awake yet." Jor-El sounded completely unconvinced.
"There's got to be something we can do," Kal pressed, fisting his hand and hitting the chair's arm in frustration.
"Par has suggested that we make a live plea over the video screens this morning. I was coming to let you know that I agree. We're shooting it in two hours."
Two hours. It might as well have been a lifetime to Kal.
And yet...
It afforded him some time. Time that he needed. Time to make himself look presentable. Time to compose himself. Time to figure out what he might say, if he could force down the bile that lay ready in the back of his throat, waiting for the chance to come rushing to the surface.
"Good," was all he managed to say.
"Go," Jor-El said gently. "Go prepare yourself. I need to do the same."
"You'll be okay?" Kal asked, concerned.
"I'll be fine," his father replied, though his voice was thick and tired, and not at all convincing.
Kal nodded and stood regardless. He knew, just by looking at the man’s face, that Jor-El wanted a moment alone. Unable to say another word, Kal left the study. Stepping out into the hallway, he made his somber way to his chambers. He felt incredibly alone, as though he were somehow shut off from the rest of the planet. His head hung to his chest as he walked; he was barely aware of anything more complicated than the marble floor beneath his feet.
Reaching his chambers, he took a moment to steady himself. Then he opened the door and stepped over the threshold. Fasa greeted him instantly, meowing and weaving himself around Kal's legs. But the prince couldn't even manage a false smile for the cat. The tabby sensed the shift in his master's usual mood and cried up at him again, as though in an attempt to alleviate some of Kal's hurt, or perhaps asking how he could help. Kal finally squatted down to pet the animal, and Fasa nuzzled against him. But Kal took no joy from it.
He was all too aware of how empty and lifeless the chambers were. In the months since he and Lois had fallen in love, the sounds of her voice and her laughter had nearly always filled the rooms with warmth and comfort. Her gift of gab had never ceased to brighten Kal's world. Even in those early days, when they had so often been at odds, the rooms had been filled with life somehow. Now, without Lois, the place seemed cold and dead. In an instant, the familiar series of rooms was no longer Kal's home. Kal felt incredibly bereft and his heart ached with renewed agony.
Knowing that there was nothing else he could do, the prince moved to the bedroom. He stripped out of clothing that he'd been wearing the night before, and shoved it down the laundry chute as though it burned his hands to touch the fabric. He set aside the star necklace, which had resided in his shirt pocket, against his heart, and made a silent vow that he would find Lois and return it to her. Then he headed into the shower. Methodically, he washed and dried himself. Wrapping a soft, white towel around his hips, he stared into the mirror. He barely recognized the face that stared back at him from within its depths. His cheeks and chin were dark with a layer of stubble. But it was his own eyes that Kal didn't recognize; they actually scared him.
His soft chocolate eyes were bloodshot and lifeless. It was partly due to the fact that he'd only slept about three or four hours, he knew that. But he also knew that the greater reason was his absolute terror for his missing loved ones. Beneath his reddened eyes, large, dark bags lay, making him look haggard. Tight lines of worry had been carved into his features. It was as if he'd turned into one of those undead zombies that ambled about on screen in some of the horror movies he'd sometimes watched with Jai. He certainly felt the part; more dead than alive.
With a sigh, he carefully began to shave the stubble from his face. But his mind wandered as he worked at his task. Were his brothers safe? Were Zara and Lois safe? Who had taken them? Why? Was it truly some pathetic attempt at ransom, as his father seemed to believe? When would they know for sure? What would the demands be? How much longer would it be before Bilan found a lead? Would he even be able to find one? What if his loved ones were hurt? Was Lois scared? Could she take any comfort that the others were with her? What if he never saw his loved ones again? What if he lost Lois? How could he ever hope to live without the woman he so completely loved?
A bubble of near panic grew within Kal, distracting him from what he was doing. He ran the razor over his skin again, nicking himself in the process. A bright spot of blood welled up over the broken flesh. Kal sucked in a breath at the sudden sharp sting of pain and was instantly shaken out of his tumultuous thoughts. He tended to the small cut, then finished shaving the rest of his face. When he was done, he rifled through his medicine cabinet until he found a small vial of eye-drops. He squeezed two drops in each of his eyes, then squinted against the cleansing burn the drops caused. When he opened his eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision, he saw that the drops had been largely successful in eliminating the redness they had held just moments before.
With a sigh, he left the bathroom and ducked back into the bedroom. He carefully selected his clothing, mindful of the fact that he and his father would soon be making a public statement. He finally settled on dull gray pants and a matching shirt. It fit his mood without being overly mournful. He would not -could not - envision his brothers, sister-in-law, and wife as anything but alive.
As he was tying a tie about his neck, there was a soft knock on his door. He strode to the main door to his chambers and opened it. Jak stood in the hallway, his grief over the situation unashamedly written on his face for all to see. He bore a tray in his hands; Kal could see the food piled high on it.
"My lord," Jak said, his voice rough with his own sadness. "My sincerest condolences to you. I can't imagine what you must be going through."
"Thanks, Jak," Kal said with a weary sigh. "Come in, please."
"Is there anything that I can do for you, my lord?"
Kal shook his head. "Not at the moment." He ushered the man into the living room and nodded at the tray that Jak held. "Did my father send you to ensure that I eat?"
Jak nodded, embarrassed. "He's worried about you."
Kal sighed. "Is anyone making sure that he's eating?"
"When I left him, he was sharing a bite to eat with Bilan Hend'son."
"Good." Kal stood in place, looking lost. At last, he strode over to the kitchenette. "Care for a cup of coffee?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Please, my lord," Jak said graciously.
It wasn't the first time that he had accepted a drink from his prince. Despite their vastly different stations in life, the two were fairly good friends.
Kal came back into the living room a moment later, two cups of steaming coffee in his hands. He handed one mug to Jak, then settled down onto the couch next to him. But he found no words to say. Jak seemed to understand, and he focused his attention on the glass coffee table before him, as though it held the secrets of the universe within it.
"Eat something," Kal said after a long moment. "Please."
"My lord, you need to eat as well," the man gently returned. "You have to keep your strength up."
"I'm not hungry," Kal said, shaking his head.
Jak gave him a sympathetic look. "My apologies, my lord, but I have orders to ensure that you eat something."
Kal sighed resignedly. After a few minutes of indecision, he finally reached for a warm, flaky pastry. He tore it absently with his fingers, shredding it down to small pieces which he could easily pop into his mouth. The food turned to ash on his tongue, despite the sugary sweetness it held. It was an effort to swallow. He found himself taking large sips of coffee to wash the sticky treat down his constricted throat. His stomach protested every bite, threatening to send the food back up his gullet and out of his body once more. It was a battle to force the food to stay down, while his stomach twisted into cold knots of fear for Lois, his brothers, and Zara.
Once he and Jak finished their breakfast, they parted ways. As always, Jak had his phone with him, standing by, ready to carry out his prince's every request. Now more than ever, he knew that Kal needed his aid.
Kal strode back through the palace, the stark white halls cold and unwelcoming. The festive decorations adorning the palace made a mockery of his dismal mood. For the first time in his life, Kal loathed the cheerful lights and elegant snowflakes. He tried not to think about them as he made his way back to his father's chambers.
The rest of the morning passed in slow motion for Kal. And yet, when he tried to think on what had taken place, it all seemed a blur, each moment indistinguishable from the next. He had an overwhelming sense of vertigo and he could not seem to remember any details, even as the events unfurled before him.
He and his father broadcasted a message across the whole of Krypton, once again giving the details of the attack and stressing that the young royals had gone missing. Jor-El pleaded for information - any information - about where his children were. But what words were used, Kal couldn't say. They barely registered in his racing mind as he stood there, rendered mute by the lump that stuck fast in his throat. It was all Kal could do to keep a concerned, yet stoic, mask affixed to his face. It simply would not do to show his absolute desperation.
After the cameras clicked off, Kal finally allowed his mask to crumble into nothingness. Once again, he felt his muscles tighten in worry while others seemed to relax into numbness. He sat heavily on his father's couch, even as his hand flew up to rake through his raven hair. Across from him, Bilan Hend'son and Par Whyt stood.
"That was well spoken, my lord," Par said approvingly.
"And that will replay how often?" Jor-El asked, nodding his thanks.
"Every hour."
"Good. What is our next move, Bil?"
"We wait," the Chief of Security said, his voice weary.
Kal wondered if the man had had any rest since the attack had been launched. He looked tired enough to drop right in his tracks. Kal felt a twinge of remorse for the man's exhaustion.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing," Jor-El complained, getting up from his seat and starting to pace.
"I know it's difficult, my lord," Bil said, his normally detached demeanor melting away to warm compassion. "But we have no choice now. My hope is to have some information on the gas canisters soon, at the very least."
It was an effort for Jor-El to acknowledge that Bil spoke the truth. Kal could tell by the way that the muscle in his father's jaw ticked. But, after a moment, the Supreme Lord nodded again, and his shoulders slumped in a defeated manner.
Kal couldn't blame his father. He felt the same way. He would have done anything - given anything - to be doing something proactive. Instead, he was reduced to aimless pacing whenever he grew weary of sitting. His fists constantly balled and relaxed again. The muscle in his jaw ticked, a prefect mirror of his father's. His hand raked constantly through his hair. Tears of sadness and frustration constantly pricked at his eyes; Kal felt that most of his energy was spent keeping them from spilling down his cheeks.
Time dragged by slowly. Every heartbeat took a year to complete. Every minute was a lifetime. Every hour, an eternity.
A knock sounded on the door of the study. Kal's heart leapt to his throat, lodging up against the lump that had yet to dissipate. The sensation nearly choked Kal. With a great effort, he stilled his relentless pacing and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Bilan crossed to the door and opened it. Kal's breath caught as the door swung open.
An extremely distraught Trey stood beyond the threshold, wringing his hands before him. He was flanked by a low-ranking security officer. Bil ushered the two men into the room.
The Elder was clearly not well. His watery eyes and red, runny nose gave that away all too well. His left hand clutched a crumpled white handkerchief.
"Trey," Jor-El said, greeting the man politely enough. Kal did not miss the well-hidden kernel of disappointment in his father's voice. "What are you doing here? You should be resting."
"Yes, my lord. I know." The Chief Elder's voice was nasally. Kal could hear the congestion that clogged the man's chest and head. "But I may have some information on your missing children. It isn't much. But it may help."
The words hit Jor-El and Kal both like a physical blow. This was it. The first possible lead they had on where their loved ones had vanished to. Father and son both staggered to chairs and sat down shakily. At a nod of encouragement, Trey took a seat as well.
"Well?" Jor-El demanded eagerly. "Out with it. Please."
The Elder let out a mighty sneeze that he caught with the handkerchief he had with him. "Excuse me," he apologized.
"Please, Trey, tell me that you know something," Jor-El pleaded.
Trey sighed, a heavy, congested sound. "Only this. And I don't even know if it means anything. But, I was thinking about the events that occurred yesterday. And well, it seems to me that whoever abducted my lords and ladies had to have known exactly what the sequence of the festival events was going to be. But we change that every year, to keep the celebration fresh and exciting."
Bil rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And very few people know what the exact order of the events are."
"Right." Trey nodded. A fit of coughing seized him and he struggled to catch his breath. "I was in charge of setting the event up this year. But with this virus that I've caught, I wasn't able to oversee it."
Understanding flooded Kal and a tiny spark of hope ignited deep within his soul. "Who did you tell, Trey?"
The Elder took a deep breath and almost sighed out his next words. "Jen Mai. I entrusted the event to Jen Mai."
Kal's attention snapped to Bil and the security officer who had escorted Trey to the Supreme Lord's chambers. "Where is Jen Mai now? I want him brought here now."
The officer shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. Kal noted the man's unease and hesitation.
"What is it?" he asked, dread creeping back into his voice once more.
"Begging your pardon, my lords, but..." the man stopped and cleared his throat. "Jen Mai has gone missing. We looked for him as soon as Trey told us his tale. No one remembers seeing him after the attack happened last night."
"Missing? Missing?" Jor-El roared, though Kal knew that his father wasn't blaming anyone. He was distressed over the situation. "Find him. Bring him to me. I don't care what you have to do to make that happen. Just make sure that it does."
The officer bowed deeply. "As you command, my lord." He made an abrupt turn on his heel and hurried to carry out his orders.
Jor-El closed his eyes briefly. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep, controlled breath.
"I didn't mean to yell," he said after a moment, looking in the direction that the low-ranking security officer had fled. He sighed heavily. "Bil, have the military look for Jen Mai as well. We need him found so we can question him."
Bil nodded, pulled out his phone, and spoke rapidly into it. Kal didn't hear a word of what was said. His mind was a thousand miles away. Jen Mai. Kal might have known. He felt that he should have known. The Elder had always unnerved the prince. There was just something about him that Kal had never fully trusted. But because he'd never been able to put his finger on it, he'd never been sure if he'd been imagining things. And now, his family was paying the price for his silence.
But what did Jen Mai want? Kal couldn't quite figure out what the man's motives could possibly have been. As one of the Elders, the man had a sacred duty to protect the royal family and the planet. To do anything else was treasonous, and punishable by death. It would take courage to turn his back on those duties. Courage that Kal had never seen the man exhibit before in his life. Jen Mai rarely did anything unless he was sure that he had the backing of someone else.
Kal frowned as the thought struck him. Jen Mai wasn't working alone. He was working with someone else. Or, he thought as his frown deepened, he was working for someone else. Someone that he trusted. Someone powerful. Someone that Jen Mai fully expected to come out on top of this situation.
But who that was, Kal couldn't begin to guess. The Elder was a well-connected man. He knew every noble man and woman on the planet. Even narrowing down the list to Jen Mai's closest companions wouldn't be of much use. That list was almost as large as the entire population of nobles living on Krypton. Several of Jen Mai's friends weren't even Kryptonian; he'd secured close working relationships with many of the alien races Krypton was allied with.
"Bil," Kal said suddenly, before he'd even realized that he was speaking.
"My lord?"
"I need you to ground every ship on Krypton. I want this whole planet on lock-down mode. No one leaves. No one enters. No shipments of trade goods, no transports full of people. Nothing leaves the ground. Nothing lands. I want only our military aircraft in the sky."
"We keep Jen Mai on this planet," the Chief of Security said, nodding.
"Check with the military," Jor-El said, picking up where his son left off. "Find out every ship that has left this planet. It should not be many, with the holiday grounding most flights to begin with."
"Consider it done," Bil said. "Passenger lists. Destinations. If Jen Mai fled this planet, we'll know the when and where. And we'll dispatch our own men to bring him back."
Another knock sounded at the door. Kal didn't dare to hope that someone had already stumbled across Jen Mai. He wasn't naive. He waved down Bil as the man stared to rise. Instead, Kal went to the door himself. He opened it to find Jak behind the door.
"Jak?" Kal asked. "What's going on?"
The younger man was pale. It was clear that he was in shock. A crumpled piece of paper was clutched in his hand. He held it out to his prince, his hand trembling violently.
"My lords," Jak finally said, his voice gone hollow. "You'd better see this. I found this affixed to the front gate. The security cameras didn't pick anyone, according to one of the guards I spoke with. They went offline for the span of a minute. Short-circuited. By the time the guards went out to see what had happened, there was no one around. I just happened to be walking with my friend, Dani, when we came across the note."
Kal took the paper from Jak's tight grasp and unfolded it. He read the words swiftly. There wasn't much to read. There was no elegance to the words, but they were the most powerful that Kal had ever read, and they sent him crashing to his knees.
"Kal?" Jor-El called, instantly at his son's side. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's...it's the ransom note we've...been expecting." It was an effort to choke out the words; his throat had gone bone-dry and tight as a drum.
"What do they want?" Jor-El asked, as he helped his son to his feet.
Kal couldn't look at his father. "Everything."
"What do you mean, everything?" Jor-El asked, gently taking the note from Kal's hand.
"Everything," Kal repeated. "They want us to surrender everything to them. They want us to disband the Council of Elders. And they want us to abdicate our right to the throne. If we don't comply," Kal swallowed hard, "they say that they will..."
"Will...?" Bilan gently prompted him.
Kal swallowed hard once again. He could barely speak the next words. "They will kill one captive per day."
The prince barely made it back to his seat before his rubbery legs gave way beneath him once more. His mind was reeling. He felt sick to his stomach. He knew exactly why his family's kidnappers wanted the Council disbanded. Only the Council had the authority to try the abductors with treason, once they revealed who they were. But if the Elders had no power, they could not sentence the kidnappers. There would be no official charge of treason. The traitors would escape death.
Looking at his father, Kal saw all the color drain out from the Supreme Lord's face, leaving him stark white. Kal had seen his father in almost every mood. He'd seen Jor-El happy, sad, playful, mischievous, contemplative, indecisive, loving, confused, ill, angry, and even scared. But pure terror was something that Kal realized he'd never before seen cross his father's features, at least, not until that very moment. His heart broke for his father.
"What do we do?" Kal quietly asked, not just to Jor-El, but to the entire room.
"The note says we have twenty-four hours to make our reply over the video screens," Jor-El said. "Until then, we utilize every possible second."
"I agree," Kal said. "But...what if...?" He couldn't bear to voice the rest of his question.
"We'll do what we need to," Jor-El said. "If stepping down is what we have to do, we'll do it. I don't want to. I don't want to leave the people of Krypton in the hands of some monster. But I don't see another choice. I will not knowingly condemn my children to death."
Kal shook his head. "Normally, I'd agree. But I don't trust this. What's to stop whoever has Ching and the others from killing them after we abdicate?"
"We can try to work out some exchange," Bil offered.
My lord," Trey stammered, his mouth working overtime, though barely any sounds issued forth. "You can't be serious!"
"Serious?" Jor-El said, reacting as though the word held some unknown meaning.
Trey blushed deeply. Clearly, he'd said the words before he realized he'd been speaking. "You cannot abdicate the throne. You cannot give in to these demands."
"The lives of my children are at stake here, Trey," the Supreme Lord argued impatiently.
"I know, my lord," the Chief Elder replied in a placating tone. "And I cannot even begin to imagine what you are going through. But, clearly, whoever took them is insane. Are you so willing to hand over the rule of the entire planet to a lunatic? At the risk of sounding indelicate, my lord, you still have Kal. You still have an heir to the throne."
Jor-El sighed deeply, seeming to age right before Kal's waking eyes. "I know," he said, his voice only the barest whisper. "I know. I know that the planet should be my first priority. I know that I can't just hand over my power to a madman. But...how do I condemn my children to death? How do I ignore that? How can I possibly live with myself, if I do nothing while they are murdered?"
"By knowing that you did the right thing," Trey said.
Jor-El shook his head sadly. "Is it the right thing? Is it the right thing to turn away and let die the people who you are sworn to protect?"
"I don't have the answers," Trey admitted gently. "All we can do is hope that you will not be forced to make your decision."
"We'll utilize every moment to try to find your children. We'll get them back," Bil swore. "Until then, I'll run this note with my guys. There has to be some clue within it that we can use to track down whoever sent it."
"That's Jen Mai's handwriting," Jor-El sighed. "That much is clear to me. But do what you must." He handed the Chief of Security the paper. "Leave us for a while," he added, gesturing in the same moment for Kal to stay.
Everyone filed out of the room, respecting their lord's wishes. Only Kal remained, rooted to his chair as though he had become a part of it somehow. Jor-El said nothing. Perhaps he had no words left to him. Kal's own tongue refused to work. He was desperate to alleviate as much of his father's pain as he could. He just had no idea what he could do or say. He merely sat there, hoping that his presence was a comfort to his father.
Kal leaned his head against the high back of his chair. His entire body felt numb and heavy. All of his energy had bled out of his body the second he read the ransom note. The demands were ridiculous; Kal was well aware of that. And yet, he would gladly pay any price to ensure that the others were safe. He'd give his own life if he had to. But, in this situation, he had the nagging gut instinct that this was a trap. Something told him that the abductors did not mean to follow through with their end of the bargain.
Kal closed his eyes in thought, the lids feeling too weighty to keep open. And though he did not mean to, for a short time, he dozed. He dreamed a little, a series of nightmarish flashes that seared through his fear-drenched brain like jagged bolts of lightning.
He was back at the tournament. Jak handing his drei to him. Lord Nor standing opposite him, battle-ready and hungry for Kal's blood. Dreis clashing in midair. Explosions of pain as Kal's body suffered blows at Nor's skilled hand. Fighting back and gaining the upper hand. Nor laid out on his back in the short green grass. Kicking Nor's drei away. The Master of the Tournament declaring Kal the victor. Kal reaching down to help Nor to his feet. The murderous look of hatred held within Nor's eyes. No. More than just hatred. Vengefulness.
Kal's eyes snapped open, the tattered remnants of his nightmare clinging to the edges of his mind. He gulped in a large lungful of air, calming his racing heart. But he knew. His dreams had not been just dreams. His subconscious mind had been showing him what he had missed so many months prior.
In an instant, Kal knew, without a shred of doubt, who had plotted against his family.
To Be Continued...
