The direction I needed to travel was due north, according to Tilak’s compass and I followed both the path and my instincts for nearly an hour. From the utter silence, came the sound. Somewhere in the inky darkness a voice wailed. Mournful cries that echoed through the otherwise silent woods. Even the wind stopped, as if to listen. I wandered past rows of trees, motionless in the night. The chilling feeling dripped over me with the realization that maybe I shouldn’t have come this way. Bone fragments and whole animal carcasses lined the ravine next to me, and my mind reeled at the sight.
Then, as though waking from a trance, I came to my senses. I had to go back. This was crazy. If I didn’t make it back to Noctria, Adrius would be no better off and others would suffer as well. I’d just have to figure out a way to deal with Julien. Come up with a new plan. He couldn’t force me to go anywhere, and I needed his help in rescuing Adrius. Whatever had gone on between them, they were still brothers.
The decision was made. My mind was set. So instead of turning back, why was I drawn to the embankment ahead of me?
Climbing to the top of the mount, I could clearly see down into the clearing below. A figure stood cloaked in a crimson robe, a jagged black stripe ran down the center. His face was shadowed by a draping hood. He leaned over a stone tablet, perched on something that resembled an altar. The tablet was engraved with strange symbols and shapes, each emitting a different neon glow. As he passed his hands over it, purple flames leapt into the air, and an ear-piercing shriek coursed through the night. If it was some kind of ritual, it was unlike anything I could have imagined.
I squinted at the mystical tablet. From the dark corners of the clearing, several more beings came, wearing similar robes, forming a circle around the altar. Each face was carefully hidden from view, even in the eerie light that filled the space. Assuming there were actually faces hidden beneath those hoods. The thought made me shiver.
The last to enter were carrying a woman… a human woman. Her body was limp, her skin milky. She dragged a broken rag doll, bleeding stuffing. The woman’s face came into view. Her blond hair was matted, and her clothes filthy and torn. Tears stained her ashen cheeks and dark circles rimmed her wide frightened eyes.
My knuckles whitened as my fingers dug into the hillside under me. As if sensing my presence, a sea of faceless crimson hoods turned in perfect unison. My breath caught, and I froze, wondering if it made sense to stay or run. But then I realized they weren’t actually looking at me.
“Is it time, my lord?” a strangled voice hissed.
“It is indeed,” the reply came from the robed figure in the center. His face tilted up toward the full moon. “Bring forth the gift.”
A rhythmic chanting swelled, although I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. They placed the woman’s listless body on the stone temple, draping her across the glowing tablet. Her head rolled back and her arms dangled over the sides, the rag doll slipping from limp fingers. Someone stepped forward and cut off a chunk of her hair with a blade, leaving the rest of her cropped pale hair matted to her skull. In only took a moment to see that it was matted with dried blood. My stomach lurched and my palms were coated in a film of sweat. I could sense she was still alive, although barely.
The one in pure crimson spoke in a deep guttural tone, uttering words I couldn’t understand. As he waved his arms wildly, raging purple flames shot into the air, piercing her wilted frame. The chanting grew louder, faster; the flames took on the shape of hands, raking across her body. The woman screamed, her body convulsing violently. The one they called master held up a gilded dagger, its eerie gleam reflecting the flames and moonlight. I gasped, slapping both hands over my mouth and my heart jammed into my throat. What were they doing to her? A cold voice inside my head screamed, “Run!”
Turning in horror, I backed away from the nightmarish scene, racing blindly through the forest. Branches slapped at me as I fled, tripping over roots and snagging my bare arms on the thorns. I pushed through the tangled shrub, jumping over rocks and ducking Jurassic-sized spider webs. The night was aglow with thousands of tiny white lights — fireflies, perhaps… hard to tell — they were a blur as I streaked by. Faster, Lorelei, faster. Barreling toward the path, I heard shuffling footsteps behind me. Too frightened to turn around, I raced breathlessly through the overgrown maze of brushwood, scrambling up hills, and over mud-covered gullies.
A figured appeared in front of me. I stopped so abruptly that I tumbled backward to the ground. It cocked its head and two beady, cat-like eyes peered at me.
“You are quite a long way from home, are you not? Your timing is most ideal. The other is almost finished.” He was one of the figures from the fire, wearing a similar full-length robe. But this time I could see what was under the hood. Rotting skin stretched over an elongated rat-like face with sunken eyes and a pointed nose hooked over paper thin lips.
Unable to move, I stood there fixated on his almost human appearance. He smiled, and his mouth spread wide open, too wide for any human mouth, exposing a double row of long piranha-like teeth. The skin around it split and cracked, showing slashes of raw flesh.
Scrambling to my feet, I sprinted in the opposite direction. Behind me laughter echoed through the trees. I fought my way through the dark forest, unsure if I was being followed or not. Stumbling through a deep ditch, I crawled out onto the fork of a path. Which way, which way? Out of breath, I paused, debating. Something crashed in the woods. Dread crept up over me, overtaking my body. Then the ground began to tremble. They were after me. Riders. Scores of them. The pounding of hooves and the warning cry of horns could not be mistaken. Before I could turn they were upon me… surrounding me. I froze, arms pasted to my side, as dozens of purple tipped arrows aimed for my heart.
“You are afraid, yes?” It was a familiar voice, like nails scraping across a chalk board. The one who had stopped me made his way through the throng.
“Your future will unfold differently for you now, human. Our celebrations have only begun, and it will please the Ice Goddess much to receive the offering of two human hearts this full moon.”
Offering? Was that what they had done to that woman? But how had she come here? Clearly this cult had no idea who I was… or who everyone believed me to be. That was an advantage, because if they discovered I was not only human but part fey, they would serve my heart to the Ice Witch all the faster. I had to stall. Stay alive long enough to figure a way out.
I eyed the cloaked riders. The hoods hung over their heads. Where there should have been a face, there was nothing but a black void — empty, hollow, unnerving. Taking a long, deep breath I steadied myself.
“If I were to go missing, my friend, Lord Adrius, the Elven Prince of Elyssium, would send a search party that would include the powerful wizard Hawthrin to find me. I’m sure you would rather not suffer through the wrath of their anger, should they find you have…” I swallowed, “offered my heart to your goddess.”
“And why should I believe you, human? It is known here your tongue is as forked as this road,” he hissed.
“…Because, I have this.” Fumbling in my pocket, I pulled out a small vial of light.
The horses twitched uneasily, as the riders lowered their arrows.
“It is a trick!” the rat-faced one cried. “The goddess will not be pleased with her trickery. She is a thief. We have ways of dealing with thieves here, human. Your world sees fit to lock your humans away for taking what is not theirs. Here we have other means. Beginning with the removal of the offending limb.”
My mind raced. This plan is not working out as well as I’d hoped. I had to keep stalling. They seemed in no hurry to kill me, I reasoned, and since they apparently made their offering at the altar I witnessed earlier, they would likely not kill me on the spot. I hoped.
“Are you suggesting I, a human girl, could have made my way into the Citadel of Elyssium, behind the backs of the Elven guards, snuck up on a wizard of the high order, and made off unseen with his treasured magical possession? Surely, only someone possessing powerful magic could pull off something like that and live to tell.”
The rat-face moved closer. A wide smile curled his lips, his yellow eyes narrowing.
“You are powerless to defy her… or to challenge us. Yet you dare to stand here dripping defiance.” His head cocked slightly to the side. “Why is that? Do you no longer feel the need for life to course through your veins? If it is the sweet venom of death you long for, I can assuage your need,” he whispered. A long crooked finger stroked my hair.
Unflinching, I met his stare head on. It was so much easier to be brave when there were others to count on. But I was far from Mythlandria, Adrius was trapped, and I had no idea where I had left Tilak and Julien. I was alone, which meant there was no one to count on but myself. If I couldn’t get out of this, how could this quest possibly succeed?
Rat-face turned to the riders. “She does not appear to have magic. But only the Goddess of Ice can be sure. She will instruct and guide us, and we will do with you…” He pointed, stabbing my chest with his finger. “Whatever she commands.” He stalked between the milling horses. “Bring her.”
As I opened my mouth to object, an arm caught me around the waist, hoisting me onto the front of a metal saddled horse. Cold sharp steel pressed hard against my side, bruising my ribs and I dared not turn to look at the faceless rider.