| |
Lord d'Ronja stared open-mouthed with a look of horror on his face.
“It’s not possible,” he uttered, reaching up to grab the sides of his head. “That can’t be...”
“Save your breakdown for later,” Nedarya snapped, pulling her eyes away from the volcano. “I don’t wish to be here to witness it.”
Lord d'Ronja was silent, but plain were the thousands of thoughts streaming through his head, each one of them probably more disturbing than the last. Dusk felt sorry for him, but there was something else bothering him. He turned to stare as Nedarya took a few steps, bending down to pick up the black ruby studded crown that had come to rest in the dirt. She held it in her outstretched hands, staring at it intensely. Slowly it began to lift off her palms, rotating gently in the air as it hovered. With a small puff of breath all the dust and dirt came off it’s black surface, leaving it shining and unnaturally clean. Without touching it, Nedarya manipulated the crown above her head with magic before bringing it down to rest. As soon as it found its rightful place the rubies flashed into life, giving off a faint blood red glow on her platinum colored hair.
“Much better,” she murmured to herself. She turned back and walked over to Tara. “It’s time we headed back home my love,” she said gently, pulling Tara to her feet. “I have much more to accomplish now that I have what’s rightfully mine.”
“Nedarya,” Dusk called out to her, trying to figure out what to say. “I... I guess I should thank you for taking care of Tiernan.” He kept a close watch on her face, trying to gauge her reaction. “Now we can give the heart back to Lyra and finally go on with our lives. Maybe we can all find a place to settle down together and have a farm or something. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“A farm?” Nedarya cackled, letting go of Tara’s hands. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You think after all this fucking pain and suffering I want a farm?!” She turned towards Dusk and he saw the ferocity in her eyes. “Oh no, Dusk. I don’t want that pathetic existence you crave. I want blood and now that I have the power, I will have it.”
"Why don't you let me remove those Nedarya," Lyra said, noticing the definite and sudden shift in Nedarya's character. She took a step forward, keeping her voice soft and low. “You’ll feel much better once they’re gone.”
"No," Nedarya hissed, backing away with her hands held in front of her as if ready to cast.
"Please, the heart was never meant to be part of anyone. Its power can drive you mad, just like the dust. Let me take them back." Lyra took another step towards her. “You’ve already been through so much suffering... you deserve to be happy. Let me give you that chance.”
"Don't take another step," she spat, holding her ground in front of Tara who had yet to make a sound. "For the first time in both of my lives I now have enough power to make my own decisions. My whole life has been planned out by people and their traditions, but never again will I be a bargaining chip so someone else can wear the crown." She turned to Dusk, pointing at him viciously. “You have something I need. Give it to me.”
Dusk instinctually reached up and clutched at the eye. Nedarya was acting just like Tiernan, but somehow it was more frightening. Tiernan wanted to gain power so that he could be the person in charge of everything. He was nothing more than a wannabe tyrant. But Nedarya was something else. In her eyes was fury and vengeance, something Dusk had seen many times at the mines. When a man got that look in his eye there was sure to be blood. More than once a handful of guards had been murdered before they could slay the raging beast the slaves turned into. The other problem was that it was contagious. When one man went, a few more were sure to follow in the coming days. Dusk had learned long ago that inside every person was a caged monster. Once it was let loose, there was no stopping it. As he gazed into Nedarya’s eyes he no longer saw a human. All he saw was an animal with nothing left to lose.
“Nedarya, please. Listen to Lyra,” Dusk begged, trying to diffuse the situation. “Tiernan is gone. There’s nothing left for us to worry about. Our journey is over. We can go find a home and live out our lives in peace.”
“You’re a fucking idiot,” she snarled, her eyes narrowing. “You think you can just go build a house somewhere and forget everything that happened to you? Ha! Your past will haunt you for the rest of your life. Every day you’ll think about it and every night you’ll dream about the pain and the shackles again.” Her voice fell low and deep. “And then, one day everything will finally seem like it’s getting better. You’ll do everything you can to stay positive and find happiness where you can get it. But someone always comes along to crush it. People will never let you forget your place in this world no matter how far you run from it.” She was silent for a moment. “Death is the only freedom from the pain and sorrow of life.”
Dusk stood silently, staring back at her.
“If you ask, I’ll give you true freedom right now.” She placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her side. “The thing you’ve always craved so much. I’ll be quick so you won’t even know it happened.”
A long moment stretched between them, their eyes locked together. Dusk knew she was mad, the despair inside her had won. Something about her had broken and he felt an overwhelming pity for her. But deep in the back of his mind he heard a small voice. She was right. If there was one thing Dusk had learned since he left the mines it was that they had never left him. His past haunted him daily, plaguing his thoughts with awful images and emotions and pain. Every time he looked at the tattoo on his arm he was reminded that he had been property for ten years. Even Lex was a constant reminder that he was still owned by another person, that his life wasn’t truly his own.
Days before she’d died, Juniper had told him to let go of his past, to live in the present. She wanted him to have the same thing that everyone else took for granted: freedom. But his cage wasn't some cell that locked him inside. Instead it lived in his mind at all times, constantly reminding him of who he was and how that his past would ruin his chances of ever truly being happy. His view of the world would always be through bars. He knew, even surrounded by supportive people, he would never truly forget and in that way, Nedarya was right. Life was full of pain and sorrow and bad reminders. Maybe she had a point.
But he never got a chance to respond to her as Lyra suddenly lunged forward, her jaws snapping out towards Nedarya. Thrusting her palm outward, a massive arcane circle erupted in the air, shimmering pink and purple. Lyra slammed into it as if it were made of stone. She crumbled to the ground, clearly dazed and surprised. Nedarya took that moment to bring up her other hand and clap them together, drawing the same web of silver cords between them. In a flash Lyra was bound and forcibly smashed into the stone. With a curling motion of her finger Nedarya summoned another cord that wrapped around Lyra’s snout, crushing it shut and causing her fangs to puncture her own skin. Lyra’s eyes darted between Nedarya and Dusk. It looked as if she were trying to tell him something.
“I’m afraid that’s not going to work,” Nedarya grinned, letting her hands fall back to her sides. “Nobody can hear you with that binding, even with all your magic. I’ve had enough of your meddling.” She turned her attention back to Dusk. “I can see your thoughts. You know I’m right. Living out your days on this island or on a farm as a peasant aren’t going to magically rid you of your past. And the future will only bring more suffering.” Her eyes flicked to Lex and she held up a threatening finger. “Someday that fool is going to die. Do you really want to live through that? But if you died together, you’d never have to be apart.” She paused. “All you have to do is give me the crown and the eye. Then everything will be fine. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Lex stepped up beside Dusk, his blade pointed in her direction. “I’ve had enough of this,” he growled, taking Dusk’s hand in his own, the warmth surprising him. “We’re not giving you anything and you need to go back to death where you belong. This is why necromancy was forbidden to all, even the dragons. Those who have been to death never come back the same. How could they?” He paused for a moment, a bright fury in his eyes. “I feel sorry for you, but I’ll send you back where you belong before you take anyone else with you.”
Nedarya stood there frozen, a deranged grin curling across her face. “Well then,” she said. “Come get me.”
“I’m sorry,” Lex whispered and broke into a sprint.
He was out of reach before Dusk could react, the sound of his boots grinding into the dirt. He cried out, rage spilling from his lungs as he ran forward. Nedarya didn’t react. She merely lifted her hands, pointed them towards Lex, and laughed.
Dusk watched as Lex closed the distance. In an instant two crystalline spikes thrust themselves from Nedarya’s arms, catching the moonlight as they flashed through the air. Lex didn’t make a sound as both of them pierced through his chest, pushing clean through to his body and out the other side. His blade fell to the ground and struck a piece of obsidian that rang like a glass bell. The haunting noise pierced the still night air and everything was still. With a flick of her wrists Nedarya called the spikes to her. They slipped out of Lex’s body silently and flew back to her, melding into her crystal gauntlets as if they were made of liquid. Tara stood behind her, motionless, expressionless, and quiet as if in a trance.
Lex turned on the spot, stared at Dusk with wide eyes, blood oozing out of his chest, and crumpled to the ground in a heap.
“LEX!”
He ran as fast as he could, throwing himself to the ground at Lex’s side, his pack landing open a couple of feet away. Lex was already beginning to cough and he could see blood coming out of the corners of his mouth. He was drowning.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Dusk muttered, putting his hands on Lex’s wounds to stop the bleeding. “I’m not gonna let you die. Stay with me.”
Dusk closed his eyes and saw the glyphs forming in his mind to heal Lex, to save his life. They were ones he’d never used before and he didn’t know what their price would be, but he had no other choice. Without them Lex would surely die. He didn’t care how much energy it took as long as he didn’t have to see the light leave those blue eyes he loved so much. The blood was pouring through his fingers from the wounds, Lex’s skin going cold and clammy. It didn’t matter what it cost him, Lex had to live.
With one last rune sliding into place Dusk released the magic and let it flow down his arm. The palm of his hands suddenly grew bright gold and he could feel the warmth radiating from beneath them. He could feel himself weakening already, but the flow of blood seemed to slow. With every bit of strength he could muster he focused on the magic. Lex wasn’t going anywhere.
Nedarya stepped up beside him, her hand reaching down into his open pack and pulling out the Inahandrian crown. She turned it over, looking at the sapphires sparkling in the moonlight. Dusk could feel himself weakening, quickly heading for dangerous territory, but he wouldn’t stop. Not for any reason.
Nedarya’s face came into view as she leaned over his shoulder. Clicking her tongue she said, “No, no, no. I don’t think so. You had your chance and now you’ll pay the price.”
Suddenly Dusk felt a searing pain in his chest as her fingers wrapped around the crystal, the shards in her arm alighting white all at once. With a vicious yank the crystal eye came free, tearing the flesh and bone from his chest. The magic he’d been casting faded instantly and the wave of exhaustion hit him, nearly causing him to collapse on top of Lex who had already blacked out. He looked up into her eyes, trying to understand why things had gone so terribly wrong. She did nothing but smile cruelly back down at him.
“And now,” she whispered. “I have everything I need.”
As she turned to walk away Dusk saw the eye grow bright in her hand. She lifted it up confused and examined it.
“What is this?” she said curiously.
The light grew brighter and a look of terror came across her features similar to the night Tephyss had spoken to her. She began to panic, trying to throw the eye and crying out as if in pain, but no matter how much she flailed, the crystal would not leave her skin.
A blinding flash erupted from the stone and Dusk threw up his arm to shield his eyes. It lasted for a fraction of a second, a pulse of energy washing over the plateau. There was a smell of copper and the taste of blood in the air as he pulled his arm down, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness once more. When they finally did, he saw Nedarya lying in the dirt, more blood covering her body than before. He couldn’t see the crystal anywhere, but he noticed her hand. It was completely gone, severed up to the cracked crystalline gauntlet that had formed there. Slowly she stirred, whimpering as she pushed herself back to her feet, cradling her stump against her body. She looked more angry than he’d ever seen her.
“Where is it?” she hissed. “Where did it go?” Nedarya looked around furiously, searching for the stone. “What did you do?!” she screamed at Dusk.
She started to move towards him, but just then Dusk noticed the silver cords around Lyra begin to fade. Her claws scraped against the stone as she struggled. Nedarya noticed as well and stopped in her tracks. She growled angrily before taking off towards Tara, abandoning her search for the eye. With her good hand she threw more magic into the air and the obsidian glowed to life. Beyond the glass Dusk could see a familiar stone room with a mural on the far wall of a white dragon. Nedarya passed through the glass as if it was made of air. Tara watched her disappear and looked back at Dusk, still holding her burnt hands in front of her. As Lyra lifted her tail to strike out at the obsidian, Tara turned and charged through. She vanished just as Lyra’s hit landed, shattering the section of the wall into a million pieces.