Imber

by Tyffany Hackett

  Then a snap, as though someone cut a tether, and I fell to the ground like an emptied shell. My body shook with the effort of trying to move. I could have sworn years passed in the time Jyn took scooping me into his arms, but likely it was only seconds. I glanced down at my arm, my hand, but I didn’t glow as before. My skin was utterly lackluster. My head was a heavy burden on my neck. I rested my forehead on Jyn’s chest for a moment and listened to the rumble of his voice purring through his chest. I could only barely make sense of the words.

  “Should we go in? Wait?”

  “We should press on. I can carry her, you’re the better fighter.”

  Jyn’s chest puffed up against me and couldn’t help the choked laugh that escaped my throat.

  “Well, at least her sense of humor hasn’t been harmed,” Jyn drawled. He shifted his hold on me, lifting me gently into Camion’s arms. The change in scent momentarily overwhelmed my senses—the soft coconut of Jyn was far lighter than the smoky lavender that was Camion. My stomach flipped, and I squirmed against his hold.

  “Everything . . . okay?” he asked.

  “You smell different. The switch upset my stomach.”

  I didn’t have to look up to know his eyebrows had risen. “Are you saying I smell?”

  “No. Yes, we all do. But no, that’s not what I meant. That door, whatever that magic did, heightened all of my senses. Everything is still a bit sensitive.” I rested my head on his chest for a few heartbeats and took several long, deep breaths. “I can stand.”

  “Are you sure?” Camion’s voice was wary, but I was already gently prodding his arms for release. He steadied me slightly, but I wasn’t wrong. I could stand. My limbs shook and my head spun, but I could stand.

  Meryn and Jyn sat nearby. They dug in the packs frantically until Meryn stood up and shoved a small glass bottle filled with dark powder into my hand.

  “Remember that sapping enchantment I mentioned? That one was a bit more powerful than I expected, though.” She frowned. “Still, you’re awake. Here. Guarana seed powder. You still need real rest but this should boost your energy a little. Dump the powder in your mouth and take a swig of water.”

  I followed her instructions and gagged the second the powder hit my tongue. My mouth filled with the bitter zest but I swallowed and drained the waterskin before I managed to speak again.

  “That was incredibly disgusting,” I said.

  She grinned. “I never said it wouldn’t be.”

  My attention fell to the open door before us. The room beyond was pitch black, a bad omen if that last room was any indicator. I sucked in a breath and moved in front of Jyn. I tried to scan the room, to make heads or tails of the darkness. All that stuck out to me was the eerie quiet from inside, a silence without so much as an echo of the creatures I’d heard before. The creatures. I jumped back and scanned the walls.

  “Princess?”

  “There are things—creatures—all around us. Climbing the walls. Creeping in the darkness. When I touched the door, I could see them.”

  “Makes sense. I’ve been hearing light scratching sounds since we came down that last staircase,” Jyn said softly. “Almost as though the shadows are alive.”

  Meryn shivered. “Let’s get this over with.”

  I still felt the tug of exhaustion but my curiosity was stronger, and I stepped through the door frame. Like before, torches blazed up all around the room. This time though, the room seemed utterly empty but for a platform in the middle. A podium sat on this small bit of raised floor and on that . . .

  We exchanged glances but Jyn threw out an arm. He wanted to check the room. Before we dared to move, he made three full sweeps, but he shrugged. Nothing. We bolted for the podium.

  There it was.

  The Imber Scepter of Eurybia. A massive piece of blue sodalite stone wrapped into a handle of split and polished maple wood. Meryn held a hand over the haft and frowned. “I don’t feel anything. Nothing at all.”

  “A fake?” Jyn’s jaw was tight, his eyes dark.

  Meryn hesitated. “I’m not sure, but we should get out of here. Those creatures you were talking about?” She glanced at me across the pedestal. “They’re closing in. They must be tied to this room somehow, maybe an enchantment on the threshold. I can feel them now. There’s nothing natural about them.”

  I nodded and reached a hand out. The wood was smooth under my fingers, and I tugged the scepter up. I met almost no resistance but Jyn’s face darkened and he pushed us toward the door. I offered him the scepter, and he tucked the handle into his belt without missing a beat. Camion propped himself against half of the door until we got out, fighting the heavy iron from slamming shut behind us as the floor began to quake beneath our feet.

  “There was a switch—I heard the click when you lifted the scepter,” Jyn said quickly. “We have to go. Now.”

  We were off. Jyn and Meryn ran in front of Camion and I. The structure shook violently and a loud boom reverberated around us as the room we’d left caved in on itself. The walls collapsed and crumbled. Under my feet, the bridge trembled. The torches flickered against the motion, sputtering angrily.

  I saw them then, the creatures. Shadows that streaked up the walls and launched themselves onto the path behind us. They stalked closer. I paused, only for a fraction of a second, and saw the gnashing teeth as one crept hungrily over the edge of the bridge. I ran again, scrambling for purchase on the stone floor, pushing myself to catch up with the three in front of me.

  And then one of those vile creatures had me.

  A scream of horror tore from my throat. I cast a look over my shoulder. Long claws wrapped the end of my braid, tugging me backward. Camion paused and slid as he turned to run back. He waved the other two on, but I saw Jyn’s torn expression. He waved Meryn off and raced back to try to help.

  He would never get to me in time. Even as fast as he was, he was too far ahead.

  I couldn’t free my blade. Stars exploded in front of my eyes as the creature tugged again. I gave up on the sword and swung with bare fists. The side of my hand landed a hit. Whatever this creature was, my fist had just made solid contact with hard scales. Despite my best efforts the bridge still collapsed around me as the creature tightened the grip of its claws around my hair.

  “Cut it off,” I shouted to Camion.

  He hesitated. I thought he must have not heard me over the sound of falling stone, and the hisses and clicks of the creatures around us. I yelled again and he was there, blade free, and I staggered at the smooth rush of release. The creature roared in anger but I pulled my sword free and slammed the blade into an eye. Warm liquid sprayed up my front as Jyn moved past me to slice his daggers into the soft underside of the animal’s neck. The black body slid off the bridge. I motioned for them to run. Jyn raced past us again, but I noticed that he didn’t get so far ahead this time.

  Stars shot through my vision with each step but I ran, ran with everything I had left over the rest of that bridge. I didn’t stop, fueled by terror and adrenaline. I pushed myself up the stairs, through the cursed room, over more bridges. Camion was beside me, sword in hand, breathing heavy and uneven. Part of a bridge collapsed in an explosion of stone behind us and we only barely had time to shield our heads before chunks rained down. The sharp stone tore into our skin and pelted our leathers. Loud screams echoed throughout the room, the angry cries of the shadow creatures as they ducked debris or plummeted to their deaths far below. Still we were pursued, dark forms clambering around us.

  Jyn and Meryn had waited in the doorway of one of the next rooms. We raced through, and they barred the door with what appeared to be a former shelf. We hurried forward, onto the open platform on this level. And we ran, blocking doors when we were able.

  Days of walking and exploring all shoved into one endless run.

  I didn’t stagger until we reached the first of the rope bridges. Terror clawed against exhaustion for my attention. Jyn didn’t miss a beat, scooping me into his arms before he
raced across. He dropped me gently on the other side and paused long enough for Camion and Meryn to cross over before we moved upstairs. Jyn repeated the gesture when we hit the next rope bridge. When we reached the room beyond, where we’d fought the first set of reanimated, we slammed the door and blocked it with everything we could find. Caskets, bones, supplies, everything and anything.

  When we were fairly certain the door was secure, Jyn collapsed on his back, panting hard. Meryn was on her knees beside him, gasping for breath, and even Camion was bent with his hands on his thighs taking deep, measured breaths. I took a moment to calm my racing pulse before I moved to where Jyn now sat and threw my arms around his neck. He squeezed me gently before releasing me to flop back on the ground, sprawled loosely as he wiped the sweat from his brow. I turned to Meryn who simply raised the waterskin she was draining in a gesture of understanding.

  Camion leaned against one of the columns to stretch his back. I stepped over to him and threw my arms around him, staggering him in surprise.

  “Thank you,” I said softly into his ear, barely a whisper. “You saved my life, you should have kept running and . . . thank you.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me more tightly to his chest. I buried my face in his shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind. I suppose this wasn’t the first time. After a moment, I leaned back and glanced at Jyn who had pulled the scepter from his belt. He turned the piece over and over, finally looking up at Meryn.

  “There’s really nothing extraordinary about this. We might have died . . . for a fake.”

  “Are we sure this is a fake?” Even I heard the optimism in my tone. I couldn’t accept that I’d put them through this for nothing, for anything less than the genuine artifact.

  Meryn stared at the scepter for a moment. “Take it. See if you feel anything.”

  I did. I ran my hands over the smooth wood. The stone was cold under my fingertips but there was nothing. No hint of the magic that had screamed at me from the doorway, that had taken hold of my body with such fervor. This . . . this wasn’t the scepter.

  “Someone beat us here.” The emotion had fallen from my voice.

  “We’ll take this with us, in case we’re wrong, but—” Meryn cast another hard look at the piece. “I don’t think this is the right object. We need to find out where the real one is.”

  I slumped to the floor and looked around. Jyn’s leathers were torn, his hair slightly matted and his face smeared with dirt and sweat. Meryn’s skirts were so shredded I could see where she’d started to tear chunks off and her bright red curls seemed dull against the bloody lip she sported. Camion’s own leathers were tattered, his face a mask of sweat and filth the equal to all the rest of us. My own leathers sported tears, and I knew the back of my head probably looked an awful mess. Not to mention my hair.

  My hair.

  I hadn’t dared to reach back yet, to see how short Camion had needed to cut, or what remained.

  So far. We had come so far and all of us had suffered so much. All of us were ragged and filthy, exhausted, and covered in blood. And for what? A piece of wood with a rock. Not magical. Not at all. Someone had beaten us here and probably only days before we’d arrived. Whoever had the scepter now wielded far too much power.

  My thoughts raced. I missed Camion saying my name the first few times. When I registered the word, his eyes were concerned and he knelt in front of me. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded but tears spilled from my eyes. I tried in vain to wipe them away. Camion pulled me into his arms, held me while I sobbed against his chest. How had things gone so horribly wrong? How had I led them into this, for absolutely nothing? I was foolish. I didn’t deserve them, and I certainly didn’t deserve my throne. Maybe I’d give the people of Thrais what they wanted and step aside.

  When I’d quieted a bit Meryn said, “We should keep moving. Try to get out of this place as quickly as possible. I don’t know what time of day it is, I’ve lost track, but we need to be out of this cemetery before nightfall if possible. We can sleep in the morning.” She cast a glance at me. “I know you’re drained. We’ll help you. We need to get out of here.”

  A splintering crash burst from the room behind us. Screeching predators on the hunt. Meryn had been right though, we’d barely crossed the next door frame before the sounds caught up.

  If the shadow creatures broke out and escaped into Thrais, the death toll would be imaginable. All the people of Thrais knew was peace and security. What was to be unleashed on them now? And the person who claimed the scepter, would they show them mercy? Did they even know what they wielded?

  I stumbled over a jagged bit but caught myself before the rough stone could scrape my face. Jyn tugged me to my feet and matched his pace to mine but I kept moving. The crashes behind us grew louder. Angry claws scraped against stone and tore at my senses. We couldn’t let them escape. I moved faster. My body trembled with the effort. I stumbled more as my muscles fought the strain. Even with the powder Meryn had given me, I was so tired. So drained. I had to keep going.

  Jyn fell behind when we reached the platform where Myrdin rested. He wanted to pass an Elvish ritual over him in case the place was entirely destroyed. The rest of us moved into the room beyond and started to stack things by the door—caskets, chunks that shook loose from the columns, anything. When Jyn ran through the four of us worked fast. We shoved everything up against the wood before we raced for the far door. The cavernous room rang with the sound of our footsteps.

  We didn’t get across the room before the door burst open.

  Chapter 36

  The creatures raced in and immediately dove for the shadows. They crept along the walls like spiders, but they were almost humanoid in form. I didn’t want to think about them, the scales I’d felt, or the teeth I’d seen. We kept running. My head pounded and stars glittered at the edge of my vision. A whisper of movement shifted past my right, and I slid my sword free to meet the shadow, my blade biting into a solid lump of black flesh. Whatever demon I’d wounded howled, but the sound was more angry than pained. Jyn shoved me in front of him and onto the stairs that would lead us up to the first level. He followed quickly, hand pressed into the middle of my back to urge me on. More shadow creatures filled the room. The shapes rushed onto the stairs, breath hot and eyes sparkling gems in the torchlight.

  We broke the top of the stairs before we raced down the hall, unsurprised that Camion and Meryn already waited in the room with the pool of water. Meryn stood around the corner with a shield, her focus on the spell unwavering as Jyn and I raced through. A strange sensation, like being submerged in ice water, lashed against our skin and then was gone. Camion waited at the base of the stairs that led to the angel.

  “I don’t think Meryn can hold her shield much longer,” he said.

  He and Jyn took a protective stance on the stairs behind me, hands braced on my spine as I reached out to touch the angel’s base. But the blow never came. When I touched the angel the base simply slid open. No trace of the violent repulsion from before. The shimmering colors returned to my skin though, spread out from my fingertips and up my sleeves. I didn’t stop to marvel—the creatures threw themselves at Meryn’s shield in renewed frenzy. Gangling limbs slashed violently against the invisible magic. She could hold the spell for a few seconds when she released, enough time to get to the stairs, but since the angel would close after I passed I had to be the last through. Jyn wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but one look at Meryn’s waning energy stopped his fight.

  The shield collapsed as her heels broke the top stair and I moved. I slammed my hands on the base before dropping into the grass. The angel trembled slightly before shifting forward to slam hard into place. A shadow creature had dared to reach out after us and the base had torn the limb off. A pool of navy blood spilled from the detached member and the claws twitched before collapsing into the grass. Meryn considered the limb for a moment and pulled a sock from her pack to stuff the claws inside. I gaped, an expression to matc
h the two beside me.

  “What? The blood could have interesting properties. Plus, I’ll have a much easier time studying a piece than a memory.”

  I couldn’t argue her logic. I cast my eyes upward, toward where the treetops laced themselves together. Rays of light filtered through the leaves from the west, but the light wouldn’t last long. We needed to move if we wanted to be away from the graveyard by nightfall.

  I adjusted my pack and quiver and shifted my bow slightly before I moved for the iron gate. My body protested, head exploding into stars with the new movement, but I walked. The other three paused, and I knew they’d exchanged a glance, but I didn’t stop. I still glowed with the touch from the angel statue, a beacon for them through the foggy cemetery, and the path was immediately off of the gate. They could follow.

  The shadow creatures getting into that final room was a bad omen. Unless the angel possessed an incredible amount of magic I couldn’t see the marble lasting through the assault that rampaged right below her base. My thoughts drifted to my sister and the idea of moving her north. Would Kathryn take her in as one of her own? Even temporarily? How many days had we been in the catacombs? Two? More? And what of Lucian?

  Lucian.

  I hadn’t even considered him for days. He would be in a rage.

  On top of all those thoughts, I couldn’t imagine how the Council had reacted to my letter. I disobeyed direct orders from the Council by leaving. A note, and vague instructions for my sister, were not appropriate ways to handle an official absence. My decisions had been emotionally driven, not logically. I should have listened to Jyn. I wanted a distraction from my grief and instead I had only gained more to grieve.