"Now, now. What have we here? It seems you recognize me, but we've never met." He laughed. "Seems you got more from Luna then just the use of her body.” The voice gave it away and I recalled the shadow from the in-between.
He knew? How did he find out about my connection to Luna that much? Had he known all this time? I backed away.
"Rayne, what do you see?" Loic asked.
I froze, not wanting to say anything. Not his name. Nothing.
"Rayne!" Loic yelled, and I jumped.
"It's—it's Rakesh!"
"What. It can't be! How can I not see him?"
The voice finally became audible enough for Loic to hear it.
"That is a simple answer, my boy.” Rakesh clenched his fists and a black mist surrounded them. “A soul is a small price to pay to enjoy some of the devil’s best gifts."
The black mist faded, and Rakesh solidified. Loic’s jaw clenched. He could see Rakesh now.
"Rakesh!" Loic growled.
Rakesh just laughed and gathered shadows in his hand. A large shadow grabbed Loic’s neck and lifted him above me. I panicked and focused on the magic around me. forcing the warm magic to go out against the dome as much as I could, making my shield stronger around myself. I saw Loic’s lips shape words that looked like he said, ‘Ata girl.' under his breath. the tar grasped onto his skin and it bubbled as it made contact. He winced, probably holding back the urge to scream. The tar coming from the Rakesh’s hand tried to climb up Loic’s face. Loic’s body started to glow a very faint blue, and the tar began to pull back. The Formless still grasped him, but it seemed like Loic had blocked some of the monster’s ability to burn him.
Rakesh seemed unfazed by my shield.
"This is disappointing. At least Luna put up a fight."
He kicked my shield, and it shattered. I hit the wall, and my head began to throb.
“Rayne!”
Loic struggled in the tar that held him, but he couldn't get free.
“Ra...kesh....you…bas…” Loic growled unable to get full words out.
Rakesh ignored him and continued towards me.
"I'm disappointed. Have I damaged you that badly? Well, that's not really any fun."
He unclenched his hand, signaling the Formless to drop Loic. Then Rakesh knelt before me and grabbed my face. He looked at me with such dark intent. Up close, I could see slits on his face, one above each eye and one right below, closed tightly like eyelids with no visible lashes. These slashes twitched like they were going to open up, but only his human eyes moved. His pupil-less red eyes were the same as the Formless. Did that mean he was a Formless, or possessed by one like the men from the bar? Rakesh had what seemed to be his own thoughts. I tried to silence my thoughts long enough to focus on escape, but nothing came to mind. Rakesh smiled, He looked at me like I was a mouse trapped in a cat’s bowl, slowly being tortured not knowing when the cat would finally finish it off.
I saw Formless surround Loic keeping him from advancing.
"Rayne!" Loic yelled.
Rakesh ignored him again, keeping his focus squarely on me. “Is this really the best you have in you, girl?” He asked me, and I tried to struggle, trying to shake my head to get free from his grip but with no progress. “Pathetic. Perhaps if you weren’t born here, so sheltered in this world. You have no confidence. Everything was spoon-fed to you, so you never had to grow on your own strength. kept in the dark, sheltered from both this world and ours, all to keep you safe,” He grabbed a clump of my hair off my shoulder and letting it fall through his fingers. The hair he touched was covered in tar. It hit my shirt with added weight, and I could feel it trying to burn me. “nekorbnu…” He continued his thought. “That, my girl, is just a waste of a life." He paused looking around at the Formless around him then continued. "As a matter of fact, I believe I said these words to Luna as well. You know, you are just like Luna in fact. Just as naïve. She only knew the royal life and look where it got her. She's nothing but pieces of shattered glass..."
Loic struggled more but couldn't get free. I heard him curse in mirrored language, but Rakesh ignored him.
"Typical Loic." He laughed. "I wonder what if feels like to fail twice." He turned back to me again. “Now, about that waste of a life I mentioned. Allow me to end that for you.”
Just barely in my field of focus, I saw Loic move, and the Formless holding him vaporized. His aura consumed him completely. What looked like shifting spikes surrounded him before settling against his skin.
“One more move, and I’ll kill you, Krad!”
Loic growled. His golden eye shone like the source of his power, and his magic danced like blue fire around him. It had several layers to it, each layer adding to the hue shifting it from aqua to navy. His hair shifted around him and fell to his shoulders, the tie that held it up being partly eaten away by Formless tar. The blue flames burned away the droplets of tar that covered his collar and sleeves., using it as fuel to burn brighter. Rakesh turned towards him. and
"Well, now that is some tasty anger,” he inhaled deeply and smiled at Loic. “Such rage. It leaves a pleasant aroma in the air to the Formless. I have grown quite fond of it as well. Just another perk from my arrangement. You’ve finally learned to embrace that anger into your aura.”
I attempted to scoot back to get away from him. Rakesh tapped his foot and a tar tendril rose and wrapped around my ankle halting my progress. He turned back to me and spoke. “Our auras do give off what we are feeling in the moment. The Formless have adapted that to hunt prey, attacking those who let fear take over their aura. Anger is a tempting second though.”
Was he explaining this to me? His smile told me he was gloating more than explaining. Was that why I was such an easy target? My fear was visible to him?
He turned back to Loic and continued talking to him. I tried to pull free from the tar, but it seemed to get stronger as I pulled. “The exile has taught you well. Manifested as a new power entirely, if I’m not mistaken”
“I’d be more than happy to let you feel it for yourself,” Loic growled just loud enough to be heard over the roar of his flaming aura that appeared as the flames got higher, now reaching a full two feet from his body...
Rakesh’s face turned from teasing to stern as he shifted his gaze away from Loic.
“New power or not, you’re not my concern, pup.”
Loic stepped towards me, but step he took was matched by a Formless. The monster was waiting to get close enough to him to strike, as well as blocking his path. He couldn’t gain any ground to reach me, even with this new power. Or was this part of what power that was sealed away he already had to use?
Rakesh was unfazed by Loic’s attempts to reach me. every moment Loic broke free from a formless Rakesh snapped his fingers and another formless grabbed him and forced him into a fight. Each snap also inched the vine holding my ankle further up my leg keeping me from using the moment to leave.
“just sit tight there, let the beasts have their fun.” Rakesh sneered, turning around just long enough to flash a devilish smile at me.
Loic fought through the tar, turning his arms and legs into flaming blades, cutting through several Formless. carving them into halves then quarters with his blue flame aura, making his entire body a weapon. They kept grabbing for him. Each time the flames burned the beasts, repelling them back.
I noticed the repeated attempts made the flames weaker. Like he could only keep them burning for so many attacks. He tried making his way through to me, but more Formless kept appearing. For everyone he killed, another three replaced it. He kept fighting until only one layer of light blue flames surrounded him. Panic filled me. Loic was slowing down. I pulled against the tar vine harder managing to slide a few inches free only to hit a stone wall with a water pipe down its center. I hit the wall hard coming to a complete stop. Rakesh turned his head to the side, giving me a narrowed glare with one red eye and sighed and snapped his fingers again to keep the formles
s attacking Loic.
“yats llits, t’ndluow tnaw uoy gnillaf otni eht lanac won dluow ew.” Rakesh grumbled almost in a low growl. The tar vine on my leg tightened again and this time around both legs.
I couldn’t do anything else but freeze against the wall, terrified at what he planned to do. Was he waiting until the formless overwhelmed Loic? Would that make his plans for me easier?
Loic defaulted back to his usual fighting style, capoeira with no bright flames, his strikes were faster but less powerful. At last, the Formless grabbed him. Even while being held he still tried to fight. if they grabbed his hands then he would use his feet. he did do in some more damage before the flames went out entirely.
Loic cursed and managed to get a hand free. He created a blade from his aura and threw it at something. I heard what sounded like water flowing. A quick glance revealed his blade had hit the water pipe on a building behind me, just a few feet above my head. The aura knife vanished. I felt the waters from the pipe flow and get stronger and start falling over me. Loic, a crossed the street now, almost pinned to a bridge wall that crossed the canal, seemed relieved at seeing the water.
Why would that give him such an expression? He was still being pinned by formless and Rakesh was still only feet in front of me.
The cold water made me feel alert. I got another boost of energy to try and escape Rakesh’s grasp again. The vines continued to wrap around my legs, he bent down to reach me again and I pulled as far away as I could, this only made him grasp me tighter keeping me in place. Once I was stopped pulling back, he moved from holding my chin to holding my neck.
“Well enough chat and idle amusement. Your time is up, Glass Princess!"
I made another shield, only managing to surround myself in a thin blue layer of magic. Giving me an inch between his palm and my neck. I tried to use this gap to call out.
“Someone please—” I couldn’t even finish before the pressure of his grip tightened around my shield, cutting off my voice.
I closed my eyes tight and tried to focus. I looked over at Loic who still struggled through the Formless, barely making any progress. I looked down towards the water puddle, I knew was flowing under me. I took as big of a breath as I could and opened my eyes to look at the puddle. Another reflection. I wanted to scream but I couldn’t. Rakesh’s grip was too tight. I could only call out to who wasn’t trapped in my mind. ‘Please anyone help, Chase, Isha, anyone please...,’
Then the water came back into my focus. Could I actually reach him, if I could get one word out could I get us some help?
I inhaled as much air in my nose as I could, and I held the breath and wriggled around. Rakesh slammed me against the pipe and the water from the pipe poured over me like a fountain. The water blocked my view of Rakesh and I knew this was my chance. I opened my mouth and let out the trapped air to get out as many words as possible.
“Chase, help us…” I spoke as loud as my raspy voice would allow. I heard the words barely escape my mouth, not even sure if anyone could hear it at all.
I had expelled everything I had, and I felt my lungs and head begin to feel heavy…
Suddenly water rose above me. I felt it splash up around me. I expected water, but I felt warm hands wrapping around me. I was then moved from Rakesh’s hand to Chases' arms.
Did he travel through the water? Loic did say it was similar to traveling through mirrors. did he hear me? Did he know we were in danger? However, he did it, I didn’t care.
Chase stood, holding me like my weight was nothing to him. I looked seeing a stone around his neck, similar to the one he gave me. It was glowing, and it rose in front of him just as the magic around him swelled. His pale blond hair, normally slicked back, fell freely. Rising and falling just as the stone necklace was. He stared at Rakesh in silence as the water fell back over us like rain.
Rakesh pulled back away from him and clapped his hands together. all in one fluid motion.
“Well! If it isn’t the old codger.”
“Krad. You haven’t aged too badly.” Chase commented mildly. “Selling your soul comes with benefits I see.”
“A few,” Rakesh sneered.
Chase set me down and stood in front of me. I relaxed, trying to catch my breath against the soaking wet stone behind me. He took a step forward, and Rakesh mirrored him taking a step further away from him. Chase closed the distance, holding his arm. Keeping his sleeve down as he moved. I looked to see what looked like old scars on his hands. He didn’t have those before. Did he?
"Rayne, are you, okay?" chase turned slightly to look at me, still keeping an eye on Rakesh.
"I-I'm fine but Loic?" I huffed, supporting myself against the wall better.
"He's fine. He should be able to fight freely soon." He turned back away from me.
"But—"
"He can handle himself. He just needs an opening." Chase continued.
"But it's Rakesh. Can he?"
Chase sighed. "It's fine, I'm watching."
He turned toward Loic's fight. Chase lifted his wooden cane over his head, building up a greenish aura around it and aiming it out almost like a gun. The aura then became a bright beam of light. When it hit Loic he didn’t even cast a shadow. The Formless recoiled from the light. Now free, Loic attacked the ones that were being burned by the light. Chase put his cane back down and the light faded, leaving only the green aura. He focused back on Rakesh.
Rakesh backed off further back towards the canal as the Formless fell one by one. Using his aura blades, Loic cut limbs off the beasts and even cutting through entire cores of the monsters. Each cut started to smoke as the Formless tried to repair themselves, but they remained separated. The creatures continued to charge but Loic tore through them with different lengths of aura knives and swords that encased his hands and feet. Darting and spinning too fast to see. Then he ran over to my side. Rakesh stepped back almost balancing on the edge of the street surrounding the canal and laughed.
"Seems I underestimated you two. The dream team of the master and pupil isn’t a duo worth tearing through, not all over the china doll anyway.” Rakesh’s voice oozed with sarcasm. “Well, you win this round, but remember I've already won this war. I have already taken your precious Luna."
"You bastard!” Loic yelled. “I'll kill you!" He hopped on his toes, wanting to leave his position and pounce. But because of me, he couldn't. chase stood his ground as well. Not taking his eyes off Rakesh. Did he stay put because of me as well? Loic shot a few glances back at chase as well but chase stood completely still, his stance not moving, nothing on him even so much as twitching out of place.
Rakesh leered. "Ah that thought that you wanted to kill me. I admire that spunk boy. let it brew a bit for the next time we meet. Perhaps then you’ll get that chance." The shadows consumed his as he began to laugh. Then his voice faded completely.
Chase checked over me and saw my wound. The scratch cut through my shirt, but I barely felt any pain. He touched my shoulder, where the injury started. That green aura came from his palm and started to heal the scratch.
“Well, it didn’t cut you very deep. This should take care of it.”
The burning stopped, and it felt like it was being healed from the inside as he worked on the outside. I felt the pulse activating in tandem with Chases magic. Was it the stone? Was it helping his magic work better? It made sense to me now. He backed away and chuckled.
“Seems being soaking wet might have helped. There’s barely any poison here. It must have been mostly washed off.”
“That makes sense.” Loic sighed. Loic came to my side and looked over me. His eyes farrowed. He rested his hand on my shoulder and kept eye contact with me.
“Other than that, are you okay Rayne?” Loic asked in a soft voice.
"I'm fine, thanks to you two."
"Glad we didn't fail today," Chase added as Loic kneeled down, joining me by the wet wall, as he brushed my hair from my face.
"Not much worse for the wear..." He whispered. He found the strands that Rakesh had touched. As Loic stroked the hair, the damaged threads crumbled away, cutting off a half inch of hair. He flinched a bit seeing how the tar had completely destroyed what it touched. Small tears formed in his eyes, and he hugged me tightly.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Why?” I hugged him back. “I'm okay, no one was hurt badly."
"It shouldn't have come down to you protecting yourself. I should be your shield."
"Loic..."
my shield? I couldn’t expect him to be that attentive. He had his own problems, although thinking back on it I was terrified. Having someone there would have made me feel better there was no doubt of that. However, he was human, and he did his best. I could count on that at least.
“You did your best.” I mumbled.
“Well then, I’ll do better.” He smiled, then looked to Chase.
"You might want to get back Chase. Before you crumble to dust."
Chase snorted. "Don't worry about me lad."
"I will worry, old man. Rayne’s fine, so head back before you cause any more damage to yourself."
Chase studied him. "As long as you're okay."
"Yeah." Loic sighed. “I’m fine."
Chase’s skin began to burn and turn to ash. Each spot seemed to slowly change, deforming into ash and falling away like sand falling through an hourglass. He caught my gaze and hid his hands from me, saying nothing. Then he vanished back into the water puddle.
I swallowed. "That's what happens?"
"Yes. The curse that binds him to the museum. That's what happens when he leaves. If he's out for too long, it can kill him."
They both got put in danger, yeah, I called for Chase and Loic were doing what he was trained to do, but now I felt horrible. Rakesh was after this stone inside me, yeah, I knew I’d be in danger, but I still hated putting others in danger just for me.
"Yeah, you said. But he came out—" I stood up quickly using the wall to balance myself. Loic joined me holding me steady until I corrected my stance.
Glass Souls (Reflection Book 1) Page 29