Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1)

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Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1) Page 34

by Shaina Anastasi


  “This is your Guardian?” Headmage tore me out of my mind and back to reality. The dark fact of knowing that the Headmage wanted me dead for something I had done five years ago. “Black wings, like the night, so you can’t be heavens angel. There’s not a hint of red on you, so you couldn’t have been a warrior from the underworld. Huh. I cannot believe it.” Headmage shook his head and laughed. “You are a Valkyrie. A battle angel. The new take of the virgin Mary. I thought you were all extinct. Victor Malloy did a number on your kind. Ripped you all to shreds.”

  “I crawled my way out of a field of dead bodies,” she said, her voice deadpan, almost like she was bored of talking to him.

  “Now that you have revealed yourself, you are forced to give a name. That’s how it works with angels, doesn’t it?”

  “Valeria. My name is Valeria the Last.”

  “Unbelievable, Eileen. I cannot believe you summoned a Valkyrie. One of the strongest Guardians in the universe. You are the one that killed my son. You deserve a slow death.”

  “I was summoned to protect my mistress, and that is exactly what I had done. But for your knowledge, it was a quick and painless death, the least of what he deserved.”

  “You are a heartless bitch!” Headmage frothed. “Guardian, come forth!”

  Red light shined brightly. Suddenly, I was forced backwards. Warmth and bitter coldness wrapped around me as Valeria picked me up and flew off towards the break of the trees, in the direction of Sorcerer City when hot flames erupted along with the trees, engulfing them. Immediately, Valeria stopped in her tracks and planted my feet back on the ground. I looked around, but we were trapped. Trees around us were alight, and uncomfortably burning to be near. Behind us, Headmage smirked at us. Beside him was a phoenix, flapping cinders that dripped down its wings.

  “You aren’t the only one with tricks up your sleeves, Valkyrie. My phoenix is a creature of light. Anyone that isn’t pure and a threat to us becomes trapped if they are surrounded by the phoenix’s fire.”

  “My mistress, I need to take out the phoenix,” Valeria stated.

  “Okay…”

  “But I cannot do it here, I need to take the phoenix away to kill it. I need to take to the skies or else you will die. Phoenix’s fire cannot touch me, but it can kill you.”

  “Oh… what makes you so sure the phoenix will fly off with you?”

  “I see the look in that man’s eyes, he wants to take your life himself.” Valeria folded her arms across her chest, the armour along her forearms shined a bright blue, engraved in magical Guardian runes. “Give me ten minutes, considering I have to kill that Guardian twice.”

  She went to turn when I touched her arm. A bitter warmth, like frostbite, bit into my fingertips. I had to retract and place my hands back by my side when Valeria gave me a once over. “Don’t kill the Guardian. It may be too overpowered by Headmage. He might want his freedom, like Darius.”

  “You may be my mistress, but you do not control me. You aren’t even powerful enough to summon me.”

  “I know,” I whispered, and Valeria widened her eyes, surprised that I even said that. “Please.”

  Valeria huffed a breath and looked away. “Do you think you can kill him?”

  “No.”

  “Well, entertain him for twenty minutes. If you don’t, you die.”

  “I’ll try…”

  Valeria just huffed once again, flourished her wings and flew up high. Headmage whistled, and the Phoenix also spread, fiery cindered wings and took to the skies. That left Headmage and me, and I needed to do what Valeria had said. I need to entertain Headmage.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  I am not a very good talker. In fact, I dislike the notion of conversations that don’t entertain me, or I am curious about. That’s why some of my answers or follow-up questions can be as bland as I look and not heartfelt at all. At this moment, this conversation I am having with Headmage is going to leave a foul taste in my mouth. It reminded me of my conversation with Timothy and that unfortunate night, where I too also thought of entertaining him until help arrived – that help ended up being a Valkyrie, the last one for that matter.

  “I know what you are doing, Eileen Frost.”

  “Still, I’d like to know the name of the one that so desperately wants to kill me.”

  “Charles.”

  A howling screech came from above. I looked to the skies and at the golden and red aura’s that flew around, causing chaos. “Aren’t you afraid someone might see or hear?”

  “Honestly, this should be quick.”

  I looked back down and at Headmage right before me. My heart sunk at how close he got without me knowing. I took a step back and raised my leg up. I went to kick him when Headmage grabbed my foot that hit into his stomach. He then laughed at how pathetically weak I was as I tried to kick him.

  “Stick rune, activate.” Headmage tried to wiggle and move, but my boot was stick to his clothes. “Stick rune, deactivate. Jump rune, activate.”

  A blue aura shined along the grooves of my boot. Headmage’s eyes widened right before he was propelled backwards, fierce and harsh, towards the fiery wall. He rolled a few times in the snow before he abruptly stopped and floated up, back on his feet. There were a few scratches cut along his face. Charles wiped the specs of blood that swelled from the cuts and smeared them down his face. He had a broad grin plastered across his face like he was excited by the notion of this being entertaining.

  “I took precautions for this little event. Barriers are placed up around the vicinity. Even the strongest of mages wouldn’t be able to see a slither of what is happening out here. As for the noise, it isn’t that hard to cover up with a wind element.”

  “You won’t get away with this.”

  “Yes, I will. I am a powerful mage. I can manipulate your memories after death and insert that half-breed into them instead. Your family name will be run in the dirt, and your parents will be stripped by any rank at Organisation once they find out that you were in love with a Guardian, the filthiest thing to do as a mage.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Clearly.”

  Headmage rolled his shoulders and marched towards me. “Now, hold still while I slice that pretty little head of yours off of your shoulders.”

  I raised my arm and felt the defence rune etched onto my skin heighten, and wrap and attach themselves to my veins. “Activate defence level two.”

  My favourite rune shined brightly before me, more significant than the average size. Stone feet stepped out of the rune, and this broad, massive structured stone knight came out, arms like the trunks of trees. The stone knight had that look of utter determination – more than my actual Guardian – and stood before me, ready to protect me with its own life.

  I stepped to the side of my stone knight, and he crouched low, bending his hand down, placing it flat on the soft, white, glistening, snow-filled ground. I took hold of the Stone Knight’s thumb and stepped up and into his palm. He raised his hand up, and I went on his shoulder and held onto his ear.

  Down at the ground, I stared at Charles and hoped he knew I was glaring with utter disgust and rage at a man that wants to kill a little girl.

  “All I need is a little time, my knight. Can you give me that?”

  “Your words are absolute, my queen.”

  He raised his arm, and his fingers clumped together, meshed and turned into a sword. With one fell swoop, he lashed out, slashing at trees, shattering them and forcing them to splinter, as the trees tore at the roots. Charles was fast. Within a flash, he was out of sight, using his staff to keep my knight at a distance, using defensive runes to push my knight backwards. Sparks of red flashed in the air, like static, they zipped and zapped whenever Charles used another rune to force my knight back.

  I swayed side to side, trying to keep myself balanced as my knight lashed out, trying to keep up with Charles’s movements. I needed to interject and place myself in this fight as well. He’s too fast
for my knight.

  Raising my arm, I let the attack rune on my finger entwine with my veins, releasing my magical essence along the tip, ready for use.

  “Activate, fire-balls.” An onslaught of flashing blue light, the size of golf-balls appeared within the rune and lashed out, towards Charles’s movements.

  A flurry of attacks and defences erupted in the evening sky. Specs of snow danced and floated in the air and rained down red from above, as the sky turned into a deep red sunset, about ready to plummet into darkness.

  Mass amounts of snow suddenly then picked up, heavier, and not by our doing, but by Charles’s doing himself. He twirled his staff around in the air, spinning it rapidly until all I could see was a wall of wind and snow, blocking my view from Charles. My knight and I looked around, ready for anything when the snow parted and Headmage was right before me, on the should of my knight. He raised his staff and directed it at me.

  “Activate, defence level one.”

  The cylinder shield wrapped around me like a protective blanket, but only for a moment. Headmage’s staff shattered the layer with a single touch and shards of diamond glass speckled the air, turning into nothing but dust. My knight grabbed hold of me, and my body jolted as I was quickly moved down, landing on the bed of white snow.

  Pain seared across my wrist. I sat upright and turned my arm over, to my wrist. My throat closed up at the swell of blood from the cut that slides across my defensive runes. When I looked up, my heart sunk at the knight that kneeled before me. My eyes stung, desperately wanting to let the tears shed and slid down the side of my face. I was fingertips away from touching my knight’s cheek when cracks formed, and he crumbled into a pile of dust that rested at my feet.

  Behind the knight was Charles. His grin said it all. He lowered his staff down to my chest, and the orb at the top swirled crimson, wanting to taste my magical blood.

  “Levitate.” My throat tightened, and I floated up until I was on the tips of my toes. My head tipped up and at the sparks that engulfed the sky.

  Valeria was fighting for me, longer than anticipated because I didn’t want another Guardian to die by my hands. Fiona’s Guardian would be the last. They didn’t ask for this life. Us mages forced them to be slaves, and they have to obey, or else they die. What a cruel world we live in.

  Charles grunted, and I was propelled backwards. A shudder of pain hit my back, and I gasped, specs of dark blood trickled out of my mouth and tainted the white snow. I then landed on my knees and fell forward, my face soaking into the snow. Weakly, my head looked out of the side of the snow. Blurred vision plagued me, but within that blurry vision, a faded form sauntered towards me, staff unfocused but the red light shined brightly until it was all I could see before darkness surrounded me.

  Beautiful Creatures.

  Warmth cocooned around me. A thin layer that caressed my skin like silk, delicate to the touch but enough to notice it touching my skin. Slowly, eyes opened and struggled to focus and adjust to the hazy, burning light from above me. The sky was on fire, intermingled with a thick layer of black smoke. Sparks of light twirled around above me. Cinders swirled and flickered across my vision, touching my skin, letting it sink in and burn for a moment before the pain faded.

  My head moved to the side, a struggle, but it was enough to see that there was no snow, but charred, blackened ground with bits of fire flickering away in patches. The woods and trees were engulfed in flames, and smoke rose to the skies, covering the night sky in a cloak.

  Twigs snapped, and I looked up, not that far from where I was staring. A shadow moved, and my heart sped up, breaking my ribcage. The shadowed figure stumbled to their feet, burn marks creeping up their arms and charcoal and ash-covered their face. I hitched a slight breath, and they snapped their head towards me, orange eyes glared at me. It stepped towards me when a low deep rumble of a growl tore from right above me. The man thought better than to get closer, turned and red light flashed, and the man shifted into a phoenix. Cindered wings flourished, and the phoenix flew up high until it was covered by black smoke and I was unable to see them anymore.

  I dragged my head back up so that I was staring up once again. The haze and blurred vision were gone. Scales shined white along flared nostrils. Sharp, jagged teeth were barred, growls rumbled in its throat. I shifted uncomfortably, wanting to move when the scaly, white head turned, and a golden orb of an eye stared down at me. The white dragon’s throat rumbled, this time it was lower and softer, and that made the ground shake. It was like the dragon was trying to speak to me, but it couldn’t, and that golden eye narrowed like it was annoyed by the fact that it couldn’t talk.

  I felt daring, and my hand raised up high, wanting to touch the dragon. My hand glided across its face, only to feel the smoothness of the skin. I closed my eyes and shook my head, and when I opened my eyes once again, there he was, carrying me in his arms. White hair swayed in the warm breeze, and golden eyes looked down at me with adoration. He smiled that crooked smile at me and leaned his head down so that our foreheads touched.

  “Lawliet,” I whispered. “What happened?” I then asked.

  “It’s over now, Eileen.”

  “Headmage?”

  “Dead,” he replied, his lip curled into a sneer as he said it.

  “My mistress!” Wailed Hopper. I looked away from Lawliet and to that adorable and fluffy bunny that was racing towards us. Red orbs were wide in utter horror. “Oh, dear, what happened?”

  “Silas is giving a statement now to Organisation. We both thought Eileen would be too distressed to talk.” Lawliet shuffled me away from him and into the arms of that worried and frightened rabbit of mine. “She has a wound on her wrist, and I think a concussion. You should get her to her room and summon a medic to check her out.”

  Lawliet went to leave when I grabbed hold of his arm, forcing him to stop in his tracks and look back at me. “Stay with me.”

  “Sorry, Eileen, but Organisation wants to talk to me as well and make sure your brother’s and my story adds up together on what happened tonight. After I am done, I will come by, I promise.”

  I relaxed my hand on his sleeve and shuffled more comfortably back in Hopper’s arms.

  We entered the cafeteria doors, and there was a crowd of students and teachers inside. Donte and Nixon were at the front of the group with Charlie, pushing mages back, but that didn’t stop them from flashing camera’s, causing more of a scene than I intended, on this unfortunate and eventful night.

  Once we hit the stairs, the mages stopped following. I had Donte and Nixon ahead, racing up the stairs, worried stricken looks on their faces. I have never seen them scared before, or serious for that matter. But at this moment, they were acting like personal bodyguards, making sure no one grew too close to us, and opening doors before Hopper could step through.

  In the living room, Flight Attendant Lady was there, sitting in the chair at the table. Atop of that table was a bowl of medical herbs. I could smell them from all the way over here.

  “Silas said that you would need me.”

  “You are a medic?” Hopper asked, and she nodded.

  I sat down on the chair, and Flight Attendant Lady touched my head, and I shifted uncomfortably when she felt the back of my head. Flashes of memories rolled inside of my head like a video recording. I remember hitting into a tree and hit my head pretty hard.

  Flight Attendant Lady mixed herbs together in this hot drink and stirred them around until the liquid turned yellow. She then made me cup the drink in my hand and sip. With one sip, the throbbing pain diminished and grew weaker. After the sip, I placed the cup down and then she took hold of my arm. Pain hit, but it was the eternal pain. I had to look away from the cut and the severed rune.

  “I will make a paste to smear across the cut, but you do know that the rune underneath is severed. You cannot use that rune any longer.”

  I nodded and was glad to be emotionless at this moment. It hurt. I cannot deny how much the pain within me struck l
ike lightning, but my curse kept me composed and blank to her – but inside, I was internally screaming. I lost a friend today. I lost the trusted and devoted knight that I considered a friend. He was always there for me, since a young age, protecting me from a swarm of bees, and keeping those demonic brothers at arm’s length when I didn’t want them near me. He was as loyal as any Guardian Knight, and Charles took him away from me and even if I create another rune on myself, it was an entirely different knight, with a distinct personality, and with no memories of the times we have shared together. It was most definitely like losing a friend, and that tore me apart.

  The front door opened, and I felt them before I looked. The power they hold so easily noticeable palpitated and thrashed around the room, yet I seemed to have been the first to notice their presence. Perhaps the reason is that I have been waiting to see them again for so many years. That I was the one desperate for their affection and acknowledgment, yet it had to take me nearly dying for them to come.

  I looked up at those cold, silver eyes of my mother’s before I darted a look to those soft, brown, concerned eyes of my father’s before I went back to look at Mother’s. Her face was like stone. There was no worry or relief in them as she stared at me. She reminded me of how I look and I so desperately don’t want to look like this.

  “Done.” Flight Attendant Lady stood and gave me a tight-lipped smile before she fled from the scene. It was smart of her to do; my parents scare me as well.

  “Mum and Dad?” Wide-eyed, Donte and Nixon stepped forward, that glassy, emotional look in their eyes. All we ever wanted was to be accepted by our parents.

  “Son’s, why don’t you both come with me and show me what you have been up to since coming to Mage Academy.”

  I watched them leave and go into their room, Father following behind both of them. Once the door was shut, I looked back at Mother only to notice she has relocated and was now seated in the seat Flight Attendant Lady sat. Her touch was cold when she touched the back of my hand, where my gem laid, the mark of the Guardian I had summoned. Valeria the Last Valkyrie.

 

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