Forest of Lost Secrets

by Emmett Swan

  Then he felt Yasna’s hand clasp his tightly, reminding him she was still there with him. She was risking her life to stand by his side. The realization helped break the spell. Laughlin was no longer frozen by fear.

  Pulling Yasna with him, he backed away from the giant beast. The Pool of Solace was nearby, but Laughlin suspected the creature could easily outswim them if they dove in. To risk crossing the courtyard would put them in striking distance of the serpent’s fangs. They had no choice but to back to the corner of the plaza, though the containment wall blocked further retreat.

  The creature pursued them as they dashed to a great spar of yellow crystal standing at the corner of the plaza. They stood behind it, but it was barely as wide as the two of them, and there was ample room for the serpent creature to slither behind it.

  From the corner of his eye, Laughlin saw of blur of motion, and the serpent’s thick tail slammed into the side of the crystal sculpture.

  There was a loud crack as the tail made violent contact. Yellow shards flew through the air, falling everywhere. Laughlin pushed Yasna to the ground and lay over her as pieces of glass-like crystal peppered his back, some of the sharp pieces finding skin.

  Now they were completely exposed to the beast. Laughlin heard it hissing just a few feet away from them. Still covering Yasna, he put his mouth near her ear.

  “What shall we do?” he asked.

  She turned her head and placed her lips on his in a brief kiss. “Love at first sight,” she said to him and jumped up to face the serpent beast.

  “Yasna, no!” cried Laughlin, but she ignored him. She stood in front of the monster and put her arms defiantly on her hips.

  “Mother!” she cried. “Your ollipeist does not frighten me. If you wish to destroy this boy, then you will destroy me as well. Will you have your daughter’s blood on your hands?”

  Laughlin gazed at her in amazement. Her courage gave him strength, and he, too, rose to his feet and stood beside Yasna. He took her hand and stared up at the fanged mouth of the huge beast. It directed its hideous gaze at him and then Yasna and hesitated. But just for a moment. It let out a foul-smelling hiss, shook its head, and advanced its gaping mouth toward them.

  Forty-Eight

  Jessica and Conall followed King Brecan, King Neasan, and the warriors of Derfaria and Panagu as they stepped out of the atrium and into the bright of day. They sought Keeva, so all swords were sheathed, and all spears stood upright. The party wound around a large reed-fringed pond and onto a wide plaza where, to Jessica’s frightened amazement, she beheld a giant serpent creature with leathery wings. Below the towering monster were two people backed against the compound wall in the far corner of the plaza. The creature was even larger and more frightening than the War Gryphons she had seen earlier.

  All the Panaguan guards pulled out their swords and clustered around King Neasan. King Brecan’s guards tilted their spears and formed a defensive wall around their sovereign.

  Jessica’s fear turned into dismay when she realized one of the two people facing the monster was Laughlin. He was standing beside a beautiful young woman she did not recognize. They held hands and faced the horrible serpent as its gaping mouth approached them.

  Jessica reached for Conall’s arm, but Conall was not there. He was running toward Laughlin, past the wall of spears. But the guards moved quickly. One tackled him before he got past and several others held him at spear point.

  “That’s my brother!” Conall cried. “He needs our help! Let me go.”

  “You must hold!” said one of the guards. “That creature is the king’s daughter. The king will speak to the ollipeist and hopefully it will obey.”

  “Keeva!” rang out King Brecan’s deep voice. “I know that is you. Halt your attack!”

  The serpent’s gaping mouth was mere inches from the young woman, who was now pressed up against the compound wall with Laughlin at her side. The creature hesitated at Brecan’s words and turned its angry gaze to him. Venom dripped from its fangs. King Brecan walked closer. Jessica and the others followed tentatively.

  “Keeva. You are my subject and my daughter. I command you to stop before you commit a terrible deed.”

  The ollipeist let out a long, guttural hiss, which gradually transformed into a rumbling, cackling roar. But the serpent’s demonstration of rage was mixed with something else, something plaintive. The monster turned back to Yasna, lunged forward, and viciously snapped her great jaws in a quick and final attack. Her fangs would have pierced Yasna’s skull, but Laughlin had jerked her down before the jaws snapped shut. Both of them tumbled to the flat stones of the plaza.

  “Keeva!” cried King Brecan. “You would destroy your own daughter over what we now know to be true. That your thirst for revenge is not driven by a desire for justice, but mere envy!”

  Again the great serpent turned her head toward King Brecan, hissing loudly. Yasna and Laughlin used the opportunity to crawl to the relative safety of the remnants of the crystal sculpture, now nothing more than a base a few feet tall.

  “Return to your natural form, Keeva,” commanded King Brecan. “Your sovereign commands it!”

  The beast began advancing toward the king, violently flapping its wings. At once, the king’s entire guard flourished small vials, and a row of blue funnels erupted. Moments later, a protective line of War Gryphons stood between the king and the giant serpent. The men of Panagu joined their flanks, swords held high. The ollipeist was an intimidating vision, towering over the War Gryphons. But they were several and their wall presented a formidable obstacle.

  “Will you attack your father and king?” rang out King Brecan. “Will you bite off the head of your only living daughter? Keeva, what has become of you?”

  King Neasan, standing among the other Panaguan warriors, sheathed his sword and stepped away from the group. “After all, it is I you wish to destroy, is it not, Keeva?” he called. He stood before the ollipeist and softened his tone. “Do you not recognize Neasan, your lost love?”

  The ollipeist did not advance but froze, staring at the man, her head still held high, ready to strike. Venom dripped. Its hot breath reeked.

  “Mother, please listen to reason!” Yasna cried, and the serpent turned to look at her daughter. “I love you, but enough! Please!” Broken sobs laced Yasna’s words. “Please,” she wailed and fell into Laughlin’s arms.

  The great beast was still. No sound was heard save Yasna’s weeping and the serpent’s residual hisses.

  War Gryphons stood ready, wings slowly flapping. The Panaguan forces stood in formation too, ready for action. Derfarian bystanders stood by, watching in small groups and keeping their distance.

  Conall, released by the guards as they prepared for Keeva’s attack, had returned to Jessica’s side. She squeezed his hand, still covered in white powder, and dared not let go.

  A collective breath seemed to be held by all those on the plaza. It felt surreal for Jessica.

  The great winged serpent shook its head as if shaking off excess fury. Its long, thick body coiled and uncoiled, reminding Jessica of a nervous feline shifting back and forth on its haunches. Its angry reptilian eyes moved from Neasan to Yasna and back again. She growled one more time, shaking her awful head and slinging venomous drool all around. Then she seemed to relax. She uncoiled her body, though her head remained erect, swaying back and forth.

  The serpent used one clawed hand, which was attached to her wing like a bat’s, to apply a drop of blue elixir to her other wing. There was a rush of wind and a great funnel of blue light. It disappeared, leaving the much smaller form of Keeva behind. She stared at Neasan, her eyes blinking through years of tears and her mouth agape, incredulous.

  “Neasan, it is you?” She stepped toward him, looking him over, but stopped before reaching him. “You are gray, and aged.”

  “Yes, it is I,” Neasan replied, his voice soft. “I am older now, since time passes more quickly on Panagu than here in your land. And I am now King Neasan, as my
father-in-law has passed.”

  “King?” she asked, her face screwed up in puzzlement. “You are now King Neasan?” The bewildered look on her face transformed into one of hot rage. “You…left me!” she screamed. Her hands went to her face and she dug her fingernails into her pale skin. She fell to her knees, crying. “You left me for that vile woman.”

  She looked at the sky and closed her eyes, wailing, hurling incoherencies, then she crumpled to the paver stones, pounding them with her fists.

  Neasan came to her and wrapped his arms around her. Jessica could see his tears, clearly moved by the enormity of Keeva’s emotion.

  “I confessed my love to you and you left me,” she whispered. “How could you? I would have given anything…” Her voice quivered. “You left my heart cold and hardened. You ruined my life!”

  Abruptly, as if she suddenly realized who he was, Keeva launched herself in rage at Neasan. She brought a fist down onto his broad chest. And then another, and another. The Panaguan soldiers standing near their king raised their swords and approached, but Neasan waved them off. She struck him again and again, each blow leaving red streaks on his tunic from her tearing skin, but each one coming with less and less force. Neasan accepted the blows until Keeva was physically and emotionally exhausted.

  Neasan then grabbed her hands and held them tightly to his chest, wrapping his arms around her again. Once more she collapsed to her knees before him in defeat, convulsing in sobs. He leaned over her and wept openly with her.

  King Brecan, who had been silent until now, walked up to his daughter, wiping his eyes discreetly.

  “I think now is the time to confess, my dear. Is what King Neasan tells us true?”

  “He left me,” Keeva managed between her sobs.

  “Keeva, tell me. Does Neasan speak the truth?”

  Keeva nodded, then covered her face again with her hands.

  King Brecan stared hard at Keeva’s crumpled form. Jessica saw no compassion or sympathy in his gaze.

  “So there were no invisible voyeurs? No violation of our maidens’ chambers by the men of Panagu?”

  Keeva didn’t answer but simply shook her head as she convulsed.

  “And when I found you sobbing in your room many years ago, it was because Neasan had left you? And the two of you had met many times before?”

  Keeva looked up at her father, her formerly angry face drenched in tears of anguish and shame, and the king saw the truth in his daughter’s eyes.

  “It was a love so pure,” whispered Neasan before Keeva could respond. His voice was tender, emotional. King Brecan and Keeva looked at him, and Neasan sat back on bent knees. “I loved you so. Dreamed of you. Wanted only you, my love.”

  “Then why?” Keeva squeaked, her body shaking.

  Neasan took Keeva’s hand. “I am so sorry for you, my dear Keeva, but I could not deny my duty. I was to be a prince of Panagu and serve our realm in that capacity. It was my destiny, my honor, my privilege. I could not refuse. But loved you truly, I did.”

  Keeva held Neasan’s hand to her cheek. “I was so hurt, so angry! Yours is the only real love I’ve ever had.” She kissed his hand. “I was so young. A girl. A child, really. It was not fair. My life was not fair!”

  Keeva turned to her father and sat up on her knees. “I was alone on my terrace. No mother. No siblings. I didn’t even have a father! I had a king! Who else was there? Iragram?” She began sobbing again, her words losing strength as they fell from her mouth.

  Now it was King Brecan’s turn to kneel beside Keeva. From the distance, Jessica thought his face suddenly looked old and worn out. He put an arm around her heaving body, attempting to console his daughter. Once again, aside from Keeva’s sobs, silence reigned.

  Jessica and Conall walked over to Laughlin, who was still sitting next to Yasna, his hand resting on her shoulder. Yasna was gaping at the scene in front of her.

  Jessica kneeled beside her and gently touched her shoulder. Yasna absently glanced at her and returned to staring at Keeva.

  “You okay, brother?” asked Conall, his voice soft.

  “Aye. We both are,” Laughlin said, nodding toward Yasna.

  “She would have killed me.” Yasna looked at Conall and Laughlin, her eyes incredulous. “And not because she was wronged. Not because she desired justice. But out of jealousy.”

  Keeva, who was close enough to overhear her daughter, took her hands from her tear-streaked face and turned to her.

  “Yasna. My daughter. I—”

  “You would have killed me,” said Yasna again, this time more firmly.

  “Please forgive me. I hurt so and knew not what I was doing.” Keeva reached out her hand toward her. “Please come to your mother.”

  Yasna shook her head and looked down. “I cannot. You have lost my heart. You have lost my love.”

  Keeva broke down again in despairing sobs.

  Jessica studied Keeva. It was hard not to feel sorry for her. Still, it was also hard to accept that she would dedicate her life to seek revenge at the expense of many innocents—innocents that included the Kyne brothers.

  Yet to reject a mother’s love, and to condemn her to suffer her misery alone, was a heavy burden for a daughter to carry. She remembered her own heavy burden and the effect it had on her life.

  “How long?” she asked Yasna without even thinking about her words.

  Yasna looked at her, cocking her head to one side and slightly knitting her brow. “What do you mean?”

  “How long must Keeva be without your love?” Jessica glanced at Conall knowingly. “Hasn’t she already suffered from the loss of her only love? For years?”

  Yasna did not say anything. She looked down then looked back at Jessica. Her face was soft now. She glanced at Laughlin, who was holding her hands loosely, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. She then broke away and strode to her mother, kneeled beside her, and wrapped her arms around her.

  King Brecan slowly stood and wiped his face. Once his composure had been restored, he stepped up on a nearby bench and cleared his throat. “Please, I have something important to say to everyone.” He looked over at the Derfarian bystanders and waved them nearer. “I feel I must apologize for my daughter’s actions. Because of her noxious accusations, we declared war against Panagu and, given the chance, would have destroyed many lives. Thankfully, we were never able to act on our war declaration.”

  He then turned to Conall. “Thank you for having the courage to keep the mirclair out of Keeva’s hands despite great risk to yourself and your two brothers. All three of you have suffered unnecessarily, losing your family to the passage of time as you stood for centuries planted in a forest.”

  “I appreciate your thanks, King Brecan,” said Conall. “Though if truth be told, it does little to help our current plight. Is it possible to make our temporary relief from the tree curse more permanent?”

  King Brecan nodded and frowned at Keeva. “I suspect there is another confession we must hear from my daughter. I have never heard of temporary relief from a luth transformation.” He kneeled beside Keeva, cupped his hand under her chin, and tilted her tear-streaked face toward him. “Tell me, my daughter. Is there any danger of these boys returning to the form of trees?”

  Keeva, her eyes barely recognizing her father, shook her head. “No. It was a lie. The transformation is permanent. It was a ploy to get them to do my bidding.”

  With that, a collective sigh of relief came from Conall, Jessica, and Laughlin. Jessica and Conall turned to one another and grasped each other in an enthusiastic hug, with Jessica jumping up and down with excitement. And this time, it was her turn to surprise Conall by giving him a passionate kiss. Laughlin whooped loudly and ran to Yasna. They all found one another hugging together in one moving, laughing, joyful, relieved mass.

  Now that the danger was passed, the War Gryphons transformed back to men. More Derfarians gathered in the plaza around them, all of them talking at once. The Panaguans relaxed on the stone bench while
King Neasan and King Brecan conversed. Jessica listened to Conall explain the white powder on them to Laughlin, who introduced them to Yasna. After a few minutes, Jessica quietly stepped away from the happy crowd to regroup.

  She felt so proud and relieved and, well, complete. Everything was okay, but more importantly, she felt she was okay—really felt it. No more penitence. Conall was right. Curtis’s death was not her doing. It was tragic and sad, so much so she could still feel the grief of his death. But she didn’t have to carry the guilt or shame of it. It wasn’t her fault.

  There was some space around the grief now. The accident happened. For whatever the reason, it just did. Curtis chose to act foolishly that day, whether from the pain of rejection or fear of something else that Jessica could never know or understand. It was his decision that led to his death. Her telling him she loved him when she didn’t really know for sure may or may not have changed anything, but it would not have been the truth. She was always honest with him. And she did her best to do what she could once he had fallen. But she did not cause him to die.

  This she now felt deeply within herself. She could, and would, go on now with that knowledge.

  She looked around at the strange crowd gathered on the plaza. She couldn’t believe how this all worked out. One minute she thought she would be executed, the next a giant serpent was reduced to a distraught Keeva confessing two hundred years of anguish, and now, the discovery that the Kyne brothers were free of the danger of becoming trees again. Wait till I tell Riley.

  Wait, where is Riley? And Meyler for that matter.

  Forty-Nine

  Jessica turned to Conall. “Do you think Riley and Meyler are at the pine grove waiting for us?”

  Conall took a quick glance around the plaza and nodded. “Aye, no doubt.”

  “They will be thrilled to hear the good news.”

  But Conall didn’t respond. He was staring and obviously puzzled. Jessica followed his gaze, which was directed to a nearby bench.