by Allison West
"What's that?" Arianna asked. "Can I see?" She stepped farther into the bedroom, coming to stand beside her mother. Arianna noticed her mother's brown eyes had turned black along with her hair, and her light beige skin was ghastly white. "What have you done?"
"Made myself important," her mother said. "Don't you feel it?" Her eyes glowed amber as she shut the empty box.
"Feel what?" Arianna asked, afraid of the answer.
"Power."
That was the last time she had seen Eilith. Since then, the mother she'd known had died. She stayed away from her and vowed never to leave the academy. Seeing her hadn't been something she had ever considered—until Willow disappeared. Willow was important to Orenda and to the other world just a step away. The other world was no secret, just like the one they lived in, but it existed outside their realm.
Arianna's face turned pale as the sword in her hand fell to her side, paralyzed by her mother's magic. They all stood, helpless by Eilith's magic.
Eilith smiled cruelly as she stepped closer to her daughter. "Arianna." Her finger reached up, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear. "You've grown up so well." She tilted Arianna's chin up toward her face, staring deep into her eyes, reading her soul, as though trying to learn every secret Arianna held. Eilith winced before she brought her hand down. "It's a shame you've wasted such power and life with these mortals. I could give you so much more, my daughter. A world of power and wealth, of happiness and purity." Eilith swam in her delusions as she imagined a world with the two of them ruling together. "I could have turned you into something special—immortal, like me."
Rawlie's hands balled into fists at his side, trying to fight the spell. His face was red, his body rigid.
"You're my daughter; you'll come with me," Eilith said with insistence as she stared at Arianna.
Arianna fought the spell and the fog clouding her mind. "No," she said, fighting against her mother. She wasn't her family, not anymore.
"No?" The smile fell from Eilith's lips.
Arianna stared her mother down, unafraid of the sorceress she had become. "I won't go with you."
Eilith put her hand down, letting the spell vanish around her. "You won't? Why not?"
"You can't force someone to love you, but you can start with letting Willow go home." Arianna wasn't sure she could ever forgive her mother for the damage she'd done to their world.
Eilith's bottom lip jutted out. She was annoyed. "Willow is over there. I no longer need her anyhow." She gestured through the drapes toward a cot against the window. Rawlie was the first to run over, pushing aside a curtain. Willow's eyes remained shut, her head bandaged. She didn't move. Eilith said, "I hope with time, you'll see that what I've done is all for you, Arianna. I went in search of Pandora's box to give you strength. I want you to come home."
Strength? She'd gained it, but not in any way that her mother would have planned.
"What'd you do to Willow?" An enormous rush of anger surged through Rawlie's body.
Eilith held up a hand, stopping him from stepping any closer to her. "She did it to herself. She'll be fine in a few days perhaps, or she could drink this." Eilith walked to a side table, revealing a vial of sparkling green liquid. "Pour this down her throat, and in a few minutes, she'll be good as new. However, there are always side effects of magic." Eilith's expression was grim, not revealing her emotions. "But it's the only way if you plan on taking her home with you."
Rawlie shook his head. "It's probably poison. I'll carry her myself." Rawlie bent down and lifted her into his arms, carrying her out of the room.
Hudson grabbed the potion from the table without a word.
"Why would you help us?" Arianna asked her mother.
"Aside from a deal I made, I needed something from Willow. Now that I have it, you're free to go."
Chapter 7
Potions and Poisons
"We need to get to the edge of the forest," Hudson said. "We'll be safe outside Eilith's territory."
"How far is that?" Lil asked. She glanced at Rawlie as he carried an unconscious Willow in his arms. It was strange to see another version of herself. Lil tried not to stare, knowing if she paused, it could be the difference between life and death.
"Just a few miles north," Hudson said.
Rawlie cleared his throat. "We need to keep moving."
"You want me to carry her?" Hudson offered.
"No, I've got her." Rawlie refused to let go.
The forest stretched on, seeming endless. A loud whoosh swept through the forest, and a shadow quickly fell over the group. Lil glanced up, expecting to see clouds hiding the sun. Instead, a creature circled the sky and dove lower.
"What's that?" Lil asked, reaching for the sword on her back.
"Probably a dragon," Rawlie said.
A hush fell over them. Rawlie placed Willow on the grass. Together, he, Arianna, Hudson, Lil, and Jamie stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle, drawing their weapons. Rawlie pushed Bray into the center of the circle, protecting the most vulnerable.
Lil felt her heart jolt, like a train on the tracks. "Please, tell me you're kidding." Lil wasn't finding any of this funny. She gripped the sword, prepared to fight whatever creature attacked them—man or beast.
"Rawlie doesn't have a sense of humor," Hudson said. He stood tall beside her, dagger in hand.
Lil glanced at Rawlie's dagger and grinned. "Bet you're wishing yours was longer right now." She was glad they'd given her a sword. Although, if the dragon was anything like the ones in the movies, she had no intention of getting up close and personal with it.
"This is no time for joking around," Rawlie said, annoyed.
A brown and red dragon moved into the forest. It was smaller than Lil would have expected, but the wings expanded far beyond the size of her house. "Does he spit fire?"
"Fire?" Hudson laughed. "No. They're not that kind of creature. I think I read about those beasts once. Dragons consume everything. It's one of the reasons the land is dead. They don't breathe fire; they steal it—the warmth and energy that is life. Then, they return obediently to Eilith. She siphons off their power and releases them. It's a vicious cycle. They search out new prey and return again."
Lil stood firm, sword-in-hand, staring at the beast as it flew directly at her. "How do I kill it?" She raised the sword above her head with two hands.
Hudson glanced at her. "With what we taught you. The dragon is no different than a man."
"It has wings and is flying at me. I'd say it's different!" Lil shouted, slicing through the air with the sword. She landed a blow to the dragon's side, slicing it open, as Hudson threw his dagger into the beast. It squawked angrily.
"Now, what?" Lil asked. The dragon struggled but flew back into the sky and quickly straight down.
"We run?" Bray asked, staring up at the beast coming down toward him. He ducked, covering Willow with his body.
"I'm getting my dagger back," Hudson said. "It's only a baby dragon."
If he was afraid, Lil didn't see fear in his eyes.
"Close the gap," he said.
The group tightened around Bray and Willow as Hudson stepped toward the beast. It jumped and sputtered, attempting to fly but unable to do so. "I won't hurt you," Hudson said in a soothing tone.
Lil snorted. No, he wouldn't hurt the dragon; he'd kill it. She watched, sword drawn. "Do you want my sword?" She momentarily forgot that it would be even heavier for him to possess.
"No need." Hudson methodically approached the dragon. Its eyes closed, and its head bent down. The dragon heaved and quietly squawked in protest. It was dying. With one gentle hand assuring the dragon he meant no harm, Hudson reached his other hand closer to the dagger. He withdrew the blade, hearing an ear-piercing screech. The dragon wasn't happy, but it didn't matter. The beast took three more breaths before it exhausted itself, dead.
Approaching the edge of the forest, the group saw a rainbow of sorts with lush, green grass and a pale pink sky. The trees were
filled with leaves, and buds blossomed on their branches.
Rawlie groaned, guiding Willow onto her back, laying her down on the grassy field. She hadn't woken up or shown any sign of consciousness. "Hudson, please if you can do anything…" His voice trailed off, laced with concern.
"I can try," Hudson said, bending down onto his knees as he rested a hand over Willow's head. "She's hurt pretty badly," he said, concentrating as he touched her. "If I wake her up and this doesn't work, she's going to be in a lot of pain." At least now, she was unconscious.
"We need to get her on her feet and back to the academy," Rawlie said. "Anything you can do would help."
"I'm trying." Hudson caressed her forehead and closed his eyes.
"What's going on?" Bray asked, watching Hudson hover over Willow.
"He's trying to heal Willow," Rawlie said.
Nothing seemed to happen.
"Except, it's not my ability." Hudson sighed and pulled the elixir from his pocket, seemingly defeated. "We have this." He popped the tiny cork from the vial. Hudson tilted Willow's head back and the sparkling green liquid slid down her throat.
"You don't know what you've done." Rawlie moved closer, pushing Hudson out of the way. He pulled open one of Willow's eyes to have a look. "It could have been cursed!"
Jamie's bottom lip quivered. "Cursed? My sister is cursed?" The same fear that was in his voice seemed to be creeping into all of them.
Hudson shook his head in denial. "It wasn't cursed. If Eilith wanted to curse Willow, she'd have already done it. I still believe she needs her alive."
Bray didn't say a word.
Willow, lying on the ground with her head still bandaged, stirred. She groaned in pain as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered opened, and she pushed Rawlie and Hudson away, feeling them both hover over her. They scooted back. She sat up, surveying the surrounding scene. "What happened?"
Jamie's voice choked up as he rushed over, throwing his arms around his sister's small frame. "We rescued you."
Willow smiled, taking his hand to help herself stand. "Look who we have here."
Lil stared at Willow, seeing her startling reflection. It was strange, and it wasn't feeling any less weird.
Willow reached out and touched a strand of Lil's golden hair, highlighted from being in Orenda. "Thanks for coming."
"Like I had a choice," Lil said, faking a smile and sounding exactly like Willow. "I'm Lil." She offered her hand, introducing herself.
"Can you walk?" Rawlie asked Willow. "We need to get out of here. Now isn't the time for pleasantries."
"Yeah, I think so." Willow seemed steady on her feet. "I'm glad you came." She glanced at Lil and then at Bray. "And I'm glad you survived."
They made it back to the academy in record time. The forest had protected them from Eilith, and the seven of them had refused to let up for a moment as they raced through the expansive land toward the one safe place.
Reaching the entrance, Rawlie held up his hand, granting them all access inside the academy.
They headed inside the building to the library. "I didn't know you were Eilith's daughter." Lil had only been in Orenda a little over a day. Even if it was common knowledge, they had refrained from sharing that information with her.
Hudson smiled. "I knew."
"So did I," Rawlie said.
"Wait, what?" Willow asked and turned to Arianna. "You're Eilith's daughter?" Willow's eyes narrowed as her eyes darted across at Rawlie. Had he ever planned on telling her the truth?
Hudson cleared his throat. "I met Arianna at the sacred springs two days after the Scourge had ravaged most of Orenda. The Mystics had kept her safe. In the first few days, Eilith had gained enormous power and was draining the life from the land, killing innocent families and destroying everything in her path."
Arianna sighed, sitting down on the floor. "I witnessed my mother opening Pandora's box. In that moment, she changed. I remember going to the sacred springs with her. She wanted even more power, but the Mystics denied her entrance. Once I stepped foot onto their land, she couldn't see me, and I hid in the stream until she left. I don't remember being there more than a few hours."
"Mystics?" Bray asked. He grabbed a seat on the carpet beside the fireplace.
"They protect the springs, tend to the land, and from time to time, the Mystics bring Nightblood survivors to the academy," Hudson said. "The few over the years who have joined us have lost their lives returning to battle. Nightblood Academy has become more like Nightblood Sanctuary."
"Why didn't Eilith come after Arianna sooner?" Jamie asked.
"Power went to her head. She probably forgot about me," Arianna said.
Hudson disagreed, "I think today proved that isn't true. She does care about you, even if she can't show it. She let us go. She could have easily killed us or held us all captive."
"Whatever she wanted, she got from us." Willow rubbed her hand over the injection mark on her arm and winced.
"I don't think we'll be so lucky next time," Arianna said.
Bray cleared his throat. "I don't want there to be a next time. When do we go home? No offense, but I don't want another encounter with Eilith."
"I understand." Willow reached out a hand and grazed her palm over Bray's arm, thinking of his world. She would keep his secrets. "Take it easy." Bray disappeared before their eyes. A strange coldness spread through Willow's veins, causing a shiver to course through her body and her heart to momentarily skip a beat. She winced, and the sensation tingled down into her fingers, causing another slight tremor before it disappeared completely. Something wasn't right. Hopefully, Bray made it home safely.
"I'd like to go home too," Lil said.
"Thanks for holding down the fort while I was gone." Willow smiled weakly. She reached forward, grazing Lil's arm in the same way she had Bray's. This time, though, nothing happened. Willow put her hand down, frowning. Why hadn't it worked? Willow rubbed her temples. This wasn't good.
"Something's wrong." Willow stood and paced the length of the room.
"I-I…" Lil stammered, glancing between each of them. She crossed her arms. Willow had just sent Bray back; why hadn't it worked again? Did she need to recharge, like a battery? Maybe if they waited a few hours, then she could go home.
Willow stumbled forward, falling onto the sofa. "Oh, that's bad." She leaned forward, her head in her hands.
"What is it?" Rawlie asked.
"Something felt off after I sent Bray back, and now, I have an awful headache," Willow said.
"It could be from hitting your head." Hudson glanced at Rawlie. It was a wonder she was doing as well as she had been; she probably had a concussion.
Rawlie eyed Hudson skeptically. "I was thinking the potion might have done it."
"Potion?" Willow didn't remember taking any potion. "What are you talking about?" Her voice hitched.
"Forget it," Rawlie said. "No sense in worrying you. I'm sure it's nothing."
"How am I supposed to forget what you just said? Tell me what happened. You owe me an explanation. What'd I take?" Her head shot up, and she grimaced as she stared at Rawlie. "I trusted you!"
"You were unconscious," Hudson said. "We were running out of time and gave you something to help you wake up."
"Where'd you get the potion from, Hudson?" Willow asked.
He hung his head in shame. "Eilith."
Willow crossed her arms across her chest. "That's what I felt, the discharge of energy when I sent Bray home. She wanted to make me vulnerable, so she could spread the Scourge to your world. We're screwed, and so is your world."
Rawlie held up a hand, trying to calm her nerves. "Maybe it's just temporary? You did just send Bray back. It's possible you've overexerted yourself."
"It's more likely I used the remaining power that I had stored inside of me, and now, I'm incapable of opening another gate between worlds," Willow said.
"So, how do I get home?" Lil asked cautiously. "Rawlie can take me back, right? H
e brought me here."
Rawlie frowned, glancing down at his lap. "Yeah, I'm sorry, but it doesn't work like that, Lil."
"What do you mean, it doesn't work like that?" Lil asked. Her eyes widened, and she felt the air sucked from her lungs. She was so close to going home, and to have it taken from her was unacceptable.
"Rawlie was able to come find you because I sent him over as a last resort when Eilith attacked me," Willow said. "What I can't understand is how you came over the first time, in your dream." She glanced at Rawlie. "There's no other way, is there?"
Hudson watched their exchange. "What are we talking about?"
Rawlie walked over to the shelf and retrieved a book. "The sacred springs."
Hudson raised an eye. "You aren't serious? We don't know the ramifications of Willow being introduced after already having a gift. Even if it vanished or is dormant, you don't know what it could do to her."
Rawlie shook his head. "That's not what I'm thinking, Hudson. There's another idea, one no one has suggested," he said as his eyes landed on Lil.
Hudson glanced from Lil to Rawlie. "No way. You're not subjecting Lil to an experiment that might work. It could cause irreversible damage—she's not from our world! There's no guarantee she truly is a Nightblood. She can hold the sword without struggling, and she has powers within her. But she's different, and we don't understand what she can do yet."
"What powers do I have?" Lil asked softly.
Rawlie glared at Hudson to shut up before turning to face Lil. "We don't know. There were stories when we were children about others who would travel between worlds to attend Nightblood Academy, but most of us thought they were just stories. No one ever admitted to being from another world. We were young, though, none of us ever had the chance to graduate or ask questions. Hudson's right; we have no idea what will happen if you're in the presence of the sacred springs. I don't see another way to get you home."
"I'll do it." Lil didn't care about the risk. She'd been through hell and back already. What was the worst that could happen?