Heartmender

by V. Romas Burton

  "Are you really here this time?" She narrowed her eyes. "Or are you going to vanish in a puff of smoke like before?"

  I suppressed a laugh, allowing a smile. Claire could be falling off the edge of a cliff and still have enough strength to complain about how the cliff wasn't high enough to kill her.

  "Yes, I'm really here this time."

  "Well, good." She snorted. "It's about time. Ophidian's going nuts."

  "What do you mean?"

  For once, Claire didn't tell me to not be stupid. Her face paled, her eyes bulging as she looked past me. "I know he's making them. Hundreds. Thousands. I hear their screams until they’re silenced forever."

  I pressed my face against the iron rods. "Making what?"

  Her face drained of all color as she looked at me with wide eyes. “Terrible creatures at least three humans tall. Their bodies are cloaked in black mist, except for the one spot on their faces that’s a single red eye. They never blink and are always watching. They're a thousand times worse than the siti. In one glance, a malum can take your heart and corrupt it, making you turn against all you know is good. They're like the siti, because they crave life. But they won't stand and wait for you to defend yourself. The malum destroy you from the inside out." Claire leaned her head against the wall of her cell and closed her eyes. "You would beg to be attacked by the siti if you came face-to-face with a malum."

  I took slow, deep breaths to calm my racing heart. A malum. That's what I had seen in the vision before. But how was Ophidian making them? My mind immediately thought back to all the people in the cells. Why were they here? There was only one reason why Ophidian had all these people locked in cells: they were ingredients for his new monsters. I had to get Claire out of here.

  "He must be using the people from the Choices to create them,” I said. “But how does he transform one into the other?” Maybe if we could stop the process, we could stop any more malum from being created.

  Claire shook her head, rattling her chains. "I don't know. I just hear the screams. They've tormented me day and night. This must be the reason why he wanted me to get people through the Choices, Addie. Why he allowed me to leave this realm.” Distraught, she gripped her hands over her knees and began to rock back and forth.

  "We need to leave, now," I said, crouching down, still holding the iron bars.

  "Addie, if Ophidian finds you, you're dead. He's already irate that you've made it this far. He knows you're here for Lyle, and he’ll do whatever he can to stop you. Leave me and find your brother."

  I shook my head and laughed. Claire narrowed her eyes.

  "Don't be stupid.” I stood up and pointed the sword at the cell bars. "We're going together."

  I rotated the sword behind me. With all the strength I could muster, I swung it into the cell bars. The iron dissipated into the musk of the cave.

  Claire stared wide-eyed at her freedom. "Whoa."

  I gave her a smug smile as I held the sword aloft again and carefully sliced through her bonds, releasing her from her chains.

  "Oh, wipe that stupid grin off your face," she growled, rubbing the blood off her wrists. "You owed me, anyway."

  Nodding in agreement, I offered her my hand and helped her from her cell. The tormented screams had stopped. Hopefully, no one had heard us.

  "We need to be careful," Claire whispered as we moved through the cave. "Ophidian has eyes everywhere. He probably already knows you're here."

  Nodding again, I followed her into the abyss until the walls widened into a large cavern. As we drew closer, a faint dripping echoed from above. I looked up and watched the steady droplets fall from the stone ceiling to the ground, collecting on the earth below. From a pool in the ground, the droplets slid toward the rushing water, which beat against the sides of the cave. A river? I hadn't seen any signs of water since I had entered Ophidian's Realm.

  Claire crouched and crawled on her hands and knees. I did the same.

  We crawled behind a pile of large boulders surrounding the perimeter of the cavern. As I reached my hand out to move forward, I noticed the glow of the sword had become dimmer. I prayed to the Heavens that it was because it wanted to keep us hidden, not because it had lost strength.

  We continued moving until we found a break in the line of boulders, allowing a path to cut through. Claire placed her arm in front of me, alerting me to stop.

  The sound of chains dragging along the ground echoed around us. Claire gave a nod before we flattened our bodies on the ground, hiding ourselves from view. Soon enough, I spied the face that I had come to curse for the past seven years.

  Schism strolled into view, arrogant as always, wearing a vicious grin on his face. In his hand, a rusted metal chain extended back into a tunnel similar to the one we had come from. As he passed us, I saw that his other hand had been replaced by ebony stone. A smug satisfaction came over me, knowing I was the one who had sliced it off.

  He growled savagely as he yanked hard on the chain. "Cease your struggling!"

  Schism pulled the chain as he walked closer and closer to the center of the cavern. I started to move, but Claire placed her hand on my shoulder, stopping me again. When I looked back to her, she nodded in the direction of the chain.

  A long line of people filed in, each bound to the next, held by horribly rusted chains. I stared as they dragged by. Some were men, some were women. Some were fully human. Some had already begun to transform into monsters. Many had missing arms or hopped on one leg, reminding me of what Claire had said about those who made it through Ira’s Vindicae.

  As the line went on, the variety of shapes and sizes of people continued to appear. Some had pale skin that amplified their cuts and bruises. Others’ skin was flawless, but crazed looks swarmed over their faces as their heads jerked back and forth. Had Ophidian really captured all of them? I couldn't see why they would come here on their own.

  The line soon came to an abrupt halt in front of us.

  "Move!" Schism yelled, pulling on the chain.

  The bodies flew forward, but the chain strained and pulled back into the tunnel.

  "Fracious, can you not control our guests?" an irritated voice asked.

  I shuddered, remembering the sound of that voice. For the first time, I was hearing it straight from the mouth of the Beast himself.

  "Of course I can, my liege," Schism replied in a way that was hardly convincing. "It's probably that boy from Barracks again."

  My heart jumped. The boy from Barracks. Could it really be him?

  "Take care of it," Ophidian muttered, clearly annoyed.

  Claire and I shifted our bodies farther into the darkness as Schism's feet stomped dangerously close to our hiding place and back toward the tunnel. I held my breath in anticipation, praying for the face I hadn't seen in seven years.

  Schism's footsteps resonated off the cave walls as he wrapped his pale fingers tightly around the chain. With a clenched jaw, he yanked the chain as hard as he could. A body flew from the tunnel and landed right in front of the boulder we were hiding behind.

  I stifled a cry. After all these years, after all this time, Lyle was still alive.

  Chapter 33

  I was ready to reach out to Lyle when Schism's foot slammed into his spine, planting him into the ground with a sickening crack.

  "You're lucky my master has deemed you fit for Aeternam Scientia, or you would be mine to devour."

  Claire's grip tightened on my forearm. I couldn't tell if she was trying to hold me back or herself.

  Glued to the scene playing out inches from us, we watched as Lyle reared his head and spat at Schism’s leg. I couldn't stop my heart from swelling with pride.

  Schism let out a loud roar, black claws extending from his fingertips.

  "Fracious,” Ophidian warned like a mother disciplining her child. "We need him alive."

  Schism’s claw swung toward Lyle’s face, and Lyle jerked away. A degrading laugh erupted from Schism’s throat as he retracted his claws. He dug his heel
deeper into Lyle's spine, delivering a disgusting crunch that made me wince.

  Lyle cried out, causing his broken spectacles to slide down his nose. It took everything within me not to rush over to him.

  Lifting his foot, Schism jabbed his toe into Lyle's ribs before strolling away, dragging my brother’s limp body with him.

  "If you're quite through trying my patience, I would like to get on with the ceremony,” Ophidian’s voice sneered.

  Claire and I exchanged a look before quietly crawling to where two boulders were almost touching, creating a small crevice for us to look through.

  The cavern had a vast dome with the potential to house thousands of creatures. Stalactites of various sizes descended from the ceiling, dripping droplets of black liquid onto the red, clay floor. The droplets formed puddles that flowed into one another, creating a steady stream that fed into the rushing river behind the boulders on the far side of the cavern.

  I squinted into the distance, hoping that the stream led to an exit. In the center of the cavern stood a large, black mound. I couldn't see what it was made of from so far away, but my heart knew. Hundreds of thousands of black hearts were piled on top of one another. Black hearts that used to be red and alive. What had happened to their owners?

  Upon the mound of black hearts rested a throne of skulls, each one representing the previous owner, who must have suffered immensely before their death. On it sat the Beast, adorned in flowing, dark robes, giving off the appearance of royalty. A pompous smirk played upon his thin lips as he twirled a set of keys around his index finger.

  I glanced over at Claire. The scowl on her face confirmed what I was thinking.

  "Welcome." Ophidian arose from his throne and extended his arms toward the chained people in a welcoming gesture.

  It was unbelievable how deceptive his appearance was. Besides the glimmer of his blackened robes and deathly pale skin, his face could be described as nothing other than beautiful. If it wasn't for his snake-like eyes and the identical serpent tattoos curling from his neck to his temples, I would have been completely enthralled.

  Ophidian smiled widely as he looked at his guests. "Welcome to the seventh Choice of the Seven Choices. You should all be proud. These past few days, months, or even years have been tough on all of you. I know some of you have had a harder time choosing than others."

  Ophidian descended the mound of black hearts with his hands clasped behind his back, the heads of the snake tattoos slithering around his yellow eyes with each step. The hearts tumbled out from under his feet, rolling and colliding with one another until they reached the hard, red clay below.

  He stalked toward the line of chained people, growling at Schism as he passed. Schism placed his ebony hand across his chest and bowed so low, I thought he would snap in half. Ophidian didn't give him another glance.

  The man in the very front cast his eyes downward, as if averting his gaze would make him invisible. Though Ophidian noticed him, the Beast didn't look entirely interested.

  Farther down, a petite woman shook so hard that the rattling of her chains echoed throughout the cavern. When Ophidian passed her, he gave her a dashing smile, causing her to shake more. He let out a heinous laugh, breathy and quick, before patting the woman on the head. If it weren't for the chains linking her to the person in front and behind her, I was positive she would have bolted.

  Ophidian continued down the line until he reached a tall, lanky man. The man was neither old nor young. He had jet-black hair with pale skin and red freckles. Next to the Beast, the man looked like a child. But unlike the other quivering people, he stood proudly.

  "Isn't that right, Lucas? You had some difficulty leaving the fourth Choice, did you not?"

  The man named Lucas gave Ophidian an arrogant smirk and shrugged his chained shoulders. "What can I say? The ladies love me."

  I looked over to Claire, whose face was so contorted in disgust, I thought she would vomit.

  "But you left it of your own accord?" Ophidian inquired.

  I blinked a few times, looking back to Claire for further explanation. She gave a quick shrug and focused back on the man.

  "Yeah," Lucas said, nonchalantly. "The ladies will always love me, but if I know everything, I could have them and all the power in the realms."

  Ophidian nodded thoughtfully. "Very good, Lucas. Your heart is right where it should be."

  Continuing down the line, Ophidian grazed a few more people with his slender fingers, as if inspecting their quality of life. But it wasn't until he reached the end of the line that I held my breath.

  "Ah, here he is. The young man who has been causing so many problems in my realm." Ophidian spread his arms toward Lyle with the same grin he had used before, the serpents on his brow coiling to his jaw bone.

  Lyle may have been losing his mind, but his expressions hadn't changed at all. Very rarely had he become angry with me, but when he had, he would give me the exact look he was giving Ophidian. Beneath the broken glass, his eyes had lost their beautiful sparkle and thirst for life, beaten until nothing was left but cold metal.

  Claire grabbed my wrist. I knew she was just as worried as I was.

  Ophidian circled him like a vulture, but Lyle's glare never wavered from Ophidian's beautiful face.

  "Yes," the Beast sneered again. "The boy from Barracks. When you first traded your heart, I was convinced you would never make it past the doors. Little did I know, you would make it all the way to the Final Choice."

  "I didn't make it here on my own," Lyle said coldly. He let out a gasp and grabbed his back, but then straightened his spectacles and his stance until he stood tall.

  I stared, fixated on Lyle. His voice had changed, too. It was deep and hollow. Claire's grip tightened on my wrist as we watched the exchange.

  "Yes, yes." Ophidian swatted his hand toward Lyle in annoyance. "But you have no idea who helped you, do you?"

  For the first time in seven years, I saw a glimmer of the Lyle I knew. His hard look softened, the blue in his eyes becoming lighter, as he attempted to reposition his spectacles by tilting his head back. By the way he furrowed his brows, I could tell he was trying to remember.

  "I know there was someone," he said in a distant tone. "She was so kind."

  Claire was starting to turn my fingers blue. I gently shook my hand, making her aware of her strength. She loosened her grip but remained latched to me for support. She clearly couldn't stand Lyle being out there alone any more than I could.

  "Yes. Well, we have a special treat for her. As well as your sister."

  Lyle's eyes widened to the size of moons, his spectacles sliding to the tip of his nose.

  "Addie," he whispered, seeming to lose all hatred and contempt. "She's here? No. NO!" he screamed. "Why is she here?"

  I bit back a cry as another crack split through my heart. Reaching for my chest and the satchel, I held back the pain and tears that so desperately wanted to break loose.

  I couldn't bear to see Lyle in this state. He was so brilliant and intelligent; now he was reduced to nothing. What was worse was how quickly he jumped to defend and protect me, like things had never changed. He still cared.

  Tired of Lyle's antics, Ophidian raised his hand and backhanded him across the cheek. Lyle’s spectacles flew from his face, glass raining down as they shattered upon impact. But Lyle refused to fall. A large, red spot emerged on his cheek.

  "Just like you, she chose to be here."

  "Please," Lyle murmured, desperation lacing his words. "Please. She doesn't know. She doesn't know anything."

  "Ah, and there is the problem," Ophidian shouted, lifting his hands into the air. He walked toward the front of the line. "Each and every one of you has made it this far because you want one thing: knowledge."

  An uneasy feeling crept up the back of my neck as I remembered Claire's story about her mother.

  "You want to know," Ophidian continued, "how things happen, what they mean, and most commonly, why they happen. Isn't that right
, boy from Barracks?"

  I drew in a deep breath, remembering Lyle's thirst for knowledge. How he loved to research and study something until he knew all he could about it. Was that how Ophidian lured him here?

  "I don't want to know!" Lyle yelled from the back of the line. All those chained in front of him turned toward him, their faces stricken with fear.

  "It's too late!" Ophidian growled, his voice deepening, echoing off the walls. "You've made your choice."

  He marched back toward Lyle. Suddenly, I felt the growing fear that if I didn't act now, I'd lose him forever.

  Heaving the sword, I moved away from the boulder. Claire's hand clasped my shoulder, forcing me to pause. Then I saw what she was gawking at. The small, shaking woman from before had stepped out of line.

  With her separated from the rest, I was able to get a closer look at her. Her hair was cropped short to her chin, the same length as mine, but was a shade of obsidian. A slight wave covered half her face. Her creamy complexion was flawless, neither blemished nor bruised by the Choices she had endured.

  "My lord," she said in a voice that was more confident than I expected, considering how petrified she looked.

  Ophidian whipped his head around, his pupils slits and his teeth bared as he let out a throaty growl. His tattoos spiraled into springs, amplifying his irritation at the interruption.

  "The boy is an imbecile and knows nothing of Aeternam Scientia." She bowed low, beckoning Ophidian closer.

  His shoulders straightened, the snakes on his cheeks smoothing from their coiled state as she spoke.

  "If you find me worthy, I would be honored to receive your knowledge,” she continued.

  Ophidian's demeanor instantly changed. His lips twisted into a grin as his eyes gleamed with delight at his new specimen. The inky serpents on his pale skin straightened, smoothly slithering toward Ophidian’s brow once more. The once-evil overlord had transformed into a gracious friend.

  "Oh, my dear." He gave the woman another gentle pat. "I always knew you'd be the one."