The Cursed Key

by Miranda Brock

  My assault hit my target square in the face, and he crumpled wordlessly to the ground, disintegrated. The other soldier rushed up behind me. I could sense him, like a black shadow pressing against my skin, but before I could turn, his arms wrapped around me.

  For a moment, I struggled against his grip. Then he pressed a knife, cold and thin as ice, to my throat.

  He tugged me backward, and I had no delusions that he was taking me anywhere but to the mage. But I was determined to get to Vehrin on my own terms. Not wasting another breath, I quickly jabbed my captor in the ribs with a sharp elbow.

  I may as well have hit a pillow. His body seemed to mold around my strike. He quickly pinned my arms against my sides.

  How was I supposed to get away from somebody I couldn’t even attack?

  Magic.

  It had worked on the other shadowy soldiers. It would be difficult to launch an attack with my arms held to me, but I was able to get my hand to his leg. I let my power go free.

  The man didn’t yell, but I could feel a buzzing sensation rippling through him. He jerked away. I pivoted and thrust a blazing fist into his chest. He arched back and hit the ground in a burst of cinders.

  After stepping back from the remains, I wheeled around in search of the mage. He was standing quite a distance away, his arms folded behind his back and his stare intent as if he were watching a riveting show.

  Before I could make my way to him, more of Vehrin’s soldiers charged toward me. I ground my teeth. I didn’t have time for this. Somewhere behind me, Kael snarled. He was surely locked in a battle with the massive black panther once again.

  Anger burned hot inside me as fierce as the magic that wrapped around my fingers. As the group of soldiers neared, I rushed forward to meet them. I would have never believed I would be capable of fighting so many attackers simultaneously, but whether it was frustration or adrenaline, I sent forth one attack after the other. With each hit that landed, the soldiers erupted into puffs of black smoke.

  Finally, there were only two left. They tried to catch me off guard by breaking away as the ones before them had, but I sidestepped into one of their paths. As he reached for me, I ducked and hurdled my body into his. We hit the ground, and in the turmoil, my hands managed to find his throat.

  Again, the shadow-wrought man made no noise. His mouth opened wordlessly, and his eyes bulged under my touch until he burst into fine ash, leaving my hands dark with smears of soot.

  In my peripheral, the remaining soldier charged at me. I threw my arm out, letting my magic fly from my fingertips just as the man reached for me. I squeezed my eyes shut against the cloud of ebony dust that billowed out.

  I drew my arm across my brow to stop sweat from dripping into my eye, though I likely did little more than smear the ash across my face. I peered around, allowing myself a momentary breath of relief that no more soldiers seemed to be heading my way.

  It didn’t seem possible that I had killed all of them, but now I had a clear path to the mage. His gaze met mine across the grass.

  I took a moment to get my mind right. Then I took a step forward.

  A thunderous roar broke through the chill air. I tore my gaze from my target and looked back. Kael had managed to latch onto the massive panther’s leg, his teeth and claws sinking into the cat’s ebony fur. Vehrin’s panther thrashed as it tried to dislodge the shifter. Finally, with a shake of his paw, he sent Kael slamming into a wall. The jaguar crumpled limply to the ground.

  “Kael!” My voice cracked, and my heartbeats felt weak, my breaths shallow. There was no way he could have survived that blow.

  Then, his tail twitched ever so slightly.

  He was alive. The giant panther padded closer with calculated, predatory steps, its sharp shoulders rolling smoothly as he advanced, prepared to finish Kael off.

  I chewed on my bottom lip as I glanced between Kael and Vehrin. The mage’s cheek was lifted in a slight smirk, as if he knew the difficult choice straining my thoughts.

  I wanted to save Kael, but in doing so, I would leave myself vulnerable. However, if I went for the mage, I would be abandoning Kael to certain death.

  A frustrated yell roared up my throat. I pulled my gaze from Vehrin and tore across the grass and toward the panther. He had set a giant paw on the smaller cat, and Kael struggled beneath the pressing weight, his legs kicking and strained growls issuing through him.

  Something in me snapped.

  I couldn’t stand to see Kael hurting in such a way. My lip curled back over my teeth as my boots pounded the ground. As I neared the panther, my fingers curled around the handle of my knife. I hadn’t even realized I’d pulled it out. Magic would have likely done me more good at that point, but I couldn’t bring myself to loosen the hold on my trusty Chaucer.

  The panther was so intent on crushing my partner, he didn’t notice my quick approach until I was nearly upon him. At the last second, he turned toward me with an indignant snarl. His body uncoiled as he lunged at me. Either by instinct or pure dumb luck, my feet slid forward and my back hit the ground. I thrust my arm up as the panther hurtled over me. My knife bit through fur and flesh. With a loud thump, the panther landed behind me. I flipped over and tensed, ready for another attack.

  The panther was on his side, and his ribs expanded weakly with strained breaths. He was making a pitiful gurgling sound, and blood pumped through a wound in his throat. Then, he stilled.

  A hissing caught my attention, and I looked down. The steel of my knife was hissing and corroded with growing pockmarks. Pieces of the metal began to drop to the ground. I let out a forceful sigh through my nostrils and dropped what remained of the knife my father had given me to the ground.

  Behind me, Kael groaned. I pivoted to find he had shifted back into a man. I hurried over to him. His face was pinched, and I could tell he was in pain but trying not to look as if he were. He had a hand pressed to his side, blood pulsing through his fingers.

  My own blood boiled.

  I pulled my bag from my shoulders—it was a miracle I still had it—and tossed it on the ground beside Kael.

  “I’ll be back,” I told him.

  Kael’s brow furrowed. “Wait…Livvie.” His voice was strained, tight. He reached toward me with a red-stained hand.

  “Put some pressure on that.” I jerked my head toward the gash on his side. I hoped he would be okay, but I couldn’t worry about it now. “I’m going to take care of the mage.”

  Kael sputtered out protests, but I stepped away and headed across the grass. Energy warmed my palms, licked my wrists, and tumbled down my fingertips.

  My magic came from within me, powerful, callous, unforgiving. I locked my gaze with Vehrin and let my own ancient mage come out.

  The dark mage was more powerful than myself, and I feared Kael would not survive that injury, but for him, I would try.

  Chapter 27

  My magic grew warmer. My steps were calm and steady as I closed the distance between myself and the mage, though my heartbeats thundered and my stomach churned with unease. The atmosphere shifted, as if everything were buzzing with anticipation at what was undeniably an upcoming showdown.

  Vehrin still appeared eager, confident. His arms were folded neatly behind his back, and he regarded me with what could only be described as amusement. Ancient power roiled inside of me. It was eager, too. I was eager. Though I was unsure of what the outcome would be, I was ready for this challenge, and when I looked at Vehrin, I didn’t find a new enemy...but an old one.

  Since the first time I set eyes on him, flickers of recognition had flashed in my memory. Over time, the fog of unknowing had begun to dissipate. As I looked at him, I found I was not only beginning to recognize him, but myself, as well. The forgotten mage inside of me was waking up from her long slumber. I could almost smell the blood and hear the screams and crumbling earth left in my ancient wake.

  That sense nearly made me falter. I didn’t want to leave blood and ruined earth and death behind me. It ma
de me wonder who I was, what I had been, and if I could stop myself from being that again. I didn’t want magic and power. I just wanted my life back.

  Vehrin regarded me with a bright spark in his eyes. “There you are, finally. We meet again.”

  He was not speaking to me, Olivia Perez, the archaeologist with a thirst for adventure and an unfortunate habit of getting into tricky situations. No, he was speaking to the one who had taken him down long ago, the waking mage inside of me. The mage I had let free.

  My magic nearly burned beneath my skin, ready to be let loose at the sound of his words. “You’ll want to be careful,” I said. “History has a nasty way of repeating itself.”

  “That is truer than you know.” Vehrin cocked his head and eyed me curiously. “Tell me, Olivia, how much do you remember?”

  Why did he want to know? Would it be better to be ignorant? I mean, it wasn’t as if I actually knew a great deal. Or, should I let him know I was capable of besting him because, apparently, I had done so before?

  I tilted up my chin. “I remember enough to take you down.”

  Why not play up the confidence? The power within was searing, writhing. I wouldn’t be able to hold it back much longer. I found I didn’t want to hold it back much longer.

  Vehrin’s lips twisted in what may have been an attempt at a smile but was ruined by the jumping muscle in his cheek. “We shall see.”

  I hadn’t been expecting such a sudden attack. There was no sign, no shifting of feet or furrowing of a brow. One second he was standing still, and the next, his hands thrust forward to release a blast of shadow-wreathed magic.

  It punched me right in the gut, and I fell to the ground. I gasped and managed to get to my knees as Vehrin walked closer. His cold chuckle shivered over me, and I gritted my teeth. After hurrying to my feet, I threw my own hands forward. Magic burst from me, wild and eager. Vehrin dodged easily, and I shifted away from him so I could try to find a better vantage.

  The mage sent another bolt of magic toward me. I was not so easily struck the second time. I sidestepped and rolled my shoulder back so the attack shot past. I twisted my arm to strike up toward his face. He slashed in a downward motion, and his black magic sliced cleanly through mine before it reached him.

  How had he done that?

  He attacked again, and I tried to mimic his defensive move to no avail. As the hit slammed into me, a sharp cry left my lips. Again, I picked myself up from the ground, forcing myself to ignore the pain. My ears were ringing so loudly I struggled to hear Vehrin speaking.

  “I am a little disappointed at the weakling you are now,” he said. “You always had so much potential, especially when we were working together.”

  My heart jumped, and I blinked. I stared at Vehrin, and he gave me a sly smile, as if he had just revealed a secret.

  Worked together?

  None of my visions had shown such a thing. Still, thoughts of blood and screams and destruction came to mind. Had those been from Vehrin, or were they memories of my past?

  Who had I been?

  I shook my head and stubbornly shoved the thought away. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know myself. He had to be lying.

  I shifted my feet and anchored into the grass as I prepared for another attack. “Liar.”

  Vehrin smirked. “Believe what you will.”

  I coiled up and rolled away from the attack he sent, only to have to spring up and lurch to the side to avoid being hit by another strike. I tried to retaliate, but the mage was more lithe than he looked, and he escaped all of my attacks with frustrating ease.

  My muscles burned, and a sharp stab pulsed in my lungs with each breath as I dodged Vehrin’s volleys of magic. Try as I might, I couldn’t get on the offensive. I was hanging on by my fingertips. With each miss, my energy waned more. Another attack caught me in the shoulder, and I twisted, barely managing to keep on my feet.

  Sweat stung the corners of my eyes. There had to be another way. My body couldn’t take any more beating. One more slip, and I’d be a goner. I had to muster up enough to hit Vehrin with a strong attack. Not too powerful. I didn’t want to kill him and end up with that dark magic inside of myself. I just wanted to get the key. Then, I could bind him.

  With a sharp intake of breath, I lurched out of the way of another attack and nearly hit a low wall in the process. I quickly scrambled over and ducked behind it. The timeworn stones cooled my back through my sweat-soaked shirt. My heart raced, and while a part of me wanted to hurry and get back into the duel with Vehrin, the other part of me had to think.

  Get the key. Bind the mage.

  It was what I had to do, but what about the sacrifice needed to accomplish it? All of my wasted energy would mean nothing if I didn’t do this the right way. I thought I would have been able to knock the mage out, or take him down some way, but I hadn’t even come close.

  A sacrifice.

  I couldn’t bring myself to look at Kael, half-afraid of what I would see. He was the only other being around, and I was unwilling to harm him, even if it did stop the mage. My stomach twisted. I didn’t know if Kael was even still alive. I screwed my eyes shut and tried to come up with the solution. There had to be a way to stop Vehrin, to stop the death and destruction he would surely bring upon the world if I didn’t succeed.

  There just had to be a way.

  My eyes opened, and I let out a slow breath. There was one way I could still stop the mage, one other person present I could sacrifice.

  Me.

  Behind me, I could hear the soft steps of Vehrin as he paced across the grass, either impatient or teasing me with his confidence. He must have believed he had me beaten. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat but quickly moved into action. If I hesitated, if I gave this too much thought, I would falter. I couldn’t afford to change my mind. The world couldn’t afford it.

  Vehrin seemed a bit surprised by my sudden rush toward him.

  My magic unfurled from within, and I almost felt as if I were glowing. The key hung on Vehrin’s chest, and I locked my gaze with the relic.

  Sacrifice myself. Bind the mage.

  Something seemed to tear inside of me as I dodged a twisting coil of dark magic. Vehrin sent another attack, and I slashed down my arm, successfully cracking through his magic with my own.

  With a sudden growl that Kael likely would have been proud of, I threw everything I had at the mage as I hurtled toward him with unbreakable momentum. I was ready to bind him with my magic, my mind, and my very life.

  I had to. It was the only way.

  With a flash of despair, my onslaught of magic seemed to do very little to deflect Vehrin’s own assault. I slammed into him as our attacks broke around us, and the pair of us hit the ground in a blinding flash of light. My teeth clacked with the impact, and the mage cried out. I gasped, trying to bring air into my suddenly battered lungs.

  I grew still as I caught my breath and waited for the ringing in my ears to lessen. Blades of grass tickled against my cheek as the earth swayed beneath me. Vehrin would finish me off any second. After all of this time, I had failed. I had failed Kael, and I had failed myself.

  Only, an attack didn’t come.

  For a long moment, I waited. I heard nothing. No shuffling of soft steps or taunting words. Not even the sound of breathing save for my own careful breaths. I could see nothing except the grass and a section of wall that had remained in tact some distance away.

  I turned my head to peer in the other direction. Vehrin wasn’t there, either.

  I sat up slowly with a groan. The mage was gone. I wasn’t sure how, or why, but he was nowhere in sight.

  It was only then that I realized something was in my hand. I uncurled my fingers, stiff from a sudden and hard grip.

  The key I had taken from the ruins in the Amazon.

  A sense of relief washed over me.

  I had done it. I had retrieved the key.

  It felt heavier than I remembered, and the longer I stared at the relic, the more I
could almost sense that something was wrong. I rubbed my thumb over the intricate key, and as I did so, a twin sensation rubbed over me.

  My breath caught. I ran my thumb over the key again, and it felt like an invisible hand brushed over me. There was something there. It was almost the same type of sense I had when using the second key to find the mage, only stronger. A tighter bond, a more powerful tether.

  No.

  I had meant to use myself to bind the mage and his powers.

  Instead, I had bound my soul to the key.

  Chapter 28

  Blood pounded in my ears as I stared at the key that was knotted to my soul. I tightened my grip on the relic in an effort to keep my hand from shaking, but even as I did so, I could sense a tightening around myself.

  “Livvie?”

  I jumped at the voice breaking through the silence and looked up. “Kael.”

  His name came hushed and surprised from my lips.

  He crouched beside me, and I had to blink a few times to assure myself he was really there. Relief washed over me. My shoulders sagged, and my throat constricted.

  Kael.

  I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him without thought. He was alive. “Are you okay?”

  His chuckle hummed against me. “Aren’t I supposed to be asking you that question?”

  I leaned back. He had taken one of my shirts—a yellow one that made me look like a canary, but that I was still fond of—and had it balled up and pressed to his wound. A great deal of the bright fabric was stained with rusty splotches. Thankfully, the blood didn’t seem to be spreading, though it was a miracle. For a man who had been climbing into his deathbed not long before, Kael seemed to be doing rather well.