by Suzi Davis
The others nodded their agreement. It was true enough.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make the first move and I can guarantee Aed’s response will be immediate and enough of a threat that you’ll all be able to fight,” I assured him flatly.
“When do we move out?” Nathaniel asked, his eyes flickered nervously to Bridgette but he was wise enough not to voice his concerns. She was still glaring at him quite fiercely.
“Let’s eat and break camp, we’ll leave Clarke here, hidden safely until hopefully we all return. We attack at noon.”
Chapter Seventeen – Vengeance
My heart was pounding in my throat. I tried to slow my breathing, but it was no use. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making everything appear in vivid focus, all my senses heightened.
“Are you sure about this?” Bridgette whispered beside me.
I nodded. It was too late to turn back anyway.
“This is the way it has to be,” I murmured back, my lips barely moving.
We stood at the edge of the field, watching the relaxed hustle and bustle of Aed’s camp through the gently swaying branches. Aed either didn’t suspect that we might attack or he didn’t care. My eyes focused in on him. His back was turned as he walked away, stepping up into the new cabin that had been erected overnight. Without seeing his face, I could almost pretend that it was Sebastian, that I was seeing him one last time. But it wasn’t Sebastian, Sebastian was gone and Aed had killed him. Aed was to blame for all my hurt and suffering, for all my misery, and he must now pay. Cold fury crystallized inside me, bringing with it sharp focus and complete calm.
“This is the end,” I whispered as I unleashed the power of the Lost Magic down upon the field before us. The ground began to shake.
I closed my eyes and focused, directing the full force of my power like I never had before. It flowed through me, pouring through my entire being and threatening to sweep me away. My knees trembled from the force of it but I held on, I stayed in control. I clutched my necklace like a lifeline, using its steady warmth to focus my mind and the magic racing through me.
The earth beneath me began to heave. It shook and trembled, the trees groaning around us as their roots were pulled and torn from their shifting weights. Through out Aed’s camp, people cried out in alarm and fear. I could feel the tingle of magic in the air coming from someone other than myself and I knew it was time to strike. I had to end this before he did.
The ground tore apart with a violent jolt, the noise of it deafening. I fell down upon the cold earth, Bridgette tumbling down beside me but still I didn’t lose control. I ripped the field wide open in a line that led straight up to Aed’s cabin. I opened my eyes just in time to see the logs of his cabin falling apart and crumbling down into the earth. The cabin was consumed whole by the large void that had opened beneath it.
For a moment, everything was silent and still as the earth quieted and resettled. It was like we were all stunned, in total shock. Had I really done it? Could I have defeated Aed that easily? Was it possible without using the ancient dagger, so carefully concealed under my clothes? A shadow of pain crossed my heart. Was all that had been left of Sebastian now truly gone?
“CAOILINN!”
Aed’s bellow of rage echoed off the trees all around me. Bridgette clutched my arm in fear. I could distantly sense the Lost Magic gathering in the air, it was the only warning we had.
“Run!” I screamed.
We leaped apart just in time, the earth exploding all around us. I landed on my side, bruising my ribs and scraping the side of my face as I fell. My ears rang from the blast that echoed through out the field. I scrambled to my feet and immediately started running forward through the short, trampled grass of the muddy field as fast as my legs would carry me. It was like being in a war zone, balls of fire and invisible blasts of air were hitting the ground and exploding all around me. Everywhere I could see there was destruction and chaos. I zigzagged through the carnage, jumping over the torn, smoking earth and dodging the torrents of magic that whizzed by me.
The bright midday sun abruptly vanished, the world falling beneath a dark shadow. I risked a glance upwards to see that black, thunderous clouds had rolled in, swirling wildly as a magical storm brewed above us. The fine hairs on my arms and the back of my neck started to rise.
“Lightning,” I gasped, realizing what was happening just in time. I threw myself sideways as fast and as far as I could while blinding hot lightning flashed down from the heavens with a crack that tore through the sky. I hit the ground hard, my ears ringing and my eyes struggling to focus as I blinked away the giant flash that had been burned into my vision. Slowly, I raised my head, hesitantly looking around.
I saw Red across the meadow, blood was trickling down the side of his face but otherwise he appeared unharmed. He looked furious, his face contorted with rage as he charged towards a slim, dark figure who stood unmoving at the edge of the large crevice torn into the earth.
My vision was still bleary, my head spinning as I struggled to pull myself back to my feet. I squinted across the meadow, blinking rapidly as I tried to focus. Red had almost reached the figure—was that Aed? What was he thinking? He couldn’t stand against Aed alone. I had to help him.
I stumbled forward, lurching towards them at an awkward run. I could see who it was now, I recognized the proud set of his shoulders, the arrogant tilt of his head. It was David.
“No,” I whispered as I felt the Lost Magic gathering within him. David was preparing to strike, to strike hard. The amount of power he conjured was impressive and terrifying, it was earth-shattering. “David—stop!” I croaked, but it was no use. I was too late.
The magic slammed into Red like a steam engine. I watched in horror as he tried to fight it, as he struggled against it, his steps faltering and slowly, his expression twisting with excruciating pain.
“No!” I screamed, my voice barely audible above the sounds of the exploding earth all around me.
Red briefly met my eyes and I saw the panic and fear in his expression, right before his eyes rolled back in his head, blood frothed at his lips, and he crumpled, lifelessly, to the ground.
“DAVID!” I screamed in anguish and fury. My hands shook. I was so angry, my whole body seemed to vibrate. I marched towards him, unable to get the image of Red’s death out of my mind. It would haunt me forever. “How dare you kill him! Why did you do that? You didn’t need to kill him!” I screamed, unable to reign in my anger.
He turned slowly to face me, an amused expression on his far-too-handsome face as I closed the distance between us. His eyes were cold as ice.
“Should I have stood by while Jai tried to kill me?” he asked calmly.
“You could have stopped him. You didn’t have to kill either of them!”
“No,” he agreed. He flashed me a vicious smile. “Their deaths were for my own satisfaction. This fool in particular has been getting on my nerves since Day One. You have no idea how many times I have fantasized about slitting his throat and drinking his blood. Almost as many times as I have dreamt about tearing open yours.”
I gasped, unable to hide my shock.
“Traitor,” I hissed. He shrugged.
“What are you going to do about it?” he taunted.
“I should never have trusted you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he agreed. “Now strike me down, if you can.”
I started to react without thinking, preparing to direct the Lost Magic in a deathly blow that would wipe the smug smile from his face but just in time, I realized what he was trying to do. I slowed my breathing, forced myself to calm down and retain control.
“You’re still bound by your promises to me,” I realized aloud. “You can’t hurt me or anyone else unless you think there’s a threat to your life. But I can hurt you.”
“The moment you try, I shall strike you down dead,” he promised.
“But if I kill you with one blow, you won’t have the chance to re
act, will you?” I pointed out, my hands flexing into fists by my sides.
“You don’t have the will or the strength to execute me in cold blood like that. But please, I would love to see you try,” he taunted again, his lips pulling up in a sneer.
“You asked for it,” I growled, gritting my teeth together determinedly. But even then, I wasn’t sure if I could do it. This wasn’t in defense of my own life, this was a clear and deliberate execution, just as David had said. He saw me hesitate and began to laugh.
“Coward,” he spat.
“Enough!” a voice snapped and we both turned towards the sound. It was only then that I realized the meadow had fallen silent, the only sounds were those of the resettling earth and the thunder that rolled distantly overhead.
Aed was marching towards us, dark, triumphant glory flashing through his eyes. I gasped as I saw who he dragged along beside him, his fingers ensnared cruelly through her long, dark brown hair as she scrambled to keep up.
“Bridgette!” I cried, immediately taking a step towards them.
“Stop!” Aed snapped and I froze in my tracks, silently cursing myself for letting him momentarily overpower me. Doing what Sebastian wanted was too much of an instinct for me to easily overcome it, even though this wasn’t Sebastian anymore. “Come any closer or use any magic against me, and the girl dies.” I reluctantly took a step back.
“What do you want?”
“Look around you,” Aed gestured as he spoke. “You’ve lost. This foolish battle is over. Now it’s time for you to beg for mercy. Depending upon how convincing you are, I might ever consider it.”
Around the field, the earth and air was settling to reveal Jeremy, his woman and a tall, thin man, still standing. This time they had all survived. The tall man had Nathaniel, his arm twisted behind his back and his face ashen. One side of his face was badly bruised and covered in blood. His lip and cheekbone had swollen so that he was nearly unrecognizable. Sylvia was nowhere to be seen. It really was over. I looked down at Bridgette who steadily met my eye. She was surprisingly calm, accepting her fate with a quiet dignity that I hadn’t expected. It was true, we had lost. What had I done?
“It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” I whispered under my breath. I hadn’t meant for anyone to hear but David’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Oh, but it was,” he smiled, an evil, crazed light glowing within his eyes. “I have waited a very long time for it to end like this, Caoilinn, a very long time. And I shall enjoy every moment of your death, every drop of your blood that is spilt.”
His words reminded me of the ancient, ceremonial knife still hidden in a leather sheath, tucked under my shirt in the side of my pants. I could feel the handle, warmed by my skin to the same temperature as my body. It glowed steadily, pulsating with a rhythm the same as my necklace, echoing my own heart’s beating. It wasn’t over. I could still end this, if Aed let me get close enough, if I was strong enough to do what was required of me.
The wind stirred my hair and a breathy voice whispered softly in my ear, “…the key…” A chill ran down my spine. I could feel Mags’ presence in the air even though I couldn’t see her. I knew she was there and I knew she was sending me this message for a reason. David was the key. It was important that before I took Aed’s life and probably forfeit my own along with it, that I understood why David was the key to it all. Why had this happened?
“So this was your master plan? Befriend me, unsuccessfully seduce me and then encourage me to lead the others to a remote island to die? And for what purpose, David? Please, enlighten me,” I drawled sarcastically.
David’s face darkened with anger, his brows pulled down, his eyes flashed. Aed, on the other hand, looked amused.
“Yes, enlighten us, brother,” he echoed. He tossed Bridgette aside by her hair, causing her to cry out in pain. She fell to her hands and knees in the mud, cowering before him. “Try anything, and you all die,” he warned us, then he turned to David expectantly. “You’ve hinted that there was more motive to this ‘plan’ than your ancient hatred of Caoilinn, now is the time to explain.”
David stared down his nose at Aed, obviously displeased to be commanded so dismissively in front of others. After a brief pause, he continued.
“As you well know, we all have good reason to hate Caoilinn: lying, manipulative, bitch that she is,” David spat at me.
Aed laughed. The sound was humorless and chilling. “Careful, brother,” he warned. “She’s not Caoilinn anymore.”
“At the core she’s the same,” David dismissed.
“And at the core, am I the same as Sebastian, the sap? Or Seamus, the coward?”
“No, of course not,” David backtracked. “I was merely stating that this is not about just my hatred for Caoilinn. My revenge was against Sebastian, for stealing from me what was rightfully mine. I’ve now taken everything from him, including his life. And my revenge is not only against Caoilinn, but against you, Gracelynn. It was your actions that caused me to strike down the only one I had ever truly loved. And now, I will do the same to you.”
“What are you talking about?” Jeremy demanded. He grabbed Nathaniel from the thin man and shoved him forward, where he fell alongside Bridgette at Aed’s feet. I saw him search for her hand in the mud, his fingers twining through hers and squeezing tightly before his body appeared to go limp. Aed no longer looked amused.
“Mags,” I gasped as I realized the truth. It all made perfect sense. “You were in love with Mags?”
“Magdalene was mine first and she should have always been,” David growled possessively. “But Seamus stole her from me. I suppose he never shared that detail with you?”
“No,” I whispered, disbelievingly.
“She found me first,” he continued. “Mags was always drawn to those who had the potential for great power; she saw it in me before Seamus ever did. We quickly fell in love, a passionate and powerful affair. When Seamus came along, we were all drawn to one another by our potential to use the Lost Magic. For a time, the three of us were the closest of friends but as the years went on, a distance began to grow between Mags and I; she turned away from me and went to him. She couldn’t help it. She was seduced by his power.”
“By my power,” Aed spoke firmly. He fixed David with a fierce and deadly glare. “Mags would never have held any interest in that weak and pathetic boy if it hadn’t been for me. She saw the potential in him that was me and I stole nothing from you. She chose me.”
David’s lips compressed to a thin line.
“Seamus stole her from me before you ever existed. But yes, it was you whom she gravitated towards and it was at your side that she eventually stood. But after a time, Seamus’s personality started to re-emerge, he started to question his choice to live as Aed Dubhan.”
“A weakness that has long been destroyed,” Aed muttered darkly but David seemed not to hear.
“That was when I told Sebastian of Mags’ betrayal, how she had manipulated him, how she had lied about Caoilinn and used the Lost Magic to tamper with his memories. I helped him to erase his memories of her, of being Aed Dubhan, of everything. Her magic was too strong to let him entirely forget, to let him run from her, so instead, I helped convince him that she was dead. He wanted to believe, he wanted to escape her that badly. And so he did.”
“Make your point, David. I’m getting bored,” Aed warned, the threat in his voice clear. “I do not relish reliving the time when you tried to destroy Seamus’ memories of me and drove Mags and I apart. It has been long forgiven but still, it would not be wise to spend too much time revisiting the past.”
“All those years that Sebastian was missing, Mags searched for him and hid from me,” David continued as if he hadn’t heard. He ignored Aed now as he spoke rapidly, his eyes bright as he relived his memories of the past. “I knew she’d come back to me eventually but when she did, it was only to beg for his life. She was supposed to deliver Sebastian and Caoilinn to The Order, to make retribution for her past
betrayal and abandonment of us and our cause. After yours and Sebastian’s executions, I would have taken her up again as my woman, to let her stand alongside me in redemption and share in my glory. But she was so driven by her jealousy of you, Gracelynn, that she endangered our whole plan. Then you wiped out her memory in Thessaloniki and destroyed the woman that I loved, and you left me with no choice but to order her death for her betrayal or appear weak and unfit to lead The Order.”
I gasped as I finally understood. This had all been about revenge. David’s revenge against me.
“So tell me, how does it feel, Grace?” David demanded. “Was it excruciating, watching your one true love slip away from you? To see Sebastian turn to confide in another, to watch the divide between you growing—did it hurt? It was all your doing, you know. When you erased his memories at the Necromanteion, you didn’t know to erase all of his memories, like his memories of living as Aed. The memories from that life were too strong. It was all he had left; of course it overcame him—with a little encouragement on my part. Are you proud of yourself, Grace? To know your own part in Sebastian’s death? I could never have done it without you,” he gloated.
“You were so foolish, blinded by your own stubborn pride. It was easy to hide his ability from you once it had reawakened, small and dwindling as it was. You didn’t want to see it, you didn’t want to believe that the Lost Magic was back in your life. It only took a little extra push to awaken Aed’s full ability which you provided yourself when you revealed to him that you were, in fact, Caoilinn, the woman he had hated for hundreds of years.”
“How does it feel, Grace? To know that you are the one who killed him? To know that you are the one who pushed Sebastian over the edge? Tell me, how does it feel?” he raged. His jaw was strained, his hands were trembling. A vein bulged near his forehead.