She shuffled out of the bedroom and into a dark and narrow hallway. She glimpsed a man slumped in a chair at the end of the hall, softly snoring. Her hand went to her chest, heart thumping like a drum, pores tingling.
Could it? Could it be?
She couldn’t find her voice, mouth opening and producing a croak. Tears streaked down her cheeks. She put her index fingers under her eyes in a futile attempt to slow the streaming tears. She wiped them away, but more came. She took another step, and the floorboards creaked. The man roused from his slumber, raising his head to squint at her.
“Wa-Walter. Is it really you?” she breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. Tears further blurred in her eyes, and she again dashed them away, her chest brimming with exultation.
A huge boyish smile spread across his face, and he tucked his long dark hair behind his ears. “Ny, we’ve been waiting for you.” He rose smoothly like a cat and marched toward her, his arms outstretched while she remained rooted in place. He met her eyes, shining with the same emerald light that told of his boundless energy.
“Is… this a dream?” she murmured, scanning him from head to toe for some indication of a lie.
“No,” he said, engulfing her in his warmth and holding her in his strength. He pressed himself against her, and an involuntary sob heaved from her throat. “We’re here, together again, finally,” he whispered.
She pressed her cheek against his chest, and his hand went to the back of her head, trailed down to rest on her hip. She breathed him in, confirming it was him by his wonderful aroma of leather and cinnamon. More sobs came in heaves and choking breaths. He was here, alive in this place. It felt wrong, but being so close to him had to be right. After a few moments, she pressed herself back to look into his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here. And where are we, my love?”
“The Shadow Realm,” he answered. “We’re… dead, in a way. Come, the others are waiting.” He released her but held her hand, turned his back to lead her down the hallway.
She frowned. “Wait.” Nyset gripped his hand tight and used his arm to draw herself in close. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I’m just excited to show you something.” He grinned, and she grinned back. She closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips against his scruffy chin, his head lowering to find her lips.
She kissed him hard. Joyful tears welled in her eyes. She kissed with the fury of lost love. She kissed him with the heart of sole survivors. She licked his tongue, sucked on his lips, nibbled at his neck. She ran her tongue under his, along his inner cheeks. She wanted all of him. She wanted to swallow him whole so he could never leave her again. She wanted to put him somewhere safe, deep within her heart where he could never be harmed again. A shudder traveled through her limbs. “Don’t leave me,” she breathed. “I can’t bear it again.”
“I won’t,” he replied. “Never. I’m real. I’m here. This is it. Please, come and see.” He wore a mischievous grin and made another attempt to lead her through the hallway, and this time, she let him. “Very well, Walter.” It felt good to say his name.
They turned toward a door with a Phoenix and a Dragon carved through the center to let the bright of the daylight through.
“You have both of your hands. Your eye,” she said with dawning realization and narrowed eyes. “How?”
Walter had his hand on the door’s handle but released it to turn and face her. His eyebrows pulled together. “I’m not sure. They returned today. I felt…” He shook his head as if searching for the right words. “A ripple of energy pass through me as if some bit of anxiety that was always there had finally been removed. Something changed… somewhere.”
“The Shadow Princess.” Nyset nodded, her eyes peering up at the apex of the arched doorway. “I killed her. Maybe some part of her remained here, her poison still tainting this realm.”
Walter’s eyes glowed, and he tapped a loose fist against his heart. “You did?”
She slowly nodded, licking her lips. “I did.”
A full smile reached his eyes. “I remembered how the Shadow Realm used to be. I remember the pain of killing the Shadow God. Then there was nothing. For what felt like a lifetime there was… simply nothing. It was horrible. The Great Beyond… is a timeless nightmare. Thank you, Ny. I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough for what you did for me. They told me what you did… but how did you do it?”
“They honored the agreement,” she said, nodding at the memory. “The Phoenix restored your sacrifice.”
“Yes.” Walter nodded, expression going grave. “They said I was the first. How? What did you do?”
“There was another god, one they wanted dead. We made a bargain, and I did what needed to be done. I’m sorry, it’s a bit of a long tale. But what’s important is that you’re here, that you’re alive. They honored the bargain.” Nyset was smiling so hard it was starting to hurt. By the gods, it worked, she said to herself.
“You’re amazing,” Walter said with a softened expression, reaching out to brush the back of his fingers over her cheek. “Well, time is one thing we have no shortage of here. I’m sure it will be an interesting story.”
“It is.” She swallowed. “Gaidal. Is he…”
“Come,” Walter grinned, pulling the door open to reveal a wall of white light. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright of the world outside. The Shadow Realm was far more gorgeous than she remembered.
Verdant rolling vistas were dotted with trees with leaves of bright blue and bursting violets. Streams of shimmering water trailed among the hills, collecting in pools teeming with fish. The flora was all gargantuan with flowers the size of her body and mushrooms with stalks as broad as trees. Some trees curled above the earth with the enormity of Sea Crocs, rising up hundreds of meters like living bridges. Some of the flora was translucent, glowing with its own ethereal light. It was all too much to take in, threatening to overwhelm her.
A beautiful voice drew her gaze to what appeared to be a path cut through swaying grasses. “Momma? Where are you? Are you up yet?” Gaidal whined.
“Gaidal, I told you she’s going to need more time,” Claw gruffed.
Gaidal emerged from the curve of the path, his eyes going wide at seeing her. “Momma!” he ran, his legs kicking out to the side and his arms splayed wide.
“My boy!” She laughed, kneeling with open arms to receive him.
“Mistress,” Claw breathed, a frown carving along his cheeks.
There was a bitter part of her that knew why they were here. They had been cut down in the world of men, the land of the living.
“My child!” she squealed, scooping him into her arms and covering his face with kisses. “How are you? I’m so glad to see you.” She hoisted him against her hip. “Tell me, how have you been?”
“Okay.” Gaidal shrugged, then placed his index finger into his ear, twisting it. “It itches.” He scrunched his face, peered at his finger then back at her. “The Dragon went away. Where did it go?” he implored.
“I’m not sure. I think the Dragon has other things to do now.” She smiled at him, and he grinned back. Seeing both he and Walter together cast away any notion she had that Gaidal had taken some of her features. He was all Walter’s child.
Claw approached. “Ny, I’m sorry. We tried.” Claw gripped his neck, cheeks pinked. “They were too many, too strong. They overwhelmed us.” He brushed the tops of the grasses with his other hand, his eyes falling to his boots.
“You did the best you could,” she said with a forced smile.
Claw grimaced and slowly nodded. “She won, then?”
Walter’s expression grew harsh as he shifted his gaze between her and Claw.
“To a certain extent. I killed her… but I fear her touch, her snakes may outlive her.”
“I see. Humanity… is lost then,” Claw whispered.
“You two are killing my good mood. Come on, we can worry later,” Walter said with what
sounded like a concerted effort to keep the wobble from his voice.
Nyset nodded at him with a sad smile. A pit formed in her belly then that would be with her for a long time. “Lead the way, my love.”
Walter started down the path, nodding to indicate the direction. Familiar laughs spiked the air, bringing a genuine smile to her lips. They rounded the bend to find a huge dinner table with a feast laid upon it. Nyset laughed at finding everyone there. Her chest was warmed by all the friendly faces, but the hollow in her guts would remain.
Everyone rose from their seats as she entered the clearing. A tree with white bark stood watch over the table, long limbs draping over it like an umbrella with silvery leaves that shimmered in the sunlight. She saw Grimbald Landon, Juzo Pulling, Senka Graves, Isa Dodred, and most surprising of all, Lillian Thorne. They were all here, all giving her approving grins.
Isa started to slowly clap, nodding his admiration. “Arch Wizard.” He formally bowed. “Thank you so much.” He pressed his palms together like he was praying.
She smiled. “Of course, Isa.”
“Hey, she’s finally awake!” Grimbald cheered, raising a tankard and sloshing ale over a crackling drumstick.
“Our savior arrives!” Juzo flamboyantly gestured.
“Mistress.” Senka grinned, flashing her bright teeth.
“We saved you a seat.” Walter gestured for her to sit between himself and Claw.
“Shots all around.” Grimbald set his mug down and reached for a set of shot glasses. He popped the cork on a bottle of clear spirits and started pouring.
“I can’t believe you’re all here,” she said, mouth hanging open. “You’re all… really here?”
“Indeed we are, Ny.” Juzo strode over to her, wrapping her in an embrace. “Suppose things aren’t so bad here anymore,” he said into her ear as she hugged him back. She pulled away and rested her hands on his forearms.
“I’m glad to see you, Juzo,” she said, meeting his eyes. “All of you. You all make me so very happy. And Juzo, your eyes. No longer red. Your curse?”
“Mhm.” He tucked a length of white hair behind his ears. “No longer need blood anymore, thank the Dragon.”
“More people appear every day,” Claw said soberly. “It seems most of the land of the living will be here soon.”
“Is he always like this?” Juzo said, pointing over his shoulder at Claw with his thumb, a smile spreading.
“I’m afraid so,” she snickered, casting a grin between Juzo and Claw. She placed her hand on Claw’s shoulder. “It seems there isn’t much we can do here but enjoy the moment.”
“I suppose you’re right, hard to get my mind off it. Seeing you here reminds me of my failures.” Claw drew a hand down his beard.
Nyset nodded at him in understanding. “It’s not that I don’t care about our fight, what we fought for. I care greatly for men, or what remains of them. I fear there is nothing we can do from here.” She looked down at her hands as if seeing them for the first time. “I have no power… does anyone else?”
“No,” Walter said, shaking his head.
“Same.” Claw nodded. “The Oracle never mentioned this.”
Grimbald came around the table with enough shot glasses for everyone clutched between his fingers.
“Our parents, are they here too?” Nyset asked hopefully, sending glances among Juzo and Walter.
Walter broke into a huge grin. “They are. They live a bit away from here. Why don’t we catchup and visit them at dawn tomorrow,” he offered.
“That’s wonderful news. Very well then,” she grinned. “Well, it seems like we’ll not be returning to the land of the living anytime soon. Grim, I could use a shot. Maybe two.” She took one from his large hand and threw it back. It burned at first, then cooled her throat with a licorice taste. He went around the group, handing out overfilled shots. “It seems you’ve all been here a while, years maybe,” Nyset said in a questioning tone.
“We’re not sure,” Walter conceded with a distant look. “The sun moves differently here. Some days are short, others far too long. If I were to guess, we’ve been here waiting for you for over ten years. I… was starting to lose hope and then you appeared one morning, not far from the cottage beside the lake’s shore. I’ll show you where after we sup.”
“Ten years…” It didn’t make sense. “How?” Everyone took their shots, thumping them down on the table’s edge. Maybe time was different in the Fire Realm too. Had she been there for ten years? She rubbed her temples.
“Can I have it?” Gaidal asked, pointing at a shot glass.
“When you’re older,” Walter answered with a half-smile.
She raised her head to whisper into Walter’s ear. “He’s not aging?”
He slightly shook his head, jaw clenching.
Senka threw her arms around her so hard it almost knocked the air from her chest. “Thank you so much for what you did, for saving Isa. I owe you my everything. I’ve missed you greatly, Mistress. Thank you, thank you.”
Nyset laughed. “I’ve missed you too, Senka. And please, call me Nyset.” She regarded her with a full smile, casting her gaze to Isa who could only give her a quick nod and even the glimmer of a smile. It was enough for her. Senka eventually freed herself, joining Isa at his side and throwing her arm around his waist while his came over her shoulders.
Lillian sauntered over to her, sultry red dress bearing her midriff and showing her enviable curves. “I heard you had come a long way since we parted in Breden. You were just a girl then. How wonderful it is to see you now, Arch Wizard,” she said with an appraising smile. “You’ve become a beautiful woman. I see your courage, your strength.”
Nyset felt herself slipping into her former role, looking up to the woman as a mentor. “It’s been a long road. Baylan? Is he—”
“No,” Lillian said flatly, pain pulling her mouth down at the corners. “He sacrificed himself to the gods. He was not as fortunate as Walter.”
“Oh,” Nyset said, lowering her eyes as new tears welled. She couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt to see everyone here but her lover. “I’m so sorry, Lillian. If I—”
“Don’t. We did what we had to do.” She smiled, brushing Nyset’s tears away with her hand. “You’re a magnificent woman, one to be heralded throughout the ages. Feel no shame, for the honor is mine to be here.” She slowly lowered herself to one knee.
Nyset arched an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
Lillian kneeled and lowered her forehead to press it against her bare feet. “I owe you a great debt, Arch Wizard. Isa and I both have suffered greatly in Prodal’s talons. Thank you for freeing us.”
Nyset felt warm wetness on her feet. “There’s no need for that, Lillian,” she said, guiding her to stand.
“Is he dead too?” Isa asked, tongue circling his lips.
“I think so, but it’s hard to be certain about these things,” she answered with a shrug. “It was a strange place. It feels like a bad dream now.”
“Come, come, let’s eat.” Grimbald gestured at the food.
Nyset smiled. “Very well.”
There were wooden bowls of strange fruit. Some were tubular and spiked, another bright gold and taking on a spiraling shape. They had apparently cultivated cheeses, the fermented scent meeting her nostrils as she sat. It was strong yet inviting. In the center of the table upon a cutting block was a cooked carcass with an oily flesh. The animal appeared to be rotund and not a creature she could name.
“Everything is so different here,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
Juzo reached across the table and pinched her hard. “Ow!” she growled, swatting his arm away.
“Still think it’s a dream?” Juzo asked, bouncing his eyebrows.
“I see you’re still an ass, even in death,” Nyset said, grinning at him. Juzo snickered.
Grimbald slid Nyset a tankard filled with a deep blue wine. “Hope you don’t mind drinking from
a mug. We don’t have much in the way of glass.”
“I don’t mind, thanks, Grim. I’d be happy to drink from a dead Cerumal’s boot at this point.” She sipped, finding the wine to be well balanced between sweetness and pepper. “Did you make this? It’s good.”
“Claw’s our resident winemaker,” Grimbald said, then nibbled on a hunk of cheese.
Claw raised his mug. “We have grapes here, and the Northern methods seems to work well enough on them, Mistress. I can show you my setup later.”
She smiled at him and took another sip. “I’d be pleased to see that.”
Gaidal ran around the table, smashing carved wooden figures of wizards together. Walter sipped from his mug then licked the ale foam from his lips. “Tell us, Ny. How did you manage to get into Prodal’s world and to fight him no less?”
“Well,” she breathed. “It was a dangerous gambit. A desperate one at that. As I’d imagine Isa or maybe Lillian told you all by now, if as much time has passed as you’ve said, Prodal’s modus operandi is to offer a bargain when you’re on the verge of death.” She paused to let her words sink in, exchanging a knowing glance with Isa.
Nods went around the table at that, some tankards raising to lips.
Nyset continued, “He wants souls. He offers you what you need in the moment to survive, and in exchange, you become indebted to him for life. The debt can be called in at any time. When I fought the Shadow Princess… I was losing. Prodal came to me as I was dying.” Walter placed his hand over hers, and she paused to give him a smile. “I took his bargain in the hope that Prodal would provide what I needed to finish her. In the following moment, I offered myself to the gods in exchange for their strength, to be given what I needed to kill Prodal.”
“Two birds,” Grimbald grunted.
She nodded at him. “Mhm. My agreement with Prodal was that he would brand me in his realm, which is how I managed to find my way there and to fight him while holding the blessing of the Phoenix.”
The Shadow Age (The Age of Dawn Book 7) Page 41