by Mary Duke
Kegan came bursting through the side of the tent, claws extended and teeth bared, sliding between the two of us.
Jadea’s eyes locked with mine. “We Are Not Finished,” she said before snapping her fingers and disappearing from my tent.
Kegan took his human form and grabbed my arm.
“What did she impale you with?” he demanded pulling my arm up to his mouth and licking the four punctures.
My eyes connected with his, but only for a moment. Then, his face and everything around me faded to black.
***
When I came to I was lying on the table that my books had sat on, the moon's rays once again replacing the sun’s.
I rubbed my eyes as they adjusted as I tried to focus on the two figures that stood across the room.
Propping myself up, I slowly made my way to my feet. Rowan and Kegan, the figures from across the room, were quick to reach me.
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked.
I nodded and turned my attention to Kegan. “What was it?”
He replied with one word. “Nightshade.”
“Just nightshade,” I repeated.
“Yes. It would appear that you were not her primary target.”
My heart sank. “Tamara.”
“Indeed,” Kegan confirmed. “Though I made sure they were safe. That is, in fact, the reason I was not by your side sooner. I foolishly underestimated Jadea’s stupidity.”
“What did you do to them?” I asked Kegan, leaning back against the table.
“I gave Tamara a simple cloaking spell. The Halflings from The Dark Mountain will not be seen unless they wish to be seen.”
“Good,” I said nodding.
Kegan spoke, taking the words from my mouth. “You know we cannot stay here any longer, Sno. We can no longer feed into Jadea’s end game.”
Rowan’s eyes snapped away from me, and he focused on Kegan. “You can’t leave, what about all those who have gathered for you? It isn’t fair.”
“Life itself isn’t fair, Rowan. Tonight Jadea has proven herself as a threat. The longer we stay, the greater risk of retaliation when Sno doesn’t bend to Jadea’s will,” Kegan replied.
“So when are we leaving, where are we going?” Rowan questioned, changing his tone.
I bit my lip and spoke softly, knowing Rowan wasn’t going to like what I had to say. “There is no we, Rowan. You cannot come with me.”
“What do you mean I can’t come with you? I’ve always come with you.”
“Not this time,” I replied walking past him.
“So you’re just going to leave me here?” he asked turning towards me.
“These people need someone,” I said, still not looking at him.
“Yeah, they need you,” Rowan said stopping behind me.
“No, they do not need me. They need who they believe I am… There is a difference.” I said turning around to face him.
“There is no such thing as perfect, only perfect perceptions,” Rowan said repeating a phrase my mother had always told me.
“I cannot lead them down a path I do not wish to be on. Nor can I preach to them something I believe in my heart to be wrong.”
“Sno,” Rowan said, pulling my hand into his. “Sometimes doing the right thing takes sacrifices.”
I jerked my hands free from Rowan’s. “There has to be another way. I cannot partake in the killing of thousands, Rowan. I’ve told you that.”
“There is no other way, Sno. If there was another way, don’t you think someone would have spoken of it before now?”
“I will find another way,” I said walking away from him and towards the door.
“You’ve run out of time,” Rowan began to explain. “This opportunity will not come again…”
“How can you say that, Rowan? I thought I knew you… but you're starting to sound just like her,” I said choking back tears of frustration.
“Don’t…” Rowan tried to backtrack.
“Leave, Rowan,” I said, not wanting it to end like this.
“I just want…” he tried to explain before I closed my fingers making his words mute.
He slowly reached out and ran his hand down the side of my cheek, then mouthed, “I’ll always love you, Sno,” before he turned and walked out of the tent.
Silent tears rolled down my face, as I gathered what I wanted to keep on hand and stuffed it inside my bag.
Within moments everything I needed was packed, and everything else around us began to return to the enchanted box where it was kept while traveling.
“Where shall we head to?” Kegan asked shifting into a winged black lion.
“Home,” I replied as I wiped the tears from my face. “I need to start over.”
CHAPTER SIX
I laid my head down on Kegan’s mane and just let go, opening my racing mind to his.
“Did you see anything while you slept?” Kegan asked, knowing nightmares were a side effect of nightshade.
“So much,” I replied, the images once again flashing before my eyes, and now his.
He sighed. “No child should have to see what you’ve seen. No child should have had to grow up as you have either.”
“But they are, Kegan. More and more of them, and it’s not just Faye children. Every day that the Demons strive for absolute power.”
“This is true, Sno,” he said. “And until someone capable steps forth, there will be no end to it.”
My stomach churned and I buried my face into his mane. “If I were to stand up to them, there are two things that are going to happen. Either I will be successful at destroying an entire race, or I will fail, leaving my people with no hope, no chance, and an even larger price on their heads.”
“And what do you predict will happen if you do nothing?” he asked.
“I am not doing nothing,” I said, though I knew he knew that as well. “I just need to start back at the beginning. There has to be another way. A piece of lost history, something not spoken about. I do not believe that the only way to end mass murder is with mass murder.”
“You are so much like Ayana,” Kegan said, his voice soft.
“Oh?”
“Once you have something set in your mind, there is no changing it. It is truly something you should be proud of. There are not many who could say they would not put aside their morals at a time like this.”
“It isn’t only my morals that are stopping me, Kegan. Every time I think about following through with Jadea’s plan, the plan the last of the living ancestors have devised, my dreams are filled with visions of the innocent the hunters have slaughtered. I am reminded of the hatred I have for the Demons and all those who have fallen in line with them, not because of what they’ve done to my people, but for what they’ve done to the innocent. Because let’s face it, not all Faye are innocent. When it comes down to it, our hands were just as dirty when this war had started.”
“Those are wise words, for one as young as yourself,” he agreed.
“My words may be wise, but my voice remains unheard,” I said sadly.
“For now yes, but in time that will change.”
“So you say.”
He chuckled. “So I know. I have been a guardian for Ayana for nearly one thousand years. In that time I have walked alongside some of her greatest witches and wizards, those who she felt were fated to change the realm in which you live. Each and every one of them has left lasting changes to this world, though not all of them were changes that benefited this realm.”
“You could say that,” I added. My father was a historian, and he loved to enlighten all those around him on his latest findings. In the beginning, I will admit my mind wandered during his lectures, but as I grew older I gained an appreciation for what he had to say. He had an extensive collection of information pertaining to the Daughters and Sons of the Moon, even Makiah was known to seek him out for information.
“From the time you were born, the moment your soul was created, Ayana stopped and watched. I can st
ill recall her exact words. ‘She may be but an infant now, but in time this child will hold the fate of our realm in her hands.’ From that moment on, all of those who worked with the goddess knew your name.”
“You’ve never said that before,” I said, surprised.
“In truth, we are not to speak of our time with the Goddess.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because I know that you feel as though you’ve been stuck, and you don’t know where to go. I thought that knowing that the Goddess believes in your ability to choose the right path would help you once again believe in yourself…and you know, pull your head out of your ass.”
Before I answered him, I once again fell into a deep sleep. Though this time it was different, I was awake.
I stood alone in a dimly lit forest.
In front of me, there were three paths: a path to my right, a path to the left, and a path that extended before me.
I stepped forth from the forest's undergrowth and onto the crossroads where the three paths connected.
A sprite appeared before me, and a soft feminine voice reached out to me. “Hello, Sno. Ayana has sent me here to speak with you.”
“Ayana? Kegan and I were just talking about her,” I said, studying the glowing light.
“She knows, and that is why she has sent me.”
“Oh,” I said now worried for my friend. “Why, is Kegan...” I started to ask.
“Kegan is fine, Ayana is not angry with him, you needn’t worry.”
I smiled, thankful.
“Now I want you to answer some questions for me. Do you think you can do that?” the sprite asked.
“Of course.”
“Before you are three paths. In time, you will be asked to choose one, but I will first tell you something about them.” Her tone grew more serious. “Each of these roads has obstacles, and while each of them are different, none of them are easy to overcome. Okay?”
I nodded, and the sprite continued.
“One of these paths cross with a reaper, one with your greatest foe, and one with someone you’ve lost. Each of these paths will demand sacrifice, the value determined by the worth of what it is that you seek.”
I didn’t get where she was going with this, but I tried my best to remain focused.
“It will not matter the path you take; your destination will be the same. In the end, you will either save your friend Kegan, or his life will indeed end with your own.”
“What is this?” I exclaimed. “I can’t do this right now… No offense to The Goddess, but I have real problems in my life, I have real decisions to make…thousands of lives weighing in the balance,” I pleaded, hoping this would all just go away.
“Rest assured, Sno, solving this task is just as valuable to you as the one you face in your realm.”
“How?” I questioned, as the light began to rise above me.
“Choose your path. Pick your battle. Overcome what stands before you, and you will indeed have your answer.”
I fell to my knees, overwhelmed. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t strong enough to do this.
For a moment, I just sat there, wallowing in my confusion, drowning in self-doubt. Then everything came together. This was exactly where I had been for the last several months.
I was stuck in a crossroads. Not knowing which path to follow, never realizing that no matter what path I chose I would end in the same place.
I could follow the plan devised by the last of the living ancestors, I could find my own path, or I could do nothing. No matter which I chose, war and retaliation were imminent.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I awoke to the sound of leaves crunching beneath Kegan’s feet, and the sun shining brightly in my face.
I sat up slowly and looked around, stretching my arms over my head.
“It is about time you wake up,” Kegan said aloud.
“I honestly don’t even remember falling asleep,” I said rubbing the knot out of the back of my neck. “How long have I been out?”
“I would say a good fourteen hours at least.”
“Kegan, you’re kidding me.”
“Not a bit,” he said calmly. “There was no need to wake you, and sleep is the best way to get nightshade out of your system.”
I sighed. He was right, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it. “Where are we?”
“We are almost to Katar, the farming village just outside of Mahkana,” Kegan replied.
I swung my leg over his head and stretched them together before sliding off. To say I was sore was an understatement.
Kegan ruffled and stretched his wings, as he transformed back into a man.
I stopped and pulled my bag from my shoulders in search of my water. “Last night, I was visited by a sprite.”
“Oh,” Kegan replied, walking over towards me.
“Yes, she said she was sent by Ayana.”
Kegan shook his head. He had worked with the Goddess his whole life and never before had he heard of her sending a sprite for a message.
I told Kegan of my dream, then explained what I pulled from it.
He shook his head.
“What,” I asked him, confused.
“I don’t understand why she would send a sprite to communicate with you. Why wouldn’t she simply convey her message through me, like she always has?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, not having thought about it that way.
“Is that all the sprite told you?” Kegan asked.
I thought about it. “I believe so, but for whatever reason the phrase ‘all paths lead to the same destination’ is the thing that really sticks in my mind.”
When I rose to my feet and recapped my water, Kegan took my face in his hands and studied my eyes.
“I am fine,” I reassured him, throwing the flap back over my bag and hoisting it back onto my shoulders.
“I am just checking.”
“Well, no matter what it was, a message from Ayana or a nightshade induced dream, I am happy that I had it because now I know that no matter what choice I make right now, no matter which plan I follow through with, they all end in the same way: War.”
“How does that help you?”
“It helps me because I know now that I have to think outside of what lies ahead of me. All the paths that are present lead to the same place. Last night I got the feeling that there was an element, a path that I have not seen yet. I must find that path; I have to discover the missing piece. That is the only way that I can change the fate of my people and the people of this realm.”
“Well then, let’s find the piece that is missing, so the path that lies ahead of you is righteous.”
“Let’s,” I said walking alongside him and deeper into the overgrown and untended to fields.
Together we walked in silence, each focused on truly understanding the message I received.
It wasn’t until the sun began to set that Kegan spoke. “There are many places ahead where one could hide, especially one who knows the land. I think it would be wise if we were to find somewhere to stay for the night and remain undetected.”
I looked around at the abandoned farming village that lay ahead. There wasn’t much left of Katar. What was not charred, was decrepit.
“What happened to this place?” I asked though I knew the answer.
“Katar fell as Zeb Larkin led the search to Mahkana for…”
“Me,” I said finishing Kegan’s answer.
“It is no more your fault now, as it was then, nor will it ever be.”
“I know,” I said, though it was something I never truly agreed with. I mean I understood that being born with this power wasn’t something I could decide, it wasn’t something that I chose. However, whether or not it was my fault directly, I still believed to some extent I was to blame.
What If I wasn’t born with the power I was? Would the Demons have waited to make their move if they weren’t so worried about what I would become? If the power hadn’t chosen me,
would my parent still be alive?
I shook my head, erasing the thoughts from my mind. I couldn’t go down that path right now. The path of never-ending what-ifs would have to wait.
“One of these huts will work, won’t they?” Kegan asked, pausing beside one that appeared to be mostly intact.
“It’ll be fine,” I replied. “We’ve slept in worse.”
“That we have,” he said entering the small home.
There was nothing left inside, at least nothing left in one piece. “Looks like the looters made it here first,” I said jokingly.
“Those scoundrels,” he replied with a smile spreading across his face.
“You know, those were the days,” I said letting my pack fall to the floor beside me as I slid down the back wall.
Kegan turned his head and stared at me, his mouth slightly opened.
“They were, admit it.”
“I don’t know what you’re remembering that was so great. Refresh my memory for me, because over the course of the last fourteen years I can think of many pleasing ventures, and looting isn’t one of them.
“It wasn’t so much the looting,” I said as I watched him look over everything that was left here. “It was more so the fact that we were not rooted anywhere. There was no one breathing down our backs. We didn’t have the weight of living up to so many expectations… It was just us.”
“We need to leave,” Kegan said turning back towards me.
Knowing the tone in his voice, I knew there was no time for questions.
I grabbed my bag from the floor and met him at the archway, but it was too late.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Three figures masked in deep brown cloaks awaited us on the other side of the archway.
Before they could move, Kegan had shifted and I had frozen each of them in their tracks.
“Unmask them,” Kegan demanded, as he circled behind the three.
I pulled the hoods down on their cloaks. “This one is a Halfling. His marks match Jethero’s, so he is from The Dark Mountains,” I replied. “As is this one,” I said pulling off the man’s hood that stood in the middle.
“And the last,” Kegan said pacing back to my side.