Rise of the Flame

by K.N. Lee

  Kavien watched them. He could only hope they would divert their attention from him, while he tried to think of a way to escape. His muscles bulged as he tried to break through. His hopes were crushed when Sister Eloni turned her attention back to him.

  She waved her wand and his body was moved over his bed. Slowly, she lowered him to the bed and hovered over him. “I will feast on your beloved Lilae tonight. Her youth will sustain me for at least another hundred years.” Her eyes narrowed.

  “You, will spend your days reflecting on your betrayal.” With a flick of her wrist she pressed the tip of her wand to his forehead. He felt the life being sucked out of him. He felt something else seeping into him. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. The darkness smothered him, and voices screamed in his head.

  Chapter 55

  Tears streamed down Lilae’s face as the Sister’s took her down the corridor. She was still frozen still and hovered in the air. Vasira came around the corner. Vasira looked at each woman and then up at Lilae.

  “Sister Jedra?” Vasira looked to the woman on the right. “What is the meaning of this?” Vasira asked with a raised brow. “It is my understanding that Sisters are no longer allowed in the palace, without permission.”

  The Sisters, nearly as old Vasira, had hair that reached their waists. Lilae now knew that it meant they had great power. In unison, they looked to Vasira.

  Lilae nodded her head for her to leave.

  “Our business is none of your concern, Vasira. Now, move out of our way,” Sister Jedra said.

  Vasira nodded, taking her time. She smoothed her dress. “I am afraid I am responsible for the girl’s safety. Put her down, and let me lead her to the temple, civilly. Or, I will have the emperor deal with you.”

  Jedra smirked. “The emperor no longer has a say in what happens to the girl. This is your last chance to do as I say. Now move.” She spoke the word move with such power that Vasira’s hair fluttered behind her. Still, Vasira never flinched.

  “Just leave Vasira,” Lilae pleaded. She was overcome with worry for Kavien. She had grown to respect, and perhaps like Vasira, she didn’t want the woman killed.

  Vasira met Lilae’s eyes. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, dear.”

  Jedra sighed in annoyance. “Have it your way,” she said apathetically and lifted her wand out towards Vasira.

  A light poured out of her wand but with a sweep of her hand Vasira did something that made Lilae’s blood turn cold. Vasira’s eyes went black, and from her hand came a searing light that obliterated the two Sisters before her. They howled and burst into hundreds of black shards.

  With a thud, Lilae fell from the air and onto the floor. She shrieked and shielded her face as dozens of screaming girls were released from the Sister’s bodies. Lilae trembled as she watched their translucent souls fly into the air. Vasira frowned and lifted her hand to take the souls.

  Lilae watched in stunned silence as Vasira calmed the girls. Lilae was sure she heard their whispers thanking her as they passed through her body, and disappeared. As fast as Vasira killed the Sisters and freed the souls of all of the girls whose youth they had stolen, it went silent.

  Lilae backed into the wall and stared at Vasira in horror. Vasira sighed and looked down at Lilae. Was that a Mithrani skill? She’d never seen anything like it.

  “Lilae,” she said, holding her hand out to her. “Get up. Quickly.”

  Lilae looked at her hand suspiciously. She looked into Vasira’s eyes. “Who are you?”

  Vasira shook her head. “No time. Get up!” She grabbed Lilae’s hand and pulled her up. “Dragnor and Sister Eloni will be coming for you. Come!”

  Lilae nodded. She was right. Besides, Vasira had just saved her life. She was surprised by the older woman’s speed. The woman led her quickly through the halls, her hand grasping Lilae's wrist. She looked at Vasira, perplexed, when they stopped at the kitchen.

  “I thought we had more time,” Vasira said under her breath. Vasira sat Lilae down in a chair and went over to a pot. She ladled a spoonful of a solution into a clay mug and drank a large sip. She handed the rest to Lilae.

  “Drink,” she ordered, shoving the mug into her hands. Lilae hesitated, eying the mug with suspicion. She was weak, she was thirsty, but something didn’t seem right about the contents of that cup.

  Lilae sniffed the contents of the mug and nearly choked at the strong aroma. She looked down at a dark purple liquid that had the consistency of porridge. She frowned up at Vasira.

  “What is it?”

  “Drink it now!” Vasira forced the cup to Lilae’s mouth.

  Lilae took a deep breath and allowed the thick mixture to fill her mouth. Vasira tipped the mug until every drop was gone and Lilae swallowed in one large gulp. Vasira stared expectantly at her face.

  Lilae shuddered. She felt her tongue tingle. Then, her throat began to burn. Lilae dropped the mug onto the floor when her hands began to lose their feeling. She shivered and looked at Vasira with wide, fearful eyes.

  “What was that?” Lilae stood and felt dizzy. “Did you poison me?” Her voice came out like a whisper and she felt the room spin. She felt as though she were not really there, as though she was outside of her own body.

  Vasira grabbed Lilae by her shoulders and examined her face. She looked deep into Lilae’s eyes. “How do you feel Lilae?” she asked. Her eyes were wild with both worry and hope.

  Lilae stared at her in confusion. Her hands began to shake, her blood simmered into a boil. She felt something oddly familiar and nearly forgotten began to return to her. It surged through her veins, making her sweat and breathe faster. There was a rumble in the ground, causing them to lose their balance.

  Lilae clutched at Vasira, a sharp pain slicing through her stomach.

  “What’s happening to me?”

  The dishes on the wooden shelves started to rumble and bounce onto the floor with a loud crash. Sacks of food fell over, spilling rice and potatoes onto the floor. The tables and chairs slid across the room as though a strong wind swept through the kitchen. Lilae held tight to Vasira, she felt as though she were falling into a darkness that wouldn’t let her go. Vasira shushed her, looking at the calamity all around them.

  “It’s working Lilae,” she smiled through tears. “Just hold on dear, it will be fine.” Her smile faded when soldiers burst through the door and stared in awe at the chaos they found.

  “What’s going on in here?” One of the soldiers shouted, ducking as a skillet flew past his face. They both drew their swords, unsure of what else they could do.

  “Bring the girl,” the other ordered of Vasira.

  Vasira pulled Lilae close to her bosom. “You’d be wise to turn around and leave right now.”

  “What did you say, old woman?”

  Through the haze Lilae was trapped within, she heard her words and was shocked as well by her power and sudden change in attitude. Vasira was standing up for her.

  Before either could move away, the soldier roughly shoved Vasira to the floor.

  “Know your place old woman!” He yelled at her and thrust his sword towards her face to frighten her.

  Lilae backed away as they approached her, her skin crawling with energy and her mind clouded by some strange force. She only had the strength to hold her arms up to shield herself. She shrieked when both men were catapulted backwards into the stone wall with such force that they both lost consciousness.

  Lilae felt her face drain of color when she saw Vasira stand. Vasira’s face faded to reveal one that she knew and missed dearly.

  “Delia!”

  Delia smiled weakly, her knees wobbling from the use of power.

  “Lilae my dear,” she said softly. “Do you feel your power yet?”

  Lilae was still bewildered but she shook free from her awe and grinned.

  “Yes!” she came to her feet with a new-found vigor. “I do Delia, I feel my power again!” Lilae focused on the energy within her and tried to tap into its core. “I
t’s coming back, but I can’t control it yet!”

  “Well it’s not coming back fast enough. Many more soldiers are coming, I can hear them. That blasted Bellen will be coming too.”

  Lilae searched the room. When she looked back at Delia, her eyes stung with tears. “Delia.” She buried her face in Delia’s shoulder. She sucked in long, painful breath as she thought of all that had happened. “They’re going to kill him. He isn’t evil after all.”

  When Lilae pulled back, her face was red and stained with tears. Her heart was still broken.

  Delia’s eyes darkened. “I know. You saved him Lilae. You saved him from Wexcyn. He needed to be reminded of what love was. He needed to see that you are not his enemy.”

  Lilae stared back, overwhelmed.

  “You can save him. And then, we can destroy every Bellen in the city. Are you ready?”

  Lilae balled up her fist. “I am.” She clenched her jaw. “I am so ready.”

  Delia nodded. She reached into her robes and that old, mysterious bone started to glow. Her eyes widened and Delia motioned for her to step back.

  “What is that?”

  Delia ignored her. She closed her eyes and focused. She pulled the bone free from its wire chain around her belt. Delia held it by the joint in the palm of her hand.

  She whispered and Lilae got a glimpse of Delia’s true form. Her face flickered. It was suddenly immersed in shadows.

  “From crypts of darkness,

  I summon thee,

  Garion of Urdu,

  Come to me!”

  Lilae shuddered as a strong wind swept into the room. Delia turned her palm downward and the bone hovered beneath it, as though by invisible string. Lilae slowly backed away as the bone began to spin. The air formed closely around it, sending shards of light into the room. The ground trembled.

  The glowing bone took on more bone. Before their eyes the bones connected. Slowly… it formed a body. Without muscle or skin, a human skeleton stood tall above the both of them. A black pool of darkness filled his eye sockets.

  Lilae gasped when he stretched out his long arms. Sparks sped along his body and metal fused to his bones. She looked from Delia to the metal skeleton in disbelief. He hovered like a puppet for a moment, his back curved like an old man, with his long arms swaying slowly.

  “Garion,” Delia called softly.

  Garion looked back at her. “Master?” His hollow voice echoed in the room, making Lilae clutch her mouth to suppress a scream.

  Delia smiled and looked at Lilae. “Ready?”

  Lilae was speechless. She gulped and looked at Garion.

  “Master?” Garion called again.

  Delia looked him in the eyes, her voice growing serious. She sipped a blue liquid from a crystal vial. “Kill everyone that gets in our way! You must not let them harm the girl.”

  His dark pools of eyes glowed green as he looked at Lilae. He nodded and straightened his back. Lilae jumped when he turned and burst from the room, shards of wood falling to the floor.

  “Hurry Lilae,” Delia shouted as she grabbed Lilae’s arm to pull her along. “Stay behind Garion and grab the first weapon that falls within your reach.” Her eyes bore into Lilae’s. “I want you to make those men and women wish they were never even conceived.”

  Lilae braced herself for what was about to happen. She heard the footsteps of soldiers thundering down the corridor. She became oddly exhilarated to finally be free to run down those halls that had been her prison for months. She felt her power returning. The little fire burning within her was rekindled and she couldn’t wait to make them all rue the day they kidnapped her.

  Garion charged down the hall with Lilae and Delia running behind him when a group of uniformed palace guards came around the corner. They came running at full speed and stopped abruptly when they saw the skeleton before them. Without pause, Garion knocked the guards down as if they were merely children. His arms were indestructible and the men toppled over as he slammed them down. He grabbed one by the neck and tossed him into another group with a roar.

  “How’s do you feel Lilae?” Delia asked.

  Lilae smiled as she watched Garion massacre the men. “It is strong Delia.”

  “Well,” Delia replied. “What are you waiting for?”

  Lilae flexed her hands and grabbed a sword from a fallen guard. It felt foreign in her hands after so long. She gave it a good swirl, the metal swishing through the air. Then, she took off after Garion. Delia was cautious as she regained her strength.

  “Stop the girl!” Someone shouted as they tried to get around Garion.

  Lilae was fearless again. She dashed through the corridor, slicing everyone in her path. The sword swung and met bone and flesh and she grinned with blood lust. All of her pain boiled over into each mighty blow. There were so many. They had flooded the corridor, an entire horde of soldiers.

  They tried to smother Garion, but the skeleton would have none of it. Those who trickled through met Lilae’s sword. She leapt into the air and crashed down onto two men. They tried to bring her down, but with Evasion, she sidestepped and tricked them into thinking she was in one place, when in fact she was in another. After those were dead, she rested the sword along her shoulder and dashed into the massacre once more.

  Blood splattered onto Lilae’s face as she laid their bodies to their eternal rest. Delia kept up with them until she disappeared into a room. She returned with her willow staff and looked like her old self again.

  “Lilae,” Delia called. “This way!”

  Garion busied himself with smashing heads into the walls and crunching bones with his feet. The sounds nearly made Lilae cringe.

  Lilae followed Delia. “What about Garion?” she asked and gasped when, out of thin air, he materialized right beside her. Sparks filled the air when he appeared. One of the sparks snapped at her skin like a bug bite.

  Delia paid no notice. “Don’t worry about him! Hurry!”

  “The emperor! We can’t let them hurt him. He was going to escape with me. He can help us.”

  Delia smiled. “Good girl. I knew if anyone could get through to him, that it would be you.”

  Lilae returned the smile and led the way. Garion continued guarding them from any soldiers brave enough to come down that hallway. Lilae and Delia ran along the hall to Kavien’s room.

  Lilae felt her pulse racing. She already feared the worst. Kavien was strong. Kavien was powerful. There was no way Dragnor and Sister Eloni could best him. She had seen Kavien in action. She had seen him toss Sister Eloni as if she was nothing.

  Lilae burst into the room. Frantically, she ran through the outer sitting room and towards the open door to Kavien’s bedroom. It was dim inside. Delia paused in the sitting room, looking around. Lilae ran directly to his bed. She cried out. There he was. Kavien lied on the bed with a petrified look on his ashen face. Lilae shook her head and covered her mouth.

  “No. No. No. No!” She rushed over to him and grabbed his face. The tears fell onto his face. His eyes were closed. His skin was pale and cold. Lilae pressed her ear to his chest and heard nothing. She held his face to her chest. He was dead. He had died, because of her. She would never forgive herself. Why did everyone she cared about have to die? Was there any hope for her?

  Delia put her hand on Lilae’s shoulder. She spoke softly. “Come dear. We need to leave. I can smell a Bellen.”

  Lilae looked up and scrubbed her eyes. She held onto Kavien tightly. Even in death, he was a handsome man. His young life had been stolen from him as a child, and wasted before he could even live a life of his own. She felt such sorrow for him. Delia pulled her up.

  “Let’s go.”

  “I don’t think so.” Sister Eloni purred. She stepped in from a side door. Delia regarded her coolly.

  The small woman floated over. She had her robes pulled off, and for the first time, Lilae saw her for what she was. She was thin, almost frail. Her white hair floated around behind her.

  Lilae glared up at
her through a screen of tears.

  “I have a claim on this girl. I have been waiting for her.”

  Delia held out her staff, pressing it to Sister Eloni’s chest, blocking her from moving closer to Lilae. “You have no such thing, Eloni.”

  Sister Eloni looked down at Delia. “And, who are you?”

  Delia lifted her chin. Something happened to her. A flicker of her true form. Even Lilae froze in terror at the glint of an Underworld form.

  “Gatekeeper!” Sister Eloni lowered herself to the ground. She fell onto her knees and bowed her head. “Have you come for me?”

  Delia looked down at the woman. “Your crimes are great Eloni. I would have to lead you to the deepest depths of the Underworld before I could find a place for you.”

  “Gatekeeper. You should understand. I did what anyone would have done, given the chance.”

  “You escaped once, you will not escape where I send you this time. You cannot cheat death Eloni. I am death, and I will always find you.”

  “I did what I had to for my people. We are lost. Like orphans. I had to do what I could, to survive.”

  Lilae watched Sister Eloni’s face pale. She was afraid of Delia. She was afraid of death. She consumed the youth of countless girls to avoid meeting an Elder, and now, one stood before her. Still, Lilae would not let Delia steal her glory. She would not let the opportunity to put one of her demons to rest. She would not let that Bellen talk her way out of her much deserved punishment.

  “How could you fault me for being who I am? This is the life of a Bellen. We draw our power from your home. You should understand. It is not fair that you get to use the power of the Underworld to live eternally, when we cannot.”

  Delia shook her head. “Eloni. You don’t understand. I do not live. I do not have life. I am born of death. The same rules do not apply to me.”

  Sister Eloni held out her wand. “Then you won’t mind returning to the Underworld.” She raised the wand out and with a wild look began a spell. Delia raised a hand and before she could call her power forth, Lilae slid her sword through her small back until it pierced through the front of her white sheath dress. Lilae only wished she could see the look of shock and pain on Sister Eloni’s face.