by L. M. Fry
Danu’s anger rattled the palace. “How dare you use aether against me!”
She threw a hand out to Julia, and a searing pain flamed through Julia’s body. Julia fell to her knees. Valera dropped to the ground next to Julia and tried to help her. Instead, she got a jolt of whatever it was Danu was doing and shrieked. Danu released control over both of them and Julia’s pain ebbed. Stepping down from her throne, the sorceress bent over, placed a finger under Julia’s chin, and kissed her forehead.
“I don’t want to punish you. You are my beloved daughters, but you must learn. I will not stand deception. Know that you’ve forced my hand.”
She waved to someone behind her. Eli, Gideon, and Victor walked out from behind the throne and knelt where Lawless had been. In unison, they bowed to Danu. Julia’s heart stopped. She crawled over to Eli. He wouldn’t look in her eyes. Transfixed on Danu, he smiled.
“I live to serve you, my goddess.”
“Eli, wake up. It’s me, Julia.”
He ignored her and waited for his mistress’s command. Danu sat on her throne and grinned. She seemed to delight in the girls’ pain. Julia wanted to lash out again, but held herself back. She returned to her position beside Theo and Valera. Her action seemed to bolster Danu’s joy and ego.
“Traitors deserve no mercy.” Danu hissed. “But I’m a benevolent mother. Take my daughters to the dungeon, so that they may reflect on their folly.”
Eli stood and grabbed Julia’s shoulders. His fingers dug into her flesh. She tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he crushed her arms. She couldn’t use her power on him without hurting him. She glared at Danu, whose smug grin grew. Eli pushed Julia toward the doors. The courtesans cheered. She stumbled down the stairs and past the cells filled with the dying forsaken. The girls were taken to an area in the furthest, deepest part of the palace. They were locked in three separate rooms without light, without food, and without comfort. The last thing Julia saw was the shadow of Eli’s smirkless face.
She’d been in a place like this before. She could do it again. This didn’t affect her. She was strong. A foul smell filled the room, and Julia dropped to the cold hard ground. Her lungs burned in her chest. She scrambled to find aether, but couldn’t grasp it. It was as if the room were devoid of air. Then, somewhere in the distance she heard her father’s voice.
“Julia, get up. Stop acting like a child,” Lazarus shouted at her.
“You’re dead… Theo…” Julia couldn’t think. Theo? Theo who?
Lazarus yelled, “What did you say to me?”
“Nothing Father,” Julia warbled.
Her inside curdled. He wouldn’t tolerate laziness or childishness. She stood up and saw her father’s imposing form walking toward her. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw him. She looked around the room. The dark cell was gone. She was in the Subterrian Order of the Azure Serpent Headquarters. She tried to remember why she was here. She looked down at her clothes and pulled at the blue academy uniform. This wasn’t right. She remembered wearing different clothes in a different place.
“I’m not pleased with the reports I’ve been getting from your instructors. I expect better from you,” Lazarus ranted.
She wasn’t prepared for the pain of his hand striking her face. Her cheek stung. Taking a few steps away from him, she held in tears. He wouldn’t tolerate tears.
“I’m sorry, Father. I tried my best,” she said, standing at attention.
“You’re best isn’t good enough.”
His words struck her seconds before his fist. She doubled over. A quiet whisper in the back of her mind told her this wasn’t right, but she couldn’t get free. She was afraid. He didn’t tolerate fear. She recovered and put her arms at her sides. Her stomach churned. She swallowed the pain.
“I won’t fail you again, Father,” she coughed.
“You’re right. You won’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Valera
Valera watched Gideon leave. She heard the cell door locking and curled up next to a wall. She’d never liked the dark. The air felt thick, and she felt like she was drowning. She sank in warm water. It filled her nose and her ears. She sat up and gasped for air. Her eyes darted around the room, blurred by lavender soap. She rubbed them clear and saw her bathroom at Aetherland Isle. Her copper, claw-foot bathtub bubbled over.
“Valera, do hurry. We’re having guests for dinner. I’ve laid your clothes out for you,” her mother’s voice drifted in from her room.
“Yes, Mother.”
Valera stood up, looking at her naked body in the mirror. For a brief second, she remembered a sparkling silver dress. Shaking out her confusion, she retrieved a towel and dried off. She sat at her vanity and dried her hair, brushing it to a glowing sheen. She coiled it on top of her head in a tight knot just as her mother had taught her.
The dress on the bed was her least favorite. The somber black gown suffocated her. She cinched into a chemise and corset. Pull it extra tight, we must be flawless. Her mother’s voice demanded in her head. She tightened the corset until she could barely breathe. Not good enough. CHAD-4 knocked on her door. He cinched the corset so tight, Valera felt her ribs crack. She had to look perfect, after all. The automaton helped her into the dress. Valera pulled at the high-necked collar.
“It’s so scratchy,” she whined.
“Stop fidgeting,” her mother scolded. “Our guests are arriving soon.”
Although she didn’t remember leaving her room, she was now sitting at the dining table with her mother and Vivi. Vivi’s bouncy curls were pulled into the same skin-ripping coif, and she was in the same body-breaking dress. Valera wondered why her mother had put her little sister in a corset. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t figure out what. Victoria tapped on the table. Valera sat straight up like the perfect doll she was meant to be. When the guests arrived, she stood and greeted them. A boy with white-blond hair and grey eyes bowed to her.
CHAD-4 introduced the man. “Presenting, Gideon Killian, Master Engineer of the Order of the Azure Serpents.”
Valera thought he was the most handsome boy she’d ever met. He had to be the reason Mother had her dress up. Surely, this was her new suitor. She wanted to dance. Behind him stood an older man with moles on his face and crooked, yellow teeth. He wiped a hand across his running nose, and bowed.
“So you are the lovely daughter Victoria has told me about. My name is Fowler.”
“Yes… I suppose so…” Valera stammered.
Her mother frowned at her and pinched her back. “Manners, Valera,” she whispered.
The group sat at the table. Fowler sat next to Valera much to her chagrin. She wanted to sit with Gideon, but he sat in the farthest seat away from her. She sighed. Fowler leaned close to her and touched her hand under the table. She pulled away.
He addressed Victoria with a smile, “I’m quite agreeable to our arrangement, Victoria. After meeting Valera, I think it will be a great match.”
Valera was agreeable to the arrangement as well. She’d be quite happy to spend time with Gideon. Fowler touched her leg, and she flinched. She couldn’t understand why this disgusting man was at dinner. Crusty white phlegm flaked on the corners of his mouth when he smiled. Perhaps, he was Gideon’s grandfather. Her mother had always said she would arrange an appropriate marriage at the right time. Valera smiled at Gideon. He looked bored.
“Should I not get to know him first?” Valera asked. “Gideon and I just met.”
Her mother coughed and scowled. “Don’t be foolish, child. Gideon isn’t your equal. Master Fowler, on the other hand, will be a fine husband.”
Valera swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. She stared at the man in question and gagged. Her mother couldn’t possibly be sending her off to marry this man. He was at least four times her age and so… so gross. Everyone at the table laughed. Valera shook her head.
“This isn’t right,” Valera cried. “Gideon tell her.”
Gideon stuck hi
s nose in the air and scoffed, “Why would I settle for a homely creature like you? I have my eyes on a much finer prize.”
He gazed at Victoria and smiled. Victoria blushed, and he kissed her hand. Valera felt like tearing her eyes from her head. She couldn’t watch this any longer.
“Get your head out of the sky, girl. Perhaps time alone with your future husband will help you learn your place,” Victoria leered.
“No… this isn’t right. This can’t be right.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Theo
Theo stood by her locker in Boulder High, trying to appear invisible. Ever since her dad died, she was always alone. A memory of her dad showing her his mechanical heart flitted through her mind. She shook it out of her mind. Looking in the mirror, she adjusted the thick black eyeliner that had smudged beneath her left eye. Her mom didn’t approve of her new emo goth look, but Theo didn’t care what her mom thought. Her new style fit her mood – depressed and lonely.
A shadow loomed over her shoulder. Her worst nightmare appeared in the corner of the mirror. She swung around and slammed her locker closed. Maybe she could make a quick getaway. Charlie, the Boulder High linebacker, blocked her escape with his tree-sized arm. His friends howled behind him.
“Watch out, Charlie, she’s a biter!”
Theo threw her best menacing glare in Charlie’s direction. “Move.”
“Aww, Theodora. I just want to talk to you,” he chuckled.
“Move, or I’ll… I’ll make you move,” she stammered.
In the back of her mind, Theo knew this was wrong. She remembered punching Charlie and breaking his nose. Yet, he stood in front of her arrogant as ever with a straight unbroken nose. Down the hall a boy walked by wearing a trench coat, a top hat, and goggles. She knew him… his name was…
Charlie’s fingers brushed her hair off her shoulder. She pushed on his chest, but he didn’t budge. This wasn’t happening. She’d followed her mom into Aether, where her dad had been healed by the Steins. The artificial heart in her dad’s chest ticked just like the clock on the wall. The clock on the wall marked the end of school The bell rang. She rubbed her forehead.
“What’s wrong, Theodora? Don’t you like me?” Charlie touched her shoulder.
She jumped back. He was in front of her. She could feel him. Her dad was dead. She was in hell.
“Leave me alone, Charlie. Please,” Theo begged.
“Please, what?”
“Please, leave me alone.”
Charlie’s evil grin spread, revealing his perfect white teeth. They made Theo think of a lewd piranha. His friends laughed and urged him on. He leaned close to her ear.
“I’ll make you a deal. You give me a little kiss, and I’ll leave you alone.”
She shook her head. He slammed his fist on her locker. Her body shuddered. She just wanted to go home. Every day she lived the same nightmare. He delighted in tormenting her. She sighed. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips. One quick kiss and she’d be free. Charlie’s laughter erupted into an ear-shattering guffaw. He covered her face with his hand and pushed the back of her head against the locker.
“You wish, Goth girl. I’d rather kiss a corpse!”
Charlie and his pack strutted away in hysterics. Theo grabbed her bag against her chest and crumpled to the floor. Students passed by her without even looking. She was nothing. She cried until the halls emptied. Then, she stood up and walked home. The Victorian was cold and empty. Her mom was still at work. Throwing her bag on the stairs, she flopped down on the couch. She turned on the television and stared at snow. Every channel was static.
She thumped the remote against her palm and flipped to the next channel. Squinting, she peered into the static. Behind it, she saw a pair of emerald green eyes watching her. She touched the screen and felt a jolt. For a split second, the screen cleared. The boy with a long brown trench coat, a top hat, and a pair of odd goggles atop his head was smiling at her. She knew him. His name was… Victor. None of this was real.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Julia
Julia felt as though she’d been listening to her dad yell at her for days, and she was growing tired of it. She stared at the painting of her family behind his desk. The paint seemed to smear and discolor. She rubbed her eyes. The room transformed for a second. The painting was on the floor torn to pieces. Her dad’s papers were all over the room.
“Are you listening to me, Julia? Wake up,” Lazarus bellowed.
A spark of memory gnawed at her gut. Lazarus was dead. Theo killed him. She stared at the imposter in front of her. He frowned and lifted his hand to strike her again. She kept her hands at her sides. Beneath her fingers, she felt a hard square object. A box. A ring box. She didn’t remember where it came from, but somehow she knew it was there. Lazarus’s hand collided with her cheek. She fell to the floor. Anger rose in her belly. She stood and faced her father. He lifted his fist again.
With both hands out, Julia yelled, “No.”
He froze in midair. “No? You dare say ‘no’ to me?”
She reached into her pocket and fumbled with the box. Lazarus stepped back. His face contorting in rage. Julia slipped the ring on her finger and felt the surge of aether flow through her body. The truth barreled toward her like a rampaging bull. She was in a room in Danu’s palace. Lazarus didn’t exist, but the aether in her veins did.
“You’re not real!”
She blasted the room with frost. The hallucination of her father turned to ice and shattered. The room disintegrated. She was back in the real world. In the pitch dark, she stumbled to the wall and found her way to the door. She rattled the handle, but Eli had locked it before he left. She created a blizzard and chilled the walls. The metal door creaked. Under the jarring temperatures, it ruptured open.
She flew out of the room and collapsed into Joe. He held her up. Julia pulled back and threw her hands out at him. Her eyes struggled to focus in the light, and her mind couldn’t process his face.
“Julia, it’s Joe. Falen and I came to help you.”
“How long have I been in there?”
“Three days,” Falen said.
Julia gripped her head between her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Slowly, her vision adjusted. Joe held a bag on his arm. The hilt of Ealga’s Sword poked from the top of the canvas. Then, she saw Falen’s hazel eyes. They reminded her of Theo’s eyes.
“Theo? Where’s Theo? We have to help them!”
“She’s behind a door we can’t open,” Falen said.
Julia growled, “I can open it.”
She couldn’t imagine the hell Danu was putting Theo and Valera through. If she could bring back Lazarus, then who was tormenting her sisters? She ran to the next cell. With all her energy, she blasted the metal. Joe and Falen rammed the weakened door with their shoulders and burst into the darkness.
Julia found Theo huddled in a corner, muttering with her eyes closed. She tried to shake Theo awake, but Theo shuddered and pushed Julia away. Using her aether stone ring, Julia formed a protective shield around her friend. Theo’s eyes shot open and blinked.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s me Julia. You’re okay, now,” Julia cooed.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in a cell in Danu’s palace. Joe and Falen are here with me.”
“My dad is he… is he alive?”
Falen wrapped his arms around his niece. “Nathaniel is alive. Do you think you can stand?”
Theo’s legs shook, but she got up. Julia helped her into the light. They moved to Valera’s cell. Theo blasted the door off its hinges. Valera ran screaming from the room.
“I won’t marry him! You can’t make me,” she shrieked at Julia.
Joe caught her in his arms and gently shook her. Beneath the protective shield, she came around. Tears streamed down her face. Valera tugged at her neck as if an invisible collar choked her.
“That was awful. My mother tried to marry me off to a horrid man.�
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She shuddered. Julia chuckled, eliciting a scowl from Valera.
“You were a bride-to-be, while I was being beaten by my dead father. Danu is sick, but you have to give her props for creativity.”
“Girls, we need to get out of here. Danu will know you’re free,” Joe scolded.
“We can’t go traipsing through the palace,” Julia said.
“I saw some old clothes in a bin on my way down here. They looked pretty shabby, but you’ll blend in with the people. Those silver frocks are kind of a give-away.”
Falen left for a minute and came back holding rags. Julia surmised that they once belonged to Danu’s worshippers who didn’t meet her standard of worth. The girls dressed in the filthy clothes and messed up their hair.
“We can sneak out with the workers,” Theo said.
“What about Gideon, and Victor?” Valera panicked. “What about our parents?”
Julia didn’t want to leave Eli, especially not with Danu. Once she discovered they had escaped, she’d lash out at the boys for sure. Julia was determined to go back for them, but Joe stopped her.
“You can’t. We’ll have to come back for them later. You guys are more important.”
“No, I won’t go without him.”
Theo took Julia’s hand. “You’re not the only one leaving someone behind. My parents and Victor are back there. We can’t do this on our own. We need help.”
Julia knew that they were right, although it didn’t make leaving any easier. She set her mind on signaling Parmelia and Nessie. Joe led the way past the cells. Some of the captives looked at the girls and started talking. The brainwashed prisoners chattered and alerted the guards.