“I am Zeeba and this is my sister Zoe,” the male said as he kept an eye on Brooke, waiting for her to respond.
“I want to pet him,” Saiya said, not waiting for permission as she stepped up and began to rub his head. Zeeba nestled against her and immediately began purring as Saiya squealed in delight. She buried her face in his soft neck, happy as she thought about her own fluffy black cat at home. Jakob lowered his weapon and gestured for Ava to do the same. He looked at Brooke and for a moment and thought she looked almost jealous as she stood Guard over the smaller children.
“Where did you come from and why are you here?” Jakob asked Zeeba, who was rubbing his head against Saiya affectionately.
“We don’t know where we come from, but we are here for you,” Zoe’s voice was close to Jakob’s ear, startling him as he realized she had silently moved right next to him.
Jakob felt as though she was directing her words only to him, and he felt the hair standing up on the back of his neck. “You are here for me? Or are you here for all of us?”
The thunderous noise came from nowhere as the earth began to rumble and the trees began to bend and break in the distance. The smaller siblings except for Serah screamed, scurrying quickly onto Brooke’s back. Serah began to hum to herself, unfazed by the noise as Ava scooped her up and put her on Brooke’s back with her brothers and sister. She motioned for Saiya and Kell to hop on as well.
Ava stood protectively in front of them, her sword drawn.
“Run!” Jakob yelled, as Brooke began to gallop in the other direction with the children desperately clutching onto her fur.
Jakob grabbed Anabel’s hand and dragged her behind Brooke, running as fast Anabel would allow him to go. He was surprised at how agile she was as she barely slowed him down. The rumbling behind them continued as Jakob refused to turn around.
“Keep running!” he called out to Brooke. “Keep running.”
He watched Brooke easily dodge and jump over fallen trees and stealthily maneuver through the obstacles of the woods. Ava ran behind her, barely winded, keeping up easily. They were getting a short distance ahead of the rumbling, but the sound wouldn’t let up, and Jakob could tell that something large was bending and crashing the trees to the ground behind them. He could tell by the rumbling of the ground that it was getting closer.
“Stooooooop!” Ava screamed. Brooke stopped running just as she got to the edge of a cliff. All of the children grasped her fur tightly so they wouldn’t fall off. Ava carefully looked over the edge and saw nothing but empty darkness far below them.
“Whatever was chasing us has brought us here. It knew we couldn’t go beyond this point,” Ava yelled to Jakob, angrily, as both brother and sister surveyed the grimness of their situation. “What are we going to do now?”
“Now we have no choice, Sister. We fight.” He pulled his sword effortlessly from his side.
“Jakob!” Anabel said, her voice demanding. “Give me a weapon.”
Jakob looked at her as though she had gone mad, then realized that he and Ava were the only ones who could protect them.
“You won’t know how to use one,” he protested.
“Then I suppose I’ll learn quickly,” Anabel said sternly. “Now give me one.”
Jakob was surprised by her tone as he reached in his boot and pulled out a long dagger he had sheathed in it. She’s not just a helpless girl after all.
Anabel looked at him, her green eyes intense but grateful. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Jakob said, holding her gaze for a little longer than he intended.
He looked away, attempting to hide the sudden warmth in his cheeks. He shook himself and positioned for battle. Anabel and Jakob stood next to one another, attempting to push down their own fear, neither of them knowing who the enemy might be. Jakob looked around for Zeeba and Zoe and realized with frustration that they were nowhere to be found. Ava guarded Brooke who stood farther behind them, the siblings clutching her fur and trying not to cry. Saiya attempted to soothe them as Kell slid down from Brooke’s back.
The ground rumbled and trembled violently, making it difficult for them to stand their ground. When the trees broke and fell in front of them, their enemy was revealed.
38
THE FORGOTTEN
“Emilie! Is Hadley here?” the sisters cried out, reaching out into the dark for Emilie.
“We’re here, we are both here. Hadley is sleeping and won’t wake up, but we are both here,” Emilie stretched her hands out, desperate to touch one of the sisters. A bitter, pungent smell assaulted her eyes and nose, and she gagged on the bile that began to form in her throat. “What is that terrible smell?”
“It’s Sonya,” Paola said, finding Emilie’s hand and clasping tight to it in the darkness. “She smells.”
“I saved her, and now I smell,” Sonya said laughing. Suddenly her voice grew serious. “Are you okay? Is Hadley okay?”
“We are okay. I don’t know what happened to us, but Hadley won’t wake up. She’s been moaning, but it’s as though she is in a very deep sleep.” Emilie’s voice was strained.
“Hadley!” Paola yelled. Emilie felt Paola following her body down to where Hadley lay. “Hadley, wake up! Can you hear me?”
Hadley moaned in the darkness.
“That’s it girl, wake up!” Paola spoke sternly to her and Emilie heard a slap. “I said wake up! We can’t have you asleep now!”
Hadley moaned again. “Why is it so dark? Where is the light?”
Instantly the torch that had flamed out came alive with a tiny glimmer of light.
Emilie jumped, surprised at the sudden spark. Reaching toward Sonya to pull her closer, she was relieved she could finally make out the shadows of the sisters in front of her.
“That’s it, girl. Wake up. Look for the light,” Paola said her voice rising with excitement.
The torch began to dance as the flame got bigger, and Hadley’s eyes began to open. Sonya looked at Emilie, barely able to contain her surprise. “How is she doing that?”
“I d-d-don’t know,” Emilie was barely able to speak as she picked Hadley’s head up and began to stroke her hair. “Wake up darling girl. Wake up!”
Hadley opened her eyes completely and stared at Emilie with nothingness behind her eyes. She remained that way for several long moments until she began to blink rapidly. Emilie noticed Hadley’s pupils began to grow larger until they made her light blue eyes nearly completely black. She stood up in one fluid motion, her entire body stiff as a board as though caught inside of a dream. She stared at the three girls in front of her as they instinctively huddled close together.
“What is she doing?” Sonya whispered to Emilie who stared at Hadley, both of them fixated on the transformation in her face.
Hadley’s eyes were black and her jaw tight, her young, smooth face twisted into an angry, tortured expression. She stared straight through them as though not seeing them. Emilie couldn’t recall ever seeing anyone like this, and she was completely mesmerized and fearful.
“Hadley,” Emilie said, her voice halting. “Hadley … are you okay?”
Hadley’s black eyes stared into her, causing a shiver to run down Emilie’s back. The torchlight gave a sudden, violent flicker.
“The girl is fine, she’s here with us.” a deep, guttural voice that sounded like a hundred voices unexpectedly leapt from Hadley’s lips. “We are not done with her yet.”
Emilie and the sisters gasped. Paola held tightly to her dagger, her heart beating rapidly, trying to decide if she was facing an enemy she could fight.
“Who are you and what have you done with Hadley?” Emilie asked, her voice strong and fearless.
“We are one and we are none,” the voice was mocking them.
“What have you done with Hadley?” Paola stepped forward, flashing her dagger in the torchlight.
“You don’t want to threaten us, do you Pao-o-o-la? We could run the girl right into your dagger and kill her. Do y
ou want us to do that?” The voices were taunting as Paola gritted her teeth and stood down, putting her dagger behind her.
The voices spoke again.
“You are a smart, feisty one, Pao-o-o-la. But that won’t help you, no-o-ow.” The voice laughed as the girls cringed at the voice that came from Hadley’s once innocent face. “We want to live. We want what you have. We want you. We want everything.”
“We don’t know what that means,” Emilie said, trying to disguise her trembling.
“You will soon enough, Gov-er-nessss,” the voices laughed again, clearly enjoying themselves.
“Governess?” Sonya looked at Emilie, suspiciously. “Are you the Governess?”
“Why yes-s-s-s. You didn’t know you saved the Governess’ life? You are standing with the great Governess of Tamaryn.” Hadley’s black, empty eyes taunted Emilie.
The sisters looked at Emilie, their mouths open in surprise. “How can you be the Governess? Why aren’t you in Tamaryn?”
“Why aren’t any of you in Tamaryn? Why are you down here with us? Where is your Tamaryn now? Are your Land and People no more as you wander aimlessly trying to find what you will never see again? You have nothing, while we are about to have everything.” The voices laughed, gleefully.
“What are you talking about? Where are we? A little golden-haired woman, who has stolen my love, sent me from Tamaryn. How it is possible that it can be no more?” Emilie felt her throat closing up. Will! Will!
“Tamaryn is only in your mind, now, Governess. You will never be there again. You are simply a forgotten soul, you and all who have been banished from Tamaryn. But, the end of times for your forgotten Land is near. The little Yashwa you speak of has made it so-o-o- and your love, Will, is gone forever with the rest of them. We will be the only ones who remain ruling on to-o-op as we should have always been, once we have sealed the deal for the One Thing.” The voices made Sonya envision a thousand black snakes slithering through her brain as she covered her ears trying to block out the sound of them.
The voices began arguing amongst themselves viciously. “You have sssssaid far tooooo much!” “You have given too much away,” “Why are you telling her about the One Thing? The One Thing?” “She is nooooo threat, this tiny little Governess, she cannot hurt ussssss.” “Never underestimate. Never!”
“Are you the Ubilez?” Emilie interrupted the tirade of torment she had quickly grown tired of hearing. Stories of the Ubilez had been handed down to her and all of the Warriors before her, often invading her nightmares as a child. Her mother often warned her to will herself against dreaming about them, or they could find a window into the world through her fear. Emilie had been careful to ban them from her thoughts completely in hopes the nightmares would fade, which eventually they did.
“Yes-s-s my little Warrior. We are Ubilez,” the voices were one again, and were gleeful at her recognition.
“Why are you telling us this? Why would you want us to know what is happening?” Emilie asked, her voice taking a sharp edge to it as she fought her anger.
“We tell you because there is nothing you can do to change it. The Blood Bond has been made between your Will and the little Yashwa, so now we simply wa-a-a-it for the Land to change and for Tamaryn to become ours. We tell you because it tortures you and hurts you, and rips you apart inside. We tell you because we adore your pain, we feed on it, and we desire it. And as you suffer, we grow stronger. We need your pain and your tears little Governess, and we love it.”
Emilie looked at the sisters, her gray eyes large, full of hot, angry, tears that she refused to let fall. “How do we know you are telling the truth? We don’t even know that you have the power to do this!”
“We have been in your nightmares since you were a child, your People long before you banishing us to the very depths of where you stand right now. How dare you question if we have the power? We have always had the power.” The voices had grown angry and violent, striking deep fear into Emilie’s heart. As the voices rose, Hadley’s body began to twist and shake violently.
“Hadley!” the women screamed, grabbing and holding onto her in an attempt to keep her still.
“Please, stop doing this to her! She doesn’t deserve this! Please!” Emilie begged, “Please!”
Hadley continued to thrash, her eyes back to blue, her expression full of pain as she cried out. Her small body stood but refused to fall as she bent and twisted in ways her bones were not meant to, making it impossible for the women to continue holding her no matter how hard they tried. The women watched in horror as finally her body seemed to thrust itself to the ground, a limp pile of clothing and limbs.
“Hadley!” Emilie screamed, rushing toward the girl and gathering her in her arms. The sisters stood holding tight to one another, neither of them speaking as they shook in horror.
Emilie felt the limpness of the small body and knew instantly there was no longer breath in her lungs. She held her gently, feeling for any sign of life as she tried to keep Hadley’s head from rolling. She could tell by touch that every bone in Hadley’s body had been broken and she cried out a Warrior’s scream full of agony and pain. She closed her eyes and held the girl close, whispering for a safe journey to the Great Beyond, hoping she would be able to get there from where they were.
The room darkened as the torch suddenly went out, extinguishing all light, and leaving only the cries of the Warrior and the sisters.
39
TERATO
As the trees around them split, Jakob stood, his legs braced and ready for anything that came at them.
He stole a quick glance back at Kell who had dismounted Brooke’s back and was standing with his own dagger in his hand. Jakob started to order him back with the younger children but he realized that Kell’s fearless, swift blade might be able to help them. Jakob nodded at Kell and smiled before turning his attention back to the impending enemy before him. He was impressed with his brother, who rarely feared anything, while Jakob was afraid of everything. But Jakob knew his responsibility as the future Governor was to show no fear; a skill he displayed quite well despite the quaking in his heart.
Jakob knew in his heart that whatever it was coming toward them was larger than anything he had ever faced. He tried to ignore the dryness in his mouth and the sudden pounding of his head.
He saw the feet of the thing first, and the teeth second. The word Terato echoed in Jakob’s mind. He knew he had never seen such a Creature before in all of his life, yet somehow he knew that they existed. It was the largest Creature Jakob could ever imagine in all of his nightmares. It stood nearly as tall as most of the trees, with arms and legs that were thick and strong, and Jakob pictured how easily and quickly it could snap a man in half. The tail was easily as long as its body, and massive ridges protruded from its neck forming a helmet-like shell on the top of its head. It was covered with large, gray scales that reminded Jakob of a reptile, and it moved clumsily and awkwardly due to its immense size.
The sheer massiveness of the Creature struck fear into Anabel who felt her knees go weak at the sight of it. The long sharp teeth that protruded from its narrow, pointed snout made her feel as though she was going to faint. Her legs threatened to buckle underneath her and she wasn’t sure how much longer they would support her. Stay strong, she ordered herself as she glanced at Jakob who refused to show any signs of fear.
The Terato’s roar was high-pitched, staccato, loud and long and Anabel couldn't recall hearing anything similar or as horrifying. The smaller children covered their ears as the Creature lumbered closer.
Anabel heard a loud and ferocious growl next to her. She jumped as she realized Brooke was next to her. Brooke had grown exponentially in size, transforming without a sound. Though not as tall at the Terato, she barely resembled the white fluffy dog she once was, replaced by a much larger, sleeker animal that looked more like a vicious hunter than a pet. The only trace of the sweet dog that watched over them was the slight hint of magenta that remained vividly b
right on her tail. Anabel marveled at the ferociousness of her as Brooke bared her sharp teeth and growled at the Terato, daring it to come closer.
Without warning Brooke was airborne, leaping at the Creature’s throat, ripping at it with her strong jaws and immediately wounding it. Taken by surprise, the Creature stumbled backward before falling to the ground, dark liquid shooting from its neck. The siblings huddled together in fear as the Terato and their beloved Protector continued to battle, rolling on the hard ground. Every time Brooke yelped, Kell took a step forward until he stood next to Jakob. Both boys watched as their Protector fought for them. Jakob moved forward toward the Terato looking for a way in to join the fight.
Do not jump in. In his mind, Jakob could hear Brooke's beautiful caramel voice nearly scolding him.
Ava looked on, desperate for an opportunity to guide the younger ones away, but the fight blocked their only means of escape.
Brooke continued to yelp and Jakob watched helplessly as it appeared the Terato was beginning to overcome her, it’s massive body proving to be too much for Brooke. Without warning, Kell raised his weapon and charged. The Creature was on top of Brooke, ready to sink its sharp teeth into her neck. Jakob took off after his brother, pulling his sharpest dagger, both boys jumping on top of the Terato without warning.
The Creature was stunned by the sudden attack and stood up awkwardly, trying to shake the boys off. Kell and Jakob had sunk their blades deep into its neck where Brooke had first attacked, and allowed the Creature to stand up as they dangled and tried to find a way to grab on.
“Kell … cliff climbing!” Jakob yelled to Kell, who refused to let go. Jakob suddenly remembered their early survival training and climbing steep dangerous cliffs; Jakob a natural, Kell determined. Kell nodded, gritting his teeth, trying to push his dagger in deeper to the Creature’s neck as he held on tight to a notch in its scales.
The Terato cried out in pain, and the boys could see Brooke roll from underneath it, blood streaming brightly throughout her white fur. It continued trying to shake the boys off until suddenly Kell went flying through the air, his blade still imbedded deeply in its neck.
The Forgotten (The Lost Children Series Book 1) Page 15