by Dawn Brower
“Give me a reason not to,” Daire replied.
The knight glared at him and retorted, “Because if you shoot me, I’ll kill you. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face of yours. Otherwise, what will you have left?”
“Try me,” he threatened. “It would give me great pleasure to lay you flat.”
Cale did not give into the taunts. He shrugged and said, “It’s not worth it, prince. Lower your guard so I can build the fire.”
Daire lowered the bow to his side, but did not relax. His mouth was tight and his eyes glistened hard in the moonlight. Elodie brought her hand up and placed it on his forearm. He glanced over and met her gaze. “We’re all nervous, but you’re about to lose it. What is going on with you?”
He frowned. “Something isn’t right here.” He looked up at the sky as Lulu flew overhead. “Even the bird isn’t resting—not that she does it often—but even she has moments of stillness. The animals know something they aren’t sharing with us.”
Elodie had to agree with him. The way Kalypso kept growling at anything that moved and Lulu’s constant actions did not add up to anything good. “What do you think it is?”
Cale finished picking up the wood and created a fire pit. He lifted a brow and said, “Do you honestly think one of us would know the answer to that?”
“No,” she said. “But it doesn’t hurt to guess.”
Cale snorted. “And it doesn’t help to make suppositions either. Stand guard and do whatever we can to survive the night. Lulu and Kalypso are on high alert. If something requires our attention their shrieks of dismay will be our first sign of trouble.”
Elodie bit her lip and glanced at the tiger. She kept stalking back and forth, her attention completely on the valley. Cale made a good point. Between Kalypso’s prowling and Lulu’s high vantage point, they had a good system in place. For whatever reason, the animals were fully on their side—she hoped that it stayed that way until they left Malediction for good.
“I hate to agree with the knight,” Daire said, “but in this case, I must. Let the animals be our first defense. They know this world far better than we do.”
“You’re right,” Elodie agreed. “I know you are, but I don’t like it. Even they are unknowns when you think about it. Some things have been too easy. I don’t trust anything we don’t have to work for.”
Cale laughed and sat down by the fire he had roaring to life. “Don’t beg for trouble, Elle. You might just get it.”
“Quit saying things I have to agree with,” Daire said grudgingly. “Besides.” He directed his gaze at Elodie. “I don’t call almost dying from a magic infusion by a river monster easy.”
They didn’t understand. Even that had been easier than it should have been. Someone was setting them up to fail, but she had not figured it all out yet. They were dangling on a rope, and if they did not tread carefully the last thread would snap. Some unseen force was pulling their strings and directing them across the board. In the end, the question would be if they captured the prize or became it.
“When I was fighting the river monster’s clutches it was almost as if I was in a different world entirely,” she said. “I can’t explain it, but I think there are different layers to this realm.”
She didn’t tell them about her fake father in the other world. It was hard for her to think about, let alone discuss openly. She missed him so much it hurt deep inside. The vision had brought joy mixed with pain and anxiety. Her father represented so much in her life, but the sting of his death still brought her to her knees on a good day. Lately, those were few and far between.
“If what you believe is true, how will we know if we truly escaped it?” Daire asked. “What if we jump from one version of Malediction to the next and never find our way home?”
That was Elodie’s fear too. Reality was so hard to hold on to, and Malediction made her question everything. “I don’t have the answer to that. I’m hoping that after we cross the valley of the dead and find the fire ring we will have the answers we seek.”
Cale used a stick to stoke the fire larger. “Do we even know what that ring is or will do?”
Elodie shrugged. “I’m not sure if it is a literal ring of fire or a piece of jewelry. I suppose that is something we will recognize when we see it.”
Lulu drifted down and rested on Cale’s shoulder. She pecked at his ear and he swatted at her. The bird’s attentions toward Cale were becoming so commonplace Elodie barely noticed them. Something in the bird’s demeanor caught her eye though.
“Lulu,” she said as she stepped closer. “Why are you wings different?”
“What do you mean?” Cale said and stared down at the bird. Lulu lifted them high for the knight to examine. “Ah, I see what you mean. The white is disappearing and being replaced with silver.”
Daire came closer and examined her too. “That can’t be good.”
Elodie nibbled on her bottom lip. “It’s the valley, isn’t it?”
Lulu nodded. “The dead spreads the silver throughout.”
What did that have to do with anything? Why did it need the silver to take over? Nothing made sense, and Elodie was beginning to believe it never would. “I think you need to explain a few things to us.”
“It’s time,” Lulu agreed. “Before the sun comes up and we head into the unknown.”
Daire sat down by the fire and stared across at Lulu sitting on Cale’s shoulder. Elodie sat in-between the two men and focused her attention on the bird. Lulu let her wings fall to her side and met Elodie’s gaze.
“It’s no accident that you’re here,” she said. “I’m sure you’re aware.”
Elodie nodded. “It crossed my mind a time or three.” Like every waking moment until she was driving herself mad. “Do you know something about it?”
“Some,” she chirped. “But not all.”
Cale reached up and stroked the bird. She preened under his attention and Elodie could not help being enthralled by the action. For the most part, the knight seemed to be irritated by the bird, but his actions spoke of affection. Was he starting to care for Lulu?
“Tell us everything,” Cale coaxed. “Leave out no detail, no matter how minute you think it might be.”
Lulu crooned as Cale pet her. “The flowers bade me to lead you here. The knight fell into the trap, but he was bait for a bigger one.”
Elodie feared as much. “As I said earlier—too easy.”
“What is the trap?” Daire asked. “And how can we avoid walking into it?”
The bird looked down and remained silent and demure. Her wings were almost entirely silver now. She closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m afraid that is the part I do not know.”
“Why are your wings silver?” Cale asked. “What is the significance?”
“Until I pass over the dead they have a hold on me. The silver won’t ever leave me.” She held up her wings. “They make flying harder but not impossible.”
“What happens if your feathers become all silver?” Elodie asked.
She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that question because she wouldn’t like it. Lulu remained silent for several heartbeats. That made her realize she definitely wouldn’t like what the bird would say next.
“If silver runs through me, it will end me,” she said quietly. “It’s affecting Kalypso too. It’s why she roars so frequently.”
Cale and Daire turned to stare at the tiger. Elodie kept her focus on Lulu. Kalypso wasn’t in danger of turning entirely silver yet. Lulu’s predicament was too precarious for the moment. The tiger had silver eyes and had a little time before she gave into the silver, and her life came to an end.”
“What can we do for you?” Elodie asked. “How do we stop it, or at the very least, delay it?”
Lulu shook her head sadly. “There is nothing you can do for me, princess. Until we are away from this place, it will continue to run through me.”
Elodie leaped to her feet. “Then we move on now.”
Cale
and Daire remained seated. Their gazes met and Cale nodded. They had some sort of silent communication going on and left Elodie in the dark. It was moments like this one when she wanted to punch them both in the face.
“What are you two waiting for?” She placed her hands on her hips. “Let’s go.”
“We can’t allow you to take that risk,” Cale said. “You’re too important.”
Oh… Elodie clenched her hands into tight fists and glared at the two males. Daire was on Cale’s side, so he wasn’t any better. Cale though—he would pay for talking down to her in that manner of his. Wasn’t that like him to think he knew what was best for her. She was so sick and tired of his arbitrary decisions. Lulu needed to move past this place, and Elodie was willing to take whatever risk was necessary to see her survive. It was her life, and she should be able to make that decision without a male thinking he could veto it.
“Listen to him,” Daire said. “It’s too dark to travel, and we have no idea what we might walk into. Lulu said there is a trap waiting for us. Why would you willingly walk into something if you could prevent it?”
Elodie drew her eyebrows together and crossed her arms across her chest. Why did they have to make sense? She really hated it when she had to agree with them. It gave them a swollen head and an arrogance that was insufferable.
“And if Lulu dies?” she asked. “That’s something you’re willing to live with?”
Both men remained silent. They probably didn’t want to put a voice to what they were thinking. Lulu was a bird and very much expendable. It didn’t matter that she had helped them to get as far as they had. The first one that dismissed the bird’s importance would feel the sting of her blade.
“None of us wants Lulu to die,” Cale said quietly. “But we have to be smart. Please tell me you see that, Elle.”
She glanced at Lulu who huddled closer to Cale. The bird lifted her gaze and stared into Elodie’s eyes. “I’ve always been here to serve you. Do not feel sorry for me. If this is how it’s supposed to be, I’ve made peace with it.”
Lulu had given Elodie permission to let her die. That was unacceptable. “You will not die today,” she said vehemently. “Whatever I need to do to ensure that will be done. You have my word.”
“Elle,” Cale said.
She interrupted him, “Don’t start with me. I agree we cannot leave yet, so back away right now. Nevertheless, we will leave at first light. Be ready to move as fast as possible across the valley. If we can prevent anyone from dying we are going to do it.”
It would be foolish to cross the valley in the dark. As much as she wanted to take the chance, the two men were right. It grated on her to admit that, even to herself. It would be a bigger risk to them all to walk through an unknown area in the dark. Lulu thought it was a bad idea too. So she would do her best to remain patient and hope the bird could make it through the night. There were a few hours left until dawn.
“It’s the best decision to make,” Daire said. “Try and rest for now.”
She shook her head. “I won’t be able to sleep. Besides, I managed more than the two of you while I was sick last night. You should rest because I’ll need you both at your best when we walk across the valley. In a few short hours, we will find our way home. Let’s make the best of a bad situation.”
They both nodded and laid down. Lulu flew over to Elodie and sat on her shoulder. Daire and Cale closed their eyes, and after several moments their breathing evened out.
“You really don’t know anything about the trap?” Elodie asked.
Lulu sighed. “Its poison, prepared, and lying in wait. The question is who will ingest it and become something other than what they are.”
“If it’s drinkable…”
“It isn’t,” Lulu said interrupting her. “Poison comes in all forms. This one feeds on a person’s deepest, darkest desires.” Sadness filled her eyes as she stared up at Elodie. “They can even be altruistic in nature, but once it reaches in and grabs them there is no being released from its hold.”
How could she fight something like that? Elodie sighed and said, “Try and rest. We will try to figure a way out of this and save us all.”
She hoped she could live up to such a lofty goal.
A Ring of Fire
Elodie stood at the edge of the valley of death, prepared to make her way across its massive expanse. She stopped and took a wary glance at her traveling companions. Grave expressions rested on everyone’s face—well, except Lulu’s. She had passed out sometime in the middle of the night. They had to double check to make sure she was still breathing and had not actually died.
The sighs of relief had echoed through them when Cale found a heartbeat. It had been faint, but it was still there. No one wished her death, even at her most annoying. The bird had been helpful and somehow managed to lead them this far. Now she rested in a sling wrapped around Cale’s neck and chest. He carried her inside it so he could keep his hands free for whatever they were about to face.
“Do you really think it’s as bad as it sounds?” Daire asked.
“Worse,” Kalypso responded. “The horror stories run far and wide through Malediction. No one goes through this valley unless they have a death wish.”
That was not something Elodie wanted to hear. Lulu had insisted that they needed to cross through it, and the only way they could survive it was with Kalypso at their side. So if the tiger was afraid, what did that say for the rest of them? Would they be able to withstand the trials that were in store for them?
“Have you ever been in the valley?” she asked Kalypso. “Lulu said…”
“I have once,” Kalypso answered. “It is a time I wish I could forget. Lulu would likely remember that, and think I’d have some insight. I am here because it is the right thing to do, no matter what that bird says. She doesn’t really have any control over me.”
That was perhaps the longest statement the tiger had said yet. She was a cat of few words and many growls. It was weird in itself that the animals of Malediction talked. If she wasn’t in a magical realm, she might have questioned that possibility. Everything was so much more than expected, and it was hard to wrap her mind around it all. In the end, it wouldn’t matter though. As long as they were able to find their way home the rest would be a distant memory. She hoped it worked out the way they wanted it to.
“Are you two actually friends?” Cale asked bewildered. “I am having a hard time coming to terms with that idea.”
Elodie chuckled lightly. “He does have a point. Wouldn’t she normally be dinner for you?”
“More like a snack,” the tiger shot back. “Can’t be much meat on her puny frame.”
“I suppose that is true,” Daire said thoughtfully. “So what is the bird to you?”
Elodie could not help wondering that much herself. The relationship between Lulu and Kalypso was an odd one for sure. She had thought the tiger’s surrender too easy. What kind of large cat gave up so calmly? She had not even bothered to put up much of a fight.
“Lulu is the other half of my soul,” the tiger said. “If she dies, I’ll follow behind her.”
“Let me guess,” Daire said. “She’s the happy cheerful part and you’re the bite heads off and ask questions later half.”
Kalypso growled at him. “Be careful, prince, I can always rectify my lack of biting yours off now.”
This was turning into a sideshow and had to stop immediately. “No one is biting anyone.” That had not sounded quite right. Elodie modified her statement, “Don’t hurt each other. We need all our minds on making it through the valley in one piece. Are we ready to take the leap into the unknown?” She lifted a brow. “Kalypso, is there anything we should be aware of before we move forward?”
“We walk in pairs of two,” Kalypso said. “The pretty boy can come with me.” She snarled at Daire. “I promise to bite if he asks nicely.”
Daire stood up straight and reached for an arrow from his quiver. He nocked it and aimed for the tiger. �
��I will never ask for something so outrageous,” he said through gritted teeth. “And if you keep pushing me, you’ll be our dinner.”
“At ease,” Elodie said, placing a hand on Daire’s arm. “We need her.” He lowered the bow to his side, the arrow still nocked.
Kalypso stepped closer, and if a tiger could grin—she did. It was all teeth and more menacing than anything she had ever seen in her life. Elodie was not sure if they could keep the tiger in line for long. The large cat seemed to be biding her time for the moment she was allowed to pounce and devour them whole. With Lulu incapacitated, their tether on the tiger’s savage nature was slipping. Whatever the bird did to control Kalypso was fading. Elodie hoped they made it to their destination without an incident. She seemed rather attached to Daire. Which, in itself, was strange… The tiger had held him captive in her lair. Had they missed something when they’d gone to rescue Daire? Did Kalypso have some other reason for keeping him tied up and nestled in her cave? All questions Elodie should have considered sooner, but now wasn’t the time to broach them. She would set them aside for a later date so she could interrogate Kalypso and figure out exactly what she was up to. Maybe Lulu hadn’t had the control over the tiger Elodie had believed.
“Don’t play games you can’t win pretty boy,” Kalypso sneered. “I promise you won’t like the outcome.”
And the bow was once again raised and ready to go. This time, Cale stepped in and gave Daire a new target. “Grow up, your highness. The tiger had you tied up and ready to roast over a spit once. Don’t give her a second go.”
“Shut your mouth,” Daire shouted. “I can shoot you instead.”
Cale rolled his eyes. “By all means,” he said mockingly. “Do it and put me out of my misery. This has leaped over from taxing to downright ridiculous.”
Elodie brought both hands up and covered her face. Could this possibly get any worse? The two idiots were going to be her doom. Why had she thought they needed rescuing before? They each clearly had a death wish.
“Knock it off,” she yelled. “I’ve had enough of your hissy fits.” Elodie pointed at Daire. “You go with Kalypso, and no, you cannot shoot her.”