What Once Was One (Book 2)

by Marc Johnson

  But I couldn’t stop.

  My fire raged brighter and hotter. Instead of collapsing, the black wall of fire expanded. People scrambled to get out of the way before the flames engulfed them.

  “WHAT’S HAPPENING TO ME?”

  But I knew the answer. It was the reason I didn’t want to tap into the power in the first place, and one of the reasons I had journeyed into Southern Shala. I couldn’t control it. I was already weakened from the hard days of riding, and from the attacks. The blazing inferno became a wildfire.

  My consciousness began to drift off into nothingness. If I died, the empty black fire would continue to burn until it had consumed everything. I had to extinguish it. I didn’t want my name to be remembered with the likes of Renak.

  Yet I didn’t fight as hard as I could. Part of me delighted as I watched a wave of fire splash down on three humans, incinerating them. One wizard bought time, helping others run away. She stood her ground, casting her useless magic until my flames peeled off her skin.

  Instead of resisting this power, I could have embraced it. Controlled it to do anything I desired. The fire whispered to me, its thoughts intertwining into mine. The Elemental Council was the best Southern Shala had, and not even they could oppose me with their pitiful magic. If a war was what they wanted, I would give them one. I would smite them from existence.

  “Hellsfire!” Krystal said. Amongst the screams, shouts, and yells, hers was the only sound I heard. It overpowered the fire’s promises.

  Krystal sprinted from the black flames that surged to reach out to her spectral light. She looked back, and her violet eyes stared into my very soul.

  “You’ve got to stop!” she said. “Please!”

  “I’m…trying,” I said, finding my own voice again. While the fire didn’t lose strength, I did.

  Since I didn’t want to seize control of it, it subdued me. The darkness within the fire pulled at me, smothering me out of existence. I was left with two possible choices: succumb to it and change into something I feared, or get lost in it and have everyone here die.

  The brightness within Krystal darkened as Renak’s curse wormed its way through her. She stumbled and fell, the rocky ground tearing at her clothes and skin. The necklace’s magic flared and pushed against Renak’s magic until it receded.

  Krystal wobbled up, but the damage was already done. The curse had slowed her down, allowing my fire to race towards her. It didn’t burn her within its massive reach like all the others, but the fire ached to grasp and consume her.

  Krystal turned around, seeing that she couldn’t outrun it any longer. She gasped for air, and her sweat-drenched hair clung to her. She stared into me, reaching out with her transparent, glowing arm. “Hellsfire!”

  A white, sparkling light shot out from her. It glided toward me, and I marveled at its beauty. It was like a tiny firefly. The closer it floated to me, the more it called out to me. I was no longer buried by the dark flames. I was stronger, but the flames turned against me. The dark fire attacked and smothered me.

  The little light collided with the fire. The entire flame shivered when I felt it touch my soul. Memories of times spent with Krystal flooded my mind. I remembered the first time she kissed me, and how it caught me off guard. I was so drained from letting Stradus die and defeating Premier. I was a bit embarrassed, but the wonderful kiss also restored something in me. I thought about the first time she brought me to the top of one of the castle’s towers. How soft she felt as she snuggled up against me and I wrapped my arms around her. We had watched the sun set with our legs hanging and intertwining over the balcony.

  We had spent countless hours together in Alexandria. In those private moments when we were alone we were just a man and a woman, not a wizard and a princess, and I felt more alive, at peace, and as happy as I had ever been during those times.

  That sensation burrowed into me now. It bestowed upon me an amazing strength and power—far more than the temptation of the dark fire. It latched on to my feelings for Krystal and amplified them. I became enraptured by it and it brought me to the euphoria I only felt when I was with Krystal.

  “Enough!” I said.

  The black fire vanished, and the normal flames dwindled down to nothing. There was one last thing I wanted to say to Krystal. I should have said it before the ritual. I should have said it while we were in Alexandria.

  With my last bit of breath I said, “Krystal, I…”

  Then the darkness engulfed me.

  CHAPTER 28

  I appeared in a blinding bright, barren place, wearing my black wizard’s robes. I glanced at my hands, seeing the welts, bruises, scratches, and scars gone. I sniffed my robes, finding them and myself fresh and clean. That could only mean one thing.

  I was dead.

  I always thought I would find my father in the afterlife. It was what I was raised to believe and what I hoped. I glanced around, desiring to see my absent father for the first time. I didn’t find him—or anything. I didn’t understand it. After you died, you were supposed to be reunited with your loved ones. This emptiness disturbed me. What if nothing happened when you died and it was all a lie?

  “You’re not dead yet,” a quiet voice said.

  I spun around and glimpsed nothing. Hope bubbled up inside of me when I thought it might be my father.

  “Who’s there?” I asked.

  His laughter echoed around me, yet I couldn’t see anything. “You don’t recognize me? I’m hurt, my boy.”

  That voice and laugh sounded very familiar. “Stradus?”

  “Yes.” He materialized in front of me, wearing his sky blue robes and smiling.

  I ran up to him and embraced him. His warm hug and the smell of wind in his robes reminded me it was him.

  “I’ve missed you too, Hellsfire, and I’m proud of what you’ve done. I knew you had it in you.”

  “Am I dead?”

  “Almost. You’re in the world between worlds—a kind of waiting place.” His back stiffened and his smile ceased. “You did something very dangerous, Hellsfire. I wasn’t even sure you’d make it. You should be dead. There was only one reason you survived.”

  “Hellsfire,” a small and gentle voice said in the void. “Hellsfire...”

  “Krystal?” I said, peering around. Her voice sounded so sad and quiet, as if she had been sobbing for hours.

  “I’m glad the necklace I gave you was of use as she is the reason you survived,” my former master said. “No matter how much power you have, she has more.”

  I remembered how bright she looked and how she extinguished my fire when no others could—both when I defeated Premier and just now.

  “Yes,” I said, nodding. “I realize that now.” I looked into his eyes. “But what does that mean?”

  He shook his head. “I wish I could help you, my son, but I can’t. I’m dead and I have nothing more to give you.”

  “Please come back to me,” Krystal said. Her voice reached out to me and tugged at my soul. It made my heart clench.

  She continued to call to me, but with each passing moment, her voice faded.

  “Please don’t die,” Krystal whispered. “You promised me.”

  Her quiet sobs filled my ears. I had caused her so much pain, and I continued to do so. The agony in her voice saddened me, but I was also thankful that she lived.

  Stradus’s eyes transformed until the pupils disappeared. They swirled with a deep blue. “She’s calling you back. Now return to her before it’s too late!”

  A strong wind exploded from him and pushed me away. He faded from existence as I flailed and flew, out of control, through the empty void.

  “Wait!” I said, reaching out to him. “I still have more questions! What else am I supposed to do?

  “You brought the barrier down. There will be others to help you. Find those you can trust and remember what I taught you.” He grinned and waved. “You’ll do fine. Take care, my boy, and good luck!”

  It was wonderful to see Strad
us again, but it was time to let him go. I was going to have to accomplish things without his guidance. I was a wizard, and I had a duty to magic and to the land. I would always remember that.

  I was ripped from him and the world between worlds and propelled back into the painful world I’d always known.

  ----

  I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself in a comfortable bed. Buckets of sweat drenched my naked body. I moaned as I tried to move, my body weak and sore. I pushed back the throbbing headache, latching onto the fire inside of me. Although faint, it was still there. I started to lie back down when something else startled me.

  “I’m glad to see you’re finally awake,” an older man said, sitting on a stool next to me. He was dressed in red robes similar to a wizard’s. When he turned, I saw the fire symbol on his back. He was from one of the temples. He reached out with a damp sponge, but I backed away.

  “Who are you?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

  “Brother Elijah. Don’t worry. You’re safe now. I’m here to help, if you’ll allow me.”

  I nodded, even though there wasn’t anything I could do to stop him. He wiped my forehead with the sponge, cooling my heated head, then put a bowl of broth to my mouth. “Drink this.”

  “Where are my friends?” I asked.

  “Brother Ardimus and Sister Rebekah are guarding the room. The others are out in the city.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Romenia.”

  “Romenia!”

  I strained to get up, but grimaced in pain. We had to get out of here as soon as possible. The others could be in danger.

  “It’s all right, Hellsfire,” Brother Elijah said. He stopped me by putting a hand on my chest. He barely applied any pressure, but it stopped me from rising anyway.

  “No, you don’t understand.”

  “Ah, but I do. The princess—”

  “The princess! Where is she?”

  “Right over there,” Brother Elijah said as he motioned with his head to the corner of the room. “As you can see, she’s safe and unharmed.”

  My whole body stiffened up as I spotted Krystal in a makeshift cot. She slept snuggled in my black robes, curled up like a baby. She looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake her.

  “This is probably the first time the princess has had this much sleep,” Brother Elijah said. “She’s normally been where I’m sitting now for the past week.”

  “I’ve been out for a week?” I asked, shaking my head.

  “It’s been closer to two. We had to bring you back to Romenia. The princess has been right by your side the whole time. She only allowed herself to sleep when you were ultimately out of harm’s way.” Brother Elijah rose. “I’m going to bring you something to eat, now that you can handle solid foods again. You’re probably starving.”

  My mouth salivated and my stomach growled at the thought of it. “Thank you.”

  I struggled to get out of the bed, as the blankets were so heavy and I was so weak. I shivered when my feet touched the cold stone floor. I flexed my fingers and toes, willing them to work before I trusted my body enough to stand on my own.

  I shuffled my feet, attempting to get to the clean clothes lying across a nearby chest. My body ached and moaned every step of the way, but I wasn't going to be bedridden, and I wanted to hurry before someone came and caught me naked.

  I dressed and tiptoed to Krystal, kneeling down in front of her. I leaned in close to her and brushed a lock of her sun brown hair aside. I hungered to lean in and kiss her awake, but couldn’t. The best I could do was kiss her on the head where her hair was thickest.

  “Rest, beautiful,” I said. “You deserve it.”

  She deserved to lie on my bed. She was a princess and shouldn’t be sleeping on a cot. Yet I had no strength to lift her. I grabbed my blanket and covered her with it.

  “Sleep well, princess.”

  The door creaked open. Brother Elijah carried a large tray of food with cheese, fruit, bread, and a bowl of beans. I limped up to him, thanked him, then ravished the meal.

  “I told Brother Ardimus to gather your other friends,” Brother Elijah said. I nodded, but didn’t pause in my eating. “They should arrive shortly.”

  I was tempted to ask Brother Elijah some questions, but refrained from doing so. I didn’t know whose side he was on or if I was a prisoner because of what I had done. I rubbed my neck. At least I wasn’t wearing one of those accursed collars or in one of those cells. All I knew was that Krystal trusted him enough to fall asleep, and that the others roamed the city.

  By the time I finished eating, my friends had arrived. I was glad to see everyone had survived the battle. Even Malik was there. So were Fortune and Adriana. I left the room so Krystal could get some peaceful sleep. Ardimus and Rebekah stayed behind to guard the princess.

  We traveled the familiar hallways, and Malik led us to a big balcony. I glanced at my pale skin in need of some fresh air and sunlight. I took a moment to revel in the sunshine, allowing the cool breeze to fill every pore of my body. I gazed at the animal-shaped clouds, thankful to be alive again.

  Hundreds of people wandered below us. I picked out the armies from their two colors of blue and red. Most of the soldiers still stood apart from each other. An ocean of blood was about to be shed if they clashed. A few people intermingled between the two, but could the truce be maintained, or would violence break out again?

  I also noticed that there weren’t many wounded. I sighed and shook my head. That probably had to do with me. I was sure I’d left nothing but burnt-out husks on the battlefield. Hundreds, more likely thousands, dead, all at my hands. They were just regular people. They weren’t monsters being controlled by Premier. They had wives, husbands, and children. Even the Wasteland creatures had those things. And now their families would have to survive without them because of me. They couldn’t even give them a proper burial.

  I felt remorse for them, but I had needed to do what was necessary. They were going to bring war into my homeland, to my mother’s doorstep. I also had to watch myself even more. I had made a great many enemies that day. Finding people to trust was going to be even harder.

  Things would have been easier if I’d died.

  I leaned over the railing. None of the others said anything to me. I stared at three of Romenia’s soldiers. They were chatting until the lead man stopped and quieted. He bent down and stretched his arms wide as a little girl raced up to him, and they crushed each other in a bear hug. Soon after, the rest of the man’s family caught up to the little girl and they all embraced each other.

  I allowed myself a small smile. Maybe there was a little hope after all. When I was ready, they finally told me what happened after the fire dissolved.

  The two side’s armies had enclosed my friends. My friends had guarded my body, but couldn’t fight off the remaining armies or the council. Krystal, Prastian, Jastillian, and even Fortune were able to negotiate so that I wouldn’t be slaughtered on the spot for my actions. But that was all. I and the others would still have to answer for what I had done. Now that I was awake, that would have to be dealt with.

  “Do not keep the council waiting,” Adriana said.

  I took a deep breath. It was time to end this. “All right.”

  I turned and headed back down the hallway.

  “Where are you going?” Adriana asked. “The council’s chambers are the other way.”

  “I know. I will be there shortly, but there’s something I must do first.”

  I went back to the room, wanting to see the princess. Seeing her would grant me the strength to face the council. I wished I could have had my wizard’s robes, but I wasn’t going to wake her to retrieve them.

  When I opened the door, I expected Krystal to still be asleep, but she had risen and was talking to Brother Elijah. Her violet eyes met mine, and she stopped in midsentence. We didn’t say anything; we just stared at each other.

  Brother Elijah cleared his throat. He bowed to the princess.
“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.” He nodded as he went by me. “Wizard Hellsfire.” He closed the door, leaving me and Krystal alone.

  “You’re alive,” she said in an astonished voice.

  We closed the small distance between us. Tears hung in her violet eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but only air came out. We reached out at the same time and embraced each other. Fresh tears fell from both of us as we clung to each other. I inhaled her scent. She smelled of horse, dirt, and grass. The necklace I had given her shone, illuminating the room with its green light.

  We didn’t loosen our hold for several long minutes. We were so close to each other, yet so far. We made sure not to touch each other’s skin, but it comforted both of us just to stand there and experience the warmth from each other’s bodies.

  When our tears ran dry, Krystal broke the hold and said, “Thank the gods you came back to me.”

  “Only because of you. Krystal, how did you do that?”

  She gave me a quizzical look. “Do what?”

  I returned her look. “You stopped the fire. Didn’t you see anything? A bright light emanated from you that flew into me!”

  She shook her head. “It did?”

  “Yes. Did the council or other wizards say anything to you?”

  “No, but I got the feeling they were hiding something.” She shrugged. “There could be a great many things they would hide.” She stared into my eyes. “I don’t doubt what you said, but what do you think it means?”

  “I don’t know who else to ask. Renak said that your ancestor, Alexander, was special in the ways of magic, but he didn’t understand how or why. I think you may have inherited it.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, reeling her in and grinning. “But I already knew that you were special.”

  She smiled back. Krystal wiped my tear-soaked face, then did the same to hers. She started to take off my robes. “You’ll need your robes, if you’re going to go in front of the council. We have to look presentable.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “We?”