by R. Lynn
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Descendants Copyright © 2011 by R. Lynn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress
Cover designed by R. Lynn Cover layout by Andreas Hinterplattner and
Amber Sims Hinterplattner
For information about the author, visit
www.authorrlynn.com
To Dave,
Thank you for showing me
that true love is not
just in fairy tales.
-1-
Half awake and half asleep, the in-between twinkling of imagination, where any dream is possible. It was in that moment that Sollara found reason to hope. The one time each day that she could do anything, go anywhere, and be anyone.
“Sollara, you had best be getting ready,” one of the servant girls yelled through the door.
Sollara brushed a stray red curl off her face and pulled the pillow over her head— blocking out the servant girl and focusing on her world, the in-between.
Her absence would be noted by her tutor and, no doubt, cause her trouble. But no matter what the punishment would be, she didn’t care. It was worth the consequences to feel free for a few brief moments each day. Besides, today was her eighteenth birthday, she should be able to do what she wanted.
Pushing the distraction of the servant to the back of her mind, she returned to her world, flying high above the ground, dancing, and playing with the birds. The in-between seemed so real— it was as though she could taste the air, feel the breeze across her skin, and hear the melodious song of nature. But the weight of consciousness constantly pulled at her, testing and teasing, threatening to bring her back to her room in the Deep Kingdom. And even though she fought with all her will to stay in the in-between, the more she struggled, the more consciousness took hold.
Soon her arms no longer kept her afloat, she found herself falling through the air. The ground, coming ever nearer. She tried to regain focus, to return to flying, but was unable to reclaim control of her thoughts. Pain seared through her body as she fell through the rock walls of her home and landed in a heap on the bed.
The jolt of the fall snapped her from the in-between, pulling her back to a dark reality. Her eyes broke open as she desperately gasped in air and gazed up at the familiar dull stone that made up the ceiling in her room. Her body had been forced back, but somehow a part of her mind remained in the in-between, teasing her with what she could no longer experience by replaying the songs of the birds.
She rolled over, blinking multiple times in an attempt to adjust her eyes to the half lit room. As they came into focus, she saw a lark perched on the ledge next to the bed, boldly watching her as he sang his morning song.
Holding her breath in an attempt to be as still as possible, she quietly watched in awe. It was her first time seeing a bird in real life, and she took the opportunity to study him, taking in every aspect of his tiny body.
His eyes were abnormally blue, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was common for a bird. With a curious intensity, she watched him, and surprisingly he didn’t shy away. Testing to see if she was still in the in-between, still dreaming, she bit her tongue. When stabbing pain shot through her mouth she pressed her lips together to muffle the cry. It didn’t make sense, Sollara thought. She was awake and yet seeing a living bird. How could a bird venture far enough underground to reach the Deep Kingdom? And if one did, what reason would it have to sing?
The bird stretched out his wings and flew from her into a crevasse in the stone wall. She wondered if it was returning to the Surface, and how long that journey would take. The Deep Kingdom was miles below the earth in a stronghold carved under the limestone at the base of Mount Anboto. At least that’s what she’d been told.
The rooms were intricately cut into the stone, with halls and passages, banquet rooms, and private corridors. Sollara would spend her days, when not in studies, getting lost exploring the engravings or basking in the majesty of the domed ceilings. Each room was themed with matching hand-woven tapestries and elaborate paintings, and each room housed memories of her life spent there. All she was and all she’d ever known could be found within its dark walls.
Still it was hard for Sollara to find motivation to get out of bed each day. Her life was dull, full of routine. Sleep, wake, eat, study, read, and sleep. And not to mention, she was in a world of eternal darkness— a fact that was making it difficult to appreciate life at all.
And though she found some enjoyment from exploring the Deep Kingdom, after eighteen years all Sollara longed for was to leave and to see what she had spent every spare moment dreaming about. But what she had dreamed about, wished for, and hoped to see was the one place she was forbidden to go. The Surface.
-2-
Seeing as it was her birthday Sollara decided to try once more to persuade her parents, Mari and Sugoi, to take her to the Surface. Although it had always been against Mari’s orders to go there, it was all Sollara had ever wanted, and today was her best chance of getting it.
Deciding it would be pointless to ask Mari, she decided to try Sugoi first. Perhaps she could play his weakness for servant girls against him. Picking up the edge of her skirt, she started in a determined sprint towards Sugoi’s chambers. With every step closer she felt her breath come faster and her hands clam up. This was it, if she could execute her plan properly, today was the day she would see the Surface.
In her excitement she forgot her manners and burst through the door to his room. Sugoi was seated in a chair with a valet polishing his boots and when he saw her he jumped to his feet knocking the valet backwards. He composed himself, smoothening out his silk robe and waved off the valet with a flick of his wrist. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Sollara.
“Today is my coming-of-age day, and,” she paused to steady her breath before continuing in the most sickly-sweet tone she could muster. “I was hoping I could spend my day with you.”
His dark brow furrowed and he took a step back. “I’m far too busy,” he answered.
“But Sugoi, we hardly see each other, and it is all I want for my day! If you’re busy, I don’t mind quietly following you around.”
He ran his fingers through his dark hair and pulled at the collar of his tunic. For some reason it seemed to be tighter than he had remembered. “I cannot have you following me around. I won’t get a thing accomplished!”
“Why don’t you take me to the Surface for a couple of hours? We can spend some time together, and then I will leave you alone.” She held her breath, eagerly awaiting his reply.
Sugoi paced around his chambers as he weighed his options. A day with her on his tail meant a day where he would have to avoid the servant girls. That meant having them avoid his bedchambers. But if he took her to the Surface and Mari found out, he would surely get in trouble— a lot of trouble.
Sollara could sense his reluctance and began to worry that he would not agree to take her to the Surface. Even more so, she worried that she would have to follow through with her threat of being with him for the day. She could think of a thousand things she would rather do. She had no other choice but to play into Sugoi’s other weaknes
s—Mari.
“Is it because Mari won’t let you go to the Surface? I don’t want to be the one who gets you in trouble.”
Instantly, the tension in Sugoi’s brow changed into a hate-filled glare. “I am the man of this dwelling. Mari does not dictate what I do or who I do it with!”
His reaction had been exactly what she was hoping for, and she took it as her window to negotiate with him. “So you’re saying I am permitted to go?” It was all she could do to get her words out. She could feel her heart beat pulse beneath her skin.
He paused, realizing he had decided to disobey Mari. Trying to figure out his best course of action, he decided a brief visit shouldn’t cause any harm. “For thirty minutes, and that is all!”
“Eighty!” she tried to bargain.
“Sollara, I really don’t think you are in a position to negotiate,” Sugoi scolded.
“Perhaps you’re right. I will ask Mari if she will take me. I am sure she would let me stay there longer.” Sollara knew she was being bold by pushing him. But this was her chance, her one chance to see what she spent every spare moment dreaming about, and she wasn’t about to let it slip through her grasp.
“You will do no such thing!” He turned his back to her as he pondered his predicament. “If you promise not to tell Mari about our little excursion, I will let you visit the Surface for one hour. This is non-negotiable!”
Joy erupted in Sollara, and not thinking she ran to Sugoi and hugged him, squeezing him as tight as she could. He awkwardly stood with his arms pinned to his sides as he tried to shake her free. Once loose from Sollara’s uncomfortable grip, he took some twine from his dresser drawer.
“For precautions, I will tie you to myself so we do not loose each other,” he said waving the rope. Sollara nodded and held out her hands, he pulled them behind her back and skillfully bound them, then fastened it around his waist. He knew that there was a risk of her escaping, or worse, having use of her hands. She was eighteen now, and that meant if she did have powersthis was the time they would awaken.
Once he was convinced he had done his best work and that there was no way she could wiggle her way free from her bindings, he escorted her to their portal.
Sollara had been so filled with anticipation that she did not notice the stone pond until it was right in front of her. She’d always been wary of the onyx slab; its darkness seemed to absorb the light out of the already dark room. And to Sollara, anything that took away her precious light was not something she wanted to be near.
“Can’t we just walk to the Surface?” she asked, hoping to avoid being sucked into the shadows of the stone pond.
“Don’t be foolish. This is the gateway the Descendants took from Atlanticus when we left. They’ve entrusted it to Mari and I. It is a high honor that I’m even letting you use it.” He shook his head in frustration and rubbed the nape of his neck. “Besides, it would take far too long to just walk there.”
Sugoi motioned her to join him atop the large dark stone. Hesitantly she tested the surface with her toe before placing her whole weight on it. She had never been permitted to see how the stone pond worked. They kept it from her for fear she would learn how to escape, and rightfully so, as she often dreamed about that very thing.
While they waited for its magic to work and transport them to the Surface, Sugoi stood rigidly at her side, holding fast to the bindings. It seemed bizarre to Sollara, how cautious he was being, but since she had never been to the Surface, she did not know the protocol for visiting. And truthfully, she was far too excited to question anything.
The rock walls began to change, shift, and melt away. Soon darkness engulfed them. A heavy pressure, as though someone or something was pushing dow
n on her, encompassed her body. The feeling intensified, and soon it felt as though she was being pulled every which way. She opened her mouth to scream out in pain but no noise came forth. Her only sense of reality was Sugoi’s hands firmly clasped to her bindings. Her breaths became shorter and shorter until she couldn’t take them in at all. The overwhelming feeling of suffocation caused panic to rise within her chest. She was at the brink of slipping forever into the darkness.
-3-
light exploded around her. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the brightness and to focus on the surroundings. But when they did, the beauty of what she saw froze her in place. She couldn’t decide where to look first, what to put to memory. Everything was so much more than how she had imagined it in the in-between. The grassland was clothed in vibrant purple and yellow flowers. On the far side of the field was a tall tree twisted out of the earth. Its mahogany bark gave the illusion of skin, and it’s leaves waved at her in the light breeze. She noted how the Surface smelled so differently than the Deep Kingdom, so alive and new. Above all the sights, she was drawn to the sky.
It went on forever. She had never seen anything so large and so full of light. As long as she could remember, she had longed to see the sun. And now, standing under it, feeling the heat of its rays radiate across her skin and dance through her bright-red curls, it caused a jolt of electricity to course through her body. The sensation empowered her, making her feel invincible. The healing essence of the sun’s warmth began to erase the dark hopelessness the Deep Kingdom had scarred in her heart. And for the first time in her life, she felt limitless.
Sugoi was deep in contemplation as he watched her tilt her head and twirl while she stared at the sky. He wondered if Mari was right, that nature really could activate any dormant powers an Elemental had.
Sollara’s light blue dress clung to her body as she soaked in the warmth of the sun’s embrace. The breeze pushed a lock of hair across her ivory cheeks, and she smiled at how stimulating nature was.
Caught off guard with her ever-increasing change of state, Sugoi decided he had to intervene. He was about to say something when a rustling noise filled both of their ears, simultaneously they turned to see its source.
Sollara’s eyes rested on a young man lying in the field. He seemed a perfect fit to the natural beauty around him. The sun reflected light through his golden hair and had masterfully warmed his skin, leaving him with a bronze glow. His perfection gave the illusion that he was not real. How could anything so perfect exist? she thought. She tried to rationalize that he might be a work of art, a sculpture. Yet despite her logic, she was wrong, for he moved and turned toward her.
With her mouth agape, she watched him for what seemed an eternity. Her heart thumped against her chest, matching beat for beat in rhythm with her breath. Everything around her melted into nothingness she was transfixed on this stranger. He confused her, mesmerized her.
His piercing blue eyes locked with hers, calling her to him. Her body reacted of its own accord, lunging towards him. But Sugoi held tightly to her bindings, keeping her in place. She was a torrent of emotions. Everything seemed to make sense and confound her all at once.
The stranger effortlessly pushed himself off the ground and started towards them. His hand outstretched, continuing the call his eyes began. It was as though he had a secret, a secret about her. She could feel it. She needed to talk to him, to find out what he knew.
"It’s time for us to leave," Sugoi interrupted, his words laced with something she had never expected him to possess. Panic.
"What? Why? We just got here. This isn’t fair!" she pleaded with him, her body shaking in frustrated anger, yet her eyes remained unmoved, locked on the perfect blue eyes of the stranger in front of her.
Sugoi grabbed onto her, clawing at the flesh of her arm as he forced her backwards toward the stone pond. As if it were a perfect mirror to her feelings, the sky instantaneously turned grey, releasing a clash of thunder and lightning. She struggled against his grip, desperately wanting to run into the arms of the man approaching her.
He opened his mouth to tell her something. Every ounce of Sollara ached to hear him speak words that acknowledged her. But before his words made their way to her ears, the grey sky twisted a
nd transformed into the dull and familiar bedrock walls that made up their dwelling. It all happened so fast that she didn’t even register the painful sensation of her body being thrust back into the Deep Kingdom.
The only thing on her mind was the handsome stranger and what it was he was trying to say. For some reason, not knowing made her furious.
"You promised me a full hour there!" She snapped her attention to Sugoi. "Why did we have to leave?” With great strain Sollara worked hard to control her breathing, but the anger growing within her fought her every effort.
"I hate it when you call me Sugoi. Why don't you call me father?" he grumbled, as he waved his hand dismissing her question.
She couldn’t be bothered wasting her time arguing with him and stormed down the corridor towards her room. The steady echoing of feet slapping against the stone floors helped to drown out her internal struggle. The quick anger-fueled stride caused her to reach her quarters in no time. When she went to open her door, she struggled to move her hands and realized that they were still tied behind her back.
"Sugoi!" she screamed, as she stomped her foot and kicked her door. "Get these bindings off me!"
Mari floated around the corner, her feet seemed as though they never touched the ground. Yet her graceful movement and elegant bearing did not mask her frightening presence. Her pale flesh clung to protruding bones and her scarlet lips lay perfectly across her face, accenting her features. Her dark eyes, the mirror image of the stone pond, complemented her wild raven hair. She looked a picture of death, but at the same time, she was beautiful.
"Sollara, why are your hands bound?" she chimed, her voice penetrating like a gong.
Before Sollara could answer, Sugoi was in front of her undoing the bindings. "It was just a game I played with the child, my love." His eyes didn’t hold the certainty that his tongue had, and Mari was quick to read through his lies.