Cherished

by Christina Bauer

  This nightmare needed to end.

  “It’s a plan,” said Rowan. He swooped down to land before Zoriah. “You want a golden warrior? I’m right here.”

  Zoriah looked up. Despite wearing the helm, the grin on her face was still clear. She reached for Rowan, wrapping her long fingers about his neck. The golden beetles erupted over Rowan’s skin, encasing him almost immediately. I leapt straight for Zoriah, allowing my new wings to bring me speed. I dove in over her head and plucked the helm away.

  Then I placed it on myself.

  All the while, two thoughts echoed through my mind, over and over.

  Destroy the golden insects.

  Set every Caster free.

  My wings beat out a steady rhythm as I hovered above the jungle. The helm weighed heavily against my brow. Power unlike anything I’d known coursed through my mind. It felt both searing hot and bone cold.

  I spied Rowan below me. He was now a golden warrior. Rage heated my blood.

  There was no thought to my spell, only instinct and emotion. And that feeling was anger. How dare she hurt my Rowan? Wrath poured into my soul from the golden warriors as well. Through some magick of the helm, I could feel their rage and torment. My stream of anger quickly turned into a tidal wave of fury. Magick consumed my mind. The helm glowed with bright purple light. On pure instinct, I cast some kind of spell.

  Suddenly, the upper jungle erupted with golden beetles. The tiny insects covered every leaf and twig. My wings beat a regular rhythm as I stayed above the treetops. A shifting sea of golden insects moved below me. The reality hit me like a fist.

  If I wanted to free Rowan and the others again, this wasn’t the way to do it.

  Rage and magick weren’t delivering the right spell. This helm had been created with hybrid power. In order to control it, I needed to use both logic and emotion. Right now, I was allowing my heart to rule everything.

  I needed my mind, too.

  With all my will, I forced my thoughts to calm.

  Closing my eyes, I went back to the old breathing exercises I did as a Novice.

  In.

  Out.

  Life.

  Death.

  Focus.

  At last, I clasped some semblance of balance within me. Using both logic and determination, I commanded the magick to set everyone free. A specific incantation came to me in a flash.

  “Gold and bite

  Hale and blight

  Free my loved ones

  Turn evil right”

  Another blast of power moved through my soul, stronger than ever before. The light from the helm became blinding. When I opened my eyes again, all the beetles were climbing down from their perches on the leaves and trees. Moving in a great wave, they burrowed their way into the earth. More of them melted off the hundreds of golden warriors.

  I whipped off the helm and swooped back to the place where I’d last left Rowan and the others.

  All of them still stood in a neat line: Rowan, Jicho, Amelia, Veronique and Kade. Only now, they were back to being human once again. Hope and fear battled it out inside me. The five of them looked whole and healthy. Even their bindings were gone. They stared at me with a combination of relief and shock.

  They were free? It seemed too wonderful to be true.

  I rushed over to Rowan, brushing my fingers over his face and arms. There were no insects anywhere on his skin. Joy sparked in my soul.

  “It’s over,” I murmured. “The magick is really gone.”

  Rowan pulled me into a hug. “Yes, you did it.” The press of his firm body against mine was everything that was beautiful in my life, rolled up into one moment. “You’re one of a kind, Elea.”

  “Hey,” I countered. “All I had to do was wear the helm. You were the one who got turned into a metal warrior.” I leaned back, met his gaze and winced. “Was it terrible?”

  Rowan pursed his lips. “As horrors from my mother go, it wasn’t too awful. One moment, she was grabbing my throat and golden beetles were everywhere. The next second, you were running toward me and all the insects were gone. I don’t remember anything in between.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “Still, Zoriah didn’t have me trapped for very long. It could have been different for the others.”

  I nodded. “When I was wearing the helm, I felt connected to them. There was so such rage coming from the golden warriors.”

  “They were angry?”

  “Yes, it was like they were all their own people on the inside, but they were being moved around like puppets by Shujaa and Zoriah. Their fury at being confined—” I let out a rattling breath. “I’d never felt anything that horrible. The emotion was so strong, it was partly why my first casting got out of control.”

  Rowan stepped back. “It seems they’ve all returned to normal now.”

  For the first time, I took a good look at the red earth encircling the Genesis Vale. The place was packed with people. Although they all still stood in their ranks, only they were no longer metallic warriors or cursed beings, but hundreds of actual people—young, strong and healthy. And there was no mistaking the rage glittering in their eyes. Every bit of it was directed at one person.

  Zoriah.

  While the freed Casters were angry, Zoriah remained haughty and cool as ever. She raced up and down the neat lines of bodies, scanning the faces in dismay. “How did this happen?” She plucked at the blonde hair of one girl. “Not gold enough.” She set her hands on her hips. “Someone here must be left in gold. I cannot take my rightful place in the castle without a golden army.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You’re all dismissed. I’m through with you. If there are any golden ones left, they can stay.”

  Rowan and I shared a long look. We didn’t need to say a word. Both of us knew how this was going to end. “What do you want to do?” I asked.

  “Enjoy the view.” Rowan turned to Kade. “Although perhaps Jicho might do well to visit the castle. What do you say, Kade?”

  Kade looked around with a glassy-eyed stare. “What happened? I was tied up.”

  “Me too.” Jicho blinked. His eyes looked almost as glossed over as Kade’s. “What happened to the ropes around my hand and feet?”

  Veronique stared blankly ahead. She was quiet, for once. I took that as a good thing.

  I turned to Amelia. Thank the gods she looked rather sane. “Things might get ugly here. Don’t you think Jicho should leave?”

  Amelia glanced over to Zoriah, nodded slowly, and then took Jicho’s hand. “We’re all going back to the castle now.” Without any further ado, she simply walked off into the jungle with Jicho. Kade and Veronique followed along behind her. I was never more proud to be Amelia’s friend.

  The moment the four of them disappeared into the rainforest, Zoriah started to lose her mind. “Why aren’t you all leaving? Didn’t you hear what I said? You are dismissed. I only want my golden warriors. Where are you? Come here this instant!”

  All the freed Casters slowly turned toward Zoriah. White-hot rage poured off them in waves. For a moment, everything was still.

  Then they pounced.

  Zoriah was still screaming for her golden warriors while the freed Casters dragged her off into the jungle. Her cries grew louder and then fell silent.

  I gave Rowan’s hand a squeeze. “What would you like to do next?”

  “I’m King. I’ll go and see what my subjects have done.”

  “And I’ll join you.”

  Hand in hand, we walked into the jungle. The hundreds of freed Casters were crowded around a figure lying in the mud. Most of them held clubs or stones. A combination of agony and triumph now lit their eyes.

  The true battle was officially over.

  Zoriah was dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Rowan and I spent hours helping the newly-freed Casters. It seemed they’d been completely aware of what was happening to them even though they’d been trapped inside those golden shells. Other family members bega
n showing up soon after the golden warriors had been freed. It was that innate magick all Casters wielded. It did my heart good to see how deeply Casters loved each other.

  The reunions began to take on a similar routine. The family would stumble into the jungle behind the castle. Often, it was one or two people. They’d find their loved one and hear the tale about Shujaa and share tear-filled embraces. After that, everyone pledged their undying devotion to Rowan for saving them.

  That last part was my favorite of all. Rowan deserved all that praise and more.

  It was late morning when Rowan and I decided to return to the castle for some much needed rest. In fact, we were halfway across the upper jungle when we felt it.

  The ground shaking beneath our feet.

  Rowan leaned down and rested his palm against the ground. “This is magick.”

  I frowned. “Where is the source?”

  “Genesis Vale.”

  It had already been a surreal couple of days. Rowan’s brother and mother had died. We’d fought down a golden army. And both of us still had wings attached to our backs. We held each other’s hands as we headed back to the Genesis Vale.

  With every step closer to the valley, the ground shimmied more violently beneath our feet. At length, we stood again at the edge of the vale. The crevasse opened up before us. The sun was rising in the sky. The red muddy earth around the lip of the circular vale was empty. No Casters celebrating, for once.

  The world turned quiet. The crickets, monkeys, and birds all ceased their constant low chatter. Sunbeams broke out through the clouds and sent long beams of light onto the emerald-bright palm leaves. For a moment, the Genesis Vale became so quiet, the silence was suffocating in its completeness.

  The center of the vale erupted.

  The ground broke open, and a tall column burst up from the earth. I’d seen this happen before, back at the Havilland mansion. This time, a metal column stretched into the sky. It was a writhing thing made entirely of golden beetles. Atop the column stood an archway. Again, this structure was made from the same writhing insects as the rest. Under that gateway, there stood a solo figure. My heart sank.

  It was Viktor.

  The man looked the same as always. He was taller than most men with a lean and sinewy body that was accented by his black robes. His long dark hair was tied back at the nape of his neck with a leather strap.

  My knees turned rubbery beneath me. Viktor had opened another gateway to return to our world. His other gateways had used Bone Crawlers to hold hybrid magick and open the passage. This time, he’d stored the power in the helm.

  My stomach sickened with nausea, and it wasn’t from all the flying that I’d done today. I felt ill because when I released so many golden beetles, I was the one who made Viktor’s return possible.

  By the Sire.

  Rowan and I locked gazes. Determination shone in his eyes, same as mine. We were about to head into another battle, and this is one we simply had to win. If there was any consolation in the upcoming fight, it was that Rowan and I would face Viktor as true mates. We were both stronger than ever before, both physically and in terms of our magick.

  Perhaps we could send him back again.

  I stared at the writhing gateway of golden beetles. The last time we’d sent Viktor away, I’d shoved him through an obliging gateway. But that was when the gateway was made of stone. This new one didn’t look nearly as stable.

  I couldn’t send Viktor away without a gate to put him through.

  Atop his golden pillar, Viktor slowly turned around, surveying the landscape. He stopped when he spied Rowan and me. From the moment I saw Viktor on that pillar, I’d begun gathering Necromancer power into my body. There was no reason to ask Rowan if he’d been doing the same. The resolute look on his face had told me that yes, he was getting ready for battle as well.

  Viktor scanned the lip of the crevasse. “Come forth, Shujaa. It is time for you to claim your promised reward for freeing me.”

  Now, I could easily correct Viktor and explain that Shujaa was dead, but I decided that the safer course of action would be to continue focusing on drawing in new power, so that was precisely what I did.

  “Shujaa is not here, then.” Viktor tilted his head. “Show yourself, Zoriah. I wish to bestow my gifts on you instead. Clearly, you followed my instructions to the letter and made it possible for me to return. Your diligence shall be rewarded.” He scanned the jungle for a moment. “No Zoriah, either.” His gaze rested on me and Rowan. “that leaves the pair of you. I should have guessed. You were the ones to free me, eh?” He closed his eyes and both his palms lit up with violet light. If I had to guess, I’d say he was casting an insight spell.

  I was planning a few incantations of my own, and I’d come up with the perfect option to help us end our Viktor problem. Maybe.

  “My magick shows me that you are indeed responsible for my escape,” said Viktor. “And for that, I shall grant you the same reward I had planned for Zoriah and Shujaa: a slow and painful death in celebration of my new role as Genesis Rex. Congratulations on achieving such a coveted honor.”

  Every bone in my body felt weighed down with dread. Didn’t we just get rid of not one, but two insane mages who wanted to rule Nyumbani? And in trying to fix one problem, we somehow unleashed far worse trouble.

  Perhaps the idea of giving up on magick did have some merit, after all.

  “Before we begin, there is one thing I must do.” Viktor waved his arm, and the gateway of golden beetles sunk back into the pillar beneath it. “See? You can’t push me back through a gateway unaware ever again. I’m clever in such matters.”

  I lowered my voice to a whisper that only Rowan could hear. “I know how to get rid of Viktor. I’ll need to transport away for a few minutes.”

  Atop the golden pillar, Viktor raised his arms. Both the bones and veins in his hands glowed with purple light. He was getting ready to cast a spell. Next, Viktor’s voice echoed across the vale.

  “Crawler killers.”

  Five massive creatures appeared in the morning sky. They had the bodies of vultures with the long bony tails of snake skeletons. Crawler killers. Yet another spell I’d never seen in real life before. Time was, I used to read about such exotic magick in the Zelle and wish I wasn’t cursed so I could go experience it.

  Now, I was starting to wonder if my desires had cursed me in a different way. It seemed I was now doomed to encounter unusual battle spells.

  Rowan’s arm glowed bright red. Crimson mist appeared on his palm. The haze instantly solidified into a massive fireball. Rowan spoke a single word.

  “Strike.”

  The fireball sped off Rowan’s hand and slammed into the first crawler killer. “You’d better hurry, if you’re going. I can’t hold off crawler killers forever.”

  “Don’t you want to know what I’m about to do?”

  “No, I trust you.” He winked. “Surprise me.”

  I tapped the transport ring from Petra. “Take me to the last place I stood in the Zelle Cloister.” The ring flared blue, and I was off.

  Like always, transport hurt like anything. However, knowing Rowan was back there fighting Viktor made it easy to focus past the pain. A second later, I stood in the same prison cell I’d been in before. Petra was gone, which was fortunate. I rushed to the back wall, my heart thudding at double speed.

  Were they still there?

  Sure enough, the four metal spikes were still stuck in the stone wall, just where Petra had left them when she’d opened the portal for Tristan.

  If my plan worked out, Tristan would be getting a visitor of his own: Viktor. If I could get these spikes back to the Genesis Vale, then I could activate the gateway and send Viktor back where he came from.

  That was the plan, anyway.

  It was worth nothing that, in my life, things rarely did go to plan.

  I pumped fresh energy into my arm. The bones glowed blue. I gripped onto the first spike and channeled the magick to my hand. With t
he extra power behind me, I found it easy to pluck the metal spike from the wall. I grabbed the second, third, fourth and I was ready to return to the battle, except for one thing.

  Petra had returned.

  She stood framed in the doorway, a skeletal and shaky figure whose inner spirit was anything but. She exhaled a long sigh. For Petra, that was as good as a cheer. “The Seer said you’d return. You’ve come back to be our Tsarina.”

  “Honestly? I’ve come back to steal your portable gateway.” I raised the four spikes, two in each hand.

  Petra shook her head. “You aren’t going anywhere. Have you forgotten? You wear my totem ring.”

  I allowed myself a big smile, mostly because I knew how much it would Irritate Petra. “And have you forgotten that I escaped from here even though you had me trapped with enchanted manacles?” I slammed my hand onto the top of one of the spikes, careful to make sure that Petra’s totem ring crashed onto the hybrid metal. The ring broke in two and tumbled to the stone floor of my one-time prison. My grin widened. “Goodbye, Petra.”

  While holding the spikes, it was even easier to wield magick. With only the barest thought about casting my next spell, I found power flooded my arms. My veins and bones instantly glowed with purple light. I spoke a single world aloud.

  “Transport”

  The next thing I knew, I was back at the Genesis Vale, only I waited at the base of the writhing column of golden beetles. High above me, Viktor still stood atop the pillar, watching Rowan as he swooped through the sky. Beside him, there flew a great lioness with skeletal armor and huge red wings. Together, Rowan and his magickal lioness were taking out the last crawler killer. Viktor’s arms were lit up with power. He was about to cast another attack spell. That meant one thing.

  It was time for me to use my wings too.

  Gripping the four spikes in my hands, I started a low flight around the base of the pillar. Every so often, I’d pause and set one of the spikes into the ground. It wasn’t as neat as the way Petra had set them into the wall, but this wasn’t the time to be artistic. Once all four were in place, I needed to speak an incantation. Trouble was, I’d never heard what Petra had said when she opened the gateway for Tristan. There was no getting that information from her now, so I made up my own wording instead.