by Eliza Tilton
“You are an absolute mess,” I said.
She looked at her tattered dress. It had been ripped in half, revealing her thin legs. She touched her messy hair and water sprung from her eyes. I wanted to be on our way, crying humans made me uncomfortable.
“Can you ride?” I asked.
She nodded, but her wavering steps proved her instability.
“Such a fragile creature you are.” I swooped her into my arms and carried her to the horses. I tied her mount to mine, lifted her onto my horse then climbed into the saddle. She sat behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. As we galloped back to my home, her small sobs faded into sniffles, then into heavy breathing.
We arrived at the mansion just before night—the hour I preferred. The day had been strange. I sensed the dolphins’ presence but the intelligent beings kept their distance from me. I assumed they’d been trying to take her away from me, not actually harm her. If she had known about the docile beings, she would not have been so terrified.
As she was still in no shape to walk, I carried Jeslyn inside. Willis greeted us at the entrance.
“Willis, take Jeslyn to her room.”
“No, please,” said Jeslyn, “don’t leave me.”
I held my irritation in as she clung to my neck. “Very well. I’ll take her upstairs. Willis, have the servants prepare her a bath.”
“Well, today was interesting.” I glanced at her flushed face. Even with puffy rings around her eyes, she was still beautiful.
She buried her head into my chest as we walked up the curving staircase. The sensation invoked in me a strange emotion. I opened her bedroom door and walked inside, then gently placed her on the chaise and went to retrieve a towel from the washroom.
“Here.”
I wrapped the towel around her shivering shoulders. One of the servants entered the room and curtsied. Then she began running the bathwater.
“Lucino.” Jeslyn looked up at me and reached out her hand.
I knelt beside her, taking her hand in mine. “Yes, my lady?”
“Thank you, for saving me.” Her lips parted as if she wanted to say more, but no words followed. She stared at me, cheeks flushing pink.
It seemed our little escapade had a positive effect on her. Interesting.
I could sense her wild emotions, bordering on admiration and passion. Her golden aura shone even brighter than before. I took out the black pearl I’d pulled from the sea floor and placed it in her hand.
“Is this what you dove for?” She rolled the pearl back and forth in her palm, eyes wide with intrigue.
I nodded.
“It’s beautiful.” She fell into my arms, hugging me. “Thank you.”
A current spread across my chest as if the places she touched lit on fire. I placed my hands on her waist, pushing her away. I didn’t know what magic she possessed, but I’d soon learn.
Lucino. Lucino?
Yes, Lucy, what is it now?
“The bath is ready, my lord,” the servant said.
I helped Jeslyn to her feet. “I will see you at dinner,” I said.
She nodded, and I left the room.
I received word from The Council, Lucy continued, that the hunters they’d sent out were successful. The group who attacked the caravan has been eliminated.
Very good.
I broke the connection before Lucy could drabble on. My sister tended to abuse our telepathic connection with nonsense, and I didn’t have time for her. I needed to see if Romulus had finished the tonic I requested. He was always testing, testing, three trials were never enough and he had been on his fourth last I saw him. He’d better have completed the formula and prepared it for the ball.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Avikar
The sound of water rushed from behind the overgrown trees. The dirt path we were on curved and opened before a large lagoon. An enormous waterfall plunged
from a hidden ridge high in Nod Mountains, a place where no man dared travel. The dark pool funneled into the adjacent river that continued west. Deep below the surface slept an ancient beast, a deadly creature who could eat Brushfire and I whole.
He isn’t human.
My stomach twisted as I replayed those words over and over. Jericho told us the rumors circling around the guard about Lucino. One of them had seen Lucino transform into a monster, a kind of half-man, half-reptile. Soon after, the guard had mysteriously fallen ill and died. The rumor had stayed.
Jericho lead and slowly guided us around the lagoon. I knew it wasn’t my best idea, but I had to see. I veered Brushfire closer to the water, trying to peek beneath the surface. I wondered if the beast was as big as Jericho claimed. I got my answer when I spotted its long white shedding on the grass. Suddenly, seeing the big snake didn’t seem so important.
An arrow whizzed by my ear, scraping it. Brushfire neighed. I gripped the reins trying to steady her. “We’re under attack!”
Derrick pulled out his sword and turned his horse around. We waited for another shot but none came.
“We need to get out of here,” Jericho hissed.
I scanned the area, bow ready. If someone was out there, I’d find him.
I closed my eyes, breathing in my surroundings, listening to everything.
A twig snapped.
There!
I opened my eyes and let the arrow fly. A scream followed and Derrick charged in the direction of the yell.
“It’s one guy!” Derrick shouted as he jumped from his horse.
“You got him in the arm!”
I rode up beside Derrick.
“Who are you?” I asked our attacker, my bow aimed at his head.
The man held his bleeding arm. He dressed in all black and tied around his head was a red cloth with strange writing on it.
Jericho shuddered. “That’s one of Lucy’s men, her personal guard. Tie him, quickly.”
Derrick grabbed rope from his pack.
“Did you say Lucy?” I asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Does she have black hair and gorgeous legs?”
Jericho’s brow furrowed. “How do you know her?”
I rubbed my forehead. “We met her in Bogtown. She put us under a spell.”
“If she’s tracking you, we’re in great danger. We’ll take him with us. He can’t be allowed to report back. Once we get into Daath, we’ll question him.”
Derrick yanked the man to his feet. He tied the guard’s hands and looped the rope to the back of the saddle. “We’re all set,” he said and hopped onto his mount.
Jericho continued to navigate us through the dangerous pass. Brushfire whinnied, and I patted her mane. “It’s okay girl.” She whinnied again. Cold traveled up my back.
The prisoner screamed. I turned around and watched a gigantic snake snap its mouth over him.
Derrick slashed the rope still connected to his horse.
“No!” Jericho screamed. “The seal must be broken! Run!”
I heard him, but I couldn’t move. The snake’s head had to be the length of Brushfire’s body. It was impossible for anything that large to exist! The snake dragged the man under water and disappeared.
“Avikar, move!” Derrick yelled. ‘What are you doing!”
I thought of the grizzly bear I’d seen while hunting with my father, how large I’d thought that was. But this … I’d never seen anything like it. I pulled on the reins, but kept my eyes on the water.
Brushfire halted. I heard Jericho curse. The tail of the snake blocked our path. It thrashed around, making it impossible to cross.
Jericho reversed his mount. “We can’t get through.”
“Is there another way into Daath?” Derrick asked.
Jericho shook his head. “There’s a tunnel system, but with my seal broken, we won’t be able to
pass through any of the magical barriers—I don’t understand how it happened. It can only be removed by magic.”
It didn’t matter how the seal broke. We only had one option. “We have to kill it.”
I knew our chances of living through this would be slim, but we had to try. “Jericho, you’re sure there’s no other way?”
“None that I know of.”
“We have no choice then.” My hands shook as I strung the bow.
The more I pictured the giant snake, the more they shook.
I thought back to my tenth birthday. Father had promised to take me hunting. I’d stayed awake all night packing and thinking about all the wild animals I’d kill. In the morning, I’d practically run out the door. Father had taken me deep into the woods where the elk lived.
After a few hours, we’d found one. He’d instructed me on how to aim the bow, but I couldn’t stop shaking.
As we crouched in the brush, he placed a strong hand on my shoulder. “Take five slow breaths, in and out. When you reach five, shoot.”
I imagined my father here with me now, and counted. When I got to five, the shaking stopped.
The snake was nowhere in sight, the forest eerily silent. The horses shifted and bellowed. I scanned the trees.
A large red shape slithered behind Derrick.
I tried to call out a warning, but my voice disappeared. I watched in horror as the snake grabbed my best friend. Derrick screamed and twisted, but it was useless. The beast coiled around his body and began squeezing. I was going to lose everyone I loved. I was going to die, and the last thing I’d see would be Derrick’s broken body.
“Now, Avikar. Shoot its eye!”
Glancing back, I saw Jericho stab the snake’s tail with his sword.
I released the arrow and watched it drive straight into the snake’s eye. A perfect shot. The snake recoiled a little, giving Derrick enough room to pull out his arm, and he slashed the body with his sword.
Snapping out of my daze, I jumped off Brushfire, loaded another arrow and shot. I ran to Derrick. If he could cut the snake a few more times, we might make it. The arrows did little damage. The snake’s scales created a tough natural armor.
Large beady eyes focused on me, and a long forked tongue hissed as the snake slithered forward. Its massive head lurched at me, but I dove to the side. Dropping my bow, I pulled out my sword.
Jericho roared from our far right, still hacking away at the monstrous tail. For one split second, the snake turned his attention to Jericho. Derrick’s muscles twitched and bulged as he tried to push the coiled body away. I grabbed one side and tried to help, but even with our combined strength, it wasn’t enough.
“Move your hands!” I yelled. I raised the sword above my head and slashed through flesh. A loud screech erupted from the snake as it turned its attention back to me.
“Again!” Derrick urged.
I got in three more strikes before the snake lunged at me. I fell backward, and the beast’s large mouth opened to reveal two dripping fangs, descending towards me. I thrust the sword into the pink maw. The snake thrashed violently, attempting to dislodge the metal toothpick as it withdrew back into the lagoon.
I can’t believe we survived that. I thought we were dead.
I caught my breath and stood, brushing the dirt off my pants. “Everyone all right?”
Jericho splashed into the water.
What’s he doing? I looked around and realized someone was missing.
Derrick.
I ran to the bank and froze. An image of Jimri’s dead body flickered through my mind.
If I’d been in the water with Jimri, he would’ve been fine. You knew how to swim Jimri. What happened?
“Avikar!” Jericho yelled, “we don’t have much time. I’ll distract the beast while you free Derrick. Hurry!”
My body moved on its own, racing forward and diving into the water. The water stung my eyes as I searched its greenish hues. The cloudy mixture made it hard to see. I swam deeper until I could make out the large ruby scales.
Small bubbles traveled to the surface, lighting a direct path to Derrick. I followed the trail to where Derrick struggled against the coiled body. I took out my dagger and sawed at the top coil. Whatever distraction Jericho provided, worked. I didn’t see that deathly head anywhere. The dagger shred through, splitting the snake open, and Derrick pulled himself out.
I grabbed the back of his shirt and swam upward. My chest burned. I kicked my legs faster, reaching the surface. I gasped.
To my side, Derrick lay unconscious and floating.
NO! I wrapped my arm under him and swam us out of the lagoon, then hauled him out onto dry land.
“Derrick, wake up!” I slapped him across each cheek. His head flopped lazily to the side. I shook his body. “Derrick!”
“Move!” Jericho pushed me aside. He tilted Derrick’s head back, opening his mouth. He breathed three slow breaths into Derrick and pumped his palms vigorously against Derrick’s chest. He counted to thirty and did it again. Derrick lay still.
Don’t die. Don’t die. Please, don’t die. Oh, Creator, please! I clenched the top of my thighs, and rocked back and forth. Don’t die. You can’t die.
Please. PLEASE.
In phlegm-ridden coughs, Derrick spat water. Jericho rolled him on his side and slapped his back, getting it all out. Jericho leaned back on his legs.
Derrick sat up and rubbed his chest. “I hate snakes.”
I laughed and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “Too bad, I had a nice one all boxed at home for your birthday.”
Derrick chuckled, but I knew he was spooked. That was too close. “Come, before the beast returns.” Jericho helped Derrick to his feet.
With a sharp whistle, Brushfire returned, followed by the other horses. We continued into the lightless caverns of Nod Mountains. The cavern was narrow, dark and smelled like moss and sulfur. Stalagmites ranging from six to ten feet tall rose from the ground reaching towards a ceiling unseen. The sound of dripping water created a constant drumming. I had never been in a cavern like this.
Being surrounded by stone was a strange feeling, not one I liked.
“B-U-R-P.”
The belch echoed off the cavern walls. My head whipped back around to Derrick, who rubbed his belly.
He frowned. “I think that snake upset my stomach.” “Cover your heads!” Jericho called out.
Hundreds of bats swarmed down on us. I threw up my hood and pulled out my sword. Bat after bat came at us and the horses.
Holding my sword double-fisted and high above my head, I swung it around in one big circle. The horses panicked, kicking their back legs. I closed my hood tighter and focused my swings on the bats nearest Brushfire. I could already see little nicks of blood where the bats had scratched her.
Stupid rodents!
For every bat I killed, another took its place. I thought our journey would end at the hand of vermin, but after a few minutes of chaos, the bats disappeared back into the shadows.
“Everyone okay?” Jericho asked, brushing off the guano on his arms.
I glanced back at Derrick, who was heaving.
“Fine here,” Derrick replied in raspy breaths, “although, I don’t think I can take any more near-death experiences.”
My stomach rolled with nerves, and then I noticed the large red bite mark on the tip of Derrick’s nose, and laughed. Derrick rubbed his nose in aggravation.
“Let’s get out of here before those bats decide to come back,” Jericho said, taking the lead. “We still have two days travel before we reach Daath, and I don’t want to stay in these caverns a moment longer than we need to.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jeslyn
I swirled my finger in the fountain, watching the ripples. I never thought I could be bored in such a beautiful place. I de
cided it was time to do more than stare at the sky all day. Reginald, the guard assigned to watch over me, stiffly followed as I walked through the gardens. He was quite a nuisance. Never speaking, but always watching.
Tall shrubbery blocked my path. Two marble statues of dragons, I think, guarded the entrance. Their dark expressions didn’t fit with the enchanted surroundings. I cautiously walked past them, entering the giant maze. Reginald followed.
The green walls of the maze rose to the sky. They were at least triple my height. I turned around with a fabulous idea. “Oh, my, look! What a magnificent creature!” I pointed behind Reginald, who turned.
“Where? I don’t see anything?” Reginald said.
I hoisted up my dress and ran. A moment’s distraction, but enough for me to get a head start.
“Lady Jeslyn!”
I turned left and then right, giggling as the cries of my watcher decreased. Wind caressed my cheeks with my quick steps. I felt free. I knew I’d most likely be scolded for this, but I didn’t care. For the first time in weeks, I was on my own.
The maze twisted and bent. I let it take me wherever it wanted. Dead ends forced me to double back more than once, but I was finally rewarded with a secret cove.
Beautiful.
In the center sat a giant willow tree surrounded by wildflowers. I caught my breath and stepped into the luscious garden.
“Not many people are able to find this place.” Lucino sat on a bench nearly hidden within the green surroundings.
“What are you doing here?”
“I come here when I need to think. Walking the maze can be daunting and no one bothers to search for me once I enter.” He stood, eyeing me with curiosity. “How did you find your way here?”
I thought back to my run and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I ran in the direction the maze took me.” He grinned.
My heart raced with exertion and bliss as he stepped closer. Since our day at the sea, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. How he looked, painted against the stunning waters, and how he rescued me from those vicious animals. I knew these feelings were wrong, and I tried to push the desire away. Yet it stayed, tugging me in every direction.