diviners curse

by Nicolette Andrews

  I took a few tentative steps forward. My feet were leaden, and my arms were pinned to my sides, and my right hand clung to the dagger like a lifeline.

  He spread out his arms as if he would take flight. "You know what must be done," he said. His tone and the irony of his words made me think Johai was back to himself once more, begging me to kill him.

  I shifted the dagger from one hand to the other and back again. I will kill him. I must. He kept smiling and watching me. I took a step back. He was trying to trick me. I saw you falling from this spot. King Reginald had said to me. I dared not move any closer to the edge lest the specter fling me from the wall.

  I stalled instead in an attempt to draw him away and bring him within striking distance. "You are saying that my ancestors and you have met before?"

  "Many times and in many forms," he said. He tilted his head as he regarded me.

  "Why? What keeps us locked in this never-ending cycle? Why let it continue if the outcome is always the same?"

  He laughed, and the sound of it echoed off the walls and seemed to ripple through the valley. The beating of drums had begun to fade, and my strength ebbed with it. I need to be strong. Do not let him deceive you.

  "Do not pretend you do not know. You are the circle unbroken, the one destined to end our centuries of fighting, am I wrong?"

  He jumped down from the wall and rushed towards me. I slashed the dagger in the air like a simpleton. He veered away and past me. His laughter rang in my ears. He went to stand over Beau's prone body and looked down upon it.

  "It does not have to be this way. We are destined to be together, you and I," he said, and when he looked at me, it was full of longing. "You and those like you are meant for me. You are not destined to be my destruction. Why do you think it ends the same? We are destined for greatness, diviner. You and I could rule all the kingdoms; you could be my queen."

  In my mind's eye I saw myself upon a throne of silver and gold, and I wore a long cape of purple velvet and a gown of black and silver. On my head was a crown of silver with amethyst stones. Johai sat by my side with a crown of gold and sapphires. I shook my head to dispel the image. It is a trick, the specter's way of lulling me into submission.

  "Do you think I am so weak that I would fall for power?" I said, and I felt a new resolve. I held the dagger in front of me, pointed at Johai's chest.

  "No, you are not one to lust after power. However, this body..." He motioned up and down his torso. "You love this man, do you not? Join me, and he need not die. You can be together, Maea."

  More images besieged my mind. Johai and I beneath an arbor, our hands were being bound together by a magiker. The magiker tied the knot symbolizing the communion of our souls, two becoming one. The vision changed, and I saw Graystone, Johai's country home where I had grown up. I was great with child, and Johai was leading me down a garden path while a blond boy and a dark-haired girl ran in front of us, shrieking with delight.

  "You could have him back, if you only yield." While he played the images for me, he had snuck up behind me to whisper in my ear. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. I felt Johai's heartbeat against my back and smelt his unique musk. The visions and his words were so sweet. If I give myself to him, we can be together. It does not have to end this way. He turned my head and caressed my cheek. "See, I am not evil. I was made for you, Maea." He turned me around to face him. He cupped my cheeks, and I stared into the bottomless abyss of his eyes. They were two black pools where light entered but never escaped. "Don't look into my eyes. Focus on my lips, Maea. You've denied your feelings. You love me truly. This is the only way we can be together. Just accept it."

  I looked at his lips moist and so near. I leaned in, but his grip tightened on me, and I gasped in pain. My gaze flickered back to his eyes. They had changed from black to blue for an instant. This is not right. This is not Johai but a monster wearing his skin.

  "No!" I shouted and ripped away from him. I slashed with the dagger as I did so and caught his forearm. I slashed through the fabric of his sleeve and met the flesh beneath. He hissed and slunk away from me.

  "You are more fool than I thought," he snarled and pressed his hand to the wound. His eyes changed again for a moment from black to blue.

  Johai was fighting for control from within. It bolstered my confidence. It was too much to hope, but perhaps Johai was not lost to me, not yet.

  "Johai, if you can hear me, I am sorry. I am sorry for not trusting you and for pushing you away, but please, for me, you must fight!"

  He looked at me, his eyes unfocused, and the color continued to shift back and forth. He put his hands to his head and growled. "No. Your time has passed, boy." He fell to his knees, and his back arched as he roared. He looked up at me, and his eyes had finally settled on the deep sapphire I knew so well. I ran to him, and he embraced me, clinging to my gown and burying his face in my hair.

  "Maea, we have only a moment, the binding is nearly complete, and I cannot control him for much longer." He groaned and clutched his chest. "You must kill me now before it is complete!"

  "No," I cried and dropped the knife. It clattered on the ground. Having him back, knowing that he was inside of the specter, my resolved crumbled. I could not do this. "I won't kill you, not while you are still inside him!"

  "There won't be another chance. You must break the circle. If he gains his full power, you will be no match for him." He bent down and picked up the dagger and handed it to me. "Please, Maea." He was laboring for breath, and he leaned on the ground, his fingers curling on the stones there.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I grabbed his face, and I kissed him one last time. I put all my love and devotion into that kiss. I wanted to say so many things to him, that I loved him, that I wished our lives had taken different paths, but there was no time left. He pulled away from me, his hand lingering on my cheek but for a moment. Then he cried out in pain and doubled over. I got to my feet and stood over him. He looked up at me, and his eyes were fever bright, blue and ringed with black. It was now or never. He put one hand over mine that held the dagger and the other prevented him from falling over onto the ground.

  "Now, Maea, do it."

  Now, do it now. My hands trembled as I looked into his eyes. The man I loved, the man I was destined to kill. My heartbeat filled my ears with a thundering sound. I closed my eyes and pushed the dagger forward, but instead of soft flesh, I found nothing at all. I opened my eyes, and Johai was back on his feet and staring past me.

  "I told you not to interfere, Elenna," Johai said to her.

  I spun around. Elenna was standing by the doorway. The sprinkling of rain had turned into a downpour, and she held up her hands cupped, and water collected there.

  "Your tale does not end here," she said to Johai. She came to stand by my shoulder. She took the knife from me and stepped in between us. He furrowed his brow at her.

  "I told you before, it should have ended before it began. I refuse to let this charade continue," he said to her and lowered his head. "I was too much a fool to do what needed to be done. Now I must rely on Maea to end it for me."

  My hands shook as I looked down upon Johai, his head lowered, waiting the killing blow.

  "There is still a chance for you," Elenna said.

  He looked up at her, and the confusion was plain on his face. The rain had made his hair damp, and it clung to his skin. "This is my fate. There is no other way other than my death."

  She ignored his comment and approached him with her hand outstretched. She brushed her hand along his cheek and pushed back the damp tendrils of his hair. "Sleep now; it will make the transition less painful for you."

  She spoke an incantation in her native language, and Johai swayed on his feet. His eyes drooped, and he slumped over. Elenna caught him and laid him down on the ground.

  I pushed Elenna aside and grabbed Johai's head and cradled it in my lap. He lay without moving, and his eyes closed in sleep. I was soaked to the bone and shivering from the col
d. I had discarded the dagger. "What have you done?" I asked. I did not want to delay the inevitable any longer. I needed to finish this task while there was still time and I had the resolve to complete it.

  "I asked you if there were a way to save him, would you take it. I am giving you that chance." She kneeled down beside us, and she gazed at Johai as she spoke.

  "You told me there was no other way." I dared not hope. I had been told this was the only way. I glanced back towards the dagger, which lay discarded on the ground not far from me. I could take it and plunge it into Johai's heart, and this would all be over.

  Before I had a chance, a hand was at my throat, lifting me off the ground. I pumped my legs and grabbed a hold of Johai's arm, trying to pull myself up and ease the pressure off my windpipe. Johai rolled his neck and looked up at me where he held me aloft. I struggled for each breath while my world started to go black around the edges.

  "I thought you would have done it, diviner. It seems you are not as strong as you think." He laughed. "I must thank you for this gift, a body. As repayment, I will not kill you." He dropped me to the ground. I gasped for air and rubbed my injured neck. He bowed low in a courtly manner. "Until we meet again, Maea." He ran towards the ledge. I tried to chase after him, but Elenna stopped me by grabbing my wrist. He jumped over and plummeted out of sight. "Let me go; I have to stop him." I wrenched my arm trying to get away from Elenna. This wasn't happening. I had failed.

  "Wait," Elenna said, her voice calm.

  The rain pelted the stone wall, and for a moment the only sound was the rain falling on the stone. The rain parted like a curtain in the space where he had fallen. Johai rose up from beyond the wall. The wind whipped around his cloak and hair, and then he began to rise like a bird on the wind and up into the sky. He spread his arms, and the cloak appeared to be wings of a great black bird and flew out into the distance. I watched him disappear on the horizon, numb with shock and grief.

  "This is how it must be," Elenna said.

  I shook off her touch and went to the ledge and watched the receding black dot that was Johai.

  "You let him escape. Do you know what this means? Everything is lost now! Johai is gone, and we all shall perish."

  "Shall we?" Elenna asked. Her calm was infuriating. How can she be this calm? We have unwittingly unleashed the destruction of man upon the world.

  "The first diviner foretold it!" I said through my tears.

  "But not all visions come to fruition," Elenna pointed out.

  I slapped her hard across the face. She recoiled and touched her cheek. "What do you mean? I have given up everything to try and prevent this from happening. People have died to assist me in stopping the specter from rising, and now he is loose and off to goddess knows where. How can I stop him at his full power?"

  "He is not at his full power; Johai lives inside him. With the bond unfinished, he will be subject to human weakness. He must sleep; he must eat. He is not without restraint. Johai can control him from inside."

  I glared at her. How could I trust anything she said to me? Everything she had ever told me was a lie. "Liar. Johai is dead, and so are we." I stomped past her and went over to Beau's prone body. I needed to get him inside, find Princess Arlene if the fighting was done, and try to make a plan to stop Johai, somehow.

  "Do you want to save him?" Elenna asked.

  I glanced back at her. She regarded me with a small tilt of her head. "How can I? The connection is made." I balled my hands into fists and felt my nails bite into the flesh of my palms.

  Elenna shook her head. "If you are strong, you can save him and end this cycle once and for all."

  "How do I know you will not deceive me again?"

  "Because you have no one else who can help you. The oracle foresaw our meeting and that I would be the one to bring you back. You're ready for the truth now. I will be your guide."

  "What if the oracle is right and by leading me you will die."

  She smiled. "Then so be it, but I am not about to give up because of a prophecy. Are you?"

  It was madness, and I must be addled with grief, but I wanted to trust her. "Where will you take me?"

  "To the world's beginning and to where your line was born. I am to lead you back to the first peoples, my people, the Biski. You have a lot to learn about yourself and your gifts, Maea. To save Johai you need to first learn what power you possess. The time has come to break the circle at last."

  FROM THE AUTHOR:

  Get the heart pounding conclusion to the Diviner's Trilogy: Diviner's Fate here

  books2read.com/Divinersfate

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  Nicolette Andrews

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  About the Author

  NICOLETTE IS A NATIVE San Diegan with a passion for the world of make believe. From a young age, Nicolette was telling stories whether it be writing plays for her friends to act out or making a series of children's books that her mother still likes drag out to embarrass her with in front of company. She still lives in her imagination but in reality she resides in San Diego with her husband, children, a couple cats, and an old dog. She loves reading, attempting arts and crafts, and cooking. Connect with her at her her website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

  Cast of Characters

  MAEA AND HER COMPANIONS

  Johai Slatone—Sorcerer; Former duke of Slatone(Danhad);

  Maea Diranel—Unofficial heir to House of Diranel; diviner;

  Beau—Former bodyguard to Queen Sabine D'Aux Raleban

  Danhad Royal Family

  Adair Raleban—King of Danhad; Son of Florian and Duke Ilore; Duke of House Ilore; husband of Sabine D'Aux Raleban

  Sabine D' Aux Raleban—Queen of Neaux; Princess of Neaux;

  Dallen Raleban—Former King of Danhad; Husband to Idella Raleban; (deceased)

  Idella Florett Raleban—Former Queen of Danhad; widow of Dallen Raleban of House Florett

  Sarelle Raleban—Princess of Danhad; daughter of Dallen and Idella; (deceased)

  Florian Ilore—Princess of Danhad; Sister to Dallen Raleban; wife of Duke Ilore

  Duke Ilore—Husband to Florian Ilore; Father of Adair Raleban; (deceased)

  Edalene Ilore—Princess of Danhad; Daughter of Florian Ilore

  Garrison Slatone—Prince of Danhad; Duke of Slatone; brother of Dallen Raleban and Florian Ilore; (deceased)

  Danhad Court

  Layton Florett—Duke of Florett; Son of Damara Florett

  Algernon Magdale—Duke of House Magdale; former advisor to the King

  Ester Hana Magdale—Duchess of Magdale; Wife of Algernon Magdale; daughter of the regent of Jerauch

  Mikel Wodell—Duke of House Wodell; Husband to Isabelle Wodell; maintainer of Blackthorn

  Lord Thelron—Lord of Thelron

  Johen Malchor—Jerauchian Ambassador to Danhad; High Priest to the order of Mrawa

  Gareth—Court Magiker and healer

  Neaux Royal Family

  Reginald D'Aux—King of Neaux; Husband to Celeste D' Aux; Father of Arlene, Marie-Celeste and Sabine

  Celeste D'Aux—Queen of Neaux; Wife of Reginald D'Aux; mother of Arlene, Marie-Celeste and Sabine

  Arlene D'Aux—Princess of Neaux

  Marie-Celeste D'Aux—Princess of Neaux

  Reynard D'Aux—Prince of Neaux; brother to Reginald D'Aux

  Neaux Court

  Jon Sixton—Son of a merchant; heir to house Sixton

  Lorelle Theene—Countess of Theene

  Eeland Yette—Lord fro
m the family Yette

  The Dancing Stallion Theatre

  Elenna—A player; daughter of Tilowa of the Biski Clan of the Horse; former priestess in training

  Antoinette, Yvelle, Philippe—Players

  Others

  Damara Florett—former Dowager Duchess of House Florett; Maea's Foster Mother; Mother of Layton Florett; traitor to the throne of Danhad

  Hilliard—Damara's servant and bodyguard

  Hamon—Caravan Master

  Marie—An inn keeper

  <<<>>>

  Also by nicolette andrews

  Diviner's Trilogy

  Diviner's Prophecy

  Diviner's Curse

  Diviner's Fate

  The Complete Diviner's Trilogy

  Dragon Saga

  The Priestess and the Dragon

  The Sea Stone

  Reign of Prophecy

  Duchess

  Princess

  Tales of Akatsuki

  Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

  Thornwood

  Heart of Thorns