by Quinn Loftis
He started to speak, but then his words froze as his eyes widened. I felt something pulling against me, and I knew my physical body was trying to regain consciousness. I didn’t want to wake and fought desperately against it, clinging to Torben as I struggled to stay in our dream world.
“Don’t go, not yet,” he managed to get out through gritted teeth. His soul was holding onto mine like the anchor he was, attempting to keep my subconscious mind from leaving him.
I felt a sharp pain in my mind and bit back a scream. “Something is wrong,” I said just before my eyes snapped open. The dream was gone, and Hilda knelt beside me with a knife in her hand.
I scrambled away from the woman and checked to see that Dayna was okay. She was standing, staring out into the woods. “What’s going on?” I hurried to my feet and started to turn, but Hilda grabbed my arm. Her eyes shifted to the woods before answering me.
“We have company,” she whispered. “Listen to me, Gisele uses blood magic. She’s not stupid, but in the chaos of keeping you two alive, I must have been because I didn’t think of it until now. You and your sister were both cut back at Calder’s clan. Gisele wouldn’t have let your shed blood go to waste. I’m sure she kept the knives or got traces of your blood from them. If she has access to your blood, you will beg for death before she’s done with you.”
“What?” My eyes widened as she sliced into her hand. I started to say something else like, ‘hey, batty old lady, don’t cut yourself,’ but she held a finger to her lips, silencing me. She snatched my hand and ran her blade across my palm, the bite of the blade making me clench my teeth to keep from crying out. Then Hilda placed our hands together, intermingling our blood.
“What the bloody hell, Hilda?” I whispered harshly.
“Using the combination of our lifeforces, I am placing a powerful protection spell over you. Allete, you cannot die.” She narrowed her eyes, her lips pulling tight across a face showing the weariness of a woman well past her prime. “For the future of our clan, your father’s kingdom, and Cathal’s punishment, you must live. With me out of the picture, our enemies will have less leverage to use against us. My blood will also transfer to you the prophecies I’ve been given. Soon, you will understand what I’ve said.”
“Or you could just explain it to me when it happens,” I pointed out, my eyes darting to the woods. When I glanced back at Hilda, her eyes had softened. She surveyed me with longing, as though she were going to miss something and she already knew it.
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. She’d said she would be out of the picture, which in my naïve mind meant going into hiding or something. But that wasn’t what she meant at all. If she were going into hiding, there would be no reason for her to transfer the prophecies to me—no reason for her to give me her power. “No. No, no, no, no, no,” I said in quick succession. “You cannot do this. I won’t let you.”
“It is not your choice to make,” she responded as though we were talking about the weather.
“Hilda, you cannot sacrifice yourself for me. Please,” I begged, trying to pull my hand away. “Please don’t do this.”
She didn’t answer me. Instead, she closed her eyes and began murmuring something I couldn’t hear. Heat infused my palm as she tightened her hold on my hand. It felt as though flames were racing through my veins. I tried to pull away, but the elderly Oracle held me in a surprising, vicelike grip.
“I’m not sure if you two realize it, but this isn’t the best time to be holding hands and having a heart-to-heart,” Dayna said, glancing at us over her shoulder. “Something or someone is out there.” She pointed to the trees. “I heard footsteps.”
“Just keep talking loudly, dear sister, and I’m sure they won’t find us,” I whisper-yelled across the small clearing. Dayna shot me a sharp glare that said she didn’t find my sarcasm funny.
The burning in my arm moved farther up until it filled my chest and stomach. I swallowed back the bile that rose up in my throat and tried to keep from pushing Hilda away. Once the flames finally started to subside, I felt something fall over me, like a heavy leather cloak worn to protect against harsh weather.
“Well, well, well.”
A voice that I’d hoped to never hear again reached through the dark trees and wrapped its evil fingers around my throat. But the feeling was gone as quickly as it had begun.
“What do we have here?” Gisele stepped out of the trees, into the little clearing where we’d made our rough camp.
“Is that a serious question, or are you really that daft?” Dayna asked as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the witch.
“You—,”Gisele pointed her finger at Dayna, and my sister slammed back into a tree, her arms pinned to her sides and her body rigid“—I will deal with in a moment.”
Hilda finally let go of my hand and pushed it so it was behind me. She evidently did not want Gisele to see what she’d been doing. She placed her own cut hand behind her back and held the knife in her other hand, loosely at her side, as if she just carried a knife around all the time for the sport of it.
“Release my sister, Gisele,” I said, taking a step toward her. What I thought I could possibly do against a witch—especially one adept at dark magic—I wasn’t sure, but I wouldn’t just stand by and let the woman hurt my sister again.
“I am going to have to say no,” Gisele replied. A sly smile tipped her lips up. She flicked her wrist at me, and I braced myself for the impact, thinking I was about to join my sister against my own tree. But nothing happened. I glanced down at my body. Everything was still in place and all in working order.
Gisele’s eyes widened, and the smirk was suddenly gone. She turned her head slowly to glare at Hilda. If glares could wither a person, Hilda would have been a lifeless husk on the ground. “What have you done?” she asked through gritted teeth.
Hilda chuckled.
“Hilda, dear, do you think it wise to laugh at the witch?” I asked softly.
“I always laugh when I pull one over on someone who thinks they have all the power,” Hilda said, her eyes staying glued to Gisele. “It’s fun to remind people whose pride has begun to dictate their actions that only fools rush in. Did you really think I would make it easy for you?” Hilda tapped the knife idly against her thigh. “You’ve been working for that Viking king for too long. It’s made you incompetent and overconfident—two traits a magic wielder should steer clear of.”
Gisele sauntered forward, her eyes flitting back and forth between Hilda and me. Though she appeared relaxed, the witch’s tight lips and clenched jaw gave her anger away. “I will admit I did not think you had it in you. It is a rare thing for a person with magic in their life force to offer it up completely and freely to another.” Gisele glanced at me. I looked at Dayna to make sure she was still somewhat okay. Her wide eyes made it clear that Gisele’s words were a revelation to her.
“Some of us don’t value our own lives above others, Gisele. I can’t imagine that you would understand the extent to which a person would go to protect those they care for. Have you ever cared about anything other than yourself and your power? Have you ever cared about the lives you destroy or the devastation and pain you cause? Have you ever given a bloody damn about anyone or anything other than yourself?” Hilda’s voice rose with every question, and I was beginning to wonder if maybe she was perhaps not thinking clearly from her own blood loss. I was pretty sure poking the already-irritated evil witch was not the wisest of things to do.
“Hilda, maybe now isn’t a good time to point out Gisele’s character flaws,” I said, keeping my voice soft and calm. “Maybe we should ask her exactly what she wants.”
“She wants what all dark witches want,” Hilda practically snarled. “Power. She will bathe in the blood of innocents if that’s what it takes to gain more.”
Well, wasn’t that a picture I wanted in my head—Gisele writhing around in a bath of blood, cackling like a madwoman.
Gisele turned to me. �
�Do you know how much power resides in the blood of an Oracle as old as her?” she asked me, pointing at Hilda. “Even if she gave some to you, she still possesses plenty for me to take. Plus, the transfer has made her weaker, easier to sacrifice.” The witch’s voice was completely devoid of anger. She didn’t seem bothered by Hilda’s harsh words in the least. “Do you know what kinds of spells I could work with her blood, even weakened though it may be?”
“I am quite amazing,” Hilda offered, standing a little taller, “but I won’t be giving you anything from my blood.”
“I don’t need you to give it to me, you old fool,” the witch chuckled. “I simply have to take it.”
I watched Gisele closely and noticed the subtle shift in her stance. It was one that I recognized from watching my guards. They did it when they were readying themselves to move quickly. Her shoulders still appeared relaxed, but the lower half of her body was coiled, ready to spring.
“Hilda,” I said, my voice low and soft in warning.
Hilda looked over her shoulder at me, and the tenderness in her eyes was one I’d seen in my own mother’s eyes for each of her daughters. “I am so very glad it was you. You are the perfect fit for him and for the clan. Don’t take any shite from Babs or Freya. It has to happen this way. It’s the only way the protection magic will last.”
I took a step closer to her, my brow furrowed in confusion. I realized she had told me she would sacrifice herself for me, but wasn’t she at least going to fight? Wasn’t she at least going to see if there was another way? “Hilda, maybe Gisele is right and the magic transfer just means you’re weaker, not that you have to die.” My sister, who was still frozen against the tree, had that wild-eyed, crazy look as her eyes shifted quickly from me to Hilda. I felt like she would be screaming at me if she could. What was she trying to tell me?
“A true sacrifice is offered up without any alternate path to the intended goal. There is no fighting, no bargaining, no begging, and no coercion. And—”she met my eyes“—it is powerful. True sacrifice is a power like no other.” She turned back to Gisele. In a cool voice, she said simply, “I am ready.”
It was that comment that finally made me realize she was giving up her life, not just that she was willing to die for me or prepared to die for me, had there been a fight. She was going to die for me. I didn’t fully understand why, but I did now understand that there would be no battle, no possibility that she would be the victor. Hilda was walking toward Gisele with her arms open wide. The knife had gone from her hand. She was defenseless.
“Hilda, no!” I ran forward, but Gisele’s hand flew out and her magic hit me like a horse running full speed. My chest felt as though it were going to cave in under the weight. I hit the ground and expected to find myself immobile, but I wasn’t frozen like Dayna. Gisele’s power had affected me but hadn’t injured or impeded me. I rolled to my feet and looked up just as the knife was raised. The witch suffered no hesitation, not even a flinch, as she plunged the weapon into Hilda’s heart.
A pulse of energy burst in my chest. My head fell back as I felt the cloak that had covered me earlier molding itself to my body—not simply enveloping me, but encasing every limb, every digit, even my hair. The fire was once again burning inside me. I closed my eyes, listening to my magic, trying to understand what was happening to me.
Fire melts, a voice that sounded much like Hilda’s said. Ice hardens, it continued. At the same time, the fire in my veins was doused by what felt like frigid air whipping through my body. Two things melted together and then hardened alike—they are bound. Then, I understood. Hilda’s magic had bound itself to my own in the very blood that ran through my veins. When my eyes opened, it didn’t appear as though any time had passed. Gisele was still standing with the knife in Hilda’s heart, and a second later, the Oracle dropped to the ground.
For a few seconds, I was frozen in shock, but it quickly wore off and I made to run to Dayna, hoping I could free her and get away. Then, an arm came from behind and wrapped around my waist, jerking me backward. The firm chest I collided with knocked the air from my lungs as hot breath hit my ear.
“I admire your strength for trying to escape, but I am very insulted that you actually thought you’d get away with it, dear Allete.”
Magnus’ voice sent a chill down my spine. His hand covered my mouth, and I started flailing, kicking, trying my damnedest to get away from him. I was no match for his strength. My feet stumbling as they tried to find purchase against the ground, he began to slowly back away, dragging me with him.
The Oracle’s voice returned to my head as I struggled against Magnus. “You are so very strong, Allete. Remember that when you feel powerless. You are so very strong!” The shock of the scene before me, the magic filling me, and the arm grabbing me suddenly wore off, and reality came crashing in. Hilda was dead.
My eyes blurred with tears. Magnus moved his hand from my mouth to get a grip on my struggling form, and my screams exploded into the air. There was no sanity left in me. I was fighting and clawing like a rabid animal, trying to get to the woman who not only was the mother of the man I loved, but also a dear friend. She’d known she was going to die, and she’d offered herself up on a damn silver platter.
I managed to get my arms wrapped around a small tree trunk and was holding myself to it while Magnus cussed me and tried to pull me away. He’d already dragged me several yards before I came back to myself, and I didn’t want to lose sight of Dayna.
Gisele leaned down and ran her hand across Hilda’s lifeless chest. When she raised it, her palm was coated in red. She ran the blood across her face as though it were war paint. Her smile and the glee in her eyes enraged me. The witch’s head fell back, and she held out her arms, the victory of her kill seeming to fill her body with power. It didn’t last long as her head snapped back down and her hand stretch out to Dayna. A pulse of light flew from Gisele’s hand and hit my sister in the chest. Her body dropped faster than a heavy stone, hitting the ground with a force that made it clear there’d been no resistance given to her. I waited for Dayna to move, to open her eyes and glare at the witch, but she was still, as still as Hilda. There was no rise and fall of her chest, no fluttering of her eyelids or twitching of muscles. She was just still.
My stomach revolted, and I gagged as my insides tried to claw their way out of my throat. I was fighting for breath, waiting for Dayna to move. Dammit, Dayna, move! I screamed inside my mind. Move, move, move. The mantra repeated over and over in my head as I tried to get to her. I could save her if I could just get to her. I could save them both, dammit, if I could just get to them.
As Magnus continued to drag me farther into the forest, my bellowing only got louder. Gisele’s eyes snapped to me. “Two down, little Oracle, one to go.” She cackled and, with her bloodied hand, ran a single finger across her neck as though she were slicing herself from ear to ear, a sickening grin on her face.
“I will end you, Gisele,” I thundered from the depths of my stomach, the air from my lungs making my voice even louder. “I will dance covered in your blood.”
My eyes shifted to Dayna, and I fought harder. “I will come for you, Dayna! I will come for you!” I refused to believe she was gone. To do so would make it true, and it just couldn’t be. I wouldn’t allow it. I was still yelling, still kicking and hitting Magnus’ arm, trying to loosen his grip, but it was hopeless. All I could do was stare back at the still forms of Hilda and Dayna, their killer standing over them. I kept my eyes on them until the trees obstructed my view and all I could see was a dense tangle of green as trees loomed over me, seeming to mock my pain.
My head fell back onto Magnus’ shoulder as I closed my eyes and memories of Dayna—my fearless, amazing Dayna—filled my mind. One second she was there, and in the next breath she was gone. “No,” I cried out. “Not gone. Not. Gone.” I shifted my thoughts to Hilda and bit back the sobs attempting to force themselves from my chest, the effort drawing blood from my lips. I latched onto anger to keep f
rom plunging into the despair that I felt choking the life from me.
Torben’s face filled my mind—the way his eyes softened when he spoke of his mother and the way his lips tilted up in a crooked smile. He loved her, he respected her, and her death would kill something inside of him. I’m so sorry, Torben, I said into the emptiness of my mind. Whatever bond we’d shared was either gone or blocked—I couldn’t even feel him anymore—but I didn’t have time to panic because I’d just been handed off to another strong pair of hands. My arms were secured together by rope wrapped around my wrists several times. Though it wasn’t bound tightly, the material was rough, and with enough friction, it would damage my skin. It was less than I deserved, considering what Hilda and my sister had endured. Then I was pushed down onto a bench, my ankles tied, and a piece of fabric tied over my mouth. I didn’t care. I didn’t care what they did to me. There was nothing they could do that would break me any more than I was already broken.
Eventually, I looked around and realized I was on a ship. There were men moving about, and Magnus was barking out orders. I realized no one was paying any attention to me, but I couldn’t even summon the strength to attempt to free myself. All the fight had gone out of me. Like a sail without wind, I was useless.
“Take her down below. Put her in a cell,” Magnus said, his voice coming from right above me. I hadn’t even realized he’d been standing there. A strong hand clasped my upper arm and raised me up. I didn’t resist, walking without seeing, my body moving automatically as the warrior shuttled me into a cell in the belly of the ship. When the door clanked shut, I felt further away from hope than I had ever been before. Even when I’d been on the precipice of marrying Cathal, Torben’s desire to save me from such a horrible fate had given me a tiny flame of hope. Who would save me now?
Who had saved Hilda or Dayna? It sure as bloody hell wasn’t me. I leaned against the bars and slid slowly down to the floor. I’d left them there, lying in a forest at the feet of an evil witch. I’d left my sister. “I’m so sorry, baby sister,” I whispered, struggling to push my voice through a constricted throat. My body felt as though it wanted to shut down. It would be easier to not feel this pain, to not know this loss. I reached out for the bond that was once there and instead found coldness. What did that mean? Had Torben been taken from me, too? Was I destined to have escaped Cathal only to have the ones I love most leave me behind?