by W. J. May
“And what about your agreement with Marin?”
He gave a sinister grin. “That’s something I can’t tell you.” He swam to her quicker than she could move. His hand clasping around her wrist, he pulled her along with him. She fought against his strong hold, unable to break free. She raised her dagger, but the speed threw off her aim and she sliced her arm instead of his hand. In her mind she cried out in pain. He never looked back and so she tried again, this time hitting her mark.
Coron stopped swimming and spun around, raising his sword. A streak of blue energy shot out and hit Karis in the abdomen. A bolt of electricity shocked her body and she grunted with pain.
He went for her again, but she was faster and swiped him with her blade across the forearm. Red blood drifted up in the water from his new wound. She raised her hand and brought a field up around her before he could grab her again, grateful her power worked underwater.
Karis glared at him. Around them, the water began to churn and pulled them closer together. He sneered at her as he collided with her shield and she noticed his sword still emanated with a bright blue. He must’ve been the one who made the whirlpool that sucked them down.
She focused on Coron’s sword and drew out its power. It wasn’t as easy as taking from a living being, but the more she concentrated, the dimmer it became and the water slowed. Coron looked around them, then back at her.
He sneered at her. “What are you doing?”
“What I should have done a long time ago.”
The sword lost all coloring and the churning stopped. He looked down at it with wide eyes. “What have you done?” he screamed in her head. “You will pay for this, you’ll pay for everything.”
His eyes darted past her into the open water, and then he grinned. “I believe Tharious has come through for me.”
She spun around and watched as the water whirled into a funnel. A portal. She tucked her dagger in her shirt and swam toward it. Without Brady she’d never be able to create one and get back to him. This might be her only chance.
Coron swam passed her and entered the portal. “I never said you would get to leave.” He leered at her as the water enveloped him.
She pushed through the fast current, feeling herself lift with the tail end of the funnel. She hoped it would take her, and within seconds, she hit dry ground. Her tail disappeared as her legs formed with the dry air. She gasped for breath, thankful she was no longer in the water.
“Karis!” Brady’s voice made her look up.
She was back in Aridam. Her heart soared with that knowledge. The sand was just settling from Coron’s arrival with the portal. He stood tall and spun around at the mention of her name and then rushed toward her, furious that she made it back with him. He couldn’t win the fight with her there, and she realized then that he simply wanted to lure her away from Brady and her people so he could abandon her in the sea and claim victory for himself.
Brady met her first and helped her up. He blocked Coron’s attempted strike and hit him in the jaw, knocking him back. “Go, Karis,” Brady said as he swung again.
She took off, running into the closest tent and rummaged around until she found a pair of pants. She slipped them on and found a strand of leather to fashion a belt, tying it around her tightly.
Karis felt for her dagger and pulled it out of her shirt lining. Brady needed her help. She ran outside and looked around. Most of the fighting slowed down. Those who were still alive joined in to help others close to them. From what she could see, her people fared far better than Coron’s had.
Azul was fighting off a group of three Syrenae who all had the same red hair as Coron. She scanned the horizon and spotted Brady still battling with Coron. She headed his direction. Without his sword’s power, he wasn’t as dangerous, but Brady didn’t know she had taken it. He threw one hit after another.
“Coron!” Karis stopped about ten feet from where they fought. “You want me, then come fight me.”
He looked over at her. Blood trickled down from the corner of his eyebrow. “I don’t know how you managed to enter the portal. I thought it was closed. You ruin everything! All my life’s plans are ruined because of you. And because of him.” He marched her way.
She never felt as nervous as she did then. She shot Brady a quick look. He wasn’t happy with her plans to fight him. That much was clear in his expression. “I have an idea. As soon as I can get him to drop his sword, you grab it. I took away its power, but I can give them back. Once you have it, I’ll withdraw my hold on the energy, and you can use it against him.” She hoped he got all of that in his mind. He nodded and hope flared in her chest.
Brady moved in closer to her and watched as she sidestepped Coron’s mad rush, pulling out her dagger as he staggered and spun around to face her. He threw himself at her, swinging his blade at the same time. She twisted and jumped back out of the way, then lunged with her own weapon. Her blade cut him right up the forearm and he dropped his sword, just as she hoped he would.
Brady was quickly on top of it and held it firmly with both hands. Karis released the sword’s powers, and it began to glow with green instead of blue. She didn’t have time to register why the color changed.
Coron swiped out with his good arm, knocking Karis down. He stood over her and kicked her as she rolled over, and she responded by bringing her leg up and thrusting it into his knee, bringing him down to the ground. She got up as quickly as she could and darted out of the way as Coron got to his feet too.
Karis squatted down with one leg stretched out and spun around, knocking Coron back down. He rose up on his hands and knees, and she kicked him as hard as she could in his stomach. Coron let out a loud grunt but was able to stand up.
Karis could see Brady in the corner of her eye, the sword held waist high and with the new chartreuse color still flowing steadily from the veins engraved in the blade. Coron charged at her again, clipping the side of her face with his elbow.
Pain exploded in Karis’s head and she blinked rapidly to try and see past the blurred vision. There was no way to block out the excruciating throb so she tried to focus on clearing her sight. Everything became sharper and the blurriness faded just as Coron came at her again, but this time she was faster and leaned back far enough that he completely missed her. She spun around after he passed and felt her power shield build until she couldn’t hold it in any longer. With a smug smile she released her growing energy.
Coron flew back through the air from the force of her power. He landed hard on the ground, knocking the wind from his lungs. He gasped for air with his hands to his chest, then rolled to his side and struggled to get up.
It was the diversion Brady needed. He rushed at Coron and pushed the blade through his middle, feeling his power surge through it. Karis ran over and grabbed Brady’s hand as he held on to the sword.
A great flash exploded from the sword’s hilt and went throughout the city and outlying desert. It was a blinding white light, and both Brady and Karis let go of the sword to shield their eyes. It dimmed and then there was nothing.
Everyone who was fighting stopped and now walked solemnly to where they stood. Brady slowly removed the blade from Coron, and they watched as he fell forward to the sand in a heap.
Karis stared at Coron’s body. It was hard to believe he was dead. Her own body ached with every breath she took. She wanted to fall to the ground in exhaustion. It scared her to know how close she’d been to Coron killing her. She placed her hand over her forehead and squinted as the pounding in her head pulsed a new ache with every heartbeat.
“Are you okay?” Brady asked as he removed her hand to look at her head.
“I think so. He got a good hit in. It hurts.”
“Ya, those kinds of hits can make you feel like dying. I hate to say it but you might feel it for a week or so.” He ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “I am so proud of you right now. You’re one heck of a fighter.”
She tried to smile but the action made her hurt even
more. “I had a good teacher.” She let out a steady breath and remembered everyone around them.
Karis glanced around. All of her people, those from Aridam who fought with her, and all of the Syrenae began to kneel facing her. Azul limped to the front and gave her a smile. “Our Queen.” Then he winced as he also kneeled.
She knew she should rejoice, but it wasn’t over. There was so much more that they didn’t know about. Somewhere Marin was out there with some secret that even Coron wouldn’t tell her. Tharious was still the official King of Shamike, yet she knew it wouldn’t take much to take the crown back from him if she could find him.
She let go of Brady’s hand and the sword, gazing out over the throng of people. “Please get up. We must check on Magnus and his family, as well as everyone else in town.”
Azul tipped his head and gave her a questioning look. “What are you not telling us?”
She took a deep breath and looked over her people, who were now getting to their feet. “This didn’t end with Coron. I believe it goes much deeper than just him.” She didn’t want to talk anymore about it. The day’s events were still too fresh in her mind. Too many things ran through her head that she couldn’t make sense of just yet. It was as if she could almost see it, but then the thought would flee her, leaving her upset and confused.
She quickly left them standing there, staring after her. All she wanted to do was go home and curl into a ball for years to come. Home. She wasn’t even sure she had a home anymore.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexis set more water on their table as they talked about what should happen next.
Karis was lost in thought playing with the seam on the tablecloth. She heard Coron’s name mentioned, bringing her attention to the current conversation happening around her.
She sat up straighter and stared at Azul. “How did he die?”
Azul tipped his head slightly. “I’m not sure I understand. How did who die?”
“Coron. My father. Either of them. I don’t understand. I thought only dark powers could kill an immortal. Does that mean I have evil inside me?“
Brady placed a hand on her back. “No, Karis, you aren’t evil.” He looked over at Magnus for help.
Magnus cleared his throat. “Karis, Coron told you that it was him who killed your father, correct?”
She nodded.
He continued, “He used his sword to do it. I’m sure you saw how his energy can flow through it like veins with blood. His energy was dark, infusing his sword with the sinful ability to kill an immortal. When you took the power away from the sword in the water, you took it into yourself for a small amount of time, and when you and Brady fused your energies together with Coron’s, you essentially killed him with his own power. You are not dark or evil. That is also why it changed colors after Brady took the sword, it became fused with Brady’s wholesome powers.”
Karis glanced at Brady. “What if I still have some of his dark power inside me?”
Brady shook his head. “No, you don’t.”
“But how can we be sure?”
Azul stood up from the table. “Karis, you are a purest, you have no room for dark power to reside in your soul. When you killed Coron, all of his power left you.”
She swallowed hard. She hoped they were right.
“No more talk of dark power, it doesn’t exist inside you,” Magnus said.
Karis chewed on her upper lip and nodded.
“Agreed. Actually, I think we need to find Tharious. I think he knows more than he let on.” Azul paced the long table.
Magnus nodded. “I agree. He didn’t just hide because Coron was coming. No, I think he knows something that not even Coron knew.”
“Like what?” Brady poured himself a cup of hot coffee and sat back down next to Karis.
Magnus shrugged. “Like maybe he’s smarter than he lets on.”
Karis shrugged. “What if it’s not Tharious, what if it’s Marin?”
They all looked at her. “What do you mean?” Azul asked.
She grabbed Brady’s hand for support. “When I was in the water with Coron, he told me he still had unfinished business with Marin, something that frightened him. When I asked about it, he said he could never tell me.”
“So you think Marin is behind the whole thing?” Magnus hung his head.
“Well, Coron thought he was. He had his own reasons, but I think in the end, Marin had something over him. So while he thought he would get me, he offered something to Marin in return for helping.”
“Then why would Tharious run off like that?” Brady took a sip of his drink.
She slumped in her seat. “I don’t know. Everything is so confusing. I thought it would end with Coron, but now I’m not sure.”
“Well,” Azul spoke up. “I think you should go back to Shamike and see how your people are doing. Besides, Tharious might be there. He might have some answers for you.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I need to go back.”
“We’ll go with you. You won’t be alone.” Alexis came into the room and spoke for the first time since they started debating about the whole situation.
Karis gave her a smile. “Thank you.”
“You know, I’ve never transported through a portal before.” Alexis smiled broadly as they all prepared to leave.
Karis raised an eyebrow. “Never?”
Alexis shook her head. “No. I have stayed here my whole life. I’m so excited that I’ll get to see Shamike. I’ve heard stories of what it looks like, but I am sure it’s nothing compared to the truth.”
“Well, it’s different than Aridam, that’s for sure. It isn’t as rural.” Karis continued to fix the seam in her new pants that Alexis helped make for her. She just had to finish the bottom stitches then she’d officially have her own pants again. She wasn’t sure that when she became Queen that she’d want to wear a dress every day again.
“Ready?” Brady poked his head in the room with the women.
Karis finished the last stitch and bit the thread off to tie it. “I am now. How about you guys?”
“Just waiting on you.”
Alexis left the room and Brady followed her. Karis quickly changed into her new pants. She felt like herself again with her matching black silky ensemble. She met Brady outside their room and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
He looked down at her. “What was that for?”
“So much has happened in the last couple days, months really. I just want you to know I’m grateful for you. I love you and I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
He winked at her. “Well, babe, let’s do it then.”
She stifled a small giggle and proceeded to where the tents used to be. Brady and Karis had already sent the people home, so the tents were gone. Magnus, Alexis, and Azul waited for them. Alexis still had a wide grin plastered to her face. It made Karis feel good to know that she could make at least one person happy.
With Brady’s help, Karis made the portal back to Shamike and prayed they wouldn’t be met with adversity. As the dust settled from the wind, she looked around. A few from the group who fought in Aridam met them there, but for the most part, it looked to be a calm day in Shamike. No armed guards, no forceful powers stopping them from moving, just a peaceful calm.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” Alexis exclaimed.
Karis smiled at her, but it was Brady who talked. “You think just being here is great, you should see the house she grew up in. Heck you should see LA on Earth, now that’s something.” He let out a whistle and nudged Karis with his elbow. “See, so far so good.”
Karis let out a deep breath and took the first step. “Home.”
It didn’t look right. There were no guards protecting the front gate. Karis looked around tentatively. A shiver coursed up her spine and throughout her body. With the sun setting, it would be harder to see into the shadows. Her old home seemed so desolate, so dark, and so empty.
Brady touched her arm. “Everything okay?”
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“No,” she whispered. “Something’s not right. Nobody’s here guarding the entrance, and if you haven’t noticed it’s too quiet.”
She walked away, running her fingers over the iron fence as she passed. She’d come back after she met with some of her people. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how she felt about going back inside. The garden had been one thing, but the inside was entirely different. The last time she was in there her father was still alive, right before she was banished to Earth.
Her shoulders slumped as she walked farther away, taking a step off the walkway and onto the road. She could hear Brady and the others following close behind her.
Up ahead she knew the city square hid behind all the overgrown bushes and trees that lined the property. She hesitated before pushing open a gate that led to the town. She never looked in the direction of the old theatre. She didn’t want to think about Corina, or how she left her old friend.
A group of women huddled together by the dress shop talking in hushed voices but stopped when they saw Karis and her group. One of the women gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. Brady moved in closer to Karis. She managed a side-glance up at him. He watched all around them, always alert, but she loved that about him. He made her feel safe, loved.
One of the women ran over to Karis. She looked around, avoiding eye contact and she had a slight tremble. “Are you Karis, the Princess?”
Karis gave her a slight smile. The poor woman looked so horrified that she had second thoughts about returning to Shamike so soon. “I am, and who are you?” She sincerely wanted to know. She wanted to meet as many of her people as she could.
The woman shook her head. “You shouldn’t be here. Lord Marin will be livid that you are alive. Please, he will make us suffer if you are here. We can't help you, nor can we support you.” She cast a worried glance over her shoulder. “I shouldn’t be talking to you, it could get me killed.” She ran back to her friends, and they all darted off together.
Karis looked up at Brady. “What can I do?”