“That girl is the Star.” Zevera pointed to Ambrosia. “She has visions. She saw her child stabbed in a dream. Take the real Ambrosia, separate them, and keep them apart.” Rathe dragged Ky; he held the magical instrument close to her chest as he hauled her across the floor.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Ambrosia yelled.
“It’s okay. They’ll be here soon,” Ky shouted, as Rathe yanked her to the opposite wall.
“The moment Cobaaron enters the room, break the instrument over her.” Zevera said, peering out the window. She then dragged Ambrosia by the hair, and forced her to look. “See that? Tyrus and Cobaaron are captured by guards.”
“They do it on purpose!” Ambrosia spit on Zevera. Rathe backhanded her, and even though her eye began to swell, Ambrosia spit on him, too.
Ky craned her neck to look out the window. She could clearly see Cobaaron and Tyrus with hands bound behind their backs. They were still on the ground at the foot of the castle, surrounded by fifty guards. The rest of the warriors fought behind them, unaware that the two had been captured. The guards lowered the gate, which sloped at an acute angle to reach the ground. The fifty guards escorted Cobaaron and Tyrus up the long bridge. The suspension lifted as they crossed the plank.
“Not long now. He’s coming,” Zevera gloated.
“You know he gives himself up,” Rathe breathed quietly, obviously unimpressed with his mother’s plan. “The girl is right. Cobaaron does nothing by accident and plans everything three steps ahead.”
“Of course, I know he willingly surrendered! This is why I captured her. I want him here, and I don’t care how. I want this over. I want him dead and me sitting in the curing springs within the hour with you safely with your brother.”
Minutes later, Ky heard the rattling chains as the stone guards marched their prisoners to the north tower. Rock feet crunched as they trekked and bridges banged together loudly. “It’s a trap,” Ky screamed, when she could be heard. Zevera slapped Ky and told her not to speak.
Ambrosia yelled: “Don’t touch her!”
“Don’t speak, stupid girl, or I’ll make your death all the more painful as you watch me smite your lover,” Zevera said to Ambrosia.
When the guards spilled into the tower, Zevera instantly cast a charm, binding Cobaaron and Tyrus in chains instead of flammable rope, and pinned them to the wall. Cobaaron looked at Ambrosia and Ky, uncertain which was his wife. Tyrus stared at Ambrosia; his green eyes a vivid teal.
“I love you,” Ky mouthed, when Cobaaron’s eye lingered on her.
Cobaaron faced Zevera, and glowered. “Let my partner go,” Cobaaron said to Zevera.
“You can have her in the afterlife.” With a glance and a jerk of Zevera’s head, Rathe broke the magical instrument over Ky. The instrument snapped into two, and as expected her enchantments disappeared. Her lynksys necklace shattered, Ky’s skin again began to twinkle as her red swirls appeared, and her long crimson hair lengthened as before.
“No!” Zevera screeched, angrily. She jinxed Ky and her body was instantly racked with pain; Ky’s shriek shattered a nearby window. She couldn’t move as glass pelted her, but arched backward in agonizing torture, feeling her limbs stretching in all directions.
“No! Leave her, you filthy witch! Stop! DON’T HURT HER,” Cobaaron roared. He braced his heels on the wall, and with all his strength he leaned forward, pulling the chains. The chains grew as he fought, securing him tighter to the wall. He persevered with a thunderous growl. He wrenched himself out inch by inch, while straining to save her. His broad shoulders bulged and rippled with muscles, but he flexed as he extended his hands to attack Zevera. With gritted teeth, he pushed off the wall with his legs. He ripped the chains from the stone. Instantly, he slipped his hand free of the chains, and whirled the shackle binding him, wrapping it around his wrist several times. He continued wrenching the magical chain from the roots within the stone, and with Tyrus’s effort, the binding metal was torn from the last stone. The shackle grew into the platform, where the metal touched the floor. Tyrus fought to keep it from pinning them again. Cobaaron’s motions were so fast, Zevera stood, dumbfounded that they managed to escape. Before she snapped out of her confusion, he swung the end of the chain and whipped the stone. It uncoiled from his wrist, and collided with Zevera with such force, she was knocked backward. She slammed into the wall; blood dripped from her temple.
“Mother,” Rathe called out to her. “Use magic so you are impervious.”
But she didn’t; she staggered closer to Rathe. “It takes too much energy. Use your weapons.”
Ambrosia’s eyes glowed pink. The magical instruments hovered and spun. Zevera reached for them but she was weak from Cobaaron’s strike. Then the instruments dropped, and vanished in a puff of purple smoke that changed colors.
Zevera slashed Ambrosia with an invisible blade. Ambrosia screamed, but was silenced quickly when Rathe choked her. “NO!” Tyrus bellowed. His green eyes once again blazed teal; he shook, and the chains snapped to links before embedding into the floor and his legs. In anger he began to pry them out of his skin. Tyrus chucked them at Rathe’s hands that clinched around Ambrosia’s neck. Zevera thrust Rathe back with a hard shove, and backed away as Tyrus stalked menacingly toward them, fury in his teal eyes. The floorboards quaked with his magic. Ambrosia’s slit stomach bubbled with white foam.
“They’re both healers,” Rathe yelled.
Zevera lifted her wand, but her arm was abruptly pinned to her side. Tyrus’s heightened rage was awesome. He was more powerful. An electric ball zapped as it surrounded Zevera and Rathe, rendering them powerless; they couldn’t escape or cast spells. “He does dark magic,” Zevera gasped. Tyrus focused on Ambrosia and placed his hand over her stomach. The white bubbles were stained red with her blood.
“I’m dying. Save Ky. Zevera will bleed her to kill Cobaaron first, and then Ky. Get them out of here, Tyrus. I’ll hold them off for as long as I can,” Ambrosia whispered, coughing blood.
“There is always another way,” Tyrus spoke softly. He gritted his teeth, as the electric ball squeezed Zevera and Rathe. Tyrus slit his palm, squeezed his hand over her stomach, and let crimson drops fall into her open wound as he whispered, “Blood for blood, bond for bond.”
“Don’t bind me to you. I already struggle with loving you when you don’t want me.”
“You know what haunts me, Ambrosia.”
“You worry you made a mistake when leaving me in the city; you regret telling me that you never loved me; and you feel guilt for accusing me of slipping you a love potion,” Ambrosia said, still spitting blood.
“Yes,” Tyrus nodded. “I’d rather you be tortured with unrequited love, than see you with another man.”
“You told me you never loved me. You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me. I thought children would take the pain away. You left me hollow. I felt like I died without your love. Let me die, Tyrus. I don’t want to be haunted, anymore.” Ambrosia slowly blinked tears of blood. He smeared them away. “Be at peace.” Ambrosia put a hand to his face and crimson smeared his cheek. “It is you I love and will always love, even without the hope you’ll return my affection. I can’t forget the times you kissed me, so long ago, but I still feel your lips. I feel everything as I always have. Give me comfort, Ty; confess you love me, so I may remember this life as a beautiful dream, and die.”
He admitted nothing, but he leaned down as if he’d kiss her.
After a glance to her stomach, Tyrus extended his hand with no time to spare; the electric ball zapped and shook. When nothing happened, he roared, “Give me your wand!” Zevera’s wand zipped into his hand.
With a careful swipe, he drew a line over the deep cut in Ambrosia’s stomach. “Undue what has been done,” Tyrus commanded the wand, and her skin mended. “I won’t let you die.”
Ky crouched, holding Ambrosia’s hand tightly. “She’ll be okay?”
“She will, but she wouldn’t survive another of Zev
era’s spells right now, and can’t perform magic for some time. We are lucky to have Zevera’s wand to undo the spell, because the blood bond didn’t work.” Tyrus gently covered her wound. “Ambrosia, I need to take you to the protection of your room, and have you wait this out.”
“You’re embracing your heritage as a healer, Tyrus,” Ambrosia said with pride. Her expression was loving as she gazed at Tyrus. “Take me from here. My room is an inferno.”
“The dragon destroyed everything. The fire still rages. I don’t think anyone survived, and if you put her there, Ambrosia will die, too,” Ky said.
“Let’s hope that isn’t the case,” Cobaaron said.
Ambrosia’s wound continued to heal, until there was nothing but a thin scar across her abdomen. Tyrus continued to rub her stomach gently.
“You must take her out of here, young Tyrus. She’s too valuable for us to risk another deadly curse.”
“Don’t you have a room, Tyrus? You’re a healer.”
“No, her hidden realm is a spell passed down by family, like an heirloom.”
“Take her out of here,” Cobaaron commanded again.
“No need.” Ambrosia pointed a shaky hand to the ball of electricity. “They had too long to plan an escape and have teleported. I’m sure the witch is far from here. Zevera spoke of going to the curing springs, and Rathe wanted to join his brother.”
“Sh, Ambrosia.” Tyrus stroked her cheek. “I’ll carry you, rest. You have done too much already.”
Tyrus lifted Ambrosia, and the enchanted ball of electricity disappeared. The four prepared to leave. Cobaaron spun his chain, and commanded the guards to step aside. Without warning, Ky was jerked backward by a whip of fire. She screamed in surprise when the hot coil wrapped her waist.
Tyrus used Zevera’s wand to separate Ky and Rathe with a force field. Ky slammed into the glowing divider, and then the barrier shrank, drawing Ky back to the group.
“Kill Cobaaron, you idiots,” Zevera yelled to the guards as she tried to pull Ky with the fire whip.
The guards withdrew jagged stone swords, advanced and started to surround Cobaaron, but were unsuccessful. Cobaaron bashed the nearest guard, took his weapon, and began to battle the rest. He ripped the nose rings from a few, and they crumbled. With the sword, he severed each guard in half.
“Hurry Cobaaron, I can’t hold this long.” Tyrus was sweating from exertion while maintaining the force field that kept Ky from Zevera. His magic was visibly diminished now that Ambrosia was on the mend. Ky felt like she was going to break in two; Zevera’s whip squeezed her ribs, as she struggled to capture her, while Tyrus heaved her back to his safety.
Cobaaron lunged, choking Rathe, and using his body as a shield. “Release my son or I’ll kill you,” Zevera hissed; dropping the fire whip.
“You will try, yes. But we both know you’re weak, and your son is no witch. This will be over soon. I will have my revenge.”
“No.” Zevera used her draining energy to thrust her hands forward, knocking Cobaaron against the wall. “Flee son,” Zevera urged, and when she conjured a whirlwind of bats and crows she magically swept her son into the twister, and he disappeared. Zevera coughed blood, but she continued to use her energy to hex Cobaaron as metal fists beat his abdomen. Zevera walked forward, hands outstretched. He shielded his ribs and gut by covering them as he lifted his knees to his chest and dropped his elbows. But powerful blows pummeled him until the wall buckled.
Ky watched Tyrus stand, cradling Ambrosia. He cast a spell on the ground beneath them. The floor rumbled before it collapsed. Tyrus jumped to a chain at the last second, and managed to hold Ambrosia as she clung to him.
Ky ran toward the bridge, but the floor caved and she fell. She screamed and reached out for a chain. She plummeted, clutching cold metal. Her hands didn’t grip tightly, and she crashed onto a bridge. She was flung off, as the bridge collided into another. She slipped, rolled off, and hung by her hands, dangling hundreds of feet above ground.
Cobaaron and Zevera fell passed her. The distraction of the shattered platform gave Cobaaron a break from Zevera’s spells. They hit the bridge below her, and Zevera attacked him, trying to pierce his heart with magical arrows. Tyrus transformed each arrow into water, which rained harmlessly.
Ky inched her way to the chain; barely hanging on with the last two inches of her fingers. Tyrus focused solely on helping Cobaaron, and didn’t notice she was losing her strength. With no help, she’d have to save herself.
Ky made the mistake of looking down. Immediately she was paralyzed with fear and couldn’t move her hands. She hung there, panicking as her heart raced. Her fingers began to slip, and she couldn’t hold on much longer. Before she ran out of time, Ky lifted a leg, and tried securing her foot behind the chain. But her fingers slipped. By luck she managed to wrap one leg around the chain as she fell. The iron chafed the back of her knee painfully as she descended.
With little time to react, she couldn’t slow down. When she hit the bridge, she heard something snap, and agony tore through her. Ky screamed, and dangled upside down by her broken leg. The stretching and strain were torture. Ky managed to reach up for the chain. She hoisted herself onto the bridge and lay flat, but clutched a chain for dear life, not wanting to fall again.
As if Tyrus was waiting for her to get to safety, the bridges all rumbled. “Not again,” Ky whispered, and hugged the chain tightly. The wood creaked and snapped. Cobaaron clung onto a chain, swung in a circle and kicked Zevera. She smashed against the wall, and slid down the stones unconscious.
Tyrus cast a fatal charm, but the boards broke, and everyone abruptly fell. The spell ricocheted. Cobaaron captured a splinter of wood as they tumbled, and swung his chain in pursuit. He drove the splinter into Zevera’s heart. The wood scraped the rock wall, but didn’t wound the witch; Zevera was impenetrable. She popped her eyes open, screamed in anger, and with her remaining strength, she teleported.
As they fell, Ky tried to hold onto the iron chain, but it was too thick and she picked up momentum. She wanted to squeeze her thighs together, but her fractured bone refused to cooperate. Her hip glowed brightly.
They dropped toward the castle floor. Ky braced, ready to crash into the ground hard. She winced in anticipation. She shifted so she wouldn’t land on her broken leg and make her injury worse. But then they slowed, and soon came to a gentle stop a few feet above the ground. As if they landed on an invisible mat, Tyrus scooted off and stood, still holding Ambrosia.
When Ky rolled off the invisible surface she collapsed, unable to stand. With shaky hands, she attempted to inspect her leg by lifting her dress, but inhaled sharply when she touched her hip. Now that the excitement was over, the pain felt worse. She was sliding into shock.
“Ky.” Cobaaron rushed to her.
“My leg feels broken,” Ky cringed, looking at her brightly glowing hip.
“You’re bleeding internally,” Cobaaron stressed, and reached out his hand for Tyrus. “Dagger! I need to cut her to get the blood out.”
Tyrus flicked Zevera’s wand, and a blade appeared. “Look at me, Ky.” Cobaaron smiled painfully, empathically, clearly trying to distract her. The moment she peered into his eyes, he shoved the dagger to the hilt. He needlessly removed it, because the iron boiled to liquid and melted.
Searing blood poured from her leg. Cobaaron placed both hands over the wound, and they screamed in agony. Her blood seared her skin. Her leg dimmed to its usual brightness. The broken bone slowly mended and the pain subsided. Cobaaron’s hands glowed, and then blazed, as he, too, burned when they exchanged blood. She felt her wound heal, and when she stopped bleeding internally, the heat cooled and finally the pain subsided.
“I hate bleeding,” Ky whimpered. “I never want to do that again.”
“Do you think they’re really gone?” Ambrosia asked. “I’m not satisfied Rathe or Zevera are actually gone. Not after they reappeared unexpectedly last time.”
“She teleported. She is too
weak to stick around,” Cobaaron said with certainty. He stood, and helped Ky to her feet, asking her if she could put weight on her leg. Ky nodded, feeling no more pain. “Good.”
“Let’s get out of here. This place gives me the creeps,” Ambrosia muttered.
“We can’t,” Tyrus replied.
Cobaaron elaborated when Ambrosia insisted. “Once the warriors are finished battling, we have no choice but to stay and search for what Wyt asked us to find. Let’s hope he survived the fire, or we may never know.”
“If Ambrosia opens her door, I may be able to extinguish the fire. I know a spell,” Tyrus took a deep breath, wondering if he wanted to continue, “but it’s dark magic. I saw my mother do it once. I remember the spell in her book. You fight fire with fire. It might work.”
“No, don’t use dark magic,” Ambrosia begged.
“But it’s for good. It may save lives. It’s only words.”
“You need evil thoughts and intentions for dark magic to work.”
“As a warrior, I take lives. Finishing the men who touched you is nothing in comparison to what I’ve seen in battle, and the lives I’ve taken.”
“But killing in anger is murder. And I told you, it was just sex. I simply wanted a child. There was no emotional involvement.”
“I don’t find…the act…as impersonal as you do. You should’ve let me protect you instead of find studs; I gave your father an oath I’d protect you.”
“You weren’t talking to me, only berating me for coming along!”
“You quickly found a stud, five even! Why are you so concerned about their deaths if they mean nothing?”
“It’s you I don’t want to perform dark magic! I’m thinking about you!”
“You’re weak in this condition. This is upsetting for you. I don’t want you sick.” Tyrus turned away from her, clearly unwilling to discuss it anymore.
“I told my studs that I am solitude,” Ambrosia said.
“I know; I heard.”
“Settle this later,” Cobaaron commanded sternly, clearly losing patience with their bickering. “Young Tyrus is right. If we have a chance to save a pregnant woman, a Star, my brother, and my best friend, we’ll take the risk. It’s not like any warrior has never thought about murder. It’s a warrior’s job to be successful at killing. Performing one dark spell to save lives won’t change him. Do it, young Tyrus. See if you can. Open your room, Ambrosia. He needs to get them out now!”
The Coming Dawn Trilogy Page 59