Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2)

by T. Rae Mitchell

  Pain fired through Finn’s legs and torso as Mugloth coiled his grip tighter, cutting off his air. But the words had already been spoken. Finn waited, glaring at the twisted, tangled behemoth looming over him.

  Mugloth’s grip loosened as Earth locked onto him, hardening around the monster whose roots moved easily through sand, rock and shale. It was all Finn needed to twist free and fly out of reach.

  Sucking in a deep breath, he called upon Air. The rune power burst free and poured from his mouth in a hot stream of red-gold sparks. His voice altered, booming with the deafening roar of the giants whose power he borrowed through the rune magic he was endowed with.

  Finn rose even higher, climbing above the storm, where he could see the winds turning on Mugloth. Sand hammered the root monster from every direction, blasting chunks of wood from his tangled form. Mugloth’s furious bellow joined with the sounds of the raging winds as he thrashed to free himself from the ground holding him captive.

  Finn spoke to Earth once more and the desert rushed to answer his command. Massive dunes from all sides rolled in like gigantic waves to bury the abomination that was Mugloth under tons of sand.

  Finn invoked Water, which responded from deep underground. Frothing spumes of milky water shot through the enormous mound, carrying the clay and rock needed to form the tomb that would hold Mugloth for an eternity.

  As this took place, the winds died and the sky cleared of dust. The last of the setting sun shed its light and heat on the wet mound to dry the surface. Finn thanked the elements and slowly descended. As his feet touched down on the dunes, he held firmly to the dark, wild power Mugloth had reawakened in him.

  He’d been consumed with unbearable guilt for the pleasure he’d taken in destroying those who’d harmed others. He was a Druid, sworn to protect life above all else. But he’d been changed. Turning his back on what he’d become, had weakened him. It was time he accepted his dark side. When faced with evil, he needed this part of himself to do what the Druid could not.

  Finn turned when he heard a snuffling sound behind him. One of the camels walked toward him, carrying a limp form draped over the saddle.

  Sithias lifted his head when the camel stopped in front of Finn. “Thank the gods, you survived. What a fright that storm was!”

  The camel kneeled down and Sithias rolled off, falling like a lump in the sand. He rose to his feet, swaying like a drunk. “You won’t believe what happened to me out there. After I caught up with my notebook, my pencil revolted against me. The wood split apart into hundreds of tiny stick men. They attacked and stabbed me with lead spears! They even tore my notebook apart and used it to give me paper cuts. Painful things, those. Can you imagine?”

  “Not really,” Finn said as Sithias stopped to draw breath after his lengthy description.

  “I thought surely I wouldn’t survive,” Sithias continued. “But I was saved.” He smiled at the camel. “She came for me. She honed in on my screams and fought her way through the stinging sand to find me. When she saw that terrible army and what they were doing to me, she trampled them. If not for her, I’d have bled to death from a thousand tiny cuts.” He leaned over and patted the top of her head.

  The camel nuzzled her nose under his hand and bleated.

  “That’s my Sasha,” he crooned.

  “You named her?”

  “Oh yesss. Tell me she doesn’t look like a Sasha.” He tickled his fingers under the camel’s bottom lip. “You like the name, don’t you?”

  The camel blinked and chewed its cud.

  Finn wrinkled his nose in distaste. “I’m more interested in your nightmare sequence. I happened to have one of my own. Mugloth made a guest appearance in mine.”

  Sithias stood straight, his back rigid. “Mugloth is back?”

  “As big as life, but now I’m not so sure. After your rather illogical experience, I’m thinking we’ve been the victims of a masterful illusion.”

  Sithias glanced over one shoulder and then the other. “Do you think this is the work of the jann?”

  “Let’s see…that sandstorm could be considered a whirlwind of major proportions, plus two simultaneous illusions, and a heroic camel rescue adds up to signs of the jann in my book.”

  “Are you saying Sasha isn’t Sasha?” Sithias looked at the camel with a mixture of disappoint and distrust. “Sasha?”

  The camel cocked its head and stared at Sithias blankly.

  He sighed with relief. “Well, you’re wrong there. See? She’s just a–”

  The air around the camel wavered like heat waves coming off the desert as the animal’s form shrank and stretched upward to that of a robed figure. A young man close to Finn’s age stared back at them with sky-blue eyes. His smooth skin was the color of mahogany, a dark contrast against his white robes.

  “A man.” Sithias finished his sentence with a horrified gasp and a look of pure humiliation.

  “I am Aradif. I come to you because you passed the test.”

  “What test?” Sithias asked. “The directions for the summoning spell said nothing about a test.”

  “There was no need for any such spell,” Aradif replied. “We were aware of you the moment you entered our desert. The storm we hurled at you brought forth the demons you harbor deep in your soul. Most others we have tested were defeated by the challenges their demons brought upon them, and perished because of this. You conquered your fears, which proves you worthy of our help. I am honored to be of service.”

  Sithias leaned close to Finn’s ear. “I didn’t conquer the stick men. Should I say something?” he whispered.

  Finn was about to answer, when Aradif spoke. “This is my desert. There is nothing you can hide from me. The camel was your demon, Sithias.”

  “Oh dear, he knows I’m not Asclepius!” Sithias whispered again.

  “By allowing the camel to save you and then opening your heart in gratitude to the beast you once loathed, you won our respect. As for this disguise, it is of no use to you here. We see through all illusions,” Aradif explained.

  His piercing blue gaze shifted to Finn. “It is good you conquered both of your demons.”

  Finn frowned with confusion. “Beg to differ with you on that. There was only the one.”

  Aradif waved his finger at Finn in a scolding manner. “You tainted the sanctity of our desert by bringing that Fae abomination here. Your very life hung in the balance because of this. Had you not banished the creature and severed ties, your bones would now belong to the desert.”

  Finn gulped. He felt like a fool for underestimating this race of mysterious beings.

  Aradif’s expression softened. “I am pleased you escaped her clutches. Few ever do. It would have been a great loss for a champion of your caliber to fall prey to such a monster.”

  Shame flushed along Finn’s neck and spread into his face. “You’re being too generous. I’m no champion.”

  “Modesty is of no use here,” Aradif corrected him. “You are the destroyer of destroyers, and the world is in great need of you.”

  He turned and waved a hand off to one side. The air shimmered as a tent of rich colors and luxurious fabrics appeared before them. “Come, let us share drink and food together while we speak of important matters.”

  They settled inside, where a banquet of fruit, breads and steaming rice dishes was spread over cloth gleaming with threads of gold. Veiled women with flashing dark eyes served them wine, while two sentinels equipped with long, curved scabbards flanked the entrance.

  Aradif leaned back on a pile of silken pillows with a bowl of dates in front of him. “Our people are sensitive to all that is unseen within this world and beyond,” he said. “Of late, we have sensed a disturbance rippling across the ocean of stars. This particular energy is one we have not felt in thousands of years. We fear the ancient seed of a great god has awoken. We sense anger and an unquenchable thirst for power radiating from her.”

  “From her?” Finn asked.

  “Yes, she is the mothe
r of the great goddess Kali. Her name is Kaliena, a high priestess who sacrificed herself to save her people by allowing a chaos entity to possess her. This merging created Kali, a divine force, which spread itself throughout the universe, creating and destroying worlds. After the goddess energy abandoned Kaliena, she returned to her mortal form. It was thought she died, but it appears she had been sleeping. Until now.”

  Finn reached for a grape. “She doesn’t sound like a huge threat. Not if she’s mortal.”

  “Yet we sense imminent danger emanating from her,” Aradif insisted.

  Finn stared at the grape, rolling it between his finger and thumb. “What does any of this have to with us?”

  Aradif set the dates aside, sat up and leaned toward Finn. “The Oracle has Seen you fighting Kaliena here in the Marajaran Desert.”

  Finn tensed. Did Aradif mean to keep him here to defend his land? “Listen, I’m grateful for the hospitality, and as much as I’d like to help, I’ve got somewhere else I have to be.”

  “It is already prophesied. There will be a great war and you will face Kaliena to the death, here in this desert,” Aradif pressed.

  Dropping the grape, Finn pressed his fists into the softness of the sand beneath the carpet he sat on. “I can’t stay. I won’t.” He found it impossible to keep the anger out of his voice.

  Sithias shot him an anxious look. “Ah, what he means to say is–”

  “I’m not asking you to stay,” Aradif cut in. “Either of you. Your paths lead elsewhere, and so they must, lest we interfere with destiny. But I can assure you, we will meet again and under less agreeable circumstances.”

  “If that’s true, then you’ll respect our need to leave and lead us to the fiery divide so I can continue my journey.” Finn stood. He’d had enough of sitting around and waiting for the right moment to approach the subject.

  Aradif rose to his feet as well. “Yes, of course.”

  He waved his arm again. A soft shimmer spread across the luxurious tent, the servants, food and flickering lanterns before fading away entirely. Night fell around them in a blanket of glittering stars. The half moon cast a milky glow over the dunes.

  Finn felt a sudden intense heat at his back and he turned. A wall of fire, which stretched endlessly in each direction, hissed with powerful magic. He knew without needing to test the flames that they were sentient, that they would reach out and turn him to ash if he stepped too close.

  “I will take my leave before you summon the Feadh-Ree Triad to open the gate. Do not let them tarry,” Aradif warned. “We will not tolerate their presence any longer than is necessary.” A wind rushed in around him, whipping his robes into a white blur. He bowed and vanished within a whirlwind, before skimming out of sight across the sand.

  Sithias wiped his brow. “Whew! Can you believe we made it out alive?”

  “You needn’t have worried. I’d never allow it to happen any other way.” Finn stared at the only thing left that was standing between him and Fate. The fiery divide. Now that he’d come this far, he couldn’t wait a second longer.

  Closing his eyes, he recited the invocation he’d memorized from O’Deldar’s grimoire. The spell-rich words sucked every bit of moisture from his mouth. His tongue grew thick, making speech difficult. Upon finishing the invocation, Finn opened his eyes. The same murky haze hovered in front of him and expanded into a circlet of gold with a blue-green center. As soon as he saw the disturbance of shapes gathering within the portal, he turned to Sithias. “Close your eyes and keep them shut. They’ll be showing themselves in their true form. I have the Elder race runes to protect me, but you have no defense against them.”

  Sithias clapped his hands over his eyes. “What happens if I can’t keep myself from peeking? I do have a curious mind.”

  Finn watched the shadows grow dense. “Believe me, you don’t want to know what’ll happen, so keep yourself in check.”

  A cloven hoof broke through the portal’s outer membrane. The rest of the creature’s body emerged, bringing with it an icy chill that seeped in from the other world. The rough spiraled horns of a ram encircled a beastly face, which stirred fright on sight. Black, oily eyes devoid of humanity stared back at Finn. Creased lips curled into a snarl, displaying rows of needle-sharp fangs. Skin as gray as death clung like crepe to its sinewy torso. Thorns protruded from its alien skeletal structure, while shaggy, clumped hair covered its massive goat’s legs. Finn had seen many whimsical illustrations of satyrs, but this was the scariest version by far.

  The slitherer snaked in after the satyr. It was a horrifying creature to look at. Ill-formed wings jutted from the back of its tuberous body. Red eyes flamed from its black-scaled skull, the shape of jaguar. The bottom jaw was a tangle of fangs that curled under its cheekbone and oozed drool. Finn could understand why the sight of such beasts might cause a person to go mad with terror.

  Last, but not least, the Lhiannon Shee, stepped through the gateway. She fixed her dark gaze on Finn. Not a hint of emotion flickered over her hard, birdlike features. It was obvious to see the banishment spell had worked. Otherwise she’d be doing everything in her power to lure him back into her web.

  “Open the gateway back to my homeland, to where I first entered this world,” Finn commanded the Triad.

  The satyr growled at him. “Admittance first requires the payment of unpaid debts.”

  Finn glanced at the Lhiannan Shee and gulped. “Really?” He edged close to Sithias. “Why’s this coming up? I thought the banishment spell cleared everything back to zero.”

  Keeping his eyes clenched shut, Sithias shrugged. “I couldn’t say.” He yelped as the slitherer snaked against his leg. “What was that? Was that a snake? Get it away from me!”

  “You of all people should be okay with snakes,” Finn muttered. He turned his attention back to the satyr. “Has the form of payment changed?”

  The satyr turned his horned head to the Lhiannon Shee. “Only your guide can answer that.”

  She closed the gap between them, her clawed feet digging into the sand with each step. “Close your eyes.”

  Every part of Finn resisted, but he closed his eyes all the same.

  She leaned close to whisper in his ear, enclosing him within the dewy scent of the forest. “Think back to our time together.” Her voice grew soft and silky. “I never abandoned you. I came to you in your greatest time of need. I was your constant companion, even when you couldn’t see me. I watched over you. I guided you to this place, where we now stand. Look deep into your heart, Finn. Can you find even the smallest kernel of affection for me, and me alone?”

  As much as Finn wanted to deny even the slightest hint of warmth in his heart for this insidious creature who had manipulated his every emotion, in truth, he could not. He was grateful to her for getting him this far. He honestly didn’t know if he would’ve survived if she hadn’t continued to keep his desire for a life with Fate front and center in his heart and mind.

  “Yes,” he whispered back, “I’ve grown fond of you. I’m thankful for all you’ve done for me.”

  “That’s all I ever wanted from a soul as remarkable as you, Finn McKeen. You are the most human of beings I have ever encountered.” Her breath feathered against his face. “Look at me.”

  Finn grew wary. Was she trying to entrap him again?

  “Open your eyes.”

  He looked at her. She hadn’t changed. She was still the predatory creature of nature she’d always been, but now her pale skin glowed with an inner radiance. The harsh planes of her face appeared softened and the black of her eyes glinted like a starry night. His breath caught in his throat, for the wild beauty standing before him.

  The Lhiannan Shee stepped back with a smile that held a secret. “The debt is paid,” she said to the others.

  The Triad moved into a circle, speaking in an ancient language far beyond Finn’s understanding. The spitting, seething fire of the divide parted. The Lhiannan Shee gestured for them to pass through.

 
Finn’s eyes misted with gratitude as he nodded to her. Taking Sithias by the arm, he guided him past the Triad and they walked through the gateway. The flames raged around them but the scorching heat did not burn.

  As Finn left Oldwilde and all its nightmares behind, fresh cool air touched his face. Relief washed over him as the world he came from opened onto a sunny spring day, where a field of yellow tulips spread out before him. Fables Bookstore stood in the distance. He was finally back where he’d first met Fate.

  41

  Fate Has A Plan

  EVERYONE WAS WAITING IN the sanctuary for Fate and Jessie when they returned from the shrine deep inside the Keep’s core. Fate had radioed in an emergency meeting on the flight back. It was time to fill everyone in on the threat Kaliena posed, not only to them, but to the universe at large.

  Fate stood at the head of the table, her spirits strengthened by her father and Gerdie standing on one side, and Jessie on the other. Farouk, Steve and Darcy were there, but the absence of Brune, Lincoln and Mason was painfully noticeable.

  “I have something you all need to see.” Fate announced.

  Darcy held up a hand to stop her. “Uh, hold on. So no thank you for making it easy to kill the scavenger?”

  Fate frowned. “I would hardly have called it easy. But okay. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” The disppointment Fate noted on Darcy’s face had her wondering if she’d expected a big bouquet of flowers for figuring out how to defeat the scavenger.

  Fate exchanged a befuddled look with Jessie as she removed the projector ring from her finger. When Farouk noticed what she was doing he jumped off his seat and grabbed the bars of his cage. “What are your doing with that? Those docuscripts are for guardian eyes only.”

  “Not anymore. Everyone needs to know what’s coming.” Fate grew quiet a moment. “She’s fully awake and walking around.”