by Larisa Long
I glance back. Blu puts his hand against the wall again to close and seal the opening as if it never existed. He then rushes in front of us and does the same thing to another wall. We repeat this about five times until Blu stops.
“Okay,” Blu says. “We should be safe for the time being.”
The castle rumbles again, and I hear footsteps above us. Sounds like boots. A lot of boots. And crashes. Like glass shattering.
I back up. Janx stands by the door we just come from. Blu looks around.
Zash grabs me. “It’s okay. They won’t find us.”
“What about the farm?”
“Blu hid it. They won’t see it.”
More crashes and boots above us.
“Who lives here?” A voice booms.
There is silence and what sounds like paper shifting. “Mera,” another one answers.
“And her immortals?” The same voice asks.
More silence and more papers shifting. “She’s a recent Eternal. Actually, she’s an Eternal Verum Immortal.”
“Interesting. She on one of the lists?”
Silence. I wait. I can only hear my own heartbeat.
“Yes.”
Zash tightens his grip on me.
Blu glances at me with an expression of fear. “Why won’t they leave?”
Janx puts his finger over his lips to quiet Blu. We wait forever. There’s no sound. I don’t know if they’re gone.
Zash shakes his head and points above us.
What are they waiting for?
Zash answers me by holding me tighter.
Blu frowns as he looks at the ceiling above us. He quietly snaps his fingers. “I’ve hidden our sounds from them. We can talk now.”
No one says anything. Not even Blu. We wait, but there’s still no sound above us.
All of a sudden the castle shakes and moans like it’s in pain. It sounds like they are boring through the walls.
“We know you’re here, Mera. Stupid human. Come out now, and we won’t kill your immortals in front of you.”
My body tenses, but Zash hugs me tighter.
“Don’t take on my fear,” I whisper to him.
He nods, but I know he’s taken most of it because I’m not as terrified as I should be.
“Call to her,” a voice says.
“Queen Mera?”
I flinch. “Who is that?”
Blu winces. “That weird little official man.”
“Stu?”
Blu nods.
There’s a loud thud, and Stu whimpers.
“Call to her again.”
“Queen Mera, please.”
Another thump and Stu cries out. “Please don’t let them kill me.”
I close my eyes and shake.
“Mera, help me.” Stu pleads.
Blu rushes to me. He places his hands over my ears but not before I hear Stu screaming.
I slam my eyes shut. I can’t hear what’s going on, but the vibrations jolt me. I’ve never been through an earthquake, but that’s what it feels like.
When the sounds end, I see Blu’s eyes full of sadness and pain. He lowers his hands from my ears and steps back and leans against the wall.
I look at Zash who shakes his head. “He’s gone. They killed him.”
“How many others will I kill before you show yourself?” The same voice asks. “And you’re with a dragon. Didn’t think they were cowards!”
Janx tenses and growls. I put my hand on his back, and he relaxes a bit.
Just then we hear screams.
I cringe. Outside, people are begging and pleading and crying. More explosions rock the house. I look to Blu, but he still has his head down.
I glance at Zash.
“The veils are being lifted from the castles.”
I frown. “I have no idea what that means.”
Zash lets out a long breath. “This castle looked like it was surrounded by forest, but we are actually surrounded by the castles of the other reigns. Queen Cyl is right next door. King Pole was on the other side of us. Each of us was surrounded by the veil the reign wanted.”
“And those screams are from the ones in the other castles?”
Blu nods.
“Do you think Queen Cyl and her group got out?”
Blu nods again. “They’ve survived a long time, and Kaoz is one of the most powerful witches.”
The castle rocks again. And then we smell the smoke.
Blu jumps up. “They did not just …” He sighs. “My kitchen! Rude.”
Janx finally turns around and faces us. “We can’t stay here.”
Blu nods. “Working on it.” He jumps up and down. “Come on.”
“Do you need sugar?” I ask.
Blu looks at me and smiles. “Of course.” In an instant, he’s sipping a chocolate malt complete with whipped cream. He downs about half in a millisecond and closes his eyes. “Better. Thank you, Mera.” He hands the glass to Janx. He closes his eyes and puts his hands over either side of his head.
Some of the ground gives way, and Zash has to pull me out of the way of the instant hole.
Blu opens his eyes and reaches for the glass from Janx which has miraculously refilled itself. He motions for us to go into the tunnel.
Zash leans in and peers to what looks like darkness. He looks back at Blu.
Blu continues sipping the shake and nods. “It’s just a slight dropdown then it levels off. I’ve placed a few lights along the way, but that’s the best I can do right now.”
Zash drops down and peers in. He motions to Janx who grabs me and lowers me down into the hole. Zash takes my hand and leads me in. He has to duck to fit. The tunnel is about six feet tall and about four feet wide. Made entirely of dirt. The worms don’t seem too happy about the interruption, and I don’t dare touch the sides for fear it will cave in on us.
I glance behind me, and Janx also has to squeeze to fit as does Blu who stays behind to close everything up. Zash continues to move forward until he reaches the end.
“Where’s this going to come up?”
Zash shrugs. “Only Blu will know.”
We wait as Blu catches up.
Blu closes his eyes again and the ground above us opens up. Zash waits. When we don’t hear anything, he jumps up. He’s gone for a few seconds. Then he appears above us and nods. Janx lifts me up to Zash, and I’m finally out of the dirt tunnel.
I look around. “We’re in the middle of a forest.” Birds squawk at us. A few bears study us like we’re the strangest things they’ve ever seen.
Zash whispers something to them, and the bears ignore us and move along.
Janx appears followed by Blu who closes the ground up again.
Zash looks around. “Okay, Blu. I give up. Where are we?”
Blu gives each of us a necklace. “Wear this and do not take them off. Do. Not. Take. Them. Off.” He waits until we put them on. “Okay, to answer your question …” Blu moves behind me and uses me as a shield. “Remember Mera is standing in front of me.”
Zash sighs with frustration. “Blu.”
“We’re in town.”
Zash quickly looks around.
Blu snaps his fingers, and we’re in the middle of the town. It looks very different from when we walked down the streets to save Risq from the auction. Everything has been upended. Shops destroyed. Goods splattered. Blood flows down the streets. I’m glad there are no bodies, but there has to be from all the blood.
“I hid those from you,” Blu says. “Believe me, they are here.”
“Blu!” Zash yells. “Get us out of here!”
“We cannot be seen or heard as long as we’re wearing the necklace.”
Several angry people march down the middle of the street. They peer into each shop they pass. Several smirk with glee as they splash through the blood in the streets.
When they get closer, I realize they are not human. Some are vampires. Several faeries glide along with their wings dripping with blood. There are others, b
ut I don’t know what they are.
Blu glares at the faeries. “Disgusting. Should have their wings clipped for this.”
We wait until they pass.
“The forest is what the town looked like before it became a town,” Blu says.
Zash looks at Blu with confusion. “How?”
Blu shrugs. “It’s only a matter of accessing the various energies and—”
Zash holds up his hand. “Will this keep us safe?”
He motions to our necklaces.
Screaming behind us makes us all jump. Janx moves us toward a building and creeps ahead to get a look. We all follow him. I peer around him and recognize Queen Marseil who was leading the auction from before.
One of the vampires grabs her and bites her. Then he throws her down on the ground. Another smashes her crown to bits. One of the faeries holds her down while another uses the edge of his wing to slit her throat.
Blu gasps. “Not what our wings are for.”
I step back but almost run into another group marching down the street. Zash pulls me back. We all melt into the wall even though they can’t see or hear us. None of us wants to take a chance.
The group marches with several humans in chains being dragged behind them. Mixed with humans are several faeries without wings and covered in blue and green liquid oozing from their backs.
Blu puts his hand over his mouth. “Their wings have been ripped off.”
Zash leans closer to Blu. “Can we go back to this being invisible?”
Blu nods, and we are back to the forest.
I run behind a tree and throw up. Blu is beside me in an instant. He holds my hair away from my face. When I’m done, he lifts me up and holds me until I stop crying.
Blu snaps his fingers, and a blanket and pillows appear. “We’re safe here. Just rest for awhile.”
I lie down, and Blu’s wing brushes the hair from my face.
“Sleep, my love.” His voice sounds like a lullaby.
I can’t keep my eyes open as sleep drags me down.
Chapter 17
I wake with a start and don’t know how long I’ve been asleep.
“About an hour,” Zash says, as he squeezes my hand. “I’ve been right here the whole time. Blu and Janx are making sure nothing gets in.”
Janx guards the perimeter while Blu dashes about so fast he is a blur.
“Zash, what is happening?”
His eyes show pain and guilt. “I swear I will not let them hurt you.” He grabs me into a hug. “I don’t care if they take every single human, but they can’t have you.”
An explosion rocks the area.
I feel something tugging at my necklace. I look down, and the necklace Blu gave me is gone. I’m back in the middle of town.
West is standing in front of me. He crumples my necklace in his hand. “I’m sorry. It was the only way to protect Cyl.”
My stomach tightens. “What did you do?”
Screams and shouts surround us. West drags me into one of the shops. Unfortunately, bodies litter everywhere.
West pulls me faster. “Don’t look. Just follow me.”
I step over broken glass and try not to slip on the blood. I hear something, and I look at the wall. Red eyes peer at me from behind the cracks in the brick wall.
West and I hide behind an overturned counter. Blu? Zash? Can you hear me?
Silence. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
We wait behind the counter until it’s quiet again.
West grabs my hand and drags me through the shop and out the back door. He glances around. “All clear.”
“What is going on? Where are—”
We are suddenly surrounded on all sides.
“What’s this?” A vampire with blood still dripping down his mouth approaches. He looks West up and down. “You’re one of the traitors.”
West dangles a pouch in front of him and waits.
Apparently the pouch carries weight because the vampire steps back.
“I’ve been granted safe passage in return for Mera.”
I glance at him but don’t quite understand what he’s saying.
“She’s the one they’re looking for. She’s an Eternal Verum Immortal.”
The vampire studies me. “You’re in love with traitors? You like vampires?”
I step back. “Not particularly.”
He glares at me, takes the pouch from West and shoves him. “You should get back to safety.”
West nods and looks at me. “I’m sorry. It was the only way.” He disappears.
The vampire grabs my arms and smells me. “Delicious. I wonder if they’d mind if I had a bit of a taste?”
“You know they would,” a female vampire says.
The vampire holding me scratches the side of my neck and licks me. He throws his head back. “Exquisite.”
“Hey,” another one says. “I won’t get blamed for that.”
The vampire shrugs. “This is how we found her.”
A faerie with red eyes walks close to me and studies me. “I can smell faerie on you. A delicious traitorous faerie.” She slaps me with such force I fall to the ground and hit my head. “Like you said … we found her like this.” The faerie spits at me. “Filthy reigns. Do you know what your kind did to me?”
“This one is an Eternal Verum Immortal,” one of them says, smugly.
Laughter. I don’t know how many surround me now. This is not good.
The angry faerie yanks me back up until I’m inches from her. “You’re in love with one of the faeries?” She spits at me and then hits me again. There won’t be much left if this continues.
The red eyed faerie giggles, but her giggle isn’t charming like Blu’s. It’s creepy and sinister. It only makes me miss Blu more.
“What should we do with her?”
There are murmurs and angry looks. Some whisper. Others shout. I can’t understand them, and for that I’m grateful.
One of them kicks me. And one of the vampires grabs my wrist and drinks from it.
That vampire is thrown off, and I’m barely able to see anymore. How can they take so much blood so fast?
A hood is dragged over my head. My arms are shackled behind me. I’m yanked up and pushed along the road.
We walk for hours. I hear screams and pleadings as we walk. I can smell smoke and burning flesh. This is madness. I’m so exhausted, I can barely stand. I don’t know how my feet manage to shuffle along. Then, we stop. At least, I stop when they shove me to the ground.
I wonder what my immortals are doing. I hope they are safe. Blu will panic. Zash will be overwhelmed especially if he can feel my fear. Janx will seek vengeance on anyone responsible.
I’m yanked up again, and, this time, we walk up stairs.
Chapter 18
I’m shuffled, shoved and jostled this way and that. I know I’m bleeding. I know I’m bruised. No one says anything I can understand. I’m pushed down, and a very squeaky door opens.
My hood is yanked off me. It takes a bit to focus, but I can tell there are two standing in front of me.
“Mera.”
His voice startles me. I know him.
“Yes, you do. We even shared a kiss. It wasn’t my best work. I apologize for that.”
I close my eyes and bow my head. “Arc. So, this is what you were hiding.”
Someone behind me kicks me in the back which makes me cough up blood.
“Enough,” Arc says.
Someone lifts me back to my feet and moves very close to my ear. “Congratulations on becoming an Eternal Verum Immortal,” he whispers.
I close my eyes again. “Risq.”
He brings his hand close to my face and wipes his finger over the blood from my mouth. He brings it up to his own mouth. “I forgot how delicious you are.”
Arc looks behind me. “Leave us.”
I close my eyes because I can barely stand. That last blow must have done more damage.
“Mera,” Arc whispers. “Open yo
ur eyes.”
He’s very blurry.
He puts his hand over my forehead and chants something.
Instantly I feel better. The pain is gone. I can see. Then I wish I couldn’t see. I’m standing in blood. It’s a small concrete room with blood splashed everywhere.
Risq follows my gaze and smirks. “This is where many of the reigns end.”
I raise my arm and show Arc the marks of Blu, Zash and Janx. “Can you unlink them? Before you kill me.”
Arc narrows his eyes and takes a deep breath. He doesn’t say anything, but he studies me with amusement.
“Please, Arc. I know you have the power. I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
Risq leans closer to me. “Would you have become Verum if I was still with you?”
I shiver and shake my head.
Risq smiles and glances at Arc. “At least you’re honest.”
“We weren’t,” Arc says. “So we can’t blame her.” He steps back. “So that’s your last request? To save your lowborns?”
“Please don’t call them that.”
Arc smiles. “Not to spare you? Not to swear to do anything?”
I shake my head. “I wouldn’t insult you.”
Arc takes a deep breath. “I swore I’d never harm you.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “You took our necklaces off.”
“It was disgusting and degrading.”
Risq tightens his jaw. “You know you could make this easier on us by being like the others.”
I laugh. I can’t help it, but I laugh. “I never did what you expected me to, did I?” I know my time is running out. “Do whatever to me, but please unlink them from me. Let them go.”
Arc leans his head back as if he’s deciding something.
“Oh, I’ve already decided, Mera.” He smiles. “You are such an anomaly.” He clears his throat. “We owe you.”
I brace myself.
“Why didn’t you sign the document?” Arc asks.
I relax a bit. “To declare you quiguleres?”
Arc steps back surprised. “How do you know that word?”
I shrug. “Since I was going to be a lawyer, I thought I’d learn the laws here.”
“Why?” Risq asks with disgust.