by W. J. May
Atlanta looked back at the image of the little boy. There was brightness in his smile, indifference in his bones as he embraced the wind. He looked ready to take on the world, and the world was willing to let him do it.
“I dreamt every single day I would see my Darian blossom and grow. I saw his youth molding him into a man when I closed my eyes.”
The bright light shifted as Lenore’s gaze moved over to her daughter. “Atlanta, you were born at dawn. A rose that was missing nothing but its thorns. You were more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, and there was nothing in the world I wouldn’t have done for you.” Lenore’s voice shuddered. “I held you both in my arms, and in my heart every morning and at night when dreams took me away.”
The scene shifted again. There were roses and daffodils surrounding a house of stone by the sea. In the scene, a five-year-old Darian was throwing stones into the water, watching them skip and then sink. The sound of singing came from inside the house, lullabies in Lenore’s voice that were soothing the soft cries of baby Atlanta.
I know those songs.
A sudden melancholy took over. The skies turned a paler shade of purple, and the mountains slept and wept as the stars lay silent in the moon’s absence.
The scene shifted again. Atlanta watched as the sea and mountains dwarfed into dark caverns and large bookcases surrounding a round table where many women sat facing each other. Atlanta felt her body shake when her eyes fell on Adelaide, standing at one seat, talking to the audience before her.
“The witches’ power stems from the lunar books, and through those they are also controlled. She who can possess all eight possesses all witches and binds them to her will. With power like this, the world as we know it would end.” Adelaide stared at the women, her features scrunched in anger, her eyes burning.
Lenore’s voice sounded soft against Adelaide’s. “The witches knew this, and they were careful not to keep all the books in one place. They knew what power like that could do, the corruption it could bring, the end to what we were made to protect. Adelaide felt otherwise. She wanted all eight books, was determined not to let anything get in her way. She was able to convince a few with the darkest of hearts, promising them immortality and power, a kingdom on earth like no other. They followed her blindly, and destroyed anything in their path. And then they came for me.”
The image shifted to darkness, scenes running like parts of a movie, flickering faster than a memory.
“The witches needed an army, and Adelaide knew where to find one. Her desire was to free the hybrids, and for that she needed me, the descendant of the witch who locked up her creations in the first place. They didn’t know that the key to opening the door was moved to my daughter once she was born, and so I had to hide you from them. I would take my own life before I let them have yours. I couldn’t lose you. I had my brother James take you and flee from Lisbon, back to Calen where you would be safe in the peace that was maintained there.”
The feeling of seeing and hearing her mother was alien to her, and so were the emotions that, like purposeless rivers, flowed up and down her spine. Atlanta wanted to believe all that she was hearing. She needed to believe it, because James had lied to her. Why had he kept her mother hidden from her? Until that moment, all her questions about her parents had been unanswered and unaddressed. They were mere shadows within the uncertainty that she lived in day after day.
“And so, I kissed my beloved daughter goodbye and set her sailing across seas to a safety that I was yet unsure of, but I knew that with James I didn’t need to worry. I watched over you as you grew, but from afar. When I closed my eyes, I saw the dreams roaming around your mind and absorbing you in.”
The scene shifted to a familiar one, one that Atlanta had seen twice before.
“A year after Atlanta left for Calen, Adelaide and the witches arrived, and with them were two of the Lunar Books. One is the book of the half-moon, the one my mother had given herself into and, consequently, I was enslaved to. Adelaide did everything in her power to get me to open the door. Nearly everything. That’s when she realized that opening the door was no longer in my power. She was furious. She tortured me and threatened to kill Darian if I didn’t tell her where the key was moved.”
You died.
Atlanta flinched. It wasn’t her thoughts she was hearing, but Darian’s.
“I didn’t. It was the illusion Adelaide had cast over your eyes, a painful memory that you were to live with for the rest of your life. Adelaide was convinced I didn’t know where the power was moved. She sent me to Everlore and bound me to guard the town and the books here. I was compelled to do so, and I’ve been imprisoned by the walls of this town ever since.”
James lied. He never told me. He should’ve told me.
“Years later, your father led an army of Druids on a campaign to regain control over the book that Adelaide had. He tried to end the misery I was bound to. He managed to defeat Adelaide and her followers, but when Adelaide realized that the book was going to be taken she destroyed it. That left me bound to Everlore. I could never leave it.”
“Why not use your magic?” Darian asked. He clearly knew about the Druids’ battle. He lost his father—wait, my father.
“Yes, I still have the power over myself and the conscious will, but only within the vicinity of the walls of Everlore. I can’t leave. I can’t fight. I can do nothing but watch you from afar. I watched my husband die. My brother...”
The scenes ended and the light died out. Atlanta felt tears roll down her cheeks, and when she looked to her side she could see Darian crying as well. Their hands were still interlocked.
“My father?” Atlanta stammered.
“He died in his attempts, but not before making sure Darian had a home.”
“I was raised by the Druids,” Darian whispered, as if answering Atlanta’s questions. “I trained amongst them, grew amongst them. Until I became who I am now.”
“And what a majestic man you have grown into.” Lenore smiled.
Atlanta felt Darian’s hand slide out of hers, and she grasped it harder. She turned and met his eyes. “So, I’ve got a brother? Who happens to be the Coven?” She pretended to roll her eyes. “Figures.” Her attention caught on a reflection from the wall. “Are those the other lunar books?” she asked, pointing.
Lenore looked to the wall and nodded. “The books that were in Everlore became mine, and all the witches who were bound by those books were guided into Everlore to follow my rule in this town.”
“And you couldn’t send for us to help you?” Darian pressed.
“How? I became both powerful and powerless. Never could I see my children again, yet I can move stars and guide the moon’s light with the power I was given by these three books.”
“And where are the others?” Darian asked.
“I can only assume Adelaide is searching for them. From what I understand, she has one with her now.” Lenore sighed, and her eyes shifted from the books to Atlanta. “I have missed you so much, my little rose.”
Atlanta’s arms vibrated from the intensity of feelings she was experiencing. She was trembling, like a mountain that was about to crumble and fall into the sea. She felt herself weakened by Lenore’s words. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she let them flow. There was no stopping the tears that were boiling in her heart since the day she opened her eyes to a motherless world. Seeing her mom after years of not knowing if there was such a thing as a mother’s heart in her world made her fingers flow of their own accord, longing to touch her and make sure it was not a trick her mind was playing on her.
She walked forward, almost magnetically towards Lenore. Her mother’s head was bowed and her eyes closed. Tears collected in the corners of her eyes and she was trying to keep them in the windows of her soul and hold them back from falling, but they eventually did. When she lifted her head and opened her tear-filled eyes, Atlanta stood close to her, her hand touching hers.
Atlanta took in her mother’s face an
d her figure, trying to fill her memory with the images she should have seen in all the years that had passed.
Lenore held Atlanta in her arms and embraced her. She gestured to Darian, and Atlanta could hear her brother’s feet shuffle on the stone floor. “Darian, my son.” Lenore’s voice trembled. “Come closer.”
Atlanta turned and met his gaze, nodding slightly as if she were confirming that he had nothing to fear. His steps were heavy, as if still in disbelief. He clenched his fists and hesitated just out of their reach.
Let go, Darian.
The wind echoed loudly. The howls of it cried in dismay, and the quivering of the land and the trees outside reached the ground under their feet and shook them. There was a series of cries, followed by the red glow of fire from outside.
Darian rushed to the window to look out.
Atlanta let go of Lenore and followed him. Outside, they saw fire on the walls of Everlore, and the echoes of the dying pierced the night.
“What is that?” Darian asked.
“We’re under attack,” Lenore said from behind them.
Suddenly, the walls shook, and a strong gush of wind burst through the room. Atlanta closed her eyes against the force, and when she opened them there was a new presence in the room. It came accompanied with mocking laughter.
Atlanta crouched, drawing her blade from the back of her suit. From the corner of her eye she could see Darian’s fists suddenly burst into fire, his magic returned.
“Am I too late for the family reunion?” Adelaide spread her arms out and threw her head back, laughing.
Chapter 23
“Careful.”
Atlanta ignored James’ voice, her gaze fixated on Adelaide. From outside came more screaming, and the sounds of ringing bells bellowed with the wind.
Adelaide stood cloaked in bitter black. The strand of her hair that was green spiraled around her like a halo of malice. She had appeared in the watchtower like the passing of a shooting star, suddenly standing in the middle of the room, and the air that accompanied her had taken over the silence that lingered in the spaces between them.
Atlanta’s fingers tightened around the handle of her blade, her instincts sharper than her weapon. She briefly glanced at Lenore, who seemed calm, almost as if she’d been expecting Adelaide.
A misty green shone through the windows. Atlanta chanced a quick look over her shoulder and at the scene unfolding outside. The people of Everlore were lined behind the walls, casting green glowing barriers around them, a protection of sorts that stood no chance against the army of hybrids that was breaking through. The roars and screams rang louder. A battle had begun, and the people of Everlore were on the losing side.
“Stay focused,” James whispered, and Atlanta spun back around to face the witch. Ravens flew in through the window and perched on the furniture and on Adelaide’s shoulders.
Atlanta saw a flickering image of her uncle, standing in a corner, leaning against the wall and watching her intently.
“You’ve found us, Adelaide,” Lenore said, her face giving away nothing.
“You’ve hidden yourself well, Lenore,” Adelaide replied. “Even I, who sent you here, couldn’t find my way back into the realm of this town.”
“Unlike your hybrids, I have a will that guides me into creating new spells. Ones that will take, even you, centuries to uncover.”
“Don’t be so sure, Lenore,” Adelaide chuckled, her eyes burning bright, her lips drawn into a scowl that sent shivers down Atlanta’s spine. “I’ll rid you of your power before you can cast another one of your spells.”
I’m going to kill her.
“Wait,” James’ voice echoed in her ear.
But Atlanta was unable to contain the massive surge of anger that was taking over her. She stood facing the woman who’d killed the only man that was close to a father to her. She remembered the look in his eyes as he fell to his knees on the roof. She remembered the ghost of a smile that formed on his face when his eyes met hers before he died.
The image formed in her mind and became clearer, as if she was reliving the moment. A scorching fire was coursing through her veins, burning her from the inside and struggling to get out. It was the blood that was trapped in her clenched fists. They were the tears of rage that were boiling in her eyes.
I’m going to kill her.
Her feet trembled and her legs shook, but in silence. On the inside, her bones were cracking, but on the outside the fierceness was all that showed. The blade in her hand shone as the full moon kissed it from afar. And to her, that was enough of a sign for her to know what she had to do next.
“Don’t let your emotions take over,” James whispered.
Her body was swayed by a force that was stronger than she had imagined. Fury that was fueled by the images of her uncle kept resonating in her mind. Without a second thought, she shot forward.
“Wait!” James screamed.
Adelaide turned to face her just as the blade found its mark. Atlanta let out a fierce scream and forced the blade in deeper, piercing Adelaide’s chest, gazing into the burning green eyes as they burst into flames of rage and fury.
Adelaide reached for her but Atlanta was quick, pulling the blade back and then striking again. “That one’s for my uncle.”
Adelaide dropped to her knees, clutching her chest.
“The other one’s for my mother,” Atlanta spat, glancing up to look at Lenore. She hesitated at the look on Lenore’s face. Shock... and fear. Atlanta frowned, unable to understand why, riding high on the adrenaline that coursed through her and the feeling of victory that washed over her.
Adelaide’s hands fell to the floor and drops of green blood spread around them. Atlanta seized the moment of weakness and dug her sword into Adelaide’s back, leaving the blade there. Adelaide screamed once and then sank into silence as more and more of her blood began pooling around her hands.
“It’s over, Adelaide.” Atlanta glared at the witch and then froze.
Something was wrong.
The witch’s body was shaking, and low, guttural laughter could barely be heard over the thundering roars of the battles outside. The laughter grew louder, and Adelaide’s body began to fade. Like dust being blown off a surface, her body turned to ashes as her manic laughter echoed against the walls around them.
Within seconds, Adelaide’s body disappeared and only the blade remained.
“It’s over, right?” Atlanta gasped, looking over at Darian. She flinched as, outside, the screaming continued and the sounds of fire flickering and wood crackling masked her victory.
“You mistake Adelaide’s malice,” Lenore said, rushing to the Luna Books on the wall and tearing them down from their bindings.
“You saw that, didn’t you?” Atlanta asked in disbelief. “I killed her. She’s dead. Gone. Disappeared. Darian?”
Darian opened his mouth to answer, but Lenore pushed the books into his hands. “She’s not dead,” she said. “If Adelaide falls, so do her hybrids.” She pointed to the window. “But the beasts are still fighting.”
“Then there’s got to be another explanation,” Atlanta stammered.
“There is none!” Lenore snapped, her eyes darting through the room. “Quick now, you must leave.”
She was pushing them both forward when a burst of green light exploded behind them. Atlanta turned just in time to see Adelaide appear in the flames, her laughter shaking the walls around them. Lenore turned, and her hands burst into flames of blue as she stood between them and the witch.
“Just as naïve as her mother!” Adelaide mocked.
“Go!” Lenore yelled, and with a swift movement of her hands she threw up a wall of blue flames just as green fire shot towards them. The collision of power blinded Atlanta, and she shielded her eyes against the sudden light. She felt a hand grab her arm and pull, and she fought against it.
“Let me go!” she yelled, grabbing for her sword.
“Atlanta, no!” Darian shouted, his grip tightening on
her arm.
She turned and shot him an angry look, her lips pulled back in a snarl, her eyes threatening. A second collision of magic threw her off her feet, and she slammed into Darian, sending them both sprawling out the door. She jumped to her feet, ready to race back inside, when the door slammed shut.
“Darian, help me!” she screamed, throwing her body against the door. It wouldn’t open, and she began kicking at it frantically. Light from inside burst around the sides of the door, the battle between Lenore and Adelaide hidden from her sight. Atlanta screamed as she continued her attack.
“Atlanta!” Darian grabbed her by the arm and forcefully turned her around. She was crying now, and if she hadn’t been able to control herself she would’ve struck him with her blade.
“We need to go,” he stated firmly. “She wants us to leave. We have to protect the Lunar Books.”
“I’m not leaving her!” Atlanta shot back. “I’m not losing her! Not now!”
“She can take care of herself!” Darian yelled. “Let’s go, or all this will be for nothing. Now!”
Atlanta looked back at the door and the flashes of light bursting from under the threshold. She hesitated, wanting to ignore Darian and try to get back inside to fight.
He’s right.
She cursed and, with a second glance at the door, nodded and followed Darian down the stairs.
Chapter 24
Everlore lay in turmoil.
It was burning.
Dying.
Fighting with its last breath.
The second Atlanta and Darian set foot outside the watchtower, flames lapped at their skin and the fumes made them gag. Explosions resounded all around them, mixed with the screams of the dying and the victorious hissing of the hybrids. Everywhere they looked, there was death and destruction.
“The city’s falling,” Darian yelled over the sound of the flames and screams.
Atlanta nodded, quickly glancing back up at the watchtower before returning her attention to the task at hand. “How do we get out of here?”
“This way.” Darian grabbed her arm and pulled her along.