The Garnet Dagger

by Andrea R. Cooper

  I realized as Celeste of her power coming in full force with her menstrual cycle. The first true cycle she had had since having enough food to eat.

  As though shocked, she jerked her hand from my flesh.

  Down my arm and through my hand, I saw a white glow still pulsed. This was part of her power, her healing power.

  Before I could argue, she dragged my hand to her wound. The glow circled, and then embedded into the wound. Skin melted, fused together.

  Her wound now healed and the white glow gone, I stared up at the horizon as I pulled my hand from her flesh.

  Sun colored the sky in reds and purples. I could not kill her. Not even to save my people, the world of mankind, the seasons, and myself. I would find another way from what the prophecies dictated.

  After all, I’d experienced the anger which coursed through her about the Warloc and his dark magic.

  I grasped the dagger. But I could not kill her. Every breath I took was ragged. Love bubbled up inside me, threatened to spill out. Instead of speaking, I laid the dagger between us.

  “This is my gift to you. It’s yours for all time, as am I.”

  I saw her eyes swell with tears. Eyes sparkling like silver. Gold hair and silver eyes, a contrast to my own.

  Her hand slid down my cheek. Drawn to her, I leaned into her caress. Closed my eyes to hold this moment in my mind. I knew from the Shints one of us would have to die. One would spill their blood upon the land. Since I could not, she would need to kill me.

  I waited for the dagger to take my life.

  Heard the whisper of fabric, but I would not hurt her any more by watching. A shadow darkened over me.

  Her lips brushed across mine. Surprised, my eyes flew open.

  “I’ve wanted you to do that since the day I first saw you.” She eased back, but I clasped her hand in mine.

  My power and hers joined and snaked together. Hers to healing and mine seeking. No need to fear I’d take her life, our powers merged as one.

  With her hand in mine, I moved her to me. Hungry, my lips sought hers. I yearned to show her my love.

  Pressed her against me, my fingers played over the curve of her hips. Kissing, her hands touched my face, and then tugged at my tunic. Heat pressed against me. Breaking our kiss for a moment, I tugged my tunic off.

  Then her lips trailed kisses down my chest.

  Shyly, she gazed up at me. Fingers unfastened her cloak. The material floated down in a circle behind her. Mesmerized, I watched her hands loosen the laces of her gown. At last, she eased the gown over her head and tossed it aside.

  I forgot to breathe.

  Her body had filled out since last I saw her. Breasts fuller, and seemed to yearn for my touch. Flat stomach flowed down into the curve of her hips. Golden triangle of curls between her legs captivated me.

  Nervous, my hands fumbled at my trousers.

  A giggle floated on the breeze as I struggled to remove my trousers, now lodged over my boots.

  Celeste pushed my hands aside. Eased up the material, she then tugged my boots off. Next my trousers were gone and on the ground. To ease my worry of my nakedness, I leaned forward taking Celeste with me. Her cloak spread out beneath us.

  Kissed her until we both panted for breath, and yet wanted more.

  In worship, my lips sought her body. At hearing her indrawn breath when my lips grazed her nipple, I kissed each in turn. Opened my mouth over her taunt breast. Suckled until her fingernails grazed down my back.

  My groin matched her urgency. Of its own accord, one of my hands toyed at the junction of her thighs. I kissed her lips. Moisture touched my fingertips and I growled in anticipation. Her hips pressed against me as if showing the steps to this ancient dance.

  “Are you certain?” I watched her face for any fear, however fleeting. Strained in wait for her answer.

  “Aye,” she answered unflinching.

  Almost I exhaled thanksgivings, but managed to stop my tongue. In answer, her legs parted. Shifted between her slender thighs and eased inside.

  Tightness surrounded me. But a barrier hindered my full entry. Sweat beaded my brow. Every muscle ached to move deeper inside her.

  I glanced at her in question, but her lower lip half in between her teeth distracted me. As I leaned forward to kiss her, my lower body took over. Pressed past the barrier, and kissed her hiss of inhaled breath.

  Leaning on my elbows, I knew I hurt her. But I throbbed within her, demanded the rhythm of our dance. I kissed her to apologize. Longed for her to say something. If the pain was unbearable, should I withdraw or continue?

  However, my not moving made even the blood in my head pulse to match the ache of me inside her.

  She touched my cheek, her mouth smiled under my lips. “Move now, or I will.”

  I obeyed her wish and mimicked the rhythm coursing through me. When I withdrew, her hips rose to beckon me back. How I longed to bring her the pleasure she brought me in our dance. She grasped tighter me with each stroke.

  Her kisses melted me, but still I led on. Trembling, trying not to release, I cried out her name as I felt her breath hitch in her throat. At the sound, I lost my control. Buried my head against her shoulder, and smelled her sweat. Hint of lavender, wood, and the musky smell our union.

  Feeling came back in trickles through my body, and I realized my legs were pressed against the ground.

  With a kiss to her nose, then her lips, I pushed up. Her cloak had ridden up beneath us. Tinge of blood colored a spot on the ground.

  Her blood. The prophecy was right, yet I’d read it so wrong. The blood sacrifice of the witch was her maidenhead, not her life. Pierce her heart, not with the dagger, but with love. How could I have been so blind? I almost cost my love her life and my own.

  Her smile brought mine. Offered my hand to help her up.

  But I was not healed. If felt my curse inside me. Was there more to the prophecy, then? Maybe the Warloc must die before I’d be healed?

  We dressed as the sky darkened.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “What do your prophecies say about me?” Celeste ran a hand down her golden hair.

  “Find the witch.” I drew on my boots. The uncertainty in her voice made me long to toss those scrolls into the sea. “Pierce her heart and spill her blood.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “But we fulfilled the prophecy. Earlier, your blood from our intimacy soaked into the ground.”

  “And pierce her heart?”

  “I always thought that meant the dagger. But it doesn’t say that. Earlier, I realized it’s with love.”

  She whistled for her horse, and Shadowdancer galloped out of the darkness. The horse stopped a breath beside her.

  She mounted and glanced down at me. Her weary smile made me want to crush her enemies’ throats.

  Using the saddle, I hauled up behind her. She clicked her tongue, and darkness enveloped us.

  • • •

  Inside the Keep, silence filled the chambers.

  I took Celeste’s hand and led her up the winding steps to the tower one of the Warloc’s servants directed us to. For his information, we spared his life.

  My sword parted the way before us as we climbed the stairs. Remembering Father Morgan’s tower made me pause and glance back at her. If this was a trap, I’d shield her until she could escape. Let her flee and forget this vengeance that brought her here. Let her be safe.

  We rounded a corner. Along the wall the torches were dwarfed in an emerald light.

  Celeste’s hand tightened in mine. “Magic.”

  Clashes of light plunged into darkness beneath the closed door at the top of the tower.

  At the door, I used my shoulder to barge in. Within the room Nivel stood across from the Warloc, his hands raised. Blackness swarmed around him like swirling flies.

  “Let him go.” I flashed my sword toward the Warloc’s throat.

  The Warloc’s face shifted addressing me as no threat, and then he saw Celeste.
“She lives?”

  Behind me Celeste stepped forward, her dagger in hand. My free arm waved in front of her to shield her.

  “You think,” the Warloc laughed, “you can defeat me?” His eyes darkened. “I think not. You did not fulfill your prophecies. My Shints brought you so close — but then they were driven away by your pathetic conscience.”

  “Damn the prophecy,” I yelled. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a gleam of emerald light.

  Nivel’s fingers pulsated with this light. Twisted the air, he broke through the blackness.

  My mouth hung open at the sight. Never had I seen such a display of power from one of my own kind. The room echoed with the Warloc’s curse. Black beams shot from his hands, aimed for Nivel.

  Iron. If any of the beams struck Nivel, he’d die. Curse this Warloc; he knew the legends of iron making us vulnerable if the metal pierced our skin.

  But Nivel drew up his glowing palm. “Nay, send the curse back to the sender to trap.”

  Shimmering, the black beams folded backward and thrust around the Warloc.

  “Bergone and Shints,” He shouted and threw his head back. His tone like when I saw him at the village. “Come and do my bidding.”

  Cracks along the stone oozed out shadows. Heard the shrieking of the Shints and I longed to cover my ears from the sound. From every crevice Shints rose.

  Outside, the crashes of wood splintered the air — the Bergone came. Sounded like hundreds.

  “I invoke the power of justice fire.” Celeste thrust her dagger in the air. “To devour my enemy and the enemy of my family.”

  “No.” Nivel rushed forward.

  Flames licked along the garnet dagger.

  “You must not fight him with rage.”

  “Justice will be filled.” Her grey eyes turned golden. “Or the fire will consume me.”

  “There’s another way.”

  “Let her taste my blood if she dares,” the Warloc said as he struggled against the beams. “I brought the destruction of countless witches. Her family yielded the least power for me.”

  Celeste rushed forward, but an emerald wall soared between her and the Warloc.

  Sweat beaded on Nivel’s forehead. “Speak to her,” he directed me. As though he realized my confusion, he continued, “she must not kill him or she will become like him. Everything evil will latch on to her. If that happens, she’ll ravage the world.”

  My tongue dried out. How was I to tell her not to take revenge? Tasted a hint of her betrayal and hungered for justice as well as her.

  “Celeste?” I swallowed and took a step toward her. “You mustn’t do this.”

  “Twice now I warn you.” Her golden eyes narrowed and I stopped in midstep. “Do not cross my path when I will have revenge for my family at last. No one will keep this from me.”

  “It’s a trap, Celeste.” To assure her I was no threat, I tossed my sword at her feet. “Do not fall into this demon’s plan.”

  Something flickered in the garnet dagger.

  Racked my mind to find the way to believe she should stop. Memories flooded through me of all the times I took life. Pieces of my victims’ thoughts pierced my heart. Could that be the answer?

  “Listen to me.” I stepped between her and the glowing wall separating her from the Warloc. “He carries a piece of each of his victims within him. If you kill him, they’ll feed on you. You will become your families’ murderer.”

  A gasp escaped her lips. And I saw her golden eyes strain to flicker back to their shade of grey. But the strain made her arm shake. “It’s no use, I’ve called upon the magic and must spend it or I will be consumed.”

  The Warloc’s laughter grated on my bones.

  Helplessly, I watched as the flames of the dagger bulged over her hand and down her arm.

  “Nivel,” I yelled, “do something.”

  “I can do nothing. All depends on her,” his voice sounded weary. “Soon, her power will reach out and crash through my shield. Neither she nor I can stop it.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Power surged through the tower room and crackled in the air like a thousand thunderbolts. Celeste stood with the dagger pointed toward the Warloc. And Nivel’s emerald barrier quivered as though in pain against the flames which shot out from the blade.

  Through the door, the Bergone came. Teeth bared, their fur stood on end. Crowded, they burst through into the tower room. Stench of mildewed fur and blood radiated from them.

  I snatched up my sword and faced them. My blade was like a reed against the Bergone. Hacked into them, blood dripped down my sword and arm.

  Once my sword broke through one of their tough hides, I crushed my fingers into the wound. Drawed out their power, and weakened them. Then turned my blade on the next Bergone clamoring over the dead body.

  Too many for me to worry about the others coming because of the dead I killed. Because of the Warloc’s call, all came here. I climbed over bodies, grateful for once of my power. As quickly as I weakened, draining their essence renewed me.

  Still, my muscles cramped in my sword arm, I switched hands and then continued to fight. The Bergone’s bodies piled as high as my shoulders and blocked the entrance to the tower.

  To my left, the stones shook. Grinding brought a cloud of dust and stone flew forward. I raised my arm to block the blow.

  But Celeste sent forth a fraction of the fire now covering half of her body. Stones exploded into fragments, tingling when they hit my skin.

  “I’ll exterminate the Warloc.” Celeste looked at me with her eyes glowing gold. “Then take my life with your power.”

  “No!” I turned back to face the onslaught of Bergone. Even with her help, there were too many of them. “There has to be another way. Use it to fight the Bergone. Don’t sacrifice — ”

  Five Bergone rushed me at once. Before I exhaled, they had me flat on my back. Felt the weight of them press down on my chest.

  Struggled to rise, but dozens more rushed over me to enter the room. When every inch of me had been bruised, no more came in. I spun using one arm, my other bent at numerous angles.

  A cluster of them swarmed around Celeste.

  Fire from the dagger inhaled and exhaled as if a living entity. Fingers of flames danced along her. Celeste’s head was not consumed from the magic fire yet.

  “It’s no use, Brock,” she whispered as though into my heart, “fire called up in justice demands to be fed. It won’t work on the Bergone as they are slaves of the Warloc. They have not done evil on their own for the magic to attack.”

  I almost did not hear her words, for the Shints squealed as they rushed back and forth between Nivel’s emerald prison and the Warloc’s black beams.

  Somehow I must save Celeste. Almost I had yielded to their suggestive power and killed her. My time under the Shints power reminded me. Nivel had said they and the Bergone were the souls of the witches and wizards the Warloc had engulfed. Perhaps some remnant of who they once were still remained?

  It was the only chance we had. And I would take it.

  “Celeste,” I yelled to be heard over the deafening noise, “let the justice be to the souls.”

  I wondered if she understood my meaning. Bergone blocked my view of her.

  “You will not die because of me.”

  Heard the tears in her voice. Flames flew forward and I clenched my eyes shut. Heat radiated through me. Howls of the Bergone shook the walls. Celeste must have spent the last of the magic fire to incinerate them. There would be nothing left of her.

  Nivel hung his head. His emerald cage between Celeste and the Warloc flickered out of existence.

  Fire roared around the Bergone until nothing but smoldering heaps remained. Then the fire flew to the Shints like oil covered them.

  I struggled to my feet. Bone stuck out of my right leg. I leaned against a column as smoke billowed with each Shint exploding.

  The Warloc’s laughter like a madman’s, crescendo with each boom of the fire which engulfed
the Shints.

  Mounds of burning flesh marked the places of the Bergone’s graves. Smoke burned my eyes as I strained to make out Celeste.

  Her body lay motionless.

  “No!” I yelled and fell on my good knee.

  Life was empty without her. My broken leg dragged behind me as I edged to her. I raged. I would kill all who crossed my path. Innocent or not.

  “You see?” The Warloc laughed. “I am invincible. No one can touch me.”

  “But,” Nivel’s stammered, his cage no longer visible or held the Warloc, “Brock has fulfilled the prophecies.”

  What did damned prophecies matter? Celeste was dead.

  “What are you babbling about?” The Warloc took a step forward.

  I reached Celeste. Touch of her skin sent cold shivers down the back of my neck. Pungent smell of rotting corpses and sulfur choked me.

  Noticed gold streams ascend from the corpses of the Bergone. Silver coils levitated from the sprawled out Shint stains.

  “What’s happening?” The Warloc’s boots whispered backward to the far wall.

  “Justice,” Nivel replied.

  His black eyes widened.

  The gold and silver intertwined. Braided, the colors flexed.

  Before the Warloc could inhale to scream, the cords plunged into his body. Fire bore paths out of him. Still more cords wound over him, crushed his bones. His bones shattered in on themselves.

  Blood gurgled on his lips. Pus and blood oozed out of every pore. His flesh melted into a pool on the stone floor. But the fire licked up even the puddle.

  Soon, nothing was left of the Warloc except a smoldering indention in the stone. Gold and silver coils disbanded into glittering specks before they winked out.

  Would have been a beautiful site, if Celeste had lived.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  I gathered Celeste’s body to me. Just when I had found love again and she was taken from me.

  Nivel placed a hand on my shoulder. “Replace the dagger in her hand.”

  His words filtered through my mind, for I could not register them at first.

  “What good would it do?” Perhaps he suggested this to bury her with the dagger.