Endure

by M. R. Merrick

  I wanted to snap back with a witty retort, but my mind was frozen. Drake was right, if I didn’t complete the rite, something else would take over. Then nobody would be safe.

  “There is no way to avoid this fate. It’s already done, but you can save many people from unspeakable pain and death. When the time comes, all you have to do is say yes.” Drake studied my face before pushing away from the cell. “There isn’t much time before the Death Throne begins. Should you decline this offer, I will return as necessary and take you and Rayna away. The other two will be left to their fate.”

  I felt like I’d been backed into a corner and I wanted to lash out, but I didn’t. I felt beaten, weak, and in that moment, helpless. But I wouldn’t agree. I couldn’t.

  “Don’t make this harder than it is already, Chase. I’m trying to help you. Although I understand your defiance, I cannot help but grow frustrated. This may be the final offer I extend to you. Be wise and consider it.”

  “There’s a way to stop all this, I know there is, and I swear to you I’ll find it.” I don’t know where the words came from. I felt battered, but something inside me flourished in that moment, giving me the strength to at least sound like I was sure of myself.

  Drake gave a sympathetic frown before his power rose, opening a dark walkway in the wall of glass behind him.

  “Your father was sure he could stop us too, and look where it got him. Unfortunately, because of his choices, that fate has fallen to you as well. For him, there is nothing left. The soul pieces inside him are destroying his mind, but for you, there can still be life. It may be different from what you envisioned, but it’s a life nonetheless. Your friends here, they can have lives too. You don’t have to give up everything. Deep down inside, all you want is for your loved ones to survive this, and they can, but it’s up to you to give them that opportunity. Your decisions are their fate. You’d do well to remember that.”

  Chapter 21

  Drake had been gone for more than an hour and I stared at the frosty white glass outside the cell. Emotions swarmed inside me, battling with exhaustion. What was I supposed to do? The question played out in my head. I prayed to the gods, to Serephina, but she didn’t answer. I had even tried calling Athaniel’s name, but still there was no response.

  This path we were on was barren and empty, full of unanswered questions. Without the gods’ guidance, how would I know what was right and true? Was Drake being honest? Was there really no way for us to win? If my father’s choices had sealed this fate to me, were my choices going to seal the fate of my friends? I looked over each of them as they started to stir, shifting along the floor, but they remained asleep.

  I curled my legs to my chest and focused on the bars. I thought about Willy and what his life had been like since he met me. I was all out of sadness and too confused to feel anger. Thinking about Willy led me to thoughts of Grayson. I hardly knew him, but he reminded me so much of my lost friend. I wondered why he would return to Silas and the people who had hurt him. They were a neutral people who refused to choose sides. Why would he think they would help? I remembered our time in Silas and the arrogance of the Dunopai. They were so set in their ways it was impossible to get through to them. Was that how I used to be? So stubborn and sure of myself that I refused to listen to anyone else?

  Thoughts ran rampant through my mind and I wanted to know more about the Brothers. What did he mean when he said my father thought he could defeat them once too? Riddley had told me Riley had changed for no reason at all. One day he was the hunter everyone admired and loved, and the next he was just…different. What had happened to him? Where did the father I remember go? The Brothers didn’t have such power as to change a person entirely, did they? My thoughts were broken at the sound of movement. Rayna was asleep and Vincent sat awkwardly against the bars, his head on his own shoulder. Tiki was in the opposite corner and his eyes were open, staring at me. My heart lurched and if the wall hadn’t been behind me, I might have jumped back.

  “I’m sorry, Chase Williams,” he whispered. “I did not mean to startle you.”

  “It’s…fine. I was just thinking.”

  “There is no way to escape, my friend. I spent many years in these cells as a child.”

  “Not about that, about everything that’s happened.”

  “It is of no use to live in the past. There is nothing there but the present we used to know. And dwelling on the future will not help either, for it is undetermined. We have now, my friend, and that is all we are guaranteed.”

  “Yeah, well, there isn’t a whole lot happening right now, is there?”

  “Perhaps not…so you are using lessons from your past to seek answers to our current problems?”

  “There’s nothing in the past but memories. Nothing that can help us now. At least not that I can find.”

  “Are you asking the right questions?”

  “What should I ask, or better yet, who? The gods remain silent and you all know as much as I do. The only ones who seem intent on telling me anything are Drake and the screaming souls inside me. I don’t know what I can believe from the Brother, and these souls have been nothing but a pain in my ass.”

  “There are many souls inside you; pieces of old gods that have been trapped since the beginnings. Perhaps you need to ask one of them for the answers you seek.”

  “I’m not supposed to talk to them. Krulear said to ignore them completely, that conversing was dangerous. We’ve seen that already.”

  “Everything we do at this point is dangerous. And Krulear was not always right. She was only an interpreter for the visions she saw. And those visions change constantly as our actions dictate our future.”

  “So you think I should dive right in and try to strike up a conversation with the very things that want to take me over?”

  Tiki shrugged. “The Dunopai elder and Caller, Alaric, said the Protector should be able to call forth the Goddess’s spirit. You are the soul piece for the Earth dimension, Chase Williams, and Elyas is within. You may have a swarm of godly souls floating inside you, all of whom want to merge with you, but she is a part of you already.” Tiki rested his head back against the bars and was apparently done talking. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, adjusting only slightly before becoming still once again. I stared across at him, feeling both confused and inspired. Was that how I was supposed to speak with her, by reaching inside and pulling her out like an element?

  “There are a few hours before we will have a chance to make our plea to the Queen. You should get some rest, friend.” Tiki spoke, but he didn’t move or open his eyes.

  “I will,” I whispered.

  ******

  I didn’t know how anybody could sleep. I knew I was exhausted and it tugged at my mind, but there wasn’t time. We needed a way out—we needed answers.

  The glass wall felt cold against my back, but my crusty shirt gnawed at my skin. I slid forward until there was nothing around me and I took off my shirt. I needed to focus and there wasn’t any room for distractions. With both eyes closed, I took deep breaths in and out, focusing on my breathing. I used the meditation techniques Chief had taught me and lost track of how long I sat there. The darkness beneath my lids began to lighten. There was a hand inside my body. It was incorporeal, but I could feel it. It swayed from side to side and like any other limb and I could move it. When I called the magic from the depths of my soul, that hand channeled them upward like a link between my body and everything inside.

  The energy of my soul pulsed and the elements were prepared to come out, but I wasn’t there for them. Not this time. There were different energies revolving around my soul. It was the sun, and hundreds of planets moved around it, growing closer or farther with each rotation. Each soul gave off its own vibration and with it came voices, thoughts, feelings, and smells. The more I focused, the louder they became, but I was careful not to spend long concentrating on any one soul. When the voices screamed obscenities in my mind, I didn’t panic or wince. I took i
t all in stride and veered away from the power.

  Tiki was right; Elyas was already a part of me. All these souls that swam in circles around my power were searching for a way to connect, but Elyas already had. The statue in the sanctuary had moved, lowering its trident toward me. Lighting crackled and power had burned into my skin, both decorating the flesh and fusing a new life inside me. That life was her.

  My elements lurched forward, but I kept my focus on Elyas. I guided the hand along until I felt it—energy both foreign and familiar. An orb of energy clung to my soul, embedded deeper than the one I had peeled off earlier. It was almost completely submerged, with just a hint of its power reverberating outward. I ran my fingers over it and the smell of fruit wafted around me. I inhaled, taking in the wonderful scent and letting it relax me. It reminded me of Serephina, and all the things she had made me feel came rushing back: strength, desire, power, lust, and fear.

  Elyas. I called out, trying to pull her upward. Her power swelled like an invisible element, moving through my veins unlike anything I’d ever felt. It became an all-encompassing warmth that stretched through my body. My skin tingled like the gentle brush of a fleece blanket about to wrap itself around me. As it reached my hands, I felt a release of emotion. A new confidence filled me and the energy came to life in front of me. It was a warm breeze on the most peaceful spring day.

  I opened my eyes, and the white glow that always surrounded her lit up the room. Elyas stood before me, her feet not touching the floor, but floating above it. She looked perfect, yet completely plain. The most beautiful thing you’d ever seen, but one you’d forget the moment it was gone. Her blue eyes glowed like sapphires, beaming with magic and purity. Her silky white hair reached her hips and she hovered in front of me, a look of serenity upon her face.

  “Protector,” she said, lowering her head in a nod. Her lips had moved but the sound came from everywhere. It surrounded me and warmed my heart, forcing the tension and nerves to leave my body. It had the ability to help you forget all your worries and make you feel at peace with yourself.

  “I’ve called for you so many times and you never came.”

  “You must summon me for me to appear. I am but a soul piece, a portion of the goddess Serephina. In the beginning, I told you what I was permitted to share and nothing more. Although you and I are one and the same, I am still bound by the same oaths as the gods of the Otherworld.”

  “Is everything Drake said true? Is there no way to stop all this?”

  Elyas’s lower half drifted over the floor from side to side. Her hands were clasped together in front and her eyes were heartfelt. “There are ways out of even the direst situations. Your elements are more powerful now, Chase. The souls inside give you strength you’ve never known. Boundaries that once restricted you no longer apply.”

  I sighed. “Why is the answer always some outline of my question? Can’t you just tell me what I need to do?”

  “You need to heal. Use your power and heal yourself, heal others, and continue on your path. I cannot tell you what your future holds, for the future is not predetermined. Your actions determine your fate.”

  “What about them?” I glanced at Rayna and a pang sparked in my chest. “Does my decision determine whether they live or die?”

  “Sometimes the options we have are not as limited as we perceive.” Elyas’s expression hadn’t changed. She seemed peaceful and not at all bothered by the fact she was irritating me.

  “Well, thanks, I guess…for nothing.”

  “There are answers in front of you, Chase, but I cannot show them to you. You must see them for yourself. What may appear to be infuriating madness may only be a water drop away from resolution.”

  I let the invisible hand that brought Elyas forward pull her away. There was nothing here for me. As she faded in the air, I pushed her back into my soul. Although she’d frustrated me, I immediately missed the comfort her energy had brought.

  “Chase?” Rayna rubbed her eyes. “Who were you talking to?”

  I slid back beside her and she shifted toward me, resting her head in my lap. I placed my arm along her body and let my fingers dance along her back. Her eyes closed as she tried to get comfortable on the hard floor, but she never looked up at me.

  “No one,” I whispered, running my hand through her hair. My head rested against the wall and I closed my eyes, focusing only on Rayna’s breathing. I had counted nine breaths before the sleep I’d been fighting finally took over.

  Chapter 22

  The deep sleep I’d only started to fall into was sucked away by a loud screech. It echoed through the chambers and everybody awoke, jumping to their feet.

  “What in the bloody hell is that noise?” Vincent screamed, both hands held over his ears.

  “It is the machine that sucks the sand from the corridor. It will only last a moment.” The sound cut out halfway through and Tiki’s voice echoed off the walls. He cleared his throat and brought the hands down from his ears. “Now we shall request our plea.”

  The doors opened and unleashed a blast of air into the room smelling of sand and heat. Kithra’s massive bare feet slapped against the floor and he stopped in front of our cell.

  “We will have our plea now.” Tiki stepped up to the bars and looked up at his brother.

  Kithra’s glare was intense and he didn’t look at Tiki. He scanned each of our faces and shook his head. “Ugly creatures.”

  “Our plea,” Tiki repeated.

  Kithra grunted and looked down at his little brother. “You’re worse than the rest of them,” he grunted. “I have half a mind to take your plea and shove it back up your—”

  “That is enough, Kithra!” a deep voice bellowed. It came from the long corridor but the wall blocked my view. “You have no business denying them their rights.”

  Kithra lips curled into a half-grin. “Whatever you say, brother.”

  “Besides, I’m on prisoner duty today. Get back to your post.” The voice was smoother than Kithra’s and as the creature came into view, he didn’t look at us. He stared down at Kithra with intense superiority, and when Kithra didn’t respond, the creature leaned down, pressing his nose against his. “Were my instructions in any way unclear?”

  Kithra tried to keep his stare locked, but he flinched and turned away. Without another word, he stepped around the man and disappeared down the corridor. The man watched as Kithra walked away, having yet to acknowledge us.

  He was slightly taller than Kithra and about the same build. His muscles were veiny beneath the leathery flesh, and raised scars covered his torso in erratic design. Some were thicker than others, the widest wrapping his body from shoulder to hip. The spikes that jutted from his body looked weathered, and one on his right forearm was broken, nothing left but a raw stump.

  When Kithra’s footsteps could no longer be heard, the demon turned to us. He studied each of us with the same intensity he had Kithra, until he came to Tiki. When his orange eyes found him, the intensity vanished and he smiled. “It’s really you, brother. You have returned.”

  Tiki lowered his head and nodded. “It is I, Moke, summoned by Mother.”

  “You’ve seen her, she is not in her right mind. I fear assassins at work, forcing the Death Throne.”

  “You don’t think, Kithra…”

  “No. He’s infuriating, but not intelligent enough. Nor would he ever try to cross Mother. I fear outside forces.” Tiki nodded and Moke shook his head. “You should not have returned.”

  “I had no choice. Such is our customs.”

  “You earned freedom and you are no longer bound by our customs or our rules. You were free. This world is not yours anymore, Tiki. In a way, perhaps it never was. You escaped and you should have kept it that way.”

  “I cannot turn my back on what I know is right. You are all still my family.”

  Moke sighed and nodded. “I know, brother. You wish to speak with her again?”

  “It is our only chance. My friends need their free
dom. They have a task far greater than one can imagine.”

  Moke turned to me and grunted. “I will take you, but first, let me get you food. If the plea does not go well, you must be fed and energized for the Death Throne. I would aid you in an escape, but you know that would be impossible.”

  “Thank you, brother. It is good to see you.”

  Moke reached through the bars and grabbed Tiki’s shoulder. “And you as well.” He was gone in an instant, moving faster than I imagined a man his size could.

  “He didn’t seem so bad,” I said.

  “Moke is a rarity among my family. He is the only one who is not ashamed to call me ‘brother.’ If not for him, I would have never earned my freedom.

  “Wonderful, story time once again.” Vincent walked back across the cell and flopped down in the corner. “Wake me when it’s over and food is here.”

  “Do you always have to be a pain in the ass?” Rayna asked.

  “Whenever possible, yes.”

  Tiki ignored Vincent’s outburst and leaned against the bars. “When I became an adolescent, I had been given the opportunity to be a working slave. I was in the stables cleaning up after the animals and I forgot to close one of the pens. A beast broke free and charged me. It hit me hard and after the initial shock and pain, I reacted with anger. That initiated the demon inside, and a monster came out of me for the first time. Spikes tore through my skin, my bones re-forming, and it was excruciating. That was when Moke found me.”

  Tiki ran his fingers along the glass bars. He looked at them like most people looked at an old teddy bear or a photograph. This used to be his life. This was a part of his memory growing up. That thought made me sad.

  “I was lucky Moke found me when he did. Had it been any of the other guards, I’d have been thrown back in prison. I was a half-breed. I looked like a human from the war so many millennia ago, and they would have been infuriated to find out I shared some of their family traits. Moke taught me to control my demon and I didn’t dare bring it out, not for anything. Not even when they punished me. I would never let them put me back in these cells…not if I could help it. It wasn’t until I earned my freedom that I unleashed my demon to the public, but I had no choice then. It was freedom or death.”