There, around his neck, rested the same pendant that lay against my skin. I hurriedly pulled the necklace off and held the cross medallion against the painting. There was no mistake—it was the same. Immediately, I fastened the necklace back around my neck and then threw my hands into the mound of debris surrounding the painting. I had to find the missing piece.
I shifted books and lifted broken pieces of furniture for several minutes. I didn’t see anything that resembled the missing piece of canvas. I looked at the doorway and back down, frustrated. The small tingle of magic that I had felt before was growing stronger. I told myself that I would only search for a few more minutes, and then I would have to leave. I leaned forward, pushed the bottom of my dress behind me, and then scrambled on my hands and knees until I reached another mound of rubble. Only seconds into this pile, I found exactly what I was looking for—the last piece of the puzzle. Anxiously, I crawled back to the painting and lightly slid the last piece into place.
His eyes were emerald with flakes of luminous gold and amber swirled around the edges. I could have sat there daydreaming about the boy in the picture for the rest of the night, but my cautious instinct told me otherwise. I carefully folded the last piece of the canvas and tucked it into the top of my dress, next to the pendant. The prickling sensation was becoming hard to ignore. I didn’t understand how magic worked, but anytime I was near Edmund or anything that was unearthly beautiful, I could feel it—like a chill that engulfed my whole body.
From outside the door, I heard the familiar clicking of Edmund’s boots against the tile of the hallway. The clicking stopped, and I knew he was standing on the other side of the red door. I stood frozen with terror.
Just before the door cracked opened, I felt a warm hand run across my mouth and a quick tug on my waist. My body was instantly enveloped in a warm embrace. The strong arms pulled me backward, faster than my mind could comprehend. The wall behind us appeared to open and swallow us up.
I tried to control my breathing, but my heart was racing from the surprise. I didn’t know if I should thank the person who held me tight or fight to escape. I squirmed out of response.
“Stay still,” a voice whispered in my ear.
I felt the strong tingle of magic now; I knew Edmund was in the room. I heard another set of footsteps enter and immediately pushed further back into the stranger’s arms.
“Everything is going as planned. The girl doesn’t know what to believe. She will be yours in two days’ time.” It was Victor.
“There must be another way.”
“We had an agreement. If you wish to end your hunger for this ridiculous love—if you wish for her to be your queen—you will honor it!”
“Those are my wishes,” Edmund replied. “But I do not want her to suffer as I have suffered.”
I heard Victor’s boots kicking through the debris on the floor. “You call this suffering?” Victor’s voice was filled with a growing rage. “I have given you power. I have given you a kingdom! You will live an eternal life of beauty!”
“All for what? I eat, but do not taste. I touch, but do not feel. I love, but will never be loved. I can’t bear to look at my own reflection! You took it all from me and replaced it with nothing. That is my suffering!”
“You will have your love as soon as she’s crowned queen. She will be yours throughout eternity.”
“She is not meant to be a dark angel. This is my curse, not hers.”
“Listen to me! You will do as I command. Turn her tonight before the clock strikes midnight, or I will take her soul myself!”
There was a moment of silence, and then I heard Edmund’s voice softly mutter, “It will be done.”
I cringed in the darkness as my mind processed what I had heard. I was experiencing one nightmare after the next. Behind me the stranger began to inch backward, pulling me with him. We slowly and quietly stepped further away from the room, until I realized we were in another secret tunnel.
“It’s time to go,” he said anxiously. This time I recognized his voice. It was the same voice from the stranger who had warned me about Edmund.
“You were at the ball,” I said below my breath. “Who are you?”
“My name is Finn. I’m here to help you,” he said. “Now we must hurry—we need to get outside these walls before he realizes you are missing.”
His fingers wrapped around my wrist, and he began to tug. The stranger had been right about Edmund. I had no choice but to follow him now. I blinked my eyes hard in the darkness, trying to make out the turns, but there was not enough light. He whipped us through the tunnels as if he had them memorized.
He finally stopped when we turned down a tunnel that ended in square stones. I watched as he forced one of the stones loose, and then another, creating an opening just large enough to crawl through. I felt a breeze push through the opening, carrying a salty smell.
“Keep your head down when you surface,” he muttered.
Outside, darkness had settled in. I knelt to the ground as soon as I pulled my legs from the stone hole and surveyed the surroundings. To my left was rocky land, dropping down into the dark ocean water. To my right was the very place where Edmund had taken me the day before. The passage had led us just outside the castle walls.
“Where are we going? There’s nothing out here,” I questioned as soon as he surfaced.
“To the forest. Take off your shoes,” he said. “We run from here.”
We ran straight for the trees, and I felt every sharp rock along the way.
This forest was not as inviting as the forest of pine light. The moon was hidden, the trees were dark, not a single twinkle of light. I heard wolves crying and saw owls scattering in the trees, but the man I followed didn’t seem to mind. He ran with purpose.
As soon as the castle was out of sight, I stopped to catch my breath. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“I would think it would be quite obvious by now.”
“Well, it’s not,” I growled, but he seemed to be focused on our surroundings.
“We need to keep moving. It’s not far from here,” he said. “Just stay with me.”
Stay with me. His words reminded me of my dream.
We finally came to the end of the forest, where the land dropped into the ocean. A sticky fog hid the water, but you could still hear it rippling below. Finn leaned over the edge, looking through the cloud, and then let out a low whistle.
Suddenly, a wooden angel appeared out of the fog. His wings were swept back in the air, while his arm held a sword stretched over the ocean water. As the angel neared, I could see the ship to which he belonged. There were no patches in the ship’s sails or holes in its hull. The wood had a dark cherry finish, instead of the rough and faded wood of the ship that had once been my prison. The sails were taller; the body was longer, sleeker. It floated fearlessly in the water, much like the angel.
“Hold your breath.”
“Wh—?” Before I finished the word, his arms were locked around me and we were falling down into the ocean.
I was furious when I surfaced from the water.
“Are…you…crazy?” I asked as I spit the remaining ocean out of my mouth.
“We had to get to the ship,” he said. I could have sworn he was smirking when he started to swim away. “Come on.”
The closer we were to the hull of the ship, the more magnificent it seemed. Ropes quickly dropped over the sides, lifting us from the water to its deck.
It took my eyes a moment to scan over the faces of the men on board, but then I saw a familiar face pushing through the crowd. My beloved Fergus. I had so much to say to him, so much to apologize for, but he got to me so quickly and held me so tightly that I didn’t have a chance to say a thing.
“I know, Clara. I know,” he said as if he could read my thoughts. “Let’s get you into something dry.”
As he helped me to the captain’s quarters, I turned to take one more curious look back. There was a lot of comm
otion, men laughing and congratulating Finn for his victory, but his eyes were on me. There’s something about him. I nervously darted my eyes back to Fergus and stepped into the cabin.
I was able to apologize to Fergus as he bandaged my sore feet. I told him I was sorry for not believing him and that I was even more sorry for getting upset at him.
“You had every right to be upset,” he said. “It’s in the past now.”
As we talked, everything started rushing back. Erik. Alice. The chase. While I had been at the castle, something had clouded my memory; something had pushed them out of my thoughts.
“Alice,” I said. “She’s here, isn’t she?”
Fergus slowly raised himself from my bandaged feet and sat next to me on the bed. “Yes, this is where they brought her.”
“Why? What is this world? How are we connected?”
“This world has been here since the beginning of time. It’s the place of good and evil—of light and darkness. And it’s connected to the world you know in every way.” He paused. “Alice was brought here to ensure you would return.”
“Who are these people that are after us?”
“The fallen ones.”
My mind raced to Maytide and her warning about the fallen angels. The dark ones. The vampyres. The process. She had tried to tell me all along.
“Is Erik one of them?”
“I’m afraid so. He once was a great guardian, before he fell from grace—before he was marked. We didn’t know he had fallen until he came after you.”
“A guardian?”
“Yes. Just like you and I, he was a defender for all that is good. A protector of the gateway between worlds.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There are a select few who are chosen to be guardians. And even less that are born with a special gift. It’s in their blood. It’s their destiny. You are one, just like your father. You are chosen to protect this land from evil and to keep that evil from leaving this place.”
I’m a guardian? How was that possible? I couldn’t protect myself, much less anyone else.
“What do you mean I was born with a special gift? What kind of gift?”
“Every guardian is different, and every gift develops in its own time. Yours will come when the time is right. Your father was blessed with the gift of strength when he was only a boy. He was incredibly strong. It made him almost indestructible in battle.”
“Almost?”
“Well, we still don’t know.” I could tell that Fergus still struggled with the idea that my father was gone.
“What’s your gift?” I questioned, trying to ease his mind from the pain.
“Your father was my gift.” He smiled. “And storytelling.”
I leaned to Fergus, placing my head on his shoulder and my hand on top of his. I was glad he was here. I was glad that he was my grandfather. I only hoped he knew this. Fergus gently squeezed my hand and then carefully stood from the bed.
“I believe we both need to rest,” he said. “We will talk more tomorrow. Good night, my sweet grandchild.”
“Good night.”
-20-
FINAL STORY
I slept an entire day before waking to the sound of an overactive accordion. I sat up in the bed and looked to the small golden windows that lined the side of the cabin. There was no daylight shining through. What time is it?
Suddenly, there was a light tap on the door.
“Sorry to barge in,” Fergus said, smiling apologetically. “I thought you should know we are about to serve dinner on deck.”
“Dinner?” I was surprised to find that I had slept through breakfast and lunch.
“Yes, and it’s a beautiful night for dancing,” he continued. “There’s fresh clothes for you in the cabinet. Finn made sure of that.”
I flashed another smile. “Fergus?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Could you tell me where we are?”
“We are only three days’ journey to the plummet.” His face was abruptly serious.
“The plummet?”
“The Devil’s Backbone. The entrance to the land of Hades. That’s where they take all the prisoners. That’s where Alice will be.”
“Why is it called the plummet?”
“Don’t worry about these things, child. I’ll get her back,” he said. “Now—get dressed and join us on deck.” With a half-hearted smile, Fergus slipped through the cabin door, into the loud music.
After changing into a simple pale blue dress, I noticed a bowl of fresh water next to the wardrobe. I used this to clean my face and hands before stepping out into the crisp, clean air.
The men were all scattered around the deck, some eating, some dancing; all were singing to the tunes of the accordion. I caught several men glancing and smiling as I walked passed them to Finn. He stood alone at the front of the ship, staring out into the starry night sky.
“Finn?” He turned, and for the first time, I saw his face. I openly stared for a moment, gawking at his undeniable beauty.
“It was you—you are the boy from the painting.”
“That was a long time ago.” His eyes darted back to the sea.
“You are the son of a king.”
“And you are the daughter of a guardian.”
It was strange at first to be that close without staring into a mask. I felt like I was looking right into the painting again—marveling at an undeniable splendor.
“You knew me before, didn’t you?”
Finn’s eyes narrowed—I could tell he was in deep thought. We stood there, leaning against the wood of the ship for several silent minutes.
“My father was king of Everest,” he said, breaking the silence. “And your father was the greatest of all guardians—my father’s most trusted knight. You and your mother would stay in the castle when the guardians left for war. Our families became very close. As children we would play in the woods, skipping stones across the stream.”
I stared at his profile, trying to imagine every word he spoke. I could almost see a stream in my mind, but it vanished as quickly as the next wave swept under the ship. I looked back to his picturesque face. It was in a subtle change of expression that I noticed his sadness. I watched as his eyes slowly curved down and his soft smile transformed into a bitter frown. I could tell that it was hard for him to look back into his own memories.
“In one night everything changed,” he said, keeping his eyes focused on the sea.
“What happened that night? I need to know.”
“I failed to keep you safe—I failed to save my family and to protect yours.” His voice was bleak. “I should have died that night. I didn’t deserve to live.”
I saw his fist clench at his side while he looked into the distance.
“Who did this?”
“He that bears the mark of the damned.”
“I want a name,” I demanded, feeling that I had every right to know who had ripped my family apart.
“It was at the end of Victor’s blade my family fell and his schemes that tore yours apart.” I could hear the fury in his voice, but he kept it tight and under control. “Edmund was his pawn. He gave Victor all that he needed to penetrate our defense and to destroy our kingdom. I swore to take my revenge on them both.”
Edmund. Victor. I felt a spasm of rage in my chest, recognizing I had been face-to-face with the ones who had ruined my life, and had done nothing. Edmund’s scent still remained in my hair. Victor’s face still burned in my mind. I stepped carefully over the piles of rope that blanketed the deck, to lean against the dark wood that made up the side of the ship. Through the wind and mists of salt water, I could feel Finn staring, silently waiting for a response.
The silence was abruptly interrupted when a shipmate poked his head from the stairs of the lower deck and yelled excitedly across the ship. “Captain…Aye, Captain! We need to speak with ye…”
Another crew member popped up beside the man and with a chuckle said, “Come on, Cap’i
n Finn…Don’t make good men wait!”
Finn shook his head and apologized for their abruptness. “Are you all right?”
“I will be.”
“Let me check on them. Last time I made them wait, they caught the ship on fire.”
I politely nodded, then watched as he trotted across the deck and made his way down the stairway. He passed Fergus as he disappeared from my line of sight.
“They will pay for what they have done, child,” Fergus said as he limped over to my side.
“But why did they do this to us?”
“With the royal family dead, the guardians are the only defense against Victor’s power. If we are gone, then the resistance will fail, and there will be no one left to protect this world from his evil schemes. Victor would have complete power over this land. Nothing would stop him from entering the gateways,” he said.
“And why Edmund? Why is he a part of this?”
“He was tempted, just like the rest. Only he had a gift that Victor saw fit for a king,” Fergus said grimly. “Edmund was a guardian, gifted with the power to change one’s perceptions. Victor wanted Edmund as the king of Everest, to be the dark angel that would lead this kingdom into his darkness.”
I thought back to the castle and the meadow. The times I had witnessed his perfect mirage waver.
“Why? Why would he do this?”
“For love, Clara. He was promised you as his queen,” he said. “It is said that he was besieged with such guilt, that his own reflection haunted him. So he concealed his face with a mask.”
I gripped the side of the ship, digging my nails into the wood. How could I have been so naive? I thought of how close I had been to him, how attracted I had been, how trusting I was. I thought of how frightening it was to hear him speak to Victor, to hear that I was promised to him, that I belonged to him, and for him to say, “It will be done.” When I was finally able to speak, I wanted to know more about my family. I wanted to know why Victor wanted my soul.
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