The shadow beast sprung at Amaryl.
Rowen blocked the beast, but he and his sword were no match for the hellish creature. Its claws effortlessly tore through his tunic, reaching his soft human skin.
Van felt a searing pain in her heart, as Amaryl screamed in horror. Amaryl realized too late that she had been corrupted by the Coin. Greed had consumed her. Thoughts flashed through Amaryl’s mind—of her never returning the Coin to the Elementals after the Dark War had ended, keeping the Coin to use for her personal gain, taking the baby Mehal, refusing to leave the Coin in the woods for retrieval by the Elementals. Her folly had resulted in the death of her husband. She should have listened to the others and not turned back. Van experienced Amaryl’s crushing regret and found it difficult to breathe.
The shadow beast, now done with Rowen, turned its attention to Amaryl.
Flecks of Rowen’s bloody flesh dripped from its fangs. It snarled as it advanced toward Amaryl.
She stood defenseless and feared that not even the Light could protect her from such a creature. Resigned to her fate, she stared resolutely into its vile red eyes, as it pounced to claim its prey.
A flash of fiery rope encircled the creature mid-flight, binding the maddened beast and anchoring it to the ground.
As soon as she was safe, Amaryl rushed to her husband’s dead body, not even glancing at her rescuer. She wept, then wiped her eyes, stood, and turned to greet her savior.
Her stomach dropped.
Before her stood haughty Prince Goustav, surrounded by a handful of his bloodthirsty men on horseback.
Van felt Amaryl’s unwilling physical attraction to Goustav, despite her venomous hatred for him. Revulsion, not gratitude, churned inside her.
“Looking for something?” Goustav drawled. He casually flipped the Coin and caught it in his palm.
Van felt Amaryl’s frustration, as he lustfully gazed at her body.
His lips tilted into an arrogant smile.
Amaryl tried to resist the lure of the tiny gold object, but she soon replaced her repulsion for Goustav with longing for the Coin. Her mind spun with crafty ways of getting it back. She didn’t simply want the Coin. She needed it.
Goustav stopped flipping the Coin and slipped it into his tunic pocket. He sauntered over to Rowen’s mutilated body. “So sorry about your husband,” he said impassively, as he nudged Rowen’s lifeless body with the toe of his boot.
With that careless gesture, something snapped inside of Amaryl. The love she felt for her husband surged inside her and released Amaryl from her fixation on the Coin.
“Where is the baby Mehal?” Goustav asked in a deadly tone.
“Safe,” Amaryl answered.
As if on cue, several more of Goustav’s men broke through the brush on horseback. One of them carried baby Mehal and said, “He had been left alone in the woods, my king. We found him not far down the path.”
Amaryl felt betrayed. Romet and Regina must have left Mehal behind to ensure they would get away, figuring they would not be pursued if they gave up the baby.
Satisfied, Goustav took out the Coin and started flipping it again. “We seem to be finding many things in these woods. The Coin . . . the baby . . . the Lodian queen.” Flip . . . flip. “What would you do to get this back, my pet?” Flip . . . flip . . . flip. “It can be yours once again. I will gladly give it to you.”
Van didn't feel any emotion coming from Amaryl and feared she might be slipping back under the spell of the Coin once again.
The hideous shadow beast continued to strain against its fiery constraints, growling and snapping. Never taking its deadly eyes off Amaryl, not for a second.
“I will give you everything you could ever hope for, anything you desire,” Goustav said. “I will be a great king once my brother hands me his throne, which he will. I will raise his son and rule with mercy and greatness . . . with you at my side as my Balish queen.” He stopped flipping the Coin and closed it in his fist.
Amaryl’s eyes slowly met his.
“There is no longer any reason for you to deny me this, now that you are widowed. Come, it is time for you to show respect to your future husband and king. Kneel to me!”
Amaryl’s outward demeanor remained serene. Inside, grief and bitterness rose intensely, leaving nothing but fury. Amaryl strolled toward Goustav, as if to kneel.
Instead, she spat in his face. “I will never kneel to you!” Amaryl’s face twisted with rage. She spoke in ancient tongues. With a creeping chill, Van comprehended Amaryl’s words. Amaryl had conjured up a spell, a curse. She cursed Goustav’s bloodline, making him unable to conceive children, and vowed that he would live a doomed half-life, one of loneliness and pain.
Goustav remained unaffected by her outrage and sniggered, as he wiped her spittle from his face.
His men guffawed with him.
“You are upset now, my pet. That is understandable. Women are of weak constitution, after all. There will be plenty of time for us to get to know each other better. With the death of your husband, you are now free to be my bride.”
Van’s stomach churned, as Amaryl’s inner storm raged. Amaryl thought of her defenseless baby hidden away on Providence Island, being cared for by the Grigori. She had taken great pains to conceal her pregnancy from the Balish. She feared what Goustav would do if . . . no, when . . . he discovered her daughter, Astrid, the Anchoress heir.
Her baby was in danger. She knew what she must do. Van tried to scream for Amaryl to stop, but no words came.
“Manik will relinquish his throne to me, and as the future king, I declare my word to be law,” Goustav said loftily, unaware of the turmoil erupting inside Amaryl. “Take her back to Balefire . . . put her in my chambers. I will take care of the shadow creature.” Goustav turned his back on Amaryl to collect his prized war staff from his horse.
Amaryl pulled a hidden dagger from inside her robes and lunged at Goustav.
By pure warrior’s instinct, Goustav sensed an impending attack. He swung around, ready for battle, his deadly war staff raised, perhaps even suspecting the shadow beast had somehow broken free.
Amaryl, blinded by her frenzied intent to kill Goustav, accidentally plunged into the sharp tip of his war staff. Van felt Amaryl’s surprise, as the staff easily punctured her delicate skin, glided into her chest, and went straight through her heart.
Goustav and Amaryl stood face-to-face one last time.
Blood dribbled from the sides of Amaryl’s mouth.
Van saw a flicker of pain and remorse flash in Goustav’s eyes, as she felt the same sense of regret surge within Amaryl.
The horrible shadow beast struggled against its bindings, making one final attempt to break free, snapping and growling until the Light faded from Amaryl’s eyes. Then, after her death, it quieted and sank into the earth, back to the bowels of Darkness where it had come from.
Van snapped to the present. Her eyes sprang open, and she shot upright.
“Holy crap!” she said. What the hell was that thing? A piece of darkness, for sure, but it was so . . . personal. Van shivered. She never wanted to encounter that creature in real life. But besides that—she was such a dope! One of the Coin’s magical properties was revealing the correct path! Duh! She smacked herself on the forehead.
Brux frowned. “Do you feel okay?”
Brux and Paley had become used to Van’s frequent fainting spells and had patiently waited for her to regain consciousness.
“You were out for a while this time,” Paley stated.
“Memory engram, right?” Brux said.
Van nodded. “I know how to get us out of here.” She hopped to her feet, unafraid to use the magical properties of the Coin anymore. As long as she heeded Amaryl’s warning and used the Coin responsibly, she would be okay. She would use the Coin only to get them out of the caves and not for a second longer.
She peeled off the Coin’s protective covering and tucked it in her pocket. Then she shook the Coin in her cupped hands and
slapped it onto the back of her left hand, as if playing heads or tails. The lines of the pentagram faded, leaving one isosceles triangle pointing in the best direction.
The three of them headed on their way.
Inevitably, they came to a fork.
Van took the Coin out, ready to shake it, when she noticed it had automatically turned in her palm to show the correct way. She didn’t need to shake the Coin like game dice after all. She felt like a fool again.
She led them through the tunnels and finally to the outer granite caves within a couple of hours. On the way, she relayed Amaryl’s story to Brux and Paley.
“So Amaryl used the Coin to find Manik’s baby, Mehal, so she could steal him, keeping him from Goustav,” Brux said. “I guess the Coin gives only physical direction, not inner direction.”
“Manik hid the Coin the way he did, not just because the Anchoress has to be worthy enough to wield its power,” Van said, “but she has to be strong enough to put it back when she’s done with it. Using its power too often, even its inherent magical power, can corrupt the user over time. This was Amaryl’s message.”
“She gave value to an object,” Brux said. “More than she valued herself or the safety of those she loved. Manik was right. We create our own evil through incorrect actions.”
“And I saw Amaryl curse Goustav,” Van said, feeling a shiver down to her bones. “She made him unable to have children and doomed him to a life filled with loneliness and pain.”
“So he never had an heir,” Brux said. “Puts that rumor to rest.”
“What about that horrible shadow wolf-thingy?” Paley said feebly. “What’s all that about?” Brux had propped her up, and she plugged along as best she could.
They rounded a corner, and a faint light from the evening sky flooded the tunnel.
Van reattached the Coin’s protective covering and tucked it into her pocket.
Brux snuffed out the torch.
Paley seemed unusually quiet and extremely pale.
“Are you all right?” Van asked, worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.” Paley attempted to walk toward the light on her own, took a few steps, weaved, and then dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Van and Brux rushed to her.
“I think she has internal injuries!” Brux said. “She needs serious medical care.”
“The closest town is Araquiel,” Van said, alarmed.
Brux tenderly picked up Paley and draped her over his shoulder.
“We should be able to get to Araquiel and make it back to Lodestar in time,” Brux said, as they headed in the direction of the long-awaited exit.
“Especially if I use the Coin to guide us,” Van said. Using the Coin to find medical help for Paley or to determine the fastest way back to Lodestar were both correct uses.
With high hopes, Van and Brux stepped from the dark cave into the dusky evening light.
A familiar sultry voice greeted them. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the little Anchoress and her ragtag crew.”
Solana stood, hands on hips, flanked by a squadron of Royal Balish Soldiers.
Her lips curled into a cunning smile. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Day 24: Evening, Living World
“Nice shoes,” Solana said sarcastically, glancing at Van’s feet.
Van felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
Seeing Van’s dumbfounded look, Solana said, “Your hairbrush. I cast a locator spell using your hair. I’ve been tracking you since the border checkpoint.”
Van surveyed the soldiers for her father.
Brux laid Paley on the ground, careful not to make any sudden movements that would alarm the edgy soldiers. One soldier moved in and relieved Brux of his dagger and Zachery.
“Don’t look so surprised,” Solana said. “That’s when I saw Vanessa’s eyes flash, giving me confirmation that she is Michael’s daughter—the Anchoress-in-Waiting. You should have joined me then. It would have made your journey easier.”
“We would never accept your help!” Brux growled.
“Really?” Solana drawled. “What made you head north at the Salus Valde-Tipereth border? Me. Even with the map, you tried to head south like team Echo.” Solana snorted in disgust and then faced Van. “Michael and I knew Uxa would send you to retrieve the Coin after we killed my brother.”
“You just admitted to bringing demons here!” Van exclaimed, pointing a finger at Solana. “It wasn’t the fault of the Grigori!”
Solana shrugged in acknowledgment and continued. “It was inevitable that we would find you. And I did at the border checkpoint. When you refused to join me, I let you escape. Then I closed the border, so you had to go north from Araquiel. I even sent the double-crossing Tarcs to rescue your pathetic group from the trolls in Fomalhaut. Without my help, you bumbling idiots would have never retrieved the Coin.” She stretched out her hand. “Now, give it to me.”
“Let me talk to my father!” Van demanded, squirming as a soldier grabbed her. “Where is he?”
“Where’s Daisy?” Brux asked, also struggling against a couple of soldiers.
Solana flashed her palm.
The soldiers stood down.
Solana turned toward Brux. “Of course. You’re Daisy’s brother. Poor, simple Daisy. Michael told me she was not the heir. But no need to worry. My cousin Merloc is taking care of her, holding her prisoner in the dungeons at Balefire. As you know, he can be quite . . . merciless. The rest of her pathetic team didn’t survive his interrogation, I’m told. But he took a fancy to Daisy and kept her alive. I’m sure the two of them are having fun.”
Brux snarled and lunged for Solana.
Four of her soldiers tackled him. As Solana watched, her lips curved upward in a smile.
“A-And my father?” Van asked, shaking.
“Let me tell you about your father.” Solana started her predatory pacing. “He spent all his time fighting demons in the Earth World, for what? Terrigens’ greed will never be cured. They will never learn. They breed like a virus. They thrive on violence and wars. They exude energy so negative, it creates demons. It wasn’t hard for me to convince him terrigens are a disease, a threat to our world, and, by extension, so are the Lodians for protecting them. Especially the Grigori.”
A confused look came over Van’s face. “I-I don’t understand.”
“Of course, you don’t! You’re dimwitted, just as your father tells me.” Solana stopped pacing and faced Van. “He brought demons here under my command, because he shares my vision of clean, peaceful worlds. Both of us believe a decimation of terrigens is in order.”
“The negativity created by slaughtering terrigens will result in the destruction of both worlds,” Brux said, fuming. “Demons will gain the energy to rise. It will cause Dishora!”
“Pfft. A Lodian belief.”
“Is that why you want the Coin?” Van asked. “To get rid of the terrigens?”
Brux clenched his fists.
“I am a skilled sorceress,” Solana bragged. “That, along with my militia, gives me enough power to take control of Salus Valde and the Earth World! Unfortunately, I couldn’t kill my brother or repeal Manik’s law without using demons, which triggered the retrieval of the Coin.”
“Getting the Coin . . . it was nothing more than a repercussion from your plans to take over the kingdom?” Brux said, flabbergasted.
“Devon was difficult to kill,” Solana continued. “My mother—out of love for her son—used her sorcery to bind herself to Devon with a protection spell. When I discovered this, I saw it as an opportunity to take over Salus Valde. You see, this spell of my mother’s kept my brother out of harm’s way. No matter which way I tried to get rid of him—luck, chance, circumstance would intervene and save his life. Which is why I couldn’t use my magic to simply drop a boulder on his head. My mother had connected to the universal energy of love to create magic for my brother. Love is sourced b
y the Light. So, I had to use the Light’s opposing force to break it: Darkness. Demon help. It was the only way.”
“That’s where my father came in,” Van murmured.
“So when Devon died, my mother died along with him. I was simply protecting my right to have what I deserve.”
“And your brother deserved to be murdered?” Brux said through gritted teeth.
“I went to great lengths to make sure my brother’s death didn’t look like fratricide, so I could successfully position myself as the Balish heir. By taking over Salus Valde, I would earn my place on the throne, something I needed to do as the first female heir to the Balish Kingdom. This would prevent my male relatives, like my cousin Merloc and my brother Ferox, from challenging my right to the throne—from trying to take my power simply because I had the poor taste to be born female. Nobody takes my power!”
“You thought Devon was taking your power by being between you and the throne?” Van asked incredulously. “So you killed your own brother?”
“I am the firstborn, not Devon!” Solana beat her fist against her chest. “The throne is rightfully mine. When I allow Michael to rule Salus Valde, he will give me access to the portal, and I will have the Grigori decommissioned. Uxa and the rest will be out of a job. Only one thing prevents me from completing my plan. Give me the Coin!”
“Let’s put the Coin aside and fight warrior to solider,” Brux said, his voice coming out in a growl. “We’ll see who is more powerful.”
“I am,” Solana stated. “I don’t need the Coin to prove it.”
“You must know the Coin’s power can’t be used against other people,” Van said. “Why do you want it, then? Unless you don’t care about the consequences—”
“I don’t want the Coin, you imbecile,” Solana said impatiently. “The demons didn’t help us for the fun of it, although that was part of it—strong demons do like killing people. We made a deal with the master demon and must surrender the Coin as payment. Then the master demon will destroy it.”
Shock of Fate: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure (Anchoress Series Book 1) Page 38