by Morgan Wylie
“Those days are finished,” Daegan flatly replied, giving her no quarter in his mind.
Her face took on a dark rage that seemed to bubble up from within her. “The throne is mine! It no longer matters who you are!” Maleina shouted, eyes fixated on Daegan.
“I do not want it. That is the difference between you and I. I will not fight for your power or the throne you have stolen, but I will fight for Alandria. Every living thing in this realm will be free and you will surrender or die,” Daegan growled in return.
Maleina took several steps back from Daegan with a sneer on her face that could rival an evil from any legend ever told. She began to cackle, her laugh taking on different sounds as if she were possessed by something with a voice of its own. Suddenly, the snakes that were still swarming her body stopped. Simultaneously, they slithered off of Maleina and out from her, disappearing into the forest beyond where she stood. Maleina shuddered at their absence and her eyes glossed over momentarily. There was one snake that remained comfortably wrapped around Maleina’s neck. The rest of the snakes slithered up various trees that were either still standing or still struggling to put out fires.
Kaeleigh’s eyes widened and her body leaned forward as if she would lunge into the action. She had a very bad feeling about what just happened. She feared for Daegan. Watching him intently, she did not miss the slight shake of his head telling her to stay put. Her eyes shifted quickly between Daegan and Maleina. She was ready. Quietly, the priestess of the forest came up next to her. Kaeleigh turned to watch her as she crouched down. The Dryad was graceful and beautiful, especially for someone with appendages that changed between flesh and branches as Andreinna’s energy shifted erratically.
“It is time,” she whispered, her voice turbulent as the wind in a rising storm. “She will pay for what she has done. It will not be today. There are darker things at work here. Today we send a message, but her time will come.” Andreinna’s eyes caught Kaeleigh’s own. The vengeance she saw there made her breath hitch. “Wait for the signal, then shift your power to Maleina, to the snake you see around her neck.”
“What about Daegan? I’ll be leaving him without a shield.”
Andreinna cocked her head at Kaeleigh with an odd smirk. “He can take care of himself. Or do you not trust his power?”
“No. I do...completely.” Kaeleigh nodded her head with finality. “I’m ready.”
“Take care of the remaining snake, Kaeleighnna. I will take care of the trees. Daegan and the others will take care of the Ónarach.” Andreinna stood up and began to back into the closest tree. “Remember, wait for the signal. You will know it when you see it.” Then she stepped into the tree as she became completely transparent again.
Kaeleigh gazed back at the center where the smoke had begun dissipating. The fires were no longer as prominent; she could see a lot more clearly without using her energy. She could feel Daegan’s strength as he faced off with Maleina.
Just then Maleina’s eyes, filled with fire, snapped up toward Daegan. “The Priestess is here. Why is she here?!” Maleina practically hissed.
“You are threatening and destroying her kind. Did you really think she would not come?” Daegan taunted her.
“No matter, my snakes will take care of the remaining trees. You could still join me, Daegan. Just think what our magic combined could do!” The hunger blended with a fresh desperation in her eyes. It was disturbing.
“No. You will lose everything, Maleina. Does that not mean anything to you? You have already lost the loyalty of your son. I imagine that of Rheina as well. Where does Wren stand? Does he continue to stand with you? Only out of love, but that will be lost over time. There is still time for you to stop, time for you to fix what you have done.”
“I lose nothing if they do not support me, they will only pull me down. They would try to take my power for themselves.”
Daegan was trying to distract her as he saw Andreinna making her way from tree to tree from his peripheral vision. She was healing fallen trees as quickly as she could, then sending a surge of her power into all the others. She was uniting the trees for something specific.
“They take nothing for themselves. All they have ever wanted from you was your love.”
Kaeleigh’s heart pinched. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was including himself in that statement.
“Lies. All of it. I see them watching me, waiting for a moment of weakness. They mock me as do you. They have never loved me! They would not stand with me then and they do not stand with me now. So they have become my enemy,” she spat out with rage.
“They are your family!” Daegan shouted, maintaining his diversion. “You are not fit to be a mother, Maleina. Your end is coming. Your choices will be your demise!” Daegan tried to hold still, but the anger and the power was building so strong within him. He could only think of Halister and Rheina and even Wren and what she had put them all through. He saw Andreinna give an imperceptible nod out of the corner of his eye. “This will end!” he shouted, almost exploding as he held back his rage.
She jerked back, her eyes aflame. “You know not what you provoke, young prince. If I go down, you are going down with me! She will find you. If I do not destroy you, She most assuredly will.” Maleina cackled. At Daegan’s confused look, she twirled slowly with her arms outstretched. “Watch the snakes, Daegan. Watch what I can do!” The snake that was around her neck unwound itself behind her head as it stretched and moved to slowly slither down one of her arms, encircling it as it went. When it reached her wrist its head reared back, exposing its massive set of fangs, and then it lunged into her flesh, biting her deep. Instead of screaming, Maleina’s eyes rolled back in ecstasy as a sigh of pleasure shivered through her body.
Daegan took a step back; clearly this was not what he was expecting to happen. His eyes shot to where Kaeleigh waited anxiously on the balls of her feet, ready to leap into action when the signal came. She was confused why they had not acted yet. What was the purpose of Maleina allowing the snake to bite her?
Maleina began to laugh once again as a wisp of darkness seeped out of the puncture wounds the snake had left. “Poison, Daegan.”
Suddenly, everything around them stopped. The fires, the fighting, it all came to a standstill of dark expectation. It was eerie. Kaeleigh felt it within her before it began. There was a surge of darkness and then there were screams. The screeching, screaming sound was coming from the trees. It was a cross between a human scream and the souls of the trees escaping their wounds for all to hear. The snakes had all bitten into the trees, unleashing their poison into the very veins of life underlying their protective bark.
“Now, Kaeleighnna.” Andreinna’s tumultuous voice carried on the wind straight to where Kaeleigh waited. Without hesitation, Kaeleigh let her energy build up in her core, pulling back from what she had sent to Daegan and gathering what was available at her core simultaneously. She felt the pressure build until she didn’t think she could contain it any longer, then she let it build a little more. Finally, she directed her magic straight at the snake wrapped greedily around Maleina. She had never directed power at something so small and attached to a person, but her magic flew sure and pierced the snake with a blinding flash of light. It fell lifeless at Maleina’s feet with an audible thud. What was left of it was charred and unrecognizable. It smoked and smelled like sulfur and burnt flesh.
A moment later, the Dryad priestess bent down and put her hands to the ground and released her magic. It soared through the network of roots that united all the trees in the forest like an electrical current. Visibly, it could be seen traveling up into each of the trees through their trunks and into their branches. Andreinna’s energy joined with Kaeleigh’s as each collided from opposite sides in the forest, one through the trees and the other through the snake connection.
Suddenly, all around them they heard hisses mixed with small screeches. The leaves of the trees shook as snakes fell from trees all throughout the forest. Singed and burn
t, lifeless and charred, they littered the forest floor. Simultaneously, the Dryad priestess rose above the ground her magic lifting her in all her ethereal beauty, the light of her magic piercing the darkness of the forest. She then moved fast from tree to tree, stirring their life and their magic. Then calling upon their energy, the priestess released her magic to join with the power that the Dryads were pushing out from their glowing limbs. Visible streams of green energy flowed through the forest as it pulsed with the power of their priestess. Suddenly, an explosion of brilliant green energy shot up into the sky. Then just as quickly, it came back down and burst out into the forest as far as the eye could see. Kaeleigh watched in awe as it began healing and restoring the trees back to their original strength and stature. It was magnificent.
Daegan had pulled out his sword from his back and was fighting Ónarach two and three at a time. He moved fast and sure, not entertaining but dispatching them one by one with ease. The other Ehsmian warriors joined the fray. Finn jumped into the chaos as well and fought alongside Daegan. They fought together back to back, destroying their enemies from all sides. With focused strikes, they took down one Ónarach after another. It was easy once they realized that each of the abominations had no master to guide them.
Kaeleigh stayed where she was as Arileas and Ella came running up to her. “Her retribution will be harsh and swift. We need to go now,” Ella panted out. Her clothes were singed and she had black marks on part of her exposed skin, but overall she appeared unharmed. Arileas looked completely unaffected as if he just had joined them even though Kaeleigh saw him fighting with weapon and magic. He confounded her in so many ways.
Arileas says it’s time to retreat, Kaeleigh whispered to Daegan’s mind.
No. We finish this. We finish it now. I have a Quarian Sun. Close your eyes, he whispered in return.
“Close your eyes!” Kaeleigh yelled to anyone who would hear her. Like a bomb, there was an explosion of light that was so bright it blinded everyone in the forest, causing them to drop their weapons and cover their eyes.
“NOOOOOO!” Maleina screamed with rage that gave way to defeat, her body expressive with arms flown out from her sides, suspended in air. Her face contorted with horror, she screamed again. It tore throughout the forest, the tremors of her voice shaking everyone and everything in proximity.
When the light from the Quarian Sun subsided, it revealed the efficiency of the warriors of Ehsmia. They had Maleina completely surrounded with spears, swords, and bows drawn and aimed at her. The Sun had fulfilled its purpose for distraction and incapacitation. Maleina remained still with a haughty air about her, refusing to look any of them in the eye, especially Daegan.
Andreinna stood behind the line of warriors. Green energy still visibly crackled all around her as she moved through the fighters with not only grace and beauty, but a fierce indignation in her eyes. She raised her palms skyward as if she pulled something invisible from the ground with them. Suddenly, large roots and vines of various sizes shot through the ground, raining dirt down all around them. They were crawling and wrapping around Maleina’s legs, ensnaring her and pulling her down to the ground. On her knees, she glared at the priestess as she was encased in a prison created by the trees. Still she said nothing.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Daegan looked around at the still slightly hazy battlefield, the green energy having chased away the smoke. The clearing was littered with fallen Ónarach. Suddenly, the ground shook with slight tremors, cracking open just enough to pull the bodies down into the very land itself to be absorbed. He had seen this once before, long ago. What he was surprised to see was Maleina, on her knees, her face clenched in pain and a gash dripping blood down the side of her otherwise flawless face. There was a part of him that wanted to release her, but his heart knew better. He reached out for Kaeleigh’s soft, warm hand—a hand that knew no violence or hatred or evil—and he gripped it inside his own. His hands were not innocent, but he would choose redemption over revenge.
Daegan stepped through the line of Ehsmia as the priestess had, Kaeleigh gripping his hand as she moved with him. She watched as Daegan looked on Maleina. There was conflict in his eyes. Through their bond, she could feel him torn with the evil that she had become and the mother figure he had known. Kaeleigh gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and felt an answering resolve from his energy. Maleina had made her choices and now he had made his.
Ella came up beside Kaeleigh and whispered in her ear. “The portal back into the Twined realm is through that cavern, straight ahead.” She pointed to it. “Finn and I must leave you now! There is no time. Stay safe.” She then went to Arileas and grabbed his hand, whispering something into his ear before she and Finn turned to go. While it was a victory, everyone knew in truth, this was just the beginning of the war for Alandria.
Daegan took another step forward to address Maleina. Right as he was about to speak, Maleina’s body shook all over as she moaned and then instantly, she went rigid then sagged uncharacteristically. They all stopped dead in their tracks. Finn and Ella turned, curious to see what was happening, and returned to their place at Arileas’ side.
Maleina looked up without lifting her head, her gaze finding Daegan instantly. Her black eyes—black eyes? The other woman—bore into his own from under her lashes. Daegan stiffened as did everyone around him.
“Who are you?” Daegan demanded.
She glared at them with hatred and unfounded victory. Her lips were thin and tight as she surveyed the group in front of her. “Those in the mountain of Exhile call me She.”
“You are not welcome in Alandria.” Kaeleigh stepped forward boldly.
“You?” She eyed Kaeleigh then laughed darkly. “So you are the Sol-lumieth?” She laughed again as she looked pointedly at Kaeleigh. “I expected more.” It was eerie hearing emotion in the words, but not seeing it expressed on her face. Maleina’s face was flat, every emotion shut down completely except the black in her eyes that conveyed pure evil. “I will deal with you severely, young princess... when the time is right.” She paused with a thought. “Or perhaps you will find me?” the woman said snidely, her eyes boring into Kaeleigh for a brief moment before shifting her gaze to Daegan. Her voice purred, “You truly resemble your father.”
Maleina’s eyes closed and her head dropped. Everyone stood quiet, watching and waiting for only a short moment. Then quietly, she began to sing, her eyes still closed. Her voice was a high-pitched and eerie whisper as she began, “I have found my little poppet. I told her I always would. She thought she could undermine me. She was wrong!” The last of the song growled out of her with the grinding rasp of unfiltered hate.
Maleina’s body held limp as She used her like a marionette. Her lip lifted in a sneer just as her blackened eyes shifted in the direction Ella and Finn had been heading. She raised her finger in their direction, her mouth forming indecipherable words. They carried on the wind, before anyone realized what she had done. Daegan heard the words of an ancient tongue, words laced with darkness and destruction first.
“Down!” he yelled, throwing himself on top of Kaeleigh from behind, knocking her to the ground with a thud and a squeal.
The cursed energy slammed into the rock face of the mountain in front of them, traveling through the entrance straight into the portal. The shimmering edge of the veil leading into Tylínyth was just barely visible, until hit with the force of magic. There was a burst of light. The magic didn’t explode right away; it attached itself to the portal barrier, weaving its curse into the fiber of the veil until it finally shattered. The magical detonation shook the ground of Alandria, bringing down a small avalanche of rock and effectively sealing off the entrance into the cavern. Raising their heads up from the ground, Kaeleigh, Daegan, Finn, and Ella along with everyone else watched as the only portal into the Twined realm from Alandria was destroyed.
Numb. No one moved. There was a deafening silence. Ella turned her head back with vacant eyes, seeing Daegan and Kaeleigh but not se
eing them at the same time. Either she was in complete shock or she was attempting to communicate with someone other than Arileas. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and then speed up all in one movement. Daegan hauled Kaeleigh up to her feet as they ducked and ran up to Finn.
“Get her up!” Daegan yelled to Finn, pointing at Ella. They all were to their feet with Daegan and Finn pulling the girls closely behind them. Ella turned her glare, full of hatred and unspeakable things she would like to do to Maleina or whoever was using her. They all stared at the center of the clearing where Maleina still remained. She was awkwardly struggling against the vines and roots that held her down. It looked forced and full of tension; her body held at strange angles and a mask of pain and rage seemed a permanent etching upon her face. The black eyes of the other woman shone like polished obsidian stones as they sought out Kaeleigh within the group.
There was an ominous, dark chuckle in the air as the wind picked up. Black wind swirled around them, teasing Kaeleigh’s hair, taunting them with its approach. Kaeleigh almost screeched as she saw red eyes fade in and out of the darkness, as if the Droch-Shúil were not truly there, but figments of their essence.
“Kaeleigh, you have the light in you. They cannot approach it. It will drive them back from us.” Daegan looked over to her with full confidence in his eyes. “I will help you, but I need you to visualize your light surrounding us and shielding us.”
Kaeleigh nodded. She could feel the darkness within the wind. Shivers wracked her body, but she focused on her energy within—her light to shut out the darkness.
Their energy, the magical light within them, shot out and instantly joined together, striking down like a bolt of lightning. It created a strong wall of light in front of them then continued to form all around them. Kaeleigh watched as the darkness reacted to their light. There were hisses and shrieks of frustration from all around them. The darkness slithered in on itself like a den of angry vipers with jerky movements of chaos and confusion. The red eyes blinked out, the light blinding them. One more burst of their light dispelled the darkness. The wind surrounding them calmed. But those obsidian orbs now residing in Maleina’s eyes glinted with the blue light of the moons above, now clear of the smoke.