Neither Light Nor Dark: Destiny Awaits (Beyond the Gates Book 1)

by Lynn McCain

  I quietly slid out from under Henry’s embrace and unassumingly made my way to a clearing just beyond the trees. Overlooking all of Arcadia, a large rock sat just at the edge of the cliff. The moon was full and hung effortlessly above me. As I cautiously climbed atop the massive rock, the wind raced past me sending chills down my spine.

  The sound of sticks crunching in the distance demanded my attention. I turned to look and my gaze was met with a crooked smile. Calev stood just beneath me, beautiful, lovely Calev. My heart smiled. Within moments, he sat on the stoop beside me. For a time we sat speechless, like magnets, his fingers were drawn to mine, each one of his wrapped around one of mine. Soon we lie back and stare up at the fairies that watched over us. Still holding my hand in his, he turned his face toward me, lips awry and we entered into one another’s gaze. I knew this would be the last time I would ever be alone with him again. Calev was like coming home, comfortable like my bed at Grandfather’s. I fit perfectly in his embrace and he in mine. So many things I wanted to say, yet we lie there, speaking without words, our embrace louder than any sound that could leave our tongue. We remained there until morning, woke just in time to watch the sun arise from her grave.

  As we descended from our nighttime retreat, I could see Henry in the distance watching from behind the tree line at the edge of the clearing. Our eyes met just as I slid into Calev’s arms, arms that wrapped around my body pulling me into his chest. Knowing it would be the last time, Calev placed his lips upon mine, and I let him. I forgot all about Henry, all about dying, I forgot where I was. When I finally looked up, Henry was gone. My heart sunk. What had I done?

  All of the others were still asleep when we returned, and Henry had made it back to his place against the tree. His eyes were closed, but I knew he was pretending. Calev walked back over to Levona and leaned against the tree beside her, his eyes never leaving mine. Ah, I felt so much better, closed that chapter. Henry opened his eyes and reached out his hand toward me. I allowed myself not to feel guilty and lie back against his chest. Life was back to normal, well, as normal as my life would ever be; at least, for that moment.

  That morning, the day my life would end, was filled with a much more strenuous journey. Because we were nearing the caves, the terrain became rocky. We stopped more frequently to break, but my mind would not rest. Not for reasons you might think, my impending death, but of having to tell Henry the part he would play in it. That night would be the night, he had to know, had to process it. I had days to come to terms with it; he would only have hours.

  A magnetic force kept me close to him the entire day, our skin hardly leaving the others contact. Father and Shim seemed to hit it off. I actually heard them laugh a few times. Tizipporah spent most of her time flying above us. Her sight reached much further when she was in the air. Levona and Calev got along just fine as well. It was a happy day, considering. But all good things eventually come to an end.

  As darkness approached, we were reaching the bottom of the cliffs. Many caves adorned the side of the mountain. Not the cave, for it was situated up still higher than the others, but at least we did not have far to hike once the sun rose. I could see the edge of the cliff from where I stood. The sight brought me to my knees, bringing the reality of what was about to happen right before me.

  We were all exhausted from the journey, but amazingly everyone still had high spirits; we had made it. I had not been able to shake the thought of having to tell Henry about his future debut as my killer. He thought all this time he was protecting me from his grandfather, never imagining it was he that was destined to end my life. It’s amazing how our futures were determined for us, even before we were born. I was destined to die and he, well he was destined to kill me. Who wrote this script, I wondered? I began thinking I was getting off easy; all I had to do was surrender. I simply had to stop breathing, but Henry, he would have a much harder task. He would have to continue living.

  Death is peaceful, no more tears or sorrow. Living, now that is a challenge, especially after you have killed someone you loved. I tried to imagine his hands on the dagger, as it slipped through my skin and pierced my heart. I put his face on the man in my dreams. My insides began to twist, and I had to sit down.

  Everyone chose a cave to sleep in. The air was much colder at the higher altitude, and we needed protection from the wind. I was glad Henry and I would have some privacy on our last night together. Before bed, we all sat around a small fire prepared by Calev and Father while Tizipporah perched watchfully upon the cliff above us.

  Soon the winds began to blow fiercely, putting out our fire. Shim and Father decided to take the first watch of the night, as the rest of us headed to our caves. Everyone hugged me before they left, each knowing my fate. Shim was the worst, he did not want to let go. I had to fight the tears from falling. Henry knew all of them were acting strangely and questioned me once we were alone.

  The walls of the cave guarded us from the wind, and we were able to start a small fire once inside. His eyes followed me as he stoked the flames, staring right through me.

  “What are you hiding from me, sweet Lily?” he uttered.

  The words felt like a slap in my face, for I had hidden something from him, something that would change his life forever. I searched for the courage to speak but none was found.

  He repeated, “What are you hiding from me, my sweet Lily?”

  I thought of the way he spoke my name, how he would never again utter the word.

  “Henry, there is something I must confess,” I offered, “but first may I tell you a story?”

  I began to tell of a great kingdom, one that was created pure and clean.

  I continued, “The place sparkled with virtue, but one day evil found its way into its walls and perverted the people. A covenant was made, a promise to make things right again. A pure child was to be born from the boughs of the prince in the reign of the seventh king; a child from the line of the chosen ones. This child would grow until one day her time would be fulfilled. She was born with a purpose, to free the people of their evilness. She would cleanse the wrong they had done and banish the evil in their hearts. A simple trade would be made; her life in the place of their evil deeds. Her blood is the only gift that would be accepted. She lived to die and would die so others could live.”

  Henry’s face became frozen, not even his eyes blinked.

  “I am the one, Henry. My blood must be shed to save Arcadia,” I whispered. “There is one more thing you must know. The prophecy also states that the sacrifice must be carried out by one whose heart belongs to the one offering up her life. You must do it; you must end my life, Henry.”

  He stared blankly at me for a moment before jumping to his feet and screaming.

  “No, no I will not do it! I will not be the one, Lily. I cannot.”

  I grabbed for him, but he pulled away from me and ran out of the cave. He yelled for Tizipporah, who descended upon him rather quickly. The others heard his yelling and dashed out of their caves as well.

  “Is this the truth?” he began, “Have you all brought me along to kill her? Did all of you know? Levona, Shim? I won’t do it. I won’t. She’s, she’s, I, I love her.”

  The last phrase mostly oozed out of his mouth. As Tizipporah approached, he dropped to his knees. She motioned for the others to go back inside their caves before she spoke.

  “You have been chosen, Henry. Before the world began, your name was carried by the Great Spirit. Your destiny has always been to help fulfill the ancient prophecy, just as it is Lily’s. You are part of a much bigger plan, a purpose far bigger than any of us.”

  She then placed a dagger into his hands, the same one I had seen in my dreams.

  “Will you help us? Will you save Arcadia?” He wrapped his fingers tightly around the blade.

  “If I don’t?” he questioned.

  “Then Reficul kills her, she dies anyway, and Arcadia will die along with her,” she offered.

  Henry turned his eyes toward me as
I stood watching at the entrance of the cave.

  “When?” he questioned,

  “Tomorrow, as soon as we reach the cave that resembles a skull. There is a large, flat rock just at its mouth. You will pierce her heart with the dagger and as her blood spills on to the ground, the Great Spirit will leave her and enter into the people. It is only then that Reficul will be defeated, and the evil abolished from our world.”

  Henry stood to his feet, placing the dagger back within its sheath, bowed toward Tizipporah, and joined me back at the cave. I felt my heart quiver within me as he brushed past me on his way back inside. He was angry and sad, frightened and devastated. All the emotions I too was burdened with. Pulling me into his chest, he wept bitterly. I too could not contain the sorrow I felt. We stayed like that, embracing, until we both stopped shaking.

  “I am sorry, Lily,” he proclaimed. “If you die, I will die too. I don’t want to live in a world where you don’t exist.”

  I tried to imagine something, anything that would make him feel better.

  Nothing, no words could express my anguish, so I simply uttered the words, “I forgive you.”

  That night Henry held me in his arms. Even at the end, he was a gentleman, his true character revealed. Born out of wickedness, yet his heart was pure. I always knew the desire for our bodies to touch was extremely magnetic. My heart was drawn to his touch. I remembered feigning for his embrace, yet satisfied with my hand resting in his. It had all been for this, destiny bringing us together. A force stronger than both of our wills was at work.

  As we lie awake, Henry ran his fingers across my lips; the smell of his skin intoxicated me. His eyes, dark and mysterious, consumed my frame. His beautiful lips were on display beneath the flickering light from the fire, lips that found their home against mine, and we stayed that way for most of the night, our bodies so close, our limbs entwined, only air separating our skin. I wanted to melt into him, become one flesh, yet we remained. My body was mine, and his belonged only to him. Although we both tried not to fall asleep, eventually exhaustion overcame us, and we drifted in and out of sleep. My last thought was, tomorrow I am dying.

  Chapter 12

  We were woken by blood curdling screams coming from outside the cave. Tizipporah flew in flapping her wings frantically above us. The Dark Winds had found us. Reficul’s army surrounded our camp. They had already captured Levona while Father, Shim, and Calev tried to fight them off. It was all happening so quickly. Tizipporah transformed into a large bird, protecting Henry and I with her wings. The infinite force of the wind they produced knocked down the soldiers that were already upon us.

  “Run, run with her, Henry, you must get her to the skull!” she screamed.

  We began to climb the steep rock above us. My hands kept slipping and were being sliced by the sharp rocks on the face of the mountain. Blood poured down my fingers. Henry continued pushing me up farther and farther.

  “Keep climbing, Lily! Don’t look down!” he screamed.

  Soon, a shriek from below captured my attention. I glanced toward the bottom the cliffs and saw a most terrible sight. Shim, Levona, and Father lie dead in puddles of their own blood. I screamed louder than I ever had in my entire life. My insides shook so hard I could barely hold on to the rock yet I could not make my hands release it, as I perched on the side of the mountain. My eyes fixed on the blood that now surrounded my friends. Before I could look away, I saw Mr. Emsworth come up behind Calev and slice his throat. Blood squirted out and dripped down his lifeless frame.

  “Climb, climb, Lily!” Henry wailed.

  Several of the soldiers had already begun to ascend the mountain beneath us. I raced up the remainder of the way with Henry right behind me. We quickly found the place of sacrifice, just beneath the skull, and I climbed on top, lying flat on its surface. Before Henry could even pull the dagger from its sheath, Reficul’s men were already making their way over the cliff. I watched as Tizipporah flew frantically above me. Everything seemed to echo around me. Henry’s eyes looked back and forth between mine and the men who were quickly approaching. The dagger was already above me, its sharp point positioned just above my heart.

  “Henry!” I screamed as the men moved closer.

  He mouthed the words, “I love you,” as cement flowed throughout my veins just waiting for the impact.

  It seemed to happen in slow motion the blade piece by piece fell from above me. Henry’s scream was all I heard. It was like lightning, as the metal plunged through my skin. A shock went throughout my entire frame. I could feel the blood draining from my veins. My limbs convulsed and only seconds later I sat perched up on the skull above me, watching the entire thing. My spirit had exited my body. I beheld my blood as it dripped from the dagger that Henry still held in his hands over me.

  The earth beneath me began to shake violently, and the skies darkened. Reficul’s men were all knocked out by the undiluted power that now serged throughout the air. Henry held on to me as tight as he could, his trembling body lying next to mine. When all at once, the power seemed to hover over me. It shot up out of my lifeless frame like a volcanic eruption knocking Henry off of the face of the cliff. A great beam of light exploded into the sky and fell all over the land. Although I was high in the mountain tops, I could see plainly every part of Arcadia like I stood directly in front of whatever it was. My eyes were met with dead bodies at every turn. The streets ran red with blood.

  The powers that now hover over the land began to penetrate the people but only the Arcadians. Even those whose bodies were under the ground, buried and now only bones remained. Those were the first to receive. I watched as the graveyards began to come alive. The earth opened up and released the bones of the dead. One by one they returned to their owner. First ligaments and then skin began to form until each one was alive. Soon those dead in the streets and all over the land began to heal. Their bodies came back from death and their lungs were given new breath. They all appeared to be working as one unit. It was like watching zombies walking through the streets headed toward Reficul. Thousands of them joined together, as if each had the same heartbeat.

  I focused my vision toward Reficul’s home. I watched as Maleke’s arms found their way back to his body, and his spirit returned. I quickly glanced beneath me and watched those that had traveled with me begin to receive new life as well. Shim’s legs twitched as he was filled with the Great Spirit. Henry, the only one of them that had remained alive, sat among them terrified at what he witnessed. Calev, Shim, Levona, all of them now moved in sync down the cliffs toward Reficul. Henry followed.

  My attention was averted back toward the castle. Reficul, who was now transformed into a great dragon, shrieked in terror, the evil within him was bursting out of him in flames of fire. The sounds he made echoed throughout the entire land. Only a few still remained to stand with him, but they were puny compared to the great zombie army approaching them.

  Once every Arcadian had received new life, I slowly began to descend from the cliff and floated back toward my body which still lay lifeless upon the rock. The light that had earlier exploded out of me now pursued me and entered back in through the wound upon my chest. Almost like putting on a new pair of clothes, I slipped back into my body and just like that, my eyes opened, the blood disappeared, and I began breathing again. I was unsure exactly what had happened. All I knew was that I was alive. I had come back to life, me along with my zombie army.

  As I began to descend the cliffs, I realized I could just think about a place, close my eyes and when I opened them, I would be there. Although Henry and the others had a head start, I was with them in only moments. When I approached, Henry’s face turned white, and he fell over the tree roots that filled the ground. He frantically crawled backwards away from me as I moved in closer. The others continued their mindless march toward Reficul, never even noticing my presence.

  “Get back! Stay away from me!” he cried as he continued to crawl away.

  I know he imagined he was go
ing crazy, for he knew he had killed me, and I stood before him, alive and well. Although my wound was healed, a large scar was left in its place. I pulled the fabric from my clothing aside to reveal to Henry that it was in fact me. His eyes focused on the mangled skin upon my chest. It was only then that he stood to his feet and began to slowly approach me. Once directly in front of me, his fingers, the ones I knew so well, found their place upon my exposed skin. He ran his fingertips over the face of the scar.

  “Lily, it really is you, but how? What is happening?”

  “It is time. Reficul has come in great savagery, for he knows his time is short.”

  Henry pulled me into his chest. My heart beat rapturously underneath my skin. As our lips exploded against each other, we were interrupted by the loud screams coming from the dragon beneath us. Henry appeared startled, but I, I became excited. My veins teemed with rage. Death itself could not conquer me, so why would I fear this dragon before me? I grabbed Henry by the arm and began leading him down the face of the mountain. With each step I took, my appearance changed. Like Cinderella, only instead of a beautiful gown, I finally looked like a fierce warrior with black leather pants and boots that laced up to my knees. The shirt cut low enough to expose my scar, a badge of honor. I could feel my eyes burn underneath my lids. Henry’s also flashed that crimson shade that had once frightened me, only now, I too was filled, but with a different kind of fire; one that would annihilate my enemies before me. I paused a moment to focus my attention toward the castle. My zombie army was quickly approaching the fences. Their faces bore no expression, their target apparent.

  Hand in hand, Henry and I reached the others. I leaned down and tried to talk to Shim. He stared back at me expressionless, and his feet continued to march in place as if he were programmed with only one mission. I did not have time to process all that was happening. I too, desired one thing and one thing only, kill Reficul. It’s an amazing thing, bravery. Before, before I was afraid. Now that I had experienced life even after death, I feared nothing, not Reficul, not Mother, not anything. Energy surged throughout my entire body. I soon realized I was the beating heart. I was the command center to my army. It was my rage, my desire that moved them all forward.