by Sean Stone
"Nick, I'm sorry," Olivia muttered, closing the door with her back. "I shouldn't have blown up like that."
At first, Nick was unsure what to say but then the word came naturally to him. "Whore," he said gutturally.
Olivia's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she gasped, a mixture of anger and surprise.
"You think you can play me? You think I don't know?" he took a step forward. Olivia was a brave girl and she held her ground, even moved forward a little to confront him.
"What are your talking about, Nick?" she demanded, clearly making an effort to hold back her temper. Nick's own temper was growing within him, it was a feeling he hadn't experienced for many years. Not since he'd been forced to flee England.
"Don't. Play. Dumb. I saw you in our spot. With him. Fucking." Each word was like a jet of poison. Olivia did take a step back then, not from fear, but from shock. She was actually going to deny it.
"I would never do that. How can you even suggest it? I love you, Nick, only you and I would never do anything to betray you," she said heatedly, marching forward to confront his accusations.
"You don't love me! I heard you tell him everything. You're just using me to get immortality." Nick smiled sardonically and waved the dagger in her face.
"How can you say that?" she asked, hurt. "I have always loved you."
"LIAR!" Nick screamed and for the first time since knowing her he saw her eyes fill with fear, but it did not soften him. It was too late, his rage had seized control. "You want to be a whore?" he asked, advancing on her. She backed away. "You want to be a whore? A filthy little harlot?"
"Nick… please," she pleaded.
"Alright then," he nodded and smiled again. Then he leaped forward, dropping the dagger, and grabbed her by the throat. He swung her around and flung her onto the bed. She screamed, but nobody would hear her, the temple to was too vast and the druids lived on the other side. He grabbed hold of her tights and ripped them savagely from her body. Kicking off his breeches he climbed on top of her.
"Stop, Nick please," she begged, struggling underneath him, but she was too weak. He forced himself inside her and began thrusting wildly. He grabbed hold of her bodice and shirt and tore them away from her body leaving her naked and vulnerable. There was no passion in the act, only brutal and savage fury. She cried and whimpered underneath him, but it did nothing to cool his rage. She had killed any mercy he might have had when she'd told Dominic that she felt nothing for him. That she'd been stirring him along like a fool. Toying with his emotions. She made him the happiest he'd ever been and then snatched it all away. He felt no pity for her. No shame for what he was doing. Only anger at the woman who had crushed his heart. He did not stop until he was spent inside her. Then he pulled off of her, his head spinning with furious fulfilment. She curled into a ball, trying to hide from him, crying uncontrollably. Still, he felt no pity. Rage, only rage.
As he pulled his breeches back up he spotted the dagger on the floor and picked it up. "This is all you ever wanted," he said quietly, despair returning as his anger subsided at last. She did not reply. He moved closer about to ask again when she suddenly thrust her hand forward and screamed at him. The gem on his necklace shone bright green as it absorbed her attack and they both froze. She in fear, realising that her one defence was useless against him, and he in pained surprise that she would actually use magic against him. After everything he had shared with her about his vulnerabilities and the humiliation at Dominic's hands all those years ago, she still did that to him. It was the final proof that she felt nothing for him. His anger returned in a flash. Completely on impulse Nick screamed and thrust the dagger straight into her chest. Her eyes flew open and she gasped horrifically as the blade slid into her flesh. Nick's eyes locked onto her hers and saw the total despair in them.
"My Blackwood boy," she said under her breath. "I don't know what has made you hate me, but it is not true. I love you and no-one else. I only hope… that you will see that… one day. For you have been deceived. Where ever I go now…. I will wait for you… for eternity…. If I must." And then her life flickered out and Nick was alone in the room. And his anger was gone just like that, replaced with remorse so strong that he wanted to tear his own heart out and give it to her so that she might live instead.
"No… no. Olivia, please," he sobbed. He tried to pull his hand away, but something was holding it around the dagger. He pulled the dagger, but it would not come free of her flesh. He could feel a tingling in his fingers, his hand, his wrist, travelling up his arm. A breeze floated in through the window, gathering power, turning into an angry wind. The candles in the room were blown out as it picked up and soon it was howling around him. Fear gripped his heart, but still he could not move. Had some vengeful spirit of the temple come to punish him? To rip his immortality away and drag him to hell? The candles roared back to life, the flames shooting up to the ceiling and covering the stone with fire. A heat flew out of the dagger, coursing up Nick's arm, straight to his heart, filling his entire body. But it did not hurt, it was the most amazing, the most exhilarating sensation he had ever experienced. The wind swirled around him, blowing his hair wildly and making his skin ripple. Then it was gone. The wind vanished, the candles returned to normal, the fire extinguished from the ceiling. He pulled the dagger from Olivia's chest and saw that it was glowing almost red, burning with something. Magic. He had inadvertently cast the warlock ritual and stolen Olivia's magic. The feeling of exhilaration had not left him. It was surging through him. It had swallowed his despair and left the utmost feeling of joy. He felt like he was indestructible and in fact he was. The one thing that could hurt him was in his hand, and now it was full of magic. His magic. He looked down at Olivia. There was a tinge of sadness, but the power circulating inside him was protecting him from the full brunt of it. But for how long? It would return and he would have to face it. But for now, he had a score to settle. After all, Olivia had not betrayed him alone. She had had an accomplice. He slid the ambrotos dagger into his boot where it would be safe. Nobody would be able to take it from his person. He crossed the room to the door and as he reached out for the handle it flew open of its own accord. Magic. And then he headed down to the village in search of Dominic. Now the playing field was truly levelled.
When Nick reached the bottom of the stairs Arden was waiting for him, a stern expression dominating his face. He still saw Nick as a child but even when he was one he had never listened to Arden.
"What is going on Nickolas?" Arden demanded. Nick tried to walk around him, but Arden stepped into his path. "I sensed a disturbance in the energies coming from your chambers."
"Step aside, servant," Nick growled, giving a warning look. Arden was unperturbed.
"I am in charge in Kayla's absence and you will—" Nick swept his hand through the air and Arden found himself pinned against the wall by an invisible force. His face fell in horror as he put the pieces together and realised what had happened.
"Olivia…" he said.
"You would do well not to say that name in my presence again," Nick said and stormed off. He noticed a sheathed sword had been left propped up against the wall and he snatched it up, attaching it to his belt on his way out.
He found that the knowledge of how to use magic came to him naturally as he needed it. There was no practice involved, he simply thought about what he needed and it happened. He wondered if it was that way for every sorcerer.
When he reached the village he thought about Dominic and felt a pulling sensation that led him to the tavern. Most of the villagers spent their evenings there, eating and drinking together and sometimes enjoying music. There was no music tonight, but Nick could hear the drunkards shouting over each other about something. The door exploded into splinters as he approached and he stepped inside, his head bowed and his eyes glowering. The tavern fell silent at the sight of him. Not a soul stood to greet him. His eyes fell on Dominic sitting at a table in the centre of the room. Dominic nodded once. He understood.
"Olivia told you," he said quietly but everyone heard and the room buzzed around them. They silenced when Nick spoke, not wanting to miss a thing.
"No. She denied it to the end. I saw you," Nick replied.
"To what end?" Dominic asked, and Nick saw the look of concern on his features, and he enjoyed it.
Nick flicked his wrist and a sword crashed to the floor in front of Dominic. He jumped back in alarm looking from Nick to the sword and back again in disbelief. Almost everyone in the tavern gasped at the sight of Nick doing magic. "Pick up the sword," Nick said.
"You have magic?" he asked, his voice shaking. "How did you get magic?"
"Pick up the sword," Nick repeated.
"What did you do to Olivia?" Dominic demanded.
"What have you done?" One woman shouted from the back of the room. Nick ignored her.
"Pick. Up. The sword."
"Tell me what has happened to Olivia?" Dominic asked again on the verge of tears. He really did love her. Nick could see that plainly and that was what made his next words even sweeter.
"She's dead," Nick said, smiling at his rival's dismay. Nick's own remorse and heartbreak was still silenced beneath everything else. The rage, the exhilaration, the ecstasy.
The room filled with shocked chatter but still nobody moved. They knew better than to move against Kayla's son. Especially now that he had magic.
"And you soon will be too," Dominic promised as he stooped down and picked up the sword.
Nick unsheathed his own sword and prepared for the fight. "Unlikely," he muttered and then jerked forward, thrusting at Dominic. Dominic blocked his strike as Nick knew he would and then the fight was underway. To Nick's surprise, Dominic was actually quite skilled with the blade. He had always assumed that nobody in the village knew how to fight with a sword, they had no need to, there were no enemies in Elysium — until now. The duel carried them across the tavern. Patrons scurried to get out of their way, but only a couple of people fled, gossip apparently outweighed fear. Or perhaps they simply thought there were not in danger. As far as Nick was concerned they weren't so long as they stayed out of his way. One man did not move fast enough and received a deep slash to the arm from Nick's blade. The distraction served Dominic well as he managed to trap Nick's sword by pinning his forearm against the flat of the blade. He lifted he is own sword to strike Nick, but Nick kicked him hard in the gut pushing him back. Dominic recovered in time to block Nick's strike and the fight continued.
"Take that necklace off and we'll have a real fight," Dominic said.
"We are having a real fight. Or did you mean we could have a fight that you're more likely to win?" Nick countered.
"So you admit that my magic is stronger?"
"We'll never know," Nick replied. Olivia had been the stronger sorcerer of the two but she'd had magic all her life. Nick had had it for half an hour.
"Hey!" someone shouted and Nick foolishly turned to see who had shouted. Some fat man was standing behind him a mixture of fear and stupidity on his face. Before Nick could say anything Dominic's blade hit him right on the neck. To everyone's surprise — including Nick's — the blade did not cut him, instead, it shattered into several fragments of steel. Nick turned back to Dominic who was holding the hilt with a jagged piece of metal sticking out. His jaw was open in shock.
"You're immortal?" he said with wonder.
"Yes. But you're not." He sliced Dominic across the belly in a fashion he'd seen a few times back in England. His stomach opened up like mouth and the insides spilled out across the floor. Dominic made a ridiculous noise as he doubled over and half attempted to hold his insides in. As he bent over Nick brought his sword up in an uppercut through Dominic's throat. The blade made a sickening noise as it went straight through, protruding from the back of his neck. Dominic made a raspy choked sound and blood poured from his mouth and neck. Screams filled the room and several more people fled the tavern. Nick leaned in close and whispered in his ear; "I hope she was worth it." Then he yanked the sword out and Dominic fell to the floor with a thud. Nick didn't bother waiting to watch him die, he turned and made for the door. The last few villagers scurried out of his way like rats, none of them even bothered to try and subdue him despite the fact that if they all worked together they could easily do it. He was just one man after all.
Nick found Set waiting for him outside, leaning nonchalantly against a tree. Nick's first thought was that Set had come to reprimand him and drag him back to the temple, but then the look on his face told him otherwise. Set was smiling knowingly, even a little proudly, as if Nick was his son and had just become a man.
"I see my training has finally paid off. You've even managed to get hold of some magic," Set said, smiling all the while.
"Yes, but I did not conduct the warlock ritual so I do not know how it happened," Nick said defensively, still expecting a rebuke.
"You used the ambrotos dagger. It is already magic and therefore needs no enchantments or preparations. Congratulations, all your dreams have come true, you're an immortal warlock. Of course, when Kayla gets back…"
Nick's heart sped up, threatening to explode. He hadn't even thought about Kayla. He'd done everything that she'd said was not allowed. He'd murdered two people, stolen magic and taken revenge. She would punish him for sure when he returned. But how? Would she lock him up? Or execute him?
"Relax, boy," Set said waving a hand. "There's a way out of this. A way to protect yourself."
"How?" Nick asked quickly. All his confidence and feelings of invincibility were gone.
"We need to go through the door under the temple."
"We can't. Only Kayla's blood can open that door," Nick argued. He'd wondered if Set knew about that place and now it had been confirmed.
"She made you immortal which means that her blood is in your veins. You will be able to find the secret passages that lead to the door and you will be able to open it," Set informed him. They wasted no more time on chit chat. Nick needed protection before Kayla returned and found out what he had done.
"Can't you just teleport us back to the temple?" Nick asked. He'd seen Kayla teleport earlier that night so why wouldn't Set do it and save them both some time.
"Kayla is the only ancient who can teleport. It's a jinni power and she's half jinni," he replied.
They strode up the steps of the temple and into the entrance hall. Nick had expected to see a druid or two waiting for him, to try and apprehend him, but there were none in sight. They reached the door at the back of the hall and it flew open, crashing into the wall and chipping some of the wood. Kayla stormed through the opening, her fists clenched and her face twisted in rage. Her eyes were narrow slits on her face, glaring at Set with a hatred stronger than anything Nick had seen. It was stronger than the hated he'd felt for Dominic. Fear gripped Nick by the throat and he backed into the wall, wanting to be as far from her as possible. He'd never seen anger like this on any person, let alone the woman he'd come to know as his mother. Set backed up slowly, looking annoyed as if he'd been struck by a minor inconvenience, but he was not afraid. Nick looked around and noticed that Arden and the druids had come up behind them. They were trapped.
"You treacherous snake. I should have known that the moment I left Elysium you'd show your true colours. The Osiris rumour was just one of deceptions," she said in a low tone. A dangerous tone.
"Guilty," Set said and uttered a small giggle.
"Do not dare to laugh this off. And you," She turned to Nick and he wanted to crawl inside himself and never come out again. He avoided her eyes, looking anywhere b
ut at them. "Look at me Nickolas. Look. At. Me." He obeyed the second time she gave the command and saw not anger in her eyes but a profound sadness that was a million times worse; she was disappointed. "I thought you were better than the others."
"It wasn't my fault!" Nickolas protested, wondering how much she knew.
"How can it not be your fault? You murdered two people. You stole magic from the love of your life, the woman who gave herself to you completely. And you did it in this temple. My temple. How is that not your fault?" she demanded.
"I lost control. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't myself. I caught Olivia with Dominic in the woods. She betrayed me and I… I went mad," Nick said, unsure how else to describe what happened to him.
"Olivia would not betray you like that," Kayla argued, not believing him.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Nick assured her. Kayla opened her mouth to argue again but then stopped. She glanced briefly at Set, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and then looked back at Nick.
"You're sure that you saw her with Dominic?" she asked. Nick nodded. "You saw her face?"
"I did. And I heard her voice," Nick confirmed.
Kayla stepped forward. "Think carefully Nickolas. I know it's hard, but I need you to remember every detail. Recall it all. And tell me… Was anything wrong?"
"It was all wrong!" Nick said in outrage. How could she say something so dense?
"No, you mistake me, Nickolas. Was there anything that didn't fit? Anything that just didn't make sense?" Kayla pressed.
Nick thought hard. He thought of Dominic lying on top of Olivia. He thought of Olivia underneath him. Her head tilted back, her eyes closed, enjoying each thrust. He remembered the way her hair was laid out messily on the grass. The fact that they hadn't even gotten undressed. Her dress had been pushed up… her dress. "Her dress," he said. "She was wearing a dress. Olivia doesn't have any dresses. She hates them." And then when she came back to their room she had been wearing tights and a shirt again. A shaky confusion was forcing its way into Nick's mind. He tried to force it out again, not liking the intrusive feel it gave him. It was making him question what he saw. Making him ask himself if he had acted on false information.