“My stepfather?” I asked, confused. “Why is he still here?”
“You shall see. Follow me.” She turned and climbed the steps leading to the front gates. We followed without speaking, our booted footfalls echoing, mingling with the howl of the wind.
The tall stone doors swung open as Silvestra approached, and we entered her keep. I shuddered as the doors boomed closed behind us. I hated this castle. I’d sworn never to come here again, yet returning to places I despised was becoming a routine thing in my life.
We stood in a broad foyer lined in columns. The floor shimmered beneath our feet, and I felt a spell in the stones. Silvestra led us through the foyer and up a staircase. After we crossed through a hallway, we stood in front of a large set of double doors. They opened with a whoosh, revealing a ballroom.
When I’d first seen this chamber a few months ago, its sheer size and infusion of magic in the floor and in the stones surrounding the room had taken my breath away. This time was no different. The floor’s mosaic was arranged to look like the solar system, with the sun in the center and jewel-toned planets circling the central orb.
Overhead, the domed ceiling was partially open to the nighttime sky. As we crossed the floor, I stopped, staring at my stepfather. He lay on a platform across from us.
His eyes were closed and his golden scales had grown dull. Patches of skin peeled from his flank.
“Silvestra, what happened to him?” I asked.
“It’s his magic,” she said. “For whatever reason, it isn’t allowing him to heal. For a time, it seemed he was recovering, but then his magic weakened and he grew sick once again. I have tried to heal him and failed. Whatever is causing this malady is something I am not familiar with.”
I quietly approached my stepfather. Seeing him sick or injured was becoming all too commonplace lately. But why was he sick now? What could be causing his magic to weaken?
I crouched beside him and ran my hand over his neck.
“Young one,” he said quietly.
“Hello, Fan’twar.”
“I’m glad you’ve come.”
“Me too. You’re looking great!”
He snorted. “You were never a talented liar, young one.”
“I know. You should have taught me better.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips.
“Are you okay here?” I asked.
“I am well enough. The spirit of a dragon is a hard thing to confine.”
“That’s very true.” I stroked his nose. “But what’s going on? The last time I saw you, you were recovering in this same spot, and that was four months ago.”
A growl rumbled in his chest. “It’s the magic,” he answered. “Theht’s powers are in the asteroid, and as the asteroid grows closer to our world, they hinder my own. It’s keeping my magic from healing me.”
“You’re sure it’s the asteroid doing this to you?”
“Yes. And the closer it draws near to our world, the more it will wreak havoc on everything that encounters magic.”
“But how? It’s just a space rock.”
“It is more than that. Faythander can sense its own destruction. Our planet can feel the danger, just as I can. Our world senses the magic in the asteroid. It knows its time will soon come to an end. Just as I do.”
My heart sank. “But if that’s so, then why I am even trying to save it? You told me there was still hope. Were you wrong?”
“No,” he moaned. “I was not wrong. There is still hope. There always is. But if the flow of time continues down the path it is on, then Faythander will be destroyed.”
A shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t good. Actually, this was just about the worst news I could’ve gotten. But I had to stay strong. I couldn’t lose hope. Not yet.
“Find Lucretian,” Fan’twar said. “The druid who spoke the Deathbringer prophecy is the only person who knows how to change the course of time. He has…the sword…” Fan’twar’s breathing grew labored. It took a moment to find his voice. “…has the sword of Dracon. Use it…to destroy Theht.”
“But how?” An image flashed through my mind—a vision of Kull stabbing me through the heart with the sword to kill the goddess inhabiting my body. But there had to be another way.
“Find Lucretian,” was Fan’twar’s answer. His eyes closed. I glanced up at Silvestra. She stared down on me with those icy eyes.
“You must find the druid,” she said.
Yeah, got it. Find the druid. Didn’t need to tell me twice. I stood and walked with Silvestra to the opposite end of the room where my friends were gathered.
“We need to find the druid,” I called to them.
“We already knew that,” Heidel answered.
“Yeah, well, now we really need to find him or else Faythander won’t survive.”
“Faythander’s survival is always in danger. What else is new?”
And people say I have a smart mouth. Sheesh.
“We need to find the druid or else my stepfather will never heal from his injuries and most likely die. Also, Theht will destroy our world with an asteroid. Ninety percent of not only our planet, but also of Earth, will die. Is that good enough motivation to find him?”
She shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Sister,” Kull said, “you are incorrigible sometimes.”
“I learn from the best, Brother.”
“Well,” Brodnik said. “When do we leave? I’d like to get this over with.”
“We all would,” I answered, glancing back at the witch.
“You must enter the portal leading to the Shadow Realm as soon as the sun rises,” Silvestra said. “Only the energy of the first light of day at the spring equinox can negate the dark energy that exists there.”
“How long will it take to travel to the portal?” Rolf asked.
“It is on the other side of the mountain’s peak. We should leave soon if we wish to arrive before morning, but I must beg you to reconsider this quest.”
“Why?” I asked.
She stood straight, seeming taller and more menacing as she scanned each of us. “Because this place you travel is not one I’ve ever allowed any mortal to enter before, and there is good reason for it. When I became the portal’s protector, I swore an oath to keep it safe. I only allow you there now because these are the direst of circumstances. But know this—the world you cross into is not like our own. It is inhabited by creatures who feed off life energy, who will do whatever it takes to survive. They cannot be killed with our weapons, for life does not exist there as it does here. The creatures there have no morals, no conscience. They will kill and take your life’s energy without a second thought.”
“Can’t be killed?” Brodnik said. “Then why are we bothering to bring our weapons?”
The witch narrowed her eyes. “There is one weapon that has the ability to stop them.”
Silvestra reached out, palm facing up, and whispered a word of magic. Greenish mist gathered around her hand. When the fog disappeared, she held a staff with a blue jewel atop it and runes etched into the dark wood.
The staff of Zaladin.
“Hold on a moment,” I said. “Is that—?”
“The staff of Zaladin? Yes.”
“But how did you get it? The elves had it last, didn’t they?”
“Yes,” Silvestra answered. “However, I was able to obtain it once again.”
“How?” Kull asked.
“A bargain was struck.”
“What sort of bargain?” I never liked when the witch mentioned bargains.
She smiled, but gave no answer. “Use this staff to find your way.” She held the staff toward me. As she did, Grace trotted forward, sniffed the staff, and let out a long, pitiful whine.
Heidel walked forward and patted Grace’s head. As Heidel focused on the staff, a haunted look crossed her face. Zaladin’s staff must have brought up memories. She’d been caught in a portal with Maveryck and traveled to Earth with him in order to retrieve it. There
were memories attached to this object—fresh, painful ones that had yet to heal.
Heidel backed away. “Grace, come away from it,” she said.
The wolf lingered, looked at the staff, and whined once again.
“Grace,” Heidel repeated. “Come away.”
Grace sniffed, then paced back to Heidel’s side.
I took the staff from the witch. As I touched the wood, its magic made my heart skip a beat. The power was ancient, brittle, yet powerful. Theht’s presence also reacted to the magic. She stirred inside me, calling to the magic. I pushed the presence back as best as I could, but I still felt it lurking, watching. Waiting.
Breathing deeply, I focused on the witch to stay distracted from Theht. “Will this staff lead us to Lucretian?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Use your magic and the staff will show you the way.”
I studied the staff, its magic warming my hands, hoping I could use its powers without awakening Theht. Well, more than she already was awoken, anyway.
“What more can you tell us of this land we travel to?” Kull asked.
“I can tell you that to enter, you must rely on Olive’s magic.” She looked at me. “Do you know the spell word to cross through?”
Spell word? This was the first I’d heard of it. “I have the spell to cross from Earth to Faythander.”
“No, child. That spell will not work for a crossing like this.”
“Then what word am I to use?”
She studied me with those icy eyes, and I tried to keep from flinching. “The word you were given—the name of the world.”
Aha! “Yes, I know it.”
She nodded. “Keep it guarded. Do not repeat it unless you must.”
“I understand.”
“Very well. I shall guide you to the cave where you will prepare to cross before sunrise. Follow me.” She turned on her heel and headed for the doorway.
I glanced back at Fan’twar. He rested with his eyes closed, his head propped on his tail, reminding me of the way Han perched on the couch. I didn’t want to leave him. Even though I wanted to tell him good-bye, I decided it was best not to disturb him. Besides, I knew I would see him again soon.
The others followed the witch toward the doors, but I couldn’t bring myself to take a single step forward. If I was being honest with myself, I had to admit I was scared. I had confronted the bloodthorn in that cave—and it was also the place where I had encountered Theht. I never wanted to return to that place again.
Kull saw me waiting. He turned and came to my side.
“You’ve got that look,” he said.
“Look?”
“Yeah, that look that tells me when you’re worrying about something.”
“Not worried. Scared.”
“I see,” he said, his gaze drifting toward the doors where our companions followed the witch. “In that case, the feeling is mutual.”
I glanced up at him. Kull didn’t get scared. I wasn’t sure the word was in his vocabulary. “You’re scared? That’s hard to believe.”
He smiled and took my hand. “I know it seems impossible, but it’s true. I have an ill feeling about this journey. We travel to a place unknown, where I put not only my own life in jeopardy, but also the lives of my men and my sister.” His smile faded. “Worse, I will be putting your life in jeopardy.” A haunted look crossed his face. He’d told me before that he could never go on without me. I believed him. “But,” he said, “we have to reclaim the sword. At this point, we have no other options. If we want to stop Theht and save our world, then finding the sword of Dracon must be done.”
“Then let’s get this over with.”
“I agree.”
I walked with Kull’s hand in mine toward the doors and out of the ballroom, casting one last glance over my shoulder at my stepfather. Somehow, I knew he would be okay. Silvestra could be irrational and cruel at times, but she would protect her own kind. Even if she had tried to kill him not long ago.
But she was different now. At least, I hoped so.
Kull and I caught up with our companions just as they approached the main gates leading outside. No one spoke as we followed the witch out into the night.
I wrapped my cloak around my body as the wind gusted. Silvestra, carrying a lantern with green magical flames, led us around her castle and onto a narrow trail leading up the mountain. Boulders and patches of snow replaced the vegetation as we climbed higher. The silver glow cast from a crescent moon shone weakly, although Silvestra’s lantern gave off enough light for us to see the path ahead.
My heart raced the closer we neared the cave. I wasn’t ready to go back and face the demons that haunted it. I held the staff of Zaladin in a firm grip, letting its magic infuse mine, helping to calm me.
In the greenish glow of Silvestra’s lantern, the scars on my wrists stood out more than usual. I hated those scars—hated the memories they brought up. And now I returned to the place where the creature who had put them there tried to kill me. But the bloodthorn was dead now, and I was pretty sure I feared crossing into the third world more than I feared him.
None of this mattered. Being afraid didn’t matter. I would face my demons any day if it meant I stopped that asteroid—and if it meant I rid myself of Theht’s presence.
The wind grew colder, and ice formed along our path. I slipped on a patch, but managed to stay upright and continue forward.
As we approached the mountaintop, the wind grew shriller, like the screams of lost souls all mingled together, a haunting sound that announced we’d arrived.
I stood with the others as we stopped.
In the eerie glow of Silvestra’s lantern, we stared into a giant fissure splitting the mountain—the entrance to the cave.
Chapter Five
Our group camped on the mountainside and got a few hours of sleep, although I wasn’t sure why we couldn’t have slept in the castle. If it was because Silvestra was determined to make it here before sunrise, I couldn’t blame her.
We awoke before the sun rose. The moon had disappeared, replaced by thick clouds that made the air smell of rain and hid the stars. After gathering our things and replacing our sleeping packs, we stood at the entrance of the cave.
A portal guarded the entrance, but the witch whispered a word of magic and stripped the spell away. We followed her inside. Walking the path through the cavern made old memories resurface.
Officer Gardener being held prisoner by the bloodthorn. What remained of the bloodthorn’s body smeared across the floor. Being horrified at how I was capable of such violence.
Worse, I remembered Theht infecting my mind with her presence.
My thoughts were interrupted when we reached the portal chamber. We crossed into the room, stood at its center, and faced the portal.
Blue light glowed from the reflective surface, taking up the cavern’s entire back wall—the largest portal I’d ever seen. Long streamers of sparkling magic danced through its surface. Reluctantly, I had to admit it was sort of pretty, even though it was leading us to a doomed world.
“What do we do now?” Rolf asked.
Silvestra spoke up. “Everyone except Olive must step to the portal and place their hands on its surface.” They did as she said, and then Silvestra glanced at me.
“Olive, whenever you are ready, place your hand on the portal and open the gateway.”
I approached, its magic making my skin tingle as I stopped in front of it. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and placed my fingers against it.
Magic punched me. I gritted my teeth against the pain and stood tall, letting my own magic balance the portal’s power. But as I did, a howling wind came from the surface, drowning out any other sounds. The wind tore at my skin and clothes, so strong it was nearly impossible to remain upright.
I turned to the witch. “What’s happening?”
“You must open the portal or it will tear you apart!”
“Couldn’t you have warned me sooner?”
&nbs
p; “You must open it now!”
Turning to face the portal once again, I tried to focus on opening it. Usually I needed a clear mind, but concentrating on staying calm when I was about to be torn apart was slightly difficult.
Conjuring the spell word in my head, I attempted to say it aloud, but for some unknown reason, fear gripped me, making it impossible for me to utter it. I tried again, keeping my magic inside until the fear died down.
The wind’s intensity increased. Sparks of lightning shot outward, making the sound of crackling electricity mingle with the howling wind.
“Any time now,” Heidel shouted over the wind.
“I’m trying,” I yelled back.
“Try harder!”
I pressed my hand firmly against the portal’s surface. As the wind tore through the room, I gathered the courage to speak the spell word aloud.
“Dalgotha.”
The room began rumbling. A crack split the portal’s surface. It widened, making large rocks fall from the ceiling and crash to the ground behind us.
“Step through the opening,” Silvestra shouted.
I inched toward the gap as it widened, but the wind knocked me back. Rolf made it through first, then Heidel, Grace, and Brodnik. Kull took my hand and pulled me toward the opening.
We stepped through the portal.
I awoke with sand in my mouth. No, not sand. Something cold. Snow? As my eyes opened, I gazed at a deep purple sky overhead and a band of glowing stars stretching from one end of the horizon to the other. I spat the sandy stuff out of my mouth, realizing I lay on a ground covered in cold, icy beads the size of sand grains.
My muscles protested as I raised to a sitting position. The others lay scattered around me. Everyone looked dazed as we stared around our new surroundings. Kull lay not far from me so I crawled toward him.
Dizziness made it hard for me to see straight, so I steadied myself and took several deep breaths before I reached his side. He lay with his eyes opened, staring blankly overhead. I gently shook his shoulder, and he focused on me.
“You all right?” I asked.
“I’m alive.”
Deathbringer Page 5