Deathbringer

by Tamara Grantham

  Lodged in a wall near us was a single oval-shaped tomb. The corpse inside stopped moving as the purple light diminished, but its robes transformed. Black tattered cloth replaced the corpse’s clothing. What remained of its skin and muscle tissue disappeared, leaving behind only a skeleton. The corpse flexed its fingers, the tips ended in pointed claws, and then it lifted its head. Red, pinprick eyes met mine.

  A cold chill ran down my spine.

  I backed away, fear making my heart beat wildly.

  “Run,” Kull hissed. “Go now.”

  We backed toward the door. I attempted to fling it open, but the knob wouldn’t budge when I attempted to turn it. Behind us, the sound of shattering glass echoed as the Regaymor escaped its tomb.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kull unsheathed his blade as we faced the broken tomb, but his weapon would do no good against the wispy black phantom approaching us. Frantic screams echoed from the other side of the cavern as more Regaymor broke free from their tombs.

  I calmed my mind as I readied a spell, using my power to draw black magic from the stones surrounding me. I blasted out with my magic. Blinding light burst from my hands and hit the phantom in the chest, giving Kull enough time to break the door open.

  The Regaymor let out a shrill wail as we escaped. I blasted out another burst of magic, repelling it long enough to escape into the tunnels. The sounds of our booted feet echoed through the corridors as we ran from the tombs. Gray stones blurred in my vision as we reached a cross-section.

  “Which way?” Kull asked, breathing heavily.

  I concentrated on remembering the path I’d taken with Jeven, which was hard to do as the screams of Regaymor filled the cavern behind us, growing closer.

  “This way,” I said, pointing to the hallway on our left. As we ran down the hall, the floor rumbled under our feet. Dust stirred as we descended the stairs and made it to the hallway with the mirrors.

  “That one,” I said, pointing to the mirror at the end of the hall. We sprinted to it when the floor shook violently, sending several mirrors to the ground where they smashed to pieces.

  The oval-shaped mirror with the golden frame hung on the wall at the hallway’s end. We dashed toward it as the tremors increased, sending more mirrors smashing to the ground. Shards splintered. Some of the shattered pieces cut into my skin. Glass crunched beneath our boots as we stopped to stand before the mirror.

  “There was a spell protecting it,” I shouted over the rumbling, “but with the unicorn’s stone missing, we should be able to get through.”

  I approached the mirror and placed my hand on the glass. It trembled, but didn’t fall as its smooth surface chilled my fingers. I focused on opening the gateway. Magic swirled inside the glass, its spell taking shape as I felt the power working through me.

  “Take my hand,” I yelled to Kull as the magic grew brighter. He clenched my fingers tightly as the magic engulfed us, giving me the same sensation I’d felt with Jeven—of the breath being sucked from my body and the floor disappearing from underneath my feet.

  As the magic faded, I felt the floor form beneath my feet. Kull and I stood in the blank white room with no walls and no floor—nothing but a mirror hanging suspended in space and a white void surrounding us.

  After hearing shattering glass and crumbling rocks for so long, the silence came abruptly.

  “Where’s the sword?” Kull asked, his voice reverberating.

  “Jeven conjured it with a spell.” I tried to remember the words he’d used, but it wouldn’t be easy, and even if I could, I wasn’t sure his spell would work for me. This could be a problem.

  Still, I didn’t take spells lightly. When Jeven had used it, I’d done my best to lock it in my memory.

  Letting my magic flow freely, I reached out and opened my hand, palm up, as I focused on conjuring the sword.

  “Doculus loci…” But what was the rest? We didn’t have time for me to botch the spell, but feeling rushed, coupled with fear of an army of demon Regaymor waiting for us once we escaped, made it hard to think.

  “Olive,” Kull said quietly. “The mirror is shaking.”

  I glanced at it, finding it rattling against an unseen wall. Trying to focus, I concentrated on the magic. Realistically, I knew that remembering Jeven’s spell word for word, after hearing it exactly once, wasn’t something easy to do, if it were even possible. But I had to at least try.

  “Doculus loci,” I cleared my throat, “Doculus loci…” It was another d word, wasn’t it? “dormimue… resus…?”

  Frustrated, I turned to Kull. “I can’t remember the spell. I only heard it once, and I tried memorizing it when he said it, but I didn’t get it all.”

  “Can you use another spell?”

  “Maybe. I have the word for conjure.”

  “Try it,” he said. “We don’t have much time.”

  I agreed. And if I didn’t get the sword soon, that mirror could possibly fall and shatter, trapping us in this place forever.

  Once again, I called my magic, summoning the word for conjure.

  “Miraculum,” I whispered. A magical mist formed in front of me, just like when I’d been here with Jeven. The colorful swirls began to take shape. A hilt formed, followed by a long, tarnished blade. I held out my hands the same way Jeven had done, and the sword moved to rest atop my palms.

  Kull stepped forward and inspected the sword as the mist dissipated.

  “I can’t believe it,” he said. “Is this really it?”

  I nodded. “Would you like to hold it?”

  His eyes lit up. “You’ll let me?”

  “Of course.” I moved to give him the sword when I felt its magic. Something felt out of place, although I wasn’t sure why, and I didn’t get a chance to probe it more as Kull took the sword from me. He held it carefully, weighing it in his hands, then stepped back and took a practice swing.

  Behind us, the mirror shuddered. “We should go,” I said.

  He nodded, and we crossed toward the mirror. As I faced the glass, I called on my reserves of magic, feeling it depleted after conjuring the sword. Still, I would use what I had left.

  I let my magic flow into the glass. The mirror reacted and reached out for us, embracing us in its power until the room reappeared and we stood in a hallway.

  Shards of glass lay in heaps around us. The floor shook violently beneath our feet, making dust fall from the ceiling. The mirror behind us crashed to the floor and shattered.

  “We need to get out of here,” Kull shouted over the noise.

  “I know! Let’s go before the castle collapses on us. Use the sword against the Regaymor. It’s the only thing that can kill them.”

  Kull nodded. As we dashed down the hall, we avoided the piles of glass and made it back to the stairs and onto the main floor.

  Chaos had broken out. A fire raged in one of the hallways. Shouts mingled with the crackling flames. Several guards rushed past us. They held long spears as they headed toward the hallway that led to the Regaymor’s cavern, though no one paid us any attention.

  Kull lingered, holding the sword, as the screams pierced the air.

  “We could help them,” he said.

  He was right. They’d imprisoned me and they were cannibals, but they were still people. Kull wanted to help them because he was noble to a fault, because it was his duty to preserve life. Despite his faults, when it came to it, he would never fail to do the right thing. He would sacrifice his own comfort, his own desires, if it meant he could save everyone else.

  But we would die if we didn’t escape with the sword, and our world would die with us.

  “We can’t help them, Kull. We’ve got to go.”

  He nodded, and I saw the regret in his eyes, but then we turned away from the hallway, from the sounds of screams that would haunt my nightmares forever, and headed for the doors.

  We raced past rooms engulfed in flames. Embers flitted on waves of heated air as smoke billowed, and the roaring inferno consumed Jev
en’s tower.

  When we reached the tall castle doors leading to the outside world, we halted.

  Jeven stood at the doors, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed at us. Fury burned in his pupils.

  “You,” he hissed. “Both of you have betrayed me.”

  My heart pounded as sweat slicked my palms. I should’ve known better than to think we could escape unscathed.

  “Return the sword,” he demanded.

  “We can’t do that,” Kull answered.

  Magic ignited around the warlock’s fists. Its power punched my chest, making me stumble back.

  “Return the sword!” Jeven repeated.

  I knew his magic would rip us apart if we refused to return the sword, and my magic, already weakened from conjuring the weapon, wouldn’t be any match against a powerful warlock’s. We’d have to talk our way out, if that were even possible.

  “We need the sword to save our world,” I said as calmly as I possibly could.

  “You stole it from me! I cannot let such an act go unpunished.”

  “You’re not listening to me! My world will be destroyed by Theht unless you allow us to have the sword!”

  “And what of my people?” he shouted. “They are dying as we speak. You will doom us all unless you return it.”

  His words struck me. How could we leave these people behind to die? Was I really that selfish? But if we gave the sword back to him, it meant we lost. It meant Theht would use me to destroy our world and then take control of it. Billions would die… and I would be responsible.

  “Return the sword,” he said, his chest rising and falling as anger clipped his words short. “This is your last chance to return it to me before I kill you and remove it from your corpses.”

  Jeven’s clenched hands burned with bright red magic. A sword formed in his hands. It was a wicked-looking weapon with a wide, black blade and barbs lining either side. He rushed at Kull, fury lighting his eyes, as their swords clashed.

  The two men fought, their swords clanging as the fire roared behind us. Its heat brushed my face as Kull swung his sword in a wide arc, connecting with Jeven’s blade, the sound of ringing steel echoing through the hallway.

  Jeven fought with fury, with madness and passion as he parried and thrust, gaining the advantage over Kull. But as the fight went on, Kull moved forward, forcing Jeven back. It seemed as if Kull was getting into the rhythm of the fight, as if he were becoming accustomed to the sword. But just as I thought Kull might have a fighting chance, Jeven’s magic overpowered him. He stabbed his sword at Kull, using magic to knock the warrior backward. Kull fell on his back, his eyes wide with alarm as Jeven stood over him, ready to impale his blade through Kull’s chest, when I reacted with my own spell.

  Screaming, I thrust both hands outward and let the magic spiral in a whirlwind from my fingertips. The magical energy caught Jeven in his chest and thrust him back. He fell to the ground, his sword landing with a clatter at his side.

  Dizziness overwhelmed me after the magic left my body. Struggling to stand, I had to lean against the wall to stay upright. I could only watch as the two men got to their feet and faced one another.

  Jeven grabbed his sword. As he did, red magic ignited around the blade. He brought the sword down, murder in his eyes, but Kull reacted quickly, blocking the blow and dancing back on quick feet. They thrust and parried once again with more intensity. Blow by blow, the men seemed equally matched. Jeven with his magic. Kull with skill.

  Kull thrust his sword at Jeven’s midsection. The warlock blocked the blow, but the move threw him off balance, and Kull took his opportunity. He stabbed his blade deep into Jeven’s midsection, piercing deep into the warlock’s flesh and into his vital organs.

  The warlock screamed and sank to the floor, dropping the spell fueling his sword and clutching the puncture wound in his stomach.

  Panting for breath, Kull stood over Jeven. He held Dracon’s sword, dripping with the warlock’s blood, over Jeven’s chest, ready to deal the killing blow, but Jeven whispered a spell, sending a powerful blast of crimson magic straight for Kull.

  On instinct, I reacted, launching into the path of the magic and igniting a spell of my own. Although I had nothing left, I drew on the magic surrounding me—from the stones, the dirt spreading out deep below the tower, the fire raging behind us, from the very air itself. I used the power to block Jeven’s spell, but I wasn’t fast enough. I only managed to deflect a portion of the magic as the spell punched Kull.

  Jeven’s spell knocked the wind from my lungs and flung both Kull and me backward. Stars spun in my vision as I landed hard on my back. Staring at the ceiling, I tried catching my breath. I heard Jeven get to his feet and stagger toward us. His magic made acid churn through my stomach and up into my esophagus. Its power crackled through my blood the way lightning shot through clouds. I attempted to stand up, but my legs were unresponsive.

  I glanced at Kull. He grimaced as the magic wrapped around him, keeping him pinned to the floor.

  Jeven clutched his midsection, blood seeping between his fingers as he walked toward Kull. He stopped when he reached Kull’s side. Blood dripped to the ground, pooling at Jeven’s feet. Rage contorted the warlock’s face as he kicked Kull in his side, then slammed the pommel of his sword into Kull’s stomach.

  Kull cried out.

  I tried to scream, but only managed a muffled cry.

  “You were fools to think you could come to my castle and steal my sword. For that, you will pay the price.” Jeven knelt at Kull’s side, then pressed his thumbs to Kull’s temples. A red mist wrapped Kull’s head. “A curse I lay upon you, Wanderer, from a world unknown, for betraying my confidence. I will take from your mind what you hold most dear. You have stolen my most precious possession, and so I remove from your heart the possession you treasure above all others. Life for life. Death for death. So it shall be. None shall undo this curse, not by my name, nor by any other.”

  Kull cried out, arching his back as the magic shone brighter. It surrounded his head, then engulfed his body.

  I watched helplessly from my spot on the floor, unable to move or use my magic as Jeven’s spell grew stronger.

  “Jeven, stop!” I managed to call out.

  Jeven’s eyes met mine.

  “Please, don’t do this.” I gasped. “Don’t hurt him.”

  Jeven fisted his hand. The magic stopped, although Kull lay motionless on the floor. I wasn’t sure what Jeven’s curse was meant to do to Kull, but it couldn’t be anything good.

  The warlock stood slowly and crossed to me. Still clutching his middle, he knelt at my side, his hands wet and dripping with his own blood.

  Magic, fueled by his rage, surrounded him in a hazy crimson cloud, threatening to overwhelm me. I attempted to close my mind against his magic, but his nearness made it impossible.

  “Olive,” he said quietly. “Why have you done this? You’ve betrayed not only me, but also my people as well. We will die because of your actions.”

  “We… never meant to hurt you.”

  “Then why have you done this?” Rage burned in his eyes.

  “Because… we need the sword to save my people. That’s the only weapon capable of stopping Theht.” I gasped. “We’ll die without it.”

  He flexed his jaw, anger burning in his crimson eyes. Dracon’s sword, its blade dark with his blood, lay only inches away from me. He reached for the sword and picked it up. I didn’t like the malevolent look he gave me as he held the sword over my heart.

  “Please,” I whispered, pleading. “Don’t kill me.”

  “Killing you is not my intention. You’ve said this is the only weapon to destroy Theht. In truth, it is the goddess who has doomed us. Not you. When she left us, she abandoned us to die. She has killed us all to enter your world. Take the sword. Kill the goddess. Avenge us. That is all I ask.”

  The magic surrounding him diminished. I realized I could move again. “Take it?” I asked, confused.

  “Take it and
leave us to die, Olive. There never was another ending for us. A cursed death to wander the world as Regaymor is the only fate we’ve got left.”

  He lay the sword beside me before standing. As he loomed over me, I saw sadness wash over him as he accepted his own mortality. Without another word, he walked toward the screams of the dying and left us alone in the hallway.

  I got to my hands and knees, clutching the sword to my chest as I crawled toward Kull. He blinked several times as I approached him, as if he were coming out of a trance.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” I said.

  He only nodded.

  “Can you stand?”

  “Yes,” he breathed. “Give me a moment.”

  That magic must’ve packed quite a punch if he was asking me to give him a moment. I’d only experienced a portion of the spell, and I still felt my muscles cramping. When Kull got to his feet, a loud crash boomed behind us.

  A wall at the opposite end of the hallway collapsed as the fire consumed it. Thick smoke poured from the opening, filling the hallway. Several Regaymor escaped from the ruined wall, gliding soundlessly on the current of overheated air.

  Kull and I ran for the doors and flung them open. As we raced outside, I glanced over my shoulder. The creatures hadn’t noticed us yet, but it wouldn’t take them long before they did. Soon, they would infiltrate the entire city.

  We sprinted through the courtyard, our footsteps muffled by the ash-packed streets as our feet pounded the cobblestones, and then we ran through the open gate. The city loomed before us. Thick fog obscured the sky, and only pools of hazy orange light glowed from torches burning along the streets. The chill air made my arms prickle with goose bumps, and the scent of smoke was carried from the chimneys rising above the buildings.

  “I don’t remember which way to go,” I said.

  “I think I do.”

  I attempted to run with Kull through the streets, but my muscles burned from the aftereffects of Jeven’s spell, making it difficult to move. Kull took my arm, and we raced away from Jeven’s tower.

  A few people milled about, pushing carts over the cobbled paths or walking aimlessly. As we passed them, they looked at us with surprised glances.