She and her mother leaned against a thick tree. Madeleine Dreager stared into her daughter’s eyes. “I’ve missed you, Alexia. I could barely believe my eyes when that monster brought you into the throne room. I …”—her mother wiped away tears—“I hadn’t thought life could become any more miserable.”
“You saw me?” Alexia tried to shove down the shame rising inside her. She hadn’t wanted her mother to know she’d been deceived by the Assassin.
“I watched everything. The Assassin promised he’d make you curse my memory. I don’t understand why you chose to follow him. I thought we’d raised you better than that!”
Alexia brushed her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, Mother. I was so confused. I thought Korah was Father. I never wanted to disappoint you!”
“I was disappointed.” A cold look entered Madeleine Dreager’s eyes. Then after a moment, she smiled. “But it’s all right. You rescued me, and that is worth something.” Her mother cupped her cheek.
“Mother, your hand is so cold!” Alexia gasped. “Are you all right?”
Her mother whipped her hand away. “I’m perfectly fine. I’ve already told you; it’s just the Assassin’s poison leaving my body.” In the light of the torch, Alexia’s mother almost sparkled.
“If you need something, I’m sure Mrs. Dumphry could—”
“I said I’m fine,” she snapped. “No need to bother the old woman. I will be well in a few hours.”
Alexia stared at her mother for a long moment. She truly was a beautiful and strong woman. Yet there was an edge to her that hadn’t been there before. Being tortured by the Assassin for years will do that to a person.
“What happened that day?” Alexia said. “How did you escape from Korah, and how did they find you again? I saw some of it through Korah’s Memory Stone, but I still don’t understand.”
A faraway look entered her mother’s eyes. “My Soulprint allows me to switch places with someone, so long as they are willing. Except when I reappear, I arrive not where they are but where they were a few minutes earlier. Your father switched places with me, and I appeared in the kitchen of our house. I ran into the woods in hopes of finding you, and instead I found Miel. I trusted her. I begged her to help me save your father. When I turned my back, she attacked. Korah and Miel took me to Thaltorose on the very same day.”
Jack and Parker sat together inside the large tent. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” Parker said. “I didn’t think anything could kill him.”
The familiar hollow feeling of losing a parent settled inside Jack.
“I’m going to make him pay,” Jack said. “I’m going to end the Assassin once and for all.”
“I know you’re not a child anymore,” Parker said, “and I have no doubt you’re as strong as Mother and Father always said you’d be. But do you really think you can kill the Assassin?”
“I don’t know. But the prophecy says Alexia and I will defeat him”—Jack grimaced—“right around the time we destroy the world.”
“I don’t know that there’s going to be much left to destroy.” The earth trembled as if in response to Parker’s words.
“I’m sorry, boys, but I must interrupt.” Mrs. Dumphry stood in the tent entrance. “Time has grown too short, and we must fight even as we grieve.” She stepped inside, and the rest of the group followed.
“The Great Awakening has come, and every scale has fallen from the eyes of human and beast. In every country and town, the Awakened fight the Shadow Souled, and the Awakened are losing.” Mrs. Dumphry placed a pot of water on the fire as everyone sat. “The Assassin’s Shadow has stolen hope and replaced it with fear. The few remaining forests, mountains, and valleys still loyal to the Author are being destroyed. The seven oceans boil as the sea creatures clash. Yet it is here in the Valley of Elah that the war will be decided. The Assassin has chosen the battleground where he will meet the Children of Prophecy.”
“Why here?” Arthur asked.
“I think he chose this valley because it is special to the Author. It was his home when he first came to our world.”
“Why have the earthquakes slowed?” Jack asked. “Even the weather seems normal. Doesn’t that mean we’re winning?”
“I’m afraid not. It’s the Awakened who gather in this place, the earth and air, the trees, flowers, and insects—all have journeyed here to fight beside us. But this is no Oasis. It is a last stand.”
“So what are the Shadow Souled waiting for?” Wild asked. “If they attacked now, they could crush us. Their scouts must have told them more Awakened are coming.”
“I do not know,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “But they are waiting for something. I fear the Assassin has spun a web, and I have yet to decipher his plans.”
“Oh!” Jack stood and rummaged through his satchel. He pulled out the small tin he’d taken from beneath Mrs. Dumphry’s desk in Ballylesson and offered it to her. “I can’t believe I forgot. It wasn’t easy, but we retrieved this for you.”
Mrs. Dumphry smiled as she took the tin. “Ah, how I have missed this! Thank you both. It means the world to me.” She opened it and brought it close to her nose, inhaling deeply. “Now, who would like some tea?”
“Tea?” Jack said. “I don’t understand. What does it do?”
“It quenches thirst, for one thing!” Mrs. Dumphry said. “A good tea will also help calm the nerves and relax the mind. And this is my very favorite tea in all the world.”
“We risked our lives for tea? It won’t hurt the Assassin or something?”
“Oh, I doubt it. He may not like the taste, but I wouldn’t share it with him even if he did.” Mrs. Dumphry laughed at her own joke. “The tea was only part of the reason I sent you to Ballylesson.”
Jack waited as Mrs. Dumphry poured the leaves and spices into the pot of water that was already boiling on the fire. The smell of mint, jasmine, and something Jack couldn’t quite place filled the air.
“Well what was the other reason?” Jack asked.
“You needed a chance to lead. You needed to be shoved from the nest so you could test those wings of yours. A leader who has never led is merely an ‘er.’ Seeing as you are alive and have arrived safely, my plan obviously worked. Besides, I very much wanted to drink this tea at least once more before the end of the world.” She stirred the pot with a wooden spoon. “I have no doubt your time in Ballylesson taught you some very important things. Now, I won’t offer again. Would anyone like a cup?”
Chapter 22
The Beginning of the End
A fearful look entered Madeleine Dreager’s eyes, and she let out a low hiss as she turned toward the tent entrance. “Mother, what’s wrong?” Alexia whispered.
“I need to leave.” Her mother stood up quickly, causing the conversation to stop. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I’m not feeling well. I need some fresh air.” Her nose twitched as if she could smell something the others could not.
“Of course,” Mrs. Dumphry said. Alexia wanted to follow her mother, but Mrs. Dumphry’s attention turned to her. “Child, what do you know of the Clear Eyes?”
“What do you mean?” Alexia asked, watching her mother go.
“I told you about the vast number of Clear Eyes making their way here. Never before have the animals mobilized into an army. Though they fight the Shadow Souled, until today we thought most Clear Eyes were too wild to fight together. Yet while you fought in the valley, it was clear they were fighting to protect you.”
“Oh, that,” Alexia said. “They have a prophecy about me as well. They call me Star Child, and their prophecy says they will fight by my side in the Final Hunt, which is what they call the Last Battle.”
Every eye widened as it fixed on Alexia. “You can talk to them? To all of them?” Mrs. Dumphry leaned in.
Alexia hesitated. “It’s one of my new Soulprints, though I’m still learn
ing how to use it.”
“Remarkable,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “Elion can talk to the animals, but never before has a human had such an ability. Child, tell us what you know of—”
Gasps escaped every mouth as Elion stepped into the tent. The Sephari smiled when her eyes landed on Jack and Alexia. “It is good to see you both, to see all of you.” She nodded to the group. “I wanted to come days ago, but travel has become almost impossible.”
“It is very good to see you.” Mrs. Dumphry hugged Elion. “I had been worried we would have to face the Assassin without you.”
“Who did ye bring with ye?” Andreal rumbled as Mrs. Dumphry sat back down.
“I have gathered every last giant and Sephari on this earth. In all, there are one hundred and seven of my race who have come, and more than twelve thousand giants.”
“I would no have believed it could be done!” Andreal smacked a fist into his hand. “Giants have no fought beside humans fer thousands of years. Ye truly do be a miracle worker!”
Elion nodded. “And from what I have been told, thanks to Arthur Greaves we also have the Poet’s Coffer.”
“And we have this.” Mrs. Dumphry pulled out the vial of the poet’s blood.
Elion’s eyes shifted to a rich green color. “I would love to hear the story of how you found it, but that will have to wait for another time. It seems we are ready to face the Assassin. Now we must strategize a way to draw him out.”
“His hordes hold the high ground,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “But we mustn’t go to them. If we fight them in the valley, we’ll be crushed between the two armies. We must find a way to make them come to us.”
Alexia’s mother appeared in the tent entrance just behind Elion.
“Even with our armies, we are vastly outnumbered,” Elion said. “But if we fight with wisdom, the battle is not lost. The world is—”
Madeleine Dreager brandished a pale, jagged blade, and Elion’s eyes blazed royal blue as her hair rose from her shoulders. The Sephari spun, but by the time she’d turned, the blade was already deep in her chest.
For a moment no one moved. Elion sank to her knees as Madeleine Dreager pulled out the blade, then pounced into the midst of the Awakened, swinging it in a flurry of strikes and stabs.
Alexia backed away from the scene. “No!” she cried. “Mother, what are you doing?”
Her mother vaulted into the corner of the tent as Honi, Parker, and Andreal approached with weapons bared. Jack unsheathed Ashandar as electrified sparks snapped and popped across Arthur’s skin.
“Your Sephari witch is dead!” Madeleine snarled.
Mrs. Dumphry was on her knees, staring at the festering wound in her side. “What you have done”—her voice came out in a whisper—“should not have been possible.” Her eyes drifted to Elion, who lay flat on her back staring blankly at the tent ceiling. All light had faded from her eyes.
“Mother, no!” Alexia wept.
“The Shadow Lord wanted to get your attention.” A silvery sheen rippled across Madeleine’s skin as she showed Mrs. Dumphry the pale blade. “This weapon is the only thing my master brought with him from Siyyon. It was forged from the stone of the Sacred Mountain.” She contorted, twisting inward. It wasn’t Madeleine Dreager standing before them but a Grendall, with silvery skin and large oval mirrors for eyes. It turned to Alexia. “Did you truly think you could rescue your mother so easily? That the Dark Lord didn’t know you were there?”
Alexia struggled to breathe. The Assassin had used her to sneak the Grendall into the Council. The creature’s eyes misted and became a window to another place. Alexia saw her mother and James Staples wrapped in shadows and floating at the top of a mountain.
“Father?” Jack cried.
“If you ever want to see your parents alive,” the Grendall said, “then both Children of Prophecy must meet the Lord of Shadows at the top of the mountain. The Lord of Death demands you come alone and you come immediately. Join my master and watch him remake the world in his image! Come and see—”
The creature staggered back, falling into the tent as an arrow struck it. Alexia turned to see Wild with bow in hand. “I’d heard about enough of that,” he said.
Alexia stumbled to Mrs. Dumphry and knelt by her side. “I’m sorry,” Alexia cried. “I didn’t know!”
“I, too, was deceived, child. Remember, it was I who sent you to get her.” Mrs. Dumphry’s voice was weak as the wound in her side turned black. “There is no shame in not knowing, only in not doing once we know. Now”—her lips quivered as the blackness spread—“the both of you were born for this moment.” Her gaze shifted between Alexia and Jack. “I was born to prepare you for it. If I am dying, it means I have been successful. And that means I can die happy.” She reached into her cloak and handed Alexia the small vial of the poet’s blood. “You must use this at the opportune time.” She gasped as the blackness spread up her neck. “Do not grieve for me. I have lived a thousand lifetimes, and I am ready. Every moment spent in regret is like a frog that believes itself a t—” The blackness spread across her face as Mrs. Dumphry exhaled her last breath.
For a long moment, nobody moved. All eyes shifted between the two bodies. Andreal dropped to his knees as Honi crumbled beside Elion. Neither man nor giant tried to hide his tears.
“Gone,” Andreal whispered. “I did no think it possible.” His gaze shifted to Elion. “But to be losing both …”
“The Last Battle will be the end of the world,” Honi said. “How can we defeat him when we have suffered such losses before ever entering the battlefield?”
Rage pooled in Alexia as she stared at the two bodies. How many times can the Assassin steal my parents from me? She began to shake.
“No”—Jack pushed tears from his eyes—“I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it! Mrs. Dumphry and Elion didn’t fight all those years so we could give up now.” He studied the vial in Alexia’s hands. “We have the coffer, and we have the pen to open it. And now we have the poet’s blood. I don’t know what any of it means, but we can’t give up.” He clenched his fists. “Besides, I won’t leave my father to that monster.”
“You can’t be thinking of meeting the Assassin on the mountaintop?” Wild stood. “You know it’s a trap.”
Alexia stood in a cold rage. “I don’t care,” she said. “We’re going to spring his trap and finish this once and for all.”
“Then I’m going with you,” Wild said.
“No,” Jack said. “The Assassin said he’d kill our parents if we didn’t come alone. Alexia and I are meant to do this. It was prophesied before the world began.”
“I’m coming, Jack. I don’t care—”
“No,” Alexia said. “Jack’s right. We have to do it alone.” Alexia couldn’t bear the thought of watching Wild die. She had no doubt she and Jack would be running to their deaths. But she wouldn’t watch Wild die first.
Wild nodded. “All right. The prophecy says the Children of Prophecy will lead the Awakened in the Last Battle. I will follow your lead.”
“I am sorry.” Honi stood. “I should not have said what I did. And you are right. No matter the odds, we must continue to fight.”
“We’ll need be getting ye to the base of the mountain, then.” Andreal stood and fingered his axes.
“It will be a slaughter,” Arthur said. “If we enter the valley, we’ll be crushed between the two armies.”
“I’m sure that’s what the Assassin wants. But the only battle that matters is the one with the Assassin himself,” Wild said. “If we can get Alexia and Jack to the mountain, that will be enough. It has to be.”
“Gather everyone.” Alexia turned to Jack. “You lead the Awakened. I’ll lead the Clear Eyes.” Her eyes drifted to the Grendall’s lifeless body. “We leave now.”
An army of more than a million Awakened stood behind Jack. It consisted of men, wo
men, and children of every age. The youngest he’d seen was a four-year-old girl with white hair and piercing blue eyes; the oldest, a man who must have been in his nineties. When the world itself was at stake, every last person was needed.
On Jack’s right, his sister rode atop an enormous grizzly. Woven into her hair was a garland of fresh flowers, and gathered behind were a vast number of Clear Eyes that easily outnumbered the humans. Winged animals soared above.
To Jack’s left was everything else—a hundred and seven Sephari, twelve thousand giants, and a jungle. When he’d arrived in the valley, there’d been no trees in sight, but now there were tens of thousands of towering trees with thick canopies. Bushes, plants, and flowers grew between, and swarms of insects and crawling plants were scattered throughout. It looked as if they’d grown there for centuries.
“What do you mean she’s your sister?” Arthur said.
“I mean we have the same parents,” Jack said.
“What else would it mean?” Parker added.
Arthur worked his mouth as he looked from Jack to Parker. “You’re joking, right?”
Jack and his brother laughed as Arthur threw his hands in the air. “I can’t go into the Last Battle not knowing if you’re joking or not.”
“I’ll tell you once we get to the mountain,” Jack said. He turned his attention to Alexia and nodded. She offered a tight smile and nodded back. In the sky above, Jack’s and Alexia’s stars brightened visibly, piercing the slithering darkness. Jack raised Ashandar as a thunderous shout rose from behind. Alexia stood atop her bear, and every Clear Eye roared, whinnied, snorted, and gruffed.
Jack broke into a run. He didn’t need to look back to know that the army followed close on his heels. The air around him was pure and the ground solid. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Clear Eyes. Alexia and her Gang of Rogues were the only humans who rode atop the animals, and they quickly outpaced the humans.
Hundreds of giants bounded past Jack, yet Andreal remained by his side. All his friends matched his stride. He knew their goal wasn’t to destroy the enemy; it was to make sure Jack got to the base of the mountain. Every one of them was willing to die if it meant Jack might live. But I won’t let them! It was a grim thought. Enough people have died for me already.
Jack Staples and the Poet's Storm Page 17