by Taylor Leigh
Victoria swallowed. She wondered what he meant when he said he had something to live for. The book, going to Academia? He certainly couldn’t mean her. ‘Well, there’s got to be something we can do!’
‘I’m afraid there’s nothing. It’s just a fact I have to come to terms with.’ He let out a flat laugh. ‘Funny. I don’t know why I’m talking about this. Especially with you.’
Victoria felt dizzy. She sat down on the wet, sandy steps. ‘I won’t let this happen…’
Andrew raised an eyebrow, his pale mouth curved slightly upwards into an amused smile. ‘Oh?’
Victoria looked up at him. ‘Well, I’m not letting you go without a fight.’
Andrew was still smirking. ‘No doubt you’ve had plenty of experience taking care of the ill, being a slave in the palace.’
Victoria glanced down at her hands. She sucked in a deep breath. ‘There’s something I want to tell you. Well, I don’t want to tell you, but I don’t want to keep things from you anymore…I’m not a slave.’
Andrew’s smile became a little more knowing. He let out a laugh. ‘I know,’ he said.
Victoria realised she shouldn’t have been shocked by his admittance, but she was nonetheless.
‘You know? How?’
And off he went. ‘Easy! I’ve known since I first saw you. The way you were dressed was my first clue, too nicely. Yes, they may dress slaves well in the palace but not that nice. Your clothing was too professionally done, obviously not your normal attire, most likely for some sort of ceremony, considering the ornaments that were sewn in the fabric. Of course, your makeup and hair confirmed that, very ornate, even for someone who’s rich.
‘Your hands were very soft and smooth, not worker’s hands, and your nails were well polished and even, something that a servant or someone who is used to work would never be concerned with.
‘And then there’s the way you held yourself; you were afraid, but you’re used to being the one in charge. Your head was held high and you had good posture. You weren’t sure what do to and you knew you had no power here, but that didn’t stop you from still carrying yourself like you did. You must have been someone of considerable importance, more than just a delusion of your own grandeur, so you lied about your position because you did not want to become a political prisoner. Since you assumed we would use that against you, you must have some knowledge about the planet, so some schooling as well. Your schooling was confirmed when you showed your expertise in essential maths, but you’ve had more than the basics, especially in politics. Working on the book with you confirmed that. You have a good knowledge of writing and history. So, you were most likely someone of importance, high ranking in the ruling class, most likely. Not religious, considering your uncertainty with your future.
‘Need I go on? It was easy enough to figure out.’ A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. ‘Also, you were obviously well fed.’
‘Oi!’ Victoria shook her head. ‘You’ve known all this time and you just let me keep up the act?’
Andrew shrugged slightly. ‘It made no difference to me who you are. Obviously you having some learning has helped a great deal, but beyond that, it is of no importance. I will say, it was a bit amusing.’
Victoria grinned. ‘I’m the princess of Scrabia, actually.’
He chuckled. ‘Ah, the princess. Now it all makes sense.’
She stood up and followed him as he started walking towards the lake. The sky was clouding over, promising yet more rain in the near future. There was a bite to the air, making Victoria wish she’d dressed warmer before following Andrew out. She had never considered Scottorr as having warm weather, but the breeze blowing now made her wish for the noonday sun. Wet sand clung to her boots as they reached the beach.
She wrapped her arm round his and leant in close to him. ‘You know what?’
Andrew did not exactly respond to her contact, but he didn’t pull away, and she considered that good enough. ‘What?’ he asked, voice lower.
‘We’re going to get this book done by the end of next month, and make it look so impressive they’ll make you the head of Academia!’
Andrew flushed from her praise. ‘One thing at a time, Victoria. One thing at a time.’
* * * * *
Story ducked through the tangled underbrush, heart thundering in her chest. She cast a look over her shoulder and sank down into the bracken like a frightened rabbit. Her nostrils flared as she sucked in another breath, taking in the sweet, wet smell of the earth.
She pulled out her flask and a small phial made out of raptor horn. Shakily, she poured out a small handful of black powder from the phial into the flask and shook it up. She couldn’t run through the wood in the hallucinating state she was in. The spores she’d been forced to drink by the Blaiden were messing with her head.
She felt awful. She didn’t know what streams were safe to drink out of anymore, so she avoided all of them. Nothing was safe without the stoneflower seed powder to counteract the spores. She put it in all the water she drank. Thanks to the flower, she had a complete revulsion towards the drug, but it still wreaked havoc on her body and mind every time she was forced to take it.
The forest was spinning round her and she could wait no longer. She tipped the water to her lips and swallowed hard, fighting down the urge to gag on the foul smelling, thick liquid. She knew it was only a hallucination, that the water still tasted like water, but it was hard to remember that when it felt like she was drinking mud. She swallowed again and sat back, breathing heavily. The hazy, dreamlike image of the forest began to melt into the normal, familiar setting. She sighed and held up the flask, looking at it thankfully.
Running into the Blaiden had been a complete accident. They were expanding into the Druid territory at an alarming rate and it was almost impossible to hunt without bumping into a pack these days. This group had been high on the spores and didn’t take too well to realising she wasn’t drugged on them as well. It was impossible to fight three giants and she’d been forced to drink a good amount down. She didn’t want to think about what would have happened next if the Guardian hadn’t shown up.
The beast had burst through the wood, scattering the trees and the group. The Blaiden, fearful of their own creation, fled, as did Story. They would have been mad not to. Story knew the creature had moved in her direction but her mind had been so clouded she did not know where it had disappeared to.
The forest was quiet now. Not even the birds were singing. That was usually a bad sign. Still, the Blaiden were gone, and she was willing to take her chances spending the night out in the darkness, even if the Guardian was there.
Her nerves were just beginning to slack when a ground-shaking crunch! shook the forest.
Story dropped down further and peered through the tangled brush. Her grey eyes flicked left and right, searching through the tangled vines and trees. CRUNCH! Story saw the movement. The huge scaly foot stepped down five metres from where she was hidden. The mottled skin of the Guardian’s legs was so close she could see the spongy moss growing in drab patches. The heavy, laboured breathing of the creature, as it sucked breath through its tiny nostrils, came from somewhere far above her.
The light went dark. Story leaned back; the beast’s massive head came in to view. She saw the tiny, yellow eyes peering down at her above a jagged, mad grin. She swore and spun round, swinging her flask over her shoulder, and took off again into the underbrush, making for higher ground.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
‘Andrew said it’s too dangerous!’ Molly cried, leaning forward as she watched Tollin pore over the few Druid territory maps available. They were in the library yet again, and Molly, unable to take the maps any longer, had migrated to the comfortable loft under the picture window. Tollin was still below her, hunched over a table, studying away.
‘And do you trust everything Andrew says?’ Tollin questioned, glancing up over his glasses with a probing look.
Molly shifted uncomfortably. ‘Well, he
’s always been right before.’
‘Being brilliant doesn’t always make you right. Except in my case. Well, most of the time.’ Tollin tapped his finger to a spot on the parchment. ‘This is the stream where the body was found. The map only shows it so far as it runs to the keep. Beyond that…only a guess. Did Andrew really draw these when he was ten? Rather impressive, even for him.’
Molly shrugged. ‘You really want to do this? It’s been a month since we found that body, and think of all the rain we’ve had. What exactly are you hoping we’ll find?’
Tollin swung up to the table, ankles crossed. ‘Look, Molly. The amount of spores that was sent here, from what I’ve seen, if it’s been stored for a three year period, has to be enormous. Spores are tiny and those pods can hold a lot. Even if it is just a wee bit leaking into the stream, there’s still a huge amount out there spewing into the air. I want to find those pods and bring them back before something drastic happens. We might be able to find out what to do with them then. Besides, we need to get our hands on some of those stoneflowers and that’s the only place to get them.’
Molly flipped through a book. ‘The Red Wolves probably have all the Druids hooked on it now. Have you heard from Story recently?’
‘No,’ Tollin said grimly. ‘Last time we spoke she said just that. The Blaiden are forcing most of the Druids to drink it in ceremonies. I know Story was resisting, but I haven’t heard from here since we were at the keep a month ago. She could be turned by now.’
‘So if we’re going to find one of these pods, we’re going to have to steal one, won’t we?’
‘Yes…that will be a bit tricky. From what Story said, she made it sound like the Blaiden did their best to gather them all up. Somehow the spores are getting into the water, but why would the Blaiden waste their supply by dumping it in, especially if they’re addicted as well? Perhaps they missed one…which is what I hope. There’s other possibilities less pleasant…’
‘For instance?’
‘Maybe they’re being told to…’
Molly shuddered. ‘Makes sense, if the Blaiden are dumping them in, I doubt they’d do it without instructions, since it’s so addicting. You have to remember that they’re trading them with Tartans as well, and I doubt they’d come up with that on their own, so it makes sense they aren’t just leaking in from some loose pod. But who would do that? You mentioned someone might have guided them down, but why would someone want the Blaiden distributing them out to the different villages?’
Tollin groaned, running his long fingers through his hair. ‘I know it sounds strange. I’m still trying to work out the details why. I know the Denizens are responsible, I just don’t know how they’re associated with the Blaiden. Yet.’
‘Your plan is still crazy. You want to waltz into their territory and steal a missing pod leaking into the water that may or may not be there and lug it back here without the Blaiden or the Druids finding out? It’s even more dangerous if there’s another mysterious player involved, like you think. Do you realise how insane that sounds?’
‘Yes. And we need to go soon. Right after the festival. Are you coming or not?’ He shot her a piercing stare.
Molly blushed. ‘Do you always do stuff like this? Risking your life, coming up with daft plans?’
‘Oh yes! All the time!’ Tollin growled, grinning widely. He held out his hand to her.
Molly accepted his hand and dropped down off of her perch into his arms. ‘Guess I better get used to it then!’
Tollin beamed. ‘That’s more like it!’
She staggered slightly as pain rocketed through her head, her grip round his neck slackened.
Tollin gazed down at her sharply. ‘What’s the matter?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘It’s another headache, isn’t it?’
Molly waved him away, pushing out of his grasp, a little reluctantly. ‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it.’ She tried to keep her expression straight as a flurry of images and voices flashed through her head, things she couldn’t remember experiencing. ‘We will find each other again, I promise…’
Tollin glanced back to the map, lost in thought again, face working in concentration. Molly wasn’t sure if he was worrying over her headache, or lost in his own world again. Tollin was a complicated man. In all her time with him, he hadn’t shared anything about himself with her, nothing from his emotions to where he came from. For all he said, he never told her much.
Molly walked closer, trying to decipher his countenance. They had been dashing about so much lately she hadn’t had a chance to just sit and talk with him, and something was bothering her. Something that had been gnawing at her mind since their conversation he’d cut short on the tower. ‘Tollin, can I ask you something?’
He shrugged. ‘Don’t see why not. What’s on your mind?’ He picked up a glass paperweight and peered through it, eyes narrowed.
Molly took a deep breath. ‘Do you believe in destiny?’
‘Ah.’ He lowered the glass orb, gaze growing distant. ‘That’s a rather deep question.’
Molly leant against the table and crossed her arms. ‘I know, but…it’s just been on my mind lately. I can’t help but feel there’s something in my future.’
‘Well, everyone wants there to be something important in their future, and for you, I have no doubt great things will happen.’
‘Yes. I know it sounds silly but I can’t help but feel that there’s something about the light. I can’t get it out of my head.’
He studied her closely. ‘You’ve been having dreams about the Light?’
Molly swallowed, disturbed by his stare. ‘Yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s there, it’s always in my…visions.’
‘Tell me about them.’ Tollin swung round to face her fully.
Molly took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to call the distant images back to her mind.
‘I’m running through a wood,’ she said quietly. ‘But it’s not a wood from here. It’s different…strange. Alien.’ The memory flashed through her mind: pale trees, mist, hooves thundering through the deep grass, the flapping of wings. ‘I’m not alone. There are other people round me, others running…They’re not human either. There’s something different about them I can’t put my finger on.’
The images grew more real around her.
‘And what are you running from?’ Tollin asked gently, his voice drifting in through the vision.
Molly could feel the deep wet grass whipping round her legs, her heart beating. A deep, animalistic terror was filling her. Whatever was behind her was the most horrible, terrifying evil it was impossible for her to comprehend. She needed to see it. She stumbled and looked back. More figures were running past her, hardly casting a glance her way now that she had stopped.
Behind her was nothing but trees, and through them, lurking just beneath the branches, was darkness. Molly found herself rooted to the spot in terror. She couldn’t move. Whatever was just beyond the trees, whatever was in the darkness, had caught her and held her frozen in its power. She felt like a mouse before a snake. She gasped in panic, breath coming more and more uneven, wild. The trees looked like they were stretching, yawning wider to make room for the darkness beyond.
‘D—darkness…terrible, hunting darkness beyond the trees. It is something I can’t see, something hunting us, something horribly hungry and powerful…it’s coming! It’s coming!’
And then someone grabbed her hand. Molly’s gaze was freed from the dark trees and she was suddenly looking into the strangely familiar face of the person who had saved her life.
She remembered she was not really in the wood; she was with Tollin, telling him what she remembered. This wasn’t real; it was a memory, a dream, something that wasn’t hers. A vision.
‘There’s a man,’ she said shakily. She swallowed. ‘He saves me. He’s not…human, but I can’t explain why I know that.’ Molly closed her eyes tighter, as if squeezing her eyelids shut might make the image stronger. ‘He’s got dark lanky hair, kind of like y
ours…and blue eyes. His features are really heavy set, but he’s beautiful, and young, timeless…and he tells me that we have to go.’
Molly could feel the man’s hand clamped round hers. She could hear the terrible roaring behind them as they ran. Hear screams and shouts. And then it all blurred away, leaving nothing but a golden-white blanket of light.
‘And then there’s a powerful flash of light, and it’s all gone.’
She opened her eyes and stared at Tollin. His eyes and expression were dark.
‘What do you think it all means?’ Molly asked shakily.
Tollin heaved a breath. ‘I don’t know. It could be that you’re seeing a vision. Perhaps you have some weak psychic connection, perhaps you’re seeing something from the past, or perhaps something is bleeding through from another Realm, some tragic incident that has such powerful memories imprinted in it you’re allowed to see it. Without any equipment it’s hard for me to make an informed decision.’
‘It just feels so real, like it belongs to me.’
Tollin rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘Tell me, what are your early memories? Do you have any from before you were found in the forest by Andrew and company?’
Molly shook her head. ‘No. I’ve tried to remember, but I can’t. It’s like everything up till waking up in the forest just doesn’t exist.’
Tollin silently mulled that over for a moment.
Molly pursed her lips. ‘The last thing I see is that woman. She’s just staring at me, this woman. I don’t know how to explain her. She’s there sometimes in my mind, and I have a feeling she’s connected to you. When I’m with you, I feel the same as when I see her. It sounds funny but you share the same eyes, like you’ve seen the same stuff. You didn’t answer me before when I asked you about her, but I think you know.’
Tollin pressed his palms to his eyes and groaned. ‘I don’t really want to talk about her. Please, just try to ignore those dreams, don’t think on it. The Light isn’t something you want to get involved with, please trust me on that.’