by Nicki Ruth
The fire was slowly drawn into the pendant he held in his hands, heating the metal until it became unbearable to hold. But Jason fisted the necklace even as its wrathful heat scorched his flesh.
“You did well. Maybe we can work together after all,” the mage said, mocking laughter threaded through his words. “Don’t worry, he won’t die.”
Jason looked at the pendant as it sizzled his flesh. Cade vibrated desperately inside, and his heart broke knowing he was the cause of Cade’s suffering.
“Tell me about the ruby necklace,” Jason managed to say, his voice devoid of emotion. He had none to give. His soul felt oddly detached from his body, drifting away from conscious reality, lost and unfeeling.
“Well, I could tell you. Not like it would do you any good.” The mage rounded on Jason to look him in the eye. “I met him on Xanthus. A warrior needing the help of magic. The necklace was the only thing of value he had left to trade.”
“Xanthus?” Jason’s brows creased with worry and fear. “The colony that declared itself apart from the empire?”
“The very one!” the mage crowed. “Very unsavory characters there, if I must say so myself. That place is too savage, even for me.” After a moment he continued, “Was he family? Most don’t last long there. You should consider him dead and move on.” He turned with a dismissive wave his hand.
An angry hiss escaped Jason’s lips as he grabbed the mage. “You know nothing about him! How dare you!”
The mage gave Jason a lopsided smile and sent him flying across the room with a blast of energy from his hand. “Ah, ah. Not so powerful now, are you,” he taunted. “Your soul is shattered. You betrayed your . . . what, friend? Lover? Vahanas could never go against their nature. It pains them to do so, weakens them. After all, they are divine beings, made of virtue and bah . . . goodness.”
The derision of his words awakened new anxiety in Jason.
“Your betrayal has crippled you.”
Jason shook his head, stunned not only by the force that had sent him flying, but the mage’s caustic ravings.
The mage cackled as he grabbed Jason by the neck. “Now, you cannot fight against me. Your vahanan gifts cannot respond to a splintered soul. Did you think I was going to strike a deal with you? Free the young I spent years tracking?” He licked his cracked lips, eyes gleaming as Jason struggled. “I’ve destroyed the wills of you and Cadeonidas. Now, both of you will serve me.”
Remembering to call on his vampire half, Jason’s raked his claws against the mage’s face until he yelped and stumbled backwards, clutching his bloodied face.
But Jason was unable to capitalize on his brief moment of freedom. He swayed, disoriented and nauseous, his vision blurry. He tried to find his footing, but a thin ribbon constricted around his neck, choking him as he grabbed at his throat.
He bemoaned his weakness as the mage tightened his magical hold around him.
“You’ll pay for that! You cannot defeat my magic, boy,” he snarled. “Now for your confinement,” he announced triumphantly to the room. “Let me find the perfect charm for you.”
The promise in the mage’s words snaked fear up Jason’s spine. He clutched the golden necklace throbbing in his fist. He’d confined Cade to the pendant. But how was he to save him now?
The familiar hollow echo of hopelessness took hold of him just as tight as the dark magic around his neck. He was unable to free himself, couldn't call on his inner gifts. He’d destroyed the one he cared for, along with himself.
∞∞∞
"Call our names. Summon us, call our names."
The whispers floated by Jason’s ear, and he darted his gaze around the room.
"Summon us. Call our names. Listen."
Something or someone wanted him to summon them. Call to them? As he struggled with the vice around his neck that held him in place and robbed him of air, the mage wildly flipped through an ancient-looking book.
Jason struggled in earnest to break the spell constraining and suffocating him. He needed to escape before the mage found a spell that worked on him. Jason didn’t know if he, too, could be enchanted into an object, but he didn’t want to find out.
"Summon us." The quiet voice called to him again.
He tried to calm his racing heart to listen to the floating whispers in the room. They came from his left, fluttering faintly against the malevolence that filled the room.
He closed his eyes and released a steady breath, calling on his vahanan abilities—urging them to help him, just this once. He resolved to help Cade, make sure he survived, release him from his pained entrapment—if he could get himself out of this predicament.
"I’m Albus. I am Valere. Call our names!"
Jason’s eyes snapped open. The whispers continued and Jason, desperate for release, followed the instructions given. “Albus. Valere. Come!” he said to the room.
The mage whipped around at the sound of Jason’s voice. Before he could react, a loud rattling in the room. A burst of bright light erupted from a box a few feet to Jason’s left, shooting upwards to the ceiling, then curving and making its way toward him.
Jason braced himself, not knowing what he’d called forth.
“No!” the mage shouted as the light surrounded Jason, who felt a cool hardness in his hand. It vibrated with pure, calming energy that washed over him, buoying him above the despair dragging him under.
"Free yourself."
The mage advanced on him, and Jason wasted no time. Energy swirled from his hand and surged through his body. He tugged again at the binding at his neck, and the magic broke apart against his hand.
Once free, he gazed at a beautiful and intricately-wrought bow and arrow of the finest metal glittering in his hand. He glanced back at the mage, who’d halted in his tracks at seeing Jason freed.
“You’ll pay for what you’ve done. This, I promise,” Jason took a step toward him with renewed determination.
The mage seethed, his tattered faced distorted in rage as he glared at the weapon in Jason’s hand.
“Why did they respond to you?” he screamed, swiping his hands across the table, sending books and tools flying. “I broke you. They belong to me!”
Jason smirked at the man’s fury. “Oh, did you want this?” he taunted, holding up the bow and its lone arrow. “They came when I called. Maybe they didn’t like the sound of your wretched voice.”
Jason raised the bow and notched the arrow, aiming for the red-faced mage. But before he could release his arrow, a billowing thick miasma erupted from the sorcerer, and he disappeared. The choking mist brought water to his eyes and burned his lungs as Jason stumbled from the room to escape the toxic plume. Hacking and coughing, he tried to clear the foulness that seeped into his throat.
“Jason!”
He looked up through teary eyes to see his sire running towards him. Alexios helped him move further away from the fumes, where he tried to catch his breath.
“Father, he escaped. He got away. We have to find him.”
“We will. Tell me what happened. Where’s Cade?”
Cade. He’d failed him. Betrayed him.
Jason’s shoulders shook as he looked at his sire. He couldn’t utter the words to describe what he’d done to the one who meant the world to him. He looked down to where he still held on to the golden necklace, his hands so burnt they would probably never heal again.
Alexios must have sensed his distress, for he pulled Jason close without saying another word.
“I have to make this right, father. I must.”
∞∞∞
He shivered against the cold and darkness; it was a feeling so unusual to him. He’d been dipped into the void, the desolate emptiness swallowed him whole, and he wasn’t sure he could ever resurface.
Cade quieted himself, his flames wrapping around him, offering their comfort. His heart was empty, all feeling gouged from him. He willed himself to forget, to stop feeling, as he floated in the dark abyss.
All he could do wa
s await the horrors he would be forced to endure.
“Please forgive me. I’m sorry.”
“I will make this right. I promise, I’ll fix this.”
“I love you.”
Cade heard the weeping words quietly echoing around him, but he willed himself not to listen, not to hear the lies. He knew the voice, who it belonged to, but he would no longer be taken in by the promise of sweet words or deceived by youthful desire.
His heart faltered in his chest, and he willed his flames to burn it away, to erase the etched memories of the one who had owned it.
The one who damned him to an eternity of loss and heartbreak.
∞∞∞
It was daybreak, and the sanctuary was quiet. The mage had disappeared, but they were certain they knew where he was headed. Alexios and Davina had found the four missing children and needed Jason to break them from their magical bindings.
Davina destroyed the large blood-filled crystal that was the source of the mage’s reanimating magic. Bending to her call, the blood of two hundred soldiers, collected from those fallen in battle and used to make puppets of unrested souls, was released. The bodies had fallen to the ground, returned to their death slumber once more.
But there was to be no celebrating. One child had been lost, drained of his soul. And there was Cade, trapped in the pendant.
With his head bowed over the golden necklace still clutched in his hands, Jason whispered his yearning desire and love, hoping his words—his heartfelt feelings—reached Cade.
He promised, no matter what it took, he would find a way to release and heal Cade of his mortal injury.
Thinking of the other necklace he’d encountered, Jason couldn’t bring himself to tell his sire what he’d learned.
He listened as Alexios and Brandr prepared to scout for the mage, who’d undoubtedly headed into the subterranean tunnel he’d dug to recover Karina’s buried god power—her earth stone, which created the sanctuary. Jason wasn’t quite sure what is was or looked like but knew the mage must not get his hands on it. Even now, Karina protected her hidden treasure, but they weren’t willing to take chances that the mage wouldn’t be able to overcome Karina’s defenses. He’d proved well-versed in ancient, treacherous magic.
“Jason?”
Jason raised his head to find his sire’s concerned gaze on him.
“Are you ready?”
Jason slowly rose from his seat on the ground and got to his feet, grabbing his new bow and placing the necklace around his neck. The heat emanating from it was drastically diminished, which frightened him. He could not allow Cade to suffer any more than he already had.
“Yes. And he’s mine to kill,” Jason replied with steely determination in his voice. He swore the mage would pay with his life.
The three of them headed in the direction of the large pit formed by the ship’s drill. Davina had returned to the cave with the freed children, along with Garland and Wushien.
Jason was the first to jump into the dark tunnel, following the faint, foul odor of the magician. The heavy sensation of dark magic grew stronger as they hurried quietly along, his sire close behind him, followed by Brandr.
Jason soon heard the mage’s whispering and came to a stop. “He’s nearby,” he relayed to Alexios, who nodded.
“We’ll follow your lead,” Alexios said.
Jason turned to his sire, whose dark gaze remained steady on him. His chest swelled, filled with pride at his sire’s trust and approval; to have them boosted his crumbling confidence over his recent failure.
Alexios placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Jason, you did what needed to be done. It was a hard decision, but one you made for the long-term good. Do not doubt yourself now.”
Jason lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. His heart was in turmoil over what he’d done to Cade, hating himself for his hasty decision. But it was to save Cade; it was his only goal.
He returned his gaze to his sire and gave a hesitant smile. “I’ll approach first. Make him think I’ve come alone. You and Brandr wait here.”
After approval from both Alexios and Brandr, Jason stalked forward, careful to suppress his aura. After several feet, the mage came into view, kneeling and chanting with glowing arms outstretched before a set of half-buried, mangled-looking roots.
They looked like any other set of tree roots meandering quietly into the surrounding earth. Resting among them was a small glowing stone, barely bigger than his fist.
With the lingering scent of eucalyptus, Jason knew he’d just found Karina’s concealed godhead.
“This ends here, mage,” Jason announced.
The mage’s shoulders tensed, but he slowly lowered his hands, keeping his back to Jason.
Jason called on his shield, hoping it wouldn’t falter, and prepared for the mage’s underhanded assaults.
“Jason, you’re beginning to irritate,” the man in the blue robes said, turning to face him. The mage’s nostrils flared in suppressed rage as he saw the gleaming bow in Jason’s hands. The scent of eucalyptus flooded the dank tunnel and the earth shook, causing dirt to rain over them.
“I offered you a perfectly good deal, but you played me the fool. I was willing to be yours.”
A wicked crack of laughter came from the mage. “The gift I’m soon to gain will make me the most powerful practitioner in the universes. You’ll have no option but to be my dutiful servant, Jason.”
Jason fingered the lone arrow and slowly raised his bow. The mage widened his stance as a dark, pulsing light encircled him, its menacing energy vibrating against Jason's chest.
Without warning, the mage fired several bolts of dark light at Jason, who dodged and rolled to avoid them.
“Once I’m done harvesting the bountiful powers here, I’ll deal with you and Cadeonidas!” the mage shrieked.
With an ear-splitting roar, the earth shook again, more violently this time, sending both men sprawling to the ground.
Jason scrambled to his knees, trying to get into a position to release his bow, but the earth kept shaking, knocking the mage backwards.
To Jason’s astonishment, the roots disentangled from their earthly rest and stretched out fingered limbs to wrap around the mage’s body.
He cried out in surprise, and again in pain, as the woody limbs tightened their grip, causing his eyes to bulge and face to turn an even greyer shade of blue.
Jason nocked his arrow and aimed while the mage screamed in agony. But the dark magician was not done. Heavy pressure descended like a mantle over the already dark tunnel, and Jason looked on slack-jawed as what was once a man transformed into a slithering, slimy eel-like humanoid. It gagged and croaked as it tried to claw its way into the earth and out of the punishing grip of the animated roots.
Loud cracks reverberated around them as the shaking continued, and the earthen roof began to cave in. Jason cursed as he lost his footing and the bow released its off-target arrow with a piercing hiss.
Almost free, the wiggling reptilian scrambled into the loosened soil as the arrow glowed a bright white. Jason helplessly looked on as the line of light curved to the right, following its target as both disappeared into the earth.
Chapter 24
Alexios shot Brandr a glance as the ground shook beneath them, the earthen walls crumbling.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m going to get Jason.”
“Wait.” Brandr stopped him. “Something’s coming.”
Alexios turned to see one side of the tunnel wall shaking, giving way to chunks of soil and rock that pelted them. He heard an agonizing screech muffled within the dirt wall as it rolled like an earthen wave barreling toward them.
A bright light flashed, temporarily blinding Alexios, who was hurled backwards as a blast of dirt and rock exploded over him. “Brandr!” he cried out.
“Here,” came the grumbled reply. “What the hell was that?”
As the air cleared around them, they saw filtering ribbons of light from above as a hole th
ree feet across marked a way to the surface.
“That was one hell of an earthquake.” Brandr dusted himself off and turned to Alexios.
“Let’s go get Jason,” Alexios said, anxious to reach his sireling.
They found Jason bent over on his knees, half buried in dirt before a twisted set of roots, his fingers sunk into the loosened earth. He turned at their approach, a mixture of rage and despair clouding his reddened eyes.
“He got away from me again,” Jason cried, punching his fist into the ground. “Fuck!” he yelled, throwing his head back.
Alexios shared a look with Brandr, their concern for Jason more pronounced since Alexios found him choking on the mage’s poisoned gas. After hearing about Cade, Alexios was troubled for Jason who seemed haunted by what had happened.
Alexios walked over and knelt at Jason’s side. “He’s not going anywhere. We have his ship, and his crew, his dead. He’s done,” Alexios reassured him.
“He tunneled into the earth, but I missed. My aim . . . I was off. I—” Jason broke off on a sob as he reached over and took hold of the delicate-looking bow he’d obtained on the ship.
Alexios couldn’t help but admire how it seemed to glow under Jason’s hand while he gently fingered the etched markings on its side.
“Valere,” Jason murmured, and Alexios stood in awed silence as the bow was overcome by an intense, white light which shot from Jason’s hand and to the side, where it morphed into a young boy.
They all gaped as the boy, dressed in an oversized, dirty white robe, glared at Jason with his hands fisted at his side.
“I can’t believe I’m tied to you. You idiot! Don’t you know how to use a bow?” The boy huffed and continued to glare at Jason.
“Va . . . Valere?” Jason croaked out.
Alexios creased his brows in confusion. Did Jason know the mysterious, young boy who’d emerged from the ball of light?
The boy’s eyes widened as he regarded Jason with dismay. He pulled at his dark hair and stomped. “Unbelievable!”