“He refuses to eat,” Art said standing on the other end of the room. “We’ve had to force feed him a few times so he can survive.”
My heart tore until I reminded myself this was the same man that had lured me into a trap. The same that had kidnapped Lia and I, and allowed his people to torture us physically, emotionally and psychologically. All the while knowing that I couldn't do what they asked of me. They had done it because they were in a position of power over us and because it had pleased them. It was as simple as that.
“Felix,” I called, locking my heart to a sympathy he did not deserve. His head snapped towards me and dread clouded his gaze.
“Are you ok?” He asked then shook his head as though admonishing himself for the question. He looked away before I could really look into his eyes. Still, it had been enough to notice the redness and swelling in them.
“What are you doing here?”
I had no answer to that question. My gaze met Eisha’s briefly as she passed me, exiting the cave.
“Why?” I asked, trying to find at least an ounce of reasoning to what could have prompted him to do that to us.
His head bobbed, and he looked at me. “Why?” He said, turning the question on me. “Why haven't they tortured me? Why haven't they tried to get information out of me to save their people? Why do they keep me here? Why haven't they killed me yet?!” He bellowed the last question, and I stepped back. He reached for his head rubbing it. “They are playing mind games with me. Trying to brainwash me, so I think what they tell me is the truth…” His gaze settled on me and his eyes were filled with despair. “Are they telling the truth?” He shook his head immediately, negating the thought, and banged his head against the wall. “No. No, they are the monsters. They are trying to control me! Turn me against my own father.” His crazed eyes looked at Cyn. “You took me away from them, but my father will come for me. They will rescue me, and once they find this place they will kill you all!”
“That's Enough, Felix!” I stepped forward, and his eyes focused on me. “I understand that it must be difficult to find out that your whole belief system is a lie. I know what it feels like to realize that the one person you look up to, the one you love the most, and would do anything to make them proud, has spent his whole life lying to you.” His gaze lowered and for a brief moment, he looked defeated. “It must not be easy to realize that the things you have done were wrong and that you were manipulated into doing them.” Felix shut his eyes, like he was trying to block my words and began to rub his head forcefully. “All those people they have killed. All those innocent people you helped them find with your ideas and inventions. It must be hard to live with yourself after you realized your family has been responsible for the most horrible genocide attacks in history!”
“Shut up.” He said, increasing the pressure on his head.
“It must torment you to find out that your uncle killed all those people in Africa. That he assassinated an entire village, my parents, and almost killed a baby at the orders of Cassius and your father.”
“Shut up!”
“I will not shut up! How can you justify torturing and slaughtering innocent people? Killing entire families, burning them alive?” The anger and pain surged through me like wildfire as the images of what those people must have gone through went through my mind. They seemed so real as if I had lived it myself. My eyes widened, and I whipped my head towards Cyn, realizing I was somehow seeing his memories of that night. The night he had lost Grandpa. It only infused the agony and rage inside me. “You have no idea what we can do. The magic, the control over nature all of it is true. It is about the only thing they told you that wasn't manipulated to make them look like heroes. Use your brain, Felix!” I yelled, feeling the rage get the best of me. “If Druids truly used their powers against humanity don't you think the story would be reversed? Don't you think they would have annihilated the Romans? That you would be the ones running for your lives? They didn't even use the magic to defend themselves, Felix! It went against their believes.” The tears spilled from my eyes, my lips trembled with every word, but I forced myself to speak. “They killed my parents. They killed the only man I had left in my life. The man that gave everything up and renounced his life as the High Priest so that I could be safe. They killed him in front of my eyes and he died in my arms. The last thing he said to me was that he was glad to give his life for mine, and you still think we are the monsters? Your father is the monster. All of you are!”
“Shut up!!” He said jumping up from the mattress. “You are lying!! I know who you truly are! Leigh has told us everything your people have done. My father said the Druids were the ones that started burning people that night so that they could blame us! Don't put your demons on us when it is you who has been killing innocent people to fit your cravings since your race began. You are evil just like them, and you all deserve to die! You use people and kill them. You make human sacrifices to please Gods that don't even exist! We are doing the world a kindness by freeing it of you! We will kill all of you as soon as we get the chance, and I will watch you burn with a smile on my face because we have finally ended your damn race. I'm glad we killed your parents! I'm glad we killed your grandfather and that you saw him die, because he won't be the last!"
“Aahh!” I screamed, filled with a pulsating rage as the hold inside me snapped. Before I even realized it, the image of Asrhia being pushed back by the air fortress crossed my mind. I didn’t even speak. The centrifugal force wrapped around my glowing hands and I pushed them with all my strength against his chest. Felix was blown backwards, hitting the stonewall behind him. A cracking sound reverberated through the cave, and his body fell on the floor, unmoving. Blood began to trickle from his nose.
“Briana!” Cyn yelled as Art's hands gripped my arms. I tried to walk closer to Felix. My hands still glowed, and I could see nothing, hear nothing but his last words.
“I’m glad we killed your grandfather and that you saw him die because he won’t be the last!”
The tears spilled from my eyes distorting my vision. Cyn continued to heal Felix as I fought against Art’s hold and tried to get closer. He did not deserve to live. I put my hand on Art’s arm and blew it backwards, letting me free.
“Daingead, Sis!” He yelled, holding me again. Soon, Cyn's arms replaced Art's, and he captured my arms, trapping them against my torso. He lifted me from the ground, taking me out of there.
“No!” I bellowed between an ache so strong I could barely feel my lungs filling with air, and a rage so pure all I wanted was to see Felix gone.
The portal opened into our hut, and Cyn carried me inside while I still struggled to get out of his hold. My legs kicked and my body jerked in his arms.
“Aahhh!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs while the pain ripped every inch of me apart. My body jerked in his arms again, and he finally let me go. I stumbled forward while the air was sucked out of me.
I couldn’t think.
I couldn’t breathe.
All I could see was Grandpa's face as the large bullet went through his back and he fell to the floor. The pool of blood staining his white Druid robe while I cried over him, and my world disintegrated. I had never felt so impotent in my life. So alone. I screamed again. I swept my hands over the dresser, and everything went flying to the floor. I took the mirror and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces while the pain mixed with the overwhelming anger I thought I'd left behind. How many times had I seen Grandpa cry for my parents? How many times had I cried because I never got to meet them? I turned towards Cyn as he stood by the door.
“They took everything from me!” The sobs wracked me as Grandpa's voice resounded in my head.
“… The Romans killed them. They killed everyone in the village… They have spent centuries looking for us. Raised their children to become like them, infecting their minds with righteous envy…”
“They take lives without regard. They kill because they t
hink they have the right to!” I looked around the hut, but I couldn't really focus on anything. “They killed your people. For centuries they have killed everyone you knew and loved. They killed my parents. They killed Grandpa and took everything from me… and for what? For power. That is all they want. That is the only thing they care about, Cyn. Can't you see? We will never have peace while they are out there. They will never stop! They'll continue coming after us until they finish what they started, and kill us all!"
“I will not let them touch you.”
“You will not have a choice! If they come again, for us, they'll be prepared. They'll have better weapons, more soldiers. They'll do whatever it takes. We cannot continue to hide here while they annihilate an entire race, Cyn! They are out there, planning who knows what while I'm busy playing ‘child of the meadow’ here. I cannot continue to ignore my responsibilities. I cannot turn my cheek and pretend that nothing happened. They murdered my family, and I want justice. My parents deserve justice. Grandpa deserves justice!"
“Justice is not for man to serve, Briana.”
“Who is it for, then? Your Goddess? The one that watched, as your people burned alive? The one that stood by while they killed my family? Well, she’s not here, Cyn. Even if she were, she probably would still allow things to continue to happen and those monsters to kill us all.”
“I know you are hurting, but you know not what you are saying. My Goddess, please. You need to take a step back.”
“No. I need to take a step forward, Cyn. I've had enough. I want Justice. They need to learn that their actions have consequences. They will pay for what they have done, and I'm going to make sure of that.” I wiped the tears from my face bitterly, and walked towards the door.
“Briana, please. Think about what you are doing. Nels would not want this.”
The tears fell from my eyes as I looked into his. The agony coiled and churned within me. “It's because I'm thinking of him that I know I can't keep hiding. We cannot keep hiding. I am here for a reason. These people are my people now, and I will protect them. These abilities I possess, this power was given to me for a reason. I finally know why. The Romans will never leave us alone, Cyn. We will not have peace until they are gone.”
His eyes widened, then clouded with pain while he looked at me. “You do not know what it is to live a thousand lives, with the faces of the people you have killed in your conscience, Briana. I will not have that for you.”
My hands shook as the rage won inside me. More tears fell. “I don’t care what happens to me.”
“I do!” He yelled, taking me into his arms. “This is not the way, my Goddess, please.”
I tried to control my breathing so that I could form the words. My lips trembled. “I. Want. Justice.”
“No. You want revenge.”
My heart tore when I saw the disappointment in his eyes. “So be it.” I wrenched myself out of his arms and turned for the door. “I will not wait until they come here and kill us all.”
“Do not do this, Briana. Please. I beseech you. This is not the way. You will darken your essence. This goes against everything we stand for!”
I placed my hand on the door as the sobs shook my body.
“I promised to always be there for you but this path of hate… this path you are taking… I cannot follow you there.”
I turned around as my heart ripped in two. “I have to do this for my parents. I…” the pain was so intense inside me I could barely speak. “I have to do this for Grandpa. I have to…” I looked at my hand and saw the ring Cyn had given me. “Even if you can't follow me.” I placed the ring on the table and yanked the door open, running outside.
“No, Briana!” Cyn yelled after me, but I couldn't look back.
I ran, and ran as the pain coursed through me, mixed with the all-consuming fury I felt. Grandpa’s voice returned.
“…. My little Bee. You are my life. You are everything to me…”
I ran through the wards of the village’s entrance, and found Asrhia standing outside.
“I know you are hurting,” She said, with tears in her eyes as though it affected her too.
“I can’t be here right now.”
She nodded. “I know. Come with me.” She extended her hand.
“Briana!”
Cyn's voice reached us, and I turned to the entrance. He was running towards us.
“It is all right. He cannot see you yet.”
"Let's go." I took her hand, and her fingers reached for the stone necklace. She whispered the spell and the blue light engulfed us. We disappeared.
Asrhia's portal was the strangest thing. I couldn’t see an archway forming like our portals, but I instantly saw the inside of a hut right in front of us. I thought for a second she had taken me back to Cyn until I found Eisha's eyes. They were filled with tears just like mine. She stared right at me as we stepped inside.
“Asrhia? What are you doing here?” Eisha asked, and I frowned.
“Do you know each other?”
“I brought her here because this has gone on long enough,” Asrhia answered. “You too need each other.” She faced me and gave me a brief hug. “I hope this is what you needed.”
Then she disappeared.
My eyes found Eisha’s and she walked towards me. “I am truly sorry.”
“No, I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't know what I was doing, but that isn't an excuse. I never meant for that tornado to hit you. I had no control… I didn't know that would happen. I don't blame you for resenting me. I'm sorry. I'm mortified that I hurt you.”
She shook her head slowly, frowning. “Is that what you believe? That I have avoided you because you reacted out of grief and I was injured?”
I nodded as another tear fell down my cheek.
“Oh, a chara. No. I could never blame you for that. I am immortal, all that did was knock me out and give me a hell of a migraine the next day.” She chuckled, but her face remained distraught. Her eyes glistened, and I could tell her next words would take a toll on her. She held my hands tightly, as though she was looking for strength. “It is my fault the Mòr sagart was killed. I am the one that searched for him. I took him to the lake hoping he could talk the Romans into peace like he had done with enemy armies so many times in our era. I used this ability I have been cursed with to find him, and all it did was get him killed. It is my fault he died, Briana. I killed your grandfather.”
Her words were swollen by her cries. Her body shook, and I hugged her tightly. She clung to me while the guilt she had been carrying crushed her once again.
“You got it all wrong, Eisha.” My hands caressed her hair while the tears began to flow from my eyes. “You are not cursed. It's because of you that I'm alive today. Thanks to your gift Cyn found Lia and I, and rescued us. You helped bring us back, and as if that wasn't enough you put your life on the line that day to defend us. They could have killed you too, yet you didn't care because you knew that Cyn and I needed you and you risked your life for us. No one knows what they would have done to Lia and I if you hadn't helped Cyn to find us. I'm glad you took Grandpa there because you gave me one last chance to be with him. It is because of you that I got to hug him and tell him I loved him. He died, but you didn't kill, Grandpa. The Romans did.” Her eyes settled on mine as understanding finally set in. “I need justice, Eisha. They need to pay for what they have done. Not only to Grandpa but my parents and every Druid they have ever hunted down and killed. I want justice.”
“So do I,” She said, and another tear fell. She cleared her throat and wiped her face. In an instant, I saw the change in her. She was closing off her heart and becoming the Laochra Ceannaire— Warrior Leader. “If you go after them, I will stand with you. The Warriors will stand beside you.”
“Cyn won't agree,” I warned her.
“I am aware. Nevertheless, it must be done.”
“Can I ask you for something?” I said, unsure she would want to help me.
She nodded. “Anything.�
��
“Train me as a Warrior. I want to be able to fight.”
She straightened, and her eyes filled with a fierce determination I had only seen in Cyn before.
“I shall make you the best Warrior we have ever seen.”
* * *
I opened the door to the hut, and Cyn rushed towards me, the moment I stepped inside. His hands cradled my cheeks, and he pushed me back, pressing me against the wall. He looked straight into my eyes, his gaze penetrating and filled with despair. My heart tore at the realization that I had done that to him.
“I have no cares for how many quarrels we hold. It matters not the times we find each other on different paths. Nevertheless, know this. If I cannot walk with you, I shall always, always meet you on the other side. Whatever we must go through we shall go through it together. One way or another, I will always be there.” His hands trembled on my face as he tried to contain his anger. “But you shall not run away from me again. Not from me, Briana. Never from me, and you certainly do not take this ring off.” He put it in my palm and my eyes watered. “We belong to each other. No matter what happens between us, even after my soul is ripped from this body, you do not take this ring off.”
He let go of me and walked away. I stayed there, looking at him and hating myself for hurting him like this. He pushed his hands through his hair and turned around. When his gaze settled on me, he closed the distance between us. His body pushed me against the wall once again, and he crushed his lips to mine in a desperate kiss filled with need, hunger, and love. He pulled me into his arms and held me so fiercely against his chest that I knew he feared ever letting me go. His heart thundered against my chest. Tears stung my eyes.
“Do not do that to me again, Briana.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I cannot lose you,” he whispered, a second before his lips claimed mine again, and my tears seeped between them. When he finally let go of me, he took the ring from my palm and slid it on my finger. He took control of my lips, yet again, my heart and my body.
Renewed Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 2) Page 19