His jaw shifted beneath my fist and jerked to the side. The force shattered the bone and his jaw unhinged, sagging off his face. Vincent stumbled back, and his eyes rolled back into his head.
The power that had invaded my mind vanished, and I threw my other arm toward him. Heat rose in my chest and down my arm, sparking at my fingertips. A stream of blue flame exploded from my palm, flashing red, and then an intense white.
Vincent screamed as the flame swallowed his body and he crumpled to the ground, but the pain was not only his. Anger flooded through me, and heat seared the wound on my chest.
“Chase Williams, stop this!” Tiki’s voice rang in my ear, but I didn’t hold back. I pushed through the pain with a clenched jaw and let anger guide me. This was the last time Vincent would get in my way. “Chase!” Tiki shouted again, before his hands gripped my shoulders and threw me to the ground.
Magic sucked itself back inside me and anger burned in my eyes. Tiki stared down at me, the orange of his eyes gone and replaced by a solid white. Long bone claws were half extended from his fingertips and the tips of white bone had started protruding from his arms.
Tiki was stronger than I’d imagined and I fought against his hold, but the spikes on his arm were touching my throat, and struggling would only force me to stab myself.
“That is enough,” Tiki said.
“Get out of my way.”
“And this is the anger that puts us all at risk!” Tiki shouted. “I will die for you if that is my destiny, Chase Williams, but I will not let you kill us with your rage.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Tiki’s words had snuffed out the flame that had burned inside me.
“We told Vincent we’d help him. A warrior never goes back on his word. Not ever.”
“I never gave him my word, and I promised him nothing.”
Trolls gathered around us, smashing their cups together and watching with anticipation.
“He asked for help, and the moment we brought him here, we agreed to honor that request.”
“No, I didn’t agree to anything! I saved his life and that was more than I needed to do.”
“I was the one who brought us here. That is my gift to wield, not yours. If you want nothing to do with that commitment, so be it, but as I once offered my services to you, I have now extended that invitation to him as well.”
Vincent screamed and flailed on the ground, trying to pull himself towards the river, but his body was slow and sluggish. The smell of burning skin filled the air, and it singed the back of my throat.
Tiki looked fiercely determined, and I felt it in his eyes. He had made up his mind.
I relaxed my body and stopped fighting against him. He was right.
The moment I nodded, he pushed himself off me and ran as close to Vincent as he could get.
I sat up from the ground and rubbed my throat, but Tiki’s eyes were still burning through me. His demon had fully receded, and he motioned me towards Vincent.
Vincent was hardly moving and I reached out with my magic. I felt the fire’s energy pulsing off him and I called it back. The flames snapped at the air, and in a moment, they were gone, leaving Vincent twitching and groaning on the ground.
Garsmith was watching from his seat. He acknowledged me with a curt nod before his attention returned to the many women that surrounded him.
“Is he okay?” I asked.
“He’ll live, but he needs healing.” Tiki’s eyes met mine.
“Oh no, I’m not using my…” Tiki’s eyes narrowed and I sighed. “Fine.”
I brought the water element to my fingertips and placed a hand against Vincent’s back. He cried out the moment I touched him. His skin was hot, nearly burning my fingertips, and I shook my head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“It’s because you are a better man than most, Chase Williams.”
The magic poured into Vincent, and I envisioned his wounds closing, but even as I washed his wounds away in my mind, there were no physical results.
“It’s not working.”
Tiki looked concerned and examined some of the burnt skin on Vincent’s hands. “He needs blood,” he said, turning to me.
“Don’t even look at me like that.” I stepped away. “I tried my element and that’s all I’m doing. That bloodsucker isn’t getting anywhere close to my neck.”
“Here, here!” Garsmith yelled. “Let the vermin squirm in his own mess. Gods knows he deserves it. Besides, I offered you our help.” Garsmith smiled and raised his glass to the sky. “The moon is high and it is full. May the seers guide your way!”
Three cloaked figures walked out from the tent behind him. Black fabric hung over their bodies, covering them entirely. I could see the shuffle of sandaled feet stepping over one of the trolls who’d passed out in the dirt, and their skin was so bright it seemed to glow.
“Come, child,” said a voice so soft and smooth it caught me off-guard. The troll’s voices were brash and hoarse, but hers was warm and calm, bordering on seductive.
One of the seers led the way while the other two trailed behind her. I moved in line behind them and turned back to Tiki, who was still crouched over Vincent with sadness in his eyes.
“They are not welcome,” one voice said. “Only the one whose path we seek must be present,” said the next. “All other auras will interfere,” finished the third.
“Okay…” I said. “I’ll be back soon.”
Tiki didn’t respond and guilt tugged at me, but I had to fight it. There were more important things going on right now than Vincent being extra crispy.
******
The seers led me across the nearly inoperable bridge and up the side of a small hill. At the top was a grassy platform with a border of large trees. The glow from the fire in the village below was faint, and we were high enough up that the only sound to be heard was the breeze rustling the leaves.
I gathered wood for the fire as the seers requested, and when I returned with an armful of kindling, they sat in a circle in front of three ashy pits. Their hands were linked, exposing the whitest flesh I’d ever seen. It was so pale it seemed to glow in the moonlight.
The moon had risen and hung directly above, showering us in pastel radiance. I stood behind them while they chanted quietly to themselves and after a few moments, their voices stopped and they unlinked their hands.
They directed me to make a small pile of wood behind each of them, and then sit in the center of their circle. I did as they asked and crossed my legs, feeling strange and somewhat vulnerable.
Together they stood and peeled back their robes, dropping them to the ground and leaving bright white flesh bared and exposed. Their bodies were round and swollen, but unlike the trolls, their skin was unblemished. No discoloration, warts, or scars were to be seen. Their stomachs stretched out as though each of them was bearing children, and their hands were human-like and fragile.
Red fingernails contrasted with their skin, and they were long enough that they’d started to curl into themselves. With the exception of their heads, their bodies were free of hair. Long black locks fell to their waists, looking smooth and healthy and shimmering in the moonlight. Their faces were similar, with oversized round noses and large, disproportionate ears. They looked like an entirely different species than the trolls.
They turned their faces to me and opened their eyes. They had no eyebrows or eyelashes, and the solid white orbs staring back at me sent a chill down my spine. No pupil sat in the center, but I could feel them peering into my body and penetrating my soul.
All at once, the wood piles ignited in flame: one blue, one gold, one green. The logs snapped and colorful embers swirled in the air, disappearing into the night and creating a strange aura around us.
The seers reached their arms out and held each other’s hands. They moved from side to side, their hips and shoulders swaying in sync with one another. They whispered strange words from black lips, and the energy around us grew heavy with power.<
br />
“We are the sisters of moonlight and the daughters of sun. We are the mothers of what has been, and what has not yet come. We are the seers of the Underworld and in this moment, our power is yours,” they chanted together.
The power was thick, and the one in front of me stepped forward. “Give unto us your soul, reveal to us your desires, and tell us, precious hunter, what is it you seek?”
Her eyes locked with mine and a connection was formed. I knew I didn’t have to speak. She knew me better than I knew myself now. I could feel her, just at the edge of my shields. If I reached out, I could know her too. I would be able to see her entire life, but I couldn’t…I didn’t want to. She was inside my soul, and I never wanted her to leave. Her energy filled me, and I wouldn’t risk losing this connection. I held on to the power she put inside me and basked in her energy.
The seer kneeled in front of me and placed both hands on my face. The world around me blurred as the energy of the other seers hovered around us. Each of them moved into my body, one at a time, until they were all joined inside me. Their power linked and pushed through my soul. My magic swelled, and their energy welcomed it.
My focus enhanced, and her eyes seemed to grow. They moved closer and closer until nothing but white filled my vision. I tried to blink and shake my head, but I couldn’t move. I was not seeing through my eyes. I was not in my body. I simply existed in a world, and it moved around me at an incredible speed.
I saw Marcus fighting a demon I’d never seen. He looked weathered and tired and ready to give up. Rayna’s magic shot from the ground; a spiral of rocks exploded from the earth and moved through the air, smashing a half-dozen monsters. Tiki and Vincent had both shifted. They were back-to-back and fighting off a trio of attackers.
The vision changed and Eric was there, his usual anger painting his face. He fought a strange creature, whose lower half was a lion and upper half was a human-like creature. Tall mountains rose up in the distance, covered in white caps of snow.
White light filled the screen inside my mind, and the image washed away. Willy was standing in a doorway. His skin cycled from one color to another, never stopping for even a second. Deep scratches covered his face, and his lip was swollen. His eyes were open, and he didn’t look to be in pain.
“Chase?” he asked. Fear filled me, and before I could respond, the image was gone.
Grams stood in an open field. A blue dress billowed around her, and streaks of white hair flung around her face. It was the first time I’d seen her when she wasn’t smoking. Her pupils expanded, leaving nothing but a solid black to fill her eyes. Wind whipped around her and lightning scorched the skies. Her magic was strong and growing dark. Rage swirled inside her, but pain dripped in the form of magic from her fingertips.
Riley’s face appeared in my vision, then the Dark Brothers. They were attempting to use magic to enter this trance. Or was this part of it? I could feel them pushing at the barrier, but they couldn’t break through.
“We must hurry,” the seer’s voice echoed in my head. “Show us what you truly want.”
Everything faded to white, then bright green silhouettes started to appear on either side of the vision. Tall spruce trees lined a pathway that was covered in a dusting of snow. Their scent hung in the air with the fresh, cool air of a winter’s grasp.
Rayna was wrapped in a bright white coat. Blue jeans clung to her legs and disappeared into brown knee-high boots. A layer of faux fur lined the top edges, and dark brown laces tied them tight around her calves. White gloves covered her hands while a matching hood covered most of her head, leaving only a few black and red strands lying over her shoulder.
I felt a smile dancing at my lips as her green cat eyes sparkled brighter than ever before. “There,” she whispered. Her white gloved hand pointed to the trees.
I hesitated but she nodded, urging me forward. I walked through the shallow snow and reached out to part the branches, but my hands were covered in blood.
I was on the edge of a cliff, looking between the trees and down over a world on fire. Red moonlight was cast over the ground, giving everything a deathly glow. The ground was smooth, covered in red sand, but somehow, trees grew from the dry earth.
Red liquid shot up in bursts from small, rocky geysers in the ground, igniting once it hit the air and turning to flame.
A massive black lake sat in the center of the earth. Bubbles formed as the liquid inside boiled, and as each one popped, a tiny scream escaped them.
Just off the shore were all my friends, fighting on a stone altar. Massive claw-like stone columns were built up around them, curling over the battle. An enormous statue stood far from them, but like a camera zooming in, the vision focused on it.
Black marble shone in the moonlight, revealing chiseled abs and muscular arms that wielded vicious-looking blades. Shoulder-length hair was carved into the stone and a look of rage was chiseled on its face.
“What is this?” I asked, but there was nobody there to answer. White filled the vision and then the smell of smoke filled my nostrils.
When my eyes opened, I was still on the platform, but I was no longer with the seers. I was alone. The breeze was stronger now, and the moon had fallen in the sky. Lines of yellow and blue shone at the edges of the horizon and the air had grown warmer. The three fires surrounding me had been put out, leaving only drifts of smoke to remain.
I climbed to my feet and looked down over the village. The three seers were crossing the bridge. Black cloaks covered their bodies, and they walked single file. They didn’t reach for the rope as the planks swayed beneath their feet; they walked in smooth, steady strides until they reached the village.
“What the hell was that?”
Chapter 12
Images from the vision replayed in my mind as I made my way back to the trolls’ camp. I wanted to piece them together like a storyboard, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know where to start or what went were, and Tiki’s words kept interfering with my thoughts. He said my rage would get everyone killed. Was he right?
I knew my emotions had gotten me into trouble, more so recently than ever before. They had interfered with my elements, and my impatience had put us in some less than desirable situations. Was it my ignorance and disregard for the rules that had gotten my mom killed? Marcus knew we’d had to meet Vincent by ourselves, but I couldn’t have let Rayna go to that house alone. And I’m not sure I could have stopped her.
I was still grieving, and of course I felt responsible, but deep down inside I had known it wasn’t really my fault. Now I wasn’t so sure. If I had never pushed Rayna to go see Vincent in the first place…could all of this have been avoided? Would it have stopped Riley from finding Rayna? I wanted to answer those questions with a yes, but I wasn’t so sure.
My arrogance put us in that situation in Drakar and it got my mother killed. My anger destroyed the condo and forced Marcus to renovate. I pushed him into agreeing to come to Theral with us, and gods knew I’d forced Willy into countless situations he had no business being a part of. If Marcus had hair, I would be the reason it was gray. And if Willy was smart, he’d get away from me as quickly as he could. Everyone would.
That realization made me sad. Marcus had been so good to me, and I had done so much to him not worth forgiving. My stupidity had done a lot of things and hurt a lot of people: my mother, Marcus, Rayna, Willy, and even Tiki.
Working with Marcus and learning control and self-restraint the past few weeks had worked miracles with my magic, but the first chance I had, I’d forgotten all of that. I’d wanted to kill Vincent more than anything else. That wasn’t right. I was the Protector, and I was supposed to defend the dimensions, not be the judge and jury for every creature inside them.
Tiki sat on the ground, leaning against a stump. Vincent was crumpled next to him, his shirt removed and his pale flesh nearly healed. Tiki’s eyelids were heavy and he looked to be forcing his eyes to stay open.
“Hey…” I cleared my throat as I approach
ed.
Tiki jumped and snapped out of his daze. He looked exhausted and in pain. “How was your encounter with the seers?”
I shook my head. “That’s not important right now. How is he?”
Tiki looked at Vincent, who was immobile and in a dead sleep. “He will be okay. My blood has revitalized him some. I did not have any more to give, and the trolls were naturally unwilling. But if I understand properly how the vampire works, his resting will take care of the rest.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Tiki’s neck and shoulders had multiple bite wounds. Some of them were fresh and healing, but others appeared rough and painful, as though his fangs had dragged across the skin before puncturing it.
“I am weak now, but I will be fine, Chase Williams. Thank you for your concern.”
“I’m sorry, Tiki. You were right. If I don’t get myself in check, my anger and impulsiveness are going to get people hurt. Again. I’ve hidden behind the cause of stopping Riley for long enough. If I want to truly be the Protector, I need to get control over myself.”
“Anything else?” Tiki raised an eyebrow.
I took a deep breath and looked at Vincent. “Well I don’t know exactly what he’s done to earn the attention of his parents, but if you’ve made an oath to help him…then so have I.”
Chapter 13
A chorus of birds filled the air with their song, the gentlest breeze coasted through the trees, and a cloudy sky floated above me. I pushed myself up from the moist earth and the smell of fresh rain surrounded me. The air was cool, washing over my skin in a refreshing surge, but I didn’t know where I was.
I brushed the dirt from my pants and wished away the fog clouding my mind. A soft burning hummed over my chest; the scabbed wound did not look healthy. Its hard, crusty shell was black. Lines of purple and red rippled across my chest and stomach.
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