The pounding in his head decreased slightly as he stepped away from the bewitching lady. Another step and the pulse sank in his chest where it belonged. His head and neck hurt, slowness glued to each move he made. She stared at him with a small smile he had trouble defining, amusement or concern. His vision blurred. The world started spinning so fast around him that he staggered.
Sacha reached forward, her hand looking for his arm to steady him. Derek reeled back instinctively, worried to see her accept his rebuff with only a sigh. She never missed an occasion to berate him. Why not now? Thinking asked too much of an effort right now.
He walked away from the woods to approach her. Fireballs exploded behind his temples. The pain almost brought him down. Did he moan? Sacha’s arm rested around his waist as she helped him to sit on a boulder under a tree.
Her fingers were glacial on his skin. While he was sitting immobile in the shadows, the fog which threatened to swallow him an instant before didn’t seem so menacing. He struggled to stand, satisfied that he felt steady enough to move his head without immediately needing to gag.
“It’s alright. Let’s go.”
“Maybe we should wait…”
She trailed off under his glare. He could hardly remember one time when he shut her up without causing her ire to flare. Was he that pitiful? Derek flexed his fingers and winced, quickly taking his hand away when Sacha wanted to have a look.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
“Right. You were about to faint, too.”
Her tone was more like her this time; biting; cold. He preferred the gentleness. The part of his brain that was not focusing on the throb in his hand recoiled at the thought.
“I didn’t faint.”
“Oh, really.” Her hand left her hip to point out the heavy clouds above their heads. “You were resting your eyes from this blinding sun, maybe?”
First her care disturbed him, and now she was furious, he regretted her tenderness. He was definitely unwell. But at least he was feeling more… Less… Whatever. Derek picked up the forgotten bag, starting between the trees.
“Absolutely. Shall we?”
Derek didn’t wait for an answer to enter the forest. Under the canopy, the trail was faint, but still perceptible. Hurried steps at his back confirmed she was following him. He just wished he could overcome his headache as easily.
oOo
“This way.”
“How-”
Sacha clasped her mouth shut again as the prince changed direction to follow the rock wall.
After nearly an hour of Derek randomly taking her through the woods, Sacha was getting anxious. She followed him out of heed, letting him lead the way. She trusted him; of course she did... Mostly. When they knew where to go; when he showed he knew what he was doing. But at the moment, following looked more like a leap of faith. Derek was acting so beside himself it spooked her.
She jogged to remain abreast of him. Derek’s left hand was clenched on the hilt of his sword. Sometimes, he grimaced when the metal pushed into his palm, stretching the skin of his backhand. She was quite sure the wound bothered him, but given his sour mood, he would refuse to let her take a look if she suggested it. Despite his protest, he had nearly passed out earlier. And he babbled about roads when the only things there were dirt and half-rotten leaves. What was she supposed to do when he dismissed her concern or neglected to explain himself? She worried about him, for God’s sake!
Sacha stopped dead in her tracks and counted up to five to see if Derek noticed. Lost in his own imaginary world, he didn’t stop.
“I am not going anywhere until you answer my questions.”
She expected him to spin around and scold her. Instead, he arranged the bag on his shoulder, barely slowing his pace. She wondered if he had heard her at all. He would not go on without her, would he? Sacha resisted the urge to run after him.
“Derek, we need to TALK!”
She stiffened as he finally turned around to face her. Red circles ringed his eyes, the pupils alarmingly dilated. His breath was harried, coming out in raps yet he didn’t even seem to notice. Derek opened their bag to pick up a gourd. She watched as he took long gulps before he handed it to her without a word.
The earthy taste of the water grazed her tongue and she forced herself to swallow before handing the flask back. Derek reached for it at the same time and their fingers touched.
oOo
She had never seen a room this huge. The ceiling was so high she felt dizzy with her head pulled backward to look at it. The wall on her right was bare stone, with the exception of three massive shields. The sun pouring from the enormous windows on her left prevented her from distinguishing the coats of arms on the weapons.
A murmur from the crowd gathered in front of the two-step stage drew her attention back to the throne. The chair beside hers matched the oversize of the armor and the windows. Its back towered nearly two feet above her head. The wood was dark and unadorned. The only concession to luxury or comfort was the thick crimson velvet of the arms and seat.
Another gasp escaped the people and she jolted as blinding steel bit into the shoulder of the dark-haired man kneeling a few feet below her. Her cousin winced. The deadly blade ripped on Sebastian’s chainmail, aiming for the black swan embroidered on his collar. Her throat tightened, her hands clenched her skirt. His head fell forward in acceptance. Pain kicked viciously low in her belly.
oOo
Derek jolted out of his haze. He blinked madly for a few seconds before his eyes narrowed on the young woman tottered before him. He panted:
“What the hell…?”
Sacha stumbled on her feet, looking for his support when her legs wobbled. Derek swatted her hand away, only to grab it ferociously a second later.
“What did you do to me?”
“It’s not me, Derek, it’s you!”
“No. What did you do? How can I… Tell me!”
He choked half-finished questions, his incoherence scaring her as much as her lack of answers. His already too-strong grip was relentless, bruising her. Without warning, his eyes lost their focus again and her name bubbled from the back of his throat.
“Sacha…”
Heat irradiated from him, pulsing harder with each frantic heartbeat. No visible fire licked his form, yet the world simmered in queasy waves around him.
Kneel...
It was magic; she recognized its appeal, both irresistible and dangerous. It was magic and it came from Derek… The power was far stronger than anything she had experienced before.
Kneel...
It surrounded her, commanding, striking blow after blow in her soul to bend her will.
Kneel...
Her calves and thighs burned in the effort to stay upright. The power pouring from Derek crashed on her, weighting heavily on her shoulders, pushing her down until her knees hit the ground.
Kneel...
Her lungs tightened, refusing to function. Her heart burned, twisted and screamed in want and pain.
Kneel...
The word printed a scorching brand in her mind. Her stomach revolted, the pull torturing her core. Her abdomen squeezed atrociously.
Bow to your king!
Magic was everywhere, around her, inside her, choking, more vital than oxygen. And suddenly the voice disappeared leaving her shivering and out of breath on the leafy ground.
Derek helped her to sit, his hand fastened around her neck, stroking her hair. When her eyes opened he pulled away slowly, a little taken aback by their closeness, rescuing her comb when his sleeve caught into her mane.
“Are you all right?”
Sacha took a tentative breath. The pressure squeezing her heart shifted, the need to vow eternal allegiance vanishing gradually. Breathing exhausted her.
“Are you?”
“Yeah.” Derek paused, perhaps wondering if it was wise to insist when she eluded his question. “It’s gone. I…” He paused again. “What just happened?”
Bile clogged
the back of her throat, bringing tears dangerously close to spilling. Her face felt damp with hot sweat, while her extremities burned with cold. Sacha checked in their surroundings, certain she was to heave if she moved more than her eyes.
The trees that confined them to semi-darkness formed a prison of vegetation. Elms, hawthorn, and ageless oaks boarded a small river. The gorge ahead was steeply sloped. The dark rock, wet with white foam, gleamed in the daylight. The forest breathed age and mystery. A gush of wind played with her cloak to uncover her arms and legs. Goosebumps erupted instantly on her skin.
Oblivious, Derek twitched his nose, his senses alert once more.
“Tell me you hear that, too.”
The low roll echoed ahead of them; the grumbling of the waterfall was close.
Derek straightened up and offered his hand, the one that still clutched her comb. The holly wood item looked very small and fragile in a man’s hand. Sacha hesitated, remembering Gisela’s advice. Holly wood guarded its bearer against evil magic or angry Elementals.
Her fingers quivered slightly when she closed Derek’s hand over the strange little trinket.
“Keep it, it will protect you.”
He smirked, his good hand landing on his sword, claiming he had all the protection he needed. One delicate brow arched. Derek pocketed the comb quickly before he hauled her up to her feet.
Chapter 21
Sacha followed him into the small gorge formed by the narrowing rock walls. The deeper they ventured into the fault, the more strenuous the path became. They progressed slowly into a roofless tunnel of black granite so smooth it would offer nothing to hold on to if their feet slipped in the potholes time and water had carved within the stone. The foam sprayed the rock face so it gleamed like polished glass.
The forest behind them appeared completely silent, the occasional bird song drowned into the rumble of the river. The water boiled and jumped in its bed, assaulting the overgrown grass on the banks.
Derek helped her up another boulder, then leaned against a rotting root to catch his breath. The brambles nearby welcomed her with hard thorns as thick as her thumb, making it impossible to rest against on the occasional fallen tree. Grateful for the break, Sacha inhaled as deeply as she dared, instantly rewarded with a batch of nauseous waves deep in her throat, residue from the rush of magic inside her. Her stomach lurched again when she tried to take another profound breath, her tired lungs cloyed by humidity and putrid smells. The effort and lack of oxygen made her dizzy. Blood hammered so loudly in her ears that she nearly missed Derek’s complaint.
“Those damn things grow everywhere.”
He was playing with the bandage around his left hand, scratching and rubbing. She was about to advise him to let it be when Derek peeled it off impatiently and threw the ruined cloth in the river, where it pinked suspiciously before sailing away. His hand was bruised, the wound raw and stained with dried blood.
“Derek…”
The young man discarded her concern with a frown, pulling his cloak off to shove it into the bag. “We’re nearly there. Let’s go.”
Sacha wished he had granted them five more minutes of rest when her head spun, forcing her to close her eyes. Then the world went black.
oOo
The night was dark; as dark as it becomes just before dawn. Tomorrow, a new moon would be born, but tonight, even the stars seemed to sleep. The torches and fire pits in the courtyard failed to cast more than a few feet of light around. When the sentinels stirred the brands in passing, the sparks in the pits died as quickly as they appeared. The King turned away from the window to resume his pacing in the empty corridor.
Farther west, a shadow moved deep in the forest, hiking silently along a forgotten path which bordered a ditch in the ground, an ancient river bed. The white hawk on its right shoulder squirmed and spread its wings with a high-pitched cry. The shadow, a woman, calmed it with a stroke.
“Quiet, my winged friend. Listen, the world is changing.”
Silence cloaked the forest again; the woman resumed her climb.
oOo
Sacha jerked upright with a gasp. Derek propped her up, helping the flask to her lips. She tried to swallow some water and coughed.
“This is foul…”
“Only you can be picky in the middle of nowhere. Can you stand up?”
“I think so.”
It was more bravado than real strength that bolstered her legs. Sacha looked around, surprised to realize it was still daylight. The nausea was gone; only a vicious burning sensation remained in the pit of her stomach, threatening to fold her in two. Her head was pounding so hard even the small splash of water on the banks was painful.
oOo
The lightning bolt ripped the sky apart, leaving a trail of blinding light behind it. Instead of the odour of sulphur which always accompanied the fury of storms, the air sprinkled with freshness. Another fireball shot through the night, then another. The dark velvet was strained by a shower of white and yellow dashes, as if some hero from an ancient era were fighting his gods, slashing and gashing furiously. The battle raged for several minutes, an eternity, before the rain of fire hail ended, darkness taking over its right to the night.
Quiet and shadows prevailed once more, smoothing, cradling the world into oblivion, when a gigantic explosion shook the earth. The blast was followed by another, a dozen, a hundred more, each stroke followed by a stronger one. Panicked, the hawk squealed and took off, flying in circles above its mistress, as high as the forest canopy allowed it. The ground swelled madly, trees and bushes dancing in a wind that should not have been there.
Finally it was over, though the roll refused to dwindle, growing until thunder roared directly beneath the priestess's feet. Far east, a cry erupted, heartbreaking. The pain traveled through time and space. The woman jumped back from the rim, just a second before water rushed in.
oOo
Cobalt blue eyes welcomed her back. Sacha blinked a few times, trying to focus. She was lying on the ground, her head propped up against their bag. Her hand had fallen into a water hole and she took it out instinctively, sucking in air heavily.
“We have to move up. Take my hand.”
His hand was warm on her freezing skin, strong and just a little calloused. She gripped it harder, the only solid anchor in the chaos fizzing in her head. Derek hissed in pain. Sacha gasped, easing her grasp instantly.
“I’m sorry, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to…”
He refused to let go of her, urging her up.
“It’s okay. Come on, we’ll find some place up there for you to rest.”
Blood dropped from the reopened wound, tainting her fingers. Sacha lost ground again.
oOo
The fire inside her was like nothing she had ever felt before. It ravaged her for an agonizing second, tensing her already weakened body to a breaking point, her bones crumbling into ashes. Out of breath, confused, she managed to open her eyes. Salty sweat burned the fragile organ and she mewled. One firm hand pressed on her waist, a move deep in her womb and the heat built again, inescapable, so wonderful and terrifying at the same time. Her hips angled forward to ease the discomfort.
oOo
“Sacha, stay with me. Look at me; no, no, don’t close your eyes. Stay with me.”
oOo
Charitable fingers brushed away wet strands of tangled hair from her face. Her nails clang to the sheets. The pain was too much to take. It hurt. Oh Lord, it hurt... Nothing could be worth so much pain…
“Another push your Highness. Breathe deeply... Now push!”
The cramp wrecked her feeble try at taking in air. She screamed to forget the pain, and groaned and screamed again when her body split in two.
An angry shout echoed hers, the noise drilling through her exhaustion. She wanted to turn to bring comfort; she needed to fight the terror she heard in that small voice calling for life. Her body betrayed her. Her stomach clenched again and the queen felt blood sticking on the sheets torn un
der her thighs. She wanted to cry.
Her arms were too weak to hold anything, yet she found enough strength to cradle a small package, a crinkled red face tugged up in white and gold.
“This is your son, your Highness…”
“A son... Derek…”
oOo
Shivering, Sacha inhaled sharply and exhaled a long difficult breath. She felt cold and hot, drained and exhilarated, as if she had given birth herself. Her back and legs were sore. Some muscles whose very existence she had ignored ached deep inside her. The twist deep in her stomach was torture. And yet, she had never felt so much love ever before.
Her eyes flustered open, looking for the man who was new born just a blink ago. Sacha pushed up on her elbows the best she could, surprised at being able to move at all. Derek was crouched between her and the river, filling their gourd with fresh water. He turned when she stirred, relief painted on his face; the emotion quickly passed.
“Here.”
Derek offered the flask and retreated a few feet backward. She took a tentative sip. This time, the water was icy and delicious. Sacha tried to sit, still light-headed.
“Take it easy. Whatever affected me earlier, it’s on you now.”
She pondered over his statement and shook her head, regretting it instantly when rainbows flared in the corner of her eyes.
“No… No, those were normal, not…”
The voice hadn’t been there this time, only images and feelings…
“Normal?” Derek bursted out straightening to his full height. His anger boomed over the crashing noise of the water on the rock. He seemed on the verge of hitting something. “You lost consciousness! You moaned and tossed so hard, I thought… Bloody hell, don’t you dare say it’s normal! Christ.”
Worry cracked behind the swearing, sweet as honey. Sacha struggled to get up and approached him. His heart pumped hard under her palm, mesmerizing. Derek covered her hand with his, and she allowed the contact for a few seconds before she swayed back. Her legs wobbled dangerously.
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