by Megg Jensen
“Lianne, don’t run off. If you do, the Malborn might find you.”
“Me? Really? I’m beginning to think they’re after you, not me. You just want me around because of this creepy obsession you have with me. No one is after me. They probably only kidnapped me because they wanted to bait you. It’s disgusting. I refuse to continue being a pawn in everyone else’s dramas.”
“That’s not true, Lianne. They are looking for you. I never lied about that. Not once.”
“Shut up, Chase. Just. Shut. Up.” I pushed past him out of the cottage.
“You can’t get out of here without me,” he said, defeated. “I don’t want to control you, but you can’t get off the platform without me.”
“Oh yeah? Well, guess what, I learned how to use some of my magic on my own before you ever came along. I’ve been paying better attention than you think.”
I stopped and spun around. “What about that little girl who brought me food the first night I was here?”
Chase’s expression changed from irritation to confusion. His eyebrows furrowed so deep, they almost came together over his nose. “What little girl? There’s never been anyone here except you, me, Johna, and Ace for that one night.”
“Whatever. Just more lies.”
I raised my hand in the air, flicked my fingers out, and a portal snapped to life. I let out a deep breath. It actually worked! I just hoped it would take me where I wanted to go.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I stumbled through the portal, landing directly on Bryden’s bed.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I said. His room was dark, even though the sun was blinding the outside world. “Bryden?”
I fumbled around his bed. I grabbed a leg, but let go immediately. Jumping off the bed, I clutched my bag to my chest. It wasn’t Bryden. It was a girl.
“Who are you?” she asked with a sleepy voice.
I still couldn’t see her features in the dark, but a mess of blond hair glinted in a small stream of light that had broken through a chink in the wall.
“Who are you and what are you doing in Bryden’s bed?” I almost said ‘my boyfriend’s bed,’ but caught myself. Bryden wasn’t my boyfriend anymore. I found it hard to believe he’d already shacked up with another girl.
“I’m Emmaline. Is Bryden the guy who used to have this room? They gave it to me last night. Said he left. What are you? His girlfriend or something?”
I wanted to tell her I was, but I didn’t. “I’m no one. I just knew this was his room. So, he’s gone?”
“Yeah, he is,” she said.
I stood still, not saying a word. She didn’t move either. “Um, so are you going to leave now?” she asked. “I worked all night in the kitchen and this is my only chance to sleep.”
That explained why the curtains were drawn so tight. Bryden never kept it so dark. He actually liked waking up with the sun. I ached for the mornings we’d woken up together and the way his hair sparkled in the morning sun. We hadn’t had long together, but I loved every moment of it.
He was gone.
Like I’d wanted.
Through the haze of pain in my soul, I nodded to Emmaline. “Sorry. I’ll leave now.”
I backed away, my hand fumbling for the doorknob. My trembling fingers made contact. It twisted easily and I stumbled backward through the doorway. I used my magic to slam the door shut behind me.
The hall was still quiet. I glanced to my right and left, relieved no one was around to see me. Taking off in a run, I made my way through the castle to Sebrina’s room. It was the only place I thought I would be safe until I figured out exactly what I was going to do.
I didn’t bother with knocking. I flung the door open, and found Sebrina sitting on the embroidered chair, her hands bound together and a gag tied around her head.
“Who did this you?” I ran across the room, dropped my pack, and worked desperately to remove the ties.
She grunted over and over, jumping as best as she could on the chair.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll get this off your mouth. Then you can tell me who did this to you.”
Sebrina’s eyes bugged out, moving back and forth. She shook her head so hard I couldn’t get a good grip on the knots. “Stop, Sebrina. I just need a second and I’ll have you loose.”
“Don’t count on it, daughter.”
Our mother. Behind me, exactly where Sebrina had been gesturing with her head. I dropped my hands to my sides, stood up, and turned around.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Didn’t you take enough from Sebrina already?”
What was it with the adults? They were so power hungry they’d betray their own children over and over.
“This isn’t about Sebrina, Lianne. It’s about you. My chosen one.”
I rolled my eyes. More of that nonsense.
“There’s nothing special about me,” I said. “Just let Sebrina go and you can have me, okay?”
I knew she wouldn’t take the bait. If anything I was only stalling for more time until I could come up with a way to defeat her. She roared with anger, her voice echoing in the small room as she walked toward me. Her fingertip slid under my chin, her nail lightly piercing the skin on my neck.
“I would if I thought you’d follow through on your bargain. But, Lianne, you’re just like me. You’re out for yourself, doing what you think is the right thing – even if it’s only right for you.”
The flames leaped in my stomach. She dared to compare my intentions to hers. If I’d been more disrespectful, I would have taken the opportunity to spit in her face. Everything she’d done had been for her own gain, to manipulate people and their magic. I, on the other hand, simply wanted to be left alone.
“What do you want from me, Mother?” I hadn’t known her long enough to justify calling her that. No one in my life deserved that term of endearment from me. But maybe if I could convince her I was willing to hear her out, she’d make a mistake.
She pulled her finger back and spun around, her black cape sweeping out to the side like a storm cloud about to ravage the earth. “I don’t trust you, Lianne. That’s why your sister will stay where she is and you will be bound as well.”
“I don’t know how you tricked Sebrina into this, but you won’t be able to bind me. We both have magic. I can fight back.”
Her laugh, like the sound of a razor slicing through skin, choked my soul. Every instinct inside me screamed danger. A tiny flick of her wrist, followed by a gust of air, and I was hanging upside down, suspended in the air. My toes pointed toward the ceiling and my hair scraped the floor. My arms flailed to the sides and my knees bent in an attempt to kick. My struggles were futile, completely useless against her stronger magic. I reached deep inside for my fire, just like Chase had taught me, but I couldn’t touch it. The familiar heat was gone. Blocked. It was a sensation I’d learned living with Chase.
“Did you think I gave you all of Sebrina’s magic, Lianne? I gave you some, but I took most of it for myself. Why would I waste it on you?” She laughed again. The blood rushed to my head and the world started to spin. She sped toward me in less than a second, faster than any human should be able to move. I rose higher in the air, my feet now flat against the ceiling, my eyes were even with hers. “I gave you up for adoption, not to help my people, but to get rid of you.”
“Then why bother giving me any of Sebrina’s magic? Why not take it all for yourself?”
She walked away, crossing over to Sebrina. A fingertip ran along Sebrina’s shoulder, and our mother smiled, baring her teeth. “I wasn’t sure if I could hold all of it. I needed a place to store it until I was ready to claim it all for myself.”
Her arms raised to her sides. The midnight fabric draped down from her arms. Foreboding tingled down my spine. Or up my spine. I was too disoriented to know. Maybe this was the moment Chase had been trying to avoid all this time. I took comfort in knowing Bryden wasn’t in the room and wouldn’t die saving me. She had no reason to kill Sebrina,
who’d essentially been rendered helpless. If I made it out of this alive, I would swear to Sebrina that she’d never be in danger because of me again. This was the second time she’d looked death in the eyes, all because someone wanted to kill me.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked my mother. “If you’re going to take my magic, then do it now.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I need another to assist me. He should be arriving soon.”
A knock at the door forced all of our heads to whip toward it. My mother flicked her hand and the door slowly opened on its own. A stranger, tall with jet black hair, strode in.
“Glad you could join me, Xaxier.”
He bowed his head, totally ignoring Sebrina and I. He must have known what to expect beforehand. Not a flinch, not one glance at either of us.
“Anything for you, milady.” He bowed to our mother. His black garments matched hers, except his were trimmed in dark purple. The scene sent new shivers through my body. I didn’t know what to expect from them. Were they only going to steal my magic? What would be left of me if they did?
Since the magic roared to life on my birthday, it felt as integral to my body as the blood coursing through my veins. I couldn’t fathom how it would be drained from me. They’d have to rip it from my very soul. Would anything be left of me when they were done?
“Let us begin the ritual,” Xaxier said. He turned to me, making eye contact for the first time. “Are you prepared for the end?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
A familiar glow filled the room. A portal. My heart pounded, my breath escaped my mouth in tiny gasps.
“Where are you taking us?” I asked, stretching for each mote of air.
She cackled again. “Us? It’s just you, dear. Sebrina can stay here. She has no power against any of us.”
Relief doused some of my anger. Sebrina would be left to live. I’d managed to save Bryden and Sebrina, the two of the people I loved most in the world. If I died at least I knew it hadn’t been in vain.
“If I thought you’d join us, I would spare you, Lianne. Sadly you’ve turned out to be a major disappointment. All of these morals. Who taught you those? Certainly not those filthy Fithians you grew up with. They were so wretched.”
“I developed them on my own.” My head pounded with the blood that was pooling in it. If they didn’t turn me upright soon, I feared I would pass out. “I chose to be a good person. I’m glad you gave me up or I might have turned out like you.”
My eyes flitted to Sebrina. She’d turned out just fine. Maybe it was our father’s influence. I’d still never met him. He was out to sea, commanding his ship. Or maybe Sebrina was saved from our mother because she’d lost her magic so young. Insignificance in our mother’s eyes probably saved her life.
“Knock her out, Xaxier.”
***
I awoke in a dark room. Dampness permeated the air and the smell of decay attacked my senses. My back laid flush against a concrete slab. Through the murky haze of awakening, I fought to regain full consciousness. My legs wouldn’t move and my arms remained tight at my sides, no matter how hard I tried to move them. Something covered me, maybe a blanket?
I lifted my neck, looking around as best as I could in the dark. I couldn’t see anything, other than a single candle flickering far in the distance. It drew closer, one small step at a time. If they were trying to kill me with anxiety, it was working. Shivers ran across my body, up my legs, down my arms, racing without a pattern, in neverending confusion.
“Are you waiting for a full moon or something?” I asked. “How long are you going to keep me here?”
The laugh came again. I had hoped it was anyone but my mother, unfortunately my hopes were dashed quickly.
“Lianne, that’s silly. We’re not waiting for anything in particular. We just needed to be alone in a place no one would disturb us. The ritual must be completed before the main Malborn army attacks. With your power and mine combined, I will be able to crush their army. Then I’ll have your father killed, marry Marek, who I’ve made sure already desires me, and then I’ll be the ruler of everything. No one will stand above me.”
“You’re mad!” I struggled again, but still couldn’t break free. The candlelight came closer, illuminating my previously dark body. I wasn’t being held down by magical bonds. Some sort of cocoon surrounded my body, the whiteness sparkled in the soft light. No wonder my arms and legs felt trapped – they were. I thanked whatever gods were out there that even though I was afraid of large bodies of water and heights, I didn’t seem to have a problem with enclosed spaces.
“She’s perfectly sane, I assure you.”
I jerked to the side. Xaxier’s words didn’t come from another part of the room. He was so close, his lips brushed my ear when he whispered. The shivers returned in full force.
“What do you get out of this?” I asked him.
“Someday you’ll see, Lianne. I will receive rewards beyond imagining for my part in this. I have been promised that and more,” he answered. I couldn’t imagine my mother would follow through with any lavish promises she’d made to him. He was a fool to trust her. Then again, would she have been able to recruit anyone other than an idiot to help her?
“Lie still, Lianne,” she said with a laugh. I still couldn’t believe she found any of this amusing. I was her daughter. Her flesh and blood. Obviously that meant nothing to her. I’d been so happy to discover I had a family out there. A sister, a mother, and a father. My sister was everything I’d ever wanted, but my mother had been evil incarnate. Just my luck.
“This will hurt,” he said. “A lot. But don’t pass out, or the transfer might not work. I need you to be conscious the whole time. You’re cocooned because I can’t have you fighting me, so don’t move. Xaxier is here to make sure you stay awake.”
His palms rested on my cheeks, fingers jammed into the underside of my jaw. They hadn’t even started and already the pain was too much to bear. Tears glistened in my eyes. I let go of any bravery I’d built up. The walls I’d spent my whole life building and used to protect myself crumbled in seconds. This was the end. I knew it deep in my soul. I couldn’t help myself. The only witness to my abduction had no magic to mark where we’d gone. No one would find me and I’d die in a cave at the hands of the person who originally gave me life.
His fingers dug harder into me, the pain nearly unbearable. My mother chanted under her breath in a language I’d never heard before. Her voice dropped an octave. The words became more menacing with every breath. I didn’t know their exact meaning, but I had a pretty good idea that it only meant more bad things were coming my way.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain she said I’d experience. The fear of the unknown paralyzed my muscles. Even without their cocoon, I wouldn’t have been able to move. I had no way of protecting myself. My magic still felt like an empty well. I knew it was in there, but I couldn’t reach it, no matter what I did.
Then I felt it.
My soul ripped in two. My fire morphed into a knife, ripping through my body, setting it ablaze. I fought to open my mouth and let the scream building inside me out, but Xaxier’s fingers held my jaw shut. I struggled against my bonds.
Tears flowed from my eyes, streaming down my face, running in tiny tributaries around Xaxier’s hands. He didn’t move, even though these tears were different. They burned everything they touched, setting my skin aflame.
A light burst from my chest, the color of a campfire. Reds and oranges joined hands, dancing around the blue and white flames erupting into the air. The tendrils snaked through the air, winding their way toward my mother in a rainbow of magic. My mind slid toward oblivion. It was the only protection I could offer myself in the final moments.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sharp nails dug into my neck, bringing me back to consciousness.
“Don’t pass out, Lianne,” Xaxier whispered in my ear. “You won’t want to miss what’s next.”
He tilted my head up
, forcing me to face forward. Beyond the menacing candlelight the flames jumped from my chest, snaking into my mother’s slack, open mouth. Her eyes turned from bright blue to black. I squinted and could have sworn I saw flames jumping in the black river of her eyes. I didn’t know if they were really there or a reflection from the flames dancing around the room.
“No,” I whispered through pursed lips. Xaxier still held me too tightly for my jaws to move. I didn’t want her to have my magic. It wasn’t because I needed it, only because I wanted to stop her. Her plan to conquer the Malborn would only lead to more death and destruction. What was the point of all this war?
Pain scorched my insides, slashing apart everything from my toes to my forehead. The steady pressure from Xaxier kept me awake, agony that increased every second the ritual continued. She was right. I wouldn’t survive this.
My head fell against the concrete altar. Xaxier’s hands grazed over my face, his fingers undulating in the air like willow branches fighting against a storm. The pain stopped almost immediately. My eyes grew wider. I tried to piece together what he was doing. He certainly wasn’t stopping her. The flames steadily coursed out of my body and into my mother’s mouth. My heart sank as I realized he was only abating my pain to ensure I didn’t pass out again.
Then he flicked his fingers in a motion all too familiar to me.
A portal opened in the room. I shut my eyes, not wanting to know what horrors he was bringing into the cave. My mouth breathed in the dank air, slowly. In one breath. Out with another. I opened one eye, but nothing emerged from the portal.
Until one boot stepped through, then another, followed by another body, hurling itself behind the first.
My breath caught in my chest. Bryden and Chase. Both of my eyes popped open. Xaxier winked at me.
“Get me out of this cocoon,” I begged him. “Please.”
“I can’t, Lianne. If you move now, you’ll die. Your mother’s spell will rip a hole in your chest if you move even an inch. Let them save you. Just relax.”