by Arden, Mari
All I can think is that this is the end.
Remember.
I shiver.
Do you remember the stars, Kenna? the voice whispers. It sounds like Rhys, and Kaiden, and Nymphora and even Chloris. It sounds like every voice I've ever heard. Do you remember how you burned brighter than every single sun?
In my mind I can see it: an inferno. Giant waves of fire are building. Abruptly, I'm hot, so very hot. In my head the blaze is growing, becoming combustion of reds and blues that devour every shadow attempting to escape. I feel dizzy, and everything hurts. I want to lie down forever.
Listen, Kenna. A new voice is speaking. It's soft and comforting. The sounds of the fire abruptly dim in my mind, and the images I see move in slow motion. She continues to speak over them, like a distant echo.
Or a far more distant memory.
I love you, Kenna, but I will never be there for you. I know you can hear me. I know you're listening. I've done something very bad. It's the only way to protect you. I've made you weak. I hope you are weak forever, my love.
I can hear her heartbeat like I'm inside her body. Her voice becomes muffled because I can hear her other organs, too.
If there is ever a time when you need to be strong, I want you to rise, and I want you to fight. I want you to become everything we hoped you wouldn't be. And when you are at your last breath, promise me you'll burn… you'll burn until every part of you is on fire.
Quietly her voice fades, calling for a blaze. It stays in my head, and echoes in my body. In my mind I can see a fireball forming. It's gathering flames, encircling the colors into an inferno. I can feel it in my soul, rushing and pulsing trying to reach an outlet.
When I can breathe no more, I burst into flames.
Chapter 25
The voice is close, and I freeze, motionless. It's a voice I've never heard before. It's breathy and low, filled with a Saguinox accent that makes me fear the unknown.
"We have a friend of yours."
For an endless moment, I feel completely trapped. What does he mean? Nymphora and Kaiden's faces flash in my mind in snippets. Suddenly I'm picturing them hurt, and in pain, at the mercy of a Saguinox guard. Clutching Chloris's arm tightly, I attempt to maneuver us further back. I try to be silent, but her dead weight is impossible to conceal, and the leaves hiding us rustle like bells.
Laughter rings out, and his voice is amused. "Do you really think you can hide?" His accent punctures each word, emphasizing it like a stabbing dagger. "I smell you. Do you know that? I hear your beating heart. I can taste your perfect fear." He makes a satisfied sound, as if he's sampled something delicious. "Death's waiting." He speaks those words in whisper, a sick awe lacing his smooth tone.
A psycho alien! Somehow I know we're in for it now.
"Do you know what I do to little humans like you?" he asks, the low rumble of his voice sending chills through my already frozen skin. I push Chloris further back. A light rain is beginning to fall, and every drop sticks to her like syrup. Trying to ignore it, I frantically place leaves and other plant parts over her body. Her swollen red lips are the last part of her I can see, and I place a large leaf over it until she's completely disappeared.
I hear a loud shrieking and the wind picks up. Before I can blink, everything around us begins to crumble. Leaves, shrubs and trees are literally breaking before my very eyes. The trunk of a tree next to me falls, and I move back to avoid it, but before I do that it shatters into dust. A thousand leaves collapsing and disintegrating into brown powder drown my scream out.
Something hits me, and I'm flying. It feels like an invisible hand is pulling me, and shooting my body across the sky. All I see is smoke, and blackened earth before I'm stopped, suspended in mid air. My legs are flailing helplessly for an unbearable amount of time, then my body violently turns, viciously jerked back toward the ground. Plummeting down faster than a fireball, I choke on my own vomit as the force of whatever he's doing pushes the contents of my stomach up into my throat. The ground is hard when I finally fall, and something inside my leg snaps, breaking into a dozen parts.
His laughter is louder than my howl of pain, and all I hear is the echo of his cackle as a throbbing pain centers itself on my whole right side. Looking down, my ankle is turned at a frightening angle. Unable to bear the intense throbbing, I clutch it, feeling bones that shouldn't be there protruding against my skin.
Hearing him behind me, I look back. Another blue flash of lightening fills the sky, creating a halo of light around the beautiful creature. He's dressed like a medieval prince. A fitted metal chest piece is wrapped around him like a cloth. He has on dark pants protected by metal plates.
He's covered in blood.
He's dragging something behind him. At first I think it's a bag, but when I stare harder I realize it's too large. He's hauling it effortlessly, wrapping gleaming chains around his fingers. Almost instantly, wisps of dark hair come into sight, and I gasp.
She's a prisoner. The one I'd released earlier. Mia.
My stomach drops.
There are metal chains around her neck, and he's using it as a leash, dragging her weak body through the mud. Her hands claw at the restraint, trying to breathe, but he only pulls her harder, wrapping the chains tighter.
"I hear there are prisoners are trying to escape. That's never happened before. No one's ever been that stupid." He grins, showing white teeth. "It's my duty to rid this world of stupid people. It looks like we'll start with you two."
Suddenly, I recognize his face. "You're Damien, the ambassador," I say, almost accusingly. The merciless countenance looking at me now bears almost no resemblance to the angelic face flashed on television for weeks. After everything I know about the Saguinox I'm not surprised, but for some reason I still feel betrayed.
"Yes," he confirms.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice more feeble than I want it to be.
"There's a war brewing, and I'm afraid you're on the wrong side of it. Earth will be our home now."
I shake my head. "You can't have our planet."
His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm afraid it's already too late. Now," he says with deadly calm. "Where are the rest of them?"
Has everyone escaped? A flutter of hope spreads through my chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"No?" He looks impatient. "Fine. Maybe you need a little incentive." He points to Mia, who looks terrified. "Her life will depend on you." Fear grips my heart. Without taking his eyes off me, he lifts a hand. Mia jerks upward, held up by an invisible rope. Seeing him do magic momentarily shocks me.
"I can make this hurt. A lot. And I can make it last a very long time. For both of you." He pauses. "Where are the others?" His voice is deadly soft, and instinctively I flinch. He waits patiently, pointing to Mia, ready to show more magic. Breathing hard, I try to come up with a plan, but all I can think about is pain and what will happen if I can't figure this out.
"Nothing?"
I'm frantic. "Wait! Please! I- I really don't know--"
His growl of impatience drowns out my words. With a flick of his wrist Mia glides to him, a foot off the ground. Her body is moving at an odd angle, and as she comes closer I see something is pulling her skin forward. It's like Damien has hooks on every inch of her body. She's jerking, making terrifying sounds of pain. Every move she attempts to make only brings her more torture. As she nears, her skin is stretched further from her body until I can see blood. At first it's just a trickle, but as she makes her way to his side, scarlet liquid cascade down like a waterfall. Damien snaps his fingers, disturbingly excited. Skin from the left front of her face rip off, crumbling like eggshells.
I hear two voices screaming. When one abruptly stops, I realize the other abnormal shrieking sounds are coming from me. I tell myself to stop, but I can't. I see bones, and muscle, and mutilated flesh. I smell her pain and it's filled with the scent of metal and blood. Damien's other hand rises, slowly curling into a fist. As
his hands coil inward, I feel an invisible hand squeezing my throat. It silences me, and all sounds stop.
"That's better," he says, turning toward me. " Now that you understand, every minute that you waste more skin will come off."
He's continuing to talk but the only thing I hear is the pounding of my own heart. I want to tell him that he's suffocating me, but his invisible grip on my throat is tight and unyielding. Deprived of air, my body panics. Damien's face starts to blur. Slowly, I see his glowing eyes slowly merge into one. I try to take another breath, but I can't.
All I can think is that this is the end.
Remember.
I shiver.
Do you remember the stars, Kenna? the voice whispers. It sounds like Rhys, and Kaiden, and Nymphora and even Chloris. It sounds like every voice I've ever heard. Do you remember how you burned brighter than every single sun?
In my mind I can see it: an inferno. Giant waves of fire are building. Abruptly, I'm hot, so very hot. In my head the blaze is growing, becoming combustion of reds and blues that devour every shadow attempting to escape. I feel dizzy, and everything hurts. I want to lie down forever.
Listen, Kenna. A new voice is speaking. It's soft and comforting. The sounds of the fire abruptly dim in my mind, and the images I see move in slow motion. She continues to speak over them, like a distant echo.
Or a far more distant memory.
I love you, Kenna, but I will never be there for you. I know you can hear me. I know you're listening. I've done something very bad. It's the only way to protect you. I've made you weak. I hope you are weak forever, my love.
I can hear her heartbeat like I'm inside her body. Her voice becomes muffled because I can hear her other organs, too.
If there is ever a time when you need to be strong, I want you to rise, and I want you to fight. I want you to become everything we hoped you wouldn't be. And when you are at your last breath, promise me you'll burn… you'll burn until every part of you is on fire.
Quietly her voice fades, calling for a blaze. It stays in my head, and echoes in my body. In my mind I can see a fireball forming. It's gathering flames, encircling the colors into an inferno. I can feel it in my soul, rushing and pulsing trying to reach an outlet.
When I can breathe no more, I burst into flames.
Chapter 26
I hear the snapping sounds first.
Repetitive and fast, they're an undercurrent to the screams. Immediately, the taut grip on my throat loosens, and the invisible hand burns. I hear a low growl of pain, and something heavy drops.
When I open my eyes, I see Mia's pale body, lying completely still on the ground. Bruised skin and muscle hang out. Gagging, I cover my mouth to stop the vomit from rising. Damien hisses, clutching his hands. They're smoking, and a slight sizzling sound is heard.
"Fire," he says with awe, staring at the smoke on his hand. Abruptly he looks at me with glee, making his handsome face crazed. "Do it again!" he urges in a low fanatical voice. He tries to move closer.
Quickly, I put my hand up. "Don't!" I shout. "I'll- I'll burn you!"
"That's the idea."
My hand remains up, warning him to stay back.
Damien's eyes concentrate on my palm with rising intensity. Thin curls of smoke rise from it. I want to press my hand against the cool ground underneath me, but I'm too afraid to try. His glowing eyes suddenly widen with shock. "The mark," he whispers. "That's where the fire crystal was first placed on you, burned into your body." His eyes rake down the length of me, devious and hungry.
It's enough to make me snap. I picture an orange blaze shooting from my hand, and with a burst of force, I unleash it. He yells, jumping back, but it's too late. My fire scorches part of his left side.
I'm stunned.
"Oh yeah," he says as if he's in ecstasy. "Here. We. Go!"
He jumps, soaring up.
Something ancient comes over me. My mind is numb from fear and shock, but my body is flawless, sprouting something fierce from my body. Somehow I aim for him, shooting an array of fire. It's coming out like a flood of stars. Waves of energy pour through me, and despite my injuries I feel more powerful than ever. I think about every person lost to the crystal, and the desperation of the other prisoners, and a rage greater than anything I've ever felt consumes me.
He comes at me fast, and when I blink his fist connects with my jaw. I see black spots when my face hits the hard earth. His hands grab my hair, and he twists the strands into his fist, creating a tight ball. He jerks me up, and I fly ahead, landing in a heap on the ground.
I touch my head, feeling as if it's been sliced open. My fingers stroke a thick wetness that can only be blood. I feel a few bald spots, and even from the distance I can see strands of brown intertwined in his fingers, flailing in the wind.
"The first crystal we took was over a century ago," he tells me, drawing nearer. "The water crystal. The carrier was a girl like you. She was a dwarf and she hid here on earth, thinking this place would keep her safe from us. But it didn't. Our prince found and annihilated her." He pauses, watching me struggle as I try to get up. "The second crystal, air was found ten years after from a healer. He begged us to spare his family. He tried to hide them, but we found every single person that mattered to him, and we let him watch as they died. Slowly. We thought that would show the universe no one can hide from us."
He's almost to me now, and I crawl back. My hand is hot, like I've been electrocuted and my whole palm is black.
"Thirty years ago we found the third crystal, tierra. A shape shifter had it. A plant shape shifter." He laughs. "Needless, to say we took that one with ease. We proved there is nothing and no one stronger than us." He stops. Abruptly an angry look comes over his face. "Imagine our surprise when we were told someone had been keeping a secret from us. Someone had hid the fire crystal."
Damien is next to me now, and his hand lashes out, gripping my neck. I think of fire, and both my hands clutch his arm, fiercely trying to burn him. The metal is sizzling, melting in my hands, but his grip stays firm. He's looking into my eyes, and abruptly his go black. He's searching my mind, and Chloris' warning comes back to me. He digs into your mind, and pulls out your darkest fears, then he makes it come to life. Your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, dies. Every part of you dies. Unable to move, I stare at him, hypnotized. Dark blue mists form, and I glimpse the sheer sapphire fog from the corner of my eye. Pungent, it smells like a sweet poison. Almost in slow motion, it drifts into my nostrils, teasing softly before floating. When it touches me, I'm blinded by azure colors, surrounded by smells I can't place. He's searching in my memories, and the first pull from his mind makes me dizzy. Many pictures flicker in the fog like flashing lights. It's as if I'm watching multiple cameras at once, and my whole life is literally passing before my eyes. The iridescent images are moving so fast my stomach feels like I'm on a roller coaster ride. It heaves with each new picture, but I'm motionless, suspended in Damien's grip. He finds what he's looking for because all the other picture screens suddenly disappear until a single one is left. It sprints to the front.
Murky water flickers on and off. Flying above the ocean, I suddenly remember this memory. Unable to control myself I scream, but it's quickly cut off when I'm brutally pulled into the image. Flying head first, I plunge into the cold water. Before I can move, a dark weight lands on me, pressing me down. Drowning me. Suffocating me.
Even though I'm dying in my mind, Damien's breath is hot on my cheek. Unable to move, I whimper helplessly in terror. "A little fire doesn't scare me, girl," he whispers.
"Maybe this will," a masculine voice retorts.
I hear something vibrating, and the weight on me freezes. Suddenly, the darkness disappears, and my body jerks out, pushing through water and blue mists, back into my own mind.
When I open my eyes Damien is frozen on top of me. His pupils are no longer black. He's still, completely motionless. For a moment I feel a second of deep relief and bottomless terror as I gaz
e into his manic face. Someone pushes him off me. I'm so relieved I start crying.
Kaiden gathers me in his arms, clutching my body tightly. " It's all right, Kenna," he tells me softly, his face in my hair. He embraces me for many seconds. He pulls back, holding my face in his hands. "This only freezes him for a few minutes. We have to go now!" He notices the way my body is twisted, and maneuvers around it, pulling me up. Half carrying and half dragging me, Kaiden pushes through thorn and trees, and into a forest.
"Chloris!" I manage to yell out, narrowly avoiding a low hanging branch. I grit through the pain of attempting to run with a broken ankle.
"Nymphora's taking care of her," he replies, not breaking his speed. I'm trying to follow him, but everything feels so excruciating that I cry out, falling to the ground. Something sharp slits my cheek.
"My ankle's broken," I confess tearfully.
Without breaking his stride, he hauls me over his shoulders, breaking leaves and branches to do it. No, I try to tell him, you can't carry me and run. But I'm so relieved to be putting pressure off my leg that all I can do is grasp him tighter.
Within minutes I hear a terrifying sound behind us. Looking up from Kaiden's neck, I brush past thick leaves. One moment I feel the rough texture against my forehead, and the next it's gone, fading into brown ashes. Blinking, my arms reach out for the trunk of a squatting tree. The barest touch from my fingertips releases its death, and the tree crumbles, breaking into a hundred pieces.
"Shit!" Kaiden yells, seeing what just happened. "What the hell is this place?"
"Escape is an illusion," I whisper more to myself than him. "He will find us." The Saguinox warning passes through my lips like a poison. "He uses our fears against us," I inform Kaiden, recalling what Chloris confided. "Chloris told me he sucks our life and our soul."
He doesn't say anything, but his body shivers.
I feel a bubble of sadness burst, wetting me with the inevitable.
"Kaiden," I say his name, depressed and resolute. "We can't run. We have to face him." My voice breaks. "Kaiden!" I shout louder, when he begins to move faster. "Stop. Just stop." He doesn't, but maybe he hears something in my voice because he slows down.