The Song of Hadariah: Dybbuk Scrolls Trilogy: Book 1 (Dybbuk Scrolls Trillogy)

by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

  “I do not know,” Emilia replied breaking her silence. “It seems too simple.”

  Carrie walked closer to the strings. “Do you think it’s a trap?” she asked.

  “It is possible,” Emilia told her hesitantly. She kept wringing her hands as she looked around the room, almost as if she expected something to jump out and grab her, dragging her back to her cell.

  “I suppose we could always try to touch them,” Rebecca suggested as she and Lindsay joined Carrie and Adom in inspecting the dais.

  Carrie shrugged again and reached out. She carefully touched the string closest to her with a trembling finger. Nothing happened. She let out a slow breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding. She gave her friends a shaky smile and reached out once more and grabbed the strings.

  “Now how did you manage to escape my little dungeon?” asked a voice.

  The voice had come out of nowhere, causing Carrie to nearly jump out of her skin. All five of them spun around to the door to find Asmodeus standing there, a languid smile on his face.

  “Did you really think you could just come into my home and take what does not belong to you?” he asked, walking over to his throne and seating himself. He carelessly draped one leg over the other and reclined as if he weren’t bothered in the least by their actions.

  “Why do you care?” Rebecca asked. “You seem to have no problem doing it yourself.”

  Carrie shot her friend a look. “Do you think it’s a good idea to taunt him like that?” she hissed in her direction.

  “Do not push me,” Asmodeus warned. “You do not want to be on the receiving end of my anger. I have been more than nice to you thus far.”

  “Nice?” Rebecca scoffed. “Since when is it nice to lock friends in a dungeon? Oh wait, I forgot we’re not friends. You were just messing with us that whole time.”

  Lindsay gave Rebecca an incredulous look. “I’m sorry, Your Highness,” she said turning to the king. “My friend isn’t herself. If you don’t mind, we’ll just be going now.” She turned and pulled Carrie and Rebecca by the arms, taking the strings from Carrie and surreptitiously slipping them into the pocket of her skirt.

  “Stop!” Asmodeus cried. With a wave of his arm, the door to the room swung closed with a crash. Carrie could hear a lock turn. She knew they were trapped.

  “Don’t!” Emilia cried. She had not moved from her spot in front of the dais. “Father, why are you doing this? Why do you desire death? Why do you desire this fate, not just for yourself, but for your children and your people? I want life. I know your people want life. The choice between life and death is not yours to make for us. I beg of you, do not do this,” Emilia pleaded with her father, tears in her eyes. “Do not harm these girls. They only mean what is best. They have a hope for this world, for me. Even after your trickery, they saved me in that cell. I was ill and languishing there, and they spared me, gave me health. For my sake, let them go. Let them heal this world as they healed me.”

  Adom walked over to Emilia. “Heed your daughter’s words, good king,” he said. “She speaks the truth. Do as she asks. Have mercy.”

  Asmodeus gazed down at his daughter and Adom with hard, cold eyes. “Do you think you are the only one who can venture out of this world, animal?” he asked. “I see how those mortals live. They worship their science, their celebrities.” He spat these words out at them as if they tasted bitter on his tongue. “There is no magic in their lives, no spirit, no soul. Once our world was very much a part of theirs. Now we barely exist through their watered-down memory of fairy tales. Yet even in these, the magic and mystery has been dimmed in order to make them more palatable for their young children. I am barely a figment of old women’s imaginations. I have no part in these stories told to babies at bedtime.”

  He turned to Carrie, Lindsay, and Rebecca in disgust. “You people do not believe in anything you cannot see, touch, or spend. You are a self-serving, selfish lot. If we all disappear, dissolve into nothingness, no one from your world would notice or even care. No one would mourn us. No one would even remember we existed at all. Your world already exists in darkness. Your light went out ages ago when you stopped believing in something fantastic, something real and magical. The light in your hearts, the light of your spirit and faith, went out long ago. I watched as it happened. The pain cut me too deep. I should have done this then. I should have ended it long ago. Why should we continue to exist when no one cares? I have chosen to take this world away. It is better this way.”

  “No!” Carrie shouted. “It is not better. You’re choosing a coward’s way out. The people here don’t want to just fade away into oblivion. They want to live. Your daughter wants to live. This is not your choice to make.” She felt her anger build and allowed it to sweep away whatever fear she had felt. “You’re right. Many of the people from my world are selfish. We do care more about possessions and technology than we do about magic and the mysteries in life. And, well, that sucks. But I can assure you that there are many people like myself and my friends who do heed a stranger’s call and come to help.”

  She turned to Adom and smiled. “I took a risk. I knew there were many people who would think I was crazy if I told them a talking fox asked me to save his world. But my friends believed me, and they came. Some of us still believe in magic. Some of us still have hope.”

  “Some is not enough,” Asmodeus said. “It is too late for you. I will not allow you to take those strings.”

  “Too bad,” Carrie said. She tried to sound confident but could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She knew he was powerful, far more powerful than she could possibly imagine. She just prayed she could talk him out of whatever he had in store for her. “I won’t give them up. I can’t.”

  Asmodeus stood and clasped his hands in front of his chest. “You can give them up now,” he said softly, “or I can pry them from your cold, dead fingers.”

  “Then that is what you will have to do,” Carrie said in a small voice. She heard Lindsay and Rebecca give small exclamations of fear behind her. She stood tall and straight and looked Asmodeus dead in the eye. “I have no intention of giving up without a fight.”

  “Then a fight you shall have,” Asmodeus promised. He raised his clasped hands and, drawing them apart, created a searing fireball and threw it directly where Carrie stood.

  Carrie felt the heat coming her way and knew she had no time to escape its path. She saw the flash of red coming at her and felt the impact of legs and paws pushing her to the ground. She could smell the acrid, awful stench of burning fur, which caused tears to spring into her eyes. She heard three voices scream in horror and felt the ground hit her in the side, her right hand painfully hitting against something hard and rough.

  The pain told her she was not dead. Carrie pushed herself up off the ground, looking around in a panic to see who had pushed her out of the way; she had a sick feeling that it had been Adom and feared for the small animal. She saw him lying in a blackened heap on the floor and ran to him, gingerly pressing her hand to his side. She did not feel his heart beating, and he did not move as she touched him. She desperately looked around for help and watched in terror as Emilia led Lindsay and Rebecca in a run directly at Asmodeus. She saw him twist and change before them into the three-headed beast Rebecca had described to them in the forest. Each of his heads had eyes of fire, their features were twisted and cruel looking. His human head still had the same features as before, though exaggerated and menacing. His ram horns curled and tapered into wickedly sharp points, while his bull head puffed smoke. His large, green-scaled serpentine tail swatted Lindsay’s legs out from under her, and she hit the ground hard. Carrie heard the hard clunk of Lindsay’s head hitting the floor. Lindsay pushed herself upright, a trickle of blood dripping into her eyes. Carrie felt herself frozen to the ground as his three heads—one bull, one ram, one human—all observed their assault with mild amusement. His human head laughed cruelly as his horned ram’s face breathed a sea of fire in Rebecca’s d
irection. Rebecca threw herself out of the way—barely in time—and fell to the floor in a sooty heap. Carrie heard her groan as Rebecca tried to pick herself back up.

  Emilia flew at her father in a rage. Her hands threw ineffectual punches at him, and she screamed herself hoarse. Asmodeus cruelly stood still as his daughter hit him. He reached out one hand and grabbed her, flinging her aside as if she were nothing more than a rag doll.

  Carrie stood, trying to come up with a plan other than running and hiding. There had to be a way out of this mess. She did not know what she had expected when she had agreed to this quest, but it was not this pain and terror. How could they possibly win against this monster?

  Asmodeus turned and advanced on Lindsay, his eyes glinting as he approached her.

  “This will be fun,” he said, barking out a cruel laugh.

  Carrie felt her heart pounding in her chest. She could not let this happen.

  “Leave her alone,” Rebecca called. She pulled herself into a standing position and tried to look threatening.

  “Or you will do what exactly?” Asmodeus sneered.

  “I’ll stop you,” Rebecca finished weakly.

  Carrie looked around in a panic, trying to find Adom in the midst of the chaos. He had promised he would be there when she needed help. She knew it had been the small fox who had pushed her out of the way of Asmodeus’ flames. Her heart ached with the knowledge of what his actions must have cost him.

  The world was blurry through her tears of anger and fright as she collected what was left of her courage, stood, and once more faced Asmodeus in righteous anger.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Nekome

  “Asmodeus,” Carrie called. Her face was red, and she was crying. Her hands were clenched into fists at either side. One was stained with blood.

  Asmodeus carelessly knocked Rebecca, Lindsay, and Emilia out of the way and strode purposely toward Carrie. “What do you want, little girl?” he asked, a mocking grin on all three of his faces.

  “You aren’t going to kill any more of my friends, today or any day,” Carrie said in a low, dangerous voice.

  Rebecca and Lindsay’s eyes went wide as they absorbed the meaning of Carrie’s words.

  “Your little fox did not survive my flames?” Asmodeus asked. “Too bad about that.”

  “Too bad for you maybe,” Carrie said. “Now it’s personal. Nobody hurts my friends. Nobody threatens their lives. And you killed Adom. I’m going to take you down.”

  Asmodeus laughed, a horrible mocking sound that seemed to fill every inch of the room. “Big words from a tiny child!” he said.

  “I’m not a child,” Carrie informed him furiously. “Not anymore.” She waved to her friends to stay out of this and then gestured to herself. “You want me? Take your best shot. But what say you do it as a man? I mean, you surely don’t need three heads and a tail to beat one itty-bitty girl.”

  “Gladly.” Asmodeus changed once more into human form. He created a large fireball exactly like the one that had felled Adom and took aim at Carrie.

  As soon as Carrie saw the fire heading her way, she reacted and grabbed the mirror off the dais. She felt the fire heat the metal, burning her hands raw. She could hear a scream as if coming from far away and belatedly realized the sound was coming from her own throat. It sounded as if all her pain, her fear, and her grief were being channeled into that one inhuman sound. It soon mixed with a sound of rage that could only be coming from Asmodeus. She needed to know what was happening and hazarded a glance around the edge of the mirror. She watched, transfixed, as Asmodeus writhed, consumed by his own flames. Not daring to close her eyes, Carrie saw his features twist and blacken. She realized she was watching a man die, and despite his evil, she found herself choking back a sob. He gave one last gasp and collapsed into a pile of ash on the floor. The fire disappeared, and a breeze wound its way toward the mirror Carrie held.

  Carrie could not hold on to the mirror any longer. Her arms ached, the nerves in her hands screamed with pain, and she was drenched with sweat. Her knees buckled, and she found herself collapsing onto the ground. The mirror fell from her limp fingers and hit the floor. The frame rolled until it lay still. She felt herself being lifted up into someone’s arms and halfheartedly fought them away. She just wanted to rest. She wanted to sleep and allow the nightmare to end.

  “Carrie?” Rebecca asked. Carrie looked up into her warm hazel eyes, so full of concern. “Are you hurt?”

  “I’m okay,” Carrie said. “I have to get to Adom.” She knew she had to be there for him.

  Carrie and her friends searched the room, turning over furniture and rubble. Carrie looked under marble pieces at the foot of the dais. “Here!” She found him lying in a heap and dropped to her knees when she saw what had happened. He lay on the floor, fur burned away, skin black and broken. To her surprise, he opened his eyes and looked at her. Her pain at his death turned to a moment of joy and hope when she saw she had been wrong. He turned his eyes to her when he saw her approach. He tried to move, and let out a pitiable whine of pain at even the slightest motion. Carrie desperately wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him he would be all right but was terrified to even touch him.

  “You pushed me out of the way,” she said in a tiny voice. “You knocked me to the ground when he threw that fireball at me. You saved my life.”

  “Do not act like it was such an extraordinary thing to do,” Adom said. His breathing was ragged and shallow. Every word seemed like a great effort. “You would have done the same for me,” he told her. “You are a good friend and a good person, Carrie Eisen.”

  Carrie could feel tears slipping down her cheeks. “Hold on, Adom,” she told him. “I just need to find some more of those leaves. You’re going to be fine.” She turned to see that Rebecca and Lindsay had joined her, tears streaming down their faces. “Rebecca,” she said calmly. “I need some more of the leaves.”

  “We used all of mine on Emilia,” Rebecca said. “Maybe Lindsay has some more.”

  Carrie turned desperately to Lindsay. “Lindsay?” she asked, her voice broke on the question.

  “I don’t have any,” Lindsay said in despair.

  Carrie turned back to Adom. “You just need to hang on until we find our bags,” she begged him. “We have more leaves in there.”

  Adom coughed. It came out as a harsh wheezing sound, and his body spasmed in pain. “Do not worry about me,” he whispered. Carrie leaned in closer so that she could hear him. “I am content. We have won. The world is safe.”

  “But you’re my friend,” Carrie told him. “You need my help. Let me help you. We can heal you like we did Emilia.” She felt tears well up in her eyes. He had to pull through this. He had to be okay.

  “I am too far gone for leaves,” Adom said sadly. “Do not worry yourself. You are a remarkable person. All of you are. I am honoured to have met you. Honoured to have been your friend.” His big eyes looked at her for a long moment. Carrie tentatively placed a hand on his chest and felt as his fluttering heartbeat went still. She saw as the light in his eyes darkened.

  “Adom,” Carrie whispered. Her blue-green eyes filled with tears once more. “Why couldn’t I save him?”

  Lindsay took Carrie’s hands gently in hers and examined her burns. “Oh Carrie,” she told her. “I saw what happened to him. I don’t think the leaves could’ve helped him. It was so bad.”

  Carrie nodded. She needed to think of something else. “I’m sorry about your father,” she said to Emilia. “I know he wasn’t very nice, but he was still your father.”

  Emilia gave her a sad smile. “Thank you. I am truly sorry about your friend.”

  “We should go and meet the eagles,” Rebecca said. “They should still be waiting. They should know where to take the strings.”

  Rebecca and Lindsay got up and went to the door. Rebecca gave it a hesitant pull and found that with Asmodeus gone, it had unlocked. She turned to see if Carrie was joining them. Carrie had turned
back to the dais and was kneeling beside Adom’s body. It did not seem right to leave him there. She felt he needed to be home, where people cared about him. She realized with a sad sigh that she didn’t even know if he had a family. All she knew about him was that he was the king’s emissary. She decided that she would take him to the castle—take him to the king. She removed the sweatshirt she had on over her T-shirt and gently wrapped Adom in it. She saw Rebecca and Lindsay watching her with tears in their eyes.

  “We need to take him where he belongs,” she explained. She walked over to her friends and noticed Emilia still standing in the throne room. “You should come with us,” she said to her.

  Emilia looked at them hesitantly. “Are you sure?” she asked them.

  “You helped us stop Asmodeus,” Lindsay said. “You’re a hero too. Come with us.”

  Emilia gave them the first truly happy smile they had seen on her face and followed them out of Asmodeus’ castle and onto the roof where the golden eagles stood waiting for them.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sholem- Bayes

  The flight from Asmodeus’ castle went by in a blur. Carrie was barely conscious of the landscape that passed beneath them, even though she knew the eagles were flying slower out of consideration to her injured hands and the bundle she carried. Up ahead, she could see a beautiful palace rising out of the distance. It seemed to be built entirely out of white marble, with shining turrets climbing up to the sky.

  The eagles landed smoothly in the palace’s courtyard. Carrie slid carefully off her eagle’s back. She could barely work up the strength to thank him for his help. He said nothing to her, but she could see understanding in his eyes. Carrie looked carefully at her new surroundings and saw what would have been a lush garden. Beautiful marble fountains and sleeping flowers surrounded her. Impeccably trimmed hedges created winding pathways leading up to the palace’s entrance. Carrie instantly saw how Adom would have loved living here. A lump formed in her throat, and she tried desperately to swallow it down. She knew that if she broke down now, she might never stop crying.