Eden Undone (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 2)

by A. R. Meyering

  Rolling quickly away from whatever had hit, she looked up to see Lydia back on her feet and wobbling as blood from her head wound ran over her face. She’d somehow reclaimed the needle and was ready to kill again.

  Fueled by pure, hot rage, Penny brought her hands forth and with a mighty shout that seemed to split her head apart from the inside, clustered every last ounce of her horror and grief into a burst of dream matter.

  It blasted Lydia, whose eyes rolled back into her head. She fell to the ground like a lead weight, and Penny reclaimed the vial and hastened to Simon’s side.

  He was lying completely still. Penny ripped the cork out of the top of the vial with her teeth and poured the contents all over his wounds with an insane panic. She stared at him for a torturous minute, panting as she waited for even the tiniest sign of life.

  The world started spinning again when she saw his eyelids flutter, and Penny fell upon him in a gust of happy tears and cheering as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

  “Ouch! It still hurts!” he yelped as she crushed him with her tight embrace. Penny had no inclination of letting go until her heart had been emptied of its fear. Almost-dead moments ago, Simon already had other plans.

  “Penny, you can’t stay here. You’ve got to go, and I don’t think I can go with you. I’ve got to rest. Just go and I’ll keep an eye on her. That reminds me.” Simon took out his wand, still struggling for breath and clutching his side. He conjured up a long rope that proceeded to tie itself tightly around Lydia’s entire body. “Now go. Go!”

  “Don’t you dare get yourself killed twice tonight,” Penny warned him, and he waved her off.

  “I’m not making any promises. Now hurry up and go!” His breathing was still aggravated, but Penny saw that he was already gaining more color in his face. She gave him a last relieved smile before running in the direction she had last seen her friends headed.

  Penny batted her way through shrubs, crossed glens, and waded through brooks until she heard her name being called through the trees. She passed down a slope, her feet slipping on the wet moss as she slid downward and tumbled into a forest hollow. It was ringed by trees covered in ivory white blooms.

  Annette, Argent, and Armonie stood together, staring in horror at Penny’s approach. She glanced down and saw her shirt and hands were covered in Simon’s blood.

  “We found Lydia,” Penny gasped. “I’m fine, but Simon was hurt badly. She almost killed him, but we won. He’s okay now. Where’re the others?”

  “Hector took the others ahead, and we came back to look for you two.” Armonie held to Penny’s shoulder, looking unsettled. “Is Simon―”

  “Shh, I heard something!” Annette hissed, looking toward the tall brush at the back of the clearing. Argent made a grab for Annette’s shoulder to stop her from going, but she shook his hand off and went tiptoeing closer to the bush.

  When she was a step away, the leaves shivered and out of the tangle floated a butterfly with wings that looked like they were made of stained glass. In the instant she turned back to face them, the bushes shook to life again and a colossal figure with a battle hammer in hand barreled out, tearing up most of the plants as he came.

  It took only a moment to recognize Phobos, and before the wave of shock passed, his fist smashed the back of Annette’s head and sent her to the ground, unconscious.

  He gave a high, whooping laugh and yanked the chain in his other hand to haul Cyrus out from the bush as Argent armed himself. Armonie clawed through her bag in a frenzy. Phobos did not stop moving, keeping his deranged eyes fixed on Penny as he batted Argent away.

  “I haven’t forgotten what you did to my head the last time we met, girl. It took months to set my brain back in working order―months of needless suffering that I intend to pay back to you in full.” Phobos smiled, showing all of his teeth, and charged.

  Penny felt she might as well try to stop an avalanche from falling on her and stared with dispassion, noticing the tip of the silver flute poking out of his satchel.

  “Hey, you!” Armonie’s voice shouted harshly from across the clearing. “You won’t believe what I’ve got here!” She was running toward them, a bottle gripped tightly in her hand.

  Without waiting another moment, she hurled it at him and it broke in a shower of glass on his face. Phobos stopped mid-charge as goopy yellow liquid dripped down his face, the slime emitting clouds of smoke and a sizzling sound filling the air. He dropped both Cyrus’ chain and the hammer and clawed at his face while Armonie dove back into her bag to search for another potion.

  “Get the mannequin, Penny!” Argent brought her out of her trance of watching the left side of Phobos’ face being eaten away, dribbling blood and melting fat sloughing onto his neck.

  Penny dove for Cyrus’ chain, her fingers closing on it just in time for Phobos to recover his footing and see what she was doing. One of his eyelids had been burned half away, leaving his eye raw and bloody. She backed away, chain in hand.

  Phobos bore down on her, grabbed Cyrus and pulled. The chain fell from Penny’s grasp, and Phobos whipped her across the face with the back of his hand, the force knocking her down.

  Phobos turned on Armonie as she pulled out another bottle. He charged, ramming his shoulder into her again and again until she was caught between him and a tree. He shoved her against the trunk, and Armonie crumpled to the ground as white petals rained down on her, her eyes blank.

  Penny’s head was ringing as she tried to weave a dream, and the matter would not spring into being. Argent assailed Phobos with his puppets, tangling them around his meaty neck. It didn’t seem to deter Phobos in the slightest as he picked up his hammer.

  Argent commanded Hyde to scratch at the burn wounds with his knife finger. Phobos snarled, leaned back with the hammer gripped solidly and swung with so much force that it crushed Hyde’s body and sent his little limbs flying. The whitish-green soul that resided within the puppet leaked out and went spiraling into the sky as Argent shouted out several obscene words.

  “That’s the second one you’ve destroyed now! Dammit!” Argent tossed Hyde’s control aside in disgust.

  “Let’s see if you break just as easily, Mr. Ghost,” Phobos guffawed, going at Argent with a murderous look in his eye.

  Argent hopped back as the hammer swung, but he didn’t make it far enough. The arm that protected his head was caught in the blow and Penny saw the bones inside splinter as it connected. Argent’s face contorted as he pulled his arm in, and Phobos landed another swing in the chest, which knocked him back and caused him to roll right into Annette’s limp form.

  Penny was frozen as she realized everyone around her had fallen, and she was next on Phobos’ list.

  Penny threw her hands out in front of her. “I did it before, and I can do it again! Don’t come any closer, I’m warning you!”

  “Oh no―no mistakes this time. You’re mine, Pretty Penny,” Phobos laughed, bits of blood and saliva running down his face as his crashing steps grew nearer. Penny tried again and again to weave a dream to protect herself against this tidal wave of a man, but she could not even summon sparks.

  It was then, like a mirage in the corner of her eye, that Penny saw Annette stagger to her feet.

  “STOP!” she commanded with an accusatory finger pointing in Phobos’ direction, and his limbs seized up until he was frozen in mid-run, a furious look on his face as he bellowed in frustration. Annette caught her breath for a moment, and then puffed up her chest in ire. “You turn around and leave here. Keep going until you become so lost no one will ever find you again—a-and I want you to think about what you’ve done!” she added with a stomp of her foot, her hands on her hips.

  He turned stiffly around, his teeth gnashing in apoplectic frustration at having no choice but to obey. As he went, Penny skirted around him and withdrew the silver flute from his satchel, and Cyrus’ chain from his other hand. Annette and Penny watched him go, then rushed to their fallen friends.

  Penny shook Ar
monie awake, helped her to her feet, and located a healing potion in her bag. Penny supported Armonie across the hollow where Annette was holding Argent up in a sitting position. Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at Armonie and Penny.

  “H-he won’t wake up. Armonie, what should we do? Can’t you help him?”

  “Let me see.” Armonie fell to her knees, looking half-asleep herself as she tried to inspect him. Annette would not loosen her grip around Argent. “Big sister, I cannot help him if you won’t let me see him.”

  Annette let go with effort, and Armonie ran her fingers along the bones in his chest and listened for his heartbeat. She made a small noise and Annette burst into hysterical tears and grabbed him again.

  “Argent, I’m sorry, please don’t leave me!” she wailed, sobbing into his jacket. “I never meant any of those terrible things I said, I don’t know what I was thinking. If I had known that you’d… Oh, Heaven forgive my mistakes, what a fool I was.”

  Penny saw Argent’s eyes open to slits as an amused smile crossed his face. “So proud Little Miss Annette does care after all. I’m blushing…like a schoolgirl,” he croaked.

  Annette dropped him, flushing. “You horrible, rotten faker! Ugh!”

  “I wasn’t faking! I was only resting,” he pouted, looking cross with her allegations.

  Annette scowled, but when Argent closed his eyes and took several shallow breaths, she reached out and stroked the side of his face, her fingertips barely touching him. Armonie, armed with bandages and salves for his wounds, cleared her throat.

  “I need to set these bones correctly or we’ll have problems later. Penny, I don’t think any of us is in any state to go on. I’ll patch everyone up as best as I can, and I’ll double back to help Simon.”

  Penny shook her head. “Armonie, don’t push yourself, you’ve been hurt, too.”

  “Don’t worry about me, worry about finding Hector and Gavin. We’re counting on you to get that flute to them before everything falls apart,” Armonie urged, her sea-green eyes huge as she looked to Penny.

  It did not prove difficult to find Hector and the others. All Penny had to do was follow the sounds of clashing swords and enraged shouts. She saw Gavin first, hiding behind a large boulder and clutching Mia.

  Penny skidded to a halt beside them, her eyes fixed on Noct and Hector as they circled around Deimos. The one-eyed man fought both of them back with a sword in each hand. In his left was a rapier with an ornate hilt, and in his right a huge, machete-like sword with a black blade.

  Noct, whose entire body was wreathed in flame, launched attack after attack, but every time Deimos touched a fireball with the black-bladed sword, it died away quickly, as if the sword were absorbing the energy.

  “Stay back, Penny! I need your magic!” Hector commanded as she joined the fray, and though it pained her stand by and watch, she obeyed. He sprang to Noct’s aid, spinning large arcane circles, each of which Deimos shattered with his black sword. Despite his strong defense, Deimos looked as though he were struggling. Penny shoved the flute into Gavin’s hands and gave him a beseeching look.

  “Gavin, hurry! Play the song―wake up Adrielle,” she begged.

  His face blanched. “I don’t know the notes, Penny!” he cried, and Hector turned back while a great disc of silver and red light grew between his hands.

  “I’ve got it in my pocket―agh!” Hector screamed as Deimos leapt forward and cut the disc in two, lightly grazing Hector’s hands. Gavin winced and gripped Mia’s shoulder tighter as Hector doubled back. Noct managed to light Deimos’s hair on fire, distracting the man for a moment while Hector tossed the music to Gavin.

  Penny looked around to see where Nestor was, her heart sinking when she realized he was nowhere to be found. “Gavin, where’s Nestor? Where’s my mom?” she demanded.

  “He took her up ahead,” Gavin said, clutching the papers. “Penny, did you see Nettie and Armonie? They weren’t hurt, were they?”

  “They were wounded, but they’re going to be okay―Noct, watch out!” Penny screamed as Deimos feigned an attack on Hector but turned around with waspish speed and kicked Noct down. His rapier pierced deep into Noct’s shoulder, pinning him to the floor as the boy screamed.

  “Brother!” Mia yelled, fighting Gavin’s hold.

  Hector ran forward, all magic forsaken, threw his arms around Deimos’ throat, and yanked back, jerking the blade out of Noct’s shoulder. The boy crawled away, blood flowing from the wound as he whimpered but bravely tried to swallow the pain. He staggered to his feet in an attempt to fight again as Hector and Deimos wrestled.

  “Get out of here, Noct!” Hector barked at Noct, trying to choke Deimos as he swung his sword erratically behind his back in hopes of hitting Hector.

  “You’re not the boss of me, Hector―I’m not going to back out like a coward!” Noct ignited his body again, but Penny could see he was suffering.

  “Victor, go,” Hector ordered, gritting his teeth as Deimos made a small laceration on his ankle and threw him off like a horse tossing a rider.

  “Noct, that’s enough, come here!” Penny commanded, knowing that if she touched him even for a moment her hands would be burned raw. He took a reckless step forward, and her instincts took over. She grabbed his uninjured arm to pull him back, and unimaginable pain seared through her hand. She recoiled with a scream.

  With guilty eyes Noct turned and rushed to her aide. Before words could be exchanged, Hector was knocked off his feet by a well-placed kick from Deimos. The man pointed his rapier to Hector’s throat, wiping the sweat from his brow.

  “You fought well, but unfortunately your luck’s run out,” he said with a thin-lipped smile. “Hopefully your hands will still be of use after I’ve killed you. Only one way to find out I suppose.” Deimos drew in a breath and then looked back at Penny. “I killed that friend of yours with this very sword, and now I’m going to kill him with it too―how does it feel, girl?”

  “Stop!” Mia ripped from Gavin’s grip, tore across the grass, and bravely grabbed the blade of the rapier with her bare hands. Hector staggered to his feet as Mia’s blood ran down the blade of the sword. The girl’s eyes were fixed on Deimos, who looked too stunned to react.

  Hector stretched his hands out, attempting to pull her from danger. Mia stood her ground as she pushed the blade away.

  “Haven’t you hurt enough people? Don’t you realize what you’re doing anymore, big brother? Don’t you know how it feels to lose someone you love―to see everything that matters to you destroyed before your eyes? You must’ve known at one time, you had to have been innocent once. Try to remember how it felt. How can you live with yourself knowing you bring that to people’s lives every day? You’ve got to stop, big brother, please, please.”

  Deimos looked at her as if he was witnessing some sort of aberration of reality and for a moment the tip of his sword dropped to the grass, his one eye transfixed by the small girl. For a fraction of a second, his expression softened and Penny thought by some insane chance Mia’s plea had affected him. Hector crept forward again to try to grab Mia, but Deimos leaned closer, squinting, as if trying to find something in her eyes. Her face showed not the faintest hint of fear.

  It happened too quickly. Deimos dropped his rapier and his hands flew to his belt, where there hung the scabbard of a dirk. It flashed in the moonlight as he grabbed Mia by the jaw and drew the dirk down at an angle, as if to cut out her eye. Hector reached for Mia and pulled, and the dirk slashed her across both eyes. Blood poured.

  “Mia!” Noct wailed with acute wretchedness, and Penny pushed him down before he could try to move and leapt over his body. She charged, the flute raised above her head, and brought the heavy instrument crashing into Deimos’s skull. Again and again she beat him, until he fell, his hair matted with blood.

  Penny tossed the flute aside and dove for his fallen rapier, fumbling with the hilt. Grasping it at last, she stood above Deimos and aimed the blade until it was above his throat, tears
pouring down her face as she wavered with the urge to end his life.

  Hector caught her by the arm. “Penny, stop. Think about what you’re doing.”

  “Hector, he killed Maddie―he killed her with this sword! Look what he’s done to Mia. He’s killed countless others, and ripped the souls out of the ones that were spared, and if we don’t get rid of him, now, he’ll do it all over again. He deserves to die,” Penny seethed, tears streaming down her face.

  “Who are you to decide who lives and dies?” Hector told her with harshness to which she was not accustomed to, and her fury subsided somewhat under a spike of humiliation. Hector’s expression became more empathetic, and he squeezed Penny’s arm, his eyes full of despondent wisdom. “You’re not a killer, Penny.”

  At his words Penny hung her head, lowered the sword, and took a moment to shed a few tears of burning vexation. Hector turned away from her and went to Mia, who was being tended to by her brother and Gavin. The little girl was eerily silent, but alive.

  Penny looked through her tears at Deimos’s prone form and quietly ripped the rapier’s scabbard from his belt, sheathing the blade before depriving him of his other weapons. She tossed the black sword into the river, and used Deimos’ vest and cravat to bind his hands and legs as best she could. Satisfied he was down and immobilized, she went to Mia.

  “She needs medical attention immediately. Where did you say Armonie was, Penny?” Hector said, having inspected the wound.

  “She was back there, almost half a mile, but she may’ve gone to find Simon,” Penny breathed, trying to hold her panic at bay as she thought. Before she could clarify, the ground kicked up in a cataclysmic earthquake that shook trees off their roots and crumbled away the hillside. High above their heads, the sky took on an apocalyptic haze of dark crimson that changed the hue of even the stars and moon. In the distance shone a piercing white light.

  “What’s happening?” Gavin screamed. The stars in the heavens began to streak across the sky, and the rumbling faded to a humming noise emanating from the direction of the white light.