The Halves of Us

by Sydney Paige Richardson

  Though the dark theme remained, the interior was the opposite the dilapidated appearance of the tower. Haunting, intricate carvings adorned with rubies and sapphires covered the walls. The soft light didn’t allow her to make out the shapes, so Aura stepped closer, running her hands along the carved lines, feeling their deep groves beneath her fingertips.

  “What do you think they are?” Felipe asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell in this lighting.”

  Suddenly, the lanterns woofed around them as their flames grew brighter. Aura stepped back, gasping at the scale of the carvings. The brighter light revealed the designs in greater detail, showcasing their height. Aura stepped away from the wall to see the top of the majestic design.

  Felipe came to her side. “It’s a map of Thindoral.”

  “Look at the detail!” Aura walked up to it, touching the carvings of the rivers in Flay. She looked up. “Up there are the snowy mountains in Ologpha.” Her gaze fell past the map and to the hallway in front of her.

  The lanterns woofed once again, lighting up the hallway and revealing a deep crimson carpet that lined the path.

  Something is leading us forward.

  Felipe eyed the path in front of them. “I guess we need to go this way?” His voice wary as he grabbed Aura’s hand.

  She gulped, and they continued down the hallway. The shadows created by the lanterns mocked them as they went. A shriek behind them made her jump.

  “It’s okay,” Felipe said as he reached for his sword. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  Aura reached for her blade, pulling it forward. It glimmered in the lantern light.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything hurt you.” She smirked, but her smile quickly faded, and she froze as her eye caught a design on the wall.

  Her heart slowed. Aura sheathed her sword. Her feet grew heavy as she walked forward. The curved carvings of the flower petals arched perfectly. Just like the flower from the tree . . . and the gate . . .

  “What is it?” Felipe asked, startling her.

  She shivered and kept her eye on the carving. “Nothing.”

  She gulped as another shriek echoed down the hallway. A tall shadow appeared, extending past them. They turned. The Sight’s glowing eyes created a crimson hue around them. The flickering of the lanterns cast shadows down the glistening skeletal structure, making the bones of the creature more apparent.

  “Vow now, sayeth aye.”

  The whisper echoed around her. She swallowed a whimper and held out her sword. Felipe came by her side as the Sight charged toward them. Blood churned through her as her heart thumped heavily in her chest, reverberating in her ears. Fight! She urged her legs forward as she gritted her teeth, ignoring Felipe’s screams urging her to stop.

  This is for Hatem and Michael! She ducked, sliding down onto the ground, to the left of the Sight. Her sword slashed through its knees. A loud shriek echoed around her as the Sight’s legs turned to ash and it fell the ground. She moved quickly, charging back toward the creature as she gripped the handle of her sword. She thrusted her blade deep into its chest.

  Ash filled the air as Felipe came running up beside her. His grin fell into a frown as his eyes gazed beyond her. Aura’s chest rose heavily as she felt a radiating heat on her back, and the shrieking sound returned.

  She whipped around, raising her weapon instinctively forcing the Sight to evade her swing. Aura stepped back, but the Sight followed suit. Steadying herself, she eyed the death-like creature. Silence filled the hallway, though Aura swore her heartbeat sounded like a drum.

  She stepped back, motioning for Felipe to do the same. The Sight reached toward the wall, sliding its hand across the carvings until it reached a red orb. It pushed it, and Aura looked over her shoulder as a black wall came down behind her, blocking Felipe from her path. Felipe! She could hear his muffled shouts behind her.

  The Sight stepped closer, and Aura leaned against the wall. The creature remained still, staring at her, its skeletal frame towering over her. The voice slithered into her ears. “Vow now, sayeth aye.”

  Aura balanced on the balls of her feet, and took a deep breath, pushing the nauseating fear down as she sneered at the Sight. “Never,” she said, lunging forward.

  She swung her sword through the air, and with a whoosh, the Sight vanished. She halted, holding out her blade steadily. The wind behind her picked up, and she pivoted, swinging her weapon, slicing through the Sight’s arm. It shrieked and tore off one of the lanterns, hurling it at her. The weight of its impact threw Aura across the hall and against the wall.

  She grimaced and tried to stand, losing her steadiness and falling forward. Pushing herself up, she spun around, looking in all directions for the skeletal shadow. With a shriek, it suddenly appeared behind her, swiping at her. She ducked, rolling across the ground and back upright as it disappeared again.

  Her breaths grew closer together as she twisted around, dodging the Sight’s swipes before it vanished and materialized again. They repeated as though they were in a synchronized battle. Until suddenly, the air grew silent, and the Sight didn’t return.

  A clash jerked her attention back toward the mysterious new wall, and she heard Felipe growl and the shriek of a Sight. Felipe! She returned to the area where the Sight had pushed in the orb to make the wall appear, searching frantically for the right one to push. Her eyes located the red orb. She took a deep breath and pressed it.

  The wall shifted, and she ran toward Felipe. He nodded, and Aura noticed a relieved look across his face as he swung at the Sight before it vanished.

  She pressed her back against his as they slowly turned in a clockwise motion. The lanterns flickered in the hallway as they waited for the creature to reappear.

  It materialized in time for Felipe to lift his sword and disappeared in time to avoid his swing, but not before swiping at Aura, who sidestepped its grasp. They repeated again and again. Aura could feel her muscles aching, and she begged them to keep working. Her grip tightened on her weapon as the air went silent.

  They stayed back-to-back, waiting for it to return.

  Felipe cursed the Sight. “Where are you!?” he shouted.

  A popping noise to Aura’s left made her turn just in time to move away from the touch of the Sight. As the creature cleared the air again, she froze after hearing the pop noise return, and Felipe ducked. She swore as her weapon met the air and not the creature.

  Listen for the pop noise. Steadying her breathing, she closed her eyes as the silence of the hallway buried her. She took in one last breath as the noise appeared to her right and pointed her blade toward it. She opened her eyes as the Sight shrieked. Her sword pierced its gut. It fell to his knees in front of her, pulling her weapon deeper inside of it and Aura closer.

  “Duck!” Felipe shouted, and she knelt as his sword slashed through the Sight, decapitating it.

  She turned to face Felipe as the dust settled, their heavy breathing in tune.

  “They blocked all my hallways. I couldn’t get to you. When the Sight came for me, I thought it had killed you!” He brought her close, kissing her forehead.

  Aura dropped her sword and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m . . .” Glad you’re okay. Glad you’re alive. I don’t want you to die without me talking about what you said to me in Adie’s room, about what you and Gossamer said on the ship, about how it feels to be near someone who cares . . .

  She tried to speak, but the jumbled thoughts kept flowing through her mind as Felipe pulled away from their embrace.

  “I’m okay.” She picked up her sword and sheathed it.

  “Running toward that Sight was . . . well, a little crazy,” Felipe said.

  “Well . . .” She chuckled, shrugging.

  “Though, maybe it’s best if we stick together from now on in case there are any more trap doors.” He grinned as their eyes met. “I mean, it’s obvious you can take care of yourself.”


  “Well, I’ve been trained well to protect Thindoral. To protect Ad—”

  “But you also have natural talent. I’ve never seen anyone fight like you. Adie has plenty of Guards to protect her. You could lead a Tribe. You don’t have to be her shadow. You stand in the light. You cast your own shadow.”

  He paused. Both their eyes linked, saying more than words could in the moment.

  His side smile she had come to love returned, making her heart skip.

  He dropped his gaze away from her. “But facing a Sight together is always better than facing one solo, so let’s avoid any more trap doors.”

  She felt her cheeks flush. His words rang in her ears. You cast your own shadow. Words formed in her mouth that she always wanted to say but had never had the courage to. Her hands trembled at her side, from the adrenaline coursing through her veins and from feelings that begged to escape from her.

  Tell him how you feel. Tell him how almost everyone tends to focus on Adie instead of you. And while that has never really bothered you . . . that’s a lie. You just never wanted to let her know it bothered you. She’s your best friend and your sister. You don’t want her to feel like who she is hurts you.

  She sighed and spoke the only words that would escape. “This way.” She motioned for him to follow her back toward the entrance of the tower and up the staircase.

  “You don’t want to head back?”

  Aura paused. “I have to know more. That flower on the wall . . . I’ve seen it before.” She prayed Felipe wouldn’t ask more questions.

  As they ran up the steps and down the first hallway, Aura breathed a sigh of relief as the shrieks didn’t return. They rounded a corner leading to two separate hallways. There’s something familiar about this. She squinted at the hallways and searched the walls, when it hit her.

  “Don’t you recognize it?”

  “Should I?” Felipe shrugged.

  “This is built similar to Dome,” she replied, following the hallway.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Just on a much smaller scale. I bet if we go where the Council Room should be, we’ll find something!” she exclaimed, returning to the staircase and heading up another level.

  “Wait for me. We should stay together,” Felipe said, trying to catch up.

  As Aura reached the third level, she turned down the hallway on her right and quickly stopped. Dead end. A dark stone wall stood in front of her.

  “Everything seems to match. Why would there be a wall right here?” she asked aloud.

  Aura leaned against the wall as Felipe made his way up the stairs. Her stomach dropped as she fell back when the wall moved behind her. “Felipe!” She tumbled backward as the wall shifted and spun her around. She watched her scenery change.

  “Aura!” he shouted, banging on the brick wall. “Aura, are you okay?” he asked. His voice stifled by the structure.

  She started coughing as the dust settled around her. “Felipe! I’m okay,” she said between coughs. “I’m in another room.” She stepped out into a room that mirrored the Council Room at the Dome. I was right. She coughed again. “This is similar to the Council Room, but the ceiling is lower!”

  “I’m going to find another way in!” Felipe shouted from the other side.

  “Okay. I’ll have a look around!” Aura shouted back, surprised at how calm she felt.

  She attributed it to the familiar surroundings and walked about the room, running her fingers across the table positioned exactly how she remembered it to be in the Council Room. Dust gathered on her fingertips.

  “No one has been in this room in a while,” she said to an empty room.

  “On the contrary, I just don’t have a good cleaning staff,” said a deep voice behind her.

  “Who’s there?” Aura asked, whipping around and facing the darkness. That voice . . .

  “Oh, we already had this conversation earlier today.” The voice came from the shadows in the far corner of the room.

  Aura squinted, trying to see into the darkness.

  “I guess, like I mentioned before, I shouldn’t take it personally since you’ve never met your other uncle,” said the voice.

  Aura took a step back. Uncle . . .? But Gossamer is my only . . .

  She gulped. It can’t be. “But everyone says you’re—”

  “Dead. I know. I look pretty good for a dead guy, right?” He laughed. The moonlight came in through the window, illuminating part of his face as he came closer. His strong jawline pierced through the shadows, and his green eyes glowed. He had a long, thin nose, and his dark black hair combed neatly back.

  “Zakar?”

  “Yes!” He clapped his hands, and Aura saw his long yellow nails. “So good to know you ended up smart.”

  “What do you want from me?” Aura asked, reaching for her sword.

  “No need for weapons,” he said, motioning his hand at her blade, and flicked his fingers toward the wall. Her sword flew from her hands and across the room.

  She looked at him, trying to keep calm as she swallowed back her fear.

  “Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you. That would be such a waste,” he said, walking toward her. “Let your uncle see how you’ve grown.” He moved effortlessly across the floor until he stood directly in front of her.

  Aura tried to keep her breathing steady and glanced at her sword on the other side of the room, calculating how quickly she could get to it. The odds were not in her favor. Come on, Felipe!

  Her heart quickened in her chest, and she flinched as Zakar reached his hand out to her cheek and caressed it.

  “You look so much like your mother,” he said, looking at her longingly.

  Aura held her breath until he removed his hand.

  He looked away and walked toward the secret door from which she came. “Did you come alone? Surely, you didn’t,” he said, grinning and looking back at her.

  “I did not. They will find me soon enough,” she said, her voice wavering.

  “Did you come with your sister? There are two of you, aren’t there?” Zakar asked, keeping his gaze on her. His smile grew oddly large across his face; the corners of his mouth stretching to his ears. He broke eye contact and picked up her sword.

  “I didn’t come with her. I came with Gossamer.”

  Zakar lifted the sword near his face and smirked at the mention of his brother. “Ah, my dear older brother. It’s been a while. I guess if I ran into him, we’d just have one great family reunion.” He chuckled. “No, I think you came here with someone else. I smell . . .” Zakar took in a few sniffs and waved his hands in the air. Sparks of red light came from his fingertips. “Love? Did you sneak off with someone to come see me?”

  “We came to find out why the Sights attacked Hatem,” Aura replied forcefully.

  “Ah, yes. I did order that. In a roundabout way, I did it for you.” He sighed.

  “For me?” Everyone’s dead because of me? “Why would you do something like that for me?” she replied, stepping toward him. She thought of the tree people in Hatem turning to ash and shuddered.

  He pointed the sword at her. She stopped as the tip neared her throat.

  He smiled, dropped the blade, and put the hilt toward her. “Take it. I’m not here to hurt you.”

  Aura took the sword quickly, holding it out at him.

  Zakar walked smoothly away. “I ordered the attack, knowing it would bring you here to Vadim. You’re drawn to it, I know. The Sight that spoke to you, and your curiosity . . . you needed to come here. I just had to give you a reason.”

  “So you murdered countless innocent people to get me to come see you? Why didn’t you come to the Dome and request a meeting?” Aura asked, keeping her sword pointed at Zakar as he walked about the room.

  The moonlight still came in through the window, and Zakar moved back into the shadows. His green eyes continued to glow.

  “Well, the fact that everyone thinks I’m dead might have something to do with it.”
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  “And why aren’t you?” Aura asked.

  “I can see they don’t speak fondly of me back home,” he said, smiling. The grin quickly faded. “Your mother was an accident. I was supposed to be Ruler. Then she came along. It was like I never existed. I was the future Ruler’s brother, and that’s all I was. Gossamer was born for that role, not me! I was born to rule! I was going to create a little accident and quietly end your mother’s life so I could be the Ruler.” He sighed heavily. “But sadly, Gossamer and some Guards had to intervene. Didn’t work out so well for one of the Guards.” Zakar laughed.

  Aura thought of Samuel’s grandfather and fought back tears. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now!”

  His black cape floated behind him as he walked toward her sword and let the tip of it touch his neck. “Because I created you. I know you won’t do it.” His hand touched her sword and traced it to the tip. His long yellow fingernails tapped on the metal.

  Created me? Her eyes clouded with tears. “What?” she asked her voice cracking. The tip of the sword remained at his throat but shook as she trembled. Get it together.

  “I created you. When the first attempt at killing your mother failed and I was left for dead, I returned to this,” he said, waving his hands around in the air. “I was given more power, and I created a little curse. Ambrielle would give birth to twins. The eldest will bring destruction upon her first breath. The only salvation for Thindoral is death.” He chuckled. “The fall of Thindoral would be on the eldest twin.” He brought his hand to her cheek.

  Aura froze as he grinned at her.

  “You.” He chuckled as she dropped the sword and a sob escaped her.

  “You’re lying!” she shouted. This . . . this is all my fault?

  “Why would I lie?”

  “This is your agenda. This is what you want. Me miserable, just like you. I won’t allow it.” Tears fell down her face, but she stood straight.

  “You’re a lot stronger than I thought you’d be.” He shrugged. “That’ll take some work on my part,” he said, clasping his hands together. The sparks returned. “I’m up for the challenge. But I promise you, you will bring me what I want.”