“Yes! I can. With this!” She held up the Rokis. It pulsated in her hand. “And I’m going to use it.”
Anger moved across his face. “Aura, give me the Rokis. You aren’t yourself right now. You can’t bring him back from the dead.”
“It’s your fault he’s dead!” Hot tears fell down Aura’s cheeks. She shook her head, trying to shake away the pain, to no avail. She gripped the Rokis and gritted her teeth. Rage fueling her.
“Just give me the Rokis, and we’ll pretend like this never happened.”
“Samuel, I’m doing this,” Aura said. She moved toward the window, away from him. “You can’t stop me!” She looked deep into his eyes, as he reached for the hilt of his sword. He wouldn’t.
“Aura, please don’t make me do this.” He pointed his blade toward her.
She searched the room for a weapon, cursing herself for not bringing her sword. Her eyes caught a nearby vase as Samuel made a move toward her. Stepping away from his swing, she ran to the vase and grabbed it. She leapt into the shadows, coming up from behind him as he remained focused on the area she had just been. With all her strength, she smashed the vase on his head.
Samuel fell to the ground, and Aura gasped in horror at what she had done.
“Samuel!” She fell beside him, relieved to see his chest rising.
There’s no turning back. She knew now she had to go. She had to go to Zakar and bring Felipe back. She had to fix everything. Grabbing the sword from Samuel’s side, its silver blade reflecting off the light coming in from the night sky, she touched the center of the Rokis. “Take me to Zakar,” she said firmly.
With a gust of wind, she felt her limbs being pulled in every direction as her body stretched. She caught her breath and staggered forward as she examined her surroundings. The sky seemed darker, and the smell of sulfur permeated the air. With the red sand below her and the stale wind, she knew she had returned to Vadim.
Her right hand held tightly to the Rokis, but the sword was no longer in her other hand. She glanced around, hastily searching for it.
A laugh came from behind her. She whipped around to see Zakar standing before her. His tall slender frame cast a long shadow on the ground, blocking any light.
She searched for his eyes, trying to read him. A flicker of light from the silver sword appeared ahead, a few feet away. The Rokis pulsated in her hands.
His deep laugh boomed as he turned to look at her. “I told you that you would bring me what I want.”
The laugh coming from him terrified Aura. As he stepped closer, she trembled, holding tightly to the Rokis. “You said I would have great power if I brought you what you wanted.” Her voice weakened. She swallowed and stood tall, hoping she didn’t reveal her desperation.
“Yes,” he said, stepping toward her. His green eyes, still glowing, stared deep into hers. “There’s something you want, isn’t there?”
“Bring him back.”
A smile stretched unnaturally across Zakar’s face. “If that’s what you want, I’ll bring your beloved back.”
She looked at the Rokis in her hand. Its center pulsated faster and faster until it gave off a heavy vibration. She met his gaze. The urgency in his eyes made her wary, but she had to do this. For Felipe. I can bring him back.
She held out the Rokis. “Take it,” she begged. “Please, if you know its true power, if it can bring him back, please take it.”
As she let go of the Rokis and it fell into the hands of Zakar, the center gem grew darker.
A wind rushed around them, picking up the sand, forcing Aura to close her eyes. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands. The wind settled around her, and she gazed around. Zakar took in a deep breath. The whites of his eyes had been replaced by deep black.
“Fool.” His voice slithered.
Aura’s eyes widened in fear. Her bottom lip quivered, holding in her cry. “What have I done?”
“You have fulfilled your duty to me. I have no more use for you,” Zakar said, turning his back toward her, gazing at the Rokis.
The center had lost all its color and reflected the darkness in Zakar’s eyes.
“You said you could help me! You said you would bring him back!” she wailed in despair, letting the tears fall.
“And you, so desperate to have your beloved Felipe back, believed me? I had one purpose for you,” he said as he turned over his shoulder and looked down at her, laughing at the fear in her emerald eyes. “Who do you think had him killed?” He smiled, slowly walking away.
Adrenaline rushed through her body, and she glimpsed Samuel’s silver sword to her left. Zakar held the pendant in front of him, transfixed by its beauty and the power it would bring him. Dark clouds in the distance grew at a rapid rate, and the wind picked up again.
“Finally,” Zakar said, running his hand over the surface of the Rokis.
Aura stood and quietly inched her way toward the sword. Her knuckles turned white, as she gripped the hilt of the weapon. Her heart pounded, drumming in her ears. She would never see her Felipe again. Zakar had lied to her. She’d stolen the Rokis and hurt Samuel. Anger fueled her, pumping through her veins like blood. She stepped forward and held out the sword, tears streaming down her face. Insanity generalized her focus on Zakar as his betrayal ripped her heart into pieces. The drumming grew louder, and she thrust the sword forward with a strength born from hatred.
Aura retreated, letting go of the sword now stuck in Zakar’s back. The wind stopped and time slowed as she watched him turn toward her. A look of confusion and shock rippled across his face. The Rokis fell from his hands, and he looked down as blood oozed from the wound on his chest.
Aura saw a glimmer of her blade protruding from him, painted with crimson. She caught her breath as he fell forward, but she jumped back in time to watch him crash to the ground beside her. His dead, blank eyes glaring into hers.
Shock halted her.
The wind whirled around them, and a cloudy darkness oozed from Zakar’s body. Aura trembled. Her legs faltered and she fell next to him. I killed him.
The darkness moved toward her, surrounding her. A sharp pain whittled down her back, and her body jolted as black clouds swarmed her and lifted her from the ground. Warm tears escaped her as she froze in an unspeakable horror, no longer in control of her limbs. The cloud migrated around her, whispering in her ears so faintly she couldn’t make out the words. Her eyes widened as the darkness slowed and formed a familiar face in front of her. She tried to speak as an etched reflection of herself appeared in the cloud and smiled.
“Please,” she begged breathlessly as the dark cloud jolted forward and entered her.
Convulses surged through her body, making her skin burn as fire threaded through her veins. Her world became speckled with dark blotches as her vision faded, and she fell away into silence.
Aura’s head pounded, and she had trouble opening her eyes as confusion settled in. Her fingertips grazed dirt at her sides, and she remembered. Zakar!
She sat up. Dizziness overwhelmed her. She blinked, trying to focus on the fuzzy world around her. A pulsating blue light caught her attention. She saw Zakar’s body a few feet in front of her and the Rokis off to the side. She quickly looked herself over to see if she had any wounds.
A flash of memories pounded her skull. A dark cloud, her reflection smiling at her . . . Her skin burning. She stood slowly and stumbled toward the Rokis. Her hand reached out for it. The Rokis gradually moved across the sand, toward her, and she dropped her hand.
She put out her hand again, and the Rokis jolted forward in the sand a few inches. As she dropped her hand, it stopped.
How is this happening?
Far away whispers echoed around her, and she shivered. Aura looked back at the Rokis lying on the ground. The blood from Zakar’s body mixed with the sand and flowed toward it.
She reached toward the Rokis again, and it flew from the ground into her hand.
She trembled with guilt, and threw th
e Rokis to the ground. What have I done? How am I going to explain this to Adie? Adie! The Ceremony! Uni will be rising soon. She examined her hands. What has happened to me? She brought her hands closer together, and a red spark of light formed between them.
Quickly pulling them apart, she glanced around and back at her hands, bringing them together again. The same sparks of light formed, and a dark gray cloud swirled around them. She separated her hands, and the gray clouds retreated back to her palms and into her skin. They climbed through the veins in her arms and faded as they reached her shoulders.
She formed the sparks again, and the dark clouds returned. She smiled as pools of darkness clouded her emerald eyes, and a strange satisfaction flooded though her veins. I have his powers.
She could still fix this.
She reached to her side, and the Rokis shot back up into her hand. Walking to Zakar’s body, she placed her hand on him and the other on the center of the Rokis. “Take me to the Holding Room.”
Wind surrounded them as a force tugged at her limbs, transporting them. This time, her heart was steady.
After the wind settled, she found herself kneeling in the Holding Room. She quickly went over to Samuel, who lay still on the ground. She placed the Rokis in his hand, and she looked at her own, putting them together to form a spark. Once the dark cloud had formed, she pulled them apart and watched as the power continued to swirl around in her palm.
She placed her hand on Samuel’s head. “Erase his memory of tonight in the Holding Room,” she said, somehow knowing this was how to use the power she was given.
She heard some voices down the hall getting closer, and she ran to entrance of the Holding Room. Aura screamed and shouted for help. A spark formed in her hand quickly as she tapped the clothing on her legs. Her Guard uniform turned into a nightgown.
Before she knew it, Gossamer and two Guards ran into the Holding Room. “Aura!” he shouted as he walked into the scene of the room. He stopped when he saw Zakar’s lifeless body.
Aura watched his mouth fall agape.
“I heard a noise in the hallway. It came from the Holding Room, and I saw Samuel on the ground . . . and . . .” Genuine tears fell from her face as she remembered the events from the past day, leading up to this moment.
Her uncle ran up to comfort her while the Guards investigated the bodies.
“Minister, he is dead,” said the Guard after examining Zakar’s body.
“Is Samuel holding the Rokis? Make sure he’s holding the Rokis!” Gossamer still held on tightly to Aura.
The Guard nodded. “Yes, sir. He’s holding the Rokis.”
Gossamer let out a sigh. “Take him to medical. I’ll call Tut and the doctor to see if any dark powers from Zakar’s body entered him. If he had a hold on the Rokis, he’ll be safe.”
Aura’s eyes opened wide, remembering the dark cloud in front of her seeping into her body. She closed them. I must never tell anyone I have the dark powers from Zakar.
She prayed Samuel wouldn’t remember the events from tonight as she watched the Guards carry him off. If he remembers, Adie will never forgive me.
27
Ambrielle
Ambrielle rushed down the hallway as fast as she could. Agony riddled her. With every step, she grimaced, unable to hide the pain. Age had taken over her body, making her bones ache. With the Rokis gone she no longer felt like herself. As she neared the Holding Room, she picked up her pace. She longed for the comfort of the Rokis. Even just for a second.
She dismissed the thoughts, praying to Fate that her loved ones were safe.
The Guards had come to her, speaking of another attack. And they had said his name.
Part of her never believed it could be possible, yet it was something she always feared. As she came through the doors, she saw Gossamer standing over a lifeless body. She gulped and took a deep breath, trying to stand tall, but as she walked closer, her knees went weak.
She noticed the dark hair and his emerald eyes that matched her own, glaring lifelessly at her.
Gossamer rushed to her side, and a wail escaped her.
“Shhh, shhh. It’s him. It’s over,” her brother whispered quietly in her ear.
With tears still streaming down her face, she tried to stand on her own. “How was he still alive?” Ambrielle looked to him, not attempting to hide her anger and confusion. “You said you killed him all those years ago. How is he here?”
She waited for his answer, but only saw grief in his eyes.
“He must have been brought back by the darkness in Vadim. We may never know. What matters now is that he was killed and no one else was harmed.” Gossamer’s jaw clenched as he frowned.
He’s right. At least, now it’s over. She sighed. It’s over, she repeated. Years of nightmares of him trying to kill me . . . and it’s over. A weight lifted from her shoulders.
“Who killed him?”
Gossamer held on tightly to her hands as he faced her. “Samuel killed him when Zakar attempted to steal the Rokis. Don’t worry. It appears Samuel had a tight grip on the pendant, so the dark power died with Zakar. Tut and the doctor are examining him now.” His frown deepened and brows creased.
“What are you not telling me?” Ambrielle asked as Gossamer walked her out of the Holding Room.
His eyes went dark brown.
“Your eyes are still changing, brother, so I see the curse didn’t die with him. What are you keeping from me?”
“Aura is the one that found them,” he said quietly.
Ambrielle’s heart saddened. Aura had witnessed so much darkness in the past few days, and she feared how it was affecting her.
“Where is she?” Ambrielle asked.
“I had a Guard escort her back to her chambers.”
“I want to check on her.” She tried to walk on her own, but her knees buckled.
“You know you need rest. Retiring from the Rokis is always hard on Rulers. Most take years to recover from the withdrawals of power. And remember how quickly we lost Father afterwards?” Gossamer asked.
Ambrielle sighed heavily. Father passed so quickly after he retired. A soft cry escaped her.
Gossamer nodded at a nearby Guard that came quickly to Ambrielle’s side.
“He’s dead, Gossamer. It is finished. I don’t need to be guarded,” she replied hastily. A newfound freedom fell over her.
“I have a feeling this isn’t over yet,” Gossamer said as he hugged her.
Ambrielle paused, looking into his eyes. “I know what you mean. There’s a heavy feeling in my chest that won’t go away, as though someone is sitting on it. But it’s more than that. Gossamer, this isn’t right! Adie’s too young to lead. There’s still so much training I need to do with her.” Her bottom lip trembled as they paused, and Ambrielle stepped away from them, leaning on the wall. “Why would Fate do this?”
Her brother shook his head as though he regretted mentioning his worry to her. “We need to trust Fate in a time like this. If Fate destined this be Adie’s time to lead, then it must be. This is Fate telling us where we are meant to be. Get some rest.” He kissed her forehead and looked at the Guard. “Take her to her chambers and stand guard at the door.”
Ambrielle nodded. She had always trusted her eldest brother, and she knew he was right about her needing rest. In her current state, she would be of no help to Aura.
She prayed to Fate he was wrong about this not being over. Help the darkness to have died with Zakar and ensure no Sights return to finish what he could not. She couldn’t bear any more death.
28
Adie
The Sandman stood in front of her, smiling. Adie heard the sound of the waves crashing against the sandy beach they stood on. She looked around at the forest edge a few yards in front of her. The trees were sparkling in the moonlight.
“Flay,” she said quietly, remembering a visit to the region of Flay as a child with her father.
The twinkling trees soothed her.
“Not exactly
,” said the Sandman, his left eye drooping past his nose. He handed her the Rokis.
She looked at it, confused. Why does the Sandman have the Rokis? Where am I?
“You must know your Fate. No matter where your path takes you, you will always end up here,” he said, pointing at its center.
Before she could ask him more, she heard a shriek coming from the woods.
“They’ve found us. Run!” The Sandman pointed behind her.
She turned toward a cave-like opening with stairs, directly behind her. She could see the first step of a staircase leading into the dark cave that spiraled into the sky.
She turned back toward the Sandman. “But you?” she asked as a crooked grin formed on his face.
The sand fell from his body and joined the sandy beach. The shrieks grew louder as the dark creatures formed just outside the woods. She stepped back, tripping on the sand, but quickly regained her footing. Her feet felt heavy as she tried to run through the sand.
She made her way toward the cave opening and the steep stairs inside, leading upwards. Vines etched themselves on the walls, and she touched them, trying to recall a memory that felt so far away. The shrieks grew closer as she gripped the Rokis and ran up the stairs.
As she ascended, the Sights followed, and the light from the Rokis shone brighter. She watched in panic as the steps crumbled at her feet. Frantically, she moved faster and saw a door up ahead. She stumbled on a vine and screamed in pain as she fell to her knees. Behind her, the shadows of the Sights moved effortlessly past the crumbling stairs and vines that fell into an abyss of darkness.
Standing, she used all her strength and took the remaining steps to the door. She turned the knob. Locked. She banged on the door and tried to scream but could barely muster a whisper. She looked at the Rokis, its lights growing bright, and placed her hand on the center.
“Take me home.”
The Halves of Us Page 22