Turning abruptly, she continued her course up the stone steps and followed the rat man as he led her though the large oak door. Her eyes briefly remained on the carvings of dragons at its top. Once past the threshold, they slowly meandered through the outer rooms of the castle. It seemed to her that this act was intentional stalling. She noticed that the Fir Darrig was leading her further down into the confines of the fortress. She hated to see the small remnants of the afternoon light disappearing with each step. It made her feel even more trapped.
Turning a corner, she followed the rat man down a long narrow hall. Out of the corner of her eye, Ceridwyn caught a glimpse of a thick shadow drifting along the walls beside them. The presence unnerved her. Could this be the vile phantom of the Black Warlock, spying on her movements? She didn’t dare examine it. She kept her eyes forward.
When the Fir Darrig came to a solitary door at the end of the marble hall, he stopped. Tapping lightly, he waited until a muffled voice could be heard on the other side. Ceridwyn’s heart beat harder as the rat man pushed on the latch. The uneasy feeling she had earlier washed over her again. It caused the sudden recollection of a memory from her past to surface. In her mind’s eye, she was staring at the portrait of a beautiful red-headed woman that hung in her father’s library on the back wall, covered by dust. A distant ancestor of hers, he had replied when she asked about it.
“We don’t speak of that witch. She betrayed Murias and this noble house by giving cherished relics to those not of our kind.”
“What happened to her?”
“Murias disowned his wife and placed a curse on her. It can never be broken. Our family doesn’t take to traitors.”
Ceridwyn shivered. If she ran right now, following the instinct that surfaced as the door opened, would her father do the same to her memory? Would he curse her for disobeying his command? Her feet remained still.
“Princess Ceridwyn?” a voice crackled from the other side of the door frame. “Please come in. We’ve been expecting you.”
The urge to flee grew greater and she fought with herself before finally pushing the emotion away. She must obey her father. When she stepped across the threshold, she noticed that the air carried a different feel. Heavy and oppressive. It pressed down around her body as she moved into the interior of the chamber and seemed to force the breath from her body. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimness, but when they did, she noticed that most of the area was empty save for several bottles and books on the large wooden table in the center of the room. Her eyes darted quickly through the dim interior. She found a pedestal and a large ornate silver mirror. There was strange energy that pulsed from the mirror’s silver glass. Beside it stood a blond woman, her skin unusually pale. This must be the witch.
“Hello,” Ceridwyn whispered. “Are you Bera?”
“Princess Ceridwyn. Welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you here. Finally. At our home, here in Crag Cairn.”
Ceridwyn drew a wall around herself and forced her voice to be confident. “I’m here to present the package. We found the unicorn and took from it the horn as you specified.”
“Excellent. Any troubles?” The witch moved closer to the table.
“I regret to say that one of your guards didn’t make it.”
“Oh? Pray tell? What happened to him?” A weird look came over Bera’s face.
“It’s most unfortunate, but I had to deal with his disrespect. And I should say that it will be mentioned to my father.” She watched the witch’s eyes. Would Bera react to the news? Would she need to defend herself? Ceridwyn readied herself for the worse. “I apologize if this hampers the negotiations, but the House of Murias Donn, particularly those of royalty, do require respect. Vulgar displays aren’t tolerated.”
The witch smiled slightly. Her eyes sparked with indignation, but she remained quiet. Ceridwyn realized that under the coolness of Bera’s face lie an endless pool of hate. “Please accept my apology, Princess. I quite understand how that must have made you feel. I’ll speak to my men about their conduct toward you in the future. Will that be acceptable?”
“Yes. Thank you. What would you like me to do with this?” She held up the horn.
“Would you mind bringing it to me?”
Ceridwyn forced her feet to move across the marble floor to where Bera stood. Bowing slightly, she placed the package on the corner of the table and stepped backwards.
A strange expression came over the witch as she moved to untie the silk cord. When the material fluttered to the table, releasing the horn from the safety of the velvet bag, Bera’s expression changed. Ceridwyn witnessed a sort of crazed emotion flicker across the witch’s eyes as she held the shimmering unicorn horn up to the candle light.
“Ah. So, their last defense has been murdered?” The witch chuckled. “I wonder what the elf queen will do now? No more protection for any of them.”
It was Ceridwyn’s time to flinch inwardly. “Does this gift please you?” Her heart tore at the realization that there weren’t any more unicorns to safeguard those of magic.
“Yes. I’m sorry. I get carried away sometimes with my thoughts. It pleases me because they don’t suspect what is coming. Little does Green Isle understand the darkness that is about to be unleashed. Everything will become nothing. Just a shell. A distant memory. A legend. And then…then it shall be time to take back Earth. Make it ours. Magic has again found a foothold there. Did you know this? Maybe your father does. He’s been asking about the portals. The Shadow People back on Earth? What an interesting thought.”
“I’ve brought the contract.” Ceridwyn hoped her interruption would bring the witch back from her musings. Earth held no special meaning for her. Nor her father. At least, she thought not. “Can we sign it? Complete the transaction. I’d like to leave in the next day or so.”
Bera seemed to suddenly remember the girl’s presence and quickly laid the horn back on the table. She brought a large copper bowl from under the table and placed it in the center of the bottles and books.
“Would you be so kind and put the horn in the bowl?” the witch asked. Bera moved back to stand next to the pedestal.
Ceridwyn looked at the woman. Why did she just ignore my request? Their eyes locked and the princess suddenly felt strange. Her mind wheeled. The dizziness compelled her to grab hold of the corner of the table.
“The horn, if you don’t mind, child,” the witch coaxed.
Her motions not her own, Ceridwyn watched her hands pick up the unicorn horn and put it in the copper bowl. She couldn’t make her body respond to her requests. She grew frightened when she realized that the witch now seemed to hold control over her.
“What did you do to me?”
“A precaution against flight.” Bera smiled smugly.
Ceridwyn could see the mirror glass begin to change color. “What’s happening? What are you doing?” She saw a small dagger in the witch’s hand. “My father will hear of this. Do you not understand his power? My power?”
The witch chuckled. “Ah. Little one. How easy this has been. You’re a part of this spell, my dear. In so many ways. I need some things from you. The first, of course, is your blood.” Bera grabbed her arm.
“This isn’t a part of my father’s deal. You’ll pay for your indiscretion.”
“Oh, but it is,” Bera exclaimed. She held Ceridwyn’s hand over the copper bowl. “He gave you up for more power. You’re nothing but a pawn in his attempt to regain control over the portals that lead back to Earth. Once the blood has been released the contract becomes binding. There’s no need for a signature. Your father is a great Druid, but he wants your clan to return to Earth.”
Slicing her flesh open with the point of the knife, the witch laughed. Ceridwyn gasped in pain as she saw a thin red line appear across her palm. Unbearable grief filled her body. She screamed. What entered her soul wasn’t just the agony of the cut, but sorrow. It filled her heart and drowned her. Her father chose power over her. The hard edge of betra
yal crept through her body.
The witch continued to laugh as the red blood splattered and oozed over the shimmering golden horn. “Uthal? Here it is. The blood of innocence that killed innocence. The spell begins. You’ll be free soon enough.”
Watching in horror, the princess saw the crimson blood trail along the tips of her fingers. When the droplets slowly covered the unicorn horn, she could feel herself begin to give way. Not to exhaustion, but to mourning. Her heart still carried the torment of the murder she committed. Added to it was the knowledge that she had been traded, like a piece of property. All of this done in the name of her father’s house. For the first time in her life, she outwardly cried in grief.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Miranda held onto the cliff face as Keltrain helped Lug across a section of the path that had collapsed. The group had been following a long and narrow trail up the steep mountain. It was obvious that the footpath had long been forgotten as some of the road had crumbled and decayed. Missing a step would be certain death for the unlucky one. She regarded the landscape beneath her, just briefly, before looking forward.
She turned her thoughts to Matt. It kept her mind focused as her fingers gripped the icy stone. Her knuckles had become raw and bruised, and ached, but she made herself continue. She concentrated on making the muscles in her arms hold her body still. It helped to call on the sorrow that had become her strength.
It was then that her mind traveled back over the past weeks of their quest. The journey to the warlock’s fortress hadn’t been an easy one for them. Was it almost over? Had they chosen wisely? Had she chosen wisely? She had asked herself this many, many times. Not about the journey itself, but the choice to cross through the portal back on Earth. So much had happened to them all since that day. She knew that there would never be a time in her life that she would be as innocent as she had been then. That time had passed, replaced by hardness, fear, and loss. All the things life made everyone face at one time or another.
She considered her companions. They were quiet and focused on the trail. Reaching this point had been a task for them all. Once they moved away from the ruins of Lismort, the old foot trail had become difficult to find in the snow-covered woods. On several occasions, it took a moment of scrutiny just to find any trace of its existence. Finally, at dusk the previous day, DaGon made the group camp in a large cave. The dragon knew they were at the end of their strength.
The night had been windy and chilled, but they were protected by the warmth of a fire and each other. Miranda tried to rest, but her mind kept replaying the night Matt went overboard into the darkness of the sea. It took some time before her spirit could sense him. Even then, she wasn’t sure if what she felt had been her friend. She didn’t want to tell the others that her mind felt a difference in him.
She observed her cousin. Thomas sat in the shadows of the cave, unable to sleep himself. She had grown concerned for his mental well-being, knowing that he was thinking of Ned as well as Matt. Their group had become fragmented and disjointed. Would she be able to rally him to her side when the time came to face Uthal?
Will I be alone? That question made her shiver. She thought of the mark on her palm. It would be there for always. The voices talked at once. They always responded to her thoughts. Their words were jumbled in a chorus of affirmation, but she understood their message. No. She was never alone. Not as long as she guarded the sword. Yet, even with this answer, she still felt isolated from everything.
“Grab my hand,” she heard the wizard command. The words brought her back to the present and she took his outstretched fingers. “It’s just a small jump, but I’ll steady you.”
Miranda felt Sonya brush past her legs. The cat nimbly jumped across the broken road, as Miranda felt the wizard pull her forward. In a moment, she cleared the chasm in the cliff path and was standing next to Lug. She let the boy wrap his arms around her shoulders. He seemed to comfort the only piece of her heart that she allowed to feel anymore.
“Wizard? Did ya be bringin’ us up the wrong way? Listenin’ to that feline got us nothin’ but hardship,” the leprechaun yelled. He hobbled across the rocky terrain and jumped the gap. Just as his feet landed, a small bit of road gave way. Keltrain quickly reached out and grabbed his lapel, pulling him back to safety. “Aye. Thanks to ya. That woulda been a mighty long drop.”
“We don’t need to lose another.”
“Gee whiz, seems to me this trail gets worse the further we climb,” Thomas exclaimed as he leaped across the opening. Keltrain helped him maneuver next to Miranda and Lug. “Where is that dragon? And Lily?”
“They’ve been flying around in the fog and surveying the road ahead.”
Lily suddenly appeared next to Miranda. “I think we found something, my dears. DaGon believes we’ve been traveling along an old way that leads to the back of Crag Cairn. He’s discovered a temple ruin on the plateau above us. Do you think it could be a way into the fortress?”
“A back way? Aye, now that would be some luck. Wouldn’t it?” Lamfada scratched his breaded chin. “Then, it would be somethin’ he not be expectin’. Us, showin’ up through his backdoor.”
“I don’t think Uthal knows we’ve made it this far. At least I can hope he doesn’t.” Keltrain climbed toward the top of the ridge. “If he did know? There would most likely be some sort of welcoming party. And I’m sure it wouldn’t be the friendly kind. Since we haven’t had any encounters with Bera’s henchmen, I’m going to continue believing that he’s not aware of our progress. Or where we are, exactly.”
“Then, perhaps this is a positive sign,” Lug suggested. “If we haven’t met up with any of the witch’s men? Our whereabouts have been hidden from him.”
“Ya know, that would be too good to be true.” Miranda shook her head. “One thing I’ve learned about being here and all is that you can’t take things for granted. Somethin’ is out there. I can feel it. But I don’t know what it is. And Thomas feels that Ned’s disappearance was done intentionally. So that makes me believe that we’re bein’ watched and all. He knows. He’s always known.”
“I really think Uthal’s trying to separate us. I agree with Miranda. Gee. That Uthal guy seems ta know everything.”
Keltrain looked back at them. “Perhaps. Buy why let us come this far?”
“Maybe he’s trying to find out who the sword bearer is.” Lug moved closer to Miranda.
“If that’s so, my friends, then we all need to be extra sensitive to our surroundings. Look after one another. This is important. Especially since we’re so close to the fortress. We must get Miranda inside safely.”
“It be a bit of a journey to Crag Cairn. And dangerous. Somethin’ these ole bones can’t be takin’ much of. I be tired and would like a wee bit of fire. Maybe a sip of my cider.” Lamfada followed Keltrain up the trail. “But I be knowin’ it has ta wait. I’m not no softy. Got work to be done, we do. We can be contemplatin’ Uthal’s intentions all the day. But until we be gettin’ there, nothin’ is certain. Not with those two at Crag Cairn. Especially if that demon knows about the wee lass and where we be.”
“I think I can safely state that one thing is certain. If we’re traveling to the front of the fortress? We’ve gone the wrong way.” Keltrain sighed. “This isn’t the road to fortress gates.”
“I only told you what I smelled. Dog and human. It could’ve been the Wulvers. Or maybe not. Either way we made a group decision,” Sonya retorted. “If you remember, Lily was very adamant that we go in this direction. But of course. Blame me. Everything that goes wrong is my fault. Like I made it happened.” Sonya hissed at the wizard and then ran further up the trail.
“She’s right,” Lily said as she flitted around the wizard’s head. “We can’t heap the sole responsibility on her, my dear.”
“What’s done is done,” Keltrain replied. “Let’s drop the conversation.”
“I just wanted to be fair.” Lily zipped forward and pointed to the top of the trail. “Up ahead th
e path opens to the plateau above us. There’s a flat area covered with snow and more forest surrounding that large temple. Just a little more walking and we’ll be there.”
Hearing Lily’s words, Miranda couldn’t tell if she was relieved about coming closer to Uthal’s castle, or afraid. Soon it would be time for a confrontation with him and that filled her with even more uneasiness. In the very back of her mind, she knew she must prepare for what was coming. They’re counting on me. Especially Matt. No turning back.
It took them almost fifteen minutes to make their way to the plateau Lily had described. When they reached the top, Miranda stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings. The ruins sat amid eons of forest growth. Snow and ice had obscured some of it but the temple itself rose high above the tops of the evergreens, and she could see its stones and architecture. It was certainly a contrast against the dark, pointed rocks of the island’s mountains.
A sound above caused her to look up. The dragon circled overhead, surveying those below. He dove down quickly. When he hovered above their heads, his green and gold wings created an updraft of cool air and snow. Gently, he settled down next to the wizard. “On the other side of those peaks is Crag Cairn,” he said, pointing. “I took a chance and flew over. No one saw me, though. I was too high.”
“Is this temple a part of the fortress?” Lug asked.
Keltrain remained quiet. Miranda glanced at him and wondered why he didn’t respond to Lug’s question. She could see his brow furrow.
“I remember this temple,” he replied. His eyes seemed distant. “It was the secret meeting place of the Believers of the Law of One. Interesting. I had forgotten about this. But these memories are coming back to me. Slowly. Seems being a fish had its drawbacks. Some memories are faded. But now…now that I see it, I remember.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever read about them in the Elven libraries,” DaGon said. “That name is nothing I’m familiar with.”
The Mirror Sliver (Legends of Green Isle Book 2) Page 15