Shadaya: Out of Darkness (Gemstone Royals)

by Kelly A. Purcell

  “Waylord,” one of the men shouted, “how’s it looking out there?”

  Jasper stood quietly behind Stiller, like his shadow. No one knew that they were in the presence of royalty.

  Stiller nodded but his expression was grim as it usually was, “we have a lot of work ahead of us, but the warning of Lord Cort has spared us much loss.”

  Silence followed his words, until a frail looking woman stepped forward.

  “Thank you Lord Cort,” she said kindly, “if it were not for you, many of us would be out there right now. We are sorry for our unkind words to you.”

  The burly elder, named Bogu regarded him with a nod of respect, from where he stood leaning on the mantle of his fire place.

  “We see now that you are one of us. You could have kept your dwelling to yourself, but you chose to take us in regardless of our unkindness towards you. That’s what The Community is all about.”

  The man stepped forward and extended a large hand. Markus shook the man’s hand and nodded.

  “You are all welcome to stay here for another day, if you wish to let things settle down outside.”

  “I think that’s best,” Stiller spoke up finally, “I will take some of the men and we will go out and assess the damage. We will come back with word and we can all decide what we will do next.”

  Markus nodded in agreement.

  “We have some grain and clean water to take us through at most two days.”

  “I lend my servants’ assistance,” Markus said, motioning to the men and women he had hired to care for his home.

  His servants bowed in acknowledgment of his instruction and he turned to return to his study.

  “Stiller, a word?”

  Stiller Valen wasn’t a man easily surprised and he lived up to his reputation even now as Markus relayed what the Dark Storm had uncovered about the caretaker’s death.

  “I knew something was off about that guy,” Stiller grumbled, “where is he?”

  “That doesn’t matter now.”

  Stiller started pacing, shaking his head angrily, “So you’re telling me that the man you have been trusting with your life has been secretly working with your father, who wants to secure an alliance for himself with Dravia?”

  Markus nodded, “that’s what I’m telling you.”

  “But why?”

  “Well my best guess would be, that it’s for his research.”

  Markus sat down on the couch with a weary sigh, he had not slept a wink last night, not after Cad’s confession. Stiller’s question was written all over his face.

  “After my mother died, my father became obsessed. Everything changed, he moved from his lifelong passion of studying the stars and seasons, to…” Markus shook his head.

  “To what?” Stiller prodded.

  “To immortality,” Markus replied, lowering his eyes in shame.

  Uncharacteristically, Stiller snorted then chuckled, “your father wants to live forever? That is ridiculous.”

  Markus shook his head, “it is true, you may think his writings the etchings of a mad man, like most Ilks see it. But if you truly took the time to understand, you will see that between the struggle between light and darkness, the magic, the sorcery… here in Saharia, anything is possible.”

  “So, he had Cad kill someone to ruin your relationship with us, so you can stay focused on the task of being the Cort heir… so he can do what?”

  “It would give him direct access to Dravia, he would be able to come and go without suspicion, from the Ilks who have rejected his thesis, and from the Dravians, who would attempt to use him. And then he could possibly get access to information on the last Queen of Dravia.”

  Stiller’s eyes hardened instantly, “that sorceress! She was banished years ago by her own husband and for good reason.”

  “My father thinks he understands, but he isn’t open to the reality of magic and darkness and light. He looks at everything logically. He doesn’t understand just how dangerous magic is.”

  “And she is evil… in the flesh.”

  “Father believes she holds the answers to his questions. But if in his pursuit of truth, he finds her and releases her, you can trust me on this, Luska would be the least of our problems.”

  Stiller was shaking his head, “well getting access to her won’t help him. Only the king knows where…”

  Suddenly Jasper entered the study, the urgency in his steps instantly putting both Stiller and Markus at attention.

  “What is it?” Stiller asked.

  The anxiousness in the young prince’s eyes was something neither of them had ever seen before.

  “We need to go to Quadin Manor… now!” Jasper stated.

  Markus stepped forward, he too now feeling a wave of worry for his friend.

  “Something’s happened.”

  Chapter 27

  This was the hardest it had ever been for Jasper to stay calm in a disturbing situation. He stood like a statue in Shadaya’s study while Markus and Stiller looked around. He could hear the commotion of servants tending to Eunice, outside the room. Shadaya’s old friend and the only person present with her when she was taken, was in a terrible way when they found her. She was able to send the guards to them before she passed out. Now here they were all wondering how someone had managed to kidnap the lady of the manor during a dark storm. That feat alone was enough to tell him that they were dealing with a dangerous enemy.

  Markus seemed to be looking for something. Jasper was growing edgy watching him run his hand along every surface with an intensely focused frown on his face. Jasper held his tongue, but he really was starting to feel that they were wasting time.

  “We should go directly to the prince,” he said to Geoff, who was standing patiently beside him, looking around the room as if seeing it through different eyes. He most likely was seeing it through different eyes.

  “There is no one else capable of doing something like this. He must have found out who Shadaya is. I always feared this would happen, I warned her,” he grumbled through gritted teeth.

  Geoff extended a hand and waved it before him, “I don’t know Jasper,” he said as he shook his head, “this is different, it’s more than just magic… it’s almost like…”

  A low click redirected their attention to the Ilk, who was now drawing open a small compartment over the fire place.

  “I found it,” he said.

  Jasper hurried over to him, “what is that?”

  The Ilk was already preoccupied with the pages of an old journal, what did he expect to find in someone’s old journal?

  A small smile formed on Markus’ face and Jasper restrained himself from collaring him and demanding he speak. Finally, Markus spoke.

  “Before she left my mansion yesterday, she told me about a secret compartment and her father’s journal. She suspected it was written in Ilksvardian.”

  He looked up at Jasper now and waved the book at him, “turns out that she was right.”

  “What does it say? Can it help us?” Jasper asked accusingly.

  Markus smiled.

  He walked towards another corner of the room then knelt, running his hand along the stone work of the wall. Jasper rolled his eyes only to find Stiller watching him curiously.

  “They took her through here,” Markus said as he pressed a latch.

  A rumbling sound followed, and the stone decorative structure started to slowly slide aside, revealing a small doorway.

  Markus turned to them, “this is a passage way that leads to the castle. The Quadins had it installed when their family served closely with the royal family. This is the tunnel Shadaya’s father took years ago… the night he made a deal with a witch.”

  Jasper arched a brow, and the silence that filled the room echoed his sentiments. Markus shook the journal at them.

  “It’s all here. Now come, we don’t have much time.”

  “We’re not going in there unprepared. Who knows what’s on the other side?” Stiller warned.

&
nbsp; Geoff unwrapped his light stone staff, “we are more than prepared.”

  Jasper tapped his sword, “that we are.”

  Stiller rolled his eyes, “we may be up against forces beyond our understanding. For all we know Shadaya could have left herself, by her own will, she could have found that tunnel and used it just like her father did. Never trust a double minded man… or woman.”

  “I know what you think you know about Shadaya,” Markus interjected, “but before she left my home, we had a very interesting discussion and her heart Stiller, is in the right place. Though she may be in a very difficult situation. We’re talking about fighting against destiny, her own father tried and lost his life, how can we expect to leave her alone and not lose her?”

  Stiller looked thoughtful, “are you saying she’s chosen the light?”

  “She wants to, but something was holding her back,” he lifted the journal, “now we know what.”

  “We are getting Shadaya back,” Geoff said firmly, “she would do the same for us. We have to at least try.”

  Jasper nodded; at the moment words failed him. For he knew that he had grown attached to a woman whose purpose was tied to the very darkness his blood line had been chosen to fight against.

  Stiller finally sighed in resignation.

  “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Shadaya did not quite feel like herself, she knew that something was wrong, but she could not figure it out. Her grip tightened on her sword and she looked down at her dark leather attire, she could feel that her mask was on her face. She could also feel something dark and powerful, surging within her, it was right at her finger tips. She looked around, she was not alone. She was surrounded by what seemed to be an eager audience and she was standing in the middle of them, as though she was the main attraction. She wracked her mind trying to remember how she got here… who she was. She looked down at the sword in her hand and the confusing reality hit; she couldn’t remember.

  Suddenly a battle cry arose behind her, mechanically her body shifted in time to avoid the downward thrust of a shiny blade. She faced her opponent; a woman with skin like porcelain, raven hair, held back in a tight pony tail, sneered back at her.

  Shadaya stepped forward and their swords met, the energy between them was intense… almost pleasant. It must have been a riveting sight, for the audience around them didn’t make a sound as they parried. The girl kept up with Shadaya’s sword play, not missing a beat nor growing weary. Shadaya too was aware of how much little energy she seemed to be using. She drew back and launched forward twirling into the air for added power and slammed her sword down. The woman blocked her, but pitched backward, sliding across the smooth stone floor yet still maintaining her form. Shadaya was growing annoyed, she had no idea why she was fighting this woman, who seemed determined to defeat her, determined to please someone.

  Shadaya turned to take another look at the audience, hoping to see a familiar face that would help this all make sense. But none stood out to her. Her next thought was interrupted by a force slamming into her. At first, she thought it was the woman tackling her, but then she realized that the woman stood in the same spot where she had slid and was pushing something against her manipulating it with her hands. Magic.

  Shadaya’s eyes widened, she inhaled and tapped into her mask reaching deep for the power simmering beneath the surface. As the woman pushed her upward into the air, Shadaya lifted her arm and sliced through the force pushing against her. The woman fell backward, just as Shadaya surged forward, her cape billowing behind her as she launched from the air above the arena unto her opponent. A feeling of invincibility rested upon her as she felt the magic in a way that she had never felt it before, she dug deep and drunk excessively of its power. Saw the possibilities in her mind’s eyes, relished what it offered. She hovered inches from the floor and twirled around her, even with the speed and force with which she moved, she noticed every excited face in the crowd looking on. She could tell that they were amazed, that they were impressed and that they were beneath her. She glanced down at her sword and willed a sinister green flame onto its edge. It was beautiful. She waved it towards her audience, urging them to see its beauty too, they continued to look on, she could get a sense of uncertainty but not fear. Somehow, she preferred fear. She glanced back at her opponent, who was kneeling on the stone floor, looking up at her in awe, her sword resting on the floor in front of her. Shadaya frowned was she surrendering? Good. She thought. She knew true power. The onlookers however, needed to be taught a lesson… she waved her flaming sword and struck one of the pillars, the green flames wrapped around it with the motion of a serpent. Then it tightened and exploded. A unanimous gasp escaped her audience, now she could sense it, but it was not quite enough. She lifted her sword again and sent a wall of flame to surround them, she wanted to see the sweat, to hear them beg for mercy… her mercy. She grinned maniacally. But her glee was cut short.

  Her wall of flame was suddenly engulfed, dissipating with a hiss. A robed man stepped through it, rising into the air to meet her. For a moment confusion drowned out her outrage. She knew him. Didn’t she? She lifted her sword towards him while summoning a power ball in her other hand. But the man seemed pleased, only adding to her confusion, he hovered like a wise old father, his grey hair fanning out around his head. She pulled back and hurled the ball at him. She watched with pride as the round flaming ball of power hurtled towards the man who dared interrupt her. He held a hand out and her ball paused midair, he seemed to strain against its force, but kept his eyes on her.

  “That’s enough Shadow,” he said, “you are very powerful, but you must focus on the task you have before you.”

  He nodded towards the girl kneeling on the floor, waiting patiently for something.

  “Your first sacrifice,” the man said.

  A strange hunger surged through her at the man’s words, and she felt a strong desire to drive her blade into the woman. But something restrained her from doing it right then. Something was not right about what she wanted to do. She couldn’t put her finger on it, shaking her head, she tried to push aside the dark fog filling her mind.

  “You must finish her,” the man said, “it’s the only way this power can truly be yours. It is the only way to kill the weakness of humanity that you feel in you. Then you will be perfect.”

  Shadaya extended her hand and called her power ball back, absorbing it without a blink.

  She then turned to the girl, frowning she turned back to the old man, no one should tell her what to do.

  Baring her teeth, she turned and launched towards him instead, flaming sword at the ready.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  A loud crack erupted, and bursts of light shot out of the cloud of smoke where Shadaya and the sorcerer launched successive attacks at each other. Another quake shook the small tunnel and Jasper exchanged glances with Geoff. Even in the shadows he could see how uneasy everyone was. From the tunnel exit, they could see the commotion going on down below. Jasper could not believe his eyes, it was Shadaya, but it was not quite Shadaya and she was doing things that he had only ever heard about. Now she was engaged in an aerial battle with an old sorcerer.

  “I think we’re too late,” Stiller muttered beside him. His tone revealing his own surprise.

  “We need to get out of here before she brings this whole place down on us.”

  “We can’t be,” Jasper whispered.

  “Look Jasper,” Stiller said firmly, “I know you want to save her, we all do. I know you care for her in a way that none of the rest of us do, but I have seen this before. Once a person goes this far into the darkness, there is no turning back. That. Is. Not. Shadaya.”

  Jasper gritted his teeth and looked down at the power battle going on down below. The crowd of priests and temple servers were quickly trying to slip away.

  “They did this to her, and now they’ve lost control of her.”

  “Exactly,” Stiller said, “what makes yo
u think that you can get through to her?”

  Jasper folded his lips and said a silent prayer for direction. He needed to know whether his feelings for Shadaya was merely driven by a physical attraction or if the connection he felt to her was El’s way of directing him to save her, the way she had saved him. He turned to Markus who was rather silent this whole time.

  “What do you think Ilk? What are really up against?”

  Markus’ looked at him solemnly, thoughtful, troubled but not resigned. That gave the prince some hope.

  “This isn’t just a battle for entertainment,” Markus said, “this is an initiation… that girl is the sacrifice. See those markings on the tiles… see that contraption above? That’s a dark storm extractor, whatever they need Shadaya for, it can’t be done until she submits to the darkness herself, until she willingly sheds blood on that arena like altar.”

  “They must have done something to her, she’s not herself.”

  “I don’t know, all I know is that woman down there is a powerful sorceress, she wields magic with the skill of a master. They were right, she is special and if we lose her tonight, she would mean a great threat to our cause.”

  “Then we must not let them have her,” Jasper looked around him.

  “There is just a few of us and we aren’t armed with magic, but we have El on our side and he is greater than all the magic in this world. This is not just about rescuing a friend anymore, this is about saving Saharia.”

  Jasper drew his sword.

  “If that’s not enough to convince you, I don’t know what is.”

  With that, he stepped outside of their covering and bounded down towards the fray, hoping that the others chose to follow.

  Jasper stepped close to the arena and looked on, now that he was closer, he could clearly see Shadaya. He truly believed that the woman he had grown to care for, was somewhere beneath that mask. But to step in there might mean sudden death for him, even at her hands.

  “Well well, I was not expecting to see you here… your majesty.”