It seeped out of his skin, draining onto the grass below, and he coughed, sending the rest of it out of his lungs.
“Armes!” she cried out, and leaned down onto his chest. Strong arms came around her, and Coral’s shoulders shook with the force of her terror.
He’d almost died, because of her.
Because she’d tried to take the easy way out and turn her back on Atlantis. “I’m so sorry, Armes.”
He tightened his hold on her, unable to speak.
“Let’s go, Coral. You will be returning with me.” The queen reached down and grabbed Coral’s arm.
Coral pushed up, ignoring the way Armes tried to hold on. He was weak still, drained from nearly drowning, so his hold was not strong enough to keep her there.
“Queen Iris, my people will not forget what you did here.” The Centaur king stepped in front of her. “After this, you will no longer be welcome in Terrenia.”
“I have no interest in ever visiting this world again. Once the transformation is complete, Coral will have the powers of a guardian, and we will be able to go about our lives.”
“Don’t do it,” Armes choked, getting to his feet. “Please, Coral.”
Coral ignored him, hot tears streaking down her cheeks as she walked out of the clearing on shaky legs.
Chapter Six
Coral
Coral stared at the wall of her stone room, face neutral, her mother's parting words last night replaying on a loop in her mind.
“I will kill him, Coral. If you desert us for that Centaur, I will drown him while you watch.”
Glass shattered in her hand, and Coral looked down at what used to be a porcelain mug. Blood dripped through her fingers, falling onto the stone floor in silent splashes.
Pain radiated up her arm, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her chest at the thought of never seeing Armes again.
What would he think of her now? A coward for conceding to her mother’s wishes? Or would he be angry with her for not leaving with him the moment he asked?
The other Champions already took their vows and returned to their worlds that morning. They’d been allowed to do it together, while she and Armes were forced to each go through the transition separately.
Her mother and King Ploar were afraid of what the other worlds would think if they found out the princess of Atlantis had sex with the Centaur Champion. She couldn’t have cared less.
A rough knock on the door pulled Coral’s attention away from her still bleeding hand. Standing, she walked toward it, not caring that she left a trail of blood behind her.
Coral pulled the door open to the head of her mother’s Siren guard. “Yes, Kamie?” Her voice might as well have been someone else’s for the complete lack of emotion.
Shutting down was the only way to keep moving forward, especially when she had no choice but to go through with the transition.
Kamie eyed her warily, before glancing down to her hand. “What happened?” she asked, reaching for Coral’s injured hand.
Coral pulled away, not interested in Kamie’s theatrics. They both knew she didn’t care what happened to the princess. The queen was her only concern.
“Had an accident with my glass.”
“We need to wrap it.”
“No, we don’t.” Reaching down, Coral grabbed the hem of her white dress and tore, ripping a piece of fabric long enough to wrap her hand.
Kamie gaped at the now damaged and blood-stained fabric. “You can’t go out looking like that!”
After wrapping her hand, Coral glared at her. “What does it matter? This will be the last time anyone sees me anyway.”
“You are going to be in front of representatives from every world, have you no shame?”
“Not anymore.” Coral walked past her and into the hall. Two other guards waited for her, and they stood on either side as she walked. Passing the open door to Armes’ room, Coral fought the urge to look inside, to call out his name, to do anything that would show Kamie just how much she cared for the Centaur.
That information would undoubtedly get back to the queen.
As Coral walked, dread tightened around her heart, each step carrying her closer and closer to a destiny she wanted no part of. She didn’t let it show though, keeping her face neutral meant not betraying any of the multitude of emotions slamming through her.
Fear.
Dread.
Complete and utter heartbreak.
They rounded the corner, and Coral’s heart stammered as the lump in her throat grew painfully.
Armes stood at the entrance to the cavern, eyes narrowed on her face. He’d taken his true form, and the power in every muscle of his chest and horse-like body was strained.
“Coral, you don’t have to do this,” he said, taking a step toward her. “What happened to your hand?”
Kamie blocked him. “You have nothing to say to our princess, beast. Mind your place.”
Armes glared at the warrior, but he didn’t say anything to her. “Coral, please.” His words tightened a vice around her heart, but it was the pain in his green eyes that caused her stomach to twist into knots.
She was hurting him by doing this, but she was also saving him.
After all, a broken heart would still beat.
“I choose this path, Centaur.” Her words sounded cold even to her, and his eyes widened. She walked past him, breathing in his pine scent one last time before entering the chamber that would change her life forever.
“Coral!” Armes roared behind her, and she shut her eyes tightly as the tears threatened to fall.
I will not cry, I will not cry. I am a princess of Atlantis. A Siren, a chosen champion, and I. Will. Not. Cry.
“Good girl,” her mother commended as she stepped inside the cavern. It took everything inside of her to not lash out at the woman. Soon, she’d never have to see her again, and when her mother inevitably called upon her to gain more power from the core, Coral would take great pleasure in denying her.
Turning her attention away from her mother and the roaring Centuar outside, Coral studied the cavern.
It was large, nearly the size of the room they’d originally arrived in, but unlike that space, there was no water here.
Not even a drop of moisture clung to the air, and Coral wondered if that wasn’t deliberate. Her kind could portal between worlds using any amount of water. Was it possible this room was being protected from that kind of magic?
“Princess, please come forward.”
She turned her attention to the king, who stood in the center of the room beside an altar. Above it, the brightest light Coral had ever seen floated, casting the room in a million shades of red and gold.
It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen, and for a moment, Coral was distracted from the heartbreak still tearing her apart.
“Shall we begin?” A woman wearing a bright red cloak stepped forward. “Princess Coral, I am the Sorceress.”
Coral’s eyes widened. She’d heard of the Sorceress, the most powerful being in all the worlds, but she’d never actually seen one. They were mortal, only living one lifetime before passing on their power to a successor, and Atlantis hadn’t a need for her to visit. Not since one created the magic to protect their world back when Atlantis was nothing more than an island in the middle of the Atlantic.
To be standing in the presence of one now should have been an honor, but it was one more person pushing her into a direction she didn’t want to go.
“Sorceress,” Coral greeted tightly, bowing her head. Eyes shut tightly, she focused on the memory of last night, trying to give herself any peace at all.
“My sea queen.”
I want a lifetime with you.” Coral opened her eyes and swallowed hard, fighting back tears.
“Begin,” Queen Iris ordered.
“Coral! Don’t!” Armes yelled. “Please don’t do this! You don’t have to!”
“Will someone silence him?” the queen demanded.
“You
are not the ruler here,” King Ploar reminded her.
The Sorceress dropped her hood and stared at Coral with curious brown eyes. “Are you sure this is what you wish? It is not too late to turn back.”
“Yes, it is,” Queen Iris snapped. “Get on with it.”
The Sorceress turned her attention to Coral’s mother, but her eyes did not betray any emotion. “I believe this is your daughter’s decision, Queen Iris, not yours.”
The Sorceress reached down and grabbed Coral’s hands. “Now, is this what you wish?”
Coral swallowed hard. If she did this, she would be saying goodbye to everything she’d ever wanted. Unless there were a war, she’d never be allowed on the surface again, never stand and bathe in the sun, never experience the touch of a male again.
The underwater would become her only companion.
If she didn’t do this, Armes would die, and she would be cast out, possibly executed.
Did she even have a choice?
Coral straightened and squared her shoulders. “Yes, Sorceress. It is an honor to be chosen by my people.”
“Very well.” The Sorceress lightly squeezed Coral’s hands and closed her eyes. A light breeze lifted the strands of her hair, even though they were deep within the mountains.
She chanted, and Coral watched, fascinated by the display of magic. Sirens possessed powers of their own, but only when it came to water and seduction. This was something entirely different. Her skin began to glow softly, and Coral felt warmth spread through her abdomen.
The Sorceress stopped and stared at Coral with wide eyes bright from her power. “You are not fit to be Champion,” she said.
“What? Why not?” Queen Iris asked angrily.
All Coral could do was stare at the Sorceress. “Does that mean I’m going to die?” she choked out.
The Sorceress smiled. “No dear, you are not going to die.”
“Then why can she not become the guardian? What is wrong with her?” Queen Iris stepped forward until she was only inches from where Coral stood, still holding the Sorceress’s hands.
The Sorceress turned her attention to Queen Iris. Smiling, she answered, “Because she is carrying the child of another immortal being.”
Coral gaped, and her mother growled.
“I’m what?”
“You are carrying the child of a Centaur.”
“You ruined her!” Queen Iris screamed, spinning to the doorway where Armes stood, mouth ajar. “You’ve ruined everything!”
Coral released the Sorceress’s hands, and rubbed her own over her stomach. She was pregnant. Already? Siren’s bodies worked different than human women, she knew they typically found out the instant they were impregnated, which helped with the survival of their species since they only ventured out every couple of decades.
But she hadn’t realized it would happen overnight. By the look of horror on her mother’s face, Coral figured she hadn’t realized it either.
A laugh escaped her lips, and before she knew it, there was another, and another. She laughed while her mother glared at her.
“Guess you won’t be getting what you want, will you, Mother?” In an instant, her mother not only lost her only chance for getting rid of Coral, but she’d also been guaranteed to be removed from the throne.
Now, Coral had her own heir, and the future of Atlantis would rest on her shoulders.
She should have felt bad for her world, for the fact that she was no longer fit to guard the core, but there was no guilt plaguing her mind.
All she felt was pure joy.
“This is funny to you?” Queen Iris stepped forward and grabbed her arm. Armes roared from the hall, but was restrained by two of his own.
The king walked toward the Sorceress, fear present in the wideness of his eyes. “This child, it should not be. Sirens and Centaurs, we are both immortal beings. A child of two immortals? It’s unheard of.”
The Sorceress tilted her head. “This child will either be a bright light to the world, or a dark shadow. Neither is set in stone as there has never been a child with such bloodlines.”
Coral looked back at Armes, who pulled against the Centaurs holding him. She offered him a smile, but it did nothing to ease the panic written all over his face. What was he so afraid of?
“She must be killed,” the king insisted.
“Killed? I thought you didn’t believe in executing your people for having sex?” Queen Iris retorted.
“This is different, this is an abomination.”
Coral’s head spun as she listened to them talk as though she was not present.
“You will not be killing her. She will have this baby, and if it is not a Siren, it will be taken care of,” her mother insisted. She knew there was nothing to be done. The Sirens in the chamber heard the Sorceress’s words, so killing her now would only ensure an uprising against the queen.
“You won’t touch her!” Armes roared.
Finding her voice, Coral stepped away from her mother. “You won’t take my baby. This is mine. You can’t have it.”
“You have no grounds to speak. You’ve doomed Atlantis.”
“You’ve doomed it!” Coral shot back. “So much so that you’re terrified others see it too! You’d rather be rid of me than risk losing your precious crown!” An angry lump formed in her throat, and Coral stepped back again, furthering the distance between them.
“You will be coming back to Atlantis, Coral.”
“No, I want to stay here.”
“You cannot stay here,” King Ploar said tightly. “Sex is one thing, but a baby with both Siren and Centaur blood? Not welcome here, I won’t risk my people.”
“What if nothing is wrong? What if everything is fine and the baby is perfect?” Coral insisted. Where would she go if not here?
“I can’t take that chance.” The king raised his hand and gestured toward her. “Take her to the life pond, she will be returning to Atlantis.”
“No!” Coral screamed, trying to get as far away from them as possible. She looked back at the Sorceress, who stood silent amongst the chaos. “Please! Help me! Don’t let them do this.”
She said nothing, just stared straight ahead, and Coral turned back to Armes.
“Coral!” Armes yelled, yanking at the Centaurs holding him.
“Get him out of here,” the king ordered. “Now.”
Coral watched helpless as the Centuars drug Armes out of sight as he roared. “Please, no,” she urged the king. “Don’t send me back.”
“You don’t have a choice,” her mother said happily. “Your little trick didn’t work. Even if they had wanted you, our people will turn their backs as soon as they discover what you’ve done,” she sneered.
Kamie wrapped her hand around Coral’s bicep while another Siren did the same on the other side.
Coral screamed until her throat was raw as they drug her from the chamber. Briefly, her eyes met the Sorceress’s, who still stood, watching.
“Why won’t you help me? You are more powerful! Help me! Please!”
“I cannot, it is not my place,” the Sorceress said sadly. “My job is to see to it the worlds are at peace, not interfere in matters of this nature.”
“Do you think this is at peace?” she screamed as she tried to yank her arms out of the other Siren’s grasps.
“Both leaders wish you to remain in Atlantis, that is peace even if you can’t see it.”
The Sorceress turned away, and Coral screamed, “Coward!”
Kamie pulled her out into the hall, forcing her down the cavern toward the room they’d first arrived in.
She passed a Centaur holding hands with a faere, and both watched tearfully as she was drug over the cold stone.
Queen Iris reached the water’s edge just as Coral did, and waved her hand over the calm surface. The water began to change, morphing into a whirlpool, and another world, Kamie shoved Coral inside.
Chapter Seven
Armes
Armes rammed the door
again, putting all the strength he had into it. The wood buckled in the center, but did not break.
Angry, he yelled, and slammed his back hooves into the door again. It splintered, sending sharp shards into the hall.
“Coral!” he yelled, rushing out into the hall.
His parents were walking toward him, their mouths in tight lines. “Where is she?”
“Back in Atlantis,” his father said sadly. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“No, no, no, no!” he roared, the word echoing through the stone.
“Armes, we would have supported you,” his mother touched his arm gently, and Armes bowed his head. If she were back in Atlantis, there was nothing he could do. Only a Siren or Sorceress with knowledge of the original protection spell could reach the magical city, and he highly doubted he’d ever find anyone willing to help him.
“I know,” Armes said sadly. “But I didn’t have a chance, it all happened so fast. So impossibly fast.”
“Love does that sometimes,” his mother said, cupping both sides of his face. It can be a slow, delicious burn that warms you from the inside as it grows. Or,” she started, looking up at his father, “it can be an all-consuming inferno that leaves nothing behind.”
“Why couldn’t she stay? Why did the king force her to leave?”
His father swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck. “He fears what he does not understand. Centaurs mate with Faeres. They may lay with humans, but no other being, it’s just not done. The fear of what type of child your two bloodlines will create was too much for him to leave to chance.”
“That’s my child, mine, and I’ll never get to see it.” His voice cracked, the lump in his throat nearly too painful to stand. He’d never see the dark-haired beauty again, or the small life that was born of their passion.
“I know, Son, and I cannot even imagine the pain you must feel.”
Armes shut his eyes tightly, replaying their last blissful moments in his head. She’d been about to accept his offer, he’d seen it. Why hadn’t he asked her sooner? Perhaps then they would have been gone before they’d been discovered.
Champion: A Prophecy Series Novella Page 4