by K.N. Lee
I knew she wouldn’t take it easily, but I had to let them know what to expect. If I died, they would still be taken care of, as long as my contact continued to pass my spoils along to the landlord.
Worry churned in my gut that I might be betrayed after death, and my family would languish without me.
No. I shook my head. I wasn’t going to die. I was a Crow—too clever to let death steal me away before my destiny had a chance to come to fruition.
Ford was a bit more reasonable. Though he frowned, he entertained my idea.
“What is it you plan on doing?” he asked.
I met his gaze, and spoke the truth. “I’m going to save her,” I said, and his brows lifted.
“Ava?”
Nodding, I looked to Mother who seemed to finally understand. She gazed at the two of us—her two boys who loved the same girl.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Returning home sparked a sadness within me that I couldn’t shake. My duty to protect and care for my family had always been my main priority.
After our father died, my sister had no choice but to enter the Blood Lottery, and sacrifice herself.
The future I saw ahead of us was greater than anything the sun elves could promise, and more than the humans had even dreamed.
Mother made lunch for Ford and I, and we stood out in the back alley. Dark, and dank, it smelled of human waste and mildew—a smell that humans had grown used to living within.
I knew a better life, though it was one of constant paranoia.
It was best to not let the guards or any soldiers see my face.
I was a wanted man—a criminal that the crown would love to see hung in the Citadel. So, I covered my head with the hood of my cloak and lit a cigar stuffed with the ash of a sacred stone, and tobacco from Leeds. The scent erased a bit of the stench around Ford and I, and the flavor and magical properties gave me a bit of vitality.
“Tell me what you know about Ava’s whereabouts,” Ford said, leaning against the stone wall.
“Prince Alexander has taken her to the Sky Keep,” I said, glancing upward to the sky. Wyverns flew above us, their wings black against the bright blue.
“What could he possibly want with her?”
“Damned if I know,” I muttered. “He’s a sly one. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants to put his name in for her for the Blood Lottery.”
Ford’s eyes widened, and his jaw clenched. “Ava would never enter the Blood Lottery. She swore it.”
“That may very well be. But, a Royal can change many minds.”
“Come on, Kem. You don’t truly believe that. What is really going on?” Ford asked, folding his arms across his chest.
For my younger brother, he’d grown a bit bigger. I still had him on height, but his manual labor made his arms and chest twice the size of mine.
I flickered a look at him and sighed. Perhaps it was time to tell him the truth.
“Ava is special,” I began, and he rolled his eyes.
“Clearly.”
“No,” I interjected. “You don’t understand. She isn’t like anyone you and I will ever meet again. She’s an anomaly. A miracle.”
His brows furrowed. “Out with it. What are you on about?”
I sighed and shrugged. “She’s a mage, Ford. Simple as that. Haven’t you always wondered about her? How she can do certain things that others wouldn’t even attempt?”
His face morphed into one of sudden realization, and his arms fell away from being crossed at his chest.
“You’re not serious? But—dear spirits. That would explain a whole lot.”
I clasped a hand across his shoulder and nodded. “That’s right, brother. It explains a lot about why that pretty pompous prince wants her.”
Ford gazed upward. “And, why we must rescue her.”
I was a bit taken aback, but a smile stretched across my face.
I pat his shoulder, and chuckled. “That’s the spirit, lad. I didn’t know you had it in you. But, together, we might get her out of there.”
“And then what?” Ford asked.
“And, then. We escape this blasted place.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
A V A
A knock came on my door, and I hurried to answer it.
The sun would soon set, and Ocura would come for me. But, it was not quite time.
To my surprise, Miklaus stood outside my door. He wore the same robes he always did, and the kind smile I’d come to look forward to.
He was such a stark contrast to Ocura and her dark beauty. He was like a light in the dark, and each time I was near him, his soothing nature left me filled with hope and joy.
“Afternoon,” he said, with a slight bow.
I smiled at him. “Afternoon, Miklaus. Do you have a lesson for me?”
He nodded, and his face grew serious. “I do, Ava,” he said. “And, perhaps it might be the most important one of all.”
I stepped outside, and closed the door behind me.
“What do you mean?”
“I will show you,” he said, ushering me forward. “We don’t have much time. I contacted my guides and ancestors and asked for information about what happened with you and the wyvern queen, and what they told me has me spooked.”
I was whisked away from my room, and to our secret grove where he gave me lessons in light. All the while, my heart raced.
“What did they say? I could barely sleep last night, and Ocura never came to me for our lesson.”
“Good,” he said. “She will come for you today.”
“Is there something wrong?” I asked him, fear bubbling in my belly.
Glancing over his shoulder, he gave me such a look of sadness that it struck the purest form of sorrow into my soul.
“I am afraid there is,” he admitted. “Its coming for you. I can feel it, and I cannot keep you safe. Therefore, I will have to teach you to protect yourself.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Who is coming for me?”
“The Dark, Ava. It wants you. It needs you. You will be its vessel into Veruth’s walls, if Ocura and Xander have their way.”
I gasped, and stepped forward. “Xander?”
“Yes,” he said. “He has the face of innocence, but his heart is darker and more tainted than even King Kirian’s.”
I felt sick. My stomach cramped and ached, and my heart began to race.
“There isn’t time,” he said, and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Find your center, Ava. Just like I showed you. Clear your mind and usher in as much light as you can.”
Though shaking, I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath as the sound of the rustling leaves filled the quiet surrounding us.
“Open your second sight and follow the path you see before you.”
“Which one?” I asked, brows furrowed as I left the world of the living, and entered the spirit realm. It was the place of my dreams—a place I was intimate and familiar with since childhood.
I was a child of two realms, and both fought to keep me.
The loss of his touch left me cold, alone.
“There is no wrong path,” he said, his voice fading into the darkness that rose from my feet and stretched into the black sky. “You are protected, and I will not let you go astray. Each path is a lesson. You’ll pick the one you need to learn by instinct alone.”
The sound of footsteps broke the serene silence, and we both turned to see purple robes coming our way.
“Stay away from him, Ava,” Ocura Maga shouted. She shot her staff toward me, and I was knocked down to my knees.
An intense pain filled my gut and I found I couldn’t move.
“Miklaus the Damned,” she hissed, and I shot a look to my teacher—a look of questions, and fear. “You dare to tempt the gods who judged you?”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
All of the kindness I’d once thought I’d seen, had completely faded from Ocura Maga’s face.
My skin prickled with dread.
&n
bsp; Her eyes were now filled with a hate that was palpable and darkened her entire face. I wanted to shrink or fade from such a look, but lifted my head and forced myself to speak up for him.
“You lied to me, Ava,” she said, through clenched teeth.
I stuttered, unsure of what to say to make this right.
“He wasn’t doing anything wrong. He simply provides company when you’re sleeping,” I said, and she shot me a look that silenced me.
Why would she be so angry at my conversing with a monk? Weren’t they all united in the Sky Keep?
From the looks of it, Ocura Maga had an intense hate for Miklaus.
My throat went dry and I had to swallow a hard lump to wet my tongue again. Her hold on me lifted, and I pushed myself up to my feet.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ocura Maga asked Miklaus.
"Welcoming our guest," he said. "Am I not allowed to do that? Am I not allowed to guide her?”
My eyes widened. What did he mean by that?
She grimaced, seething. "You are not welcome here."
“Ah, but I don’t have to be welcomed.”
“Leave, or I will banish you.”
He chuckled. "You cannot banish me, Maga. Your power isn't strong enough. You are the one who doesn’t belong here. You power over the monks will lift, and they will send you back to the world you escaped.”
As I stared at him, he met my gaze and gave me a wink.
"Do not tempt me, Miklaus,” she said, lifting her staff toward him. “I can call the power of The Dark to smite you.”
With a sigh, he peered down at her staff and back to me. "I must leave now, Ava," he said. "It was a pleasure to meet you—a pleasure to guide you as I’d always wished.”
He took my hands into his, and I shivered at how cold they were.
"If you need me, just call my name," he said, and looked deep into my eyes. "I'm never far away."
Confusion filled my body, and my brows furrowed as I searched his eyes for meaning.
"I'm warning you," Ocura Maga said, and the air around her staff crackled with heat and sparks that glowed in the dim light of the rising moon.
Miklaus sighed, and kissed my knuckles. The instant his lips touched my skin, his body began to fade.
I blinked, confused that I could now see through his body to the jungle at his back.
He gave me a last smile, looked upward, and was carried away with the wind.
I gasped, covering my mouth as I stared at what was before me. He was gone.
Vanished.
Like a puff of smoke blown away by a strong breath.
Ocura Maga stood beside me, shaking her head.
“I should have known that one would come back to meddle.”
"What just happened?" I asked, jaw hanging in disbelief. I spun around in search for him. There was nothing but trees, and the temple to our right. Panic filled my throat. “Where did he go?”
She held her staff upward, at her side, and looked to me. "Miklaus is a spirit, dear."
"What?" The word came from my lips in a yelp, and was louder than I'd anticipated.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "He was executed.”
It was almost too much to take in. I turned away from her, and raked my hands through my hair. I clutched my head and gazed out to the world below. This place was going to drive me insane. I'd come to care for a ghost—something only slightly more tangible than my imaginings.
"Best to stay away from him," she said, and I squeezed my eyes closed, fighting tears.
"It's not fair," I whispered, falling to my knees. Why couldn’t I ever have anything good? Why did everything I even thought about loving get ripped away from me?
"Life isn't fair, Ava. Now, get up and suck away those tears," she said. "Save your tears for the true pain to come."
Her words cut through me like a knife. I peered up at her through a blurry veil.
"What do you mean?"
Her steely gaze shot terror into my soul. "Stand up."
I obeyed, pushing myself up to my feet. Standing before her, I suddenly wished I'd been left in the prison, for the heat of her fury shot toward me at full force and nearly made me stumble backward.
"I can now see that you are too easily distracted," she said, looking through me. Her eyes glazed over and she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Perhaps its time to show you why you’re here.“
With those words, a shudder ripped through my body.
Chapter Forty
I feared what came next.
Miklaus was gone, and I was left alone with Ocura Maga and her rage. She’d used her power against me, and now I was torn between fear and a desperate hope that all would be well.
She led me to a tower with a flat roof. On top of it, we stood in the center of the white stone.
Moonlight reflected off of it, and shone upward, basking our bodies in ethereal light. While she prayed to the moon, I watched her, curious, and suspicious. Was Miklaus right about Ocura Maga? Could she truly want to lead me to darkness? After learning he was a spirit, I wondered about everything he’d taught me.
Had I been naive and misled this entire time?
She glanced at me, and smiled, softening my worries.
The symbols on her robes were illuminated and in text I couldn’t read. Shame filled me that I’d never learned—no one bothered to teach human children to read. Work was the only future set out for us, and I’d been worked to the bone as soon as I’d turned five.
“I believe it is time you meet someone,” she said. “Someone who has been eager to meet you.”
“Who?” I asked, nervous. I tried to gauge just how angry she was, and why she had such a hate for the kind, and caring Miklaus.
“You will soon see.”
A vibration came from below, and I stepped back. The ground groaned and creaked as a circular, stone well rose between us.
She stepped forward, and wrapped her hands around the rim. From across the well, she peered at me. “This is the Well of Truth. Once you enter its waters, you will discover all that you wish to know.”
“Enter its waters?” I asked, and looked down into the dark depths. “I have to go down there?”
Ocura Maga nodded. “It is the only way. But, do not fear. All will be well.”
I licked my lips, brows furrowed. I guess getting wet was worth the risk, but I couldn’t swim.
“I’ll drown,” I said, and she chuckled.
Shaking her head, she flickered a look to the moon. “No. You won’t.”
“But, I cannot swim,” I told her.
“And, it doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because, Ava, you are immortal.”
I gasped. “Immortal?”
She nodded, and outstretched her arms. “Under the light of the moon, you are even stronger. Enter the Well of Truth and your power will sustain you.”
It was all too much to take in at once, and as I stood there under the light of the moon, I could feel that there was some truth to what she’d said.
The moon had healed me when I’d fallen from The Wall. It had always brought me peace, and when the humans were forced into their homes at night, I’d always craved freedom to climb my roof and stare at the stars and dark sky.
“You can feel the truth to what I say, can’t you?”
I nodded, and began removing my robes.
“Good girl.”
Once I was just in my underclothes—a simple white sheath—I climbed onto the top of the well. I stood on top, and peered down.
“How do I get down there?”
Ocura Maga held out her staff, and it glowed, illuminating the darkness below.
“Jump.”
Taking a deep breath, I stepped off the top and began my descent.
It was terrifying.
I fell for what felt like an eternity, and once my body crashed into the cold water, a shock filled me.
A jolt of awakening rocked me from the inside out. I was painfu
lly aware of every nerve and chilled inch of my body as the water claimed me. I shivered, teeth chattering.
While I glanced upward to see only the moon looking down on me, something grabbed me by my feet, and yanked me downward.
Into the depths of murky water I went, and terror like I’d never experienced rippled through me.
I hadn’t a chance to catch my breath, and as my face was submerged, I breathed in a gulp of water. My lungs were absent of air, and full of water, and I now knew true agony.
Ocura Maga lied.
I was going to die.
Chapter Forty-One
“I will destroy you,” a voice said, and my entire body tensed.
Darkness smothered me, and all was lost.
Was this death?
“Who is there?”
“Everything you love and care for awaits you in the mortal world. But, you won’t see them, if you betray me.”
A scream was ripped from my throat as I began to fall once more.
My heart flew into my throat and my eyes widened with terror as I flailed and fought the descent that continued at a break-neck speed.
When would the torment end?
“Ocura Maga!” I cried, praying she’d save me from this nightmare.
I fell, and landed with a thud that sent a sharp pain up my shins and knees.
I fell forward, into a crouch, and winced at the agony. Though I had stopped, I still felt as though I was falling, and the world spun as I dared to take a glance around me.
The air grew tight and darkness was lifted—ever so slightly—and replaced with a red fog that lit a shadowy figure that reached for me from the inky sky.
I screamed again, as a hand of smoke wavered before me.
“Take my hand. Save yourself.”
I shook my head, coiling away.
My scream wouldn’t come as a face appeared in the black smoke, a face of portals for eyes and a mouth that curled into a lipless sneer.