Beautiful Corruption (The Corruption Series Book 2)

by Jessica Manson

  “Usually the person seeking the demon’s knife has to take a witch with them, so they can cast the spell. But since you are a witch, you will be able to do it yourself. If you last long enough, you will chant to make the blade. I don’t know what the chant is though.”

  “I do.”

  “You do? How?”

  “I heard it last night when I had my vision. So, that’s it? We just go to the Land of Lore, find the dragon, say a chant and find the demon’s knife?”

  “Basically.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  “You are serious about doing this?”

  “Yes. It’s the only way.”

  “Okay, Razi and I will take you to the Land of Lore.”

  “Yay,” I said giving her a hug. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me until this mission is over.”

  “Hey, how are we supposed to get demon eyes?”

  “When we get to the Land of Lore, we will have to go see a leprechaun. You can get the demon eyes from him, but he will need something in return.”

  “What will I have to give him?”

  “Either gold or something shiny. Leprechauns can’t resist either. As long as you have one of those things to give you, he won’t ask for your soul.”

  “Why would he want my soul?”

  “Leprechauns are soul collectors. They collect souls from people that need items, like demon eyes, that are impossible to get. They feed off of the souls to keep them young.”

  “Well then. Guess not everything can be easy.”

  “So, Lilith will have to face a leprechaun then face off with a dragon?” Tristan asked with concern.

  “Yes. I think that was all explained already,” Daveh said sounding like she was starting to get frustrated.

  “I don’t think you should do this. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Tristan, I have to. It is the only way to save Ava and Elijah.”

  “Then I am going with you.”

  Razi spoke this time. His voice was firm. “No, you will not go. Vampires are not permitted into the Land of Lore. We are risking a lot by taking Lilith.”

  “She can’t go alone.”

  “I won’t be alone. Razi and Daveh will be with me.”

  “Lilith, can I see you for a minute? Privately?” Odin asked. We headed to the library where no one would be able to hear us.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “I am with Tristan, I don’t think you should go alone with Razi and Daveh.”

  “Why not?”

  “Have you forgotten that they are traitors? They will probably kill you for my father the first chance they get. You can’t go alone.”

  “You’re right. I was so excited I forgot.”

  “We have to convince them to let one of us go with you.”

  “Do you think a convincing spell would work on them since they are fairies?”

  “Yes. Fairies may have similar powers as you, but magic can still be used on them.”

  “Okay I think I might have a spell I can use. If you give me time to say the spell, I’ll let you know when to ask if one of you can come with us.”

  “Okay. But I think I should go, and Tristan should stay with the babies.”

  “That will be between the two of you. I will call him in here,” I called for Tristan to join us with my mind. I wasn’t going to choose which one would be going with me.

  Tristan joined us in the library and we filled him in on what we knew about Daveh and Razi. “If they are traitors and working for Draven then why are you even considering going?”

  “We were thinking I could use a convincing spell on them and get them to let one of you go with me.”

  “Okay. Then I’m going with you.”

  “I think I should go, and you should stay here with Ava and Elijah,” Odin said.

  “Why shouldn’t I go? She is my wife.”

  “She is also mine.” At that statement from Odin I walked out of the room and let them discuss who would be going. I didn’t want to hear them fight over me. It made me uncomfortable. It didn’t matter who went with me as long as one of them did.

  I was waiting outside of the door when they walked out of the room laughing. “So, who will the lucky guy be?” I asked.

  “I’ll be going with you,” Odin said.

  “And you’re okay with this?” I asked Tristan

  “Yes baby. Odin should be the one to go with you. He is the only person that can get you off the property.”

  “Okay. Since it is settled let’s get this over with.” We headed back to the dining room. Everyone was still gathered around the table but now the food was finally served. The smell of bacon and eggs filled my nostrils making my stomach growl.

  “Yo, when do you plan on going on this mission?” Cal asked.

  “We will need to go today. Once I go to sleep Slaaneth will know what we are planning. So, when we get back y’all will need to be ready to summon him. This will all happen fast.”

  “Considering if you make it back alive,” Daveh said.

  “I’m not scared of a dragon or a leprechaun. I’ve faced much bigger demons.” Truthfully, I was a little scared, but I wouldn’t let them know that.

  Once I took a few bites of my food and everyone was silently eating, I focused on Daveh and Razi and whispered my chant to them:

  Son of day, moon of night,

  Give Daveh and Razi the gift of sight,

  Let them hear and understand,

  They shall follow my command,

  A friend can join us unlike before,

  He shall accompany us to Land of Lore.

  “Now Odin,” I said with my mind.

  “So, are the two of you sure I can’t come with Lilith on this mission?” Odin asked Daveh and Razi.

  “Of course, you may come,” Daveh said.

  “She would be much safer if you were to join us,” Razi said.

  “After breakfast we should get ready to go. The sooner we get there the sooner we can get back,” I said eager to get this over with.

  We finished our breakfast in silence. When it was over, Odin, Daveh, Razi and I all went to our rooms to get ready. I was starting to get nervous. This was my first mission and I’m not sure what to expect.

  We all met downstairs and said our goodbyes to the rest of the team. Daveh, Razi and I went invisible while Odin led the way to the car. He pretended to put something in the back seat, so they could get in without raising suspicion. When Odin opened his door, I did as before and climbed over the driver seat. We took off toward our destination.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  We pulled down the same dirt road Odin took me to when he taught me some self-defense moves and we walked to the same clearing. “This is where the portal is to Land of Lore?” I asked.

  “Yep,” Odin responded.

  “Where is it?”

  “Over there inside that tree.”

  “We have to go inside a tree?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Looks that way. Come on let’s go.”

  We walked up to the tree and it turned out to not be a tree at all. It was a doorway. “How the…”

  “Someone that didn’t know it was here would only see a tree, not a doorway. The only way to know it is here is if, well if you know it’s here,” Daveh said.

  Razi walked in front of us and started speaking in what sounded like Latin.

  Hic mihi: Dimitte me ut transeam

  “What did he say?” I asked Odin.

  “Passage before me; let me pass.”

  The doorway opened to reveal the most magical land I have ever seen. I wasn’t the only one impressed either. Odin wore the same silly expression on his face as I did. We were both completely in awe of this place.

  There were trees lining the entry way, each one a different color of the rainbow. The grass we walked on wasn’t green but blue. And I don’t mean the kind of green that look
s blue; this grass was a bright vibrant blue. It looked so fluffy like clouds and it took everything I had not to take my shoes off and scrunch my toes in it. There were multitudes of flowers in every color anyone could ever think of. Anemones, Roses, Lilies, Blood Roots, Bleeding Hearts, and Ranunculus’ in every shade of pinks, purples, blues, yellows, oranges, and reds.

  Butterflies floated around carelessly, and they too were different shades of color. Everything was so beautiful and bright. It filled me with so much joy. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning after Santa left the only gift I ever wanted.

  We walked deeper down the path until we came upon a clearing. It was miles of beautiful landscape. Fields filled with flowers, rolling hills and I think I even spotted a stream in the distance. Now that we were out of the trees, I noticed the sun even seemed to shine brighter here.

  As I was looking around taking everything in, I noticed a small area off to my right that was dark and foreboding. There was no sun shining in that area. The air looked foggy and the trees looked dead.

  “What is that place over there?” I asked.

  “That is where we go to get your demon eyes. The dead forest,” Razi said.

  “Great because that place looks so welcoming.”

  “It’s not,” Daveh said.

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “Oh, well come on. We don’t want to waste too much time lingering.” We walked toward the dead forest. The closer we got the more on edge I became.

  Once inside the forest I started to feel claustrophobic. The trees were very close together and towered over us forming a tunnel. The branches were bare and looked like arms ready to reach out and grab us. The air felt chilly against my skin. The only sounds were my racing heartbeat and out of control breathing.

  “This place is creepy,” I whispered to Odin too afraid to talk too loudly.

  “What gives you the right to call my home creepy dear?” We spun around to find a man standing in front of us. He was only about two feet tall. He had red hair and a red beard that covered most of his face. The only feature I could make out on him was his eyes. They were shiny and gold.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  “Very well. Daveh, Razi, why have you brought vampires into my home?”

  “She seeks demon eyes,” Daveh said sounding afraid.

  “Did you bring something for me?” I started to panic. How could I forget to bring something shiny or gold?

  “Yes,” Odin said pulling a block of gold from the bag he was carrying.

  “Follow me,” the leprechaun said with a smile on his face.

  We followed him into a small area of the trees that opened up wide enough for the man to have a small bed, a fireplace that was made out of large rocks, a table that looked only big enough to sit one person and a large shelf along one of the trees walls. The shelf was filled with small boxes and vials of things I couldn’t make out. Some even held different colors of liquids.

  The small man climbed a ladder to the top of his shelf. He started moving things around until he found what it was, he was looking for. “Here it is. How many eyes do you need dear?”

  “Two, I guess,” I said uncertain.

  “Let me see the gold again.” Odin pulled the gold block from his bag again and held it up for the man to see. He dropped the eyes and the brick of gold floated up to the man. Odin caught the eyes just before they hit the ground.

  Odin walked over to Daveh and Razi so they could make sure the leprechaun gave us the correct eyes. Daveh said leprechauns could be tricky and I didn’t want to take any chances. The man stepped down from the ladder and walked over to me. “What is your name dear?”

  “Lilith. What is yours?”

  “You can call me Gold deary.” I couldn’t help but laugh at his name. He held his hand out for a shake; I took it.

  “No!” Daveh screamed to stop me, but she was too late. Gold had already taken my hand in his. My head felt like it was being pushed in from both sides. There was so much pressure I fell to my knees. Gold never lost his grip on me. I winced in pain as his eyes started to roll in the back of his head. He started taking in deep breaths as if he was trying really hard to smell something.

  Odin tackled Gold causing my hand to slip away from him. The pressure in my head released as soon as my hand was free. “What did he do to me?”

  “He isn’t just a soul collector. He also collects memories.”

  “He stole some of my memories?” I asked as Odin helped me up to my feet.

  “Not just any memories. He stole memories that were filled with love. Leprechauns aren’t capable of showing love, so they steal the memories from others. It’s their only way of feeling what love could be if they were able to feel it.”

  “Such sweet memories,” Gold said licking his fingers as if he had just finished a bucket of fried chicken.

  “I’ll still remember the memories he took, right?”

  “No. Once he has taken them you won’t be able to remember them at all.”

  “What memories did you take?” I asked Gold.

  “Just the ones of your love.”

  “But I remember Odin. He is my husband. If he took my memories how come I can remember Odin?”

  “Because he didn’t take memories of Odin. He took your memories of Tristan.”

  “Why Tristan? I don’t love him like that. He is just my friend.”

  “No sweetie, he is your husband.”

  “Don’t be silly. Odin is my husband.”

  “I think for now we should proceed with the mission. We will figure Lilith’s memories out later,” Odin suggested.

  “Good thing you tackled him when you did, or her memory of Tristan would be lost forever,” Razi said to Odin.

  “Come on, let’s go,” I said walking over to Odin and grabbing his hand. I intertwined our fingers together. The familiar spark of electricity surged through me. Suddenly, a feeling of sadness came over me. It felt like I had missed this feeling but wasn’t sure why. It was like I hadn’t felt it in a very long time even though I’m sure I had.

  Daveh looked at Odin accusingly and I couldn’t help but wonder why.

  We finally made it out of the dark forest and headed toward another pathway. “Are you ready to face the dragon Lilith?” Razi asked me.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, cause this path leads straight to him.”

  When we entered the path, I was awestruck. The trees looked like ballerinas frozen in a dance pose. It was breathtaking to see. As we walked farther down the path the trees looked like the trees had become knotted together. It was as if the trees were forming some type of chain along the path. They just got more enchanted after that. The trunks of trees had holes in oval shapes all the way through it in a very intricate design. Some trees looked like it had faces grown into them and some were even in the shape of seats.

  “That’s the entrance to the cave. The dragon will be waiting for you, so you have to move fast,” Daveh said pointing to a cave.

  “Wait…you’re not coming with me.”

  “No, we can’t. We will be waiting for you here.” She handed me the demon eyes and said, “When you get close enough to the dragon you will have to throw the eyes down its throat then stab it in the heart. It will not kill the dragon, but it will piss it off. Once you have stabbed it, say the chant and the demon’s knife will form and fall out. You must retrieve it quickly before you get burned alive.” She hugged me and wished me luck. Razi nodded at me as if to say goodbye. I walked over to Odin and pulled him in for a hug.

  “I’ll be waiting for you right here,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I love you.”

  ‘I love you too lamia mea.” I kissed him gently on the lips before walking away from my safety net.

  The entrance to the cave was more beautiful than any other part of the Land of Lore. There were weeping willows of shades of pink and purple that formed a protect
ive circle around the entrance. Weeping willows are my absolute favorite tree and to see them in these colors was magical.

  Inside of the cave was dark. Had I not had the vision of a vampire I wouldn’t have been able to see anything. I walked for a few minutes until my foot bumped into something. When I looked down, I had to keep myself from screaming. Under my foot lay a skeleton of someone that had gotten charred to death.

  I focused my vision down the pathway and realized there were hundreds more skeletons in front of me. My heart sank as I realized I had to walk through them to get to the dragon. I tried my best to tiptoe around them without stepping on them. I didn’t want to step on them and disturb them. It was disrespectful.

  After what felt like an hour of slow navigation through the skeleton’s graveyard, I finally made it through. I stepped into an opening that lead to two more pathways. I wasn’t sure which path to take so I played eenie meenie miney mo. When I was done, I was left to choose the path on the right. So, I headed off toward that path until I was stopped dead in my tracks.

  Just as I was about to enter the path a loud ear-piercing roar sounded from the path to the left. Guess eenie meenie miney mo was wrong. I headed down the path with my knees shaking. My hands began to sweat, and my breathing quickened. I was nervous before, but now, I am downright scared.

  Just when I was about to chicken out my thoughts flashed back to Ava and Elijah. My body started to fill with a courage I didn’t know I carried. I would do anything to save my babies even if that included facing a dragon and killing a demon. I marched forward with a purpose.

  Chapter Thirty

  I walked for what felt like miles; the path was very long. I was starting to think I had taken the wrong path after all. I had lost the sense of time and it felt like I had been in this cave for hours now. I was tired from the long walk and needed a break. My throat was dry, and I needed water. Why hadn’t I thought to bring some? I tripped on a rock and landed on my face. I could taste blood as it poured from my lip. I rubbed my eyebrow and it too was bleeding.