by Kyra Quinn
Something underfoot snagged the toe of my boot. I flew to the ground, no time to brace myself or break the fall. Hard soil slammed against my shoulder and arm. A sharp rock stabbed at my hip. I cried out in both pain and surprise; the sound echoing through the forest.
“Blast.” I winced as I glanced down towards my feet. A thick root sat two inches above the ground, a hole in the middle just large enough for my shoe. I pushed myself up to a seated position, my chest stained with blood. Father’s carabeef sat smashed against the soil beneath where my body landed, now flat and covered in dirt. Delightful. My birthday dinner laid scattered across the fallen leaves at my feet.
I rose to my feet and winced as pain shot up my ankle through my leg. Not broken, but sore. I wiped my hands on the hem of my dress, the palms scraped. The day continued to get better.
A twig snapped behind me. I jerked back. My gaze flitted about the woods, scanning for any signs of movement. The leaves rustled behind me. A thick lump formed in my throat. My heart pounded so fast I feared it might explode. I could outrun no creature in these woods, even without injury. Only one option for survival remained. I raised my fists to my chest and braced for an attack.
His long nose appeared first, followed by his cold yellow eyes. A formidable wolf weaved towards me between the trees, his mouth open in a snarl. A throaty growl echoed through the woods. My pulse quickened, my breath short.
I had no chance of victory. Not against a wolf. I couldn’t outrun or fight him even in peak condition. I glanced around for some kind of weapon, anything I could use to defend myself against his sharp fangs.
There. My eyes fell on a fallen tree branch a few steps away. Drool dripped from the wolf’s mouth as he advanced. I scrambled and snatched it off the ground, half expecting to feel the creature’s jaw clench around my arm before I grabbed it. I turned to see the wolf lunge.
“No!” I screamed. I swung the heavy branch with all my strength, but I was too far away to reach the wolf. Somehow, it didn’t matter.
The wolf whimpered in pain as if struck. He froze before dropping to the ground. His massive body seized and convulsed. A long pink tongue flopped out of his mouth. He went still, his eyes glassy as the hunger in them disappeared.
I gasped, at a loss for words. Adrenaline coursed through my body. My hands shook, knuckles white as I clenched the tree branch. I leaned forward and poked the wolf with the end. No response. I threw the branch on the ground and bolted back to the main path as fast as I could. My jaw clenched as I forced myself to power through the pain shooting up my leg with each step. There was no time to rest. I had to get home.
It seemed unwise to ask too many questions, yet it was all my mind could fixate on. Two dead animals in two days, one of which vanished beneath my fingertips. What did it mean? Bad luck? Or a sign of something far more disastrous?
I didn’t finish the trek home through the woods. Even without the bloody buffalo meat, I didn’t have the nerve. Wolves traveled in packs. The last thing I wanted to do was meet the rest of his friends.
CHAPTER THREE
Can’t Fight Fate
The sun had set behind the aspen trees by the time I reached the safety of the main street. Relief rushed over me as soon as my feet stepped onto the cobbled pathway. My thoughts flickered between the wolf and the rabbit from the night before. Had the gods blessed me with protection? Or had Cimera poisoned my touch?
I bowed my head the entire walk home, careful to avoid anyone’s stare. I didn’t want to explain where the stains and tears in my dress came from. No one would believe me. They’d ship me off to a madhouse and throw away the key. I’d have no need for a husband after the physicians chained me to a bed and sedated me into a stupor.
But the more I dwelled on recent events, the more my stomach twisted with doubt. I had enough schooling to know nothing I’d encountered made rational sense. What would I tell Father when he asked about the carabeef? Or the state of my garments?
I had no explanation prepared when I reached the massive iron gate encircling the towering three-story manor. An oil lantern hung on either side of the front door as if to welcome me home. I tried to peer in through the narrow lattice windows in the stone, but the maids had drawn the curtains. The rusted gate squealed as I pushed it open and stepped onto the property.
The outside of the estate offered little to look at. Two grand willow trees framed the front of the property, most of the worn stone hidden behind their leaves. Thick puffs of smoke poured from the chimney pipe. I disregarded the walkway and scampered across the damp grass to the front door.
The heavy brass doorknocker caught my eye. I stood on the front steps with my hand around the doorknob, my palms slick with moisture. An apology repeated over in my head as I twisted the knob, polishing the details of the attack in my mind. I trudged into the house and waited for Father to greet me, my chest heavy.
“Miss Lili! What happened to you, child?” Maryanna shook her head and stomped towards me, her lips puckered. She ran a hand through her dark hair, the edges by her ears silvered with age. “Gods, girl, you are covered in filth. Stay right there. Don’t track mud on my floors.”
I bit back the urge to remind her the floors belonged to my father—Maryanna polished and cleaned them for him. The hands locked on her full hips and the cross look on her face, however, told me to keep my fat mouth shut. Whatever I'd missed, Maryanna did not appear to be in the mood for sass.
As I noticed the dark circles under her sienna eyes, my head dropped. Maryanna had been with the family longer than I'd been alive. Father paid her handsomely for her time, and in return, Maryanna handled most of the household management. She delegated tasks to the help, returned invitations to social events, and made sure every inch of the house remained in tiptop condition. She had no time to manage my mood swings.
I stood frozen on the welcome mat. “Busy day?”
Maryanna rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath in her native tongue. “Busy is a word for it.”
A chuckle escaped my lips. As frustrated as I could become as his daughter, I couldn’t imagine the stress of working for my father. He nitpicked and criticized with the best.
“You haven’t answered my question, Miss Lili. What happened? Your father’s heart would stop if he saw you caked in dirt like this.”
“Apologies.” I stepped out of my mud-covered boots. ““I fell down on the way home. Nothing to fret over. At least you won’t have to worry about me soon enough.”
Maryanna sucked her teeth. “Not worry about you? Child, I’ve been with you since your infant years. I worry about you like my own daughter. Go on, head upstairs and change out of those clothes before your Father returns. I’ll wash them for you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Ms. Maryanna,” I said in a singsong voice, the same voice I’d used to say everything as a girl. I sprinted up the stairs before she changed her mind or asked more questions. I wanted to take advantage of the first good news I’d had all day. When I reached the washroom and locked the door, my shoulders slumped as if someone had lifted a physical weight. If the last several hours were any sign, I had an exciting year ahead of me.
*
Dark clouds of smoke smothered the air. My eyes watered as I blinked to clear my vision. Everything familiar or safe had disappeared. I stood in the middle of a clearing in the forest, the surrounding trees engulfed by a circle of flames. No paths to safety remained, everything around me consumed by the ravenous fire. How did I get here? And would I perish if I couldn’t find a way out?
The flames moved in closer, the circle of sanctuary around me halved in size within seconds. Gods, help me. If I didn’t figure something out fast, there’d be no hope of escape. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but the sound died in my throat. No one would hear me way out here. Even if they did, no one would care.
“Come, Lilianna,” a voice thundered. “Step out of the flames and into the light.”
I didn’t recognize the voice, but so
mething about the power in it inspired trust. I took a step closer. “There’s nowhere to go.”
“The holy fire won’t hurt you. It can’t. Few things in this world can cause you irreparable damage. Now come, child. Let us talk.”
An incredulous laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. Madness. Only someone fit for the asylum would trust an ominous voice who told them to walk through fire. Yet my feet shuffled forward even as I shook my head.
I stopped a hair short of the edge of the fire. Heat stung my cheeks, my stomach in knots. It was foolish at best, psychotic at worst. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around my body as I stepped forward and waited for the flames to devour me.
Pain never came. Within seconds I stood unharmed on the other side, the warmth now against my back. A tall figure loomed in the shadows of the trees, his face obscured by darkness. I took a hesitant step closer, my body cold as my hands trembled.
“I have expected you,” the voice said again.
I inched closer. “By whom?”
“Fate.” The figure slid closer. His long, dark robe hovered above the ground as he moved, a hood pulled over his head.
A shiver ran down my spine. “I don’t remember an invitation. It must’ve gotten lost.”
“Humorous,” the figure said, his voice empty of amusement. “You’re a young woman now, Lilianna. The time for innocence and ignorance has come to an end.”
I stiffened. “Ignorance about what? Who are you?”
“Who you are and what your purpose is in this world. The path ahead will be arduous, but you won’t face it alone.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘who I am?’ And what do you know of my purpose?”
“All will be revealed with time,” he said. “We’ll speak again soon. You need to wake up.”
*
A deafening bang rang out through the house. I shot up from the bed as if struck by lightning. My throat tightened as I held my breath and listened for movement. Shadows obscured the bedchamber, the moon hidden behind dark clouds.
Realization struck when the noise returned. Whatever the sound, it appeared from outside. Common sense told me to wake Father. He would know how to handle whatever problems waited at our gates.
But I didn’t wake him. Curiosity outweighed fear. I tiptoed towards the window on shaking knees and crouched below the glass as I said a hushed prayer I’d find myself in a dream.
Five or six men stood on the ground. No, not men. I’d never met a fellow with black feathered wings affixed to his back. Each of them carried a weapon fashioned like a sword, vibrant orange and blue flames surrounding sharpened steel. The one in front raised a leg and smashed it against the door, and another sharp bang followed.
The door to my bedchamber flew open. I jolted, my head striking the windowsill above. Father stood in the doorway, his eyes wide and face ashen. He pulled his silk robe against his torso. “Run. Now.”
“But Father—”
“Lilianna, for once in your life will you please listen? I’ll keep them off for as long as I can, but you must run like Zanox is on your heels because he must’ve sent them.”
“I can’t—”
“You can, and you must. Run downstairs and flee through the attendant’s exit. Don’t pause until you arrive at the train station.”
A wave of nausea gripped my stomach. “Why the station?”
Father shook his head, his expression bleak. “There’s no chance I survive this, Lili. I’ve looked after you as well as possible at this age, but I’m not strong enough to shelter you from what’s happening. Go to Mulgrave and locate the one called Remiel. Tell him this is how he will repay his debt. Now run, before they blow open the front door!”
A thousand questions raced through my mind, but the terror in Father’s eyes informed me I’d run out of time to ask them. I nodded and sprang forward to wrap my arms around his neck one last time. My eyes swelled with tears as I sank into his embrace one last time. When I dropped my grasp, I scampered down the stairs to the rear of the manor, my vision blurred.
I’d almost arrived at the door to the attendant’s exit when the unmistakable boom of the front door crashing against the tile floor of the foyer split through the air. I squeezed my body against the door and held my breath, nervous the slightest noise might reveal my position.
“You’re late,” Father said. “I’ve been expecting you for eighteen years now.”
A rich chuckle answered, the sound menacing enough to send a shiver down my back. How did father know our assailants? And what did he mean he’d been awaiting them?
“Don’t fool with me, old man,” a hard voice with a thick foreign accent returned. “Impressive spell-work you employed here, but not impressive enough. Where is the girl?”
“Piss off,” Father snarled. “I’d never hand her over to you.”
“You would rather Daeva find her?”
“I’d rather see her alive and independent.”
“Not an option. I will not ask again, Esorin. Where. Is. She?”
An anguished cry ripped through the air. Father. My heart shattered to pieces beneath my ribs. Despite Father’s warnings, I released the door and hurried back towards the staircase. Father could scold me for my poor listening after I saved his life.
I slowed my pace to a creep when the creatures came into view. They stood in the foyer in front of the staircase, their winged backs to me. Each stood at least double my height, swords of flames in every hand but one.
What in Zanox’s name are these creepy bastards?
The one without the sword lifted his arm over his head. Father’s bloodied body hung at the end, the monster’s fist shoved inside his abdomen. He stared at me with glassy, lifeless eyes as a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. My hands flew over my mouth to muffle my scream.
I wanted to race to Father’s side. I wanted to bury one of the fiery swords in the throat of his killer or set fire to the house before they could escape. But the whisper of Father’s voice lingered in the air urging me to run. My capture would render his sacrifice wasted. I swallowed back the urge to fall to the ground and weep and forced myself to scamper back to the door. My heart ached as I tore the door open and flew into the embrace of nighttime.
I bolted as fast as I could, but I didn’t make it far past the gate before I had to slow my pace. In all the confusion I hadn’t thought to grab shoes. Sharp rocks stabbed at the bottoms of my feet. I clenched my teeth and tried to fight through the pain, but each step ached like walking on shards of glass. I didn’t dare check over my shoulder. If they’d found me, I didn’t want to know.
Tears blurred my vision until I couldn’t see more than a short distance in front of me. The streets were empty and dark. Only a few sparsely placed street lamps lit the way, the illumination of their flame resigned to a small radius around them. A brisk breeze blew straight through my thin nightgown. Blast. I’d be lucky if I made it to the station without someone calling the authorities. I had to look like a madwoman.
Halfway to the center of town I had to sit down. My legs ached from the abuse to their muscles, my pulse faster than a prized stallion. I found the first boulder to catch my attention and threw myself against it, the stone frigid against my flesh. The bare branches of the trees appeared almost akin to an omen, hundreds of bent and twisted fingers pointing me back home. Home. Would I ever call it that again after tonight?
Relief didn’t last long. Seconds after my breathing returned to normal, a piercing growl tore through the silence. I struggled to run faster, but the cuts in my feet made every step ache. Before long, the creature had caught up.
The strange new beast looked both like and contradictory to the monsters who’d slaughtered my father minutes before. His body mirrored a human’s aside from the hooves in place of his feet and the bat-like sanguine wings fluttering behind him. Long, sharp talons replaced his fingers. A sleek midnight gloss covered his skin. Glowing red orbs sat in the place of eyes.
He hovered a few inches above the ground, his lips curled in a sadistic smile.
“Leave me alone,” I said, my voice weak.
The creature barked a laugh. Only then did I notice the sword behind his back. The blade held neither steel nor fire, an icy blue light affixed to the bronze handle instead.
“Son of Cimera…what are you?”
The creature hissed in response, a forked tongue flitting in and out of his open mouth. My stomach dropped as realization hit me. Demon. Even with the proof before my eyes, I couldn’t make sense of how such a thing might be possible. Every adult in the realm knew demons and monsters existed nowhere but in made up stories children exchanged to scare each other. Yet nothing else explained the horror of the creature before me.
The beast drifted closer, his eyes hungry. I kicked up as he lurched. My foot connected with his hard abdomen. He flew back as his body crashed against the ground.
He growled and pushed himself to his feet, his nostrils flared. He swiped for me, his claws inches short of my nightdress.
“Piss off,” I replied, my father’s words giving me courage. “I said leave me alone.”
I raised my fists in front of my chest and braced for a fight. Monster or man, I refused to swallow my dignity and go down without a struggle. I’d rather lose than surrender any day.
The beast snorted and cracked his knuckles. He kicked a hoof behind him and braced to attack once more. From the look on his hideous face, he had no intentions of showing any mercy.
A peculiar energy rushed through my body. I dug my heels into the ground as the monster lunged for my throat. Out of time and inexperienced, only one reaction came to mind in my desperation. I ducked down and rammed my head against the demon’s abdomen. The creature flew against the ground and rolled as he groaned.