A Sea of Broken Glass

by Sonya M Black

  Sand wrapped around Bran’s legs, trapping him. A flash of wind and he cut himself free. Cre would pay for that. Bran whipped his sword around. Blood scented the air, and a bloom of crimson appeared on Cre’s shirt.

  Yes! Kill him!

  Cre’s drums thundered through Bran. A constant boom-boom-boom that rattled his soul and shook pieces of him loose. A distraction when he should be focused on ending Cre’s life.

  Green paladin’s flames danced over Cre’s fist. The smack of flesh hitting flesh filled the air as Cre’s punch connected with Bran’s jaw. He flew backward, landing on his back, momentarily dazed. Sand crawled over his body and held him firmly in place.

  Kill him!

  “Sorry about this, old friend.” Cre knelt within Bran’s line of sight and laid a hand against his chest.

  Pain. Burning, searing, flames danced through Bran’s veins. Something in his chest broke loose. Frantic, he grabbed onto it and held tight.

  Another piece.

  And another.

  The shadowy web that coated Bran’s mind slowly burned away. His thoughts cleared.

  What was he doing? Why was he trying to kill Cre?

  You are mine, a voice in his mind snarled.

  No. That wasn’t right. He belonged to the Light. To the Lady.

  Bran called his paladin’s fire and turned it inward, searching desperately for the shadows that coated his soul. He joined his flames with Cre’s and scorched the razor-sharp threads of Darkness that held him. Excruciating pain ripped through him. He squirmed in the sand, wanting it to end, but instead, gritted his teeth and kept burning.

  You are mine.

  The Darkness solidified its hold, sending more shadowy vines snaking through his soul. Bran pushed against his restraints, fighting with everything he had. Bits of his self-control jarred loose, the thinnest, most delicate of threads. It wasn’t enough, but it was something.

  The visions that had, moments before, seemed so real became false reflections. Distorted bits of mirage that twisted and spun on currents of magic. Bran’s oaths to the Light held as solidly as the web of lies the Darkness had spun.

  Do you think you can stop this? Those flimsy vows won’t hold forever.

  Faith. Bran needed to have faith. He’d been without it for so long that he had no idea how to find it again. He needed to remember the promises he’d uttered centuries before to the Lady and the Light. Needed to remember all the things that had called him to her service. Honor. Faith. Loyalty. The words burned like a brand in his heart, consuming bits of Darkness as they flared to life.

  Bran’s eyes met Cre’s, and he saw those promises, those oaths reflected back at him as he dredged up a lifetime of memories. More than five hundred years of jokes, steady calm, and camaraderie. Blood spilled together in service of protecting the innocent. Though Cre and Bran didn’t share family ties, Cre was more of a brother to Bran than his own siblings had been.

  Kill him, the Darkness commanded.

  “No.”

  The Darkness spun another crushing web, wrapping Bran in its foul strands. He was a marionette with the Darkness pulling his strings. There had to be a way to stop it. He had been a fool to let the Darkness in. He wanted to scream in frustration and agony.

  What could Bran do to prevent the Darkness from enacting its foul plans? If Bran had never given in, he wouldn’t be a threat.

  He pulled on his magic, built the song into a cacophony of clashing notes. Louder and louder. He drank the song in, gathering it to him, the pain of it almost unbearable. Bran wanted to burn. To set his soul on fire. It was a desperate solution, but he saw no other option.

  “Hang on.” Cre pressed his hand harder against Bran’s chest. “I’ve got you.”

  Stop, the Darkness commanded.

  Bran’s song hovered on a long, silently held note. He couldn’t give in. Sweat dripped down his face, and his muscles quivered with the strain of holding his magic. He refused to let it go. This was his chance to prevent the Darkness from using him.

  Cre’s drums pounded a steady beat, breaking more of Bran’s soul free from the Darkness’s web.

  The Darkness tugged at Bran’s magic, trying to pull it away, but Bran fought. If he could overextend his magic, if he could burn himself out, then he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone.

  The drums grew louder, and the notes of Bran’s song inched slightly higher. Breath by breath the pitch increased, and as it did, Bran regained control. He held on with every bit of will that he possessed. He dragged in ragged breaths as he wrestled his magic into submission.

  “Almost there.” Cre’s voice was strained. “Just a bit more.”

  It became an ethereal tug of war with Bran’s soul as the prize.

  Their combined magic set the web that held Bran on fire. Holy flames ignited in Bran’s mind burning away the remaining entanglements until he was free. Tears slid down Bran’s face and his body trembled.

  You are free. For now.

  Bran reined his magic in, silencing the song before it slipped from his control.

  “Am I truly free?” he asked, unwilling to believe it.

  A new song built and rumbled through Bran, a kettle drum that echoed in his spirit.

  Holy fire crackled in Cre’s palm, and he pressed it against Bran’s heart. Bran welcomed the heat, the surge of music that brushed through his body searching for signs of Darkness.

  “It appears that way,” Cre said, hesitantly. “What happened?”

  Bran told him everything. How Ris had been held by the Darkness and how Bran had chosen to release his curse as a distraction. How the Darkness had captured him. How he feared that he was still tainted.

  Cre listened intently, his arms crossed and his jaw set. When Bran finished, he felt as if he’d run a long race. Cre remained impassive through the whole explanation.

  “What should we do?” Bran asked.

  “Normally, I would suggest returning to Raven’s Keep. Have one of the healer’s do a full cleansing, but…” Cre rubbed his chin with his thick fingers. “There isn’t time.”

  “What do you mean?” Bran’s dug his hands into the sand as dread filled him.

  Cre glanced up at the moon. “They’re close to finding it.”

  “What?”

  “The Heart.” Cre looked back at the ground. “They’ll need our help.”

  “We should try to contact them again. Find out where they are and what is happening.” No matter how much Bran wanted to be by Ris’s side, he would not put her in danger.

  “It won’t work.” Cre closed his eyes. “I added some magic to that worry stone of hers. To prevent anyone from contacting them.”

  “Why?” Bran asked, bewildered by Cre’s admission.

  “The Voice has been trying to use Aeron to get to Ris.” Cre blew out a long breath. “And Ris needs Aeron by her side to succeed in getting the Heart.”

  “Is that one of your visions?”

  Cre poked at the sand. “I also had a vision of you letting the curse free. I tried to stop it. That’s why I came with you.”

  Bran stared up at the sky. The best thing for him to do was surround himself with paladins who could watch him and contain him should the Darkness regain control. Bran pressed his palm to his heart. The taint no longer resided there, but he couldn’t be sure that it was entirely gone.

  What would happen when he came face-to-face with Ris? Would everything be normal or would the Darkness return to him in an effort to take control?

  Centuries of fighting against the taint had taught him how deceptive the Darkness could be. Bran should have seen the trap. Should have listened to the Lady. He grabbed fistfuls of hair, his body tense. How could he have let this happen?

  Bran gave himself a mental slap. He could self-flagellate later. “You should go after them. I’ll return to Raven’s Keep.”

  Cre shook his head. “I don’t trust you off on your own. What happens if the Darkness rega
ins control? Or you get caught by demons?”

  “What happens if I attack Ris because that’s exactly what the Darkness wants?”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  “Can you stop me? Can you keep me from hurting her?”

  Cre stared into the Bonelands. “I can’t take the chance of sending you back alone.”

  “But what if—”

  “We can’t deal in ’what ifs’ right now, Bran.” Cre sighed. “Ris, Aeron, and Michel are headed to the Heart, and they will need our help when they get there.”

  “Swear that if the Darkness takes me again, you’ll kill me before I hurt Ris. I couldn’t bear to live with myself if I…” The words refused to work past the lump in his throat.

  “I won’t let you hurt her.” Cre squeezed Bran’s shoulder.

  Bran let Cre’s promise sink into his heart. Bran would protect Ris from whatever came her way, including himself.

  26

  In the Void, there was Light, and the Light created the world. The Light brought hope and peace to its creation. It pushed away the Darkness. But Light must exist with Darkness and Darkness with Light. Balanced together in harmony. In our war for dominance, we had forgotten.

  ~Excerpt from “The Lady and the Darkness” as translated by Sir Gwilam Cavanaugh

  I stood on the path of dreams. It wasn’t safe, but I needed answers that only the Lady could provide. Fog drifted around my ankles as I searched for her. The surrounding air was stale, filled with the scent of musk and moth-balls.

  “Where is she?” I muttered, and the words echoed back at me on an endless garbled loop.

  I closed my eyes, searching for anything that would point me in the right direction.

  Anger. Hot, raw anger. Betrayal. Fear.

  Those strong emotions yanked me down an unseen path. A searing weight settled in my chest in place of my heart. I opened my eyes, expecting rolling mist, but instead, found myself in an unfamiliar room surrounded by furnishings finer than I had ever seen. Exotic scents filled my nose. Cypress. Sandalwood. Amber. Under it all, the sweet scent of jasmine.

  A warm breeze fluttered shimmering drapes of silk that ran from ceiling to floor. Rich colors flooded my senses. Midnight blue. Scarlet. Lush green. Gold and white. One wall opened onto a balcony, and through the open doors, a golden city stretched across rolling hills.

  I had been here before, in a dream.

  Why did I feel so strange? Emotions flowed through me, but they weren’t mine. They rode the edge of my mind, scraping against my thoughts like a living thing.

  A scream ripped through the silence, filled with such anger that my heart tripped over itself.

  Thud-thud.

  “Stop!” A woman backed into the room, a shield of pure Light pulsed from her upheld hands, so bright it made my eyes tear. Dark hair fell across her face, obscuring it. “Do not do this!”

  I tried to go to her, to help her, but my feet were rooted in place. I reached for her, opened my mouth to call out, but it was as if I was encased in amber.

  Recognition rippled through me when the woman pressed further into the room. It was the Lady.

  A man followed her, a sneer curling his lip. Darkness crawled over his upraised palm and shadow streaked his pale skin. “Did you really think your precious Light could keep me contained, wife? You should have never taken human form. You let me into this world by doing so.”

  The Lady’s magic flooded the room, a symphony of sound. Water and fire. Earth and air. Strands of magic twisted out from her upraised palm, surrounding the Darkness in his human guise.

  I studied him, trying to learn his face. He was somewhat handsome, but with a cruel twist to his lips. He had sharp grey eyes and wheat blond hair, broad shoulders, and was of average height. He wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, except for the viciousness stamped across his features. He reminded me of Tolbert.

  The Darkness stalked the Lady as she backed into the room. She stumbled over the edge of the carpet and nearly fell, catching herself at the last second. The Darkness smiled and lobbed a writhing ball of shadow at her. It clung to her shield of Light and warped the rim as it devoured her magic.

  “It’s no use.” The Darkness reached into his old-fashioned tunic and pulled out a fist-sized crystal orb. It flared to life, blindingly bright.

  Horror flitted along the edges of my awareness. Not my emotions, but hers.

  Light filled the Lady turning her translucent. I shut my eyes to protect them from the overwhelming brightness.

  “How did you get my Heart?”

  “Your paladins no longer trust you. They’ve emptied the city. The few that remained were no match for me.”

  “What have you done?” she asked in a strangled whisper.

  “Humans are so easy to manipulate. They kill innocents in your name and grow seeds of discord and hate. I encourage their greed and corruption. They turn to me so quickly.”

  “No.” The choked word was filled with such heartbreak, I wanted to cry. The Lady threw what appeared to be a miniature sun at the man. “I will destroy you!”

  The Darkness batted the ball away and laughed when it hit the wall, exploding in a fiery inferno. “It’s too late. Your Heart has already been corrupted.”

  A speck floated in the Heart, a bit of dust that looked like it could be buffed out. The Darkness held his hand above the crystal and closed it around the tiny dot, pulling. The spot grew, slowly at first, but gained speed as it devoured the Light within the orb. The Lady’s shield winked out, and she gasped, pressing her hand to her chest.

  Thud-thud.

  Unconsciously, I mimicked her pose as my own heart beat a frantic rhythm in my chest.

  The fire spread quickly until the room was awash in ash and flames, but it didn’t touch the Lady or the Darkness. It bent away from them, curving and dancing as it consumed the furnishings in the room. Unlike my previous dream of fire, this flame didn’t reach me. I stood in a bubble, untouched by the destruction.

  Light gathered around the Lady, pulsing feebly as the Darkness drained the Light from the Heart. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. “I will stop you.”

  “You belong to me.” He squeezed the orb, and the Lady cried out. “I will not tolerate another man touching you.”

  His words sent a chill racing through me. I’d heard them before. Tolbert had uttered them as he gloated over my conviction. Had more than a demon possessed the Inquisitor?

  The last flickers of Light gathered around the Lady, more shadow than anything else. Her song faltered for a moment then steadied and built into a grating, desperate, shrill swirl of notes.

  The Lady pointed her finger at the Darkness. “I curse you and any who bear the seed of your Darkness that all will know your true face.”

  Light, this was the moment she cast her curse. I wrapped my arms around myself. Those words were what turned everyone the curse touched into demons.

  Her song swirled into a maelstrom that surrounded the Darkness. He screamed in frustration as he struggled to free himself. “I curse you that you may never walk this land as a man again.”

  The song pressed inward, closing tighter and tighter, choking the Darkness. “I curse you that your power will fade and you will no longer hold sway over my creation.”

  Her curse took shape, magic filled with despair and death, the notes jangling and jarring. It was no longer a symphony, but a cacophony of sounds. I tried to block the noise, but it was no use. Magic was a song heard not with the ears but felt with the soul.

  The Darkness entangled the curse with his shadow magic, but it was too strong. It fed on the shadows, twisting the magic and changing it.

  “I will take you down with me, wife.” The Darkness threw a web of magic around the Lady, binding her to the Heart.

  “So be it,” she snarled. Her Light flared, and the curse rippled outward, racing into the world.

  The walls of the palace disintegrated and
turned to dust. Everything it touched dissolved into ash and sand, including the man that wore the face of Darkness. Everything crumbled but the people. The curse changed them into demons full of hunger and hate. The Darkness had touched the world. Everything in the Lady’s creation bore the seed of taint.

  “What have I done?” The Lady pressed a trembling hand over her mouth. She gathered the last of her Light and sent it rushing and racing on until, at last, it caught the curse and held it in place.

  The curse spread no further, but it couldn’t be stopped completely. The damage had already been done. The land, bled of its Light, changed. Taint and corruption wormed into the soil and air. The Lady, once tall and proud, withered as shadows fed on the remains of her power. Her flesh faded and dissolved until she was nothing but a spirit tied to the husk of her Heart which sank into a pool of black liquid and disappeared.

  The Lady turned toward me. Her eyes met mine, and I staggered backward upon seeing the endless depths of despair held there.

  I am fading, Marissa. As is the Darkness. Once we disappear, this world will end. We should have never taken human form.

  “Why did you?”

  It was lonely looking down at my creation. Never being able to touch or feel. Existing only as a thought and will. I wanted to be a part of what I had created. In doing so, I produced an imbalance. To preserve the balance, the Darkness had to take human form as well. He is the antithesis of me. I am creation. He is destruction.

  “Can you return to the Void? Can he?”

  Not without help. I am bound to my creation through the Heart. He is bound through the curse. Those bindings must be destroyed.

  “I’m not strong enough.”

  There is not much time left.

  “I know.”

  Find the Heart.

  Thud-Thud.

  Become my vessel.