by J F Rogers
“I think so.” I imagined us in the next lair.
He left the remaining groups with similar instructions. Once we’d deposited the last of our fighters in the final hideaway, he brushed his hands. “That’s the lot. Now to the kitchen stairwell. Do you know where that is?”
I shook my head.
When Alastar switched places with me, we appeared at the top of the stairs above a seemingly endless crowd of warriors. King Aleksander stood in the front, holding a fist to keep us back, then thrust his hand forward and charged through the kitchen door.
A fasgadair stood in the entryway. He spun, freaky eyes bulging, then charged. One of the selkie warriors ran him through with a curved blood-dipped sword. The men from the lower levels continued to swarm around us, stampeding toward the throne room.
Alastar, Declan, and Kai remained with me. As the fallen fasgadair turned to dust, the weight of his death settled on my shoulders. Why couldn’t I be happy for those who were saved? Why did the lives lost burden me so?
“Fallon.” Alastar gripped my shoulders. “We should follow the others. Will you be all right to control Turas?”
“Yeah.” I sniffed and switched places again. With King Aleksander leading the other soldiers in their charge, Kai acted as a buffer between me and Declan. Though I doubted we’d start the triplet fire in a line, we all needed to be connected.
I brought us to the throne room. Our soldiers streamed in from multiple secret passageways. Night hadn’t yet fallen. But the windows were boarded up, and the fasgadair were in human form. Mayhem filled the grand room. Fasgadair flooded in from other parts of the castle. Enemies collided. Our troop slashed at the fasgadair while the beasts, using their instincts, bit our allies. Some of our men nursed wounds on their necks, but none appeared to have fallen. In their midst, fasgadair writhed on the ground. Most turned to dust, but a remnant returned to their gachen selves.
“Spread out!” King Aleksander shouted. “Secure the castle, the grounds, and the temple.” He pointed to us. “Check the temple.”
I sneered. How I hated that place. But I delivered us inside the door and froze. Among the statues of gods at the back stood Morrigan. What was she doing here?
Pure horror intermingled with my rage at her existence. She was to blame. Not God. She destroyed my family. I wanted to charge her, sink my dagger into her flesh, or watch her melt in our triplet fire. Anything to remove her from my life forever.
She swiveled her head in its eerie demon-possessed way, and a sick smile snaked across her face. “I wasn’t expecting company. Not so soon anyway.” She snuffed. “But your timing is impeccable. I wanted you to see this.”
This was our chance. My brothers and I edged toward each other. My hand clasped with Declan. Alastar’s hand was inches from mine when a breeze swept through and he was gone.
A crash sounded against the far wall, and Alastar slumped in the corner near the statues. He pulled himself up, then was on the ground again, eyes shut, head lolled to the side.
Morrigan turned her attention back to the idols as if we didn’t concern her in the least.
Had she done that? She didn’t appear to have moved.
She sauntered among the gods, her fingers lifted, caressing their faces as she passed. “Badb, Macha, we’ll be reunited soon.” She continued along the line, stopping at a male in the center. Her hand neared his face but didn’t touch. “Dagda, we could have ruled together. Did you think I didn’t know about your affair?”
“Burn her,” Declan whispered.
Another unnatural wind passed, and Declan landed beside our brother.
She laughed. “Do you honestly believe a weak thing like you can kill me?”
He winced as he attempted to stand.
We had to do something. I stared at her, imagining her in flames. A spark fizzled midair where she’d been standing.
I aimed my fire at her again. And again. And again. Each time she simply transported to another spot.
“Are you finished?” she asked.
All fear melted away, replaced by frustration and determination. I would get her. It was prophesied. “Not even close.” I made several more attempts.
“Quit interrupting my family reunion.” Morrigan returned to where she’d left off at the statues, then continued past a gap to the next idol. Another female. “Boann.” Her threatening tone would’ve skewered this Boann, had she been alive. Morrigan wrung her fingers around the statue’s throat. “I know every detail of your betrayal.” She squeezed her fingers. The statue’s head and neck cracked and fell to the floor in chunks. She stooped to pick up something.
Was that? No.
“Well, well.” She raised her hand. The zpět dangled from a cord. “Just as I left it. Safe among a rebellious nation… fools.” She smiled, her eyes tracking the swinging amulet. She lowered it into her other hand and gazed upon it, touching its face as one might a precious heirloom.
My heart compressed as if crushed by a boa constrictor. God had commanded us to smash the idols. If only we’d obeyed. We would have found the zpět.
Holding his back, Declan hobbled across the room toward Morrigan, then went flying toward the wall again.
She appeared in front of me and placed the amulet around her neck. “You can have all this.” She spun her finger at the mess surrounding us.
I tried to burn her again, but she evaded my attack. How did she do that?
“Now that you are no longer a threat, I can resurrect my sisters.” She materialized back by the male statue and glided a finger over his face. “Such a shame, Dagda. You could have been king. I have the power to resurrect you. If only you’d been faithful.” She stood before me again, feet away. With every movement, I never even saw her twitch.
“You fools.” Her face remained calm. But her voice deepened, reverberating like something from the pits of hell. “God put us in this realm because humans worshiped us as gods. So, I’m told. I died in the human realm prior to such events. And you, gachen, among those worshiped, look to these as gods?” She let loose a laugh that bristled every nerve.
I tried to set her on fire.
She emerged inches from my face. “You needn’t fear. You haven’t angered me. Your foolishness worked in my favor. And when my sisters join me, we will be as gods.” She transported to the gap in the statues. “You should replace the statue of me. Perhaps if you worship us as gods, we’ll allow you to live.” She extracted something out of her cloak. A mirror?
What should I do? How am I supposed to fulfill a prophecy to kill her when she keeps dodging my attempts? She’s much too fast.
Morrigan peered into the mirror.
Searing pain pierced the back of my eyes, and my vision went white. “Ah!” I grasped my head and bent over, desperate to end the torment.
A wind tossed my hair, and pain shot from the back of my head.
Morrigan now stood before the statues as if she’d never left. Not a hair was out of place.
The pain in my temples stopped, but I touched the new ache expecting to find a bald spot. I stared at Morrigan. “Did you pull out my hair?”
Evil glee formed as a twisted smile, and she laughed again. A nails-on-the-chalkboard sound. My body shivered in protest. She held up her hand, and strands of my hair fell from either side of her clenched fist. “Now I have all I need.”
I swallowed. Why did she need my hair? And what was that mirror? Was it connected to my headaches? My stomach clenched as tight as her fist. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Why didn’t she just kill me?
She pocketed my hair and recovered something small, which she rubbed in her fingers. A stone. The same stone that had made her disappear? “One more thing.”
Another gust of wind stirred around me and pushed me across the room. I spun midair. My shoulder struck the wall, then the back of my head. Pain jolted me from the impact sites as I slid down the wall and slumped between my brothers. I fought to remain conscious. My vis
ion blurred. I blinked until my eyesight cleared and my head steadied.
Oh no! Drochaid. My hands flew to my breastbone where Drochaid rested. My fingers curved around the cold stone. Drochaid was no longer in its place in Turas. The connection was severed. We had no way back to the selkie lands.
The door opened. King Aleksander froze in the entryway. Abracham peered over his shoulder.
Once again, Morrigan stood by the statues, and I’d never seen her move. “Aleksander, as much as I’d love to add you to my king collection today, I believe a better opportunity will present itself soon. And, Abracham, you’re no king. But no matter. You’ll still make a fine addition as well. In due time. Congratulations on reclaiming Bandia. Bask in the victory. You won’t have another.” She tightened her fist around the stone and held it up. “See you soon, Fallon.” Her evil smile spread as light burst from the gaps between her fingers and she disappeared.
She was gone. A roiling sludge of dread pooled in my stomach. My death would’ve been better than whatever she was planning.
Chapter Twelve
◊◊◊
BANDIA WAS A MESS with dust, blood, and wreckage strewn throughout the kingdom. The throne room in the castle and the courtyard got the worst. But it was secure, and guards returned to their posts surrounding the perimeter. Though we were exhausted, we needed to attend to the injured and clean. People dressed wounds and set up an infirmary in the ballroom. Others swept and scrubbed floors, beat rugs, and carried debris out to the courtyard to be burned.
Since I’m too squeamish for nursing, I joined in the cleaning efforts. Alastar, Declan, Kai, and I pushed wheelbarrows full of trash to the burn pile.
“I can’t believe I lost Turas.” A giant serving of guilt churned in my stomach. “How are we going to reclaim the stronghold now?” My wheelbarrow caught as it transitioned from cobblestones to grass. I gave it a good push and rejoined the boys. “What would happen if we left the fasgadair there?”
“They need to eat.” Alastar stopped to wipe his brow. “If they’re in fasgadair form, they need blood. If they’re in animal form, they need whatever food that animal needs to survive. But, since they’re somewhere in between living and dead, if they don’t get either, they will become emaciated and weak, but they won’t die.”
“How long does that take?” I paused to give my arms a quick shake and rub my sore fingers.
“Mmm.” He tipped his head as if that helped him think. “It doesn’t take long to weaken. A few months maybe? It takes decades to appear mummified.” He grasped the handle, and we all set off again.
He hadn’t been a fasgadair for long. “How do you know?”
Alastar clenched his jaw and focused on his wheelbarrow contents. “I’ve seen Morrigan’s king collection.”
“Oh.” An image of mummies locked in a dungeon somewhere sprang into my mind. Were they aware of the passing time, unable to move, trapped in their immortal, yet useless bodies? No one deserved such torture.
“We must find a way, even if it’s a bold approach on a ship full of men,” Kai said.
“Or… ” Why was I even suggesting this? “We could fly in, transform, and use our fire.”
Kai gave me a stern look. “They’ll shoot you out of the sky.”
“Are there any aquatic creatures among us?” Declan asked. “Enough to create a distraction?”
I glared at Declan’s back. What was he doing, trying to get Kai to volunteer? He knew Kai’s totem was a dolphin. But it was too dangerous. His blood wouldn’t save him.
“Good question. We should suggest King Aleksander take a census,” Alastar said.
“I’m a dolphin. Most of the selkie who came through Turas with us are seals.” Kai’s muscles tightened as his overloaded pushcart jostled across the field. “But it would be better to wait until my people join us to ensure success. With their numbers, the appropriate attire, and weaponry, we can’t lose.” Kai threw me a sideways, dimply smile.
I scowled.
His eyebrows drew together, and he cocked his head. How could he wonder what ticked me off? How would the fact that he’s a dolphin help him once he got to land? With no redeemed blood or triplet fire? And how would he carry a weapon?
“Perfect.” Declan glanced back at me, faltering as he studied me, then nodded as if understanding. “We should wait for the selkie to arrive. ’Tis a far better strategy for the reasons you mention. And the more time passes, the weaker the fasgadair will become.”
Thank you, Declan.
I squinted, wishing I could shield my eyes from the sun as we pushed our loads across the field. But a nip in the air begged me to put on a sweater. Something screeched from my right, and I nearly toppled the cart. A masked face peeked out over the grass and squeaked. It turned, and a bunch of furry backs undulated through the grass like a dolphin pod hopping in and out of the water, cheeping as they went. “What was that?”
“Neas.” Declan stared after the disappearing pack. “A type of weasel. You don’t have them in your realm?”
“I don’t think so.” I picked up the cart’s handle and used my hip to help get it started through the grass. “Not that travel in packs like that.”
We continued toward the clearing to the burn pile looming in the distance.
“I hope the selkie realize we no longer have Turas and leave soon,” I said. “It will take them forever to sail here.”
“They’ll know.” Kai stopped to pick up a broken chair that had tumbled off his cart. The others paused to wait, but I kept going, not wanting to lose momentum, taking the opportunity to get ahead.
The boys overtook me once more.
“Aye. There aren’t many fasgadair left in the stronghold, anyway.” Alastar stopped at the pile and dumped his load. “Since we weren’t concerned that the gachen might reclaim it, we left few to occupy it. In Morrigan’s years, none have recovered land she’s claimed. Until now.”
“Good.” Declan threw his wood on top of Alastar’s pile. “That will make it easier.”
“But still dangerous for the selkie.” I pulled up next to Kai, leaving the cart for them to decide where to unload it. “When they arrive on the beach, they’ll be vulnerable without weapons or redeemed blood.” My heart ached at the thought of Kai storming the beach with no protection. He’d be a sacrifice for those who came in with the proper gear.
This was why getting attached to people was a bad idea. They died. It was an inevitable fact of life. Everyone dies.
Kai emptied his cart, showing off his muscles. “The selkie won’t be as vulnerable as you think.” His smile deepened, as did his heart-melting dimple. He sidled up beside me. Not fair. Why did I feel like I’d give in to anything he asked when he looked at me that way? “But I like that you’re worried about me.”
I smacked his shoulder. “I’m not worried.” Maybe if I said it often enough, it would become true.
We headed to the castle in silence.
“That’s everything.” Wolf met us in the courtyard, wiping his gloved hands. “The injured are receiving care in the great hall. Cooks are preparing meals. We can help serve when it’s ready. We’ll have a bonfire tonight. But first, time to tear down the idols. Who’s with me?”
My hand shot up. “Me!” Oh, how I wish I’d snuck out and destroyed them when God commanded us through Sully. I’d have the zpět in my hand now. I swallowed another serving of guilt, adding to the weighty helping still overloading my stomach from losing Turas.
I had to quit beating myself up. I couldn’t do anything about the past. At least we were obeying God now.
Wolf held out a sledgehammer. Just as I was about to grasp it, he yanked it back. “Are you sure you can do this with your injuries?”
Injuries smingeries. Nothing would stop me from rampaging on those false deities. “Absolutely.” I yanked the thing from him. The weapon of destruction was heavier than expected. It dragged my arms downward before I righted it. I rested the head at
my shoulder, then sauntered across the courtyard through the temple doors to the line of statues. A thrill swept through me as I gazed upon the creepy statues, knowing I was about to crush them. I took a batter’s stance, attempted to ignore my bruised shoulder, and swung with all my strength. The hit sent a shock up my arm. The so-called goddess’s arm dented. Cracks spider-webbed from the spot.
“Ha!” I jumped. Pure joy coursed through my being, and I danced like I scored a touchdown. Who knew smashing the idols would feel so good? Kai, Declan, Alastar, and Wolf laughed at me.
Kai motioned for me to continue.
I swung again, aiming below the dent. The thing shattered with a satisfying crack, sending pieces of plaster raining, jingling against the stone floor. The thing looked like a kid had bitten a chunk from the side of a hollow chocolate Easter bunny.
“That looks like fun.” Kai plucked the sledgehammer from my grip, gazed down on me out of the corner of his eyes, and flashed a dimple. He put a hand out, pushing me back, then readied a swing over his head. His face tensed as he swung at the next statue, sending the weapon crashing down on the god’s head, which imploded on contact. Pieces raining down echoed in the statue’s empty cavity.
I clapped, and his face shone. “That is oddly satisfying.”
Wolf, Alastar, and Declan approached.
“Don’t hog it for yourselves,” Alastar said.
We took turns annihilating every statue, making it last as long as possible as if savoring a dessert we’d never get to enjoy again. White powder and chunks of porcelain covered every surface, including us. The room silenced, and we stood, chests heaving, looking like we’d been caught in a dust storm. Grit coated our hair and our clothes, lengthened our eyelashes, and caked to our skin. I cracked up, and the others joined in.
Our laughs morphed to coughs as we choked on dust. But I didn’t care. It felt so good to take out my frustration on these overrated hunks of plaster and finally obey God’s command.