Celestia's Tales: The Lybiria Scales
Page 30
Orlson watched with an uncontrollable numbness at the scenes unfolding before him. He had heard Dryad admit that he was under the influence of magick and it maddened him. Inside, he was close to bursting. He had been played by his father and the woman he wanted to marry had just told them all she would never have his children. He had felt so powerful and now he realised he was no more than a freak of nature. There was no way anybody would accept him and Bri was right, if she indeed was a psyren their future together was bleak.
From the corner of the room, he saw Tatiana muttering under her breath and at first he was unsure what she was doing until he saw something change in Queen Magda’s face. A glint of silver caught his eye and Magda was making her way slowly toward Bri with a dagger in her hand, and she in turn was making her way toward Tatiana.
Alaina’s prophecy rang in his ears. He would be responsible for the death of a queen or a princess. He had to make the choice. He fought the magick that bound him and soon he felt his body starting to ripple with life. Using his wings, in one bound he was between the queen and the princess. He could hear Bri shouting at him, but something took him over and as he grabbed the queen by the neck, there was a snapping sound as she collapsed in his arms.
Bri felt her body turn to ice as the man she loved let go of the body of her mother, her neck twisted crudely. The room had been stunned into silence, until it was broken by the screeching laughter of Tatiana. Bri slowly picked up the knife and with one swift movement threw it hard so it landed in the throat of the wytch.
Dryad ran forward at the sight of his own mother fallen. He looked down at the sludge form and picked up the small vial of blood, hiding it in her hand.
‘You killing my mother does not change my plans,’ he said looking at Bri.
The Trio took his place between Bri and Dryad. ‘You have to go through me first,’ he hissed.
The salamanders were slowly becoming depleted and Xander found himself able to summon water without the use of words. His shirt was covered in ash and sulphur, and yet he had never felt so strong and powerful. After noticing that Bri had gone, the Trio had gone to find her, leaving the four of them with the fire divas. He had also noticed that Surrial had left his side to fight, a sign that his guardian had grown in his confidence of him.
Clues came to his side, the old pirate was red and sweaty in his face, his breathing laboured.
‘We need to follow the Trio. Bri may need us.’
Nodding, Xander shouted to Surrial who nodded in return. All four of them gathered up fresh steam and began to finish off the salamanders in a cloud of fiery dust.
Bri felt hot tears falling down her cheeks. Orlson had disappeared into the darkness and the Trio was now her only protection.
‘Princess, we could stop this right now. My son has proved to be a coward so I will take you as my own wife,’ Dryad said.
The Trio pushed Bri slightly away from behind. Frowning, she watched as the Trio became three. The First, Second and Third surrounded Dryad each with a sword.
‘God magick,’ Dryad said slightly impressed.
‘We are Hecate’s own,’ the three said in unison.
‘And you think you are enough to stop me?’ Dryad challenged.
Bri stepped further back and noticed a slight movement in the shadows. Orlson was close. She could not deny the anger she felt towards him. He was a murderer. The reason her mother was dead in this cave. Yet she needed his strength if they were going to get through this, but before she could go to him the room erupted into madness as Surrial and Xander entered, followed closely by salamanders and psyrens. Magick orbs and fire magick bounced off the walls and to Bri’s disappointment Orlson disappeared.
Clues and Decks soon entered the room. Their eyes blinked with disbelief at the body of their queen lying upon the cave floor beside a psyren. The First took advantage of the chaos and grabbed Dryad from behind. Then, she suddenly understood he was waiting for her. Taking her sword she relished the slow walk towards him. She wanted to make him pay for everything. The death of the king and queen of Zolar. The loss of Orlson and even the death of her mother. However, no sooner had she reached toe-to-toe with him, he suddenly broke free from the First and there was darkness.
Xander ran forward in what seemed to be slow motion. Dryad had taken Bri by the throat and in one swift movement she had gone rigid before being dropped into a pool of dark water. Xander grabbed Bri’s dropped sword and ran it through Dryad’s heart, watching with a mixture of shock and satisfaction the fall of the alchemist. There was a brief moment’s pause as everyone took in what had happened. Suddenly, there was a splash as the First disappeared into the pool.
‘That’s new,’ the Second commented. ‘The brother that hates her is saving her.’
A moment later the First emerged with an unrecognisable Bri in his arms. He laid her gently on the floor.
‘What has happened?’ Xander said.
Surrial picked up the broken vial and sniffed the bottle. ‘She is trapped in psyren and mer form. The vial of blood has sealed the curse she already had over her.’
Xander went to her side, but was stopped by the First.
‘Don’t you dare touch her,’ he snapped. He had ripped the shirt off his back and was frantically rubbing her body with it. ‘Why is she not changing,’ he said, his voice almost cracking with emotion.
‘First, we need to get her out of here,’ the Second reasoned.
‘The Princess needs to be kept safe until we find a cure,’ the Third added.
‘They are right,’ Surrial offered.
The First nodded, though he would let no one go near her. Instead he picked her up in his arms, her fish form seeming to be too big for his grasp, but he struggled on.
‘What about Orlson?’ Decks asked.
Surrial looked around him, his eyes squinting in the darkness
‘He has made his choice.’
Chapter Twenty-Eight