"What are you going to do, pretty boy?" Serpent tested. Even with Theo's combat skills he was no match for a sorcerer. Dread filled me at the realization that the serpent had been exactly where he wanted. Defenceless to protect those who I cared about.
"I will give you exactly one second to lower your blade." A livid voice cut through the air. My eyes drifted to find Leonardo. He did not look at me. He was far too focused on his prey. Leonardo and Theo still did not realise who they were dealing with and before I could warn them; it was already too late.
Chapter Twenty-four- Any final words
The serpent used a spell to send both flying backwards, the force sending them back tens of meters. Leonardo crashed into a large ancient trunk whereas Theo was thrown to the dirt covered floor.
I felt myself begin to lose consciousness. Theo was no longer there to keep me standing so I fell to my knees. I thought Serpent would teleport away or flee the scene. I could not have been more wrong.
Michael, the Serpent, dived towards me with the blade extended. I felt the sharp metal dance across my skin, taunting me. "Any last words?" The Serpent glances down at me. This is it, I am going to die. I catch a glimpse of Leonardo's blazing eyes, followed by Theo's desperate eyes.
"Go to hell," I spit. All of a sudden the vines and roots of nearby trees started coming out from the forest floor and entwined themselves among the limbs of the Serpent restraining him. They looked like hand-crafted ropes that kept him securely bound. I do not know how I did it but I did. It was like the forest was protecting me. There was this great sense of strength that surged through my veins and I had no idea where it was coming from.
Before I had a chance to catch my breath I was moving. I raced to the spot in which the bird lay. It was Bayard. I could recognise his feathers anywhere. His eyes were wide open and he looked nauseous.
"Are you okay?" I asked nervously. "Where have you been?" I asked abruptly. A large, life-sucking guilt filled my stomach as I realised his presence had completely slipped my mind. I really did have a memory span of a fish. How could I just forget?
"Yes, yes," he coughed. "I had a few other things which I had to take care of but we can discuss that later. You might stop your friend from-"
Theo was on his feet in seconds, racing towards the Serpent but I blocked his path. "Calm down. Will you?" I whispered to Theo. I dug my elbow into his ribs, but he did not answer. He just glared past my shoulder to the disarmed Michael.
Leonardo shortly followed. "How did you do that?" Leonardo looked at me wide eyed. I suddenly felt nervous. Leonardo could not find out about my gifts. My cheeks began to redden and I struggled to form any words.
"I did it," Cam's voice emerged from the shadows. He gave me a cautious look, intaking the scene before him. I silently thanked him.
"I thought I had my men to kill you. You obviously faked your own death," the Serpent grunted displeased, his attention on Cam. He knew Cam too? "It appears the bunch of you are hard to kill."
"Me?" Cam smirked. "I am incredibly dishonest. You can always have faith that a dishonest man will be forevermore dishonest. Always and without failure." He shrugged. He did know Cam! How? What was their connection? How was their past connected? The world is far too small sometimes. "Honestly, it is the honest ones you must watch." His eyes flickered to me. "Because you never know when they are going to do something impulsive and most likely incredibly stupid."
"I am surrounded by idiots," Michael, the Serpent, groaned.
Theo shifted and I knew instantly he was going to try to grab hold of the Serpent. I stopped him. Theo would kill him and I was not done with him yet. I still had so many questions. So many answers I needed to hear. "Get out of my way, Leila," Theo growled.
"No," I responded bluntly. Theo's gaze did not leave the Serpent. I could sense the waves of hate radiating off Theo.
"Go ahead and kill me." Michael was bluffing but it was his next words that cut deeper than a knife. "I will take much pleasure in tormenting Michele until you arrive and join us."
"You twisted coward!" Theo spat. Attempting to get past me but Leonardo helped me stop Theo from getting past. "Get out of my way!" Theo shouted at Leonardo viciously.
Theo was shoving him with all his force. Leonardo pushed Theo backwards hard as if he had been containing some hidden aggression. Leonardo managed to hold Theo back long enough to ask me a question. "Who is Michele?"
"She-she is-was..." My mouth and mind could not form the words.
"Michele is the girl she killed." Serpent interrupted the conversation. As the Serpent said the words aloud I felt my blood drain from my body and let it be only replaced with horror. Leonardo stiffen and grow much paler. But his face stayed blank like a canvas and there was no emotion in sight. I was ashamed of everything. "Granted I placed an enchantment on her to follow through with the deed. You should have seen the weakness and desperation in her. You would not recognise the vulnerable thing she was with the cold-hearted being she is today." He smiled in admiration.
"Shut up! You twisted murderer!" Theo gritted his teeth. He lost his grip on Leonardo and threw himself forward. Leonardo did not stop him this time. I stepped once again in his path. Theo only stopped when he saw my cold stare.
"Oh you wish you were this twisted." He smirked at Theo. Theo was furious; his face bright red and the veins bulging from his neck. "Leila, I am going to kill him. Whether you like it or not!" I stayed focused on Theo; ignoring the snort the Serpent made in disbelief. He did not know Theo like I knew him. Theo had never been this angry before, ever. I bore my eyes into Theo's, hoping he would eventually back down.
"Well you are going to have to get in line behind me." We both turned our heads around to find Leonardo's sword pressed against Michael's, the Serpent's throat. I had been so absorbed in Theo's irrational almost hysterical behaviour, I had not noticed the murderous look in Leonardo's eyes. Leonardo was the one I had expected to keep his temper; to stay calm. I was mistaken. There was nothing calm in the way Leonardo held the blade, the hostile snarl that made his lip curl upwards, the clenching of his teeth or the strength in his grip.
"The Dark Lord is back!" Michael gasped, dragging at the bonds that held him back. "All of his followers know it-I know it-I can tell you where he is-"
"Every time I capture one of you worthless cowards from Tenebris, you claim you know where the Dark Lord is. Well guess what? I know where he is." Leonardo's voice was filled with rage. "He is in a torturous afterlife and it is about time you go join him there." He prepared to drag the silver dagger into Michael's chest. But my feet moved before my mind could process what I was doing. I grabbed Leonardo's other blade and wielded it ruthlessly down into the bone of flesh. I held it there forcefully, adamant that his weak heartbeat would cease soon. My eyes watched as the light drained from him.
My only regret was that I did not plunge the dagger into his heart myself all those years ago. I may look calm this entire time but in my mind I had already killed him ten-thousand times over.
The Serpent fell to the floor lifeless. Just like that, it was over. When Leonardo looked at me I could tell he wanted to know all my secrets, but that is not something I can give him. Something I can not give anyone.
Theo's men came charging towards us through the forest, along with Josephine. Josephine made a disgusted sound when she spotted the body and Timmy began to demand answers. Theo began to explain to the best of his ability but he was clearly annoyed he had not been able to carry out the deed himself. "Why do I always miss out on the fun?!" I overheard Timmy complain.
An all too familiar voice echoed in my thoughts. "The Dark Lord is already coming after you. You can not refuse him. He will make you and your loved ones cry tears tainted with blood before he lets you die a painful death. You will not see him coming. Not this time." This was the Serpent's last words to me; you see even in death he taunted me.
"Leila?" Leonardo's voice brought me back to reality. "Do you want to..." I was not about to let him
finish. Far too much was running through my mind. Far too much was happening. Far too much had happened.
"I do not want to talk about it," I said with no trace of emotion. I don't want to feel. I don't want to think. I do not want to talk. I do not want anything. I just want to murder the whole world.
The tall grass brushed my exposed flesh on my thighs and I was brought back to peaceful memories. I picture the wooden wreckage of my orphanage and I can almost feel the grass that waved golden in the late autumn breeze. "The eldest tree is in the dead centre of the forest, the witch that resides in that part is mostly peaceful. If the jewel is there, she will know," Cam explained. We had been trekking for at least three hours in silence; more but I had been in a daze most of the time. That has given me plenty of time to think right? To breathe? Wrong. Bayard flew overhead, watching out for any signs of trouble. I still had to find a spare moment to talk to him alone. Josephine had spent most of her time towards the back of the group whereas I had been closely behind the leader.
Cam happened to know where the eldest tree was, due to his time spent with fae. He also had studied the safest routes which he had studied when he was younger. Theo had kept his distance, knowing exactly what I normally needed, space. But I did not know if that would be enough this time. Leonardo had kept close to me, his eyes on me like a hawk and I had been very tempted to look back at him.
Even though the beaten track is dark by the tall, mossy pines towering above us. I see it from a mile away. A tree glows viridescent just at the edges of its roots. The bark of the tree shines like gold. Not just any gold, the right kind of gold. The type of gold that inspires imagination to go much further than the branches that kissed the heavens above. These branches give birth to a vibrant variety of green leaves and rich colorful fruit glimmer under sheltered domes of its vegetation.
It is ten times the size of the nearby trunks and it easily takes my breath away. There is a distinctive aroma here. An aroma of sweet summer air and spring blossoms. I inhaled every detail from the grieves that marked the bark to the fallen golden leaves intertwined with the snake-like roots. It is peculiar for me to compare it but I cannot help but think that the abrupt or violent markings in the tree are like my life.
My entire life so far could not have been further away from a sunny afternoon. It had passed quickly and not a single day had been forgotten. I didn't mean to pity myself but my life had been nothing but drama or standout excitement or tragedy.
"Are you sure this is the right deaf, witch, who lives in a tree in the middle of the forest?" I overheard Theo ask Cam.
"Pretty sure." Cam shrugged. The others began heading down the hill towards the tree. My eyes had been so caught in the chords of light I was unaware that Leonardo and I were alone. I did even know he was watching me until he spoke.
"Say something, please." His fingers brushed my arm and I turned to look at him. Leonardo looked at me with something in his eyes that I had never seen before. I could not quite place that emotion.
"Leonardo, I just need to breathe right now." I sucked in a heavy breath. What if the Serpent was right? Should I talk to Leonardo about what he told me? Leonardo dismissed it though, why can't I? It was ridiculous was it not? He could not be back. The Dark Lord was dead. He had to be.
"What is going on? What are you not telling me?" he asked. I paled and I felt myself tense all over. Leonardo already knew far too much about me. The last thing I needed was him finding about my powers, especially after his father decreed the death sentence of all magical beings. If I were caught I would be tried and executed.
"Nothing. I am just shocked about Michael..." I lied. I looked him straight in the eyes and lied. When did I become such a deceitful person? When did I start lying to my friends?
I felt like I was holding the weight of the world on my shoulders. Secrets were everywhere. I have kept secrets from everyone nowadays. Between Vorgana, the Fae queen, Eris, the Dark Lord, Theo, and Leonardo I was lost. When did my life become such a mess?
"Do not lie to me Leila." Leonardo's voice was laced with impatience. "If you do not tell me yourself then I shall find out for myself."
"I am not lying to you." I snapped defensively. He saw straight through me like glass. "You are being paranoid."
Leonardo's exterior shifted and I watched as his eyes darkened. "Fine. Do not tell me but I am going to find out. Mark my words, you can't hide secrets from me." He turned on his heel to join the others. I let out a frustrated groan. Who does he think he is? Unbelievable! I am allowed to have my own secrets, he had no right to claim information. Even if my secret was treason.
"He is a determined one, isn't he?" Bayard landed on my shoulder.
"Very."
"Stubborn?" Bayard investigated.
"Extremely."
"You suit each other," Bayard muttered.
"Don't be ridiculous." I brushed aside his comment. "I cannot apologize enough for forgetting about you."
"You did not forget about me. I left. I had to find out some important details." Bayard sighed. "There is much to discuss but above all we must deal with the problem at hand."
"Which problem?" There are so many, I have lost track.
"Morgana is growing in strength rapidly, she is gathering all her strength and it will not be long until she has her full capacity," Bayard sighed. "There is more, there is someone who has been working with her."
"Someone?" I asked.
"Think Leila, someone close to the king. Someone close to Leonardo. Somebody good with connections. Somebody who benefit from the murder of the king and his direct descendants. Who is next in line for the throne after Caroline?" My eyes went wide. He was not suggesting what I thought he was suggesting, was he?
"You don't mean...?" I hitched a breath. How could I have been so stupid?
"Yes." Bayard looked at me seriously. All the puzzle pieces began to come together. "Leonardo's cousin, Frederick, is helping Eris destroy the Da Angelo bloodline. Frederick is planning to murder the king, Caroline and Leonardo."
Chapter Twenty-Five- The surprise visit
"Are you certain?" You could have struck me down with one breath of air. Less than a breath of air could have knocked me out. If it were not for the certainty - that I could see in Bayyard's eyes- I would not have believed him. I gaped open-mouthed at Bayard. A million images bombarded my thoughts.
Frederick dancing with me at the ball. His side glances and peculiar reappearances. He had deviously hidden himself in plain sight.The worst part about betrayal is it does not come from your enemies. He was a traitor.
"We have to tell Leonardo." I lurched forward but Bayard blocked my path.
"Are you mad?" Bayard scoffed. "You may be his friend-"
"We are not friends," I interrupted, defensively. Or were we? I did not know how to categorize. If you had said to me a few months ago, I was going to be friends with a knight, I would have cried with laughter. Let alone a prince.
What was happening to me?
"Whatever the case, you can not just go out and accuse his cousin, a noble and a prince in his own right," Bayard argued. He was right but I could not just ignore the matter altogether.
"Besides, we are far away from the castle, far away from Frederick. What could Leonardo possibly do now with this information?"
"I can not just lie to him, not about this...not about his own flesh and blood."
"It is not LYING. You are just withholding information." Bayard sighed.
He knew it was lying, just like I did. "Bayard, how do you define lying?" He could not expect me to do this.
"Laying down in a horizontal position." Bayard was beginning to get on my nerves.
"Bayard," I growled.
"Fine, tell him! But what will that achieve? He will become concerned for his family but he cannot do anything to help them. He will be distracted and he must be focused if we end up in a fight. Otherwise, it will cost him his life." I gulped down a hard lump that had formed in my throat.
; As much as I hated it. Bayard was right. It was wrong to lie but telling him would not help any of us. Calm down, Leila. I told myself. You are on a mission to save the world. If you should fall, hundreds of thousands will suffer the same fate. Which did not exactly make me feel better, since it meant that they would trample over my remains.
"FINE." I hitched a breath and looked down towards Theo and Leonardo. Leonardo was already angry at me but this- lying to him about his own cousin- was a far worse betrayal. I knew I would get caught eventually.
He would not forgive me once he discovered the truth but that for the best. I did not belong in his world. I am loud, rude, feisty, outspoken and I stand up for what I believe in. Ladies are collected, discreet and proper. I was everything a lady should not be.
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 22
