Thank the angel for my light fingers.
We headed further into the tunnels, lower and lower. "What are all these lights?" Bayard asked.
"They could be fireflies." Cam responded. I stopped in my tracks and the tunnel divided into two. The hovering orbs floated around us and began to transform. Three pixies stood before us.
"Who are you?" Cam asked.
"Who are we? The better question is who are you?" The middle pixie responded in a high pitched voice. The small creatures dressed in green, sniggered. "Mortals maybe what you have been searching for is down there." The third said in a spooky and morbid voice. The second pixie pointed off down the right passage and a trail of shimmering pixie dust followed them.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, I just always wanted to say that." The pixie shrugged. "Personally, I wouldn't go down there for all the gold in the world."
"Okay, thanks." I smiled at them before I headed further down the tunnel.
"Bloody pixies." Cam huffed. "I rather take on that minotaur then pixies. Those little buggers are just annoying with their high pitched voices..."
It took us around thirty minutes before we stumbled across two wooden doors. I gulped.
"One door will lead to a horrible death and the other shall lead you to safety. You may ask me one question but i will always lie." A voice echoed around the room and we all turned to find a plump rat. The rat sat on a velvet red cushion, on a stony ledge and I watched as it overindulged on cheese.
"Which is the right door?" Bayard asked.
"Nice try. That would make it too easy...try again." The rat cackled evilly. I looked at Cam, he had lost his patience. It was safe to say he was annoyed and tired.
"RIGHT I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS? WHY EVEN HAVE A DOOR THAT LEADS TO DEATH." Cam grabs hold of the rat. "I MEAN WHAT IS THE POINT?! WHAT DO YOU EVEN LIVE FOR. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR EXISTENCE?!"
"Don't judge my lifestyle choices!" The rat argued. Cam opened the left door and threw the rat in and then slammed the door shut.
"I couldn't look at that obese rat's face a second mor-" There was a loud explosion. I watched as smoke came from underneath the left door.
"So not that way then..." Bayard said.
"Oh sugar!" Cam sighed. "SORRY! I forgot about the life and death door thing!" He called out as if the rat could still hear him.
"This is it." I head towards the door on the right. I already have my hand on the doorknob when Cam stops me.
"Shouldn't we wait for the others?" Cam suggests.
"Every second Eris gets closer to murdering innocent people." I remind him. "We don't have time." I take the necklace out of my pocket.
"How did you...?" Cam stared at me in aww. "Leonardo, will be so annoyed when he finds out. We should wait for Leonardo and Theo."
Yes and leave the saving of the world to the men. I do not think so. "I will take my chances." I shrug and open the door.
The walls were a white stone that glistened from the light coming from the large gothic windows that gave views off a cliff face. The ceiling was a grey slate. The space was wide and empty. There were four stone steps that led to the throne, which was hand carved oak with decorative jewels. Our footsteps echoed around the room.
I could feel the power now. I could sense the air. Magic. Magic. MAGIC. I could sense she was close. The waves of power surrounded us. I could sense this hostility in the air.
"She's here." I whisper and everyone tenses.
"Welcome." Her sickly voice makes my heart skip a beat. Her skin is as pale as a glass of milk. Her reptile eyes follow our every move; like a python watching its prey. She is lurking in the darkness of the shadows, watching. "How did you get here?" She questions. "Maybe it was fate or destiny..."
"No, try a crazy voodoo witch living in a tree." Cam cuts her off.
"Anyway, welcome Bayard and Cameron." She said. Both exchange looks. She knows their names? Her face goes from gaunt to charming as she lays her eyes on me. "And of course the one and only: chosen one. I have been expecting you. Leila..." Tall, dark and devious are just part of her charm.
This is it. A mighty sorceress vs. me, a talking bird and a humorous traveler. I am not going to lie, the odds are not in our favour but everyone loves an underdog. I go down fighting than live as a villain or a coward. I stand here ready to fight for my home, my friends and for a better future. I refuse to back down and let evil ruin Rumore. This is bigger than me, it is bigger than all of us. This is the fate of Rumore. This is when either I doom the kingdom or I save it...
Besides, things could not get any worse, right? A figure stepped out from the shadows and flashed me a sinister grin. "Nice to see you again, beautiful." Frederick!
Chapter Twenty-nine- Secret lovers
"Traitor." I snap. In that moment I was blinded by a five course meal of anger, it had a bitter and sour aftertaste. I wanted to punch him in the face. He wanted to kill Leonardo, Isaac, and Caroline. He was willing to become a murderer to get to the throne of Rumore. To think we had kissed. I felt nauseous. "You betrayed everyone for what? A crown. You are willing to kill innocent people?! You are willing to kill your uncle and cousins?"
The thirst for power and greed had driven him to make a deal with the devil. In all of us we have demons, our demons in the dark drag us under.
"It's called business, sweetheart." He states emotionless. He looked different, he looked almost ill. His exterior had become far sicklier and pale than I remembered. "It's just how things work."
"No, it's not." I glare at him. "You're a monster!"
"I am not a monster. You are a monster, you and the rest of your meddling friends. You're the monsters, threatening to destroy all my dreams of a perfect world." He glared.
"You will never become king. The people will never follow you." I watch as he flinches at my dog.
"We will see. Leila, you have to learn the rules of this world." He pauses to correct himself , "of this game. Then you must play better than anyone else. You are far too pure to even realize the rules, or maybe you're just a foolish little girl."
"Careful now..." Eris hissed. "Remember who she is and who she belongs to." Frederick scowls before backing away.
"Of course." Frederick smiles fakely and like a dog, he returns to her side. He is nothing more than a beggar, a pawn. He was her puppet to do with as she pleased.
"I don't belong to anyone." I snap. She ignores my comment.
"So tell me have you come here to create a big problem for me? Well, that just can't be." She sighs as if she is talking about the bad weather.
"Whenever I have a problem I just sing, then I realise my voice is worse than my problem. You should try it." Cam mutters. She pays no attention to him.
"I will not have you get in my way...no matter who you are." She states. "I plan to destroy this kingdom. Rumore is at a breaking point anyway. The king is as corrupted as he is twisted. He is nothing more than savage. I intend to exterminate him and all his followers. After All, sometimes you must destroy to rebuild. Only from the ashes of destruction shall the kingdom be reborn."
"You really need to take up a hobby. Take me for instance, my hobbies include breakfast, lunch and dinner." Cam drones on. This is no time to mock or to joke but he cannot help it.
"SILENCE MORTAL! I AM LOSING MY PATIENCE AND WHEN I LOSE MY PATIENCE, YOU LOSE YOUR LIFE." She roared.
"You think that 'he' is the future of Rumore? You think he could rule a kingdom. Do you really think he shall be any less corrupt? He betrayed his own family to get here. You really think he won't betray you in the years to come?" I stare at Frederick.
I could get them to turn on each other. All I knew was that I could not take them both on without more help than Cam and Bayard. I should have waited for Theo and Leonardo.
"Enough!" Frederick objects and I cannot help but notice the cold look he is sending me.
"Hush Frederick." Eris casts him a furious look. "Remember who is go
ing to give you everything you want." She silences him. "Leave us." Is all she says.
"But-" Frederick immediately stops speaking when Eris looks at him. He disappears down a hallway without another word.
"Thank heavens, he may be a good-looker but he is such a moron." Eris moans. She snaps her fingers and begins to pour herself a red tea. I wonder whether it is beetle or snake's blood. "You care for a drink." She sends three cups over towards us. They hover in the air.
"No. I am fine." I try to remain calm.
"Now, I am going to kindly ask your friends to step out so I can speak to you, girl to girl." Mistress Eris explains.
"Like hell!" Cam spits.
"I guess that's a 'no'" Eris gives him an irritated look. "This could have been so much easier." Eris sighs. "Your choice. Let us do this the hard way." She claps her hands and three deadly blades appear out of thin air and their target is Cam.
I jump in front and force the blades to turn course. They clatter to the ground.
"Aww, I see you have been practising. But it will take much more than that to take me down." Eris pauses. "Leila, is what people call you, am I right?"
I nod with narrowed eyes and recall everything Mrs. Grim had said. This malicious figure before me held so many secrets. That was why her hair was so big, it was filled with secrets. She held the key to my past. "Leila, I understand you. We aren't so different."
"We are nothing alike." I swallow the lump in my throat.
"But we are." She argues. "You are like me, seriously misunderstood. I can sense it, you know?"
"You can sense what?" I shoot her a cold look and my words come out harsher than I had intended.
"The dark energy that surrounds you. I can feel your guilt for failing those you love, confusion about your past, sadness that you want someone you can never have, regret for past mistakes and hate towards me."
"Someone can't feel all that, they would explode into a million pieces." Cam argues.
"Just because you have the emotions of a potato." Eris snaps. "But Leila, there is someone who can help you that can teach you to use your gift for a better future."
"I don't want to build a kingdom on corpses." I shout. "You're a twisted, cold-hearted murderer..." I stepped over the line and she sent five charms our way. The first was meant to freeze us to death, the second to burn us, the third to drain the air from our lungs, the fourth to turn us to stone and the fifth to strike us with a lightning bolt. I deflected each one successfully.
She straightened her dress meanwhile as if nothing had happened. "Sorry, I have a short patience." She said through gritted teeth. I am done playing games.
I begin throwing charms of my own. My blood is boiling and I do not even realise what I am doing before it is too late. Charm after charm, I fire. She deflects them all effortlessly. Bayard flies in to attack but Eris sees it coming and sends a death charm his way, I manage to stop it but I am left unprotected.
Eris's charm hits me a mile per hour and I am sent flying backwards. I hit the marble floor with a bang. My chest is filled with a burning sensation and I groan in pain. I see Cam out of the corner of his eye, he is going in for the attack throwing some spells of his own way but he does not stand a chance. Eris manages to take both Cam and Bayard out with the same spell.
They both vanish from the room leaving us alone. All there is a cloud of smoke.
"Where did you send them?" I ask. "Where are they?!"
All of a sudden I see a series of images. Cam is inside some dark, stone like passages. He is calling my name repeatedly and racing down the tunnels. The vision from Miss Grim.
"They are fine. I just sent them back to the tunnels." Eris shrugged, whilst taking another sip of her drink. She sits back down on her throne calmly. "You know you look just like her." My heart stopped.
"Like who?" I sigh.
"Your mother." She answers dully. "Your mother was always the prettiest girl around. She always and I mean always had the knights chasing her." She sighed bitterly.
"You knew my-my mother?" I ask.
"Believe it or not, I grew up with her and Isaac." she paused. "We all have a long history together. We used to be friends."
"So you betrayed Isaac, your childhood friend, classy." I said through sarcastic lips.
"I DIDN'T BETRAY HIM. HE BETRAYED ME!" She roared. She took a moment to recollect herself. She took a deep breath.
"It all started long ago in Rumore. I, your mother, and Isaac grew up in the castle together. Your mother and Isaac were best friends. They did everything together. She was his hero and he hers. They were inseparable. But eventually everyone has to grow up..." She said it as if it had been yesterday. "Your mother discovered her gifts and began to develop them. That is how I became her friend."
My mother could have never been friends with a woman like Eris!?
"That is when it happened." Eris smiled. And a cloud of smoke surrounded us. "Let me show you." In the smoke moving images and memories of yesterday appeared a girl. She looked just like me...my hair was slightly lighter but we were identical.
My mother. She was at a ball of some kind and I could see a young and handsome Isaac watching her. "He was in love with her." Eris smiled.
"Did you see Miss Pots?" Isaac asked the girl.
"Yes." They both exchanged looks.
"I never knew someone could have such bad magic surgery!" He laughed. "I swear someone so serious shouldn't have a squeaky toy for a voice box."
"Isaac!" She scolded him and side slapped him but she could not help but laugh.
"But she had magic and he despises magic..." I protested. He had even ordered a death penalty on it. None of this made sense.
"People change." Eris said bitterly. "He had never loved anyone like he loved her. She didn't even see it..."
Then I saw a figure approach her. He was dark haired and handsome. He smiled at her. And she smiled at him. "Can I have this dance?" The mysterious figure asked. He had a black as night hair, eyes that held the entire tropical oceans and lips of an angel.
"Of course." She smiled at him. They danced and the memory was shortly replaced by another.
My mother stood in the field with the same charming mystery boy again. I watched as they began to cast spells and the dark sky was filled with a thousand lights. "You have to whisper the spell. It comes stronger." The figure suggested whilst caressing her cheek.
Then I saw Isaac watching them both from the tower. The look on his face showed his disapproval.
"ISAAC!" That is when I saw a younger Eris, she stood behind him teary eyed. She just looked like an innocent, caring, young girl.
"Leave me." he groaned, whilst staring at the furious flames of his fireplace.
"Isaac, she doesn't deserve you." Eris cried. "She loves him."
"LEAVE ME ERIS." Isaac bellowed, and that is when I recognised him. That dark side of his was finally coming to the surface. Isaac threw several books to the floor and then smashed his medallion. I watched as he tore a painting of him and my mother, from the castle wall. Young upset Eris left and slammed the door behind her. Isaac collapsed onto the floor, hiding in the corner and I watched as a sob escaped his lips.
"You loved him, you loved Isaac." I gasped.
"I did before. A long time ago." She paused. I watched as her own nails dug into her left palm, digging deep enough to cut her skin. She appeared to be lost in the depths of anger. "But he loved your mother and she loved another...everyone always loved your sweet, perfect mother." She said unable to hide her jealousy. "Your mother was everyone's favourite. She was always picked. Everyone loved her."
"But how could he love a sorceress if he hates magic...?" I pondered.
"Your mother became close to someone else because of magic. He had magic and she did. He was more powerful than her and knew how to use it. Your mother had no control over her powers. Magic was a part of her. However, Isaac had no such magic. He could not connect with her or help her or even understand her. He lost her because of m
agic and a broken heart can drive people to do unspeakable things."
"Isaac, Leonardo's father, loved my mother?" I stared at her in disbelief.
"It is funny how history repeats itself isn't it?" She smiled at her. "But we will come back to that."
"How can I trust a word you say, afterall you are from the dark side...?" I questioned.
"I have never been one to waste time and I have no reason to lie to you." She paused. "Besides, you have a dark heart...even if you don't want to admit it."
"I do not." I spit.
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 27
