The Obsidian Throne

by Michelle Soper

  “I am so, so very sorry,” Wyatt apologized, sounding heartbroken.

  Wyatt’s words echoed in her ears as she struggled to regain her composure. Still drifting uncontrollably, an image began to form on the edge of her vision. It was hazy but familiar. Struggling to see it more clearly, it became fainter and fainter the harder she strained. Her head pounding, she sighed heavily and then heard a voice. One that she recognized.

  “Hush, daughter. You are undeserving of the punishment you so eagerly place upon yourself. Know that you have grown up to be even more amazing than I could have ever imagined. You are not that vulnerable, small child anymore. Now, you are a brave woman, and you are not alone. You must return and face your past, or it shall forever block your future. Go. Face it, and listen to your heart. I love you,” her father’s voice said, before his words and the foggy figure she’d seen faded into the night.

  Wyatt sensed strange energy envelop them, but he couldn’t find the source. “Nev? Can you hear me?” he said, his voice filled with concern.

  Nev looked up at him shakily and nodded before turning her gaze towards the direction of the cabin. She focused her mind and compelled herself to stand. Silencing her instinct to run, she took in a deep breath. Her body still trembled, but she would not allow herself to turn back now. Many of her demons lurked nearby, and Nev was going to force herself to face them. “I have to go back,” she whispered.

  Wyatt was confused. Only moments before, she had been inconsolable at the mere sight of the cabin. Now she wanted to go back, seemingly imbued with a strange sense of resolve. It was clear something had happened. Perhaps it was the energy he sensed. Either way, if she was heading back, she would not be going without him. “Okay, then we go back—together,” he said, sounding steadfast. He took Nev’s hand in his, and they both started walking back towards the cabin.

  Nev steadied herself against Wyatt, her legs still wobbly, as her mind tried to understand what she had seen and heard. Was it a ghost? she asked. Without a clear answer, she let the question fade.

  As they walked through the moonless and murky evening, Nev faltered over a branch. Luckily, Wyatt was quick to catch her and help her regain her footing. Suddenly, the air around them was filled with light. The firebugs that had been enjoying the respite from the rain seemed to be glowing with increasing intensity. “They are beautiful,” she whispered.

  Wyatt smiled and said, “Well, I didn’t think we should have to stumble in the dark anymore tonight. Besides, they don’t mind helping to light our path, and neither do I.”

  Nev looked at him and smiled. “You did this with the mushrooms in the cave, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice still a bit shaky.

  “I did tell you I had other talents. They are just hard to use when running for your life. Or swimming for your life. Or any type of action for your life,” he said, grinning and peeking over at Nev.

  Nev let herself marvel at the sight for just a moment. “Thank you,” she said, leaning into him.

  They spent the next several minutes slowly walking towards the cabin, with Nev trying to slow her breathing and calm her thoughts. She felt Wyatt occasionally squeeze her hand gently. Each time he did, she felt her will become steadier. Nev didn’t know what she would find after so much time had passed, but she would soon learn.

  The cabin slowly came back into view, and it became apparent the forest had done its best to reclaim it. The onslaught of time, weather, and unrelenting forest growth had clawed at its walls, roof, and foundation. Still, it had managed to endure mostly intact and far more than Nev would’ve expected. Its long vigil against the elements left Nev wondering. Did her father simply stumble upon the cabin, as she had always thought? Or had he planned their escape? The thought led to more questions than it answered, and she decided to let it go for now.

  Wyatt focused his mind, and the cabin began to dimly glow. He pushed his energy and the firebugs’ light to combine with the slivers of moonlight that were stubbornly slipping through the clouds. Soon, tiny glowing orbs caused illumination to dance across the air inside the cabin. Having steadied his thoughts, he turned to Nev. “Go on. I will be right here if you need me,” he said, before squeezing her hand one last time. He knew, for now, this was something she had to do on her own. It was her demons that lived here, not his. His existed elsewhere and were best left on the edges of his memory for the time being. Still, he would remain nearby in case she needed him.

  Nev nodded before pulling her hand from his. She stepped towards the house determined, but full of misgivings. Nev walked a wide circle around where the kitchen chair had sat outside their front door, shuddering as she walked past it. There was nothing left to mark the tragedy that had happened there, but its effects were ever-present in Nev’s mind. You can do this. You must do this, she thought, hoping to maintain her resolve.

  Carefully, she opened the front door and took a deep breath as she stepped through. Memories came flooding back, causing her to pause with her hand still on the doorknob. Her mind’s eye watched herself running through the door with her bow and cloak in hand. Sighing softly, Nev realized that was the last time she had left that cabin happy.

  Nev took a long slow breath and pushed herself to go further into the house. Emotional, she surveyed the place that had been her oasis for those few precious, short years. With signs of so many things in disarray, one thing became clear. Another force, something human, had ravaged her childhood home as well. Its presence evident with drawers pulled from chests, furniture upended, and belongings cast everywhere.

  She spied her treasured bow beneath a haphazardly dropped drawer and carefully worked to free it. Seeing her bow broken in three pieces, she scooped them up and examined them for a few minutes. If only she’d known what would happen after that first hunt with her new bow, maybe she could have saved him.

  Nev shook her head in a vain attempt to keep the guilt from clinging to her. Placing the remnants of her bow back onto the ground, a heavy sigh escaped her lips. I wasn’t meant to only find broken memories, she thought. She scanned the cabin, feeling lost and overwhelmed. You had been looking for something, not just someone. What did you hope to find?

  Looking back, she never recalled wanting for anything as a child. There was always plenty to eat, clothes to wear, and even toys to play with. She didn’t, however, remember seeing anything that resembled treasure or anything else of value. There must have been something. She pushed herself to try to recollect anything that might hint at what they had been searching for. Kneeling in the middle of the cabin, she closed her eyes and endeavored to clear her mind of all thoughts except one. Show me what they sought, she implored.

  Wyatt watched silently, as Nev kneeled and pulled her amulet from its resting place and clenched it tightly. With apprehension, he began to feel an energy build and swirl around her. It felt oddly familiar. It reminded him of what he’d sensed moments before they were forced to launch their daring escape from the prowler. It was also similar to what he’d felt only minutes before at the pool of water. It drew him towards it, and he reached out his mind, touching the amulet barely with his thoughts.

  The amulet hummed in her hands as she strained to listen to it, just as it had before. She could hear something, but it was obscured by a dense and unyielding fog. Nev sighed heavily, feeling overwhelmingly discouraged. Then, unexpectedly, she felt a rush of energy pour into the amulet and then through her before it surged and exploded out in a brilliant burst of purple light. The light caused her to collapse, but not before searing a perfect thought into her mind.

  The force of the blast had forcefully shifted Wyatt’s mind elsewhere, causing the cabin to abruptly become dark. Now only the pale, scattered light of the moon remained. Regaining his footing, he first felt shocked to see the amulet’s reaction and then nothing but horror as he saw Nev collapse. “What have I done?” he said, running towards Nev.

  Nev was working on sitting up again when Wyatt reached her. “I’m… I’m okay,” she said, se
eing the panic on his face.

  “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. It just… it just felt right, but it was such a stupid, stupid thing to do,” Wyatt said, filled with remorse.

  “What felt ‘right’?” Nev asked, now standing and looking at him intently.

  Wyatt scanned her face, trying to determine if she was honestly alright. He felt Nev reach out and grab his hand.

  “I am alright, truly. No worries,” Nev said, giving him a half-smile and squeezing his hand.

  “Right, no worries,” he said, trying to convince himself. Wyatt took in a deep breath and looked at her. “Your amulet, it emits some kind of energy. I can always feel it some, but it becomes much stronger when you hold it or concentrate on it. I am not really sure how it works, to be honest. Even so, I can feel it. So, I focused on it. I did what I normally do with any energy I want to manipulate because I thought it might help. But it didn’t. I didn’t. I am so sorry,” he said, feeling ashamed and regretful. Wyatt’s head dropped as he sighed heavily.

  Nev quickly pulled both of his hands to her face, gently kissing them. “You are wrong. You did help,” she said softly.

  With a confused expression, Wyatt looked up at her. “I did? Are you sure?” he asked cautiously.

  Nev nodded and smiled before quickly moving to the far side of the cabin. As she entered her room, a wave of pleasant images surged through her. She remembered being tucked in, read to each night, playing under the covers far past her bedtime, and jumping on her bed when she was sure her father wouldn’t notice. Nev smiled and ran her fingers along the top of the headboard. Darkness from her last night tried to push into mind, but Nev shook her head and said to herself, No! These memories are finally mine again, and you can’t have them.

  Wyatt followed close behind her and watched her intently. Observing her become lost in memories, he concentrated on illuminating the cabin once again. Wyatt couldn’t imagine what it must be like to retrace steps so steeped in pain and loss. At least when he lost Addi, she eventually came back. Later, he and Addi got to choose when they left their home. They had never again been forced apart. Addi’s presence had made all the difference in the world to him both then and now. Wyatt moved to stand close behind Nev and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Squeezing lightly, he tried to reassure her.

  Nev clasped his hand briefly in hers before turning to face him. “Thank you for helping me through this,” she said softly. Taking a deep breath, she turned and gestured towards the bed and said, “We need to pull out the bed.”

  Wyatt nodded and helped her move the bed, finding it was sturdier and far heavier than he expected. Kneeling, they both labored to clear away the debris left by the forest and the cabin’s discarded belongings. Working together, they eventually exposed the worn floorboards. Nev pulled her dagger from her belt and attempted to pry up an old nail, but instead of prying the nail up, her blade sliced through the weakened metal with ease.

  Wyatt did not have much—any, really—experience with weapons. He was stunned to see any blade do something like that so effortlessly, but it was clear Nev’s blade was unlike anything he’d ever encountered before. Sure, she had held it up and threatened to kill him with it once. Of course, that had been before she really knew him. Also, he’d been a little too preoccupied at the time to look at it very closely. Now he could really examine it.

  Its blade was as black as a moonless night, and he could sense a quiet hum of energy from it. Still, he found the handle to be even more intriguing. It bore the unmistakable raven symbol of House Colfax, and a brilliant purple gem marked the eye of each bird’s profile. He had meant it when he said he believed her story, but seeing the dagger just made it all so much more real for him. She was the empress’ daughter, the lost princess of Obsidia, and the reason the emperor hunted and marked young women. Wyatt felt heavy as the implications of Nev’s true identity settled in his mind. She is the reason, he thought. He took a deep breath and pushed that thought away for now.

  Nev swiftly removed the nails and floorboards, revealing a large metal trunk nestled in the ground below. It had intricate designs of purple flowers spreading out across its shiny black surface. Nev strained to pull it up onto the floor of her old room. She blew off some of the loose dirt from its lid before examining the box more closely. It was beautiful and seemingly unscathed by the ravages of time. She searched along its edges and found a set of latches, both firmly locked. Thoughtfully, she ran her fingers over the locks as her mind worked to determine what means might open them.

  The answer came like a bolt of lightning in her mind. Grinning, she held her dagger up to her face and saw that the gems used to mark the ravens’ eyes were faceted in just the same way that the locks appeared to be. She placed the dagger sideways against the first latch and felt the gem slide, satisfyingly, into the sockets perfectly. She turned the hilt slightly upwards and heard a rewarding click. She repeated the process on the other latch and then returned her dagger to her belt.

  Her breath quickened as she opened the lid of the trunk, revealing its once hidden contents. A short-sleeved shirt made of delicate, purple chainmail lay within. Nev held it up to her face and examined it intently, finding it was not nearly as heavy as she expected it to be. She allowed it to drape over her hands, and the shirt rested as if it was made of silk. It was clear the metal it was constructed of was like nothing Nev had ever encountered before. Beneath the armor, a scabbard and sheathed short sword rested in the box. They were each decorated with purple flowers and the distinctive insignia of House Colfax. The only other items contained in the chest were a letter and a man’s ring. Nev scrutinized the ring studiously for a few moments. It was black and appeared to be made of the same material as her dagger. She could feel it pulse with power but had no memory of her father ever wearing it. Was this his? she thought.

  Nev handed the items to Wyatt, save the ring and letter. Feeling she had seen all she was meant to, she stood up and walked past him.

  Wyatt placed Nev’s items on the bed and then put the trunk back in its resting place. He returned the floorboards, debris, and bed back to their original positions—or at least as best as he could. After gathering her items, Wyatt headed outside. He found Nev sitting on an old wooden bench that overlooked a small hill in the distance. He quietly joined her and watched as she read from her letter.

  Nev read the letter three times before carefully folding it and putting it in her pack next to the ring she had discovered. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply. The words from the letter bouncing in her mind before finally settling within her. Father, she thought.

  Wyatt wanted to give her the time she needed to process everything she had been through, but a nagging feeling in his mind had slowly been growing with intensity. Now, he found it had become impossible to ignore. The prowler, somehow, knew they were here. Maybe he’d just been betting Nev would come back here, but Wyatt didn’t think that was the case. Each time she used the amulet, the prowler seemed to sense it.

  Suddenly, a terrifying thought dawned on him. The prowler was using it to track her. To track them. Wyatt abruptly felt sick to his stomach as anxiety rushed through him. He stood up quickly and handed the shirt and short sword to Nev. “Might want to put these on quickly,” he said with urgency.

  Nev, having been pulled back to the present, blinked up at Wyatt. His expression told her everything she needed to know. She grabbed the shirt and shoved it in her pack before seizing the sword from his outstretched hand. She frantically investigated their surroundings. Nev could sense the looming danger, but not its origin. She began to reach for her amulet when Wyatt suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled it towards him.

  “I don’t think that is such a good idea,” he said, sounding very serious.

  “Why not? It helps me see him,” she protested.

  “Yeah, I am beginning to think that is the problem. I think it doesn’t just let you see the prowler, but… it lets him see you, too. And we just inadvertently sent out a fla
re of our location to him,” Wyatt said with a sigh.

  Wyatt’s words made her feel terribly uneasy. He had to be wrong. She desperately wanted him to be wrong, but something told her he wasn’t. Maybe if they could just evade him this time and if she didn’t use the amulet again, then they would be safe. Unexpectedly, her amulet starting glowing. It was dim but unmistakable.

  Wyatt turned and looked at her with horror. “I told you not to…”, his voice trailed off as he noticed Nev’s hands were nowhere near the amulet.

  “Your path will become clear,” she said quietly as a memory flashed in her mind. She hooked the scabbard to her belt before unclasping her cloak and pulling the shirt and ring from her pack. She swiftly slipped the shirt on over her head and then refastened her cloak over her shoulders. After staring at the ring briefly, she handed it to Wyatt.

  Wyatt looked at her with growing concern. “Nev, what are you doing? Don’t you think we should be running or swimming into underwater caves or something? Anything besides just waiting here?” he said, with a growing sense of apprehension.

  Nev turned to him and smiled apologetically. “No. Not this time.” She let loose a small sigh before continuing, “Wyatt, please put on the ring and trust me. No worries, remember?” she asked, kissing his cheek softly.

  “Are we planning on fighting him? We are, aren’t we? They say they cannot be killed. That they are evil incarnate. This is crazy. You know how crazy this is, right?” implored Wyatt, feeling agitated and ignoring the ring in her outstretched hand.

  She could sense the prowler closing the distance between them. “This is my path. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know I’m supposed to do this. But you… you don’t have to,” she said, growing quiet.

  Wyatt stared into her eyes. He was feeling confused, terrified, and even frustrated. Yet, what he felt most of all was the desire to stay… with her. “No, you are committed to this crazy path and I… well, I am committed to you. So, I guess that means crazy for both of us. Yay!” he said, forcing a small laugh and taking the ring from her.