Comet Rising

by MarcyKate Connolly

  I don’t see Noah anywhere. Pearl must have taken him with her.

  I only hope he can keep his talent under control. Random disoriented people wandering about the garden all of a sudden would give him away in a second.

  I crouch low in the bushes, hoping whoever is coming is not the Lady and that they pass by quickly. But my hopes are in vain. A woman with long brown hair plaited down her back, rosy cheeks, and bright green eyes steps into view, and I suck my breath in sharply. There is no mistaking the mistress of the garden.

  On one side of her is Lucas, and on the other, Dar—still bearing my form. She’s brought them both here to make them part of her garden.

  I can’t sit here and wait her out. Not this time. I must do something.

  But before I can decide what to do, another familiar face strolls into view, chasing my breath away. Simone, her unruly hair and dirty white frock the same as ever. Her eyes are wild and unfocused—right up until they fix on me.

  Cold flashes over every inch of my body as the little girl smiles.

  “I know you,” she whispers, moving in my direction. I back up, concentrating on darkening my shadows as much as possible, but it is to no avail. Soon I’ll have nowhere to go with the wall of hedges at my back and Simone advancing through the undergrowth. I can hear the muffled sound of Lady Aisling calling to her pet.

  “Simone, what have you found?” Something about her voice is both melodic and terrifying at the same time. I have no choice. I coil the shadows around my wrists, making them tangible and tacky, then send them soaring after Simone through the thick foliage. She squeals as they wrap tightly around her mouth, pinning her hands to her sides and her feet to the ground. She’s trapped in the bushes now as much as I am. Lady Aisling can’t see her through the thick leaves, but she may very well come after Simone when she doesn’t respond.

  I don’t know where Noah is or when Pearl is coming back, but I can’t wait any longer. I have to act now, or I’ll get caught too. I burst from the shrubbery, shadows at the ready and twisted into a long rope that lashes out and winds around Lady Aisling, pinning her arms to her body.

  At first, shock blossoms on her face, but then she laughs. It is a horrible thing that sends shudders down my spine.

  “Well, one of you is not who you seem to be, clearly,” she says, glancing between me and Dar. “We’ll find out who you really are in just a moment.” She turns her head to Lucas. “Lucas, would you be a dear and cut these ropes off me, please?”

  Lucas’s eyes are not normal. There’s a dreamy expression in them, like his mind is miles away even though his body is present. He doesn’t seem to recognize me. Instead, he sings, forming a ball of light in his hands. Then he molds it into something long and thin, until he holds a knife made of light. I gasp. That is far more advanced a thing than he’s ever been able to accomplish before.

  Lady Aisling must be controlling him somehow.

  He uses the knife to slice through my shadow ropes, and my heart plummets into my boots. Lady Aisling shrugs them off and they scatter.

  Then she faces me with her full attention.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Well, well, well,” Lady Aisling crows. “Now, which of you is the real Emmeline?”

  Dar cocks her head at the Lady, to all appearances under her spell. “I’m Emmeline, my lady,” she says simply.

  I try to speak, to contradict Dar, but the words choke in my throat. The temptation to let her take my place is strong—too strong. I immediately feel horrible. But lucky for my conscience, Lady Aisling is no fool. She glances between us again and laughs.

  “I don’t believe you. This one”—she points to me—“got past Simone and used a shadow rope to bind me. I have yet to see you use your magic,” she says to Dar. “You can pretend to be something you’re not, but you can’t fake a talent. You either have it or you don’t. And she has the magic of shadow weaving.”

  Lady Aisling examines Dar. “So,” she says. “What exactly are you?”

  Dar tilts her head. “I am Emmeline,” she says again, confused. Has Dar managed to convince herself of this? Or is she faking it? I wouldn’t put anything past her, but I also know how strong Lady Aisling’s magic is.

  “What about you?” Lady Aisling peers at me, seemingly unconcerned about whether I might escape. There isn’t anywhere to run; I’m hemmed in by her and the hedges. “Do you know who she is?”

  “I won’t tell you anything until you release Lucas,” I say, and the Lady laughs.

  “Now why ever would I do that? He’s mine now, aren’t you?” She brushes a wayward strand of golden hair from Lucas’s forehead, and he blinks at her slowly.

  “Yes, my lady,” he says.

  “See?” She grins. “If you won’t tell me willingly, then I’ll just extract the information from you later. One way or another you will tell me what I want to know.”

  I clench my hands into fists. “Is that what you did to Lucas’s parents?”

  Lady Aisling smiles broadly. “Ah, so that was you sneaking around earlier with that girl, wasn’t it? Yes, Miranda and Alfred have been quite helpful.” She frowns momentarily. “Now, where did you tie up Simone this time? I’m sure she could be quite useful here. No matter, while Simone is a favorite, by no means is she my only pet.” She snaps her fingers, and fear brews in my chest. “I believe you met some of them earlier?”

  Footsteps shuffle on the path leading back to the mansion, soon followed by a line of vacant-eyed children walking toward us in single file. When they reach Lady Aisling, they fan out to further seal me in. I back away instinctively, knowing full well I have nowhere to run.

  I call every shadow within reach, ready to defend myself. I will not be captured. I can’t.

  Lady Aisling glides over to a sunflower and plucks one of the petals. To my shock, she pops it into her mouth and chews it up, licking her fingers. When she swallows, the fizz of magic hums through the air.

  Magic eater is a more apt name than I’d imagined. She kneels and places her hands on the ground, closing her eyes in concentration. The air tingles with magic more potent than any I’ve ever encountered. I brace myself and my shadows, molding and shaping and readying for whatever it is she’s about to send my way.

  But her attack does not come.

  Instead, her minions advance on me. At the head of them is Lucas. No hint of recognition lights his eyes.

  My resolve falters, and my hands quake. The shells I am prepared to take on. But I can’t fight Lucas.

  I swallow hard as Lucas’s light begins to take the shape of a brilliant flaming sword. He may not leave me much choice in the matter.

  My hatred of Lady Aisling flares as bright as Lucas’s light. She has taken everyone I’ve ever loved and poisoned them. This is the last straw.

  The shells swarm, but I throw up my shadows around me in a bubble thick enough that they can’t break through. For a moment, I give myself the luxury of taking a deep breath. The sun is dimmed under my dome, and even the brilliant moon seems to wane. But then Lucas advances, light sword raised high over his head. With one sweep of his arms and not a single emotion in his dead eyes, he slices through my shadows, making a door.

  “That’s it, Lucas. Emmeline is no match for you,” chortles Lady Aisling.

  I yank my shadows back, molding them into ropes though I know they’ll be defenseless. While I may be able to make them tangible, they can’t stand against the sharpness of light. When we work together, we’re formidable, but being on opposite sides is a nightmare.

  The shells pour forward, threatening to overwhelm me. Panic skitters over my skin. I don’t know what they each can do, but I do know I can’t let them touch me. That’s how the memory stealer took one of Dar’s memories. The others with mental talents may operate similarly. My shadow ropes snake through them, twisting around their middles and legs, sending them to the
ground in a writhing mess of limbs and angry grunts. I pull the ends of the shadow ropes taut, then tie them off on the nearest hedge.

  Lady Aisling’s expression shifts to one of annoyance. “Lucas, you know what to do.” She sneers as she raises her hands. The ground springs to life with thick vines that shoot up to wrap around my wrists, holding me fast.

  Lucas advances again, holding the sword made of shimmering light.

  My breath catches in my throat. In another setting, the weapon would be beautiful, possibly his finest work of lightcraft. But here…

  The shadows in the garden wriggle out from between the gigantic flowers and wrap around Lucas’s legs. They only slow his advance. He slices them away methodically, one side after the other, moving ever forward. I struggle against the vines, but it’s no use. They’ve woven into my hair and around my neck. But still I send my shadows at Lucas, desperate to slow him, to talk him out of the Lady’s spell.

  “Lucas,” I say. “Please. We’re friends. Don’t do this.”

  For a moment, he hesitates. Something new flashes in his eyes, then the light goes out again, and his face becomes as stony as before.

  “You lied,” he says. “You betrayed my family at every turn. You are no friend of mine.”

  The shock of his words slices into my chest, hotter and more painful than his sword. My guilty conscience is mirrored in them, and the truth of it is heartbreaking.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean to. I would do anything to take it back.”

  But he says no more, only tears through my shadows faster than ever. Then he stands over me, sword held high. Fear boils in my veins, and I struggle futilely one last time against the vines.

  Behind Lady Aisling, Dar rises up, wearing the monstrous shape she favored and practiced for years as my shadow, now made flesh. Claws raised, wings spread, fangs bared, she howls.

  And her sister turns.

  Lady Aisling’s pretty face twists with a mixture of surprise and recognition. She raises her hands as Dar lunges at Lucas, knocking him sideways and cutting through the vines holding me down in the process. I shove them off before they can recover. I hear a familiar soft snap somewhere nearby.

  More vines snag Dar’s wings and outstretched claws. The Lady yanks on them, and Dar tumbles forward, flailing her razor claws and slicing through the vines like a knife through butter.

  It is all the distraction Pearl needs. She appears next to Lucas before he regains his feet, places her hands on his shoulders, and pop, they’re gone. The tight band constricting my chest relaxes somewhat. She’ll take him to Noah to undo the Lady’s spell.

  When the Lady turns around, her face is red and livid. “Not alone after all,” she says. “Well, we can’t have too many of your friends running around here, now can we? And to take my dear Lucas away so rudely. It shall not be tolerated.”

  Dar snarls at her sister as she gets to her feet, drawing the Lady’s attention away from me.

  “Darla?” Lady Aisling says with an admonishing tone. “Is that you? That monster looks familiar. And I’ve only ever known one shape shifter.”

  Darla. The name is an arrow in my heart. That’s who Dar was before Lady Aisling did this to her. Before everything was stolen from her, she was simply a girl with a talent she loved. Just like me.

  Dar springs to her feet and growls, her face taking on a feline visage as she settles back on her haunches and stalks around her sister in a circle. If I had everything taken from me like this would I be any different?

  Lady Aisling begins to laugh. “Only you would be so foolish. Though I’ll give you credit. Pretending to be Emmeline—don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, dear—and to be under my thrall. Well played, dear sister, well played.”

  Dar lunges, but Lady Aisling is ready. Her vines wrap around Dar’s neck, coiling over her body, and begin to squeeze. Dar thrashes, but the choking vines won’t let up. I can’t take it much longer.

  “Stop it! Haven’t you done enough to her already?” I cry.

  The Lady glances at me but shows no sign of releasing Dar. “Oh, please. She had it easy. She knew what she was from the day she was born. For years, I hated her, thinking she was the twin who got all the magic. I spent so much time wishing and hoping for a talent, until one day we got into an argument and I was so angry I started shaking her. Her magic began to bleed out of her into me. I have fought to hone my talent ever since.” She tosses Dar aside, but the vines continue their work. Dar’s face begins to turn blue as her claws scrabble at her neck. She shifts into a smaller version of the monster, but the vines constrict even more.

  Horror rolls over me, and I take an unconscious step back.

  Lady Aisling laughs, believing me to be retreating. “I am much more adept at my powers now than I was when I first took Darla’s. And there is plenty of room for you both in my garden.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Nausea steals over me suddenly, but I manage to hold it down. I will not let her hurt Dar. Not again.

  As Lady Aisling grabs a petal from another flower and Dar continues to choke, I hear a pop, and then Lucas stands next to me. This time his eyes are not glazed over.

  He is as furious as I’ve ever seen him.

  Just as Lady Aisling swallows a new silvery petal, Lucas sings his light into a blade again and springs forward. He darts close, slices through the vines holding Dar down, then scurries back toward me before Lady Aisling has finished absorbing whatever her new magic happens to be.

  We exchange a breathless glance, and a silent understanding passes between us. We know what we need to do. Alone we are powerful, but together, we can do real magic.

  Lucas and I pool our crafts. I can’t help thinking about Cary’s assertion that we need to use our talents to hurt—or even kill—Lady Aisling. The idea turns my stomach. I know it does the same for Lucas. What I don’t know is how far Lady Aisling will push us. We’re already close to the edge.

  Dar screeches, her huge leathery wings beating as she rises into the air, then swoops at her sister. A geyser of water bursts from the ground, narrowly missing Dar: the Lady’s new talent. Dar swerves midair and screams in response.

  “You took everything from me! You condemned me to a half-life as a shadow.”

  “Your time as a shadow has only made you even more dramatic. If you come down here and play nice, I won’t hurt you.” Lady Aisling smiles sweetly at her sister, but it doesn’t reach her cold eyes.

  “I finally have my powers back. I will not let you steal them again. I won’t let you steal them from anyone again.” Dar circles and swoops, and the Lady sends another geyser straight for her. This time it pursues her through the air.

  Lucas leaps into action, sending a beam of light careening into the geyser. It hisses, turning the water into mist and giving Dar the chance to get away.

  Lady Aisling suddenly seems to remember we’re still here.

  “Now where did you learn to do that?” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make their powers so tangible as you two can. Except for me, of course.”

  “I showed him,” I say, sticking out my chin. “I’ve shown all the talented people we’ve met.”

  She steps toward us, occasionally shooting spouts of water to keep Dar at bay. “You’re more clever than I realized. How wonderful you’ll soon be my pet too.”

  “I’ll never be one of your flowers. And neither will Lucas!” A burst of my shadow ropes binds her arms and legs. It slows her pursuit, but it does nothing to halt her attacks on Dar. She must have eaten a petal from a water wisher—and I can’t do anything to prevent what she does with her mind. When Dar dodges the latest surge, Lady Aisling tackles my shadow ropes, pounding at them with her water, wheedling underneath to pry them loose. Water always does seem to find a way through.

  Moments later, she steps free of the shadow ropes, and
my throat constricts with fear.

  “I’m afraid you’re going to regret that, Emmeline,” she warns.

  “What have you done with my parents?” Lucas cries, casting a blinding wall of light, forcing her to stagger back toward Dar.

  The Lady only laughs. “They were very helpful.”

  “They’re in the mansion,” I whisper to him. “They’re under her spell. We need Noah to free them.”

  Lucas swallows hard, but keeps a straight face. “Thank you,” he says.

  But the Lady isn’t waiting around. Instead she traipses through her garden, holding Dar at bay easily and laughing, while grabbing fistfuls of petals from various flowers nearby. Soon she has a bouquet to form her arsenal of talents. My pulse throbs in my ears. I have no idea what we’re in for, no clue what powers she holds in her hands and can absorb in mere seconds.

  All I know is if we want to be free to live our lives, and to free those trapped here in her Garden of Souls, we’re going to have to stand our ground and find out.

  She swallows another petal, this one a brilliant red. I have a sneaking suspicion as to what that one does and make my shadows thick and strong. I cast them around us, weaving them into the wall of light Lucas creates. He sings more light into his hands, making a rope like the ones we used for Dar’s cage. We are both thinking the same thing: if the cage worked for Dar, maybe it will work for her sister.

  Lady Aisling’s eyes glow red, and my knees go weak. She opens her mouth and flames spew forth, cutting through Lucas’s wall. The light disperses, but he catches it again and adds it to the rope he’s forming with his song. Dar settles on the ground, shifting before her feet even touch the grass. Her face grows wider, as do her shoulders, then her legs and torso thicken until she resembles a giant with skin as tough as a rock.

  Lady Aisling sends a lancing flame toward her, but Dar simply shrugs it off. The Lady grunts with frustration, and Dar growls as they circle each other.

  I whisper to Lucas, “We need to stop Lady Aisling, but we also need to contain Dar. She’s dangerous when she’s like this. Be ready.” We may have made a truce with her for the other night in the ruins, but I’m not yet ready to trust her fully.