Gav shrugged, then kicked me in the shoulder. It sent a searing pain through my arm and I debated the logic in just laying there. Perhaps it would have been better to put up a fight.
"Any closer, Riarlo?"
"We're going as fast as we can!"
I flinched and let my mind wander as kicks rained down on my body. The pain all blurred together and my vision went dark.
Then, finally, it all stopped.
My ears rang, and my eyes were swollen mostly shut, but when I lifted one eyelid, I stared directly into Kaiya's face. Her surprisingly peaceful face.
If things were different …
No. They weren't different. I stared my fill as she took breath after deep breath, relief twisting in my stomach as our situation faded away.
Then her aunt coughed, and I looked over. Damn. Sweat poured from her brow, and her lips had turned a light shade of purple.
"Any idea how long you'll be? The Aunt is in pretty rough shape."
"Almost there. Just hang on a bit longer!"
I needed to get her help. Steeling myself against more violence, I propped myself up and cleared my throat. "Hey! This woman isn't doing so well!" My words were slurred, but I motioned to Kaiya's aunt and hoped they cared enough to help her.
I couldn't see the vicar through my swollen eyes, but his laugh rang in my ears. "She'll be fine once the Druid returns. He will be reunited with his Drake and all will be healed once more."
I grimaced and shook my head. Gods. Druids were talented healers, and it was true that the Druid was a legendary one. But what made them think that he'd heal all these people? Was that dragon statue supposed to be the Drake? Or did they think it was somehow the Druid? It certainly didn't feel like the korra of any dragon I'd ever met.
A small cough sounded to my right, and Kaiya jerked roughly in her chair before slumping forward again. I sat up, reaching out for her, but my arm refused to move, and the jostling sent a searing pain through my chest. Fuck!
Had they broken something?
I couldn't stop the rasping cough that burbled up in response. My saliva tasted of iron. Was it from the blood on my lips, or something that I'd just coughed up?
Gods. This wasn't looking good …
56
Kaiya
I tumbled through the icy darkness for what felt like an eternity until suddenly it just … stopped. I was back in the mind realm, but this one was different..
Around me were still waters. They lapped peacefully on a sandy shore. An unfamiliar white-haired man sat on a small chair in the sand, staring at one of those portals.
Why did this keep happening to me?
I tried to move, to reach out for help, but whatever I was bonded to trapped me in place. I looked down, trying to locate the source, but below me there was just darkness.
Through the portal, a beaming woman stood in a strange sort of purple garment. Long black hair cascaded down her back as she climbed atop a magnificent silver dragon. She waved at the man, then bent over, and the dragon lifted her into the air.
The picture shifted. This time it showed the same woman, her hair now silver and topped by a beautiful golden crown as she sat atop a strange throne. Men sat to her left and right, but gone was the playful smile from before.
She just looked cold.
Once more, the picture shifted. This time she lay inside an amber chamber, hands resting peacefully atop her chest. The white-haired man stood and walked to her, reaching out a hand.
My teeth chose that moment to start chattering from the cold, and the stranger spun around, the portal he was interacting with vanishing into the water.
The ice had spread from my feet, up my calves, to my thighs and stomach. I stood there as it touched my heart … the inky cold pressing into me, stabbing through my defenses.
I pushed hard against it, trying to resist.
"Relni, it seems we have a watcher."
A second form appeared beside the man, this one dressed in a brown cloak, their face not visible.
"Would you like to go to them?" the newcomer asked.
The white-haired man nodded.
And then we were on a new island. This one was covered with big, bushy metallic-looking trees. Waves lapped in the distance, and gulls flew silently through the air.
"Ahh. Little bond mage, so brash as to intrude upon my mind. Let us see just who we're dealing with …" The strange figure in brown was gone, but the white-haired man remained. He strode confidently to the water and pulled up a stone portal from the depths.
It was hard to speak. My body felt numb. But I summoned up the energy. "Who are you? Why am I here? Where am I?
"Why, I thought you knew! This is your mind korra. Have you never been here?" he asked. "I retreat to my own often. To think. To reminisce. You know how it is."
I shook my head, korra … whatever. "I don't understand. Can you just tell me how to return?"
"Oh no," he said, "I don't think so. These memories of yours are proving far too interesting." He glanced up, and I stepped away from the pools of dark emptiness that lurked where his eyes should be. "Besides, what really waits for you back there, anyway? If it's anything like these memories, it's just more heartbreak. Sadness. More failure …"
"No," I said. "I have my aunt and my friends. They're in trouble … I need to save them."
"Oh, the friends you pushed away, and the aunt you ignored?" He chuckled. Pulling up portal after portal, he just watched and then pushed them away. Each one a memory from my past.
Memory after memory flooded my vision.
My mother leaving me at the front door of my aunt's, waving as she walked into a storm.
Aunt Grace trying to get me to live with the Ellingsworths.
Uncle Calix frustrated, voice loud as he told Aunt Grace that I was her niece. She would regret not taking me.
And then Aunt Grace bending over and bringing me into her arms, sobbing that she was so sorry.
What did it all mean? Why didn't I remember those things?
No! The stranger was just trying to distract me.
"Why do you think you deserve more? When was the last time you actually tried to help someone and succeeded? Could it be that you fail because you don't actually want to succeed …"
"No. I want people … I just want them to be good people. Is that too much to ask?"
"It is if you're reckless with their affections," he said, staring at a memory of me walking away from Sylvie, leaving her to repair a leaky roof as I snuck to the ruins.
My heart lurched as dozens of similar memories flooded my mind.
Was he right?
Another portal came up, this one covered in slimy creatures of some sort.
It was an image of Uncle Calix smiling and sending me off to town.
I shook my head. Not this one. I didn't want to relive this one again.
He'd looked worried, but I'd convinced him I needed to run that errand. I'd be careful and not talk to anyone, I'd said, pleading. He'd nodded and sent me off.
"You lied to him, though. Didn't you? You just wanted to explore that ruin. Now tell me, is that not reckless? You thought you knew best, but ended up betraying the person you loved most … and you expect others not to betray you?"
I covered my ears.
I knew better than this. I was more than this.
Lynk's words from the woods came back to me. It's not your fault…
Yes, I was reckless. But I also worked hard for what I believed in! Things happened that were outside of my control, and I couldn't blame myself for them forever.
I needed to fix what I could and let go of the rest.
Right now, that bastard was something I needed to let go of.
Shoring up my defenses, I pushed out, using all the love, regret, and hope I had in my heart to fuel me. The ice around my legs shattered.
I needed to get out of here and save Aunt Grace, but the white-haired bastard was holding me captive somehow.
I was done with it
.
So, I faced him, staring into those empty eyes as though they didn't make my knees feel weak, and slammed my clenched fist into his smug face.
His empty eyes went wide, and the image of him shattered into a thousand pieces, sending the portal of my memory back into the ocean where it belonged.
I reached towards the brightest thing I could.
My korra slammed into something strong and far away from whatever this place was.
I gathered every emotion I felt and channeled it into my korra. Heaving that cord with all my strength, I threw it at the light.
A sudden jolt of energy flooded my system, pushing all the coldness away.
YES! I'd done it!!
Determined, I reached out and pulled myself along the new bond, leaving the strange realm with all its painful memories behind.
"We'll see you again, little Forsaken,” the man's voice whispered against the edges of my mind.
I cringed.
Whatever he was, wherever that was, was insane … and I wanted nothing more to do with it.
57
Jaiel
Lynk was missing! I'd searched everywhere and had seen no sign of him. Where had that damned barbarian gone?
I shifted my vest and looked around outside once more, waving at one of the guards.
Fuck. We were out of time. Hopefully, he'd found a lead of his own and would meet me downstairs.
I turned and went back into the mansion, following the directions the woman had told me. The lever was just where she'd said, and I flipped it, revealing a hidden passage. Stone stairs descended into the dark and I couldn't help smiling.
Someday, I'd have a place of my own and would have hidden rooms everywhere …
I took the steps two at a time until I emerged into a large stone cavern. There were carvings covering two walls … were those Fae runes? I'd love to look closer, but a loud shout drew my attention back to the room.
Saints. There were so many people! What was this place?
I turned around a column, and my stomach plummeted.
At the back, by the person talking, was a tall stone dragon.
This was a cult, and a gods be damned Druid cult, at that! I thought the Rogues had wiped them out decades ago?
The man was talking about how they just needed to be patient. "Lord Ellingsworth will return soon and bring the reward for all our work. It's just a matter of time."
I needed to blend in, and fast.
Moving quietly, I snuck up behind a man in back of the crowd and pressed a spot on his neck. He collapsed into my arms. The woman on his right turned to me, eyes wide.
Damn. I must be losing my touch! Smiling widely, I leaned close to her. "He was feeling sick." Her pupils dilated, and her lips relaxed into a beatific smile before she returned her attention to the front.
I let out a breath and pulled him behind the columns with me.
I quickly removed his cloak and slipped into it, taking his place at the back of the crowd to survey the room.
Was Lynk in here somewhere?
He was tall enough that he should stand out in the crowd, but there was no tall barbarian in the sea of hooded cloaks. Where the saints was he?
There was a slender black-haired man being beaten up front, though, and I shook my head. That Liam was going to be the death of me. I was sure of it.
Why couldn't he have just followed the damn plan?
I pulled my hood tighter and wove my way through the crowd. Hopefully, I could get up there in time, but the damn boy wasn't even fighting!
Why wasn't he fighting?
Beyond him was Kaiya and some other woman strapped in chairs. Damn. This was pretty much the worst-case scenario. I should have followed my instincts, ignored Liam, and called for back-up from Dimiri. What in the realms had I been thinking?
A hand caught my shoulder, and I froze, forcing my face into the blank stare I'd seen on the people around me. The last thing I needed was to be caught and thrown up front with Liam.
"Follow me," a low, raspy voice whispered. Lynk? Thank the saints!
He urged me forward through the crowd, escorting me up the side.
Wait. Why was no one saying anything? He wasn't doing one of those magic disappearing acts to us like he'd done to Kaiya and Liam, was he?
It certainly didn't seem like it …
They'd said things went dark, and I could still see everything around us.
Liam lay slumped in a pile next to Kaiya and looked like death warmed over. Saints, I needed to get to him. Hopefully, he still had that healing relic …
The sound of stones rumbling made me pause. I looked around, but no one else seemed concerned. Could they not hear it?
The sound grew louder, and I looked at Lynk. He was focused wholly on the front of the room and what the man was saying.
As we approached, a tall man with grey hair and a top hat stumbled forward out of the shadows, eyes wide and bright. He gestured to everyone. "I have returned and brought with me the key to unlocking HIM, Lord Salainen … the Druid. Through him, we will all be saved."
Cheers broke out around me, and I stared, jaw agape. What was happening?
He motioned towards that large dragon statue — Saints, that thing was gruesome! Could no one have thought to at least put its innards in before carving it?
As I watched, though, a gods damned wing twitched.
No. This wasn't possible! Liam had said that they were all —
Then chaos broke loose.
58
Lord Ellingsworth
Gods be praised! It had worked.
Excitement thrummed through me as I brought us back to our bodies and opened my eyes.
Sir Litsor stood at the front of the dais, gesturing to the people. They all stared at him expectantly. It was inspiring that they trusted us so much! I'd do anything to keep them safe, to protect them from more damage.
I'd already done enough with my healing.
This world was a harsh place, but I had plans. The Druid would change everything and I'd brought him his Drake, just as I'd promised.
The first time we'd used one of the twisted relics to heal a man, I'd thought we'd won. He'd been so happy to lose that limp, and I felt justified in my years of work in these ruins.
This dragon was just the first of my finds, too.
Over the years, I'd uncovered so much down here — more than anyone in my family before me — and I was proud of it.
Proud of the legacy that I'd someday leave for those that came after me.
The Empire sought to destroy and chain magic, but the world needed magic to be free once more.
Miss Maderoth's words echoed in my mind, and I felt a small moment of pain at her loss. Why had she cut our bond? If she'd just waited a few more minutes, we'd have been safe! Then again, she had that bond to the darkness like the Drake …
No. There was no escape for her.
Such was the cost of genuine progress, though. Sometimes the life of the many was worth the loss of life for the few.
Smiling broadly, I stepped up beside Sir Litsor and raised my hand. Every eye turned to me, and I felt their adoration coursing through me, stronger than the most powerful drug.
"I have returned and brought with me the key to HIM, Lord Sailanen … the Druid. Through him, we will all be saved," my voice echoed through the cavern and the responding cheers drowned it out.
All that work … finally it was coming to fruition, and I couldn't be happier.
I looked to my left, meeting the gaze of my lovely wife. She smiled at me, eyes sharp, then gestured behind us.
I turned to see Grace and Miss Maderoth, still slumped. Grace had begun to turn blue, and my heart ached. I'd promised the girl that her aunt would live. I'd do my best to fulfill that promise.
A cracking sound made me look up, and I grinned as one of the dragon's wings moved.
More cheers sounded from the room! Exhilaration made my heart race, and I reached out a hand to feel it. A dragon
. Gods, I'd dreamed of this day for years!
Lynk stood to my right, his own eyes wide with surprise. We'd make a difference today. I was sure of it.
Then another sound reached me … a scream?
I looked for the source, shocked to see a man in the crowd with his hood back, blisters and bubbles forming across his face.
What was happening to him?
Another scream joined his, and I turned towards it. It came from a woman closer to me. She fell to her knees as her back bowed up and made a loud cracking sound.
I stepped back. What was happening? This wasn't in the plan! The journals hadn't mentioned anything like this!
A sharp movement behind me made me spin around in time to see Miss Maderoth jerk in her chair, mouth gaping as she let out a soundless scream.
The dragon above her moved more, its stone body turning back to flesh and bone.
What was happening?
"My lord. We need to move. This is wrong. Something is terribly wrong," the vicar's nasally voice said.
I shook him off, turning to my wife. She stared at me with wide eyes, looking down at my feet.
I dropped my gaze and gasped. Sure enough, they had started to shift … to morph. No longer human. There were long claws instead of toes, and blisters ran up the sides.
Heart in my throat, I stared at the large room, moments ago full of excited friends, now full of screaming monsters. The bonds to the Drake hadn't healed everyone, they'd made them worse!
Oh, gods. What had I done?
59
Jaiel
To my right, a man screamed as his body broke out in oozing pustules.
A woman stumbled in front of me, her back warping and cracking loudly. The room filled with the sounds of terror, and the monster inside me started to move.
No. No. No! This wasn't the time!
I pushed it down, moving towards Liam. I had to get him and Kaiya out before whatever this was went down.
Forsaken Secrets: A slow-burn new adult fantasy romance (Isle of the Forsaken Book 1) Page 26
