Plague of Death

by D. L. Armillei

  The critters surrounded Daisy on the couch, perched on the windowsill, floor, and on the backs of nearby chairs. The animals watched over Daisy, their Princess of the Forest, along with Pernilla and Kopius.

  The animals had placed flowers and ferns around Daisy and had made a crown of colorful blooms, berries, and leaves that they had put on her head. Daisy’s hands were clasped over her stomach, and in them, she held a bouquet of pink and purple flowers.

  Van peeked into the bedroom to check on Paley and Wiglaf. Their condition hadn’t improved and was perhaps worse. The animals had also placed flowers and greens around them too.

  She went back into the main room. Kopius remained in the same spot as when Van had left.

  “He hasn’t moved.” Brux rose from his chair by the couch; the nearby animals shifted from his movement and then settled again. “I went into town to get the dress for Daisy at his request. I traded her dagger for it.”

  “I made him food.” Pernilla waved her hand toward a dish of soup on the coffee table. “Didn’t touch it.”

  “Did you get an antidote from Madame Vang?” Brux asked, seeming like he already knew the answer.

  Van shook her head. Her eyes turned to the critters. “What’s going on with the animals?”

  “Animals are connected to nature, like Daisy,” Brux said. “They can feel her pain and are here to offer their support.”

  “Went to check on Paley and a few of the critters followed me,” Pernilla said. “They put all those flowers around her. I guess they care about Daisy’s friend too.”

  “I should’ve made my feelings for her more clear.” Kopius stared at Daisy, almost as if talking to himself. “I was too much of a coward to show her how much I cared. I hope it’s not too late.”

  Van rubbed his back. “I’m sorry, Kopius.”

  “Don’t worry,” Brux said. “We’ll find an antidote.”

  “She’ll get better,” Pernilla said.

  Their words of comfort seemed to make no difference, Van wasn’t even sure he heard them.

  “There’s no time to delay,” Van said, with renewed vigor. “Grab your things. We’re setting sail right now.”

  As Pernilla, Brux, and Van gathered their backpacks, Van relayed the details of her visit with Madame Vang.

  “I’m not going,” Kopius said, dimly. “I refuse to leave Daisy’s side.”

  At that moment, Van realized that she would be the only member of her team going.

  Brux bent over Daisy to whisper goodbye—the animals shuffled and bobbed, as if unsure of his motives, but made no attempt to block him—and he kissed her on the forehead. “Be well, sister.”

  The animals calmed, satisfied he posed no threat.

  “Brux—aren’t you staying to watch over Daisy?” Van asked. “You can’t leave Paley, you have the Twin Gemstone.”

  “I can’t leave you either,” he said. “I’m your assigned protector. And you have to go, you’re the only one who can retrieve the Cup.”

  “You have to stay—Paley, Daisy,” Van said, sweeping her hand for emphasis.

  Brux looked defeated like he knew Van spoke the truth.

  “Pernilla,” Van said, grimly. Paley’s condition needed to be addressed before Van left. Kopius was in no shape for instructions, he was too emotional, and Brux—she couldn’t be sure he was ruthless enough to do what Van had concluded needed to be done, worst-case scenario. “Paley’s getting worse.”

  Pernilla set her jaw and crossed her arms. “I’m giving her the silver every hour like you said.”

  “I know.” She pulled Pernilla aside, so the others couldn’t hear. “It’s not that. It’s,” Van paused. She needed to word her request carefully. Most of her team operated from a center of emotional weaknesses. All the things Van hated about Pernilla, her brutality, stubbornness, confidence, lack of compassion, Van now saw as valuable assets to the team. She was grateful Pernilla had warrior blood, the ability to block her emotions and get the job done.

  “You have to stay too,” Van said.

  “What? No way! I’ve been training for this mission just like you,” Pernilla said, heatedly. “I’m not letting you hog all the glory.”

  Van felt stricken. Pernilla still didn’t understand. “No, it’s…” Van shifted. This wasn’t easy. “Paley…she might turn. Do you know what I’m saying?”

  Terror flashed in Pernilla’s eyes, then she gave a grim nod.

  “Kopius won’t be able to, I doubt Brux will either. It will be on you. Do you have—”

  Pernilla unsheathed her dagger. “I’ll ritualize it so it can kill demons.” Before Van could ask, she continued. “I learned how in training.”

  Van could see Pernilla processing the newest development in their mission. Like Van, she never thought she’d have to use her Grigori training skills against a classmate. Especially not how to consecrate a dagger, to enable it to kill a demon by infusing it with light, so she could use it on a friend who had turned into one.

  Van had honed her warrior skills into being a thinking-acting machine, yet she couldn’t push away how sad she felt for Pernilla, for the task Pernilla had ahead—killing Paley after their friend turned into a demon.

  “You can go,” Pernilla said. “I’ll take care of…business, here.”

  Brux stomped over to Van. “I’m going.”

  “And how’s that going to work?” Van asked.

  “We take Paley with us. We can’t risk her turning near Daisy, not with my sister in this condition. I need to go on this mission with you.”

  He really cares about me.

  “It will anger the Elementals if I don’t carry out my duties as your assigned protector. Plus, I’m the leader of our team.”

  And there it is—his desire to accompany Van was all about the mission. Good. It meant he was learning to become a fierce warrior.

  Van considered his request. She knew from experience when the moment came—when training became a reality—things were much different. Pernilla might not be able to kill Paley. If she left all of them in the suite, the fate of all four—Brux, Daisy, Paley, and Kopius—would rest in Pernilla’s ability to get the job done. It was too much of a risk.

  “We all go,” Van said. “Except Kopius and Daisy.”

  When Pernilla didn’t put up much of a fight, Van knew she had made the right choice.

  Satisfied, Brux draped Paley over his shoulder. Van slid Wiglaf into the front of her jacket, swaddling him against her belly like a baby. They bid farewell to Kopius, Daisy, and her critter following, although Daisy’s condition still rendered her unconscious and she probably didn’t hear.

  Kopius remained hunched by Daisy’s side. He didn’t turn away as he mumbled, “Walk in light.”

  As Van, Paley, Brux, Wiglaf, and Pernilla left the suite, the air hung heavy with the expectation that not everyone would make it back to Lodestar.

  Chapter 44

  The waning crescent moon hung in the clear night sky floating in an ocean of twinkling stars. Van thought it looked like the mouth of the Universe, mysteriously grinning, aware of the deception and unforeseen perils among mortals, yet keeping its secrets to itself.

  It cast enough light for Van to see Ferox on the dock, impatiently waiting for them to arrive. This was good—because like Van—he knew the stakes, and time was running out.

  “We’ll need to keep an eye on Paley.” Brux shifted her weight as if to emphasize his point.

  Ferox led them up the walkway onto The Obelus.

  “We’ll use the Coin to find the best way to the Island of the Dead,” Van said. She held out her palm.

  “We don’t need the Coin to find the island or the Cup.” A muscle flexed in Ferox’s jaw.

  Van knew him he well enough to know that the tension in his jaw, along with his stiff shoulders, meant he was prepping for a verbal fight.

  “We have enough to go on from Ezili’s map,” he said.

  “But you have the Coin with you, right?” Van was ready to sprint
back to his room and grab it before their hasty departure.

  Ferox patted his chest pocket, looking relieved Van didn’t throw a fit. His grin teased that if she wanted it, Van would have to get through him first, or at least through his clothes.

  Her cheeks flushed as her stomach did an exhilarated flip.

  As Ferox walked with them to Paley’s cabin, Van refocused her thoughts onto Wiglaf. Her bunfy hadn’t moved since she had tucked him in her jacket.

  Brux laid Paley in the cot-like bed, and Van placed a droopy Wiglaf next to her.

  “Maybe he could use a break,” Brux said.

  “He has free will. If he wants to leave he can.” She felt annoyed that he questioned her devotion to her furry friend. How did he expect her to prioritize her care? Who came first— Paley, Daisy, Wiglaf, or her people? She didn’t have enough to go around.

  Again, her bunfy stretched along Paley’s torso as if for body heat. Van wondered why he didn’t pop back to his magical animal realm, especially being sick.

  Pernilla volunteered to resume her duty in watching over Paley. She patted her hip where she hid the dagger. “I’ll perform the consecration ritual right now.”

  Van gladly accepted, she had no time to worry about Paley or Wiglaf. She had two missions to complete.

  Ferox took Brux to a different cabin; Van followed.

  Brux settled into his private quarters, too tired to care when Ferox told Van he would take her to her cabin next.

  Van was impressed with her accommodations. Her expansive cabin looked like the captain’s quarters.

  “Thanks,” Van said.

  Ferox didn’t seem to want to leave. Instead, he walked to the round table, secured to the floor with bolts. There was a basket of crawfish and a decanter of rockwine on it.

  He raised the decanter. “Care for a nightcap?”

  “Just water.” Van reached for the pitcher on the nightstand and poured her own, mostly as a distraction from Ferox being in what was essentially her bedroom. Him, being so handsome—it unnerved her.

  Ferox stared at Van for a few seconds, then said, “Well, good night.”

  He reached for the doorknob and paused. “I’ll be on deck keeping watch, in case you can’t sleep.”

  The invitation seemed to thicken the air. Ferox left, closing the door behind him.

  Now how am I supposed to sleep?

  She needed her energy for tomorrow. Who knew what horrors awaited them. If the challenges were anything like when she retrieved the Coin, then they were all in for a rough time.

  She considered the rockwine but didn’t want any, or any of the crawfish.

  Van had to be in top shape to get the Cup—to save Daisy and Paley first, that would appease both Ferox and Brux. Then she had to mend the seal to protect her people.

  Van tossed and turned in her bed. The tasks ahead plagued her, halting her departure into a wonderful state of sleep.

  Since she couldn’t rest and needed guidance on how to deal with the Water Elemental that guarded the Cup, she decided to call on Jacynthia.

  Van used controlled breathing techniques to calm her mind and connected to her spirit guide. But, when Jacynthia appeared, a more pressing concern entered Van’s consciousness.

  How do I stop these feelings I have for Ferox?

  “You will not find your way out of danger and difficulty if you remain in an emotionless state of mind,” Jacynthia said, floating in her mystical breeze several feet above the wooden floor of Van’s cabin. “When the soul is locked up in the body, you are not internally free. You must confront your feelings and integrate them to be in accord with the Creator.”

  But the more I feel, the greater the darkness rages inside me. I’m worried my damaged soul is leading me down the wrong path.

  “The soul cannot be permanently diminished,” Jacynthia said. “Your soul is part of the Creator and as such will return to the Creator after it leaves the physical body.”

  Brux will think less of me—my people will think less of me—if I fall for Ferox. He’s Balish. He’s the enemy.

  “It is in accord with the time to acknowledge that not everyone is like you and to accept other’s differences.”

  The Lodian Consilium will never allow our relationship. The Elementals will retaliate like they did in Amaryl’s time. But I fear the darkness inside me is pulling me toward Ferox. It’s making me choose wrong. It’s making me…evil.

  “Everyone has light and dark inside themselves. You must strive to balance this duality within the Self and all in all things. Know that the dark part of the Self does not make you evil. Evil does not have power on its own. Refuse to feed negative thoughts as it makes them grow. Instead commune with the positive eternal presence within.”

  How do I balance my darkness when I fear it?

  “All fear is a lack of faith in the Self. Make peace with your dual nature by drawing on all energies available, the dark as well as the light. By embracing your shadow Self, you can be healed.”

  Van decided it was time to get down to business. Is retrieving the Cup before mending the seal the correct path?

  “You have overcome the Plague of Evil—greed, and materialism. This is what allowed you to retrieve the first Item of Creation, the Coin. Now you will face the challenges of the second item.”

  Jacynthia paused.

  Van wasn’t sure if her spirit guide was done imparting her cryptic wisdom, or if she was thinking about what to divulge next.

  Van assumed she was done, when Jacynthia said, “It is necessary for you to face the tests of the Water Elemental, to retrieve the Cup of Life, so you can learn how to conquer the second plague of humanity. The Plague of Death.”

  Death? Van practically jumped out of her skin and was surprised she held her connection to Jacynthia.

  “Death is the great letting go.” Jacynthia remained serene. “It prepares the way for the new, for what is to come. Even if this acceptance of our new Self is painful, we cannot escape it. Do not attempt to avoid it or you will be doomed.”

  True to Jacynthia’s nature, her answer gave away no cheat notes.

  “It is time for me to leave you.” Jacynthia began to fade. “Good night, my little warrior. And good luck.”

  Van fell into a disturbed sleep, aware that time was running out for her to stay in the Living World without facing the Quasher. But, she had to fulfill her mission for Daisy and Paley.

  For her people.

  For humanity.

  Chapter 45

  Van felt like she had only slept for an hour or two.

  When she woke, her thin sheets were twisted and crunched into a ball at the top of the bed, the fitted sheet was undone at the top corner of the cot-sized mattress, and her pillow lay on the floor.

  There was no way she would get any more sleep tonight, so she considered taking up Ferox on his offer for a midnight visit.

  Van thought about Zurial’s memory engram and focused on Manik’s message—if you can heal wounds, you don’t have to fight—as an excuse for her to get to know Ferox better. Unlike what happened during the time of their ancestors, her relationship with Ferox held the potential to heal the differences between their tribes.

  Van had trouble holding onto the idea of Ferox as the enemy. He was younger than her by eight months, but she didn’t consider Ferox a boy, more of a man of extraordinary power. He emanated a radiance that attracted Van so much it scared her. She knew he had genuine feelings for her too. But didn’t know if his feelings ran as deep as hers.

  She ordered herself to keep her promiscuity under control. To maintain a clear head worthy of a warrior. Van didn’t want to be like her demimondaine stepmother.

  With this self-imposed restriction firmly in place, she allowed herself to get out of bed and go to Ferox.

  Van found him standing on the bow, gazing across the dark, moonlit sea. Van could see his strong shoulders and tapered waist in his silhouette against the moonlight.

  “Hey,” Van said.

>   He turned with a surprised, yet pleased, look on his face.

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “I’m glad you came.” He gestured for them to sit on a crate next to the bulwark.

  Ferox waited for Van to sit, then he sat down. So close to her, his thigh rubbed against hers. He stretched his arm around her, resting it more against the grab rail than her shoulders.

  Neither spoke, at first. They both gazed at the magnificence of the starlit night. Noisy waves splashed against the bow as the ship cut through the vast sea. Every now and then Van could feel the mist of seawater brush against her face.

  Ferox turned to Van. “I see your spirit, Van, and it looks familiar to me.” He shifted closer. “Who are you?”

  “Who are you?” Van blurted. She immediately felt foolish. Her knee-jerk reactions to Ferox were becoming an embarrassing problem for her.

  “I want to know who you are.” Warmth emanated from his eyes. “Truly.”

  Van cast her eyes downward as if the worn wooden planks would offer her answers. Feeling terrible about herself, she had to admit, “I don’t know.”

  Ferox placed his fingertips under Van’s chin, lifting her face. His lips touched hers, hesitant at first, then greedy.

  She tilted her head back, slightly, so she could run the tip of her tongue along his lips. He tasted salty from the sea air. She wondered if the skin on other parts of his body tasted the same.

  Ferox moved in for a deeper kiss. This time Van returned the hunger. Their lips and tongues locked in an epic battle for pleasure. Their bodies naturally melted against each other’s, clinging together like magnets.

  A thought corrupted Van’s bliss, and she impulsively pushed him away.

  “We can’t.”

  Ferox gazed into her eyes. “This again?” It was a throaty whisper.

  Seductive enough for Van to want to throw her cares about her people and her mission overboard, for them to sink into the depths of the dark blue sea, never to be seen again.

  Her desire to engulf Ferox with her whole body and mind bubbled inside her soul. But she somehow remembered the vow she made before leaving her quarters. Van crammed her feelings down and locked them away below the surface, the same way the ocean hides her many secrets.