by A Lonergan
“So you’re stitching my cut up with your magic?” I reached up and touched my forehead. My fingers brushed his and he paused.
“Yes, like a magical thread. It will heal you faster and prevent scarring.”
“Where is Cal?” As soon as the question passed my lips I regretted it.
Silence assaulted me. It was deafening.
“Where is he?” I asked again.
My eyes searched the darkness and I finally gave up. I pushed myself off of the ground and knew I couldn’t stay here any longer. It hadn’t been like this when I had fallen through and blacked out.
“Can you use your magic to light this place up a little bit?” I had felt so confident before but now that he wouldn’t answer me about Cal I didn’t know how I felt but I could hear it my voice.
Fear.
“What do you mean?” Balam asked cautiously.
“It’s pitch black in here.” I let out a snicker. Duh.
“No, it isn’t, Willow.” I could hear shuffling around me and I got nervous.
“I don’t understand. I can’t see anything.” I pressed my hands into the ground and tried to keep myself from panicking.
“Damn it,” Balam shouted. It echoed around us. “I didn’t want to believe it, but I knew something wasn’t right when I held the magic thread in front of your face. You have been staring blankly at the ceiling since you came to. Something must have happened after you blacked out, before I got to you.”
“What do I do?” I touched my face in fear.
“I will get you out of here and bring you to Cal, if we can find him.”
My hands shook. “He left us, didn’t he?”
“I won’t leave you and that’s all you have to worry about right now little heathen.”
With Balam’s guidance, he helped me wrap my legs around his waist and he made the trek up the mountain of treasures. We started to slide and Balam grasped my hips hard to keep me from falling. I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck in surprise.
“What’s happening?” I didn’t like not being able to see. There were enough issues going on and now I couldn’t even help myself. Being saved wasn’t my forte. I could have gone the rest of my life without needing someone else. I could have continued on the same path I was on and I would have been just fine.
“I have to put you down. I can’t get up this steep incline and I’ll have to see if I can make it bigger.” He sat me down hard and I let out a yelp. He didn’t apologize and I just continued to sit there in blind silence. Eventually the sounds of metal clanking on metal and heavier objects being thrown around before I could sense Balam’s body heat in front of me again. He scooped me up and I bounced around for a minute before his hands left my hips and I was forced to hold onto him for dear life. The air shifted around us and I knew immediately we were back in the Mystic Mountains and not in that hole of doom any longer.
I held his hand as we made it through the ever-growing jungle. It didn’t get any easier as we stumbled along. After I tripped for the fifth time I stopped and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Something is different. I can smell it in the air.” I said.
Balam made a noise in the back of his throat. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
“What is it?” Panic coursed through me.
“The rift in the dimension altered time slightly.”
I bit my lip. “How slight?”
He cleared his throat. “It was maybe a few hours that we were down there, but out here, it was maybe a month.”
Despair gripped my body in a tight hold. “What does that mean for us?”
“There isn’t animosity in the air so I don’t think the war has transpired just yet, but it’s going to take us a while to catch up with them.” Something scratched at the dirt and I imagined it was Balam’s boot. “We won’t be able to get you to Cal in time. I will have to do something else to heal you.”
I shook my head. “Anything. I will do anything to see again. I can’t keep stumbling about. It will put a target on both of our backs.”
“You might not like it very much.”
“Stop delaying!” I demanded. My voice caused the air around us to electrify and I took a step back in surprise.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” This time I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not.
The air around us continued to charge until there was another being in the woods with us. I couldn’t tell who or what it was, but the creature had similar magic to Balam. He had called in a friend.
“Hello, human.” A deep gravelly voice broke through the silence. “I am Abaddon one of Hel’s horsemen.”
“I have a feeling there are a few more of you horsemen, aren’t there?” Both men chuckled. Heat raced through me and I knew this was not a good situation.
“Balam called on me to heal you,” Abaddon said.
I swallowed. “Yes, please.”
Large, warm hands covered my face and blinding pain lit up my spine. I sucked in a breath and tried to not cry out. A whimper escaped my lips instead. The hands were ripped away from my face and Balam spoke, “Are you okay?”
I nodded my head. “Yes, that was more than I bargained for.”
“You can open your eyes now, human.” Abaddon said with disdain.
I opened my eyes and came face to face with a bronzed god. His long black hair floated around his shoulders and his yellow eyes watched me curiously. He wore nothing but black leather britches and many gold bands down his arms. His chest and back were covered in black tattoos that somewhat resembled the one on my arm.
“Leave it to Balam to call the destroyer to heal the mortal princess.”
Balam snorted. “You’re the only one that won’t hold this against me.”
“You’re the one that entered the contest. You should have known how hard it would be to keep a mere mortal alive.” Then poof Abaddon was gone.
“What did he mean?” I frowned.
“We will talk about this over dinner. It’s a long story and we have more than enough time now.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Willow
My appetite had disappeared. It didn’t matter how delicious the food smelled. I couldn’t bring myself to try a bite. There was something about the way Abaddon had spoken that had me riled up. That and the mention of a contest. My stomach rolled with anticipation and dread. Apparently, Balam had also lost his appetite. He picked at his food before he looked at me with dark eyes.
“Abaddon is one of the only horsemen that has healing abilities. We won’t be able to track your boy-king fast enough and I can protect you, but not when you are a danger to yourself.” Balam leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“The contest?” I cocked my head then decided I couldn’t look him in the eye while he told me this. I had come to trust this demon in the short amount of time I knew him and I knew it was foolish but I couldn’t help it. So far, he was the only one that hadn’t abandoned me.
“Hel wanted only the best to train you.” He ran his tongue over his teeth while his eyes searched my face. I averted my gaze to the fire and watched as the flames licked up into the sky. “We competed for a chance to come to your world. Tournament after tournament until I was named victor over my brothers and sisters. But there were a few challenges that I struggled with. Those challenges where I lost to my brothers. Healing was one of them.”
“What does that mean?” I toyed with my knife at my thigh.
“It means that when I fail to help you or protect you, they are the only ones that can fix it. They are the only ones that can teach you in that art.” Balam stood up and walked away from the fire into the shadows.
“So Abaddon will be back to train me?” I licked my lips and frowned. He had only been here for a few minutes and had been quick to leave.
“Eventually. Or he will wait for the right time to snatch you away from me if he thinks we are becoming too close. He loves to compete, even if it’s not something that is a compe
tition.” Balam pressed his palm to the bark of a tree and it swayed like it was dancing.
“What other areas did you fail in?” Suddenly he was right beside me. My breath hitched at the look on his face.
“Not many things, little human.” The orange in his eyes danced with danger. My eyes met them with determination and challenge.
“Are you just going to let me wait around and almost get killed again?” I snickered at his scowl.
“You won’t have to worry about my failure. I will do what I can to train and protect you.” There was something else in his words but I couldn’t tell what it was. Like there was more he wasn’t telling me about the challenge. What about a prize for the winner? The only prize couldn’t be the honor of getting to come to this realm to train me. There had to be something more and I was going to find out what it was, even if it killed me. I narrowed my eyes at the demon suspiciously and got up from the fire.
The fact that Cal and Nico had left me over a month ago didn’t hit me until I was under my sleeping roll in the tent later that night. I didn’t know if Balam slept or not but he summoned a blanket and a pillow for himself all the same. He slept on one side of the tent and I slept on the other. Except instead of sleeping, I laid there in the dark and tried to control my emotions. It hadn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would have when he broke off our courtship, but this? This hurt millions more. I would have never left him. And all I could imagine was him walking away without glancing back. The tears caught me off guard and soon I was full out sobbing. I didn’t know why it got to me as bad as it did, but maybe this was what it was like to have a broken heart.
It didn’t matter that we weren’t romantically involved anymore or the fact that he had been my first kiss, no, it was the lack of care for our friendship that gutted me. It was the lack of care for my feelings. Over a month and nothing. Why hadn’t they come back after a week? Did they assume the worst? Now I did. What if they were dead out there? Balam didn’t smell strife in the air but that didn’t mean something else hadn’t happened. I couldn’t bring myself to ask or bring it up. If they were dead, could I handle it? Could I handle the blame that would come with the knowledge? A sob shook my chest and I knew Balam would either wake up from my fit or he would pretend he didn’t notice that I was having a full break down.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I was a falling apart mess and there was nothing either of us could do about it. I knew nothing could console me at this point.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cal
If I kept on with my pacing, I was going to wear a hole in the floor. The marble under my boots was almost terrifying to walk on but I was beyond caring. We were on our sixth mission for the Artrovian Kingdom and nothing good had come from it. We had lost several men in the process but the King of this country was persistent. We wouldn’t get their aid until we helped with some of their issues. I had a feeling there was a lengthy list of things he wanted me to complete before he would help me but he seemed to have a temper and I wasn’t going to be on the receiving end of it. His domain was rather impressive and his army was even more imposing. He was a rather hefty man and his wife was breathtaking. Judging by the blue color of her hair she was of the fae descent. Not that I could ask her, she hadn’t spoken two words to me. Approaching her wasn’t going to be the right way to get on the good side of this kingdom. They had many daughters but I had yet to see one, I wondered if they were as beautiful as their mother.
Most of the women in the Artrovian Empire were beautiful. The army was smitten and they never wanted to leave. I didn’t blame them but we had a mission at hand and after two of my elites had drowned, I knew none of the other men would make it either. We had lost too much lately. First Willow and Balam to the other dimension, two of my elites and now six of the army. This war wasn’t going to be an easy win and we were now out of food. The only thing keeping us alive and well-fed was the Artrovians. My shoulders slumped in defeat. We hadn’t planned enough for this war and I knew this was the first thing that would cause a revolt in Rosalia.
I pushed my hands through my hair and closed my eyes. Nico would be back soon to tell me of the mission. I was no longer permitted to go to the Waters of the Damned. I had tried to jump in after my men far too many times and apparently they couldn’t afford to lose me too. I no longer cared. I wasn’t a good ruler, it was apparent now.
“Sir, are you okay?” A small voice came from behind me.
I turned around slowly, not really sure what to say. She sounded like she really cared about my wellbeing but I wasn’t entirely in the best mood to deal with anyone, especially a woman.
The woman brushed her periwinkle hair over her shoulder and gave me a small smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I am Beala, but you may call me Bea if you would like.”
She looked just like Queen Artrovia but there was a reason she wasn’t using her title with me. I gave her a slight smile and a short bow. “I am Cal.”
Her lavender eyes sparkled in delight. “You look like you have had a rough time.”
“It hasn’t been an easy month.”
She pushed her hands into the pockets on her white dress and gave me a dazzling smile. Her periwinkle hair was long, almost down to her waist and her skin was a soft shade of ivory. She had a string of pearls around her delicate neck and wore no shoes. She had the air of a princess, but something about her mannerisms didn’t shout royalty to me.
“Well, hopefully, it will get better from here.” She looked down the long corridor before she turned back to me. “Would you like to see the gardens?”
I instantly thought of my mother and her gardens back home. Emotions clogged my throat and all I could do was nod. Duties be damned, I needed a break. I could only take so much grief for so long.
After an hour the princess had shown me her vegetable and fruit garden. It wasn’t what I had expected but I kept an open mind. She was too excited to share it with someone and I wasn’t about to be the one that crushed her dreams.
“Have you ever been outside of the Mystic Mountains?” I finally asked her.
She looked up from the juicy globes of fruit hanging in front of her. “No, I don’t think I would want to. The mountains protect our kingdom. Or, they once did.”
“Has there been an intruder?” I touched the hilt of my sword out of habit.
She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “Besides yourself and your impressive army?”
“Are we the threat you speak of?”
She sighed. “No, others came before you, and that’s why your men have been sent into the Waters of the Damned.”
“Why can’t your people go in there? What’s under those waters anyway?” No one had told me anything about the pools of water right outside the castle gates.
“I am not supposed to tell you. All I can say is that it was outsider magic that did the wrong thing and outsider magic is the only way to correct it.” She twirled her light blue hair around her finger before she pulled some of the fruit from the low hanging branches. Her dress rose up to her thighs and she blushed as she caught me looking. She smoothed the white fabric back down quickly.
“What if we can’t undo it?”
Bea frowned for the first time since I met her. “Then you will not have our aid for much longer.”
There was shouting coming from inside the castle and I knew it wasn’t good news. I bowed to the princess and left her to her hobby. I marched through the back doors and toward the throne room. My heart ached when I saw the look on Nico’s face.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Willow
“You don’t have to hide your emotions from me.” Balam finally said after three days of torturous silence. I breathed a sigh of relief that there was no animosity in his voice. The men I had worked with when I was in Arinal had hated any kind of emotion. I had learned fast after I had been knocked off of my feet the first time. Any sign of emotion was weakness to them. They told me they would give me something to cry about if I ev
er did it again. I only did it once and I learned my lesson. I had bruises on my legs for weeks. My mother had tried to comfort me but it was never enough. We were both too afraid of the punishment that would come from compassion.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Oh, but I did. Every night after dinner, I unrolled my sleeping palette and cried myself to sleep. I didn’t know if it was because I felt so alone or because my heart hurt too bad. I couldn’t even tell if I was more heartbroken because Nico had left or Cal. Even though Nico got on my nerves and we bickered, I cared for him deeply. Cal had broken our courtship but we had too much history for him to just dump me in the woods, right?
“You can’t play stupid with me,” Balam said as we followed the fading tracks of the army. “The whole forest has heard your cries every night and even if they weren’t very loud, but they are, your grief is coming off of you and choking me.”
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself. “I don’t know what to do. I wasn’t built for these emotions. I have never felt abandoned before.”
“Eventually those emotions will make you stronger,” Balam said gruffly.
“What about now? What if I want to be stronger now? I don’t want to feel anything anymore. I don’t want to hurt anymore.”
Balam sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. “I wish I could say something that would heal you or help you, but I can tell you this. You have to let it out. Every single feeling, every single tear. If you don’t it will warp you into a monster. Your magic will change and then your mind with it.”
I nodded my head. “Why do you think they still care about me?”
Balam stopped walking and turned to me. He placed his large hands on either side of my face. “I don’t know why they didn’t come back, maybe they did or maybe they couldn’t. But I know Nico was pissed about going and Cal was heartbroken. I can’t speak for their actions but I will hold them still while you throw knives at them if you’d like.”
