by Kelly Carr
Liana sighed, but the corners of her mouth twitched. She rolled her eyes. “Anything but that. Please, spare my dignity,” she said melodramatically as she jumped down from the tree. Only then did she notice that the music had stopped. She cocked an ear in the direction of the clearing, brow furrowed in confusion. A moment later, the silence was broken by screams of terror.
Before she had even consciously commanded her feet to move, Liana was flying through the forest at top speed, Davu right beside her. As she ran, it began to rain. She burst through the trees and skidded to a halt just inside the clearing. Her heart seemed to twist in her chest, and she choked back a horrified scream.
Most of the lanterns had gone out, but enough were still burning for Liana to see the scene before her in perfect detail. The ground was littered with the bodies of Trevi and stained with pools of blood. Seven of the most evil-looking creatures Liana could ever have imagined were crouched over their victims.
They were taller than a man, though their shoulders and backs were hunched. Their skin was cracked, blistered, and deep shades of grey and blue; as if they had been too long in the freezing cold. One of them took notice of Liana and Davu, who had both frozen in shock and terror. When it looked up, its eyes were the same deep crimson as the blood that stained its pointed teeth and long, hooked claws. It let out a hiss and licked its unnaturally broad, thin lips with a forked tongue. It dropped the Trevi woman it had been about to sink its teeth into. She fell to the ground, and Davu let out a strangled sound as he recognized her as his sister, bleeding from a dozen wounds and lying very still.
At the sound of Davu’s cry, the other creatures looked up and likewise dropped their meals, converging on him and Liana with hungry looks in their pitiless eyes. They moved slowly at first, then suddenly darted at their prey with lightning speed. Liana and Davu dove out of the way just in time.
Liana felt as though she were in the grip of some horrible nightmare. She simply couldn’t wrap her mind around such violence. She didn’t know what to do. Clearly, they were in mortal danger. The monsters had to be stopped. She wished she had something with which to defend herself, but the Trevi rarely carried weapons outside of the sparring field. They had no need of them.
To buy herself time, Liana sent a pulse of magic through the ground, raising a thick wall of earth between her and the approaching creatures. They smashed through it as though it had been made of cobwebs. Nearby she heard a crash and knew Davu had tried the same thing with similar results. She rushed to his side, sending the rubble flying at the monsters, forcing them back.
The rain began to fall more heavily. It hissed as it made contact with the creatures. Desperately, Liana let out a breath infused with Undine Magic and began to freeze the falling rain into a wall of ice. Davu saw what she was doing and added his power to hers until they had a two-foot thick dome of ice surrounding them.
For a moment, Liana thought they were safe, but the beasts ran up to the ice and right through it, as though it weren’t there at all. Taken by surprise, Liana wasn’t ready when a clawed hand swiped at her, tearing through fabric and skin and leaving a deep, bloody wound at her waist.
She fell backwards with a small gasp of pain, then cried out as her hand landed on something sharp, cutting her palm. The creatures rushed at her, and she instinctively wrapped her fingers around the object. It was the blade of one of the swords from Jina and Davu’s performance earlier that evening, though it already seemed ages ago. The closest monster made a grab for her. Without a thought, Liana shifted her grip to the sword's hilt and thrust the blade outwards.
The sword sank deep into the beast’s chest, running through its body and out the other side. The monster looked surprised and suddenly collapsed to the ground, convulsing in pain. Without waiting to see if it would die, knowing only that she had one down for the moment, Liana pushed her own pain to the back of her mind and attacked the rest of the monsters. Each one she stabbed fell to the ground. When three had fallen, the rest turned to run. By the time she caught up with the last creature, Liana had chased them over a mile into the forest.
With the last of her strength, she ran her sword through the monster’s chest. Panting heavily, she dropped to her knees. As she watched, the thing’s skin seemed to flake away until it became a man in bulky furs with a scruffy beard and hair, much like those of Ruslan and his companions.
The man reached out towards Liana, pain in his eyes. She flinched away, and his hand dropped into the mud. A whisper of air escaped his lips, and she just managed to catch the words carried on that last breath.
“Thank you,” he said. Then his eyes glazed over, and Liana knew he was dead.
The realization that she had just killed seven men washed over Liana. She gasped. Her stomach heaved, and she threw up. For millennia, the Trevi and the Humans had been content to have nothing to do with one another. Yet now here she was, kneeling in the rain by the body of a man she had killed, still clutching a sword stained black with his blood and the blood of others. Behind her lay the clearing where only hours ago she had danced so happily. Now it was filled with the bodies of an unknown number of her people. Suddenly, the future that lay ahead of her seemed very uncertain.
Liana’s mind reeled. She began to cry. Lifting her hands to her face to wipe away the tears, she found them smeared with blood. Not black, like that of the men who had been monsters. It was her own crimson blood, flowing from the gash in her palm and the wound at her side. Now that she turned her attention to it, it began to burn white-hot with pain. Her ears rang, and the world seemed to spin around her. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. She let it come and collapsed to the ground even as she heard urgent voices calling her name in the distance.
Chapter Twelve: Elias
Elias was horrified when he learned of what had transpired at the festival. Nearly a hundred Trevi had been slain in the attack, and more were unaccounted for. Jina had survived due to Liana’s timely arrival, but she was horribly injured. She hovered on the edge of death for days before the healers were satisfied that she would recover with time. Nearly all of the other Trevi who had been present had fled as far away as they could go and refused to return.
The few who remained in the Lorenai Mountains retreated into secret, hidden places, wary of any further attacks. The caves and tunnels of the mountains, previously inhabited only by reclusive Oreads, became full to bursting with frightened Trevi.
Several of the Avenai Jevar had fallen in the attack, and Liana remained unconscious, tended to by the best healers the Undines had to offer. Without their leaders to guide them, the Trevi waited impatiently to see what, if anything, would happen next. Many turned to Elias with their questions, asking if he had ever seen such creatures in his long lifetime. Elias only shook his head, but he knew he couldn’t stay silent forever. He waited anxiously by Liana’s bedside for her to regain consciousness. It was five days before she began to stir.
When she finally opened her eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t even realized he had been holding. He watched her blink blearily at the unfamiliar presence of stone walls around her. She attempted to roll over onto her side and hissed in pain, bringing several healers running. They lifted her shift, exposing a swath of blood-soaked bandages. When they were removed, four long black marks were revealed, marring the pale skin at Liana’s waist. The wounds were healing well enough, but she’d bear the scars all her life, despite the skill of her healers.
Liana grimaced as the Undines touched her side. Elias placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and felt her relax a bit. She blinked, and he could almost see the memories coming back to her. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, though she hurriedly wiped them away.
“What were those monsters?” she asked.
“No one is certain exactly. People have taken to calling them ‘Genvu’ since we have no other name for them.”
Liana shuddered. Elias didn’t blame her. The term came from a rather horrid old tale about mons
ters that Trevi children told to frighten one another. It seemed appropriate under the circumstances.
“How long have I been here?” she asked.
“Five days,” Elias said.
Liana glanced around the infirmary, every bed occupied, and swallowed hard. “How many—?“ she couldn’t finish the question, but Elias knew what she was asking.
“Ninety-three dead, fifteen injured, and seven missing,” Elias answered, keeping his voice carefully calm.
A ragged sound escaped Liana’s throat. She shoved the healers away, and they reluctantly retreated to the other end of the room.
Liana looked up and met Elias’ eyes. “What’s being done?” she asked.
“Not much,” he admitted. “Everyone is in hiding, and more scouts have been posted.”
“That’s all?!” Liana exclaimed indignantly.
“Three of the Avenai Jevar were killed in the attack. The rest are still trying to wrap their minds around what’s happened, so nothing has been decided,” Elias explained.
“What does Jina—“ a stricken look suddenly passed over Liana’s face.
“Jina still lives,” Elias reassured her hastily. “Her injuries are severe, but the healers assure me that she’ll survive,” he said, gesturing towards a bed several further down the row from Liana’s.
Liana got to her feet and swayed dizzily. Elias quickly slipped his shoulder under her arm and supported her as she walked over to Jina’s bed, wincing with every step. She collapsed at Jina’s side and did a quick survey of her injuries. Most were confined to her torso, but there was a deep gash along her thigh which would probably leave her with a permanent limp.
Liana reached for the bowl of healing water at her foster mother’s bedside, but Elias slapped her hand away. “Don’t be a fool. She has enough healers.”
Liana narrowed her eyes at him. Before he could stop her, she grabbed Jina’s arm and sent a pulse of pure magic through her. Instantly she fell back into Elias’ waiting arms in exhaustion.
“What did I just say?!” he snapped, shaking her slightly in his irritation. "What do you think happened to this blockhead?” He jerked his head at the bed next to Jina’s, where Davu was lying unconscious.
Liana gasped and weakly made a move to check him for injuries, but Elias shook his head. “Don’t bother. There’s nothing wrong with him but stupidity. He’s not left Jina’s side since the night of the attack. He’s hardly eaten or spoken. He’s just been sitting here, pouring out all the healing magic he can muster. He finally gave out last night, but all he really needs is rest."
“Idiot,” Jina said, opening her eyes.
The healers rushed over. For the next few minutes, Elias and Liana watched as they administered more healing magic and urged their patient to eat and drink. When they finally left her alone, her first questions were the same as Liana’s. Her expression of grief rapidly changed to one of anger as she heard how little had been done about the situation.
“You need to speak with the remaining Avenai Jevar as soon as you’re strong enough,” she said. “New council members must be elected immediately. At this, of all times, the Trevi need to have representatives who can share their concerns with the council. And they’ll all want to see that you’re alive and well, dear. You should go out and speak to as many people as possible.”
Elias nodded his agreement.
“I know,” Liana said. “I’ll go out after I’ve eaten. I’m positively ravenous.”
“Well, you haven’t had a proper meal for five days,” Elias pointed out, calling for a healer, and giving instructions for food to be brought immediately. He guided Liana back over to her bed and held the bowl for her as she ate the simple porridge the healers brought. She chewed slowly, her brow furrowed, and Elias wondered what was on her mind.
When she finished eating, he helped her to her feet, and together, they made their way down the tunnels through the mountain. Liana greeted everyone they met with a cheerful attitude and did her best to calm their fears, but accustomed as he was to reading her expressions, Elias could see that she was worried.
It was hours before she would consent to return to her bed for the night. Finally, Elias convinced her that she would be no good to anyone if she passed out from exhaustion. They made their way slowly back to the infirmary, and Elias helped her into bed. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Elias sat beside her to keep watch, holding her hand in his to reassure himself that she was still alive and would recover. He had come so close to losing her. It was strange, how attached he had become to the child in the short time since that first day when she had wrapped her tiny arms around him and changed his quiet, simple life. He sighed, recalling the worries that had plagued him when Liana had first come to live amongst the Trevi. He wished for once that he could have been wrong…
chapter thirteen: Liana
Liana was just eating breakfast the next morning when Valeria burst into the room.
“Liana! I heard that you woke up. I’m so glad you’re alright!” she said quickly.
“Get out of here at once!” snapped one of the healers, a formidable old woman by the name of Erva. “These patients need rest and quiet.”
Valeria ignored her and hurried to Liana’s side. “You’d better go talk some sense into the Avenai Jevar,” she said. “This is getting ridiculous!”
Liana raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What have they done now? Has something actually been decided?”
“No! They’ve just gone and decreed that none of the Trevi are to leave the safety of the mountains. For any reason! We’re to be kept prisoners here while nothing is being done to remedy our situation!”
Liana’s eyes grew hard, and her shoulders straightened. “Valeria, call all the Avenai Jevar to the nearest council room at once. Elias, I’ll need your assistance,” she said, grasping his hand so he could help her to her feet.
“I’m coming too,” Jina said stubbornly, trying to stand.
Liana shook her head. “No, stay here and rest. I can handle this,” she said.
Jina looked unsure, but she sank back onto her bed, too weak to force the issue. “Well then, be firm and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Something must be done,” she said.
Liana nodded, and with Elias’ help, walked slowly from the room.
The Avenai Jevar were waiting for them in the council chamber. All were present, save for those they had lost. Many of them appeared less than pleased at having been summoned so precipitously.
“What’s the meaning of this?” snapped Matias, one of the Aidans, getting to his feet as Liana entered the room.
“Sit down,” Liana said, calmly but firmly.
Reluctantly, Matias sat.
“Now then,” Liana continued, “What are we going to do about these creatures?”
“What can we do,” asked Tahoma, an Undine, “but hide, and hope that this ‘Queen Katya’ forgets about us or decides to leave us alone?”
Liana was indignant. “What chance is there of that? Clearly, this woman is determined either to have our assistance in reuniting the kingdoms or destroy us. Something will have to be done. We can’t hide in the mountains forever,” she said, gesturing at the stone walls around them.
“Why not?” asked an old, gentle Oread by the name of Salim. “Human lives are short, as are their memories, and we have plenty of supplies in the mountains. We could easily stay underground until this woman, her children, and even her grandchildren have passed away, and then re-emerge when we have been forgotten once more."
Liana tried to hide her horror at this idea and spoke kindly to the old man. “Perhaps you could, my friend, and many of your tribe, but you know as well as I do that Sylphs, Undines, and Aidans need the freedom of being out under the open sky. It’s only been a few days, but already they're growing restless. You’ll have no peace in these mountains if we can’t come up with some kind of solution.”
She waited, hoping for a response from the
council, but they all avoided her gaze. They knew she was right, but weren’t about to admit it. At last, she took a deep breath and voiced an idea that she knew would provoke them. “We’re going to have to fight this queen,” she said decisively.
“Impossible!” several of the Avenai Jevar said simultaneously.
“Lady Liana, the Trevi are peaceful people. We haven’t gone to war in thousands of years!” exclaimed an Aidan named Renata. “We aren't prepared to break that peace now. Besides, few of us know anything about how to fight, beyond basic sparring exercises. We don’t have enough skilled warriors to pose a significant threat to a Human army, even from a kingdom as small as Lezar.”
“But we have magic, and that ought to count for something,” Liana said.
Matias shook his head. “The fighting spells have been lost for centuries.”
“In any case, magic is a gift from the Mother and shouldn’t be used for any violence beyond necessary defence,” said Renata.
“In this situation, they may be one and the same,” Liana said desperately. “Against an enemy who can command monsters and is prepared to attack us for no other crime than refusing to help her wage war against the other kingdoms, we may have no choice but to destroy her or be destroyed ourselves. It is self-defence!”
She spoke the words confidently enough, and she truly believed them, but she could see from the faces around her that the Avenai Jevar did not. In fact, a few of them were shifting uncomfortably in their seats and casting sidelong glances at her, their expressions almost frightened.
“Milady, we simply can’t,” said Amina, an Oread.
“Yes, you can. I was able to kill those monsters because I knew that they would kill me if I didn’t.” Liana was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she had killed half a dozen people, but she knew that her actions had been the only ones available to her at the time.
