by B. C. Morin
“The last few times Olivia went to see him, she went with wonderful news in her heart. She was carrying his child. But she was afraid that if she told him, there would certainly be no talking him out of his plan. After their last meeting, she realized that it would not be possible to talk him out of it regardless, and her only hope of keeping her baby safe was to leave her own Kingdom, so that he could not go looking for her.” Dara’s eyes rested on Evyette.
Evyette could see the vast amount of sorrow, which this memory brought to her. The weight of years of keeping it to herself, though lifting, offered no comfort to the pain weaved into this recollection.
“She told me not to come, but I could not leave her. It was bad enough she would not have her family. I was not going to leave her by herself with a child. So we left. We came across a quaint village near the Valley of Eternal Rest. Caelestis. My half-sister Rhoslyn, lived and worked there. With her there, we knew there was an extra set of eyes watching out for us. Shortly after leaving, we had heard that your father searched for Olivia for a while. We devised a few rumors to spread one regarding a possible death, and one of her leaving the Kingdoms for good. It took a long time, but eventually, we heard nothing more of him. When the day came of your birth, it was joyous, indeed. Despite her lonely situation, your mother could not wait to meet you.”
Tears rolled down Dara’s just dried face.
“Hours after you were born, we saw your crest. Your mother almost went mad assuring herself that it was not the same crest your father bore, and not understanding how, as he was the only fae she had ever been with. Olivia, Rhoslyn, and I researched your crest, and there was no family we could find with it. It was Rhoslyn that came across it in a book she had borrowed about fae history. No sooner did we find out the lineage, did the attacks begin on your life.”
Dara sighed, willing herself to continue. “You were not but a couple of weeks old. You were sleeping with your mother, and the Venator Animus came for you. She fought them off, but it was not long before they came again. Through a dark and rather questionable resource, we were able to connect with the Venator Animus. They told us that a soul from your lineage was promised to them and they chose you. Your mother begged them to take her, but they said that would only save you for some time as she is not from the lineage that made the accordance. She agreed, regardless. They gave her three days to give herself to them. In the three days we found a spell that Rhoslyn eventually helped me conjure. The spell would direct the Venator Animus to me, instead of you, when your mother’s sacrifice no longer paid the debt. Knowing I could not be around you when that began, as I was afraid that they would find you, I hid you from them. I also hid you from your father, since I was unsure who from his line promised a soul.”
“How did you know my father would not find me?”
Dara chuckled, the tears had dried on her face, leaving dull streaks down her cheeks.
“Sometimes, my dear the best place to hide a secret, is in plain sight.”
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Chapter 14
Samil’s form had started to fade. It was evident by the sun’s rays that passed through him. He had spent most of his energy on the concealment spell that kept anyone from seeing himself, the two Dorchae traveling with the three trolls, and a mind controlled rogue Spirit Fae.
From the time that his spy had come to tell him that Evyette and company were leaving Caelestis, he snuck out, avoiding Maligo and any possible questions and left the mountains. They traveled all night and exhaustion plagued the group, but moving beneath Samil’s mind control, they could not give in to the exhaustion. He had stopped twice, contacting the dark spirits to locate Evyette’s whereabouts. The first time, he had to wait until the spirit returned, in order to figure out which direction they were riding in. The second time was to ensure that they had not left their camp that morning.
Brennus stood from the broken log, which he sat on looking around the campsite. In reaction, the other fae did the same. Ithor and Logres quickly made rounds, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
“There are some creatures making their way toward us.” Magister Morcant announced. His eyes closed, deep in concentration. “I can feel their minds. We must move. Now.”
Brennus and his council members ran to their tents, grabbing their weapons and fastening them as quickly as their hands would allow. Kaleb, Tristan and Evyette followed suit. Magister Morcant waited for them to be ready before mounting his horse.
“Dara will ride with me.” Evyette called out.
Tristan furrowed his brow at her. “Evy, perhaps it would be best for Dara to take your horse and you can ride with me.”
Evyette clicked her tongue and smiled at Tristan.
“I will be fine. You will see.” She winked at him before extending her arm to Dara and helping her mount the horse.
“Evyette,” Dara whispered to her. “We must leave now. He is here for you.”
Evyette turned her head to look at her but was distracted by the Spirit Fae that had manifested into the center of the campsite, beside the fire. He unsheathed his sword and immediately ran to Ithor. Ithor pulled out his sword in time. The sounds of metal upon metal ringing.
Magister Morcant looked at Evyette, fear haunting his now wide eyes.
“Go!” He ran to his horse and mounted in a swift motion.
“But, Ithor-“
“Go, Evyette! Now!” Frustration filled Morcant’s voice.
Tristan slapped the hind-end of Evyette’s horse, launching it forward, jumping over the fire and knocking over the tents ahead of it. Tristan and Kaleb quickly gained up to her, trying to ride beside her. Evyette looked back for a fleeting moment and saw Samil and his minions appear, as if out of thin air. For a moment she locked eyes with Samil. Even from this distance she was convinced she could see the dark spirits swirling behind his caramel colored eyes. His gaze dropped down and in an instant her horse stopped in its tracks. Evyette kicked the horse and pulled on its reins but it would not respond. Dara shot what Evyette was sure was an energy pulse, missing Samil and hitting the Dorchae behind him. The creature became enraged and ran toward them.
“We have to dismount!” She yelled to Dara as she watched Samil inch towards them. Tristan and Kaleb had turned their horses around, stopping next to them.
“What happened?” Tristan called out, his gaze fixed on Samil.
“I think he is mind controlling the horse!” No sooner were the words out of her mouth, did Kaleb and Tristan’s horses buck beneath them, trying to throw them off.
Evyette turned toward the camp to find Brennus and his council members fighting the trolls that entered the camp just as she left. Magister Morcant was shooting spells at Samil, but they bounced off as if he were wearing an invisible shield of sorts.
Brennus saw to Samil and the Dorchae, while he left the trolls and Spirit Fae to his council members, the guard and the Spirit Fae, who was traveling with them.
Dara stood in front of Evyette, shooting her magic toward Samil as Tristan and Kaleb advanced on the Dorchae. Their magic did not have much of an effect on them, so they immediately unsheathed their swords, lunging at the abhorrent creatures.
“No, Dara!” Evyette tried to get around Dara, but the old woman held her arm out stopping her.
“Stay behind me and cast your dark shadows! Call on them. Now!” She yelled. In all the chaos, Evyette had forgotten about her Mark. She called to the shadows with her mind and within seconds they bombarded the open land leering towards the Dorchae.
“Two can play at that game.” Samil muttered beneath his breath. He closed his eyes and began chanting, as he crouched down, placing his palm on the ground. Immediately, dark masses appeared from within the trees and some seemed as if they were coming out of the ground. There were three in total. The smell of sulfur reeking the air around them. Demons.
Brennus ran at one with his sword in the air. This demon had the shape of a giant fae, with massive decrepit wings, large ar
ms outstretched with talons where his fingers should be, and huge fangs dripping with saliva. It narrowed its eyes at Brennus and swung his talons at him, just barely missing him as he ducked, slicing into its leg, black blood oozing from the wound. The demon whirled around, catching Brennus by surprise and cutting him along his arm. Brennus pulled two daggers from his belt and threw them both at the demon, missing with the first, but the second embedded itself into its forehead. The great demon writhed and let out a deep roar before dropping to its knees. Not waiting to see if it was dead, Brennus ran over to help Tristan and Kaleb, who had managed to kill one of the Dorchae and hurt the other, but found themselves battling one of the demons as the other was busy keeping the dark shadows from reaching Samil.
Evyette looked again to the small forest and saw the Magister and Accolon weaving spells, in what she figured were the hopes to weaken the shield around Samil. Halwyn was nowhere in sight.
The force pushing into her mind was painful and dark. She had never experienced anything like it. She dropped to her knees with her hands on the sides of her head, as if it could stop the onslaught of which Samil was bringing her.
Dara turned, taking Evyette in her arms.
“Fight him, Evyette!” Dara tried some mental games of her own but there was no getting past the walls Samil had put up.
“Evyette!” Tristan screamed as he removed his sword from the Dorchae’s belly, and ran to her side.
Evyette screeched so loud it echoed through the clearing. Tears were streaming down her face in liquid agony. As Tristan approached Evyette, a fireball slammed into his back, throwing him ten feet from where Evyette knelt.
“Evyette, think of your mother, think of your past that you now know of. Fight him. Do not let him in.”
Evyette nodded faintly, but the pressure she felt in her mind resembled trying to push a door shut, while a dragon lay on the other side pushing it open. .
“Contúndere!” Dara pushed herself away from Evyette, allowing the pulverizing spell to pass between them. She shot one back but Samil dove out of the way. By now, he had called upon two more demons, which were battling the Magister and council members, though one seemed profoundly wounded.
Samil made his way through the havoc of demons, fae, and Dorchae. His shield finally weak, Brennus managed to embed a blade in his shoulder. It was a strange sight, seeing as how he seemed to be in spirit form, but it wounded him, nonetheless.
“Obstupe!” Samil yelled pointing his fingers at Dara. She tried to move out of the way once more, but the spell caught her, causing her body to be completely frigid. Her eyes begged for help, but she could not move her lips to voice it.
Samil unsheathed the sword that hung at his waist. The strange metal had a red glow to it. It reflected onto Evyette’s face as he put the tip of the blade to her chin and pulling up, forcing her to rise. Still not relinquishing his attack on her mind, Samil used the distraction to slip behind her just as Tristan ran toward them.
He placed the glowing blade against her throat.
“No!” Tristan shouted as he reached them.
Brennus arrived with his sword in hand.
“Stop!” Tristan yelled at Brennus. “He will hurt her.” He turned again to Samil. “What do you want? Release her! You do not need her!”
Samil’s face contorted to an evil smile.
“To the contrary. She will serve a great purpose for me!”
Brennus’s eyes widened as he thought of the third scroll. Samil whispered some words in a language neither of them recognized and he disappeared with Evyette.
“Evyette!” Tristan screamed, lunging himself at the spot, now covered with a black substance and reeking of sulfur. He stood quickly, running to the demon Kaleb had knocked down.
Kaleb raised his sword, ready to plunge it into the demon’s chest, when Tristan came running and knocked him over.
He put his blade to the demon’s throat “Where is he? Where did he take her?”
Kaleb quickly looked around realizing that Evyette and Samil were gone.
“I would not tell you, fae scum.” His voice echoed like that of a thousand voices trapped inside.
“Tell me or I will kill you.”
“There are worse things than death, young fae.” He tilted his head back enticing Tristan to slice through his throat.
Tristan pressed the blade further.
“Tell me!”
The demon lay in silence and Tristan dragged the blade across his throat, allowing the black blood to bubble up and ooze out of the gash.
“She’s gone.” He whispered lowly, bowing his head.
“Tristan.” Kaleb reached out, but Tristan stood quickly.
He looked at Kaleb, with an amount of desperation. Kaleb was sure he had never seen Tristan this way before.
“He took her, and we do not know where they have gone.”
“We will find her, Trist. Whatever it takes, we will find her.” Kaleb put his hands on Tristan’s defeated shoulders.
Brennus approached the two fae.
“I will go with you.”
“Sorry, Muscles. You are going to have to sit this one out.”
“Trying to be the hero, Kaleb? Let us not forget why you are here.”
“Enough!” Magister Morcant approached them with his arm around Halwyn, helping him to walk, with Accolon on the other side for support.
Brennus studied the remaining fae.
“Where is Driscall?”
“I sent him to your kingdom immediately when I saw Samil disappear with Evyette. He will need solid concentration to find that scroll as soon as possible. Take your wounded. I must go help Dara.”
Brennus rushed over, sliding his arm around Halwyn.
“Brennus, you need to go and tell Alannah.” Kaleb said, looking at Accolon, who was giving a potion to Halwyn as he chanted a healing spell.
Within moments, Halwyn was standing on his own.
“Can you fly, Halwyn?”
Halwyn looked his King in the eyes.
“I am sure I can, Majesty.”
“You and I will fly home.” He shifted to better see the other council member. “Accolon. I will need you to go to the Kingdom of Meira. Advise the King of today’s events. Tell him he may want to send someone to search the castle in the mountains as they could be hiding there.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Accolon took a few steps back and turning his back to them, his wings unfolded from beneath his skin, ripping through the coat he wore. They were a deep charcoal grey with silver veins running through them like leaves. He flapped them once and lifted himself from the ground. By the second time, he was already several feet above them and moving in the direction of the Kingdom of Meira.
Brennus turned to Kaleb and Tristan.
“What exactly do you two plan to do?”
Tristan ran his hands through his hair. Blood, dirt, and demon blood had crusted on his face and hands.
“We will go to the castle and see if he is holding her there.” He said with resolve.
Brennus stepped forward placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Tristan, they will probably be expecting you.”
“What do you suggest we do, Brennus?” Tristan demanded, running his hands through his hair again in frustration.
“Come with me to Anrad. As soon as Driscall finds the location of the third scroll, we will rush to it before Samil and rescue Evyette.”
“What makes you think that Samil will not kill her beforehand?” Kaleb stepped forward, folding his arms across his chest.
“Samil said she will serve a great purpose. There is something else about Evyette we do not know. He wants her for a purpose and that sacrifice is it.”
“The King is right.” Dara approached, her shoulders squared and hood down. “Our only option now is to get to that scroll before Samil does.”
Tristan sighed in defeat. His large red wings emerged from beneath his skin resembling a luminous sunset.
“To Anrad, then.”<
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* * * * *
The pathways along the storefronts were illuminated by hanging lanterns. Though most of the stores had closed for the evening, Alannah decided to take a walk down there, since she rarely had time during the day due to her training. She thought for a moment about walking out to the Cascades, but knowing that it would remind her of her time with Brennus, she knew she should think of somewhere else to go. She peered into the window of one shop that had a beautiful green and silver corset on display with insets across the front to insert throwing blades. Making a mental note to come tomorrow with Anora, she continued on to the next store. The display at the front showcased all sorts of bottles and pouches filled with different mixing ingredients for potions, some of which were already mixed together and ready to use. She was eyeing a belt with several loops to carry the potion mixes, when something in the reflection caught her eye. The gates to the Kingdom had swung open, allowing someone she recognized as one of the council members to enter. He was bruised and dirty and looked exhausted. Halwyn. She remembered hearing his name in passing. Alannah turned to face him and caught his gaze as he limped inside, the guards behind him talking amongst themselves and looking out the gates as if awaiting something.
Brennus.
Alannah’s heart dropped into her stomach. She ran quickly to the council member who had stopped in expectance of her.
“Halwyn.”
The council member tilted his head to the side as if surprised that Alannah knew his name.
“Are you alright?” She looked over the sturdy warrior and though he looked battered, he walked and stood as straight as he could. The gash on his leg had closed but she could tell by the blood on his trousers that it had been a serious wound.
“I am fine, Your Highness. I appreciate your concern.”
Alannah gulped down her nausea before continuing.
“And the others?”
