Oblek crossed his arms across his chest. “So, it seems your work has been done for you, Christopher. She has been delivered to us of her own accord.”
I gritted my teeth. “I’m not a package to be delivered anywhere. You have the wrong girl. I don’t even know you.”
Oblek smiled. “Ah, but I know you, Aurora Firedrake.”
“What nonsense. That’s not even my name. I’m Aurora Darlington,” I insisted. “I told you, you have the wrong girl.”
Oblek ignored me and spoke to my uncle. “She has a strong likeness to her father—the same dark hair and green eyes of the Firedrakes. She is definitely the one. I don’t know how she managed to stay hidden all these years, but she is Azaren and Elayna’s only child. I am sure of it.”
My mind reeled with the implications of this revelation. I longed to know who my real parents were, and this person seemed to know them, however dangerous he looked.
“Let go of my arm,” I growled at my uncle, trying to twist out of his vise-like grip.
He just laughed at me and held on tighter. I had to do something, I had to get away from them. I punched my uncle in the stomach, and he released me, momentarily stunned as he bent over.
I took my chance and made a dash for the door, but Christopher recovered quickly, caught me again, and slapped me across my face. My head whipped to one side with the force of the blow. My cheek stung as I cupped my hand over it. My uncle dragged me back to Oblek, who stood watching all this with an impassive expression on his face.
“Interesting!” Oblek came closer and stared me down. “A feisty little thing, isn’t she? I must get her to the queen immediately; there is no time to waste.”
What queen? What the hell was this guy going on about? And where did he want to take me?
He stepped closer to me, and I instinctively shrank away. His breath was rancid, and his rotting teeth grinned at me through the mess of his black beard.
“You’re not taking her anywhere until you get me my money,” Christopher announced, holding on to me like a lottery ticket. He started edging away from Oblek, toward the door, pulling me along with him. “I want what I was promised.”
“And you can’t take me anywhere I don’t want to go,” I added for good measure. Not that it was any help.
A wicked grin spread across Oblek’s hideous, scarred face. “Oh, you’ll get what you deserve, Darlington.”
Faster than I could follow, he raised his right hand, and white bolts of light shot out from his palm, hitting Christopher squarely in the chest. My uncle’s grip on my arm loosened immediately, and he crumpled to the floor like an empty sack.
Oblek closed the space between us in a trice and grabbed my arm. “And you, my dear, don’t have a choice.”
I stared at the crumpled form of my uncle on the floor. He looked dead. “You killed him?” I gasped, still frozen in shock.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t need him anymore,” said Oblek, not giving Uncle Christopher another look.
All this was happening too fast; I couldn’t understand what this had to do with me. I wanted to find out more about my real parents, but I didn’t want to go anywhere with this strange man. Who knew what he was planning to do to me?
“I’m not coming with you.” I tried to pull away from him. “You’re a monster.”
But he held my arm in an even tighter grip than my uncle had and laughed. “You haven’t seen anything yet, girl. Where you’re going, monsters will be the least of your problems.”
A chill snaked down my spine. Where was he taking me? “What do you mean?” My voice cracked and my legs felt shaky.
“You will find out soon enough,” he sneered, pulling me to the tapestry that rippled as soon as he touched it with his palm.
I felt like my life had shattered all over again. My parents were gone, my uncle had sold me like a slave, and there was no one to help me, no one on my side. I was alone, I was in trouble, and I had absolutely no idea what to do.
I tried to be strong, to figure out how to get out of this situation, but it was all too much, I couldn’t help it. I went numb and stopped struggling just as Oblek yanked my arm and pulled me into the magical, shimmering tapestry.
Kidnapped
For a second that felt like a lifetime, everything stopped; I felt like I was floating in nothingness. Then I blinked, and when I finally opened my eyes and focused again, I found myself standing at the mouth of a small cave situated on a hill, overlooking a tranquil, moonlit valley.
On my left, a dark forest stretched out as far as the eye could see, treetops glistening silver in the light of the full moon. The hills around us undulated into wildflower-filled meadows that lay sleeping in the dewy night.
Far down in the valley, I could see a little village, its lights twinkling in the distance. To my right, a sparkling waterfall splashed into a small river that ran down into a lake, next to which the little village was built. The moon here was fuller and more vibrant than I had ever seen it, and the stars overhead glittered like jewels in the night sky.
I looked around for the tapestry, but it was gone. Where was I? I was still trying to get my bearings after that strange moment when I had been both inside the tapestry and nowhere at the same time. It was a peculiar feeling, as though I had been lifted out of my own consciousness and then put back into my body.
A warm breeze brushed past my face and played with my hair. Gone were the cloudy gray mist and the cold, nipping wind of the English countryside. I drew in a sharp breath of crisp, fresh air perfumed by the sweet scent of strawberry bushes and fragrant wildflowers.
“How did we come here? Where are we?”
Oblek gave me a sidelong glance and his eye narrowed. “You really are an ignorant one,” he snapped. “I take it your uncle didn’t tell you anything about who you really are, or where you are from?”
I shook my head and glanced down. Oblek had tied my hands with a rope he had with him while I was still dazed and looking around. It was humiliating, and the rough ropes cut into my wrists, rubbing them raw every time he pulled me forward.
I had to find some way out of this. And at the moment, the only thing I could do was discover more about where I was. When I got an opportunity, I could escape and find my way back up to the cave on the hill, where we had arrived out of the tapestry.
But then what?
Christopher was probably dead, and Aunt Arianna would doubtless blame me for everything since I had disappeared at the same time. I didn’t really want to go back, and now that my adoptive parents were dead, I had nothing to return to. I had no idea what to do.
A sliver of dread raced down my spine. I had nowhere to go, and my mind conjured an array of horrible outcomes of my kidnapping. My palms had become sweaty, and my racing heart thundered in my chest as I half walked and half ran, desperately trying to keep up with Oblek’s giant strides.
I leveled him a hard look as I tried to reason with him. “You do know that this is called kidnapping?”
But Oblek was silent. He didn’t even look at me. He kept walking ahead and dragging me along behind him, without any explanation as to what he was planning to do with me.
I had no idea if I was going to survive this. But I tried to pull myself together. “Where are you taking me?”
“Queen Morgana will decide what is to be done with you,” said Oblek, finally speaking.
Queen Morgana! The woman from my dream? Fear gripped me and embedded itself deep within. It was not possible that this, too, was a coincidence. It must be the same Morgana, the one who had tried to kill my real mother. Who the hell was she? And what did she want with me?
It was becoming painfully obvious that I really had traveled through a magical tapestry into some strange world. It all seemed very exciting in books. But being kidnapped and then hauled around like an animal, traveling deep into a land I knew nothing about, was not my idea of fun.
I wanted to find out more about what he knew of my parents, but I was getting tired as I tr
udged along behind him. My legs ached, and my fluffy slippers were wet and dirty. I wondered how much longer we would have to walk.
“Where are you taking me?” I tried again.
Oblek unexpectedly turned toward me to say something. I realized that was my chance, and I took it. I kicked his shin, yanked the rope out of his hands, and tried to make my escape. He hardly felt it; he quickly caught the end of the rope that he had tied around my hands and pulled on it hard, spinning me around. I fell forward onto my hands, pain shooting through my knees.
Oblek sneered at me lying in the mud and held out his huge, beefy right hand, curling his fingers as if he were catching something in the air in front of him. I felt an invisible hand grab my throat. I choked and gagged as Oblek slowly cut off my air supply, while I clawed at the invisible fingers trying to wrench myself free.
It was no use; he used his magic again. The invisible hand pulled me to my feet, lifting me up by my throat. I tried to scream, but only choking sounds escaped my parched lips. I was felt dizzy as I gasped for air, and the world swam before my eyes. I was sure I was about to die.
After moments that felt like hours, he loosened his invisible grip on my neck. I landed on my knees, and with a flick of his hand, Oblek pushed me. I stumbled onto my back and clutched at my neck as I gasped for air.
“That was only a warning, you foolish girl. The next time you try to escape, you will not be so lucky. The queen may want you alive, but she never specified your condition. I am quite sure she will not mind if you are missing a few body parts.”
My hands shook, but I had no choice as he started pulling on the rope; I had to get up or risk being dragged along behind him all the way. I tried to calm my galloping heart and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
After an eternity of walking, I had already fallen countless times, and my hands and knees were bleeding. Aching all over, I struggled to keep up.
I followed Oblek down the hill and into the valley. I could see well enough because of the full moon, but the shrubs and bushes snagged and tore at my clothes as he led me along a muddy path that skirted the edge of the woods.
“Please, can’t you at least tell me where we’re going?”
He shot one dark eye toward me. “Tonight we will stop at my castle, and at daybreak tomorrow we will ride for Nerenor. The queen will be eager to see you.”
“Will we be riding . . . horses?” I asked, understanding slowly dawning.
“Yes, of course.” He looked momentarily bewildered. “Why would you ask such a stupid question? Ah yes, in your world you have, what do you call them . . .” He snapped his fingers as if trying to remember. “. . . Those funny carriages you call cars to get around.”
He yanked the rope and pulled me along again. “Never really liked your world. And I seldom go there; that’s why I get people like your uncle to do my work for me.”
I glared at him at him as the bitter realities of this world started seeping into my sleep-deprived brain. There were no cars here, probably no electricity or running water, and it was ruled by a queen who sounded like a tyrant. How would I survive here, even if I did manage to get away from Oblek?
We walked the rest of the way in silence, my brain in overdrive. I was exhausted and had abandoned my wet, muddy slippers somewhere along the way. My feet were cut all over and bleeding, but Oblek didn’t care. He pulled me along like a dog on a leash.
It was still dark when we finally reached his castle. The moon had decided to hide itself and the shadows followed us like bloodhounds looking for their next kill.
High stone walls surrounded the main tower, and a dirty, moss-covered moat encircled the castle on all sides. The keep was flat, squat, and covered in blackened vines and creepers. A thick, gnarled forest stretched out behind it, and numerous guards were posted on the battlements.
It was nothing like Redstone Manor or even the surrounding countryside I had seen when I came into this world through the tapestry. This castle looked bleak and sinister, like a charred, ash-covered rock amidst a green, flowering valley.
Lightning crackled overhead, lighting up the eerie gray structure with a sinister glow. I shuddered as he led me closer to it, not sure what to expect now. I wiped my face with my sleeve as best I could. My feet burned, and I wished for a warm bed and some food, but both seemed quite unlikely.
A big wooden drawbridge swung down in front of us. The guards, recognizing Lord Oblek, had signaled the gatekeeper to lower the bridge.
We entered a walled courtyard, and I stumbled to a stop behind Oblek. A big stone fountain of a goat-like creature spouting water dominated the cobblestone enclosure. Looking up, I could see people peering out of the windows that surrounded the courtyard. I wondered if there was anyone there I could ask for help, but I doubted it.
“Guards!” commanded Oblek, without looking at me. “Take her to the dungeons. No one is to speak to this prisoner, or it will cost them their head. Is that understood?”
The guards nodded and scurried to catch hold of my arms, one on each side. There was no use struggling—even if I did get free, where could I go?
“All the cells are full, my lord,” said one scrawny guard with long, matted black hair, whose filthy hand was wrapped around my arm.
A cold smile curled Oblek’s lips. “Just put her in the pit. The prisoners down there are to be executed at dawn, so anything she says will go with them to their grave.”
The guards took me down the gray stone corridors and dark steps that led under the castle. They shoved and pushed me the whole way, even though I wasn’t resisting.
It was damp and sinister down in the dungeons, where the air reeked of rotting food and other things that I didn’t even want to know about. I could hear moans and strange screeching noises coming from some of the cells as we walked past them. I tried to ignore the sounds as the guards unlocked another door, which led still deeper underground.
As I passed one of the iron-barred cells, a thin, wrinkled hand shot out from between the bars and grabbed me. Shooting pain lanced through my arm as the hand clutched at me, digging long, dirty, black fingernails into my skin.
I was horrified as I stared down at my arm and tried to wrench myself free. A shriek of laughter forced me to look up. The weathered hand belonged to a gnarled, white-haired woman. Her face was brown and wrinkled like old leather, and her eyes were completely white. “Finally, she has come!” she screeched.
“Shut up, old woman,” the guard snapped, leaning over and prying her fingers off me.
Stunned and shaken, I was dragged off to my own cell.
The old woman didn’t stop; she went on screaming, “She has come! And she will destroy you all.”
Shrieks of cackling laughter followed me as I was led deeper down into the pit, the lowest and most horrific part of the dungeons. Obviously the old woman was mad. She couldn’t even see me, but still, I was shaking.
The guards looked at me suspiciously as they shoved me roughly into a cold, dark cell. They left, their booted feet thumping on the stone floor. I heard the wooden dungeon door creak and slam shut. Even the cackling laughter of the old woman dissipated, then . . . silence.
The Black Wolf
I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. Moonlight streamed in through a small, barred window, which was high up on one wall of the dungeon cell.
I heard some scuffling and my heartbeat sped up. “Who’s there?”
A young boy who looked about my age stepped out from the shadows. He was tall and lanky with blond hair that was more silver than gold and that reached past his shoulders. “Good eve to you, my lady.”
I glanced behind him. Another, dark-haired person stood motionless, leaning against a wall and hidden in shadows; I couldn’t see his face clearly.
“We mean you no harm,” said the fair-haired boy. “I am Kalen, and the surly one over there is my friend, Finn. Don’t worry about him, he’s just upset about being caught.” He stopped to take a breath, an
d before I could say anything, he started talking again. “Not to say that I am not upset too, but Mother always says there is no use worrying about something you have no control over. What is going to happen, will happen. There is nothing you can do about it.”
Finn stepped out from the shadows. “Do you have to be so cheerful all the time, Kalen? We are in Oblek’s dungeon. You know no one gets out of here alive.”
Kalen scowled at his friend. “You just can’t be optimistic can you?”
“I would,” Finn retorted, “if there was something to be optimistic about.”
I got up from my corner, slowly moving closer to Kalen. Finn shot me a dark look and stepped back into the shadows.
I instinctively liked Kalen. He spoke extremely quickly, but he seemed like a sincere person, saying whatever came into his head. I looked closely at him when the moon shone through the window. Kalen’s eyes had changed color, from violet to silver and back, while he was talking to me. And I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but I could swear that his ears were slightly pointed.
I shook my head. Maybe I was so tired I was hallucinating. I lowered my voice. “Who are you?”
Kalen grinned. “Never seen one of the fae before, have you?”
“Fae?”
Kalen nodded. “I have heard in the northern kingdoms they sometimes refer to us as fairies.”
My eyes grew wide. Fairies. Was he serious? He didn’t look like any fairy I had read about. I knew it wasn’t possible—fairies didn’t exist. But I thought magical worlds didn’t exist either, and look how wrong I’d turned out to be.
Why had Oblek locked them up in the dungeons? He had even mentioned that they were to be executed at dawn. Were they dangerous?
Kalen furrowed his brows in confusion. “You don’t seem to be from around these parts.”
I shook my head; what could I say? That until tonight I never knew this strange land existed? I had no idea who to trust, but if Oblek wanted them dead, then at least I knew they were not on Morgana’s side.
The Last of the Firedrakes (The Avalonia Chronicles Book 1) Page 3
