by Mary Duke
“Wait, so you're telling me that my dad, the man who preached honesty and integrity every time he opened his mouth, got power and instantly became friends with his best friend’s enemies?” Illiah questioned.
Evander rubbed his eyes, his heart racing and sinking in his chest, with the burden of this truth. “This did not happen overnight, this is over the span of months,” he began to clarify. “Once the initial step worked, Nyx, Thanatos’ mother, came to your father. She knew her son's powers had been transferred to him, and she wanted to know how. Of course, your father lied to her, as Thanatos had told him to. Illian told Nyx that upon her son's death, Thanatos had given his powers to him as well as the role of King of the Underworld. With the ring containing Thanatos’ magic cloaked on Illian’s hand, Nyx had no way of disproving Illian's story and offered him a place that she had reserved for Thanatos in the high court. With Thanatos’ approval, your father later claimed that seat and befriended the others who sat around the table governing all the realms in which they oversaw. In Thanatos’ eyes, this would make it easier for him to exact his revenge when Illian gave him his powers back.”
Illiah interrupted him, “But he never gave him his powers back, did he?”
Evander bowed his head slightly as if in shame and shook it no. “It had been nearly a year since your father had taken the seat in the high court. For a year, he had played a double life, while carrying the burden of being the King of the Underworld. It took a toll on him, but at the same time, it filled a void he had always had. For one of the first times in his life, your father felt valued, needed, and a part of a very large and very powerful family. This is when he met your mother, and soon thereafter she became pregnant with you.” Evander paused, leaned across the table reaching for Illiah’s hand. “Now, I don’t want you to take this as it is your fault. This was your father’s choice, and though you now bear the consequences, the blame does not fall on you.”
Illiah nodded, her eyes watering out of fear and frustration.
“It became evident that Thanatos was growing stronger, and that he would soon want his powers back. However, life had never been better, not only for your father but for all in the eleven realms in which he was able to reach. The more Thanatos spoke of the pure and utter destruction of everyone that betrayed him and everything that those people cared about, the larger the pit of doubt grew in his mind. Your father came here, seeking the counsel of the ancestors, as well as myself. He was troubled, his mind tangled in a web of what ifs. The biggest what if being, what would happen to you, if he gave Thanatos back his powers? If Thanatos attacked everyone and destroyed everything, what would happen to you? But, he had also backed himself into a corner. If he came clean about Thanatos still being alive, he feared that it would also come to light that he had been planning the downfall of the high court and the death of everyone in it, therefore losing the trust of those who he now called family.”
Silent tears crept down Illiah’s face, as she now doubted everything her father had ever said to her.
“This is when your father came up with a new plan. He was unsure what would happen to his power if Thanatos died, and he was unsure if his spirit would truly find someone else and alert Nyx. After confiding in your mother, she had the perfect answer. Her family were Keepers of the Dark Mountain. Since its creation, her family had protected the hidden vaults containing the gods’ and goddesses’ deepest and darkest secrets. Together, they fortified a vault for Thanatos, locking him and his plans away from the outside world.”
For a few minutes, the room remained silent, as Illiah processed everything Evander had just told her. Illiah then wiped the tears of frustration from her cheeks and cleared her throat to speak. “So my father told you all of this?”
Evander nodded his head. “Yes.”
“What does it have to do with me?” Illiah questioned. “What does it have to do with the Queen?”
Evander took a deep breath. “Do you remember what I said Thanatos gave your father?”
“A pendant and a ring,” Illiah replied.
“Yes. Though Thanatos gave your father the pendant when he first became the head reaper, he made the magic within that necklace stronger to protect your father and his soul from the amount of magic that was in the ring. Without the pendant, the magic would tear your father apart,” Evander said, trying to stay on point. “When your father came here, he was without the pendant, and he believed it had been stolen by Quint and then given to THE QUEEN.”
“Okay,” Illiah said. “But he still had the ring, so he still has all Thanatos’ power?”
“Yes,” Evander agreed. “The ring is power, just power. The pendant held what most would call the keys to the Underworld. Not everyone with magic can pass a soul from one realm to the next. The circle in which souls cycle though requires very precise magic. Are you following me?”
“So what you’re saying is that the Queen has my father’s pendant, and she controls all the souls?” Illiah replied.
“Essentially, yes,” Evander agreed. “However that amount of power is not meant to be handled by any mortal.”
“So,” I said adding my two cents. “We kill her, and take the pendant back, and give it back to my father…”
“Well, that’s where all of this gets complicated,” Evander said. “The Queen has collected so many souls that destroying her would not only destroy the souls that she’s collected, but the explosion of power could very well destroy this realm.”
Confused, I asked, “Where does this leave us if we can’t kill her?”
“Well,” Evander said as a half-smile spread across his face. “Before Illian left, he told me there was only one option. However, now that he’s gone, I don’t know how you’ll do it.”
“What did he say our only option was?” Illiah asked.
Evander pointed at Illiah. “He said that you would have to take his ring and give it back to Thanatos.”
“Me?” Illiah repeated. “Why didn’t he just take the ring back?”
“Without the pendant that made him stronger, he can’t control the magic, and because the blood of the Keepers does not flow through his veins, there is no way he can get into the mountain, let alone the vault in which Thanatos is kept.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Illiah said confused. “My father has been in and out of the mountain countless times.”
“He was granted access because he had collected souls of the Keepers in the pendant, and they granted him access to the mountain.” He paused. “So how are you going to do this, while being human and without magic?”
“I don’t know,” Illiah responded. “I came here as I had as a child, to ask the gods for immortality and strength…but something tells me that I’m the last person they want to see right now.”
Evander stood. “I don’t believe that is the case.”
“Really?” Illiah questioned. “After what you just said my father did, if I jump in the well, what're the chances of me coming out?”
“The chances are higher than you’d think. You are their only hope. Without you, the only person who can get into the vault Thanatos is in is the Queen.”
“Wait,” Illiah said her heart sinking. “The vaults are sealed by the blood of The Keeper who opened it, so unless my mother is…”
Evander turned from her and peered out the window, unable to look her in the face.
“Well, then I guess there are no other options,” Illiah said as she picked her bag up from the back of the chair. “It’s time I go and see the High Council.”
CHAPTER NINE
Illiah
I sat with my feet dangling over the side of the well, as I studied my reflection.
The longer I sat staring, the less I recognized the face staring back at me. Everything I thought I knew about my mother, everything I thought I knew about my father, was a lie. Everything they told me, everything they taught me, I couldn’t trust.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Sno asked, walking up beh
ind me.
I turned and looked past her to Zavery. “Yeah, keep him from destroying this place. I need there to be something to come back to.”
Sno smiled. “I can make you no promises, though I’ll try my best.”
“Good enough,” I replied, as I leaned over and grabbed the other side of the well with my right hand.
“You don’t have to do this,” Evander said joining Sno.
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “Then what?” I asked, dangling maybe an inch from the water.
“I don’t know,” Evander replied honestly.
“Well then, I’m going to stick with what we do know. I’m going to see the High Council and they’ll have no choice but to give me immortality, a way to find my father, and to get into the depths of the Dark Mountain, so I can free the one and only person who can put all of this to an end.”
Evander chuckled. “Well, if you have it all figured out, then I wish you the best of luck. We will be here for you when you return.”
“Great,” I replied as I let go of the sides and plunged into the icy water.
‘This is going to work. This has to work.’ I kept telling myself. ‘I’m the only one who can get into the mountain and release Thanatos. Without me, the fight will be brought to them.’
However, no matter how many times I repeated those words in my head and how calm I thought I was, when my lungs began to burn, panic set in.Just open your mouth, this is part of it. You have to be willing to die for what you seek… You have to prove to them that you’re willing to do whatever it takes. I reminded myself as I slowly let the last bit of air from my lungs escape and bubble up against the sides of my face.
“Illiah,” a woman’s voice echoed in the distance.
“You waited too long,” a man replied to her.
“She’s not dead, you fool, just weak,” the woman snapped back, her voice now seeming familiar.
Though I couldn’t open my eyes yet, I replied, my voice no louder than a whisper, “You’ve always doubted me, Nyx. Haven’t you?”
“Doubted, no,” Nyx laughed. “Despised is a better fit.”Maybe this won’t be as easy as I thought, I said to myself after I coughed up the remaining water from my lungs. At least now I understand why.
“So,” Nyx said walking back to her throne at the head of the high court. “What deceptive story has your father concocted this time to bring power to a powerless family?”
“Believe it or not,” I said climbing to my feet, as I wrung out my hair, “My family was never, nor is it powerless.”
Nyx laughed, the forced giggle echoing off the water walls that surrounded The High Court.
“Explain,” Enzo requested.
“Well,” I said. “If I understand the situation, and please correct me otherwise, my father and my mother are the ones who sealed Thanatos in the vault in the Dark Mountain. Now that my mother is dead and my father unable to use magic without the realm exploding, I am the only one who can release him.”
“YOU!” Nyx hissed, before disappearing from her seat and reappearing inches from my face. “How dare you come here and address MY COURT with an ultimatum?”
“I had no choice,” I replied to her, swallowing back the fear as I attempted to stand my ground.
“I should have let you drown,” Nyx said as her eyes darted back and forth studying my reaction.
“But you knew without me you would never see, Thana—”
Before I could finish his name, Nyx wrapped her fingers around my throat. “You do not speak his name!” she shouted, making my ears ring.
“That’s enough,” Vera demanded, appearing beside her mother.
“This matter does not concern you, Vera,” Nyx said tightening her grip.
“This matter concerns all of us,” Vera corrected her mother.
Nyx spoke through gritted teeth, “He was my son.”
Reassessing the situation, Vera lowered her voice and softly placed her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “He still is your son, and she can help bring him back to you.”
“It won’t be the same. I went too far…” Nyx said loosening her grip slightly. “He will never come back.”
“You don’t know that,” Vera continued to plead with her.
Nyx looked to Vera, then to the others that sat behind her.
“If you kill her, you’ll lose the only chance you have to get him back. She IS your only chance,” Vera reminded her.
Nyx straightened her fingers and took a step away from me, her face blank giving no indication on what she was going to do or say next.
“Thank you,” I said looking to Vera as I rubbed my throat and tried not to make it look obvious I was struggling to breathe.
“Don’t thank me, Illiah. I have only prolonged my mother's revenge. Your death remains imminent,” she said returning to her seat.
I turned to her confused.
“That is of course if my brother lets you live long enough,” Vera answered before I had the chance to ask her what she meant.
Nyx held her hand up to silence her daughter. “Illiah Nyrana, what is it you seek here today?”
“I seek what The Queen took. My immortality and my ability to do magic,” I replied.
“What is it that you have to offer us in return?”
“I will retrieve the ring containing Thanatos’ powers and free him, and put an end to The Queen,” I replied as I had rehearsed.
“What makes you think he will help you end The Queen?” Enzo asked.
“If he wants his reign over the souls, he will have no choice,” I said.
Nyx ignored Enzo’s question. “That’s not enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“If I see to it that you’re once again granted immortality, and you are once again given the ability to use the magic of the Gods, there is one more thing you will have to do,” Nyx said, her eyes narrowing. “And you’ll owe me a favor.”
“And what is that?” I said, though part of me already knew the answer.
Nyx pulled a dagger from her waist. “You will run this through Illian’s heart, killing him.”
I looked down at the stake in her hand, reading the marks carved into the blade, and my hands began to tremble. “This won’t kill him. It will destroy his soul. He’ll be…” I started to say.
“He will be gone,” Nyx said emotionless. “From this realm. From every realm. Illian Nyrana will never again breathe my air.”
I didn’t know what to say, all my thoughts were jumbled together.
“Do you accept the terms, Illiah Nyrana?” Nyx asked before returning to her chair.
I stood still for another moment lost in my thoughts. “Yes,” I said as my heart sank. “I accept the terms.”
“Then it’s settled; before the moon reaches the top of the sky tomorrow, you are to rid the realms of your father, or our deal is off.”
“Tomorrow!” I gasped taken aback.
“Is there a problem?” Nyx questioned leaning forward in her seat.
“No,” I said swallowing back the emotions that were trying to escape.
Nyx nodded, and a stream of water swirled down from the ceiling to take me back through the well to The Grove.
CHAPTER TEN
JETHERO
“Come on, you got this, just breathe,” I heard my daughter Tamara whisper, waking me up.
Sitting, I looked around but saw nothing but darkness. “Tamara?” I whispered back.
A ball of fire appeared just a few feet from me, illuminating her face before she cast it into the brush she had gathered in the corner. “It’s about time you wake up.”
“Where are we?” I questioned.
“In a cave, in the Northern Hills I believe,” she answered as she warmed her fingers above the flames.
“The Northern Hills!” I roared jumping to my feet.
“Slow down,” Tamara said racing towards me.
“Where are your brothers?” I questioned, looking around.
“Cassian is
still sleeping, I haven’t had a chance to go back for Finn yet,” Tamara replied.
“You left your brother?” I roared, astounded.
“He’s with the other Halflings on Dragon Island,” Tamara said. “He’s safer there.”
“The battle…” I asked confused, “Sno, Zavery? How many days has it been? How did we get here? What happened?”
“Why don’t you come sit by the fire,” Tamara said, placing her small hand on my arm. “You are chilled to the bone.”
“I do not need heat, I need answers,” I said, recognizing her stalling technique.
“Can’t we just enjoy the time we have together?” she questioned. “Why don’t you tell me about that time—”
“Tamara,” I said gently grabbing her hand, as I sat with her by the fire.
She sighed, looking away from me and into the flames. “Sno and Zavery are fine. They made it into the vault, and from what I hear they made it out as well.”
“What did they find in there? Is everything over?”
“Not exactly,” Tamara said reaching into the flames to pick something out.
“Explain.”
“I don’t know all of the details, just some of them,” Tamara said holding the red gemstone ring Sno had given me in her hand.
“Then start at the beginning and tell me what you do know.”
“She won’t tell you the truth,” Cassian said from behind us.
I turned to look at him, as he sat down on the other side of me and warmed his hands.
