Bloodthorn

by Tamara Grantham

  “I understand.”

  The bloodthorn pushed the man away.

  Officer Gardener got to his feet, stumbled, and then stood. He gave me a fleeting glance, a silent thank you, before running from the room.

  The bloodthorn lunged for me, so fast I barely had time to react. The magical chains loomed closer, clanking, ready to bind my wrists and take my powers, when magic formed in my fists. Its warmth enveloped me, then ignited in a blinding white fire that engulfed me, the monster, and the entire room. I fell back, my vision awash in wisps of amber and blue, like fire—a beautiful fire that burned with such intensity it couldn’t be controlled.

  My magic is fire.

  The bloodthorn’s hoarse, inhuman scream came as if from miles away.

  My body floated weightless, supported by my magic. As the magical field touched the portal, reality seemed to bend and twist, turning inside out. The bloodthorn was there, too, wrapped in my magic. I felt his presence, though I knew he could not touch me. The fairies’ starstone was also there with us. Could I get to it?

  I tried to move but found I had no control over my body. Together, the bloodthorn, the starstone, and I floated through the portal into a void, where something waited for us.

  No. Someone.

  I’d felt her presence before. Oxygen escaped my lungs. I gasped, but found no air to breathe. Every ounce of magic I’d held inside disappeared, and soon, the void disappeared with it. I hit the ground.

  The cavern came back into view as my head throbbed where it hit the floor. Sitting up, I searched the room and found what remained of the bloodthorn. He lay in a burned, bloody heap smeared across the floor nearby, and the stench of burnt flesh filled the cave. Bits of the horse skull face remained intact, and if it weren’t for that, I was certain I wouldn’t have been able to identify him.

  My hand flew to my mouth. Had my magic done that to him? If it was capable of such horrible mutilation, what else was my magic capable of? What else was I capable of?

  A light flickered over the monster. The blurry image of a woman took shape, although it was difficult to make out the details of her face. Her form wavered, as if she were a ghost, and her eyes reflected a reddish glow—the look of a predator.

  My spine tingled with an uncontrollable fear. “Theht?” I whispered.

  Yes, her answer came—not out loud, but spoken in my head, I am one who has traveled many worlds, walked the seas of discord and harmony, found peace, but brought death. I am the one who will return—the one sought after by many.

  “I don’t understand. What—what happened?”

  This creature attempted to summon me, but he could not complete his task, for you defeated him before the spell was complete. The fae creatures’ stone no longer has any value to me now, for once it is used as a conduit, it can no longer be used for that purpose again. You may take the stone as your reward for destroying a mighty foe.”

  “Me? Take it?” Glancing at the smoldering remains, I saw the gemstone lying in a pool of blood. I stood slowly, feeling dizzy, but managed to walk to the stone and pick it up carefully, surprised to discover it pristine and perfectly intact.

  You have come far, Deathbringer. I suspect that soon it will be time for you to fulfill the prophecy that will ensure my return to your world.

  The prophecy. I’d tried so hard to forget about it, but it never seemed to go away. I decided to feign ignorance.

  “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

  Her laugh made a shiver run down my spine.

  Marked by death from the beginning—she will come in flame and ash, wielding the fire gifted to her of her fathers. She will cross worlds and mend the rift. She will bring death to the unbelievers, life to those marked by the ancient one. Her life will bring death, for she is the Deathbringer.

  Do you not believe it speaks of you?

  “No. I’ve never believed the prophecy speaks of me. I would never do those things—I would never willingly bring death.”

  But you will. It is only a matter of time. Prophecies never go unfulfilled, for then they would cease to be prophecies. Have you never been told of such things?

  Fan’twar had told me that in almost the exact same words, but I didn’t want to admit it to her. Placing the stone in my bag, I felt the remains of my magic filling me, knowing it would never be close to enough to defeat an ancient goddess. What power did I have against Theht?

  I backed away slowly, but when I looked up, her visage stood only inches from my face. A phantom hand grabbed my arm tightly, and I screamed out, but the sound got lost somewhere as my vision faded into darkness.

  Once again I floated, weightless, into the inky darkness of the void, although this time at least I could breathe. Pinpricks of light appeared, one after the other, until I realized they were stars.

  Look below, Theht’s voice said.

  I did as she said and found Earth spinning beneath my feet. From this distance I could see weather patterns crisscrossing the planet—puffy white clouds that formed spirals and flickered with occasional lightning bursts. As the world spun, the clouds cleared and a landform came into view. I focused on the exposed expanse of desert that seemed to stretch in all directions, and before I knew it, I was no longer floating but standing on the sand.

  Although it was night, I had no trouble seeing the world around me. The stars were just as bright here as they had been when I was floating. Sand dunes created by the wind currents rose and fell in all directions, though the air was so still I felt I could hear the faint groan of the planet as it rotated around the sun. I marveled at the beauty of life that surrounded me here in the desert, from the tiniest insects to the snakes and cougars. Farther on—from the plains and jungles where elephants and lions called home, to the whales in the sea—I felt life surrounding me in each direction I turned.

  Here, Theht said, is where you will fulfill the prophecy. Look.

  A flash of blinding light cut across the sky—a meteor—close to our planet, yet somehow I knew we were safe from its impact.

  I watched myself reach toward the meteor, my arm moving without thought, my magic building inside me just as it had when I’d killed the bloodthorn. Uncontrolled, my magic released. The magic connected with the meteor, altering its trajectory until it spun straight for Earth. Dread filled me as the ball of light descended on our planet.

  The world ignited in a blinding white fire as the celestial body exploded on impact.

  And I was responsible.

  I had done it. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt reality sink in. The prophecy was true. It was no longer a matter of if, but when. My magic had already acted on its own accord several times—to save Kull, to kill the bloodthorn. The events were already set in motion.

  I would destroy the world.

  I am the Deathbringer.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Pain exploded in my chest as I awoke on the cavern floor. Time passed, although I wasn’t sure how long. I tried to move but found my body unresponsive. I couldn’t even turn my head to look away from the gory scene of the dead bloodthorn smeared over the floor.

  Theht hovered over me, her thoughts intruding on mine. I got the feeling she was testing me, learning about me, remembering each cell and brainwave so she could exploit it later. More than anything, I wanted to shut her out, but I had no power whatsoever to do so.

  With our minds connected, communicating with her came easily, and although I couldn’t physically speak, I wondered if she could hear my thoughts.

  Are you going to kill me? I asked.

  No. You are too valuable. Rest now.

  Sleepiness numbed my mind, but I fought back, forming a plan even as I lay immobile, no way to fight or use my magic.

  I brought my gaze to the portal that stretched across the back wall. The gentle hum of magic vibrated from the wall and through the floor, calming me and giving me peace. Tendrils of light streamed across its surface, like nobbinflies dancing over water. There is always light,
I reminded myself. Even in the darkest hour, there is always light.

  Theht continued probing my mind. She found locked memories there and tried to access them, but they were hard for her to understand. Most of them were happier memories—my childhood spent in the dragon forest, the few times my father visited and brought me a gift from the elven lands, my time spent with Kull.

  Part of the trouble was her own fault. I got the feeling she had difficulty comprehending compassion and love. So, I let her continue to try and grasp the memories while I gazed upon her soul at the same time.

  Immediately, my heart seized with pain. Her memories were so horrific I knew I would go insane if I spent any time there. I pulled away, breathless, trying to erase the images from my mind.

  Theht, still unable to take a physical form, hovered closer to me.

  You have blocked some of your memories from me. Why?

  I did not block them. They are simply too intimate for you to understand. Love usually is.

  You will release them to me.

  I cannot.

  Release them to me or you will suffer.

  I had already suffered—I’d been suffering for so long—and it was because of the love I had lost. I focused on my heartache—that raw, unrelenting agony—gathered every emotion, every tear, every ounce of pain I’d suffered, and shoved it in her face.

  It had no effect on her. Pain was what she was most familiar with. Theht could give me pain a million times over, and I would never come close to what she’d experienced.

  She reached for me. Her hands had gained substance and were covered in orange scales and tipped in curved black nails. She rested her hand atop my chest, and my world exploded.

  So much pain. Blinding. Can’t breathe. Make it stop!

  My hands cramped, forming claws. The searing pain crept up my spine and then out through every nerve ending in my body. When the fire reached my head, I screamed, my back arching.

  Make it stop. Please, stop! Please!

  Release your memories.

  I can’t!

  I dug inside my mind, trying to force every memory out as fast as possible, but it was no use. She would never understand.

  The world blurred. Tears moistened my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I tasted their saltiness on my tongue.

  Please stop, I begged, though my pleading grew quieter as consciousness ebbed. Please…

  I was floating again, yet somehow, the pain remained deep in the recesses of my mind. There were no sounds, nothing to see or touch; only the pain remained, digging, burrowing into my brain. What Theht was doing would be irreversible. I was sure of it. She was altering me somehow.

  I got the impression it wasn’t easy for her to stay on this side of the portal—even in a spirit form. The pain stayed with me as my thoughts drifted. Somehow, I knew that Theht had gone, but then blackness surrounded me.

  Time passed. I must have been unconscious for several hours when I gasped awake suddenly, feeling cold and wet. I coughed and sputtered as water moistened my face and dampened my clothes. Opening my eyes, I focused on my surroundings.

  I was no longer in the cave, but outside in the snow.

  The pain was gone.

  A piercing, brilliant blue sky spanned overhead, and it seemed like the most beautiful sight I’d ever beheld. I stared, mesmerized, thanking the Father above that I was alive.

  I am alive.

  The Wults and elves were standing around me, but why could I only see their backs? A gentle swaying motion beneath me made me realize they were carrying me on a makeshift gurney. The urge to call out and tell them I was awake came to me, but I found I didn’t have the energy. Instead, I only stared at the sky once again until my eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep.

  “Can you hear me?”

  When I opened my eyes, I found a candle burning on a table beside me. It was the only light in the room. As my eyes adjusted, I found Heidel standing over me.

  She smiled and patted my arm. “I’ll fetch the others. They’ll want to know you’re awake.”

  She left the room, leaving me alone. I straightened, discovering every muscle in my body hurt when I moved. Staring around the room, I had trouble deciding where I was. Was I in the Wult keep? The rough wooden logs with bark still clinging to their surfaces didn’t look like something I would see in the keep.

  I got to my feet, and although I wore only a white dressing gown, I refused to stay in bed any longer. How long had I been there? Days? It didn’t matter. I was awake now, and I needed answers. How had the others been able to rescue me with the portal in the way? Had they found the fairies’ stone? Were the fairies restored? Had Officer Gardener made it out alive?

  On bare feet, I exited through the room’s only door. As I pushed it open, the outside view caught me by surprise. Dragon Spine Mountain loomed in the distance, which must have meant I was in the Wult village. Although I’d experienced unspeakable terror at the top of the mountain, the peak did look beautiful with the first rays of pink-tinted morning light shining on it.

  The ground felt cold under my bare feet, but I ignored my discomfort to make my way around the building. I found that I had been recovering in a small cabin sitting atop a hillside away from the village. Below me, the Wult outpost still slept, with only the smoke from chimneys giving any indication of life.

  A roaring wind came from behind me, and I spun around to see Fan’twar land not far from where I stood. Heidel also rushed up beside him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. “You should be resting.”

  “I’m fine. I’ve rested enough.”

  “You’re not even wearing shoes.”

  I wiggled my toes, feeling the dewy grass beneath my feet. Though cold, it felt heavenly. “I don’t need them.”

  Fan’twar chuckled. “You are back to yourself again, I see.”

  I nodded, trying to agree with him but knowing I would never be the same after what Theht had done to me.

  Heidel crossed her arms. “You are lucky that my sister is not your nurse. You’d get a tongue-lashing for sure.”

  I inhaled a lungful of fresh air, feeling more grateful than ever before that I was alive. Fan’twar studied me, and I knew he wanted answers. I was sure I’d had him worried when the Wults and elves had carried me unconscious down the mountain.

  “I saw Theht,” I told him.

  His eyes widened. “Saw her?”

  “Yes. Sort of. She wasn’t able to take her true form.”

  “What did she say?”

  I sighed, knowing I couldn’t tell him everything. He was like a father to me. I knew he would worry if I told him about my magic acting on its own to destroy the bloodthorn—or about the vision Theht had shown me—so I stuck to the basics.

  “She told me that since the bloodthorn wasn’t able to complete the spell, she could no longer use the stone to cross worlds. It was odd… she didn’t seem angry that I’d killed him. It was almost as if she’d expected it to happen. So that’s how I was able to retrieve the starstone. I don’t completely understand everything that happened. And I don’t understand who she is or where she comes from, although I have my suspicions.

  “Fan’twar, do you know what’s on the other side of that portal?”

  He shook his head. “I only know that whatever lies beyond the portal is a danger to us.”

  “But is it more than that?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s where Theht comes from, isn’t it?”

  “Do you believe so?”

  I nodded. “Yes. And she’s trying to enter our world. Although for now, she can’t.” My stomach clenched as my thoughts turned to the prophecy. “If she ever returns, she will use me to destroy our world.”

  “I agree. She is waiting to be summoned, just as the Regaymor tried to do. And if she is ever summoned, then the Deathbringer prophecy will be fulfilled.”

  A fragile stillness clung to the air as Fan’twar spoke of the Deathbringer—a name I never
cared to hear again.

  “Fan’twar, isn’t there some way to undo a prophecy?”

  “I have never heard of it being done before.”

  I sighed, feeling trapped, yet determined at the same time. “I will find a way,” I said. “There must be a way to stop it from happening.”

  In the distance, the gentle fluttering of fairy wings broke the silence. A host of flower-clad fairies appeared in the air around us, and at the lead, I saw tiny Princess Esmelda. I held out my hand, and she daintily landed atop my palm.

  I’d never once seen her so genuinely happy. Her rosy cheeks matched the pink tulip dress she wore, and her once wild, uncombed hair was now braided and studded with delicate white flowers. Most impressive of all was her pair of glittering fairy wings.

  “Olive,” she said, “our world is restored thanks to you. Fairies and fair creatures alike are in your debt. Now, with the stone recovered, we are hopeful that the portals shall function properly again. We have aided the human whose body was stolen to return to his rightful world. We will do our best to make our world a bright place once again. Call upon us, and we will aid you in a moment’s notice.”

  “Thank you,” I answered, hoping she realized what she was asking for. Did she have any idea how much trouble I got myself into? “Your kind offer will not be forgotten.”

  “My brother has been detained,” she said. “He will live a life of imprisonment for the time being. His lies will no longer cloud our judgment.”

  “Will you be okay, Esmelda? Aren’t you upset about his betrayal?” I asked.

  “Not anymore, although I had suspected his treachery for quite some time, even before we made our quest to Earth Kingdom. I must confess, I did not want to believe that he was a traitor. Any time I questioned him, he found a way to mislead me. I believed his lies, even though deep inside, I knew the truth. Terminus is crafty with words and can spin great lies that sound of the truth. Now that he has been found out, I feel freer than I ever have before. His deceptions will no longer confuse me.”