“Don’t return your consciousness to your body,” Morlet whispered urgently. “I want you to remain so you can witness what is about to happen. However, under no circumstances can you reveal yourself. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now hide.” Morlet shoved me away from him.
I ran over to the armoire and opened the door, climbing inside between Morlet’s clothes. They smelled like him—a mixture of heady lavender and metal. I sat on the bottom, making sure his clothes concealed me. If something went wrong, and I was spotted, all I had to do was force myself to wake up.
Soldats shouted from the hallway. There were shuffling noises, and then it all went silent. The door to Morlet’s bedchamber slammed open.
“What have you done, human?” a woman’s voice sneered.
Morlet chuckled. “I’d be careful how you address me, Heks.”
Heks? How was that possible? Nelebek had only one Grei Heks and one Skog Heks—both of which were dead.
“You are not my king. I do not belong to Nelebek. I will speak to you however I please.” Her voice was smooth and melodic. “Now, tell me why I’m here before I gut you.”
Through the crack between the two doors of the armoire, blue light exploded, almost blinding me. I shrank back, covering my eyes.
The Heks shrieked. “How did you light the fire with magic?”
Morlet’s boots echoed through the room as he walked about. I peered through the crack, watching him circle the Heks. She had unnaturally white skin. Underneath it, dark gray veins shone. She had glossy, black hair, the color of a crow, which matched her eerie eyes. Below them, black veins jutted out like tree roots. Her skimpy dress revealed a young, curvy body that looked about twenty years old—so different from the previous Skog Heks who’d been old and haggard.
“The kingdom of Nelebek is cursed,” Morlet said. “I have Skog Heks’s magic.” He stepped closer to her. “How did you get inside Nelebek?” His back was unnaturally straight and tense.
My palms tingled with power, begging to be released. Somehow, my body knew this woman was powerful and dangerous.
Her lips curled into a smile. “My king has been trying to get inside your borders for decades.”
“I cast a spell closing them. No one can get in or out of Nelebek.” He took a menacing step closer to her. “So, tell me, how did you get inside my kingdom?”
“For the past few weeks, something has been calling to me. Today, I decided to discover the source. I journeyed through the forest bound by an intense compulsion that grew with each step I took. When I reached the border between your kingdom and mine, invisible hands reached out and sucked me inside Nelebek. The second I passed the border, the ground shook. I tried returning to Hoverek but couldn’t. Still feeling a pull, I followed it to a cabin where I remained until your magic called me here. Explain yourself, human.” Her arms shook with barely suppressed rage.
“Everything must be in balance,” Morlet mused. “Since we only had one living Skog Heks and she died, you must be her replacement.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. If things had to be in balance and the magic of this world brought a Skog Heks here, what about a Grei Heks?
“How do you have a Skog Heks’s magic?” she asked, pacing about the room like a caged animal.
“She tried to rule through me. In attempting to do so, she threw things out of balance, and her magic went to me.”
“Then come here so I may slit your throat. No human should have Heks magic.”
“If only it were that simple,” he said, raising his hand out before him, his veins glowing blue. “Tell me… do you still possess your magic?”
She hissed. “Since I stepped foot in your wretched kingdom, it has been fading.”
“And mine is growing,” Morlet taunted. “Your magic is now mine. Before long, you’ll be as worthless as a human.”
Her fingers curled into fists, and she took a step forward. Morlet twisted his arm, and an invisible force threw her against the wall, pinning her there. “Do not try my patience,” he said. “You need me.”
She shrieked, wild and crazy.
“What is your name?”
“I’m not telling you!”
Morlet twisted his fingers, and she started clawing at her throat. “Your name?” he asked again.
“Norill,” she squeaked.
He lowered his arm, and she fell to the floor. “Grei Heks cast a spell creating twelve warriors known as Krigers. Each one has a weapon with a seedling of Heks power. If the Krigers join together, their combined power will be enough to kill me. If that happens, your magic will be gone forever. If you want it back, we must work together.”
Why did Morlet want me to hear this? If she agreed to work with him, would he reveal that I was hidden in the armoire?
Norill crouched low on the ground. “I’m not working with you, human. My loyalties lie elsewhere.” Suddenly, she sprang like a cat, landing on Morlet, her mouth snapping as she tried to bite him. I leaned forward. Should I help him? His lips moved, and then an invisible force ripped her off him, suspending her in the air above him. Morlet stood and readjusted his cape. He pointed to his bed, and Norill glided through the air, landing there. He made a fist, and the Heks lay there as if frozen, unable to move or speak.
My breathing was loud and unsteady, my hands shaking. Morlet had immense magic. How would the Krigers ever defeat him? He made Norill—a Heks—look like a rag doll.
“Like it or not,” Morlet said, “you are now a part of this.” He stood beside the bed, observing Norill. Her chest heaved up and down. “The only way to destroy the Krigers is when the twelve of them link their powers together. Once they’re gone, my magic will return to its rightful owner, which, apparently, is now you, and the curse will be over.” He opened his fist, freeing her body.
“It sounds rather easy,” she said, sitting up. “Why haven’t you killed them yet?”
“All twelve haven’t assembled before now. This is the first opportunity I’ve had, and nothing is going to get in my way.”
“You don’t want to keep the magic?” she asked.
His lips curled into a smile. “While it has been rather enjoyable, I’ve had enough. I do not care to live another hundred years not aging while everything around me withers away. This is no life I live.”
“Once the curse is broken, will I be stuck in Nelebek, bound to you, since I’m the only Skog Heks here?” she asked.
“I do not know. I’ll release the spell sealing the borders before I face the Krigers, so you should be able to leave Nelebek. However, with the treaty signed by our ancestors over five hundred years ago that binds the most powerful Skog Heks and Grei Heks in each kingdom to the king and queen of that kingdom, I do not know. You may be stuck working with me, although I do not want to remain in power. If my will is to allow you to make any and all decisions, you could rule without me.”
Grei Heks had told me that when the Krigers defeated Morlet, both Grei Heks and Skog Heks would die—she made sure of it. Now that Norill was here, when we defeated Morlet, would her magic return? Or would she die? Because if she lived and had her magic, Nelebek would still be in a horrible predicament.
Norill started laughing.
“Do we have a deal?” Morlet asked.
“Yes,” she purred. “We most certainly do.”
“Now be gone. When your presence is required, I’ll summon you.”
Her black eyes flashed as she slid off the bed and sauntered out of the bedchamber. A few screams echoed out in the hallway.
My eyes flew open. Morlet must have severed our connection. But why? He couldn’t face me after plotting my death with Norill?
The image of a cabin flashed in my mind.
I scrambled to my feet, and a pulse of energy jolted through me. Filled with an intense compulsion to reach the cabin, I started walking deeper into the forest, unable to stop my body from moving of its own accord. Something similar happened once before when M
orlet cast a spell on me to lure me to his soldats. I knew I shouldn’t be doing this. However, whatever the pull was overruled my mind’s ability to control my body. My hands warmed, warning me of danger. Yet, I couldn’t stop. The sky turned darker as night gradually approached.
As if in a trance, I continued walking for most of the night, begging my body to stop, but it wouldn’t listen to my frantic mind. Dawn crested the sky, and I came to a small, wooden cabin situated between two towering pine trees. Green moss covered the roof. The desire to keep walking vanished. This was the exact image I’d had in my mind all night.
I surveyed my surroundings, wondering what had brought me there. The forest surrounding this place was utterly still and quiet, as if the animals had fled because something evil lurked there. I took a step back, and a twig snapped from somewhere to my right. A shadow flickered between the towering trees. Panic filled me.
My father’s voice whispered in my mind, Be strong. Remember everything I taught you. You are more resilient than you know.
Norill emerged, her eyes widening when she saw me. She reached the small clearing in front of the cabin and stood still, observing me with her black eyes. I wanted to turn and run away, but I knew to stand my ground. My power hummed from the core of my body, down my arms, and to my hands, begging for my weapon back in the cave.
“What are you?” Norill asked. “Human? Or Heks?”
“Human.” My voice sounded small, as if that of a young child. I gulped and tried to stand as tall as possible.
“Yet there is magic in you. I can feel it.”
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked.
She smiled. “I didn’t.” Her head tilted to the side. “I thought I felt connected to someone when I left the castle.” She snapped her mouth shut, not saying anything else.
“What do you want?” I demanded. I felt naked without my bo staff.
“Your magic,” she hissed, taking a slow, menacing step toward me.
“You can’t take it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
The corners of her lips turned up. “Who says?” She took another step toward me.
“You can’t kill me. I’m a Kriger.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“How else would a human have Heks magic?” My hands burned, warning me she was going to attack.
“Your king is human with Heks magic, yet he is no Kriger.”
I forged on, “If you kill me, you’ll have to wait for a new Kriger to be born. You won’t get your magic back.”
The veins below her beady eyes extended down her cheeks, making it look like she cried black tears. Her face was a strange mixture of cruel beauty.
“I need my magic,” she whispered. “Without it, a piece of me is missing. I don’t have to kill you to take your Heks magic—just rip it from your body.”
“That won’t work,” I said, hoping it was true.
“Only one way to find out.”
I readjusted my stance, preparing to defend myself. Without my bo staff, I couldn’t access my full power. Yet, I still had some inside of me.
Norill rubbed her hands together with anticipation; her long, black fingernails were filed to sharp points. She lunged, so I shoved my power out through my hands, aiming for her chest. She screamed and flew backward, landing on the ground. “I’ve already killed one Skog Heks,” I said, shocked I’d managed to do anything to her with my power. “I won’t hesitate to kill another.” I had no idea where my fake bravado came from.
She chuckled and nimbly jumped to her feet. A few leaves were stuck in her hair, making her look wild and untamed. “If you kill me, there will only be another. So it seems we are at an impasse.”
Faster than what should have been possible, she darted forward. I raised my arms to block her, but she grabbed my wrist, twisting it, and tossed me to the ground. I flung my leg up, kicking her groin. When she bent forward, I leapt to my feet. She smiled and head-butted me. Searing pain shot through me, my vision blurring.
“Even without my magic, girl, I am a Heks. I am stronger and more powerful than you. You are no match for me.”
She punched my stomach, and I doubled over. Reaching for a branch, I snatched it off the ground and swung it toward her, missing. With both hands, she picked me up and threw me as if I weighed nothing. I slammed onto the ground, my back searing with pain. I couldn’t move. Tears rolled down my cheeks. What would Norill do to me to try to steal my power? There had to be a way to stop her.
Norill chuckled as she neared. I closed my eyes and reached out to Morlet. Help me, I begged him. Norill is too strong.
“Kaia?” he asked. “What do you need?”
“Your strength.”
“It’s yours.”
Magic poured into me, healing my back, begging to be unleashed. I opened my eyes and sprang to my feet, facing Norill. Pure hatred sizzled through me. Morlet’s magic was so much stronger than anything I’d experienced before, even with my bo staff. Norill reached for my arm, but I spun and kicked her head, sending her to the ground as if she were a small rodent. The veins under the surface of her pale skin darkened, and I reveled in her anger. It made me feel even more powerful. Her face distorted with fury. She stood. The immense magic inside of me was raw, unyielding, and, for the time being—mine. Not giving Norill a chance to attack, I bolted forward and slammed my elbow against her ribs, hoping to break them. She flew backward, and I kicked her stomach, wanting to destroy her.
Norill tumbled to the ground, curling into a ball. “I’ll kill you, human! I will tear your flesh off, burn, and eat you!”
Good, I thought, feeding off her pain. A small part of me knew these feelings of hatred and power were from Morlet’s magic. With it, I could easily kill Norill. However, as she said, there would only be another. The best thing to do was to get away from her so Morlet could take his magic back, releasing me from it. Turning, I ran as fast as possible before I changed my mind. With Morlet’s magic, my legs moved faster than an ulv’s. It was exhilarating, and I wanted to keep his magic for myself. It started to take root in me.
“Kaia?” Morlet asked. “Are you okay?”
I was several miles away from the cabin now, so I stopped and connected to Morlet.
“Yes,” I said, panting. “Thank you for your help.” I secretly wished to keep his magic.
“You’re welcome,” he said. His magic vanished, leaving me cold and empty. “What happened?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you everything later tonight.” Clutching my arms around my torso, I started shaking from the abrupt loss.
“Are you still in danger?” Morlet asked, an odd hitch to his voice.
“No.”
“If you need me,” he said, “I’m here.”
“Thank you.”
I severed our connection and started running, my legs much slower without Morlet’s dangerous, yet alluring, magic.
I staggered into the cave. The only person present was Damaris. “Where is everyone?” I asked.
“Out looking for you,” she replied. “Are you okay?”
My clothes were dirty and my hair stuck out in every direction from fighting with Norill; other than that, I suffered no injuries. “I’m fine.” I plopped down next to her near the fire.
“Vidar has been worried sick about you.”
I figured as much. I’d been gone almost two days. “I’ll explain what happened once everyone is here.”
Damaris rested her hand on my arm, and a sense of calm filled me. “I know it’s not my place, and we barely know each other, but if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
“Thank you.” I didn’t feel like discussing what happened. All I wanted to do was go to sleep. However, I needed to let Vidar and Anders know I was okay. I hadn’t seen either of them outside the cave or down in the clearing. “Do you expect the Krigers to return any time soon?”
“I’m not sure. Vidar instructed me to remain here in case you returned. If you did, he told
me to make you stay here. They don’t want you wandering off again.” She gave me a funny look.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did you run away? Vidar was afraid you might have.”
“No.” I sighed and lay down, closing my eyes.
“He was afraid that you changed your mind about marrying him.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my mouth. While I didn’t want to marry Vidar, and running away sounded enticing, I wouldn’t do that. A promise to my father along with a duty and an obligation to the people of Nelebek kept me here.
“I heard you only agreed to marry him in order to end the curse and save the people of Nelebek.”
Shock rolled through me. I didn’t realize Vidar had told anyone other than Anders about that aspect of the curse. “Did Vidar also tell you I have to conceive a child?” I opened my eyes and watched her.
“It wasn’t Vidar who told me,” she admitted, twirling a piece of string that hung on the edge of her long skirt. “It was Anders.”
Anders? When did he tell her? And why?
“I’m sorry.” She reached out and touched my arm again. “But you and Vidar don’t act like you’re in love. I was curious about your relationship, so I asked Anders.”
Stein entered the cave. “Kaia! You’re here!” He rushed over and yanked me up, hugging me. “Where have you been?”
“It’s a long story,” I said, smiling at him.
“I came to tell Damaris that everyone is convening below. Vidar wants to restructure the search parties for the night.”
“Obviously, we don’t need to do that any longer,” she replied. “Let’s go and tell everyone Kaia is safe and sound.”
When the three of us reached the forest floor, Anders’s head whipped around in my direction. I thought he was going to yell at me for wandering off. Instead, he ran over and wrapped his arms around me. “You’re in one piece,” he whispered, relief flooding his voice.
I held onto the sides of his shirt, holding him close, feeling safe for the first time in days.
Burning Shadows Page 9
