by Janeal Falor
“What about the others?”
“They’re doing this to keep you safe. We have to find somewhere to hide.” He darts into an alley next to the house and weaves his way through buildings, Puneah beside us.
“I don’t want to leave them behind. They need us.” I grip him with one arm and my dagger with the other hand.
“They want you safe. That’s why they’re distracting her. Know anywhere to hide? Most places I know are by my mother’s home, and I don’t want to take Androlla around there. Wait. We’ll borrow this cart.”
He puts me in a cart on the side of the road and starts pushing. I’m jostled and keep knocking against the cart, but we’re going faster and Nash isn’t getting as worn out.
I consider our options. We can’t hide from the problem; she’s never going away. We need to stop her, but how? I wrack my brain for an answer. Fire didn’t work. Water didn’t work. Fighting her doesn’t work. Besides, she’s bigger and stronger.
There has to be a way to defeat her for good. Even with the black magic she used to create the Mortum Tura, there has to be a loophole.
Wait.
The Mortum Tura. It’s the key to everything. “Take me to the palace,” I say.
“We can’t. She’ll look for you there.”
“We have to. I need the Mortum Tura.”
He switches directions, peering at the streets before running onto them. People watch us go by. I can’t let them be hurt.
I yell, “Get out of the city. Danger’s coming.”
No one moves.
“Go,” Nash hollers. “If you care for your lives, go.”
Something crashes behind us. Androlla?
The people run, gathering their children with them as they go. Nash hurries past them, heading for the palace. I keep an eye out behind us, waiting for the golem to show itself, but she never appears.
What feels like several minutes later, the palace is within sight, and the portcullis is open.
Eldim strides toward us. “Where have you been?”
“No time to explain,” I say. “We must get to the chalice room.”
“Everyone’s been worried. You left without a word. What happened?”
“What did I say? We have to go. Now.” My voice is stern.
Puneah growls.
He gets the message because he turns and pulls out his sword. “Make way for the Queen.”
Androlla’s hulking form comes into view from our left, running full speed toward us.
I cry out, “Nash.”
“I see her.” He puts on a burst of speed, but it’s no use. We’re several feet from the open portcullis when Androlla knocks into him, sending me flying from the cart.
The guards surround her in full force, but she rips through them like they’re paper. Nash is under her arms, but she doesn’t seem to realize it as she attacks my other guards.
I wish none of them would get hurt. What she wants is me. My heart thuds in my chest, leaving me breathless. My body aches from the fall, but that’s nothing compared to the hurt in my heart at seeing my guards thrown around like dolls.
Nash attempts to crawl away, but she hits him on the back and sends him to his stomach. Even through the distance, I feel his pain. My body wants to join the fight. I try to get up but fall back to the ground.
Puneah lunges forward, snarling at Androlla. The First Queen swats at her, but Puneah is quicker, darting out of the way and lunging forward to bite her leg. When that doesn’t work, she backs up with a sort of growling noise I’ve never heard from her before.
Nash tries to stand up, but the golem shoves him back down, not taking her attention from the fila. Puneah’s two tails stand on end, her fur spiking up. She dances around the creature, while trying to edge closer. I cringe as Androlla tries several times to swat her and fails.
The First Queen strikes hard, making contact with Puneah. My heart twists in agony as the fila yowls and collapses to the ground. Androlla goes to smack her again, the buildup making my muscles tense.
I am about to scream, to get Androlla’s attention on me, when from behind her, Eldim starts hollering, “You big, ugly beast. Why don’t you fight someone who can take you on? Come and get me.”
She turns, hitting several guards with her big hand in the process.
“That’s right,” he taunts. “Face my wrath.”
As she steps toward him, Nash gets to his feet and comes toward me. Puneah doesn’t move from the ground. Eldim holds out his sword toward the golem, ready to fight. She towers over him, bringing all my fears with her as she lumbers closer.
Nash scoops me back up and heads for the open gate. As we’re through, Androlla smashes Eldim to the ground with one of her hands, bending him and his sword. Last I see, she’s stepping on him.
I whimper, feeling the loss of not only him, but also other guards that are out there, fighting her.
The noise has drawn the attention of those practicing in the courtyard. They run toward us.
“Be careful,” I call out. “She’s dangerous.”
They run past me, several of them nodding in my direction. I glance over Nash’s shoulder to find them blocking Androlla’s path as she tries to bend down and make it through the open gateway. As she slaps at them, they dodge out of her way.
We make it inside the palace, with her hulking frame not where I can see.
“Close the doors,” I yell. It may slow her down. I hope Puneah and the others are better than they looked. I can’t have people I care about getting hurt, even if I knew it was coming.
A group of guards rush to close the doors, and the rest draw their weapons. We whip around a corner, but I still hear the guards wondering what’s going on. I’m not about to stop and explain it to them.
Nash continues onward when someone enters the hallway we’re running down. I holler at her to leave. “It’s not safe.”
“Ryn?” My mother’s voice fills me with a cold panic.
We may not be the best of friends, but I can’t allow anything to happen to her. I’ve lost enough people in my life without losing the woman that gave birth to me. “You have to get out of here. Danger is coming,” I say.
Nash slows as we approach her. He’s got to be exhausted, even with all the training he’s done. I’m not heavy, but I’m still a weight he has to carry. The cart must have helped some, but this has to be putting a strain on him.
“I want to help with whatever it is,” my mother says.
Nash dodges past her, not stopping.
As she follows us, I say, “Leave the palace. You have to go out a side entrance. I don’t want any harm to befall you.”
“I’m your mother. It’s fitting that I help you, even when there’s danger.”
I should have never let her back into the palace. Then she wouldn’t be in trouble’s way now. We continue, and I’m happy at least that she keeps up with us.
This is the same path I took when I first drank the Mortum Tura, bringing the First Queen back into this world. Hopefully, this time I’m taking it toward her destruction. A darkness inside me whispers I’m wrong, but I shove it away. I can’t think like that when it’s my only option.
There’s a crash behind us as Nash slips into the chalice room, Mother right behind us. As Nash runs across the wide expanse toward our destination on the dais the sound of crashing becomes louder. The mirrors around the walls of the room reflect our flight.
We’re halfway there when Androlla’s form smashes through the door.
“Get back here, little Queen,” she says, voice full of anger.
Is she angry because we’ve taken her on a chase or because we’re on the right track? Either way, we have to hurry; she takes loping steps forward.
“What is that?” My mother sounds frantic, as well she should.
There’s no time to answer.
“Faster, Nash.” The pounding inside me grows stronger with each step Androlla takes. I glance at the chalice. We might make it. Maybe.
She ramps up her speed. Nash tries as well. Between breaths, he says, “Love. You.”
Now’s not the time for the goodbye I hear in his voice. I panic, wishing there was more I could do than be an extra weight on him. We’re almost there. We can make it. We don’t have to say goodbye.
I’m shoved forward and fly through the air. Nash goes with me and lands flat on his face while I tumble to my side. Instinct says to go to him, but I’ve got my country to think about. Besides, if I waste any time now, all will be lost.
The sound of multiple footsteps approaches, but I don’t look back. I crawl the last foot to the chalice, using my arms, and pull myself up to it with a strength built from pure desperation. I reach for the Mortum Tura, my arms aching. My fingers brush against it, and it wobbles. I strain, putting everything I have into getting that cup.
I about grab it, and something slams into me from behind, sending me, the pillar, and the cup crashing to the floor. Red liquid splashes across the floor and up onto the closest mirror.
I haul myself forward as Androlla’s laugh fills the room, echoing across the expanse. The footsteps are ever closer, but they won’t be here in time to do anything. The cup is almost within reach when my muscles give out. I collapse, reaching out my arm toward the overturned cup laying on its side.
“You’ve lost, little girl,” Androlla says. “Give up now.”
Ignoring her, I stretch forward. I’m not going to make it, no matter how hard I try. There’s not enough strength in my body yet. If I had another week or two, I might be strong enough, but now… I’ve failed.
Shillian appears in front of me. She scoops up the chalice and hands it to me. There’s no time to thank her. I grip the stem of the chalice and roll onto my back to face Androlla.
I can’t read her expression through the golem’s thick clay, but her voice is calm as she says, “You won’t win.”
She reaches for me. Nash hurtles himself from the side, knocking into her. She wobbles but doesn’t fall, instead grabbing Nash with both hands. “Give me the Mortum Tura, and I’ll let Nash go free,” she tells me.
I grit my teeth. I want to save him. Want to live out my days with him. But I also have to do what’s best for my country, even if it means his death. Cringing, I make my decision. “You are nothing but the bringer of death, and I am death’s assassin.”
I think on the spell I read about weeks ago, for destroying an object. It was simple, but I have a feeling it’s going to take a lot of power to get rid of the Mortum Tura. It didn’t take any ingredients, except the object itself.
The pewter is cold in my hand as I pull out the power inside me. I let it flow to the cup while chanting Nash’s name. It’s all I can do, to focus on it and not him, though he’s still within her reach.
The power flows through me and into the cup. The ground beneath me rumbles. Thunder rolls outside, and what sounds like large pieces of hail smash against the windows.
Still, I hold onto the power, focusing on it and on Nash. The rumbling grows deeper as the power pours out of me. Androlla throws Nash aside, almost making me lose my focus, and turns her attention on me and the Mortum Tura.
She comes running at me.
I close my eyes so I don’t see the imminent danger.
The magic takes a chunk of me with it, but I let it flow, free and clear. Even if I don’t survive this, my people will finally have a chance at freedom.
The rolling beneath me grows worse, violently shaking the room. I open my eyes in time to see Androlla reaching for me as the cup crumbles to dust.
Everything goes dark.
Chapter 40
I shove against the heavy blocks of clay on top of me, but I have no strength left to move them. Androlla’s last remains lay on top of me, crushing me. Not the way I wanted to die.
“I’m in here,” I call out for what feels like an eternity, hoping someone can hear me. I hear the sound of rock moving against rock, and the pressure lifts. My body feels the sharp pain of having been crushed by a pile of hard clay, but doesn’t seem worse for the wear, other than for a few bumps and bruises.
An unfamiliar male guard pulls me from the pile. “What just happened?”
I ignore him and look around for Nash. Or Nash’s body. My throat tightens. I spot a prone form lying on the ground. “Take me to Nash Zorris. Is there anyone else hurt?”
The man carries me toward Nash, my eyes not leaving him to see if he's breathing, but he’s on his stomach. The guard says, “A few, but they’re being tended to. I regret to say that we've had several casualties. We were worried about you. What was that thing?”
We’re surrounded by guards, and more pour in the room. I ignore them and stare at Nash’s lifeless form. My eyes and nose burn, but I force back the tears. I was told I would lose at least one person close to me. Jaku may or may not be alive. Who knows what happened to Venda and Julina? Eldim is certainly gone, and more may have followed him. I hate to think of Puneah being no longer with me as well.
I chose this. I picked my country over love and friendship. More lives will be spared than taken, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. After all we’ve been through, I was hoping Nash would survive, even if I didn’t. I stare at his still form. It looks like I am going to have to carry on without him.
When we reach Nash, I say, “Put me down and check him.”
The guard sets me down.
My gaze doesn’t leave Nash, though out of the corner of my eye, I see Shillian join us. We’re all here because of her. If she hadn’t followed us in, I would have never reached the Mortum Tura. I owe her much.
The guard carefully rolls Nash’s body over and presses two fingers against Nash’s neck, where his pulse should be.
I want to cry. There are cuts across his face and arms. His chest isn’t moving, but he’s wearing his uniform with the steel vest, so it wouldn’t be noticeable anyway. He’s not just pale but almost gray. There’s no way he could have survived, after everything and with how he looks now.
I squeeze my eyes shut against the blinding pain and the torrent of aching rage toward the First Queen and toward myself for not being able to save him. If only I hadn’t let Daros poison me, things might be much different now. Then again, they could be worse.
The pain increases as the guard says nothing. The love of my life is gone. I turn to look at his face. Even gray and scratched, it’s perfect to me. He was everything I could ever want.
The guard still has a hand to Nash’s throat. It doesn’t take that long to find a pulse.
Nash is gone.
I let a tear roll down my cheek, not caring who sees. Not the guards. Not my mother. It doesn’t matter anymore whether or not they know I loved him since he’s paid the ultimate price. There’s nothing I can ever do to bring him back. My life will be so much colder and darker without him.
Puneah limps toward me, nuzzling my hand. I don’t know how she found me or how bad she’s hurt. I’m just grateful for her being alive and for her comfort, as I look on at the man I love.
His eyes open—those hazel eyes with hints of blue that I’ve grown to love.
My heart soars higher than the clouds. “Nash?”
He tries to speak, but all that comes out is a croak.
I glance at the guard. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know.” He points to one of the guards surrounding us. “Run and fetch a healer.”
I turn my gaze back to Nash, not wanting to ever let him out of my sight again.
“Is she gone?” Nash chokes out, voice rough.
“She’s gone.”
He closes his eyes and sighs.
“Don’t you dare leave me, Nash. Don’t you dare.”
His eyes flutter open as some of the color returns to his cheeks. “Just tired, but I’ll live.”
“Are you certain?”
“Positive. We should get you off the floor.”
I hadn’t paid much attention, but I’m lying in rubble—smalls shards of mirror
s that broke during the earthquake, scattered around the wooden floor. My tiny cuts can wait because Nash is alive, and somehow I survived as well. There’s nothing I want more than to stare at him for the rest of forever.
“I’m fine here. I don’t want to leave your side,” I say.
He gives a faint smile but doesn’t try to sit up.
“What hurts?” I ask.
“Everything.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“I don’t think anything is broken. Just bruised.”
I know the feeling.
“Healer coming through,” a female voice says. A moment later, she appears between the guards. “Let me have a look at you.” She crouches down next to me.
“I’m fine. Look at Nash first.”
“You’re bleeding,” is her response.
I glance down and see a jagged cut in my bicep. It’s nothing. I ignore the pain and her probing. She wraps my arm as I stare at Nash, who doesn’t take his eyes from me either. I know there’s much to do. People who need looking after. A mother who needs to be thanked. A country that needs rebuilding. Damage that needs to be assessed. For now, though, I’m grateful we survived.
Mother sits across from me, her fingers knotted together. “You wished to see me?”
“I did.” I feel as nervous as she looks, but I’m better at hiding my emotions. Keeping them tight inside. I don’t want her to know how much this affects me, but at the same time, I want her to know how thankful I am. What’s the right balance?
“I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you in the past,” I say. “When Carver tried to kill me and was later punished for it, I thought the best thing to do was to shut you out. Things changed, though. After you saved me and everyone else in Valcora by helping me get the Mortum Tura, I realized what it would mean to have my mother around.” Especially now that I know I can trust her to help me. Not that I won’t be cautious around her still, but I can let her in.
She blushes. “I deserved your ire. I should have in seen the truth about Carver a long time ago. There was no place for him in our lives. It took too long to see that. I understand now, but I didn’t then. I’m sorry.”
