by Eliza Tilton
I held my sword in my hands, wishing it were a bow. Cael took out his sword and we crept through the shack. People fought giant men wielding great swords, hatchets, and massive battleaxes. They were the size of the brute I’d first killed in Raswood forest: hulking figures that wore animal furs and swung massive weapons.
“We need to find Raven,” I whispered.
Cael nodded and we slipped out of the shack and into battle.
The brutes staggered around on fat legs with bodies bigger than the tallest man. A behemoth spotted us and charged in, attacking Cael and I. He swung a massive polearm with a scythe on the end, its downward arc aimed directly at our heads. The sharp blade blurred past my shoulder and splintered a chair in half as I barely dodged the attack.
Cael didn’t miss the chance and attacked from the front. I dipped low and spun in a pirouette as I darted at the brute’s flank, slicing at the back of the his knee. The giant fell forward with a deafening roar. Cael anticipated my strike and positioned himself for the killing blow. He put all his weight behind that one swing, lopping off the monstrous head. Its eyes blinked in disbelief as it rolled from its dead body.
One down, another twenty to go.
Raven’s dark form scurried up one of the rope bridges, followed by a beast twice her height. I would never make it to her in time.
If I only had my bow!
She grabbed one of the bridge support ropes and sliced another with her dagger. The bridge buckled, then dropped, taking her attacker with it. He gripped a plank with his meaty fingertips, but his big hands couldn’t hold and he plummeted to the ground. Raven put the dagger in her mouth and scrambled up the rope to a higher level.
There was too much chaos to reach her, and she was already moving farther away from me. Raven could fight. I had to trust in her ability and go find Lucy—the one responsible for all this.
An ear-piercing scream blasted a group of priests on the far right, throwing them back and onto the floor, their bodies contorted in unnatural positions.
Lucy!
From my pocket, I withdrew two small balls of cotton I made when I first realized Lucy followed us, then shoved them into my ears. The fluff didn’t block the sound completely, but I hoped it muffled it enough so she couldn’t use any of her tricks on me.
With my sword out, I ran at her back. Nothing could stop me. I had her.
She turned, smirking. “Hello, Avikar.” Her lyrical voice sounded distant through the cotton, but her eyes said it all. She was excited to see me.
I had nothing to say to her.
“Ahh!” I charged her with my full strength.
My blade sliced through empty air. She slipped behind me, lightning fast, trailing a finger up my arm, playing me, then danced back in front, smiling.
A blast of light surrounded her and she screamed.
I turned.
Ginna had rushed Lucy’s exposed flank, light streaming from her hands. “Now!”
I swung, missing Lucy again. The light dissipated, replaced by a red haze. Lucy wasn’t smiling anymore. She opened her mouth and let out a wail that sent Ginna flying backwards, ripping off her left arm in the process. With Ginna’s invocation stopped, Lucy marched forward, her black hair rising around her face in wicked wisps.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” she said.
Thin darts slid out from the armor by her wrists, probably poisoned. She raised her hands and flicked them forward, firing the blades at me. I was too close to dodge them all, but the three that passed through my parries never connected.
What? I wondered if Ginna had protected me, but how could she when she lay on the ground, writhing in pain?
Lucy’s face twisted in rage, and she threw three more darts, all of them bouncing off the air, a few spaces in front of me.
I had no idea what was happening, but I took advantage. I charged in swinging my sword in a diagonal arc. Lucy wouldn’t dodge this one.
The blade of my sword shattered against Lucy’s raised forearm. The shards showering to the floor.
What?
“Poor Avikar. You didn’t think your silly human weapons could defeat the magical protection wards of my ancestry, did you?”
I was in trouble. Outmatched, and now with no sword. I couldn’t beat her. I was a stupid farm boy who thought he could be a hero, and all I had was this stupid dagger.
The dagger!
It had scored a hit on the ice spider when Raven’s blade couldn’t. It was my only chance.
Lucy smirked at the fear in my eyes. She didn’t seem to care that I’d drawn my dagger, spinning it in a full rotation one last time before I met my fate.
“You’re a foolish boy. If you bow and swear your allegiance to me, maybe I’ll let your little Raven live.”
Hearing Raven’s name poured strength into my soul. I couldn’t lose. If I did, Lucy would kill them all, and love every twisted moment of it.
“You’re mine, Avikar, and I always get what I want.”
Even with the cotton blocking most of the sound, her words found me. Everything about her was magical. The way she moved. The curves of her body. The sensual look in her eyes. A beauty most men would kill for. A part of me actually wanted to give in, to bow before her. My willpower slowly faded, and her voice flowed through my mind, filling me with warmth. I was slipping way.
Avi. Jimri’s voice shouted in my mind like the suns bursting through a dense fog.
“No,” I said.
Anger pulsed through me and my head began to clear.
“What did you say?”
In a flash, I stuck the tip of the dagger into her arm. Her eyes widened with shock.
I pulled the blade out and stabbed again. With the dagger held in a reverse grip, I aimed for her throat.
The shock didn’t hold. She spun away from my strike while drawing a dagger of her own and a whip comprised of pure energy. Snarling, she lunged, stabbing in rapid succession. Her movements were quicker than my reactions, and I had to let some of her attacks through in order to counter.
Blood seeped from my arms and sides where her dagger had scored hits. The black whip cracked as it wrapped around my injured arm, sending waves of pain through me.
I feinted left as her next thrust came at me, and parried her dagger with my own. Her blade scraped off mine and went out wide, so I used her own whip against her, pulling her in close. The searing pain gave me tears, but this was it. Out of everyone I’d ever killed, I wouldn’t regret this death. Our bodies touched chest to chest. I slid my dagger arm under her arm. Our faces were so close our noses touched. She bit her lip as I sank the dagger into her back, a wince of pain and pleasure flashed in her eyes. She leaned in, kissed me, and sunk her teeth into my lip.
Mist enveloped us and she disappeared.
“Lucy! Fight me, you coward!”
It was no use. I had hurt her badly, and she wasn’t coming back.
Ginna grunted on the floor. I picked her up carefully; blood soaked the left side of her robes.
“You’ve been chosen,” she whispered to me.
“What are you talking about?” I wrapped my arm around her, making sure I didn’t disturb her wound. I had to find a safe place for her.
“The light of The Creator, it surrounded you.”
“We need to get you out of here.”
Ginna swayed in and out of consciousness. I led her away from the battle. Blasts rocked the tree. I couldn’t spot Raven, Cael, or anyone else I recognized.
Gently, I placed Ginna behind one of the shacks. “Stay here. I need to find a healer.”
She shook her head. “No, I need to go with you.”
“Ginna, if I don’t find a healer you could die.”
She pointed above us. “There they are.”
Cael and Raven fought side by side. Once they defeated their attacker, I whistled. Raven
glanced my way. She nodded, as I held Ginna in my arms, blood covering us both.
They ran frantically to us.
“Are you okay?” Cael took Ginna from me.
She fell limply into his arms.
Raven ran into my arms and I squeezed her, kissing the top of her head.
Cael placed Ginna down and chanted. His right hand glowed and he placed it on her arm.
“Argh!” She woke immediately as Cael’s palm glowed a bright orange and cauterized the wound.
His left hand started glowing blue and he placed his palm on her forehead. Sweat dripped from his scalp, and his face paled just as color filled Ginna’s pale cheeks. He groaned and his shoulders slumped.
“Cael! Are you okay?” Raven steadied him as he slid away from Ginna.
“I’m fine.” He dismissed Raven with a wave. “She’s in serious condition. I know a way out.” Cael slowly stood and wrapped his arm around Ginna’s waist and rushed to the back of the tree.
“We can’t leave,” I said.
“We have a mission.” He turned his back on me.
Why were we leaving? Sneaking a look behind us, the armor of The Order clashed with the flesh of the brutes. Holy fire hovered, blasting from the priests, and Cael was right, the wood didn’t burn.
Cael stopped and handed Ginna to Raven. He pressed his palms against the wood, chanting low. The wood around his fingers rippled.
“Hurry,” Raven said.
I followed her gaze to two of Lucy’s guards rushing our way.
Cael’s hands disappeared into the wood and an opening revealed itself to the right. “Go.”
This tunnel was smaller than the others, not enough room to fight. Dirt covered the bottom, and large rocks created the ceiling; stone shook loose from above us. The tree boomed with another blast, sending bits and pieces of the ceiling on top of us.
“Keep going!” Cael moved Ginna and Raven in front of me.
Heavy boots clamored behind us. With little room to maneuver, fighting would be difficult, but we had to face them. I held my dagger, ready to spring forward.
Cael grabbed my arm, stopping me. I went to pull from his grip and couldn’t move.
“This tunnel will take you out of Stormwood and near King Corban’s lands.”
“What are you doing?” The words came out slow and garbled. My entire body froze in place.
“Warn the king.” He turned around and dashed in the opposite direction.
“We’ll fight them together,” I said as the echo of footsteps came closer.
Raven and Ginna stopped a few paces ahead of us once they realized Cael had turned around.
“Cael!” Ginna yelled, and pushed off Raven, stumbling.
Raven eyes went wide as she looked back and forth from Cael to Ginna.
“Take care of them.” Cael pressed his palms against the tunnel wall; the surface rippled under his fingers and bits of dirt fell from the ceiling. “Especially our little bird. She’s more fragile than she lets on.”
“What are you doing? Let’s go!” Raven yelled.
Cael chanted and the ceiling started to shake. “Keep her safe,” he said to me.
His hands disappeared into the wall. Rocks crashed from the ceiling as the entire chamber rumbled
“Cael!” Raven screamed.
“Goodbye, little bird.” Cael smiled and a single tear slid down his cheek. “Tell Jericho I’m sorry I couldn’t escort you back home.”
“Stop!” Raven ran past me and knocked my arm into my side. The dagger touched my skin, releasing me from the hold Cael placed.
Dirt and rock poured from the ceiling descending on Cael. The cave in shook the tunnel, and I barely grabbed Raven before the ceiling fell on her too.
A pile of dirt sat where Cael had been standing.
“No!” Ginna screamed.
Raven pushed me off and dove forward, digging into the dirt. “Cael!” She threw rocks to the side, dirt cascading around her where she dug.
He’s gone.
Ginna fell to the floor and wailed. Raven clawed at the ground. She could dig all night. He wasn’t coming back. I didn’t know how far the cave-in went or if Lucy’s men would be able to push their way through. Either way, we had to press on, no matter how much either of us wanted to stay.
“We need to leave.” I grabbed Raven’s arm.
“Get off!” She yanked her arm away from me.
It killed me to watch her rake her hands through the dirt, searching for Cael. “We have to keep moving.” This time I grabbed both her arms and dragged her to her feet. She struggled under my grasp but I held her tight. “He’s gone. There’s nothing more we can do.”
“You don’t know that.” Her voice cracked. “He could still be alive.”
I turned her around and held her face in between my hands. Her eyes watered, but she didn’t cry. Her body shook with anger.
“He sacrificed himself so we could escape and warn the king. We have to go.”
She nodded. “Help Ginna.” She sniffled and broke away from me.
I scooped Ginna up and put her over my shoulder, then grabbed Raven’s hand. The devastation in her eyes was enough to break my soul.
“We’re going to the king,” I said. “Every one of them will pay.”
The only response she gave was the quick shuffle of her feet, and then we ran.
Chapter Forty-Five
Jeslyn
“Are you ready?”
We stood at the edge of the beach. No, I wasn’t ready. Though calm waters reached out before me, I saw nothing but death. “What about the whirlpools? We won’t survive in this boat.”
The boat Lucino made had enough room for us to sit in, and for food and water. He had used the giant leaves of the trees to create a sail. Not a very good one, but one I prayed would work.
“We’ll be fine,” he said. “Hadda will help us.”
“Hadda?”
Hadda pecked at one of the fish I had brought for her. She stopped, tilted her head, and squawked.
“It’s time.” Lucino touched my elbow and guided me into the boat.
I sat on the bottom and Hadda flew in, landing in my lap, the fish still in her mouth.
With a big heave, Lucino pushed the boat into the water, then jumped in. He grabbed an oar he had constructed from a large branch and rowed us out to sea.
The memory of our last venture refused to leave my mind, the hot, scorching suns, the never ending thirst, the numbing pain. Could we really survive? I tried to think of how far away the whirlpools were. We hadn’t spent more than a full day on the big blue.
When the first sun reached its high point in the sky, Hadda flew out of the boat.
“Hadda!” I called for her, but she continued flying.
“Where is she going?” I turned to Lucino and his brows narrowed.
“Hold on.” He began paddling faster, switching the single oar from each side of the boat.
Hadda squawked in front of us. Her blue wings stretched out as she glided right above the water. I gripped the side of the boat, digging into the wood as Hadda flew to the right side of us. I wasn’t sure how many whirlpools were out there, but it seemed the whole sea was a frenzy of white. When we were lost at sea, I hadn’t stopped to look at the whirlpools. I was too terrified of it.
I was even more terrified now.
“Lucino!”
The current of the first pool dragged us in. I dug my arms into the water, paddling fast. Our boat whipped around the giant funnel.
My gaze darted between Lucino and the large hole sucking us closer. Lucino’s brow furrowed and a red haze surrounded him. He rowed harder, faster, but the boat continued on its course. I held onto the edge of the boat, watching our future slip away into the torrent.
We weren’t going to make it.
I took my arms out of the water and wrapped them around Lucino.
“I love you,” I whispered.
His left arm enveloped me.
Water rushed into the sky, and I held on to him as the force rocked the boat. Hadda flew beside us. The current of water surrounding us changed direction. She flew closer to the water, dividing it. A blue wall emerged on the right side of the boat, pushing us out of the deathly pool.
Hadda squawked.
Tears slipped from my eyes and I held onto Lucino tighter.
“We’re going to make it,” he said softly, kissing the top of my head.
One slow push after another and the strange water wall moved us to safety.
When the whirlpools were far behind us, the wall of water retreated into the sea, leaving us in calmer waters. Hadda flew awkwardly, then fell.
“Hadda!” Before I could move, Lucino jumped out of the boat and grabbed her.
He lifted her limp body up to me. “She’s exhausted.”
I took her from him and held her close, gently stroking the side of her face. “How did she do that?”
Lucino pulled himself into the boat. “I’m not familiar with her species. I’ve never heard of a bird with the ability to control water.”
The bird that attacked us was the largest bird I had ever seen. There were old stories of dragons, but those stories were far imagined from little Hadda. Should I have left her on the island?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Lucino said as he grabbed the oar and began rowing. “We had no choice. Without her guidance we never would have made it past the whirlpools.”
Once we found Grandfather we would take Hadda back home. I prayed she’d stay this size until then.
Lucino explained further about Mirth, and the more I learned, the more I understood his desire to get his people here safely. Would I be any different in his position?
No. If my family and people were in danger, I would do everything to protect them, but I believed there could be a peaceful way. There had to be.
“Another day and we should see land.” He dipped the oar into the water, steering us forward.
