by Ardis, Priya
Vane smiled. He was torturing me and he knew it.
Leaning down, he whispered into my ear, “Do you regret this yet?”
Tears prickled in my eyes, which I closed to hold back. To shut him out. I fought to keep holding on to myself. To survive this. To survive him.
I opened my eyes to find I was back on the mountain.
Matt stood in front of me. The mountain shook. People rushed by. I couldn’t hear any sound beyond the pounding of my heart. He silently handed me the necklace. By the odd expression on his face, I wondered how much he’d seen despite being banished by Vane. I didn’t have the courage to ask, and as soon as I snapped on the necklace, I didn’t have the strength. Vane’s magic flowed through the necklace with reckless abandon.
I dropped to the floor with a strangled gasp. My hands touched the wounded surface of the mountain. I shuddered under the onslaught of a foreign power. Unfiltered, raw, angry magic threatened to tear me apart. Above us, the clouds thundered. Lightning flashed between them and heavy rain poured down in sheets. People cried out in further dismay, fearing a living dragon spewed fire off the mountain summit.
“Help her, Merlin,” Vane commanded in my head.
I barely noticed Matt drop to his knees behind me. His arms wrapped around my body and Matt took control. Somehow, he directed the magic into the ground, and the earth soaked it up like it did the rain.
I managed to stay strong for another few seconds until the mountain calmed.
***
“Vane, I pegged a deer. It’s in the woods. Fifty paces in that direction.” The little princess stood at the mouth of the cave, pointing outside.
A chilly breeze blew in. Under a warm, fur coat, I barely felt its sting. I’d never worn anything so warm before in my life. I could get used to it. I looked at the tiny girl, her gold-brown hair clumsily plaited and tied to keep it out of the way. I’d plaited it for her after some persuasion. With a sigh, I tossed kindling into the fire I’d just started. “Why didn’t you bring it with you? I hope you didn’t leave it alive.”
She wrinkled a pert nose. “It is dead, but I’m not touching it. You made me do the kill. It’s yours.”
I stood up, sword held casually in one hand, and walked closer. I loomed over her. “I made you because we have no other food.”
“It watched me. Sad and not…” Her piquant face looked down at the ground. “It was an easy shot. It walked in front of the arrow.” Lifting her head to glare at me, she repeated, “You clean it up.”
I repressed a sigh. “As you wish, princess. Get the bedrolls ready. We get up early.”
“I know,” she muttered as she marched off. The end of the bow she slung around her shoulder slapped against the back of her legs. Made for someone much bigger than she, the curved bow had an elegant design, but was very simple at the same time. Considering the amount of gold in the hidden chamber, I had no doubt it was specially made for her.
I stepped out of the cave.
“You’re letting her walk all over you,” a thin boy said. He held a slim sword in his hand as he stood on sentry duty. I walked to him and silently directed him to correct his stance. He eagerly complied. Worry clouded his eyes still, but they also held a sliver of hope. We were far from his destroyed home, and everyday he grew stronger and the grip on his sword grew more adept.
I asked, “Anything to report?”
“No one.”
I nodded. I managed to grab some handfuls of gold and a few other supplies on my way out of Carthage. Through luck, I evaded the other soldiers and escaped the city without drawing attention. Besides the supplies, I also acquired two additional burdens. I called myself twice mad for giving in to their pathetic doe-like gazes and allowing the two children to accompany me. I knew better than to let innocent pair of eyes to affect me. Yet, there was something about the little princess that tugged at me. As if I was meant to know her… I shook my head, disgusted with myself for even thinking such useless thoughts
Nearly one month later, we were camped in the middle of a forest in Gaul. I would not have made it so far so quickly without the aid of a tiny little girl with delicate hands and a royal pedigree. The cave, our rest stop for the night, lay high up. We were trying to remain as far away from the greatest predator that roamed the woods—man.
Septimus. The depths of the man’s debauchery, the depths I’d been forced to sink into with him, I would bear on my soul forever. I wished I had the power to heal him, so I could gut the rotting bastard again. I cursed myself for even thinking of him. The crystal necklace sat heavily around my neck. I had its brother, but nothing I tried worked. The crystal held my magic bound without mercy. I remained powerless.
A creek flowed at the mouth of the cave and water thundered down over slippery boulders. A smattering of rocks made the creek easy to cross. Red rays of the fading sun danced off the smooth stones and leaves floated down harmoniously as they fell off the nearby trees.
I had no idea what lay ahead. First, we must survive today.
I drew out a knife from my belt. “Stay alert, Lord Perseus. I’ll return shortly.”
He made a face. “I asked you not to call me that name. Our kingdom is lost. My father is gone. My mother is…” The boy stared up into the setting sun, tears brimming at the edges of his eyes. “I have nothing.”
The remark hit uncomfortably close to the bone, but I had something the boy didn’t—a brother, one who waited for me to find my way back home.
I asked, “What should I call you then?”
“We travel toward Britannia. I should like a new name for a new home.” Then, he bit his lip. Uncertainty fell over a youthful face that couldn’t have seen more than ten seasons. “I don’t know. I shall have to think on it.”
“Keep an eye on your sister,” I said, walking into the forest.
“As if anyone could,” the boy groused. “She only ever listened to our mother.”
I had to agree. The baby princess, with her big, innocent eyes, was a real hellion. Exactly as she said, I found a small doe pinned to a tree, hanging on the shaft of her arrow. She made one clean shot through the side. It didn’t suffer. The princess hit the correct spot to cause minimum pain. Lifting my knife, I jabbed it into the deer’s tough skin. I got to work. A few hours later, my stomach full of venison, I yawned.
Only small embers remained in the fire.
“Asana agni.” I tried. Nothing happened.
With a grimace, I placed dry twigs to keep the low fire burning during the night. A murmur escaped from the sleeping princess next to me. As soon as she lay down, she fell into slumber. One hand was tucked under her chin and the other rested trustingly next to my thigh. The sound of the water relaxed me. Even on Triton’s island, it was always the ocean that finally lulled me into sleep. I glanced down at the girl again and wondered briefly if I would ever be able to sleep so well. I doubted it. Life would never be safe enough for me.
She shivered under the cold breeze of the night and the boy pulled his blanket tighter around her. He moved to settle down next to his sister.
“The Vandal king was her father?” I asked the boy.
He nodded and yawned. “I don’t know much about it. From the gossip, I know the incident surprised them all. My father chose to ignore my mother’s dalliance. What else could he do?”
I glanced at the little girl. “How did he treat your sister?”
“He didn’t. He mostly ignored her.”
Not wanted. I poked at the fire. I knew the feeling all too well. “And the bow? She’s exceptionally skilled.”
The boy yawned. “She always has been. My mother had the bow made. She said she had a dream she should.”
“A dream?”
The boy nodded. “She said my sister’s father spoke to her in it.”
“The Vandal king?”
“I don’t know. It was a dream.”
“A dream,” I muttered. My time with Merlin had taught me not to easily dismiss such things. But what purpo
se lay behind the little princess’ gift? I lay down and stared at the jagged rock across the cave’s ceiling. Who knew what purpose destiny had in store for me? I was taken from my home. My fingers curled into a tight ball. Whatever my destiny was, I was getting tired of it. I glanced at the two of them. Was it really a coincidence that I stumbled upon them? What game was I involved in now?
“Perceval,” I said.
The boy looked at me with bleary eyes. “Hmm?”
“Your new name,” I explained.
The boy smiled, the luminous smile of an untouched soul. For a moment, I had to suck in my breath at its purity. It reminded me so much of my little brother. I could almost see his small face in the fire’s glimmer. I had to tamp down the pangs of regret. It took every ounce of my will to ease a scant space away from them. I could ill afford to get involved with these two. I had no need for friends. Such weaknesses had surely been beaten out of me long ago. I only needed to survive. The boy had taken one item of particular value.
“Perceval,” I said. “Where have you hidden the apple you took from the vault?”
CHAPTER 8 – LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT
CHAPTER 8
LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT
I jerked out of Vane’s memory when Matt pulled me off the ground. The mountain stopped rumbling. People on the trail seemed to be moving at a less frantic pace. Then, another crackle of thunder hurried them along. Some persisted, lingering to stare at the destruction. In place of the shrine, there was only a deep sinkhole, surrounded by haphazard blocks of crumbled concrete. Down on the second level, the poorly constructed buildings lay in shambles. Yet, despite having just lost their home, the monks continued to help the injured with stoic expressions.
“It can be rebuilt,” said Matt, correctly reading my thoughts. He grabbed my wrist and tugged. “We’ve done all we can.”
I stared at him. “You said the booby trap is for people who can’t prove they’re worthy. Does that mean you knew this might happen?”
Matt’s face blanched. “We’re disturbing secrets that have been used as protections going thousands of years back.”
I ground my teeth. “I’ll take that as an affirmative. Why didn’t you think to have some kind of plan if it did?”
“I didn’t have time to come up with a plan.”
“You mean you didn’t want to risk letting anyone else in on a plan… Say someone who could have blocked off this mountain for us.”
“No, I didn’t. I couldn’t risk it,” he said without remorse.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m realistic. We don’t have time to go through the proper channels.”
“Says you.”
“No one died, Ryan.” Unlike on your watch.
The words punched me somewhere low and deep. Blake’s face flashed between us. Tears stung my eyes, and I took a sharp breath.
Matt raked a hand through his hair. “We should go before anyone starts asking questions.”
I reined in the pain. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“This is only the beginning,” Matt said, unknowingly echoing Vane’s words.
A crack of lightning streaked above us. Rain came down with a vengeance as we began our descent off the mountain. A sign told us we were in Ratnapura, the city of gems. About a hundred feet down, the stairs became very steep and we clutched the handrails for fear of tumbling over the edge of the mountain. Sheets of rain made the passage even more treacherous. I clung to a set of large chains riveted to the rock.
Matt touched the chains. "These chains were supposedly placed here by Alexander. They could be over a thousand years old."
"So thrilled to know," I shouted back at him. Usually, I loved historical tidbits, but not right now. Not when I was depending on the very thousand-year-old chains with my life. I muttered, "As soon as we survive this mountain, remind me to beat you with that cross."
Matt sighed. “I didn’t ask you to come along.”
I slipped on wet stone. Matt caught my arm to steady me. I shrugged him off and clutched the handrails tighter. It took three hours of painstaking footholds to get down the mountain. A white dome temple, the beacon of hope, nestled in a valley of mist tucked between the mountains and curtained by crisp, green vegetation came into view. Yet, I didn’t slow down to admire the sight. With each step, my anger at Matt grew. I couldn’t believe his nerve. He would never trust anyone enough and yet, I was the only one wrong.
I dropped my sodden backpack and collapsed under a covered bit of curb. We’d finally reached the bottom of the trail and a small walkway. The path led off the steps and into a sparse huddle of stores and homes, the last stop to get souvenirs. I even saw a T-shirt declaring, “I Peaked,” which would have been funny if I wasn’t too wet to smile.
Finally, I asked, “Now what?”
“We get back on the train and find out what the cross opens.” Matt peeled off his rain poncho. Wet hair hung over his forehead and the collar of his coat. His T-shirt was soaked against his lean chest, clinging to every hard muscle.
I told myself I wasn’t impressed. “It opens something?”
Matt discreetly took out the metal artifact and traced the curves of the cross. “Looks like a key to me.”
“We’re looking for a door. Are you telling the truth this time?”
Matt scowled. “Are you going to stop using me as a substitute punching bag?”
My jaw dropped. “I am not!”
“Vane’s good at pushing every button and you’re letting him push all of yours.”
My anger deflated like a punctured balloon. I stared down at my tennis shoes. The previously white laces and rubber lining were stained an ugly brown with mud.
Matt sat down next to me. “You’re stronger than him.”
“Am I? I never thought so.”
Matt’s shoulder brushed mine. “Maybe you should start.”
I raised a brow. “Maybe you should start telling me why you’re following Alexander the Great around on this island.”
Matt grinned. “Maybe you should trust me.”
I blinked, my gaze snared by his inky, amber eyes. “You smiled.”
His expression turned self-conscious. “Yes, I suppose I did.”
“Ryan, bear with me a little while longer.”
Picking up my cold hand, he squeezed it, and in the middle of the Sri Lankan jungle, surrounded by the smells of roadside egg rolls and hot chai, the clouds shifted enough to allow one single ray of sunshine to shine down on us. Maybe things weren’t so bad after all. I didn’t squeeze his hand in return, but I didn’t attempt to pull it back either.
“Where are we off to next, oh wise Merlin?”
Matt’s expression turned sheepish. “Ella.”
***
We never returned to the hotel. Not that it mattered; everything I owned at the moment fit into the small backpack I carried up the mountain. The train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella showcased rolling hills and colorful foliage with enough wild in them to spread out across the land in interesting patterns. Within two minutes of staring at the scenic vistas, I passed out from complete exhaustion.
I woke up with my head on Matt’s chest. A bit of drool spilled from the side of my mouth, smearing his coat. I jerked up and the back of my head bumped against the metal side of the train. I winced and wiped my mouth at the same time. My seat was beside the window and Matt sat next to the aisle. I mumbled, “You could have just pushed me aside.”
“No worries.” He shut the guidebook, his constant companion, or crutch, as I was starting to think of it. “You don’t snore… that much.”
“So funny,” I said, despite the flush spreading over my face. I half-heartedly hit his shoulder. “I thought you were the nice brother.”
Matt raised a brow. “Since when?”
“W-well, in comparison—” I stuttered.
“Is that why you didn’t pick me?”
This time, my entire body flushed. “W-what?”
“Why Vane?”<
br />
“Uh—”
“You like that ‘I think I’m so hot when I’m yelling at you’ kind?”
Well, Vane was—hot, that is. And he did yell a lot.
“No need to answer.” Matt sank back into his seat. “I see the answer on your face.”
“He doesn’t lie either,” I retorted.
This time Matt flushed. “I’m trying to keep us alive.”
“Isn’t that what you always say?”
The train screeched to a stop. Someone shouted out, “Ella.”
Without a word to me, Matt got up. He slung his duffel bag over his shoulder in jerky movements and marched out of the train. I hurried after him. The Ella train station was one long Victorian-era building with a tiny platform. More red-and-yellow decorations were strung along the platform’s ceiling. Matt walked straight to a line of waiting tuk tuk drivers. We clambered into the three-wheeler.
Matt barked, “Ella Caves,” and the tuk tuk ambled off.
In a rare bit of clear weather, we passed through the center of town. The driver pointed out a big tent, packed with people. During the festival, rice and jakfruit curry were offered free to any passersby. My stomach rumbled.
"Forget it." Matt handed me a cereal bar from his bag. "Vane knows where we are now. We have to move fast."
I waved away the bar with a grimace (I hated mixed berry) as we zoomed out of the one-road mountain town. The road was fairly well paved, but a bit hair-raising. The tuk tuk flew up the steep sides of the hill country. We must have been going at least thirty to forty kilometers (that’s a brisk eighteen to twenty-four miles per hour), yet I was clutching the side of the doorless car and hanging on for dear life. My nose tickled with the scents of damp air and overgrown leafy vegetation. It perfectly suited my new occupation as intrepid explorer in search of ancient treasure, and with the “save the world” badge pinned to me I could ignore all that pesky concern over preservation of cultures and habitats that modern archeologists worried about…
