I smiled back. She was more than excited for this. She was more than ready to find him and kill him. But not more than me.
Lemuria was directly in the center of Muircadia, further than I had ever traveled before, and deeper than I thought I would ever go. As we went, I could see the darkness seeping into everything, snuffing out the last little bits of light that managed to break through the layers and miles of water above us.
I pushed harder anyways, despite the building panic that I would never see the sky again, that I would never truly fly. That I would never be able to spread my wings under the beating sun and feel the wind glide over every etching in them. That my magic would weaken and give out and I would drown and burn in the acid at the same time.
Alec sped up so he could stay next to me, a question burned in his eyes. He reached over, aiming for my hand and I willingly offered it to him. His warmth spread over me as our magics combined. I could feel him, his magic, weaving in and through my own as they united.
What is it?
I shook my head. Nothing.
He looked around. I saw what he did. Darkness. Indigo. Deep purples and blues that were more and more resembling only black. Various fish swam in schools going one place or another. And then our little group, on a hunt.
Nothing more. Just dark. Black.
Life would be so much easier if you just talked to me.
I rolled my eyes, as I turned my head toward him, hoping he could see how dramatic I made it.
It’s just weird, going further from the sun, I admitted.
He nodded, understanding flew through his features.
I’ve only been to Lemuria a few times, that feeling never goes away. It’s against our nature to be this far from the sky.
How far away is it, exactly? I hoped he couldn’t hear the near hysteria in my tone.
Depending on how fast we can go, at least two more days’ worth. I could both hear and feel the compassion in his words.
Two more days of going down.
Down.
Down.
Further away from the sky. Further away from air, the suns warmth, the wind, dryness. I sighed.
But pushed harder.
Will Lemuria be like this? All in the water?
He nodded.
I think I knew the answer already, but was hoping for a different one. Being in the smaller villages wasn’t as bad, because at least there was a wall surrounding them, keeping the nasty water at bay. But in Lemuria, the only thing that would keep me safe was my own magic.
Thoughts of the Mortem surfaced. When the Sprite splashed water on my face. When my skin sizzled. When he rubbed it along my arms, scraping the blood and skin off, trying to push it down to my bones.
Muircadia waters were more damaging to me than they would be to Alec, due to the half Pixie blood pumping through my veins. But it wouldn’t kill me as fast as a regular Pixie, thanks to my Sylph lineage.
I couldn’t help the shiver coursing through me. I can do this. I can do this.
Of course you can! I’ll be there. It will be okay.
I hadn’t meant to say that to him. I was just trying to reassure myself, but his words helped calm me, even if just a little.
And that’s how it went, for the next couple of days. We swam, and then swam some more.
Ironically I loved swimming. I mean, it wasn’t my favorite thing ever, but I normally enjoyed it on a hot Kansas day. But this wasn’t like swimming. I couldn’t feel the waters on my skin, or flowing through my hair. And I so didn’t want to. Everything about this was wrong. I needed aridity. I needed heat. I needed the sun, the wind. I needed…to get the freak out of this water hole of hell.
By the third day everything was dark. We were so deep I could feel the pressure beating down on me from the heavy water above and all round me. Pushing against my magic. It was like wearing a water suit and jumping into a vat of acid, hoping the flimsy material would be enough to keep the poison from getting to you.
I shivered. It was cold. So cold I could feel my bones shivering. And the deeper we went, the colder it got.
We had only stopped once to rest and sleep, and we’d had to take turns, since someone had to stay away to keep Alec and I shielded. I was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and was so ready to get the hell away and never come back.
Blackness surrounded me. No fish. No weeds, plants, or anything. The only thing I could see were the Sprites around me. Their skin was radiant, a pale glow circling them each. Alec and I didn’t glow, even as we went further down. But the Sprites, though still pretty weird and a little eerie, were stunning.
When Lynn offered a small, encouraging smile, I barely saw it. All I saw were her crazy eyes. They really glowed. Not a little luminous like her skin, but like a freaking fire was hidden inside. Where she looked there were two spotlights, like she had flashlights in her head.
But even after a while, the novelty and appeal of watching them beautifully transform time and again wasn’t enough to make me want to continue.
Fatigue stole me energy.
I started slowing, not intentionally, it just happened. I wasn’t sure if my exhaustion was finally getting the better of me, or if it was the fact that my brain was screaming at me to not go any further, in case my magic gave out and I would drown and burn and die. All my instincts were shouting at me. Every cell in my being screeched at me to stop! Don’t go anymore! Turn around! Save yourself!
Safety. I needed it.
But then I noticed everyone else slowing as well. Maybe it wasn’t just me.
That’s when I saw it. Far in the distance I saw blue. Not black, like all the other water around me, but a dark blue.
I looked over at Alec, and relief was evident all over him.
I swam closer to him, reaching for his hand. He noticed and came closer to me as well.
Is that it?
He nodded. We’re almost there.
I smiled. Hope recaptured control, pushing the doubts and fear away.
Is the water different, or what? I couldn’t figure out why we were all moving so slow compared to how fast we had been moving before.
It’s thicker around the Central Village.
He was right. The water was thicker. I wasn’t necessarily moving slower, it was just harder to go through. And as we kept going, it continued to get thicker, harder, as if trying to swim through slush instead of liquid.
Despite the thickness, moving closer to the light filled me with excitement. All the water was turning blue thanks to the light from the village reaching out far beyond its borders. The vegetation grew in number; there were greens and oranges, blues and reds all around me. Coral, weeds, and more beneath me and reaching upwards.
And the animals. Fish of all different shapes and sizes were swimming about. Their colors sparkled in the light from the village. Jelly fish, white, blue, purple and red. Turtles, little groups of them, big and small.
Dolphins that actually appeared to be normal. And they were beautiful. I could hear their singing, all the way from where they were, which was at least a couple of hundred yards away.
And then I saw it. The glistening towers, shining in the light that came from who knew where. As we inched closer, it felt more like we were walking than swimming, and I could fully take in the sight before me.
I had no idea what time of day it was, but there weren’t any Sprites in sight. Just different creatures swimming around. And then there was land, sandy blue, as it led up to those towering buildings in the distance.
I looked around, expecting to see a field of poppies and a yellow brick road, leading up to this Emerald City.
My feet finally landed and my body sagged down, thankful for the reprieve. Swimming for days was hard, way harder than walking for weeks through Ardennes. Especially since I felt like I could never actually catch my breath. Like I was slowly suffocating. Dying a little bit the further I went, the closer I got to this city.
Alec, still holding my hand, pulled me to him
and planted a kiss smack dab on my cheek. And I eased into him, my body craving his attention.
“We made it,” he whispered, his voice carrying through the water and the barriers our magic made.
“Shh…” Lynn hissed, as she pointed to the far corner. “We aren’t alone.”
No, of course not. It could never be that easy.
Chapter Five
Furnace: The thirty feet wide border that circles the entire length of Lemuria. Within the furnace, rows of boilers heat and purify the waters within the Central Village, and then release it, clean and breathable once more. This purification process is largely important, as without it, the waters within the village would fester and inhibit life.
“Follow me.” It was the first time Jon had spoken since we left the camp and I finally remembered why we’d even brought him along. He knew his way around Lemuria better than any of us, even better than Lynn, considering she hadn’t been back in decades.
My feet padded against the sand, which was more forgiving than I thought it would be, gently pushing me faster, rather than slowing me down. Maybe it wasn’t sand at all. Maybe it was a giant, soft trampoline hidden under us.
We ran together, staying close, forming a tiny blob of black against the pale blue around us, like a spider scurrying away from the big bad human. When we reached a building, we ran right past it, gliding effortlessly through the edge of the village. Beyond these cement walls, I could still see the towers in the distance. Now that I was closer, I could see that they were white. Even though at times they looked blue, and then sometimes they looked green.
I ignored them though, and focused on following Jon and the others. We rounded another building, which lead into an alley. I stopped
An alley.
I’d been down that road before. The others whizzed past me causing tendrils of my hair to tickle my face. Alec stopped, turned around and came back to me.
Grabbing my arm he asked, “What is it?”
An alley. An alley. An alley.
“Hey, it’s okay. You aren’t alone. I’m here.” We need to keep moving, he added at the last minute. The urgency in his voice grounded me. I had to suck it up.
I nodded just as Liam rounded the corner, motioning for us to come on, aggravation coloring his features.
I kept nodding as my feet finally listened to my brain and started moving again. I kept nodding, as my feet slap, slapped against the ground, one after another. I kept nodded as I thought to myself, Keep moving. Alec never released my hand. I held on tighter than I should’ve. But he didn’t appear to mind.
I played it over and over again in my head like it was my very own mantra. Keep moving. Just keep moving, moving. Like Dory sings. Just keep swimming. We could do this. I could do it.
We caught up to the others, just as they were descending into a tunnel, a sewer grate lay on its side next to the circle opening. Liam had just disappeared into its depths, as Alec led me to it.
You first, he insisted.
I nodded again. I could do this. My foot entered the darkness before the rest of my body followed, stepping onto a ladder within. My hands buzzed when I grabbed the prongs, as the magic smothering me shrunk and was barely noticeable. I ignored it, moving as fast as I could, so Alec could follow right behind.
I kept climbing down, not sure when I would hit the bottom, but when Alec placed the grate back, closing us in, black, inky darkness permeated everything.
I stalled, but only for a moment, before continuing my descent.
“Hurry, we need to hurry.” That was Jon, exasperation flared in his hushed words. I listened, hurrying, speeding up my movements. He didn’t sound too far away, and when my feet finally landed on something other than another rung, I knew to go to my right, where he was.
I bumped into someone, as someone else bumped into me, and my magic flared with their touch, shocking me back to reality. Focus. I needed to focus.
Alec’s hand found mine, somehow, and together we hurried through the darkness.
“Light?” Alec whispered.
“Not yet. Too many guards in this area.” Jon’s reply was even quieter than Alec’s question had been, if that was possible.
We continued on, the darkness closing in on us. I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. I could only hear the slapping of our shoes- despite how quiet we were, our hasty breaths, and my booming heart, thumping and pounding in rhythm with my steps.
And then I heard something else. It sizzled, hissing like a snake. I didn’t stall this time, I knew everyone else could hear it too, but they continued on. So I did too. No hesitation.
The further we went, the louder the sound grew. It was bubbling now, boiling. And the temperature increased. Sweat dribbled down my neck and along my brow. My hand started slipping in Alec’s. We kept going though. I kept pushing forward. My heart slammed against my chest, banging against its cage, trying to explode.
Things changed again, and we slowed as we rounded a corner. A light emerged from the darkness, so suddenly that I had to blink against it as the brightness blinded me.
“We can walk now, and whisper. There shouldn’t be any guards in this part of our city.” His voice was still soft, but not as quiet as before.
As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see around us. The walls were slick, dripping with something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, considering we were already surrounded in water. Oil? Slime? Who knew. Alec was sweating, probably as much as I was, and his face was redder than I had ever seen it, flushed from the run and the heat.
The others were still in full Sprite mode- blue skin, gills, freaky eyes and all.
“Where is the heat coming from?” Alec asked.
“The furnaces. We’ll be getting closer to them. We have to pass through some to get to our base here.”
“The base is past the furnaces?” Lynn surprised tone intrigued me. I didn’t understand why that was such a big deal.
“What are the furnaces?” I couldn’t help myself from asking.
We kept walking as Jon turned around to answer me. “Boilers. They heat the water, vaporizing it before sending it back out into the village.”
“It’s a purification process,” Lynn elaborated for me. “Takes in the toxins, burns it and sends the clean water back out.”
“So why is it such a big deal if we have to go past them?”
“They are very hot. It won’t bother you two as much, especially not you, Lily. But the heat is hard on a Sprite.” Concern laced each of her words, unease dripping from each syllable.
“It’s a safety measure,” Jon explained, as he looked to Lynn. “No Sprite in his right mind would go near the furnaces. So the guards never expect anything to happen around them. We only pass through, then the base is on the other side, basically surrounded by them. It’s the safest location we’ve ever held here.”
It was obvious he was proud of the location, making me wonder if it had been his idea to have this specific little hidey-hole.
Lynn didn’t say any more, but the grim look on her face concerned me. We rounded another corner, which revealed an ending to the tunnel. At the far end, a door the entire length of the tunnel, from top to bottom, stood tall. It had a circle lever in the front that resembled the front of a vault door.
We stopped in front of it. Fear spiked through the Sprites. Their eyes had gone wide, making them look even less normal than before. More alien than human. I could feel their dread, unease, and anxiety infiltrating the water all around me. Their hearts beat as one, pounding the water, sending waves through us in this small space.
My heart sped up to match them. And all of a sudden I realized I wasn’t scared at all. Excitement burned in my veins. I hadn’t felt this much heat since long before my birthday, and the magic in my veins delighted at the thought.
“Bring in the water.” Jon spoke to the others, his voice taking on an eerie quality, making him sound harsh and croak-like.
Their skin deepened in color. Blu
e covered every inch of their exposed skin. Their gills shrunk. But their bodies expanded. Bloating, getting larger. It looked like they had each gained 20 pounds in a matter of seconds. Their skin pulled taut against the strong muscles twitching in discomfort underneath.
In that moment, they looked more like blow fish than humans, or even Fae. I stepped back, not meaning to, and Lynn smirked at me, finding humor in my discomfort.
“You look like freaks,” I joked. And she stuck her tongue out, which now was long, thin, and forked, like a snake’s tongue. Gross.
I made a face, hoping she knew how nasty she looked. And she laughed.
Alec rolled his eyes, but told me, You’re right. Complete freaks. I giggled as he laughed.
“Ready?” Jon’s voice was slick and taut, making him sound like a completely different person.
The other Sprite’s nodded.
Alec held my hand tighter.
“Deep breaths now, Lily. Deep breaths and hold in your last breath.”
I did as I was told. Soaking in the oxygen, what little bit of oxygen that was available to me, before releasing it. I did it again before storing the last breath deep inside my lungs.
Turning the handle clockwise, Jon opened the door. It creaked and groaned, not wanting to pull loose. With a bang, Jon defied the will of the door, pulling it open.
Heat. Everywhere. I pushed past them, my feet moving with a will of their own.
Fire.
I yearned for it. The closer I got, the hotter I felt. Sweat covered every inch of my body, pooling along my neck, between my breasts, at the lowest spot of my back where Alec always touched.
The room was orange. Red flames danced below giant, metal cylinders lining the room in parallel aisles.
So hot.
I reached forward, so close I could almost feel the flames licking my skin, caressing me. My hand reached out, wanting to touch them, the flames that danced so gloriously below the gigantic buckets of water.
Blue sparks merged with the red flames, igniting them from below, making them swell and expand. They grew, maturing into bastions, strongholds. The fire spread up the sides of the containers, up and up.
Enchanted Revenge Page 29
