I stop walking and turn, letting him run into me. I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him with every bit of fire I have in me. “I love you, Max. I hope you know that. I know this year wasn’t easy, and I know I left you alone a lot, for which I’m sorry.” I smile, kissing him again.
Rohesia clears her throat. “We need to keep going. Make out later.” She turns and walks ahead of us. I’m pretty sure I hear her mutter, “Or never,” but I can’t be sure, so I don’t reply.
Max and I walk hand in hand, no words exchanged. There’s nothing left to say. I feel an overwhelming sadness as it occurs to me that I can’t think of a single thing I want to tell Max before we walk into this situation. What if this is it? The sudden realization that this could be goodbye forever hits me, and I don’t know how to handle it.
I don’t even know why I’m thinking about it. We’re going into this together and we will come out together, no matter what Rohesia said.
Yackros’ words from last night haunt me, though. “That scoundrel.” “He’s bad news.” “His aura is black.”
I shake my head. I refuse to believe that. I can’t let someone else’s opinion cloud my judgment. Not about Max, who I’ve known my entire life. He just told me he didn’t come this far to give up on me now.
I just hope those words hold true when he sees Fyazum. Though admittedly, even I don’t know what to expect. In all this time, Rohesia has never told me what he looks like, and I never saw him through Yackros’ eyes while traveling his memories.
“We’re here,” Rohesia says and ducks, grabbing my arm and pulling me down behind the bush with her. She scoots closer to Max. “Do you see that tree?” She points.
“Yeah,” he says.
“The lowest branch is a lever. As quietly as you can, get to it and await my signal. When the time comes, you are to pull it down and hold it. Under no circumstances are you to release it until you see Alita wave from the cave entrance. Do you understand?”
“Sure, sure.” He nods. “Except I don’t see a cave entrance.”
“Look to the north along the ridge just above this row of trees. You will see it once you’ve done your task. This is how we find it,” she explains.
“And tell me again what you’re going to do?” he asks, his tone darker than normal, and he seems upset. I can imagine he’s suffering many of the same emotions I am.
“The moment you open that door, three hideous beasts are going to appear, and they will do everything in their power to kill anyone who dares attempt entering Séraphin’s lair. My job is to protect your life and Alita’s, so I don’t think taking on that insulting tone is a good idea. Do you?” Her right brow raises.
Max clears his throat. “No. And I’m off.” He crouches along the line and disappears into the foliage, where it’s just barely too tall for me to see him. He reappears once he’s reached the tree, his hand on the lever, read to pull it at Rohesia’s signal.
She’s disappeared from my side. I look up and realize she’s approaching the rock wall. I switch positions, unable to hold still, waiting for my cue. When it comes, I’ll have mere seconds to move before being attacked. Furies are smart, despite how ugly they are.
They know it’s me they need to go after—Rohesia is a distraction. And with three against three, it’s one they can afford to have. I begin to shake, recalling the last time we were here and how horribly wrong it all went.
I see blood on my arm where one of the hags scratched me as she flew by on her bat wings. Her snake hair biting at me, stretching beyond what it should be able to reach. I shudder. Rohesia raises her hand, holding her sword high.
She cuts down, and I take off. Max must’ve pulled the lever because the face of the mountain shimmers, opening up to show a crack, and part of the stone falls away, revealing a cavern entrance.
I put all my focus into moving forward. I forget about everything but the need to get there before one of us dies. I must get there before Max can’t hold it longer. Despite how easy it may seem, it becomes heavy quickly.
My clothes catch on the brush and bushes, on tree branches. There are cuts all over my uncovered skin, though admittedly nothing penetrates the integrity of the pants I’m wearing.
My lungs are on fire, and there’s a desperate need for water to cool them down. I imagine the drink just inside, pulling me closer. I can’t stop short. I can’t slow down. I must be as strong as my companions. “I’m coming for you, Yackros.” I say through gasps of air, propelling myself forward.
Only feet away, my foot catches on a rock, my toe throbbing, I fall, rolling across the ground. I look up, covered in shadow. I’ve made it, though only barely. I get up again, looking around for any way to force the wall to remain open.
I never made it this far last night. I don’t know what I’m looking for or where it’s located. But there’s nothing in plain view. I search, kicking up dust, tripping over myself. I feel along the walls, search the floor, but everything is flat. There are no obvious buttons or levers.
I look out the entrance. Blood covers Rohesia’s arms and face. She’s fighting, pushing on, a war cry in her scream. Max holds the lever with both arms, his face scrunched up from the pressure. And here I stand, being completely useless.
“Come on, Alita.” I put my hands on my head, applying pressure to my temples. “Think. Given what we know, how would Séraphin ensure he could get out if he needed, and not lose his own cave? There is no way he does it with magic. He would have to hold it there constantly, and that is no easy feat. Rohesia said magic wasn’t his strong suit.”
I look around just outside the cavern, my heart rate spiking as screeching flies toward me. I turn to face the oncoming fury, her mouth wide as she yells, her eyes black holes. Arms raised, nails forward.
I duck down, picking up the largest rock I can throw, and putting all my power behind it as I aim and launch. It hits her shoulder. A nasty tearing sound follows and she falls to the ground, her wing broken and coming apart from the shoulder blade. Falling to my knees, I want to vomit. I need to vomit. But I can’t focus on that. I turn away, horrified at what I’ve done, but also proud at defending myself rather than running away in terror. Until that moment, I really didn’t know how I was going to react. Right before my eyes, the oddest little rock, that seems to be shaped into some kind of pedal appears. I press it, backing up at the sound of cracking stones.
The wall of stone reemerges, except there’s a doorway, handle and all. It swings open. I jump to my feet, turning around. I begin waving until I know Max saw.
“Rohesia!” I call as loud as I can muster, hoping I don’t put her at risk of getting attacked while not paying attention. Especially after her speech.
“Go on without me! I’m right behind you!” she yells, swinging at the fury flying toward her. The one I hurt is still down, and I haven’t the slightest clue where the third one is. I hesitate, not wanting to go on, but knowing I need to trust her. She told me what to do, so I’m going to listen. The last thing I want is for one of us not to return because of me.
Max nearly barrels into me, though luckily I step to the side in time to avoid the collision. He leans over, hands on his knees, gasping for air. “I don’t know how I did that, but I feel like rubber,” he mutters, sweat pouring down his forehead.
“I know, and I’m sorry. But we’ve got to go.” I take his arm, pulling him up until he’s standing straight. “Come on.”
I’m glad I brought my phone. The path before us is cast in shadows. I turn the flashlight on and light the way. We walk cautiously because we don’t know what to expect. No one has ever made it this far. At least not that I know of. What if they have? What if Séraphin has already been defeated? That’s a predicament I didn’t see coming. What if Séraphin is no longer alive? We’ve been preparing to face one enemy. What if it’s someone else? Someone we don’t know anything about?
Suddenly, I find myself hoping it’s Séraphin.
22
With every step forward, I pause, waiting fo
r something horrible to shoot out of the walls, a hole in the walkway to open up, or a giant ball to come rolling toward me. Not knowing if something else is going to come flying toward us is worse than actually having it happen.
Once again, I realize just how wrong Rohesia was. We should have weapons. We don’t know if she’s going to make it in here with us. How long will it take her to bring down the last fury? They’re legendary creatures. Are they so easily taken down that one woman could do it on her own? Not say that Rohesia isn’t powerful, but the odds are three against one. Even if the one I injured can’t fly again, that doesn’t mean she couldn’t get back up and fight. And if like many other mythical creatures in all the stories, they have magical healing abilities that allow them to mend in minutes, perhaps she’s already flying again, and raining down a world of hurt on Rohesia.
I remind myself repeatedly that she said to stop for no one. I must continue forward no matter what happens or who it happens to. I look at Max, taking his hand for comfort. He looks at me, meeting my gaze, and nods like he understands what I’m feeling and I’m not alone in feeling it.
It’s exactly what I need. I accept that bit of comfort and continue forward. There’s a tiny sliver of light at the end of this winding tunnel. I hide my phone just long enough to make sure that’s what I’m seeing before holding it out again.
When we reach the end, there’s a tiny opening with just enough room to make it down three steps. I climb down first, really hoping this isn’t the moment I die. I’m not ready for that. Once I’m down on the next platform, my attention is captured. There’s easily a hundred thousand pearls in this room. The walls are encrusted and there are at least twenty on pedestals, highlighted by an overhead light shining down on them.
“We have a problem,” I say, looking around. I was expecting one pearl, not a million. Without knowing what I’m looking for, we could be here forever trying to find the right one.
“Yackros?” I call out in my mind. It’s a long shot, but I need him now more than ever.
“What are you doing? How do we know which one we need?” Max pats my shoulder.
“Shhh!” I try to listen deeply, hoping Yackros can respond, or even hear me. But all is silent. I close my eyes. “I need you, Yackros. I know it hurts to communicate from where you are. But if you can muster the strength to say just one thing, let it be something to tell me what kind of pearl I’m looking for. Without help, there is no way I’m going to find the one we need. Séraphin foresaw an invasion on his plans. He prepared for it.” I wish I could project the scene before my eyes into his mind. Alas, it’s a magic art I don’t yet know.
“Blue. Teardrop.” His words are broken, distorted, and a sharp pain fills me to my core. That pain was his. The magic over him in his prison is getting a stronger grasp on him.
“Thank you. Don’t say anything else. I felt your pain. Thank you, Yackros. I love you!” I wipe the sweat from my forehead and get down from the platform, stepping onto the pearl-coated floor.
“We’re looking for a blue teardrop pearl.” I put my hand in the bowl of pearls, surprised by how smooth they are, the comfort of feeling so many at once, how fun it is, and calming. I bring up handfuls to look through.
“Do you realize how many blue and teardrops are here?” Max gawks.
“My guess is that Séraphin only has one that is both blue and teardrop-shaped. Even he runs the risk of losing it among all of these. It’s going to be somewhere painfully obvious to him, and unclear to anyone who doesn’t know his mind. So if you were a dark dragon rider, bent on ruling the world of dragons and man, where would you put it?” I pose the question only to immediately regret it.
“There.” He points to the pedestal.
“How did you do that?” I approach the pillar. Sitting atop it is a crown. A single blue tear-drop-shaped pearl sits in the middle, surrounded by shimmering scales.
I gingerly pick it up, almost daring to put it on my head. But I know I shouldn’t, although I couldn’t give a specific reason. I can feel the power coming off it in waves. There’s so much sadness. The edges are blackened. I take a step forward, a crunch beneath my shoe. I look down, noticing the pearls crumbling.
“We need to get out of here.” I walk toward the wall, watching the outlines of a door appear. We step onto a long narrow bridge, the room behind us turning to dust and disappearing in a breeze that shouldn’t be possible.
“This is too easy, Alita. There is no way it could be this simple.” Max looks awed. And scared, more than I’ve ever seen him before. It worries me. Not because he doesn’t have a right to be scared, but because I don’t want him to lose hope in me. What if he resents me for making him come on this mission? What if by asking him to follow me, I’ve ruined his life? Scarred him in ways there is no healing from?
“You’re right. The moment I touched this, Fyazum should be able to go free. That’s what Rohesia said. So where is he? Where is Séraphin? And how do we get out of here?”
“We go forward,” Max says, looking at the nothingness where we once were. “Because there’s nothing behind.” He brushes past me, which is terrifying given how narrow the path is, and marches onward.
We loop around, stuck on what feels like a never-ending path hundreds of feet up, black nothingness below. I’ve never been afraid of heights, but this is nerve-racking. My attention is split between the crown and the ground beneath my feet.
But I follow Max, glad he’s taking charge for a moment. I’m tired of making the decisions. Of being strong, and keeping my head up. We finally reach a wider path that feels like we’re back on solid ground again and the blank nothingness disappears behind, just as the room of pearls did.
There is only one path. We enter a room that seems far too bright given it’s inside the mountain. A large dragon, his scales shining silver, his eyes molten gold, stares at me. What seems to be hope lifts his soul.
Loud clapping calls my attention to the other end of the room. “Congratulations, little wingless human. You have done what no one before you could. You got the pearl. I’m quite impressed. You see, I was with it only moments ago, but an alarming noise caught my attention and I was pulled away. So really, I’m impressed. You knew exactly who to distract me with while claiming the one possession I need most.”
The man before me is tall, at t least six foot, seven inches. His hair is dark and curly, similar to Max’s. His eyes, the same dark green shade.
A horrifying feeling overcomes me as I begin to realize what Yackros and Rohesia meant when they said Max was bad news. I look down at the struggling form beside Séraphin and see the tears in Rohesia’s eyes as he pulls on her hair.
My heart stops and begins hammering twice as fast in an instant. Her hands are tied behind her back. She has a black eye and multiple cuts on her cheeks and forehead. She’s mouthing something to me, but I can’t make out what it is.
“Let her go, Séraphin. This is a battle you cannot win. You won’t come out ahead. There are three humans and one dragon against you. What do you think your odds of winning really are?” My voice cracks, and I don’t dare look at Rohesia as I speak.
In a fight, I am useless. Beyond useless. Rohesia thought my magic would be enough, but looking at this guy, even if he isn’t great at it, there’s no way he couldn’t just hit me and knock me out completely.
“Oh, but dear Little Wingless,” he says Yackros’ nickname for me in a mocking tone. “Who’s to say it really is three humans against one? Perhaps that is what you believe now, but we both know you have brought me an ally, don’t we?”
I glance at Max, not wanting him to know it, but he’s already watching me. His rows furrowed. Looking at me for answers. “Why did you look at me?” he asks, sounding as betrayed as I expected.
I open my mouth to speak, but Séraphin doesn’t give me a chance.
“Because she knew coming in here that you were destined to be by your father’s side in this war. She hoped your love for her would be enough to stop t
hat from happening. But I worry that she pushed you too far away one too many times and didn’t even realize that your love was, perhaps, not that strong after all.” He approaches, leaving Rohesia alone as he steps down so he’s on the same level we are.
“Father? You’re my father?” Max outbursts.
“Indeed I am. I understand that you might hate me right now, but I promise you, I never would have allowed another family to raise you. It was not my choice, Max. Life in this mountain would have been no life for you at all, and your mother couldn’t have that. You see, I met your mother and we fell in love, but she didn’t agree with my ways. She took you and disappeared. Being surrounded by all of this—” He gestures to the rock walls around us. “It was too much for her. She broke down. She gave me you, and then took you away. Until this moment, I didn’t know where to find you. But I knew that once I finished taking control of the jewel that will give us the world, I would search for you.”
He steps closer, clearing his throat. “I knew you would grow into greatness. I see you were with people your mother knew would love you as their own and give you a good life. I knew you would grow up to be strong, smart, levelheaded, and wise beyond your years. You were right when you told Alita not to trust Wren, or Rohesia, or Rhys. And certainly when you told her not to believe in fairy tales. However, son, she was right about the dragons. As you can see—” He holds out his hand toward Fyazum. “They are indeed real.”
“I don’t need your excuses or lies. I don’t know who you are, but you are not my father.” Max folds his arms across his chest.
“Oh, dear boy, don’t dismiss me too soon. We haven’t gotten to the best part. I know your heart, your mind—I know your very soul. You may feel love for Alita on the outside, but within, we both know you resent her, as you’ve resented me. After all, you thought I abandoned you, and once dragons entered Alita’s life, she abandoned you. She chose a life in a forest she shouldn’t have been able to enter over you. She chose to enter a place you couldn’t follow rather than being with you.
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