by Lisa Morrow
It was too much. All of it was too much. I couldn’t handle any of what they’d done to me, but least of all being marked for eternity.
Meisha turned towards the door, pausing to rest against the door frame. “Come child.”
“But what about Sirena? What about Asher?” I asked, fighting my nausea, and cradling my arm against my chest.
Sadness crept into her voice. “You must forget about your old life to embrace your new one.”
“I can’t just forget about them.”
Her amber gaze fell on me. “The only chance you have at saving any of them is to come with me.”
She shuffled down the hall, and I followed slowly behind. “This is a nightmare,” I whispered.
“No,” she said. “This is unfortunate. Sereus is a nightmare.”
I shook my head. “This can’t get any worse.”
She didn’t look at me as she responded. “Tomorrow morning you shall see. But for tonight, try to sleep. You will need your rest to face what you must.”
“What makes any of you think I’ll actually go along with this? You’ve already taken my best friend from me, what more can you do?”
Meisha glanced around the hallway, then lowered her voice. “If you prove yourself valuable, you may be able to negotiate with Blair for your friend’s life.”
Hope sparked inside of me. So many things had been taken from me in the past two days, but the thought that I might still be able to save Sirena gave me the strength to walk the length of the hall and collapse onto the bed that was now my own.
I had no idea what I’d have to face tomorrow, but I didn’t care, not as long as I still had hope.
Chapter Twelve
I rubbed the tender flesh of my wrist, clearly visible in the early morning light. The mark had been burned deep. It meant nothing. And everything. A simple knot with an eye in the center, and yet, it was a physical symbol that I belonged to them. I was one of them.
Even though I’d awoken early to a mouth-watering breakfast, bathed, and changed into a simple dress made of a ridiculously soft cotton, my whole body hummed with a deep aching. But the ache in my body was nothing in comparison to the aching in my heart. Hidden beneath my pillow, I’d discovered the barrette of The Goddess of the Harvest that Sirena had worn.
I had no idea how it got there, but as I secured my hair back that morning, I nestled it in the back. Even though it was tiny, I sensed its presence with every step I took.
Meisha led me across the glass bridge, showing no evidence it had been broken by Clarissa’s blade. It glinted in the light of the morning sun as we crossed it without a word. Meisha’s hand often drifted to her side, and I wondered how she continued to move with the vicious burn obviously hurting so badly.
The burn I’d given her.
A brown cape covered her silky black dress. Her bare feet crunched through the snow as if she was impervious to the chill. She inched carefully around each of the red flowers growing through the snow, while I followed. Knowing my friend was one of these same flowers made me wonder whose daughter, mother, sister, or friend we stepped around. And where my own friend, Sirena, lay among the roses.
Tears gathered in my eyes, but I blinked them away.
“You are very quiet this morning.” Meisha observed.
I shrugged, taking a second to gather myself. “What’s there to say?”
“Perhaps to ask questions. Like what your new role is as a Protector.”
“It seems obvious,” I shot back, trying to hide my grief behind anger. “You steal girls from their homes and rob them of their lives, in one way or another.”
She gave me a sad smile. “All this is true. But the question is why?”
“Is there any answer that could justify it?”
Cocking her head in her inhumane way, she answered, “Justify it? No. But there is still a why.” She hesitated. “Queen Guadias is the ruler of the most powerful kingdom in the world, but she is hated by many.”
I snorted. “She taxes her people to death for wars to expand her kingdom, when her own people starve in the streets.”
“Yes, and her actions have created a great many enemies.” Meisha’s words held an edge of satisfaction. “The Northerns attack the border to the north on a daily basis. Pirates attack any ships from our allies to the East. And the West… we shall have an all out war with them any day.”
“I knew her own kingdom hated her. I didn’t realize the whole world did.”
With the queen’s men always listening, the people of Duggery rarely discussed politics of any kind, just in case it might end in a blackened eye… or worse.
Meisha circled to avoid another rose. “Queen Guadias is the oldest child of King Gaudias of The Bloody Isles. Cruelty runs through her veins.”
This bit of history I’d learned from the town priest. “Not many people could slaughter a family in cold blood.”
She faltered in her steps and gazed back at me, with eyes wide. “So you know of King and Queen Zander’s murder?”
“Of course.”
With no children to inherit rule of Tarak, Maggart Guadias, cousin to Kind Zander, was next in line. But by some twist of fate, Queen Zander, in her old age, gave birth to a baby boy. Our kingdom had celebrated finally having a true heir of our kingdom. They had not relished the idea of a stranger from The Bloody Isles ruling them one day.
Unfortunately, not everyone was so happy about the child’s birth. Maggart came under the guise of meeting the new prince, but instead slaughtered the entire family.
“So you understand…,” Meisha’s gaze held uncertainty, “why the queen requires a group of Protectors to guard the kingdom from outside forces, and to keep her safe from all those who wish her dead.”
We stood in the cold, facing each other. It seemed Meisha wanted to say more, but the words escaped her.
“I understand,” I told her, shrugging, and rubbing my arms against the cold even though I wore a new, dark green cloak. It was beautifully made, with intricate stitches of roses around the edges, but didn’t bring the same warmth and comfort as my old blood-soaked cloak. “But why turn girls into roses and servants?”
She blinked and turned, continuing to walk. “Those questions are better left to Blair.”
I followed her, sinking into my loneliness as quickly as I’d been distracted from it. Meisha might be different from the other Protectors, but her loyalty was still firmly with Blair.
She led me towards the portal, surrounded by trees heavy with snow. A pang rang deep in my heart as I stared at the white archway carved with intricate red roses. It was no longer something wondrous to behold, but a reminder of Sirena, and my responsibility to return her safely home.
Even if I might not be allowed to return with her.
“Rose.” My name was a mere whisper. Was it a trick of the wind, or my mind, giving it Meisha’s voice?
But then, she turned her amber gaze on me.
“I did not lie,” she began, her husky accent thick. “Sereus is a nightmare. It will change you forever.”
“Blair ordered us to go. Do we have any choice?”
A question lingered in her eyes, echoed in the tilt of head, one I didn’t understand.
“If I do this, whatever it is, will Blair give me my friend back?”
Sadness filled her gaze. “No, it will require so much more. This is only the first step.”
I locked eyes with her. “When we get back, I’m going to negotiate terms with her.”
“A good idea.”
I wanted to demand more from her, but I didn’t know what else to say. Instead, I itched near my mark again, then glanced at her wrists. “Why don’t you have a mark?”
She looked surprised. “They did not want such a marking on my other form as well.”
“Other…” I stopped myself as I realized my stupidity. Her other form was her cat animal, of course.
“Nearly all the other Protectors are marked. Most simply choose to hide them.”
<
br /> I looked at my own mark, wishing furiously I had a way to hide it too. Being a Protector was bad enough; I didn’t need everyone knowing it the second they looked at me.
Meisha dropped her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her long fingers. “Sometimes I wish…” She trailed off, straightened, and turned back to the portal. “Prepare yourself for the other side, young one.”
With no weapons or defenses against what waited on the other side, anxious fear locked my muscles.
She glided to the archway of the shrine and pressed her palm against its smooth surface. I almost asked what she was doing. This was not the way Blair had opened the portal. But before I could, a warmth spread over my skin.
The center of the portal transformed, peeking into another forest. One very different from ours. Instead of snow, there was bare ground, free of even the normal undergrowth found in a forest. Shadows clung solidly beneath the sun lit trees. Their strikingly sharp edges sent a shiver down my spine.
Meisha crouched as she stepped into the distant world. Her movements were smooth yet cautious, reminding me of the strange beast hiding under her skin. My heart thumped painfully as she glanced back at me. Pulling my cloak tighter about my shoulders, I stepped forward.
An immediate awareness of pleasantly warm weather struck me, followed by the intoxicating scent of green life. The forest back in Duggery smelled similarly to this, although here it smelled more like the clean freshness of an autumn forest, rather than the deep, rich scent of an ancient wood. And yet, every muscle in my body tensed. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and with no wind to ruffle the leaves, it was as if even the wind held its breath… waiting.
For what, I didn’t know.
Behind me, the portal had closed, sealing off any chance of escape.
I glanced around, trying to take in my surroundings. The trees in this forest looked different from any others I’d seen. They stood tall and thin, with pale white trunks and blue leaves. Reaching out, I plucked a leaf from the closest tree and inspected it. The leaf was nearly translucent, with veins, not unlike the ones on an old woman’s legs. But as I held it, the leaf melted, growing wet and slimy.
I dropped it, wiping my hands on my dress. “Odd.”
“It is important you follow me and do as I say, without question. Understand?”
There was no way I would do what she said without question, but I nodded.
Meisha wrinkled her nose as if smelling a bad odor and started walking. “May your goddesses protect us in this place.”
My back stiffened. From what? But I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
She moved with purpose, and I hurried to keep up with her long strides. “My goddesses? Are you not a believer?”
“Where I am from, we believe in life, death, love, and family. This is all.”
“I didn’t know people existed who didn’t believe in the goddesses.” I shifted the cloak off my shoulders, trying to cool down in the warmer weather. “They’re as real as you or I.”
“Perhaps,” Meisha said. “But I do not worship them.”
My eyes drifted to the scarf secured around her head.
“Do all your people cover their hair?” My words left me cringing. Had I really just spoken them aloud?
But to my surprise, she laughed. It was a raspy, harsh sound. “This is a difficult thing to answer,” she murmured, pausing so I could catch up, before continuing towards her destination. “Uncovered hair attracts unwanted attention.”
No one could see her hair and think she was entirely human. There were too many shades of amber, blending together like the fur on an animal.
“So all your people can transform into that… creature?”
She frowned at me. “What makes you think I transform into her?”
It was my turn to frown. “I just assumed—“
Meisha paused, scanned our surroundings, and then met my gaze. “We cannot continue speaking. I need to listen. But I will say this. Being human is the form I take, not the other way around.”
She kept moving and I followed, confused.
Another question came to mind, but it fled when she froze, cocking her head as if listening.
“We are Protectors of Tarak!” she shouted to the forest, pausing briefly before continuing forward.
No leaves crackled beneath our feet, no sounds of animals stirred the silence. And it struck me how odd that was. This worry kept any other thoughts at bay until I saw the first tree, splattered with blood. Meisha paused, but I crept closer, moving until I could feel the warmth of her body beside me.
The blood was a streak of horrendous color, as if someone had clung to the tree, slid down, and died right there. It had the distinct dark, almost black, color that said the blood had long ago dried. Thankfully. Had it been fresh… my heart beat quickened.
“We are Protectors of Tarak!” she shouted once more.
Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Was she speaking to whatever had left the blood or someone who could protect us from it?
I gazed around.
More blood-splattered trees stretched out in an uneven line on both sides in front of us. The crisp shadows spread and deepened, creating an unnatural darkness even beneath the veil of translucent leaves. Warmth brushed my skin as Meisha gathered her magic to her.
The crisp, clear whistle of a bird echoed as a man emerged from a nearby shadow. Mud covered his face, and the clothes he wore were tattered. More men and women separated from the darkness and followed this man as he moved towards us. There were nearly a dozen people, gripping sharpened blades.
My pulse quickened. My fists clenched. The instinct to fight or flee raced through me.
Meisha didn’t move, nor did she release her magic.
He paused not ten feet in front of us. He was younger than my father and thin, with a thick red scar marring his bald head.
“I am Ugar,” he announced. “Now come.”
Meisha followed his orders, while I hesitated. Why should we trust him? He screamed danger, as did the people around him.
It only took Meisha a moment to realize I wasn’t following. She closed the distance between us, gripping my arms with such force that I nearly cried out. “You will follow and do as I do. Or you will die.”
A cold sweat washed over my body. I nodded.
She released me, striding back towards the man and his followers.
I did my best to keep up with her.
More trees painted by red surrounded us as we continued on, along with more ragged people. A village appeared before us, a place stinking of death, in desperate need of repair. In the center of the town, a fountain spewed brown water. A statue rose from its center, the same symbol burned into my wrist, the knot of The Protectors of Tarak.
We continued on, but I stopped as we approached a small temple, so like my own back home, it shocked me. Only, the gray stone had been charred black. And in the center, a man in a white robe knelt in the center of the two pillars.
My pace quickened. Priests wore gray robes. Oracles wore white. “Is that man an Oracle?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Ugar paused and turned around. “Yes.”
I stared at him, too shocked to respond. An Oracle should be surrounded by servants and treated with extreme respect and care. Usually they only resided in large towns, where they could pass on messages from the goddesses to the people who benefitted from them the most.
“Keep moving,” Ugar ordered.
But before I could take a step, the Oracle stood. He was a young man with hair the color of coal and deathly pale skin. To my surprise, he approached us with a smile.
“Welcome, strangers!” he greeted.
Just a few steps from us, he stopped. A spasm racked his body, and his head rolled back.
He nearly fell, but Ugar caught him.
I took a few steps closer, staring down at the man.
The Oracle’s pupils had vanished, replaced by an eerie white. “I, Libra,
the great Goddess of Freedom will not take a side in this war between sisters. Although my heart goes out to the people of Tarak.”
He convulsed again as his eyelids closed.
My pulse raced. Had I really just witnessed what I thought I had?
The urge to fall on my knees and pray raced through me as my legs trembled. But no one else seemed the least bit affected by the miracle they’d just witnessed.
“Did a goddess really just speak through him?” I asked, glancing at Meisha.
She shrugged. “His task is to find goddesses to aid our war. A task he has mostly been unsuccessful at.”
Her words failed to diminish my wonder. Successful or not, this man had just had a goddess speak through him.
Ugar gestured to one of his men. “Take care of him.”
The frightening man didn’t look at the Oracle as he handed him off, but straightened and turned a glare on us. “A storm comes. We must hurry.”
I followed after him, while staring back at the Oracle being tossed over a man’s back like a sack. My heart ached. In what place was such an important person treated so badly?
Ugar led us to the first building showing real signs of life. Smoke drifted from the chimney, and although small, it was well cared for. Built from the same white wood as the strange trees, and with a few stairs leading up to a small porch, it had an unexpected air of hominess.
“Norma waits,” Ugar said.
Meisha nodded and reached for the handle, but it opened.
A monster of a woman stood in the doorway, as thick and sturdy as a mountain, with dark brown hair tied back from her flat face. Warts, big and pink, dotted her flesh, including one misshapen one on her right eyelid. A hump curved her back, and black hair exploded from her muscular arms. “What’s this?” She gripped the hilt of her sword. “Ladies from the castle?”
Meisha’s face was unreadable, as if she neither noticed nor cared about the sarcasm lacing the older woman’s voice, which only further added to the red fury blossoming over Norma’s face.
“What brings us the pleasure of your presence here?”
“Blair.” Meisha’s abrupt answer had the woman’s uni-brow twitching.
