Lux got up, still rubbing his throat, and stepped back from the sonneillon. It kept coming at him, so Lux moved to the side. He kept stepping backwards, moving so the sonneillon would stand between him and the hot water.
When the sonneillon reached out for him again, Lux kicked it as hard as he could in the chest. The creature went flying backward, growling as it fell into the water. It began to scream, but only for a few seconds before it died.
“I always thought you things were so gross,” Lux said, watching the sonneillon float in the water.
With Ira taken care of, that left him with only thing to do: figure out how to stop Valefor from going after Lily. Because as long as Valefor was alive, Lily would never be safe.
22
Under her breath, Wick cursed herself for giving Lux the wand. She’d given it to him because he needed a fighting chance to survive. After everything he’d done for her and Lily, Wick felt like she owed him that much. But she’d done it in the heat of the moment and hadn’t been thinking.
Without the wand, Wick had no idea how to get out. The trail of fairy dust she’d left would be of no use to her, since it wouldn’t show up without the magic of the wand. She and Lily were running blind through Valefor’s lair. And Lily wasn’t even running that fast.
“Lily, come on,” Wick hissed, pulling on her to move faster. Wick still hung on tightly to Lily’s hand, afraid if she let go that Lily would stop completely.
“We shouldn’t have just left him behind like that,” Lily said, her voice thick.
“It’s what he wanted.”
“But it’s not right.” Lily stopped and refused to go any farther, no matter how hard Wick tugged on her.
“Lily!” When she saw that Lily wouldn’t budge, Wick turned around to face her and put her hands on Lily’s shoulders, trying to convey how important this was. “I left him with my wand. He’ll be alright.”
“But I can’t let him risk it.” She shook her head. “I can’t leave him to die for me.”
“If he dies, it won’t be just for you.” Wick put her hand on Lily’s cheek, her eyes grave. “It’s for the whole world. If Valefor gets you, we all suffer. This is about more than just you or Lux.”
“If something happens to him, it’s my fault,” Lily said, with tears in her eyes.
“No, it’s not.” Wick shook her head. “It’s his fault. He chose this life in service of a daemon. And this, what he’s doing for you, is far more honorable than anything he’s done before. In return, you need to get out of here alive. Otherwise his efforts will be for naught.”
Lily bit her lip, and Wick took that as a sign of a reluctant agreement. She took Lily’s hand again, and they began running. Lily quickened her pace but only slightly.
They hadn’t made it that far when the grunting garble of an ogre voice echoed off the walls. The oversized shadow stretched across the hall in front of them, and it was only a matter of moments before the ogre rounded the corner and spotted them.
With nowhere to hide, Wick opened the door closest to her. She ran inside, dragging Lily with her, and slammed the door shut behind them.
“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise.”
As soon as she heard the voice, Wick’s heart stopped in her chest. She’d never heard him speak, but she knew who he was instantly. She turned around slowly to see Valefor sitting at the end of a long black table. A large bronze goblet was in his hand, and when he took a drink of it, it stained his lips blood red before he licked them.
“Have you changed your mind about my offer already?” Valefor asked Lily.
“Run,” Wick whispered.
She stood in front of Lily, and Lily tried to open the door to escape. As soon as she grabbed the handle, Valefor appeared next to her. He leaned almost casually against the door between Wick, and Lily.
Wick blinked, not understanding how he had disappeared in a split second, and whirled around to see him smiling down at Lily.
“What happened to your lovely face?” Valefor asked, doing his best to look concerned. He reached up and ran his fingers along the scratches the sonneillon had left on her cheek.
“Don’t you touch her!” Wick shrieked. She grabbed his arm to pull him back, and Valefor turned around. His blazed with fury, and he smacked her hard enough to send her flying across the room.
“Wick!” Lily shouted and reached out for her, but Valefor stood between them.
Wick lay on the floor and didn’t move for a second, but finally she opened her eyes. Blood streamed down from her lip, and while she was alive, she appeared disoriented.
“Now, where were we?” Valefor turned back to Lily, smiling widely. “Ah, yes, you’re face.” When he reached for her again, she twisted away from his touch.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I know you’re frightened, but hear me out.” Valefor held up his hands, palms out. He took a step towards her, and every time he did, she took a step back. “I can heal that. I can heal all your wounds. I can make all your pain go away.”
“I can handle it,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I’m sure you can.” His tone went patronizing, like he was talking to a small child rather than his intended bride. “You’re a very brave girl. Defying me like this takes some gall, I understand that. In fact, I even admire your spunk. But don’t mistake that for anything more. I will get what I want, Lily.”
“No, you won’t.” Lily shook her head. “I have to give you my allegiance. It’s not something you can take from me, not by force or by trickery. And I will never, ever serve you.”
“You say that now,” Valefor sighed. “I’ll admit, that does disappoint me. It’s so much simpler when you just agree in the beginning. But you will. Everyone bows before me in the end.”
He stepped toward her, and this time she didn’t step back. She held her ground and glared up at him.
“Remember what I said earlier?” Valefor asked. “I can take your pain away, but I can give it just as easily.”
He raised his hand, like he meant to smack her. Lily winced and turned her head, preparing for the blow, but it never came. Instead, he ran the back of his hand down her face, almost caressing her. Hot tingles ran through her flesh, like a pleasant flame, and she pulled her head back.
“What did you do?” Lily put her hand to her face, and instead of the jagged cuts, she felt only smooth skin. “You healed my scratches?”
“I took your pain away,” Valefor explained. “And that is the last time I will do that until you agree to be my wife, to love me, obey me, and bend to my will.”
“You know my answer.”
“That I do. And I also know your weakness.” He stepped away from Lily, walking backward across the room. “And it’s not pain. It’s your heart.”
“My heart?” Lily asked, and her eyes widened as she realized he was moving toward Wick. “No! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!”
“Sure she does.” Valefor bent down and picked Wick up by her throat. She clawed at his hands and made guttural noises. “She’s what’s going to make you accept my offer.”
Lily ran at him. Wick shook her head, and Lily halted. She stood in the middle of the room, watching as Valefor strangled her friend, and she had no idea what to do.
“Please, Valefor, I beg of you.” Her eyes scanned the room, looking for anything to attack him with. But other than the chairs – which appeared much too heavy for her to lift – there was nothing. She had nothing.
“There is one way to stop this, my darling, and you know what it is,” Valefor said. “Hell, if you accept now, I’ll heal your friend. I’ll let her go free, and I’ll even order my minions to leave her alone. She’ll live a long happy life. And all you have to do is say yes.”
“I can’t.” With tears in her eyes, Lily shook her head and looked at Wick. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t.”
“You leave me now choice then,” Valefor sighed. “I’m going to have to kill her.”
23
Lux ran down the hall, going on instinct more than anything else. He’d seen which direction Lily and Wick went, but he’d been too distracted by fighting with Ira to tell them they were going the wrong way. They were heading straight towards Valefor’s chamber.
His worst fears were confirmed when he heard Lily screaming. Her terrified words were coming from behind Valefor’s chamber door. He raced down the hall and threw open the door not knowing what he would do when he got there.
“Stop!” Lily wailed when Lux came into the room.
Valefor held Wick up by her throat, her feet churning the air below her. In attempt to save her friend, Lily had grabbed onto Valefor’s arm. She was pulling with all her might, and it wasn’t doing anything.
Lux had pulled the unicorn horn from Ira’s eye, and since it was the only weapon he had, Lux threw it at Valefor. The wand sailed toward him like a spear. It hit Valefor in the shoulder, piercing his skin, and Valefor leaned back his head and howled.
Except it wasn’t a normal howl. It sounded like a beast, like inside him was a monster far worse than any sea dragon. The whole room shook from the sound of it, and pebbles and dust fell from the ceiling.
“Lux,” Lily breathed his name, and her relief at seeing him alive was very short lived.
“You stupid boy,” Valefor growled and tossed Wick across the room. She hit the ground hard and began coughing loudly.
“Lux, go!” Lily shouted, but he didn’t move.
“Actually, I am happy to see you.” Valefor pulled the horn from his arm and tossed it into the fires around him. The flames roared up for a moment, burning green and purple before dying down.
“I won’t let you hurt her,” Lux said, standing tall.
“That’s fine.” Valefor walked toward him, and Lily grabbed onto his arm again, trying to stop him. He knocked her back, but only hard enough so she would fall to the ground. “I actually don’t plan to hurt her.” He smiled wider. “No. I’m going to hurt you.”
“Lux! You need to run!” Lily got her feet. “He’s not going to hurt me. He’s just going to hurt everyone I care about!”
“I won’t leave you alone with him,” Lux insisted and kept his eyes locked on Valefor.
“You picked the wrong time to become honorable,” Valefor said, glaring down at his former minion. “If you’d only waited a day or two, until this was all over, you could’ve helped me rule the world. Your life would’ve been free of all pain and suffering. You’d never have to feel anything again. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
“Not anymore,” Lux shook his head and took a swing at Valefor.
Valefor let him hit him, but it did nothing. Valefor just smiled wider. Then he pulled his arm back and hit Lux so hard he went flying into the fire.
“No!” Lily yelled, not realizing that peccati were impervious to flames. She ran at Valefor, hitting him over and over again in the chest, but he only laughed at that.
“I bet you’re going to be so much fun on our wedding night,” he said, and he grabbed both her fists, nearly crushing them in his. “But right now, I need you to stop, because I have work to do.”
He threw her aside, and she landed near Wick. Wick crawled over to her and wrapped her arms around her.
Lux walked out of the fire, his clothes and pants in tatters because of the flames, but otherwise, he appeared alright. His strides were long and purposeful, and his fists were clenched at his sides. He went right up to Valefor, but instead of just punching him, he hit him in the face with a burning hot coal, pressing it into Valefor’s eye.
Valefor groaned and held his face, and Lux punched him again. But Lux didn’t get in a third hit. Valefor recovered and hit Lux, knocking him down. While Lux lay on the ground, Valefor kicked him in the side over and over.
“Lily, we must go,” Wick whispered. “While he’s distracted.”
“I can’t leave Lux, not like this.”
But Wick wouldn’t hear it. She wrapped her arm around Lily’s waist, pulling her toward the door, while Valefor beat the hell out of Lux.
Lux didn’t even try to fight back anymore. He couldn’t. He lay on his side, doing his best to shield himself from the blows as Valefor pummeled him.
From the corner of his eye, Valefor saw Wick and Lily making their way toward the door. To stop them, Valefor picked up Lux and threw him, his body slammed into the door and fell to the ground.
“Lux!” Lily broke away from Wick and ran to where Lux lay crumpled.
He didn’t open his eyes when she reached him. He didn’t even move. With tears streaming down her face, she touched him gently, and his eyes fluttered open.
“Lily, you should go,” he whispered, his voice barely a sound.
“I won’t leave you.” She caressed his face, and he put his hand over hers. “If you die tonight, then I die tonight.”
“No, you must live.” He coughed, wincing with pain. “I’m sorry that I’ve failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me,” she assured him. “You could never fail me. I love you.”
Valefor laughed behind them, making promises that Lux’s death would be slow and painful, but neither of them really heard him. They were too focused on each other.
“I know.” Lux squeezed her hand. “And I love you. No matter what happens here tonight, I want you to know that. My heart, my allegiance, they belong to you.”
Lily bent down, kissing him softly on the lips, and the whole room began to shake. But Lily was oblivious, focused only on Lux. She knew this would be her last kiss with him, and she wanted to cherish it.
“You fool!” Valefor shouted, his voice becoming more of the animal roar it had been before. “What have you done? You’ve ruined everything!”
By then, the room was shaking too much for her to ignore. Lily turned back to see Valefor standing in the center of the room, howling. The flames around the room nearly reached the ceiling, and the walls began to crumble. Large chunks of the tower were falling around them, as if it were raining boulders.
“We have to go!” Wick yelled and ran over to them.
She and Lily helped get Lux up. He leaned on both of them, and though he tried his best to walk, he couldn’t really move. Wick got the door open, and they hurried out just as the ceiling came down.
“What’s happening?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know!” Wick shouted to be heard over the rumbling of the tower.
In the hallways, everything was chaos. All of the horrible creatures that worked for Valefor were trying to make their escape, but most of them ended up crushed under falling debris. Lux tried to give Wick and Lily directions on how to get out, but blood was streaming into his eye and he couldn’t see very well.
As they were running, the floor gave out in front of them. A sonneillon had been racing past them, and he barely grabbed onto the jagged edge of the floor. Lily peered over the edge, and a mile below them, hot lava bubbled up. The sonneillon’s grip slipped, and he fell back, screaming as he tumbled to his death.
They turned around to go the other way, but the ceiling crashed down, blocking their path. Through the new hole overhead, they could see sky above them. It had turned a dark red, and it was filled with black smoke.
“What do we do?” Lily asked.
“We climb.”
Wick started up the huge chunks of rock that blocked their way, but she slipped almost right away. The constant quaking made it impossible to get a grip. She tried again and slid back down to the ground.
With tears in her eyes, Wick shook her head. “There’s no way out.”
Lily sat down on the ground next to Lux. He sat up the best he could and wrapped both of his arms around her, so he could shield her from anything else that came.
“Take my hand!” a familiar voice said, and Lily looked up to see Aeterna floating above them.
His wings were completely healed, as was the rest of him. In fact, he didn’t show any signs of his earlier wounds. He’d flown in through the hole in t
he tower, and he held out his hand for Lily to take.
Lily was too stunned to react, so Wick took his hand first. Then Lily got up and grabbed onto him, wrapping her arms around Aeterna’s neck. With his other hand, he picked up Lux.
“Hang on tight,” Aeterna said, and then he was flying out of the tower, his wings beating hard and fast.
Soon they were soaring high above the Earth, the crumbling tower below them. Lily clung onto him, afraid of falling, and she saw Lux doing the same.
“What’s going on?” Lily asked, her face pressed into Aeterna’s chest.
“There’s someone you need to meet,” Aeterna said, and then flew up higher, past the clouds into a blinding white light.
24
Lily didn’t remember how she got there. One minute she was in Aeterna’s arms in the clouds, the next her feet were touching the grass gently. A brilliant white palace sat before her in the center of a green island. Crystal-clear water sparkled around it, and the sun shone down warmly on her.
The grass felt amazing on her bare feet, much softer than grass had felt before. In fact, she felt better than she had before. All the aches of her body were gone, and when she looked down, she saw that any evidence of her wounds were gone. Even her tattered dress had been replaced by a new, beautiful, white gown.
“Lux.” Lily remembered in panic that she hadn’t been alone and looked around frantically.
Both Lux and Wick were standing behind her, their confused, dazed expressions matching her own. Wick looked at her arms with amazement. Like Lily, they were free of any marks from her earlier fights. Her own worn dress was replaced with a clean one, and her hair had been pulled back in beautiful curls. She looked lovelier than she ever had before.
“Lily,” Lux said.
He had been healed and cleaned up, and he looked so stunningly handsome, it was hard to believe he was real. Lily ran into his arms, and they felt strong and cool around her. She stared up at him, touching the smooth skin of his face to see if he was real.
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