by S. E. Smith
Gem stepped forward, her mouth agape at the beauty of the twin trees wrapped around each other in the center of the garden. She had never seen trees like this before. They looked like two bodies embracing each other. The larger tree was wrapped protectively around the slightly smaller one. Wild climbing roses grew around the thick trunks, but there was only one rose blooming. The rose was a dark red with veins of black running through it, and it was larger than a dinner plate. She stepped forward to touch one of the petals. A low gasp slipped from her when her father grabbed her wrist to stop her.
“Don’t touch it,” he warned.
“Why? I don’t understand. Why is it so cold in here?” she asked, pulling her hands back to rub her arms.
“It is the dark shadow that Nali mentioned,” her mother replied in a soft voice.
“The dark shadow…,” Gem looked at her mother, then her father before she returned her attention to the rose. “Are you saying the alien creature that has taken over Magna is here? How? When? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Gem watched as her parents exchanged glances, their expressions filled with a wealth of conflicting emotions. “Yes, the alien creature is here, but it is not the same one that has taken over Magna,” Queen Adrina began. “Not long after the end of the Great War, King Samui and Queen Malay of the Isle of the Giants came to us, seeking help. They had been sailing near the Isle of the Sea Serpent when an object fell from the sky. The meteorite damaged their ship, and it took several days to repair. While they were stationary near the crash site, Samui found a piece of the meteorite – and it was alive. It slid under his skin and began consuming him. Malay immediately sought our help,” her mother explained.
“But… why? Why not return to their kingdom?” she asked, looking up at the entwined trees.
“Malay is my sister – your aunt. Giants must marry outside of their kingdom. Malay fell in love with Samui when they met as teenagers,” her mother shared.
Gem looked at her mother in surprise. “Why did you never tell me about her?” she demanded.
“You were very young when Malay and Samui arrived. The alien creature was growing rapidly, spreading throughout Samui’s body. Nothing we did could stop it. In a matter of days, we realized that it was taking over his mind,” her mother quavered, her voice filled with anguish.
Ruger stepped up to Adrina and wrapped his arm around her waist. “We were in this garden, trying different forms of magic to pull the creature from Samui, but the creature was too powerful. Samui started to fight us. Malay tried to stop him. When she touched him, a portion of the creature spread to her. Your mother and I knew that if we did not stop them, they would cause devastating damage and loss of life – not to mention the possible spread of the alien infestation to other Isles. I invoked an ancient spell of the Elders and turned them into trees,” he explained.
Her mother waved a hand at the rose. “Recently, the vines began growing and we noticed the spread of darkness through the petals of the rose. We believe the creature has grown strong enough to seek an escape – into a new host,” she said.
Gem looked at the flower. The black had almost overtaken the red in the short time they had been talking. The movement of the soft petals was almost hypnotic. She had to curl her fingers into a fist to resist the temptation to reach out and caress it.
“Why hasn’t it spread from Magna?” she asked in a distracted voice.
“Magna is a very powerful witch. The creature uses the power of the people it occupies. I think Magna sensed the danger and was able to bind the creature to herself so that it could not spread, very similar to what Malay and Samui did when they used their combined magic to seal the creature within themselves when they transformed into the trees. If we could find a way to pull the creature out and contain it, we may be able to save Malay and Samui, but we need to do it soon. If not – if not – we may be forced to end their lives in order to kill it because we cannot let it spread,” her mother explained in a slightly uneven voice.
“If such a creature is as powerful as you say, perhaps it would be better to allow it to live.” Wayman’s deep voice caused all of them to turn to face him directly.
“What are you doing here?” Ruger demanded.
Wayman’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile. “What I should be doing, your Majesty, acting as your advisor,” he replied.
Gem watched with growing unease as Wayman stepped into the garden. His eyes were not on them, but on the transformed figures of Samui and Malay. She stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.
“You were not asked to be here,” she snapped.
Wayman looked at her. “I can think of no other place that I should be but here,” he stated with such grim certainty that Gem wondered if this was about more than a determination not to be left behind. A movement near the door of the garden pulled her attention away from Wayman for a moment.
“I apologize, your Majesties, I tried to stop him from following you, but I lost him in the maze,” Samuel said in a breathless voice.
“I will handle this, Samuel,” Ruger reassured the old guard.
“Wayman, don’t!” Adrina cried in alarm.
In the space of an instant, disaster unfolded before Gem’s eyes. Wayman reached out with both hands and grabbed the now completely black rose. His body stiffened, and his eyes widened. Black tentacles wrapped around his arms and rapidly engulfed his body.
Ruger quickly pulled Gem and Adrina away from Wayman. He pushed them behind himself.
Adrina grabbed his arm. “Change him, Ruger,” she advised.
Wayman turned and looked at them. His face was hard and his eyes were now the color of a moonless night. A snarl curled his lips, and he lifted his hands towards them.
“I am free!” Wayman’s lips moved, but the sound coming from him was rough, hoarse, cold, and odd.
Her father started to respond, but before he could, long, sharp spears of black shot out from Wayman’s palms. Samuel, quick as lightning, jumped in front of her father. The spears pierced the beloved guard’s body, lifting him off the ground where he dangled for a moment before the alien in Wayman’s body tossed him aside like a child’s discarded toy.
Gem reached out to her friend as her horrified cry filled the air, “No! Samuel!”
“Run!” her father yelled.
Gem stumbled when her father turned and pushed her and Adrina through the doorway of the garden. He wasn’t far behind, and once through the doorway, he slammed the door and muttered a hoarse command. Stepping back, they watched as the vines that had protected the garden began to transform.
“It is spreading,” her mother said in a grief-filled voice.
Gem grabbed her mother’s hand and began pulling her back along the path. The creature was spreading – and the vines were greedily reaching for them. She turned to look at her father when she realized that he wasn’t beside them.
“Father?” she cried.
Ruger stepped back. Adrina held out her hand to him. His eyes were focused on the growing black mass. Gem hissed when the walls around the garden suddenly crumbled and Wayman stepped through the tangle of vines – a contemptuous sneer on his lips.
“This is what true power feels like, Ruger. You should have embraced it instead of trying to lock it away,” Wayman hissed.
“Water freeze, hold him still,” Ruger ordered.
Gem watched as water droplets formed around Wayman’s body before turning to ice. Inside the ice, she could see the black tentacles wriggling. Her hand tightened on her mother’s arm when the vines reaching for them began to retreat. Hope swelled inside her until she caught the malicious gleam in Wayman’s eyes.
“Father, watch out!” Gem shouted.
She pushed her mother to the side and jumped forward. Her arms wrapped around her father’s waist knocking him off of his feet as the ice shattered, sending shards of sharp ice crystals flying toward them. Rolling to her knees, Gem pulled a blade from her boot, and threw it. The blade went
deep into Wayman’s shoulder, knocking him back several steps.
Rising to her feet, she helped her father up before turning to her mother. They needed to get out of here. The creature screeched with rage and reached to pull the blade out of Wayman’s shoulder.
“Mother!” Gem cried in alarm.
Adrina was lying on the ground, a long shard of ice protruding from her side. A dark stain of blood spread outward from the wound, turning the light green material of her gown to a deep red. Gem knelt and cupped her mother’s cheek.
“Ruger, you must – we must – the Elders’ spell. It is the only chance to save our kingdom now,” Adrina whispered.
Ruger wrapped his hand around his wife’s and nodded. “Gem, you must seek help from the other kingdoms. If they can kill the creature in Magna, they may be able to do the same here. If nothing else, warn them about what is to come,” her father ordered.
With a frown, Gem looked from her mother’s pale face to her father’s. “I won’t leave you! Samuel…,” she began.
Her father reached out and grabbed her arm. “You are our only hope now, Gem. I will place traps along the way to slow the creature down if it should break free, but you must not let the creature touch you. Go!” her father ordered in a stern voice.
Gem wanted to protest but her father was already chanting the spell. She rose to her feet when she saw the mist forming around him. The creature – and Wayman – shot a tentacle toward her parents. Gem instinctively lifted her hands and closed the maze in front of them. As she backed away, she saw her father help her mother to her feet. Her mother’s voice blended with her father’s as they recited the enchantment together.
Fear and grief engulfed her. The black vines broke through the hedges, ripping them from the ground and tossing them aside as they hungrily reached for more hosts to inhabit. Wayman’s features were shifting from wood, to stone, and back to flesh.
She continued to back away – afraid to turn her back lest the creature attack her. Her eyes widened with horror when her parents’ voices faded as the mist enveloped them and their bodies melted away. The silencing of their voices did not stop the magic they had unleashed, however. The rolling fog grew thicker and began to expand.
“Join me, Gem, and accept your destiny,” Wayman called.
Gem shook her head in denial, her voice frozen with fear. Backing up toward the edge of the first turn in the maze, she spun on her heel and fled when the dark grey mist of the Elders’ magic continued to spread, rolling in a thick wave over the ground. Behind her, she heard Wayman’s howl of rage, and she knew that the creature was fighting the magical power that was slowly overtaking the Isle.
Fear spiked inside Gem as she ran up the path leading to the towering cliffs of the Isle of the Elementals. Her cries of warning remained mostly unheard. Whatever spell her parents had released was closing in from three sides of the Isle.
The creature’s shrieks grew louder and more frustrated, but Gem couldn’t stop to turn around and see what was happening. Using the power of the wind, she created a tunnel ahead of her and let it sweep her along just before the mist cascaded over her former position.
All she could hear now was the wind whipping past her ears, her hair swirling so wildly that she could hardly see. The magic required a lot of her energy. She wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.
The tunnel was barely wide enough for her to pass through, but it created a vortex that would open a portal and send her from one side of the Isle to the other. At one point, her elbow brushed along the mist. Her arm tingled and began to fade. She tucked her arms close to her side and away from the mist.
One by one, the people around her disappeared as if they had never existed. The black shadow tried to capture the residents, but its long tentacles passed through empty air. The rolling cloud of the ancient spell was erasing everyone that she had ever known, loved, and fought beside, but Gem was not afraid of the spell sweeping over her home. Her father knew what he was doing – and whatever the consequences of this powerful magic, they were far better than the alternative.
A part of the creature slipped into the vortex, she could sense it, a hungry dark force concentrated in a black tentacle. Gem ran faster, refusing to be overwhelmed by her terror. She needed to be smart if she was to save her people. Her muscles were protesting, and her lungs were straining painfully. She couldn’t run forever.
Ahead of the mist now, she released the power of the wind, huffing a ragged breath of relief as the spell stopped draining her energy. A giant fallen tree blocked her path up ahead and she raised a trembling arm, palm facing outward, and focused.
The tree dissolved into millions of particles. Gem ran through the glittering pieces. Once she was past the spot, she closed her fist and the particles reformed.
Breathing heavily, she glanced over her shoulder when she heard the sound of shattering wood. The dark talons of the creature cut through the dead tree, ripping it in two. Gem turned around and continued toward her destination.
Up ahead, she could see an opening in the trees and the unmistakable shape of etched stone. Hope blossomed inside her – just a few more yards and she could escape. The sound of her breathing echoed in her ears, and she could see her breath in the suddenly chilled air. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw the mist of magic closing in on her. Time was quickly running out.
Once she reached the edge of the cliffs, she would transform. It was too dangerous to do so yet. If the ancient magic caught her, she might never be able to reform again.
“Mine. Come to me,” the icy form behind her demanded.
Gem ignored the command and pushed herself harder – running as fast as she could. Around her, the trees bent to give her passage before straightening in an attempt to slow the malevolent creature chasing her. The black tentacles greedily grasped for her, but she stayed a few steps ahead.
Several yards ahead, she could see the stone gazebo standing like a silent sentinel above the cliffs. The stones of the Elders would give her some protection from the creature. She cried in relief when her foot touched the first intricately carved stepping stone.
The stones glowed under her feet. She was almost free. She grasped the stone pillar and stepped into the safe haven of the gazebo, gasping for air. Her heart thundered in her chest as she turned and took several steps back from the black tentacles that curled around the outside of the gazebo.
“You cannot touch me here, creature! Nothing is powerful enough to break the spells of the Elders,” Gem declared, hoping that what she was saying was true.
“Your magic cannot stop us. It will give us power. With the power of your kind and the magic of the Sea Witch, we can take over many worlds,” the entity said in a hypnotic tone.
Gem turned around as the black shape encircled the gazebo, cutting off her only means of escape. A wave of intense sorrow washed over her. There was no one to help her. Her father had hidden the Isle of the Elementals from the world long ago to keep the other kingdoms safe, but it had also isolated them. If she couldn’t get off this Isle, no one would ever come to save them.
“You will never use me,” Gem proclaimed with growing determination.
The creature continued to encircle the gazebo before forming into a shape that was heart-wrenchingly familiar: her mother. Overwhelming grief filled her, but so did another emotion – rage. She pulled the short sword at her waist free of its sheath and took a step forward.
“So much power. You can undo what the others have done. I can sense the power inside you. Power you do not even know you possess,” the entity that looked so like her mother said in a whispery voice.
“Power that you will never control,” Gem passionately vowed.
“But I will,” the creature replied.
Gem watched with growing horror and fear as the creature slowly advanced. The stones under the alien’s feet began to glow. Streams of color rose up to wind around its body. The outer skin of the alien bubbled and sizzled as if it were being cooked unti
l a thin crust formed. The crust turned to ash and fell away, but the alien appeared unfazed by the damage being wrought and continued moving closer to her. Raising the short sword, she sliced through a tentacle when it reached for her. The creature screeched in outrage but didn’t back away from her.
One tentacle after another greedily shot forward trying to capture her within its evil grasp. Behind the creature, Gem could see the magical mist her parents had invoked rolling ever closer to them. She stumbled backwards when the magic reached the gazebo.
Gem knew it was too late for her to escape from her Isle. She and her people were doomed. Her only hope was that the battle against the Sea Witch was successful. If it was, there was a chance that Drago, Orion, and the others would know how to defeat the entity that Nali had seen in her mirror.
Please, Goddess, if you hear my plea, send someone to help save my people and the Seven Kingdoms, she silently begged – and miraculously, a voice responded.
“You cannot disappear, Elemental, you are needed,” the Sea Witch vowed.
Gem’s eyes widened in shock, and she stared at Magna’s ethereal form as it suddenly appeared behind the black shadow. Then she watched in horror as the Sea Witch opened her hand and directed her magic toward Gem. Over the thunderous pounding in her head, Gem heard the alien’s howl of rage as Magna’s spell rapidly spread through her body, turning her flesh to stone.
All is lost, she thought in despair before the world faded around her.
1
Off the coast of Yachats, Oregon:
Present Day
* * *
Ross Galloway steered his trawler out of the marina and through the narrow inlet. Once out of the no-wake zone, he pushed the throttle forward. Even at full speed, it would take him an hour or more to get out to a good fishing spot.
He looked toward the shoreline and noticed a woman sitting on the beach. She raised her hand. He didn’t know if she was waving or just shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. He recognized her as Mike Hallbrook’s sister, Ruth. For six months, she had been plastering the town with Missing Person flyers, looking for her brother.
