by Jessica Cage
“You must, before it is too late.”
“I’d say your window for escape has passed,” the deep sickening voice called out. Across the fallen trees, Nitara lifted her eyes from her husband in time to witness the dark form appear. A tall figure cloaked in shadows.
“Who are you? What do you want?” she called out. “Please, leave us alone!”
“My name is of no concern to you. I came here for the man, I will leave with him.” The dark figure began to move, headed for the couple.
“You will do no such thing!” Nitara stood, placing herself between the shadowed figure and her injured husband.
“Oh, and what is it that you think you will do to stop me?” The man laughed and the tone of dark humor echoed softly around them. He continued forward, slowly emerging from the shadows.
“I’m warning you, stay back!” Nitara called out.
“Oh, really?” The shadowed man rushed forward, expecting to knock the woman over, but instead slammed head first into an invisible wall. Nitara, as shocked as he was at the power she displayed, managed to conjure a force strong enough to provide protection from their stalker. “Oh my, isn't this a wonderful development!” The man waited just five feet from her. “You’re just as strong as he is, aren’t you?”
“Leave us alone!” she screamed.
“You see, I’m afraid I simply cannot do that, dear.” He looked up to the sky and Nitara followed his gaze. The sky turn dark, the bright moon above her erased in the process. The liquid matter then dropped from the sky in a storm that beat on her shield. She could still see him, smiling. He knew she would never be able to keep up the protection long enough. Though she tried, the force was too powerful to withstand. Nitara fell to the ground and was washed over with the dark substance that hardened as quickly as it touched her. Both she and Jinn were trapped, locked inside a stone tougher than any that was natural to the world.
She couldn’t avoid the sight of the nameless man who chanted a spell above her. His words were foreign but the tone was ominous, dripping with darkness. Behind him the shadows lifted from the ground and rejoiced as he marked their souls with his magic. She cried as she felt herself changing; the fibers of her being were mutating into something different, something more.
It felt as though he would never stop, he would continue his spell for an eternity and she would be forced to listen. However, he did stop and with his last words, Ignis Immortalem, the foreign stone crumbled, returned to its liquid state, and drew away from her. There wasn’t a trace of it left, even her tattered dress was left unmarked. Her impulse was to crawl to her husband, to be sure he was safe.
“I’m sorry, Nitara,” he whispered, still unable to move from the spot on the ground where he fell. His head continued to bleed from the wound.
“It's okay,” she lied, and planted her lips against his. “We’re okay.”
“Oh, how touching.” The man stood over them. “I’m afraid this affection must end now.” From his cloak he pulled out two bottles. “Good thing I always carry a spare.” He popped the cap of one and held it out to Nitara. “Come along now, dear.”
Though she held on to her husband, clinging to him, the vacuum forced her into the vessel that would become her unwanted home. With tears in her eyes she gave him one last kiss before she lost hold of him.
“Well, it looks as if it's your turn.” He put the bottle containing Nitara away and aimed the other at Jinn. “Let’s not make a fight of this, huh? You need to rest, I have big plans for you!”
Praia watched in horror as Jinn relived the tragedy of his past. His body jerked and seized over and over. He screamed out his wife’s name again and again as beads of sweat formed on his body, soaking the shirt he wore and gluing his hair to his forehead—he shook all over as once again he experienced the change that occurred when Daegal stripped away all that made him human. His magic was forced to transform into something dark. Praia watched it all in horror, fighting the urge to wake him from his state, but knowing she could not. Whatever he was experiencing, as hard as it was to witness, was a necessary piece of his journey. Jinn would kill her if she interrupted him.
Before she could do something stupid, the shaking stopped. His body calmed, the strain melted from his features, leaving his face tranquil, and he breathed a sigh of relief before returning to a stoic state.
Jinn’s mind rushed forward as he was released from the past. No longer was he trapped inside the vessel, experiencing the suffocating feeling of his first possession. He breathed deeply, shaking off the cerebral heaviness of the experience, and took in his new surroundings. The space was a familiar one he’d only seen before in a vision given to him by Sybella. Dark, dingy surroundings with very little light to offer view of the contents of the space. Cages filled with djinn both familiar and not, only this time, when he noticed the chanting of nearby witches, he felt the pressure of their words on his body. Looking down at his hands, he noticed the bars in his clutch, but the hands were not his own. Small, dainty, and with a scar he recognized from a burn during a camp fire.
Nitara. He thought her name, realizing the spell hadn’t worked quite the way he’d hoped it to.
Jinn? Her voice returned to him. Jinn, is that you?
Nitara, I am here. He felt the skip of her heart and it matched his own.
Where? I don’t see you. Are you here? She whipped her head around, studying the area and giving him better sight of the space.
In your mind, Nitty. I am here. He called her by her pet name and felt the momentary warmth followed by an overwhelming feeling of worry.
I’m going crazy, aren’t I? Their magic is starting to work on me like it did the others.
No, you’re not going crazy. I’m coming to find you, I promise. I will get you out of here.
Where are you? She had hope … not much of it, but it was there. His words, his presence, returned a bit of optimism back to her mind. Someone was looking for her, someone was trying to set her free.
I'm safe, with the fairies. I'm looking for you. He paused. Nitty, do you know where you are?
She looked out the small window that gave view of the sky. Yes, I think so. Its hard to tell, we were moved around a lot.
Where do you think? Your best guess is all I need.
Cascades. That is what I overheard them talking before the last move. The witch was to put us all to sleep, but I managed to fight it long enough to hear. I’m not sure if that is where we are but that’s our final destination for sure.
Are you sure?
Yes. Actually, we may already be here. I often hear the cries of dragons. I believe it’s mating season for them. Her mind began to wander and lose focus. He could feel it, she was weakening—the spell was starting to work on her just as she feared.
Good. I'm coming for you.
Jinn. She snapped back into focus, with urgency in her mind and heart. Nitara was afraid.
Yes, Nitty?
Hurry. What he is planning …
What is it?
He wants to take over. There is an eclipse coming. He has the stones. If he can keep the eclipse in place long enough, he can take down both fae and fairies. He has ordered us to make it so, she told him, revealing the plan that Daegal had shared with the djinn. The guy always had a big mouth, he felt the need to brag on his genius designs. He also made them swear to never speak a word of it to anyone should they get free. Technically, she hadn’t broken her promise since he said nothing about thinking it inside her cell.
You're still tied to your vessel? How else would Daegal be able to force her to do anything she didn’t want?
No, I was wished free, but his magic made us, we must obey. The witches keep us here, locked down until he is ready to use us. If we get far enough away, it fades. He keeps us close by to be sure we won’t overpower his wishes or the coven that keeps us locked here with their spells. That is why we move so much.
Dammit.
Jinn, please be careful. She knew how reckless he could be, ho
w he abandoned safety and common sense when he was on one of his save the world kicks. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last time. That was who he was.
I will. I love you, Nitara.
I love you, too.
Her voice faded from his mind, and his eyes were his own again. The tough yet somber fae sat across from him, and her face dripped with worry. He wiped the tears from his eye before addressing the girl who looked like she was barely holding herself from attacking him with hugs. There was no experience as intense as reliving an event from the past. He’d done it before, but nothing as impactful as that day. He pushed through the emotions, the sorrow and the hatred that he felt. “What?” He stared at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You … I, thought you were dying.” She sighed, relieved to hear the normality in his voice.
“I told you it would be intense.” He smiled at her as she stood from the floor, shaking her arms and legs to rid them of jitters. “What happened?”
“Just as you said. For a while you were so still, like someone had carved a replica of you in stone. I was ready to sit here counting the number of grey hairs that are creeping into your beard, but then you began to tremble like you were cold, but sweat formed at your brow as if you were burning up. Then there was the screaming, mixed in with gut-wrenching yells. You called out Nitara’s name a lot. It was as if you were suffering, like you were being tortured.”
“That’s not far off from what was happening.” He stood from the floor without aide though he felt exhausted, stretched his limbs, and wiped the remaining sweat from his forehead. His hair had come loose from the holder which was clinging to just a handful of his locks, the rest was hanging around his face. As he stretched he moved the strands back to their intended place bound by the band. “I’m sorry you had to witness that, but thank you for being here.”
“Well, did it work? Did you find him?” Praia eyed him eagerly, wanting to know every detail about his experience.
“In a way.” The corners of his lips lifted just slightly. “I know where they are.”
“Really? Where?” She lifted a brow, wondering what he meant by, ‘in a way.’
“They’re in the Cascades.” He began to exit the chamber. They needed to let the others know, and he needed to prepare for a trip.
“Shit.” She followed behind him, gathering the blankets and incense he’d lit. Before she could grab all of the items, he snapped his fingers and they vanished.
“Yeah,” he laughed dryly, “my sentiments exactly.”
“You mean to tell me he has dragons on his side?” If that were true, they would have a much bigger problem on their hands. Dragons brought an entirely new element to the fight.
“I can’t say what he has, but that is where they are, and there are other witches working with him.” He stopped at the door. “Daegal’s a talented man. He would have no trouble convincing dragons to join him. If they have, it’s because he has made a deal with them, promised them a piece of the pie when all this is done.”
“You know this for sure? About the witches, are there more than the ones you saw before?”
“Yes, the spell didn’t work exactly as I imagined and instead of finding Daegal, I was with Nitara. In her mind, her eyes were my own. We spoke.” He smiled, remembering the sound of her voice. Though she was trapped, she was still strong, the only of the djinn that remained standing, not crumpled on the floor. “There were three witches in the chamber with Nitara and the others. The spell is one to bind them, but it isn’t working, not completely. Nitara has been able to withstand them, not entirely, but enough that she was able to overhear where they’d taken them. There has to be more. They chant continuously, which means they are taking shifts. If they stop, the djinn will be able to get free and Daegal will not be pleased.”
“Whoa.” Praia smiled, ignoring the vital information he’d just given her and thinking only of Jinn and the subtle glow of hope he had. “You spoke to her? Is she okay? How do you feel?” She rattled off the questions giddily.
“Yes, I saw her. She is okay, I think. She is strong.” He laughed at the expression on Praia’s face. “I must admit, I feel better knowing she doesn’t hate me. She doesn’t blame me.”
“Good!” Praia could no longer contain herself—she leapt forward and hugged the man who nearly doubled her in size. “I’m so happy for you, Jinn. We will get her. We will save her, and the two of you will live happily ever after.” She paused. “I’ll still get steaks though, right?”
“Yeah, let’s hope so.” He returned her embrace before she released her hold and hopped back to the floor, her mind was once again focused on plotting out their next move.
“Wait, you said that the witches are using a spell to bind them. Why?” The analytical side of her brain kicked back into gear as they continued out into the hall.
“They were all wished free, none of them are tied to their vessels anymore. Their freedom makes their magic that much more powerful, like mine. He can force them to do as he wishes because his magic created them, so they are bonded to him. However, he needs to make sure they do not get away, hence the cages. It seems the requests he make only take hold for a short period of time.”
“Meaning to keep them there he would have to continuously ask them to stay.” The cogs in her brain turned as she pieced it together
“Correct.”
“So, this all-powerful warlock who created you, and however many other djinns, is held up in the land of dragons, who hate us by the way, and also has the help of witches,” she recapped the news he’d provided.
“That about sums it up,” he confirmed as they reached the door to Briar’s temporary office. Eventually she would have to move into the chambers she avoided.
“What is his plan?” They waited as the guard went inside to announce their arrival and get permission for them to enter.
“I’m not sure of that exactly, but I do know that by going near him, I will be giving him the advantage.” Jinn held back the news of the eclipse. He needed to figure out a solution before he brought the issue at hand to them.
“What is it?” Praia touched his arm. “You’re keeping something from me.”
“The same magic that made them, made me. I’m bound to him just as they are.” There it was, the risk that he would be taking. Daegal could very well claim him just as he had the others.
“Yet, you’re still ready to go there and face him?”
“I have to. It’s Nitara, I have to save her.”
“I know what he wants!” Praia barged into the meeting room that Briar had claimed as her space.
“What?” Briar stood, holding her hand out to the guards who had blocked Praia’s path. They stood down and the fae girl continued forward. Praia wasn’t one for formalities. She’d grown up very close to the king in her home, and her intrusions were never seen as a problem.
“Sorry, I still forget your new status here.” She bowed slightly, a show of respect which felt weird to them both.
“It’s okay. To be honest, I still forget myself.” She pointed to the seat next to her, inviting the girl to join her. “What have you found?”
“Daegal, I figured it out.” Jinn hadn’t told them what Nitara told him about the warlock’s plans, but Praia was persistent. She’d taken to the archives both in her own home and in Vilar. The heavy books thudded, the boom echoed through the space, as they hit the table in front of the queen.
“Okay, what’s your theory?” Briar hadn’t even looked at the books, wanting to hear what Praia had to say. It wasn’t as if she could decipher the answer faster than the girl could speak.
“Look at this.” She pulled the books apart, revealing the images on the front. The black book held the symbol of the sun, the white book, the symbol of the moon. “He took both of our peoples’ stones, the Solaris and the Lunaire. Stones representing both the sources of our power, the sun and the moon. Right?”
“Yes, so?”
�
�So, think about it! What if he could use them to somehow stop us from connecting with those sources.” She paused, allowing Briar to catch up with her. When the dark eyes widened, Pira continued. ”Exactly! It would cripple our forces. It would give him the upper hand. Without our powers, we’re no better than the humans!”
“Okay, say this is his plan. How?” Briar sat at the table, now enthralled in the story she was being told. “How could he make this happen?”
“The eclipse.”
“Eclipse?”
Praia opened both books to marked pages. Both read the same text. The Darkest Hour. Praia read it aloud. “During the darkest hour, when the eclipse is above, the power of the moon is no more.” She looked at Briar who hadn’t caught on just yet. “Don’t you get it? During the eclipse, fae cannot connect to the power of the moon, the sun’s energy blocks it.” She turned the Solaris book to Briar. “It says the exact same thing in your book. When the eclipse is here, the moon blocks the power of the sun.”
“He is going to attack during the eclipse, and disconnect us from our power.” Briar’s eyes lifted from the book to Praia who held the same expression of fear. “We will be powerless against him if he should succeed in this.”
“Exactly, and it gets worse. We have three days to find him.” She placed the lunar calendar which had been rolled up in her back pocket on the table. It showed the progression of the moon and sun, marking each time there would be an eclipse. “The next one is in just a few days. This is only a theory, but our stones are connected to the sun and moon. I think Daegal knows about the bond that is there. I believe somehow, he plans to use the stones and harness the power of those djinns he has captured. If he can do that, he can make the eclipse last.”
“Long enough to take us all down.” Briar fell back into her seat. “Fuck.”
“Exactly.” Praia finally sat down. With her news delivered, her mind could rest long enough to realize how tired she was. She hadn’t slept since Jinn left them.
