Magic jolted through me as the image faded. Once again, we were in the room in Jahr’ad’s cavern.
Heidel sat across from me, her hands shaking before she tucked them in her lap and away from the mirror’s magical screen, which would explain why the memory had stopped.
“That… that wasn’t,” she stumbled over her words, “that didn’t really happen, did it? Your magic must have been compromised somehow. That couldn’t have been me. I know it wasn’t me. I would never…”
I didn’t say anything. Those were memories she’d have to work through on her own.
“He did something to me. He must have enchanted me somehow. There was that flash of light right before I… I… You know I never would have done that willingly. I hate him.”
“I know.”
“Then why did I do it? Is there some sort of spell he could have used—a love spell, perhaps?”
“It’s possible, but not likely. Love spells aren’t what you think, and if he’d used one on you, we would know.”
“How?”
“Your personality would change. You would stop eating and sleeping. Most people avoid using love spells for those reasons.”
“But he must have done something to me. There really is no other explanation. I swore to myself… after Geth… I swore I would never lose my heart again.”
Her breathing grew fast and shallow. She reached for her scabbard and pulled out a knife. Its pearl-inlayed pommel glinted in the sun streaming through the narrow window. She placed the dagger on her lap and studied it with guarded eyes.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“An Earth Kingdom weapon. I had it after we came back, but I didn’t know where it came from.” She looked up at me. “He must have given this to me,” she said quietly.
“Yes, that’s a possibility.”
“Why do you think he did it?”
“There’s no way to be sure, but usually gifts are a sign of affection.”
She swallowed as if to keep back the tears. “Do you think he… had feelings for me?”
“It seems possible. It’s also very likely that he still does.”
“I can’t talk to him about this.”
“You may have to.”
She nodded, still staring at the dagger but not touching it. “Olive, I’m sorry, but I need some time alone.”
“Of course. I understand.” I closed my mirror box and replaced it in my pack, then quietly made my way out of the room.
I wasn’t sure what to do for Heidel, if there was anything I could do. Her past wasn’t something that would just go away. No matter how hard she tried to avoid it, her past would always be a part of her life. The best she could do was accept it and move on. I wouldn’t tell her, but maybe having feelings for Maveryck wasn’t such a bad thing. If he helped her move forward, then maybe accepting him would help her heal.
Walking through the empty hallways, I wasn’t sure where to go next. I made my way down to the bottom floor where Zariah passed me. Her magic brushed against mine, making fear and adrenaline rush through me, but she ignored me and continued walking the other way. I hoped Maveryck would get Jahr’ad to cooperate so I could get my magic back soon. Until then, I decided I couldn’t stand being covered in filth a moment longer.
I wandered into the room with the pool. Steam filled the air, making beads of sweat form in my hands and on the back of my neck. As I approached the water’s edge, I found Kull resting with his eyes closed in the water.
He looked worse. The wound in his chest was streaked with red marks that spread to his collarbone. It seemed being wounded or injured was his lot in life. I supposed I would have to get used to it.
I didn’t begrudge his vow to remain true until he married me. In fact, I respected him for it because it meant he intended to marry me, and that thought gave me more joy for my future than any prospects I’d had before. Not long ago, I’d resigned myself to being a cat lady and living a life of solitude with Han.
I undressed, removing my boots and socks, then took off my cloak and sand-covered pants and shirt, leaving only a bra, undershirt, and panties. As I entered the pool, Kull opened his eyes, shockingly blue as the water reflected in his irises. Sometimes I forgot what an overwhelming presence the man had. My heart fluttered, feeling light in my chest, and my stomach flipped.
The water felt almost too warm, but it wasn’t hot enough to be scalding. I sat on a ledge across from Kull, the rippling water separating us. I wanted to be with him so badly the need was almost painful, and being here, with him half-undressed in the water, made the emotion nearly unbearable.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady my thumping heart, but it didn’t help.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
“No. Why would anything be the matter?”
He eyed me. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“Never mind? Tell me.”
“Very well. Your ears have gone pink.”
I pressed my hands to my ears, and sure enough, the pointed tips were burning hot. Stupid elven ears. I may as well have written my emotions on my forehead. Kull slowly narrowed the distance between us. He moved so slowly the water only rippled gently around him.
My heart leapt into my throat. Would I always feel so lightheaded in his presence? The water flowed in placid waves around his broad, muscled torso, his skin turned golden bronze in the firelight. He came close enough to reach out and touch me if he’d wanted, but he held back and only looked at me with those intense eyes.
“Why are you so beautiful?” he whispered.
“I’m not. You only think I am.”
“Have you put me under your spell?”
“Maybe I have.”
He moved closer and ran his fingers up my legs, caressing my skin. My chest tightened as his hands found my waist and he pulled me to him. His lips found my ear.
“Is this what it feels like to be bewitched? Whatever you ask, I will do it without a thought. I will kill for you if you ask it of me.”
“Then let’s hope I never ask it.”
He dipped his head lower and kissed my neck. My body melted at his touch. His hands drew me to him, pressing me against his chest. My thoughts disappeared. I only knew I wanted him and couldn’t rest until I had him.
I ran my fingers over his chest, lightly grazing the small mark where the dragon had inflicted its poison, then I let my hands wander to his abdomen, where I felt the firm bumps and ridges of his stomach muscles. His gaze met mine, and I ran my fingers over his lips, caressing them, finding them surprisingly soft under my fingertips. He took my hand in his and kissed my fingers, and then he moved away. His eyes grew dark as he studied me, filling me with an entirely different emotion as lust turned to fear.
“Kull, what’s the matter?”
“It’s…” he sighed and looked away. “It’s something the witch showed me in her castle. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to tell me now?”
“Yes. Keeping it to myself is tearing me apart.”
“Then what is it? What did the witch show you?”
“Olive,” he said quietly, “there’s more to the Deathbringer prophecy than you know. I’m in it as well.”
His gaze met mine, making me shudder at the fear I found in his eyes.
“And I’m destined to kill you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Kill me?” I asked, confused.
I sat in the pool with Kull as the warm, steaming water splashed gently around us. He’d told me something that should have scared me, but I couldn’t feel fearful yet, not until I knew more.
“That’s ridiculous. You would never hurt me. Would you?”
“Of course not. You’re everything to me. You’re my life. Without you, I’m nothing. I know because I’ve been there before and it’s an awful place. A dark place. If I killed you, then I would have no choice but to kil
l myself as well, because I could never go on without you.”
His words stirred a powerful emotion within me. He’d shared his feelings with me before, but never with so much intensity.
“There is a legend my people have,” Kull said, “about the end times. Some believe that our world will end in fire, and that an ancient goddess wielding flame and ash will ignite our lands and burn everything in her path. They say that only one can stop her, the one wielding the sword of Dracon. He will slay her, and our lands will be saved.
“All Wults are taught this story from a young age in our religious studies, but the legend has been around for hundreds of years, and I was never sure I actually believed the tale. Until now.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“Silvestra. She showed me visions, I guess you could call them, but they weren’t, really. I felt as though she’d transported me to the future. Like I was really there. I saw you, Olive. I saw Theht working through you. I saw you burn our world.”
My heart stopped. I wanted to make a reply, but my mouth grew too dry to speak. I wanted to defend myself and tell him I would never willingly destroy the world, but I’d seen it happen too, and I knew as well as he that it was only a matter of time before it happened.
Theht’s consciousness stirred inside my mind. I felt it there like a cancer waiting to spread.
“There’s more,” he said. “Silvestra’s voice was in my mind. She kept repeating the prophecy over and over. She told it to me so many times that I’ve got it memorized. ‘Only the one who wields the shadow-forged sword will have the power to stop the Deathbringer. His name will bring power. Hate shall flee from his sight, never again to return. Power to wield and power to kill. Legend will follow wherever he goes. His life will bring the death of the chosen one. His destiny shall bring peace. He shall kill the one he loves, for love shall bring her end’.”
Silence filled the cavern. I couldn’t speak. My stomach roiled, and I felt as if I would be sick.
“Do you think it’s true?” I asked.
“Yes. Not only did I hear her words, but I saw it happen. I stabbed you through the heart, and then I held you as you passed. In my mind, it was a mercy killing.”
“I don’t believe it’s true. It couldn’t be.”
“I thought the same thing. For a while.”
“But now you think differently?”
“I believe prophecies happen whether you try to stop them or not.”
“But it’s not true. You would never kill me.”
His face grew grim. “Unless the thing that inhabited your body was no longer you,” he said quietly.
Lapping water filled the silence.
“But the vision I saw showed me killing you. They can’t both be right.”
“I got the feeling that one or the other will happen. If I fail to kill you, then Theht will use you to destroy our world.”
“Then we’ll stop this,” I said. “If Theht takes over my body, we’ll stop her. We’ll do whatever is in our power to make sure it never happens, or we’ll die trying. I can’t give in to accepting it as truth or I’ll lose hope, and if I do that, then I’ll never be able to fight Theht.”
Kull remained silent.
“Don’t you agree?” I asked.
“I agree that we shouldn’t lose hope. But we’re wasting our time trying to fight prophecy. There has to be another way.”
“Like what?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know yet.”
He turned and exited the water, and I did the same. We dressed quickly, though my mind wasn’t on the task. I dried off as best as I could and then put on my clothes, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Kull’s words. There had to be a loophole in the prophecies. There had to be a way to beat them, but I knew so little about prophecies to begin with, and the one person who could tell me more was being held prisoner by the silverwitch.
The steam-filled room muffled the sounds of footsteps, but soon several people entered and gathered by the pool. Jahr’ad, Zariah, Heidel, and Maveryck stood in the room with us.
“Maveryck informs me that you wish to leave,” Jahr’ad said.
“Yes,” I answered, “but we’d like my magic back before we go.”
“That seems awfully demanding, don’t you think? If I let you go, you’ll run straight to the sky king and tell him what I’m doing here. I can’t let that happen.”
I swallowed my panic. I knew Maveryck was too overconfident in thinking he could negotiate our release.
“What if we promise not to tell what we’ve seen?” Kull said.
Jahr’ad laughed. “Not on your life. Contrary to what most believe, Wults are the worst group of liars you’ll find in Faythander. There’s a reason I don’t consider myself part of your people anymore.”
Jahr’ad circled me, his boot steps ringing against the stone floor, his seedy-eyed gaze lingering too long on my body.
“But I will let you go free, and I will give your magic back under one condition.”
“What’s the condition?” I asked, fairly certain I wouldn’t like his answer.
“One night with you.”
“What?” I sputtered.
“Never,” Kull shouted. “Over my dead body.”
Jahr’ad threw back his head and laughed.
“Jahr’ad,” Maveryck interjected, “that wasn’t the bargain.”
“Wasn’t it? Must have slipped my mind. I thought I’d have a bit of fun before she left.”
Maveryck stepped forward. “I am allowing you to pay half price for the items I barter in exchange for letting us go freely and with Olive’s magic restored. I believe that is quite enough. Jahr’ad, return Olive’s magic to her, and we shall be on our way.”
“Fine,” Jahr’ad ground out. “Zariah, see that the lady,” he said the word mockingly, “gets her magic back.”
Zariah nodded, then let her power flow from her hands and outward toward me. As my magic returned, I felt as if I could breathe again. Going without my magic was one of the worst feelings in the world. I’d rather lose a limb than lose my magic.
Jahr’ad’s gaze snagged on me. “We would have had a good time, you and I. You can’t blame me for trying.”
“Actually, I can,” Kull said.
“Have you got a problem with me?” Jahr’ad said.
“No, I’ve got many problems with you.”
Jahr’ad lunged at Kull, his hands balled into tight fists, aiming a punch at Kull’s face, but Kull sidestepped, grabbed the man by his long rows of greasy hair, and threw him in the water. The man landed with a splash. Jahr’ad floundered in the pool, cursing and screaming. Zariah pulled a spear off her back and pointed it at Kull.
“I’ll kill you for that,” she ground out.
“Try it,” he said.
Zariah’s spear glowed with red magic as she thrust it at him. I felt her magic gathered in a whirlpool around her, ready to strike him down. I had seconds to react, so I pulled my magic inside and then flung my hand at her, letting the blue and amber swirls ignite in a blinding halo of magic. It felt wonderful to wield it again, and as my magic struck Zariah and knocked her to the ground, I was certain that felt even better.
But as the magic cleared, I wondered if I had been too late. Kull stumbled back with the spear’s tip embedded in his shoulder. I rushed to him as he pulled the spear out of his flesh and tossed it to the ground.
“You deserve what you get,” Zariah spat as she writhed on the floor.
Kull clamped his hand over the wound. “It’s nothing,” he said as I stood next to him.
“Let me see.”
“It only grazed me.”
“I’ve got to heal the venom-drake’s wound, anyway. You might as well let me see.”
He grumbled, but then moved his hand away. The spear had pierced deep into his muscle tissue, and the grayish-colored fluid mingling with the blood bothered me.
“The
venom-drake’s poison has entered his blood,” Zariah said. “You’re too late to save him.”
I helped Kull sit on the ground.
“I’ll be fine,” he said.
“Stop being brave,” I told him.
He gently grabbed my fingers. “I’m not. I’ve been through worse. Being without you is worse.”
I smoothed the hair from his forehead. “I know.”
Jahr’ad climbed out of the pool, soaking wet, water streaming off him and making a puddle on the ground. “You,” he said, pointing at Kull, “have gone too far.” He turned his gaze on me. “Don’t you dare heal him. He deserves the fate he gets. I’m warning you, if you dare use one spell on him—”
Maveryck stepped between Kull and Jahr’ad. “Need I remind you of our bargain? Killing him will ensure the end of our trading. Forever.”
Jahr’ad spit at Maveryck’s feet. “Then you’d better leave now before I start renegotiating. Zariah, come.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
“I said come!”
She lingered a moment longer before storming out of the room, following Jahr’ad. When they’d both disappeared, I turned to Kull. Healing him came easily to me, perhaps because I’d done it too many times to count. Letting the magic flow from me and into him, I felt its power run smooth and strong, an elixir that absorbed the venom and snuffed it out. As the magic worked through his blood, the color slowly returned to his cheeks. He inhaled deeply as the magic dissipated.
“We should go now,” Heidel said. “I don’t want to be here a moment longer than necessary.”
“I agree,” Kull said, standing.
“Careful,” I said. “You still need to take it easy.”
“Why would I do such a thing?”
“I figured you would say that.”
“She’s right,” Heidel said. “You’re not immortal, you know.”
Maveryck raised an eyebrow. “Why would you use those words?”
“Which words?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Forget I said anything. Now, if you will all kindly follow me.” He headed for the door. “Don’t talk to anyone. We’ll have to grab our things, and then we’ll make it out.”
Silverwitch Page 22
