Kingdom of Shadows

by K M Reynolds

  “I need to go lay down,” she whispered. She tried to stand up but wobbled unsteadily, quickly sitting back down on the cushions.

  Charles leapt to his feet, extending his hand. “Let me help you.”

  “Thank you.” Adelaide took his hand and stood, leaning on him for support. The duo made their way to where Cambria was curled up, rocking silently back and forth and staring blankly ahead. Adelaide gingerly stooped and pressed a kiss to Cambria’s temple. “I love you, Cam. I’m here when you are ready to talk about all of this.” She stood and motioned to Charles, and the two retreated to her room.

  As they walked down the hallway, Adelaide felt the air becoming less heavy. The world spun a little less, and she could draw a full breath. Charles noticed it, too.

  “Wow, those two really know how to set the mood,” he commented, taking a deep breath. “It’s so much easier to breathe and think the farther away from that room we get.”

  “I thought it was just me!” Adelaide exclaimed. “There is so much tension in there, it’s like I was drowning in it and couldn’t see the way out.”

  “No, it’s not just you. Maybe it didn’t affect me as much because I didn’t know them like you did, but her grief is tangible. I sort of feel like I need to lie down now, too.”

  “You can lay with me. I really don’t want to be alone right now,” Adelaide offered hopefully.

  “I’ll take you up on that.”

  The pair entered Adelaide’s room and she practically collapsed onto the bed. Charles tucked Adelaide in and then snuggled in beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she rested her head on his broad chest.

  “Thank you, Charles.”

  “For what, my love?”

  “For always being here when I need you.” She sighed and snuggled deeper into his embrace. “I just wish Cambria had someone like this.”

  “She has you.” Charles kissed the top of her head. “You are her someone.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Adelaide agreed. “But I can’t be everything to her, not like you are to me.”

  “Fair enough,” he chuckled. “But you are her light in the darkness. You keep her from being swallowed up by the night.”

  “I’ll have to spend some one-on-one time with her later, we haven’t gotten a chance to lately, what with her parents…” her voice trailed off as her throat tightened. She swallowed the lump in her throat and began again. “With her parents being held prisoner and now killed. I know she’s going to need me.”

  “That she will.”

  “I’m just so tired,” she whispered, closing her eyes and breathing in Charles’ warm, comforting scent. “You smell like home, you know.”

  “Like home?” he replied, puzzled.

  “Yes. Like a mountain forest after a rain. Fresh and new and wild.”

  “Well, thank you, I think,” he laughed. “It must be the new body oil Wynne gave me for bathing with. She wanted to try a new combination.”

  “It must be,” Adelaide murmured, fighting back a yawn. “It’s great.”

  “Close your eyes, sweetheart. Take a nap. I’ll be here when you wake.”

  Adelaide nodded and exhaled deeply, listening to the steady rhythm of her lover’s heart as she drifted off into the land of dreams.

  Adelaide started awake in terror as the room around her shook. The windowpanes rattled and a mirror leapt from the wall, shattering with a crash on the floor. Charles was also awake, and he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

  “What is happening!” Adelaide cried out, her heart racing.

  “I don’t know,” he replied over the din. “I fell asleep shortly after you and woke when you did, to this… this tempest.”

  Adelaide felt her heart skip a beat as she realized what this was. “Cambria.”

  “You think Cambria is doing this?”

  “I know she is! I can just feel it.”

  Just as suddenly as the ruckus has started, it stopped. Everything was still and quiet. Adelaide and Charles peered around the room, waiting anxiously for the shaking to begin again. When it didn’t after several long minutes, Adelaide carefully climbed out of bed.

  “I’m going to see what all the ruckus is about. I’ll be right back.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Charles offered.

  “No, I think I’d better do this alone.”

  “Be safe, Addie. Please.”

  “I will.” Adelaide smiled sadly. “This is Cambria, she would never hurt me.”

  Charles bit his lip and shook his head. “I hope you’re right.”

  Cambria watched through swollen eyes as Adelaide and Charles hobbled out of the common room. Her pulse roared in her ears and in her mind’s eye, she saw the flames dancing and devouring her parent’s bloody bodies. Over and over again, on a loop, their deaths danced in her memory, burning into her very soul. She watched as Wynne got up and left the lake house, heading for the barn. Minutes turned to hours as she sat and rocked back and forth, tears streaming unhindered from her eyes.

  At last, she uncurled from her position on the cushions. Her muscles screamed as they stretched for the first time all afternoon. She paid them no mind, instead concentrating on her broken hand. There was a crunch as the bones in her hand re-set, and she wiggled her fingers. Good as new.

  The sun was low in the sky, shining through the large windows and casting everything in a warm golden glow. Cambria squinted as the light bounced off something in the corner of the room. She turned to see what it was and felt her blood run cold. The Time Glass. There it sat, where it always did, inconspicuous and alone. Cambria stood slowly on aching legs and made her way over to the large hourglass, running her hands down the sides.

  “You are the answer to all my problems, aren’t you?” she whispered. “I can go back and save them. I can undo all of this.”

  She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, and grasped the Time Glass firmly. “Let’s do this.”

  The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts and she whirled to face the intruder. It was Wynne.

  “Cambria, what are you doing?” Her voice was soft but firm.

  “I’m going to do what you won’t,” Cambria spat. “I am going to save my family.”

  “You know the Time Glass isn’t meant for that, Cam. It is to be used as a window to the past, not a door,” she chided. “Terrible things could happen.”

  “Terrible things have happened!” Cambria was trembling, she could feel her rage bubbling to the surface. That white-hot pain mixed with red-hot fury… she was going to explode. “Terrible things have happened, and you’ve done nothing to help. So I’m taking matters into my own hands!”

  “You don’t want to do this, Cambria,” Wynne warned.

  “Oh, but I do.” Cambria reached out to grasp the Time Turner.

  “I’m sorry, Cam,” Wynne sighed, before releasing a blast of energy that swept Cambria off her feet and sent her hurtling across the room.

  Cambria felt her head connect with the wall, but she hardly noticed. The heat was still raging inside, and she planted her feet, growling with unbridled fury. The room around her began to shake slightly, then rock as though the earth itself was convulsing. Objects flew from their resting places and tore about the room in a whirling dervish. The windows shook and the doors flew open and shut. Cambria raised her hands and pointed them at Wynne. “You’ll pay for what you did to my family.”

  Before Cambria could fire off a spell, Wynne sent another wave of energy her way, this one stronger than the last. Every window in the room shattered as violet light filled the air, then vanished. The house was still at last, though it looked like a storm had blown through. When the light was gone, Wynne could see Cambria crumpled on the floor, unconscious.

  “I’m sorry, Cam,” Wynne whispered, carefully making her way through the broken glass to her fallen companion. “I’m so sorry it came to this.” She bent over and quickly examined Cambria’s limp body. “At least you aren’t hurt.” She
flicked her wrist and Cambria’s body levitated gently into the air. Wynne guided her across the room and began the walk to Cambria’s room. As she made her way down the hallway, Cambria’s unconscious body floating behind her, a door up ahead opened. Wynne sighed as Adelaide stepped out of her room, gasping as she saw Wynne.

  “What happened?” Adelaide gushed as she rushed over to Wynne. “Oh my gods, Cam!” She swept to her friend’s side and grasped her hand. “What did you do?”

  “I stopped her from destroying the house, that’s what I did.”

  “Is she hurt? What happened?”

  Wynne sighed again, gesturing up the hallway. “Let me get her into her bed, and I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

  Adelaide nodded, releasing Cambria’s hand. “I’ll wait for you in the common room.”

  “You may want to wait in your room,” Wynne advised, wincing slightly. “The common room is pretty much destroyed. I’ll fix it up later.”

  Adelaide simply nodded and retreated back into her room.

  Wynne took Cambria’s body to her room and tucked her into bed, placing a kiss on her forehead. She turned to go, but a cold feeling in her stomach made her pause. After a moment or two of thought, she cast a spell, creating a shimmering bubble that enclosed the bed. “There. You won’t be going anywhere until we can decide what to do with you.” She trudged out of the room and closed the door softly, whispering one last time, “I’m so sorry, Cambria.”

  cambria’s choice

  A delaide slipped back into her room, shutting the door firmly and whirling to face Charles. Her heart was pounding and her knees trembled. She lifted her hands to her mouth, exhaling softly.

  “Well, what happened?” Charles asked, sitting up on the bed.

  “Cambria was unconscious, and Wynne was dragging her down the hallway,” Adelaide whispered, her eyes wide.

  “Dragging her down the hallway?” Charles queried, his brow furrowed.

  “Well, not so much dragging as she was floating her…” Adelaide clarified, shrugging. “Some kind of levitation spell. But Cambria was out cold.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “And Charles,” she continued, “She was bleeding from the back of her head.”

  “What! Do you think Wynne attacked her?”

  “I don’t know. Wynne said she’d be here in a minute to explain what happened, but…” her voice trailed off and she gestured helplessly. “I just don’t know.”

  Charles patted the bed beside him. “Well then, we will wait for her to come and explain.”

  Adelaide nodded and shuffled across the room and sat beside him. They didn’t have to wait long. The door creaked open and Wynne stepped inside, her shoulders slumped. She turned to face them and sighed.

  “Is Cambria going to be alright?” Adelaide wanted to know.

  “Physically, yes, she will be fine,” Wynne assured them. “But mentally and emotionally, I can’t say. What she has gone through… is going through… it’s a lot for anyone to handle.”

  “So, why was the house shaking like an old farmer’s cart on a rocky road?” Charles asked.

  “That was Cambria,” Wynne confirmed. “She was so hurt, so angry, that her emotions took over. She lost control for a minute, and destroyed the common room. She would have destroyed the whole house if I hadn’t taken her down when I did.”

  “By The Five,” Adelaide whispered.

  “Indeed. She was going to use the Time Glass to try and go back to rescue her parents. When I warned her against it, she flew into a rage.”

  “Could that work?” Adelaide asked. “Could she really go back and save them?”

  “I’ll tell you what I told her, and what I told you all that night we used it together. It is meant to be a window to see the past, not a door to walk through and change anything. Traveling alone is risky, and traveling with the intention of making changes to the past… well that could have fatal consequences for the traveler, and could mean catastrophic things for the rest of the world. Even if she tries to take it and use it, she won’t be able to change what happened. She will only cause further hurt to herself, and to those she loves.”

  “Damn.” Charles ran his hand through his hair. “So what do we do now?”

  “Now we try to get her back on the right path. Darkness and Shadow are creeping into her soul, I can sense it. She needs us now more than ever, even if she tries to push us away. She’s in a volatile place right now, and we need to be her harbor in the storm.”

  “I can do that,” Adelaide agreed.

  “Good. We all need to be on the same page. Charles, are you willing to help?”

  “I don’t really see how I can,” he replied, shrugging. “But I’ll give it my best shot, absolutely.”

  “Thank you. This won’t work unless we all commit.”

  “When can we see her?” Adelaide wanted to know. “She is hurting and I know she needs time to process what happened, but she’s my best friend. I should be with her.”

  “I would wait until the morning, at least,” Wynne cautioned. “She should sleep for a while with the spell, hopefully until dawn at least. I’ll try to reason with her in the morning, and see if I can get her to stand down on her plan.”

  “Alright, that sounds fair,” Adelaide agreed. She paused, chewing her lower lip. “But what if you can’t get her to agree to stop? What if she’s determined to try and go back and change it?”

  Wynne sighed heavily, shaking her head. “Honestly, Addie, I have no idea what I’m going to do if that happens. I’m just hoping she sees reason when she’s not so embroiled in her emotions. She is a smart girl, I’m sure she will come around and be reasonable about this.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “For the sake of all Echaria, I hope I am, too.”

  Cambria’s eyes flew open and she winced at the light swirling above her. She blinked and peered at it through squinted eyes. The source of the light was a bubble that wrapped around her and the bed. Her breathing hitched and she could feel bile rising in her throat. She choked it down and willed her breathing to steady. She reached out a trembling hand and touched the light. To her surprise, it was like running her hand along marble—cool and solid. She pressed her hand harder against the shimmering wall, but it did not budge.

  “I’m trapped,” she whispered. On the heel of this realization came another. “It must be Wynne.” She slowly rolled to her side, squinting through the shimmering prison. I’m alone. She exhaled, closing her eyes and bringing her hands to her face. I have to get out of here. I have to save my family.

  She turned her attention back to the bubble, watching the spell swirl and eddy like lights on a wind-ruffled lake. She studied the movement for several long minutes, entranced by the strange, silent beauty of the magic.

  She raised her hands and splayed them against the inside of the bubble, pressing firmly with her palms. She closed her eyes, feeling the magic humming beneath her fingertips. She began to whisper in the faintest of breaths, focusing all of her energy on her hands.

  “Mordo lexif prevoci alohou.” She repeated the words over and over, an ancient unlocking spell that she had come across in her studies. As she recited, she could feel the buzzing grow more frenzied, until it was almost stinging her palms. She kept on, no longer whispering, her eyes screwed tightly shut.

  Her eyes flew open at a sound like glass cracking. There, radiating from her hands, were what looked like two spiderwebs; splinters in the spell. She kept reciting, practically growling out the counter spell and pressing eagerly with her hands. The spiderweb fractures grew until suddenly, the bubble burst, and shimmering shards exploding across the room and dissolving with a whisper as quickly as they had flown.

  Cambria froze in place, certain that someone had heard her. After several long moments, when no one came to check on her, she rose to a sitting position. Her eyes darted from one corner of her room to the other as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood. Quickly and quietly, she began packing her b
elongings into a canvas sack that was in the wardrobe. Her thoughts raced as she packed, jumping from the horrors of her parents’ execution to Adelaide’s mission and back again.

  When she had finished packing, she crept to her door and opened it a crack, peering through the gap into the darkened hallway. She waited with bated breath for the slightest sound from the others. When no noise came, she tiptoed into the hall and out into the main room, heading for the Time Glass. When she saw it, she hissed in frustration.

  The Time Glass sat inside the same type of protective spell that Wynne had used to keep her in the bed. If I try to break this right now, it will take too much time, and they will hear me, Cambria realized. I can’t take it with me, not now. I can’t risk it. She whirled on her heel and headed for the door. I’ll just have to come back for it.

  She paused in the doorway of the lake house, staring into the dark night that stretched out before her. If I go now, there’s no turning back.

  She felt a sharp twisting in her gut as she thought of Adelaide, of all they had been through together, and how she would feel about this betrayal. A tight headache started to form behind her eyes and she swallowed hard, willing her emotions to stay at bay. She clenched her jaw and stepped out of the house, closing the door softly behind her. The cold night air began to whip around her body, tossing the dense branches up ahead and moaning across the lake.

  She scurried through the courtyard, not stopping until she reached the edge of Wynne’s property. She turned back to where the house lay, still and quiet in the peaceful night. “Goodbye,” she whispered, before turning back to the shadowy jungle. As she stepped forward into the trees, thunder cracked across the sky. The wind was howling now as the darkness of the jungle wrapped her in its deep shadow like a blanket.

  Adelaide bolted upright in bed, her heart pounding, momentarily disoriented. She blinked against the soft morning light, rubbing her eyes. As her vision came into focus, she realized what had woken her. Wynne had flung her door wide and was standing in the doorway, eyes wide, hair disheveled. The light was not from the sun, as she had first thought, but from small orbs that danced around Wynne. Outside, the sky was dark, and heavy rainfall pelted the windows. Thunder crashed overhead, causing Adelaide to jump and clutch the blankets.