Emer looked to Bishop Gower for confirmation. There was a pause as he mulled it over and finally nodded in acquiesce.
“Proceed, Lady Jade.” Emer waved her hand for me to take the floor.
Focus. Think and move. I need them to believe me, to help me get back home.
“It is as Bowen described, that I ran off in frustration and then at the end he found me, but, what he did not witness was the occurrence.” I was trying to be as diplomatic as possible, my hands strongly placed at my side, my shoulders tall. “While lost in one of the many hallways of The Forest I started to hear my name being called. When I turned around a woman appeared before me as a ghost.”
“Lies! Impossible!” These were just some of the exclamations the High Elders were shouting. They had taken the news just as well as Master Lewis had.
“Silence now, all of you.” Gower struck the floor again with his long, sterile staff causing the room to quiet, though a few grunts were still heard here and there. “We will argue the validity of the undead another day. Proceed.”
“Thank you.” I took a deep breath, the High Elders practically on the edge of their seats at the prospect of someone finding the First Room. “As I was saying, this lady showed me the way to the First Room.”
“What was it like?” A High Elder shouted in excitement, interrupting again. All had greed in their eyes, hungry for a knowledge they would never have the opportunity to witness.
“It was magical, to say the least. It was as if the outside world had been pushed into this small trans-dimensional space. There was a mix of wildlife and the indoors everywhere. But most importantly,” at this time I pointed up, “the silver tree was there.”
I could hear the murmurs running around the room, each saying the same thing: The Tree of Life.
“Are you sure it was the Tree of Life?” Mason accused.
“Well, if you know of any other silver trees with gold leaves, now would be the time to inform me,” I snapped at him. Master Lewis had been right when entering the room—it seemed everyone but High Elder Mason was for the preservation of magic. He was trying to tear me down at every chance, but I wasn’t going to let him. “The lady said that to find the answers I was seeking I’d have to ask the room. Once I found the right question, the room answered me back by bestowing on to me the power that would help me achieve my path.”
Only by its end did I realize just how short of a story it was, how simple, yet it resulted in a change in my life from which I would never be able to return.
No one in the room moved, waiting for the bishop’s judgement.
“And what, pray tell, was the question you asked?” Emer’s eyes lit up.
“How was I to get home? And this,” I relit my hands for a last emphasis, “was the answer it gave me.” I was confident that I had laid my argument out perfectly, that to get home I would need power, and power it had given me.
There was deafening silence as the rest of the High Elders looked to Bishop Gower in how to proceed.
“Will you give us a day to consider your argument as the rest of the members are not here at the moment?” The others seemed to scoff and puff out their chests at the idea of needing the rest of the High Elders to be present, leading me to guess the other half would be just as obstinate as Mason.
The dread of waiting even another second seemed impossible. I needed an answer now. Was I their savior or just another fake?
Think and move.
I stepped forwards, my resolve strong as I met eyes with the bishop. “What if we make a bargain?”
“Lady Jade,” Master Lewis hissed cautiously, Bowen just as tense as his hand shot out to grab onto my arm, wanting nothing more than for me to stop talking.
I ignored them and continued. “I can assure you that my tale is true and that I am the person who you have been waiting for. Since coming here I have encountered many people who have not only become my friends but also my family. It is the Brotherhood who is threatening the peace between the people of this time, and I intend to do something about it. If I am correct, then after I help you get rid of the Brotherhood, the High Elders must send me back to my own time. If I am not the savior, and end up being a fake, then you are free to keep me here in servitude for the rest of my life.”
Shocked faces fell frozen at the ultimatum. Even Tristan and Master Lewis couldn’t control their features; but it was Bowen, who’s eyes were calculating and as steady as oak, that captured me. His hand constricted with caution around my arm, ready to argue with me.
With a deadly glare and a small shake of my head, he held his tongue. The corners of his mouth turned down as he struggled to keep silent and not make matters worse than I had apparently already made them.
Mason’s eyes sparkled at the notion, his lips hitched into a smile. “Bishop Gower?” he asked, loving the idea.
Everyone in the room looked to him, even Emer who seemed to have composed herself enough to now show her nervousness at the situation.
“We will take a vote,” Bishop Gower finally commanded. “All in favor to accept Lady Jade as the savior and accept her terms?” he raised his hand along with all the other High Elders, including to everyone’s surprise, Mason’s. “It seems we are all in agreement.” Bishop Gower moved from behind his stand and struggled to dismount from the high-stooled chair to come and stand before us. “It will not be an easy road you have chosen for yourself, my dear.”
“Whenever is it?” I countered. It was enough to break the tension in the room, the bishop giving a short laugh at the comment while the rest of the members broke out into applause at gaining an essential piece in ending their war. They had been waiting for me for a long time and with the Brotherhood’s arrival, I was needed more than ever.
All the High Elders stood, content that the hearing was officially over and were free to greet and chat with each other.
“What were you thinking!” Bowen growled at me, pulling me towards him. “Do you know how servants are treated here? How a number of them have taken their owns lives over the pressures of waiting hand and foot to the High Elders?”
“What was I supposed to do? We were losing,” I shot back.
Before he could say anything else, High Elder Mason came over to talk with me, Bowen staying close by my side. “I guess congratulations are in order.” Mason said in all sincerity. “Though I know for a fact that the Brotherhood would love to hear what has happened here today, would you not agree, Bowen?”
Bowen stood where he was and said nothing.
“Just as The Order of The Forest covets the prophecy of your arrival, so does the Brotherhood, though again, for many different reasons.”
“Well, I’ve chosen my side clearly,” I defended.
“What we choose is sometimes not what Fate has planned for us. I would be careful, if I were you. The Brotherhood is on the move.” His ominous tone led Bowen to pull me closer to him, trying to prove physically that I wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon.
XXX.
Finch
Zanna and those who were close enough to Saint Davids were in place around the cathedral, the task lying before them carefully planned out. The building sat in a dip of the valley—the only way to get in was to first break the protective seals and then climb the walls, or risk funneling into the fortresses entrance. But they would find a way.
High Elder Mason was their strongest council sympathizer and had managed to procure a map of the cathedral for them. For the last hour, Misty had painfully documented where the protective spells were the weakest and pinpointed them on the schematics.
Zanna moved to confer with Finch and Misty, their faces still stuck in the map. “What do we do?” Her long brown hair that tumbled to the small of her back was streaked through with white. Instead of her usual beige floor-length cotton dress, she now wore garments of tight trousers, a tunic, and leather belts strapped a
cross her chest. Zanna remembered when she had first met Finch. He had started from the bottom: When his parents found out he had great potential for the use of magic Zanna had taken him on as her apprentice. It was only later when they died that he started to excel with great accuracy. And when the Brotherhood was formed he was overzealous in his involvement—insanely so. Now here she was, helping him command the Welsh Division of the Black Plague Brotherhood.
“From our informants, we know that they are here.” Finch pointed to the clock tower on the parchment. “The spells seem weakest on the south and west sides of the building, but not by much. The Elders obviously think they have done enough to keep us out.”
“Have they?” Zanna asked.
“No,” he smiled sadistically.
Misty looked just as confident. “If enough of us concentrate our power onto those spots we should be able to break through within the hour.”
“We need you to do it in half that time.” Finch knew that whatever was happening inside wasn’t going to take long. “Can you do that?” He posed it as a question, but Misty took it as a command.
“It’ll be tight, but it’s possible.”
“Good. Get started, we have waited long enough.”
Finch turned back to the maps as Misty took her troops to the south side of the barrier. “Badrick, take your group and hold off the town. We don’t want any more uninvited guests flanking us at the rear.”
All that was left was for Kolby to be ready with his spear—Ischyridori—his spells already welding their way into the weapon’s strong iron tip. Once the cathedral’s barriers were down, he was to hurtle it at the tower’s windows. The resulting force would break every pane of glass in sight, gaining them easier access.
“Do you think this will really work?” Zanna asked. She had been a part of this crusade since Finch’s own involvement.
“Whether she is willing or not, we will have her become our savior.” Finch thought of all he had sacrificed to get to this exact moment, the pain of his life trickling behind him. “Has command been notified?” Finch checked off his list carefully. If they were to succeed in this mission, then all of the world would be better.
“Yes, Tribult went there personally and spoke to the prince.” She still couldn’t believe that a royal was actually the head of the Brotherhood. She had heard rumors, but nothing substantial. It wasn’t until she herself was summoned to court on a misdemeanor of not informing the Brotherhood of the savior’s immediate arrival did she have the disgusting pleasure of seeing the man. He was the most unsavory character and had been less than inviting. She still could not shake the feeling of his touch on her.
“And?”
“He said that if the mission were to be fruitful that he would meet with us in the agreed spot.” Zanna was less than thrilled about this news. She knew His Highness would take all the credit if they were to win, and none if they were to lose.
“Fantastic.” Finch closed his map and turned to look out onto their remaining troops, their black cloaks thrashing in the midnight wind. He smiled. And like the sea, death comes to those who are swallowed by us. “Today is the day that we claim the savior! We have all worked mercilessly these past years to diminish the magic forces in the world. Too many times magic has caused suffering and though we use it ourselves, we use it to obtain a better future!” The crowd cheered in agreement. “We have all become overdependent on the craft, we must take action, as we have before, and strike where it will hurt the most.” He pointed to the tower. “She is the one who will bring us our heaven on Earth!”
It was a rallying speech, the men and women in the crowd roaring in agreement, their tireless crusade hopeful in coming to a close.
“For Wales!” Zanna screamed, for once caught up in the emotion.
“For the world!” Finch echoed back.
It was then that Finch heard Misty’s squeals of delight. “Kolby! Now!” she commanded.
Kolby took Ischyridori in hand and murmured his commandment. The spear glowed bright and with a grunt, threw it straight at the High Elders’ chambers.
The glass shattered like ice.
I didn’t even feel it as the room’s glass windows broke into a thousand pieces and flew at us in every direction. Those quick enough erected magical shields while others blocked each oncoming shard. Instinctively my body took over, red and green now emanating against the blackened sky as my powers extended around me.
“Get behind me!” I shouted to those in earshot.
Bowen, Tristan, and Master Lewis were joined by High Elder Mason and three stray pageboys. I raised my hands to create an invisible force field around us, a waterfall of red and green liquid sprouting out of my hands. The shards that flew at us weren’t just deflected, they were obliterated with enough force that fine sand started to collect at our feet.
“Protect yourselves!” I heard Emer scream. Some were able to act in time, while two already lay dead, a spear protruding from their guts. I glanced over and saw that Bishop Gower was one of them.
Anger shot through me, hot and sticky. There would be only one group arrogant enough to recklessly pull a stunt like this. They had been so quiet in the past couple of months…
My suspicions were proven correct when a hoard of black cloaks came crashing into the room. Some seemed to have climbed the outer wall, while others floated in on small clouds or enchanted objects. It was a free-for-all. With glass shards lining the floor, the Brotherhood took up defensive positions, armed with an array of magic and weapons. Spell after spell was thrown at us. I deactivated the protective rain-bubble and Bowen and Tristan went on the offensive.
I pulled out my own sword, ready for the aggressive attacks the Brotherhood would send at me. Bodies were dropping. As much power as the High Elders had, they were caught unaware. No one would have thought the Brotherhood would be able to penetrate their sanctuary.
I stared at the unfolding chaos around me. Shimmers of crystal light passed my periphery as Master Lewis created a multifaceted spell and and I felt the jolt of power it held as it slammed every hooded figure in his vicinity to the ground. But it was High Elder Mason who caught my attention the most. He was doing nothing, just leaning against the farthest wall as if he were at a masquerade ball too bored to join in with the dance.
My attention was grabbed back to the fight as I felt a shard of glass embed deep into my arm. I looked up to see a young girl, no older than eighteen, casting the spell. Without stopping to think, I flicked a hand towards her, the energy emitting from my palm strong enough to yank her into the air. I had pinned her like a piece of paper where the window used to be and with another flick and threw her into the running stream below, leaving her body broken in its shallow waters.
This was the most magic I had ever used, its power seeping into my every muscle, and yet, I felt no fatigue, no slowing of my movements as I bound into action to move on to my next target. I had no idea to what extent I could expend my power, but I would use every last ounce of it to fight off the Brotherhood.
Think! Move!
Without a second thought my magic erupted, somehow in tune with my feelings. Then I saw Tristan facing off with Finch and began to force my way through the throng, thrusting aside those who stood in my way.
Bowen was stuck on the other side of the room fighting off an older woman. Shocked, I watched as he gripped her by the hair and with the force of a bulldozer, slammed her head first into the ground. He glanced in my direction as I passed by, his opponent beaten.
“You okay?” He moved to get closer to me whilst defending my blind spots.
“As okay as I’ll ever be.” I lunged right and stabbed a woman in the thigh.
Bowen leapt forward to join me.
Things went crazy as we fended off a heavy attack. Someone nearly struck me, so I used the Edgewing maneuver on him and could feel the crushing vibrations as his ribs splin
tered into finer pieces than I ever thought possible.
The fighting continued on. They outnumbered us ten to one, but our veteran fighters outclassed them. With all the commotion, more and more guards streamed through the front entrance, some still on the ground fighting off those they could. For every man lost, we took five from their side.
“Move!” Bowen swung at a man behind me as I ducked, tumbling towards Tristan and Finch. They took up most of the limited space in the area; Tristan’s radius circling wide while Finch’s spells went long.
As soon as I saw Finch’s face everything went red.
Wife killer! Child killer! Murderer!
I intercepted a charm Finch threw at Tristan’s head and deflected it back at him. He moved out of its way, the charm slamming into the back wall, the limestone exploding.
“Well, well. I suppose the rumor was true then… You have,” his eyes raked me up and down, “grown, to say the least.”
I returned the slithering comment by hurling a strike of red lightning in his direction, but missed. Bowen and Tristan tried to corner him by slashing at his neck—Finch sadly evading both.
“Come now. We have not seen each other in over a month. It is customary that we converse before getting to the main event,” Finch heartlessly smiled.
Taking out a small vile that held an iridescent, blue liquid, I ripped the stopper off with my teeth. Bowen and Tristan were covering for me, letting me prepare my spell. “Hold him still!” I commanded them. I only had one shot with this. It was a potion of my own creation meant to incapacitate its victim with such a vile sickness that death would be the only outcome. I hadn’t yet tested it, unwilling to use an animal subject, but there was never a better time than now.
I dripped the liquid onto the edges of my blade, letting it seep into the metal. As soon as I saw my chance to join in the fight, I took it, aiming for Finch’s blind spot. I lunged, managing to graze him. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough for the poison to disperse, for him to feel every symptom of the plague he so wretchedly wanted to spread.
To Those Who Never Knew (A Monksblood Bible Novel Book 1) Page 22
