I laughed. “You still can’t figure out how to use the ring, can you?”
Black lines rippled in the crow’s feet around his eyes and the creases of his mouth. “I’m not an idiot. I know how to use the ring and now I have a hunter in my possession to help me use it. That is not why I require the book.”
“Then why—”
“I’m going to make this easy for you, since I’m on a timeline here. No, I won’t tell you why I need the book, and no, I won’t allow you to make a spectacle of the affair. Rather than have a repeat of the situation we incurred with the ring, I will be forward with you. You give me the book and quit your rather pathetic quest to stop me, and I won’t mutilate your friends with a sharp spoon before I kill them.”
Riley’s face remained neutral and I fought the urge to set my magic free. I could feel it stirring inside me, begging to be released, but I knew it was no use. I’d do more harm than good to myself.
When I didn’t respond, Riley pursed his lips and nodded. “Fine then,” he said.
Black tendrils wafted from behind him, taking on the shape of a spear. The black magic arched itself back and shot forward, spiraling towards me.
I screamed as it drilled into my shoulder and the spear slowed, taking its time as it twisted and turned, tearing at the flesh inch by inch.
Drake stepped forward and whispered something to Riley. The black in Riley’s eyes focused on him and he shook his head. “Who is in charge here? You are but a servant to my future rule.”
Drake opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. The muscles in his jaw flexed and his knuckles cracked as he squeezed them into a fist.
Darius laughed and patted his brother on the back. “Yes, Drake, do hold your temper to our future king.”
“Silence!” Riley commanded, and black tendrils swelled with power, forcing me to cry out in pain. “Don’t make me do this, Chase! You cannot win. You’ve proven that time and time again. The ring, the dagger, they are mine. You can gather the other gods’ soul pieces but it cannot stop the inevitable.”
I dropped to the ground, writhing against the dirt. My magic sparked to life, and with it came self-inflicted pain. The fire tore through me, burning me from the inside out. I fought to swallow the power and push it back, but it wouldn’t concede.
“You are pathetic,” Riley said, retracting the spear from my shoulder.
The tendrils of power drifted behind him, but they didn’t change shape or attack again. Instead, his magic fell over me in a strange way, smothering the flames that scorched my insides.
“I don’t need to fight you, Chase; you’re fighting yourself. You cannot control the powers you’ve been given, which only further proves you are not good enough to be the Protector. You don’t have what it takes to tap into the power that awaits such a gift. Your own power is destroying you.” Riley paced in front of me, his tight black t-shirt hugging his solid body. “Tell me where it is, Chase. Now, or I will tear your friends apart.”
“I don’t have it,” I gasped, holding my shoulder, as if that could contain the blood that spilled from the wound. “We bought it at The Ouija Board and a witch came and stole it.”
“Do not test me, boy. I have no patience for your lies.”
“I’m not lying!”
“Then you cannot even perform the simplest of tasks!” Riley screamed, and the magic behind him grew, expanding into the air and covering the forest backdrop. His pace quickened and deep growls came as he exhaled each breath. “What am I to do with you? The Brothers insist you must remain alive, yet your mere existence begs for death.”
“If you can’t kill me, why do you continue to send your pet after me? Oh, that’s right, you can’t even control him. He turned his back on you the moment you gave him what he wanted.”
Riley turned with demonic speed and planted his foot in my stomach. My body folded in half as all the air was forced from my lungs.
I gasped for air, holding my stomach and wheezing. The pain subsided and as I sucked small amounts of oxygen into my lungs, I started to regain my breath.
“Arian was never meant to kill you. He was created as a distraction. I see through him, and everything he says, I hear. Everything he sees, I see. He was something to take your mind off of me,” he said. “Poor job that did.” Riley glared at the Brothers and cleared his throat, calming his demeanor. “Unlike others, I expected him to turn on me, but to be honest, I thought you’d kill him long before that. If I’d known you were going to have trouble doing what you were born to do, I would have gotten you a puppy instead. It seems that would be a much safer interference for the fierce Protector. Now I’ll have to waste even more of my time devouring him for you.”
“What do you even need me for?”
Riley ignored the question. I took his pause as an opportunity and reached out with my mind, searching for their energy again. I could feel it pulsing all around me. I remembered what it was like to unlock the door to Vincent’s safe house and I applied the same tactics.
I moved the energy one way, but the power didn’t grow stronger, so I tried a different path. The fabric of my reality grew warmer as I searched for his essence. His presence pulsed harder than before; I was getting closer.
“I can’t afford to have these two so focused on you anymore, Chase.” Riley’s black eyes stared at the Brothers. “Their attention to you means they become careless. Since kidnapping you and locking you up would only force your little pet to risk her life to save you, that is not an option either. Unfortunately, you two are due to live out your annoying existence until this task is complete, so I suggest you stay out of harm’s way and work with me. The rest of your cronies are of no use to me, so trust me when I say I will kill them all if I find out you’ve lied to me about the book. I let them live only to appease you for the moment.”
“I’m not lying,” I said. “Or am I? I suppose that’s for you to find out.” I found Riley’s power and grabbed a hold of it, pushing him back. It hit the edge of my mind and I felt it weaken. “Stop this!” Riley yelled and rushed towards me. He cocked his arm back and threw it forward. I pushed harder, and as Riley’s fist slammed into my face, the power broke.
A loud crack sounded and bright light flashed in my eyes. There was an instant ringing in my head, and with it came a deep pain. Riley’s body vanished, leaving a wisp of black smoke hanging in the air. The forest grew silent.
The bleeding from my shoulder had stopped, and to my surprise, the wound had partially closed. The pain throbbed in my face, and even in the dream state that surrounded me, I could feel the exhaustion.
I kept reaching out, searching for the Brothers’ power, but every time I got close, it vanished and moved away from me.
“Someone has learned a new trick!” Darius said, gripping my shirt and pulling me to my feet. “I’m done with you, Chase. I’ve stretched my patience further than is acceptable.”
“Darius, that’s enough,” Drake said.
“Shut up!” Darius’s power crackled in the air like distant thunder. “Forget who he is in this moment. He’s a rash, causing nothing but irritation.”
“He is the Protector.” Drake’s tone was quiet, just above a whisper. His black hair was spiked perfectly and I realized now his face was slightly thinner than Darius’s. His jawline was more defined, and his demeanor was calmer.
“I am well aware who he is. You need not remind me, Brother.” Darius’s words came through gritted teeth and specks of spit sprinkled my face. He took a deep breath and black eyes turned back on me. Darius released my shirt and smoothed it out over my chest. “Come now, we’ve been dancing to this song for long enough. Let us work together to achieve greatness, shall we? It is, after all, our destiny.”
I pushed his hands away from my chest. “Our destiny is mingled with each other’s, yes, but I am not, nor will I ever be your brother.”
“Oh but you are, if only for just a moment.” Darius smiled.
“We have things to tend to,
Darius. We must be leaving.” Drake stood beside us, but I hadn’t even seen him move.
“Yes, of course. It is time to close this chapter of the story, isn’t it?”
Drake nodded and Darius took a step back from me, an arrogant smirk playing at his lips. “I promise you, Chase. Before your part in this is fulfilled, you will cower to my presence.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“Trust me,” he whispered, and a black hole opened up behind him. It swallowed Darius first, and Drake’s eyes met mine. He gave me a curt nod before letting the portal engulf him.
I fell back to the ground and found myself gasping for air once again. Small tremors of pain vibrated through my chest and limbs.
I closed my eyes and replayed the training I’d had with Chief. Just as I found Riley’s power, I searched for my own. I could feel it in the distance, calling to me. I followed the ambience of familiarity until the warmth was close enough to grab. I reached out with my mind and pulled it towards me.
The world around me wavered. Like a burst of steam that wafted around me, reality blurred. I tugged at the magic, pulling it closer and closer until we were one with each other. The energy I craved faded and a cool breeze splashed over me. I gasped and took in a long, slow breath, and the world around me faded.
Chapter 27
I expected to feel pain, but there was none. My shoulder was numb and I groaned trying to sit up, but found myself restricted.
Ropes wrapped around my body, holding me in place against some kind of table. I lifted my head and a foggy film filled my eyes. I shook as much as I could away, and as it cleared, I saw my group tied up. Each was pinned against a post with white fabric gags covering their mouths. They all looked to be in good condition, and the shifters had been clothed with the same white cloth that gagged them.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked, trying to turn my head, but all I could see was more of the woods, which had returned to black-stemmed plants with radiant flowers.
“Ahh, you’re awake,” said a low and pronounced voice.
Footsteps dusted the dirt, and a blue and silver robe flashed in front of me. My eyes followed the robes over a robust belly and the three-fingered hands that were clasped over top of it.
His skin was a deep orange, and his gray eyes looked like something out of a science fiction movie—round and much too large. His face was long and narrow, supporting a square jaw and surprisingly small nose. His overly square forehead narrowed and dark blue hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The hair wasn’t made up of hundreds of thin strands like most. Instead, it was only a dozen thick, round threads. Elongated ears stuck out from his head.. They were elf-like and the lobes had large holes with bright blue rings stretching the skin.
“Glad to see you’re in good health,” he said, grinning, his green toothy smile full of jagged teeth that fit together like a puzzle. A square tongue slipped between his plump blue lips and flickered in the air. I fought not to cringe as the smell of seafood rolled over me from his breath.
“Glad to see you’re the hospitable type,” I said, turning my head to the side for fresh air.
The man straightened and looked at the group behind him. “I don’t understand your meaning. I think we’ve been quite welcoming. It is forbidden to travel our roads or to walk on our land. Normally you’d have been killed on sight.”
“Wonderful,” I said under my breath. “And he said you’d be more than welcoming.”
“Who said?” The man furrowed his thin, nearly nonexistent eyebrows. “Who would tell you such a thing? Our lands are forbidden. That is common knowledge and has been since the time of the gods.”
“Your god told me—Athaniel.”
The man gasped and his three-fingered hand covered his lips. His hands were unique: unusually long with two extra knuckles on each finger. They tapped over his lips and he made a noise that I thought was laughter. It started as a deep, low gagging, and then grew higher. His shoulders began to move, and a similar sound came from behind me, but I couldn’t see anyone else.
“Oh, oh, oh,” the man gasped, his square tongue flickering between his lips. “You are an entertainer!”
“I…no, I’m not. I’m telling you the truth.”
The man returned his hand to his lips and the laughter hushed. “Oh my…you are…serious, then?”
I nodded. “Now untie me and let me explain myself.”
“Oh, I will do no such thing. Who knows what kind of diseases you bring with you? Or perhaps you are all assassins. I dare not release you until you state your business and I’ve confirmed it with the Influences of Yore.”
“He’s the Protector.” Karissa had managed to slide the gag down from her mouth. “He’s the one you need to stop Ithreal!”
“Silence!” the man’s voice boomed. It echoed off the trees and was nearly a growl. His gigantic gray eyes were cartoonish as they panned over Karissa and then back to me. He made a motion with his hand, and two smaller creatures slid her gag back in place. “Is this true? Have you been sent to guide us?” His head canted to the side as he stepped closer.
“I…” I let my voice fade, trying to regain my thoughts, but more and more creatures began to appear in my field of vision. They were all shapes and sizes with the same orange skin, and oversized, gray eyes, but with different colored hair. Clear eyelids fell over their eyes simultaneously, in an action that looked like blinking, and they all crept closer.
“Yes?” the man whispered, hovering over me. “Tell us what you’ve come for.”
I tried to lean back but the table wouldn’t allow it. The stench of fish overpowered my thoughts and I couldn’t stop myself from cringing.
“Athaniel came to me,” I said, trying not to breathe through my nose. “He told me to find you. He said you would have felt the disruption in the balance of the worlds, and because of this, you would welcome us.”
“Welcome you for what? What else did he say?”
“Can you give me some space here?” I asked.
The man’s thin eyebrows raised and he stood up, but he didn’t back away.
“Karissa was right,” I said, “I am the Protector. Someone is trying to break Ithreal out of his dimensional prison and bring him back.”
“We are well aware of the events that are occurring. We are the Dunopai, the people of the forest. We help keep the balance in all the worlds.”
“Well you guys are doing a bang-up job.”
“Is that a saying? I do not understand it. Please explain.”
“It’s nothing…”
His head tilted to the side and fingers tapped along his chin. “I am Alaric, Warden of the Dunopai.”
“Am I supposed to know what that is?”
“Are you unfamiliar with our ways?” He sounded astonished but didn’t let me respond. “The Warden is the oldest and wisest member of our people. The more youthful come to me for wisdom and advice. I guide them on their path, so they too may one day reach the ability of Caller—one who can speak to the Influences of Yore.”
“Gotcha,” I said, trying to avoid more of an explanation. “So can you let me go now?”
“I’m afraid not. I have very little information from you. To accept such a wild claim as truth would be ill-advised and unwise of me. You look like those horrible abominations to come out of the Unholy War. You must first show proof that you are indeed who you say you are.”
“You mean my elements? I can’t…”
“What is this you speak of? Elements? Not a skill of the Protector, I assure you. Perhaps you are still learning. Something simple then. Call the Goddess’s spirit to your side.”
“Elyas?”
Alaric took a step back and looked to his peers. “He speaks her name.”
“He speaks her name?” another voice asked.
“He speaks her name!” More voices joined in and the words repeated themselves through the crowd.
The others whispered among themselves, but I couldn’t decipher what they
were saying.
“Yes, I know her name. I can’t call her though, she…just sort of shows up whenever she wants.”
“Of course you can!” His laughter came again, and it reminded me of a donkey. “This is the foundation of your power as Protector.”
“I don’t know what you think the Protector can do, but I can’t do that. I don’t know what I can do yet.”
The laughter stopped immediately. “If you cannot do this, you cannot be the Protector.”
Fire throbbed inside me as frustration built. “Have you seen the Mark? Since you know so much about the Protector, you know the giant tattoo represents exactly that.”
“Mark? What Mark? Does he bear the Mark?” He looked across the table to the crowd.
A short man stepped forward, his skin a darker orange and his voice almost a squeak. “There was a drawing on his back.”
Anger flooded into my veins as I saw a small silver rope attached to his wrist. Rai fluttered around him, trying to break free, but he jerked the rope down, forcing her back to his shoulder. She unleashed an ear-shattering screech and the silver rope began to glow. Rai squawked as though in pain.
“What are you doing to her?”
“This is a Golden Torrent. They are thought to be extinct, but they once flourished in our lands,” Alaric said. “She has come home to us and now must be trained.”
“She’s mine!”
Alaric ignored me and waved the man over. “Untie him, let me see this Mark.”
The small man moved beside me and unlatched a circular chakram blade from his hip. He swung it once with ease and the ropes around me loosened.
I sat up and the ropes dropped from my bare chest, leaving red marks running across my body
“Fascinating,” Alaric said, and I could feel his slimy fingertips sliding over my back.
I shuddered at the touch and stepped away, jumping down from the table. “So you see, I am the Protector. Now will you please release my friends and help us like Athaniel said you would?”
Release (The Protector Book 3) Page 24
