by D. C. Akers
Tosya, who was still scrutinizing Sarah, took a knee, closed her eyes, and ran her twisted wand along the length of Sarah’s body. Her hand was steady, gliding just inches above Sarah. Sam watched, paralyzed, his eyes glued to the wand as it swept back and forth. He grimaced as the witch began to mutter softly like someone at an eerie séance. When Tosya opened her eyes again, her pupils and irises had vanished, turning her eyes a bone white. The wolf at her side began to growl, its lips pulled into a tight snarl.
Travis glanced nervously at Sam and mouthed, “Magic.”
Sam acknowledged Travis with a quick nod of the head, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. The last thing Sam wanted was for Tosya to be mad at him, too.
When Sonia finally returned to the group, she did not return alone. Demetrius, Lyra, and Jacob were with her. Immersed in half-shadows, they stood silhouetted against a backdrop of flickering flames and whispering incantations that reminded Sam of musical verses. Another minute or so passed before Tosya finally lowered her wand and looked up at Demetrius. Her eyes returned to normal but her troubled stare was worse than ever.
“This is a Viper wound, Demetrius. I’m surprised she’s not dead.” Demetrius’s stern glare confirmed the witch’s diagnosis.
“Yes, Tosya,” he said heavily, “there were two Vipers.” His tone was flat but his amber eyes blazed with the same intensity Sam had seen earlier.
“Two! Good heavens!” Tosya cried. She looked at Sonia in disbelief. Sonia walked forward and placed a hand on Tosya’s slender shoulder to steady herself. “Demetrius, I think you better tell me what’s going on. I mean,” she glanced around the room, “it looks like the Great War happened in here!”
“Didn’t the Majesty inform you before you left?” asked Holly, raising an eyebrow.
“No!” Tosya exclaimed. Her nostrils were flared now.
“Minister Bogdan notified us personally,” Sonia added, “but all he would tell us is that we needed to report to the infirmary at once and that it was an emergency. So we did as he asked, didn’t we, Tosya?” She looked to the thin witch for confirmation.
Tosya nodded in agreement. “When we arrived, we were met by an escort of Centurions and we evaporated into the Black Mountains. From there we were led into the mountain itself and to the portal. It was only then that we were told we were needed off-world and, well, here we are. I mean, can you imagine the shock? Off-world? Us? We had no idea an active portal even existed anymore, much less that we would be dealing with Vipers! We all thought they were dead, didn’t we? And …” Her voice trailed off as she looked down at Sarah. “I knew something wasn’t right when I saw the remains of young Gordon in the cavern. Dear me, poor boy; never seen anything like it.” She put a hand to her wrinkled cheek. “Dark magic, Demetrius, very dark magic.”
Sam and Travis shared the same grievous expression. Sam wasn’t exactly sure what the witch was talking about but he had heard enough to know that it sounded like very bad news.
“But I knew the moment we saw this young girl,” she continued in a dismal tone. “I could sense the evil and torment that her fragile soul is under.”
Sam stepped forward, unable to take it any longer. His pulse was racing again. “Will she be all right, can you help her?” he asked.
Tosya looked up at Sam, then turned to Demetrius. “Demetrius, who are these young men and why are they here?”
“Please,” Sam persisted, “answer the question. Will she be all right?” He could hear how desperate he sounded but he didn’t care. He was scared and terrified of losing the only person he had left in his family.
Tosya’s eyes were bulging and she seemed unable to blink. “The infection is spreading,” she said curtly. “We need to get her back to the Majesty.” Then she turned her attention back to Demetrius. “We’ll need to leave—”
“But can you help her?” Sam cried. Tosya reared her head back in surprise. His defiant tone had stunned her, rendering her momentarily speechless. Sam thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Apparently she was not used to being addressed like that by anyone.
“Sam,” Demetrius cautioned. His stoic tone caught him off guard. Sam’s face had gone red and blotchy now. He turned, ready to round on Demetrius, when Tosya abruptly answered.
“No!”
The word hung in the air with such finality that Sam froze. His mouth was still open ready to argue his point to Demetrius, but no words came out. The room fell silent; even the Centurions standing guard glanced over to Tosya when she spoke.
“Wha … What?” Travis stammered. His injured face was twisted in disbelief. “But, you … you have magic.”
Tosya shifted about and her eyes averted Travis’s disappointed gaze. This time when she spoke, it seemed more forthcoming.
“At best, I can slow the venom from spreading, perhaps prolong the inevitable. But you must understand that this venom was forged from the darkest of magic. One for which there is no cure. Not one that can be conjured, anyway.”
“What do you mean,” Holly interrupted, “‘not one that can be conjured?’” She stared intently at the elder witch. “Is there another way?”
Tosya’s beak-like face turned a ruby red, making her gaunt features more apparent beneath the hood of her crimson cloak. She looked up hesitantly at Sonia, who narrowed her eyes into a warning stare.
“Demetrius,” Lyra said in her regal tone that swiftly captivated the entire group, “it is time. You have no choice. Secrecy cannot help Sarah now.”
Demetrius met Lyra’s eyes and his quiet confidence seemed to melt away into a vacant stare. Sam could tell by the look on his face that there was an internal struggle going on, but over what he didn’t know. Demetrius grudgingly turned and gave Holly a fleeting look before speaking.
“Tosya,” he said firmly. “We need your help. If there is a way we can save Sarah … Dalcome, we need to know.”
Tosya blinked, her flushed face slowly turning pale. “What? What did you say?” Her voice had become meek and unsteady. Her eyes moved to Holly, then to Travis, and finally rested on Sam.
“What are you saying, Demetrius?” She looked at Sam as if she were seeing him for the first time. “Is this …”
“No,” Sonia gasped, “it can’t be.” She too was now staring at Sam. Sam’s frustration had suddenly been sidelined. He was becoming extremely uncomfortable now that everyone was looking at him.
Demetrius leaned down with Hollister in one hand and the other on Tosya’s shoulder. Tosya turned, confused. Her eyes searched Demetrius’s rugged features for any sign of reason beyond the mystifying conclusion she had apparently come to on her own. Sam almost felt sorry for the witch. He knew what it was like to wake up in a world that was much bigger and more frightening than you could have ever imagined.
“This is Sarah Dalcome,” Demetrius said ruefully, “the daughter of Rylan and Alisa Dalcome. And this,” Demetrius looked to Sam, “is their one and only son, Samuel Dalcome.”
Tosya looked back to Sam, flabbergasted, her beady eyes openly staring at him in the dim candlelight. Gradually, Tosya stood, Sonia hesitantly stepped forward, and together they inched their way closer to Sam. Sam, unsure of what they were doing, wanted to back away but reluctantly stood his ground. Tosya slowly lifted her trembling wand until it was level with his face. The lilac-colored wand illuminated his face as they leaned in closer. What they saw next made their mouths drop open and their pupils dilate.
“The eyes!”
Chapter 18
Tosya stepped back so fast that she almost trampled Sonia in the process. Her hand was shaking frantically and Sam thought she might drop her wand at any moment.
“Dear Lord! How … how?” she stammered. Sonia, who had not budged from her spot, looked mesmerized. Her arched brows and wide eyes made her face look longer than normal. Tosya’s white wolf circled in front of her, its eerie orange glare bearing down on Sam.
“What? What’s wrong?” Sam asked. Why were they reacting that
way and what was wrong with his eyes?
“I would know those eyes anywhere,” Tosya cried, her voice trembling. “The same as your parents.”
“Tosya, please, calm down. Everything is all right,” Demetrius said.
“Calm down?” she roared, turning to face him. “Demetrius Lore, I don’t get excited anymore. I’m old, so that stopped happening ages ago. When you reach my age you have seen just about everything. But when you bring someone back from the dead, well, I tend to get a little … unhinged! So, please, bear with me while I take a moment to comprehend just exactly how the child I helped bring into this world has suddenly been resurrected! If. You. Don’t. Mind.” she said angrily.
“What?” Sam gasped. What did she mean bring into this world?
Demetrius’s cheeks turned a light pink, making his white beard look more pronounced on his well-defined face. Lyra quickly put her hand to her mouth, trying desperately to suppress a laugh. Holly suddenly became engrossed with the pommel of her staff, trying to avoid Demetrius’s stunned face altogether. Travis shook his head and gave Sam a brooding stare, then muttered something about witches and Snow White again.
But Sam was only half paying attention. It frustrated him that everyone in the room knew his mother and her life better than he did. The more the night progressed, the more Sam felt like his mother’s memory was fading away, morphing into some stranger he had never met before.
“Tantalizing eyes they had,” Sonia uttered, still standing in the same spot, her eyes blank and dreamy.
“Oh, snap out of it!” croaked Tosya as she nudged Sonia in the arm. “Will someone please tell me what is going on?” she continued, placing a hand to her chest and trying to catch her breath. “How is this possible? Where is Alisa? Is she here too?”
“She’s dead,” Sam said abruptly. Tosya’s rambling came to a halt. Her narrowed eyes softened as they met Sam’s piercing blue gaze. “My mother’s dead,” he continued. “She died tonight trying to save my sister and me.” His monotone voice seemed distant and disconnected. “She’s lying right behind you.”
The words made Tosya and Sonia flinch. They looked at one another as if to summon the courage they would need to face the truth. As they turned, their eyes fell to the covered bodies lying on the floor behind them. Tosya placed a hand to her mouth and Sonia squeezed Tosya's arm. For the first time the two witches saw the strands of long brown hair exposed near the edge of the blanket.
Tosya opened her mouth to speak but then closed it as Sam continued. “That’s why it’s so important that you answer Holly’s question. Is there another way to cure my sister?” He took a step closer, his imploring gaze meeting Tosya’s heartfelt eyes. “She is the only family I have left and I need your help to save her.” Tosya’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Please, I can’t lose her too. Please, Tosya.”
Tosya’s stare wavered under Sam’s persistent stare, and her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. “I … I can—”
“Please,” Sam insisted, not giving her a chance to reply, “help me.”
He knew he seemed relentless in his pursuit for an answer, but this was his sister he was talking about and if there was a way to save Sarah he was going to find it.
“You don’t understand, Samuel,” Sonia whispered. Her voice sounded frightened and feeble.
“What?” he asked. “What don’t I understand? Tell me.”
“The quest is far too dangerous,” she said, looking to Sarah. “To venture down this road would be madness. The journey alone could kill you.”
“Tosya, please. You’ve said enough,” Sonia said softly. “Think of Alisa … what Alisa would have wanted.”
“My mom would want me to save my sister,” Sam said sharply. He was looking at Sonia when he spoke but she would not meet his gaze. Frustrated, he turned back to Tosya, determined to make his point. “Please, Tosya, tell me what you know. Tell me how I can help her, how I can save Sarah.”
A single tear traveled the length of Tosya’s withered cheek as she looked up at Sam. “The Elixir of Life,” she finally confessed. Sam could not help but notice the tone of despair in her trembling voice. Her will to fight had suddenly vanished the moment she’d seen his mother’s body.
“Tosya, no,” Sonia groaned.
Demetrius and Holly exchanged worried looks, but it was Lyra who spoke first.
“But that’s just a myth, an old wives’ tale,” she said suspiciously as a small frown line appeared on her forehead.
“No,” Tosya said softly, “the truth becomes a myth when death robs it of its proof.”
Travis raised an eyebrow and looked over at Sam. “Um, that sounds … bad.”
“The journey would be very treacherous. You could not do it alone.”
“He would not be alone,” Holly added quickly as she moved closer to Sam. Her face was burning with a defiant glare.
Sam felt warmed by Holly’s gesture. He would need her help but he was fully prepared to do it alone if that’s what it took. He gave Holly a tight smile but she didn’t see him. Her eyes had not moved from Tosya.
Suddenly there was a flash and Vallen reappeared behind them in a haze of blue mist. “So, where exactly is this Elixir of Life?” he asked smugly.
Everyone turned to look at Vallen. Lyra glared and shook her head, annoyed at his flamboyant entrance. It was obvious that he had been listening upstairs the entire time. But by the look on his arrogant face, he didn’t care what anyone thought about his intrusion.
“It’s not where,” Sonia said coldly. “The Elixir is not something to be had, it’s something to be created.”
Demetrius and Holly exchanged bewildered looks. Lyra and Jacob said nothing but stared blankly at Sonia. Travis squinted and scratched his head; Vallen just looked aggravated now. Sam glanced around the room and felt relieved. For the first time everyone seemed to be just as confused as he was.
“What do you mean, Sonia?” Demetrius asked, his amber eyes bright with intrigue.
Sonia did not speak right away. Her lips were pursed and her posture became rigid as she contemplated her answer.
“The Elixir of Life has many ingredients, but only one rare component. Extremely rare.” Her cold stare did not falter when she looked into his eyes.
He returned her gaze and asked calmly, “And what is that?”
“Abyon,” Tosya said flatly as she fidgeted with her wand, spinning it between her thumb and forefinger.
Sonia sighed. “Well, now you’ve gone and done it,” she said. All her attempts at being stubborn and intimidating had vanished. “You’re going to get them all killed!”
As if she had been awakened from a trance, Tosya turned and glared at Sonia. Her white wolf stood at attention.
“He has a right to know and I will not take that from him!” she said, almost yelling now. “And the boy is right. Alisa would have wanted him to save his sister, to do whatever it takes, because she was a fighter and so is the boy. He’s a Dalcome for God’s sake!”
Tosya stood and abruptly stowed her wand in her pocket. Then she straightened her robes, indicating nothing more was to be said on that matter.
Sam felt a wave a vindication sweep through him and he almost smiled. But he couldn’t help but wonder who his mother and father were in this world they called Haven. He wasn’t stupid. He had pieced it together. His mother knew magic, she knew Holly—the letter in her Quarrem had proven that. Demetrius and possibly Vallen were her friends as well, all from another life that she was trying so desperately to protect him from. A life she had shared with his father before he and his sister were born. But why leave? What had happened that made them run from the only place they called home? Sam didn’t know all the answers, but it was starting to come together and soon he would have them all.
“Isn’t Abyon a tree?” Lyra asked. She looked puzzled as she stepped closer to Tosya.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind tree, from what I’ve heard,” Vallen said.
“Yes, that is correct,” Tosya
said sharply, still a little agitated. “There were not many to begin with, but now they are virtually extinct. Only one Abyon tree exists today.”
“Where?” Demetrius asked, his interest peeked now. It sounded like he wanted to know as much as Sam did, which made Sam feel a little better about him. If Demetrius was a friend of his mother’s, then he would know saving Sarah is what she would have wanted.
Tosya’s eyes became heavy and her jaw drooped, as if she was recalling something very unpleasant. “In the valley of Shadowfay,” she said in a vacant tone.
There were shared looks of concern upon hearing this. Sam was feeling more uncomfortable by the moment. This was obviously not good news. Wherever this Shadow place was, no one seemed too eager to get there.
“The Valley of Bones,” Lyra muttered under her breath, her green eyes dark and distant.
Travis leaned over to Sam and whispered in his ear, “And that sounds real bad.”
“Yeah,” Sam moaned, looking disappointed.
“In the Valley of Shadowfay is a mountain. Inside that mountain grows the Abyon,” Tosya continued. Her eyes moved to Demetrius. “It is the seed of the Abyon that you must procure for the Elixir of Life.”
“That’s it? A seed?” Vallen scoffed. “We’re looking for a seed?”
“Vallen, let her finish,” Demetrius objected.
Vallen threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
Tosya looked to Demetrius, who gestured for her to continue. “There is a reason why the Abyon is so rare. A single seed of the ancient tree drops once every thirty years and dies within a year if it does not take root,” she said.
Sonia looked to Sam. She placed her stubby hand on her round chin and began shaking her head, which made Sam feel even worse. The room filled with heavy sighs and Demetrius put a hand to his forehead.
