Promise of Shadows

by Ireland, Justina

  Tallon nods. “It makes sense.”

  They’re talking about me like I’m not even here, and I stomp my foot in irritation. “Will someone please tell me what you’re all talking about?” It comes out sounding hysterical, and I clamp my mouth shut.

  Blue gives me a pitying look, but his next words are directed at Cass and Tallon. “She’s right. If she grew up in an Aerie, she’s probably never even heard of the Prophecy of the Promise. Remember the stories Nanda used to tell?”

  Tallon grimaces. “Gods, yes. The cult of Athena.”

  Blue nods slowly. “We should let Nanda explain all this.”

  Tallon sighs and turns to me. “Blue’s right. Nanda knows more about this than we do. She’ll be able to explain it to you better than anyone.”

  Cass nods. “Then let us make haste to Nanda’s.”

  My heart leaps at the thought of seeing my nest mother again, but I squash the feeling. I shake my head and cross my arms. “No. I’m not going anywhere until you guys tell me just what’s going on.” I need some answers.

  My expression must show my resolve. Tallon sighs. His swords disappear, and he makes a dismissive motion with his hands. “We think you might be the Nyx, Peep. We told you Alora had a vision after word got out about you being a Godslayer, but I didn’t tell you what she saw. In the vision Alora saw you leading an army of vættir in battle. Killing an Æthereal was the first sign of the Prophecy of the Promise, but Alora’s vision proved that you were the Nyx. That’s why we went to the Underworld to save you.”

  My mouth falls open. The idea of me, a failure and a terrible coward, leading anyone anywhere is so laughable it makes my brain short-circuit. I force a laugh, but it comes out sounding hysterical. “Ha-ha, good joke, guys.”

  Cass pats my arm. “It’s okay. It’ll take a little bit to get used to the idea.”

  I ignore her placating tone and swallow hard. My heart is beating so loud that it echoes in my ears. “Who is this imaginary vættir army going to fight?”

  Cass gives me a side-eyed look. “The Æthereals, Zeph. You’re supposed to help the vættir win their independence from the Æthereals once and for all.”

  I shake my head. “Not me. I’m not the Nyx.” But from the way they’re all looking at me, I’m starting to feel like maybe I’m wrong.

  CHAPTER TEN

  IT TURNS OUT THAT WE aren’t that far from where nanda lives. In fact Tallon brought us across the Rift to their hometown in the Mortal Realm, Ulysses’s Glen. I guess he figured that we were going to Nanda’s whether we wanted to or not.

  The guys know the water sprite that I almost killed. Lyss. That makes me feel even worse about losing control. No wonder Tallon can’t even look at me. She’s probably his girlfriend or something. Especially since Blue asks him, “Hey, are you still going to ask Lyss to borrow her car?” with an eye waggle that hints at them being more than just friends. Tallon could just flash us to his aunt’s house, but I get the sense that bringing everyone across the Rift wore him out. While we stand under the tree, Tallon trudges back to the pond to ask for the sprite’s car keys.

  Blue sighs and stretches. “Let’s hope she says yes. If not, it’s going to be a long walk.”

  “How far are we from Nanda’s house?” I ask, trying not to watch Tallon talking to the water sprite. I don’t know why I even care that he’s smiling at her.

  “I don’t know, like ten miles, maybe?” Blue says, jolting me back to the conversation. I tear my eyes away from the pond.

  “Why’d he drop us so far away?” I ask.

  “Ulysses’s Glen is full of vættir, but not all of them are okay with some of Tallon’s lesser-known talents,” he confides. Blue says it a little nervously, so I don’t ask him what he’s talking about. I get the feeling that Tallon’s ability to trip the Rift is as hush-hush as my shadows used to be. That makes me feel even more exposed now that my secret is out.

  Before we leave, I walk over to the edge of the pond to the sprite. She watches me warily, and I clear my throat. “I’m sorry,” I say. I don’t add that I was about to tear her apart piece by piece. I get the feeling she knows why I’m apologizing.

  I’m surprised when she grins at me and inclines her head. “It’s an honor to have almost been killed by the Nyx. A Promise made,” she says.

  “A Promise kept,” I answer, without even thinking. It was something my mom always said, even though no one else in the Aerie ever did. It’s the right response. My answer makes the sprite smile even wider. I walk away feeling a little less like a monster.

  No one says much on the drive to Nanda’s house. Blue drives, while Tallon rides in the passenger seat. Cass and I sit in the back. She’s never ridden in a car before, and it shows. It took some convincing to even get her into the car, and now she’s as nervous as a cat in a dog park. Every little movement of the car has her clutching at her seat belt, her eyes darting side to side. I try to distract her by making jokes, but I doubt she even hears me. It’s kind of nice to see her a little ruffled. At least now I know she really is vættir.

  I eventually just let her be, my thoughts tangling inevitably around this whole Nyx business. I can’t stop thinking about this prophecy thing, and the growing noise of the darkness inside me. I’ve never been that angry about anything before. And the way the darkness came to me . . . I should be concerned. I fought the power for so long, but I barely even had to reach for it just now. What would’ve happened if Tallon hadn’t stopped me? Would I really have killed the sprite? I can’t go around killing people who irritate me. That’s just not okay.

  In the back of my mind a little voice wonders, But what if it is? What if that’s what makes you the Nyx?

  Even if killing is what the Nyx is supposed to do, how can I fulfill some prophecy and find my sister? From the old stories I get the feeling that fulfilling prophecies is kind of a full-time gig. It doesn’t seem like it would leave a lot of time for anything else, and I have to find out what happened to Whisper.

  That’s assuming one of the Exalteds doesn’t show up to kill me. If this whole Nyx thing is true, I can’t imagine the Æthereal High Council sitting back and letting me turn into a general who will lead a vættir army against them. That’s just not their style.

  All of this is overwhelming, and I almost miss the simplicity of life in the Pits. I wish I knew what to do next. I wish my stomach didn’t feel like a blender set on high. Most important, I wish I wasn’t so certain that I’m going to fail.

  Blue stops the car in front of a smallish house on a treelined street. There’s nothing all that remarkable about it. The house is white, and a wooden swing rocks slowly in the breeze on the front porch. The only things that set the house apart from its neighbors are the flowers that grow in abundance, covering just about every surface available. Fat Gerber daisies occupy pots, while morning glories climb a trellis, and rosebushes crowd the beds. Even the lawn is unusually lush and green compared to its neighbors. It’s very pretty, especially after so much time in Tartarus.

  Cass leans between the seats to talk to Blue. “Your aunt’s a nymph?”

  He shakes his head. “Harpy. Close enough.” I think it’s his idea of a joke, since nymphs are a peaceful bunch, but it’s lost on Cass.

  There’s an odd stillness about the house that makes me uneasy. “Is she expecting us?” Nanda isn’t the kind to sit in her house and wait for guests. She’d be more likely to sit on the porch and run toward the car when we arrive, cracking our ribs with one of her hugs as soon as she got the chance.

  “No,” Tallon says. His scowl is back. “We weren’t supposed to get back until the end of the summer.” He climbs out of the car, Blue and I taking our time following him. Cass has already bounded out of the car, eager to escape.

  We stroll up the walk, my eyes darting around nervously. My nerves are frayed. Too much time in the Underworld. I expect something bad to happen at any moment.

  The boys lead the way, and Cass and I hang back. I wonder if she’s con
sidering running as much as I am. This all seems like too much, too soon. As excited as I am to see Nanda again, I wish it were under better circumstances.

  Mostly I wish it didn’t involve me fulfilling some impossible prophecy.

  I wonder if we wouldn’t be better off going into hiding instead of meeting Nanda like this. Prophecy or no, Cass and I are still fugitives. What if the cerberus cross the Rift to find us? The demon dogs could appear at any moment to drag us back to hell. We’d have to fight them in broad daylight in the middle of a pretty nice neighborhood. Not exactly an ideal situation.

  We’re almost to the door when Cass grabs my arm. “Look at the lawn,” she whispers.

  I turn around, and my stomach drops to my feet. “Oh, that’s definitely bad.”

  The perfectly green lawn in front of Nanda’s house undulates like a flag in the wind. In between the movement, blades of grass grow larger, as though each wave forces them up and out of the soil. Within seconds the blades stretch up into an army of skinny green-clad men with stringy hair and short swords.

  “Um, guys,” I call over my shoulder. “Is this your aunt’s work?” Most vættir have wards, spells of protection, set up to protect their houses. It’s just a simple twisting of æther, and even in the Aerie we had wards on things like our weapons cabinets. The last thing you want is someone stealing your favorite sword.

  Even though I haven’t seen her in a while, I can’t imagine Nanda setting up wards that involve her front lawn turning into an army of skinny green men.

  Tallon swears and moves next to me. “No. Nanda would never use grass men.”

  “So, any ideas why the lawn looks like it’s about to attack us?”

  Blue shakes his head. “No clue.”

  I sigh. I am so tired of running and fighting. All I want is a shower and food that tastes normal.

  But my companions are already jumping into the fray. Cass elbows me. “Stay back. We can’t risk you getting hurt.” Her hands burst into flames, and she rolls her shoulders like an athlete getting ready to participate in an event. “Grass men. Some things never change.”

  “Yeah, if you say so,” I answer before she runs down the sidewalk and begins throwing flame at the soldiers closest to us.

  The front yard turns into a battleground. A giant two-handed sword appears in Blue’s hands, its edges coated in bright æther. He winks at me. “Isn’t this fun?” He begins slicing through grass men almost as quickly as they appear. Cass is a whirl of flame as she burns the grass men before they even get a chance to rise.

  And me? I stand on the sidewalk, frozen with fear.

  Tallon stands beside me. His short, curved swords are back. He spins them as he gives me a long look. “No erebos. Stay here and keep out of the way,” he says before joining the others. Shame heats my cheeks.

  I should help them. I could do something to stop the attack. A simple wave of darkness to rip the grass men apart. But all I can think of is how I lost control back at the pond, how much I liked the idea of hurting the sprite. Tallon is right, even though I hate it. I don’t want to use the erebos again. I don’t want to feel that destructive.

  I don’t even want to fight. But I know I can’t just stand here and do nothing. And sadly, running is not an option.

  The nice thing about grass men is the least little scratch destroys them. Already the sidewalk is littered with charred blades of grass, the remains of the grass men Blue and Cass have cut down. But there are so many of them that a few losses here and there don’t really make a difference. Back in the Aerie we had coordinated skirmishes to help us prepare for our Trials. When the wood nymphs brought in their grass men we always lost. It’s hard to defeat their sheer numbers.

  I take a deep breath and push aside my dread before I pick up a sword dropped by a grass man. I have to do something, and it isn’t like I don’t have years of training to prepare me for this moment. I swing the short sword wildly at first, awkward as I try to remember the drills from my training in the Aerie. The sword feels light thanks to muscles earned from months of surviving in Tartarus, and the patterns come easily. The spin-slice of Whirlwind. The figure-eight curves of Infinity. The stab and retreat of Strike. When I was in the Aerie, I was never able to see how the sword patterns would be useful in a battle, but now, with the spindly grass men bearing down on me, they are brilliant.

  I kill the grass men quickly, using the short sword to cut a path through the horde. The grass men turn toward me. Blue and Cass still burn through them from behind, and Tallon is making a sizable dent in their numbers off to the side, but I am very clearly their target.

  Probably because I’m the weakest fighter.

  Even with the short sword I’m very quickly overwhelmed. The grass men pile onto me, their swords stabbing and slicing. The basilisk leather blocks most of their attacks, but I’m still taking a beating. I growl, and fight harder. But my reserves are shot from our headlong dash out of hell. After only a few minutes the sword is too heavy. More of the grass men’s attacks are getting through, and my arms are covered with dozens of shallow cuts.

  My confidence evaporates and fear takes its place. I should’ve known better than to try to fight. There’s no way I could ever hope to measure up to a warrior like Whisper or Cass.

  The darkness inside of me answers my hopelessness with a burning. It rises up, offering the power to win, to destroy the grass men. I don’t want to answer the siren’s call of the darkness. But then I trip and I’m buried by grass men, their swords stabbing and jabbing.

  I have no choice.

  I release the darkness. It’s like opening my hand and setting a butterfly free. At first the shadows seem hesitant, uncertain. They don’t know what I want, and I can sense them waiting for my command.

  Destroy them. Destroy all of the grass men, I mentally send at them as I try to shove the grass men off me. They don’t weigh much, but I’m being buried alive.

  There’s a far-off rumble of thunder, but I barely notice it in my struggle to escape the attack. Energy crackles across my skin as the darkness responds, and I channel it down my bare arms and outward in a circle. Power sizzles the grass men. They’re thrown backward before raining down as charred blades of grass, filling the air with the scent of ozone and burning greenery. The dark lightning radiates outward in an arc of tarnished silver, destroying the grass men and charring the lawn into a smoking black mess.

  The grass men fall, and no new ones climb out to take their place.

  I give a whoop of victory, standing up and punching the air. Cass and Blue echo my cheer. I did it. We won.

  The lawn is destroyed. What was once lush and green is now charcoal. I drop the short sword, and it disappears. The cuts on my arms itch as they knit back together, but overall I’m no worse for wear.

  Cass limps up to my side. “That was pretty impressive. Maybe next time you should try that first.” She looks like hell. Grass is tangled in her long hair, and several deep cuts show on her bare arms. But like me, she’s healing quickly. It’s so nice to be back in the Mortal Realm, where vættir healing works.

  I grin and bump my shoulder into hers. “Sorry. I’m a Harpy. Magic is sort of a last resort for me.”

  Tallon grabs my arms and shakes me. His expression is stormy, and my smile fades. “What were you thinking?” he yells.

  Everyone stops, and I fight back tears. Low in my belly, the darkness rises up in indignation. “I was trying to not get killed.”

  “I told you not to use the shadows,” he says. His voice is low, but it comes out as a growl.

  “She didn’t have much choice, Tallon. They were kicking our ass,” Blue says, coming to my defense. But his words just make me feel worse. I’m trying very hard not to cry, and I’m not sure why. I can’t be this upset just because Tallon is a jerk.

  Tallon releases me and sighs, speaking slowly like I’m stupid. “You used dark lightning. Using the erebos brings the Acolytes. Surely you can’t be that dense.”

  “Don’t t
alk to me like I’m a child,” I say. I blink my tears away and take a deep breath. I’m more angry now than upset, and the shadows inside of me roil. They want out, to wreak a little more havoc, and I clamp down on the darkness but not on my emotions.

  “Well, maybe if you’d stop acting like one and think a little I wouldn’t have to. It’s been almost ten years and you haven’t changed a bit.”

  My anger leaves no room for any other emotions. “Apologize.” My voice is equally low, and Tallon’s eyes widen in surprise.

  “Apologize for what? Trying to keep us from waking up to a battalion of Acolytes on the doorstep? If anything, you owe everyone an apology for putting them in danger and for being a brat.”

  Before I even think about it I’m swinging at Tallon. It’s a good punch. He isn’t expecting it, and my fist connects with his chin. His head snaps back, and before he can recover, I follow it up with a quick punch to his middle.

  He stumbles back, gasping for air. I take up a defensive stance, while around us everyone freezes. “Whoa,” Cass says.

  Tallon straightens, rubbing his jaw. Wisps of darkness rise off my hands, like smoke. He watches me, and his expression changes slightly. Then he does the last thing I’d expect.

  He grins at me.

  The smile completely transforms his face, like storm clouds parting to reveal a bright blue sky. I’m so surprised by it that my hands clench into fists. “What’s so funny?” I snap.

  Tallon shakes his head, grinning. “I forgot what a temper you had.”

  Blue walks in between us, his giant sword resting on his shoulder. The bright fire is gone, but the metal still smokes. He looks around the neighborhood. None of the neighbors have come out to see what caused the smoking ruin of Nanda’s front lawn. “If you two are done, we should probably go find Nanda. I’m hungry, and as much as I’d like to watch you kick Tallon’s ass, there’s probably some sort of family code that says I’m supposed to step in.”