by Jana Downs
There was a long moment of silence that followed his proposal, and he knew Druis was weighing the risk in his mind.
“I’m not happy about this, but go on and we’ll catch up.”
“What do you mean we’ll catch up? Devon could be put in danger!” Layden’s voice protested in the distance, and his concern brought a smile to Devon’s face.
“Yeah, what the hell are you thinking, Dru?” Abraxas growled. He was happy to see them agreeing again, even if it was temporary.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” Devon said with confidence. He couldn’t let them see his worries. It would only make them more upset. He needed to be strong. He turned toward Cerilius with confidence.
“Let’s go.”
* * * *
The temple room was thankfully free of cave-ins as Devon and Cerilius walked through the doorway. The room was huge in comparison to the tiny corridors they’d been navigating for the past hour, and Devon wondered how the others were doing.
“This is it,” Devon whispered nervously as he felt the pulsating energy of the gem emitting from the center of the room. Cerilius stepped in and he followed close behind him.
“Who dares to enter the sacred temple of the Golden Dragon?” The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once as Cerilius and Devon turned to pinpoint the source. A flash of blinding light from the pillar in the middle of the room answered them as they stumbled backward, shielding their eyes.
When the light dimmed, Devon looked up. Before him stood, or rather floated, another non-corporeal entity.
“Let me guess, you’re the Saffron clan ancestor sworn to protect the gem, yadda yadda yadda.” Cerilius waved a hand of dismissal and grinned. The corporeal being lifted its chin and smirked.
“And who are you?”
Devon found his bravery and stepped forward. “We’re the ones that will be taking it now if you don’t mind.” He placed one hand on his hip and readied himself. He’d be prepared this time.
The spirit shrugged. “Fine with me.” He pulled out the gem from the pillar and held it up for them to see before swallowing it. Devon watched in disgust as he could see the gem travel down his throat into his stomach through the spirit’s translucent cavity.
“Whoever dares to pull it from my body can have it. It’s that simple.” The wicked grin that spread across the being’s face made Devon suspicious. Nothing in this land was ever simple.
“Ew. That is so gross.” He shuddered and looked at Cerilius. He raised an eyebrow at his slightly paled complexion.
“I’m not sticking my hand anywhere near that thing,” Cerilius exclaimed as he took a step backward.
Devon shook his head.
“Fine,” he sighed stepping forward. “I’ll do it.”
“No, wait, Devon. You don’t understand. The Saffron clan has the power to—” But his warning came too late as Devon reached out, passing through the semi-permeable putty material, and grabbed ahold of the stone.
The spirit grinned as his suddenly solid hands wrapped around Devon’s wrists. Panic filled him as he struggled to free himself from the sentient being’s grip.
Something was wrong. It was as though he could feel the life draining out of him. His vision blurred as he felt his strength leaving him.
“Foolish boy.” The spirit’s voice filled his mind as he lost the last of his strength. The spirit’s words echoed around him, and darkness enveloped his consciousness.
Chapter 6
Cerilius rushed to Devon’s now-limp form just as the spirit vanished from sight. His skin was cold to the touch, and he feared the worst. Golden dragons were notorious for their healing abilities but even more known for their power of death itself. Moving as fast as he could, he grabbed the gem from his hand and stuffed it in his pocket before lifting Devon into his arms. How foolish he’d been to bring him here by himself. If he died now, he’d never have a shot at becoming king.
Cerilius made his way back through the rubble as fast as he could, cursing himself for causing the damned cave-in to begin with. He’d only wanted some alone time with Devon. He saw how cozy he was getting with the rest of the clan heirs, and when the opportunity arose for him to potentially get some of his own alone time with him, he’d impulsively acted by separating them from the rest of the group. He looked down at his paling form and cringed. Druis would have his ass if anything happened to him. He had to hurry.
He could see the rest of the group running toward him now.
“What happened?” Layden asked, reaching him first.
“It was the Saffron clan ancestor. We’ve got to hurry and get up to Ezekiel. He’ll know what to do.” There was obvious panic in Cerilius’s tone as he rushed past them all toward the exit.
“The tunnel’s not big enough for us to maneuver his unconscious form through, and who knows how long it’ll take us to clear a path big enough,” Druis stated as his eyes narrowed on Cerilius. Cerilius didn’t dare meet his stare. He was too afraid of the anger he’d see reflected in Druis’s gaze.
“I don’t have that much control over the earth to move that much rubble without causing another cave-in,” Dru added, noting his limited abilities. “But you could at least try, Cerilius. I know you’re stronger than me. You might be able to get us through without killing us.”
Cerilius nodded and passed Devon to Abraxas.
“God he’s so cold,” Abraxas stated as he held Devon closer to his chest and followed Cerilius to the cave-in.
“I need some space.” Cerilius gestured to the others to stay back as he bent down and placed a hand on the wall of debris standing in their way. He closed his eyes and focused his powers much the same way he’d done when he caused the cave-in. A green aura emitted from him as he connected his spirit with the earth. Earth was a green dragon’s specialty, and as the Jade clan leader, clearing an area like this was a piece of cake.
Opening his eyes, he forced his power outward, into the rock. The rocks began to move on their own. Some of them moved to the side, while others moved back into the hole from which they fell. When he was sure he had a hold on every loose rock, he motioned for the others to pass through.
“I’ve got it. Come on.”
Abraxas and Layden went first as they rushed with Devon to the exit. Asher and Dru followed. When he was sure everyone was safely out of the way, he, too, passed under the rock and released his hold on the debris. Gravity instantaneously acted upon the rock he’d been holding and the passageway became once again sealed off from the outside world.
The light at the end of the tunnel told them they were close as they dashed out of the tunnel and headed toward the encampment.
“Ezekiel!” Layden called once they were in sight of him. He turned at Layden’s distressed tone and began running to meet them.
“What happened?” he asked when he saw Devon’s limp body.
“We were in the temple and the ancestor of the Saffron clan appeared before us with the gem. He said if we wanted it we had to take it from him and then he swallowed. I tried to warn Devon, but it was too late. He reached in him and pulled it out. Something happened. It was as though he drained the life out of him,” Cerilius explained, unsure of what else to say.
Instant panic crossed Ezekiel’s face. “Quick lay him down near the fire.” He pointed to the fire pit he had built while they were in the tunnel. “If we don’t hurry, he’s going to die.”
Abraxas did as he was told and placed Devon on one of the blankets next to the heat of the flame.
“What do we have to do?” His face was filled with alarm as he stared up at Ezekiel. Ezekiel motioned for everyone to sit around Devon, and they obliged. He positioned Devon’s head and placed his hand on his chest.
“I’m going to connect us through to his soul. It’ll be up to you to find him and convince him to come back. His will is the only way he can survive this.”
“And if we can’t find him and convince him to come back to us?” Druis asked, raising his eyebrows at Ezekiel
.
“If you don’t, he dies.” Ezekiel’s gaze narrowed pointedly at Cerilius, and he swallowed nervously.
“I don’t understand. What happened? What did that thing do to him?” Cerilius asked a little apprehensively.
“I don’t have time to explain it right now. The longer we sit here discussing it, the harder it will be to find Devon and bring him back. Now, everyone, put your hand on his body and close your eyes. This may be a little painful.”
Cerilius did as he was told. Ezekiel’s chanting began, and small electrical pulses coursed from Devon’s skin to his fingertips. A flash of white light engulfed his senses, sending him hurtling toward an unknown destination.
* * * *
Layden opened his eyes to an almost-empty void. There were various corridors veering off in many different directions. He turned around to get his bearings, but it wasn’t like any room he’d ever been in before.
“Where are we?” Abraxas’s tone was filled with curiosity and astonishment as he suddenly appeared next to him.
“I don’t know. I think we’re inside Devon’s consciousness. I keep seeing flashes of images of him appearing in the distance,” Layden whispered softly.
“That’s exactly right,” Ezekiel said as he materialized behind them.
“What do we do now?” Druis questioned. Asher and Cerilius appeared next and moved in closer.
“Now you find him. I need to stay here and keep the connection open. It’d probably be best if you split up.”
Dru nodded in affirmation.
“All right. Layden and Abraxas go that route. Cerilius and Asher follow me. Don’t forget we have to hurry, so be quick and sharp in your searches.”
Abraxas grabbed Layden’s wrist and pulled him in the direction Druis had pointed them in. They headed off at a sprint, taking the first corner they came to and stopped. From the ground to higher than they could see were rows and rows of panels, displaying interactive images of what appeared to be Devon at various stages in his life.
“Whoa,” Abraxas said as he took in the sight before them.
“You can say that again,” Layden agreed.
“Come on, let’s keep going.” Abraxas motioned for Layden to follow him, and he obliged. They passed dozens of Devon’s memories of his brother, and Layden couldn’t help but notice how close they seemed to be. They were nothing like him and his older brother. Devon’s smile was so warm and he looked happy when he was with him. Layden wanted to always see him this happy.
They continued, going deeper into his consciousness. The further they traveled, the younger his memories seemed to be getting. There was some of him and his father. More often were the ones of him telling Devon stories about dragons. Layden stopped to watch one particular scene where he was showing Devon a map of their lands he’d found on a recent archeological dig.
“Come on. We gotta keep moving.” Abraxas turned to see what had caught his attention.
“I know,” Layden stated, but gave no indication that he was ready to leave. “He just looks so happy and carefree here. Nothing like how he is back in our world.”
Layden looked up at Abraxas, meeting his gaze. “I like seeing him happy.”
There was a long moment of silence before Abraxas responded.
“I know,” Abraxas agreed as he moved closer. “But we have to keep searching or we won’t ever have the chance to see him happy again.”
Layden nodded, and they continued making their way through the mountains of thoughts and memories. They moved deeper and deeper into Devon’s mind. The surrounding temperature was near freezing at this point, and there were few panels of memories now.
Layden shivered. His kameez and thin pants weren’t the best outfit for the sudden climate change.
“I don’t think he’s back here,” Layden stated skeptically.
Abraxas held out his hand and motioned for him to be quiet. He pointed in front of him, and Layden’s eyes followed the direction. Directly ahead of them was the largest panel they’d encountered so far.
“What is it?”
Abraxas shrugged as they approached cautiously. The screen showed an image of an older woman, smiling as she sat near an open window. It was more of a photograph than a memory.
“That must be his mother,” Abraxas noted. “I wonder what happened to her. She doesn’t appear to be in any of Devon’s other memories.”
All of a sudden, the screen dimmed into darkness. Layden and Abraxas exchanged a brief confused look before continuing to stare at the blank screen.
“Murder,” Devon’s voice echoed from all around the room. “My mother was…murdered.”
Blood red droplets began to form on the screen as the image of four-year-old Devon crawled out of bed and made his way down an empty hallway.
“Mama?” His small voice called as he paused at a doorway. There was no answer. Layden and Abraxas looked on as his tiny hand reached for the doorknob. Layden was silently screaming at him not to look, knowing the fate that awaited him from Devon’s earlier words.
He pushed open the door and peered in. The scene before them was so gory and grotesque Layden had to turn away before he became violently ill. There were so many body parts in so many pieces. Why? Why would anyone do something like that to another person?
Devon’s screams sounded, and Layden shut his eyes tightly.
That poor boy…How horrible. Layden repeated the thoughts over and over again in his mind, trying to forget the image that was forever burned inside his memory. No one should ever have to endure such tragedy or see something so horrific.
Layden felt Abraxas’s hand on his shoulder, and he turned to him for comfort, trying to control his breathing and to stop the tears that seemed to pour out of him against his will.
“That’s…” he breathed.
“I know,” Abraxas said in understanding. The scene was just too horrible to speak of out loud. It took him a while to compose himself, but reluctantly they began their search, careful not to glance back in the direction they’d just come from.
Abraxas broke the silence first. “It must’ve been hard for him to go through all that. It really makes you think of things differently, knowing that at any moment your life could be taken from you.”
His rambling was irritating Layden. Now wasn’t the time to be contemplating their own immortality when Devon was near death.
“Yeah, what’s your point?” he snapped. Abraxas didn’t take the hint.
“Well, I mean it just makes you think about the things and the people you live for. It makes you think about how so much time is wasted on petty fights and wars. I guess I should have a little more appreciation for the people I have in my life and be grateful they’re still around for me to care about. I just think I should fight more for the people I love…like I’m fighting for you.”
Abraxas looked at him with tenderness in his eyes, which only made Layden’s temper boil more. How could he say something like that?
“You’re fighting for me? You can’t be serious.” Layden stopped and turned to look at him. “You’ve never fought a day in your life for me, Abraxas. Look at us. You let our families tear us apart. I loved you, and yet you did nothing when my parents locked me in the palace. You never came, not even once, to see how I was doing. You never even tried!”
All the things he’d been holding inside for so many years seemed to just burst out of him as Abraxas stood there looking at him in shock.
“Layden, I–I did. I came every day. Didn’t you know?” His pleading expression caught Layden off guard. This was not how he’d envisioned this conversation going. “I was never allowed anywhere near the main entrance, but I always came. I came to Azure city with nothing but the hope of just seeing you. Just for a few minutes.”
Liar, Layden wanted to shout, but the sincerity in Abraxas’s eyes as he spoke told Layden that he wasn’t.
Abraxas pulled him into his arms, not allowing any room for Layden to protest. Abraxas leaned down, pressing his lips
to Layden’s. The kiss was passionate, filled with the need and want Layden had been suppressing for the past few years.
“Abraxas,” he whispered, breathless. Oh, how he’d missed that wonderfully delicious mouth. The love he’d buried deep inside came roaring back to life with just one touch. Layden didn’t care if their families forbid their love. He didn’t care about what the others would think about him. All that mattered was that they had found each other again.
“We should hurry and find Devon,” Layden said as he pulled away from Abraxas’s touch. As much as this moment meant to him, he knew it was incomplete without him there.
Abraxas nodded. “Yes, I’ve become quite fond of him.”
They exchanged a knowing look. It was unusual for people in their world to have two mates, but it did happen and something inside Layden knew Devon was theirs.
Abraxas’s expression hardened as his gaze fixated at an indiscernible point behind him.
“What’s wrong?” Layden’s brows furrowed in concern.
“I thought I heard something.”
Layden pursed his lips as he listened intently for any sound in the cold void that surrounded them. Sure enough, off in the distance in the direction they were headed in, Layden heard the soft whimpers of what sounded like someone crying.
“This way.” Layden motioned for Abraxas to follow as they took off running in the direction of the sound. For the first time since wandering through this creepy place, he felt hopeful. He knew it was Devon. It had to be him.
A small shape curled on the floor in front of him had Layden slowing his pace.
“Devon?” he said as he approached. The figure didn’t respond in any way, but Layden knew it was him. Physically he looked fine. Mentally he looked…broken. That was the only word that came to mind as he looked upon his thin and pale, crumpled form.
