“How is she able to breathe without difficulty?” I asked Dervinias.
“Earth’s air became poisonous to her. I think the child has changed her somehow, but honestly, I don’t know,” Dervinias said with quiet reverence. He appeared to be in awe of Chev and the child.
To Chev, I asked the obvious, “Are you pregnant?” I really just wanted to verify the two of them had sex. “Dervinias didn’t . . .” I searched for a word that wouldn’t remind her she was a rat in Dervinias’s crazy lab of horrors. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“No. Venus, it was wonderful.” It looked like she wanted to go on, like she desperately wanted someone to confide in. A friend. But I couldn’t be that for her. Not now. Maybe not ever.
“I still can’t believe it,” Dervinias said, shaking his head, a goofy grin plastered on his face.
The two of them together was weird. Dervinias, though he looked like a sixteen-year-old human teen, was actually much older. He was a killer. Chev, as far as I knew, was nothing more than a girl from Wyoming who loved to ride horses.
Zaren bent down and placed a hand on Chev’s raised abdomen. “The baby will come soon,” he said.
Dervinias pushed Zaren’s hand off. “Don’t touch her.” Desperation throbbed in his voice, along with something else.
“Do you mean to say you have feelings for this human?” Zaren asked, indicating Cheverly.
I watched Dervinias’s face soften. “I do. It may be . . .” he stifled before continuing, “difficult to believe, but it’s true.”
I rocked on my heels. Michael told me Dervinias killed his mother, and he’d been killing humans for a long time, so why would Dervinias care for one he impregnated?
“We’re going to get out of here,” I cooed, desperate to believe the words, hoping they would comfort Chev.
Chev nodded, but she couldn’t hide the doubt in her eyes.
10. Creep
“Check this out,” Palmo shouted.
We all crouched around the door, kneeling like worshippers praying over our sacrifice.
“Cover your eyes, I’m going to blow away the dust,” Zaren commanded.
We did and he blew. Particles struck my skin.
“Okay,” Zaren said when he finished.
“Talk about creepy,” Dervinias said, peering closer.
I had to agree. An intricate image of a sandy beach with a large tree in the center was etched into the door. At the base of the trees thick trunk yawned a weathered face. The eyebrows were tilted in anger. Empty crimson eyes stared at nothing. Its nose was a tangled branch and its mouth was opened. The top of the tree sprouted winding branches filled with blackened leaves. Strange creatures hid within them. A snake, with flowing red hair and the tail of an angelfish, curled around an upper branch. Monkeys with curved beaks and wings hung by their tails. On a lower branch sat a leopard-man with a forked tongue. A child kneeled in the sand, playing with a shovel and pail. Near the boys’ big toe was a crab about to pinch, and behind the boy slithered a giant snake with a tiger’s mane. Beneath the sand were the trees’ roots. They feathered out like veins. Sharire, octopi, and whaletins circled hungrily below.
“Seriously creepy,” Palmo added.
“Stand back,” Zaren said. “I’m going to open the door.” He pulled on the diamond and ruby encrusted handle. Nothing happened. He pulled again.
“Let me try,” Dervinias said, shouldering Zaren out of the way.
It didn’t budge.
“There’s got to be something else,” I said, scrutinizing every inch of the picture. The child smiled. I brushed away a piece of dirt near his cheek. At my touch, the child ran away, disappearing from the picture, and strange writing appeared.
“Freaky,” Chev said.
“Will you read it, Venus,” Zaren asked.
With an unsteady voice, I began:
My first is in hauntingly but not in laughingly
My second is in generator but not in regnant
My first is in burnout but not in brunt
My second is in temple but not in melt
My third is in rasher but not in harsh
My fourth is in pertinence but not in receipt
My first is in into but not in ion
My second is in whither but not in rewrite
My third is in scrubber but not in scrub
My first is in prude but not in upper
My second is in ornament but not in remnant
My third is in secretion but not in strictness
My fourth is in confiscator but not in ossification
My first is in prosperous but not in propose
My second is in shaver but not in heaver
My third is in patella but not in plat
My first is in constituency but not in incestuousness
My second is in intercontinental but not in tricentennial
My third is in enthusiastically but not in synthetically
My fourth is in transitiveness but not in inattentiveness
My first is in filing but not in lining
My second is in restoration but not in ornateness
My third is in nonferrous but not in forerunner
My fourth is in alternate but not in learner
When I finished, Palmo let out a frustrated groan and stomped around like a kelni child who didn’t get his way. “What the helker does it mean? I heard the words, but it makes no sense.”
“Zaren?” I questioned, hoping he had a clue.
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s a riddle,” Dervinias chimed in, taking Chev’s hand in his, and patting it. “They’re popular on Earth.”
“Right,” Chev agreed, perking up at the mention of her planet.
“What’s a riddle?” Palmo probed, obviously still confused.
“It’s like an amere,” Dervinias said, lacing his fingers together. “Each piece must be joined precisely, in its proper place, or it’ll fall apart.”
As if to emphasize the point, the room started to shake violently again, careening us into each other. Chev clung onto Dervinias, and I grabbed Zaren’s arm.
“Now what?” Palmo yelled.
“It looks like we’ve got company.” Dervinias indicated the other side of the room.
Zaren and I turned as though we were a solid unit. Three creatures, their faces furry and spotted like a leopard stood at attention like soldiers awaiting their orders. Their eyes held no pupil, and glowed red. They wore silver tunics with matching pants and shoes that reminded me of slippers. The fabric on the tunic shone like a dying star giving off its last light. Around each waist was a belt filled with varying weapons, and crisscrossed across their backs were dual swords. Worn much the same way as the Formytians.
Zaren blew out a breath.
“What?” I asked, wondering why he’d lost his composure. Usually he was so calm in the face of danger.
“Nothing,” he said too quickly.
I checked his face. He’d gone pale, his eyes were wide, his lips parted.
“Zaren?” I followed his gaze.
He drew his sword, and I wished I had one.
One of the creatures took a step forward. “You always were over anxious for a fight, Zar-Zar,” it said in a sultry female voice.
“Do you know . . . it?” I whispered.
He glanced at me sideways, terror and pain screwing up his gorgeous face. “It-she reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago.”
“It’s me. Palamina. Remember?” The soldier’s face softened, and momentarily looked kelarian.
Zaren let out a battle cry. “No. Mina’s dead. You’re nothing but evil sent to torment me.” He lunged, his Ostwallow sword coming down on her neck, but he didn’t follow through. The soldier’s words had affected him.
“Do it, Zaren,” I shouted, desperate to get these soldiers gone—her gone. If she affected Zaren so deeply, we were in trouble. The other two soldiers still hadn’t moved. Their empty crimson eyes stared blankly ahead. Palamina made no move
to block his blow. I didn’t know what they waited for.
“I-I can’t.” Zaren stepped away, turning his back on her. His opponent. She really must’ve disturbed him.
This was serious! Who the helker was Palamina? “I don’t understand,” I uttered, stepping toward her. She’d called him Zar-Zar, and he called her Mina. Nicknames.
“It could be Zaren still has guilt over the choices he made years ago,” Palamina said, keeping her eyes locked on Zaren. “Perhaps he regrets his decision to slay the woman he supposedly loved. His wife, no less, based on the word of one accuser.”
Zaren swung around. “The king and queen ordered your death. I had no choice.” The words ripped from his throat. His sorrow so palpable I felt it.
I was stunned. He and Palamina had been husband and wife? He’d never mentioned her, that part of his life. And he was forced to kill her on orders from my parents. I wondered what she was like before Ramien altered her? I wondered if Zaren kissed her the way he kissed me? I wondered . . .
“Show no mercy. These things won’t,” Zaren yelled, but his face belied his anger. He pulled the smaller sword from over his right shoulder and handed it to me.
“What are they?” I asked, trying to understand. When he didn’t answer, I muttered, “Got it.” One thing was certain, come helker or high water, Palamina was mine. “Dervinias. Palmo. Are you prepared to fight?” I asked over my shoulder.
“No,” Palmo hollered. He stood over the door, studying the words in the riddle.
Chev was crying again. Dervinias held her, rocking.
No matter. It was two against three.
Those aren’t bad odds, I thought standing next to Zaren.
“Come on,” I shouted. With all the power I possessed, I brought the sword down on Palamina’s body, slicing her in two with one blow.
Palamina let out an agonizing scream. She dropped her sword, and touched her hands to her body. Black blood gushed through her fingers. Her top half of her body slid from the bottom half and fell to the ground with a stomach-turning thud.
Zaren sucked in his breath. “Venus . . .”
He didn’t finish, and I moved on to the next soldier. Maybe I’d kill them all before they could fight.
This would be an easy first challenge. Ramien would need to do better than send a few altered souls.
Before I could finish the thought though, the something the soldiers waited for happened.
Water. Gallons of it pushed its way through cracks in the ceiling, sending chunks of concrete, dirt, and debris down on our heads. The water broke through the walls, cascading like waterfalls. It was seawater, cold and pungent. A thick dread settled in my stomach. Not more water.
A large piece of debris smacked Palmo on the head, sending him down hard into the foot deep water. He howled, sputtering. Zaren went over and lifted him to his feet.
“Watch yourself,” Zaren said.
The room was filling up with water quickly.
“No,” I whispered, feeling an unseen hand circle my throat.
Zaren returned to my side, but shouted, “Dervinias!”
“What?”
“You and Palmo work out the riddle. We need to get the door opened.”
“Will do.”
“Venus,” Zaren spun me toward him. “You’re going to be fine. We’re going to be fine. I’ll be right here beside you. Okay?”
I felt frozen, helpless against the rising water.
It is just water, Venus. It is just water. I repeated the phrase over and over in my mind, searching for the angry resolve I possessed moments ago.
Tortevia came to my rescue with a roar in my ears. Push away your fears, child.
She was right. This was not the time to panic.
“Zaren, I’m good.”
He nodded, planting a kiss on my cheek. “Excellent.”
But, when Palamina’s body reassembled itself, a pang of doubt filled my heart.
11. Never Said
“Are you ready for a rematch?” the female soldier asked.
“Don’t you know it,” I answered, deflecting her blade with mine. We traded blows, the sound of metal biting metal echoing around the room. It was hard to hear anything except the falling water, and the clang of our swords. The other two soldiers went after me, but Zaren blocked their weapons. I noted the swords they swung looked like the revered Formytian’s Ostwallow blades and I wondered if they truly were.
I didn’t have to speculate long though because the female soldier’s blade caught me on my bicep, and filleted my flesh. Celestrum leaked from the wound.
“Awwww,” I cried. “Zaren, their swords are Ostwallow. Be careful.” Even as I said the words, I marveled at the possibility. Ostwallow blades chose their guardians. They were the only weapons on Kelari able to kill a kelvieri, their death song as unique as the guardian the blade chose.
“I noticed. Be careful, and go for the eyes. Cutting them out is what destroys them,” Zaren said, his words huffing at my back.
With Zaren so close, the female soldier fixated on him. She pushed me into another soldier. I heard the she-leopard, Palamina, roar and lunge for Zaren. This time Zaren was prepared, and met her blow for blow.
I went after the other soldier’s eyes. He was strong, stealthy. His only sounds were grunts every once in a while as he blocked or launched a particularly strong blow.
“Dervinias,” I shouted, noticing the water reached my knees. “Figured out the riddle?”
“Yeah. Yeah. We’re working on it.”
I let out a howl. Stepping forward, I shoved my elbow upward, into the soldier’s nose. He stumbled backward. As he fell, I sliced off his sword-bearing arm. It landed in the water with a splash the same time his body did. Ignoring the black blood bruising the water, and the look of suffering on the soldier’s face, I jabbed the edge of my blade into each eye. When I finished, the body shuddered and vanished.
Shaken, I turned to see if Zaren needed any help. Highly unlikely, but I wanted to make sure. His face was a mask of determination. Palamina mocked him.
“Do you remember that night under the layatha tree, the night you first told me you love me?” she asked, her voice laced with condemnation.
“Don’t talk like her,” he growled.
“Zaren?” I whispered, afraid.
He heard me and turned slightly. “Venus, don’t worry.” He gave me a quick smile. “Love you,” he mouthed.
It was as though everything went into slow motion. Zaren blinked and a droplet of water rolled off his long, dark lashes. He flexed his sword-bearing arm as he prepared to face Palamina. The muscles in his abdomen and along his waist tightened.
Before he had a chance to defend himself, Palamina used his distraction—me—to her advantage. I knew what she intended as she proceeded to step behind Zaren. The water splashed against her boots, and thighs. A great sadness overtook her face, but didn’t slow her down. She brought up her sword and drove it through his ribs, directly into his epsis. A look of disbelief passed over Zaren’s face, followed by softness, and then peace.
“What? No.” It was like I watched a movie in slow motion. One where I knew the way it ended. Knew the good guys conquered all, and the hero would win. The guy and girl would triumph and be together forever. But the ending had suddenly changed. The hero died and evil won. No happily ever after. No love conquering all. Not even close. My feet wouldn’t move. I cursed myself as I watched Zaren fall into the water. The soldier—Palamina—caught him before he went under, cupping his head in her hand. She lowered herself so their noses were only inches apart.
This was all wrong. I wanted to scream. But nothing came.
“Palamina,” Zaren whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Zar-Zar. Forgive me, darling.”
What the cret? In this ending, the guy loved another girl, and that girl called him Zar-Zar. I suddenly wondered if I had died and this was my own personal hell.
“Only if you can forgive me, my Mina,” Zaren choked out, a s
mile splayed over his lips.
A smile! I was so confused.
Zaren closed his eyes.
The soldier lightly touched his lips with hers. “I have,” she whispered, and then she let out a huge, mournful roar.
I matched hers with one of my own. Crashing through the water, I raged toward her. She stood, lifting Zaren’s body over her shoulder.
“Palamina, is it?” I seethed.
“Yes.”
“By the gods, if you don’t put him down, I will destroy you.” My words trembled with a fury hard to contain.
“Sweet, Venus. I’m already dead. This body is one Ramien gave me. I am a Kyonshi.”
I couldn’t help but pause. The Kyonshi were better known as the Warriors of the Dead. But they were the demons of fairy tales. Make believe. “You-you killed him,” I stated matter-of-factly because I felt too numb to do anything else.
She dropped her sword, and nodded. “Only his body. Consider that. Stay strong, Venus.” With her words, she and Zaren vanished.
12. Barely Breathing
“I think we’ve figured it out,” Palmo said.
He sounded like he was far away, at the other end of long tunnel.
“Venus?”
I was being shaken, but couldn’t snap out of it. I kept seeing Zaren drop, hearing him whisper to the Kyonshi, watching him die. My guardian. My personal Formytian. My Zaren.
Gone!
A storm brewed. Lightning struck, burning my immortal heart, ripping it to shreds. Tears pressed against my eyes. Trapped by a barrier, they grew higher and higher, the pressure getting stronger and stronger. I wanted to burst.
“Venus, the water!”
I snapped out of it. The water was at my chest. My clothes clung to my body, the way my grief clung to my insides. “Have you figured out the riddle yet?” I asked, breathless. If I wanted to save the others I needed to concentrate.
“Almost. So far it says: To open the door.” He shrugged.
Immortal Essence Box Set: Aligned, Exiled, Beguiled Page 34
