"I'm still me,” I said finally. "I just… know more now."
"My daughter… a princess,” she breathed, like it was sinking in. Maybe it was the sheer impossibility of this situation unfolding in front of me, or maybe it was the way her eyes sparkled, but the fact that she seemed even slightly accepting of me for being something other than a top student meant so much. I'd never expected her to have my back in any of this, and yet she was taking it all in as best she could. It was strength I didn’t even realize I'd needed until now.
Kyra shuffled a little closer, her gaze eyeing the fallen angel warily. She spoke in such a low voice I had to strain to hear, "Can you get us out?"
My heart skipped a pained beat, and I was about to protest when an idea formed. I paused, thinking it over. Maybe I could pull it off… but I'd need luck. And if I failed, I needed a backup plan. Thankfully, I had an idea for that too…
So I nodded ever so slightly, and said loudly, "Did anyone hurt you?"
I gave them a look that told them to keep talking—to make it seem as if nothing was wrong. Then, I carefully pried my phone from my pocket.
"No,” Kyra said, doing her best not to watch my hands, so as not to give me away. "We're fine.”
Making sure to keep it out of sight, my fingers flew across the screen, telling Jason my whereabouts. All the while, Mum told me about how Chrissy and her helpers had knocked them out and they'd woken up here.
Then, I reached for the glass shard in my pocket. This was harder, because I had to use my bad hand to avoid jutting my elbow and revealing my actions. My wrist screamed with pain as I tried to nudge the shard out—it was so much harder with my fingers not working. I bit my lip against the pain, but eventually, the cool metal grazed my arm and I slipped it into my good hand.
Taking a deep breath, I rose to my feet.
I'd come close to failing every sport I'd been forced to take up until grade ten, when I was finally allowed to drop the subject. So I didn't trust myself to aim and hit Devian, hoping to inflict severe damage and find a key. I'd have to get closer to him without him suspecting anything.
Or better yet, bring him closer…
I glanced over to Valarie. She was still guarding the staircase, still out of it. I didn't think she'd attack unless instructed.
It was a haphazard plan, but I had to try. My heartbeat was frantic—what I was about to do was way out of my comfort zone, and I could only pray I didn't have to actually go through with it to get them on my side. They both watched me, curious and ready to stop me if I tried something. But they couldn't stop me from doing this—for once, having shield magic was a good thing.
I held up the razor-sharp glass, and immediately Devian smirked, probably knowing it wouldn't hurt him. But then I moved it to my arm and looked him dead in the eye.
"Release them, or I'll cut myself and bleed dry."
Devian's smirk vanished, and he went pale. He stepped forward.
"Drop the glass."
I didn't budge, and he made for me.
I closed my eyes and willed my magic to come. Come, come, rise to the surface—
I felt the whoosh of my power, the warmth as it spiralled from my fingertips. I opened my eyes to watch it, feeling it flood into the room, connecting around me, until my golden shield glowed. I held it firm and locked eyes with Devian once more. He snarled, bashing against it. But it was no use—all of my strength was keeping it firm. It would take too long for him to break it.
I could feel my family's stunned eyes on me, and I couldn't help but feel a little proud. Devian's eyes had grown wide with horror.
They could manipulate me, drive me into hiding, but nothing could take this power away from me. And without me alive, they had no way to break the barrier.
I pressed the tip of the glass against my arm and raised my eyes in challenge. Devian swore.
"Fine!” he said, raising his hands. "Fine, just let me past—drop the glass!"
I shook my head. I didn't trust him to go anywhere near my family.
Devian threw a glance over at Valarie, still guarding the stairs, as if pondering a way to make her useful. But he must have decided against it, because he turned back to me with gritted teeth.
"Slide the key over to me,” I demanded. Devian hesitated, and I pushed the glass a little deeper. I felt a tiny prick that made me wince, and everything I cared about flashed before my eyes. It was a struggle to keep my breath steady and not give in to my mind telling me to stop, to take the glass away before I hurt myself. They had to believe I'd do it—they had to be convinced.
Finally, and to my utter relief, Devian grabbed the key from his pocket. He slid it over to me, where it clattered against the shield. I gave him a warning look, and he backed away before I willed the shield's hem to go weak and used my foot to slide the key inside. I kicked it under the cage for my family, not daring to take my eyes off Devian or Valarie. I didn't dare to turn my back or move the glass from my arm, in fear that they'd seize an opportunity.
Valarie's eyes were dark, but she didn't seem bothered either way. She made no attempt to stop me, which only confirmed that she had to be ordered by her captors to retaliate. I wondered… if we could break that compulsion, would she be free?
The cell door creaked open behind me, and I softened the back of my shield. I spared them one glance, just to wave them into it, and they joined me in the tiny, cramped bubble. I felt Kyra's arms enclose around me, squeezing me gratefully, and my parents clutched me too.
"I'll take you to the door, and then you go,” I told them, beginning to edge around the room. "But you don’t tell anyone I'm here—don't go to the police. They can't handle this."
"Don't be stupid; I'm not leaving you here!” Mum insisted, her eyes wide with horror. But I shook my head.
"I know it's hard for you to understand, but I have to. If I don't…"
I eyed Valarie and remembered all the things I'd lost once. And then all the things I still stood to lose. If I didn't remain here and fight… I might as well have let Jason slice my head off that day. Besides, I very much doubted they'd let me go. They'd find a way to bring me back. And the longer I ran, the more people I was putting in danger. So sacrificing myself for my family… it wasn't just something I wanted. It was something I had to do.
Once we'd slipped past Valarie and reached the stairs, I let them out of my shield bubble. Dad took Kyra and raced up the stairs, but Mum stayed. She tried grabbing my hand, trying to pull me with them, but I shrugged her off. I could practically see her heart breaking as her eyes glassed over.
"No… Lucy…” she whispered. "Please don't stay here."
"I'm going to be fine,” I promised her with a forced smile. I hated telling her that; I didn't know if I'd come out of this alive or not. But I had to be optimistic—after all, I had friends out there looking for me. With a bit of backup, we could all get out of here.
After a good minute of my mum hesitating, Devian took a step towards us.
"You either go now, or I'll lock that door and throw you back in that cage—this time with the fallen angel."
My mum's face paled, and she swallowed hard. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, and I imagined what an impossible decision this was for her. But I gently nudged her towards the door.
"Believe in me,” I pleaded, and that seemed to be what she needed to hear. She hugged me tightly, her warmth embracing me, then raced up the stairs. The door shut with a deafening click, sending icy shivers down my spine. I turned back to Devian, the shield still intact, but I could feel my energy slowly draining. I wouldn't be able to hold it forever.
Valarie stood watching us with her forever frowning expression. I wanted to grab her and drag her out with me, but she was stronger—and she'd resist. Devian knew it too, his lips turned upwards in a coy smile. Perhaps he'd known all along that I wouldn't try to leave with her here. Maybe that's why he'd never locked me up to begin with.
"Well, it's just the four of us now,” he sa
id lightly, striding over to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. I hated the way their noses nearly touched, the way his waist brushed against hers, and the way his eyes caught her dull ones as he inspected every inch of her face. The possessiveness made my skin crawl.
He trailed a finger along her jawline. "I could ask her to do anything and she would comply, whether that be ending her own life or endlessly attacking your shield until her knuckles bled and you yielded at the sight."
My blood boiled, and he chuckled, noting my expression, before tucking a strand of her perfect hair behind her ear and stepping away once more.
"If I asked her to kill you, she'd know deep inside. Behind her compulsion, she's screaming to break free. But I might be willing to play nice if you let that shield down."
That piece of information made bile rise in my throat. I couldn't decide what was worse—having no recollection, and therefore being completely clueless to what might have happened to her, or having a perfect recollection of all the terrible things she'd done.
I was torn, not knowing what to do. I would surrender myself for Valarie's freedom in a heartbeat. But doing so would cause too much devastation. Everybody would lose their freedom, their homes… their lives. How could I possibly do that? A million lives for one? Especially if it just meant Valarie would get a few extra minutes before she was subjected to the same fate as everyone else.
This wasn't so much a feeling of being useless. It was more a feeling of being trapped. I had no way out of this without outside help… and I hated that I had to rely on other people. I hated that Jason was one of those people. Jason… who had given his life, his freedom, all his years and more for Valarie, and endured endless centuries of waiting just to be with her again. It was almost funny how we both cared so deeply for one human being… and how much we'd sacrifice for her.
Devian eyed the glass shard still wrapped in my hand.
"You won't be able to hold out long enough for that to work now. I'll stitch you back together myself if I have to—and I'm not as gentle as a doctor would be.”
The thought of Devian sticking some makeshift, likely unclean needle in my skin to keep my blood from pouring out made me feel queasy, and I lost my concentration for a moment. The shield flickered, and I cursed silently. He was getting to me, and he knew it.
He offered me his hand and his eyes darkened, making my stomach twist tighter.
"Let's stop all this nonsense and act like civilized adults, shall we?"
I could have laughed at that. But he had a point… how much longer could I hold out for? What if I needed my strength when the time came? What if Skye turned up and I needed to hold out, but had no energy left?
I didn't want to let the shield down—doing so would expose myself, surrender myself to whatever horrors they had planned. But I could feel the exhaustion creeping in, feel the weight of my power pushing down on me. He was right. I'd never hold out like this.
Grudgingly, I let the shield flicker away into nothing.
Of course, the moment I let go of my power, he yanked me closer and wrestled my only weapon from my grip. Then he shoved me hard into the floor, my body sliding across the freezing cold stone. I winced, feeling my wrist throb as it was knocked around.
He gave the shard to Valarie for safekeeping, and she clutched it in her hand without so much as an acknowledgement—a lifeless robot following orders. But somewhere in there, she could see everything happening, and she was fighting. It broke my heart that she was so helpless. I wished there was a way I could reach out and break her free.
Devian strode over to me, casually sticking his hands in his pockets and studying my face. He squatted down and lifted my chin with one finger to examine me. What he was searching for, I didn't know. All he'd find was the broken, scattered soul of a princess wedged into the mind of a schoolgirl on the edge of shattering completely. And evidently, he'd already known that was there.
"Pity about your face,” he crooned, offering me a fake sympathetic smile. Before I could ask, his knee connected with my nose. A flash of white, accompanied with a thunderous crack—
And then everything went black.
Twelve
When I first came to my senses, I could tell a bunch of things were wrong. For one, my nose was throbbing in agony, and I couldn't breathe without opening my mouth. For another, my mouth felt sticky with warm, metallic liquid.
I could hear talking nearby, too.
"Hell, Devian, I didn't ask you to knock her out!” a feminine voice scolded. "And what do you mean the family got away?"
A cold voice responded.
"She was more prepared than I anticipated… if I hadn't let them go, a broken nose would have been the least of our worries."
A sigh.
"Well, never mind. So long as she's not so exhausted that she can't summon her power."
I heard the click-clack of heels approaching, and I struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry, and it took a moment to realize my face had taken a bit of a beating. Pain shot through me. I was on my stomach, and I tried to push myself up, temporarily forgetting my wrist was also broken. That sent sharp stabs of agony through my arm, and I slumped against the freezing ground.
Someone forcefully kicked under my ribs, tossing me onto my back. I yelped, my wrist knocking against the ground again, then hissed, trying to stifle the hysterics building in my chest. The deep inhales of breath I tried to force down my throat made me shudder.
"Get up,” Chrissy demanded, her eyes narrowed at me. She reminded me of a cat who had cornered a mouse. She examined one of her perfectly manicured nails, as if deciding whether they were sharp enough to inflict more pain on me. I slowly managed to push myself into a sitting position. Everything ached and stabbed, over and over.
Then I noticed Skye in the corner and felt like a glacier had washed over me. I had been in trouble before, but I was doomed now. So doomed. I could barely breathe, barely see, let alone conjure enough power to defend myself against her at this point.
Skye had cruel, watchful eyes too. Hers had hints of red and silver and lilac in them.
Chrissy grabbed the scruff of my sweater. The fabric half-choked me as she dragged me to my feet, her lips pulled into a thin sneer.
"You've been living on borrowed time, princess,” she mused, without any hint of a smile. "It's time to face your fate."
The pain was so bad, I thought I might pass out again, and dried blood flecked on my neck from when it had sprayed everywhere. My mind was swimming, and I could barely register what was going on.
I was thrust into the hands of Skye. IUpon her touch, I immediately felt her power shoot into me. Everything tensed at the unfamiliar sensation, which burrowed until it ached. A forceful hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I cried out in pain as a bolt of her power shot down into my heart. It stabbed at it, claiming it, devouring it until every part of my soul, my willpower, had become hers.
The power continued to clench, spreading through my body like burning wildfire. I rasped, barely able to control my own breathing.
"Don't fight it,” Chrissy soothed, her eyes watchful and filled with delight. I wanted to lash out. Rid the sensation from my body. I could feel every part of my subconscious surrendering to her, every thought dulling in intensity until only her thoughts were prominent in my mind. And they were clear as day: break the barrier.
The words echoed like a chant. A command.
Break the barrier. Break the barrier. Break the barrier.
I could just imagine what Valarie was thinking right now. We're completely, totally screwed.
Over and over, Skye's words filled my mind, until they thundered through my head.
Break.
The.
Barrier.
"Shut… up…” I managed to gasp, before her power pulled me completely under like a dark blanket, drowning me in her sea of commands. And then I couldn't feel my body anymore. Everything had gone numb. Every limb, every muscle. I w
as a doll to do her bidding—a puppet with which she could play with.
Summon your power.
I could feel the familiar call of my shield magic forming in my chest. My heart rate spiked with panic. Please, no, I begged internally. Begging was all I had left.
I had no idea how to break the barrier—how to do anything but call forth and drop my own shields. Would it be some kind of reversed magic, perhaps? Would my body know how to do it? Just as Valarie had been able to drive without having a panic attack, would I know the way of the spell?
My mouth suddenly moved on its own, startling me as words tumbled from my mouth.
"I call upon the goddess,” I said slowly, my voice strangely radiant with power. It seemed to echo around the room.
"Creator of Titania's Realm, I ask upon thee. Diminish my soul, the lanterns, golden lights in the black sea. Protect us no more, for your work here is done. And let the one remainder be our shining sun."
I could feel the Earth's tremble, the quake as the entire universe began to change around us. The stars were going out, somewhere outside and beyond.
The barrier was crumbling—just like my broken, shameful heart. More words forced their way out of my mouth, and I practically choked on them trying to resist.
"The world is at its end. Your princess has spoken."
I looked around at the lot of them—Chrissy, her eyes wide with pride. Devian, smirking as always. And Skye, deep in concentration with me. But… where was Kale?
"With this I declare, the Starlight Barrier has bro—"
My final words were cut as the door to the chamber thudded open, causing everyone to whip their heads in that direction.
The flicker of hope became a bright, shining spark. Andrew, Jason, Irma, and Walter filed into the chamber, their eyes locked onto their targets.
Skye had momentarily forgotten to push her compulsion onto me, and my reciting ceased. But I was still locked under her control, so when Andrew made a beeline for us, she pushed her desires into my head.
Lanterns In The Sky Page 13
