Inked (The Ink Keepers Book 1)

by N. I. Rojas

  “I hope you like the stage I have prepared for your final resting place.” -The Wizard interrupted Kyra’s concentration. - “This will take just a few more minutes. Let’s put everything in place. Sirin, come!”

  “It’s Sirina.” -The melodious voice traveled through the tunnel to every corner of the chamber.

  “Does it matter how you call a mermaid? I should call you mermaid or kitten or whatever and likewise you have to answer.” -The Wizard scolded. - “Bring the boy.”

  Humming a soft note, the mermaid approached, giving indications to a black figure that came carrying Mackenzie in a cage alike the dentist’s prison. Kyra recognized the figure. That Inkling had helped her when she was looking for escape in the underground cave. The Graphylux was right after all. That Inkling was a traitor. A mermaid’s servant.

  Mackenzie was standing proudly, not allowing the imprisonment made him look less arrogant than what he always had been. The Inkling suspended the cage in a thin rope running from side to side of the chamber.

  “Sirina, wake up! This cuckoo-droppings-head put you under a spell. You know this isn’t what you want.” -Mackenzie appealed to the good side he knew of the mermaid, while Kyra just felt so surprised he was still talking after what she wrote to harm him.

  “Oh, shut up, Mackenzie!” -The mermaid answered back. - “You know nothing of what I want. You don’t know me at all.”

  The whole chamber stood silent listening to those two arguing.

  “Listen to her, Mackenzie.” -Kyra interrupted bravely. - “Why don’t you ask her where she hid your shadow? Is the least she can do for you when you are minutes away from being sacrificed. And it’s all her blame!”

  “Don’t get into this, human. This is not of your concern.” -Sirina warned.

  “Oh, you still think I’m human? How sweet your master to keep you in shadows! Haven’t the Wizard told you who the real human is? Does Mackenzie knows the deal you did with the Wizard? He knows that your legs to walk on firm land are as real as you mermaid tail?” -Kyra felt amused to be sowing discord until something kicked her in the back, sending her to her knees. Her belongings were snatched away along with her pride, but the satisfaction of unmasking the mermaid was impossible to appease.

  “Enough.” -The Wizard protested. - “You asked me something before, Whisperer, and I think that… as you all are going to die in minutes… the least I can do is tell you why. I’ll tell you then. For hundreds of years I’ve been trying to go back to my old life. I was the muse, the inspiration, the only prodigy of a family of goods for nothing. I was the one to create this pen. Ordinary in the exterior, but with heart and mind on his own. With it I created beautiful stories and a tiny world to help me comprehend the powers I had by then.”

  “It doesn’t work anymore.” -Kyra protested trying to win some time.

  “But it will, and I love the way every word will turn. I love it already and I cannot wait to end with all this. So… A good brother I was, despite being superior to my siblings. My brother and I did a pact. He was to teach me to know girls and in exchange I taught him the only thing I knew that he was interested. Together we traveled to worlds doing mischief and coming back, until one day, ...he took everything away for me. Taking advantage of the times when I was inside a story, my brother created this world and sent me here. He made me an unnecessary character. He made the story believe that I was nothing more than discarded ink and made me believe his beautiful fantasy world. Imagine living in a dream and suddenly be awakened with blows? That happened to me.”

  “I still don’t understand why all this…” -Kyra said, maybe telling everyone else’s feeling.

  “So easy to manipulate where the Lost Words. I took advantage of them all, shaping them alike some creatures of this world but giving them my intentions. That’s why they are loyal to me. The boy… my brother put him here and I saw a good chance. I needed to bring a human in here and rummaging here and there I found about the Whisperer, a great story my brother made, I must admit. The boy was just a puppet to get to you.” -The Wizard confessed pointing at Kyra. - “A sprinkle of drama would make this work something worthy. Until I recently discovered he’s the real human and you are not.”

  A chorus of surprised murmurs interrupted the Wizard’s confessions.

  “I’ll take the offense, thanks.” -Kyra said twisting her lips. - “So, as you don’t need me anymore, I’m free to leave?” -She mocked.

  “Not so fast. Everything ends at the beginning.” -The Wizard responded with a wisdom that made Kyra roll the eyes. - “This is getting interesting but, before continuing with my confession, let's put the plan to work.”

  She was forced to stand right below Mackenzie’s cage, but she didn’t want to look at him. She was so hurt she didn’t have the desire to see his mocking face ever again.

  “Let me see! Here’s the ink, beautiful thing. A soul… I collected that one already. This gigantic rose is part of it. Good job, Whisperer. You did a great job preserving the purest soul for me. I’m surprised with you. Is a shame I must get rid of you. A heart… that’s why you are still here. For love. I’ll take your heart with my own hands soon, don’t worry. What do I need? Oh, yes! A kiss of you two. The first kiss of the very first love!”

  Kyra looked at Mackenzie in disbelief. The first kiss? She just wanted to laugh out loud but she managed to keep it inside, hoping Mackenzie could keep his mouth closed.

  “If you are so kind… This is the moment for exchanging love, lovebirds!” -The Wizard said almost romantically.

  “No way.” -Kyra protested.

  “I won’t kiss her even if she’s the only woman alive.” -Mackenzie assured.

  “Don’t worry, weirdo. I wouldn’t kiss you either. You’re definitely not my type. Egocentric. Ignorant. A total looser.” -She stated.

  “Oh, yeah? You are not my type either. You only think on you and your books and your stupid reality. You can keep it all!” -Mackenzie snapped back.

  “Oh, shut up, you two.” -The Wizard ordered. He walked straight to where the two were arguing and grabbing them both by their heads, he forced them to kiss. - “What? Why?”

  The Wizard couldn’t explain why his plan stopped working suddenly. Trying again, he pushed Mackenzie and Kyra closer until not just their lips where touching, but also their noses were glued and their eyebrows were entangling together. Something was supposed to happen.

  “I told you. Not my type.” -Kyra reasserted when the Wizard released her head.

  “But I can promise you, the first time was beyond imagination.” -Mackenzie said and as soon as he said the words, he regretted having opened his mouth. Kyra sent him one of her killing gazes. He was certain, if the Wizard wouldn't kill him, Kyra would, and she would make it so much worse.

  “Oh, you two rascals! Love cannot wait I see.” -The Wizard said. - “We’ll see if that counts.”

  Kyra was pushed aside, and she stood with her head bowed to cover her ashamed feeling and her cheeks red like hot chilies. The giant elves started hitting the tiled floor right under where the moonlight was touching. The noise was like a ravenous stomach, maybe it was hers, protesting against the starvation mode.

  With the rumble another thing happened, the roof started trembling, like crystal crashing against crystal. Kyra looked up while she was pushed by witches to the center of the hole where pirates had already placed a plank, especially made for her. She looked up again and then it hit her. The cave was indeed made of crystal but the roof was dwelling for crystal butterflies, the rarest of all the specimens created with ink and dreams. They were so sensitive to noises that they preferred to stay hidden. The Wizard had just taken their home and converted it into a deathly circus.

  Taking advantage of the tumult of noises, Kyra managed to run to where her backpack was and she kicked it without contemplations, spilling the contents in the floor, but couldn’t grab what she needed as her hands were still tied in her back. Rouge stood up too, kicking every creature who dared to
stand in her way. Rouge knew what she was doing. She was the distraction.

  “Need a hand?” -Someone yelled from above while jumping inside the crystal cave. Easily, Rex reached Kyra and with just swinging his knife, he released her hands.

  “To be my guardian you took too long.” -Kyra claimed.

  “I was waiting for your call, but I remembered I didn’t have the chance to tell you how. So, I decided to just crash the party.” -Rex said.

  “Hey… Hey!” -Jealous, Mackenzie yelled from his cage. - “Who’s this gasbag?”

  First, Kyra paid him no attention, but soon it was very fastidious to hear Mackenzie repeating the same phrase over and over again, so she just gave up ignoring him.

  “This is Rex, a warrior and my guardian. Rex, this is the lunatic.” -Sarcastically, Kyra introduced one to another, considering that maybe this would bring her problems in the near future.

  “Guardian? I’m your guardian.” -Mackenzie protested with jealousy. - “And stop saying his name as if you have honey Dulcè in the tongue.”

  “He’s my guardian. You are fired!” -Kyra yelled at Mackenzie while she took one of Rex’s knifes and with a single shot she sliced the thin rope that held Mackenzie’s cage, making him fall to the floor. She rushed to take the flute Mackenzie had given her and without having any idea to bring a right note, she just blew in it.

  The melody was nothing friendly to the ears, but that was exactly what she needed. The crystal butterflies started fluttering, wings clashing. What started like a faint jingling turned into a massive avalanche of winged animals. It wasn’t just a song, but Kyra’s voice. The Whisperer commanding them to attack. A cry of war, a beg for protection.

  “Ok, listen to this and you’ll beg to get me back in a blink.” -The un-aging boy interrupted Kyra’s musical performance. - “To break the spell you must mix a drop of blood with the ink. Like my poem, Fairy Girl?” -With pride, Mackenzie extended his hands as far as he could, like if tada! he had done magic.

  It made sense, indeed.

  “You are genius, Dumbo.” -Kyra mocked Mackenzie but his words had a lot of logic. What Rex had done in the forest, to spill her blood… and now that was what she needed. What she had needed all this time, just her blood to write forever.

  A hole opened in the ground leading to a bottomless trench filled with bad ink. Kyra knew she must do something to finish with this once and for all. The moon was there, right above their heads, rays of light entered, burning everywhere, as if they were ants running under a magnifying glass, claiming for a life or two to take.

  “Cut me again!” -Kyra yelled at Rex while fights were everywhere around. - “I’m too coward to do it myself.”

  “There’s no need for it.” -He protested.

  “Do it.” -She ordered.

  “I’m your guardian! I cannot harm you.” -Rex defended himself.

  “Hey… Hey!” -Mackenzie called, standing in the middle of Kyra and Rex. - “Don’t mess with my girlfriend.”

  “Oh, come on. Your girlfriend?” -Rex ordered. - “Move out of my way, dicky.”

  “Never mind, weirdoes. I’ll do it myself, or…” -Kyra went towards where Rouge and the boys where fighting with just kicks and released their hands. She asked Rouge to cut her.

  “You sure?” -Rouge asked without a hint of worry.

  “Ahhhhhhhhh…” -Without even waiting for an answer, Rouge had swung her axe, cutting Kyra with just the edge of her weapon. Kyra’s yell bounced in every corner, forcing everyone to stop what they were doing for a second.

  “She asked!” -Rouge defended herself when both Mackenzie and Rex went to her with hostile attitude.

  If he was going to do something memorable, he needed to give Kyra what she needed. Mackenzie turned around prepared to steal the Graphylux, but the Wizard was faster. A spell casted on him, Mackenzie fell to the floor writhing in pain. Kyra ran to his side, grabbing him in her arms. His eyes were turning white, blinking without really responding to her.

  “Don’t go. I didn’t mean what I said. Please, stay.” -Kyra begged. Mackenzie just smiled. Hearing Kyra saying the word please was a good way of dying.

  “Your heart is a great place to continue living.” -Mackenzie answered with a smile. Kyra tried to absorb everything of him with a last gaze. Full of angst, Kyra ran to where the Wizard was. She needed the Graphylux back now. She had just one plan. She could only have one chance to achieve it and that was it. Mackenzie’s life was in her hands.

  Alter Land turned completely dark. The moon was falling over them, a puzzle broken, claiming the promised blood. With a powerful jump, Kyra landed over the Wizard, both flying like a rocket. Grabbing the Graphylux with her bleeding hand, she pulled the Wizard with her to the hole on the floor. To the huge pit of deadly ink.

  Silence reigned as both fell. Darkness accompanied her to the goodbyes she didn’t dare to pronounce. She only wished to restore everything, including her life.

  Chapter 29: Staining her nature

  Keeping her eyes tightly closed was the best way to imagine what she wanted to do. She had so many wishes, so many longings, but it was difficult to focus on what she needed to achieve. What she wanted back, what she wants from now on, everything was tangled in her brain until she no longer could keep still, inert in an abysm she was convinced she herself created. Something inside her head told her to open her eyes at last but she fought against it. She was so happy, so comfortable, being alienated from a world that had been both toxic and exhilarating.

  Despite her pleased sensations, Kyra wanted her father back. She even wanted Mackenzie’s changing behavior to her own. Her life, considering she still was alive, wouldn’t be the same without Rouge, the Three Lost Boys, her mother or without Mackenzie. She heard the command again inside her brain, but Kyra still fought against it.

  “If you don’t wake up now, you’ll miss all the fun!” -This time it wasn’t her voice she heard, but the Graphylux’s. - “Come on, girl. You’re making a big show out of this. Taking advantage of our feelings for you to make us suffer a little longer.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” -Kyra apologized, opening her eyes just a tiny gap.

  “Why you ask for forgiveness? For being such a lazy lady or such a drama queen?” -The Graphylux asked without thinking.

  “I apologize because it’s obvious I couldn’t break your spell. You’ll have to endure a little longer. I’m really sorry.” -Kyra said between hypocrite grins. She felt happy for she was still alive.

  “Hey, this is me. No spell. No enchantment. Everything is broken.” -The Graphylux informed offended. - “What you see is what you get, take it or leave it.”

  “Really?” -Kyra asked trying not to hide the sarcastic tone. - “Wow! Who would have thought?”

  Everybody laughed, including the pen. Kyra sat as fast as she could, motivated by the voices surrounding her. Slowly she opened her eyes a few times, making inventory of the people she had left. Rouge was there taking care of the three little boys. Rex was sharpening his crocodile knife -the one he used to cut her- against a sharpening rock. The Leavers and the D’vasias were closer, just as almost every creature she met in the forest.

  She retreated, crawling backwards, when she saw the giant elves resting against the trees as well as the drafts and their wolf friends.

  “It’s okay.” -Rex told her. - “Things are falling in their rightful place. No need to fear now.”

  “The Wizard’s spell failed?” -Kyra asked to them all.

  “I knew it would.” -The Graphylux confessed proudly.

  “How so?” -She asked innocently.

  “Since you kissed the boy. Sorry to remind it was you who took the first step…” -The Graphylux faked a few coughs. - “Then I saw you crying because of him, pain and hatred mixed together in your heart, and I confirmed my suspects. Your heart was broken. A broken heart is never a good addition to a magic spell, especially one so powerful as the one the Wizard wanted to perform.”

  Rex extended
his hand to pull Kyra to her feet. She hesitated for a second. Everything came back to how it was normally invented. What she did, whatever it was, casted a counter spell to undo all the damage and the contamination of the Wizard in Alter Land. Giving her backpack back to her, Rex went back to where his people waited. Kyra looked around. Inklings were there too, waving at her as if she was a celebrity. She felt sad for them but couldn’t build up the feeling as her mother was suddenly standing at her side.

  “Where’s my father?” -Kyra asked Incantatrix.

  “He’s back home and recovering perfectly. But maybe we should erase his memory. He has so many doubts now…” -Incantatrix made a pause too long for Kyra’s poor patience. - “He has a new family. A place where he belongs.”