City of the Sleeping Gods

by Olivia Ash

  But Sophia was prepared for the attack, and she easily batted the beam of magic aside with a wave of her hand. Her true power had been unleashed thanks to the torture she’d endured. The headmistress’s attempt at real magic was laughable. She’d had enough. She was done playing around. Too much had been lost.

  Digging deep inside, she summoned her magic, the very last fiery coil of it. Unafraid of the woman’s feeble attempts to harm her, Sophia grabbed the headmistress by the arms. The woman opened her mouth to scream as Sophia’s magic poured into her, but no sound came out. Her entire body turned to ash, burned away in an instant. A resounding whoosh echoed through the room. Sophia was left with nothing but gray embers in her hands. She wiped them absently on her pants.

  The castle trembled in Sophia’s wake. Cracks fractured the walls; the chains which had been attached to her men dropped to the ground with a metallic clunk. The obstacle course Grindel had designed for her weeks ago collapsed and crumbled into piles of wood and rubble. The floor beneath their feet lurched back and forth. Stumbling slightly from the movement, all three of her men stared at the stone in equal measures of surprise and awe, then back at her. Sophia didn’t even flinch.

  After climbing back onto the platform, she knelt at Grindel’s body, exhausted, relieved, and sad all at once. She gathered him in her arms, grieving, wishing they’d been closer, knowing he’d kept her at a distance all these years to protect her. She looked into his graying face and let forgiveness swell over her for his icy demeanor and standoffish behavior because she finally understood why he acted that way. He’d sacrificed everything for her. He’d done it out of love.

  Edric, Andreas, and Ezekiel came to her side.

  “We need to leave,” Edric said gently, looking warily at the door. “The castle guards will be here any minute. They’ll suspect the disturbances are coming from this room and they won’t listen to explanations. Not even from me. We’ll all end up in the cells.”

  Andreas crouched next to her. “Let me take him.”

  Nodding, she stood, and allowed Andreas to lift Grindel’s lifeless body into his arms.

  Ezekiel grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “We’re with you, Sophia. Now and forever. Wherever you go, we go.”

  Edric and Andreas nodded in agreement.

  Together, she led them out through the secret tunnel and into the woods, escaping into the night like fugitives. In fact, they were all now fugitives. They had killed the headmistress of Nighthelm academy. There would be consequences. Edric wouldn’t be able to return to his post with the elite guard. Andreas wouldn’t be able to return to the Shade and the wraith army. Ezekiel would have to forgo all his work and training in the castle. But Sophia looked at the men she loved, and thought, she’d suffer through those consequences and worse, every single one of them, gladly.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Sophia

  The heat from the flames singed Sophia’s face, but she didn’t move away from the massive fire. She stood with her three men around her burning cabin, a funeral pyre for Grindel, and let the fire cleanse her emotions. After they’d ran through the woods and arrived at the cottage, Sophia had instructed Andreas to lay her teacher in his bed, but there was too much blood to ever let herself think for even a moment he was just sleeping. However much she wanted to.

  She’d put his gnarled, wooden staff in his hand, and set a few of his favorite books around his body then, with Ezekiel’s help and his magic, set it aflame. Edric had to pull her out of the bedroom before the whole place was on fire and her with it. After collecting a few of her things, her bow, sword and scabbard, and a few other weapons Grindel had taught her to use, Sophia stepped out of the cabin she’d spent the past twelve years in, and let it burn.

  The light from the fire flickered over the faces of her three men and a few of Andreas’s loyal wraith brothers, who he had called in to surround the area. They had come to make sure it was secure and safe from grimms, at least for one night. One night she could properly grieve the loss of her teacher, her friend, her Father. She knew Andreas would have to repay the favor for years, but he told her he was happy to do it for her.

  The haunting cry of the chickcharney carried over the crackling of the flames. Sophia glanced at the nearest oak and saw the bird sitting in one of the branches, watching the fire. She wondered if it was the same bird that always dropped fruit onto her head during her nightly patrols through the woods. Maybe he came to pay his respects.

  Now that she was looking around at the surrounding trees and bushes, she noticed several of the woods’ creatures gathered nearby. A bright, yellow glow grew near one of the bushes, and Sophia saw the flutter of fairy wings. On the ground, she spotted several nippers, small rodents, scurrying about, every once in a while standing on their hind legs to watch the flames. Grindel would’ve shaken his head to see them here, as he always complained about them and the noise they made.

  When she turned her head to look on the other side, she swore she spied a minotaur pacing behind the trees. She was wary for a moment, until she realized it was the minotaur chieftain that sparred with Grindel years ago. She recognized its brown fur and two white stripes across its flank. It locked gazes with her, slowly lowered its head, then turned and bounded back into the shadows of the woods.

  Hobs, and wood sprites, and even a few large gargoyle bats gathered around the bonfire. These were creatures that Grindel had taught her to identify, fear, respect, and, in his own way, love. For over twelve years they had shared their forest with Grindel, and with her. She wasn’t sure if she could ever repay them for their generosity. She didn’t know how.

  Numb, she turned back to the bonfire and watched her past burn, knowing she could never live there again. Not with what she knew about her past and the headmistress, and definitely not without Grindel. She looked at each of her men, filled with joy that they stood there with her, beside her, together as one unit. She wouldn’t be able to get through this without them, either.

  The roof on the cabin finally collapsed into the rest of the burnt timber, sparks and ash exploding outward. She looked to the rest of the woods, making sure no other trees or bush caught fire. It seemed like the other creatures had vanished from the area. Haris crept into the clearing, cautious and glancing warily at the burning building. Her forest spirit friend didn’t like fire.

  “Haris,” she called.

  He turned toward the cabin, kneeled on one leg, extended the other leg in front of him, and then lowered his head to the ground. It was a bow of respect. After he straightened, he came to her side, nuzzling his head against her shoulder. She kissed his nose.

  “Thank you, sweet one,” she murmured to him, thankful that he came to pay his respects to Grindel, although they had never formally met. But she was sure that Grindel knew about her special friend. She’d caught him a time or two setting out sweet grass onto the porch. He’d said it was for birds, but sweet grass was also a favorite snack of Haris’s.

  Both Edric and Ezekiel startled at the sight of him. Andreas smiled, as he already knew of Haris’s existence.

  “Edric, Ezekiel, this is Haris. He’s already met Andreas.” She patted Haris’s muzzle, and he nickered at her. “My sweet beast.”

  Andreas tipped his head to the creature.

  Haris returned the polite greeting.

  Eyes wide, Edric approached Haris. “I’ve never seen a forest spirit before.”

  “Neither have I,” Ezekiel said. “I’ve read about them plenty though.”

  As Edric reached out to touch Haris, Haris snorted, and stamped his front foot. Sophia stroked his flank. “It’s all right. These men are my…” Frowning, she looked at each of them. “I don’t know what to call you.”

  Ezekiel said, “We’re your companions.”

  “Your paramours,” Andreas added, with a quick smile.

  “We’re yours. It does not matter what you call us.” Edric put his hand on Haris’s side. “He’s as big as a horse. Do yo
u ride him?”

  Sophia nodded, and kissed Haris on the nose again. “Yes, when he lets me.”

  Haris whinnied and snorted into her hair. It was his version of a laugh.

  “Forest spirits only protect special souls,” Andreas pointed out again.

  “I don’t want to discuss it,” Sophia said with a finality that made Andreas nod to her in acknowledgement. She sighed and shook her head, she wasn’t angry with him for bringing it up again. Her heart just wasn’t into exploring the notion further, not now anyway, not when it was so damaged.

  With all her most trusted and loving companions surrounding her, she turned back to the burning cottage. It was mostly embers now, the structure no longer recognizable. She was deadened as she watched the last of her past be incinerated into ashes. She held the dagger Grindel had given her for her birthday against her chest, and promised to never let him down, to continue what he’d started with her training.

  In her mind, she whispered a prayer for him to finally find peace in the next realm. A peace she knew she’d never find in this realm while the Nameless Master lived.

  Reaching into the pocket of her trousers, she pulled out the envelope Grindel had given her with his last, dying breath. She tore it open and unfolded the paper he’d written on. The child of Ripthorn.

  She showed it to Edric. “What do you think this means?”

  Andreas and Ezekiel read it over his shoulder.

  “Doesn’t make any sense,” Ezekiel said. “Do you know what’s it in reference to?”

  “He said it had something to do with the identity of the Nameless Master,” she said.

  Ezekiel shook his head. “No way that thing is from Ripthorn.”

  “Could be about the heirs to the throne,” Andreas said. “We have been waiting for so many years, maybe we have been told lies about their existence or their return.”

  “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Edric said. “It could mean many things.”

  Sophia agreed, but she had a feeling they would all find out soon enough.

  After folding the note and tucking it back into her trousers, she looked around at her three men. “I’m sorry for dragging you all into this.”

  “You didn’t drag us into anything,” Edric said. “We all came willingly.”

  Andreas and Ezekiel nodded.

  “We would do anything for you,” Ezekiel said.

  Smiling, she grabbed Ezekiel’s hand, and Andreas’s. With Edric standing right behind her, her back pressed into him, his hand on her waist, they all watched the last of the flames. An overwhelming sense of peace washed over her, and she knew she would be all right without Grindel to watch over her. She had her men. They would help her find her way.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Sophia

  Getting back into the city proved a bit difficult. Because of the incident in the hall under the castle, and the death of Headmistress Mittle, the guard was on high alert, obviously looking for the murderers. They were probably wondering where their commander was as well. Sophia was heartbroken to know that Edric may have given that all up to protect her.

  Andreas’s wraith brothers helped them sneak back into Nighthelm through a secret tunnel that went directly into the Shade. Once inside, they had to creep through the streets to one of the oldest parts of the city, to where Ezekiel’s family estate was located. Thankfully, there weren’t too many occupied houses in the district, most families preferring to move to newer more prestigious areas. This was good for them. It would be easier for them to hide out here.

  After her men were settled, well as much as they could be considering the circumstances, Sophia returned to the sacred park to try again to speak with the oracles. They had all protested about her going alone. Not surprisingly, considering what happened last time she went alone. Edric insisted that he, at least, accompany her to the park, but she insisted that she had to do this by herself. They relented, but she suspected that Andreas had shifted into his wraith form and had watched her from above. She couldn’t say for sure, as she never saw him, but she had a feeling, and that filled her heart regardless.

  Although the streets were deserted of residents due to the new curfew according to a poster nailed to a wall outside of a shop Sophia had read, she kept to the shadows like she was trained to do. Despite there being an increase of guards throughout the city of Nighthelm because of the incident at the castle, she was used to evading them and had done so with ease.

  She used extreme caution as she approached the fence around the park. She wasn’t afraid of getting ambushed like before, but she absolutely was wary of more patrols through the park.

  Once she was sure she was completely alone, she climbed over the fence. As Sophia walked through the park to get to the center and the elder oaks, she ran her hand along the trunks of the other trees. She enjoyed the feel of the rough bark on her palm, reminding her of the woods that had been her home for so long. The Witch Woods were tainted now, though, stained with memories of Grindel’s death, and she couldn’t live there. Not anymore.

  But the woods were still Haris’s home, and she would never abandon her friend. She wished he could come into the city and live with them. One way or another, she would find out how to make it work. The forest was part of the forest spirit, and living in a house would depress him. The trees were an extension of Haris. He couldn’t take him out of it and expect him to survive, but she couldn’t leave her friend behind.

  For now, just until the rawness faded and the chaos settled, Sophia hoped she would be able to survive without her woods.

  Stepping into the center, she approached the oracles cautiously then knelt before the elder trees, alone and covered in blood and ash from the battle. She hadn’t bothered to change at the estate. Seeing the oracles was more important than the state of her dress. Besides that, it felt like a dishonor to Grindel if she washed off too soon. In a way, he was here with her.

  She clasped her gloved hands together and bowed her head low, nearly touching her forehead to the ground. “Great oracles, I have failed you.”

  The great trees groaned, the leaves on their branches rattling like chains. She couldn’t be sure if it was in response to what she’d just said or if it was just the night wind blowing through the park. Summer was drawing to a close, and the air was becoming crisper.

  “You tasked me with finding the other piece of my soul, but I couldn’t do that. You see, I met three wonderful men that complete me so powerfully that I can never imagine being without any one of them.”

  She lifted her head, risking a look at the trees. Every single one had their eyes open and was watching her. She could feel their power surging over her. The hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck rose with the charged air.

  “Leaving even one of them would break my heart. I don’t know what to do. I can’t make the choice you want me to. I won’t give any one of them up. Not even to mend my soul.”

  She didn’t mention her fear for their safety bringing them before the oracles, but if she had to choose between the elder trees’ approval and the loves of her life, the choice was easy. She’d find another way to restore the heirs to the throne.

  As one they spoke, their voices a symphony of earthy baritones. “Love.”

  The word reverberated through the air. It hummed over her skin. Tears welled in her eyes from the potency of it.

  “Love is worth all. Love is worth everything,” the oracles said in unison. “Stand, Sophia of the mountain.”

  She climbed to her feet. Her head felt a bit woozy from the level of power that filled the park, from the majesty of the oracles who spoke to her.

  “You have made the right choice,” they said.

  She swallowed the anxiety she had been carrying with her, and her heart swelled with glory.

  The oracles eyes closed one by one, then they started to hum. At first it was a pleasant vibration, like a buzzing of an insect, and then the tempo and volume increased. The hum was so loud and so throbbing
that Sophia clamped her hands over her ears. She wouldn’t have been surprised if blood leaked out between her fingers, as surely her ear drums had burst.

  A light formed in the center of the trees’ circle, about five feet away from where she stood. At first, the white light hovered above the ground, bouncing almost like one of the fairies in the forest. Then the resonance increased until Sophia could no longer look upon it without going blind.

  The hum increased at the center of the light, pulsating, undulating, and the power of it pushing against her body. She thought she couldn’t handle any more when there was a definitive popping sound, and the light vanished, as did the noise.

  Stuck in the ground, shining with its own inner light was a long broad sword.

  The oracles opened their eyes. “This is the King’s Sword. It is what you will need to return the lost heir from the mountain to the castle. It is now yours to wield.”

  Sophia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The King’s Sword was thought to have been destroyed in the massacre in Ripthorn Mountain which killed the king and the queen and all their royal guard. Only the heirs were thought to have survived. Survived but taken and hidden away, or so the rumors stated.

  Swallowing hard, she reached for the leather wrapped hilt. There were symbols and other marks of royalty burned in it, as well as etched along the curved, golden cross bar and down the silver blade. The pommel had a silver ball on top that seemed to gleam and glow from within. She wrapped her hand around the grip and pulled it from the ground. She lifted it into the air, the steel glinting in the moonlight as if it was made of starlight and blue fire.

  She was amazed and baffled how this was supposed to restore the heir, but she suspected, like the message on Grindel’s note, everything would be clear in time. She laughed, giddy with new found excitement. She swung the sword around, reveling in the feel of it in her hand. It was both heavy and light. Heavy from the sheer length of it, but light as the metal seemed to have no weight. How was she ever going to explain the sword to her men when she returned to the estate?