by Jade Frances
He was still in wolf form, standing over something, snapping at anything that got near. Focusing on the thing beneath him, I soon realised he was standing over Adam’s body, his human body, that, like Egan’s wasn’t moving. No, I screamed as pain hit my chest so intensely. I buried my head in my hands, and curled into a fetal position on the floor, willing for him to be ok, for it to be over. We didn’t have time to figure things out! I sobbed to myself. I could feel myself shutting down, blocking out the emotions whirling inside. I didn’t want to feel anything. Aresollo was right, we were losing. I was panicking, but I buried that. Pearce’s angry cries pulled me back to reality. Looking over, I could see six or seven wolves, all attacking him from every angle. He had no chance; he was outnumbered! Desperation flowed in me. I had to help.
The realisation that I might have already lost two people hit me hard and fast. Pain ripped through me, tearing through the barriers I was trying to build, threatening to tear me apart. My hands trembled in fear. Fear for the people around me, people I had grown to love and care for deeply. I didn’t know where to look or who to turn to. The gravity of having their fate in my hands weighed heavily on me. Don’t do anything stupid or heroic, Pearce’s words formed in my mind. We were losing, though! Looking around again, I realized Aresollo would get me, regardless. But no one else had to be hurt. With new resolve, I made my decision.
Fine. I resigned. Make them stop. I’ll join you. I spoke through the bond.
Clever girl.
The battle around me froze. Silence hung in the air. A shimmer of magic formed in front of me.
Step through.
It was a portal. I risked a quick glance at Pearce, who was running towards me. Fear filled his eyes. Giving him my most remorseful look, I hoped he would one day, in his heart, forgive me.
I’m sorry, I mouthed to him. Pure love and determination to save my friends saw me stepping through the portal.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
As I stepped through, I felt a familiar energy wash through me, much like my own. I had only ever been through one other portal, and I hadn’t even known at the time. This one seemed to only take a few seconds to get through. As soon as I came out of the other side, I fell to the floor, hard enough for the grit beneath me to cut into my knees. It had plunged me into darkness. Much like the energy I had felt coming through, the air smelt of something familiar. The sea, I thought. It must be close, I could practically taste the salt in the air. I stayed crouched down, waiting for my eyes to adjust. My heart was thumping in my chest, my entire body was aching, and I could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. I was hardly in a fighting state.
I heard whispers start around me, low at first, I couldn’t make out what they were saying. As they grew louder, it sounded more like a chant. Fear swept through me and sweat dripped down my back. Sure I’m surrounded; I could sense people in the shadows. Crouching on the ground and feeling weak, I forced myself to stand and prayed my eyes would adjust faster. I edged backwards slowly, towards where the portal had dropped me. I have no clue where I am, but I’m sure it is no place I want to be. My hand hit a damp stony wall behind me, the coolness of it calmed me a little. But the portal was gone. I really hope everyone back in the clearing was ok, and that Aresollo had kept his word and ordered his minions away. Even if he hadn’t, I might have bought them some time. I had no way of knowing, and now I was stuck god knows where with no one to help me. Taking slow, deep breaths, I forced myself to calm down. I chose this; I stupidly needed to save everyone, now I have to follow through. There must be a way out somewhere.
“Evvy,” A scream tore through the darkness. My legs were moving before my brain had registered what was happening. That was Ava’s voice. Chills ran up and down my spine as I heard her again, although it was more muffled this time. I ran hard and fast towards where I hoped it was coming from. Pushing myself to keep moving forward, I tried to ignore the shadows that were closing in around me. I just had to focus on getting to Ava. Within a few minutes I had broken out into a clearing. It was lighter here, and it took my eyes a little while to adjust to the sudden change. I gasped as I took in the room before me. Or more of a cavern.
“Holy crap,” I said to myself. I was standing in the world between worlds. The same cavern where I had first started my training with Avetta. The same one I had grown to love and admire every time we were here. This time though, there was no sparkle in the rocks from sunlight, no melody in the music that flowed through from the sea. It was damp, and although lighter than where I had dropped through the portal, it was still dark. It felt lifeless in here, like they had drained the magic from it.
Across the small pool of water stood Ava. I started towards her but slowed down as the chanting I thought I had left behind grew louder. It was almost deafening. Ava was terrified, her eyes were wide with fear and she was staring straight at me with her mouth open in a silent scream. I had to get to her. Taking a running leap and using my energy within to propel me forward, I glided over the water and landed next to her. Spinning on me, she threw herself into my unexpected arms.
“Shh, it’s ok, I’m here,” I whispered into her hair. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably, and she was gulping in deep breaths between her tears.
“You shouldn’t have come, he will hurt you,” she looked up at me then, a mixture of relief that she wasn’t alone and fear that I was here. I squeezed her lightly.
“It’s going to be ok, are you hurt?” I asked. Then suddenly, with no warning, she was torn from my arms and hurling backwards towards a swirling mass of energy.
“No,” I screamed and ran towards her. But I was too slow. She disappeared into the black mass.
“Ava,” my scream bounced off the stone walls.
“She can’t hear you,” a voice carried to me from shadows. Chills ran up my spine, fear coursed through me and I froze. “I have no more use for her abilities now that you have joined me, Evangeline.”
Turning, I faced a stone wall in the deepest, darkest part of the cavern.
“Where did you send her?” I tried to steady my voice and keep the trembles of fear from being clear.
“She is with whoever they leave of your motley crew,” he replied. I flinched, the harshness in his words reignited my worry for everyone I had left behind. But they were safe for now, I hoped, and I was here. I had to be ready to face what the fates have in store for me.
“Come out of the shadows, Aresollo,” I demanded, unsure of where my sudden valor came from, or if it was just curiosity. That, or plain stupidity.
“As you wish,” he replied. I don’t know what I was feeling as I waited for him to step out of the darkness. Panic of coming face to face with the man whose voice had haunted me my whole life or curiosity to finally see him. But it was neither that hit me. Shock. That’s what I felt when I laid eyes on Aresollo. As he stepped out of the shadows, he looked like just a normal man.
Aresollo was very tall, I guessed maybe six foot three. His blue eyes were like mine, they definitely weren’t black like from my nightmares. He had long blonde, almost white hair that was tied at the back of his neck. He was broad and muscly and didn’t look a day over forty. I suppose he reminded me of a Viking. Although he was wearing a double-breasted dark grey suit jacket, over a white shirt and matching grey trousers. How odd, I thought. Nothing like I expected at all. I couldn’t get a feel for his energy either, which was troubling.
“Not what you expected, Evangeline?” he raised an eyebrow at me and looked inquisitively my way.
“Doesn’t matter what I expected, doesn’t change who you are or what you want from me,” I retorted.
“And what might that be dear child, please enlighten me as to what you think you know.” Aresollo was gliding towards me now, in the same way the men in my nightmare had moved. My pulse quickened as fear rose within me.
Maybe he looked like a normal man, but every part of me was screaming to run and get far away from him. Only, I couldn’t. I don’t know w
hat was stopping me.
“You want to bring about the rise of Ares. Destroy those who don’t follow. And you need me, my energy to do it.”
“Well informed and pray tell where you got this information from,” he was circling me now, like a predator stalking his prey. In my peripheral I could see that the others, still hidden in the shadows, had come no closer. There was no chance I was giving Adam up as the one who had told us of his plans. I didn’t answer at all and set my face in the most defiant look I could muster.
“Hmm, so like your mother, loyal and stubborn. Both a strength and a weakness,” his voice echoed around the cavern.
“What do you know of my mother?” I snapped back, unsure of where the venom had come from that was so clear in my voice. I embraced it, though. Better that than the fear deep inside. Shuffling back, I tried to increase the distance between us. The closer he got to me, the colder I was feeling. Like ice was spreading through me. His piercing eyes and intense gaze seemed to stare straight through to my soul.
“Why I knew your mother all too well, probably in ways you are too young to understand.” What the hell was the old man gibbering about? As I shifted to the left, I saw a break in the rock wall. There was no one in the shadows there. If I kept him talking and moving, I might just be able to make it through. And do what, run to where, I thought to myself. But I had to try.
The way he was talking about my mother was raising questions, I knew I didn’t particularly want the answer to. But I asked anyway.
“You were with her. Like with her, with her?”
“Is that supposed to be the English language you speak, Evangeline?” I had to keep him speaking, keep the conversation going as I edged slowly away.
“I don’t have a mother and yes I do speak English genius,” I retorted.
“Oh, but you did once upon a time, shame she couldn’t stick around to teach you to speak properly,” he snapped. Rage flared up within me, hot and heavy. How dare he, who was he to speak of my upbringing when, as far as I knew, he was the reason I was orphaned in the first place. I had moved as far to the rock wall as was possible without drawing too much attention. Aresollo knew of my mother, maybe even intimately, but he was not the person I had any wish to get any information from.
“There is nothing you can say that would hurt me!” I screamed at him.
“It’s now or never,” I whispered to myself. As quick as I thought was physically possible, I drew my energy forward, fired a flare of my fire at Aresollo and made a dart for the opening. Just as I was about to duck through, something hit me in the back. Forcing me, painfully, down to the ground, where I was pinned.
“How about the fact I fathered you, does that hurt Evangeline?” Aresollo was suddenly whispering in my ear. He was so, so close. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, but I hadn’t even sensed him moving. What he said slowly started dawning on me. No way, he couldn’t be, not a chance. Was he telling me he was my father? My brain fogged with confusion and pain. I struggled against his hold, desperate to get away from him.
I was losing my fight, though. The darkness was sweeping in. I could feel it beckoning me, and for what would probably be my last time, I embraced it. Falling into the now very familiar black pit, there was peace, I didn’t have to think or feel. I’d never been as grateful for my blackouts as I did in this moment. The last thing I heard was Aresollo.
“Don’t worry, I don’t wish to claim you as a daughter. You have a bigger purpose.”
I came to slowly. Pain ripped up my arms. They were pinned down, and I was struggling to move them. Yet, I couldn’t feel anyone physically holding me down, just invisible binds. Chanting echoed all around me, loud and clear this time.
Blessed are the followers, they shall walk the path
Blessed are the living, they shall see fear
Blessed are the ignorant, they shall see the dark
Blessed Ares, Rise.
It was being repeated over and over, the ominous words were drilling themselves into my head. My hair was damp with sweat, my hands were shaking, and fear coursed through me. I would die here today, at the hands of this cult that call themselves The Veil. I had lost all hope of escaping. I stopped struggling against whatever was restraining me, any fight I had left in me was dimming. Silent tears flowed down my cheeks.
“Ah dear daughter, you have re-joined us. Finally,” Aresollo was staring down at me. “You look so like your mother.”
I turned my head away, not wanting him to see my tears. From my vantage point, I could see that we were on the rock that Avetta had always favored in the center of the cavern. A massive crowd of people wore hooded black cloaks and stood scattered around us. Aresollo was standing at my head and holding a big gleaming bronze dagger. It seemed to have an inscription on the hilt, but from where I was laying, I couldn’t make it out. I squirmed, trying desperately to break free. Each slight movement only brought me more pain.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked through the agony. Aresollo’s head snapped down toward me, unnaturally fast and uncomfortably close to my face.
“The gifted have become immodest. Content with hiding among petty humans, abiding by their laws and customs.” Lifting his head back up, he looked across the crowd.
“We should rule! My father’s power will right the wrongs that the late so-called gifted leaders have driven our race to,” he yelled. They awarded his declaration with cheers and murmurs of agreement.
“But I’m your daughter,” I whispered, wishing that with any luck there was a small part of humanity left in him.
“Unfortunate for you. If your petulant mother had stepped aside and allowed me to complete a transference of energy at your birth, then all would have been right from the beginning. Instead, she allowed you to inherit gifts that were not yours to acquire!” he barked down at me. My wrists were burning and my hands shaking with pain. Yet, I felt numb and hollow as each of his words bit into me. All I ever wanted was a family and to be loved. He had just shattered that dream.
“The prophets told us of a child born from our mixed lineage. The power to raise a God born within it. It was then we knew of the path we needed to take. Akila ruled by my side, we shared the same vision. She was a thing of beauty, strength, the last of her kind and she was mine! Until you came along, and she ran. Taking my love and the power that was created to be mine with her.” Aresollo knelt by my side and bent low into my face again.
“And that, dear daughter, is why you are here. Now enough babble, we shall begin.” With that, he leant across me to slash both my arms with the dagger. Hot, searing pain hit as soon as it came into contact with me. It sliced through my skin with ease.
I watched, helpless, as my blood dripped onto the stone and into the water below me. Both my parents had been leaders of the Veil, and both had planned for me to die to fulfil what they believed was my destiny. Akila may have come to her senses, but all she had done was buy me time. Here, in this dark, damp cavern, I would bleed out and be used as a pawn to rise Ares. The chanting got louder and faster and I felt a change in the atmosphere. A heaviness was in the air that hadn’t been there before. It was beginning. Agonizingly, I tried to turn my head to see where Aresollo was. Holding his own wrist above the water, I could see he had cut himself as well. Our blood swirled and mixed together, turning black as it hit the water one drop at a time. I felt weaker and weaker by the second. My body was limp and almost lifeless, like it had abandoned the fight to survive. My mind was flooded with everything I had learnt. Through my haze, my eyes were drawn to a blonde guy in a dark corner of the cavern. He was the only one in the crowd who stood uncloaked, and he was staring straight at me.
Help me, I mouthed to him. With a sad wistful look on his face, he raised his hood and turned and left. Lost in the crowd. Taking with him my last hope of survival. I watched as Aresollo bellowed to his followers below.
“With the mixture of our blood, and the energy contained within it, the rise of Ares shall begin!”
>
As more of my blood and energy drained from me, I let my mind drift out of the cavern and to the memories of my friends. I thought of Rosemary’s gentle nature, Sandra’s attitude, Darryl’s cheekiness, Taylor’s fun-loving mindset, Adam’s green eyes and Pearce… Pearce’s smile that I hadn’t seen enough of. And now probably never will again. They were my true family. They brought me friendship and joy, and I will forever be grateful for their love. Tears stung my cheeks as I let them pour from me, remembering our fondness and laughter. At least I won’t be around to witness the pain and devastation Aresollo will create, all because of my sacrifice. I had walked straight into his waiting arms and allowed this to happen. In wanting to save my friends, I had endangered all of them, anyway. I wonder if they would ever forgive me.
What was that? I could hear something out there that wasn’t the chanting, but it seemed distant. No one else in the cavern had seemed to notice. Singing. It was soft and gentle, and it was awakening something inside me. Warmth spread through my chest, allowing me to block the pain. My blood was thinning now, and smaller drops were forming from the cuts in my arms. I had to hold on. Closing my eyes, I embraced and focused on the melody.
In the darkness you shall find a being buried deep inside
Seek your worth, you cannot hide
Light will guide you, safe and sound
Siren calls and you’ll be found.
Realisation slowly dawned on me. This must be the Siren Call my mother had written about in her note. Beyond the singing I could hear whispers of a conversation, but I struggled to grasp what they were saying. Then, out of nowhere, one whisper formed louder and clearer than the others. “God, I hope this works……. Hang in there little siren, we are coming.”
