Cursed With Power

by Lindsey Richardson

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Broken, Not Healed

  The excessive talking woke me in the morning. It seemed as if everyone in Belsgar had awoken at the same time, for all I could hear were people talking. Even Fayth and Christopher, who had agreed to lead me to the meeting, were discussing something. I sat up, took the blanket off of me, and then stood to walk over to them. They, however, came to me instead before I could take another step.

  It was explained to me that I would be traveling on my own. Christopher said that he and Fayth needed to arrive as soon as they could, and I would only keep them from doing so. While I was unconvinced, I agreed I would follow the groups of magicians walking to where the meeting was being held.

  Fayth started walking away, but she soon stopped upon realizing that Christopher hadn’t moved. He motioned that he would join her in a moment.

  Christopher faced me. His kind smile dissolved, and he grimaced.

  “Aldemund warned me about you. I know who you are, but don’t worry, Aldemund will find out soon enough. I’ll see you at the meeting,” Christopher said, gritting his teeth together.

  I stood frozen as he walked away to join Fayth. They walked away with the crowd of people. Now I knew I had to be at that meeting to find out what Christopher planned to do. Whether he revealed my identity to Aldemund or not, it was time for me to face him.

  Stepping forward and following after the other magicians in the swarm, I felt I would soon become lost. The faces around me were not familiar, and no one spoke a word to me. The magicians seemingly had their own groups of close allies, and I was merely a stranger. Daciana had not lied when she said Belsgar was a place I should not enter. I did not belong walking among the magicians, and I felt I would fade away as more passed me without a second glance.

  There was one person in the crowd who did look at me, though at first I did not realize it. I kept my glance on what was ahead, yet all I could see were more magicians. The foreseer who allowed me entrance walked beside me, staring at me.

  Calmly, she said, “You should not have come, Celestria Hale. Today will be a day when a lost love returns and lives are taken.”

  I stopped walking. When I spoke it felt like I had to force the words out of my mouth. “How do you know me, and why do you wish to scare me?”

  “Scare you?” There was a faint smile that crept across her face, revealing more wrinkles. “If I wanted to frighten you, I would tell you everything that could happen. I simply mean to warn you because like it or not, the others and I knew who you were the moment you arrived.”

  “Why was I allowed in?” I asked.

  Numerous magicians walked around us, seemingly unaffected by the fact that we stood in the middle of the moving crowd.

  “That,” she said, “is something I cannot tell you. Just know that what you are prepared to do will affect everyone.”

  I barely listened as she rambled on about “blood being spilled”, I was more interested in a boy who walked past me. He stood behind two men, who weren’t moving at all for some reason. Evidently he was trying to push past them, yet they would not allow him to. As I stared at his black hair and blue tunic, I was convinced he was Léal.

  Ignoring the foreseer, I ran ahead and reached the boy. When I stood where he should have been he was gone. It was as if he had never been there to begin with. I heard the older woman behind me, but I did not desire to hear more of her warnings. Léal was there and I was certain of it, now more than ever.

  “Léal...” I murmured under my breath.

  No one heard me while the crowd of magicians gathered inside the courtyard. It was large and lively, blooming with flowers, trees, and dark green bushes. As magicians began to huddle next to one another, making room for more, I saw the outline of five people standing in front of a small shack.

  The shack, unlike everything else in the courtyard, was damaged. Its roof was falling in and the door was barely hanging. While there was a haunting appearance to the shack, the scenery around it made it seem less horrific. Pushing my way into the courtyard, I approached closer to the front. The first person I noticed standing in front of the shack was Aldemund. He was smiling like a fool among his allies.

  I shoved magicians who were standing in one place, but it took time to move past the people who stood in the way. Next to Aldemund were Fayth and Christopher, as well as two other men who I did not know the names of. The blood inside of my body seemed to stop moving with each step I took. It was as if everything inside of me could feel that something was bound to happen. I stepped over an-already-crushed pink flower and walked into someone, head first. Rubbing my head, I looked and was stunned to see the woman who worked with Aldemund.

  “Pardon me, but...”

  She interrupted me and whispered, “Why would you wear one of the Destin rings?”

  “Uh...” I stared at her blankly.

  “Shh,” she said, “you should not be here! Are you mad? Aldemund will stop at nothing to kill the last of Esmour’s magicians.”

  “W-who are you? What madness are you speaking of?” I asked, but she gripped onto my shoulders and shook me. She stopped and took a closer glance at the ring, gasping.

  “Dear god I’d recognize that ring anywhere. What has happened to my Alaire?” she wailed.

  I choked as I said, “Your Alaire?”

  Pulling me closer, she answered, “I was his fiancée; my name is Jacquette. Quickly, tell me everything.”

  Her words smacked the determination and focus out of me. I forgot about Aldemund for a moment, and all I could think about was Alaire. The woman who he had been engaged to was in Belsgar, standing right in front of me. Looking directly at her face-to-face, I somewhat envied her beauty. She had bright eyes, and even though she wore men’s clothing it allowed her to stand out in the crowd. I also noticed that she was closer to Alaire’s age, seeing as she looked to be in her early twenties. Then I remembered she was the one who guarded Aldemund’s tent, and any desire I had to confide in her was torn.

  “I haven’t the time. You’ve been working for Aldemund, and I have no reason to trust you,” I said with my arms crossed.

  “There was no other way. When Esmour died everyone went their own path, including me. I remember that ring; the gemstones were different colors for each of us. Tell me, is Alaire alive? Might I see him one day?” She twirled the strands of her hair together as she spoke.

  I watched her, but she was nothing like the woman I had imagined Alaire to fall in love with. She was as unfamiliar as everyone else, and I was alone again in a place full of enemies. I couldn’t imagine what Alaire would think if he knew Jacquette had betrayed us and gone through with Kinhlr. When I returned I would have to tell him about this once he was feeling better, but I wishfully hoped he wouldn’t have any desire to run after her.

  “Sorry, but I have an important matter to tend to,” I answered. Prepared to walk away, I cared less about what she thought of me. If I told her the truth about Alaire there was no certainty she would not try to harm him.

  “I could scream and everyone would know what you are. He was my fiancé; please tell me something,” Jacquette smirked, knowing full well I had no choice.

  Before I spoke I thought about Alaire. He needed to be protected, and if Léal could lie to me about his existence then I would do the same.

  “Before his last breath he told me how you betrayed us,” I said with a frown, hating the thought of Alaire dying.

  Her face turned pale and her eyes widened. “He knew?”

  Though I did not know why Jacquette was frightened, I desired nothing more than to end the conversation. Aldemund would not stand before the crowd all day, and for the time being he was more important than Alaire’s former betrothed.

  “Yes, but maybe he was better off without you. Now pardon me, I have business to finish.” I nodded my head and walked away from her. I left her staring into the distance, but the look in her eyes I could not forget. Though I told her Alaire was dead, in her eyes
she seemed relieved, as if a burden had been lifted from her chest.

  Abruptly I caught a glimpse of the man with the blue tunic. He, unlike everyone else, was moving through the group and closer to the five magicians at the front. My attention raced to him, though my mind begged me to confront Aldemund. I could not control myself; my heartbeat quickened at the thought of him being Léal.

  He ducked in front of several women, and then I never saw him come back up. I searched around where I had seen him last, but once again I lost sight of him. The only advantage left now was that I stood in the front with several others. I could see Aldemund's sweaty face, and I already could imagine how badly it would hurt when he realized I was there. While he tried to silence the audience, Christopher gazed at me and shook his head.

  “Everybody, please settle down. Settle down.”

  Aldemund continued, though no one had stopped talking. “Today I stand before you to tell you that several magicians of the Council were unable to attend. One of them unfortunately being Grefin DeVilly.”

  The whispers and chatter died down. Around me, people looked as if their life had been taken away from them. Seeing as everyone was silent, I took the opportunity to announce my entrance. I started clapping.

  “Very well said, Aldemund,” I snickered.

  All eyes turned to me, including Aldemund's. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, while I laughed louder at his reaction.

  “I was informed that you were alive, but I thought it was impossible,” Aldemund said, glaring over at Christopher.

  I took one step forward.

  “If you move any closer...”

  Another step and the voices in the crowd became thrilled and horrified. Some of them sounded excited by my challenging Aldemund, while others were evidently worried. Perhaps some of them knew the kind of man Aldemund was. I continued advancing until I stood in front of him, inches away from his face. My breathing became heavy as I waited for him to do something. He remained as still as me, and Christopher and the others waited in anticipation. I smirked at Aldemund, and then I slapped him across the face.

  Chapter Thirty

  Muffled Battle Cries

  An instant after I slapped Aldemund, I backed away and held my breath. Everyone remained silent, watching him to see what his response would be. For a moment he stood still with his red cheek, and then he seemed to snap into reality.

  “Wrong move,” he said with a devilish grin. Instantly after , he came running toward me while the crowd behind me backed away.

  Waving my hand in a circular motion, I created a puddle of water underneath of him. He stopped and cursed as the water worked its magic on him. It was poisoned with my energy; therefore, any White magician walking in it would be affected. Jacquette and the man I had seen her with before started ordering the other magicians to move away, and they slowly huddled together. One of the men who was in charge of the Magic Council stepped forward, as if offering to join in on the fight.

  “You think I’m incapable of handling one Dark magician? Get away!” Aldemund hissed.

  The man retreated, running to catch up with the other magicians. They were a safe distance away from the fight so that any spells performed wouldn’t cause casualties. Fayth and Christopher, on the other hand, remained nearby Aldemund, but were motionless.

  The puddle was forming into a river, and in time all of my energy would be flowing through it. Aldemund, however, looked more determined than ever. I realized that if I failed in this fight his allies could easily kill me, but if I defeated Aldemund it might make all the difference.

  There wasn’t any time to think. Aldemund raised his hands up to the sky and an eruption of flames followed after. I whispered a counter spell, but I was soon distracted when I heard someone behind me shouting. At first I thought by some miracle Alaire had traveled here. Then, I tilted my head to see more clearly. Unmistakably, there was Léal, pushing his way through the crowd and trying to stop the others from crushing him.

  Just when I was about to call out his name, something shocked my face, and I fell again onto the wet ground. My lips cracked, and I licked the blood away. Léal’s cries for me were muffled, and when I stood on my feet I saw him arguing with Jacquette. He held Muta in his hands, shouting at Jacquette while she continued to push him away. For the first time he was real; he was with me, yet everything was keeping us apart.

  Wiping my face, I pointed at the water below us, turning black and thick. Meanwhile, Aldemund was focused on his own spells. He set the area around him on fire, and then he sneered at me. I couldn’t touch the fire or it would burn me, but he couldn’t move around too much in the water or it would be toxic to his skin. Even with my spell, Aldemund’s magic was as powerful as ever.

  I advanced to him. Each step I took was more painful than the last; it seemed the fire was heating up the water. I could hear Léal’s voice shouting my name in the background, but I continued forward. Aldemund did not know how powerful I was, and I was not willing to give him the opportunity to discover my fears.

  A gasp escaped from Aldemund’s lips, and I turned in time to see Japhet run out from the audience. I hadn’t seen him before, but he ran toward the fight like nothing could stop him. Jacquette was too pre-occupied with the rest of the crowd to waste any time on him.

  “Fayth! Darling, I’m coming for you!” He shouted.

  I stared, petrified of the ghostly white knife he held yet again. Since I had not been able to determine what his magic was, I cast a spell, and he landed in the water.

  Suddenly Aldemund started clapping, “Good, Celestria. Kill him in cold blood; show everyone who you really are.”

  I dashed to kneel beside Japhet, who lay paralyzed. He had almost made it to Fayth’s rescue. I grabbed his tunic, trying to lift him up, but he already began choking on the water. Even while he struggled, he was tempted to stab me. Now I was the one keeping him from his soon-to-be-wife, and I didn’t blame him for wanting to fight for that. Even so, as I tried to help him up, I felt a sharp pain in my arm.

  Grabbing my arm, I gritted my teeth together to stop myself from screaming. The blood from my arm dripped down onto his tunic.

  “M-mm-move,” he stammered. He aimed the knife at my neck, but his hands shook uncontrollably.

  You weren’t meant to do this, I thought, refusing to look down at the knife. I released my hold on his tunic and watched his grip soften. The rage in his eyes calmed.

  “Here, let me help you,” I said, offering my hand to him. There was no reason for him to die, especially when Aldemund would only use his death to his advantage. Too many innocent lives were already taken, and though Japhet was not harmless, he might be the one chance I had to prove the Council wrong.

  Japhet reached his hand up to mine, but before he could grasp my hand something stopped him.

  “Celestria, move!”

  Out of nowhere, Léal pushed me aside, pushing his body in front of me. He knelt down, and I was horrified to see he held a black dagger in his hand.

  I sat in the water and stared as he growled while fighting Japhet. Both men struggled on the ground to keep the other knife from touching skin. There was a spell I could of used to help Léal, but by doing so I would harm Japhet. Momentarily, I glanced back at Aldemund, but he merely nodded at me. I considered attacking him, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the fight.

  Léal panted just as Japhet’s knife barely ripped open his tunic. I blinked, and then I heard two screams. One was a woman’s coming nearby where Aldemund stood, and the other came from Japhet. The black dagger struck through his chest, a critical hit to his heart. While Léal wiped his blood stained hand on his pants and pulled out the dagger, Fayth sobbed for her fiancé lying in the water.

  Then, Léal went as far as splashing water over the motionless body before he stood up and turned to me. Japhet was dead. All I could think of was the hesitation, the brief moment where he didn’t have a desire to harm me.

  “I told you I was a man of my word. Y
ou can thank me later if we live through this,” Léal said, holding out his hand.

  I reached up my hand to his, and then he pulled me up. The remaining blood from his hands stained my own while we moved away from Japhet.

  “Is that how you fight?” I asked.

  He barely gazed at Japhet’s body, though Fayth ran to it and knelt down, crying like her world had ended.

  “Before I met you that was the only way I fought, dove,” he replied, winking at me.

  I grunted in response; my mind was focused on a previous time I heard the familiar nickname. However, I was more concerned with the bitterness that consumed his eyes when I glanced up at him again.

  Once I turned to face Aldemund, I realized the fire no longer surrounded him. Instead he stepped closer to where Christopher was, seemingly unaffected by the magic flowing through the water. He snapped his fingers and everything silenced. Even Fayth stopped crying and looked to both men.

  “Christopher, handle Irvine. I’ll take care of the pain in my—”

  Fayth jumped up with a grave and sinister look. “No, Léal is my problem now.”

  My heart sunk as soon as Léal let go of my hand and turned around to face Fayth. The blank look on my face did not influence Aldemund to reveal how he knew Léal. Instead he motioned for me to approach him. I frowned, passing by Christopher who joined Fayth.

  The water level rose, and I nearly slipped each time I moved. Quickly, I threw off my sandals and continued. Aldemund aimed embers of fire at me, though I dodged to avoid them. Several times, however, the spark burned through my skin, covering my body with red marks. As another ball of fire came toward me, I whispered a spell and a cloud of black mist destroyed the fire.

  Something rammed into my back, and I turned around in time to see it was Léal. We both grunted from the pain, but Léal moved closer to me to murmur something in my ear.