Heartrender, page 24
“You never taught me that, Sana,” Lyle exclaimed, staring in wonder.
Sana gave a shy smile. “I have to keep some secrets to myself, Master Lyle.”
She took the leaf and folded it into a thin square before placing it on Damien’s lips. The leaf dissolved instantly, and I leaned closer, waiting.
But nothing happened. Damien lay unconscious as the serpent widened and slid around his torso, making its way toward his neck.
“Did it work? Is he going to be okay?” I asked.
But before she could answer, Sana and Damien’s body faded from the book, leaving Lyle and me staring at empty pages.
CHAPTER 31
ADDIE
My heart fell to my stomach as I turned away from the book.
“What are we going to do?” I whispered, trying not to cry.
“We keep going,” Lyle replied and started walking.
I swallowed, wrestling with the emotions fighting inside me. I hated Damien. So, why was this hitting me so hard? I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the blank pages, desperately wanting Sana to contact me back. To let me know that Damien would be okay.
“Come on, Addie,” Lyle called over his shoulder. “We were already traveling to Montfar before Sana contacted us. Yes, it’s upsetting Damien’s life is on the line. But Addie, thousands of lives have been in danger even before you began this journey. Damien matters, but so does every other life we can save.”
My breath hitched at his words. Lyle was right. Damien mattered, but so did everyone else in Decim. I had to keep my mind focused on completing my iuram to Eman.
Snapping the book shut, I placed it back in my satchel before jogging to catch up with Lyle.
“Thank you, Lyle.”
He nodded, shouldering his way against the icy wind. A blizzard picked up as we continued, inches and inches of snow piling higher and higher. We covered ourselves in fur blankets from the Pietians, bundling up like a couple of colorful bears. Unfortunately, the furs only reached so high, and bits of ice still cut into our cheeks and noses. Pressing on, I used my alme as a staff to pull me through the ever-deepening snow, with Lyle using my tracks.
A muted buzzing sounded in the distance, but the wicked wind whisked it away. “Did you hear that?” I asked Lyle.
He faced me, a hand cupped over his ear. “It’s hard to hear anything over this wind.”
The buzzing bounced between the snowflakes, and I placed my arm out to block Lyle. “Listen.”
It vibrated louder than the first time, closing in on us.
Without warning, a long, red tube flung through the snowy wind. It snapped between Lyle and me, puncturing a hole in the snowy ground. We dove in opposite directions.
“What was that?” Lyle yelled over the howling wind.
The tube flicked again, striking right between my feet. I attempted to stab it with my rod, but it was too fast. Anticipation coiled around my neck as the buzzing rumbled over the wind.
I extended my power over my alme, coating the blades in orange light. Leaning forward, I waited for another attack. Lyle stood ready to pounce with his dual sword in one hand and James’s axe in the other. His gaze darted all around as he searched the blinding, snowy wind.
The tendril whipped out again, and I reacted on instinct. Rearing back, I impaled the red tube into the icy ground, jamming my blade further and further into the ice.
“What is that?” Lyle gasped, pointing his blades toward the oncoming monster.
I squinted through the wintry landscape at the outline of an enormous creature.
“Get ready,” I cautioned.
Lyle hurried over to me, holding out James’s alme. “Here,” he said, folding my fingers over the handle and splitting his dual blade in two. “We can’t have the Bellata unarmed when a giant monster is attacking.”
I stared at the lombard axe, remembering how James used it to defend us against the archers outside of Perda Forum, the Market of Thieves.
Just then, a giant buzzing locust blasted through the snow. Lidless black eyes locked onto mine, the creature’s mouth hanging wide open, revealing rows and rows of pointed teeth surrounding its tubular tongue. I eyed the long, red tongue, still pinned down by my alme, my stomach churning. So that’s what this thing was.
The locust’s thin, spindly legs jerked at its sides as its giant, gray body swayed back and forth. Transparent wings fluttered from its back, moving so quickly we could barely see them. The creature jerked back and forth, like a ball on the end of a chain, eager to break free.
“It doesn’t look happy,” Lyle commented, poising one sword in front of the other.
“Not at all,” I agreed, clutching James’s alme.
“Any ideas, Addie?” Lyle asked.
The monstrous locust lurched hard against my alme, loosening the rod an inch.
“We need to work quickly,” I replied, praying the rod would hold a bit longer. “Can you use your new power?”
The creature whipped back and forth, trying to knock us over like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Lyle jumped out of the way and pierced his blades in the ground.
“What are you doing?” I yelled over the howling wind.
With a look of newfound confidence, Lyle slammed his hands into the ice. Thick, brown roots torpedoed from the Land, wrapping around the locust. Thrashing, the monster strained against Lyle’s roots. With another twist of his wrists, Lyle secured the branches around the creature and hurdled it to the ground. The buzzing immediately ceased, leaving only the howling wind.
Straightening, Lyle brushed his raw hands against one another and gave me a triumphant grin. “Done. Too bad Romen didn’t see that. He’ll never believe me when I tell him.”
I snorted. “I’ll vouch for you.”
The locust’s wings twitched as it struggled to free its tongue and its body. I scrunched my nose as the thick, red liquid oozed from the tube, defiling the white snow.
The image of the poison rushing over Romen jolted into my mind, and I recognized the connection. Lifting the axe high, I readied to destroy another one of Ophidian’s creatures. Yet as I brought the weapon down, the glow of blue lights gleamed in the corner of my eye. I swung wide and missed the monster.
“What’s that?” I asked, backing away from the giant locust to get a better look. I held the axe, ready to strike. Anyone could be an enemy.
Illuminated by the glow of several flaming blue torches, a large group of people in hooded white cloaks approached.
One separated from the group, his torch held aloft as he strode up to the flailing locust still wrapped in Lyle’s roots. He then glanced back to the torchbearer in the center.
“That must be their leader,” Lyle whispered, stepping away from the locust and grabbing his swords.
The leader nodded, and the man who had approached the locust placed the torch on the creature’s skin. Blue flame instantly consumed the locust.
Staggering back, I plugged my nose, gagging from the sulfuric stench.
The man rejoined the group, falling in line with the others before the leader acknowledged us.
“Did you capture the gryllus?” a feminine voice asked.
“Yes,” Lyle answered for the both of us, his fingers twitching above his swords.
The cloaked woman shifted toward me. “You’re the Bellata, right?”
“Yes,” I repeated.
She nodded. “Good. Come with me.”
The white-cloaked figures turned and disappeared into the snowy landscape.
Extracting my alme from the now charred locust, I glanced over at Lyle.
“I know, I know,” he said, tightening his blanket around his shoulders. “We always follow mysteriously cloaked people.”
We followed the group until we reached the edge of a large plateau. The leader stepped forward and pulled back her hood. A short, tan woman with bright-brown eyes studied us. Snowflakes gathered in her ebony hair. When she shook them free, strands of gold twinkled.
“I wish we had more time to chat, but the gryllus are attracted to color.” She motioned to our colorful blankets from Piet. “They will attack again in moments. I am Lehcar, Magister of Montfar.” The Magister flicked her hood back on. “Keep the others safe,” she commanded to the remaining cloaked figures before spinning around.
Lyle and I hurried after Lehcar until she held out her arm.
“The gryllus can only be destroyed by a refining fire. The refining fire is born in the depths of the mounds and can only be controlled by one who doesn’t desire it for ill intent,” she explained, facing us.
“Sounds difficult,” I murmured.
Lehcar nodded. “Exactly. Many have tried to possess the fire and use it for their own gain, but it ends up destroying them in the end.”
“How do you use it?” Lyle asked, wiping the ice and snow off his spectacles.
She flicked a strand of hair out of her face as she pulled out a torch beneath her robe. “I use the fire to protect my people. I don’t have ill intent.” With a snap of her fingers, the end of the wood ignited into blue flame. “Try not to make any sound. The gryllus will be on alert, especially since we killed one earlier.”
Tightening our cloaks around us, Lyle and I followed Lehcar, attempting to blend in with the white landscape. We trekked the perimeter of the mounds, our shoulders scraping against their icy surface. Lehcar stopped and pointed at an opening in the farthest boulder. A pack of gryllus layered in front, blocking the entrance to the refining flame.
“Maybe we can use a distraction to make them move?” I offered to Lehcar and Lyle, who looked at one another.
“A noble idea, but who will go?” Lehcar asked. Before we could reply, she pulled out a gold coin and rolled it between her fingers. “Let’s flip for it.” She held out one side. “If it’s the sun, I will go. The moon, one of you will go.”
Before we could argue, Lehcar flicked the coin in the air, caught it and held it out. The shapely crescent of the moon glinted back at us.
Lyle rubbed his neck and sighed. “I’ll go.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Lyle nodded and shrugged, playing off the fear rising in his eyes. “I’ll be okay as long as you go with Lehcar, learn how to use the fire, and destroy the gryllus before they eat me.” He smirked. “Sound good?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.
Grasping his dual swords in one hand and James’s axe in the other, Lyle charged straight into the pack of gryllus. An eruption of buzzing exploded from the pile, signaling that Lyle’s headfirst distraction had worked.
“Quickly!” Lehcar grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward the opening.
As we sprinted to the cave, I glanced over my shoulder for Lyle. But I didn’t recognize my brother. Instead, there stood a valiant man with strength and honor, defending himself against blood-thirsty monsters. My brother had finally healed from the darkness of his past. At that moment, another piece of my heart snapped into place.
Lehcar and I hurried through the winding tunnel, thankful that the gryllus didn’t notice. As we wove further inside, shadows crept around us, leaving the torch as our only source of light.
“Don’t fear, Bellata,” Lehcar panted. “It will be bright soon enough.”
We twisted and turned a handful of more times until we entered a gilded chamber. Thick gold plated every crevice of the room. Four giant golden pillars stood in the center, stretching from floor to ceiling. Between them was a large golden bowl, holding a writhing blue flame.
“The refining fire,” I gasped, taken aback by its brilliant color.
“Yes,” Lehcar said, yanking off her hood. She shook her short, black hair, causing the golden strands to sparkle. “But don’t be fooled by its beauty. It’s deadly.”
As I watched her steadily approach the fire, faint whispers started to vibrate along the walls. Chills ran across my flesh, and I spun around, my eyes locking onto the blue flames. I glanced over at Lehcar to see if this was normal. She nodded and continued forward, but something didn’t seem right.
The blue fire suddenly shed its radiant color, transforming into darkness. The obsidian flames melted into the golden bowl before racing out of it and onto the floor. Flames spit and sizzled, covering the once brilliant gold in poisoned ebony.
“What happened?” Lehcar cried, staring in horror at the black fire spreading across the gilded floor.
I lunged out of the way, recognizing the black flames as they shifted from fire into shadows.
The shadows twisted into a pillar until the figure of Mistress Umbra, the Elder of the Shadow realm, appeared.
“We meet again, Bellata.”
CHAPTER 32
CLAIRE
“Hey, Your Majesty, how do you feel?” Claire asked, staring down at the newly mended man.
Silas groaned and cracked open his eyes. Claire chuckled and passed him a cup of Sana’s healing tea. Struggling, Silas sat up and took the cup. After a few gulps, he stared at her with wide eyes.
“You’re real.”
Claire scoffed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Silas dropped the cup, spilling tea all over the ground. He frantically clawed at his chest. “What happened? Whose heart is this?”
Claire frowned, picking up the cup. “Whose do you think?”
Silas stopped for a heartbeat before the blood fled from his face. “Where is she?”
He jolted from the bed and Claire shoved him back down.
“She’s fine. Well, I believe she’s fine. Don’t worry, it’s her old heart inside of your chest. Her old pure heart, not her current one.” Claire twisted her lips, trying to find the right words. “Remember when Addie went through the Seven Choices and cut her heart in half to save me and Lyle?” Claire pointed to Silas’s chest. “It’s that heart. The lord saved mine and Lyle’s hearts, so we don’t need Addie’s original heart anymore. But you needed a heart, so Sana gave it to you.” Claire grinned at Silas. “Does that make sense?”
Silas stared at her for a moment, then coughed and cleared his throat. “Damien saved your hearts? Is he okay?”
“Sana is treating him right now, but his condition isn’t improving.” Claire clenched her hands together, picking another annoying flower from her hair. “He’s been unconscious for a while, but I’m fairly sure he’s still alive.” She then pointed to her chest. “But, yeah, if my heart weren’t right here, I wouldn’t have believed the lord had done it either. But it’s true, or so Sana and my dad said. One is a trustworthy source.”
“Is Doctor Magnum okay?”
Claire scratched her head. After the extraction of Ophidian’s heart and the mending of Addie’s heart into Silas, Doctor Magnum retreated to the library with a cup of tea. She hadn’t seen him since. “He will be.”
“My king,” Sana said, entering the healing room. “Come. We have much to do before the coming battle.”
Nodding, Silas carefully rose from the bed and followed Sana. After a few steps, he turned around. “Aren’t you coming? I thought if anyone wanted to join in a fight against Ophidian, it would be you.”
“Oh, I will definitely be there.” Claire grinned wickedly as she jumped up to join them.
“Oh, dear,” Sana sighed before hurrying down the hallway.
As they passed the library, a familiar scratching made Claire freeze.
“What was that?” she asked before darting to the left.
“Wait, Claire,” Silas called, following her.
Claire stood still, a chill creeping up her neck as a familiar moan rattled from the doors in Eman’s library. The doors, she had been told, Lyle crafted. Siti claws punctured through the gray slats of a door, chunks of wood scattering around. Claire screamed, though not as loud as Sana. A long, decaying arm punched through the wood, its claws scraping blindly as the gut-wrenching moans of the monsters ricocheted across the silent library.
“What’s happening?” Silas gasped as the other doors shook and rumbled with siti moans.
“We must hurry!” Sana cried, grabbing Silas’s and Claire’s wrists. “Eman’s protection is almost gone. Silas, call Lyle back.”
As their steps thundered down the hall, the trees quivered. Shreds of bark rained on them like hail. Dodging through the downpour, Sana slid to a stop before the door to her secret garden.
“Claire, stay in here. We must keep you safe.”
And before Claire could argue, Sana shoved her into the garden and sealed the door shut.
CHAPTER 33
ADDIE
Tremors rippled through my body as I gaped at the Elder of the Shadow realm. How many Elders wanted me dead?
I gripped my alme between my hands, remembering the fight with Master Pisc. It was only because of Lyle’s equivalent Elder power that we managed to escape. Without him, how would Lehcar and I survive?
Lehcar screamed, grabbing her katars to slice through the dark shadows. It was no use. The shadows only grew.
Mistress Umbra hissed at the Magister before sending tendrils of smoke toward Lehcar. Lehcar tried to dodge them, but the shadows were too fast and quickly wrapped around her throat.
Mistress Umbra let out a raspy laugh. “You can’t unite the Magisters if one of them is dead.” The Elder flicked her wrist, and the shadow lifted Lehcar from the ground, her feet dangling as she clawed at her throat.
I remembered Romen’s blade had cut through Master Pisc’s water. The fishman had said it was made of some special metal. But I didn’t have that. All I had was my alme, and it was useless.
“Leave her alone,” I commanded, but my mind was scrambling.
“No, I don’t think I will,” the Elder replied, squeezing tighter until Lehcar’s face turned blue.
Eman! I cried. I know you’re not here, but what do I do?
Suddenly, a phrase etched itself in my thoughts: Shadows cower before the light.
