Chapter Twenty-Eight

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The world fell from beneath my feet as darkness enveloped me.

This beast had killed Philippa. And my mother.

Tendrils of hatred wrapped my heart in a cold embrace. The burning agony of wrath coursed through my veins.

I gripped Mother’s pendant in my hand and faced the serpent. The voice that came from my mouth felt detached and otherworldly—as if it were another person speaking: “Spirit, awaken.”

Shadows spewed from all around me, causing me to drop the pendant. I backed against the wall as the world was completely engulfed in darkness. The Orandine’s jeweled, serpentine form disappeared as the room dissolved into black. The only light came from an unassuming hovering figure that was immersed in a soft, blue glow.

The words I said before came back to me. Was this the creature linked to me? Was it inside the pendant?

The being hung motionless in the center of the black dome that surrounded me. I stepped forward, my dress sliding on the floor. “Are you the spirit?” That was the only logical explanation for this creature: it was a spirit. If I could harness its power, I would be able to destroy the monster that murdered my mother.

“You…” The spirit’s voice was soft and feminine, like a feather—a breath of wind. “…are a fool.”

I stepped back in surprise, only to be met with a bitterly cold wall. The dome of darkness was shrinking, enclosing upon us. I turned to the spirit. “What do you mean?”

Two brilliant ivory eyes shone through the light. They narrowed at me disdainfully. “To summon a pure entity with those feelings is blasphemy,” the spirit said. “I refuse to help you.”

I didn’t understand. What feelings? I only wanted to save Titus and the others! “But—”

“You are engulfed in the very hatred that destroyed our worlds,” it said. “I will not assist a creature with such impurities.”

And with that, the spirit disappeared, leaving me alone in the infinite darkness.

                                                ————————

My eyes opened only to rest upon long, sharp fangs. The Orandine towered above me, his mouth bared in preparation to strike.

I cried out in fear, sinking to the ground and scooting away. But he didn’t move. The jeweled Orandine was frozen. I recognized the familiar tension in the air—the same feeling of Natz’s barrier. But it was different from his barrier. I couldn’t explain it, but there was a feeling of purity in the room.

Kasib’s violet iris pulsed, swiveling to me. I jolted to my feet and looked around for a form of escape. The only plan I had was ruined—the spirit had rejected me. But why? It said I was impure—that my feelings were impure. But I only wanted…

Revenge.

You are engulfed in the very hatred that destroyed our worlds.

The anger that overwhelmed me before turned into a stagnant drumming in my veins. I put my palm to my forehead and closed my eyes. Of course. The Rift Wars were fueled by the hatred of vengeful beings. Those feelings had destroyed the bond between our two worlds—the worlds of humans and magical creatures. And didn’t I just summon the spirit that wanted to free the world from those feelings?

The body of the Orandine vibrated, as if struggling against a powerful force. He was going to break through the spirit’s barrier and Natz wouldn’t come in time to save me. I had to get away. Or at least unchain Clarice and Titus. I hurled myself at the dais and tried desperately to break Titus free of the shackles binding his hands.

But it was of no use. I did not have superhuman strength or courage. I only had a spirit that rejected me.

I whirled at the sound of the Orandine’s jeweled scales clinking against the marble flooring. Kasib’s serpentine body moved with precision, a murderous intent in his eyes. “What did you do, Harbinger?”

Despite my lack of strength and courage, I knew that there was one thing I had. “I froze you,” I said, with a silent prayer that this bluff would work. “And I can do many more things like that. There’s a powerful spirit who is eager to destroy you, Kasib.” I indicated to the pendant pinned to my—

I realized with horror that my pendant was missing. My gaze traveled to the place where Kasib had cornered me. The pendant lay on the ground, emitting a soft blue light.

Bluff, Lannie, bluff.

I swallowed as the Orandine stuck his face in front of me. A slow smile revealed his sharp fangs. “Is that so?”

I ducked as his long tail whipped out to catch me. He missed by an inch, but now his body completely surrounded me. “I’m not lying!” I squeaked. “There’s a spirit in that pendant!” Part of me wanted to kill myself for sacrificing the only thing Mother left for me. The other part only wished to live—to do anything to preserve my wellbeing.

The Orandine’s eyes drew together as his head swiveled to where the pendant lay. I took the opportunity to take Natz’s dagger from my bodice and slash—hard—against the jeweled scales of the Orandine and vault over his tail.

Sparks flew, forcing me to let the dagger fly. With an infuriated hiss, Kasib recoiled. My heart dropped when I saw the pristine condition of his scales. The dagger didn’t even scratch him. And now I was weaponless.

The Orandine screeched at me and wrapped his tail around me. “How dare you? You call yourself the Harbinger, yet you can barely lift a finger against me. Die.”

A strangled scream escaped my mouth as the Orandine squeezed me. The vaulted ceiling of the throne room swam before my eyes.

I was going to die.

“Kasib,” I gasped. “Stop. You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re chained to a master that thinks you are useless!” I didn’t know where the words came from, but the Orandine hesitated for a brief moment, allowing me to breathe. “Cicero—whoever he is—is using you. He threatened to kill you, so why serve him? Why are you doing this?”

Kasib’s slitted gaze pierced my own. “‘Why?’” he seethed. “Why not? These people—these Royals, as they call themselves—murdered my entire race. My entire family. All because of one rogue Orandine who assassinated the Arian king.” He bared his fangs at me. “I was left alone, banished to the realms of that cursed desert. This world is in far too much turmoil for humans to be ruling Etheia. I am doing us all a favor by disposing of these unfit rulers.”

“Do you think that will change anything?” I cried in desperation. “These Royals, as they are now, are innocent.”

“They are murderers!” Kasib’s gaze flared, and it was at that point when I sensed the deep hatred concealed within his heart. There was betrayal in his eyes. Pain. Anger. He was a broken spirit looking for peace.

“And you think this will put you at peace?” I asked. “You are acting upon the revenge that tore our world apart. That revenge—that anger—is exactly what is preventing the reign of peace in Etheia.” I found myself repeating the words the spirit had said to me. “That anger is what destroyed your brethren when one of them went rogue and assassinated the king!” I threw my hands in the air as I revealed my deepest thoughts to a creature who I only hoped would heed my cry. “I don’t know who I am. You call me a Harbinger, someone who is supposed to bring peace to this world. But all I am is a scared human girl. I am powerless, cowardly, and I can’t defend those whom I love most.” The tears streaming down my face blurred my vision and dripped onto his glistening scales. “But I’ve made the resolve to take my destiny into my own hands and become a Harbinger—to be what my mother dreaded most. Because that is the only way that I can save this ravaged world,” I said. “I don’t want to be scared anymore. I don’t want to hate anymore.” Emotion overcame me, causing my lip to tremble. I forced myself to go on, “Kasib, I know that humans have betrayed you in the worst way possible. And I am sorry. On the behalf of my kind, I apologize in every way.”

Kasib’s gaze was stoic, untainted with anger. It was almost as if he understood.

I took a deep, trembling breath. “But the only thing that I can do to right that wrong is to be the Harbinger the world needs me to be. I know that will never bring back your loved ones and I know that I am weak. But if I have this power—this ability to communicate with your kind—then I can convince my own kind,” I said. “I can convince the humans to abolish this curse of slavery. The Orandines can live once more in their homeland.” I was convincing myself at this point—realizing my destiny. Taking hold of what was in front of me. I didn’t know if it would be possible, but if I could fix the ills of this world, I would do anything in my power to do so. I didn’t love this world, but I loved the people in it.

And that was enough for me.

Kasib narrowed his eyes as he stared at me. I couldn’t tell if what I said had changed his mind. How could I expect that from an apathetic serpent? His breath blew over me, the rotted fish scent assailing my nostrils. “And how do you intend to do that?” he asked, his forked tongue sliding in and out of his mouth.

“I’ll go to Nor with the prince,” I said, glancing at Titus, whose eyes, I realized with a start, were open wide. Looking at me. “I’ll convince the Norian royal family to abolish slavery—since I already have ties with many of the king’s relatives.”

Clarice, Odelia, Lucan… I knew all of them. Maybe this really could work?

“And what makes you think that you can do what the king of this kingdom could not?”

For Kasib to be questioning me meant that he believed me. But I was running out of explanations. Whether I was bluffing or not was beyond me. At this point, anything seemed possible. “I’m a Harbinger, right?”

That seemed to set the serpent thinking. My chest was constricted with anxiety, and I felt the beat of my heart pound hard against the Orandine’s tail.

Kasib brought me up to his eye level. “I once knew a Harbinger like you,” he said. “Even the Sylph Queen recognized their power.” Sorrow seemed to fill his gaze. “Out of the four that are always present in this world, only a select few have had aspirations like yours.” He sighed through his nostrils. “I will never forgive the humans for what they have done to my kind, but I will concede to your wishes.” He set me on the ground and rose to his full height. “If you are true to your word, then you, as one of the four Harbingers, will be able to save this world.”

Hope surged within my chest. “Then—”

My words and my relief were torn from my body as a spear plunged through the Orandine’s chest. I jumped out of the way just before he crashed to the ground, jeweled scales skittering across the marble flooring.

I didn’t know what to think—what to feel or hope—until I saw Cicero Rauch standing in the doorway of the throne room.

“Hello, Harbinger.”

                                                ————————

I staggered back in surprise, staring at the grey-haired emissary in horror. Wasn’t he supposed to be on Kasib’s side?

“Lannie!” Titus’ strangled cry was only an echo in my mind. I could do nothing but stare at Kasib’s serpentine form as it disintegrated into ash, his jeweled scales reverting to dust as they swirled across the marble flooring.

Everything I just said… All of it was wasted.

Cicero made his way easily across the floor, ignoring my look of revulsion as he picked the spear from the ground. His eyes flickered to me, revealing a deep green I hadn’t noticed before. A slow smile crossed his face. “So, we officially meet, Lannie Brackenbury.”

We had already met before. What was he talking about?

Abruptly, his body convulsed and collapsed to the ground along with the spear. In the space where Cicero had been, a shadow stood, pulsating and moving, as if it were growing. The inanimate body of Cicero disintegrated into ash just as Kasib’s had.

I backed up in fear, realizing that all of my options were gone. The pendant was several feet away, glowing next to the pillar Odelia was chained to. Titus was awake, but restrained by fearsome shackles. And Natz was nowhere to be seen.

The shadow erupted into spasms, growing with every inch. The first thing I saw was a thick silver tail. The next thing I saw was a man. Coming out of the serpentine tail.

This creature was half-man and half-serpent. A Drakain.

The repulsiveness of it sent shivers down my spine. His dark hair was long and oily like tar. Silver scales partially covered his bare muscled chest. But it wasn’t the scales or the light brown skin that caught my attention.

It was the scars.

All across his human torso, scars the width of my palm made deep gashes in his skin. His face had a single wide scar that crossed the right side of his cheek. The Drakain’s entire human form was covered in these horrid marks, but his serpent tail was pristine and unblemished.

“I’m honestly surprised at how many times you’ve managed to get in my way, Harbinger,” he said. His alluring voice made me think of the naiads; honeyed and sweet, but more toxic than poison. Muscles contracted in his tail as he coasted toward me. “Tierce could never do his job well. Too sentimental.” He flicked his tail disdainfully where Kasib’s body had been, scattering dust into the air. “But this is the last time you will thwart my plans.” The serpent man’s gaze drifted to the prince behind me and his green eyes narrowed. “I will take him.”

What was he talking about? I barely had time to think when he raised his hand to strike me. He brought it down with such speed that I knew I could only prepare for the impact.

But then something happened.

Scarlet flashed before my eyes; a figure blocked the Drakain’s forearm.

“Out of the way, Lilly!”

Lilly?

I looked up to see a wall of crimson spread before me. Mayra.

The witch hurled something at the serpent man, causing him to flinch. She brandished a magnificent shining sword in her hands. Her skin seemed to glow with an otherworldly sheen as she bared her pointed teeth at the creature. Her beauty was terrible and blinding. “Therin,” she growled, her amber eyes glowing with rage, “what on Etheia are you doing here?”

Therin. My eyes widened in horror. Therin was the one who started the Rift Wars. He was supposed to be dead! But what did that all mean? Why was he still alive?

He grinned slowly, revealing wicked fangs. “There are some creatures who just refuse to die, sylph.”

And “sylph” would explain a whole lot of things.

“Lilly, get out of here!” Mayra said as she positioned herself in a fighting stance.

Despite the fact that my whole world was crashing down, I couldn’t help myself. “It’s Lannie, not Lilly!”

Her gaze could have killed a giant. I retreated back to the dais as she growled at me. Literally growled. Apparently, sylphs growled. “I said get out of here.” She sent a bolt of wind at Titus and broke the shackles binding him. “Take the prince with you!”

I glanced at Clarice, who lay unconscious on the queen’s throne. At the other Royals, chained to the pillars. I couldn’t leave them. But I couldn’t save them, either. The look Titus gave me said he was thinking the same thing.

“It’s useless, Mayra,” Therin said. The fact that she possessed a sword did not faze him. “He’s mine.”

“Never!” the witch snarled, hurling herself at Therin in a mad rage. Her sword swung, bringing a severe gust of air down with it.

Therin blocked the attack with his tail—there was a metallic clang when they collided that made the very air in the room shudder. Looking closer, I realized his tail was made of a silvery, gleaming metal; it reflected harsh light from the chandeliers above.

“Lannie, you need to get out of here.” Now free, Titus grabbed my arm and pulled me to the back of the throne room. “There’s a secret door here. You can—”

“What do you mean by ‘you’?” I asked. Fear was starting to set in, making me tremble. “Titus, I’m not going to leave you and the others!”

The prince gave me a harsh look. But all at once, it melted into a gentle gaze. His amber eyes contained a sadness beneath them. A sorrow I had never seen before. “Please, Lannie. Therin only wants me. You need to escape before that woman falls.” He opened a secret compartment door behind a curtain. It was small and black, like the door I had seen in the prison before. Except this one looked like a tunnel leading down.

Why?” The tears were streaming down my face now. I couldn’t leave him. I didn’t know why, but I just couldn’t. “I don’t understand. Why do they have to do this? Why do they want you? Why can’t you come with me?”

Titus smiled and brought his hands up to cup my cheeks. He leaned over and kissed my forehead lightly. My eyes widened, but he just smiled and said, “Because I’m the Sylph Queen’s son.”

And then he pushed me into the tunnel.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net