Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
H olding on to each other, Liam and Padriag plopped onto the floor in the center of the keep’s great room with a thud.
“That didn’t work,” Padriag, who remained on his back staring up at the ceiling, stated the obvious. “Why didn’t it work?”
Liam flinched as he sat up. The experiment was going to cost him later. Already a huge purple bruise formed on his forearm.
“We’ve never tried to leap from inside because it has not worked. Perhaps we can try from the back garden, within the walls of the keep.”
Niall watched from a chair. “You can no doubt leap from there, but the problem will be coming back. We cannot choose a place to land so specifically.”
“If we miss the garden, we’ll be dead within seconds,” Padriag said.
“We have to try,” Liam insisted. “The only way for us to escape is to get to the other realm.”
Moments later, after surveying the area to ensure there was no one within striking distance, they walked out through the back door. Holding shields over their heads with one hand and swords in the other, Liam exited first, followed by Padriag and Niall trudged behind as they made their way to the outdoor garden.
They’d been confident of Padriag’s wards when going outside, but because they needed to leap, the wards would have to be lowered for a few moments.
“Do not wait out here,” Liam told Nail. “We will find a way to get inside.”
Nail gave him a long dubious look before finally nodding.
“Ready?” Padriag called, out. “Three, two, one.” Picturing the McRainey estate, Liam leapt.
“Umph.”
Both hit the ground hard, gasping as the impact rattled through their bones. The surface was gritty, sand biting into their skin, and above them, the two glaring suns confirmed they were still trapped in the alter-world. A dark, twisting dread clawed through Liam as a vision of blood and death formed.
“Get up!” Padriag’s voice was a lifeline, his grip iron as he hauled Liam to his feet.
Liam clenched his jaw. He had to save Padriag, to stop the vision from coming true, even if his gift had never been wrong. This time, failure was not an option.
In the distance, the keep’s turrets rose like a mirage of hope, the last beacon of safety. Their only chance.
“Run!” Liam shouted, urgency slamming into his words.
As the sound left his lips, the sand around them began to shift, twisting into unnatural shapes. Without looking back, they bolted, hearts pounding, knowing something monstrous was taking form.
No matter how fast they sprinted, the shadow continued to rise, blocking their path—a hulking, sinuous shape forming into a creature that looked like a massive eel, its gaping mouth lined with rows of serrated teeth. Dodging its snapping jaws, they pushed on, lungs burning, refusing to surrender as the creature closed in, death only a breath away.
Between running and sand, Liam’s lungs felt as if they would explode in his chest. When Padriag tripped and fell, he rushed to him, doing his best to pull him up despite his legs burning from exertion.
“Do not give up,” Liam screamed past the howling sounds of the sand creature that slithered toward them. “Get up.”
Finally, Padriag did and they managed to jump away just as the creature’s huge jaws dived over them.
“I c-can’t b-breathe,” Padriag gasped for air, as they circled back-to-back in order to see where the creature would come from next.
“Where did it go?” Liam wheezed out.
The sand whirled around them making it almost impossible to see. Liam tried in vain to protect his eyes, covering them and peeking between his fingers.
“Jump!” Padriag yanked him sideways, and they half stumbled for a few feet as the creature once against slammed against the ground sinking into the shifting sand.
Suddenly, they lost their footing, the sand giving way and they sunk. Both struggled, grabbing at the moving ground, trying to keep from sinking further, but it was an impossible task as they were both too exhausted to continue fighting.
Moments later Liam sank neck deep and grabbed for Padriag. “Climb on top of me. Save yourself.”
Padriag’s terror-filled eyes met his. “Nope.” And then he sank and disappeared.
Liam screamed out his name, the sound barely audible against the creature’s angry roar. Then before Liam could do anything, he too sank into the sand.
When he opened his eyes, he lay on a hard surface, the familiar purple sky above. Liam turned his head to see an unmoving Padriag lying not too far from him.
“Paddy.” His voice was hoarse from thirst and the sand he must have swallowed. “Paddy, wake up.”
Padriag stirred and began coughing.
Relieved, Liam lowered his head taking deep breaths of clean air. The feeling of having lived through whatever the hell had just happened was short-lived.
A circular wall appeared surrounding them and both he and Padriag struggled to get to their feet.
“What the fuck now?” Padriag rasped, looking around.
Two swords landed at their feet, and both grabbed one as they waited to see what would happen next.
No matter how exhausted, Liam would fight to the death. Meliot wouldn’t win, enough was enough.
“What do you want wizard?” He called out.
Meliot floated above them, his robes swooshing around him like a billowing storm cloud.
“Did you enjoy playing in the sand?” The wizard’s voice was disembodied, malevolent, the sound of it made his skin crawl.
Once again back-to-back, they waited for whatever the evil man would do next. Liam expected some sort of creatures would appear that he and Padriag would have to fight. He prayed for enough strength.
Padriag nudged him. “Why isn’t he saying anything?”
The reason struck Liam. “Because I already know what he is expecting.”
His friend’s brow creased. “What is it?”
Liam looked to the wizard noting the challenging look. Meliot’s lips curved. “Can you do it? Will you lose all honor to save yourself?”
“We will not be a spectacle for your entertainment,” Liam called out. “You will never win.”
The sound of Meliot’s laughter and shrieks of lost souls he’d captured over centuries was so piercing, they had to cover their ears.
Meliot glided down but remained above the ground, his black eyes boring into Liam’s. “In this realm, I will always be superior. I control the surroundings, and I control what appears. I can inflict pain and suffering.”
In the words, Liam deciphered something important. Meliot had slipped and given him the answer he needed before proceeding.
“Will you free yourself?” Meliot called out and Padriag looked at Liam.
“What does he want us to do?” Padriag asked.
Liam shook his head. “He knows we are too tired to win a fight. Perhaps he’s giving us time to rest so that we can be a bit more entertaining.” He hoped Padriag believed him because he couldn't face his friend otherwise.
“For someone in a dress, you talk a lot of shit,” Padriag called out to the wizard.
Meliot tilted his head, that penetrating gaze sliding from Padriag to Liam. “What will you do?”
Liam grabbed Padriag and turned him to face him. “Do you trust me?”
The younger man searched his face for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I do.”
“Forgive me.” In two quick moves, Liam yanked a dagger from his belt and plunged it into Padriag’s heart.
“Wh-why?” Padriag’s words came out like a whisper before he collapsed against Liam.
His entire body rigid with determination, Liam held his friend and lifted his gaze to the Wizard. “I know how this ends. I have the gift of foresight.”
There was a questioning flicker in Meliot’s expression before his lips curled into a grimace. “This was not as entertaining as I’d hoped.”
Meliot faded, his eyes gazing directly at Liam. Barely able to stand from the exertion, Liam refused to release Padriag’s body. The air swirled relentlessly, as he fought against tumbling to the ground. The air was cool against his wet face. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes and willed himself to the keep where he would face Niall and explain why he’d had to kill their friend.
The dark interior of the keep’s main room made for another hard landing and still Liam refused to release Padriag.
“What happened?” Niall rushed to where they lay, pulling Padriag to lay on the floor. The young knight’s lips were blue, his face so pale there was no mistaking he was not alive.
After a slight hesitation, Niall leaned over Padriag and, putting his mouth over his, breathed air into him. “I will heal him,” he said between puffs.
“He’s dead. I killed him,” Liam groaned the words out.
“I am sure you fought to save him.” Niall placed both hands on Padriag’s chest, doing his best to revive him. “Open your eyes Padriag. You cannot die.”
Liam closed his eyes and focused using his powers of foresight for a way to change things. He’d seen it back there at the circle. Padriag alive, the young man finding his enchantress.
Had it been a trick by Meliot? No. The gift was from the enchantress who’d done her best to give them something to help them survive in the alter-world.
“Do something,” Niall yelled. “Help me.”
“I am trying,” Liam said, moving to kneel next to Padriag to touch his cold face.
“He will not die. I saw him alive. It was the only way to break the curse. To kill him.”
The fist against his face was so hard his bones cracked and Liam flew backward. “You killed him to save yourself?” Niall’s expression was murderous as he swung again. Liam didn’t defend himself as blow after blow came.
Each strike made his head snap backward and sideways until he could barely keep from passing out. On the stone floor, he struggled to his hands and knees.
“I had to,” Liam gasped out, spitting blood.
“I will kill you before letting you be free. You have no honor,” Niall swung again, and Liam waited for the blow to land.
He opened his eyes and saw why Niall hadn’t struck him. Padriag stood behind him holding his wrist with both hands.
“Hey just because he killed me is no reason to beat him to pulp,” Padriag said and grimaced. He frowned at Liam. “Oh, and that shit hurt. You could have stabbed me in the stomach or something.”
Liam fell back, exhausted in pain, but nothing felt as strong as the relief at seeing Padriag alive. “What I suspected was right. We cannot die in this realm. He cannot kill us.”
Neither man replied. Niall was hugging Padriag who grimaced. “I’m still hurt, don’t squeeze me.”
The sound of John’s voice startled him, and Liam looked to the others wondering if they heard it.
Then everything began to fade as the tug to the other realm became stronger and stronger.
John’s voice became louder and louder.
By moon’s soft glow and sun’s pure light,
I break the chains that bind so tight.
With breath of life and heart set free,
I call on love’s sweet destiny.
The curse be gone, by ancient vow,
Let peace and passion flourish now.
“Oh my god, what happened to you?” John rushed to him when he landed in a heap inside the library in Tristan’s house.
Liam sat up, his body feeling heavy and stiff. He was corporeal.
He was free.
“No. No. No.” He looked around wildly as John wrapped his arms around him.