The Silvia Saga: Boxset

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Dara

We head out the front of the house, and as soon as we get outside, I take a deep breath, letting the Silvia air and the smoky scent from the oak trees clear my mind. It’s pitch-black outside, which I am thankful for. It means I don’t have to be reminded of the state Silvia is in. The grass is dead grass, and the plants are dull. Everything is dying, and it’s all thanks to James. The evil in him is spreading throughout Silvia, killing everything in its path. That’s why I need to focus on what’s ahead of us: rescuing Blair, then finding the two remaining stones. The future of Silvia depends on it.

Effortlessly, we fall into our usual formation: Harlan out front, Oliver to my right, Jolie to my left, and Declan coming up the rear. The only one missing is Blair, who would be between me and Harlan, and my heart fractures a little more. Harlan has his torch out in front, making our path visible. Without it, we would be in complete darkness. Given the uneven terrain, that wouldn’t be ideal. The large trees at every turn don’t make our path clear.

Albert is staying far behind in case we have any trouble. Our other trusted fighters are flanking us as planned.

I’m pretty nervous to go into the kingdom—to see the place I grew up, where my parents raised me, and where they died. I’d only be seeing the chambers, but it still feels weird to be going to the place that holds so many memories for me.

I’m sure the kingdom won’t look the same now as it did when my parents were in charge. James would have changed things to his liking. Just thinking about him makes me angry. How could my father’s own blood be full of so much evil and deceit? I’ve been asking myself this since our first encounter. He needs to pay for what he did to my parents and to everyone in Silvia.

The sooner I retrieve the last two stones, the better. I’d be a fool to think it’ll be easy, but I have to have faith and believe in myself. I’ve come to realise I’d gladly die for Silvia.

A growl comes from my right, and I glance sidelong at Oliver.

“Don’t you ever say that, Dara. You are not going anywhere. Ever. You belong to us,” he says.

The possessiveness of my warriors makes my heart feel full. Knowing they always have my back motivates me to keep going.

We continue along the trail for the next few minutes. Everyone is on full alert, waiting for a slayer to pop out. I’ll shamelessly admit I miss the action. I want to bring down a slayer, make him pay. I’m out for blood, and it scares me shitless. I’m not a violent person, but when you take away what’s mine, I don’t play nice.

A twig snaps to our left. I turn my head. There’s a flash of white and I know what it is—a slayer. My bow is in my hands in seconds, an arrow notched a heartbeat later. I shiver as I draw the bow string against my cheek. I lose the arrow and time slows as it soars through the air. With my limited vision, it makes it hard to see where it is. The only advantage we have is in the white of their uniforms; it makes them stand out against the darkness. My target isn’t looking my way. It’s too busy watching Harlan, following him. He doesn’t see my arrow until it’s too late, and it hits him right in the chest. One down—who knows how many are left.

You’ve got this, Dara. We are here if you need us, Declan reassures me.

More slayers seem to come out of nowhere surrounding us. Pulling up another arrow it hits a tree, forcing me to fight in close quarters. With my knife in hand, I stalk towards the slayer taking cover behind a tree. Something closes in around my neck cutting off my breath, I try to scream but they squeeze tighter. I’m lifted off the ground and kick around trying to do something to ease the grip around my throat. My fingers dig into the person’s hand, scratching. I can’t breathe. My vision starts to blur. Shit, this is it. Then it’s gone and I drop to the ground on my hands and knees gasping for air. It takes me several seconds to get my breathing back under control. A hand lands on my back and Jolie helps me up checking me over. Are you okay? She asks, and I nod swallowing past the rawness of my throat.

She dashes off to take out another slayer. Taking a few more breaths I jump back into action. I see a flash of white behind a tree. Soundlessly, I pick up a rock from the ground, throwing it in the other direction, drawing his attention away with it. As he turns, I drive the blade into his abdomen and watch the blood drain from his body.

Looking down at the slayer I just killed, I freeze. He’s a human being, and I ended his life.

What have I done? A tear runs down my cheek. My knife slips from my fingers, falling to the ground. Everything around me evaporates. The only sound I hear is my knife hitting the forest floor with a thud. I just killed someone. I am a monster. My heart beats fast against my chest.

I stumble back and slam into something hard. Declan places his hands on my shoulders, turning me around to face him. Tears build up, but I try to hold them back. I don’t want to lose it right now. I can’t. Declan’s fingers brush against my chin, lifting it up so that I am looking into his eyes.

“It’s okay, Dara. Everything will be okay. You’ll see,” he says.

Reluctantly, I pull away from him when I feel Harlan, Oliver, and Jolie surround us. “The area is clear. We good to continue?” Harlan asks, looking me over.

Declan nods. “She’s okay. Come on. There isn’t much farther to go.”

We return to formation and I’m stuck with my thoughts for the remainder of the journey. The picture of the slayer, dead against the tree, plays over and over again in my mind. It makes me feel guilty for what I have done.

“Breathe, Dara,” Jolie says. “Focus on your happy place. You need to be mentally prepared; Blair is counting on you.”

I keep moving, forcing one foot in front of the other, focusing on positive thoughts. I think of Silvia’s beautiful forests.

As I open my eyes, a shiver races through my body. My hands are glowing with my blue magic; it’s ready when I need it.