Chapter 33
Nahlah
In the blink of an eye, the wind picked up speed with a roaring howl; the sky changing from the beautiful pastels to the darkness of a rolling storm. The zephyr animals erupted into a frenzy, their cries carrying a sharp edge of terror as they dissipated into the growing cyclone.
“Is it another elemental storm?” I asked, barely able to hear myself over the uproar.
“No, it’s—” Rami began, but a powerful melodic force interrupted him, slamming into us with the strength of a battering ram. As we stumbled backward, the melody, eerily familiar yet terrifyingly forceful, rose in pitch and struck again and again, its fierce vibrations causing a crack to spiderweb across the wards.
“Hold on!” he yelled, tightening his grip on my hand. A moment later, I felt a rush across my skin as the purple glow swept over us repeatedly, each pass strengthening the shield.“I’ve reinforced the wards,” his voice was shaking, sweat beading on his forehead. “But whatever this is, it’s insistent on breaking through. I’m not sure how long I can hold it.”
“How can I help?” I asked, attempting to keep the rising panic out of my voice.
“Just stay close,” he replied through gritted teeth.
The assault on our defenses didn’t let up, wave after wave of rhythmic force testing the limits of his abilities. After enduring five more minutes under relentless attack, the pressure momentarily eased as if reassessing.When it struck again—morphing into a frenzied cadence that filled the air with an oppressive urgency—the whispers picked up once more, surrounding us with chilling clarity.
Two souls intertwined, facing shadows within,
A trial of the mind, body, and soul, where the true journey will begin.
Test the strength of spirit, confront the darkest fears,
Through mirages and illusions, the truth appears.
United in purpose, together they shall stand,
Breaking spells and shadows, hand in hand.
Rami’s face paled, his expression turning to one of absolute horror. “No, no, no,” he muttered under his breath. He glanced at me in sheer terror before sweeping me up into his arms, running at a speed that caused everything around us to blur.
Two souls intertwined, facing shadows within…
“Rami, what’s happening!?”I asked, clinging tightly to him.
Without breaking his stride, he met my gaze. “It’s Kaliya’s trial,” he responded hoarsely, his sweat-soaked hair sticking to his face. The speed at which he was running while maintaining the shield once again confirmed his vast powers. But even the mightiest have their limits, as evident by the dark circles of fatigue under his eyes.
“Is it what you suspected?”I asked, using the sleeve of my kaftan to dry his face.
A test of the mind, body, and soul, where the true journey will begin…
“It’s much worse,” he said, his voice tinged with unmistakable fear.
“Worse, how?” I asked, dread coiling in my stomach.
“I expected a challenge of the mind, but the whispers tell of something more dire—one of the mind, body, and soul,” he explained, tension lining his features. “It’ll push us in the most horrifying ways.”
My blood ran cold as a wave of fear engulfed me. “I don’t think we can outrun it,” I whispered, struggling to maintain my composure.
“Perhaps not,” he conceded. “But I have to try.”
”What can I do?” I asked desperately.
“Just don’t let go of me. Please,” he pleaded.
“I won’t,” I promised, brushing a damp lock of hair from his forehead. Placing my hand against his chest, I could feel the rapid beat of his heart mirroring my own.
“Good,” he forced a smile. “Now, hold on.” His warning was barely out before he flicked his wrist, a tremendous gust of air lifting us out of the path of a huge tumbling boulder.Though I understood why he didn”t want to just give in, I also knew it was futile for us to keep running. The Heart had been manipulating our every move, and if it was determined to put us through this trial, it would only redouble its efforts.
True to my thoughts, the obstacles intensified. As Rami sprinted across a path of glittering stones, a sheet of ice formed beneath his feet, spreading with every step he took. He growled in frustration as the frost crept up his boots, pushing forward with greater urgency. No sooner did we clear the icy trap than the shrubbery lining the path burst into flames, the fire spreading rapidly across the dry grass toward us.
“Blast it all to the void!” Rami cursed, conjuring a wave of sand to smother the flames, only to swerve violently a second later as the ground in front of us gave way to a gaping sinkhole. He skidded to a stop, chest heaving, glancing frantically around.
“Rami, Rami,” I pressed my hand to his cheek, forcing him to look at me. “We can’t escape this.”
He shook his head, avoiding another rapidly descending tree branch with a flick of his hand, his movements becoming increasingly desperate. Sweat dripped down his face, soaking the collar of his jellaba. “I can do it,” he gritted out.
“It’s okay,” I smiled reassuringly, even though my heart was racing with fear. “We’ve gotten through everything else. We’ll get through this, too.” His jaw clenched, his arms tightening protectively around me even as his shoulders sagged slightly. “It’s okay,” I repeated softly.
He exhaled sharply, pain and resignation etched across his face as he slowed his pace. He eventually came to a full stop—just as the ground beneath us exploded.
He reacted instantly, throwing us to the side. Rolling to absorb the impact, he flicked his wrist and conjured a soft bed of moss that cushioned my fall. A moment later, an invisible force hammered against us. As the purple barrier flickered, he drew in a pained breath, his body shaking with effort.
”Nahlah,” he pressed urgently as heavy branches crashed around us, the ancient trees groaning in the tempest. ”I need you to listen.”
“I”m listening,” I replied, unable to hold back my wince as an apple shattered an inch from my head. Fruit was hurtling through the air like deadly projectiles exploding on impact, scattering seeds and pulp in wild arcs. As the river roared louder, its waters whipping into a frenzied churning, I glanced over in alarm. Each violent shake of the earth caused it to swell higher, the waves threatening to breach its banks.
Rami gripped my chin, forcing my gaze back to his. “Nahlah, no matter what happens, or what you see or hear or feel, you need to remember that it isn’t—”
“RAMI!” I shouted, just as a torrent of water enveloped us, dragging me into the river’s murky depths. My limbs flailed as I desperately tried to find purchase, spinning through the frigid water. Fighting to gain my bearings, I struggled to swim upward, my eyes locked on the sliver of light above. I broke the surface, choking and sputtering, drawing in desperate gulps of air. My heart plummeted as the current wrapped around me again, barely giving me time to take another breath before pulling me back into its freezing embrace.
Nahlah.Suddenly, I heard Rami”s voice, distant and distorted. Could my mind be playing tricks on me?
But then I saw him—his figure slicing determinedly through the murk. Hope sparked within me as our fingers brushed, and he pulled me close, propelling us upward. As we ascended, the surrounding water grew clearer, and the splinter of light above became brighter. For a moment, it seemed like we might make it.
A light ripple in the water was our only warning before a shadowy tentacle whipped out, coiling around Rami’s waist, another wrapping around my ankle.
Rami”s grip on my hand tightened almost painfully as he tried to maintain his hold. But the water seemed determined to separate us, weaving between our fingers and prying them loose. With one last powerful tug, it yanked us forcefully apart, water and bubbles whooshing past as I was dragged backward.
Immediately, Rami”s movements grew frantic as he fought against his restraints. In response, more and more tentacles snapped out, wrapping around every part of his body, binding him tighter and tighter. When a tendril gripped his neck, forcing him to look straight ahead, his eyes widened in alarm.
“Nahlah!” His shout was impossibly loud underwater, reaching me a moment before something sharp slammed into the back of my head. Pain exploded through my skull, my body growing heavy and unresponsive asthe cold seeped into my bones.As my last breath escaped in a trail of bubbles, the last thing I saw was a flash of purple light.
Then everything went black.
Something was burning.
My eyes fluttered open against the harsh glare of the sun, each blink sending spikes of pain through my head. “Rami?” I croaked, the dryness in my throat amplifying my discomfort. “What’s burning?”
Silence answered me. Pushing myself to a sitting position, my body protesting each movement, I froze, my breath catching as a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, horror, joy—swept through me.
I was outside the Mirage.
I was home. But how? The last clear memory I had was the river rising to engulf us. Had I fallen through a portal? Standing was an ordeal as nausea churned in my stomach, my trembling legs barely supporting my weight. With a sharp intake of breath, the scent of burning flooded my senses again, clouds of billowing smoke sending an icy dread down my spine.
The Mirage was on fire.
Staggering forward, my heart sank as I found the front gates obliterated, the thin blue shimmer of the protective wards noticeably absent. Horror washed over me as I stumbled inside, the scene unfolding before me one of utter chaos.Screams of terror filled the air as the Sultan’s soldiers swarmed the courtyard, dragging residents from their rooms, shattering windows and doors, and destroying anything within reach.
One soldier, torch in hand, was setting fire to curtains and trees, feeding the inferno. Frozen amidst the wreckage, I struggled to process the pandemonium. The damage, the clinking of swords being drawn, the devastating sound of their victims’ shrieks of death—it spun my head in a dizzying spiral.
“Nahlah!” Ummi’s distinct voice cut through my paralyzing terror, and I spun, my heart sinking. A soldier held her roughly by the arm, blood soaking the front of her purple kaftan, an open gash over her eyebrow dripping down her face.
“Ummi!” I exclaimed, rushing forward. I”d barely made it two steps when a soldier grasped my shoulders, throwing me to the ground. Ignoring the pain ripping through my palms and knees as they shredded against the broken tiles, I scrambled toward her. But I was too late. A sickening squelch—a sword impaling flesh—filled the air, the soldier rejoining the fray before Ummi’s body even hit the ground.
Tears blurred my vision as I knelt beside the matriarch of our family. “No, no, no,” I whispered, my voice breaking with grief as I watched her still form for any sign of life. After a full minute, I couldn”t deny the truth any longer. I reached out to close her vacant eyes, freezing as a sudden realization occurred to me. Trembling, I turned my hand over, choking on a gasp when I realized the sandsilk lily was gone.
The Sultan had broken his oath.