CHAPTER 55 CORY
C hrysthinia helped us devise the plan, although they did emphasize that it’s incredibly risky. Since Aurora is the core of the Black Lady, although she’s being manipulated by the White Warlock in some way, her affection for Mili is what guides her actions.
To lure her here, then, we have to pretend like we’re giving Mili up. The Black Lady should know that Kar tried to claim Mili, since she’s working with the White Warlock, so the only way to really convince her that we’re giving Mili to her is to allow her to be claimed as we claimed her.
“I don‘t like it,” Chrysthinia had said, “But if you put these specific trap knots in the ropes so Mili can escape, it will look convincing enough to seem like you’re giving her up.”
I didn’t like the idea, either –the thought of Mili tied and left for someone else to claim, fills me with rage. Unfortunately, none of us had any other solutions. We have no choice but to go through with the plan.
We’ve only just tied Mili up when my entire being starts to scream for me to stop this. It’s too risky, the whole scheme hinging on the Black Lady’s jealousy being enough to keep her oblivious to our trap. I don’t know Aurora well enough to know if that’s going to happen, and it’s terrifying.
“Cory, look at me,” Mili says suddenly, snapping me out of my panicked trance. I realize I’ve tied a knot tighter than is safe in my agitation, and I scowl loudly as I loosen it. “ Cory. ”
I snap my gaze up to Mili, and her gaze bores into my very soul. “This was a horrible idea, Mili.”
“No,” she snaps. Despite myself, I rear back slightly at the harshness of her voice. Her eyes soften as I straighten back up, though, and she continues. “I just –this is the best we’re going to get. Aurora is jealous. She’s always wanted more from me than I’m willing to give. This will get her here, and it will probably weaken Kar’s hold on her, too.”
Port nods and chimes in, “Her genuine love for Mili will make her harder to manipulate.”
At that, Mili winces, and Max punches Port in the shoulder. I hear him whisper, “Not the time, Port,” and Port smiles sadly at Mili.
“I’m sorry to bring it up, Mili. I do think it will help, though – her ... sentimentality.”
“I know,” Mili exhales. “You’re right.”
My heart aches as I see her here, bound for her past lover; despite the trick knots, the image still burns. It’s all a sham, I know, but my heart hasn’t caught up with my mind.
I lean in until my forehead is pressed softly to Milica’s, and I close my eyes just to breathe her in for a moment. “You’ll be safe,” I say, as much for my own benefit as for hers.
Her laugh is soft but warm as she says, “I know, Cory. You three better get to the ‘ritual,’ now, hm?”
“Just give me a minute,” I say through gritted teeth.
I feel Port and Max’s eyes on me, then their hands clap me firmly on the back. Their footsteps recede, and I hear the rustle of satchels of fake-ritual supplies opening. Chrysthinia guided us in how to create a completely ineffective ritual that will look convincing to a Northern faery like Aurora, so Port and Max must be setting it up now.
As for me, I just need a real moment with my love.
I lift my lips to Mili’s forehead and plant a firm kiss there. A tiny whimper escapes her as I do, so quiet I almost miss it, and my eyes shoot open to check on her. She looks scared, perhaps letting herself show it now that Max and Port have gone.
“Don’t let her take me,” Mili whispers weakly.
I shake my head firmly and take her face in both my hands. “I’ll never let you go, Milica.”
She breathes out shakily and nods. “Okay.”
Then Max’s voice calls out to me, “Cory?”
“I’m coming,” I call back. I press my lips to Mili’s, taking in her scent, her taste, and the feel of her as much as I can. “I see you, my love, I recognize you” I tell her, voice low and urgent.
“I recognize you too, Cory,” she responds. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
Still, there’s not much time to waste. I give her one more quick kiss, then tuck her hair neatly behind her ears before turning to walk to Max and Port.
It’s nearing daybreak, and we need Aurora to get here just as the Sun breaks on the horizon. The moon won’t be far gone, so she won’t be worried, but as the Sun rises her powers should weaken. Well, that’s what we hope –but I have faith in Chrysthinia, and they told us that’s how it will go.
Once I reach Port and Max, they hold out a few items to me. There’s a paper with the mock spell in Chrysthinia’s tiny, scratchy handwriting, and a sachet of herbs to sprinkle around Mili to stir up the psychic realm. Since the Black Lady is operating from there, it should lure her here.
We’re in a remote area of the woods, far enough from the original clearing where Kar was last spotted, that it will take him a moment to find us, should he try to. Hopefully, though, Aurora will come alone.
“Let’s start, Cory,” Port says quietly.
If he’s nervous, he’s doing a good job hiding it; I’m normally the stoic one, but my hands twitch slightly as I reach into the sachet and begin to pace around Mili.
I exhale deeply and close my eyes, silently petitioning the wind to guide my steps. Chrysthinia told me that if my eyes are closed, my other senses (and the elements themselves) will be able to detect psychic forces more easily. I have the spell memorized for that reason; the paper is just for show.
As I follow the silent urging in my mind telling me where to step, I hear Port and Max’s footsteps around me. They set to work lighting the candles circled around Mili –they’re not purified, so they hold no power. Mostly they’re here because they make Mili more visible in the dark woods; she’ll glow like a beacon for her jealous ex-lover.
I hum quietly, following my instincts on what tones to hum, as I circle Mili and dust herbs around her. After I’ve made a full circle, I stand in front of Mili and try to ignore her nervous, panting breaths. I stand still and move my hands in the wind, playing with the lightness of the air as I begin the fake chant.
Guardian of the Night, oh, Black Lady
We beseech you, forgive us
Forgive the faery, oh, Black Lady
Forgive the dragons, oh, Black Lady
We beseech you, claim what’s yours
Before I’ve even finished the chant I feel a certain tingle of energy in the air around me. It moves in a violent spiral, frantically whirling between Max, Port, and myself, then finally landing on Milica.
I try to suppress my frown as the energy grows; the Black Lady was supposed to arrive after several rounds of the chant and several rounds of circling Mili with the herbs. If Aurora comes now , while the Moon is still out –this is going to be a harder fight than we anticipated.
A loud, howling whoosh sounds from deep within the forest, and my eyes shoot open just as a curtain of darkness flies out from the trees and smothers the candles in one fell swoop. The clearing is suddenly plunged into darkness, and Mili calls out to me in panic as I whirl around to check on her.
Then Max cries out in surprise as a tendril of darkness slithers up his ankle and yanks him to the ground. He just barely covers his head before his skull crashes to the ground, yelping in pain as his back lands flat on the earth. Port falls next as a pillar of black hits him square in the chest, knocking him ten paces backwards until he hits a heavy tree trunk.
“Godsdamnit!” I shout, throwing my body to the side to avoid a writhing mass of dark energy that shoots at me. “Mili, unbind yourself!”
Mili immediately moves her hands to pull the trap knots and free herself, releasing herself so quickly that she shrieks and falls forward to the ground. I leap forward to catch her, but a ribbon of black wraps around her waist and yanks her up harshly into the tree canopy.
“Cory!” Mili screams as she’s flung up to the forest ceiling.
I bellow with rage and my wings fly open, launching me violently into the air. As I shoot directly up towards Milica, a dozen shadowy tendrils fly out from behind tree trunks, branches, and bunches of leaves, all aiming straight for me.
Thinking quickly, I spin and let myself plunge to the ground to avoid them. As I fall, I see Port and Max have righted themselves and are helping each other battle black pillars and writing ribbons on the ground.
As the tendrils above me crash into each other, a woman’s angry shriek rings out through the clearing. Mili screams for me again, and I feel the wind shift as she’s thrown sideways, deeper into the forest.
I roar furiously and launch a column of blazing flames up at the mass of darkness above me, listening in feral ecstasy as they hiss and burn, falling to the ground as a pile of black ashes.
Once that’s done, I scan the treetops for any sign of Mili. I hear her muffled cries from above me and to the left, and I spot her struggling against a half-dozen shadowy limbs holding her hostage.
“Mili!” I howl, launching myself again through the clearing to reach her.
This time as I rise, I anticipate the black tendrils coming for me, and I spit fire sideways in every direction as my wings fly me to my faery. They sizzle and shriek as they turn into nothing but ashen dust clouds that fall to the ground and coat the clearing below us.
I reach Mili mere moments later and unsheathe my claws to sever the forces binding her. She screams and starts to fall to the ground, her wings still in their protective encasing (another recommendation of Chrysthinia’s –in case Kar arrived and tried to destroy them again). I dive through the air and catch her, holding her tightly to me as we spiral to the ground, my wings cushioning our landing.
Mili gasps and clings onto me, and I clutch her desperately as I whip my head around and scan the clearing. It’s dark, too dark, but the Sun must be rising soon. Aurora’s powers, borrowed from Kar, will weaken as soon as the Moon falls for the day.
As I’m looking around, I see how well Max and Port have done at batting away the dangerous powers Aurora has launched on us. They’re both coated in the black ash from the destroyed tendrils and their own slain darknesses, but they fight valiantly.
Then Mili screams again, and I whirl around with her in my arms to see Aurora as the Black Lady standing, wiggling her fingers in some taunting greeting.
“Very tricky of you four, wasn’t this?” she hisses. “I’ll be taking Mili now, and we’ll be leaving. ”
Before I can bark back a response, Mili pushes herself to my side and yells at Aurora, “I’m not going anywhere with you while you’re like this.”
“What?” Aurora snarls. “Powerful? You were always insecure like that, weren’t you? Can’t handle me with a little dignity of my own, huh?”
At that, I snarl and lash out with my claws, but Mili’s grip on me keeps me from actually touching the Black Lady. She cries out, “Cory, don’t!” and I pant as I let her pull me back and away from Aurora.
The Black Lady arches an eyebrow bitterly. “Still putting on this little show? Mili, there’s no need to pretend we care about each other anymore. Let’s not be ridiculous.”
“Why would you come if you really thought that?” Mili exclaims. “I’ve always cared about you. Just not –not the way you wanted me to.”
“What a load of crap,” Aurora hisses.
As the words leave her mouth, a pillar of dark energy shoots out from the trees and hits me in the side of the head. The shock from the impact is so great that I fall, embarrassingly helpless, to the ground before realizing what’s happened.
My vision spins and I hear Mili scream, along with Max and Port howling and snarling as they shift fully into their dragon forms. I try to push myself up, but another dark ribbon flies out from the woods and hits me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me.
I hear Mili shout, “Aurora, don’t hurt him!” and my heart seizes with panic.
The Black Lady hisses, “If you touch me, I’ll kill her,” and Port and Max’s growls turn to choking snarls of panicked helplessness.
“You wouldn’t hurt me, Aurora,” Mili gasps. I realize Aurora is holding her by the neck, almost strangling her –just like in Mili’s vision.
“I’m not Aurora anymore.”
Something in me snaps, then, and I focus on breathing and getting the Realm up, no matter what it takes.
I have to get up.
I’m not in pain.
I can fight.
I repeat that same mantra, over and over, as I slash at the dark ribbons and pillars that fly at me. Slowly, slowly, I stand. When I’m up, I see that Aurora has spun around to face Max and Port, but like true warriors they make no indication of seeing that I’ve risen.
Mili doesn’t seem to know that I’ve stood up, either, and I listen with a breaking heart as she pleads with Aurora for her life. “Aurora, please, I know it’s you,” she says. I can’t help but think that her words fall on deaf ears.
As I catch my breath, I scan Aurora to look for some sort of weakness. She has wings, like a typical faery, but she has four instead of two. The bottom wings look to be the normal size, and they’re light bluish green and purple, colors like the Northern Lights. The top two wings are massive and a dark, shiny black. They’re fitting for the Black Lady – but not for Aurora.
They’ll have to go.