Chapter 4 #2
Aradella managed to sit up. She was still wearing Kaley’s clothes—which was bad. She needed to keep herself covered. A bit of a breeze made her realize that she truly was in the forest. She looked down at a movement by her leg. There were four little foxes staring up at her with big eyes.
Aradella looked back at the woman who was glaring at her. “You are . . . ?”
“I am Toki, the mother of Mekos, and we must go to him. That magic woman is going to kill him!”
At that, Aradella came fully awake. She realized the dark wasn’t full night, but it was just before dawn—and it was the day
she was supposed to be sacrificed. “Tell me what’s happened.” She brushed away the babies and stood up. The terror in the
woman’s eyes sent chills down her spine.
“The kits said Mekos and that little man sneaked into that woman’s house. They stole a knife because only it will kill her.
Now they’re saying that Mekos hid the knife in his big clothes and he’s you and he’s asleep and she’s going to murder him.
I don’t understand.”
“I do,” Aradella said. “He used the mask to make himself into me, but that knife is new to me. If Mekos is asleep, something
went wrong.” She looked around. “How did I get here and how can I reach him?”
“My son carried you here, and you are a long way from the steam.”
Aradella knew she meant the steam from the volcano, where the sacrifice was to happen. When the woman turned, Aradella saw
that she had a tail.
“I tried to get to him, but they—”
“The guards won’t let you past. They don’t like Lelys,” Aradella said.
“I will give my life for my son.”
Aradella didn’t have time for politeness. “If you’re dead, you won’t be able to help at all,” she snapped. “Get me to Mekos
immediately! It’s me Valona wants.”
Toki’s eyes changed from fear to resolution. “Can you ride?”
“For this, I can ride anything you have.”
“My friend will take you there swiftly.” Out of the darkness came a huge gray wolf.
It looked like it could destroy a human in one bite.
“Starken-el,” Aradella whispered. When the animal bent down, she saw it had on a leather collar.
Aradella swallowed her fear, threw a leg over the wolf, and grabbed the collar with both hands.
It ran so swiftly that Aradella could hardly breathe. Beside them, Toki was running on all fours. She was more fox than human.
They reached the pinnacle of the Lair just as the sun was rising.
As they’d been told, every woman who lived in the crater of the Lair was there. Young and old, they were standing, their faces
filled with grief and fear. They were slowly swaying back and forth and making a low, mournful, rhythmic sound. Behind them,
steam billowed up out of the ground, the last remnant of the volcano that had created the crater.
The great wolf abruptly stopped, Aradella slid to the ground, then ran forward. Four fierce-looking female guards flanked
her, each one holding a long spear aimed at Aradella’s throat.
“It’s her,” a woman said. Then another said louder, “The princess is there!”
As the words spread, the forlorn singing stopped, and the women stared in silence.
The guards stepped back and let the princess go through.
What Aradella saw sickened her. She saw herself lying on a long, flattened stone, her body engulfed by her big dress. Her
face was calm and her eyes were closed in a peaceful sleep.
Standing at one end of the altar was Valona. She was dressed all in black and gold and looked magnificent. Her eyes were alight
as though in ecstasy. Her arms were raised and in her hand was an old knife with a half moon blade.
“I am here!” Aradella shouted as she swiftly walked forward.
Even Valona was shocked into silence and she lowered her arms.
In the silence, Aradella, her back straight, her chin up, walked to Mekos lying on the stone.
She leaned forward and put her left hand on the invisible mask on Mekos’s face.
At the same time, she put her right hand to where she knew was one of the pockets in the dress, and slipped it inside.
As she’d hoped, the knife was there. It was small enough that she could conceal it in her hand.
With her other hand, she peeled the mask off Mekos’s face. When his face was revealed, wearing his own clothes, everyone gasped.
“A man!” Valona said in disgust, her face filling with rage. “Do you know what his essence would have done to me?” She glared
at Aradella. “I’ll teach you to try to fool me,” she screamed at Aradella and lunged for her. She raised her arms, her hands
holding the old blade in a striking position.
In her training, Aradella had been taught that if someone leaves a body part unprotected, you can take advantage of it. The
middle of Valona was open, completely uncovered. With all the strength Aradella possessed, she plunged the jeweled knife into
Valona’s stomach.
Valona looked astonished. She put her hands on the knife and staggered back. Everyone watched in shocked silence as her beautiful
face began to age, showing the many years of her evil life. She gave a keening cry of disbelief, then the sound changed as
though she was begging for mercy.
It took only minutes before Valona was a withered carcass. Her last breath escaped and she was dead.
Aradella looked at the crowd of women. They were all staring at her, too stunned to react.
Then someone said in astonishment, “She is dead.”
In the next second, the women started rushing toward Aradella—and she felt faint. She’d just stabbed someone! That the woman
was evil was beside the point. Her knees wobbled, she felt dizzy, and she knew she was sliding down. She almost smiled at
the irony that she was about to be trampled to death by the happy, grateful women.
But she didn’t hit the ground. Mekos was there, and he put his strong arms around her. He lifted Aradella up into the air
and soared above the joyous women. He took her away, out of sight of them all.