Chapter 26
“H
ow?” Azahara wanted to rush to embrace her young sister, but fear gripped her from doing so. It could be a trap; Mel would have been dead for nearly as long as she had been immortal. Her hand slowly reached out towards the girl, watching her fingers tremble as they felt the cold skin under them.
Immediately she pulled them back and took a step away. “Who are you?
Mel smiled, “Melody Rothwen, you know, your sister.”
Azahara shook her head, looking away to see if there were any other surprises waiting to sneak up on her. “She’s dead. She has been for a long time.”
Without hesitation, Mel nodded, “You are right. I am dead. For someone so close to Death, you tend to forget that doesn’t mean it is the end.”
Truthfully, she didn’t want to believe that Mel was standing before her.
That would mean she wouldn’t have been able to move on, step into another life, or live in Paradise where she absolutely deserved to be.
She had a heart of gold, and while she would have wanted her to live a long, happy life, she also wanted her to be guided to the next one to bring joy to it.
Except for hearing those words, she knew that at least there was some part of her that existed before her. The burning sensation behind her eyes came quickly, and she stepped towards her. “Are you really her?”
She placed a hand on Mel’s cheek, and the girl smiled. “In some ways, and in others, I am not.” Leaning in towards her, Mel put her arms around her waist, her head coming to rest on Azahara’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you.”
Azahara felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she finally wrapped her arms around Mel’s neck. Their embrace seemed to slowly illuminate the circular stone room around them. The only notable structure was a small drinking fountain in the middle.
“I’ve missed you beyond words, Mel, I’m so sorry.” She placed a kiss at the top of her head, stroking her fingers along her ruby hair. “I couldn’t protect you and Skyy, I failed you both so much.”
Mel let out a gentle laugh, and leaned her head back, “You protected us from the darkness for as long as fate allowed, and in the end, when it was our turn, Death took us peacefully.” Her tears didn’t stop, and she just looked at her sister who was the same young, youthful spirit as she had remembered.
“We were not meant to be in this world, but you are.”
“I didn’t want to be,” she choked on her sobs, “not without you, not without Skyy, and—” her teeth clenched, knowing that Kaed was the line she couldn’t cross.
Not then, she had to keep her head straight or she’d fall into her own darkness that was out there to hurt her.
“How often I had wished to be with you, it transcends time.”
There was an understanding smile on her lips. “I know—we know. Aza, you will make a profound impact on this world, and that’s why I’m here. Not to bring you down, but to help you forward.”
She swallowed, staring down into the wisdom of such a young girl. Though, she supposed this version of Mel was not young, at least not in years. “How are you here?”
“The door you were yanked through, sorry about that by the way, that twin—the girl—she’s got quite the big mouth.
” Mel let out another laugh, “I was afraid the muscle was going to run up and grab you—” she shook her head, and continued, “It wasn’t a door, but a portal.
The structure, while it holds the bones of the once mighty Ilkiz, is not her tomb.
That lies beneath the mountain, so deep that it rivals the world’s core.
“Mortal and God alike cannot enter, only those that are allowed can pass through. If anyone else had tried, they would have been annihilated. It is why, sister, you are safe. Goddrick cannot get to you in here, nor can the mortal King or the Fae Elder.”
Azahara’s eyes widened, “You know…” Her voice weak.
Mel nodded, “She has been following you since the thread was laced, and you began walking the path fate set forth.”
“When was that?”
A frown etched on Mel’s face as she stepped away from Azahara, “I can’t tell you that, I’m sorry. There are some things that are best left in the book, and not spoken aloud.”
While she wanted to argue, Azahara conceded, watching as this version of Mel walked towards the drinking fountain in the middle of the room and gestured for her to follow.
Mel continued, “For you to see Ilkiz, you must first relinquish your connection with the powers of Death, and the gods.” She waved her hand over the fountain, and it began filling with water. “You will need to pass a test, as well. I know you didn’t go to school but—“
Azahara shot her a warning glance, and Mel laughed. It truly was her, as she was so many years ago. Feeling the sting of more tears, she took a deep breath and attempted to stifle them quickly.
“What is the test?” Azahara asked, weary of the response.
“Drink, first.”
“Why? Why do I need to give up my powers to see her.” She stepped to the fountain, looking down into her own reflection, hating what she saw.
“You must go to her as yourself, not what others have molded you to be.” Mel gestured down to the water, and while Azahara was hesitant, she leaned down. “It will hurt.” She said, just before her lips were to touch the liquid now calling out to her.
With a quick glance at Mel, Azahara said, “I’m no stranger to pain.” Taking a sip, she immediately felt weightless as the ground below them crumbled to dust.
Her throat was on fire, and every inch of her skin felt like it was ripping apart.
The arrow in her chest tearing through her skin, the cuts from Goddrick slicing across her body one by one, the broken nose and Gorruk toxin, it all came back and destroyed her from the outside in.
As she fell further, it only got worse. Each death flashed before her eyes, throwing her mind into a frenzy of what was reality, and what was history.
While she tried to scream, it was silenced under the weight of a hand around her throat. Her head was under water, keeping any words from escaping her lips; keeping her from calling out for help. She felt her heart slowing, as though it was ready to stop and take her back to purgatory.
Every second threatened to pull her into unconsciousness, but she fought to feel it all.
She knew passing out would be her body’s only means to end the suffering.
Except she had to stay awake, she needed to be strong without the powers that were granted to her.
She needed to be Azahara, not whatever it was they were trying to make her be.
With a resounding thud, she crashed against the floor, her body feeling the rocketing pain from the force.
Her eyes were closed, trying to gather some semblance of her body before she tried to capture the world around her. Everything felt heavier, and she could tell that she was no longer connected to Death, and the darkness of the gods were not lingering behind the door of her heart.
With a steadying breath, she slowly opened her eyes.
“N—…” Don’t say it. Don’t say it…
Her entire stomach was in her throat, and she was surprised it didn’t project right out of her mouth. The sight in front of her was not what she had been expecting. This—this was pure torture.
“So happy you could join us.” His voice sent a shrill pain throughout her entire body. The voice of the creature destroyed not only her mind, but her body. He was standing over her lifelines. They were in Isis, and everything was on fire. The smell of ash, blood and death filled her senses.
Around them were bodies, so many of them. She recognized them, and her throat began to close. The beautiful face of Alyse was marred and mangled.
The only reason she knew it was Xol was because of the white skin, there was no head to confirm. The entire crew lay dead at the monster’s feet, and she was ready to join them.
On their knees in front of Goddrick was Jayce and someone she didn’t quite recognize, their hands bound behind them and gags across their mouths.
There was no darkening rage that pulled from within her, and the light that would have captivated her skin was not there. She reached for it, deep down, and tried to pull it to fight for them, but it wasn’t there.
“How easy it was to trick you, Little Mouse. You left them for the picking. The moment you took that portal, it was time for me to destroy everything you ever came to care about.” Her hands were trembling so hard that she felt the bones within them.
“Aw, I did warn you. You only have made this worse for yourself, Dikos Mou.”
She slowly stood, the pain that she felt was nothing in comparison to her heart being ripped from her chest. Jayce’s hazel eyes were filled with remorse, while the stranger looked at her with sorrow.
His face, older in age, brought her back to the Port of Kortez.
A stranger with his hand on her shoulder, wiping away the suffering she was having.
“Don’t look at them, look at me.” Immediately she raised her eyes to him, as though she were still his property and she had to listen. “Good. Now, come with me—”
Jayce fought against his restraints, screaming, and shifting his shoulders, trying to break free. “Shut it!” Goddrick kicked his back, sending him flying forward, and he hit the ground with a thump. Azahara let out a scream and ran towards them.
He had a sword now pointed right at Jayce’s back. The sight stopped her dead in her pursuit, and she immediately dropped to her knees.
“Please, Goddrick, I beg of you don’t hurt him—please, please!”
Moving the blade back, he stepped towards her, “I do love it when you beg.”
“Please…not him. Not him. Anyone but him.”
“So, the other one?”
Azahara leaned her head up, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Me. Take me, I won’t ever leave. I promise. I swear it.”
Goddrick tilted his head as he stepped over Jayce and towards her, “You are pathetic, you know that?”
“I know,” she said, a stream of tears continuing to fall.
“It is quite poetic, you know,” His blade lifted her chin to meet his gaze, “I’m going to kill them anyways, your brave Knight, and the Fae that tore you from me.”
As though she was snapped out of a trance, she said, “What?”
“Sam— Do you not recognize the one you so clearly have fallen in love with?” Her eyes met his, the same smile she had come to hate laced on his lips.
Azahara began to stand, which surprised Goddrick, “What did you say?”
“You heard me girl, now get back down.” He pressed the blade to her throat, “You don’t have Death’s powers anymore. You’re just as weak as you were when I made you mine.”
She did not move back down, instead stepped towards him, the blade biting into her neck. Feeling the blood from it fall and soak into the white gown. His eyes were wide, and he dropped the blade, cutting down to her chest.
“You are powerless, Little Mouse.” His voice was deeper then, a thunderous sound that rattled her brain. “Bow to me.”
Their eyes were locked, and a snarl crossed her lips. “How disappointing,” her voice laced with divinity which echoed around them, overpowering his own, “I wish it were this easy to kill you.”
When she reached out towards him, her skin was illuminated by a purple flame, flickers of light danced at her fingertips, and she felt at peace. “I will obliterate you one day, for everything you’ve done to me.”
This power was not hers, and she knew she was stealing it.
She could feel the being around her attempting to pull it back from her.
As if they were playing tug of war, but Azahara was filled with so much willpower that they, whoever they were, would not get it back.
Not until she relinquished it back to them.
As his sword thrust through her heart, her fist punched through his chest as if it were nothing more than sand and she were the shovel. Taking hold of the beating organ within him, she easily tore it out, and tossed it to the side. Treating it as he had always treated her: like nothing.
The body of Goddrick fell backward, pulling with it his sword.
While her body jerked forward and the pain was immense, she just looked over at Jayce who was staring at her.
He wasn’t truly there, and this was just a trick—or, the test that Mel had warned her about, but seeing him there, the pain wasn’t so bad.
“You are okay, Keeper.”
She stepped towards him, ignoring the voice that boomed in her ears. Those hazel eyes took hers in, filled with worry and love, drawing her closer to him. Whether real or not, all she desired was to be enveloped in his arms.
Her hands were trembling, her heart seemingly stopped, and she was moving solely from the power she had stolen.
Unable to take another step, she fell to her knees and looked down at her hands.
“I will protect you, now come to me.” The loud, enigmatic voice reverberated in her head.
Her arms opened, and she felt a strong, solid mass push against her.
The texture was rough, ancient, and with weathered scales.
Leaning her head forward, heavy-eyed, she rested it against the snout of a mythical creature that hadn’t existed in the realm for thousands of years.
Its outward breath through its nose was hot, reminiscent of the fires simmering under the Island below.
Her eyes blurred, and the power she had in her slowly separated from her before she was plunged into darkness once again.