25. Powerless
POWERLESS
Alex
Irene and I could walk faster after we’d faced our fears. The tiredness was gone. The snakes lurked around but didn’t attack us. They slogged through the fog as if disappointed. We both exhaled when we stepped into the entrance hall where the fog was less dense.
“Darius?” Holding Irene’s hand, I led her up the stairs.
My voice didn’t echo in the high-vaulted ceiling as it usually did. The fog muffled the noises.
“Darius?” we called together.
“Alex!” Darius came running down the stairs. “I thought I had lost you. I couldn’t find you. And I had all these visions of me killing you accidentally or of Irene dying, of Myrtha dying… It was a nightmare.”
“It was the same for us,” I said.
He ran a hand through his messy hair. “The snakes are feeding on—”
“Fear,” Irene and I said together.
He frowned as if we’d offended him. “I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
“We’ll always need you.” I put a hand on his shoulder without thinking.
My first reaction was to stiffen, but when only an itch bothered me, I smiled.
“No tricks this time,” I said. “It’s genuine.”
Darius’s face brightened. “Interesting.” He returned the gesture and put a hand on my shoulder. He hadn’t touched me in years. “I’ll be jiggered.”
We hugged each other at the same time, clapping each other’s backs. It felt familiar and nostalgic at the same time.
“That’s wonderful. As soon as we’re out of here, you’ll tell me everything.” He patted my back. “Let’s go upstairs. I found Cara.” His serious tone sobered me.
Cara was in her bedroom in the east wing, lying in her bed. Dark vines spread underneath her pale skin, curling and reaching out for her eyes and lips and disappearing under her hairline.
“Heaven.” Irene stared at her. “Her aura is completely dark and still.”
The fog slithered inside, but it avoided Irene, Darius, and me. Instead, it coiled around Cara, producing thick snakes.
“Darius? We need you.” Irene shoved the snakes away.
He gestured towards the fireplace. “Irene, start the fire. Alex, find a thick blanket to cover Cara. She needs to stay warm.”
As we followed his orders, he drew symbols in the air, ignoring the fog. Sometimes I thought I recognised a letter or the shape of a star, but the symbols merged together to form a beautiful design, like the ornate pattern of damask.
Golden light spread from him, and the glow of the log fire flashed orange. I tucked a thick quilt around Cara, listening to her slow heartbeat.
When the room became warm and the golden light spread around, the snakes were banished, hissing and twitching angrily. A bright, dome-shaped shield protected her. She stirred and groaned.
“Cara?” Darius gently shook her shoulder. “Say something.”
She blinked and cast a slow gaze around. Shivers shook her as she got sight of the snakes smacking against the glowing shield Darius had conjured.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“We came for you.” I leant over to stare at her face.
“For me?” A shaky breath eased out of her.
“Of course.” Irene took her hand. “You’re part of the Dark Court. We were worried about you. Can you tell us what happened?”
“I can’t believe you came for me. It’s the first time…” A tear trickled down Cara’s cheek. She cleared her throat. “I lost my powers. I have nothing left.”
“What?” Darius placed a hand on the bedpost. “Was your magic the price for the spell?”
Irene nodded. “Her aura has no magic in it.”
Cara let out a shuddering breath. “Ravenhill was supposed to pay the price, but since I cast the spell for me, I paid it. How stupid of me. I should have known. Magic was the only thing I had.”
“I’m sorry.” Irene looked at me, terrified.
“And the snakes are draining me.” She heaved a sigh.
“The snakes come from our fears,” Irene said. “They’ll leave you alone if you focus on something happy.”
“Like what?” She scowled.
“How can we get rid of the fog? And what was it supposed to accomplish?” Darius asked.
I gave him the slightest shake of my head. I wasn’t the sweetest chap in the world, but even I understood this wasn’t the right moment to ask for details on the spell.
Cara slid her hand out of Irene’s. “It doesn’t matter because it didn’t work. I lost my powers for no reason, and I don’t know how to dissolve the fog or send those snakes back to Hell. They gave me the worst nightmares of my life. I can’t do anything to banish them.”
We all turned towards Darius, who arched his brow.
“Why are you all looking at me? Do you think I can solve this problem in a second?” He loosened the knot of his tie. “I feel enormously unappreciated. You seek me only when there’s a problem you can’t solve.”
“Because you’re the most powerful mage in the kingdom.” Irene flashed a charming smile. “If you can’t find a solution to dissolve the fog, no one will.”
“That’s true.” He sighed and fished his inseparable book out of his pocket. “I guess that’s the burden an exceptionally powerful mage has to carry.” He winked.
Cara watched the book with greed, and her pulse sped up.
“It’ll take some time, and I need food. Lots of food. The shield around Cara isn’t going to last. I’ll need to conjure another one, which means more food. Now let me study.” He walked out of the room, his nose stuck in the book.
I stoked the fire and lit all the candles I could find because the room was chilly and dark, even for my standards. At least the whispers had ceased. “Do you want something to eat, Carabosse?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Why are you so kind to me?”
“I know you didn’t do this for yourself, but for a girl called Aurora.” I stared at the flames on purpose not to pressure her.
Cara’s pulse spiked.
Irene sat on the bed. “Who was she?”
A long silence followed. Cara hugged her bent knees. It was the first time I’d seen her so vulnerable.
“A young princess I cursed and who died as a consequence although I hadn’t wanted her to die,” she said in a low tone.
“Her father organised a huge celebration for her birthday. He invited all my sisters, but not me after I’d done my best to help his kingdom thrive.
He said I was a horrible witch because I studied dark magic and that I didn’t deserve any friends.
I grew angry and vented my anger on the princess.
I barely knew her. She was sixteen when I cursed her. ”
“Goodness,” Irene whispered.
The princess’s father had a point.
“You wanted her to return, didn’t you?” I angled towards her.
She shivered. “Better late than never.”
I wasn’t sure of that. Aurora might not want to return as a walking corpse. “That’s necromancy. It’s against the law.”
“What, are you squeamish now?” Her sharp tone was back. “Draining humans is against the law too.”
Irene pulled one side of her mouth down. “Let’s leave the law out for the moment.”
I agreed. “Right.” I brushed the ash off my hands. “How come Aurora’s remains are in our cemetery?”
Cara pursed her lips. “I took them from her family’s crypt.”
“You stole her body from her family, depriving them of the only comfort they had?” Irene was astonished. “Cara, this is—”
“Terrible, I know.” Cara glowered. “I wanted to do something to make her come back, but it was more difficult than I’d thought, and it took longer than I’d planned to find a spell.”
I could bet. “We should return Aurora home. No matter how much time has passed.”
Cara punched the pillow. “I regretted having cursed her a moment after I did it. But the spell couldn’t be reversed. I made one mistake and paid for it all my life. I wanted the pain to end.” A sob shook her, but she collected herself quickly.
“You need to eat something. I’ll get you a tray.” Irene rose.
I followed her, but Cara called me.
“Ravenhill. If you’re tricking me—”
“I’m not. You might not believe me, but I’m not. You’re part of the bloody Dark Court and my responsibility. I won’t leave you alone in a moment of need, and I have my faults too.”
She faced the wall and covered her head with the quilt.