Chapter 10 Rhianelle
Idon’t know how much time has passed since I fell unconscious.
“Come out, Rhianelle. It’s safe now,” Rainer calls for me. Immense relief floods my veins at the sound of his voice.
Thank the gods.
My uncle has finally come to rescue me. I right myself quickly to get to him. A palm slams against my mouth before I can answer. I turn to look at Svenn.
He slowly shakes his head. “No, Rhianelle.”
I meet his gaze in the dark.
“You mustn’t go.” He tenderly touches my cheek.
“Hurry up, kiddo!”
I freeze at that sound. Aerin?
Svenn tugs me back against him, his arms tense around me.
But it’s my uncle and my sister, I want to tell him. He holds me tighter. I struggle against him like a cat trying to get out of its bath.
“Stay with me, Nel,” he whispers. “Don’t believe his lies.”
The pieces slowly click in my head. There is no way that voice belongs to Aerin. She is no longer in this world. This is the Ashmedai’s doing, luring me to come out.
“We can go home together.” The demon imitates my sister’s voice to perfection. “Let me comb your hair. I’ll teach you how to do the fish tail braid.”
Grief seizes my heart like a savage monster at the lilt in that bright, cheerful tone. I try to simmer the feelings deep inside. I can’t fall apart now. A whimper rises in my throat. The sound might give us away. Svenn suddenly places his knuckle in between my teeth.
“Bite hard,” he instructs. I do as he bids. “Good girl.”
I feel his hand stroking my back. The movement is stiff, as if he hasn’t done this for quite some time. He continues to comfort me that way until the demon is bored with his taunts.
The bleak sense of desolation barrages into me again. I know I’m supposed to be brave and strong. But what if the only way to escape this labyrinth is through death?
“I’m scared,” I admit to him.
“It’s going to be alright,” he murmurs softly. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I believe him.
His strong arms wrap around me protectively. I feel safe, like a bird in its cozy, warm nest. Every fear and sorrow slowly ebbs away. We have each other’s back, me and him.
I lay my head on the hard ridges of his chest. His scent washes over me in waves. His heartbeat is strong and firm, just like the rest of him. Gods, he smells so intoxicatingly amazing. It’s like the ocean breeze in Volundr, like home.
He traces the stag symbol on my breastplate curiously.
“That’s my house sigil,” I tell him.
“Adorable,” he says.
I stifle a little laugh. I‘d like to see the look on Rainer’s face if someone called our emblem cute.
I take off my boot to massage my left leg, the deep ache surfacing again after all that running. I feel his hand smoothing over the faint marking.
“How did you get this?” His brows furrow with concern.
“It’s old. Don’t worry about it.” My voice comes out in a haunted whisper. The scar is a reminder that I’m a fighter. I’ve survived far worse hell than this.
“Why were you locked up here?” I dare ask. It’s probably stupid to question that now, since I’m sitting on top of him. “Are you a bad person?”
I’m too blunt for my own good sometimes.
A low laughter escapes him. “That’s not how the world works, Nel. The wicked never get their due.”
He is quiet for several seconds. It’s too dim to read whatever it is in his gaze.
“I was betrayed. That’s how I ended up here,” he says at long last.
“You’re so warm,” I whisper, burrowing against him. I try not to be a creep as I run my hand on the coiled muscle of his abdomen to steal some of that heat.
His breathing turns sharp.
I move again, and he makes a soft, strangled noise.
“Naughty girl. Don’t do that.” I hear him say.
“I’m just trying to get comfortable,” I say innocently.
We keep gazing at each other despite the darkness. I wish I could get a better look at his face. I touch the outline of his features, the sharp lines that cut into the finest details.
“You’re beautiful,” he says to me. The lower tone of his voice makes my heart skip a beat.
If it’s hard for my elven eyes to see him in this dim light, it will be impossible for his mortal eyesight. I still treasure his compliment and lock it in a precious chest in my heart.
“You taste good too,” he adds, kissing my temple. “So good I could eat you up.”
I feel like laughing again. Svenn says the strangest things. His head tips down and suddenly our lips are inches apart. I can feel his breath against my cheeks. I angle my face closer to him, accidentally brushing my lips against his. A delicious jolt sparks through my body.
“Let’s try that again,” he suggests in a sensual, seductive voice. “But you better finish what you start this time.”
Desire stirs low in my belly. But I find myself unable to rise to the challenge. I curl myself like a little turtle into his lap and pretend to sleep.
I hear him chuckling in the dark. “Goodnight, Rhianelle.”
He presses another soft kiss on my hair and holds me close.
“Goodnight, Svenn.” I shut my eyelids to get some rest.
“Is the demon gone?” There’s a slight tremble in my voice.
“I believe so,” Svenn says. He rises to his full imposing height, pulling me up with him.
“Shall we?” He clasps my hand, threading his fingers through mine. Heat pools low in my belly at the simple touch.
My knees wobble, and he moves his hand to my waist. The skittering flames now spread like wildfire all over my body. I know he means to help me, but I can’t stop my body from reacting this way. He’s making me feel things I never knew I was capable of feeling.
“I can walk,” I stammer quickly. He ignores my comment.
The strain on my left leg eases a little at the support. I like the feel of his hand on me more than I care to admit.
We emerge from our hideout into the destruction unleashed by the demon.
I didn’t get a good look at the hall in our earlier run.
Not even the Ashmedai is capable of demolishing the glorious architecture of this place.
Demons, fae, elves and even the long-forgotten seraphim make up some of the sculptures.
I can’t even name some of the otherworldly beings carved in the stones.
“It’s like the work of a god,” I marvel in awe. I feel Svenn stiffen beside me.
“If only you knew the monster who built this,” he says.
I am too wrapped up over his remark that I don’t notice the phantom hands sprouting from the darkness.
“Svenn, look out!” I scream, but it’s too late. The shadow spears straight through his chest. A grunt rips from his throat at the sudden attack. There might not be a physical wound, but I know they’re eating his soul.
“Get out of here!” He motions me to go away.
But I cannot abandon him.
They begin piercing hooks into his back, attempting to drag him back into the abyss. The curse is demanding him to stay.
“Don’t let them claim you. Fight it!” I will him.
“I can’t. You have to go, now!” Svenn shakes his head. His mouth is agape with pain. I catch the defeat in his eyes.
How long have they tortured him in this dungeon?
I understand the despair all too well when this horrid curse tried to devour me earlier. If the Un didn’t help me, I might have given up too. I wait for Svenn to break free of the curse like I did.
“Think of the people who need you.” I search his beautiful face.
A low growl escapes his throat. He is furious that I’m still here. “Save yourself, Rhianelle!”
He’s about to succumb to the curse. Perhaps Svenn doesn’t have guppies to feed like I do.
“I’m not leaving you.” I lean my forehead against his, placing my hands on his shoulders.
“Close your eyes,” I tell him.
“Rhianelle…” He winces as the silhouette of darkness slowly engulfs him.
“Trust me.” I lift his face in my hands. I kiss his eyes, one after the other.
Grandma Elli once told me that summoning is the most useless thing to learn. There’s no way of telling if the creature you call will listen to you. The elves have abandoned this art long ago because of the danger that comes with it.
But I have no choice. Fate has led me to this moment. I must bring forth a being from Astefar to help me. I begin drawing the runes on the floor with my sword while chanting the old forgotten words.
“He who cannot be killed during the day and night, not indoors or outdoors, neither riding nor walking, nor by any weapon lawfully made. I call thee to this mortal realm, Lugus of the starless night.”
The cold air around us turns pleasantly warm, tuning in to the desire of the creature from the other side of the glyph. He emerges in the form of a shining eagle, his eyes burning brighter than the embers in a fire. “It’s been a while, Rhianelle.”
I bow to him politely. “Lend me your power to banish this evil, Lulu.”
The iridescent bird takes one look at the shadows. “Ah…you have brought me a delicious meal indeed.”
Several mouths materialize on his glowing body. They look more like holes filled with jagged stumps of teeth. But Lugus’ attention quickly shifts to Svenn.
“Even better,” he muses.
“No.” I shake my head, stepping between them. This is the risk I take whenever I summon something from Astefar.
“I purge all that is unclean.” Lugus licks his lips. All twenty-two of them.
“Not him,” I insist firmly. “The curse and nothing else, Lulu.”
He levels me a hard stare, reminding me who he is. But I don’t need a reminder. I’m well aware he can devour me where I stand, along with Svenn.
“You always get my name wrong, kid. It’s Lleu Llaw Gr— never mind.” Lugus rolls his eyes as his body shifts into his human form. His hair flows behind him like golden silk. It frames his pale skin and sapphire eyes perfectly. He is beautiful, in a way all wicked and lethal things like him are.
“The curse and nothing else.” He finally agrees despite the annoyance in his voice.
I almost loosen a sigh of relief. The abominable hex shrieks as Lugus chases every shadow into the dark recess of the labyrinth. His merciless hunt reminds me of another friend I met in Astefar, Orion.
The darkness splinters and vanishes all around us. I make sure Svenn still has his eyes closed. My heart tightens as I watch him crouch down with his battered body. They did this to him. Beat his soul and body into complete surrender. The sorrow in my veins flares into an overwhelming rage.
“Don’t just sit there. Come and join in the fun with me,” Lugus invites with a rogue grin. “It will be like old times.”
Divine light gradually emerges from my sword with his blessing.
I hear the Un laughing as they watch us play. There’s a hint of pride in their voices too.
Go for it, our dearest, Rhianelle. This has always been your destiny.