Chapter 39 #2
I smiled, then turned and strode into the forest. I remembered the path fairly well, but I still paused occasionally to check with Azure. She would hum if I was going the right way or nudge me with her snout if I wasn’t.
“Do you hear the ringing?” I whispered, my hand on my necklace.
“Not yet.”
I frowned, wondering why the ringing didn’t assault us right away like it had when I was with Varius. The last time Azure and I were here, she had heard it almost immediately.
I shot a quizzical look toward my dragon, prepared to ask her about it, but her voice was already in my head.
“I believe the enchantment here is more sensitive to full-blooded fae,” she said.
“When you were here before, I think it recognized Varius immediately, which was why it attacked you right away. But you and I are foreign, and we are taking care not to trigger it. From what I can gather, this enchantment is… fickle. It’s like it’s alive. Like it has a mind of its own.”
I shuddered, then swallowed hard, ensuring each step was as silent and careful as possible. The idea that a living, sentient spell was nearby made my skin prickle with unease.
It didn’t take us long to find the spot where the glowing rose was buried. The earth was still overturned from when I had last been here. Already, I could see the crimson glow of the gemstone beckoning me closer .
Knowing the ringing sound would attack me soon, I didn’t waste any time. I sank to my knees and dug my fingers into the earth.
As soon as my fingertips met the rich soil, the blaring noise assaulted my ears.
I cried out, gritting my teeth against the shrill sound that drilled into my skull.
But I kept digging, pressing further into the soil until I unearthed more of the glowing rose.
Behind me, Azure whined, her breathing sharp and ragged.
I didn’t have much time now.
When I had uncovered enough of the rose, I took a deep breath and pressed my fingers to the jeweled petals.
The ringing abruptly stopped, though an echo of the sound still resonated in my mind. The crimson glow intensified, burning against my eyes. I hissed, trying to draw back, but my hands were cemented to the rose petals.
Something within my stomach lurched, and I found myself tumbling forward, my yell drowned out by a roaring sound that surrounded me. I tried to find Azure, to call for help, but she had vanished.
I landed in a heap on the leafy ground, my head throbbing and my bones aching. With a groan, I climbed to my feet, the jeweled rose still clutched in my hands.
It was daylight, and I no longer stood in the forest, but on the steps of the castle. It looked different, though—there weren’t as many turrets and towers, and the forest behind the castle was more lush than I remembered.
Before me stood a fae with brown skin and long black hair. Were it not for his pointed ears, I might have assumed he was human. His dark eyes and strong chin were so familiar.
He turned, and I bit back a gasp. His features reminded me of Varius. But this fae had a wider nose and a permanent scowl that made him look far older than the king I was accustomed to.
My breath caught in my throat as I staggered backward, waiting for this strange fae to attack me .
“King Ragnus,” said a voice.
I whirled and found another fae standing just behind me. He had pale skin and a mop of red hair atop his head.
“The witch is here,” he said, pressing a fist to his chest.
Ragnus sneered. “Bring her forward.”
My heart seized in my chest, but neither of the fae seemed to notice me at all. They didn’t even glance my way.
Several soldiers dragged out a figure in rags, her wild gray hair a tangled mess around her. Blood and soot covered her face and hands, and she groaned when they tossed her to the ground before the king.
My eyes grew wide, and I found it difficult to breathe. I gazed down at the gleaming rose in my hands, suddenly realizing what it was.
It was a keeper of memories. This, right here, was a memory.
This king must have been Varius’s ancestor. And the figure in rags… was the witch who had cast the spell, plaguing the land with Necro Shadows.
But why did everyone look so different? None of these fae looked unseelie like Varius’s court.
Tentatively, I lifted my hand and waved it before me. No one blinked or even looked my way, just like with the vision in the mirror.
“Can you hear me?” I shouted, my voice ringing in the courtyard.
Still no response.
Relief settled in my chest. I was not in immediate danger. I drew forward to get a closer look at the witch. She had vibrant green eyes and sallow skin. But when she looked up at the king, her eyes were full of venom.
“What will you do with me, oh great king?” she spat, her voice dripping with rage. “Will you kill me to fulfill your barbaric mission to obliterate an entire race?”
King Ragnus bared his teeth at her. “Your magic has been a blight on this land! Should I stand here and do nothing, after all the suffering you have caused us?”
“We were only acting in defense!” she bellowed. “Your soldiers were slaughtering my sisters!”
“Lies,” Ragnus hissed.
“I cannot lie!” the witch cried. “I have fae blood, just like you.”
“You are nothing like the fae, foul witch,” said the king. “And your unholy magic dies today.” He looked up at the red-haired fae. “Bring the shadowstone.”
From within his cloak, the fae produced a familiar black stone. My pulse quickened as I realized it was identical to the stone that allowed me to conjure images in the mirror.
Shadowstone. Did that mean the gem was native to this court? If so, why did I find it buried in the caves of the Earthen Court?
The fae servant laid the shadowstone on the steps at the king’s feet. Shadows poured from Ragnus’s hands and coiled around the shadowstone, which began to glow. It was no longer black—now it was slate gray, and it thrummed with power.
“From the magic of this stone, I call forth your power, witch,” said Ragnus, his voice resonating around the square. “I draw your magic and pull it into me for the good of this people and this kingdom. Let your strength flow with mine, forever joining the magic of shadows.”
The witch’s back arched and she shrieked in agony, her face crumpling. I instinctively reached for her, even knowing I could do nothing to help.
Tendrils of green smoke pooled from the witch’s form and funneled toward the shadowstone. The king was siphoning her magic. He was stealing it for himself.
Ragnus’s shadows intensified. A billowing wind howled, and lightning forked across the sky.
“From the magic of this stone!” Ragnus bellowed, repeating his words. “I call forth your power?— ”
“ No !” roared the witch, climbing to her feet.
Her emerald eyes glowed, blotting out the whites of her eyes.
Her hair flew around her face as she murmured, “ By my blood, I curse this land and this people forevermore .” Her voice rang out, echoing as if a thousand witches were speaking alongside her.
Chills erupted along my arms, and I had the eerie sense that the spirits of the fallen witches were here, witnessing this final act.
“ As long as your kingdom lives, may your shadows turn poisonous, seeking to destroy the lives you swear to protect ,” the witch said.
“ May your bodies be cursed to remain trapped in their beastly forms as a symbol of the monsters you are. May you never speak of the events of today. By the stone of shadow and blood, I make this vow: Until one of my kind gives up her life for yours, this curse will live on, even as my line lives on. And the blood of my sisters will poison this land until every last one of you is rendered to dust like unto us .”
My jaw dropped, and my blood turned to ice in my veins.
The shadowstone rattled and hummed, now glowing an iridescent white.
The witch screamed, her back bowing as something loud cracked from within her, the sound piercing the air.
As she crumpled, the shadows and the glow vanished.
The wind died, and nothing but a deadly silence filled the square.
Then, a new scream erupted. The red-haired fae fell to his knees, hunching over as his body shook with violent tremors. A long, serpentine tail stretched from his backside, and his skin shifted from pale ivory to olive green. His red hair lengthened, spreading down his back like a mane.
Others in the courtyard cried out as they, too, transformed. Even the king. He groaned, falling to the ground as his skin darkened to the same crimson flesh as Varius. The fae around him shifted to their unseelie forms, growing horns and wings and fangs.
When every fae had transformed, they looked at one another in shock. Ragnus was panting, his eyes wide and his mouth open in horror. Then, he stiffened, his nostrils flaring. “Where is she?”
I turned to where the witch had been moments ago. Nothing remained but a pile of ash. Even the shadowstone had vanished. Now, a familiar gleaming crimson stone rested in its place.
I recognized it. It was the jeweled rose—the same stone I’d used to access this memory.
The green-skinned fae stumbled forward, clearly adjusting to his new form.
His face twisted in disgust as he drew closer to the ashes, as if her essence alone could harm him.
Slowly, he bent over and sniffed. “This smells like her magic.” He looked up at Ragnus.
“The power of the shadowstone must have disintegrated her.”
Despite the effects of the curse, Ragnus smirked in satisfaction. “Then, it is done. The witches are all dead, and they will no longer terrorize our lands.”
Cheers sounded as the fae rejoiced, but I couldn’t pull my gaze from that pile of ash—all that remained of a powerful line of witches.
My eyes swam with tears at the sight of it.
My throat was full of emotion, and I could barely breathe.
A roaring sound filled my ears, and my body was jerked violently forward.
The air rushed around me, and I fell forward into the dirt once more.
It was nighttime, and I was back in the Noxen Forest. On all fours, I gasped for breath, trying to get more oxygen into my lungs. Tears swam in my eyes, streaming down my face.
Behind me, Azure moaned and nudged me with her snout, clearly concerned. I choked and sputtered, afraid I might vomit. My eyes closed against the sickening sensation that swirled within me.
Too much. It was all too much.
When I had finally caught my breath, I staggered to my feet, then inspected the jeweled rose in my hand. The sharp briars gleamed in the moonlight .
With my other hand, I touched my amber necklace. Immediately, Azure’s panicked voice filled my head.
“Where were you? What happened? Are you hurt? Do you have any idea how frightened I was for you?”
“I’m sorry,” I said in a strangled voice. “The gem—it took me into a memory.” Blinking tears from my eyes, I looked at my dragon. “I know how the Necro Shadows began.”
“Excellent,” said a voice. “Now, be a good girl and hand over the gemstone.”
I spun around with a gasp and found Warwick emerging from behind a large oak tree, a triumphant smile on his face.