Chapter 11 Nina #3
The sound of her voice drew the attention of those around her as if she alone could steal away the panic coursing through them all.
The crowd paused, and even Luna couldn’t help but watch as Nina reached for the fallen tip of her horn.
Holding it in her hand, she snatched the ripped leaf away from the cloaked figure, her movements surprisingly quick for someone who had just undergone what she had.
Lifting both items into the air, she mumbled several words beneath her breath then stabbed the leaf with her broken horn shard, then she repeated the motion, stabbing her own heart with the broken tip of her horn.
The large stone platform began to glow bright white beneath her, runes etching into the stone over and over again.
The leaf appeared to bleed and a purplish fluid dripped from it, seeping against the symbols of the stone.
The plant bled more than what seemed possible until all the runes were coated.
Luna didn’t have time to close her eyes as a shield of blackness wrapped around her, Clyde, and Damien. Without warning, ashes speared the air, burning everything they touched, sparking multiple fires.
Complete chaos ensued.
People screamed and ran for their lives, without a care for who they pushed down in the process.
The shield of black was a force field, protecting Damien and Luna—and by extension, Clyde. By sheer colour and feel alone, Luna knew it was his magic. He was likely less than pleased to see Clyde had escaped Nina’s fury, but it couldn’t be helped.
With all the chaos, no one had noticed that Nina had fallen.
The spell she’d performed had apparently cost her greatly.
One of the figures had grabbed her, swooping her up into their arms like one would a fragile baby.
Nina’s head hung backwards, her mouth gapped open, her lips turning nearly black.
Blood dripped from her wound onto the stone, staining it with light. Pure light.
The figures tossed the leaves they had been holding aside, cursing as they did so.
“We have to run!” one figure shouted, her feminine voice all too familiar, though Luna couldn’t place who it was.
And in a blink, the other cloaked figures transformed into unicorns.
One, a sandy grey with a dark dorsal stripe down its back, the other a dappled grey with black circles on its rear.
The familiar-sounding female cradled Nina’s body against her chest as she mounted the sandy grey unicorn.
Guards approached them; some had swords drawn, and others held some type of canister, but the unicorns didn’t seem discouraged. The dappled grey unicorn bared its teeth before dropping its head, readying its horn as a weapon.
But it didn’t need to.
Black magic ignited from Damien, spreading out like a mist that snaked along the ground. It expanded, moving towards the guards. Several dodged out of its path, but others were not fast enough, and the magic disintegrated their legs.
A command rang out, and the canister-wielding guards released their ammunition; a fine white powder soared through the air, looking almost like flour from Luna’s position.
The unicorns easily manoeuvred around the attack, jumping off the stage before galloping away. For a split second, Nina lifted her head, a smile tugging at her lips as if everything had gone according to plan, then she dropped her head back again, going limp in the enemy’s arms.
Luna heard the guards shout out at each other while they reloaded their canisters.
“What is that?” she asked no one in particular and received no answer. Now was not the time for questions, anyway. She should be panicking like everyone else, trying to get away. Where were her survival instincts?
Her voice seemed to activate Clyde and he tightened his grip on her. “Let’s get out of here.”
Damien moved his body so that he stood in their path. “She’s not going anywhere with you,” he snarled, his eyes narrowed to slits.
Clyde turned his sword from Damien to Luna, pressing the blade against her throat.
She went stiff in his arms, scared to move in case he accidentally nicked her.
Panic seized her, making it difficult to breathe.
A single injury wouldn’t just wound her; it could potentially kill her still, right?
Or maybe not. She wasn’t wearing the necklace anymore.
Not wanting to chance it, she stayed motionless.
“You were saying?” Clyde said.
Damien backed up a step. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”
“Don’t make me.”
Damien took another step backwards.
“Good boy,” Clyde mocked. “You stand there. Get rid of this black shit. And no more little magic tricks, or I’ll cut her down faster than you can blink.”
Damien nodded, and the shield of blackness dissolved, abruptly exposing them to the jostling crowd.
Luna, caught off guard, stumbled as she struggled to regain her footing.
At least Clyde was mindful of his sword and didn’t nick her.
Hastily, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, pressing her back securely against his chest. “No more arguing. I will release you, long enough for you to climb onto this horse, but if you try and run, I will harm you for your own good. You understand?”
Her mind clouded with fear, unable to grasp what was happening. Why would Clyde threaten her? He was her guard; he was supposed to be keeping her safe. She gulped—a knot forming in her stomach.
Slowly, she nodded, and Clyde lowered his blade. Keeping it at her side, its sharp edge cut the fabric of her dress as she walked. Alarmed, she looked up at Clyde, but he didn’t seem to care as he ushered her towards the horse.
Damien stood perfectly still the entire time, black eyes following their movement. Luna wasn’t sure he even blinked.
Clyde put a foot in the stirrup and tightly gripped Luna’s waist, forcing her body to be snug against him as he hauled her up with him on top of the horse.
She ended up in his lap, sitting sideways; one of his arms was around her to hold her steady, the other to keep his sword threateningly close.
He leaned forward and whispered against her ear, his voice so calm it felt anything but reassuring.
“Grab the saddle horn for balance. We don’t need to steer . . . the horse knows its way home.”
Luna did as he instructed and Clyde kicked at the horse’s side. It began to trot towards the palace, leaving the crowd, chaos, and unicorns behind.
As soon as they reached the city limits, Clyde yelled for guards to sound the alarms.
The kingdom bells rang out, and the ground thrummed with the beating of horses’ hooves as knights flooded every street. The king’s army, Luna surmised.
She prayed to the skies above that Damien and the other unicorns had already fled.
Clyde shifted his weight. The cold steel of the sword’s blade rested against her thigh. He must have noticed her stiffening because he moved it away.
When they finally arrived at the palace, he did not take her home. Instead, he led her down a dimly lit hallway through the barracks.
Luna’s footsteps faltered slightly, unease tightening her chest. “Where are you taking me?”
He shook his head, his dark blond hair dancing in front of his eyes. “To the dungeons,” he answered, his voice void of all emotion. “It’s protocol for if something happened to Nina.”
Luna stopped dead. “I’m not going there.”
“I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice,” he said, gesturing towards his sword.
She scowled. “Why am I part of such protocol?”
“Just get walking.”
She eyed him up and down. How far could she get if she tried to run? Considering she’d barely run a day in her life, probably not far. Her glare was the only weapon she had as he led her down a winding set of creaky stairs.
Each step took them deeper into the bowels of the castle, where the light dimmed and the musty stench of damp stone and old torch smoke grew heavier. Water dripped in the distance, the sound echoing off the cold, hard walls.
Eventually, Clyde stopped in front of a large barred door; it was made of heavy iron, its surface pocked with rust and the scars of many years.
The dim torchlight harshly illuminated his face, revealing a stern resolve Luna had never seen before.
In that moment, she recognized him not as the companion she once knew, but as a devoted servant of the king.
This realization chilled her more than the dungeon’s dampness.
He opened the door, revealing a small, empty room with no bed, just hard stone floor and walls covered in a strange white matter.
Every fibre of Luna’s being screamed at her to flee, but Clyde jerked his chin, motioning for her to enter, his hand hovering above his sheath.
Would he hurt her if she tried to make a break for it?
She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to find out.
Not seeing any other choice, she obeyed.
The door slammed behind her, and the metal turned and clicked, confirming he locked it. A moment later, his footsteps echo down the hall, leaving her in utter silence.
She collapsed on the ice-cold ground, her dress a pile of fabric around her. Tears welled up, brimming with anguish before spilling over, tracing hot, stinging paths down her cheeks. Her mind was both empty and racing as she tried to understand all of what had happened.
“How could I have been so blind?”
The pain was a tangible force, crushing her chest, making every breath she drew a struggle.
A deep ache spread through her limbs, and she clenched the fabric of her skirts, twisting it.
Pain prickled at her fingertips, each pulse a reminder of how little she meant to someone who had been the very moon of her sky.
The rough texture of something in her hand gave her pause—somehow the leaf Damien had given her was still in her palm; she hadn’t realized she’d been holding it this entire time.
A flicker of hope rose within her. Gently, she smoothed out the fabric of her skirt and focused on the leaf.
Would this take her to Damien? Maybe all of this had just been fate working its magic.
She traced veins of the leaf, running her fingers over its edges.
This was her chance at a new beginning. With Damien, her life wouldn’t be one of normality, but at least she wouldn’t be in the dungeons.
Without hesitation, she tore the leaf in half.
But nothing happened.
No darkness. No welcoming shadows. Nothing at all.