CHAPTER ELEVEN
MERIDA
Breaking through the last portal, Merry had expected to step foot into burning coals and lava. She had expected a whirling void of fire and destruction yet they had stepped into some kind of otherworld altogether.
Ruine stumbled, dropping to his knees exhausted from his use of magic and still no doubt feeling the effects of nearly drowning. His blood splattered and soaking jacket had found a new home around Merida’s shoulders, the chill no longer bothering her. “What is this place?”
“The Life Tree.” Hellion confirmed as he knelt beside Ruine to help the demon to his feet once more, a brief look passing between the pair before Merida twisted her head to look at the spectacle in front of her. “We aren't supposed to be here Ruine, we’re supposed to be in Hell.”
“I didn't make a mistake. The runes I wrote down were to take us straight to the throne room, to my father. Not here.” Ruine was gripping onto Hellion’s arm for balance, the demon paler than ever, the gold of his eyes dull and without its inner light.
“It’s different from how I remember.” Entirely different. The images in her dreams, in her foggy memories, had been full of life. Of lush green leaves and flowers filling the grounds. Of elements coming together in perfect harmony to provide a place others could come and find peace within. Not this eternally dark decimated place.
Stepping away from the boys, Merry began to venture around slowly, her steps measured should she fall into any traps. While she recognised this place to some degree, so much had changed. So much was lost to time.
While the pair that helped her escape spoke quietly between one another, Merida found herself gradually curling a path around the giant base of the tree, finding a distance to take it all in. Blackened goop and tar-like mud gave way gradually to moss covered ground. There was still life here. Still a connection here, Merry could feel it tingling over her skin. Taking several lengthy steps back to take in the enormous wooden carving that was in front of her. This she remembered.
Merida remembered the day they had carved it into the Life Tree, their power merging together intricately until their very own bodies had formed to circle the tree. It had been for protection. It had been a symbol for the people that no matter what, they were there - even if they had failed that statue remained.
The memory was always there, lingering in the blurry edges of her mind. As if her brain were protecting her from the violence of the day she died. Protecting her from what took place from one life to another.
For a long time, all Merida had known was the dark depths of the sea and the gentle rock of the water. Of memories with no timeline floating past her showing only foggy, glimmering images of a time long gone.
Of happy faces before the tears came.
Craning her neck back, Merida took in the grand scale of it all as best she could, trudging her way through thickened moss and climbing over thicker roots that protruded from the ground. Her foot slipped several times over thick moss and slimy surfaces but she made enough progress to find what drew her around. What she knew would be waiting there for her.
“Lilly.” A sigh left her. In every life, even if she had to wait for the next one, Merida would recognise her sister. She never changed, even when they were reborn.
The depiction of her image into the tree was something that would never change or alter because of her connection to nature itself. She was their carer. Their creator. Their mother.
“Sister.”
Twisting her head around sharply, Merida found three people standing a short distance from her. A set of large demons stood a small space behind her sister, braced for any possible attack. The dark haired one, his face stuck in a scowl that was doing nothing but emphasising the scar he carried, looked tense all over. He was damned near all muscle just like Hellion was and Merida had to wonder who would win in a fight if the pair of them went at it.
The other, the blonde that was a few inches short and on the leaner side had clearly catalogued every inch of Merida’s body and worked out if she was a threat or not. The brawn and the brains was it?
“You look different.”
The corner of Merry’s mouth lifted in amusement, her pointed ears twitching. No doubt she did. While Merida didn't know what images Lilly had regained from their past life, if she had seen much outside of the snippets when she opened their link, Merry knew she wasn't the same anymore. Not compared to her sister. “You don't.”
Lilly still had streams of white hair falling down her back, glittering in the starlight of the tree’s sky. She was a little daintier, missing plump curves but that didn't matter. She looked happy, healthy and going by the stares coming from the pair flanking her, thoroughly protected.
“Ruine, is he with you?”
Merida’s head tilted slightly. She knew her rescuer? “Yes, he’s following with a dragon. How do you know?”
“I saw you come here. I saw it through the tree. Ruine is my mate's older brother.”
The corners of Merida’s mouth tightened, trying to school her expression. Was that a little too convenient? First she’s mated to a pair and another finds Merry in the sea of all places? Merida tried to push the suspicion to the back of her mind for now. It would do no good dwelling too long on it until she had more information. Her sister always thought with her feelings, that hasn't changed either while the rest were less forgiving. Especially after the attack.
A watery groan rose up from the silence between them drawing Merry’s attention away. She had seen the remains of odd creatures lying here and there thinking nothing of it, but the longer they lingered in place, more was awakening.
From the sodden moss at her feet, a hand mate of nothing more than dirty mud water and thick sludge slid insidiously around her ankle and pulled sharply until Merry sank down to one knee, her hands slapping onto the ground. Dirt splashed up onto her face, a shimmy of teal scales springing to life from the moisture.
Lillith took a step forward in alarm, her hand outreached to Merida. At the same time, Merry bared her sharp small fangs and shoved her hand into the dirt, reaching down through the ground until she felt the stirring of it. The creature held together by warped magic and tainted water before yanking it upward until half a torso was dragged from the ground.
Nobody would put their hand on her again without permission, be it living or dead.