Chapter twenty-four
a merry world, indeed
J orgen threw his arm sideways, and an incredible force knocked me against the wall. Tiny stars pricked my vision and I struggled to orient myself.
Snap! Jorgen snapped his fingers, and a cloud of smoke enveloped the Cage. The smoke dissipated, exposing Brana, who’s mouth fell open in shock. Jorgen clasped his hand into a tight fist and Brana coughed. Clawing her throat, Brana collapsed against the wall. Jorgen grinned and made a seductive, come hither , motion. Brana fought the command, grimacing against Jorgen’s magic.
Yes, be strong ! I begged Brana.
“Aghhh!” Brana climbed to her feet.
Jorgen danced and hopped about, giddy, like some twisted jester. He mimed pulling an invisible rope and Brana stumbled forward. Jorgen’s nostrils flared as he inhaled, and an excited quiver ran through his body. Abandoning my voice, Jorgen slipped back into a snake-like cadence. “ I’ve heard ssstories of you. What isss it they call you?” Brana couldn’t reply. Sweat poured down her reddened face as she resisted. Jorgen stroked his chin as he prodded Brana’s mind.
With a sharp hiss, Jorgen’s eyes narrowed. In a voice hardly more than a whisper, he said, “The Cage.” A sly, too-wide grin parted Jorgen’s lips. “I knew a relative of yourssss, many, many yearssss ago.”
A soft voice called, “Eleanor.” I scanned the grotto, but there was no one else here. I swore I heard someone call my name—
“Eleanor,” the voice repeated. Paying attention now, I zoned in on the whispers.
The necklace.
It sat abandoned on the table. With urgency, the voiced shouted, “Eleanor!”
Jorgen seemed to have forgotten I was here, or assumed I posed no threat. Inching closer to Brana, he prepared to devour her. “Sssstop ressssissssting me.”
I tiptoed over and snatched the necklace. It was mine, after all. I slipped it over my head and tucked it beneath my shirt. I crept behind a pile of robes.
“I can help you get out of here.”
I clutched my chest and fell into the robes. A fair-haired girl stood beside me. “Promise to take me with you,” she said.
I opened my mouth to speak, only to let out a garbled choke.
“He’s been holding me captive,” the girl cried. “Please, I just want to get back to my family—”
A spine-chilling shriek pierced the air. Brana used both hands to keep Jorgen’s jaws from snapping down on her. Crimson blood trickled down her arms as Jorgen’s teeth tore into her flesh.
I concentrated on the girl and thought as loudly as I could.
Fine! We’ll take you with us .
The girl pointed to a hefty wooden staff at her feet. I grabbed the staff, and the girl made a motion of snapping it with her leg. I did. The staff broke in half, leaving me with a sharp, deadly point. “As hard as you can, through the belly,” the girl instructed. Across the grotto, Jorgen’s mouth widened around Brana’s neck.
Okay, I —
The girl vanished. I looked around, but she was gone. Tucking the murder-staff behind me, I picked my way around the pile of robes. Brana’s eyes rolled back and Jorgen closed in on her throat. Without thinking, I grabbed the pot from the table and threw it.
Thunk!
The pot connected with Jorgen’s head. It tumbled and smashed, sending shards of bone everywhere.
Jorgen stilled.
“Xaria.”
Slowly, Jorgen’s long, serpent-like neck turned on me. His eyes, reptile slits, harboured the animalistic excitement that accompanied a killing frenzy. “How dare you touch my favourite sssskullpot!” Jorgen dropped Brana, and she crumpled into a bloody pile. Like a crocodile gliding along the water, Jorgen prowled forward. He threw his hand out and my body froze. I tested my fingers, wrapped tightly around the staff behind my back. Jorgen kept one hand trained on me, and one hand trained on Brana. His head swayed on his long, extended neck. I kept my mind blank. Except for the fear. That I let through. I couldn’t have contained it if I tried.
Jorgen stepped closer, Brana’s blood dripping from his teeth. It dribbled onto the cavern floor, its echo interrupted by Brana’s laboured breathing.
Jorgen came closer.
Close enough.
I thrust the jagged staff into his stomach.
“ Huffff !” Jorgen doubled over and sent me sprawling into a pile of torches. Jorgen tore the staff from his belly and tossed it aside. Chest-heaving and bloody, Jorgen shrunk, until he was roughly the size of my palm, and burst into a hundred miniature versions of himself. Each Jorgen screamed and ran in a different direction. The torches dug painfully into my spine, and I struggled to get up. One mini-Jorgen, brandishing a cloak pin, climbed a torch and leapt at my face.
The pin pierced my cheek and stabbed my tongue.
Sonofabitch! I tore the pin out and grabbed at the mini-Jorgen. He ducked and skittered away, laughing. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth again, my own this time. I chased furiously after the mini-Jorgens. Every time I stomped on one, they disappeared with a poof . Each time, the laughing grew louder.
Where are you?!
The girl stepped from behind a pile of shiny goblets. Eyes wide and terrified, she pointed behind me.
My hair brushed my face as hot breath grazed my neck.
On shaky legs, I spun. A belly of scales met me. I followed the snaking neck up to the roof, where Jorgen’s face smiled down. A snake-body coiled behind him, tensed and ready to strike.
“You drank my venom, and sssstill, you feel nothing?” I stepped back. Jorgen’s neck arched forward, and he hissed, “That wassss a quesssstion!”
I don’t know! I thought. I feel no worse than normal! I continued backing away. My foot struck something, and it moved. Jorgen’s tail slid around my legs.
“Very curioussss.” Jorgen’s mouth drew closer. “Alassss, I’m terribly hungry. I’ll be eating you now.” Jorgen’s head swayed side to side as he unhinged his massive jaw. His neck pulled back, preparing to strike. I cringed, readying for pain .
Brana struck first.
She leapt on Jorgen, and two, thick glowing chains appeared. The metal links rattled as the chains slithered around Jorgen’s scaly neck. Brana thrust her arms out and the chains snapped taut. Jorgen’s head swung around; a fang glanced off Brana’s shoulder. “Agh!” she cried but pulled tighter. Jorgen gasped and shrunk, transforming back into a man. His tail released me, and I wasted no time. Grabbing the other half of the staff, I plunged it into his stomach again. Jorgen stopped fighting. Brana did not stop squeezing. “Aghhhh!” Her face contorted. The chains squeezed tighter and tighter.
Pop!
Warm blood splattered my face.
Our ragged breathing filled the cavern.
Jorgen’s head fell from his body.
Brana recoiled as thick blood spurted from Jorgen’s neck. His headless figure collapsed with a dull thud .
Brana collapsed too.
I slumped beside her. Terror and adrenaline coursed through me, and my hands shook violently. I tucked them beneath myself. In stark contrast, Brana sat stone still, her elbows propped on her knees, her head hung between them.
“Are you okay?” I choked. I felt my throat—my voice was back.
Brana glared at me, her face smeared with sweat and Jorgen’s blood. “No! No, I’m not okay!” she screamed, despite my proximity.
I winced at the hysteric tone in her voice. “Okay, I had that one coming.” I stared at the ground. “Are you ready to get out of h—”
“Give me a moment!”
I scooted to my feet, giving Brana some space. I looked around the chamber. The girl stood beside the pile of torches.
Oh.
Yeah.
The girl gave me a pleasant smile and said, “Good job.” I opened my mouth, but the girl put a finger to her lips. “Shhhh.” I looked back at Brana, who stared straight at the girl. Straight through her. Brana couldn’t see her. When I looked back, the girl was gone.
“Alright.” Brana offered a hand, and I hauled her up. She took one step and fell to a knee. “Agh!” She clutched her shoulder. Despite applying pressure, the wound bled around her fingers.
“Here.” I wrapped my arm around her and helped her to her feet. I steered her to the stairs, but she hesitated.
“Wait.” She pointed at Jorgen’s body, and we hobbled over. Brana picked up Jorgen’s head and gave it to me.
“Take this.”
“Uh, I really don’t want it.”
“Take it!” Brana forced the head on me. Jorgen’s face was frozen in a permanent grin. A vein dangled from his neck and wiggled against my arm.
“Ew!” The jaws contracted and tried to bite me. “Oh!” I thrust the head away.
“He’s dead. It’s just muscle memory,” Brana said breathlessly. Dizziness and nausea swept through me. I bent over and wretched. Only blood spilled out. Brana eyed the pool of blood. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s not mine.” Brana gave me a funny look. “Do I really have to take this?” I held the head an arm’s length away.
“Yes.” Brana took a step and collapsed again. I heaved her up and wrapped her arm around my neck. I walked slow as Brana limped up the stairs.
“Why did you come?” I asked.
“You know, you remind me so much of Pip. You’re both so clever, and inventive, and sweet. I was picturing him coming down here…and then I heard you screaming.”
“That was Jorgen.”
“I know that now,” Brana snapped.
“You didn’t have to come in.”
You could have let me die.
“I know,” Brana responded curtly.
“Thank you,” I said.
Her response was a pained grimace.
“I can’t believe we did it,” I said.
“Everyone wanted the ring and the glory of killing the creature for themselves,” Brana said.
“Silly, no one ever thought to bring a friend,” I replied. Or two. A vision of the ghostly girl tugged at my thoughts.
Brana gave me a sidelong smile. It faded quickly. “When Jorgen had me…all I could think about was Pip, that I’d never come home for him.” Warm tears dripped down my arm. I squeezed Brana tighter. I was faintly aware of a third set of footfalls echoing on the stairs behind us. I glanced around and saw no one.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something, or someone, followed us out.
Annwyl and Anval did not greet us as we exited the blood smeared door. Before I could say anything, Brana snapped, “Don’t ask.” I was disappointed I couldn’t return Annwyl’s dress, even if it was covered in blood. We climbed out of the basement, and I found a discarded sack to stuff Jorgen’s head in. I tied it around my waist.
“Ewww,” I whined.
“What?” Brana asked.
“It’s leaking.” A black stain seeped through the bottom of the sack. It dripped down my leg and I gagged. Brana rolled her eyes and checked her wounded shoulder. The skin around the gash had turned black, and it continued bleeding freely. I wrapped a piece of fabric around her arm and fretted as the blood immediately stained it crimson. Waving me away, Brana hobbled to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest?”
“We can rest on the way,” Brana replied. “I don’t want to be here when the looters come. Not in my condition.”
We left the ruins quickly, walking until Brana collapsed. Pouring sweat, she rubbed her shoulder and groaned.
“You’re right,” I said. “I think we should stop for the night.” Brana protested and struggled to her feet. “It’s getting dark. We can barely see.” I guided her back to the ground. “I’ll get a fire going.” Brana’s eyelids lulled, and she lay down. I undid the bandage on her shoulder; blood and yellow pus oozed out. Gagging, I tossed the bandage aside and rifled through Brana’s bag for water. I doused the wound before re-wrapping it with fabric I’d stuffed in my pockets. Brana moaned and shivered.
She wouldn’t survive a three day walk.
I stayed where I could see her while I gathered wood.
“Alyth.”
I jumped and threw my hands up to protect myself. The girl from the grotto stood behind me. Clutching my chest, I waited for my heart to calm down. “Sorry,” she apologized. “My name is Alyth.”
“Why can’t Brana see you?”
“When you get me home, I can tell you everything. Please, I wish you no harm.” Tears welled along Alyth’s eyelashes, and her voice choked. “I just want to go home.” With her hands together, begging, Alyth certainly didn’t feel dangerous.
“Where is home?” I asked.
Her shoulders relaxed. “There’s a forest between Wilbur and the mountain. My beloved—he’s expecting me. I can show you.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have—”
Too late, Alyth grasped my arm. A young man with a neat beard popped into my head. “I must get back to him!”
“Alright! Okay!” I soothed. “You can come with us.”
Alyth murmured, “Thank you.” I nodded and stooped to grab a stick. Alyth pointed to a tall stalked blue flower with red thorns and said, “That might benefit your friend.”
“Oh!” I pounced on the flower. What had Darragh called it? Queensfoil? I stared stupidly at the flower. It was in the good garden, right? I glanced at Brana, who was lying alarmingly still, and then back to the flower.
Well, I mean, she’d die anyway, right?
I crammed the flower, stalk and all, into my mouth. “Blegh.” I gagged again. It was bitter, like an orange peel. Scurrying back to Brana, I tore the bandage from her arm and spit the paste out. I slathered the wound and re-wrapped it. “Hopefully, this helps.” I swirled some water in my mouth and spit. The bitterness lingered. “Yuck.” Once I finished collecting wood, I rummaged in Brana’s bag for a firestarter. After a few strikes. The fire sputtered to life, illuminating our immediate surroundings.
I froze.
A creature stood at the edge of the light, watching us. I recognized the brown fur, the hooved feet… It was a carnivorous deer, the same creature that chased Darragh and me through the woods when I’d first come to Hiraeth. Wiping sweaty palms along my thighs, I whispered, “Hey little guy—”
The deer opened its mouth, and a screech pierced the darkness. Twigs snapped as two more deer plodded from the trees .
Brana stirred.
Good! These deer-demons wouldn’t stand a chance against Brana. She rubbed a knuckle at her eye and struggled to focus on the deer. Climbing drunkenly to her feet, Brana raised her hand…and fainted.
Oh no.
“Invite me in.”
Through the flames, Alyth stood between me and the deer.
“W-what?” I stuttered.
“Invite me into your body,” Alyth urged. “I can help you.” Invisible claws tugged my skin. As if someone were trying to pull me on, like a pair of snug pants.
“No offense, but that is absolutely the last thing I’m going to do.”
The deer, though wary of the fire at first, slunk closer.
What could I do?
Beside me now, Alyth whispered, “We can work together. I can show you how to use magic, but you must let me in.” I ignored her. I wished Darragh was here. He’d made easy work of these deer last time—
Wait. I stared at my hand, at Darragh’s ring. I’d completely forgotten about it in Jorgen’s burrow.
As the deer crept closer, I slid off the ring.
The first deer opened its mouth and leaned back on its hind legs. Like a jumping spider, it prepared to pounce. I tossed the ring into the air and dropped to shield Brana. Heat exploded above, burning my back. “Agh!” I buried myself in Brana’s hair, protecting her from the inferno.
The blast faded, and I pulled away from Brana. The first deer lay dead on the ground, its fur singed, and skin charred. The other two lay at the treeline, also dead.
Alyth was nowhere to be seen.
For now.
Brana awoke, ignorant to the surrounding wreckage. “Hm, is it time to eat, then?” I stared back, smoke wafted away from bits of my burned hair. Her brows furrowed as she surveyed the carnage. “It was just a simple fire, Nelli.” Brana climbed to her feet and walked away. Her spirits and health seemed to have improved. She collected sticks and muttered, “If you want something done right, just do it yourself.”