Chapter 34 #2
Wood Sprites… I thought to myself, have not been seen in this world in quite some time. “Wait,” I said, dragging him towards a wall where I lowered him to the floor.
“Brida? What are you…”
Raising my palm, I brought it to his chest and left it there. I flexed my fingers, similar to how I had done to the earth in the grove, willing that spark within me to life. Please work.
“It’s okay, Brida.”
“Stop talking, Dad. I love you, but please.”
He gave me a nod and closed his eyes. I wasn’t going to be able to carry him. This had to work, it needed to.
I followed suit, closing my eyes, picturing the planting of bulbs in the winter, and the first glimpses of buds in spring. The hatching of chicks, the cries of babes. The sun cresting over the horizon, its heat melting away the remnants of the previous day.
“Brida,” my father said, voice stronger.
My eyes opened—beautiful streams of golden light veined from my hand through my father’s chest, slowly making their way down his arms and legs.
“Brida, what are you doing?” I could hear strength in his voice.
“Shh, it’s okay,” I whispered, cupping his face with my other hand. “I’ve got you.” The warmth in his skin was returning. With each second, his pallid reflection disappeared, and I found myself growing tired.
“Stop, Brida. It’s too much.”
“TELL HER TO STOP,” I heard shouted in the distance. It was a voice I recognized. “IT WILL KILL HER, VALE.”
I grew colder the longer I touched him, my pale complexion returning with each second. I knew the force of it was too much, I needed to let go, but I didn’t know how to break the connection, the bond.
When I went to pull my hand away, golden threads of light trailed my hand to my father’s chest, pulling me back towards him. Whatever I’d started had taken root in him, and I had no way to stop it.
“The dagger!” The voice said.
My father reached for the dagger that lay strewn upon the floor and pushed against my hand. He swung the dagger at the threads, and as the blade sliced through them, I heard each of them snap as though a bell had chimed.
Gasping for air, my hand flung to my chest.
“Brida!” My father shouted, grabbing for me as I clawed at my throat. “You must breathe, my beautiful girl, breathe.”
“Vale, let me out of here, I can help her!” The voice bellowed. It sounded distant, muffled, but it was familiar.
The voices grew faint, and my father gently placed me on the floor as he left my side.
We need to get out of here… We don’t know how long it will be until Marsh is here. Dad… Where’s Dad?
A cool sensation crept its way up my arms as I was raised upwards. “I’ve got you,” the voice whispered. A gust of wind encircled me, dancing around me, until it made its way to my face. The force of the pressure opened my mouth, and the air made its way to my lungs.
I drew in a breath, the first in several minutes that had not felt labored or pained. Relief flooded through me.
As I opened my eyes, I stared into a face that was so familiar, so hauntingly familiar that I immediately reached for where I believed the dagger to be.
His eyes searched mine, “Brida, it’s okay, I’ve got you.”
While in Azmeer, I hadn’t taken the opportunity to learn how to fight, but I had seen the basics performed. Pulling my leg into my chest, I thrust it forward as hard as I could into his abdomen, and he flew off of me.
“Brida, what’s going on…” My father said over the coughing. Marsh’s coughing.
I stood, grabbing my father’s hand, “Where’s the dagger? We need to leave. Immediately.” I gestured to Marsh, who was now on all fours on the ground.
How is he here right now? I had heard him outside with… Gods, Marius.
“What the fuck did you do to Marius, you monster?” I screamed, continuing my frantic search.
I saw a glint of the dagger, it had been embedded into the door across the hall, freeing him... Dad had let him out… Why would he do that?
Racing towards the dagger, I grabbed it and pushed my father behind me.
“This is the man who brought me here. The man who assisted in Addie’s murder. HOW COULD YOU LET HIM OUT?” I yelled to my father while dragging him towards the exit. If Marius had been injured, or worse, we’d have to search the grounds, but we needed to leave.
“Brida!” Marsh shouted from behind us as I reached to open the door.
The door opened. Marius was on the ground, being dragged by his hair by none other than Marsh.
“Hello, Brida.” He said.
“How…” I muttered, taking steps backward, gesturing to my father to do the same. There are two Marshes. How?
Marius began coughing. Coughing is good. Still alive. He’s still alive. Despite the cut on his upper lip and the bruise forming near his right eye, he was alive. Marsh threw him onto the floor, kicking him in the stomach for good measure before wiping his hand on his black suit pants.
Turning around, I looked back at the Marsh from the cell, who now stood. His grey shirt was torn, gash wounds visible on his chest, and he wore a purple suit…
Oh, Gods. Oh, Gods, how had I not seen it? The color, the warmth, the darkness…
“How long?” I yelled to the back of the hall.
“Right after the earthquake,” Marsh said from behind me.
I nodded and turned to face him.
“It’s time to return to your cell, Brida.” The Marsh in the black suit said. He undid the buttons on his jacket and reached inside, pulling out cuffs.
“Brida,” Marius groaned from the floor.
The speck inside me that belonged to her bloomed in panic. She knew those cuffs. The same that had held her captive in the Pool of Vitality.
They will not be placed on you again.
Marsh took a step towards me, flexing his hand as though something remained stuck to it, as he paused to look at it, I made my move. Lunging for him, I plunged my dagger into the back of his right thigh before pulling it out.
That… That wasn’t me…
With a scream, he collapsed, he pulled his leg to his body, cursing before static bolts along with shadows emerged in his hands.
He’s going to cauterize the wound somehow.
I ran to Marius, “Can you move?” He nodded, raising up as he grabbed my hand. I pulled my father to me, and dragged everyone to the back of the room.
“Marsh,” I whispered to my Marsh, placing my hand on his chest. “You need to wind-walk us out of here.”
“I’ve never moved more than one person before… I don’t think I can.”
Placing my hand on his chest, I closed my eyes, willing the magic to me the way I had with my father.
“You have to try,” I whispered.
Who are you? I looked to the man who had presented himself as Marsh and quickly returned my gaze to the man I now knew to be the real Marsh.
The smell of burned flesh permeated the hall, I knew he was almost healed, we needed to go. Or at least get my father and Marius from here.
Marsh gave me a curt nod and understood. He wrapped himself around each of us, “Everyone, stay still.”
Wind formed a barrier around us, swirling like the onset of a storm. The breeze brushed against my cheek, violently lifting us from the ground.
As the screams from the man I believed to be Marsh faded into nothingness, I knew that, at least for now, we had escaped.