Chapter 35
Alora
“You mean to say that the oracles you’re descended from left a loophole in King Euron’s bargain with them?” I practically shout at Lis with this new revelation.
She sits there looking at her nails in the softening mid morning light. We’d spoken from the early night hours and were still lost in conversation.
“Yes,” she replies, “I had assumed that there would be text somewhere in the old oracle grimoires that have been lost to us.”
I knew that some of those books had landed in the hands of The Hidden, Yasper had brought them up when the council had begun to question The Devourer. How convenient now that we’d let King Euron’s right hand man know we possessed them.
I throw a grape, that somehow had arrived when Lis and I were talking on the balcony, into my mouth and pop it between my teeth.
Making a mental note to somehow get that information back to Merinda or Helene, I chew furiously until I accidentally bite down on my inner cheek in the process.
I quickly move my hand to my jaw and curse.
Lis continues to watch me with the same studious expression she’s worn most of the morning.
“Perhaps, if you didn’t try and eviscerate everything near you at this moment, you wouldn’t cause yourself more harm.”
I glare at her before popping another fruit in my mouth.
She chuckles and adds, “Just a thought.”
I hadn’t expected us to become fast friends, but it was apparent that Lisiandra was different from most others, she has something about her that still continues to believe in humanity. I’m almost jealous to be honest that she hasn’t become jaded to our world.
I shrug before asking, “Tell me more about this safeguard?”
Lis continues to inspect her nails and without a beat answers. “Honestly, I’m not even completely sure. My grandmothers had just reiterated the tale of the goddess and her great love story.”
I set down the piece of fruit I was about to consume, my mouth suddenly sour with the tale being mentioned.
The same story he told me in the streets of Treach.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “The one with the betrothed and the jealous nobleman?” I roll the berry I’ve since picked up between my fingers.
Lis answers, almost whimsily, “Not when you say it like that! No, the version where the woman is granted the blessing of always having her true love because she fought against the odds.”
I make a face while rolling my eyes and it causes Lis to nearly fall out of her chair with laughter.
“What can I say, I’m a romantic.” The sarcasm drips off my words and another bout of laughter ensues.
Lis wipes her eyes from the tears that have formed, blotting her wine colored sleeve against them.
While she’s regaining her composure I focus on the prophecy Lis had shared.
“When the two join in solidarity, true power will awaken from slumber to take back what is owed.” I repeat the words Lis had told me, weighing the words until the answer feels too near.
I rub my temples together, trying to focus on the most obvious of answers before it smacks me with realization. Suddenly, I practically beam with the answer, “The eclipse moon?!”
Lis adds, “If it were my guess, I would say so. It would make sense.”
“I’m not sure, that feels too easy.”
“What else do we have to go off of, Alora? I’ve sat here for many moons, more turns than I care to count, trying to figure this out so I may be free one day, and free the man I love.” Her eyes twinkle with determination as she speaks.
I give her the most genuine smile I can muster, not willing to dampen her spirits. “He must be a lucky guy.”
Her pale cheeks turn pink with embarrassment. She looks away from me then before continuing, “He’s forbidden to me.”
The familiarity of that sentiment stings but I do my best to keep that locked away.
“Will you tell me about him, Lis?”
She waits a few moments, reluctantly answering, “He’s bound to King Euron.”
Ice fills my veins and I feel my throat close up, nervous about where this might be going, because gods if it was The Nightmare... or worse…
She must see the panic forming on my face because she quickly adds, “It’s neither of those men, just so you know.”
I narrow my eyes on her, unsure of how she could guess who I was worrying about.
“Do you read thoughts, Lis? Like that of a minder?”
She chuckles before answering, “No, it’s not like that. I just have a general understanding of people’s emotions,” she shrugs, “their intentions and the like.”
Interesting.
I press her to elaborate, “The like?”
Before she can answer, her head snaps towards the door to the left of us, footfalls making their way slowly up the stairs. She quickly looks back at me and whispers, “You must stay here, don’t move.”
A sense of foreboding envelopes me, pebbling my skin once more in the golden glow even though the room is warm.
She pushes her seat back and begins to quietly make her way to the wooden barricade. She lifts to the tip of her toes and peers out the barred slot.
“Damnit.” Her whisper yell causes me to rise to my feet.
“Orlin is coming,” she continues. “He doesn’t like you much from what I gather.”
The understatement is almost ironic, so I reply back to her, “I think I’m rather hated by most of the men in this castle.”
“Tower,” she teases, adding a touch of light humor to the darkening situation.
Heavy boots step onto the landing and with a screech of the doorknob, the door creaks open on its rusty hinges.
The Nightmare steps into view, his face written with annoyance and something more akin to loathing. He looks from Lis to me, and back to Lis.
“Don’t try anything, Lisiandra.”
She emits the image of a demure lady and I can’t help but wonder what she’s done to cause his warning. He then looks at me, the same expression written on his face, like he’s been imposed on by having to come this far up to talk to us.
“Alora, I’ve been sent to collect you. Come willingly or else I’ll be forced to bring you to his majesty by other means.”
I bare my teeth, really wishing I had my dagger in this moment so I could fling it in his face.
“You won’t lay a finger on my friend, Orlin.” Lis moves stealthily, getting within feet of him before he even takes notice.
Meanwhile, I’m still reeling over the fact she considers me a friend. But I feel similarly, suddenly equally protective of her.
“You’re such a creepy bitch. You know that, Lisiandra?”
I’m about to send more mental daggers his way but Lis moves too quickly to see, and suddenly she has her hand wrapped around his throat, her hand glowing even with culling bands on her wrists.
Good gods, she’s powerful.
My eyes widen at the scene, it shouldn’t be possible and yet here it is, her magic is strong enough to overcome whatever ancient magic is used to create the inhibiting bands.
The Nightmare snarls and shoves her back with both of his hands. He snaps at her with his teeth as if he were a dog biting after a cat’s tail. This doesn’t dissuade her, if anything the glimmer in her eyes glows brighter.
“Come now, pet, let’s not do this today,” The Nightmare trills out.
He still stands in the doorway, blocking my escape, and if anything, I couldn’t leave her here anyways, no matter if she is more than capable of handling him.
“It’s okay, I’ll be fine Lis,” I call out in an attempt to save her from his wrath.
She looks at me and plastered on her face is a wicked smile, as if she likes to fight The Nightmare. She stalks towards him again and his face pales for a mere second before he raises his hand to his temple and focuses on Lis.
She is on the floor, writhing in seconds of him directing his magic at her.
Rage bubbles in my chest and I pounce in his direction, eager to make him stop.
He simply looks at me with the same salacious grin I’d seen written on Lord Velroy’s face and my body shudders as he turns his magic on me before I slam into the wall nearest him, my balance thrown off by the sudden onslaught of the torture.
My shoulder radiates pain so intense I clench my teeth in an effort to not cry out. But gods does it hurt.
The Nightmare steps over to me, while still trapping Lis in the submissive stance her body has crumbled into.
Visions of those I once considered dear rattle against the cages of my mind, blinding me by sorrow and unfound terror in between glimpses of The Nightmare bringing his fists down upon Lis.
It’s more than the horror of the mind though, it’s a needling that prods in the darkest trenches of your brain, once locating it’s target then piercing repeatedly until your brain threatens to turn to mush.
The claws sink further into my brain, ripping and shredding away layers until it finds the core.
I roll, trying desperately to break free from his magic while he assaults her blow after blow.
It’s like a cacophony of shredded reality as I battle my own false memories that are injected by the use of the nyghmargh.
His magic drops momentarily, allowing me a small reprieve from his torment. I lift my head towards Lis and see she’s on her feet. She spits blood onto the dark floor, the bright red contrasting in the expanse of elegance.
He staggers to his feet and wipes the trickle that’s begun to flow from his nose on his sleeve, smearing the fabric with the ichor.
“Why must we always brawl Lis? I grow fucking tired of this every time I’m sent up here you feral bitch.” He edges closer to her, his eyes vibrant with fight.
I roll back to my knees and catch my bearings while my mind fights the disorienting feeling of being torn between two realities.
A scream tears through the space and I snap my head towards her. She closes the distance between them, throwing him off balance and sending both of their bodies rocketing towards the marble pedestal that crashes with the force of their impact.
Get up, move your ass damnit.
I curse myself and force my body to stand. My vision swims as I follow the pair that’s now a ball of fists and kicks.
The glint of my culling band almost drags me under with helplessness, but I’ve been here before, useless with magic.