Page 21

Antony saw everything…

Stupid!

Through his perspective, I see why Cara’s afraid of me.

I look feral, like a caged creature being released from its bonds at last. My moves appear calculated and practiced.

I appear exactly as the captain described: someone familiar with their ability.

In this moment, it’s like a piece of me that has been stagnant for so long, reawakened at last. It felt like a natural reaction.

To those around me, I looked like death incarnate.

What baffles me the most is my pendant and its capabilities.

In ten years, I’ve never removed it.

I’ve never felt the need to.

It’s always been there.

Does it have something to do with my ability manifesting late?

But why did someone feel the need for me to hide it?

It’s meant to keep you safe until the appointed time for you to awaken, the voice says.

I don’t understand any of this, I reply.

I’m sorry, my dear, the voice apologizes.

For what? I ask.

Suddenly, a hand is gripping my throat. “Now, tell me the truth. No more games. No more lies, Miss Cale,” the captain spits.

“I… didn’t… know,” I choke out.

“Didn’t know what? Be specific here,” he retorts.

My vision blurs as his hold tightens.

“The starlight. I… didn’t know about it… until your soldiers attacked me,” I reply.

I slump to the ground as he releases me.

Violent coughs wrack through my body.

The momentum causes my necklace to hang freely around my neck, showing the glorious golden pendant. “What do we have here?” he asks, grasping my pendant as I dry heave.

The voice growls, Unworthy scum.

He steps back, yelping in pain.

A small brand of the details of the pendant are engraved on his hand. Flames dance in his irises as he assesses me. “Where did you find that pendant?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” I reply, hoarsely. “It’s always been in my possession.”

“Careful, Miss Cale. We agreed to be honest with one another,” he replies through gritted teeth.

My brow furrows. “Why are you so interested in a silly pendant, Captain?” I ask. “Surely if you aren’t interested in my frivolous gardening, you have no interest in my jewelry.”

He forces me to stand. “True, but not every woman has the bloody Dragon’s Flame pendant dangling around their neck,” he seethes.

Dragon’s Flame ?

He scoffs, noting my confusion. “Foolish woman. You’re even more valuable than I thought. Our king shall be pleased to know I found the one that bears the Dragon’s Flame. What a weapon you will be for the kingdom,” he declares.

“I’m no weapon,” I spit.

“Yet,” Antony replies. “You’re not a weapon yet .”

The captain backs away slowly. He twirls three fingers in the air, summoning an orb of fire that twists in the air until it transforms into a phoenix resting on his shoulder.

The phoenix is small, with feathers that resemble the sun as it shines.

Beautiful hues of red and gold encompass the small bird.

Its dark black eyes stare at me, unblinking.

Antony brushes against me as he emerges with a quill and parchment, handing it to the captain.

I’ve been so captivated by the tiny creature that I didn’t even realize he’d gone behind the till.

As the captain writes, the little phoenix’s gaze never leaves me.

Its wings are lit aflame, as it fans them out.

The conjured creature moves its head back and forth as if I’m the phenomenon.

Is this tiny creature going to attack me?

Otherwise, what purpose does the captain have to summon it?

As if hearing my question, the captain places the rolled parchment in the phoenix’s talons.

Surprisingly, the parchment doesn’t turn to ash.

“Deliver this to King Tiernan’s Scythe immediately,” he orders. Just as quickly as it appeared, the phoenix disappears in an orb of fire.

I blink rapidly, momentarily mesmerized. However, a heaviness settles over me, as the captain returns his attention to where I stand. “It’s truly a shame that you didn’t come forward sooner,” the captain says.

“I apologize if my first thought wasn’t to come running to you, Captain,” I retort. “Your soldiers attacked us, or did Antony not show you that part?”

The captain shrugs. “What my men do in their leisure time is of no value to me,” he replies.

Anger swells inside my chest, as I watch the cruel man pace back and forth .

Unleash me, and I will scorch him where he stands, the voice growls.

“It’s a shame, really. All of this could have been easily avoided, Miss Cale,” the captain continues. “Now, you have to live with the consequences of your rash decisions.”

“What are you implying, Captain?” I growl.

A wicked smirk lights his face as he shifts his body toward one of the windows. “You know the price for hiding a strong wielder, yes?” he asks.

My heart stops beating.

No…

The peculiar specks that I noticed earlier on his armor… In the light, I can see a slight tinge of color.

A dark crimson.

Blood .

Stains and droplets cover the top of his chest all the way down to his steel boots.

My body shakes as my chest rises and falls rapidly.

“You are lying,” I sneer.

He is silent.

“YOU LIE!” I yell.

“You know the price, Miss Cale,” he replies.

No. No. No.

I run for the door, but Antony grabs my arm.

“Let her go,” says the captain. “She must see what her actions have wrought.”

I yank from Antony’s grip and run to the path that leads home.

It can’t be true.

It’s not true.

I won’t let it be true.

I’m almost to the clearing when I see smoke rising from where my home should be.

NO!

I pick up my pace as I climb the last hill that leads down to the house.

Then, I see it .

My home… consumed by an unquenchable fire…

And eight bodies are lying in the grass.

My hands fly up to my mouth, as the pulsing in my neck intensifies. Nausea overwhelms me as I observe the carnage.

They’re not dead.

They can’t be.

Yet, they don’t rise from their places along the bloodied, singed grass.

“NOOOOOOOOO,” my scream echoes, as I’m hurtling toward them.

“Rolph! Amelia!” I yell.

Silence.

I ignore the prickly brush scratching my legs, as I practically fall down the hill to get to them.

“Cillian! Aiden!” I scream.

Silence.

No one is responding.

I can barely see as the flood of tears streams from my eyes.

“Deidre! Aine! Fion!” I wail.

Still not one sound.

My chin quivers. “Cara!” I say.

My wails fill the sky as I stand before my family’s broken bodies.

Rolph is charred to a crisp. If it wasn’t for the sheer size of the man, I wouldn’t recognize him.

“Papa!” I scream, as bile rises in my throat.

Amelia is at his side, her hand angled toward the love of her life as if reaching for him.

Dropping to my knees, I grab her face.

Her warm eyes are glassy and hollow. Her body is peppered with small burns and a deep, oozing gash across her throat. “Mama?” I cry.

She doesn’t respond.

“Mama!” I say, louder this time.

She’ s truly gone.

My heart shatters as I cradle her body. Who will now be my voice of reason? Who will remind me to look at the stars when the darkness overwhelms me? I kiss her head as I gently lay her broken body back on the ground.

I can’t breathe as I spot the twins. Cillian and Aiden are covered in severe burns along their bodies, revealing the sinew and bone beneath their flesh. There’s blood seeping from their stomachs in rapid succession. “I’m sorry, brothers,” I sob. “You didn’t deserve this.”

I move on from their bodies to stand over little Fion and Aine. I close my eyes as I scream at the horrid scene. Their necks are broken at odd angles. There’s no rise or fall of their chests, as their lifeless eyes stare back at me. I bend down, grabbing each of their little hands.

“Fion, I need you to get up buddy,” I whisper. “Who else is going to steal my desserts?”

I struggle to suck in a breath as my body trembles violently.

What monster could do this to children?

“My little doll,” I cry, facing Aine. “You and I are supposed to play dress up, remember? I promised you I would! Please wake up, Aine.”

Despite my pleas, no life dances behind her beautiful little eyes.

“I PROMISED!” I yell.

My wails are manic now as grief consumes me.

This is too painful.

It’s too much.

“I’m so sorry,” I cry.

“Maeva,” a garbled voice whispers from my left.

Gasping, I turn my head and find Cara—body destroyed, covered in blood.

I crawl along the ground until I’m cradling her head in my lap.

I smooth back her long auburn tresses. Her left arm is severed, lying several feet from her body, while two long gashes run across her neck and abdomen.

Her breathing is shallow. I press my free hand against the gash in her neck, begging the warm liquid to stop flowing.

They broke her …

My beautiful sister, with a sunshine laugh…

How could they do this?

“Cara,” I sob, “I’m… I-I’m…”

She coughs, blood dribbling from her mouth.

“Shhhh,” she whispers. “I… am… sorry… Maeva.”

I shake my head. “This is all my fault. If I’d never come here?—”

She shutters in my arms, more blood spouting from her mouth. I use the hem of my dress to wipe it away.

“Don’t… say… that. You… are… a… Cale… forever,” she replies.

My guilt overwhelms me. I don’t deserve to be a Cale. “But it’s because of me that they did this to you—to all of you,” I cry.

Cara’s right hand shakily wipes a tear away from my cheek.

“No. We… chose… you. I… love… you… sister,” she whispers.

Her breathing is slowing every second. I hold her tighter, refusing to let her leave me too.

“Cara, please… You can’t die. I need you,” I plead.

Soft tears well in her eyes.

“My… spirit… will… never… leave…yo-”

Another coughing fit overwhelms her, momentarily interrupting her words.

“May… Siorai’s… light… guide… you,” she continues, her hand slowly slipping from my face. “Until… Eternity, sister.”

The last shreds of light fade from the green eyes that I once envied. She’s still in my arms. Too still.

Pain ravages my chest. “No! No! No! Wake up… please… wake up,” I beg.

My sister is no longer here. All I hold now is her corpse. Her vibrancy and zeal for life have been stolen from this realm. I’ll never hear her laugh again or joke with her about the villagers. I’ll never see her smile. My best friend is gone, and this time it is my fault.

I lay her body down on the ground as I stand, looking around at the devastation the captain and his men brought to my family.

When Malvoria was cast into darkness, they were the only light I found in a time when I was alone.

They were my home, and now they too have been snatched away from me.

I’m a curse because my ignorance did this to them.

You did not cause this, my dear. I tried to warn you, the voice says.

What are you talking about? I hiss. I’m in no mood for riddles.

I told you that dark days were ahead. It’s foretold, my dear. It could only happen this way. ‘When this land is drenched with blood, nothing will stop the darkness from descending,’ the voice quotes.

Is the strange woman real? I ask.

Yes. She’s an oracle—the wisest in her kingdom. She tried to warn you of the prophecy, the voice replies.

Anger swells in my chest. What does it have to do with me? I ask.

All in due time, my dear, the voice says.

No! You will tell me what you know, I yell.

I’m bound by oath, but I swear to you that I would reveal everything to you if I could. You are special, Maeva, replies the voice.

I DON’T WANT TO BE SPECIAL! I just want my family back, I wail.

I curl over as nausea consumes me. I wretch until all that is left is stomach acid. Even then, I continue to dry heave.

Everything hurts.

Everything is broken.

I lie down amongst the bodies of my family, as our home is little more than ashes and embers. A cold numbness overtakes my body. There is nothing left for me.

Release me! I’ll make them pay for what they’ve done, says the voice. Let me take this burden from you.

Them.

The captain and the soldiers have destroyed everything precious that I hold dear. Burning anger flares to life in my chest. I shouldn’t have shown mercy by letting Antony escape.

Stupid, foolish me .

I should’ve known he’d come back. Anyone cruel enough to hold down two innocent women for his brother’s own sick fantasies deserves to die. He is responsible for this.

He will pay for this.

They all will pay for my suffering.

No, I say, feeling the warmth overtake my body. It comforts me like an old friend. I allow it to flow and swirl around me as I release a bellow that would cause even the dark creatures of the wood to quiver in fear. They wanted a weapon, so a weapon I shall be.

My starlight erupts across the clearing, destroying everything in its wake.

The bodies of my family, the house, and the few trees are no more than ash.

I allow my anger to fester within me, as I march up the now-ashen hill toward Aurelius.

Once at the top, I turn back to look at the place that was once my home, grieving those that made life worth living.

I blow a kiss to the clearing, curling my hand against my chest as I whisper my final good-bye, “Until Eternity.”