Page 43 of Wings of Lies (Daughter of the Seven Circles #1)

Chapter

Twenty-Six

M y feet tangled together, chains wrapping and clanging against the stone slab. I fell stomach first, skidding across the ground, stopping with my head just over the ledge, tender palms burning from the scraping grit.

I heaved a strangled breath.

“JUMP? JUMP?”

Dirt continued to rain down on the shadows below. The tinkling joined the sound of moving water hidden by the lightless night.

The prince won’t stay solid for long. Stand up and jump!

Relief penetrated my achy heart once again. I didn’t kill him. He was alive.

Yes. He’s unfortunately alive. I can’t kill unless I am present or am able to infiltrate their mind.

I couldn’t control the worry that manifested from his words. He had infiltrated my mind.

I have. Now jump! He expected to be obeyed .

Go to hell! I snapped back and shivered as the temperature dropped.

Do not speak to me in such a way. Jump.

Grimacing, hands raw but healing, I stood. Dirt spilled into the black pit as I toed the ledge of the open space. Butterflies committed suicide against my stomach . I didn’t want to die.

You’d choose death over what the Mother of Demons will do to you if the prince catches up?

The wind whipped my black waves. I stepped closer to the unseeable waters, digging my toes into my boots as if to puncture through and claw into the ground to keep me here.

What about Brock?

He’s not an issue right now. Stop stalling. The prince will be coming, and I’m losing my patience.

This was for her. I couldn’t stop now. My unmoving legs didn’t agree. But I’d be free to find her. That was worth it, right? Unless I went splat on a boulder, or another monster squid attacked me. Yeah, this wasn’t working. I’d never jump if I continued down that thought path.

Jump!

Please, say it one more time. It worked so well the first few tries.

Watch it.

Don’t intrude on thoughts you don’t like, and I would.

When you jump, do not under any circumstance take in any water.

What’s wrong with the water?

Something rustled in the background. I whipped around. Spindly black shadows rested against a blacker background. No one was there .

Do you want to be a prisoner again?

Of course not.

Then jump! His voice shot an ice spear into my mind, sending the chilling command all the way to my legs.

I leaped into the abyss, plummeting with my stomach pushing into my throat.

“Lucille!” Aspen boomed.

His raging voice followed me as I dropped, increasing my nerves. Boots first, I struck the river, jolting my spine and submerging into ungodly frigid water. My yelp bounced off my clenched lips, getting lost in the rush of water flooding my ears.

Underwater, screaming into my closed mouth, my limbs struggled to move. It took the entirety of my focus to lift my arms. Stroke after heavy stroke, I breached the surface, gasping.

This is what you wanted me to jump into?

Stop whining and swim.

He wanted me to swim when every brain cell worked overtime to keep my head above water. Shaking, I lifted my ten-pound arm to wipe away lingering droplets. This was insane. And I wasn’t even including the ankle cuffs restricting my movements.

Swim!

How?

Aspen splashed in behind me.

Shit.

Lucille, swim!

I whimpered with my first arm swing. Who cared if I sounded like a baby? Liquid ice lapped at my body, leaching off my warmth. Each stroke moved me a couple of inches, if that. My only saving grace was the current helping to push along my feeble attempts .

The moisture in my nose burned. Not an, it’s freezing out burn, but more like a gaseous acid eroded my nose hairs burn. Plus, it smelled like bleach and rotting vegetables.

What is that smell?

Vibrations tickled my mind with his creepy laughter. You don’t want to know. Just keep the water from your mouth and nose.

I’m pretty sure it’s already in my nose.

Then let’s hope you don’t die.

My stroking arm paused. That’s not funny.

I wasn’t laughing.

No, he wasn’t. Not anymore.

What’s wrong with this river?

It has a dark history. Very dark.

And what? It’s poisonous?

There was a gesture in my head equivalent to a shrug. I didn’t know how to process the nonchalance.

No history lessons today, my sweet Lucille. I’ll give you your answers if you survive this.

My teeth chattered together. You better. And why do you call me that?

I can call you whatever I like. Now swim. The prince is catching up.

I had no energy to snap back, plus he was right. In an aura of blue light, Aspen swam behind me like this was his morning routine.

Why? I groaned.

I can help slow him down, but you must swim as fast as you can.

My palms pounded through the water, splashing with frustration.

I already was! A drop of water landed on my lip, and I quickly let go of my irritation, changing my stroke.

When I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the water became colder, and so did my head.

Too painful to fully extend my arm, my swimming turned into smaller doggy paddles.

Don’t stop!

“I’m trying not to,” I breathed. Sparing a moment, I peeked behind me. Light surrounded Aspen, bright in the pitch dark, reflecting off a white surface.

I snorted in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Layers of ice spread, holding Aspen in place for only long enough for him to flash with blue flames. Each time, the layer of ice grew thicker, taking him longer to melt through. It slowed him but didn’t stop him.

“Lucille! Swim to me!” Aspen yelled.

Like hell, if I didn’t move any faster, I’d become a Lucille-sized ice cube sinking to the bottom of this poisonous river. My hands and feet already cried out for help, and if my limbs reached that point, well, I’d neither be a prisoner anymore nor a daughter.

Maybe I would die.

Do you always give up so easily? Is that who you are at your core? he asked, voice strained.

Who said I’m giving up? I snapped. It wasn’t my fault the icy river stole my breath and energy.

You haven’t touched your Infernus. You haven’t even tried to fight against the cold. You’re just whining and taking it like you’ve been doing since the moment they captured you!

How can my Infernus help with his? I yelled at his sneering, judgmental tone .

If you can manage to surround your entire body in flame, you’ll be immune to the cold, just like you were immune to my power when I froze the prince.

I slammed my fist into the water. You could’ve said that in the beginning!

Yes, I could’ve. But there is a reason for everything I say or don’t say.

Like the fact I never told you, you were jumping into a river that kills 99 percent of the creatures who touch it.

You’re definitely naive. But that’s easily remedied.

I can give you all the information you need.

What’s not easily remedied is your will.

Remember who I said I was looking for? It wasn’t the whiny, weak female.

It was the one with a backbone who was willing to do whatever it took to survive. Show me you’re a fighter.

I’m sorry. What the actual hell? 99 percent of creatures? I’m going to die?

I don’t know, my sweet Lucille. You tell me?

Who are you at your core? His frigid claws raked down the muscles of my mind.

I tensed at the sharp sting and dove into my Infernus.

Listening to my desires, it spread into my head and hands.

Flames erupted on my skin, returning sensation to my fingers and shoving at the icy claw gripping my mind.

Who the hell are you? He knew stuff about me and my mom, or at least thought he did. He definitely knew things about Elora and the creatures who lived here. So, who was this king the Drune told me to listen to?

“Lucille!” Aspen sounded closer.

I’ll tell you everything I know, but only if you survive this. He was dead serious. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt in his tone for the fact he sent me into a river that killed almost everyone .

Have you found my mom yet? I let my Infernus spread from my hands to my neck and down to my toes, warming every inch of me.

Who are you at your core, Lucille? Where does your Infernus come from? he asked, ignoring my very important question.

Why don’t you tell me, king? I glared into my mind. Then answer my question.

Prove to me that you aren’t some weak-willed, naive wimp, and I will.

Am I not already? My Infernus covered my entire body, and my strokes eased through the deadly water.

Maybe. He smiled. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel the smug, conniving little thing.

“Lucille!” Aspen bellowed once more.

But I didn’t care or take the time to think about the waver in his voice as it got lost in the resonating crash of ice filling my ears.

Swim faster, he said, voice even weaker than before.

I did, but not because he said to. The flashing continued behind me, picking up speed. Aspen melted the ice faster than the male in my head froze it. With only meters away, he gained a lot of ground in my silent argument with the intruder king. I pumped my arms faster.

“Lucille! Please. Please stop,” Aspen begged. It was almost like he was scared.

He is. Keep moving, the king said, no longer using his claws or insults to get under my skin.

Does he know about the river?

Yes.

Then why’d he jump in after me? He could die .

I have a suspicion he may be a part of the one percent .

I stilled, staring over my shoulder at the blue-hued prince struggling against the ice. A red light glowed within the blue flames. Did he risk his life for me or for his queen?

Why would a scar pulse with a red light? I asked.

Did you say red? His slow rage attempted to steal the warmth of my Infernus.

Yes.

It’s a Hell Rune.

What does it do?

Precisely what you’ve guessed, it controls the wearer in any way the carver decides. The rune is rare. Not only does it take immense power to carve with it, but unlike angelic runes that can only be carved from Archangel feathers, a Hell Rune can only be carved with one specific feather.

Whose? Who did that to him?

They’re not one and the same.

Explain, I demanded, looking at Aspen pounding his glowing fists into the thickening ice, trying his damnedest to rescue me.

Or to claim me.

Drop the tone and swim out. Then I’ll give you answers.

And my mom?

Silence.

You don’t know where she is yet.

Stubborn, treading water as I stared at Aspen, my heart pounded with a crackling anger.

I hadn’t reached the right memory of my mom to find her.

But I knew Magda had what I needed. The king may have helped me escape, but I came here for one thing, and if he couldn’t give me those answers, give me my mom, then this may be the end of the road for us .

Don’t you dare. I have what you want without risking your life for that witch’s words. But only if you swim to that bank, Lucille.

I despised how he thought he could control me with his threats almost as much as I despised my warring feelings holding me in place as I watched Aspen.

Do you genuinely care so little about yourself that you’d risk your life for his?

No. But it was a lie, especially when his blue flames flickered, and the swing of his arms slowed.

I said leave him!

I’ve decided to stop listening to voices in my head and letting them dictate my life. Melt the ice.

No. The vicious snap of his denial sent another layer of ice toward Aspen. His dangerous flames vanished.

That pissed me off.

I said melt the ice!

You do not order me around. I am trying to save your life.

And I’m trying to save his.

You will not.

Well, it seemed the king and I had something in common. We both hated being ordered around.

My Infernus could create ice, but that wasn’t all it could do. It also had vicious, hot black flames. I dove deep into my power, finding the dark black cords, and strummed the tune of my desires. A haunting melody whispered in my ear, changing my purple flame to black.

The circle of water surrounding Aspen crept toward him as his body dropped lower in the water. He was going to drown .

I swam toward the ice with everything I had, even as the ebony flames sapped my energy.

You’re not strong enough to hold them. Let it go.

I ignored him, having no patience to listen to reason.

Aspen’s head dropped beneath the water. I touched the ice, and my black flames ate little chunks here and there.

“Come on!” I screamed, letting the music wash over me.

It ate faster, but the creeping weight of sand filled my feet.

You won’t reach him in time.

Then melt the ice!

My Infernus devoured the cold, reflective surface. Only a few more feet and it’d reach Aspen.

As my hands grew heavy, I knew I didn’t have long before the rest of my body would give out. But then all the ice vanished.

Hurry, he seethed.

The music’s addictive melody begged to stay, but with Aspen sinking in the poisonous water, I let my power go and dove.

Keeping my mouth closed, I wrapped my arm around Aspen and struggled to the surface. When we broke through, I gasped a lungful of air and swam with his dead weight.

There’s a bank up ahead. Swim to it before you both freeze.

He didn’t sound happy. But I didn’t care.

I doggy-paddled through the poisonous water, refusing to stop or think about Aspen’s lack of rising chest. When I rounded the bend in the river, barely holding our heads above water, my numb feet hit the sand.

I dragged us the rest of the way to the bank and heaved Aspen across pebbles until my body gave out, and I flopped next to him.

Let him die .

Don’t say pointless shit. It downgrades your intelligence, king.

He dragged an ice claw across my mind, and I cringed. Refraining from cussing him out, I felt for Aspen’s pulse.

He didn’t have one.

Do you think he has the water in his lungs?

I hope so.

My vision dotted as I stared at Aspen’s lips.

Your powers are about to claim the price of their services.

He was right. Without another thought, I placed my lips to Aspen’s, ignoring the rancid taste of the water, ignoring the horrifying lack of tingles, and breathed for him.

I gave him the last of my strength as I pumped his chest, gave him the fate of my life as I tasted the poisonous water, wondering if I was too late.

I gave him every last ounce of myself, not even knowing why.

And when he finally coughed up water, rolling over to puke it up, the weight in my body took its claim.

I fell forward, slamming my cheek into damp rocks. Aspen’s soft rasp and the king’s disapproval slithered into my head before darkness claimed me.

“Why, Lucille?”

Stupid female. How will you escape now?