CHAPTER NINETEEN
"It's the ninth. Are you planning on waking up anytime soon? Because it's really not fair that you get to sleep in while I can't."
There was no response, but I wasn't expecting one really. I sat by the little table in Aunt-Drea's room, practicing the spell I had been tampering with constantly since I did it on Kali. I had gone into the garden early in the morning and collected little bugs for the experiments, now two beetles laid before me on the table, one healthier than the next like the countless others before.
I must have recited the same spell a hundred times, comparing it to the ones in the book and changing certain words here and there, but no matter how much I tried I was never close enough— until yesterday.
I had been so close to loosing my temper after almost an entire day without notable results, then as I desperately uttered the words to the incantation, I watched anxiously as its essence rose from its body and fed the less healthy of the insects. The bug's legs had spasmed as the new energy entered him and the other's began to move slowly, then not move at all. I was about to scream in frustration at my constant failure when at last the dead bug started moving again.
Its movements were slow at first, then it steadied before it rose to its feet and started crawling across the table to the other bug. At first, I sat silently with my mouth slightly ajar as my successes creeped across the desk, then the realization soaked in and I shrieked up with joy, knocking the chair over in the process and scaring the now healthy insects away.
I had collected myself and the fallen chair and sat back down. I kept my excitement at bay and instead focused on the spell, on where I wanted it to take me. I summoned the candles, willed them to encircle me, and lit them with just a thought. They came alive, and so did the whispers of the Schadeux. As the spell fell from my lips I reached with imaginary hands, feeling for an aurae identical to the one the spell was radiating, and finally, something pulled at the back of my mind and I grabbed onto it.
There was a weathered and beaten down barn at the center of a large expanse of land a few acres well. The grass was scorched from summer's heat and the barn's frame decayed by insects, but something told me to look deeper, not just watch but see, so I did. The broken structure fell apart and in its place stood a grand house with beautiful white pillars and high windows, even the grass became soft green instead of the dry hay-like brown. I was pulled inside the house and I recognized the dark halls as I was guided through, then I stopped in a large room, strewn with bodies. The vision closed as the spell ended; its purpose done. I wasn't even angry that I hadn't gotten to see more, instead, I was left with a feeling of raw triumph for what I had finally accomplished and the coordinates for the slaughterhouse in my head.
Since yesterday I had been repeating the spell constantly, checking if my success was a hallucination, but it wasn't, and I thanked The Goddess and all the Greats.
A soft cough echoed throughout the room and I spun around so quickly that I gave myself a headache, but it was replaced instantly with the familiar burn behind my eyes as I took in the sight before me; Aunt-Drea was still laying on the bed, still pale as before, but unlike the last couple of days, her eyes were open.
I was by her side before a second had passed, helping her prop herself up on the pillows. "Aunt-Drea? How are you feeling? "
Her words were scratchy from days without use when she spoke. " Just... a little drained, but I'm fine otherwise. What happened? Everything just went black,"
I poured her some water and helped her drink before answering her question. "You just started screaming, writhing on the floor surrounded by this black liquid that was oozing out of your mouth. Aunt Jules tried giving you medicine but it only made it worse so I put you in stasis so you could get better without all of the pain. "
She went still for a second. "You put me into stasis? "
"Yes?"
" Soli," she sighed, resting her head against the headboard, "that's such an advanced spell– a completely dangerous one; if something went wrong we both could've died. How did you know to do it? I never taught you. "
I shrugged. "I just... did. And I didn't know it was that dangerous, but even if I did I still would've done it anyway; you were in so much pain."
Her hand was cold when she caressed my face and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "It is. A Stasistic spell isn't like the medical term, it's more than just a sleep where everything slows down. The spell is sort of like a...near-death where your bodily functions are slowed down to heal while simultaneously speeding up recovery."
Her hand came up to brush her bandaged shoulder and her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she let her hand drop again. "Done wrong you can stop the person's and your heart permanently... I'm impressed that you aced it on your first try; you've gotten stronger. " Her head tilted as she studied me and I caught the moment her face fell slack. "...and older. I missed your birthday didn't I?"
"Three days too late but it's nothing, I'm just glad you're feeling better." I pulled her in carefully for a hug, avoiding her shoulder and I breathed a sigh of relief as I listened to her heart; It was beating steadily again. "I saved you a slice of cake though. "
"Yeah?" She mumbled into my shoulder, "Great, because I'm starving."
I squeezed her slightly and placed a kiss on her cheek before standing up. "Let me check your wound and then we'll surprise everyone downstairs, okay? We've all been waiting for you. "
Drea smiled a bit. "As you should. "
The skin around the wound was still red and swollen, but it had lost the greenish-purple tint that surrounded the area; it was finally healing. I rewrapped the dressing after cleaning the cut and helped her get on her feet. She stumbled forward but I caught her before she fell.
"What's wrong?"
"My legs were asleep. " She patted my arm slightly so I would loosen my grip on her hand. "I'm fine Soli, really. Relax a bit."
"I don't think I can until I know that you're completely fine— Aunt-Drea so much has happened while you were asleep. He's... awake."
Her face somehow grew paler and she looked as though she was ready to pass back out but I continued anyway, the words just flowing out in a rant. "He's been a real pain in the ass these few days too, got real cocky ever since he woke up. He told me that it's Blood Poison he used on you and that he's able to control its effects– that's why I'm still on edge even though you say that you're fine. "
"Blood Poison. " Drea's face grew dimmer as she touched her injury again, but she masked the look with a calmer one and wrapped an arm around my waist as I leaned into her. "It's okay. I'm fine now. What else did I miss?"
"Da—Daemyn is alive. "
"Daemyn's alive?"
I nodded. "He's perfectly fine in Ilairk and had been communicating with Schaduex —I'm not speaking with them either— yet couldn't be bothered to say that he wasn't with his Great. "
"Daemyn, not 'dad'? "
"I'm... pissed at him."
Aunt-Drea shook her head as she sighed. "And how long are you planning on being mad at your father Soli?"
" Until my back breaks from holding the grudge," I said. "but as you know I've gotten stronger so I've gotten better at carrying weight. I'm not likely to get tired anytime soon."
"Okay."
I pulled away slightly to watch her still pale face. " Okay? Aunt Jules said I shouldn't be too angry at him and that I should look at it from his perspective. "
"And do you want to do that?"
"No. Not really."
"And that's why I'm the favorite Aunt; because I understand you better. "
"I love you both equally Aunt-Drea."
She rolled her eyes, "Sure. Now, I want my cake. "
"Hold on and hold your breath, I wanna show you something." I let the shadows surround and swallow us, and for the brief moment where we were in the in-between I heard Schadeux calling to me, but I ignored them. Later. Later, I would speak to them; they were just following orders but I was still hurt from that slight sting of betrayal, and for now, I was focusing on Aunt-Drea and getting her cake.
We emerged in the living room, startling a sitting Jules who flung her book as we popped in right in front of her. "Soli I told you—" She paused as her eyes darted to the person beside me and rose quickly to her feet. "Drea? Pir ila De'assami et Eles Setaeri! You're awake?"
Their arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace before Aunt-Drea pulled away slightly and patted Jules' cheek. "As of five minutes ago."
" How?— " She shook her head, "Never mind– How are you? Is there pain anywhere, discomfort? "
"I'm fine Juolari. Soli's anxiety seems to be rubbing off on you; usually you'd tell me to sleep it off and suck on ice."
"Yeah well, times have changed. I have to be nice to you since I haven't seen you in a while but give it a few months and I promise to be dismissive of your injuries."
"Do you swear by your Goddess? "
Jules placed her palm to her chest with a mischievous smile. "Pir ila De'assami. "
I took Aunt-Drea lightly by her shoulders and steered her to the couch, pushing her down softly. "Have a seat and I'll get your cake and some tea. "
"How long will this pampering last, Soli?"
"Until I'm sure that you're one hundred and ten percent better."
Aunt-Drea pursed her lips then placed a fist to her mouth in an exaggerated cough. "Looks like we'll be here for a while. "
I shot her a hard look as I walked past and into the kitchen. "Don't even play Andrea. My nerves are still all over the place."
Her cake was still fresh when I took it from its package and I plated it as I waited for her coffee to brew. My mind took me away as I watched the liquid drip into the pot, still occupied by my successes and Aunt-Drea's sudden recovery. I couldn't help overthinking, couldn't help waiting for the dark clouds to roll in; everything seemed to be falling into place, and it's usually when I got my hopes up that shit always aimed for the fan.
Familiar arms wrapped around my waist from behind and I leaned into Sairen's chest, tilting my head to the side so he could place his kiss on the hollow below my ear. The last couple of days with him felt like a lucid dream that I never wanted to wake up from but I always knew that the sun was about to rise and tear us from that hazy dream state. We trained during the day and lost ourselves in each other in whatever free time we had; which hadn't been much with everything going on, but his company was always enough.
" Hey, you're back earlier than you said you'd be." I turned around to face him, still caged in his arms, and wrapped mine around his waist. It felt natural being close like this, touching, kissing, it somehow felt right. "Is everything okay with the site?"
Caspian's guys had been keeping an eye on the warehouse while K.O.A.C surveyed the main sacrificial site; we weren't very excited to find out that Achar's people had been using the other location to store the undead soldiers they made.
"Another truck left the first location this morning and arrived at the second a while later. Caspian's men saw some more mouthless creatures being unloaded there. "
"That means an entire truckload of people has just been sacrificed and we can't do anything to stop them,"
"Not if we want them to know that we know of their location and change their plans or risk them getting away, no. I know it sounds terrible but—"
"I know. We can't save them."
Sairen sighed and tucked away some wild strands behind my ear. "Cas and Levi should be up soon. We're formulating a solid plan for Sunday. "
That was only three days away. "Where's Matty?"
"He's still on duty," He said. "He should be home later tonight."
"Oh, did you see Aunt-Drea on your way in? "
Sairen's thick brows rose into his hairline. "Drea's up?"
" Literally just woke up. She said that she's fine, and Pir ila De'assami et Eles Sataeri I hope that she is but... Everything seems too good. "
His head tilted downwards slightly, touching his forehead to mine . "I'd say we deserve a little good."
"I know we do," I huffed, "but it feels like a deadly pause, like—"
"The calm before the storm,"
"Yeah." The coffee stopped dripping and I untangled myself from my moment of comfort and poured the hot liquid into Aunt-Drea's mug, stirring in her milk before taking up her plate.
Sairen took the dishes from my hands and I felt his mouth pull into a small smile as he brushed his lips against mine. "We'll work it out."
Sairen walked away leaving me alone momentarily with that irresistible tingling on my lips and with my thoughts for a few seconds more.
He was already settled in next to Aunt-Drea, spoon-feeding her cake when I came in. He handed her her coffee but she made a big deal of her 'aching ' shoulder so he fed her that too.
" It's good to see that you haven't crossed over and met your Great as yet Drea," Sairen teased, "You had us worried. Learn to dodge arrows better next time okay?"
Aunt-Drea laughed, covering her mouth with her hand to keep crumbs from spilling out. "Don't worry, I'll tell that asshole to give me a heads up next time he sends his cronies to poison me."
I settled onto the arm of the chair that Aunt-Drea and Sai sat on, keeping her as close to me as possible.
"Is there any news about the sites Siya?" Jules asked and Aunt-Drea perked up at the prospect of something falling nicely into place.
"There's a lot less movement than we thought it'd have; no one coming in or out— except for the shipments."
Jules nodded as she paced the area in front of where we sat." So it's just a waiting game then? Wait for the wards to come down on the day of the event, get Lesa and Rae, "
"Stop them from opening the barrier to Ilairk," I chimed in.
"And K.O.A.C will take care of everything else." She ran her hand down her tired face. "Pir ila De'assami, let's hope it goes that smoothly. For my sanity and everyone's sake."
Aunt-Drea coughed and I instinctively jumped up looking for a rag or her water but she just held me back and gave me a look that told me she was fine. She did look fine and she was moving quite well, but after weeks of worrying after her I just couldn't stop so easily. I opened my mouth to tell her just that but Caspian and Levi walked in, each sporting lighter expressions than when I last saw them. I allowed the slight relief on their faces to ease a bit of my worry.
"Can I feel a little better now that you both look pleased?" Both men turned to me and the corner of Cas' lip tugged upwards.
"Ah, Miss Kaltain. Feel free to do so ." He shot a smooth wink at me and I couldn't help but smile back at him. " Everything looks well enough; there's enough coverage around the perimeter so K.O.A.C can hide out until the plan is ready to be executed. Levi, show the pictures please."
Levi took out a tablet from his case and pulled up some pictures of the same field with the broken-down farmhouse in the middle. He pointed with his stylus the areas surrounded by foliage and trees that would make for hideouts, marking them in red. "This area here is heavily concealed with dense shrubbery; It'll be easy for us to camouflage there and it can't be spotted easily from the house."
'"Levi, can I see the tablet please?"
"Sure thing."
I took the device and began tracing over the house in blue, to how I saw it in my vision; as a mansion beneath all the rotted wood. "We know the farmhouse is just a glamour so I'm drawing it over so we can see what we're really working with." They all looked over my shoulders as I drew, watching the reality of the place unfold.
"Andrea?" Jules' voice was soft, wary even, as I finished the rendition. "Doesn't that place look familiar?"
I caught the look she threw Aunt-Drea, one that was returned with the same amount of disdain.
"I honestly hoped that it was just me,"
"What?" I asked. "What is it?"
They both looked at me with a shared emotion I couldn't quite name but I knew it wasn't any of the good ones.
"That's their house." Aunt-Drea mumbled. " Your father and his brother."
I didn't see how that added much importance to the already grievous situation. "That's worse why?"
"Soli," She started, "it's where all hell broke loose. It's where you were born, and where his evil grew. That house was the battleground all those years ago, where Daemyn fought for you and Lesa and banished his brother to Ilairk.'' She ran her pale hand down her face and breathed a ragged breath. "It just seems like a bad omen that that's where it's all going down."
I stared at the overlapping drawings in my hand, visualizing all the events that went on within those walls, all the bad that place carried. My palms began to sweat. ''Let's just hope for good. It's about time, right?"
Jules nodded but she didn't seem convinced. No one was. "Right."
"We should go over the plan now that we know our battlefield better." I handed her the tablet. " You've been there, right? Do you think you can remember the layout? Exits, maybe?"
"If it hasn't changed, then yes. So this..." We went through everything that could have gone wrong and adjusted the plan to suit. Then we went through the plan again to be certain that everything coincided, and again because just twice made me feel wary that I missed something, but it seemed that there was nothing to worry about. Everything fell into place perfectly.
Levi stood from his seat when we were finished, stretching his long limbs. "I think some drinks are in order, don't you think Siya?"
Sairen shook his head. "Can't. There's still a war that I need to be sober and alert for. You can pour Jules a drink though, she looks like she needs it."
Jules looked up from the tablet when she heard her name. "I will take that drink, Levi, thank you."
"So will I," Caspian added.
Levi threw them a salute and sauntered out of the living room before reappearing seconds later and sinking back into his seat. "I don't live here; I have no idea where you keep your liquor. Heroux, drinks?"
Sairen grumbled as he got up, shaking his head at Levi as he disappeared through the door.
Jules sighed and laid the device on the seat next to her. "I really hope everything goes smoothly. The situation is stressful enough but I'm going to be worried sick not knowing if you guys are okay. I should be there with you guys."
Aunt-Drea patted Jules' cheek and rested her head on her shoulder. "You're not trained for the battlefield Juolari. Sure you can kick ass but you're not going to be able to hold your own against all those monsters. We'll be fine, I promise to look after our kids."
"Aunt-Drea?"
She looked at me with a smile. "Yes, Soli?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you aren't seriously planning on fighting, are you? You just woke up for Goddess sake. You were bedridden for weeks and now you want to dive into a bloodbath?"
"Solaure believe me when I say that I am fine." She insisted. "Besides, you're going to need all the help and distractions you can get. Let me do that for you."
"Aunt-Drea—"
She held up a steady hand. " I know it sounded like I was asking, but I wasn't. I'm going."
"And I can't talk you out of it?"
"Not this time."
"Well then. Excuse me." I turned and left, carrying my anger with me. It was bad enough that Mathias and Sairen were risking their lives, and so were all of their friends and colleagues, and now Drea. I felt responsible for all those lives— a responsibility that I didn't want because there was no guarantee that I would be able to protect them all.
My grunts filled the training room as my sword and my shadows sliced through the air in wide arcs around me. I had gotten better at going longer periods without feeling faint, but I was still drenched in cold sweat and fevers after the training was done.
My blade came down sharply behind me, even though I knew it would do no harm to the person that suddenly appeared there; Achar was standing with his arms folded when I turned, dry humor on his perfectly visible face.
''Nice form, good swings; You're getting better at this, aren't you?" He circled me like the predator he was; observing his prey before he striked. I turned as he did, never letting him out of my sight.
"What do you want Narxü?"
He laughed. It wasn't a particularly pleasant sound. "Dark One? I do have a name you know, and I find it rather offensive that you lot try so hard to avoid saying it, especially since it brings me such pleasure. Makes me feel alive."
" That's the point;" I hissed. "we want you dead. We don't need you feeling alive."
His head tilted slightly downwards, feigning innocence as he pouted. "Harsh."
"What. Do. You. Want." I enunciated every word, making sure he heard the pure, concentrated hate in them, but he didn't hesitate when he answered.
"You."
My grip tightened on the hilt of my sword, my knuckles turning pale with the pressure. I didn't like him here, taunting me, knowing that I could never retaliate and enjoying how unsettled his presence made me. " Too bad. That's not going to happen."
"And you're so sure, yes?" The planes of his face hardened until a harsh cold replaced that false warmth he wore as a mask, freezing over his 'niceness'. "I have to admit that you are a lot more stubborn than I gave you credit for. Now usually, I would find such a backbone on such a little thing cutely endearing, but we are on a time limit and I am getting impatient, little one. Three days until our deadline and you are yet to give me your answer."
"I already gave you my answer, just not the one you want to hear. I said NO."'
His jaw clenched so tightly I thought he would break it. "Is that your final answer?"
"It is."
"How unfortunate. A 'yes' would have made this all a lot easier." He grinned. "For you."
He took a few steps towards me and I drew back instinctively when his hand reached out for my face, dreading his touch, but his steely grip latched onto my arm and I felt the cold brush of his fingers on my forehead, and suddenly I wasn't in the training room anymore.
I knew we were high up from the sharp wind that tore at my skin and the freezing air but I was yet to open my eyes, partly because the harsh winds made it hard to, and partly because I was scared of what I would find if I did. Achar's nimble fingers were tangled ever so carelessly into the roots of my hair and I had to hold back grunts of pain as his suddenly long nails dug into my scalp.
"Open your eyes!" He cooed, a deep, frightening joy embedded into his voice. "Open them! I want you to watch as I destroy everything you've fought so hard for." He laughed. That cruel, taunting laugh, " You know it's funny; I said the same thing to my brother all those years ago. You get your stupidity from him."
He tugged harshly again and I felt his breath on my face even with the roaring wind, and the warm blood trailing down my head from where his claws tore skin.
"Solaure..." He sang as his fingers trailed their way across my face, inching towards my closed eyes. "Look at what I made for you,"
His free hand pried my eyes open and there was nothing I could have done to block out the pain of the wind hitting my eyeballs. I clawed at his hand frantically, trying to tear it away from my face but he held firm and I was forced to watch— watch as all the Seven Hellish Realms converged on Earth.
We stood on the roof of a high rise building, away from the fiery chaos below.
The city was on fire; reds and oranges raging across her streets and buildings, consuming everything it touched, never satisfied as it searched for more to devour. I made out faces in the fire, maniac, hungry faces that belong to the Flym and the city crumbled as the fire demons feasted. Even from this high, I heard the screams: millions of voices joined together in horror and agony as their streets were flooded with crimson and as beasts swooped down and grabbed fleeing survivors only to throw them back down, mangled.
Deafening cries echoed throughout the city as the sky was shredded apart in bursts of black and grey, and a dark void tore across the red clouds. A colossal, inhuman head peered through the tear, its face deformed and grotesque as its four golden eyes observed the disarray below.
"Soa'v." The name left my lips as a whisper, drowned by the noise, and The High Demon of Chaos descended onto the ruins of the city, extinguishing the remaining souls with a fiery breath.
"This is the future either way little light." Achar crooned in my ear, his lips brushing skin. "This place will be purged of these tiny, insignificant lives you so dearly love, and my children and subjects will inhabit the new world and make it great. Now, the question is; 'Will you, and your loved ones be safe, under my rule and by my side, or will you be buried among those countless bodies?' "
His firm fingers left my hair and the roaring wind stopped, and so did the screams. Wild eyes took in my surroundings and my erratic heartbeat eased somewhat when I saw the familiar walls of the training room.
He brushed my cheek and stepped away, smiling again with that false tenderness. " It's all up to you little light. You can either be a hero, or you can be alive. Take these last days to think it over, hmm?"
The air rippled around him and he was gone but the dread remained, and so did the cold.
I found myself in a tight ball on the floor, arms wrapped around my shivering frame. My body had somehow lost the ability to hold itself up so I sat, starring blankly at the spot he just was and replaying his words.
For a moment, for a brief moment, I contemplated going with him, letting the world burn just so my family could be safe, letting everything crumble around us as long as we had each other. I though of my mom who always did her best to make my life enjoyable even though we were on the run and in hiding. Aunt-Drea who gave up a normal life to follow us, to keep me safe. Aunt Jules fixed my broken leg when I was nine, uncle Tommy taught me new languages, Matthias thought me how to swim— how to love water, and Sairen. Sairen was there for me when I wanted no one else, and did what no one else could— he saved me from my nightmares. What had the rest of the world ever done for me?
But then I remembered: I remembered summer days at the beach and spring days at the park. I remembered Christmas lights and ice cream and the good times I had within this house and every other house we moved to. Call it self-serving because maybe I was, but I wanted those things again and Achar didn't seem like the type of person to allow those simple pleasantries in his 'new world'.
I stood, forcing strength back into my body, and took hold of my sword again as I let go of that moment of weakness. I trained until my arms were sore and I passed out on the cold gym floor.
I will fight; even if only for spring days and Christmas lights and simple pleasantries.