“We will keep our end of the deal, Mistress. But what about the boy- the other children? They will be a problem if you wait too long.”
Zolona laughed softly as she walked over to the small fountain in the middle of the garden.
“I have already made my first move, every Kingdom has been infiltrated. One of the children is already in my hold. As for the boy…” She ran her hand through the water with a sigh. “well he is weak in both mind and body since his mother's death and is now sick physically, it'll be easy to convince him.”
Convince me of what? And what did that voice mean? Other children?
My gaze was drawn back to the window as something moved. The curtains blew letting in the cool night breeze, their sheer fabric not concealing the danger that stepped into the garden.
I inhaled sharply Simon and Cast going rigid besides me.
A Demi!
It walked slowly through the open balcony window. Jet black feathers covered it from head to its long talons, long wings began to fold close around it's tall lanky body to form a makeshift cloak, what wasn't covered in feathers was a sickly pale white. Wide circle yellow eyes blinked slowly as they adjusted to the light change.
It walked straight to her then bowed to aunt Zolona. She sat on the rim of the fountain crossing her leg over the other as she faced the Demi, she leaned forward stroking it's feather clad head in an almost loving gesture.
“Whatever you decide we serve you, Mistress-”
“No!” The word slipped out causing two heads to swivel to face us.
“Calm down Maki before they hear-”
Cast slapped a hand over both of our mouths, their eyes wide with fear. Looking back to Zolona she was now standing and so was the Demi.
“Find them!” Zolona hissed.
And the Demi moved rushing towards us. I looked around in panic. There wasn’t anywhere to go without them spotting us.
Simon’s hand glowed softly and suddenly we were surrounded by more bushes as they grew thickly over us. We held our breath. Even if we were hidden, the Demi was tearing up the plants in search of us.
We held our breath waiting. I was about to let out a sigh of relief when the Demi loomed above us.
Cast held me tighter against him, as Simon slowly pulled his spear free.
“Did you find who was here?” Came Zolona's voice.
There was a pause then the Demi lunged forward, I squeezed my eyes closed but they shot open a second later as a shriek filled the air. I looked up seeing a Dove that called this garden home.
“No…” An odd echoing click sounded and I was thankful Cast still had my mouth covered as the Demi snapped the bird's neck. “Just a bird.”
“Regardless it could have been the Du-rama Clan.” Zolona said as she stood by the Demi. “Change forms before someone else comes.”
“I can’t hold the form long, sorry Mistress.”
Zolona caressed the Demi’s cheek. “No worry my dear Cabatoth,” She leaned forward till the Demi and her were touching foreheads. “I can fix that.”
Zolona’s hand began to glow an eerie purple. The sight made my stomach fall and my chest burn, I quickly covered the mark. That color- what element did that represent?
Watching as before our eyes the Demi became a Lurraian dressed in the grey-white robes!
There was a pause then fabric rustling. “Your magic surpasses what I remember.”
Zolona laughed, tossing her long raven colored hair over her shoulder. “All things are possible.” She said and her words filled the air with a bone deep chill.
“Come we have much to discuss and the night is almost over.”
The purple glow dimed as they went back down the hall, a door slammed closed.
We waited a second longer before Simon had the bushes peel back and we stood.
Not wasting a second, Cast scooped me into his arms and turned on their heels and jogged to the hidden servant stairwell before stopping and placing me on one of the steps.
“What was that?” Cast demanded in a whisper.
“How would I know? You saw what I did- a Demi!” Simon leaned against the wall. “A Demi in the Kingdom- the castle!”
“And what about Lady Zolona? She knew it-”
That power. How did she have it when she was a Shell like me? Like mother? She- she lied to us! And working with Demi's! Did she know the ones from the attack? The one that took mother from us? Spirits above did she have the Demi's attack?
“Stop.” I said and they clamped up. “We don’t have time to panic. You heard her, she’s giving that- thing hunting right and that can very well be within the Kingdoms walls. We have to move- to warn people, gather the Knights-”
“But who can we trust? Zolona has most if not all Knights on her side. We could go and ask and they can alert her.” Simon kneeled in front of me. “And we don’t know what she has already set into motion, we could trigger it early.”
“Simon’s right, we need to be careful or all of the people could be in danger.”
Spirits! The people, what would she do to them?
Covering my face I took a breath. “My words still stand, we can’t panic or give away that we know anything. But we need to warn people- Travis-” I gasped triggering a coughing fit. I quickly covered my mouth muffling the sound. When it passed, I glanced at my hand seeing the black blood splattered there. Cast and Simon stiffened.
“Maki-”
“Don’t. We have more important things to do then worry over me.”
“But-”
“But nothing, if we don’t protect the people I won’t have anything to rule over! Now we need to get to Travis. I know a way that’s not on the castle layouts.” I said standing but my next step faltered and my knees buckled.
They both grabbed me, Cast lifted me up again.
“Tell us where to go.” Simon said in front of us.
“Two halls from here, behind the tapestry. It leads all the way to the library.”
Nodding we headed off jogging to the hall. When we reached the tapestry Simon lifted it for me and Cast following behind us.
“How did you find this passageway?” Simon asked.
With an amused chuckle I answered. “Hermes made it for us years ago so we could go back and forth easier and for me to sneak out if I was in trouble with father or mother.”
“I remember that time to think you were here. Let me guess it opens near Herminus’s room?”
I nodded covering another cough. He frowned and gave Cast a glance over my head and they both moved faster.
I knew we were near the exit but normally the dim light would outline the hidden doorway but there wasn’t.
“Wait be careful something’s wrong.”
Nodding they stepped forward, Simon slowly lifting the edge of the tapestry to peek out.
“I don’t see any lights on.” He said, looking back to us.
“Should we go on?” Cast whispered.
“Yes but carefully.” I warned.
Simon pulled his spear free and held it in front of him, I pulled my dagger out of its sheath and gripped it tightly in my trembling hands.
We made our way slowly through the bookshelves and it was off setting with all the lights out but as we made our way to the center a glow could still be seen. It was near Travis's desk. Moving closer I heard voices we stopped and listened.
“Where is the boy?” A deep gruff voice asked.
“There are many, many boys. Certainly you don't think I can recall them all?” Came a weak sounding Travis.
There was the sound of what sounded like a punch and a groan of pain.
“I'm trying to jog that old memory of yours. The pain will stop if you answer. Where is the boy!”
“Which boy?” Travis repeated.
Cast and I peeked around the shelf to see four more of those winged Demi's but these ones were dressed in the same grey as that stranger from the attack. Two of them were holding Travis up by his arms as the other two took turns beating on him.
The Demi that I assumed spoke backhanded Travis, sending his glasses flying into the darkness, where you could hear them shatter.
“I don't have time for your games, you impanit fool!” The Demi's hand went around Travis's throat. “I mean the child King where is he?”
It was hard to see Travis’s face but I could pick up his concern. “What do you mean where is he? He should be in his room- he’s sick?”
The Demi's clicked back and forth among themselves before the head one spoke.
“Fine if you really don’t know where he is then the Mistress wants you for other reasons.”
I looked at Simon pleading with him to help Travis, he dipped his head and readied his spear.
“I won’t do anything this Mistress of yours wants.” Travis spat glaring up at them.
That angered the head Demi his feathers fluffing up. “If you won't help the greater powers at play, then you have no use in our new world!”
The Demi pulled back their clawed hand- Simon jumped out and charged the group. The Demi's screeched in surprise as the two holding Travis dropped him as they engaged Simon.
But no matter how much of a skilled warrior Simon was he had no training against these monsters. And Cast was trembling his face twisted in anger.
“Help him.” I found myself saying.
He looked at me in shock. “Maki-”
“I know how to protect myself- now go.”
He lowered me to my feet. “Sorry.” Before he pulled his spear charged into the fray that Travis had joined.
I pushed myself back up against the shelf holding my dagger at the ready. I needed to do something, maybe distract them so my friends could land a blow.
I stepped forward and the head Demi looked my way. It threw off its robes letting their gigantic wings flap free with a loud echoing screech.
“Fall back!” Travis ordered as they backed up to where I was.
The Demi's laughed as they pushed my friends back. “Once we’re done with you and deliver the child we’ll go through this place burning anything the Mistress doesn’t need.”
Travis glared. “Nothing is more important to me then protecting Maki and these books from whomever you work for.” His gaze seemed to burn as he lifted his hands and began to glow along with his gemstones and crystals causing the Demi's pause.
And then an explosion of power rippled from where he was, the ground shook and rumbled as it cracked open bringing all the towering bookcases with it.
I struggled to hold my footing as two of the Demi's were thrown off their feet as they took to the air only to be pulled down by the yawning hole to be swallowed up by the earth, their cries fading.
The other two Demi's gave a battle cry charging us where Simon and Cast met them headon.
The head Demi forced Simon back, Simon’s spear held in its claws. Simon was grabbed by the other Demi and thrown back into me.
We crashed to the floor, my dagger flying free of my hand and spinning into the darkness. No!
“Are you alr-!” Simon quickly summoned a shield of earth as the Demi's flew at him. Arms grabbed me, pulling me free of the fight and Cast took my place throwing punches- throwing one of the lesser Demi's flying into the widening hole where Travis was bringing down the library.
“Travis!” I and Cast yelled.
He turned to us with glowing green eyes but he wasn’t fast enough to duck out of the way. The Demi crashed into him, spinning Travis off balance and they both plummeted.
“Travis-!” I screamed.
Comments (0)
See all