Текст книги "Reckless Magic"
Автор книги: Rachel Higginson
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Текущая страница: 22 (всего у книги 24 страниц)
Chapter Forty-Two
Amory and I rowed through the dark silently; the only sound in the narrow tunnel was our oars dipping in and out of the strong current and the rush of water against the stone walls. My body was shaking violently from weakness and my arms did their best to move us forward. I braced my body on the small wooden bench, using every muscle I had to row.
The lantern at the stern of the boat, the only light piercing the heavy darkness, cast eerie shadows on the rounded walls. Amory had clearly taken this exit before, but I was too exhausted to garner any details. I had no sense of time, and felt barely coherent.
Amory said we would row for two hours, he did not say we would be rowing in a dark and claustrophobic tunnel of death for two hours. I wished I was wearing a watch, because I was too afraid to ask Amory how much longer. Any extra effort, including talking and I was sure that would finally be it for me. I had never known such exhaustion in my entire life and I was positive I never wanted to know the feeling again.
The river’s current stayed quick and I never noticed a change in depth, although there might have been one; it was impossible to tell without testing it for myself. My feet were freezing from the ice cold water that made its way over the side and I stopped feeling my fingers a long time ago. They maintained their grasp on the oars however, as if obeying a command I forgot I gave them.
Amory grunted suddenly with the effort of another oar stroke. The sound echoed off of the low ceiling and close walls making me jump. My heart beat wildly, and my already labored breath quickened. Normally easily scared, I was actually grateful my heart was strong enough to still have a reaction.
“Sorry,” Amory panted and I heard the strained tone in his voice as our oars once again disappeared beneath the rough surface of the water.
I shook my head as if to say it was ok, but couldn’t force words out of my mouth. I pushed the oars under the rushing ripples and fought with everything I had to push them against the pressure of a force much greater than myself. The river fought back, convincing me to let my oar fall easily into its grip and float away. One more stroke, I decided; and then again, just one more stroke.
My eyes were focused on the dim circle of light the lantern illuminated; I could only see maybe ten or so feet in front of me. I centered on what I could to ensure the boat maintained a straight path, although something told me that Amory could have made the entire journey blinded.
A cool rush of air wrapped itself around me and I shuddered violently. Already frozen from the ice cold water, I dreaded the idea of a draft. When another gush of air rushed by me again, I began to hope. Maybe it was not a draft but the wind.
And then finally, the darkness softened around me into the midnight sky and a thousand stars twinkled above my head. The night air was frigid, whipping violently through the trees. The river widened once outside of the cave taking two paths, one through the black tunnel and the other around it. We were at the bottom of a valley, with hills rising on either side.
“Row over to the left bank,” Amory grunted. I obeyed, grateful to be finished with that part of the journey.
Once near the river’s edge, Amory jumped over the side quickly, knee deep in the rough current. He pushed the row boat up the side of the bank and tied the rope to a nearby tree.
When finally the boat was secured, he returned to my side and offered his hand to help me out. I pried my overworked fingers from the oars and placed a shaking hand in his. I stood up weakly, and allowed Amory to sustain most of my weight, nearly tumbling over the edge.
My feet landed in three feet of water, the violent current still rushing wildly around my shins, doing its best to knock me over. Amory braced me against his body and continued his support until we were safely on solid ground.
I collapsed onto the river bank, thankful to be out of the boat. I still felt the strange sensation of the movement of water and clutched the cool grass to steady myself. The ground was rough, and littered with sticks and rocks. They punctured and scraped my skin, but I was too exhausted to care.
Amory walked back to the boat once again to retrieve my backpack. He took the liberty of digging my sweatshirt out of the wet pack and tossing it to me. I made no movement for it, unable to find the strength to sit up.
“We still have a ways to go,” Amory’s voice was tired but determined. I opened my eyes to look at him, hoping I could form words but nothing came. His eyes deepened with anxiety while he looked around suspiciously.
“I can make it,” I finally mumbled. I pulled myself into a sitting position and found the strength to put my sweatshirt on. Although my backpack was wet from sitting at the bottom of the boat, my sweatshirt remained mostly dry.
Once the warmth of my Huskers sweatshirt was wrapped around me, I began to feel better. I pulled the hood up and tied the draw strings tight. Eventually I found the energy to stand up and shoulder my backpack again.
“Let me carry that,” Amory offered, referring to my bag.
“It’s alright, I can carry it for now,” I waved him off and then shook both of my feet consecutively. My shoes were full of water, and my toes ached from the cold.
Suddenly a jolt of electricity surged through my blood. I jumped, startled by the sudden burst of energy. My blood heated into a boil and my exhausted trembles turned into tremors of nervous energy. I did my best to dispel the unwanted magic, but it stayed persistent.
“They’re here,” Amory whispered. I realized the mysterious burst of magic was a warning sign that another Immortal was close. I followed Amory’s example and hunched over, crawling silently up the vertical incline.
He gestured with his hand to keep moving. I stayed as low to the ground as I could without actually crawling and stepped carefully. I was embarrassed by how clumsy I was as only human. I repressed my magic, although the temptation to use just a little bit was strong.
Just like at Kingsley when the other students’ magic would trigger my own, so this unfamiliar stranger had shot off a warning sign through my veins. I couldn’t help but be thankful however, as the hot blood had not only warmed my body, but given me an extra burst of energy making it possible to escape quickly now.
“As long as we stay human, I doubt they will be able to follow us. Stay close and stay quiet,” Amory instructed in a soft whisper. I struggled to hear through the whipping wind and rustling trees.
We continued our trek through the Romanian wilderness. The wind was strong and with every current of air the autumn leaves were carried off in all directions. Despite the chilliness of the night, the sky was clear and the moon shone bright.
Amory led the way up one steep slope and down another, over and over again. We may not have been hiking entire mountains, but these foothills might as well have been. My arms were exhausted from rowing, but finally able to rest. It was now my legs turn to bear the weight of our escape.
The nervous buzzing of unfamiliar magic began to dissipate and I noticed Amory relax a little. He slowed our pace somewhat, taking his time and treading carefully through the more dangerous inclines. Never once did he look up to consult our direction, he seemed to take every step confidently, as if the path we walked had been traveled many times before.
Through our seemingly endless expedition my thoughts drifted to Kiran. My lips burned with the memory of his farewell; the frantic, determination in which he pressed his mouth against mine made me push through the pain and exhaustion. I remembered his aqua eyes deep and searching, begging me to run.
A shudder slithered down my spine, totally unrelated to the cold night. Whatever the reason I was running, Kiran was convinced it was absolutely necessary. I watched Amory take determined step after determined step and wondered at his reason for flight. What was it that had these two men so scared, so ready to risk everything to remove me from some mysterious danger?
–
“Here,” Amory panted, bending over to rest his hands on his knees. “We can rest here,” he struggled to catch his breath, while stabilizing himself.
I let out an exhausted sigh and sunk to the ground. The dirt and mud and damp ground had never offered such a comfortable resting place. I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my head wearily on them.
I licked my dry lips, realizing how thirsty I was. I thought back to the rushing river almost with regret. I shook my head quickly to rid my mind of the thought. I would survive.
“You can use your magic again,” Amory said with a stronger voice and I saw him stand upright confidently. “Careful though.”
The small buzzing of frenetic energy made its way over my body and I realized that Amory was bringing his back. He turned away from me and stretched out his arm. The buzzing grew stronger and Amory turned to shield his face.
A great white light followed by the sound of a tree exploding pierced the darkness and I let out a startled scream. I couldn’t help but be relieved however, that I was not the only one with those kinds of issues. Apparently blowing things up was just what happened to those pretending to be human.
I followed Amory’s example, allowing the buzzing to grow into a steady current of excited energy. I didn’t bother to stand up, but rather positioned my hands as far away from my face as I could. The energy continued to build and build until I could no longer hold it in anymore.
The small sapling that took the brunt of my built up electricity exploded into a thousand tiny pieces. I covered my head with my arms as small splinters rained down on top of me. When they stopped, I took a big breath relishing in the renewed energy.
Although my exhaustion did not completely disappear I was able to begin the healing process. As the magic moved through my blood, my muscles could finally relax. My scrapes and bruises began to disappear along with the soreness in my muscles. I rolled my head in a circle, cracking my neck and then stretched my arms high above my head. I felt completely renewed.
“Better?” Amory smiled at me.
“Much,” I smiled back.
“I don’t know many other Immortals who could have pulled that off. In fact, I’ve only heard of two others besides myself that have pulled that off,” Amory sat down beside me, resting his long arms on top of his bent knees.
“Oh really? Most Immortals can’t do that?” I felt oddly proud of my accomplishment.
“Oh, no. Most Immortals are useless without their magic. You are very special, child,” I blushed at his compliment.
“Who are the other Immortals then, I mean the ones who’ve done this before?” I asked, curious.
“You’re parents,” he said simply.
“Amory, I need answers,” I demanded at the reference to my parents. Although I was thankful to be that much more like them, I was tired of feeling in the dark.
“And you will get them, but first we need to call your brother. Your journey is far from over,” He looked out into the dark expanse with a distant expression on his face. I was not entirely sure if he meant my current journey or if he was speaking metaphorically. “Now that you have your magic back, I need you to connect with Avalon; he needs to come pick you up,” he gave me a look that told me I needed to follow his orders immediately.
Avalon. I concentrated on my twin brother, filling my body with strong energy. Avalon.
What? I knew immediately that he was irritated by my interruption. I felt defensive until I realized he didn’t even know we were in the same country.
We need your help. Now that our minds were connected, I felt every emotion, every thought he had, and I knew he felt the same with me. It was a very invasive experience.
Who’s we? His thoughts were tight and constrained, much like the position his body was in.
Amory and I. We need you.
What? Amory? Where are you? The surprise in his thoughts was evident. He stopped moving completely to focus on our conversation.
Somewhere in the Romanian mountains. I’m not sure exactly, but we need you to come pick us up. I kept my mental tone light and I laughed a little when I realized that I was driving Avalon crazy. He was completely focused on his extraction mission, which he happened to be currently in the middle of. A pang of guilt hit me though and I was suddenly worried about Lilly and the team.
Can’t it wait? I’m kind of in the middle of something. Although I could feel his irritation, I could also sense his concern for us. He would have easily given up the mission to come to our aid.
“He’s in the middle of the mission. Can we wait until he’s finished?” I explained to Amory out loud.
“No, we need to get you out of the country immediately. Tell him to bring Jericho and two cars. Ryder’s team can finish the mission,” Amory was stern and commanding.
Amory says to let Ryder take over the mission and come now. He says to bring Jericho and two cars. And he says I have to get out of the country immediately. I was embarrassed to admit the last part.
What are you even doing here? Fine. Where are you? I felt his body turn in the opposite direction then he was originally headed and signal to Jericho. Whatever he was in the middle of he had dropped it instantaneously to follow Amory’s orders.
“Where are we?” I asked Amory in order to relay it to Avalon.
“He can follow your magic,” Amory said without giving any more details.
Follow my magic. I relayed to Avalon and felt him internally irritated, but he didn’t ask any more questions.
“I want answers,” I demanded of Amory again when I could sense Avalon on his way.
“I will answer any question you ask,” Amory continued to stare off into the distance. I folded my arms stubbornly and opened my mouth. He’s damn right he would answer any question I had.
Chapter Forty-Three
“Ok, first of all, I’m glad we survived and all, but why on earth was that necessary?” I vented.
“You’re survival is absolutely essential,” Amory was quick to respond. “I’m afraid this war can’t be won without you and your brother,” Amory said firmly, although without actually answering my question.
“Yeah, I know; at least I’ve heard that before. But the question I am asking is why was my survival in question to begin with?” I turned to face Amory full on. I needed answers.
“Well that answer is a little more complicated. The short answer is because you look exactly like your mother; I’m sure you’ve also heard that before,” Amory paused for only a moment; just long enough for me to give him an encouraging look. “The long answer is because your mother happened to be engaged to Lucan before she ran off and eloped with your father, Lucan’s personal bodyguard. He would like nothing more than to find your mother and make her pay for a lifetime of sins.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. That wasn’t exactly the answer I had been expecting. A million questions began to swirl around in my mind, but Amory, sensing my confusion, continued with his chronicle.
“Let’s see, I suppose I should start from the beginning. Lucan became King at a very young age because his father, Cedric, died suddenly from the King’s Curse. At that time Kings usually waited until they were 100 or so to choose a wife; Cedric had done exactly that, fathered a son and planned on living a long life. When he died, Lucan was only a teenager. His advisors tried to guide him, but he has always been stubborn. His personal body guard was a teenager as well, and although the Royal guard advised him to choose an older, more experienced Titan, he refused. You see, a King’s personal body guard is chosen at birth; they are always the same age so that they grow together and learn to trust each other. They are naturally the best of friends. The same was true of Lucan and Justice, your father. Lucan at that time, not having finished school but not wanting to be alone, had a special group of students chosen from all over the world to study with him at the Royal Palace. Your mother was one of those students and I’m afraid Lucan fell head over heels for her the moment he laid eyes on her; I suspect Justice did as well. Your mother was a very special girl; beautiful of course, talented beyond any other Immortal and smart, very smart. So naturally, Lucan pursued her. I’m afraid she saw his faults from the beginning and although she tried to persuade him to find someone else, he was persistent. When all of his attentions came to no avail he finally commanded her to be his wife. You are so much like her in every way that I’m sure you can imagine how she would react to a direct order such as marriage. But like I said, Lucan is stubborn, and blind to all reason, and so he gave her no choice.”
“But why didn’t Lucan try to find someone who actually liked him back?” I asked, confused why anyone would fall in love with someone who didn’t feel the same way.
“There are several reasons I believe; you see Lucan was scared. His father had died suddenly, leaving him the sole heir to the throne. Having no children of his own, and a fear of also dying young he was pressed to find a wife and begin a family. Since the Curse, no King has ever been able to produce more than one male heir. I believe that he is simply afraid of death; even still to this day. He is afraid of his precious bloodline dying. I believe he hoped your mother would cure all of that. You see, she is a very powerful Witch; probably the most powerful of her generation. And I believe that Lucan thought with their combined bloodline they would be able to save the line of kings.”
“What does her blood have to do with anything?” I asked, trying to stay focused. I suddenly yawned and realize how exhausted I was.
“She is the daughter of the last remaining Oracle. If you remember, the Oracles were the most powerful Immortals before the King’s Curse. Yes, that makes you the granddaughter of course.”
“But I thought all of the Oracles were dead?” I was really confused now.
“One remains, but I believe his soul died a long time ago,” Amory mumbled the last part, and I saw true sadness in his eyes. But then he continued quickly, “So, with that kind of magic mixed, Lucan was hoping for a super-child. He was hoping to bring back the old magic; the magic that disappeared when Derrick cursed us. Unfortunately though, for your mother, it was more than business that drew Lucan to her; he actually fell deeply in love with her. All of his attempts to win her over failed; and sometime during all of this Delia and Justice fell in love instead,” he shook his head as if frustrated with the memory of it.
“Delia,” I repeated softly, saying my mother’s name out loud for the first time. “So, he killed them?” I asked, terrified of the answer.
“No, he didn’t. They outsmarted him, but he hasn’t stopped hunting them to this day.”
“They’re alive?” I was shocked and stunned. My entire life I had been told my parents were dead. How was it possible they were still alive? And where were they?
“Truthfully child, I don’t know the answer to that question. Nobody has heard nor seen them since I received you and your brother on my doorstep when you were just infants, and even then you were the only proof I had seen that they were still alive. In all likelihood they probably are dead. I don’t how anyone could still be hiding from Lucan after this many years,” he looked at me with such sadness in his eyes that I was not sure I could bear to ask him another question.
“So how did they escape?” I forced myself to ask, remembering my interest in his story and accepting his answers so far.
“The same way we just did. They planned it very carefully. They must have practiced for months, maybe years, but they were eventually able to dismiss their magic and survive. They were the first Immortals to ever be able to live without magic. They conditioned their human bodies then to withstand the flight and one night they simply left. The wedding was planned and preparations were made, and then one night, when court was being held here, without a word to anyone they just left. Justice’s mother was a Shape-Shifter, one of the old ones, when she discovered her son missing; she shifted to look like your mother and played the part of Delia until she believed they were given enough time to escape. When Lucan discovered what she had done he had as many Shape-Shifters as he could get his hands on, executed gruesomely until she finally came forward. Once she was dead, he lifted the decree from execution to exile; but that is only part of the hell Shape-Shifters have lived through over the millennia. Your parents seemed to have disappeared forever, when about one hundred and fifty years later, you and Avalon showed up on my doorstep. Justice actually left you with Angelica and she brought you to me per their wishes, informing me that you were twins and that you were theirs. At that time they were still alive, but that was sixteen years ago. I do know she was healthy enough to bare twins, something that hadn’t been done since before Derrick was King.”
“And Lucan would kill me just because I look like my mother, although he thinks she’s dead?” I clarified.
“I am certain Lucan believes they are alive; I don’t doubt he has ever given up his search. If he were to uncover that you were Delia and Justice’s daughter, he would not only have you tortured, but most likely use you to bait out your mother and father. If he ever found out you had a twin brother, then I’m afraid all hell would break lose.”
“Why? Why does it matter that Avalon and I are twins?”
“Twins have always been rare within the Immortals, but since the King’s Curse they have been non-existent. With the old magic, twins were unparalleled for strength and power and on top of that they have a telepathic connection so they work together flawlessly. I have yet to see yours and Avalon’s true abilities, but the fact that you are twins is proof that you have all four types of magic in your recent genealogy, which is a miracle in itself. The interesting part is, you do not have the old magic, you have a new magic, something Immortals have never seen before. You are a rare and precious commodity Eden, something Lucan would do anything to possess…. and use,” Amory spoke with awe in his voice, and I found myself embarrassed by all of these facts. I was not sure if I wanted to be the secret weapon in a war I didn’t even know if I agreed with yet, for either side.
“How do I have all four types? I thought intermarriage was forbidden or whatever?” I asked, changing the subject a little.
“Let’s see, your grandfather was a Witch and an Oracle; your grandmother was a Medium; they also married in secret, but she was later killed because of it. Justice, you’re father, was a Titan and his father a Titan, but his mother was a Shape-Shifter; something nobody knew until the fateful shift that began it all. That’s all four types and Avalon too; but your strongest traits are Witch and Avalon’s are Titan, although we try to make him play up his other ones. If he were to appear like a Titan, people would be suspicious why he isn’t with the Guard,” I lay back on the grass, unable to sit any longer and listened to the melodic tone in Amory’s voice.
“Ok, so now I understand why I shouldn’t have interrupted the trial. But why didn’t you tell me all of this before? If I would have known this, I wouldn’t have gone to all of the trouble of exposing myself. And Dream Walking to? Why didn’t you tell me that was real?” I whispered quietly, rubbing my eyes to keep them open.
A million stars lit up the night sky; I pondered for a moment that although I was half way across the world this was the same sky I looked up to when I was home in the middle of America. The night was still cold, but the magic buzzing steadily through my veins kept my blood warm.
“I couldn’t tell you this before because I wasn’t sure if you would be able to hide it from Kiran. I was afraid that if he found any of this out that it wouldn’t matter if you came to Romania or not. I have been waiting for Kiran to discover you this entire semester and turn you over to his father, but I’m afraid I underestimated him,” Amory said with almost curiosity in his voice. “And the Dream Walking, I hoped it was harmless. I was afraid that if you knew too much, that if you protected yourself from Kiran too much, that would also make him suspicious.”
“What do you mean?” I asked through another wide yawn.
“I think that Kiran has always known, or at least he’s known for some time. I’m not sure how he would have recognized you, but after his reaction in the courtroom I am almost positive he is aware of your identity,” I perked up a little by Amory’s answer. If he knew this entire time, why didn’t he ever say anything to me? Does that mean he was trying to protect me this whole time?
“So he knew who I was, but didn’t tell his father? What does that mean?” I rubbed my eyes again, determined to keep them open.
“I think it means he had the same reaction to you that his father had with your mother. He’s obviously hoping for a different outcome,” Amory replied, laughing a little.
“Star-crossed,” I mumbled.
“What’s that?” Amory asked, although I was sure he heard me.
“Nothing,” I answered quickly. “If you were so afraid of Kiran finding out about me, then how come you had me enroll at Kingsley?” my questions would keep coming as long as I could stay awake. I finally had someone giving me answers, I was not about to give up now. But then I yawned again, and realized it was only a matter of time before I was able to fight my exhausted body.
“I never would have had you come to Kingsley had I known that Kiran would be attending. But by the time we got the call about his arrival, you were already on your way to school. I had intended to intercede, but I couldn’t get to you before your run in with Kiran in the lobby of the Administration building. After that I had to hope for the best and protect you as best as I could. Kiran’s interest in you however, made me a failure as it turns out,” I expected Amory to be disappointed in what he considered a failure, but he sounded more entertained than anything.
“Why do you think he never told his father?” I asked again, not entirely sure what to think of the whole story. I closed my eyes, promising myself that I would stay awake and listen even if my tired eyes were shut.
“You said it best Eden…. star-crossed,” and then I found the sweet surrender of sleep beneath a wide open Romanian sky.
