Embracing the Flames (23 page)

Once outside, I stopped Fenn, taking a huge gasp of air in. “Fenn,” I said, bracing myself with his arms.

“Rory, it’s fine. Just breathe, okay?” He pulled me into him.

“I know, I just…I can’t believe this. It just doesn’t make sense. Something isn’t adding up. The blood sacrifice...two younglings of a Fate’s son? It can’t mean that Zane will die again. So what does it mean?” The tears spilled over.

He gently tilted my chin up. “I love you. We will get through this.” He leaned in and kissed me, his lips gentle and soft.

My knees went weak as I leaned into him, but even this small moment of happiness was not completely undisturbed. He slowly pulled back, kissing my forehead and then my hair. “I love you too,” I whispered, grateful to have my best friend by my side.

“We have to get back now.” He brought me back to reality.

“I know. We have to let Zane and Lexi know what’s happening,” I agreed, frowning.

He shook his head. “No, I mean back home. We have to talk to Gabe and Myrdinn and see if they have a solution to fix the weakened barrier.”

I sighed heavily, brooding. “Would it be awful if I admitted a part of me doesn’t want to go back?”

He chuckled as he ruffled my hair and pulled me to the backside of a bush, opening a portal to Zane and Lexi. “Oh, Rory.” He continued laughing and then pulled me through.

Chapter 18

A Broken Barrier

“WHAT HAVE WE DONE?” LEXI panicked, pacing wildly around Soothe’s room. “The Harpies and the Shadows are only the beginning. You haven’t even seen the evil that resides in the Outlands. A death will come to He that breaks the barrier. The prophecy spoke of this.”

“Lexi, calm down,” Zane groaned, still clutching his side. “You weren’t the one attacked, now were you? And no one is going to die.”

I grabbed the remote and turned the news on. “Have either of you seen this?”

“What is it?” they both chimed in unison.

“It’s called the news, and it’s how we see what’s going on in the world around here.” I turned the volume up to drown out their questions.

“…reports are still being sent in from all over the island as black fog continues to cover the area. Here’s a brief clip…”

I could barely make out the ruins. Darkness enveloped them. Police and firefighters were racing around, trying everything to combat the Shadows that were steadily seeping through the cave’s entry.

Lexi gasped, wrapping her arms around her stomach in comfort. “Is that water they’re spraying onto the Shadows?” I turned to look at her. Her voice had perked up with hope.

“Yeah, it looks like it,” said Fenn, turning away from the TV and grabbing a soda from Soothe’s fridge.

“The Shadows can be defeated by the elements. The water will hold them back at least until we get there,” Zane explained groggily.

“When should we go?” I asked eagerly.

“Whenever you’re ready.” He winked, but his face scrunched in pain as he stood. “Damn Harpy poison.”

“Are you even going to be able to move?” I questioned, noting the beads of sweat lining his forehead.

“The sooner I get home, the better I’ll be.” I didn’t know if I should mention the prophecy or not. The part about another potential death.

“Harpy poison has to be counteracted with a potion. The spell we did will only keep the poison from spreading,” Lexi explained as she started to pick at his side again.

“Yeah, I know,” I muttered. I had read about that in
The Races of Our Realm
.

“What about this?” Fenn asked, pulling the vial left with Soothe’s letter from out of his pocket.

Lexi reached for it. “Where did you get this?”

“Soothe left it with the letter,” I quickly explained.

Lexi grinned. “That rotten Harpy. He knew this was all going to happen. This is the potion to counteract the poison.”

Zane cleared his throat. “Can I please take it then?”

Lexi handed it to him. He pulled the cork out and downed it in one sip. His eyes rolled back in relief as the potion took effect.

“Better? Lexi asked.

“Much,” he said with a sigh. He walked around, testing his wound “So you got everything you needed in the letter?” he asked.

I exchanged glances with Fenn. “Yes,” I said a moment later. I looked over at Zane. We filled them in on what the missing piece was. “You need to be careful, Zane. Keep yourself from getting killed and the Stone will be safe.”

Zane looked at me funny.

“The spilling of the firstborn blood thing? It’s still a necessity in order for the Stone to be taken. You are his firstborn so don’t get yourself killed and all will be well,” Fenn explained.

“Something about that doesn’t make sense,” Lexi threw in.

I turned to her. “How so?”

“You said the prophecy said between two younglings of a Fate’s son. Is it talking about Zhax too? Only one can protect...I thought that was Fenn’s job. I don’t know.” She shrugged.

Zane shrugged. “Standing here isn’t going to help us figure it out.” He reached for the door and Lexi followed.

I turned to face Fenn, the light from the window highlighting the hollow purple pockets under his eyes. “That came in handy.”

“Thank god for Soothe.”

I threw my arms around him, reaching on tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. His eyes sparkled with love, and he smiled a small smile. “Love you,” he said as he grabbed my bookbag and we walked to the door. I shoved the packet of photos into the bag and then we met up with Zane and Lexi around the back of the motel. 

We ported just outside of the ruins, immediately encompassed by darkness. Light strained through the black mist as a choking fear began to rise up. I felt the scales surfacing along my skin as I shifted and a taint of uneasiness lingering within.

Eerie, faint moaning noises carried on a stale breeze. It sounded like mourning souls, weeping for their lost loved ones. I felt a chill work its way up my spine, resting in the back of my head.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I whispered to Zane.

“Towards the light, I guess.” I could barely make out his figure as he wobbled along in front of us. Fenn’s ring was glowing brightly now. Something was going to happen. Something that would change everything.

Lexi glued herself to my side, her trembling hands gripping my scaly flesh. “Do you know what the Shadows can do to you? They can drive you crazy,” she fretted, painfully squeezing my arm. “They can seep into your mind and make you see things that aren’t there. They are everything that you hate about yourself and more. And you never know when one will attack. That’s why they normally take on the form of a mist, because it’s hard to tell where the heart of the mutation is.” Her words spilled out of her, filled with terror.

“How can you tell?” I asked, trying to keep her talking. Fenn walked on the other side of me, holding my hand tightly. He kept an arm out, feeling for the large pillars of rock that made up the ruins.

“You hear the moaning?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“It gets louder as we get closer. That moaning is coming from the heart. It’s all the stolen memories of its victims.”

I shivered, stumbling over a root that stuck up out of the ground. Fenn was quick, steadying me.

“We’re nearing the edge of the mist,” Zane called from behind him.

“We’re lucky,” Lexi murmured. “It must be distracted with the firefighters so it hasn’t sensed us.”

The strained light began to stream through the thick mist. Heavenly fresh air hit us, coating our lungs. We came out on the edge of the forest, just before the cave. The Shadows were streaming out of the cave above us, drifting through the air.

“Are you going to stay in your dragon form?” Fenn asked, gliding his fingers along my scales.

“For now, yeah.”

I stalked forward and looked around, trying to figure out where Soothe might be. He said at the ruins, but they were plagued with Shadows.

“I’m sure Soothe will show up if he wants to, but we really shouldn’t wait around for him. We got what we came for,” Zane said hastily.

“You’re right, but I need to find him. Lexi,” I said, facing her, “take Zane back to the cave.”

“WHAT!” Zane and Lexi shouted in unison.

“You got what you needed, Aurora. What do you need Soothe for?” Zane spit out through clenched teeth. Fenn stepped forward, blocking me.

“I need to know, Zane. I need to understand, because frankly, I don’t. If I have to choose a life to spare, I would like to be a little more prepared, especially when that choice will forever change the fate of these two realms. Are you faced with that choice?” I challenged him as my voice heightened in anger. Smoke billowed out from my nostrils and lips.

He glared at me, an understanding registering in his eyes. “Fine. Come on, Lexi. If Aurora wants to sign her death warrant, so be it. I’m not signing mine.” He walked away.

Lexi looked stuck. “Go,” I eased, forcing a slim smile.

“Just hurry up, okay? If a Harpy shows up, we’re screwed.”

“We’ll be right behind you,” Fenn reassured. “Soothe has to be nearby.”

She hesitated, and then kissed his cheek, huffing as she hugged me goodbye. “I’m serious. Hurry up,” she said one more time as she turned to follow Zane.

When she disappeared amongst the trees, we turned back towards the Shadows. “He’s got to be somewhere close. SOOTHE!” I shouted, hoping he would hear me.

“Do you think shouting is a good idea?” Fenn said, raising his eyebrows.

“None of this is a good idea, Fenn.” I continued to stubbornly shout Soothe’s name.

Minutes passed by, and we entered the filmy gloom. I was so consumed with finding Soothe that I didn’t pay attention to the fact that the moaning kept growing louder.

“Something’s not right,” Fenn said wearily, tugging my arm to keep me from walking forward. “Listen for a minute.” He was whispering now.

I turned my ear up. A faint heartbeat was stifled by the incessant moaning. It was so weak I almost thought it was my imagination, but the unmistakable cadence was there. “We’re getting closer.”

“Let’s go back, Rory. This is dangerous.” He tried to pull me away from the heartbeat.

“No…I want to see it,” I said distantly, enthralled with curiosity.

“Rory, please,” he begged, not letting go of my arm but moving in step with me as I skirted forward.

“Wait, I hear something.” I took a few more steps forward. “It’s saying something…hold on.”

The moaning shifted and evolved into something I never wanted to hear. Zordon’s voice. “Stupid girl. You never listen to those who know best,” the voice heeded, followed by a menacing laugh.

Anger flared up. I was going to kill him once and for all. “What are you doing?” Fenn shouted, grabbing onto my ankle as I jumped up and flexed my wings.

“I’m going to kill him,” I barked.

“You think you can kill me?” The poisonous voice was moving closer as the dark mist swirled around us.

“Kill who? Rory, what’s going on?” Torment suddenly infected Fenn’s voice. His muscles flexed as he tried with all his might to pull me back to him. But I was stronger.

“Show yourself,” I shouted into the choking mist.

The laughter echoed as an inky black figure appeared in front of us. Zordon’s figure. My deepest, darkest fear. “Come to die, Progeny?” the voice taunted as it swirled back into a fog. It reappeared behind Fenn, the mist forming into a knife that slid along his throat.

Fenn’s eyes widened in horror as I screamed, flames erupting from the pit of me. “Let him GO!” I shouted, directing the flames towards the fog around us. It immediately retracted as if the fire had hurt it. The elements.

The laughter continued as Fenn’s hands shot up to his throat, checking for blood.

“Ouch,” the voice mocked, suddenly sounding like Mily. Her figure appeared and was sobbing black gloppy tears.

“Mily,” I choked out.

“It’s not her, Aurora. It’s the Shadow. It’s playing with you. Stay focused.” Fenn hands began to glow the same color as his ring. “The elements, Rory,” he hinted as he began to chant, “Obtestum Aqua.” A ball of water formed in his palms as Mily’s figure slowly faded back into Zordon, his fire-lit eyes piercing my resolve.

“No more games, girl,” his voice threatened. Fenn threw the conjured water in the direction of his form, but he disappeared before it connected.

“Where did it go?” I asked, flames lining my fingertips. Fenn moved to stand beside me as I lowered myself to the ground.

“Here,” the voice whispered into my ear.

“FENN!” I screamed. I felt the mist ooze into my ear. My dragon form shifted back as I dropped to my knees, and then everything went black.