Eramane (24 page)

We leave the protection of the forest and are making our way to the shore. It is dark now, and we will have to follow the shore for a little longer before reaching the palace. I am very curious to know what Limearsy holds within. The more I think of what powers he might possess, the more I realize that we really have a chance of defeating Adikiah. I take a deep breath and try to regain my
self
. I still have a part of that innocent girl in me. That is where my true strength resonates. As long as I keep hold of her, Adikiah will never succeed in making me his.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

A Palace Not Divine

THE MOON IS NOT OUR
friend tonight; it gives off no light. Not the way it illuminated the palace chamber, when it was so plump and bright. Tonight it seems as if the moon is in hiding, afraid of what will soon transpire. The six of us stand at the edge of the ocean, gazing at Adikiah’s home. The giant mountain looks as if it is floating in the churning waters. The perfect location for protection: if one cannot fly, then one must risk the volatile sea. Ocean waves crash against the massive rock as if trying to penetrate the palace walls, a familiar sound. I close my eyes and remember the first time I listened to the raging water. It seems so long ago, and I pray that those moments are gone forever, that we will defeat Adikiah and that I will never be forced to relive them.

The mist that has followed me since the beginning of this journey of atonement has made its way out to sea and surrounds the fortress, as if it were the guardian of the palace. It pleases me to know that I am on my way to destroy Adikiah.

“We must swim it. There is no other way,” Terrin says after a long silence. None of us want to hear it aloud. The waters are frigid and forbidding and will be unforgiving to our need for warmth, yet the desire for revenge is powerful; it will take more than a cold swim to deter us.

“Once we reach the palace, we will have to make our way up and into the nethermost regions. It will be dark, so stay close,” I inform the men.

Halfway through our swim to the mountain, Aurick begins to fall prey to the freezing waters. “My hands and feet are numb. I cannot feel them,” he says in exhaustion. He spits water out of his mouth as he speaks, and we all know that if we do not get him to the rocks at the bottom of the palace, he will perish in the sea. Limearsy is closest to Aurick and swims over to help. “Hold on, Aurick, I am coming.”

By the time Limearsy reaches Aurick, he is almost completely numb and cannot swim on his own. Limearsy takes hold of Aurick and lugs him the rest of the way. Once we make it to the rocks, the climb to the entrance is not too far. The rocks are slippery and make it difficult to climb, and the higher up we get, the more likely fatal a fall will be. Aurick’s trek is even harder, because he has lost feeling in his hands. He reaches for a rock hold that does not have enough room for him to grip. He shakes as he extends to grasp it; unsteady he swings over to it. His hand grabs the rock and then slips off.

“Ahh!” Aurick shouts, falling past me. Limearsy is below. He extends his arms and snatches Aurick just before it is too late. “By the gods, man, thank you,” Aurick says, regaining his grip.

We make our way into the palace and reach the fire pits, where the fires blaze intensely and lavish our bodies with heat. Each of us takes advantage of their warmth while we dry out ripped pieces of our clothes in an effort to construct torches. “They will not last long, so let us make good use of them,” I say.

“I can feel him,” Limearsy says quietly.

“Then we both do,” I reply.

“We all do,” Samiah adds. “No one could be numb to this heavy air. That monstrosity’s presence fills this place,” he finishes. Samiah and his men begin to discuss a way to strategically search the domain for Adikiah.

I turn to them. “He knows we are here. He knows that we are using his fires to fashion torches. He waits for us in the Gate chamber, and that is where we must go to find him,” I conclude.

“What is the Gate chamber?” Nahmas asks.

I look at Limearsy. “It is where I came from before Limearsy found me.” I turn to the others. “Every soul that we harvest goes there. Good or evil, they are all there, and if you go near the Gate, they will pull you in with the force of a thousand horses.”

We make our way down the corridor that will lead us to the chamber where I know Adikiah will be waiting. I have heard Adikiah since we plunged into the icy waters surrounding the palace. He told me where he would be waiting for us. It seems as though he is excited, thrilled with the matter at hand. He absolutely believes that he will kill my brother, the Ghosts, and Limearsy, and then he will have me again. I feel very strong in this place, and although I have not harvested, I trust Limearsy’s promise that the elixir he gives me is better for me than a harvest. We will soon find out.

I lead Limearsy and the Riders down the narrow walkway, listening to the familiar sound of water trickling down the rock walls. When I am aware that we have reached our destination, I stop and turn to Limearsy and my brother. “This is it,” I say. I try not to show my emotions to my brother; my tears will not make him turn from this place. I just cannot see a way for Samiah and his comrades to escape this battle with their lives. Samiah tries to enter the chamber. “No!” I plead and grab the handle. “Please go back, Samiah! Please take the Ghosts and leave before it is too late,” I beg of him. His hesitation gives me false promise that he will heed my request, and then he responds.

“I am not leaving here without you,” he says. He turns to the Ghosts. “Nahmas, Terrin, Aurick, you are my brothers…”

“If you fall here, we shall all fall here,” asserts Nahmas. Terrin and Aurick affirm their brother’s claim and pull their weapons. I rest my head on the big wooden door for a moment, and in that instant I gather all of the strength I can summon to carry on.

“Well, let us not keep him waiting,” I say as I open the doors that will expose my companions to the force they must now reckon with.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Seraph

WE STAND ACROSS FROM ADIKIAH;
he remains seated. The room is larger than I remember. Adikiah’s servants form a crescent behind his throne, all of them looking down at the floor. They seem to be new to the palace; they stand apprehensive, not knowing what to expect from their new master.

“Did you murder the others as you did in the relic chamber?” I ask, commenting on the sheepish bunch. Adikiah makes no expression.

“I recruited a new lot. The others disobeyed. They were supposed to retrieve you from that little town after they slaughtered everyone. Obviously, they did not bring you home, and they paid with their lives.” Cinders smolder in a deep fire pit that separates us from our adversary. Our attention is immediately drawn away from Adikiah when the wall flanking us begins to pulsate.

“The wall is … breathing,” Terrin announces.

“That is the Gate?” Samiah questions.

I nod my head. “That is it,” I say.

“Well, my love, who are my guests?” Adikiah asks impishly. He steps down from his mighty throne, flexing his body, stretching himself out, preparing to turn into the creature that he is. He walks to the edge of the fire pit. “Hello, brother,” Adikiah says laughingly from across the fiery crevice; he fixes a stare on Samiah. “Tell me, how is your father, and that lovely mother of yours?”

“I did not come here to exchange words. Cross that pit and fight!” Samiah demands. Adikiah’s slow, deep laughter echoes through the chamber.

“Fight?” He continues laughing. “Why do we need this quarrel? Has not Eramane come back to my home, where she belongs?”

“No, beast, she has not come back to you,” Samiah says. Adikiah paces in front of the pit that separates us from him. As he passes each of my companions, he glares at them, taking in their worth. He reaches Limearsy and halts.

“You are the one who found her? You nursed her wounds, comforted her when she was weak?” Adikiah’s chest heaves with distaste.

“I am the one that saved her from the death you sent her to,” Limearsy says unwavering.

“You saved her, did you? Tell me, then—why did you bring her back here to me?”

“I came back here to end you,” I interject. Adikiah moves his focus from Limearsy and positions himself across from me. I feel my body begin to tremble. He looks me over, and I watch his expression move from inquisitive to distraught.

“Where are your wings?” His forehead wrinkles with concern.

“They were torn from me in the Gate passage,” I say coldly. He clashes his teeth together, and his nostrils flare.

“I am sorry for that; they were beautiful,” he says woefully.

“Enough!” Samiah bellows. “Why are you hiding behind these flames? Will you stand there, or will you fight?”

“Your brother wishes to die tonight, Eramane. He is willing to die … for what?” Adikiah pries.

“You killed our father! You took my sister and forced her to into a life meant only for foul things such as you! That is why I am here! Now cross this pit and fight me, damn you!” Samiah’s rage is untamable and if Adikiah does not cross the pit soon, Samiah will risk jumping it.

“Yes, I took her. Yes, I killed your father, but I did not force her to harvest; she chose to live, so she chose to kill. You see, brother, she did choose this for herself,” Adikiah gloats. He does not relish his pride for very long; Nahmas shoots an arrow into his abdomen. Adikiah looks surprised; it went in deep. He grasps the shaft and pulls the arrow from him, and his face contorts. “Shall we, then?” Adikiah remarks as he transforms from his beautiful human form into his wretched beastly self.

Just as I have witnessed many times, my comrades look on in awe as Adikiah’s bones stretch and his skin blackens. Horns force their way from his skull, forming weighty armor on the sides of his head, and in seconds there he is, the beast they call the Nameless One. Adikiah’s true form emerges and he spreads his wings like the massive sails of an ocean vessel. Adikiah, not wanting to offend Samiah any longer, jumps the wide pit with ease and lands with a hard thud in front of my brother. Without hesitation Adikiah grabs Samiah by his throat, lifting him from the ground. The Ghosts charge the fiend. Adikiah defends himself with his wings, hitting Terrin and Aurick with calculated strikes, sending them across the chamber and into sharp edges of the nearby wall. Nahmas shoots as many arrows as he can at Adikiah, but they do not pierce his flesh this time. “Your friend wishes to die,” Adikiah says to Samiah as he tightens his grip on my brother’s throat. The mighty beast reaches into the fire pit, breaking off a piece of hot wall rock, pulling it from the pit. He hurls it at Nahmas, who shields himself but is knocked off his feet.

“Eramane, come back to me and I will make this end!” Adikiah pleads. I look for Limearsy and see that he is outnumbered by the servants. They claw and lash out at him; one moves in and sinks its teeth into Limearsy’s shoulder. Where are the Ghosts? It is difficult to see everyone because Adikiah has thrown several fiery rocks about the chamber, smoke obscures the area. If I do not attack quickly, my brother will suffocate under Adikiah’s grip. I lunge at Adikiah, hoping that I will loosen his grip so that Samiah can break free of it. I hit him and make an escape possible; Samiah gasps for air and stumbles back. My hold is strong and Adikiah’s only defense is to pull me into him, a move I did not anticipate. Now I am the one losing air beneath his forceful squeeze. If I do not escape his hold, I will lose consciousness. My eyes open and shut as I fight against him. In between their shuttering, I see that Limearsy has taken down the servants, all of them.
That is amazing
is all that crosses my mind just as I am about to slip away from reality.

I can breathe again! My eyes open and I get my bearings; I have fallen to the ground. I look up and see Adikiah fall back, using a wing to cover his face. The assault came from Aurick, hardly visible. He traced and became a sheer reflection of himself, as if he were made of water. With all the commotion, and the smoke, Adikiah was unable to detect his faint image. Aurick blew a powder on Adikiah’s skin that engulfed his flesh, causing an unfathomable burning sensation. I hear him scream; not aloud, but I hear it.

Now we have Adikiah surrounded; Limearsy has rejoined after eliminating the servants. Each of the brothers has traced, and I can see that Adikiah wishes for better odds. His confidence has minimized with the defeat of his servants and Aurick’s sneak attack.

“Is this how you envisioned my return, Adikiah?” I yell to him. He slowly pulls his wing away, revealing his face. Not a hint of damage can be seen.

“Is this how you envisioned my defeat, a few casters and two warriors?” His words turn to a laugh, but his banter is short-lived. He is no longer interested in toying with his prey.

Adikiah charges me, pushing off with a powerful thrust; there is nothing my comrades can do to stop him from reaching me. He snatches me up, like an owl swoops in on a field mouse, and just I was before, I am engulfed by his strong arms and massive wings. He wraps his wings over me, making a cocoon. He looks at the others and looks to the pit of fire. Each of my comrades must know his intentions; I can hear them as if I were the one thinking them; Adikiah is going to jump into the pit, where no one can go in after us.