The League of Illusion: Destiny (10 page)

Chapter Nineteen

It was twilight by the time they reached the base of the mountains.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Jovan asked. He was now riding beside Sebastian, each brother taking their time to catch up with him.

“I’m positive. Can’t you feel the energy in the air? Something big is going to happen here.”

“What do you think, Corina?” Rhys asked.

She was walking beside the horse, her hand brushing the tops of the tall grass that grew in abundance. “I can sense Hawthorne. He definitely came this way.”

“How can you tell?” Sebastian asked.

“I shot off his thumb. His blood and flesh splattered onto me. It’s safe to say we’re connected now.”

Grimacing, Sebastian glanced at Jovan, who nodded. “We’ve had a bit of an adventure getting here.”

“Obviously.” Sebastian dismounted. “We could use some light.”

“Allow me.” Jovan rubbed his hands together then cupped them. Within seconds a glowing green orb of light formed. He opened his hands and let the witchlight float up. Its green luminance bathed the path in front of them with an emerald sheen.

“You’ve gotten better at that,” Sebastian said. It was hard for him to remember that his brothers were no longer the brash young men he thought of them. They’d grown and changed just as he had.

“I’m almost as good as you now, brother.” Jovan slapped Sebastian on the back.

“How about you, Rhys?” Sebastian glanced at him. “Have you come into your power?”

“You could say that,” Rhys answered.

“One of his illusions chewed the hand off an elf,” Jovan said, with obvious pride in his voice.

“Sounds like you’re a better illusionist than I.”

Rhys ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure I’m not that good.”

Sebastian stared out toward the mountain pass, willing Drea to come walking down unharmed, her curls bouncing with each stride. But he knew will alone wasn’t going to be good enough. War was coming. He could feel it in the crisp night air and hear it in the whispers of the leaves and grasses.

They were going to need all their power, all their magic to win. Including his. Especially his. “I’m afraid my magic is a little rusty. I haven’t used it much in the past few years.”

“Because of Evangeline?” Skylar asked.

He was startled to hear her name but he nodded to the Druid, who’d been like a little sister to him in the past.

“We talked to her.”

Sebastian frowned. “When?”

“A month ago.” She glanced at Jovan. “Jovan performed necromancy on her and she helped us find you.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. His heart squeezed hard. That his little brother would risk the wrath of the council in performing an illegal spell in order to find him...

“She misses you. And she forgives you. She said you should forgive yourself.”

“Skylar,” Jovan warned. “You go too far.”

Forgiveness. He’d gone so long seeking it, craving it. Needing it, to move on. And here it was. From Evangeline’s own lips so to speak.

A great weight lifted from him as he thought of her. It was as if she were there, in front of him, pulling the heaviness of his burden right out of his body. His soul felt lighter. He hadn’t realized how much his guilt had tethered him to darkness and despair.

He no longer felt that encumbrance weighing him down.

Skylar touched his arm. “I’m sorry, Sebastian...”

“No, it’s all right. It’s time I forgave myself. I’m trying. Drea...” He paused, trying to find the right words. “She’s my first step.”

Rhys came to stand on his other side. “Then we’ll combine our magic and fight for her together.”

“I’ve missed the both of you, but I never realized how much until now.”

Jovan shook his head. “You know you’ve really gotten sentimental over the years. It’s quite disturbing.”

Sebastian laughed. It felt good to joke with his brothers. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d been all together with laughter in the air. Certainly it wasn’t at their mother’s wake. And that might have been the last time he’d been at Davenport Manor for any length of time. After her death, he’d moved to the city and led a different life away from his father’s influence, away from tradition and family loyalty.

Now he had to go back and live up to his responsibilities of being a Davenport.

“It’s time we got ready,” he said, as he took the armor Claude had given him out of the saddlebags and prepared the blunderbuss. He’d been shown how to work it but he still was hesitant. What if it failed? What if
he
failed?

As he put on the armor pieces, he thought about Drea. He had to save her. If he didn’t he wasn’t sure if he could go on. He’d come to this place to find a way to change the past, and in the process he’d found a way to have a future. With Drea. Only with her could he finally put the pieces of his life back together. Only with her would it be worth it.

Chapter Twenty

Darin watched from the sidelines as Acari did his little ceremony, offering up the Blairwood girl to the morrigan.

She had her wrists tied, each with a separate rope. Lovo and Malor held the ends, pulling her arms up, holding her in place. Or as much as they could, considering she kept trying to get away. Acari stood in front of her, speaking and drawing symbols on her forehead and cheeks with what Darin could only assume was blood, since it was red and dripped a lot. She was crying, cringing away from him with every stroke of his finger.

The morrigan stood in the corner, watching it all as well. Or at least Darin assumed it was paying attention. It was hard to tell with two of its heads covered by helmets and face plates, and its one revealed face stoic and unflinching as stone. The only emotion it exhibited was the fire in its eyes. Every once in a while it would flare up.

He personally found the whole process prehistoric and uncivilized. Certainly conjuring spells took a bit of pomp and formality with words but nothing compared to the pagan ritual he was witnessing. He was surprised they hadn’t stripped her naked and painted her entire body. As it was Acari was doing quite a bit of chanting in elfish, which Darin always thought to be an awful-sounding guttural language.

He almost felt bad for the girl. Not enough to free her, mind. He had a healthy dose of self-preservation going on. He wasn’t going to do anything that would risk the opportunity the elves were giving him to exact his revenge on the Davenports and claim his rightful place as head of the magical community.

Avaira broke off from the others and came to stand with him. “You don’t approve.”

He shrugged. “Obviously I’m not an elf. Your traditions and methods are not my concern.”

“What is?”

“Securing my seat on the League of Illusion. Nothing else really matters to me.” He eyed her. “Our arrangement is still in place, is it not? Acari hasn’t changed our plans?”

“Of course not,” she said, except she dropped her gaze when she said it.

She was lying to him. That much was evident. But had the Blairwood girl told him the truth? Were they planning on killing him?

He had to keep up his guard, although it had never been down. He didn’t trust easily. Actually, he never trusted. There wasn’t one person in his life who he trusted fully. Not even his father. Especially not his father.

He had allies certainly. People who shared his penchant for power and doing whatever it took to acquire it. A few of them had helped him get to this point. Avaira was one, but he never claimed to trust her. Even when they were rolling around in his bed. She was using him just as he was using her. But to kill him? Did she have it in her do that?

He studied her as she watched the rest of the ritual. There was glee in her vibrant eyes. The same look was there when she’d instructed him to slaughter the cat to open the portal. Yes, she definitely had it in her to kill him without a second thought.

For the next few hours he was going to have to watch his back. He couldn’t be caught in any precarious situation that would afford the elves an opportunity to execute him. This was going to be extremely difficult since they were going to be marching into war very soon.

Chapter Twenty-One

Drea kicked Acari as he finished painting her face bloody. If she had a hand free, she would’ve scratched out his eyes.

“There’s that spirit again.” He sneered at her. “Admirable but pointless.”

“You’re not going to get away with this. Sebastian will come for me.”

“Of course he will, my dear.” He glanced around the cave. “Except I don’t see him. Is he hiding somewhere?”

“I’m going to enjoy it when he kills you,” she said.

“Probably not as much as I’m going to enjoy watching the morrigan suck your blood until you’re an empty husk.” He nodded to the elves holding her arms out.

They dragged her toward the morrigan. Drea thrashed about, trying to get out of their hold but it was no use, she wasn’t going anywhere except to her death. She didn’t know what was going to happen. Was the morrigan going to eat her? She didn’t think the beast consumed food. There weren’t any bones of animals anywhere in the cave. But according to Acari, it did ingest blood.

As they neared the morrigan, it lowered one of its hands. The elves let go of the ropes and moved back just as it reached for Drea. She tried to run, but its reach was enormous. With ease, it scooped her up in its metal and fleshy fingers. Although she knew it was futile, she struggled within its grip. She couldn’t resign herself to dying without a fight. She still had faith that Sebastian would rescue her.

The morrigan lifted her up and then set her down inside its body. It wasn’t really inside, per se, but inside an empty hollow between its upper half and its lower half, secured together by metal poles that moved. They reminded Drea of bones and muscles, the way they twisted and bent, but were constructed of metal.

The moment she was set down, a whirring sound echoed around her. She looked down and thought she could jump. It wasn’t far enough that she’d die if she did, but if she landed the wrong way, she’d definitely sustain a sprained ankle or a broken bone. Before she could consider it further, two spikes came out from little hidden doors above her. They shot out like vipers, cords trailing behind, and pierced her hands, then imbedded in the metal beneath her feet.

Drea screamed as pain ripped through her, nearly rendering her in two. Instinctively she tried to pull her hands away, but the cords passing through her flesh held her firm, and more pain exploded inside her body. She looked at her bloodied hands, watched the blood trickle down the cords and into a receptacle, and nearly retched. Although she could see what had happened to her, her mind didn’t want to comprehend it. It was too horrific to consider. Black spots formed in her vision. She was dangerously close to passing out.

“Comfortable up there, my dear?” Acari shouted at her.

She couldn’t answer him. Although she wanted to scream down at him, to rant and rage and protest, she couldn’t get in enough breath. Her heart thumped hard, her stomach rolled over continuously. Biting down on her lip, she twisted her hands so she could grasp the cords. She needed to hold on to something or else she was going to fall. And she didn’t think she’d survive that fall. All she could picture was the cords tearing her hands apart and her blood splashed across the metal.

Using all the strength she had, she held on as the morrigan began to move. She had to hold on for as long as possible. Because she knew Sebastian would eventually come for her. He’d always been there for her, even when he didn’t think she noticed. But she had noticed. Every day when he walked by her house. Every time in the market. And every time when she had to go out at night. He was there with her. Protecting her. Like he did the night Tomas accosted her.

Drea had finished helping Rosa pack up her produce into the cart. It had been a pleasant day in the market, and she’d been more than happy to help Rosa sell her merchandise. She didn’t have any patients at the house, and her father had allowed her the time to do something with her friend without his meddling. Which she jumped on immediately. He’d been smothering her lately with his constant companionship.

She wanted to tell him he needn’t worry so much. She had another protector in the shadows.

Sebastian had been in and around the square all day, doing his marketing and watching her at the same time. Some women might find his elusive but attentive devotion unnerving, but Drea found it the most endearing thing anyone had ever done for her.

Even now, he was there, watching. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him. A smile came to her lips, and not for the first time, a flush rushed up her body.

“Why are you smiling?” Rosa asked her suspiciously.

“Because it was a good day, and even better evening.”

“Will you be all right to get home?” Rosa asked as she got on the cart. “I could take you but I have to get this stuff back home before Ma skins me alive.”

“It’s no bother. It’s a beautiful evening, and I’m in the mood for a walk.”

“All right then.” She clicked to the horse to get him going. “I’ll see you.”

“Good night, Rosa.”

With a song in her heart, she started across the square. She was almost tempted to sing it out loud but feared her warbling voice would scare away a certain someone. So instead, she twirled around on her foot, then skipped a part of the way.

“You’re in a good mood tonight.”

Startled, she turned to see Tomas coming out from the back of the Whistling Pig tavern. He looked to be well on his way to being drunk. She supposed he always appeared that way. He had a perpetually dumb look on his face and smelled of sour body odor and even sourer mead.

“You scared me.” She put a hand to her chest where her heart was still thumping hard.

“Are you out walking alone?” He looked about to see that she was indeed by herself.

She didn’t like the way he eyed her up and down as if devouring her very existence. “My father is expecting me. Have a good night, Tomas.”

She continued walking, hoping to distance herself quickly. But Tomas came up beside her.

“I can walk with you, if you like? Keep you safe.”

“That won’t be necessary. I’m fine on my own.” She looked about, searching the shadows for Sebastian.

“You think you’re too good for the likes of me, don’t you?”

She frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He grabbed her arm to stop her from walking. His hold was tight and strong. “You always parade about in your pretty dresses, with your bosom showing. You’re a temptation that no one has been allowed to taste.”

She pulled from his grip. “You’re drunk but that is still no excuse for being rude. I suggest you go sleep off the liquor and I’ll pretend you didn’t just touch me.”

He made another grab for her. This time she spun around and backhanded him across the face. What she’d done shocked them both, and they stared at each other unsure of what to do next. She’d split his lip. There was blood on his chin.

“I’m going home now, Tomas. I suggest you do the same.” Her legs shook as she walked away. She’d never hit anyone in her life. But she was completely sure he deserved it. The look in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to let her go, that he was about to lose control and do something unforgivable. This way she saved both their lives.

As she walked, she sensed movement behind her. She tensed, expecting Tomas to grab her from behind, but when she stopped and turned to look, she didn’t see anything. Tomas had vanished, as if someone had plucked him right off the streets.

And maybe someone had.

Drea came back to her senses. She opened her eyes and saw that she was still attached to the morrigan. She was still a prisoner, a sacrifice to some demented metallic beast. They were out of the cave now and going down the mountain.

The elves and the fancy man rode hard out in front on horses, heralding the beast’s coming.

She wondered if Sebastian was down in the valley waiting for them, waiting for her. If he was, she was going to let him know they were coming.

Taking in a deep breath, she then let it out the only way she knew how.

“Sebastian!” she screamed.

“Louder, my dear,” Acari said, from his perch on a horse below the giant. “I don’t think he can hear you.”