Broken Forest: Book One of the Daath Chronicles (32 page)

“Make sure the poison doesn’t cause too much pain,” I said. “A low dose that will slow her heart. Let her die in her sleep. That is the best I can do for her.”

“Very well, brother. I’ll see it’s done.”

The next day, Jericho took us deep into the forest. A few of Lucino’s guards—Jericho’s childhood friends—came with us, swearing their loyalty and sword. With the newly combined men we were thirteen. I prayed it was enough.

Jericho explained little about our destination. When he did speak, it was in grave whispers. The townspeople feared the temple, saying it was cursed. Old tales spoke of a pit with no bottom, located in the center of the main hall: a secret gateway to another world. An old man in town swore he’d witnessed strange creatures crawling out of it when he was a boy. No one believed him, but the stories were enough for everyone to keep their distance.

The closer we came to the temple, the more the vegetation around us changed. Old trees, covered in mossy green, bent in awkward directions. Branches that should have been reaching for the sky instead touched the ground. I tilted my head to the side, staring at those strange shapes.

It’s as if the whole forest is broken.

I walked past a spider web strung between two trees. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have walked right into it. I hated spiders. The large web was taller than I and at least seven feet wide. A sparrow flew by, and unlike me, it didn’t see the web. The animal landed right at the top. Its feathers stuck to the stringy substance. It batted its wings in a futile attempt to escape. I watched in horror as a brown tarantula, bigger than both my combined fists, skittered down from one of the nearby trees. Every hair on my body stood in fear. Before the bird had any chance of survival, the spider spit out webbing and began to roll the bird between its long spiny legs. I slowly stepped back, my eyes never leaving the deadly creature. When there was a good distance between that bug and me, I ran to Derrick.

The air became hot and humid. I took off my shirt and tied it around my head, keeping my hair off my face. I grabbed the canteen hanging from my belt and in two long swigs drained half of its contents.

“This isn’t natural,” Derrick said, wrapping his shirt around his waist.

I put the empty canteen back in its place. “I agree. Now I know why the townsfolk stay away.”

The surroundings filled me with dread. My hand instinctively went to my sword hilt. The atmosphere tingled with a foreign sensation that seemed otherworldly. In school, I’d learned about different climates. This jungle did not belong in Daath.

Jericho whistled and held up his hand. He pointed to a friend who went to scout ahead. A few minutes later, we heard another whistle and began moving again. I could see the white dome of the temple looming above the trees. No birds chirped and no animals crept through the brush. Even the wildlife knew to keep their distance.

The trees broke and there standing in the middle of the forest was our destination. The ancient structure had two large statues guarding the entryway. Each figure sat atop a large throne with strange carvings running along the sides.

“What are these?” Derrick stood next to one of the lizard men statues, perplexed.

The expression on Jericho’s face changed. He looked afraid. “We believe that is the statue of the god Lucino worships.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

We all looked at the scrawny man who spoke.

“What do you mean, Rufus?” Jericho eyed his friend.

“That’s him
.
”

I didn’t want to know how this man knew that and I didn’t want to ask any more questions. This thing planned to marry my sister.

Derrick growled and kicked the statue.

My head spun.
All the sculptures we’ve seen … they’re all him
?

I breathed in.

As we entered the temple, Jericho explained the plan for tomorrow night. His comrades were able to find out information about the ceremony and Jeslyn. She would be unreachable until arriving at the temple from a secret location. They weren’t sure what type of ritual would take place with the wedding, but it sounded ominous, and only Lucino’s personal guard would be on duty that night.

I worried for my sister. Every time I heard Lucino’s name it filled me with rage. I knew my sister was proper; at least I didn’t have to worry about that. Who knew what that creature would do to her once they married?

Creator, if you’re listening, please watch over my sister. Protect her from danger.

The entrance opened into a large hallway that broke to the left and right. Every six feet was an archway that led into the main part of the temple. The temple was one gigantic dome, the sky its ceiling.

The hairs on my body stood. I could feel a presence in the temple, an evil force. I focused on the black center and walked towards it. Rows of steps led down into the pit in a circular formation. An unseen force drew me closer and closer until I found myself standing over the hole peering into its depths. A low humming noise emanated from inside. My sword and dagger vibrated. I tried to see the bottom but there was no end. Only a column of darkness. I took out a marble, kissed it and flicked it into the pit. I waited, expecting to hear the
thunk
of it hitting the floor.

Nothing.

Impossible.
I leaned forward to get a better look and wobbled.

“I wouldn’t get that close if I were you,” Derrick said as he grabbed my arm.

“What do you think is down there?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Derrick rubbed the ribbon around his wrist.

I patted his shoulder and continued exploring the temple. If this was going to work, we needed to memorize the layout.

Strange runes were etched into the floor and columns. Next to the runes were lines connecting them together, creating an intricate matrix of shapes. The images reminded me of constellations. I bent down, examining them more closely. I traced the outline of one. The edges were perfectly smooth and round. To cut stone like that would have taken years. The runes looked vaguely familiar.

It can’t be.

I slid out my dagger. On the hilt next to the rubies was a tiny rune, an exact replica of the one on the floor.

This can’t be.

My father had never mentioned anything about Daath. I flipped the jeweled hilt over and placed it on the floor. There was no mistaking it. The runes were identical.

Derrick was by my side, staring at the floor. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Me either.” I put the dagger away. Once this was over, I planned to have a long talk with my father. For now, I had to concentrate on scouting the rest of the temple.

“What are all those lines?” Derrick said, pointing to the floor.

I jumped onto one of the white pillars in the room and shimmied up. I followed the lines around the room, blocking out the runes that intercepted at various points. The pattern screamed at me.

“A labyrinth,” I muttered.

“A what?”

I rubbed my head in disbelief. “Never thought I’d see one.”

I hopped down.

“It’s a labyrinth. I’ve seen drawings of them in one of my father’s books. They’re used in magic rituals.”

“Used for what?”

I looked at him wide eyed. “I don’t know, but they are extremely powerful. We need to find Jericho.”

Jericho was at the entrance discussing battle tactics. I asked him about the labyrinth but he didn’t know what that was. There were no books in Daath, except the few religious texts Lucino provided. If Lucino dabbled in the dark arts, Jeslyn was in graver danger than I could have imagined.

The torchlight bounced off the stone walls as I headed to the preparation house. The walk was not something I enjoyed. The tunnels were damp and had a foul wet smell to them, nothing like the burning sands of Mirth, but they were necessary. They allowed us to travel unnoticed throughout Tarrtainya.

When I arrived at the steel door, the two guards saluted and let me pass. The door opened into an empty basement. I walked up the stairs to the first floor where Abigail was waiting.

“Hello, Abigail. I’ll be in the parlor. Please bring Jeslyn in.”

The plump woman curtseyed before leaving.

The parlor was decorated with gold paneling and ivory white wallpaper. An oversized oil painting of a sunset hung on the wall above the white sofa. The art in this world was intriguing. The humans had a creative side that varied from my people. I admired the small smooth brushstrokes creating the vibrant scene. It reminded me of home and when our sky used to be filled with pink and orange hues.

Jeslyn stepped into the parlor and Abigail closed the doors behind her. I walked to her with open arms. Her eyes lit and she fell into my embrace. She smelled of flowers, her skin like satin. She leaned against my chest.

“I’m glad you came,” she said. “I had a horrible nightmare last night and haven’t been the same since.”

I stroked her silky hair that hung past her shoulders. “Tell me about your nightmare.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s too terrible. I just want to forget it. Can we talk of something else?”

“Anything you would like. How was your day?”

“Strange …” her voice drifted and I didn’t care for the sound of it.

“How?” I stroked her again.

She pulled back, gazing into my face. Her eyes had a dullness to them. Possibly from the prior night’s affliction.

“The other night when you brought me here, I fell asleep in the bath and when I woke … I was in a different room. Abigail said I walked there, but I don’t remember. It’s as if my head is full of clouds.”

There was still much about the humans we did not know. Was this a reaction to something or a side effect of nerves? I needed to learn more. Reptilians did not dream and I found the process intriguing in humans.

“I know what will set you at ease,” I said. “Maybe then you can tell me of this nightmare.”

She followed me to the piano and sat next to me on the bench. The piano was an instrument I admired, many different chords and only seven notes. Fascinating. I tapped at the keys, playing a symphony I’d created in my first years in this world. Hypnotic notes filled the room. Not even Lucy’s song spell could compare to the melody of the piano. I closed my eyes, focusing on the notes and nothing else.