Orenda (10 page)

She pulled him tight against her chest. “Yes,” Lil said, relieved that she'd found him alive.

A soft hand on his shoulder forced him to loosen his grip. “We're looking for Willow,” Rawlie told Bray. “Any idea where we can find her?”

Bray sighed, letting go of his best friend. “She got hurt earlier. One of the guards took her inside to bandage her head. I haven't seen her since, and I don't know where they took her.”

Hudson rested a hand on Lil's back. “You both should head back down to the tunnels.”

“No way,” Lil said. “I'm here, fighting beside you.” A part of her was afraid of splitting up. If she got lost or captured, there’d be no chance of her returning home. Besides, she had the eternal suit and the sword. They needed her, didn't they?

She took Bray's hand and led him beside her into the castle. Bray’s hand tightened against her grip as they stepped into the foyer. She imagined he felt reluctant to return inside.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Bray said under his breath. He glanced at her, noticing the sheath on her back. “Didn’t know you could handle a sword . . . ”

“I didn’t know you could survive a sorceress.” Lil grinned. Relief flooded her senses. The knot buried in her stomach lifted. Her heart raced thinking about getting home. They needed to rescue Willow.

“Which floor is Eilith’s room?” Hudson whispered.

“I think it’s on the sixth, up to the right.” Bray pointed above him in the general direction of where her room would be.

Hudson kept his voice down. “We save the sixth floor for last, then. Hopefully we don’t have to go head-to-head with Eilith just yet.”

Rawlie led them up the spiral staircase. Rooms were empty. Beds were a mess, but there was no sign of Eilith, at least not yet. They kept to the walls, careful around every curve to avoid maids or servants. Bray provided the group with the basic layout of the castle—kitchen, bedrooms, dining area, bathrooms. It was unlikely Willow was in the kitchen or dining room. However, there were plenty of unexplored areas where she could be held.

Hudson continued down the corridor.

Rawlie glanced around, pulled his blade, and prepared to slice Eilith or any servants who came between him and Willow. “She has to be somewhere,” he said as they searched the castle.

Bray's stomach somersaulted, and a sheen of sweat coated his skin. He thought he’d be fine with returning into the castle. He'd been wrong. His heart pounded like the final explosion of fireworks on the Fourth of July. He could barely catch his breath as every sound intensified like the crescendo of a symphony.

A slight creak echoed through the room, but no one moved. “Did you hear that?” Rawlie asked.

Bray’s eyes narrowed as he heard heavy boots thumping against the stone floor, just outside the room. A guard stormed into the room, sword in hand. Had he heard their arrival? They hadn’t been particularly quiet.

Rawlie stood closest to the door and slammed sword against sword as he fought the guard backward into the hall.

“Intruders!” the guard screamed, gathering the attention of the additional guards on patrol.

Hudson used the dagger in his hand, keeping the second guard at bay. A third and fourth guard were trailing up the stairs.

“I’ll cut them off,” Rawlie insisted, backing the one guard out into the hall as he fought off two more. Lil pulled her own sword from its sheath at her back and followed Rawlie into the hall to help him. Lil fought one back, against the stairs. Swords clanked together. Lil ducked as another guard approached. It was a move Hudson had taught her, but it forced her back two steps toward the open door where the others were trapped.

“Need help?” Hudson panted, throwing his dagger into the guard who was closing in on Lil.

“Thanks,” Lil gasped, wiping sweat from her brow.

Hudson ripped the dagger from the fallen guard and tossed it to Rawlie so he had two weapons. It was just what Rawlie needed. He stabbed the guard in the leg with the dagger. The guard slowed. The second blow from Rawlie's sword dropped the guard.

“We better hurry up and find Willow,” Rawlie grumbled.

Arianna couldn’t believe they hadn’t been caught by Eilith yet. They’d taken out four guards, which had been easy compared to what they would have to face with the sorceress herself. She hoped Bray would be helpful in their rescue of Willow. Arianna couldn’t believe he had no idea where Willow might be detained. He was dead weight right now—something they didn’t need when they found Eilith.

“Eilith has to be upstairs,” Rawlie rasped. “One more flight to go.”

“Do you think she's keeping watch over Willow?” Hudson asked.

“It’s possible . . . ” Rawlie said.

Silently, Arianna led the way up the staircase and stood outside the room, listening for sounds. It was eerily quiet. Lil and Bray were the last two up the stairwell. Everyone but Bray drew their sword or dagger, hoping their blades might have some effect on Eilith.

Just as they approached the door, it swung open. Eilith was expecting them. “Look what we have here.” She smiled deviously.

Arianna's eyes widened in horror. She had thought she’d be ready for this moment, but she wasn’t. “Mom . . . ” Arianna stumbled on her words. She took a breath, trying to compose herself. “Where's Willow?” She swallowed the fear, the pain, and the heartache of seeing her mother for the first time since the Scourge.

“Mom?” Arianna's voice echoed along the castle walls. Her mother had her back to her and was staring down at an open box. “Mom?” Arianna repeated a second time, but still no response.

She took a step forward. She'd seen the changes happening to her mother. First her golden red hair had begun to mix with strands of black. Now her hair had turned raven; not an ounce of red remained. Then the bird incident . . . Arianna wanted to ignore it. She wished the memory away, tucked it tight inside her mind, and pushed it back into the farthest reaches. No matter how hard she tried, she'd never forget the horrible morning when she'd found the blue jay with a broken wing. She'd nursed it back to health and showed her mother her achievement, certain she would be proud of her, since she'd taught her how to heal. Instead, her mother had reached out, touched the bird’s wings, and the beautiful blue jay had turned black as she stole its life. It had died in Arianna's hands. There wasn't a thing she could do about it.

“I'm busy,” her mother said. Her words hoarse and thick. She didn’t sound quite like herself. Arianna had never seen her like this before—cold, calculated, filled with darkness. Her mother was fond of spells and enchantments, but something had changed within her. Her magic had been used for healing, not destroying. Watching her stare at the open box, Arianna felt the knot in her stomach grow.

“What's that?” Arianna asked. “Can I see?” She stepped farther into the bedroom, coming to stand beside her mother. Arianna noticed her mother's brown eyes had turned black along with her hair, and her light beige skin was ghastly white. “What have you done?”

“Made myself important,” her mother said. “Don't you feel it?” Her eyes glowed amber as she shut the empty box.

“Feel what?” Arianna asked, afraid of the answer.

“Power.”

Arianna was ten the last time she saw Eilith. Since then, the mother she’d known had died. She stayed away from her, joined the sanctuary, and vowed never to leave. Coming back hadn’t been something she ever considered—until Willow disappeared. Willow was important to Orenda and to the other world just a step away. The other world was no secret, just like the one they lived in, but it existed outside their realm. Arianna had heard stories about it in school, of travelers who had journeyed between worlds accidentally. As children, they thought it was mythological, a fairytale. She learned from her friends at the sanctuary that it wasn't the case. The other world existed and Eilith would hunt for it until the day she died.

Arianna's face turned pale as the sword in her hand fell down to her side, paralyzed by her mother’s magic. They all stood paralyzed by Eilith’s magic.

Eilith smiled cruelly as she stepped closer to her daughter. “Arianna.” Her finger reached up, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her daughter's ear. “You've grown up so well.” She tilted Arianna's chin up toward her face, staring deep into her eyes, reading her soul, as though trying to learn every secret Arianna held. Eilith winced before she brought her hand down. “It's a shame you've wasted such power and life with these mortals. I could give you so much more, my daughter. A world of power and wealth, of happiness and purity.” Eilith swam in her delusions as she imagined a world with the two of them ruling together. “I could have turned you into something special—immortal, like me.”

Rawlie's hands balled into fists at his side, trying to fight the spell. His face was red, his body rigid.

“You’re my daughter; you'll come with me,” Eilith said with insistence, as she stared at Arianna.

Arianna fought the spell and the fog clouding her mind. “No,” she said, fighting against her mother. She wasn’t her family, not anymore.

“No?” The smile fell from Eilith’s lips.

Arianna stared her mother down, unafraid of the sorceress that she had become. “I won’t go with you.”

Eilith put her hand down, letting the spell vanish around her. “You won’t? Why not?”

“You can’t force someone to love you, but you can start with letting Willow go home.” Arianna wasn’t sure she could ever forgive her mother for the damage she’d done to their world.

Eilith's bottom lip jutted out. She was annoyed. “Willow is over there. I no longer need her anyhow.” She gestured through the curtains toward a cot against the window. Rawlie was the first to run over, pushing aside a curtain. Willow's eyes remained shut, her head bandaged. She didn't move. Eilith said, “I hope with time, you’ll see that what I’ve done is all for you, Arianna. I went in search of Pandora’s box to give you strength. I want you to come home.”

Strength? She’d gained it, but not in any way that her mother would have planned.

“What'd you do to Willow?” An enormous rush of anger surged through Rawlie's body.

Eilith held up a hand, stopping him from stepping any closer to her. “She did it to herself. She'll be fine in a few days, or she could drink this.” Eilith walked to a side table, revealing a vial of sparkling green liquid. “Pour this down her throat and in a few minutes she'll be good as new. However, there are always side effects of magic.” Eilith’s expression was grim, not revealing her emotions. “But it's the only way if you plan on taking her home with you.”

Rawlie shook his head. “It’s probably poison. I'll carry her myself.” Rawlie bent down and lifted her into his arms, carrying her out of the room.

Hudson grabbed the potion from the table without a word.

“Why would you help us?” Arianna asked her mother.

“I needed something from Willow. Now that I have it, you’re free to go.”

Potions and Poisons

Chapter 7

“We need to get to the edge of the forest,” Hudson said. “We’ll be safe outside Eilith’s territory.”

“How far is that?” Lil asked. She glanced at Rawlie as he carried an unconscious Willow in his arms. It was strange to see another version of herself. Lil tried not to stare, knowing if she paused it could be the difference between life and death.

“Just a few miles north,” Hudson said.

Rawlie cleared his throat. “We need to keep moving.”

“You want me to carry her?” Hudson offered.

“No, I’ve got her.” Rawlie refused to let go.

The forest stretched on, seeming endless. A loud whoosh swept through the forest, and a shadow quickly fell over the group. Lil glanced up, expecting to see clouds hiding the sun. Instead a creature circled the sky and dove lower.

“What’s that?” Lil asked, reaching for the sword on her back.

“Probably a dragon,” Rawlie said.

A hush fell over them. Rawlie placed Willow on the grass. Together, he, Arianna, Hudson, Lil, and Jamie stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a circle, drawing their weapons. Rawlie pushed Bray into the center of the circle, protecting the most vulnerable.

Lil felt her heart jolt, like a train on the tracks. “Please, tell me you’re kidding.” Lil wasn’t finding any of this funny. She gripped the sword, prepared to fight whatever creature attacked them—man or beast.

“Rawlie doesn’t have a sense of humor,” Hudson said. He stood tall beside her, dagger in hand.

Lil glanced at Rawlie’s dagger and grinned. “Bet you’re wishing yours was longer right now.” She was glad they’d given her a sword. Although, if the dragon was anything like the ones in the movies, she had no intention of getting up close and personal with it.

“This is no time for joking around,” Rawlie said, annoyed.

A brown and red dragon moved into the forest. It was smaller than Lil would have expected, but the wings expanded far beyond the size of her house. “Does he spit fire?”

“Fire?” Hudson laughed. “No. They’re not that kind of creature. I think I read about those beasts once. Dragons consume everything. It’s one of the reasons the land is dead. They don’t breath fire; they steal it—the warmth and energy that is life. Then, they return obediently to Eilith. She siphons off their power and releases them. It’s a vicious cycle. They search out new prey and return again.”

Lil stood firm, sword-in-hand, staring at the beast as it flew directly at her. “How do I kill it?” She raised the sword above her head with two hands.

Hudson glanced at her. “With what we taught you. The dragon is no different than a man.”

“It has wings and is flying at me. I’d say it’s different!” Lil shouted, slicing through the air with the sword. She landed a blow to the dragon’s side, slicing it open, as Hudson threw his dagger into the beast. It squawked angrily.

“Now what?” Lil asked. The dragon struggled, but flew back into the sky and quickly straight down.

“We run?” Bray asked, staring up at the beast coming down toward him. He ducked, covering Willow with his body.