The Heartstone (35 page)

Abruptly the wind stopped. A crystal staircase spiraled up through the ceiling. She put her foot on the first step and started up toward the Web. It could have been minutes or hours that she spent on the stairs. Each step she took made her stronger more in control. Joy filled her as she sped up the crystal steps. They sang under her feet. It was the most beautiful

song she’d ever heard. She reached the door, flawless crystal radiated out from the porthole.

She put her hand to the handle. It quivered like a living thing. Her hand ached. Blood pounded through her body he eardrums shook with the power of her heartbeats. The door turned translucent. It reminded her of how the light shone through the skin of your hand. The door pulsed with her heartbeats and slid open easily. She climbed through the porthole and stood up.

The room was all windows, or had been. Blackened supports arched overhead. The shattered remnants of crystalline sheets crunched underfoot. Here and there a pane hung doggedly in place. The wind whipped through the empty struts. Below her Galancarrig burned icily in the setting sun.

The Web of Stars dominated the room. A web of crystals radiated into a central podium. Some of the strands were broken or sagged raggedly almost touching the floor.

In the center a huge spiral crystal waited to hold the Heartstone in a shallow depression on the top. It rested on a low dais reached by two steps.

The cradle was blackened, but color still moved sluggishly through the blasted surface. She trembled as she looked at the crystal web. This was it. This was the culmination of almost a year’s effort. She stepped forward. The Stone was burning in her hands. Power thrummed through her. It was more than she could stand. Tears of joy blurred her vision.

Pain speared her ribs. The raven shot through one of the shattered windows. It launched itself at Ariana. The red eyes blazed. She shrank back toward the door. Great black claws raked across her forearm as she instinctively shielded her eyes. The great flapping wings beat around her head. She punched out at the bird her fist connected with sharp metallic feathers and the bird gave a shrill caw. The wing beats stopped. There was silence. Ariana squeezed her eyes shut.

She looked up. Rhysin barred her way to the Web of Stars. He smiled like a knife blade. His black eyes were bright and mocking. Daintily he played with a small black paring knife. Her throat closed with the pressure of her heartbeat.

“Why hello.” He said.

“I prefer the bird. At least it’s honest. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She stepped to the side and lifted icy hands to the nape of her neck. The clasp of the chain was cool in her fingers.

“I wouldn’t do that.” His nonchalant gaze was suddenly piercing.

“Why not?”

“Well it’s the only thing keeping you alive right now.”

“Why? Because you’ll kill me?” she asked. Her hand slipped back towards her dagger.

“Delicious as that sounds that wasn’t what I meant...Oh didn’t the cripple tell you?”

She feigned nonchalance. Her ribcage was burning. Every moment that passed made it harder to breathe. Her hands felt heavy and dead at her sides.

“Tell me what?”

“If you put that bauble back it will kill you. You’re dependent on the energy of the Heartstone.”

“I don’t believe you.” She said.

“Do as you wish. Either way you’ll be dead once you take the Stone off.” He didn’t look concerned.

“Why don’t you kill me now?”

He looked at her as if she were a particularly stupid insect. “You know the Stone protects you from me. Plus magic is negated here.” He yawned.

“I don’t believe you.” She said.

“The poison of the Dreamdeath is being held at bay by the magic of the Heartstone. Once it’s gone, Goodbye.” His eyes gleamed maliciously. “I win. You didn’t really think you’d win did you?”

“But if I put it back you lose.” She said.

He came closer. She backed away. Slowly they circled the room. The pain was rising. She knew he was causing it.

“I never lose.”

They were only a few feet from the dais. She had to distract him.

“So what happens if I die and you get the Stone?”

She could see him toying with a glib response. He shrugged, “Safety.”

“What?”

“Once the Stone is mine; I’ll be safe.”

“Safe from what?”

He ignored her. Almost to himself he said, “When I was a child I lived from hand to mouth, never enough to eat always scrounging. My mother worked hard washing clothes and spreading her legs. My father was a sailor who jumped ship. My older brother died from consumption and my sister was a useless slut.” He stopped and looked at her. “I was from Cardiff, in the year of our Lord 1899. I was an apprentice engineer but they didn’t understand my genius. Why should I go back to that when I can have all I desire here?”

“What?” This was insane. He was from her world. No not her world. She was of this world. He was the alien.

“Twenty five years ago I was running an errand for my master and somehow I got brought here. Here I have power and wealth here greater than any back there. The people here are so naïve and trusting. A judicious cleansing of the rotten apples and I was in control. There I was just an underfed apprentice, destined for the factory. Here I’m an Emperor.”

They had almost reached the first step. She had to keep him talking. “Maybe we can make a deal?” She fumbled with the clasp.

“What kind of a deal?” Interest flickered in his eyes.

“Well uh, I give you the Stone…” Clumsily she undid the clasp. The silver chain slithered through her fingers. The Stone was heavy in her hands. Her neck felt naked.

“And I send you home.” He finished for her. He toyed with the idea, “How would you like that? You would have gas heating, fine restaurants, telegraphs, electric lights and all the conveniences of modern life. They could all be yours. Yes, I like the idea it has a certain… symmetry.”

Rhysin had no intention of honoring any bargain; of course neither did Ariana. For a moment she almost smiled. He smiled back sharing the irony.

Pain speared her side. Doubled over gasping she clutched the Stone. The pain lessened. Rhysin crept closer. She looked at the Web of Stars. Vision blurred with pain she lurched toward the Web.

She stumbled back against the dais. The colors in the base of the cradle brightened. The pain intensified. Rhysin sprang after her. She crawled up the stairs. The blackened residue burned away. It was so bright her eyes watered. She staggered at the weight of the Heartstone. It was black and dull. The light swirling around the cradle was absorbed into the Heartstone. It grew heavier.

“I’m not dead.” She gasped.

“Not yet.” Delicately he slipped beside her. He smiled almost gently. His hand flashed forward and fire bloomed below her ribs. She looked down. Right where the raven’s beak had stabbed her so long ago blood trickled down her side. His hand drew back his knife red with blood.

She could feel the acrid poison from the blade pumping up to her heart. She veered toward the cradle. More by accident than design her hand fell against her dagger. Rhysin was as close as a lover. His hands pried at the Stone. She curled around it. She thrust her knife out blindly at Rhysin. He jerked back as the knife hit his arm. It was enough.

With the last of her strength she thrust the Heartstone glowing like a molten jewel into the Web’s heart. It wobbled then clicked into place. She sagged at the base of podium. Rhysin reached to grab at the Stone. Ariana’s sight dimmed. Wind rushed through her ears and blood puddled under her. The poison burned as it spread through her system. The world blackened.

Light blossomed out from the Stone engulfing both Ariana and Rhysin. A ghostly image of the Heartstone radiated out from the Web of Stars through the valley and all of Ledrith. The crystal windows flashed back into existence. The blue energy of the Web of Stars raced around the room. The magic shot her into the endless night.

She was one with the stars. Light filled her. She raced through the cosmos on the starlight legs of the web. Radiance filled her. There was only the music of the stars. Her speed grew. The stars spun around her. She thought she sensed Julia’s spirit speeding joyously past her. She had one last message. Ariana sensed another presence inside her.

She slammed back into her self. Rhysin grabbed at her. She battered him with her fists. The floor turned liquid. They were hurtling down a spiral whirlpool. There was no air to scream. Red light pierced her eyes and her skin was being ripped off. Rhysin slipped past her down into the whirlpool. “Noooo” She saw his mouth form the words but there was no sound. His face was contorted in terror. He grabbed her foot. He was dragging her down.

He was taking her away. Desperately she kicked out with all her strength. His grip was iron. His face was fixed in a grimace of terror but there was a glint of triumph in his eyes. If he had to leave so did she. That would throw off the balance, giving him the opportunity to return. She drew back her foot, “Time to go home, playtime is over.” She said and kicked him in the face. His hand grabbed for his face and she was free. Shrieking he fell into the gaping maw of the wormhole, gone.

If she followed him there was no return. The knife wound would kill her and her unborn child. When she’d been brought through to Ledrith she’d had no choice. Now she demanded one. She wouldn’t be thrust out. Her task wasn’t over. She had to rebuild, hold the balance. Her soul yearned for Ledrith, her birth home. She was not going to be forced back, the spark of new life inside her pulsed.

She turned, swimming against the spiral. She’d never felt such pain. Electric sparks snapped around her. There was a stabbing pain in her chest. She screamed in agony but wouldn’t give up. She was at the last of her fading strength when the whirlpool reversed. Her heart exploded- white light shattered and she hurtled back. Her skin blistered with blue fire and everything went black.

******

When she woke it was dawn. The sun streamed through the crystal dome. She winced at the light. The Heartstone filled the cradle. Power radiated from the Web of Stars, surrounding the Heartstone in a protective net.

She turned away. Charred flakes surrounded her. Gingerly she felt her side. The wound was still there. It was tender to the touch but the awful burning was gone. It had closed and scabbed over. She’d lost a lot of blood. She sat up slowly. Her vision blurred. She had a throbbing headache. She’d won but there was no triumph only numb shock.

Absently her hand strayed where the Heartstone had rested for so long. It was gone. Instead of the smooth flesh she expected. There was a hard lump. At the base of her neck a crystal sat within the curves of her collarbone. Almost as if she still carried the Heartstone. She looked over at it and smiled. Obscurely comforted she walked to the window.

The air was fresh and warm. The mountains rose from lush green meadows carpeted with bluebells. The trees were budding and the waterfall roared in the distance. Birds sang and fish splashed in the icy stream leading to the crystal fortress.

Below her Galancarrig glittered in the sunlight. The paving stones were whole and the entire fortress gleamed, scoured by the Heartstone’s power. She opened the window to take a deep breath of the balmy air. She savored the moment.

There was something else in the valley. She shaded her eyes. It looked like riders silhouetted against the mountains. Her heart stopped at this new threat. She straightened up ready to face them. They came closer.

There were three of them. A slight rider dressed all in gray on a dapple mare. A tall man in black robes trotted beside her on a black stallion. Ahead of them both was Jarod; dressed in the ragged remnants of his green and blue cloak with the glittering dragon brooch shining in the sun. She smiled through sudden tears. She put her hand on her still flat belly. This was only the beginning.

The End