Chapter Five
The light surrounding me danced between blues and yellows. The air was brisk, nearly taking my breath away at first. Everything was clean, untouched, and pristine to the point of solitude. I had an overwhelmingly sense of loneliness. Then, I could see the castle in Will’s painting just as it was on the canvas, but now, it pulsated with life, it was real, and beautiful.
Like a moth to flame, I was drawn to it. As I got closer, something felt familiar, like a distant memory barely hanging onto my thoughts. I couldn’t pin it down, and it fluttered inside of me like a butterfly.
Soon, I was at the massive front gates that looked like glass lace. It weaved and curled around itself tightly. Tall spires reached for the lavender sky dotted with misty clouds. I ran my finger over the laced glass rods, and immediately it changed color. I quickly removed my hand causing it to change to clear glass again.
I stepped back gazing up at it wondering what to do, where to go, and if anyone was here.
“We’ve been waiting,” whispered a voice.
I twirled around, and saw no one.
“Jinxed child, we’ve been waiting,” said the same voice, this time it came from behind the gate.
In a swirling mist, and covered in paleness, was a person with long, flowing, white hair. I couldn’t tell if it was female or male, though its voice was soft and higher pitched than Will’s. Its piercing white eyes were fixed on me—glass person, no doubt.
“Come here, child,” it said extending a long arm towards me through the gate.
I didn’t move, only stared. The creature tilted its head, then curled its fingers back into their palm, and withdrew their arm.
“Please don’t be frightened.” It paced, rolling like fog, behind the gate with its eyes on me. “You complete a prophecy long ago foretold.” Silver scales glistened on its forehead.
Suddenly, something vibrated through the air rippling my vision. The pale swirling colors darkened, until the castle was the only light piercing the sudden blackness.
“Time is running out.” Its eyes darted in all directions as if searching for something. “Tell them that I’m alive, they didn’t kill me, and the prophecy is in motion.”
Its image began to fade, and darkness was slowly swallowing me. I wrapped my arms around myself.
“What do I do?!” I yelled with no reply. “Help me!” I yelled into the black void surrounding me.
Like a wave crashing through glass, I was thrown backwards. Voices screeched like thunder making my ears hurt from the noise. I screamed, covered my ears, and dropped to my knees wishing the voices away. It was almost like they were singing or chanting that compared to fingernails running down a chalkboard. Their voices were like tiny pins pricking at my insides. I forced myself to remove my hands from my ears, and crawl away when suddenly, I felt something round and metallic under my hand.
“Use the scepter!” The voice commanded.
I curled my fingers around it, and it glowed under my clenched fist like a flashlight. I rolled to my back, and held it out in front of me as a slender blade cut the darkness like lightning. Holding onto it with both hands, a rush of wind skidded across me.
Over my head, I could clearly see curling dark forms moving like a fluid blackness. They were many, but acted as one. I stared at the boiling dark fog waiting for it to transform into something, but it didn’t. I thought I could see abstract forms of faces protruding and pressing out as if trying to escape. As soon as I thought I saw something, it would pull back into the blackness. Suddenly, it stopped and concentrated over me letting out a howl that was like ice pellets hitting my skin.
I pulled myself away from it, and it followed, but kept a distance from the glowing blade. It then rumbled at me like thunder as I shook in fear.
“Kill it!” The voice demanded.
I pulled myself up as it loomed before me. It was an eyeless, black, misty mass that filled me with dread, and slowly was getting bigger.
I gazed at it in awe, when, suddenly, something I’ve never felt before filled me. I looked at the sword knowing I didn’t know how to use it, and certainly never killed anything before, but somehow, I felt confident that I could use and kill with it. I tightened my grip, gazed at the blackness as if it was waiting for me to challenge it, and then charged towards it.
I yelled, slashed, and ran knowing I didn’t have any idea what I was doing, something else was guiding me, I could feel it. To my surprise, it retreated. Amazed at the reaction of this monster, I didn’t stop, and swung the thin blade until the black mist was curling around me in thin withering strips. Slowly, light began to pierce the darkness and noises, human voices, echoed around me until I broke through the remaining black ribbons of the creature.
Like a flash of lightning, I was nearly blinded, and disoriented as to where I was.
“We’re not out of here yet!” Bea yelled at me.
I stood behind her, my mind was still in a fog, and my movements were clumsy. I wondered where Will was, and gazed through the thick trees and at the lake in the distance. It was Lake Moore, and I could see the reflection of the old hotel in the black water. I don’t remember walking out here, and had trouble focusing on what was around me. My head was still lingering in my dream of the white-eyed person, and the black fog that had just disintegrated.
“We’re by the lake,” I said in a slow voice as Bea danced around me with silver streamers flying from her hands. She looked like a circus performer—a very gothic looking though circus performer. “Bea—”
She twirled and flipped like a trapeze artist in the air. Slick, black, bat-like wings flapped behind her. She now had a long tail with a pointed end that flashed like a whip, and cracked the air.
I watched thinking it was beautiful, until she was forced to the ground by a small hairy ball with red eyes and a large mouth filled with teeth. If fact, that’s what it mostly consisted of. Bea screamed as more of the teethed fur ball creatures covered her.
I had to do something, and then felt the blade in my hand. I looked at it glow slightly and then, without thinking, I slashed at the creatures. They flung through the air like hairballs a cat would throw up. I could hardly believe I was using a sword that I got in a dream, unless I was still dreaming. Green and brown ichor splattered against me and covered Bea as she pushed herself up screaming.
She hovered in the air as the last of the fur-teeth-monsters ran off dissolving into the fading light.
I dropped to my knees covered in the slime and bits of fur that stuck to it. The small dead bodies of the creatures melted into the ground like hot butter in a frying pan, and disappeared as if they were never there.
Bea knelt in front of me. Our eyes locked, and she placed her hands on my cheeks. My body filled with pain, and I screamed shaking uncontrollably.
“Hold still! Or you’ll die!” Bea yelled with her eyes burning with flames. “If you move I can’t focus.”
I tried to gaze into her cat-like eyes that were beautiful as well as disturbing. Bea didn’t blink or speak to me as she moved her hands to my shoulders. Slowly, the shaking ceased, and I could feel my body become weightless to the point I thought I would float away if she didn’t push me down.
I opened my eyes that I didn’t even know I had closed. I was on the cold ground, and could feel the snow starting to melt into my clothing. Pain shot through me, causing my muscles to spasm again. I whimpered wishing Bea would do whatever she did before to take the pain away.
“Stay with me Eliza,” Piper said with her eyes gazing at me with concern, and her voice trying to sooth me.
I couldn’t move, and it felt like hundreds of hands were holding me down as I squirmed.
“The poison is spreading quickly. I can stop it, but it will be uncomfortable for her.” She was looking at someone. “I need to relieve her pain.” I followed her gaze to Will.
“Bea!” He yelled for
her over his shoulder.
Bea folded her arms and looked at me with her cold eyes.
“I already saved her once. I stopped the poison from killing her instantly, and now you want me to kiss her boo-boo?” Bea glared at me. “Let her feel pain.” She walked away as Will grabbed her by the arm, and forced her to the ground next to me.
“You will help her!” He commanded through clenched teeth as his eyes casted over to white.
“No!” she protested. “I don’t, and I won’t! She’s jinxed, the pain won’t kill her!” Bea jerked her arm from Will’s grasp as I screamed out wanting to beg her for help, but couldn’t speak.
My insides burned, and slowly it spread through every muscle, every cell in my body. I could feel everything spasm uncontrollably as my hearing and sight slowly faded.
“Here,” Loki said. “I can do something, but it might not be as good.” Piper nodded as he placed his cold fingers to my temple.
They were like two icicles, pointed and sharp, like the ones that hang from the eaves of houses in winter. I could feel that coldness feather through me like a growing frost. The pain and burn diminished, and I relaxed to the sound of Piper’s voice. Soon, everything faded into a mist of white, and from there, into a dreamless sleep.
“Eliza,” Will said my name clearly. “Eliza, wake up.”
I opened my eyes, and slowly they focused on him. His silver-white hair glistened, and pale eyes gazed at me.
“Will,” I said propping myself up. “Where are we? What happened?”
He pushed a cup to my mouth and told me to drink. I didn’t have a choice but to drink the harsh liquid that made me want to throw-up. I choked it down, and almost thought of grabbing a handful of snow to neutralize the bitterness.
“What was that? It’s awful,” I said feeling my strength return slowly.
“Don’t tell Piper that it was horrible. She knew it would be, and tried really hard to not make it that way.” Will smiled at me.
“I feel better even though that was horrible.” I pointed to the cup, but glad I didn’t feel sick anymore as I looked around at the trees coated in snow. Puffy flakes fell delicately through the still air.
“Where are we? Where’s everyone at?”
“We’re in the woods around Lake Moore. Piper, Bea and Loki went back to the hotel to check things out.”
“What happened there? That monster…the arch demon—”
“I killed it, but it wasn’t the one that attacked you in the alley. It was his double, at least that’s what I think. The others think it was him.” Will picked up something off the ground. “Tell me where you got this.” Pinched between his fingers was a silver disk with curved markings on it with a red stone, like a cut ruby, set in the center.
My mouth opened as I looked at it, but no words came out.
“It had to come from somewhere, and Bea doesn’t carry weapons like this. It’s Fae made, and she hates the Faes.”
I looked into Will’s pale eyes. “You won’t believe me,” I said, not really believing myself.
He snickered. “Trust me. I’ll believe it, that is, if it’s believable in my world.”
I took a deep breath. “A person, with white eyes and silver hair, like you, gave it to me when I was standing in front of the glass castle—just like the one that’s in your painting. I was there, and so was a black…blob thing that I killed with,” I pointed to the round disk, “that.”
Will stood up, and with a flick of his wrist, expelled the blade. He gazed down at me as the forest echoed with the voices of Loki and Piper.
“It was a miracle, but we found one,” Piper said holding up a silver pen-sized rod. “We have an etch. Good thing Rosie was once an Alliance member.” Bea walked beside her, and glanced over at me with her human eyes as she whispered something to Piper.
Loki shook his head at Will. “No, there were no survivors, and no lingering demons or evil entities. It was a clean sweep, and they’ve got the demon trident.”
Will’s eyes fluctuated between white and pale blue. “What about Clive?”
“Didn’t see him, but didn’t see his body either.” Loki gazed steadily at Will. “There were a lot of dead guardians—some even region leaders.” He stepped closer to Will. “This is going to involve a lot of divisions from all over, and by us being here, our reputation is borderline with them.”
Will took in a deep breath. “I know.”
“Where did you get that?” Loki stepped back and noticed the blade in Will’s hand. “Nice. And Fae made. They don’t give up their weapons to anyone. Speaking of questionable beings, what are you hiding from us, glass boy?”
“It is mine,” I said meekly. “I mean…a glass person gave it to me.”
“Glass people don’t just give things to small kittens like you.” Loki crookedly smiled at me.
“It was given to me in a dream by a glass person outside a castle with a gate made of laced glass, and I fought off a black blob with it, and before I left, the voice told me to tell you that they’re still alive, and the prophecy is in motion.”
“Lyra, it had to be her,” Piper said with a gasp. “Lyra, she’s alive. I knew she’d send a message.” She pressed her hand to her chest.
“Are you sure that’s what she said?” Loki’s face paled as he stood in front of me.
“I’m pretty sure,” I repeated. “It was like a dream, but real at the same time. I did things I didn’t know I could do,” I said more to myself.
“Don’t get your hopes up fairy. Kitten here, may have been caught in dremvision.” Loki turned to Piper.
“It was Lyra,” she said firmly. “I don’t think it’s possible for Eliza to have a dremvision about her, especially since she doesn’t know Lyra.” Piper nodded towards Will. “And Eliza was given a gift. You don’t get something tangible from a dremvision.”
Piper stepped away, and started to run her hands over several of the trees like she was trying to find something.
“Who’s Lyra?” I asked. “And what’s a dremvision?”
“A dremvision is like a dream, but is reality at the same time—like being transported mentally to another place. Only they are often manipulated by the person having them. Your vision was just that—a vision. Lyra is queen of the glass people, thought to have been murdered. Her death set the whole world of Iethia upside down, and chaos to rule in her place,” Piper said weaving through the trees. “Ah, I knew I didn’t have to go far to find a lovely landmerrow.” She smiled running her hands across the rough bark of what looked like an old, knobby, oak tree.
“This isn’t helping me,” I said in a low voice with a sigh as I looked around rubbing my temples. “Where’s Rosie?”
Will’s eyes shot to me along with Loki who raised his eyebrows at me.
“Well, that’s one good thing you did—she died protecting you,” Bea said with a chuckle. “I guess you were good for one thing.” She smiled then turned away. “Got that one out of my hair,” she mumbled.
I gazed at the ground. Fragments of what happened came to me like a vivid nightmare, but I knew was no dream, it was very much real. She did protect me, even if she had to die doing it. “Rosie saved me from that giant millipede.” My voice was barely a whisper.
I felt hollow inside as I gazed at the ruins of the Blue Moon Hotel. I wanted to run back, but knew I couldn’t do anything—it was too late.
“It wasn’t your fault.” Will caught my arm and turned me around to face him.
“It is.” I insisted. “If I wouldn’t have picked that coin up…if I would’ve given it back to the lady who dropped it…”
Bea glared at me with pressed lips that looked like they held back a hundred curses towards me.
“It’s the prophecy,” Will whispered pulling my gaze back to him. His eyes reached into mine, and strangely, comforting to me. “There is nothing you could have done to change that.”
“Prophecies are inconsistent, and easily manipulated through the ages.” Loki stood beside Will talking into his ear. His eyes shifted to me. “It was a dremvision.”
Will held the tiny, but deadly disk in front of his face, and gazed at Loki with flashing blue eyes. “Piper’s right. You don’t get something material from a dremvision.”
Loki set his dark eyes on me that had a flicker of empathy. “So what if it is some prophecy, how is it going to be fulfilled properly? They do get altered and twisted through the ages. Things get set in motion, and then bounce in a different direction…”
“The landmerrow agrees to make passage for us!” Piper announced with joy as she started to draw a silver-gold line in midair.
I couldn’t help but to watch her draw the fluid line that glittered in the air and looked like an oversized picture frame.
“What’s that” I asked.
“A portal,” Piper said connecting her lines. “And this beaut will take us to the green man.”
“What?!” Bea stepped beside Piper. “He’s incompetent, a bad excuse for a magician. He’s in love with the flora, fauna, rainbows, and overall an idiot.”
“You mean he’s fond of the cute and beautiful things this world has to offer.” Loki smiled at Bea teasing her.
“Where do you suggest we go, since the hotel was never to be taken over and ruined by demons, and our leader murdered. We have nowhere to go, and we need to report what happened.” Pipers stood with hands on her hips and the etch still glowing in her hand.
“What about Atlantis?” I spoke up. “Rosie talked to someone there named Gabe, and I agreed to go.”
“Did you get a location as where to meet them?” Will asked.
I looked back at the hotel. “No, they were going to send a message later on a glass tablet that Rosie had.”
“It was probably destroyed as well.” Will gazed back at the hotel along with me.
“Great, they’ll probably be searching for us.” Bea rolled her eyes. “I hate Atlantians.”
“Well, my pretty and in fourth command of our lovely group, don’t forget the pecking order, gorgon. It’s Will, Piper, me, and then you.” Loki crossed his arms. “You know, there’s always the shadowlands. We can always go there.”
“No,” Bea stepped away leaning against the tree next to the portal.
“Why?” Loki moved in front of her.
“They freak me out, that’s why.”
Loki let out a deep laugh. “You, of all gorgons, shouldn’t fear the shadowlands.”
He looked at Bea, hovering over her as her eyes glared up at him. “I said they freak me out, not frighten me.” She pushed past him, and over to me.
“No, the green man is the only one that can help us.” Piper pointed towards the portal. “And we’ve got a way there right now.”
“We’d be better off just gift wrapping ourselves, wait for the rest of the guardians to show up, and blame everything on us.” Bea protested.
“At least the shadowlands are harder to navigate without an entity guiding you.”
Loki, Bea and Piper formed a circle with their voices mixing together. Will shifted his weight at their arguing, and I glanced at him then back at them, growing tired of their arguing.
“Stop it!” I finally yelled catching everyone’s attention. “Rosie was in charge and now Will is. We should listen to him.”
Will gazed down at me with his curious, calm, and slightly angered eyes. I was only trying to help, but I think I’ve overstepped my boundaries.
“You’re right kitten,” Loki said looking at Will. “What you say then? What are we to do?”
Will looked at all of them, and then at me. His frosted blue eyes twinkled back at me like a star in a black winter’s night sky. “We will go to my homeland—Iethia.”