Page 53 of Unbetrothed

I threw my hands up to shove the Chupalma but met a cool liquid feeling. Tiny lightning bolts sizzled within the being’s body, and the Chupalma responded with a low growl. He stumbled backward. My eyes remained transfixed on my hands. What was I doing? I shook off my shock and snatched the dagger from the ground.

The Chupalma hadn’t been scared of the blade or our fists, but now my presence sent them recoiling. Therevatooath had worked better than expected.

I hurried to Zichri and sliced at his bindings. Even though the words of power had their desired effect, I didn’t want to risk staying near these heinous beasts.

The vines took several jabs to loosen. My arm and fist ached, but I kept slicing, jabbing, thrusting. Coils sprang loose.

Zichri’s arms broke free. “Give me the blade.”

I handed him the dagger and swiped my sweaty forehead. Zichri finished breaking the cords. The Chupalmas watched from the crooks of trees above. Some remained a stone’s throw away, while others paced, licking their pointed teeth. Their silence jostled my nerves just as much as the predatory stare chiseled on their faces.

“Let’s get out of here.” Zichri wove his hand in mine.

Both of us sprinted along the trail. I squeezed his hand so hard my fingers throbbed, but I wouldn’t let go. The greater the distance between us and the Chupalma, the more my thoughts returned to the one holding my hand. We somehow had survived the beasts of legend.What if we could be together like this?The unbidden thought grew into a tiny bubble of hope nuzzled close to my heart. The trees grew smaller, and the trail took a sharp turn. The river came into view, and the trail ended at a bridge near a waterfall.

Water burst from the mountainside, collecting into a pool below, where it then separated into a river and a rocky stream. Mist hung in the air beyond the bridge. We continued to move forward, but Zichri slowed.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Not now.” I tugged him along and finally let go when he wouldn’t pick up his pace. A light buzz echoed in my ears and ignited a sensation—like the feeling of an army of ants walking under my skin. Something intangible drew me nearer the falls. Had I dreamed of this place before? Or was it something more?

I glanced back at Zichri, solemn and still breathtaking despite his tousled hair and stubbly jaw. My heart throbbed, but I ignored it. I wouldn’t let doubts and hopes about Zichri ruin this for me. I crossed over the old bridge, moss filling in the spaces between the stones, and stepped onto springy grass. A thick fog whited out anything more than an arm’s length away.

The music of a bird’s pleasant song rang somewhere nearby. I tried to follow the sound when a breeze shifted in the air, and the mist thinned. Built into the mountainside, a roofless castle stood before me. Many of the walls crumbled at its feet. My breath caught in my throat along with a decade’s worth of emotions.

Why did Zichri take so long?

“Come, Zichri! It’s here!” I sprinted across the desolate grounds.Will the whyzer be a boy, a young man, or someone like Uncle Uly?

Two pillars made of white stone stretched toward a giant beam. I shuffled to a stop under its shadow. Designs twisted along the edifice and reminded me of the markings along my arms. I turned up my sleeves. The golden vines shone just as brightly as when I made my oath.

Are these ancient words?I touched the cold, grooved surface on the stone, and a pulse of magic brushed against my fingers, traveled within my body, and vibrated through my veins. Unlike the Chupalma’s control, this renewed my energy.

Suddenly, pain began to race along my arms. A cry escaped my throat. My skin squeezed the metallic lines until slivers of metal pushed out the surface. Gold slices tumbled to the ground and plinked as they collided against each other. The weight of my oath lay strewn before me, and tender skin coated my markings. I sighed in relief, shedding worries and filling my lungs with glee.

Now the whyzer. Where was he? I walked through the pillars and toward the dilapidated castle, not waiting for Zichri to follow.

It must have been even more beautiful in its time. Stone steps led to an upper floor that did not exist anymore. Walls coated with vines and gashes hinted at a hidden history. Vegetation of all kinds jutted between the stones on the floor, including the margus plant. I yanked several by the root.

The deeper I went into the ruins, the more I expected to see the whyzer. I turned a corner and tiptoed through a large rectangular space. Grass and flowers replaced what was once a floor. Instead of a ceiling, a powder-blue sky stretched high above me. Still no whyzer, but something invisible filled this space, crackling through the castle and brushing against my skin.

More corridors extended into the mountainside until a stone wall marked the end of the building. I stared at the crumbling stones overtaken by vines.

What should I do? What should I do?We needed to get back to give Blas this margus, but the whyzer wasn’t there.

I marched back through all the same corridors and halls, still searching. Could he be hiding? A tiny ache pinched between my brows.

What if I’ve been made a fool. Had the whyzer and all those dreams and nightmares been for nothing? Could the whyzer be somewhere else in the valley?

My footfalls padded the verdant ground as I rushed through doorways. I turned a corner and smacked into Zichri.

I yelped, heart pounding. “He should be here.” I pushed the margus plant at him. “Take this to Blas. I can’t return until I find him.”

“It’s too dangerous. I can’t leave you here alone.” Zichri reached for my shoulder.

I shrugged away from his grip and continued to search. “Blas will die if you don’t get that to him.”

He squared up in front of me, blocking my way. “You can’t stay out here alone. We’ll come back tomorrow.”

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