Page 93 of Decoy

She didn’t seem to expect a response as she handed me the Time Sphere, an extension of her trust. The moment I held the orb in my hand the nearby shadows shifted restlessly, as if to stretch themselves closer.

The princess departed, leaving me in the very setting that had twice been the place of my arrest, an extension of trust that she knew the other treasures would be safe in my presence now that I’d obtained what I’d been seeking. This strengthened the invisible bond between us, a thread that bound us even when we’d spent almost the entirety of our personal missions separate.

Where has your path led you?

I’d pondered that question during the measured hours within the dungeon. No matter the pain that had filled my journey, each step had served as stepping stones guiding me to where I now stood—with the unbelievable truth about my family, the magical heirloom that had consumed my purpose for years, and a pardon in my possession.

Most of all, this path had guided me to Luke, standing faithfully by my side. He cupped my chin to lift my gaze. “Are you alright, Blair?”

His tender concern caused the last of the defenses protecting my emotions to crumble, allowing me to finally release the crushing burden brought by years of anguish and revenge. I’d spent too long trying to keep all my broken pieces together that it was a fierce relief to finally release my fragile hold and cry.

Luke’s arms gathered me close and I burrowed myself against the soothing beat of his heart. “I miss my family,” I stuttered.

His gently rubbed my back. “I know. I’m so sorry, Blair.”

It was wondrous how much comfort such simple words along with his comforting presence offered me. He’d always been my destination, even before I’d realized it.

“It feels impossible to reframe my life with all I’ve learned. I both believe the princess and don’t want to.”

I pulled away to study the orb still clutched in my hand, appearing so innocent, as if it hadn’t been the cause of the deaths of those closest to me. I could almost feel their blood staining it and would have dropped it if I hadn’t been hesitant to lose the object that had consumed my focus for far too long.

Our proximity allowed Luke to study it more closely. A puzzled frown creased his brow. “It seems familiar; I think I’ve seen an illustration of a similar object in a book.”

“Nobility are known to possess enchanted objects bestowed by the crown. This is one my family has prized for generations, but its powers are only allowed to be used once by each member of my line. For years I’d believed the royal family had taken it unfairly, but that injustice was nothing to that surrounding my parents’ resulting execution.”

“What power does it possess?”

“To change a moment in the past.” I didn’t quite understand which specific event my parents had sought to alter that had resulted in their charge of treason, ignorance that deepened my longing not to accept the princess’s explanation even though deep down I knew she had no reason to lie now that they were long dead.

His eyes bulged. “Anymoment from the past?”

Magic tingled against my fingers as I traced the smooth metal. “For years I wondered if I could return to the moment of my family’s arrest when I lost everything…but if they’re truly guilty of the crimes they died for, it’d be wrong to use this power to rewrite the justice duly dealt.”

Not only would it be unjust, but it’d be a breach of the princess’s trust that I was only beginning to realize I wanted to keep. She saw in me someone different than my family whom I still loved but whose mistakes I now realized had deviated their course from what was right…just as mine had. Yet the temptation lingered, for losing the hope that had acted as my only glimmer of light for so long made me feel I was losing my family all over again.

“If you could return to any moment, which would you choose to restore?” I asked Luke.

He didn’t even need to consider the hypothetical situation. “The moment the contract with the shadows was forged.”

His declaration echoed through the vast chamber, causing whatever patience had held the lurking shadows back to finally falter and stir them into an almost wild frenzy. Their unease seeped through the chamber, causing an icy chill. Several candles flickered out as the stretching shadows reached towards the ceiling, as if determined to consume every last source of light.

Anxiety twisted Luke’s expression. “I’ve never seen them behave in such a way, except for when they’re attempting to claim—”

Horrific realization seized his breath, and he grabbed hold of my wrist to yank me towards the exit at a run. Unfortunately, the shadows quickly expanded and were soon too prevalent to be so easily evaded; they crowded the chamber and soon had grown as long as the shadows cast by the sun when it hung low in the sky.

They gathered in a cloud that swallowed each source of light until the darkness consumed us, trapping us in a blackness so thick it choked the air, an impenetrable curtain of darkness that created the sensation we were trudging through water, effectively slowing our journey to the door.

Panic seized hold, a feeling magnified by the shadows’ slithering presence, as if they gained strength by feeding off my fear. “What do they want?” The inky blackness was so thick it nearly swallowed up my voice.

Even midst their attack, our wardens were accommodating enough for their answer to slither through my thoughts.We cannot allow our target to live.

The dark whisper seemed to be enough to finally connect something in Luke’s mind. Terror consumed his wild gaze. “That’s why they still sought you even after you were exposed as an imposter—this entire time it was never the princess they were after but the decoy posing as her, the last descendent who could use the sole enchantment that would free our family from their clutches forever.”

They’ve been after me this entire time. Despite the fear that came from such a horrific realization, there was considerable relief in finally having an explanation for that mystery.

I glanced down at the golden orb clutched in my white-knuckled grip. Just as they preyed on my panic, I could feel their own escalating desperation as their slimy touch surrounded it, creating the sensation that I’d dipped my hand into a murky pond. They fumbled in an attempt to seize it…but no matter their frantic attempts, they were unable to take it.

Yet I knew they wouldn’t give up so easily. “We must use the Time Sphere’s power to rewrite the past and save your family before it’s too late.”

---