Page 97 of Dead Crown
The cluster of men was a confusing mass of flailing limbs, flashing weapons, useless magic, blood, shrieks, and pleas for mercy that were ignored. Broken weapons lay scattered on the floor, and several were struggling to rip off the ones that had snared them. Tivar was brought down to the ground, and a vine wrapped around his neck. The thorns had all turned into jagged, glass-like shards that ripped flesh.
For a moment, Tivar’s eyes met Lumi’s, and his fake older brother finally showed something like real fear as he opened his mouth in a silent scream.
Before the vine cut into his neck. His head sagged back, and another wrapped over his face to hide it.
A man shrieked as he was squeezed until he cut off. Two particularly thick vines from opposing sides grabbed the wings of a man and pulled. Lumi had never heard the sound of wings being ripped from a body until then, and he never wanted to hear it again or the scream the man let out. Feathers flew. Blood splattered the floor, and another stabbed itself right into the man’s back to burrow through his torso, heedless of the others wrapped around him.
The men’s dying sounds finally stopped.
The rest cut through the bodies, reducing them to scraps of flesh. Swords were broken and seemed to disappear. Tivar’s skull exploded as a particularly thick one burst from it through an eye socket. The jagged, blade-like thorns gleamed with blood, and the vines slithered through the blood and flesh streaking the floor to wrap around chunks.
They started dissipating even though the things growing from the wall had no mouths to eat with. Feathers vanished. Bits of Tivar’s skull and brain matter started disappearing. Crossbows, arrows, and bits of clothing and armor were devoured too.
Several vines slithered out through the doors to grab the body of the man who’d flown down to block the steps. Jaki had killed him. The corpse was dragged in, and several vines immediately jumped on it to crush and tear until he was in pieces.
The vines inched over every piece of matter. Tivar’s tail. Something that looked like teeth. Butchered limbs. Soon, all that was left was blood, and the twisting, hungry mass finally paused.
Jaki shifted, and Lumi’s mind stuttered over a prayer to Elira. They were the only ones left.
The vines suddenly turned to water and splashed to the floor. The blood was pushed along the surface from the force, and even the jagged pieces they’d sprouted melted. The water, like a livingthing, flowed toward the walls, pushing the remaining blood along. Ounce by ounce, it drained away.
All that remained was a damp gleam on the floor, and it was like no one had ever been torn to shreds in the room.
They were safe.
The only sound that remained was Lumi and Jaki’s low, rough breathing. Jaki let the lightning fizzle from his hand.
“It worked.” Lumi sagged against the wall. “Dear Elira, it worked.”
Jaki turned his pale face to him. “What? You knew?”
“The words above the door. We-we were so focused on the wall at first, we didn’t see it. I noticed. They’re small.” He closed his eyes. “I figured if I went in, something would happen to the rest, or if I replaced the Crown. It was our only hope, but nothing happened at first, and I thought-”
His voice broke. He’d thought his half-cooked plan based on mere words had been an utter failure, and Tivar clearly hadn’t cared about taking it back from the tomb.
The words could have been added merely as a command to stay away with no magic to enforce it.
“You thought the room was trapped?” asked Jaki.
“Yes. It just took a few minutes for it to work. We’re fine because we’re related by blood. Go look.”
Jaki pulled him along, clearly not willing to go more than a few feet without him. In the first room, they looked at the wall above the door. The letters were small but clear.
“You were more interested in the markings, and you didn’t see it,” said Lumi. Tivar had been another distraction, to put it lightly. “‘Watch for my gift. It comes from the rift. My sins were washed in the flood. Only those who may enter are of my blood.’ The others came in, and it sensed they don’t share blood with Rinder.”
“Thank Elira you saw it.”
“I guess, if Tivar read it, he didn’t believe it. After all, it could have just been nonsense to make people afraid to enter in case there was a trap.”
Jaki took a deep breath and dropped his sword before grabbing Lumi in a hug. Lumi squeezed him back, desperate to hold onto him. He was really there. Tivar was gone, and he couldn’t take Jaki. The vines hadn’t attacked them.
For a moment, he wondered if he’d actually cracked and gone completely insane. Maybe it was all a dream and a fantasy his mind had conjured to protect itself from the knowledge.
“Is this real?”
“It’s real. I promise. He’s gone.” Jaki drew back only to cup both sides of Lumi’s face. “We don’t even have to go to war now. Not like I’d planned. We’ll leave the Crown here like it should have been left when Rinder died.” He gently kissed Lumi’s lips. “It’s over.”
Over. Before, it would have meant they were dead, and Iceland was lost for good.
