Page 60 of Return of the Darkness
“And Jabir, he’d come to check on us while Vlad escorted Helena and Vigor to their ship.” Larelle turned over the options in her mind. As Olden was on land when they walked through the mirror, it must have brought him too. When she reunited with the others, she would check if the same had happened to the likes of Soren or Vlad, Helena, and Vigor. Were the guards that had accompanied them to the Unsanctioned Isle here too?
“Do you feel okay?” Larelle asked. Olden coughed into his hand.
“Same as I have been.” Olden’s words did not reassure Larelle, who knew he had been tired as of late, with his age catching up to him.
“Please, stay here while we figure out what’s going on. I don’t want you exerting more energy than required,” Larelle said, though she knew what they would need to do. Given none of the other rulers were present, Larelle assumed they had arrived in their own realms, which meant the Neutral City was the only logical meeting place. Yet now, with Olden here, she was unsure how feasible it would be for them to journey to the city, even though they were near to Nerida’s gate.
“Larelle,” Olden whispered; his voice trembled as he pointed behind her. It dawned on Larelle then that the giggling had stopped, and no pebbles skimmed the lake. Only Alvan’s hurried half whispers reached her ears. Larelle whirled. Zarya was still knee-deep in the lake, yet a short wall of water had formed behind, blocking Alvan’s attempts to pull her back to shore. Larelle waved her hand, but nothing happened. No water fell. Someone orsomethingwas maintaining the barrier. Larelle moved, numb to the sharp stonesdigging at her feet as she focused on the scales rippling through the water. Nausea rose in Larelle’s stomach as she sprinted across the pebbles.
“Zarya!” Larelle screamed, hoping to alert and scare the creature swimming intently towards the princess beneath the surface. Zarya did not turn but simply tilted her head, watching the iridescent blue scales drift through the lake, its colour as vibrant as Larelle’s attire.Is it not from here?Larelle recalled the creature Elisara had described in the Vellius Sea, the colour matching this one. Somehow, it could drift between Novisia and wherever they were now, this alternate existence. Larelle tried to climb the wall of water, but it grew to block her attempts. It fell to waist height when she took a step back. As the beast neared the shallows, Zarya took two steps towards the scales that were becoming clearer as the beast reached the shallows.
“Zarya, step out of the water,” Larelle said, feigning calm, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her fear. Larelle held her breath as the beast approached, its long neck gliding through the water while its ridged back breached the surface.
“It’s okay, mumma,” said Zarya. “I’m meant to be here.” It took everything in Larelle not to scream as the water rose again when she tried to climb it.Trust her. Trust that her gift is from Nerida. This is meant to be; she is safe.Larelle held her breath as the beast finally emerged from the water. As it lifted its head, water trickled down its scaled, scarred face—larger than Zarya’s entire body. Most of the creature’s body was hidden beneath the water, meaning a few more steps would send Zarya falling into the lake’s depths. Alvan shifted closer to his queen. A glimpse of the creature’s back and tail was visible beneath the water. Larelle could see the tops of its shoulders as well as its neck and head, suggesting its feet met the ground. The rest of the lake was far deeper, burying the rest of its body.
Alvan’s nails dug into Larelle’s hand as they helplessly watched Zarya. Though terrifying, Larelle could not deny the beauty ofthe creature as it blinked with purple irises surrounded by glowing silver rings. Endless shades of blue mosaic glistened on its scales. Larelle frowned at the large chains binding its middle and cutting into the skin on its back. If this creature was held captive, it was likely dangerous. Larelle tried to reach for her powers again, but still, it ignored her.
“He’s sad, mumma.” Zarya’s voice wobbled as she extended her tiny hand and placed it on the creature's nose. When it huffed through its nostrils, Larelle was inclined to agree. The beast sounded miserable. Zarya turned to face her mother, her hand still on the creature. Larelle swallowed at the glow in Zarya’s midnight blue eyes. Whatever power lived within her was awake. “I’m supposed to help him,” she said. Larelle opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. There was nothing they could do; the chains were far too thick for them to break without tools. Zarya appeared to know this as a tear slid down her cheek. She sniffed. With a warbled cry, the creature rolled over in the water, highlighting its magnificent turquoise wings, bound in chains. The creature revealed its belly, showing Zarya the scars and darkened blood there, inflicted by the cutting metal. Larelle found herself wishing to cry for the creature, too. Elisara’s relaying of events had made the beast sound terrifying, but as Larelle watched it with Zarya, she wondered if it was simply looking for attention—a desperate plea for help.
“I don’t know how to help you,” Zarya sobbed, and the creature rolled back over, facing her again. Placing both palms on its face, she leant her forehead on its scaly head and rested between its eyes. Larelle could have sworn the creature cried as its purple irises glistened. “But I know I will help you one day,” Zarya murmured. Slowly, the creature gave a warbled cry and sunk into the water before the barrier between Larelle and her daughter fell.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Caellum
Only the sound of Caellum’s footfall broke the silence in Antor Castle while he roamed the halls. He was hit with confusion the moment he stepped through the glass and into the castle, appearing at the end of a corridor without Sadira’s hand in his. He tried calling for her and the others, but no one answered; he heard only his voice echoing back. At the end of the hallway was a statue of a horse, watching him. Caellum sighed, recalling far happier memories of running down this hallway after Edlen and Eve, the horse being one of their most common hiding spots. Twisting the gold wedding band on his finger, Caellum gazed out of the glass, overlooking the walled garden where he watched Sadira on her first day here. This castle held so many memories, and finally, happier ones were beginning to fill it. The gardens were still beautiful, even with the colour missing. He could still make out the varying tones of brown flowers. He smiled. Sadira would be missing their colour wherever she was in Garridon. With a final sigh, he glanced past the entrance to the garden where the path led out of the castle estate towards the Neutral City. He would hopefully find Sadira on his journey.
Caellum stilled, pressing against the glass overlooking the gardens. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw someone—or something—walk through the archway, but he blinked and saw nothing. With a shake of his head, he turned to continue down the hallway and right to the staircase, but a sound stopped him. A shiver ran up his spine and he straightened. He could have sworn he heard–
A giggled sounded from behind the statue, and the surrounding temperature dropped. Caellum’s breathing halted, and his muscles stiffened as he forced himself to walk ahead. Every step felt like lead as he moved, brushing his sweating palms against his jacket and swallowing the disappointment he would probably feel when he stepped around the statues. Another giggle sounded, further down the hallway. Distracted from the statue, Caellum looked away, his breath stolen from him.
“Eve,” he breathed. His sister’s head whipped around the corner, watching him. Caellum blinked, but he barely had time to register anything when another giggle drifted from the statue, only a few steps away. A cry fell from his lips as Edlen ran down the hallway, chasing after her sister. “Edlen!” Caellum called, choking as emotions pummelled his insides. He took off running after the girls, with delicate white roses pinned in their dusty blonde waves. Caellum followed the giggles down the hallway, taking a right and then left until he stood at the top of the staircase, watching his sisters run hand in hand out of the towering arched doors towards the walled garden. “Wait!” Caellum cried, hurrying down the stone steps towards the door. He ran without a single thought, his mind empty. Was this real or a hallucination? As he rounded the wall through the wisteria-coated archway, he expected to be hit by disappointment. Instead, he leant his hands on his thighs, bowed his head, and allowed the tears to fall.
His brothers, Dalton, Kieren, and Halston, stood below the willow tree in the distance, swords in hand, practising their techniques as Sir Cain had shown them once. Knees bent, they raised their arms and circled one another with wide-set grins. Edlen and Eve whispered in their mother’s ear, who sat on a blanket by the fountain. For the first time since he could recall, his mother grinned, threading a needle through cloth. Then, there was his father, perched on the side of a walled flower bed, with Aurelia cross-legged on the grass below while he braided her hair, smiling and listening to her ramble. His fingers gently moved down herhair, and his eyes were soft as he listened.
Caellum lifted his head and steadied a hand against the archway. When Edlen and Eve stopped whispering, his mother’s cry filled the air. She rushed to her feet, covering her mouth with her hand.
“You’re too young! You can’t be dead!” she cried, weaving amongst the flower beds to reach him.
“I—” Caellum choked, trying to reassure her he wasn’t. He was fine, but she cut off his words as she reached him.
“Cal,” murmured a deep voice. His father’s hands stopped, sending Aurelia’s hair tumbling down her back. She raised her hand to her mouth and shifted to rise. His brothers dropped their swords in the distance and began running. “Cal,” his father said again, his voice cracking. He rose, and in only a few long, quick strides, Wren pulled Caellum into him, holding the back of his head and repeating his name. He had never called him Cal before.
“Father...” Caellum tried to speak, his eyes watering as he watched Edlen and Eve’s matching grins while they held onto Aurelia’s skirts. When his father finally pulled away, tears streamed down his face, glistening in a way Caellum had never seen. One hand still grasped the back of his neck, while the other squeezed his arm. Wren cleared his throat and stepped back, allowing Caellum’s mother to embrace her son. He smiled at the comfort of her hug yet continued watching his father, who twisted his wedding band around his finger.
“Are you any better at sword fighting these days?” Dalton asked, clapping his brother on the back. Kieran and Halston beamed.
“I’d say so,” Caellum sniffed.
“Hello you,” Aurelia said, kissing his cheek while their parents embraced. Caellum threaded his fingers in hers and squeezed her hand. He looked down at their intertwined fingers, feeling the warmth of her skin despite her paled appearance. Aurelia followed his eyeline but was fixated on his left hand. “The wedding was beautiful,” Aurelia said, releasing one hand to wipe her tears.
“You were there?” Caellum asked, allowing Aurelia to pull himtowards the wall where his mother and father were, his mother’s eyes glistening. Kieren and Halston encouraged Edlen and Eve to sit with them on the grass.
“Eight hawks,” Dalton said with pride. Caellum recalled the birds swooping overhead moments before the wedding began.
“She’s far too beautiful for you.” Halston grinned.
“Please, tell her she can have any of my dresses,” Aurelia said, still holding one of his hands as they perched on the wall opposite their parents. His entire family was squeezed into a gap between the flower beds.
