Page 138 of The Dark Rising
The doors to the room suddenly open, and the Elites come through, their steps urgent. We rise to our feet, my heart in my mouth at the serious expression on Darius’s face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, and he comes to a halt.
“We have the memory crystal.” My eyes widen as Zaide comes to stand next to him.
He reaches into a small rucksack and retrieves a small, covered package. “Charles will know I have taken it. It was warded, but I managed to get past them with some help.” He holds out the package and I take a step back from it.
This is what caused everything to go to shit in Eridian, what caused Darius to break his vow and send us all to Wolvorn.
Darius steps forward and takes it, coming to a stop in front of me. He places his thumb and finger at my chin and raises my head. His eyes bounce between mine with furrowed brows, a frown on his face. “It won’t be like the last time,” he reassures me, like he can hear my thoughts, my fear of a repeat of the last time.
I nod, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. We have been waiting for this moment, to find out the truth. I can’t be afraid now. “Okay,” I breathe, and Darius nods.
We all gather around the table and Darius stands directly across from me, placing the package in the center. Nerves rattle through me at what I will see as Darius opens it up and there it is, resting against the cloth.
I sense the magic within it, sense its wrongness still lingering within. My eyes flick up to Darius, who’s already watching me. He nods toward the crystal, and I take a breath, reaching a hand out. Just as I’m about to touch it, a yellow spark comes for it and whips at my hand. I hiss and pull it back in pain, glaring at the crystal.
“You good?” Darius asks, and I nod. “Why is it doing that?” he asks the room and they all shake their heads.
“It was doing this when you first held it in Eridian,” Leo says, hands on his hips as his eyes come to me. we haven’t spoken really since I supposedly nearly took his head off. Some part of me feels I need to apologize for it, but I haven’t got the chance yet. “Try again.”
I look to the crystal and reach out again, only to be stung by another spark. Darius grunts, and he picks up the crystal. Sparks fly, but he doesn’t let go as his eyes glaze over. My heart hammers inside my chest as I wait with bated breath as he sees what’s inside the crystal. After a few moments, he drops the crystal and his eyes clear.
“It still shows the same thing,” he says gruffly and my eyes drop to the table.
“I can sense the wrongness coming from it, it’s not normal.”
Darius folds his arms and tilts his head. “Pick it up again, but this time, coat you hand in your magic.”
My eyes flick up to his, unsure. At his confident stare, I reach forward again with a covered hand, and I connect with the crystal. I’m instantly thrown in the memory, like I’m standing right there.
I’m in some sort of circular area, ruined pillars and structures surrounding me. Grass covers beneath my feet, and I look around and see dark, circular patches. They are dead and rotten, and a dark mist hovers along them. There are more appearing around the ground, and my eyes move to the center. Beings in hooded cloaks stand around a raised platform, their hands resting loosely at their sides. I can’t see their faces, but they are all standing there, like they are waiting for something.
“You can’t do this!” a woman screams, and my head snaps toward the sound. A figure stands just outside of the platform, looking up at someone who hangs there from the pillars she’s attached too. Blood drips from her chained wrists, and I swallow as I move closer, veering off to the side to get a better look at what I’m assuming is supposed to be me.
“We already have, Catherine.” I stop short at that voice, at that name. No, it can’t be. My palms sweat, and on shaky legs, I round the center. “This has been planned for some time now. After disposing of the problem that arose, it was easy to guide you where we needed you to be.”
“W-what?” the woman asks and I can hear the pain and exhaustion in her voice.
“Well… you see, Derrik was getting too close to finding out things he shouldn’t.” I swallow the cry that wants to be released as I move in-between the hooded figures. I could walk through them as they are not really here, but I don’t want to disturb the magi. “He had to be dealt with swiftly in order for us to proceed with the ritual. A hunting accident was the perfect way to go about it, wouldn’t you say?”
“No! No, no, no. How could you?” the woman cries, and my own eyes sting with tears. “He did everything for this pack. For his family! You were his closest friend. He helped you when you needed it, helped you become who you are. And this is how you repay him? Repay us?”
I feel another enter the space, and I pause, my head lifting and going to Darius. His brows furrow as he looks around the area, and then he spots me. He stalks toward me, and I stay put, listening to the memory as a tear streaks down my face.
“Yes, well… his sacrifice was needed, as is yours,” the man scoffs. “Don’t worry, my dear, it will soon be over.”
I can hear her wiggling, hear the chains clanging as she tries to get free and I don’t dare look. I can’t. Darius reaches me, a hand coming up to my face to wipe another tear that falls.
“What is it? Are you hurt?” I nod, because I am hurt, I’m in so much fucking pain. “Where?” he demands, hands roaming my body like he can see the wound. This one lies deep down inside of me instead.
I bring a hand up to my chest and claw at my heart as I hear a laugh, and more rattling of those fucking chains. Darius pauses, then brings a hand over mine and flattens it against my chest. He makes a rumbled sound, and I close my eyes and lean my head forward against him. His other hand comes up to the back of my head, running his fingers through my hair.
“The memory is different this time,” he whispers. I want to ask what he means, but the woman speaks again as chanting from the hooded figures echoes the space.
“You have no idea what you are doing. You will plague these lands with creatures that are not meant to be. Creatures that should stay below and never surface. You cannot undo this. Think this through. The lives of so many will be lost over time.’
Rogures, fuck. She must mean the rogures.
