Page 104 of Knight's End
Chapter Twenty-Four
The undead slowly lead us toward the castle, fighting the entire way. They cut down sirens, mermen and mermaids, jellyfish, and so many sharks that I thought the sea might be empty of that predator. The castle gleamed in the distance, a bright peridot green. It was shaped like a conch shell and appeared to be made of green sea glass. I didn’t know where the glow came from—sea creatures or some sort of waterproof torches. But the dancing light was beautiful, entrancing. It drew your eye and made you want to draw near.
The beauty of the castle was a trap. Because inside lived the monster that destroyed without care or conscience.
The undead army shuffled steadily forward. I saw Mayi on the balcony, her white hair whipping in the current. Her shimmering wings glowed green in the light from the castle. Seeing her there in the open was so tempting. But she wasn't my real target anymore.
If I could get my sister away from her, I could stop her. I could save Avia and end this, all in one swoop.
My eyes searched the murky depths. There was an underwater mountain just behind the castle. There. Avia had to be there. She was in a cave when Donaloo scried her. And she couldn’t be kept far from Mayi. She had to be there.
Emotion bubbled in my stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or anticipation. Probably some combination of both.
I pointed at it and told Posey, "If what you say is true, my sister will be there."
My knights and the part-flower sprite all turned to study the mountain.
Posey nodded. "We'll need a hedgewitch." She waded off through the water before I could ask what she meant.
The undead still kept our group tight in the middle of their ranks as they fought. And they did a great job of warding off most attacks. The biggest threats that made it past them were the cold currents that pressed against Ryan’s power and forced him to use all his willpower to keep his column of air from collapsing. We were half a mile closer to the castle when Posey returned, an undead woman missing her two front teeth tromping along behind her.
"This is Lizza." Posey’s vine fingers unfurled to point at the woman.
Lizza was short and a bit hunch-backed, her hair stringy. There was one bald patch on the top right. At first, I thought the hair had simply fallen out in that spot, but she gave a small bow and I realized the skin had fallen off there too. There was only skull left. Lizza entered Ryan's air column. And without another word she began muttering a spell sprinkling salt onto the ground from one of the many pouches at her waist.
I’d hardly had time to process the fact that her salt was dry, not soaked mush, when she pulled open another pouch from the many strung about her waist.
Lizza yanked out a wedge of green, moldy cheese. "Each of you take a bite," she commanded imperiously. Her voice had a low rattle, almost as low as a man’s.
My eyes flitted to Posey. They asked, what the hell?
Posey tapped Lizza. "The living often want an explanation."
Lizza’s eyes widened. "Oh. Yes, I forgot. This spell will help make you invisible to enemies. It’s what our scouts are using. I’m also adding a bit of a spell to let you all breathe underwater and give this poor fellow a break," she gestured at Ryan. “Bite the cheese and pass.”
Declan took the first bite. From the way his eyes nearly popped out of his head, I could tell it was awful.
I gagged when it was my turn. Blue spit his out and had to take a second bite as Lizza scolded him for wasting her magic.
“Never thought I’d say this, but I miss Donaloo’s tablets,” Connor whispered.
Lizza pulled out a cinnamon stick and chanted as she waved it at each of us.
Posey turned to us. "Lizza was undead before the army even started. She's been an undead for nearly five centuries. Isn't she in great shape?" Posey smacked Lizza on the back. "She uses her powers to stop her decomposition."
Blue's thoughts suddenly projected to all of us.Oh my gods. That decomposition is a full body thing, isn't it?The image of a rotted penis suddenly appeared in all our minds.
Quinn mentally shouted,Undead army is not an option! I repeat, not an option, donotdie.
I nearly choked on laughter.
Lizza waved her stick one more time and it caught on fire. She extinguished the flame with her fingers and said, “Ok. You can step on into the water. The invisibility spell only lasts about an hour. The breathing is permanent. It will allow you to breathe in air or water from now on, because I don’t have time to be coming back here every few days or years to fix it.”
Years. Shite. I didn’t want to need this for years. I swallowed.
One by one, we abandoned the column of air. I was nervous to walk into the water, but when I stuck my hand into it, it felt the same as Ryan’s column. I took a step forward, immersing part of my body. But I couldn’t feel a difference. It felt like I had stepped outside on a cool day. I pushed my head into the waves. While my hair did float around me, everything else felt the same. I stared down at my hands in the murky ocean light. I waved them. They moved naturally.
I opened my mouth and said, “This is amazing!”
