Page 47 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
“Don’t let them claim you. Fight it!” I will him.
“I can’t. You have to go, now!”Svenn shakes his head. His mouth is agape with pain. I catch the defeat in his eyes.
How long have they tortured him in this dungeon?
I understand the despair all too well when this horrid curse tried to devour me earlier. If the Un didn’t help me, I might have given up too. I wait for Svenn to break free of the curse like I did.
“Think of the people who need you.” I search his beautiful face.
A low growl escapes his throat. He is furious that I’m still here.“Save yourself, Rhianelle!”
He’s about to succumb to the curse. Perhaps Svenn doesn’t have guppies to feed like I do.
“I’m not leaving you.” I lean my forehead against his, placing my hands on his shoulders.
“Close your eyes,” I tell him.
“Rhianelle…”He winces as the silhouette of darkness slowly engulfs him.
“Trust me.” I lift his face in my hands. I kiss his eyes, one after the other.
Grandma Elli once told me that summoning is the most useless thing to learn. There’s no way of telling if the creature you call will listen to you. The elves have abandoned this art long ago because of the danger that comes with it.
But I have no choice. Fate has led me to this moment. I must bring forth a being from Astefar to help me. I begin drawing the runes on the floor with my sword while chanting the old forgotten words.
“He who cannot be killed during the day and night, not indoors or outdoors, neither riding nor walking, nor by any weapon lawfully made. I call thee to this mortal realm, Lugus of the starless night.”
The cold air around us turns pleasantly warm, tuning in to the desire of the creature from the other side of the glyph. He emerges in the form of a shining eagle, his eyes burning brighter than the embers in a fire. “It’s been a while, Rhianelle.”
I bow to him politely. “Lend me your power to banish this evil, Lulu.”
The iridescent bird takes one look at the shadows. “Ah…you have brought me a delicious meal indeed.”
Several mouths materialize on his glowing body. They look more like holes filled with jagged stumps of teeth. But Lugus’ attention quickly shifts to Svenn.
“Even better,” he muses.
“No.” I shake my head, stepping between them. This is the risk I take whenever I summon something from Astefar.
“I purge all that is unclean.” Lugus licks his lips. All twenty-two of them.
“Not him,” I insist firmly. “The curse and nothing else, Lulu.”
He levels me a hard stare, reminding me who he is. But I don’t need a reminder. I’m well aware he can devour me where I stand, along with Svenn.
“You always get my name wrong, kid. It’s Lleu Llaw Gr— never mind.” Lugus rolls his eyes as his body shifts into his human form. His hair flows behind him like golden silk. It frames his pale skin and sapphire eyes perfectly. He is beautiful, in a way all wicked and lethal things like him are.
“The curse and nothing else.” He finally agrees despite the annoyance in his voice.
I almost loosen a sigh of relief. The abominable hex shrieks as Lugus chases every shadow into the dark recess of the labyrinth. His merciless hunt reminds me of another friend I met in Astefar, Orion.
The darkness splinters and vanishes all around us. I make sure Svenn still has his eyes closed. My heart tightens as I watch him crouch down with his battered body. They did this to him. Beat his soul and body into complete surrender. The sorrow in my veins flares into an overwhelming rage.
“Don’t just sit there. Come and join in the fun with me,” Lugus invites with a rogue grin. “It will be like old times.”
Divine light gradually emerges from my sword with his blessing.
I hear the Un laughing as they watch us play. There’s a hint of pride in their voices too.
