The Land Of Shadows (19 page)

Even those with the best of intentions might deceive you at the worst of times.

Luna~

I can’t read Storm’s expression, nor can I guess what he’s feeling. I know I don’t trust him anymore. I do not trust a single person, including myself. He takes too long in answering me. I should’ve known he is just like them!

“I told you, it is a matter between Raighne and Carter.”

“If you say so.” I am not going to argue. Let him believe I am still on their side, but he is in for one huge surprise when we reach the Shadowlands. “Your hare is ready.”

I pass the meat to him and cover the dying embers with sand.

“You are not going to eat?”

“No, Storm, one needs an appetite for that and I for one do not have one.” I turn in the direction of the Waterfall of Mirrors. Once we pass through it only the Weeping Woodlands and Shifting Mountains will stand in our way. “Catch up when you are done.”

I don’t wait for a reply and start off at a steady pace. It won’t help I burn myself out. I can’t help thinking of Mara’s visit and what she said, how everyone knew of my impending death. Do my parents also know? Does Alchera know? Alchera couldn’t have known, she wasn’t even around, I remind myself.

‘Alchera.’
Saying her name actually makes me realize how quiet she’s been. “Alchera?” I call to her again, but there is still nothing. I feel bad when some of the tension coiling inside of my stomach lessens. I don’t know if I have the strength to help her now.

The morning silence stirs when Alchera’s whisper finally returns.
‘Luna.’
A shiver runs down my spine and I gather my strength to answer her.

“Yes, Alchera, I am here.” I force strength into my voice.

‘You were gone last night. I called for you, but you didn’t answer.’
There isn’t any accusation in her voice, but it nevertheless makes me feel bad for not being there after I told her I would.

“I am sorry Alchera, I was asleep.”

I have no intention of telling her about Mara or what happened between me and Storm. “But I am rested for the rest of the journey. I will be able to travel by day and night to get to you.”

‘I need you, Luna. I need to hear you. Carter is different. I thought he would fight with me to get out of here but-’
Alchera doesn’t finish her sentence, the disappointment in her voice adds to my worry.
‘He doesn’t mean to be bad. It’s as if they’re working him with their endless promises. If you can get here and kill Varia and Void, I just know everything will be fine. I just know it!’

I stop running with Alchera’s words in my mind. Alchera always told me not to go against Void and that is the one thing that separated her from the village. It was the one thing that had me trusting in her. Now she wants me to hurry so I can kill Varia
and
Void?

‘It’s getting harder to breathe here. The air is filled with acid and my head constantly aches. Please hurry.’

I just can’t believe Alchera would deceive me, too.

“I know what you are trying to say.” I kick at a small rock, giving Alchera the benefit of the doubt for now. She needs encouragement, not my suspicions. “I know it is hard to breathe, but I need you to concentrate on only that - your next breath. Do not think of the shadows, or the day after tomorrow. Think of your next breath and your next heartbeat. They are not memories, so Void cannot take them from you.” I inhale a shuddering breath, closing my eyes. My next words will be a lie, but they are what Alchera needs to hear.

“Remember what Vaalbara lives by – hope and faith. Keep hope in your heart and faith to light your path and all will be well.” I clench my teeth, forcing myself to go ahead.
‘Do not let him kill the hope you carry in your soul and have faith in me. I will come for you.’

Tears start to stream down my face and I wipe them away with the back of my hand. How can I tell her to believe when I myself do not?

‘Thank you, Luna.’
The barrenness in Alchera’s voice matches the emptiness in my soul.

I feel her leave, withdrawing into the darkness that has become her prison. I frown at the strange feeling in my mind before dropping to my knees. Another heartbeat passes and then the darkness consumes me whole.

~*~

Storm~

I decide to let Luna run a few paces ahead of me so I can watch her. Her sudden change in behavior is of grave concern to me. I move in on her when I hear her say Alchera’s name. Any previous conversations with Alchera didn’t turn out well.

When she stops I move closer still; her frozen, rigid stance speaks of hopelessness. Whether it’s her own, or Alchera’s, I need to find out. Luna is doing a rather good job of keeping me out of her head.

As if a curtain suddenly drops from Luna’s mind, her emotions and thoughts open up to me. I don’t have much time to make sense of them when she drops to her knees.

“Luna!”

I run for her and catch her before she can fall face down on the ground. Her body goes limp, as all life seems to up and leave her all at once. Pressing her to me I send my energy into her and enter her mind.

It is like a dark vacuum, sucking me in. Pins and needles assault me from every side before I’m spat out on the other side of a dark tunnel – a tunnel that reeks of recent death and torture.

‘Luna!’

When no answer comes to me I fear what this experience might do to her. I catch sight of a slight stirring in the background. I feel Luna tense in my arms. She might not be able to hear me but she is at least still with me. A figure starts to take shape out of the stirring shadows and I strain my eyes to see what or who it will become.

“Aurian … is that you?” Luna’s whimpering whisper shocks me.

Can it truly be Aurian? Luna turns her face into my arm as if she can hide from the impending torment. I have to get us out of here.

The swirling darkness continues until it takes the full shape of Aurian. All the air in my lungs leaves my body in a rush just as Luna gasps for air. Another whimpering joins us as Alchera is forced to watch whatever torture Void has planned for her.

‘This is Void!’
I scream it into Luna’s mind hoping they can both hear me, but my plea falls on deaf ears.

‘Aurian.’
Alchera sounds weak. A fist squeezes tightly around my heart. Maybe I should’ve attempted to bring Alchera back with me. If something should happen to her now, I will never forgive myself!

‘It is like before, Alchera.’
Luna’s voice is so small.
‘It is not Aurian.’
I hold her tighter, hoping it will give her the strength to get through this ordeal.

‘Alchera. My beautiful, young and reckless, Alchera.’
Aurian’s voice still carries the same ambiance as before, only this time it is laced with anger and animosity. He always sounded so austere, so in control. He would have made a great king.

‘I’m so sorry.’
Alchera is apologizing? For what?

I feel Luna’s tears wet my shirt and I can only imagine the pain this image must be causing Alchera.

‘I came to save you and instead you killed me?’

That was definitely not what I heard happened!

‘I know.’
Alchera doesn’t even try to deny it? Is it true then?
‘I was trying to help, but I got in the way. I’m so very sorry.’

Wait, she blames herself for being in the way? This is all so confusing. I should ask Raighne what really happened that day.

‘Sorry! You are sorry?’
Aurian throws her words sarcastically back at her as his features begin to change. His skin starts to rot and crawl and soon the air fills with a buzzing sound. Luna gives a soft squeal and I’m sure if she could climb under my skin she would.

‘Storm! They are everywhere!’

Having Luna reach out to me feels amazing. I send my pulsing energy into her as fast as I can, hoping it will bring us back from this nightmare. It doesn’t work and I can feel how Luna is drowning in panic. The now familiar pressure starts to build in my chest, it’s the only other way I can think of to get us away from Void.

When my lightning strikes and my thunder rolls across the sky, relief fills me. The buzzing fades and my light is soon all we can see. It doesn’t last long before we strike down again. I’m hardly aware of our surroundings when Void’s voice sounds up, as scornful as ever.

‘Luna, I see you found yourself a guardian. A blessed one from Awo, Himself. You had to go and ruin my fun. I might not be able to touch him anymore, but I still have my darling Alchera. I must say she is looking rather bland, not her beautiful self anymore.’
His laughter ends his one-sided conversation, and I finally get to focus on Luna who is a trembling mess in my arms.

I can only hope I didn’t do more harm than good.

~*~

Luna~

My body arches and it feels as if my skull might shatter. I blink to try and clear my sight from the effects of the bright light. I can only make out every other word Void says, and cling tighter to Storm. As long as I’m vulnerable he is my only defense.

‘Luna … I am here.’
Storm’s voice caresses my torn mind and I eagerly latch on to him. I can feel him stirring in me just like the night before. Whether it’s from our bond or vows I don’t know, but the need is great to fill every corner of myself with his presence.

My vision clears. I take another step to increase the distance between us as the memories come flooding back of Aurian decomposing. I was weak again. I wasn’t there for Alchera.

“Alchera?” I call to her with an empty voice. It truly feels like my soul is being sucked dry. When she doesn’t answer I scream to her,
‘Alchera!’

~*~

Storm~

Luna can’t keep her emotions hidden anymore and I immediately get into her mind and heart, searching for a reason as to why she’s acting so strange. Crushing grief floods through me as it comes off her trembling form in waves.

“Tell me what to do. How can I make this better?” It’s as if my words slice through her as she grabs at her stomach and folds over. Another wave of sadness ripples from her and I can’t begin to think what has brought this on.

“Why?” The one word cried from her soul sounds too barren for me to keep my distance. I place a supporting hand on her shoulder.

“I do not understand, Love.” I try to make sense of her mind and focus harder to reach some sort of logic locked inside the desolation.

“Why me?” She whispers the words softly and when she looks up at me I fear what I see hidden in the depths of her eyes. “How could they do that to me? How could
you
?”

Tears well in my eyes as I take hold of Luna’s face. “Do not let them win, Love. You are so much stronger than this.”

Luna appears to be too far away – completely tuned into her own thoughts and can hear nothing of my plea. “How could they just use me like that?”

“Luna, you are not yourself. You are not making any sense.” I can’t just stand idly by and watch my Luna crumble.

“I was raised to kill Void. How can that be it? How can that be the total sum of my life?” Luna shakes her head in disbelief. “And then … why did they not give me the best training? Why did they leave me to my own devices? Why did you not teach me everything you know? Why did you…”

I fear where she is heading with this and how much she truly knows. Curse Alder!

“Explain to me what you are talking about, Luna.”

Luna stares blankly in front of her as if I’ve already lost her. “Sometimes it sounds like you really care. I thought they did. Well, at least my parents and Lucius, but did they deceive me too?” She laughs bitterly. “And Rue, I suppose?” She grabs fistfuls of her hair. “I am only a means to an end. I have been raised by the village with one goal, to kill Void. But it will cost my life to kill him and they knew it. Every one of you knew it!”

A tear spills over her cheek and when she looks at me, her eyes are drowning in pain. “But you, you were the worst of them all, Storm. They are only taking my life. You had to take it all.”

I feel the heartache throbbing in Luna as the pressure builds within me.

“You had to take my soul so you could beat me down with it.” Slowly Luna shakes her head. “You win, Storm.”

I close my eyes against the dead feeling that sweeps through Luna. I can’t bear to look into her eyes where shadows now stir, knowing she believes I played a part in this twisted deception of the village to kill Void.

~*~

Your mind is the most powerful wonder. It can be your greatest enemy or your closest ally.

There are no limits to what you can achieve if only you believe.

Luna~

I’ve done it! I’ve switched off. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I feel nothing.

I calmly look at Storm’s stark white face. His tears mean nothing to me, just as mine have meant nothing to him.

“There is nothing to be won, Luna. You think wrong of me.” His voice is thick with hurt and for the first time I don’t care that I’m hurting him.

“Do you not understand the meaning of haste, Luna?”

Mara’s sudden appearance shatters the morbid ambiance, for which I’m grateful.

“Oh, I do. It is Storm who is keeping me back.”

“This is no time for an evening chat!” Mara yanks me to her and without another thought she shimmers me away to the darkest parts of the Shadowlands.

“Why did you not just do that in the first place?” I rip myself free from Mara’s scorching hold and glare at her. “You could have saved me a lot of trouble, not to mention the journey with Storm! You could have brought me here immediately to kill Void.” I huff my frustration.

“I needed you to understand. How else would you know how important this is to me?”

Mara steps right up to my face and I fight to control my raging anger. Something feels different. I glare up and a wicked smile spreads over my face when I see my moon peeking at me from behind dirty-looking clouds. I’ve never longed for my moon as I have these past few days. My moon has a red tinge to it and the power I feel beating down on me is stronger than before, more intense – darker.

“You are so powerful! Why put me through this hell?” I take a threatening step forward and watch with satisfaction as Mara steps away from me.

“Are you still so naïve after all this time?” Varia brings her hand to within an inch of my face. “Because I need you, Luna. Only your light can defeat Void’s darkness.”

Varia lets her hand fall away. “But it seems I am going to have a problem. I am going to need to motivate you some more.”

Mara shimmers away without explaining herself and I’m left with the immensity of Void’s fortress, straight ahead, towering over me.

~*~

Storm~

Now I know how Raighne felt. Devastation clouds my mind for a moment before thunder rumbles overhead and lightning tears through me.

I strike down in pretty much the same spot as before. Luna and Mara are nowhere to be seen. I run for the nearest entrance and melt down the lock. I move as quiet as possible down the dark passage until I reach a stairway. I go with my gut instinct and take the left corridor which leads me deeper into this unholy place.

I start looking in rooms, searching for anyone. I’m growing impatient when I finally open a door and find Alchera.

“Alchera!”

Surprised she looks up and then a wide smile stretches over her face. “You made it! Where is Luna?”

For a moment I stand there completely lost. How will I explain? “She is with Mara. You need to come with me. We need to get you to safety.”

“You are not taking her anywhere!” Carter growls behind me. Finally, someone I can take my anger out on! I swing around already throwing an electricity orb at Carter. I’m surprised when it hits him. He didn’t even try to fend it off.

“Are you going to make it that easy for me? Not much fun for me, my friend.” I freeze Carter to the floor, but before I can bring a lightning bolt down on him Mara appears with Rue and Raighne. Things just went from bad to worse!

“Let my husband go or I will kill them both.”

I don’t care much for Rue, but Raighne is another story. With a growl, I unfreeze Carter who weakly falls back against the wall. He doesn’t look much like the man I remember.

They say you should never turn your back on your enemy not that I actually turned my back on Mara. I glanced away for only a second…

The force she hits me with sends me flying out of the second story window, and as I twist around to land on my feet the volcano stretches wide open beneath me. My body comes to a sudden stop in mid-fall and I’m thrown to the other side of the land. It can only be Raighne! I have to get back to help him.

~*~

Luna~

I’ve been searching just about every room and still I come up empty-handed. I take my fourth set of stairs and I know I’ll soon be lost inside this awful place. Halfway down the stairs, I duck down.

“You are only alive so I can get Luna to kill Void. Keep quiet and you might just live to see another day.”

Mara appears with Raighne, Rue and my eyes widen when I see Alchera. An uneasy feeling stirs in me.
Rue. My Rue! I’m going to kill that woman!

“So this is my motivation?” Mara’s head snaps up in my direction. I definitely have trust issues with people and angels alike. “You think threatening me with Raighne’s life will get me motivated?”

“Of course not. Raighne is here to get Alchera away from my husband … oh, and so I do not kill her and upset you more. This one is your motivation.” She grabs Rue by the neck and throws him to the floor. Well, so much for having my feelings switched off.

“You should not have done that,” I growl in anger.

Being in the Shadowlands and close to my moon is intensifying my talent in a way I’m yet to understand. In the blink of an eye I sweep Rue behind me and grab Mara by the neck.

“I am not that helpless thing you met the other day.”

I laugh at her as she increases her blistering touch. I yank her closer until her foul breath is all I smell. “I welcome your burn, Mara. The second it stops I will know I have succeeded in killing you.”

A sickening feeling starts in my stomach and I steel myself as she shimmers us away. If she is hoping I will let go she is sorely mistaken, and taking this fight outside – into the moonlight – is not a smart thing for her to do.

We reappear in a wide open space of nothing. “Void-” Her strangled sentence dies in my tightening grip.

“Now you want your father’s help? You should not have touched my friend, Mara.”

It is my full intention to try and kill them both. I don’t trust Mara and she won’t leave Rue alive once I’m dead.

I start to draw all the energy from my moon. The first orb I create has a strange orange tinge to it. Being so close to Mara the orb will slam me away too, but I shove it into her chest nonetheless. The ravaging energy blasts us apart as I expected, but I land on my feet because of the long nights I trained for such a battle. Mara skids across the dirt. She doesn’t get up and confused I stare at her. This is way too easy.

There is no sign of Void to fight me off. This is it?

“Luna, stop!”

With a dreadful feeling I turn around. “You? No Void. No big finale. I have to fight you so I can kill her?”

“I have searched everywhere. There is no sign of Void. Mara created it all, but if you kill her you die. Let me take care of her so you do not have to die.”

Storm approaches me with a pleading look in his eyes. I know I shouldn’t trust him. I can feel something is wrong. As Storm is about to pass me a slight smile tugs at his lips. My head whips around to where Varia was but there is no sign of her body.

“You are not Storm!” I step carefully away from him. She jumps at me and together we fall to the ground. She tries to get her hands around my throat, but I quickly throw her off. She crashes into me again, trying hard to be the one to end up on top. I allow her one moment of victory before I slam my palm into her jaw, at the same time sending light into her mind.

Her shriek reverberates across the land.. I swear it just got darker, and it’s not because I’m taking more power from the moon. The ground rumbles beneath us and I fear it will split open.

“Stop this madness, Luna! You cannot kill me!” Varia screams.

“I can! Then I will find Void and finish him too.” I summon my energy to my hands and instead of them glowing white, they gleam orange, just like the orb did before. Mara pushes away from me and turns to run. I get up and go after her. I get hold of her ashen hair and yank her back into a suffocating hold. I have her where I want her. I knock her legs from under her and then press my cheek to her burning skin.

“You know what I figured out? You do not have much power of your own. You reflect others’ fears upon them. That is your true power. You are nothing but an image of their fears and I do not fear you, Void. I fear nothing. I am coming for you.”

I don’t give Mara a chance to realize my next move. In one movement I break her neck. I let her limp body fall to the ground and then take her blade from her. I don’t waste time and separate her head from her body. I’m saving my true light for Void.

~*~

Storm~

Luna is a horrific sight as she deposits Mara’s head at the entrance of Void’s fortress. She’s breathing hard, her whole body glowing an eerie orange.

“There is your so-called angel. Anyone could have killed her. She is nothing more than an illusion created by Void.”

I look at Raighne and Rue’s shocked faces and then back to Luna.

“It does not make sense. Your destiny? It is all over then?” I’m confused and wish someone would give me some answers.

“You are all such fools! How easy it must have been for Void to deceive you. He is the master of illusion. He made everyone see what he wanted them to see.”

I don’t like being called out as a fool and take the steps down to Luna.

“And you? Were you not a fool like the rest of us? What of our bond then? Was that an illusion too?” I’m getting angry now. How dare she refer to what we have as an illusion?

“So maybe I was weak for a moment and wanted you to protect me. That moment is long gone now, Storm.”

“You mean to tell me Void is so great that he can have me feel your feelings and see into your head? Come on, Luna!”

“That is not Luna.”

Rue’s sudden interruption behind me distracts me for a second allowing all hell to break loose. Raighne’s yell vibrates through my body and as I look back the shape of Luna is darting for me while shape-shifting into Void, himself. For a second time, Raighne saves me from certain pain as he rips me from Void’s grasp.

“Let us make this a nice family reunion, shall we.” With the snap of his fingers he shimmers Carter to his side. “Tell me, what do you think of my son, Raighne?”

“Do not fall for it, Raighne”

“Where is Luna?” Raighne’s hissing is a clear indication of how close to snapping he really is. But he asks a good question … where
is
Luna?

~*~

Luna~

It is done then. Mara is dead – if she ever existed to begin with. The body vanished the second I took her head.

I don’t have time to ponder what happened. I go in search of my real enemy. I turn back to the towering fortress and run to get to my friends. The running becomes endless, with shadows stretching further the longer I travel. I stop when a tremor shakes the ground and ash starts to rain down around me, as if Mara is having her last gasp before her soul is sucked into the oblivion of the pits.

“Did you really think you could outmaneuver me? You are but a child.” Void’s voice thunders over me and a white flash, much the same as Storm’s, blinds me.

“I am afraid I have to be the bearer of sad news. That is, sad news for you, good news for me.” Void is but a dark figure, virtually a mirage. More figures appear and I can just make out Storm, Raighne, Rue and Alchera.

“Let them go. Your business is with me!” I try not to think of my friends being in such danger.

“I can return your life to the normal one you remember if you leave Alchera here with me.”

If I leave her? Restore my life? What is this madman going on about? I offer him a sarcastic smile. Void is bargaining with me. Why? I look at my friends and hope Void won’t be as reckless in his actions as I am about to be with my words.

“You should know I do not bargain,
Void.
” I spit his name at his feet. “You can take them now, but I will come for you, and there is nowhere on Vaalbara you can hide from me.”

For a moment there is a flash of fear present on Void’s face before it’s replaced by a merciless evil mask.

“Who said anything about taking them? I can end their lives just as quick.” He glares at me, and for a moment everything around me wobbles as if a pebble has been thrown into the clear water of my mind.

“Perhaps I should start with the one closest to your heart.”

To my absolute horror Lucius appears not far from me. Void doesn’t spare me any time to say something. He comes up behind my brother and strikes him with a blade. My scream won’t come no matter how wide I open my mouth.

Lucius’ head falls with a dead thud to the dirt. His eyes stare up at me, filled with accusation of what I should’ve stopped. My brother. My twin! He can’t be dead!

Finally the scream comes but it’s not from my lips. It surrounds me like an endless refrain; my mother, Alchera, Raighne, Storm, Rue – it is the sound of a village suffering an unending nightmare at Void’s hands.

I cover my ears to stop the screaming. I take a deep breath and when I look at Storm for strength, his eyes stare blankly back at me. Raighne has the same look, and so does Alchera.

What the …? The realization hits hard. “This isn’t real.”

“Oh, it is very much a reality for all of you! You prayed to your dearest Awo to help carry Alchera’s burden and so it was allowed. Welcome to my world of pain where your dreams belong to me.”

All the other figures disappear as do our surroundings until just Void and I remain wrapped in his incessant darkness.

“Tell me, my little moonflower, during all your practices and long nights of hard work, did you not once stop to think that it might end like this?”

“End how? By me killing you? Of course, I dreamt it every single second!”

No matter how loud I intended to speak my voice remains a mere whisper in the darkness.