SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Fourteen
Lyrah stalked through the hallways trying to figure out where everyone had disappeared to. She hardly slept last night waiting to hear of what was happening in the Realm of the Dark. Drake and Jax worked around the clock monitoring their armies sent to help. One thing that eased Lyrah was the fact that the Dragon was intelligent enough not to leave her in the dark with the information. He knew her better and he knew she would have used some other means to get the information. Drake updated her and others about the situation in Karah and in the Legin Glacier.
Up until the early hours of dawn, Lyrah knew exactly where her brother and her mate where and what the situation was in Legin Glacier. Sleep and exhaustion must have taken her over after that because when she opened her eyes later, she discovered she was up in her quarters tucked in her bed with the sun rays filtering into her room. It must have been late morning or mid noon she was cozily in her bed while warriors were dying in an attack!
Her heart sank to her feet as she raced towards Lord Mage’s office which was turned to the monitoring room for a while. When she entered, she was greeted by several warriors scattered in the spacious office, each one doing a certain task. Some had phones on their ears and computers on their laps. Because the enchanted air could not support aviation, computers and phones did not rely on satellites. All the communication and transportation relied heavily of the flow and conversion of energy in the atmosphere and since is always available; Internet, phone networks and transportation was much more reliable than in the human Realm. There was no need for fuel and pollution was at a minimal.
“Lady Lyrah.” Drake saw her and approached her. He looked terrible and strained.
“Good morning, Drake.” Lyrah greeted him.
Drake inclined his head as one of the warriors handed him a piece of paper. “Good morning.” He looked down at the paper and his eyes widened slightly.
“What has happened?” Lyrah curiously peeped towards the paper but Drake folded it before she could see anything.
“Nothing the Lord Mage and the Jinn King can’t handle. The Ghouls are under control in Karah as we speak. The strategic attack in the Legin Glacier has reduced the risk to the people of Karah. The Lord Mage has captured three sorcerers—” Drake frowned lightly. “—I don’t know who the fuck these particular sorcerers have sold their souls to.”
Lyrah frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
“Somehow they were able to infiltrate the Black Fortress yards even though the Lord Mage was able to fortify the protection spells.” Drake scratched the back of his head.
Lyrah remembered the sorceress who attacked her at the lake. “When I was attacked at the lake, the sorceress was half serpent.”
Drake’s eyes widened. “That is what makes it strange. Galea sent a message and said the sorcerers were merged with other beings; two had fur and one had scales.”
Suddenly the enchanted world had gotten a little confusing. Lyrah thought she had seen it all but this was something new. Their enemies were coming up with new ways of countering Mage spells and that meant nothing but trouble for everyone else. Rowan was a very powerful priest, she had to admit.
“What about Rowan?”
“No one has seen him but the ones who are at the Legin Glacier believe that he is still in there.”
“Rowan might be very strong but he is still has a weakness.” Lyrah’s best guess was that Rowan must own a staff himself since he surrendered his soul to evil. If he was able to bring to play all those abominations, Lyrah believed the destruction of his staff would bring them to a stop.
“I don’t like the look on your face right now.” Drake eyed her knowingly.
Lyrah pursed her lips. “I can’t do anything from here, can I?”
“And it’s better that way.” Drake assured her. “What you need to do now is go and have breakfast and let us worry on your behalf.”
A small smile appeared on her face. “You are one crazy-ass dragon if you think I would just sit around and let you worry for me.”
Drake shrugged. “I know you. Go on.”
Lyrah nodded and turned to leave.
The hairs at the back of Lyrah’s neck rippled as a shiver went through her body. That had been happening for the past several hours of that day. After meeting up with Drake that morning, Lyrah went in search of the rest and found them to have made a camp in the Library. While Dante, Muriel and several other Mage of Truth did some research on the computers, Eva was watching over baby Nolan.
Muriel was exhausting herself especially since she still hadn’t recovered entirely after the birth but the female wanted to hear nothing of it. Everyone worked around the clock to try and make sense of the information that was being relayed to the Realm. First they tried to figure out how it was Rowan survived all this time without any knowledge of it. There were several articles written about him. By the time Lyrah finished reading about the priest, she concluded the male was evil from the beginning. Not much was said about how he started using the Dark Energy but it was mentioned that he practiced the dark arts.
Dante was very knowledgeable because by late noon, he had figured out a lot about the dead army and the resurrection spells they used.
“Rowan used a summoning spell not a resurrection spell.” Dante rested back on his chair and sighed tiredly.
Lyrah frowned as she rubbed her arms, warding off the cold that was settling on her skin. “What? You mean this normal summoning spell we use to summon the Mage essence from the after life?”
Dante nodded lightly. “Yep.”
“This is much more than a summoning spell, Dante.” Muriel turned to her nephew.
Again, Dante nodded and pulled out the photos of the dead Ghouls in the caves. “I tried to translate the symbols on the Ghouls’ bodies and these are not resurrection spells. In fact, they are not even spells to begin with. They are a script from an ancient Bachu’ane scroll.”
Muriel and the other Mage of Truth frowned at him and took the photos. Lyrah and Noelle did too but the two of them didn’t even know what they were looking at.
“Rowan didn’t kill these Ghouls to resurrect his dead army. I bet he, too, has no idea of that resurrection spell. He would have needed a very powerful ancient sorcerer to do that for him and I doubt he plays well with others. I doubt it very much if he would have allowed someone who is as powerful as him to work beside him. Rowan is a selfish leader and he will not share power.”
“So what are you saying?” Lyrah asked in confusion. “What did the Ghouls die for then?”
“I don’t know but my biggest guess was that this was a diversion away from the real thing. Aunt, you told me about the talking Ghoul that had died in the dudgeons some time back. He had a tainted strain of energy in him that was attracted to any being absorbing and manipulating energy, right?”
Muriel nodded. “Yes, that tainted strain of energy, if absorbed, tainted the being as if that being was possessed. It possessed one of the Jinn warriors but the Lord Mage was able to destroy it completely. We couldn’t get a sample to try and figure out what it was.”
Dante nodded and turned to Lyrah. “This could be a long shot but what if I am not wrong, I would say Rowan has just discovered a way to contain a summoned spirit and keep it from leaving this world in this black inky encasement. It is attracted to the people using energies because that is the only way it can possess a body for a short period of time. This means the dead army can not be destroyed and they will keep on jumping from one person to other unless the black goo is destroyed.”
Lyrah felt a headache throbbing in her head. “But that thing possessed a Ghoul and a Jinn once.”
Dante sighed. “Ghouls had energy manipulation abilities. They were once Bachu’ane plus the were deeply affected by the Dark Energy so even when they do bite someone and that person changes into a Ghoul, the tainted energies run in their veins. They are just not as strong as in the Mage or the Nosferatu. I think this is also the reason why Rowan is able to control the Ghouls in his attacks. As for the Jinn, he must have been a half-blood like me.”
“And what about the scroll, what did it say?” Noelle asked rubbing her hand over her heart. Like Lyrah, she was already feeling the effects of her mate being away.
“It is a riddle of some sort. I need a little more time to decipher it.” Dante said then turned to the other Mage of Truth. “We can start on it after lunch?”
The Mage nodded quickly.
“It might be a long shot but we still need to try.” Noelle stated. “We need to relay this information about the tainted strain to the warriors in Legin Glacier since they are the ones dealing with the dead army as we speak. We need to make sure the Mage warriors there don’t attract the black abomination and get possessed.”
Muriel’s eyes shone with approval towards her nephew. “Good work, Dante.”
Dante shrugged lightly as his eyes turned to his mate who was cooing Nolan on the other side of the library. Lyrah couldn’t help but feel a little envious that neither of them had great responsibilities that kept them apart like the way she was with her mate, and the Queen Mage and her brother.
“There is still so much to do.” Dante looked very tired but Lyrah knew with all that he had done, he was not going to rest until he finished his work. “We still need to figure out about the serpent sorcerers and why they are able to overcome even the strongest protection spells.”
Lyrah’s hand shot forward and touched Dante’s lightly. “You have done so much already. Rest a bit and have something to eat before we can continue later.”
Noelle grinned at Lyrah. “See, we are not as useless as Lord Mage thinks.
Lyrah managed to smile back but she couldn’t shake away the cold still creeping over her skin.
Rhol tried to orientate himself after what felt like a loss of consciousness. His world tilted on its axis even though he had not opened his eyes. There was a terrible aching on his right temple and he could smell blood. Where was he and how come he could not move? The last thing he remembered was seeing his father appear before him holding the Thyest Bow. His father had said a lot of things but Rhol wondered if he had imagined it all. He remembered his father refusing to acknowledge Yosurn as his son. He and Yosurn grew up together. He couldn’t remember any moment that sprouted doubt about his younger brother.
So, if Uzrel said that Yosurn was not of his blood, whose blood was he then? The thoughts made the aching in Rhol’s head worse.
“He hasn’t woken up yet?” He heard someone ask from a distance.
The voice echoed in his head as if his brain had been gorged out leaving behind an empty shell.
“No.” A female voice answered.
A hissed passed from the male, making every hair on Rhol’s body ripple. “We don’t have much time. Our army is barely holding on thanks to that pest that managed to escape and lead the Mage back inside into our Legin Glacier lair.”
Rhol wondered if they were talking about Darius. He knew the male was hard to kill and somehow he must have managed to escape the caves.
“Have the sorcerers managed to get control of the situation?”
“With the abilities of the army summoned from the after-life, we are on the winning side.” The female answered.
“Good, now wake him up.” The voice turned towards Rhol. “I am tired of waiting.”
Rhol heard the knocking of shoes fading and knew that the male had left and the female was left alone with him. All the better, he thought as suddenly icy water was poured over him. Rage seared through his veins at the action. The rage was so much that the dark whispers in his head awoke and started hissing the sweet promises of power to him. Blackness bled over his eyes and for once Rhol, embraced the darkness. If he was going to escape that place, he needed everything in his disposal….he just had to be very careful as not to lose himself in it.
“Get up!” The female snarled.
Rhol’s head snapped towards her direction and a growl of warning made its way up his throat. “I will drink in your blood, sorceress.”
One side of the female’s lips curled into a smile. “Or you could die trying.”
Rhol tried to leap up and attack but heavy manacles stopped him from getting to her. He looked down at the dark metal shackled around his wrists. Power emanated from them. They were enchanted so it meant he wasn’t breaking them any time soon but he sure as hell was going to get out of there.
“You are not going anywhere, King Rhol. You might as well get comfortable. Rowan’s plans for you might take you on a bumpy ride.” The female dropped the bucket and reached for a tray beside her. “You will need to preserve all that energy and loathing for him and not me.” She slid the tray towards him. “Eat.”
Rhol couldn’t trust the sorceress. For all he knew, they might have poisoned the food. He’d rather starve to death that put anything handed to him in his mouth.
Rhol kicked the tray back to the female making sure she got her boots messed up. “No thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” The female growled as she kicked the tray away and cleaned up her boots. “You are going to get what you deserve, Rhol.”
“Do your worst.” Rhol challenged.
Never had Rhol backed down from a challenge nor lost onet. There was nothing else left for him to fear being as old as he was because he had seen it all. The only things that surprised him were the ones fate occasionally dropped his way, such as his mate. All of the wisdom and knowledge he had accumulated over the years was aimed at one direction only and that was survival but now he found himself trying to figure out what he needed to do to accommodate a female in his life. Once, they was nothing but a battlefields and destruction but now, he had a female tied to his side for eternity and he had to survive this ordeal for her, whether he liked it or not.
He wondered what she was doing at that moment. Lady Lyrah wasn’t a person to take things sitting down. Even though she readily accepted going back to the Realm of Spells, Rhol was very sure she was after something. If she wasn’t driving the commanders up the walls, he had no idea. The thought of her settled cozily inside him. He missed the warmth and peace she brought to him. Now that she was far away, the voices got louder and there was nothing he could do to keep them quiet.
Rhol scanned his surroundings, trying to find something that would be an advantage to him. It looked like he was in a cellar with very high vault ceilings and hard stone floors. Gas lanterns flickered in the light breeze that was moaning across the room. Two large wooden doors were on the opposite wall from him and a few feet on his right there was a passage that faded into the darkness from view. That was the route the sorceress took after she failed to feed him. He imagined she must have gone to get Rowan or whoever who was in charge. He only had a few minutes tops to get his escape strategy intact and so far he had nothing. He couldn’t do anything with his arms chained the way they were.
He didn’t know for how long he had been there so he had no clue what was happening back in Karah. Were the Ghouls still attacking his city? And what about Lord Mage and his warriors? It killed him that he didn’t know where he was and what was happening outside those walls. He needed to get out and soon!
“I see you have decided to finally wake up.” A familiar voice came from that same dark passage the female sorceress had disappeared to.
Rhol lifted his head, wanting his tattoos to sought out whatever malevolence that was hiding in there but there wasn’t even a ripple from them. He frowned and looked down at himself.
“Oh!” The voice exclaimed and Rhol heard boots knocking on the stone floor. “I am sorry that it will not be possible for you to use any of your abilities namely your tattoos, your disappearing act, your fast healing ability, your braid--in conclusion, you are useless in here.”
Rhol was feeling a little different. The shackles weren’t the only things enchanted, the entire place was! Well, his escaping plan just got a little complicated.
“Show yourself, you walking corpse.” Rhol growled.
The male stepped forward and immediately Rhol recognized the Royal Fae attire the male had on. He was tall and lanky. His skin was deathly pale like his hair. Where his eyes should have been were two black orbs. His skin was tightly pulled against his skull and bones and he twitched and jerked every once in a while. When he smiled, Rhol noticed the sharp teeth oozing with saliva.
This must have been the dark Fae, Ron. He must have been the one the Lord Mage put spies on his ass for, believing that he must have aligned with. Even if Rhol was desperate, never in a million years would he align himself with such vermin.
“Ron.” Rhol spat.
Ron clapped his hands together with pretend surprise on his face. It made him look a whole lot more like the walking dead. It was the same look Aidan had when he accepted the Dark Energy. “My, my, my, even the great Jinn King knows of me.”
“You have been sentenced to death by your actions of murder and treason, of course I know you.” Rhol assured him.
Ron narrowed his fathomless eyes and crossed his skinny arms against his chest. “You act like you don’t know what we are working at here. It’s quiet disappointing.”
“After slaughtering a village in the Realm of Spells, Kidnapping the Fae king and his daughter and trying to kill them both, you still dig your grave deeper by interfering in other Realms’ businesses as well. Let me make this clear. This is the last Realm you walk alive.”
“Are you sure you want to do this with me in the situation that you are? I did what I had to do in the Mage-land to get what I needed…and I did.” An evil smile appeared on his face. “With three of the Mortal Locks in our possession, it is only a matter of time until we get the other two.”
“Three?” Rhol eyed the vile male suspiciously. was he bluffing or did they really possess three of the Mortal Locks.
“The Coral Spear, the Light Sword and your very own royal Thyest Bow.” Ron bragged.
Rhol’s eyes narrowed lightly. Were all those Locks together in that lair? Could he get to them when he made his escape. “You are bluffing.”
Ron’s cheek ticked and his eye twitched. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“He is trying to get to you.” The female hissed at Ron.
Ron lifted his hand to shush her. “Shut up. Don’t you think I know that already?”
Rhol didn’t know whether Ron was too thick to understand the art of manipulation or he was just toying with him by acting stupid. He hoped it was the former. “I know you are bluffing. The Light Sword, like the Thyest Bow and the Scarlet Shield was lost to the Enchanted world. It is not possible that you have it in your possession. Not even the Fae king, a very ancient Fae with so many Enchanted secrets, knows where it is.”
Ron sighed softly and chuckled lightly. “My brother knew where the Light Sword was and he revealed that secret to me to save his only daughter, the Queen Mage. I didn’t plan on sparing her even after he told me where it was. I loath her with all my heart…but the Lord Mage had to come in and rain on our parade. I have the Light Sword!”
Rhol doubted it very much. There were several replicas of the Mortal Locks that were made; some were found in Museums and others were sold to people who wanted to own them in their collections but so far he only believed three of those Mortal Locks were actually real, The Mortal Book that was in Lord Mage’s possession, The Thyest Bow that was in no doubt in Rowan’s possession and the Coral Spear because Queen Seranis was murdered for it. As for the Light Sword and the Scarlet Shield, he doubted it very much that they were even in the Enchanted World.
“If you think by possessing the Mortal Locks will unleash the Dark Energy into the Enchanted World again, you certainly don’t know your history.” Rhol muttered.
“It’s a start.” Ron snapped then his head bobbed and ticked.
“You have no clue as to what you are trying to unleash here. If you think to control the Dark Energy to your advantage, then you are more of an idiot than I first thought. I have seen the destruction the Dark Energy can do and believe me that is the last thing you want on your plate right now.”
“Shut up!” Ron exclaimed. “With the Dark Energy comes power! Unimaginable power to rule over this world, bring the order of the true king of the enchanted world. That was the promise.” he said as he shook his head and frowned. “That’s what they told me.”
That was when he dawned to Rhol. “That’s what the voices told you?”
“Let’s get out of here, Ron. King Rhol is playing games with you.” The female warned.
“How do you know about the voices?” Ron asked.
Because I hear then too. Rhol muttered inwardly while he took a better look at the male in front of him. Was this the face of the ultimate power the voices were promising him. Ron was barely the male he once was. He looked more like a Ghoul and soon enough Rhol had a feeling the male would lose his mind and start devouring flesh, if he hadn’t started already.
Be the king you are destined to be and rule over the lands of the Enchanted world. The voices sang in his head. Everyone will sing your song and tell your story; the stories and songs of the greatest king to have ever lived.
Only in a cold day in Hell! Rhol shook the voices away.
“How do you know about the voices?” Ron asked again. “Do you hear them too?”
“Only the ones as sick as you are can hear your voices, Ron.”
A hideous grin of all teeth and no amusement appeared on Ron’s face. “Insult me all you want, King Rhol, but you can never escape what has been planned for you. Heed my words, you would be begging for death by the time Rowan is done with you.”
The female sorceress grabbed Ron’s arm when the male lunged forward at Rhol. “That is what he wants you idiot! Let’s go.”
Ron yanked his hand away and turned to leave. “You’ve already lost, King Rhol. See you on the other side.”
When the two disappeared, Rhol turned back to the shackles and tried twisting them but the damned things didn’t even barge. He needed to get away and soon.
Lyrah fisted her hands as she made her way through the Mage Fortress looking for something, anything for that matter to keep her mind busy before she lost her sanity and went rushing back to the Realm of the Dark. The tugging in her heart was quite significant--significant enough to make her want to wail like a baby. Her slightly long nails bit hard into her palms as she stormed across the hallways faster. Her presence in the Realm of the Dark will not do anyone any good. She needed to endure this just a little more so that.
“Hey, Lyrah!” Queen Noelle came to her with a big grin on her face. “Hurry up and get ready. We are heading into the city.”
Lyrah’s eyebrows arched up. “We are?”
Queen Noelle nodded. “We are. Drake allowed it provided we take Jax and several guards with it.”
“I knew it was too good to be true.” Lyrah sighed. “But it is much better than just staying in here.”
There was so much concern on Queen Noelle’s face. “Will you be alright?”
Lyrah managed a small smile. “If you can being away from the Lord Mage, I can handle being away from the Jinn King.”
Queen Noelle’s eyebrow arched up as if she wasn’t convinced. “I have been around the Lord Mage much longer than you have been around your mate.”
“I’ll be fine.” Lyrah assured her.
“Have you two spoken about your Union? I can’t wait!” Queen Noelle exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. “I’ll choose your dress for you and do your hair--oh, it will be awesome!”
Lyrah couldn’t tell the other female that her mate wanted nothing to do with her. She had been rejected and when rejection didn’t work he made sure she understood that he wasn’t ready for a Union with her. Just thinking about it brought a painful lump in her throat. She cared about Rhol. SOmehow amidst all the arguments, insults and threats they threw at each other, he found his way into her heart. She cared for him with all his bad temper, his need to exert authority to everyone, his growls and his snapping teeth.
Lyrah ended up giggling and choking back tears at the same time. Just the thought of him made her smile.
“Are you in love with the Jinn King?” Noelle eyed Lyrah coyly.
“I’m not!” She exclaimed quickly though a red shade bloomed on her cheeks and her face felt a little too hot.
“It’s a shame the Mage don’t have wings to tell if they are in love or not--” Noelle’s eyes widened as she gasped. “But you are glowing like a firefly! You are in love with the Jinn King!”
Lyrah hid her face behind her palms. “I have not fallen in love with the Jinn King because he does not want me.”
“What do you mean the Jinn King doesn’t want you?” Queen Noelle pried Lyrah’s hands from her face. “What is there not to want? I mean you are gorgeous with your big doe eyes and the complexion I envy so much. Not to mention your hair and cute personality--”
“Cute personality!” Lyrah chuckled softly.
Queen shrugged lightly. “Colourful personality then but either way, Lyrah, strangers fall in love with you from the moment they meet you. I was one of those people. There is just something about you that calms and brightens everyone’s day.”
Lyrah’s heart tightened in her ribs. Then why didn’t Rhol see that? Why was he trying to get rid of her at every chance he got?
“I have been planning for that Union just like the way you’ve been planning for mine! It’s going to happen even if I have to drag Rhol down that temple myself!”
Lyrah pictured the action in her head and burst out laughing. She could almost see the shock on Rhol’s face, having the Queen Mage dragging him down to the Temple but truth be told, lately, Lyrah found herself wondering about that faithful day. “Let’s survive this attack from the sorcerers first and then we can talk about you dragging my mate down to the temple later.” Lyrah said.
Queen Noelle smiled and winked then took her hand. “Fine--but just know that your Union will come. Come on, the others are waiting.”
Lyrah followed Queen Noelle feeling the heaviness in her heart lighten a bit until--
“What do you mean the Jinn King is missing?” Drake was charging down the hallway with Storm beside him. “Could it be that he has gone after Rowan? Uh--” Drake stuttered when he noticed to two females in front of them. “I’m going to have to call you back.”
Lyrah felt Queen Noelle’s hands clasp over hers as she turned to Drake. “What do you mean the Jinn King is missing?”
Drake rake his hands in his hair and sighed. “Since yesterday, no one has any idea where the Jinn King is. He went out with his army when the Ghouls attacked Karah and for a while everyone saw hime fighting the creatures and then he disappeared.”
“What do you mean he disappeared?” Lyrah asked. “Maybe he flashed himself somewhere else to fight.”
Drake and Storm’s faces were grim and they were not giving Lyrah any hope. She was looking forward to that trip into the city but now she felt as if she were about to get hysterical.
“The Ghouls are under control in Karah and even when the warriors returned to the Fortress, King Rhol was not with them….no one knows for sure where he is.”
Lyrah grabbed onto Queen Noelle tightly because she was the only one who was keeping her from collapsing to the floor. Suddenly her throat tightened and it became difficult for her to breathe.
“Nothing terrible has happened to him or you would have felt it. He is alive wherever he is.” Drake assured her.
“I need to return there.” Lyrah looked up at Drake, desperately wanting the other male to understand just what she was going through.
“Absolutely not.” Drake snapped. “The Jinn King will show up sooner or later--”
“I can find him! He is my mate after all and I will be able to sense him.” Lyrah protested. “I should get be there!”
Drake cursed out colorfully as he raked both hands in his hair.
“SHe’s right. If there is someone who can find the Jinn King right now is her.” Storm’s eyes kept on alternating between amber and brown.
“DOn’t you think I know that?” Drake barked.
“Then why are we wasting time debating about it!” Storm growled. “The longer we wait here the more precious minutes we lose. If he is captured by the enemy, it’s only a matter of time until they kill him. It’s just one less ancient in the way.”
“Fine!” Drake snarled.
“I’m coming too.” Queen Noelle quickly added.
Drake rolled his eyes and sighed in surrender. “Did I even had the slightest advantage of leaving you here?”
Queen Noelle shook her head. “Nope.”
“Get ready, we leave in thirty minutes.” Drake turned back to where he was from and re-dialed his phone.
Lyrah managed to sit down on one of the strategically positioned settees and breathe in to try and calm down. Queen Noelle was right beside her making sure she was alright.
Lyrah knew Rhol was alive because she still felt his presence. So where exactly was he and what was he doing?
“I believe that the Jinn King is alive and well, you should too.” Queen Noelle brushed Lyrah’s hair from her face.
Lyrah nodded.
Be safe, Rhol, for the sake of my sanity and my heart--be safe.