The RisingThe Rising Book One The Darkness Series

Chapter 20

The newcomers stayed on just as Dewin wanted. And as they did, they also took up posts on security detail, with the healers, the seers and the shifters and all of them trained. Especially the Frostwing. There was no one in the group who worked harder than he did.

"You really think this is where we're supposed to be?" Cosmo asked as they walked along the perimeter.

Asher thought about the question and kept his eyes on the horizon. "I think this is the best place to learn about our powers. We haven't come across any other group of people who are this organized. They have it together, Cosmo. And Liem? His mind is a fricking encyclopedia on magicks."

"He's smart I'll agree with that but he keeps a lot to himself Ash. It's like he doesn't trust us." Cosmo makes a good point. One Asher doesn't disagree about, but he does question the reasoning.

"True, so what happened for him to be so distrustful?" Ash wondered out loud.

"It's not us." Lexi overheard them and spoke up her eyes going opaque as the vision took over.

"Shit! Here she goes again," Cosmo groans, rushing to his sister's side with Asher right behind him.

"In the night the Darkness comes,

To visit one as the fog is wound.

She tests his bond with one afar,

Her motive to steal the grimoire.

The closer to him she gets the pages shared,

by the Ancient One who she has now snared.

Hurry now to save your friend,

within the fog he'll find his end."

Asher and Cosmo looked at Lexi for a moment as she relaxed against her brother's chest. The two men slowly put the puzzle together. As the words fell into place, they realized what they were dealing with.

"Liem is in trouble," they said at the same time.

"Where is he?" Asher asked knowing they didn't have much time:

Asher seemed to understand that he was special in some way and that he was needed to end this war. He took a post on security detail, he trained daily and he practiced hand to hand, with weapons and with his powers. He was further along there than Mira was and he wasn't afraid to use what he had learned. If anything he was eager to learn more.

Liem wasn't sure if that was smart or dangerous. But he was willing to learn and he wasn't burning anything down or freezing anyone. He had some kind of control of his power that Mira didn't have and he was careful especially around the children. Liem appreciated that.

"The Frostwing is catching on quite well to the ways around here," Willow said as she stood next to Liem watching the men work on hand to hand combat.

"Yes, he is," Liem agreed somberly. "Why hasn't he come into his power yet? He's the same age as Mira, if not older."

"Age doesn't matter with power," Willow states, knowing what Dewin has instructed her to say when questioned about this very thing. "A Firebird comes into power when they are needed, not when they come of age. Be that ten years old or fifty."

Liem frowned, understanding exactly what that meant for his son. "So you're saying Jonah could come into his power tomorrow if he's needed?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Jonah could be called upon at any age. I hope that is not the case for you and your son. The Gods don't look at age like you and I do." Willow tried to explain but she knew that there was nothing she could say that could ease the pain of a parent who had to send a child into battle. It was never easy.

"He's a child! He doesn't understand what is at risk for him! There has to be another way. Can't I trade places with him or something?" Liem asks, hoping to protect his son.

"I don't have that answer," Willow answered, touching his arm sympathetically. "You should ask Dewin when he comes again."

"When will that be?" Liem asked, eager for answers.

Willow could only shrug her shoulders, "I don't know."

Frustrated and worried, Liem went off on his own. He needed some time to think and to get his anger back in check. He was having a harder time getting his emotions under control lately. It seemed he was constantly unsettled and he didn't want Jonah to feel that any of this was his fault.

The boy has already been through enough losing his mother and the life he knew. This nomad life and the constant danger, uncertainty and fear that they faced isn't the world they planned to raise their child in. He definitely wasn't planning on raising his son alone.

"Hailey, I wish you were here. I could really use your help right now." Liem spoke out loud to his deceased wife with tears in his eyes. He missed her so much.

"I'm not Hailey, but I'm happy to help you out," A woman spoke, causing Liem to jump. A slow teasing smile came to her lips as she walked around a big oak tree. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I was walking by the creek and heard you."

"I didn't know anyone else was down here." Liem looked closely at the woman not recognizing her face as anyone from the camp. "I'm sorry, did you arrive with Asher? You aren't familiar to me."

"No, no, I'm not a part of your camp." She moved smoothly over the rough terrain, almost as if she were floating just above the ground. "My name is Blythe. I'm not from around here but I can help you and your boy, Jonah. I can even help you find your wife, Hailey, again. Wouldn't you like that?"

Liem hesitated then. He hadn't mentioned Jonah's name, and he didn't say who Hailey was to him. This woman wasn't just any woman. She had some kind of power, and he was fairly certain, she wasn't on their side.

Without letting on she had alerted him in any way, Liem sent out a warning to the camp to buckle down. He might be in trouble but he wouldn't send any trouble their way.

"How do you do that?" He asked calmly, taking a seat on an old fallen tree.

It was then he noticed the dark fog rolling in around him. He was surrounded and there was nothing he could do. Liem wasn't sure if it was a trick or the real thing but he wasn't going down without a fight.

"How do I do what? Know about those you love? It's simple really. You are very easy to read, Liem. You care for those people in your camp, especially your sister and your son. Family matters to you." Blythe tilts her head as she pulls out her scythe. "It's unfortunate that they will be your downfall."

Stepping back from her, Liem knew he was in trouble but he didn't have much choice. Calling for the one person who might have the power to stop this woman, Liem tried to buy time for her to reach them.

"You won't win, she won't let you win," Liem said believing that he could get through this fog and reach the only person who could save him.

"The Emberwing is well out of your reach now. The Ancient One has made certain of that. Besides, you're a mere mortal, Liem. She is a legend, a God. And Pyremius will burn her alive and turn her to ash." Blythe laughed as she swung the knife at his head.

Liem ducked and barely escaped getting his head cut off. He rolled and felt the fog nip at his heels, a tingling sensation that made his feet go numb. A poisonous sensation that was meant to keep him from getting out of her grasp.

He doesn't have the power this witch does or the ability to control the fog. She can read minds, use poison and manipulate minds. Knowing this wasn't a dream and it wasn't an illusion, Liem tried once again to reach for help.

"No one is coming to save you, Liem. You strayed too far from your camp. You walked too far outside the barrier line," she tisk-tisk at him as if he were a child. Chuckling to herself, Blythe swung the scythe around as if it was a toy.

"What do you want?" Liem demanded an answer as he stood chest up, fists tight, ready to fight for his life.

"What do I want? I want to rule. What does Pyremius want? Your life and every other human being's life swallowed in the dark," Blythe whispered the words before bursting into a bawdy laugh.

"You'll need to be getting through me before you can have either of those," the cold female voice came out of the fog.

Blythe stopped laughing and looked around. With a little smile she looked at Liem and tick-tocked her finger. "You called for help, naughty boy. I'm surprised you got through to her."

Walking out of the fog was Mira, dressed in a long black leather jacket and black jeans, her dark hair pulled back in a long tail. She was the same but different in more ways than one.

With a single wave of her arms the fog cleared and the forest was once again there again, this time filled with fairies and shifters, witches and elves all surrounding them ready to fight against Blythe.

Liem could see just how far he had actually wandered from camp and knew that it was Blythe and her spell that caused him to go so far. He never would have left camp alone without anyone knowing where he went.

"You're outnumbered and outgunned, Blythe. You picked on the wrong man tonight." Mira spoke calmly as she stepped between Blythe and Liem. "You can either surrender or you will die, those are your choices tonight."

Blythe hadn't faced the new Emberwing. She had been looking forward to this moment. Granted Pyremius has given strict orders that the firebird was not to be killed but there was nothing said about harming her or playing with her before bringing her before him.

And why shouldn't she have her fun with the Emberwing while she can? Once the firebird is in Pyremius' hands she will be turned to ashes and it will be millennia before a new Emberwing will be born.

"Mira, I see you got your boyfriend's message. Good to know that you are still listening to that line," Blythe smiled as she swung the scythe from one side to the other. "Are you really willing to give your life for his? I'm surprised you're stooping so low."

"I'm surprised you care," Mira responded, tilting her head.

"I don't. He was a means to an end. And I got what I wanted," Blythe smiled wildly as she spun, swinging the scythe around with her aiming to take Mira's head right off with it.

Mira had learned some tricks while she was gone. Not only has she learned magicks but she's learned to control her power. With a flick of her wrist she disarmed Blythe and surprised her as much as Liem with the move.

Not surprised but impressed by the move, Blythe grinned at the prospect of a fight. She always did appreciate a qualified opponent. Preferably one who knows how to use their power. Not this meager one who could barely flick a fly from his shoulder.

"You've been practicing. Good girl. Pyremius will be happy to hear that you are ripe for the taking," Blythe teased, licking her lips.

"Pyremius won't be taking anyone or anything today. And you won't be able to deliver anymore messages to him," Mira growled, holding out her hand as if she was clutching Blythe's throat. Slowly her fist began to fold into a tight grip.

"Emberwing! Mira! This is not the way!" The bellowing voice of the old man echoed around the forest.

Liem didn't see him as much as felt his presence. When the Ancient One appeared, he was angry with Mira and made no secret of his displeasure with her actions.

"Release her!" He ordered Mira as Blythe began to choke.

"She needs to die for her crimes! She threatens the peace of the entire world. She would kill him for her own pleasure. This is not the way to the light." Mira spoke in a way that confused Liem. It's as if she didn't recognize him as her friend.

"True. It is not the way, but neither is taking one's life away by your own actions. Mira we've talked about this. She was baiting him to lure you out. And got exactly what she wanted." Dewin explained to her and Liem realized that was exactly what happened. He got played.

Looking at Blythe, Liem snarled a little himself, realizing that he got suckered by her game and almost got them both killed in the process. He won't make that mistake again.

As Dewin turns to Blythe to deal with her, she has one last trick up her sleeve and disappears in thin air right before their eyes. Leaving them looking around the clearing for her, Dewin knows she is already long gone and back to the dark, reporting to Pyremius about everything she's just learned, which unfortunately was plenty.

"She's gone. And she has taken the bait," Dewin declared to Mira, who stopped looking around and turned to her trainer.

"Will she tell him that I am ready?" She asks the old man.

"No, not yet. But she will tell him you are coming along. And you have more power than they thought. They weren't prepared for you. Be careful, they will be prepared next time. Liem, why did you stray from the barrier?" Dewin asked

"I didn't. Or I didn't know that I did. She had that fog surrounding me. It was like I was in a trance talking to her. She was asking about Hailey. I don't know how long she had me out." And that bothered him and Dewin.

Blythe was a talented witch, but she had a dark side to her. She chose the darker path, she wanted power and control over everything else and that meant she was using black magicks. A kind of magicks that was banned from those who were in the light.

If she used the fog to blind Liem, to control his mind, she was using blood magick on him. She was using some dangerous and dark spells for Pyremius that only made Dewin worry more about what was to come.