A/n: Happy New Year!
Warning: A lot of this chapter is rushed. It only took me eight months to get here so I was anxious to get it out of the way, to overcome this milestone so I can finally progress in this story. I'll edit it later. Hope it's half decent!
My gut reaction was: run.
But how could I when my limbs were no longer extensions of my will, but of someone else's? We were all dolls now, completely at the mercy of our puppeteer, who commanded our bodies to defy our instincts and file into the chamber that reeked of danger and an ominous future.
Initially, Sky's (Brandon's) backside obstructed my view of the room, so I wasn't able to fully behold its contents until I was well inside, the others not far behind.
Candi was the first thing that got my attention.
The midnight-haired fairy slumped on the floor against a pillar on the far side of the space, body tied and thus pinned to the stone column, mouth gagged with a cloth, and head lolled downward. It was safe to assume her little teaming up with the cultists had backfired on her ass. Served her right, the vile harpy. In the end, her scheming had gotten her nowhere, managed to accomplish nothing but condemn her to the same fate as the very people she'd delivered into these people's hands. Karma was every bit the bitch as her.
As if sensing activity, she groggily lifted her face. Her muddy eyes appeared hazy at first but upon seeing us, they swelled with undiluted fear. She started struggling against her restraints but my gaze skipped over her, taking in the rest of what I could see from my standpoint.
My heart sped up at the sight of the elaborate setup before me.
God help us.
It was like something out of a fucking horror movie.
There was Lamya's sarcophagus in the center, the focal point of the assumed ritual configuration. It was planted in the middle of what looked like a magic circle drawn with white chalk, outlined with a thick, syrupy substance that assaulted my nostrils with a coopery tang. Blood of some sorts but judging by its violet-blue hue, it wasn't human (a small mercy). A series of magic seals—complex, overlapping circles that were inscribed with runes, smaller shapes, and characters of an ancient, indecipherable language—branched out from the main one, traced with the same dark liquid. Neighboring it all was a small work table, supplied with all kinds of shit in vials and sharp objects, tools intended to cut.
Notgoodnotgoodnotgoodnotgoodnotgoodnotgood.
The lighting only punctuated the menacing atmosphere; braziers aglow with blue fire set in arched nooks in the wall, suffusing the space with a dull, eerie, ominous light.
"Welcome to your destiny, children," announced an airy voice that immediately drew my attention to the dais situated along the back wall. Elevated a few steps above ground, the stone platform housed a majestic throne of gold and velvet. Seated on it was an imperious, willowy woman with porcelain skin, delicate features, and cyan hair that cascaded down her back like undulating waves. Clad in an ivory gown with flowing sleeves and a floral crown of white roses, I would've even mistaken her for an angel had it not been for the brooding, indubitably dark aura rippling around her like a force field. In my whole time being a fairy, I'd never sensed an energy this immense, this bloodcurdling. It swallowed and suffocated the whole chamber like someone had vacuumed the air out it, leaving nothing to inhale but her infinite presence.
In the brief moment those lapis-blue eyes flickered to me, all of my instincts screamed for me to run, to put as much distance as possible between me and this woman as possible. Her aura alone said enough: we were in the audience of a monster masquerading as a maiden, a spirit as filthy and foul as this accursed dungeon.
My heart gave a hard flare of panic when I realized someone was perched at the foot of her throne, a girl with brown skin and pecan-colored eyes to match. A girl whose radiant smile was now nonexistent, her face a portrait of apathy.
Ahisa.
My roommate, the one we'd been fruitlessly searching for, was now mere feet away, so close yet so out of reach. I wanted to run over and hug her, ask what she'd been through, tell her that she was missed and not forgotten. But I was held captive in my own body, unable to physically react to anything that was transpiring.
One by one, the Winx, Trix, Specialists, and I all fell into an orderly line before Lamya's sarcophagus and the ritual drawings, no more than a row of mannequins. Puppetted Lucrezia finally set down that bastard Avandth, who beckoned to Ahisa. My roommate responded immediately, rising and trudging toward us like an automaton. She too was a slave on strings.
Once we were all assembled, a dark wind snapped through the room and I heard the heavy doors click shut, closing us all in.
And so it began.
The woman on the throne inspected us, the goods, thoroughly. "Well done, Alvaz," she said with a bloodred smile, clearly pleased. "They will do nicely." Oddly, her voice had a melodic lilt to it; even it contrasted the horrifying air about her. Regardless, the sound of it was a violent scraping to my ears. In that moment, I'd never hated anyone more than this bitch; not even Candi or Stormy. The bomb of hatred that detonated within me was so raw and strong, the explosion heated my insides, set me on fire. Though Avandth might've silenced my voice, my thoughts were not under his influence and I used them to internally shout at the witch, curse her name and damn her to the hottest pits of hell.
"Actually, Kyanite, we have this one to thank for our success," said Alvaz matter-of-factly, proceeding toward Candi on near-silent feet. "Had it not been for her, we wouldn't have gotten this far. Such a shame she had to go and betray us in the end." He simply flicked a finger in her direction, and Candi's gag came undone.
"You can't do this!" she fumed, eyes welling with rage as she squirmed against the rope as Alvaz neared. "This was not part of the deal! I did your dirty work!"
Alvaz gave a mock bow. "And for that, we are eternally grateful," he drawled, voice honey-rich. "Your hard work will not go unrewarded. You've earned your place at the table." He made a point of looking toward the ritual arrangement, at the smooth slab of stone that was placed next to Lamya's closed coffin. If one was to lay flat on it, there were built-in metal cuffs where the wrists and ankles would go. A torture table—
"No!" said Candi brusquely, panic creeping into the edges of her tone. "No!" She was quaking furiously at this point, genuinely shocked that her decisions had come back to bite her in the ass. She deserved nothing less. At least she would go down with us, suffer the same fate she doomed us to.
"Yes. You're first, sweetheart," said Alvaz with a cruel, laidback smile. "It's only fair we give you that honor." He reached down to untie her, but his comrade stopped him.
"Not yet, Alvaz" said "Kyanite", lifting a dismissive hand. "There's no need to be hasty. The ritual will commence shortly. In the meantime, why don't we pay our eager guests the enlightenment they deserve?"
Turning to face us, Alvaz grinned. "Of course," he said, voice light as whipped cream. "Where are my manners? It would be completely rude on our part to kill them without first giving a proper explanation. After all, none of this would be possible without their contribution."
My mind was a stormy whirlwind. Kill us? Didn't Candi say they only needed our mana? I guess it wouldn't be a legitimate dark ritual without the utilization of one's lifeblood, but still! Was that a small (major) detail the fairy had deliberately omitted, or had she truly lacked knowledge of the ritual's full mechanics at the time? I hoped the latter was the case, because that would mean the bitch had intentionally, willingly steered her own classmates toward their premature death. Everything she'd done was already inexcusable enough, but if I discovered she'd known the whole truth…She wouldn't even be safe from me in hell.
Speaking of the slanted-eyed beast, she let out a strangled sob from the corner, but no one heeded her. No one cared. This was all on her. Yes, maybe these people would've found a set of sacrifices regardless, but at least she wouldn't have involvement, wouldn't have damned all of us. And for what? What did these foul beings promise her that was enough to persuade her into dooming her own classmates? What did she expect to gain that was more valuable than the lives of unsuspecting innocents, people who still had so much life left to live? There was no amount of money that could convince me to forfeit someone else's existence for. How could someone so young be so selfish, so heartless to the point they would place a financial value on something that was priceless, something they'd barely gotten to experience themselves? And even if Candi was dragged into this against her will, why bring us down with her?
The rage stirring inside me was otherworldly. While I was banking on a miracle, I hoped it came after the bitch received her just dessert.
"As many of you already know, we're all gathered here today in the name of a long-dead sorceress whose very name is forbidden and has gone down in history as the Greatest Evil Ever Known, only second to the Prince of Darkness himself," began Kyanite, voice light and deceptively ethereal. She was speaking as if we were all eager children at storytime, as if we weren't forced to stand here and listen to whatever bullshit she was about to spew.
"Lady Lamya came from modest roots," continued Kyanite, meaning we were going to get the dead witch's whole damn back-story. That was fine by me; the longer this woman talked, the longer the ritual was delayed and the more time our miracle had to present itself. "She hailed from an ancient desert civilization on a foreign planet, where she was one of the youngest out of dozens of princes and princesses. Like many of her older brothers and sisters, Lamya had an unquenchable thirst for power but she lacked the resources to compete with the other children of her father's many wives and concubines. Thus, she grew up alone and in the shadows, with nothing to keep her company but her pet vipers and the royal archives. Our Lady liked to read, and it was this hobby that bestowed upon her great power. She learned how to use magic from spying on her father's sorcerers and taught herself how to manipulate it, harness it for her own personal gain. She practiced night and day and thanks to her family's neglect, no one realized she was growing stronger by the day."
"Soon, young Lamya took an interest in the darker arts and discovered she had an affinity for casting evil spells. Like a snake charmed by a piper's music, she became hypnotized by the power dark magic granted and strived to attain more. As time moved on and she gained more and more control of her maturing abilities, she brewed plans to overthrow her father and take the throne for herself. It didn't take long for her to turn her dream into a reality. When her time finally came, she terminated all of her father's magicians and killed the king with one of the many brutal poisons she'd learned to concoct. Having died unannounced without an heir, the king's sons all leapt at the chance to seize the throne, sparking a bloodbath within the royal courts. The struggle did not even last a full day. While her brothers were busy slaughtering each other, Lamya, like a snake, crept up on them from behind and struck, sinking her venomous fangs into the skin they'd left exposed. She wasted no time in asserting her dominance over her siblings and mercilessly crushed whoever opposed her rule under her mighty heel."
Sounded to me like she was better off dead.
Kyanite continued, "For the next few years, Lamya ruled unchallenged. Eventually, she grew bored and realized her claim to her kingdom was not enough. She was not content with the wealth she amassed, the fear she'd evoked among her citizens. She wanted more and set out to expand her empire. She returned to the library she'd temporarily abandoned and got to work on learning forbidden spell she could use to conquer foreign kingdoms. In her search for knowledge, she came across an ancient, forgotten tome that contained information about a lost god her people used to worship: Darkar."
"With her research came respect for the dark deity. She spent countless hours familiarizing herself with his wicked deeds and the mythical worlds he plagued with his infinite power. Soon, her admiration for the Shadow Phoenix turned to obsession. She craved his guidance and the raw, unrivaled magic he possessed. She began worshipping him and reintroduced her religious practices to her people. It didn't take long for the Prince of Darkness to become their main god. Lamya ordered golden alters to be crafted in his image and all those who refused to bow down before it were put to death. She made daily sacrifices in his honor and performed dark rituals in which she offered up the souls of her enemies. Her efforts to draw the Prince's attention did not go unnoticed."
"At the time, the Shadow Phoenix had been traveling across the universe in search of worthy comrades to serve under him as generals in his army. Although Lamya's home planet was in a remote corner of the dimension, he sensed her dark aura from millions of miles away and it acted as a beacon, beckoning him toward her. At the time of his arrival, Lamya and her subjects were all congregated in the public square, engaged in their daily prayer session to the Prince. He appeared to them in his Phoenix form, sparking great fear in his worshippers. While all cowered in his mighty presence, Lamya greeted him accordingly, dropping to her knees before him and offering herself as his eternal servant."
"Seeing she possessed a soul as black as the night sky and great potential as a dark sorceress, the Prince knew she was a valuable asset and presented an opportunity to explore and conquer the worlds with him. There was just one condition: she had to prove her undying devotion to him. In exchange for his gifts, Lamya would have to sacrifice the thing she treasured most: her kingdom."
Apparently, Avandth's magic did not cancel out sensations, because goosebumps rippled across my skin, chilling me.
"The price was extreme, but Lamya did not think twice about accepting the challenge. That same night, Lord Dakar perched atop the monument she'd build in his honor and watched as the queen turned on her own people. She lacked remorse and did not have second thoughts about butchering her subjects. She gladly massacred them, gladly unleashed her power on the kingdom's capital and slaughtered all in her path from slaves to nobles. She reduced that city to nothing and even went as far as to destroy her resident fortress along with all the secrets and history it contained. It was all meaningless to her. She was finished by morning and all that remained was a graven image of Darkar, looming over miles and miles of ruin."
"The queen's ruthlessness and obedience pleased the Prince. She'd wiped the entire city off the map, destroyed the long-lasting source of her family's pride and wealth, all for his sake. He named her a general on the spot and granted her immortality and power beyond her wildest dreams. She departed from her home planet alongside him and remained at his side from then forward. As the centuries passed, Lamya clawed her way up to Second-in-Command and became his High Priestess and Lady. She committed her very existence to Lord Darkar and keenly did his dirty work, conquering realms and building temples on top of the rubble in her god's name. She commanded all of his armies, establishing an empire that was that was impregnable. That is, until the War came." Judging by the way a muscle feathered in her jaw, she was approaching a sensitive subject.
"Here comes the good part," drawled Alvaz from the pillar he leaned against.
"It was the ineluctable, legendary conflict between Good and Evil," continued Kyanite, voice becoming eerier. "The Dragon and its cronies, the accursed Champions, rallied their forces to combat ours and the war to come was gruesome and took place over the course of ten years. At the start of it, Alvaz and I were promoted to lieutenants of Lady Lamya's most skilled troops and we fought alongside our mistress on the frontline of every battlefield. Those were terrible times, defined by death, lost, and betrayal. Both sides clashed continually and suffered countless causalities. After a while, it became apparent they were evenly matched and that neither was close to overcoming the other. At the pace it was progressing, the war was set to be an ever-lasting struggle with no end in sight. Both superpowers grew tiresome of the ceaseless fighting and went to extreme lengths to put down the other once and for all."
"The key to victory was exterminating the enemy's commanders. Without them to act as a foundation, there would be nothing to support their respective armies. It became a race to see who could successfully formulate a strategy to achieve this goal and regrettably, it was the Dragon and its self-righteous disciples who won."
"Their plan was impeccable, I will admit. They assembled the remnants of their once-mighty army and orchestrated a series of coordinated attacks directly against Lady Lamya. At the time, our troops were still recovering from an earlier attack and we suffered heavy causalities. Even Lamya was injured in the chaos. Our defenses had been damaged significantly and it was evident we wouldn't survive the next assault. Thus, our Lady beseeched Lord Dakar to come to her aid and he heeded her request. Reinforced by his elite guard, the dark deity marched onto the battlefield to meet the Champions' forces before they could reach his High Priestess, unbeknownst to him that he was playing right into their hands. He was so busy slaughtering what remained of their troops and clashing with the Champions, he failed to notice three were missing. The Three Bitch Sisters."
Kyanite's voice was tipped with icicles. "While the Champions used all their cunning and power to distract Darkar, Ress Ashbringer and her accursed sisters Farcelia Windbearer and Siobhan Streamstrider used the opening to storm Lamya's fortress. With Darkar occupied and his Second-in-Command wounded, we were vulnerable and they had the advantage. By the time the sisters fought their way to the throne room, there was no one left to face them but Lady Lamya, Alvaz, and I. We called upon every sliver of magic we possessed, pushed ourselves to the absolute limit but tragically, it was not enough. After our humiliating defeat, Alvaz and I were forced to watch as Ress delivered Lamya's killing blow. Shortly after, Alvaz was banished to Obsidian and I to the Omega Dimension. Not long later, following what most deemed a miracle, Lord Dakar was sealed into slumber and our enemies were proclaimed the victors of the Ten Year War. In the ultimate conflict between Good and Evil, they were triumphant. Or so they thought."
"Little did they know we had taken precautions. Prior to our last stand, Lamya's impending demise was revealed to her in a vision. She knew she would be killed in the near future and refused to accept defeat, refused to let even death impede on her dream of ruling the entire Magic Dimension alongside Darkar. So she devised a plan. She returned to the ancient archives and searched restlessly until she found mention of the most forbidden, immoral spell of all time: Resurrection. In the whole history of magic, there are absolutely no records of anyone successfully reviving someone else from the dead. It's rumored to be impossible but when there's a will there's a way, and Lamya certainly found one."
From her throne, Kyanite explained, "The most complicated part of restoring someone to life is reconnecting with their soul. Upon death, it departs to the Great Beyond, a divine place that is inaccessible due to the laws of nature. Lamya knew it would be impossible to retrieve her soul from this divide that not even she could breach, so she left pieces of it behind instead. She divided her immortal soul into fragments and fused each one into a separate seal before hiding them in secret locations the Champions would never think to look should they ever catch on to her plan. These pillars remained dormant for millennia—until a certain fairy managed to unearth one."
My heart raced with realization.
Candi.
Smirking, Alvaz's attention pivoted to Candi pointedly. "Anything you want to share with your friends, darling?" he drawled as the fairy blanched.
My mind was a whirlwind as I processed all of this information. The pieces were finally coming together and everything was starting to make sense.
"Though every pillar was runed with heavy protection charms to protect its contents, the fairy was somehow able to activate the seal and the energy it safeguarded flowed into her. Unbeknown to her, she absorbed the shard of Lamya's soul and became its new container."
Candi was shaking.
Apparently, all of this was new to her because she could barely form words and was sputtering with unfeigned shock, face white as a ghost. Her reaction did not kindle a shred of sympathy in me. Starting to realize you bit off more than you could chew, huh bitch?
Evidently, Alvaz felt the same way because he was openly taking satisfaction in her confusion and distress, grinning at her like a cat that'd caught the mouse. Glad someone was enjoying this.
Kyanite, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed and went on. "Before all of this occurred, Lamya made Alvaz and I swear on our lives to one day resurrect her and gave us specific instructions on how to do so. For the thousands of years we were imprisoned, we carried and protected this information, branded it into our minds so even if we lost our senses we would never forget the duty we'd sworn to uphold. And then finally, after a much-appreciated miracle, we were freed from our prisons and did not hesitate to put everything in place. The sooner we revived Lamya, the sooner we could have our revenge against the Champions. Until that glorious day, we chose to veil our presence and work in the shadows. We amassed a secret following and with the aid of our new network, we focused all of our resources toward gathering the required materials for the ritual. Locating her remains didn't take long; it was seeking out the Seven Pillars that proved to be burdensome. Not wanting to jeopardize their safety, our Lady refused to reveal their location so we found ourselves on a prolonged scavenger hunt that lasted several years. Tracking them all down was a headache in itself; our Lady had been clever and buried each one in a different corner of the dimension. By some stroke of luck, we were able to locate six of the pillars after toiling over Lamya's broken clues, but the seventh proved to be a challenge. We searched high and low for the last seal to no avail. With it being warded, no magic could point us in its direction and without the final key, we would not honor Lamya's ultimate wish. It seemed her resurrection would never take place and many of us lost hope until just recently, when the seventh pillar revealed itself at last in the form of a girl."
"It was Fate that led Alvaz to cross paths with her that day. He recognized her aura to be like that of Lamya's and took her under his wing under the guise of mentor and acolyte. He lured her in our clutches with the promise of power and wealth and in return, she'd have to assist us in our quest and submit to Lamya once she was revived. Blinded by her greed, the fairy foolishly accepted and agreed to work under Alvaz. For her first assignment as his "student", Alvaz brought the fairy underground to the Bloodhound's long-forgotten resting place where he tasked her with awaking Lady Lamya's beloved pet. Having a sliver of the dead queen's soul, the seals responded to the fairy's magic and she was able to single-handedly rouse the dragon from its ceaseless slumber. Her next duty was finding appropriate sacrifices for the spell. She took on the challenge willingly, ignorant to the fact that once her usefulness ran out she was destined to become one herself. Even so, she did her job excellently and it's thanks to her we're all gathered here today."
Hatred punched through me. Fool.
"What?" Candi had gone from fearful to enraged, her face turning beet-red with anger and humiliation. If she wasn't tied up, I believe she would've stomped her foot. "You mean you were just going to betray me anyway? After all I've done for you?!"
I would be lying if I said I didn't see that coming.
Alvaz beamed. "Surprise," he said in a singsong. "Though to be honest, I thought you of all people would know a hoax when you saw one."
Candi was fuming mad, incensed by the fact she'd gotten a taste of her own medicine. "Bastard! When I get out of this—"
"There is no getting out of this, sweetheart," cut in Alvaz, "you've made your bed and know it's time to sleep in it." He looked to his comrade. "Wouldn't you say, Kyanite?"
"Indeed. I believe I've told enough stories for one day anyhow. I'm sure they've bored our guests to tears. Let's make things more interesting, shall we?" She rose from her throne in a single smooth motion and like a queen giving a decree, she announced, "Let the ritual commence."
My heart began to pound against my ribcage as if it was trying to break free. No. We needed more time—
"That's your cue, Candace dear," purred Alvaz as the bitch, engulfed by panic, struggled against the thick rope wrapped tight around her chest. "Are you ready to embrace your destiny?"
"N-no! Don't take a step closer!" she ordered, voice trembling as hard as her body. "You can't do this! You tricked me! You tricked me!"
Alvaz rolled his eyes at her howls. "Enough with the dramatics. You deserve what you're getting for thinking you could actually deceive me. Your insolence has caught up to you and it's time to pay for your crimes. Besides, your life was forfeited the moment you made contact with the Seventh Seal."
Angry tears were streaming down Candi's face, somehow making her look even more pathetic. "But I didn't know! I just thought—"
"Oh, hush now. It's pointless to cry about it now, isn't it?" said Alvaz silkily. "Besides, haven't you heard the expression 'curiosity killed the cat?' In this case, specifically by the serpent's venom."
He snapped his fingers and the ropes unwound, freeing Candi. Before she could jump to her feet to try to run away, a scarf poofed around her neck in a whirl of dark magic. A closer look, and it turned out it wasn't a scarf at all but an albino snake loosely draped around her shoulders, its eyes opaque orbs of black.
Candi went deadly still, face as white as the snake. "Oh my gods!" she half-shrieked half-whispered, refusing to glance down at the creature she wore. She didn't so much as flinch in fear of upsetting the snake, who was as still as her.
"I could, but where's the fun in that?" Alvaz grinned, eyes glittering with amusement. He gestured toward the ritual setup, specifically at one of the magic circles drawn outside of the one Lamya's coffin set in the middle of. "Either get into position, or that snake will sink its teeth into your skin and eject its deadly poison into your bloodstream. It's one of Linphea's rarest, most deadly breeds and can kill you with its venom in less than ten minutes. If you don't cooperate, you'll die—actually, you'll die anyway but at least you won't go in utter agony. It's your choice."
The fairy was cornered and given her hopeless expression, she knew it. Miserable, she inched over to the blood-traced rune on the floor, her gait slow and fearful thanks to the serpent she wore. She stepped inside the symbol, careful not to smudge the blue substance rimming it. Rigid as iron, she lowered herself onto her knees looking like she was ready to pee her pants. That made two of us.
Alvaz winked at her. "Good girl. Though, it's ironic how much you fear serpents. They were like puppies to our Lady." He turned to Kyanite, who'd been studying us closely from atop the dais. "Have you decided?"
Decided what?
The wannabe queen aimed a slender white finger in our direction, specifically Brandon's (Sky's). "That one would make a suitable first offering."
Fear rammed into me like an enraged bull.
Nononononononono.
Alvaz regarded Brandon (Sky) intently, intensely, as if he was staring into his soul. "Golden hair with a heart to match," he observed after a moment. "The dark gods always have had such a preference. Very well." His eyes briefly flickered to his second comrade, who'd been seated at the foot of dais in deep concentration, channeling his magic to keep us in submission. "Avandth." The little bastardly imp grunted and nodded toward Brandon (Sky). On command, the blond stepped forward, involuntarily giving himself to these monsters.
Bile boiled in my stomach and I would've retched on the spot if I could. Not Sky—I might've found his character to be cliché and oftentimes annoying, but he did not deserve this. He didn't have to get tangled up in this bullshit; he only involved himself because he was kind-hearted and a genuinely good person. He just wanted to do whatever he could to help those abducted victims and this was where his gallantry had gotten him, this was the tragic price of his good intentions.
And it was all my fault.
I never hated myself more than in that moment as we all helplessly watched Brandon (Sky) proceed toward the restraining table. If I would've known my interference in this universe could possibly send characters-turned-companions I'd grown to love to their deaths, I would've begged the Ethereal Fairies to send me back home a long time ago. My fangirlish dreams were not worth all the dangers that had been imposed on the others thus far. I wish I could take everything back, rewind and undo that freakish occurrence so I'd remain in the Real World for good, but time was irreversible and the world was worse for it. I was worse for it.
And now, all I could do was stand here and watch the impending event—my punishment—unfold.
A part of me wished Sky would somehow defy Avandth's order, break his hold over him with his iron resolve, but the prince walked over to Kyanite and Alvaz without so much as a hint of hesitation.
After examining him head to toe, a wisp of Kyanite's magic had his sports jersey coming off, displaying his toned chest. "You won't be needing that," she said with a somewhat appreciative look on her face as the shirt was thrust aside. His sword went next. I half-expected her to order his pants off too but, thankfully, she didn't. "Now, make yourself comfortable while I prepare the runic paint."
As the blond obeyed, climbing onto the stone and outstretched his limbs in the proper position, she glided over to the work table, being careful not to smudge the precisely drawn symbols on the stone floor. She immediately got to work, opening several vials and pouring its contents in a dish while she murmured an incomprehensible incantation. Meanwhile, Alvaz snapped his fingers again and a box appeared out of a shadowy whorl at his feet. It held a bunch of stone statuettes in the shape of an Egyptian queen, being what I assumed to be the pillars that housed the other fragments of Lamya's soul.
"Be careful of how you arrange them, Alvaz," warned Kyanite without looking away from her work.
"I know, I know. If they each aren't placed approximately 270 degrees counterclockwise, the spell will backfire and we won't be able to replicate it again," recited Alvaz dismissively as he began placing each pillar in its respective rune. "You've only reminded me twelve times already."
Kyanite huffed, but didn't say anything more as she reappeared at Brandon's (Sky's) side with the bowl of finished product and a paintbrush. She dipped the brush in the midnight-colored liquid and began tracing it along the prince's muscles, forming evil-looking symbols with her precise strokes. She concentrated most of the ink round his shoulders, writing out ancient letters that bled into more toward the end of his torso. As she painted and muttered a dark incantation under her breath, her eyes remained fixated on her captive's chest. I couldn't tell if she was putting extra care into her work or just enjoying the view.
"Having fun over there, Kyanite?" Alvaz just had just arranged the final pillar.
The witch was just finishing up as well. She carefully set her "artistic" materials down on the worktable and replaced them with a single, sheathed knife.
My heart leapt into my throat.
"I suppose I should refute the lie the fairy told you earlier," she said casually, taking a moment to admire the blade's jeweled case. "I recall her telling a few of you that Lamya's ritual requires the mana of several innocents. While that is true, she failed to specify the most important detail. Your energy isn't the only thing the dark gods crave. No, their real appetite is for youthful hearts."
My bowels went watery.
Candi let out a strangled croak.
The corner of Kyanite's mouth tugged up into a grin and she turned to face Brandon (Sky).
I strained against the imprisoning bond that seized me mercilessly, struggled to reclaim even a sliver of my physical volition, if only to close my eyes so I wouldn't have to witness Kyanite murder a friend in cold blood. But alas, Avandth's power was damningly strong and no matter how much I fought to overcome it, I was ultimately unable to sever myself from his leash. I was just as useless as the others, and there was no one to save us.
No one to save Sky.
Kyanite drew the dagger from its scabbard with one fluid motion, the blade flashing white. "You have my gratitude, mortal," she said, her placid tone like razors in my ear as she positioned the one she grasped just inches above Brandon's (Sky's) chest. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain."
My fear must've heightened my senses because I suddenly saw the world in painful, perfect clarity as Kyanite readied to silence Brandon (Sky) once and for all, readied to bury the knife deep into his chest.
This was it.
In a matter of seconds, me and everyone else would behold an event—a crime—that would scar us forever, if we even lasted that long. There would be no coming back from this, no reversing the transgression that was set to occur in a matter of seconds. Bile burned in my stomach, threatening to rocket up my throat and make me retch on the spot.
I was already mourning him as Kyanite held up the dagger. After a dramatic pause, she thrust it forward—
"STOP!" The roar knifed through the chamber, thunderous and thick with fury.
Bloom.
The tip of the blade paused abruptly, hovering mere centimeters above Brandon's (Sky's) plastered chest.
All attention was torn from Sky, swiveling to the redhead. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the fairy had taken a single step forward. I could barely make out her features given her body was enveloped in an otherworldly light, bathed in a golden glow that was so brilliant and majestic it made my eyeballs sting. That was not the only effect of her power. I had the urge to cough, my throat suddenly bone dry as if the anger radiating off Bloom alone was enough to scorch the air, deplete the moisture in the chamber.
A whisper of a smile teased my lips.
Our miracle had come.
The shock on Alvaz's, Avandth's, and Kyanite's face was priceless. I wonder what their reaction would be when they realized their greatest enemy had been in their midst this whole time.
"How is she disobeying Puppet?" demanded Alvaz as the imp's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"It would seem she's managed to defy it," mused Kyanite, momentarily forgetting all about her victim as she turned to behold Bloom, still holding the dagger. She'd regained her composure quickly, erasing the surprise from seconds before. "Her affection for the boy must've allowed her to sever one of her strings to Avandth. No matter. It should be easy to reestablish control." (Foolishly) dismissing the fairy, she made to pick up where she left off with Brandon (Sky), too set on drawing his blood to regard Bloom's aura and its alarming side effects.
Avandth jumped up and aimed his hands at Bloom, shooting his invisible lines at her, but they did not attach on to the redhead as she trudged forward a few steps, defiantly yanking at the ones that remained.
"I said stop." At her sides, her fingers started to curl into fists. She was slowly but steadily regaining control of herself, the dragon inside her devouring the invading influence.
Kyanie simply tilted her head to one side, her curly blue hair swaying. "Oh my. Aren't you a stubborn one?" she purred.
"Careful. Something's not quite right about her," warned Alvaz, who had enough sense to look alarmed. Painted with suspicion and gravity, his face truly was a work of art.
I hoped Bloom burned it.
There was a barely perceptible flash in Kyanite's eyes. "Quiet," she snapped at her comrade. "This girl is nothing." The corners of her lips tugged up into the beginning of a devious smile as she set her sights on Bloom, who was struggling to take another step. The witch casually, gently raked her nails across Brandon's (Sky's chest). "You cannot save him, dear. You cannot save any of them." She gestured past the quaking fairy. "As a matter of fact, your insolence has only damned them further." She snapped her fingers at Avandth. "Do it. Depose of one of them. Order their lungs to stop functioning."
Terror plowed into me. NO—
"NO!" roared Bloom.
And then she exploded.
There was a dazzling ellipse of light and next thing I knew, Bloom was hurling a burst of golden fire at Avandth faster than he could obey Kyanite's order.
The imp's atrocious cry of pain was music to my ears as the blast collided clear through him, sending him flying across the chamber. His body landed with a dull thud mere inches away from Kyanite's feet, smoking and lifeless. Immediately, a tingly sensation—relief—snaked down my limbs, coursed through my body, and I could feel my legs, wiggle my toes—
I'm free!
"I can feel my balls again!" shouted Bishop, meaning I wasn't the only one.
Triumphant, surprised shouts rang out among the others, but this was no time to celebrate. Before any of us had time to fully readjust to the feel of our bodies, Alvaz's midnight-black magic raged toward Bloom like a thousand bolts of lighting, so dark it somehow glowed. The haze dispersed only a few seconds later and I shouldn't have been surprised to see a shield of curling fire hovering in front of Bloom, not even scratched by the attack. She thrust her hands outward and the flames shot forward, streaking across the space toward Alvaz.
The warlock disappeared in a flash of shadow, disappearing out of the path of the projectile. Thus, it barreled onward, sailing toward Kyanite's throne. The attack blasted through it and the wall behind it, creating an explosion of stone.
Flora screamed and I jumped in front of her protectively as the dust settled, revealing the product of Bloom's attack: a giant hole—more like a crater—where the throne used to be.
"Holy shit!" shouted Sky (Brandon).
Kyanite was just as astonished; her whole body trembled with cold fear as she gawked at Bloom's destruction in disbelief—disbelief that such a young fairy was even capable of possessing such deadly power. Bloom, who didn't even give her fallen opponent a second glance, sharply turned toward Kyanite, raw power glimmering at her fingertips. Game over, bitch.
Clutching the knife harder, Kyanite inched closer toward the torture table, where Brandon (Sky) still lay helpless. "Come any closer and I'll kill him," she warned, voice more poison than peaceful. She was finally starting to show her true colors.
Before the witch could pose more threats, the dagger in her hand began to melt, the metal liquefying and running down her arm
"With what?" growled Lucrezia. Before the witch could respond, the dagger in her lost its form, the metal liquefying and running down her arm like a popsicle melting in the sun. All that was left was a useless hilt, which clattered to the ground when Kyanite let go of it.
"Good job, Jaugstetter!" I applauded the witch and her remarkable metal magic skills.
Bloom, paying us no mind as if we weren't even there, started to slowly proceed toward the witch, flames rippling off her. She lifted a fire-engulfed fist, ready to end this madness.
I expected Kyanite to fight back but much to my surprise, she turned toward the hole, giant wings sprouting and unfurling from her backside. Without another word, she took off with demonic speed, disappearing through the opening. Bloom's wings erected and she was jetting off after the coward just as fast and in a stream of fire.
"Um, what the fuck just happened?" asked Bishop loudly
"Who cares? We're alive," I said as Alice and Ahisa embraced. The latter managed a weak smile in my direction, and I nodded in return. We weren't in the clear yet.
Stormy turned to Icy, eyes gleaming with a light that disgusted me. The one in Darcy's eyes was a reflection. "Icy, that pow—"
"Be quiet, Stormy," snapped Icy, shutting her sister up before she said too much.
Realization stung my chest.
They knew about Bloom possessing the Dragon Flame. I shoved the worry out of head. Now was not the time to focus on that. Instead, I watched as Sky (Brandon) ran over to Brandon (Sky), skirting the coffin.
"You okay, man?" he asked, inspecting the table for a way to unlock the cuffs.
"Yeah, just get me out of these things," ordered an antsy, agitated Brandon (Sky), shifting and struggling against her restraints."
"Hold on, I got it." Lucrezia flew over, flicking her fingers. Immediately, the iron rings opened, releasing the blond's ankles and wrists. The price shot upright and hastily climbed off his almost-deathbed. "What the hell happened to Bloom?" he demanded. Without giving us a chance to answer, he went over and snatched his phantoblade from his squire. "Never mind. Let's just get after her."
He started toward the opening in the wall, but Sky (Brandon) grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on, Brandon. I don't think that's a good idea. You saw how she..." He looked toward the charred-to-a-crisp imp corpse pointedly. Flora, on the other hand, was trying her hardest not to look at it.
Brandon (Sky) jerked away. "I don't care! For all we know, that witch could be—"
I clicked y tongue. "Trying to cut her tongue out? Yeah, I doubt it. Bloom will roast her alive before she can even get close."
"Besides, that dragon's still somewhere out there," reminded Flora weakly.
Brandon (Sky) began to argue, but was cut off by a sharp, "Ahem."
All heads turned and that was when I remembered Candi's presence. The fairy was still sitting in the center of the magic rune, the snake casually hanging from her shoulders. Its head looked glued to her chest; it'd taken a liking to her. "Somebody get this thing off me!" she hissed.
Hahaha, no.
"Bitch, you got some nerve," spat Bishop as Karel stalked toward her with a gait that was unnaturally calm. "We almost died because of you!"
"It's your fault we're all here in the first place," growled Stormy, "I should choke the air out of your lungs for double-crossing us."
Karel drew his phantoblade and pointed the tip at Candi's jugular. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't silt your throat."
Flora blanketed white at the threat. "I-isn't that going a little too far?"
I gave her a look. "Have you forgotten what this bitch put us—you—through?"
Candi broke into a cold sweat, realizing the snake was the last of her problems. "You wouldn't dare," she spat.
Karel raised an eyebrow. I beg to differ.
Before anyone could speak, there was colossal crash somewhere in the dungeon, followed by a mini-earthquake.
"What was that?" Stormy and I demanded simultaneously. Another tremor rocked the chamber and a few loose stones fell from the ceiling.
"It's Bloom," said Alice as if she hadn't already known, "she's destroying the dungeon. We need to get out of here or she'll take us with it."
"Bloom wouldn't do that," snapped Brandon (Sky). Another rumble, and it sounded closer.
"Well, I'm not staying here to find out," announced Bishop, "let's leave Squinty Eyes for snake chow and bail." I was up for that.
"Wait," said Candi a little too quickly, "you can't leave me—you need me. I know the way out of here; without me to guide you you'll get lost and caught in whatever destruction your friend's wreaking out there." The sure, smug look in her eyes made me want to slap her. She knew she made a good point.
Sky (Brandon) narrowed his eyes. "How do we know we can trust you?"
"Because if she doesn't make it out of here, she'll have to answer to Bloom," I said thinly.
Another tremor.
"We're running out of time," said Lucrezia, "we need to make a decision and fast."
Karel's frown deepened, but he sheathed his phantoblade. Without saying a word, he reached down and grabbed the serpent by the head. It started wiggling and thrashing, but was dead in a matter of seconds from the lighting the Specialist charged in his fist. Its body went limp and Karel tossed it to the ground like an empty soda can. "Let's go," he ordered Candi, bobbing his head toward the double doors.
"Wait, that dragon's still out there," protested Flora, panic creeping into the tones of her voice. I tensed. That was definitely a problem.
Candi rose to her feet and made a show of brushing off invisible specks of dirt. "Don't worry. The Bloodhound doesn't actually reside down here. The room it's trapped in is actually a pocket dimension beneath Steass. The portal's just located here; in reality, the dragon's on a whole different planet." Oh, that made sense!
"Enough chit-chat and just show us the way out already," snapped Icy as the ceiling began to shake.
Candi nodded. "Follow me." And then she took off.
We were more than glad to leave the throne room. The air outside it was hot, dry, and laced with nearby shrieking; the shadowhunters. They were screeching in pain; from the sounds of it, Bloom was burning them—well, more like exploding.
I didn't think much of it as we barreled in the opposite direction, using our arms to protect our heads as pieces of the quaking ceiling plummeted to the ground. This place was coming down, and fast!
"This way!" shouted Candi, turning a corner. We ran through the maze of stone hallways as our surroundings shook with Bloom's fury.
After a few twists and turns, we came upon a pair of double doors and scurried through them, dashing up a pair of stairs and into the shadows at the head of them—
We barged into uncharted territory shrouded in darkness and the thud that followed was almost instantaneous.
"Oof," grunted Bishop after what sounded like him running into something. "What the hell?"
I dug my heels into the new, flatter ground, preventing myself and the others behind me from advancing any further. Stormy slammed into my backside and swore filthily, but I didn't pay attention. I was more concerned with out surroundings, which were coming into sharper focus as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Skipping over the others' dark figures, it took me all but a few seconds to make out the outline of what looked like an old-timey fireplace to the right, the silhouette of a bookshelf to the left, and the dull edges of the sofa Bishop had fallen over in the center of the space. Where the hell—
"Are we in someone's house?" gaped Lucrezia, head twisting in all directions as her eyes devoured the scene.
At the same time, the floor beneath our feet rumbled with the impact from the series of explosions down below. We didn't have much time before they traveled up here.
"It's just a front, now come on!" snapped Candi hurriedly, already disappearing through what looked like an archway in the far wall.
The rest of us hastened after her as the whole structure trembled from the force of an underground tremor. Bumping into each other, we crammed into the narrow foyer as Candi undid the locks on the front door. She had it unlocked in three seconds and threw herself out of it with the rest of us at her heels, shoving each other like frenzied Black Friday shoppers through the opening to the outside world.
I burst out into the open air of night right behind Ahisa and was immediately greeted by an invigorating breeze that smelt like pines, tasted like freedom. Grass cushioned my feet and the terrain under them was lumpy, uneven. We made it out.
"Don't stop, don't stop!" shouted Alice, no more than a swish of blue hair ahead of me as we spread out some, not breaking our pace or direction as we ran across what I assumed to be a clearing from the little details I'd grasped thus far.
Though my breath was like shards of glass in my lungs, I pressed onward toward the densely clustered shapes of trees bordering the glade. The wind gave me a much-needed boost, pushing at my feet and propelling me forward although I did not will it to. It acted on its own, as if coming to my aid was within its natural behavior.
While in the midst of running, I dared a look over my shoulder just in time to see the windows of the quaint, receding cottage we'd just abandoned winking red, glowing with the fiery pressure that had risen up from the dungeon and swelled within it. It's gonna—
Before I could register what was happening, the glass popped and shattered, the sound drowned out by the thunderous cracking that cleaved through the air not even a beat later—
The whole cottage exploded, one second intact, the next erupting with a deafening boom and orange flare that swallowed the world, spewing a shower of sparks and red-hot debris in every direction like a fountain—
A scream reverberated in my lungs but I could not hear it as what felt like a pair of hot, heavy hands shoved me from behind just as I was making to fly away, singeing my back and lifting me higher, higher, higher.
I flew up-up-up, unable to apprehend anything as I was catapulted by the impact and punch of heat, air hollowing out in my ears and head reeling violently.
Lacking the power to control my trajectory, I sailed on the wave of the blast, crashing into the tree line. Heart thundering and lungs raw from screaming, I squeezed my eyes shut as I fell through the canopy, leaves swatting my face and branches giving way under me. I descended to the ground, head poised to make a collision first—
"No!" screamed a voice and before I could crash onto the carpet of twigs and leaves down below, the wind came to my rescue once again.
I felt tendrils of dry air curl around me and eddy into formation, spiraling into a single spout at the foot of the tree. It acted as a cushion and broke my fall, catching and levitating me a mere few inches above the shadowy forest floor.
Confused by the unanticipated save, I dizzily looked around and nearly cried out when I realized it hadn't been some freakish occurrence at all.
Because kneeling under a nearby tree was none other than Flora, her hands thrown out in front of her. Aiming at the body of air she'd fashioned, holding it in place. Thanks to the moon's rays flooding through the breaks in between the ceiling of leaves and casting pale, scattered patches of light on the ground, I could see the awe and disbelief pooling in the nature fairy's deep-green eyes. Upon realizing what she was doing, whatever connection she had to the wind was severed due to her lost of concentration and the spout unraveled, dropping me onto rough terra firma.
I instantly sat upright, quickly recovering thanks to my adrenaline as I pegged Flora with an inquisitive, amazed stare. Through ragged breaths, I managed, "How did y—" I trailed off, the scene behind her stealing my attention.
A few hundred feet away, the cottage, which had once perched charmingly in the center of the clearing, was now nothing more than a gutted, flaming ruin; a burning, crackling skeleton of a structure. It was completely engulfed in a ball of hazy fire, bathing the whole plot of forest in an orange radiance. Rubble was strewn everywhere, slowly being consumed by fire that had greedily spread to the grass and already reduced a lot of it to brittle black wisps.
Whoa.
"Is everyone alright?" Karel was calling as he stalked along the lip of the glade, making my heart leap in my chest. Was everyone alright? Panic stung my chest as I scrutinized the scene, searching for the others.
Thankfully, the force of the explosion hadn't been too powerful, so no one had any broken limbs or concussions from its sudden shove. Karel had been the quickest to recover and so far, was the only one on his feet. Everyone else was having a prolonged hug with the ground.
"We're not dead, if that's what you're asking," grumbled Sky (Brandon) as he rolled over onto his backside and slowly sat upright, holding his head. "You okay, man?" he called over to Brandon (Sky), who was rising to his feet with slightly wobbly legs.
"Yeah," his friend called back, distracted by the flaming wreck before us.
"Are you hurt?" asked Karel, entering the woods as I stood up using the sturdy tree as a handhold.
I shook my head. I had a few bruises and scrapes on my arms and legs but thankfully, no serious damage. The same went for Flora; a few minor cuts on her knees but no bleeding.
Outside the trees, the others were finally peeling themselves off the earthy bed. We all gathered a safe distance from the up-in-flames used-to-be cottage, watching the thick, dark, billowing pillar of smoke rise to the charcoaled heavens.
The Trix, of course, kept their distance. The firelight casted the smooth panes of their face in light and shadow, punctuating the hungry gleam in their eyes. They regarded the fire and its destruction with yearning; yearning for such devastating power. They knew this was all but a taste of the Dragon Flame's true potential and were silently united in their lust for such magic. I could practically see the gears turning in their heads as they already began strategizing a way to steal it from Bloom. Greedy bitches.
I couldn't help but grimace. This was not how I expected the truth to be revealed. Now that the Trix was aware that an amateur sorceress carried the strongest magic of all time, the story was about to take a whole new turn. A turn none of us were ready for and would impact our lives from here on out. This was the beginning of a new chapter, a new era, just as Alice had prophesized.
Sensing the ice fairy's eyes on me, I looked past Lucrezia and our eyes locked. Understanding passed between us. Ahisa, who stood beside our roommate, gave me a weak smile. I managed to return it. Safe; she was safe. We all were and at the moment, that was the only thing mattered.
I didn't miss it when Ahisa shot Candi a dirty glare. The should've-been-witch, who had enough sense to hang outside of our group, pretended not to notice. I hope she realized this wasn't over. Everything she'd done was an offense and was punishable by law. She couldn't—wouldn't escape the consequences of her crimes and I'd make sure of it.
For a while, we all gazed at the fire quietly, gripped by uncertainty, disbelief, and weariness alike. This had been one long-ass day and like me, everyone was taking a minute to let things sink in. Though we were all grateful as hell for the outcome, we'd somehow survived a near-death experience and the shock was still fresh.
Bishop was the one to break the silence with a low whistle. "Well, that certainly takes care of things," he said over the crackling. Indeed. There was a big chance Kyanite didn't end up as lucky as us. And even if she did survive, at least Lamya's corpse and the pieces of her soul didn't.
Somehow, Sky (Brandon) chuckled. "Who knew Bloom packed such a punch?"
I snorted. "Who knew she even had fire magic to begin with? Guess that explains the red hair." I had to play along, had to look just as clueless as them.
"I always thought her energy attacks looked like fireballs," said Flora softly.
Alice shrugged. "What does it matter? She saved our lives."
Brandon's (Sky's) hands balled into fists, jaw clenching tight. The markings decorating his exposed torso looked even more ominous in the dramatic lighting. "Yeah, but what about hers? She didn't make it out with us." Worry painting his face, his voice sounded strangled as he choked out, "She could've—what if—"
"Relax, Brandon. I'm sure she survived," I insisted, "there's no way she would've blown herself—"
The ground started shaking.
"Oh gods, what is it now?" yelped Lucrezia as we fell on top of each other.
Bloom.
Before anyone could react, what was left of the smoldering cottage was blasting into the air on a comet of fire that had burst from underground, trailing debris behind it. It raced high into the sky before exploding with an earsplitting bang like a firework.
Having faster reflexes, Karel acted on instinct and sent up a shield that engulfed us as Candi and the Trix followed suit. A clear dome expanded around us, the outer shell rippling with lightning that fried the hot yet small chunks of wreckage that rained down on the glade. They plummeted like stones dropped from a high altitude, plunking on the shield with a sizzling sound upon contact.
After the red-hot hail let up, Karel deactivated dome and everyone lifted their head to the heavens.
Because floating up there was none other than Bloom, hovering high above the treetops. She floated motionlessly, sparks of fire dancing on the tips of her leaflet wings as they flapped soundlessly. Even her hair had yielded to her power and was now a flowing mass—a mane—of carroty, fiery locks. She was a burning star against the otherwise starless, inky sky.
"Bloom!" cried out Brandon (Sky), obviously relived.
I, on the other hand, wasn't inclined to celebrate. Something wasn't right.
"What's she doing?" hissed Candi as the redhead just stared straight ahead, blank-faced as she took in the aerial view of the forest.
I didn't know, but this felt...off. Bloom didn't seem like herself even from down here. Flora started to call up to the flaming fairy to catch her attention, but I shushed her. I started, "That's not—"
A sudden movement from Bloom made me pause in mid-sentence. She was thrusting her hands forward—
A horrified yelp tore out of Flora's throat when lines of fires streamed out of Bloom's fingertips, dousing the canopy.
"NO!" the nature fairy screamed as the tree's crowns caught aflame, forming a roof of fire and smoke high over our heads.
Shitshitshitshit—
"She's crazy!" exclaimed Ahisa.
"Bloom, no!" shouted Brandon (Sky) at the same time Bishop was shouting, "She's trying to kill us!"
"Stop, stop!" cried out Flora when Bloom refused to quit, spraying fire in all directions. The flames were spreading fast, dancing treetop to treetop. They were traveling down to lower branches and would soon travel to our level—
"Everybody run!" ordered Karel as Bloom began to muster a fireball, which I assumed to be the first of many. She was about to wreak havoc on everything.
Candi didn't need to be told twice and was already darting into the forest like a frightened jackrabbit. Darcy and Icy were right behind her, but Stormy didn't budge. "Where the hell are you guys going?" she demanded at her sisters' backsides. "We're not running away from a fairy."
"Then I hope you have fun getting roasted alive!" Icy called over her shoulder as her receding figure penetrated the shadows. Stormy gritted her teeth and after giving a final hateful glare up in Bloom's direction, she had an enough sense to take off after her sisters.
I seized Flora's wrist and yanked her into a run behind me, jerking her out of whatever horror-struck daze she'd been in. I know the sight of the burning trees greatly distressed her, but they weren't more important than our lives. "C'mon!"
Sky (Brandon) had to spur Brandon (Sky) into action too and soon, our whole group was scattering among the trees in the opposite direction of Bloom.
Boom!
The first fireball touchdowned on the clearing we'd left behind and I even heard the trees groan as they were scorched. Flora was still screaming, but I could barely hear her or the others' panicked swears over the roaring in my head. And here I was thinking we were saved! We'd escaped one danger just to run into another!
Flora and I flew as fast as our wings could carry us, zigzagging between the towering trees as another explosion sounded behind us. I didn't dare look back and kept pressing forward, forcing Flora to follow as I clutched her arm in a death grip.
Bloom had gone haywire and if we didn't escape her, we'd get caught in—
BOOM!
A fireball rocketed down from the sky like a missile a few hundred yards ahead of us and all I saw was an orange haze, trees being wretched out of the ground—
The pack separated and everyone fled in different directions, terrified by the expected blast. Flora and I steered rightward and we pushed ourselves to our absolute limit, flapping our wings like there was no tomorrow as we left the chaos—and our friends—in our dust.
OoO
"This is a nightmare!" wailed Flora, falling to her knees. The two of us had nearly collapsed on a hill, greedily gasping for air. We'd flown nonstop until the burning in our backs became unbearable to the point we had no choice but to land and catch our breath.
Darkness prowled at every angle and resonated with nightlife but neither of us heeded it as we wheezed frantically, hearts jackhammering loudly to the point I could hear them. There was no fire in these parts but the smell of smoke was enough to suggest it was coming this way. We would have to get moving soon.
Flora was on the brink of tears. "The forest—she's going to burn it all!" She covered her ears with her hands as if she was trying to block out a horrible sound. "The trees are screaming! They're begging Bloom to stop but she won't!" They must've been in complete agony if Flora could hear them all the way out here.
"She can't control herself," I rasped. The dragon that'd been slumbering inside her had done more than open an eye. It was having a wakeup stretch, overwhelming Bloom with a power so great she couldn't control it. Her anger had triggered it and she'd become lost in it, set on reducing everything to ashes. I just hoped the others (minus Candi and the Trix) didn't become her victims. They were out there somewhere; hopefully, they'd found shelter.
"If she doesn't stop, the whole forest is going to burn! We have to stop her somehow!" I didn't think I'd ever seen the nature fairy so worked up.
"Yeah, but how? We don't—" That was when Daphne's words hit me.
"Play it for her when she's lost her way. Though she may not understand it, the melody will soothe and save her soul."
Instinctively, I reached for my pocket. I could feel the miniaturized music box still in there.
I knew what I had to do.
Damn the consequences; if someone didn't put a stop to this soon, Bloom was going to reduce this whole fucking forest to ashes—with us along with it. While running into the heart of a full-pledged forest fire was a risk I didn't want to take, I carried the only thing that could possibly bring Bloom back to her senses and save us all. Only I could end this before things got even more out of hand, before things completely went to hell if they hadn't already. Everyone's fate hung in the balance and for that I was willing to gamble my own.
"Flora, stay here," I said, turning my face toward the direction of the wildfire.
The nature fairy's head snapped up, eyes wide with newfound fear. "What?"
"I know how to save Bloom and the forest," I explained quickly, "but you can't come—I don't want you to get hurt."
"But—"
"Stay, Flora."
She started to panic. "You can't just leave me here!"
"Don't worry; I wouldn't be long. And when I come back, Bloom will be with me and back to her old self." I spread my wings, mustering energy. "If the fires start to get too close, get out of here. We'll find the others later."
Flora didn't look convinced and I forced a smile for reassurance. "Trust me," was all I said.
I was firm in my determination and Flora must've sensed this because after a moment, she nodded weakly. "G-go save the forest," she managed.
I nodded. "Will do."
And then I flew toward the danger.
~OoO~
At this point, most of the woods was a mini inferno in itself. Everything from underbrush to fallen pine cones were aflame, diminishing in size while the wisps of orange that devoured them grew taller and taller, higher and higher, reaching toward the sky with red-hot hands that were latching on to whatever was in their proximity. Having been kindled by Bloom's anger, the fire burned like a crimson temper, fueled by fury that was hell-bent on destroying all living things.
Gone was the midnight velvet of the sky, obstructed by a hazy orange veil that made the moon look more like the sun. Fire cackled and spat on the wind on which glimmering embers danced and flitted on, choking and polluting the air with the smells of smoke and charred wood.
My lungs responded immediately, tightening in my chest, but I ignored their warning and forged onward. Given most of the grass was ablaze, I had no choice but to use my wings, flying high enough so the flames on the ground couldn't lick my skin yet low enough to prevent the ones dangling from the branches from leaping onto me.
"Bloom!" I yelled, my words swallowed up by the roaring of the fires. "Bloom!"
Shit. I could barely see through the surrounding screen of smoke. It was starting to burn my lungs but I couldn't turn around.
"Bloom!" I shouted again, cautiously maneuvering around the torched trees. Thankfully, they were thinner and more spread out in these parts, giving me room to navigate without coming in contact with any fire. However, that didn't mean I wasn't feeling its effects...
I was drenched in sweat to the point it was weighing me down. My lungs felt like they were alight, struggling to inhale the slivers of air that were left. Being a wind fairy, fire was one of my biggest weaknesses, meaning it could drain my mana twice as fast. If I didn't hurry and find Bloom, there was a chance I wouldn't make it out of this inferno.
"BLOOM!"
Dammit, where the hell was she? Maybe admiring her handiwork from above? With all of this fire, I couldn't afford to fly any higher. Maybe if I—
My heart lifted in my shrinking chest when I spotted a figure in the distance. I couldn't make them out from here but I labored toward them anyway, straining my wings though they grew weaker by the second.
Breathing heavily, I passed through a thick cloud of smoke to find myself staring at a backside.
Bloom's.
And she wasn't alone.
She was standing over a pair of huddling shapes on the ground, short creatures with jewel-toned skin and antlers jutting out of their masses of frizzy hair. Some kind of pixie?
It didn't matter; either way, I wasn't going to let them die.
Right as Bloom was lifting a fire-kissed hand, readying to fry them into the next world, I called out, "Hey."
The fairy whirled around, expressionless. Her mane of fiery locks looked formless against the backdrop of fire and even her eyes were solid flame.
Ribbons of fire dancing between her fingers, she started in my direction with the intention of finishing me off instead.
I dug my heels into the ground. I would not run.
I enlarged the music box in my hands, ignoring the black spots beginning to dot my vision from lack of oxygen.
Bloom, who was so far gone to the point she didn't even recognize me, didn't stop walking, flames crackling beneath her toes. Every step she took left a curl of fire behind her.
She started to conjure a small fireball, my finishing blow, in her hands but I did not run.
Instead, I closed my eyes, grasping the music box's gilded handle.
And I started to play.
