Chapter Twenty-Three
I rushed off into the jungle. Long branches tugged at my robes, pulling me backward. Wet earth sloshed around my feet, slowing my every step. From above, thin tendrils of vines snagged my hair. All around, everything seemed focused on a single purpose: keeping me from my pursuit of Rowan.
It wouldn’t work. The more I was impeded, the harder I pushed myself to run. Still, it didn’t matter how quickly I sped forward. Rowan always remained too far ahead to touch.
Even so, I didn’t mind.
This was my love.
And he was smiling.
Some small corner of my mind cried out that this was all an illusion. The sense of magick was thick in the air. Plus, the edges of Rowan’s body shimmered, like this wasn’t his true self so much as his soul. Even so, my heart was too thrilled to bother with reality. And let’s not forget the Lady! She had untold powers. Perhaps she gifted me with the sight of Rowan’s soul for her own purposes.
Whatever the reason, these few moments of magick and love might be all the happiness I had left to share with Rowan.
I was taking them.
Laughing, I kept running after my mate. Each time he glanced over his shoulder and beamed, I soaked up that crooked grin as if it were the last time I’d ever see it.
It very well might be.
The jungle receded around us. I hardly noticed the change. Soon, great walls made of brown brick rose up on either side of me. The muddy earth under my feet gave way to a checkerboard pattern of stone. None of that mattered. All I knew was that as the jungle receded, I could see more of my mate.
We reached a large chamber. Statues lined the walls, all of them life-sized and incredibly detailed, having been made of bronze, wood, and stone. Hundreds of Dolly-mechs lined the floor, all of them standing in groups of three. In each case, there was a man and a woman kneeling before a standing figure whose face was covered with a drawn hood. Behind the dolly-mechs, the chamber walls were filled with arches that were also made of stone, bronze, and wood. I thought back to the Meadow of Many Gateways. This space reminded me of that spot—from the checkerboard ground to the many gateways—but that’s where the similarities ended. There certainly hadn’t been any statues.
There was no time to wonder more about the temple interior, however. Rowan had slowed his pace as he closed in on the massive gateway set into the far wall of the long rectangular space.
Something about that arch set my teeth on edge.
Up until now, I’d been enjoying this game of pretend with an illusion of my mate. But even though I was excited, my mind wasn’t so shut off that I wonder at this mystery.
Was this all some way to capture me?
I rubbed my neck and thought through the possibilities. In the end, it didn’t matter if this was a trap. From what Kila Kitu told me, the rest of the Sword of Theodora was hidden in this temple, and my mate’s soul was leading me through it. I had to take a closer look.
After taking in a slow breath, I stepped toward the largest gateway. This massive arch was like everything else in this temple: a mixture of bronze, wood, and stone. In this larger gateway, the three materials had been fashioned into hefty gears that formed the arch’s edge.
How odd. Most gateways were lined with gemstones, not clockwork. That meant something, but at the moment, I couldn’t place what. Still, I slowed my pace. Intuition told me that Rowan was about to do something.
A memory appeared in my mind: Nan, Mrefu, and Jicho frowning at one another as we tied up the MAJE nearby. They all knew what sad fate awaited me. Perhaps this was the moment things would turn sour.
I paused a few yards away.
Rowan touched the arch’s frame. The gears spun. Metal creaked. Stone split. On the right-hand side of the gateway, a piece of metal materialized into a section of gears.
It was gleaming.
Sharp.
The blade of the Sword of Theodora.
And it was set right into the wall.
Rowan turned to me. “You have the hilt. If you promise me one thing, then the blade will magickally break free from the wall. The entire Sword will be yours.”
I stepped closer. In every way, this man looked like my mate: green eyes, strong build, and worn Caster leathers. But he was still surrounded by a sheen of white light. Magick stayed thick in the air. I’d seen soul spells before. I’d cast them, too. At closer range, I could tell this was indeed my mate’s spirit. This Rowan recognized me. His soul in its pure form would always know its mate. And if my mate knew who I truly was, he would never hurt me.
I glanced longingly at the exit archway. Or would he?
Rowan gave me his crooked smile once more. “I know what you’re thinking. My sweet Elea, still unsure whether to fully trust anyone. Even me.”
“I’m trying.”
“As am I.” Spirit-Rowan stared at his hand. “If only my mortal form would believe in our bond enough to touch you, then all of this might have ended differently. I’d do anything to spare you pain, my mate.”
It was such a Rowan thing to say, that my eyes began to sting with held-in tears. “It’s really you, isn’t it?”
“This is my soul. After you escaped from me, the Lady summoned my spirit to the Eternal Lands. In this form, I can remember everything. I know who you are and what must happen.”
“What exactly did the Lady tell you to do?” I tried to control my tone, but I couldn’t help the note of disbelief that wove through the question.
“Does it matter? This is my true self, and I’m here to ask you a question.”
My pulse raced so quickly, my heart felt like a hummingbird was trapped inside me. “Go on.”
“Will you promise me one thing?”
“What?”
“The Sword of Theodora can slay anything.”
“Yes. That’s why we need it. It can kill Viktor without hurting anyone else.” Like me. Viktor had shown me once that when he was cut, I’d bleed as well.
“It can kill a spirit as well, you know.”
My breath caught. “You don’t mean—”
“You must promise to kill my soul right now. That would end my body, too.” Spirit-Rowan got down on his knees and bowed his head, exposing the back of his neck.
I’d seen that pose before. On the Meadow of Many Gateways. Not-Elea had crumpled onto her knees so the executioner could destroy her. Even worse, Not-Elea had been blackmailed into giving up her life in exchange for those she loved. And now this same trick was being used on me in reverse.
In my case, I wasn’t going to kneel.
“No, Rowan. Never.”
“But this is what must happen. It’s what always happens. Someone must recharge the gateways and heal our realm. I won’t let it be you. Give me this. Allow me to spare you the pain. Kill my soul and release the power.”
“No, you have it all wrong.” I pounded my chest with my fist. “I’m the Elea here. Not you. I have the hybrid power for the gateways.”
“Do you?” Rowan looked up until emerald gaze locked with mine. “And yet, I still have your power within me, remember?”
My veins chilled as I realized the truth. “That’s right. When we were back at the Skullock Passage—right before I spied on the gods—I gifted you so much power. You’re still filled with hybrid energy. Is it enough?”
“The Lady thinks so. Without the memory of you, I haven’t known what to do with it. Right now, my mortal form doesn’t even know I have hybrid magick within me, let alone how to release the power. That’s why this is the perfect solution. Now, I can protect you. I’m begging you. Let me help you.”
I popped my hand over my mouth. That’s just what Jicho had said. “Let him help you.”
But to allow Rowan to die, body and soul? The thought made my ill. “You don’t mean that,” I said slowly. “You cannot want me to kill you.”
“I do mean it.” His gaze stayed locked with mine, intense and determined. “This is the only way.”
Every corner of my soul recoiled at his words. “No. There has to be another option. I saw Kila Kitu use hybrid magick to activate a gateway. There must be some means to use it to heal the gateways, too. If only the gods would let us try a few experiments…”
“That’s not possible, even if enough time remained. We are infected with hybrid power. It will corrupt us, sooner or later.”
“But what about Skullock Passage? Remember when you set me free from the gateway? Cords of purple light and power wound up your arm. I’ve been thinking about those quite a bit. Maybe that’s the key to our spell.”
“The gods needed eons to master hybrid magick and gateways. Gods, Elea. What can we do in a matter of seconds or minutes? We must live out our destiny.”
“The Sire and Lady are powerful entities, but they aren’t all-knowing beings.” I couldn’t help the edge of anger to my voice. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. Some of the worlds they rule call them tyrants. Mlinzi and Walinzi can’t stand them.”
“Mlinzi and Walinzi, you mean the trickster gods who stole my memories as well as your ability to cast spells?”
“They’re tricksters. It’s what they do. But I believed them when they told me about the Sire and Lady. The beings you call gods have turned sour. It’s why their hybrid magick went rotten and they can’t charge up the gateways themselves.”
“No, it’s like I told you. Hybrid magick always corrupts.”
“I’ve met the Zaidi. They wield hybrid magick and have never turned into bubbling tar monsters.”
“And I met the Lady of Creation. She told me these things herself. We have to follow her plan.”
I folded my arms over my chest. I couldn’t believe this was coming down to a war of words with some missing deity. “The Lady spoke to you, eh? So why isn’t she here to tell us this?”
“The Sire and Lady aren’t like us. The rules of appearing and disappearing vary for them. As I told you, the Lady pulled my soul to her realm and that’s where we spoke. I truly believe what she had to say.”
I knelt before Spirit-Rowan. “Listen, I don’t want to die here. And I won’t murder you, either. We can use our hybrid power to heal these gateways. That’s what I believe.”
Rowan stared at me for a long moment. At last, he spoke again. “And what about Viktor?”
My heart sped. If Rowan was asking me questions, it meant he was considering what I had to say. I was convincing him. I began speaking in rapid-fire style. “Viktor wants to kill the Sire and Lady and take their place. I’m naturally stronger with hybrid magick, but Viktor learned some tricks too. That’s why he created the Changed Ones and drained Necromancers. It’s why he created that army.”
“All the more reason for me to die. The Lady explained it all to me. Once the arches are recharged, there is no more reason for Viktor to plot and scheme. The balance of our realms will be restored. If we don’t heal the gateways, our very world will fall apart. Then, everyone will perish.”
“No, we can use our hybrid magick on the gateways.” My voice shook. “At least, we can try.”
“How? My mortal form still doesn’t remember you. We can’t go back to the way things were.”
“Of course, we can.” I pulled the hilt from my pocket and pointed to the blade set into the wall. “You can release that blade, can’t you?”
“It’s held by a spell. The blade will be released once you promise to heal the gateways, either with your life or mine.”
“I refuse to accept that.” I pointed at the stretch of wall that held the rest of the Sword of Theodora. “I will find another way to get that blade and once I do, I’ll reform this Sword. There’s other magick at work here. Mlinzi and Walinzi promised me that once I had the full Sword in my hands, I’d be able to cast again and you’d regain your memories. We’re so close to being able to fight for our future. That’s worth fighting for, isn’t it?”
“Things have gone too far, Elea. There’s so much you don’t know.”
I didn’t like the resigned look on Rowan’s face. “What do you mean?”
“Viktor is imprisoned on the other side of this gateway.” Rowan gestured behind him. “This arch is most important one for hybrid magick to lock down, and the longer we delay, the closer Viktor gets to figuring out how to escape again.”
I stared into the gateway. Under the arch, white curls of smoke twisted in perfect spirals. Magick. And it wasn’t purple, blue, or red in shade. This was someone else’s power entirely. And since it was coming out of the gateway where Viktor was exiled? He truly was about to break through.
“Viktor is right behind this very arch? How is that a good plan?”
“This is the Lady’s scheme. She wanted to place you right before Viktor’s gateway so you can see how dire things have become. You must promise to wield the Sword now. This is what it means to be a ruler. We make sacrifices.”
I hadn’t heard Nan, Jicho, and Mrefu enter the temple, but then again, I hadn’t been paying much attention to anything but Spirit-Rowan. Now, I could sense them steal up to stand beside me. My gaze skipped between each of their faces. “You knew this was coming, didn’t you?”
“You are being tested,” said Jicho. “I’ve seen it from the beginning.”
“Everyone who steps into the temple is given a choice,” added Nan. “You must do what’s right.”
I stared at the blade in the wall, my mind whirling through options and plans. Back on the MAJE, Nan had said she came here before to be tested. And Jicho had said that Rowan would want what was best for me. Was Rowan’s own brother asking me to kill him?
“I can’t kill my mate,” I said simply.
“But I’ve seen you take up the blade,” said Jicho. “You kill Rowan’s spirit here in this temple. I hate it, but it’s what has to happen.”
“Don’t forget, that’s what Rowan’s soul wants too,” added Nan.
Mrefu added his thoughts into the mix. “Kila Kitu trusted you to do what is right. Promise your life or Rowan’s. Set the hilt onto the blade and the magick will release it. It’s the only way to recharge the gateway and prevent Viktor’s invasion.”
When I spoke again, my voice was a hoarse whisper. “No.”
“But I want you to do this,” pleaded Spirit-Rowan. “My conscious self knows nothing, yet my soul realized what must be done. That’s what the Sword has always been purposed for. Look around you.”
For the first time, I really scanned my surroundings. The dolly-mechs stood in clusters of three. In each case, it was the same two figures who knelt on the ground. My eyes widened with recognition.
There were many Eleas who were not me.
And many Viktors who were not Viktor.
In all, there were hundreds of variations of our face and body. Kila Kitu said this had happened for thousands of years. How many of us had died for the Sire and Lady?
Behind each kneeling pair stood another figure in a long bronze cloak, the hood drown low to hide their face.
“I see you still do not believe,” said Spirit-Rowan. “Show her.”
With those words, the dolly-mechs came to life. With a series of clicks, all the versions of me and Viktor bowed their heads. The figure behind them raised a bronze version of the Sword of Theodora high.
That person was the executioner.
And in this moment, Spirit-Rowan wanted that executioner to be me.
My heart railed against the idea. I gripped the hilt more tightly in my palm. “I told you. I will make this Sword whole again.” I stalked up to the wall and set the hilt against the base of the blade. It slipped into place with a soft click. After that, I tried to pull the Sword from its holding place in the wall. For the trickster’s spell to be broken, I needed to filly grasp the sword
And so I tried.
And tried.
My fingertips became bloody with the effort. I wouldn’t give up, though. Closing my eyes, I summoned fresh magick into my body. I couldn’t cast a spell, but enhancing my strength never needed an incantation. Back on the farm, I’d used magick to help chop wood and scare off suitors. Now, I’d use the same power again, only to end this insane cycle. Within seconds, the bones in my arms glowed with indigo-colored light.
Perfect.
Raising my fists high, I slammed them against the stone, bronze, and wood of the gateway. Blue sparks exploded everywhere. For a time, there was nothing but my fury, the Sword, and the gateway.
CRASH!
Great cracks formed in the arch. The Sword was still intact, but the gateway was splintered. Gears that had lain flat against the wall now sat at odd angles. Spirit-Rowan’s body glowed more brightly than ever before.
Then he disappeared.
Panic streamed through my limbs. “Rowan!”
As if in response, white spirals of magick came to life under the gateway. I gasped. Viktor. Had he been waiting here this entire time, looking for his chance to strike?
Beams of pearlescent light poured out from the gateway, twisting across the floor like so many snakes. The sense of magick became so thick, the air sparkled with its power. Quick as a whip, the cords of bright light wound Nan, Mrefu, and Jicho. The three froze in place for a moment. After that, they all collapsed to the ground. I rushed over and checked them.
All of them were in an enchanted sleep.
Another flare of white light pulsed from the gateway. Sure enough, a tall man appeared on the other side. Like always, he had lean features and dark robes. My insides twisted with fear and hate.
Viktor was here.
I wanted to tell him a thousand things. How he’d made so many mages suffer with his experiments. What he’d done to my life with his insane curse. That he had no right to touch Rowan’s soul. The only thing I got out was a single word. “You.”
“Yes, me.” Viktor’s lean features twitched with rage. “That was a rather entertaining scene. I enjoy watching you fret over nonsense. You want to know a secret?”
“No.”
“Ah, but you’re lying. Do you know how I can tell?”
I shook my head. Still, a burst of white mist poured out from the gateway, settling against my skin to encase me in a thin sheen of magick. My body froze. I could no longer leave the spot or look away. It was another form of possession spell, just like what had been cast on Echo, only this one controlled only my body but not my mind.
“I know everything about you,” said Viktor slowly. “Because you are my very own sister.” He waved me toward him. “Sending magick outside the gateway is massive drain on my power, and I muse conserve my energy for what is to come. Enter into my realm and I’ll tell you all about my plans.”
Viktor stepped off into the light that streamed from under the gateway. Meanwhile, Nan, Jicho, and Mrefu remained in their enchanted sleep. For my part, I tried to run away, but my limbs wouldn’t obey the commands from my brain. My skin still gleamed with the power of Viktor’s spell, confirming the fact that I was trapped.
Once again, I mentally cursed those damned trickster gods. What I wouldn’t do if I could cast a counter-spell?
Even so, there was no point dreaming about incantations. Thanks to the possession spell, my body had no choice but to heed Viktor’s demands, and so I followed him into the ethereal light.