Chapter Sixteen
Abruptly, a brilliant white light flashed through the room, emanating from Lana’s body. What sounded like a clap of thunder followed, which shook the very foundation of the room. The chandelier in the center of the ceiling rattled before breaking and falling to the floor. Glass shattered everywhere as the brilliant light gradually faded into all the colors of the rainbow.
Lord Nero had been thrown back and had landed at the base of the stairs. He sat and stared at Lana.
A radiant glow surrounded her body, glimmering with every color imaginable. The line of blood where the dagger had pierced her skin was gone, healed in a matter of seconds. She held up her hands, palms up, as she observed the power surrounding her body.
Hesitantly, she concentrated on this new power, and watched as the aura grew. Growing more confident, she threw her hands in Lord Nero’s direction, and the brilliant white light flew his way. He moved to throw up a magical barrier, but Lana’s newfound magical power cut right through it.
Lord Nero screamed. The white light engulfed his body; the borders of his arms, torso, and legs began to blur; and two bodies began to emerge, side by side. One was encased in white light; the other was beginning to gray, until it turned to a shade of black so dark that it seemed to swallow up the light around it.
Lana’s magic faded away and she saw Dante, along with Lord Nero’s shadow form, standing in front of her. She had freed Dante of Lord Nero’s grasp. His red eyes stared back at her and she nearly cried out in relief. His face was an enigma of emotions.
Dante rushed to her side and turned to face Lord Nero.
“You’re all right, my love?” he asked, passing a concerned look in her direction. She nodded, knowing now was not the time to discuss everything that was happening, how Lord Nero had almost killed her, or how scared she was.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” she said instead, her voice steady. Together, they stood strong against Lord Nero.
Morgana rose from against the wall and began to speak, her voice cutting through the air like steel. Her body glowed softly with a purplish light as she recited the words of the prophecy that Lana had stowed away deep in the recesses of her mind, from the start to the end of the terrible foretelling.
“The prophecy has been fulfilled,” she continued, her voice otherworldly, edged with some sort of unknown power. It was almost as if the gods had overtaken her body and delivered a message to the small group.
The soft light that emitted from her skin slowly faded, and she stood tall. The bracelet, still around her wrist, hung like an anchor next to her side. She looked at it sadly. Lana realized that Morgana was still without her powers. Turning her gaze back to Lord Nero, her eyes tightened, her confidence strong with her newfound power.
Lord Nero stood before them, confused with this new development. He stared at Lana like she had two heads.
“It can’t be…” he said softly. The look of shock quickly disappeared as a hard glare passed over his face.
Suddenly, he moved faster than Lana ever thought possible. He had grabbed Emma by the throat and twisted her around in front of him, gripping a handful of her hair. Emma’s terror was clear on her face, her mouth open in a silent scream. He had the dagger he had used to threaten Lana, now placed tightly against Emma’s throat.
Lana moved to hurl her magic at him, but Dante threw an arm in front of her, causing her to pause.
Lord Nero’s shadow self raised his hand, holding up a finger. No one moved for a moment.
“Wait,” he said, his voice strangely calm.
Lana held her breath, anger brewing deep in the pit of her stomach. How dare he hurt her friends? How dare he steal Morgana’s power from her, and how dare he threaten Emma’s life?
How dare this man try to destroy their lives?
“I have a deal for you.”
Dante stepped in front of Lana, raising his head to listen to Lord Nero.
“I won’t kill this one, if you give me Morgana. If you do, I will take my army with me back to D’Lormere, leaving your woman and your city safe.”
“I won’t let you hurt her.”
“I won’t hurt her. She will be my willing prisoner.”
Morgana fumed, her red face matching her red hair, but then as quickly as she angered, a strange calm came over her. She held up her hand and walked over to Lord Nero.
“My king,” she began as she looked pleadingly in their direction. “In order to save the two of you, and Emma, I will consider it an honor to give my life for the kingdom of Legeari, and its capital, Eridell. Allow Lord Nero to take me to D’Lormere, so that we can end the battle with as few lives lost as possible.”
A crude smile came over Lord Nero’s face as Morgana moved closer to him. He pushed Emma to the floor in front of him and grabbed Morgana. She stood still as Lord Nero pressed the dagger to her throat, not fighting as the cold steel bit into her flesh.
Dante dropped his hand, taking Lana’s into his own, effectively preventing her from rushing forward to aid Morgana. Emma struggled to rise and climb the steps up to Dante and Lana, tripping on her hands and knees in her panic to escape.
“Morgana,” Dante said softly, studying her. “Is this what you really want?”
“Yes, my king. Do not dishonor my decision by coming after me.”
“Then so be it. Lord Nero, with Morgana as a parting gift, you will take your army and leave my city immediately.”
“As you wish,” Lord Nero said with a growl. With a swirl of smoke and shadow, Morgana and Lord Nero disappeared into thin air.
Lana rushed forward with a sob, falling to her knees to the spot where Morgana had been standing but a moment ago. She was really gone, and Lord Nero had her in his clutches. Dante moved forward to Lana and took her hand. Gently, he helped her to rise, and quickly led her out of the throne room. Tears streamed down Lana’s face as she grieved for the loss of her friend, and the fact that she knew just how terrible her torture would be at the hands of the enemy.
Hatred for the Soul Eater billowed through her. Before she drew her last breath, she would destroy Lord Nero and everything he stood for.
Dante strode through the castle, with a purpose Lana did not yet understand. Before she knew it, he had taken her outside, up onto the great wall surrounding the castle and the city.
Gasping, Lana took in the sight of the massive army moving away from the city. At least a hundred thousand soldiers had stood outside the city walls, an army larger than she could have ever imagined. Humans, Erassans, and beasts alike stalked away from the city. Massive ships that had been hovering in the sky began to move toward the south, away from the kingdom of Legeari and into D’Lormere.
The hulls of these massive ships hummed, and guns that had once been pointed at Eridell were sheathed away inside their enormous undersides.
A cheer rose among those defending city. Eridell had achieved victory. The kingdom of Legeari had won the battle. If only they knew the price, Lana thought, still thinking of her friend, Morgana, of the woman who had saved her from Lord Nero’s clutches, only to wind up as his prisoner.
“Dante? I’m going to kill him if he hurts her.”
He turned back to her, his face oddly light for all the events that had just occurred.
“Now don’t you worry about Morgana, my pet. If I know Morgana, she has a plan up her sleeve. She’s a resourceful little sorceress who has saved me many a time with her smarts, and not just her abilities.”
“I’m still going to kill him anyway,” she grumbled.
“I’m sure you will, because now, my little human, you have magical powers like I have never seen before.”
“I do?”
The aura surrounding her had hardly diminished. She held her hand in front of her face and studied the glow emanating from her skin.
“What’s happened to me?”
“Your magical abilities have awoken. You are now a free human sorceress of the planet Terranovum. But…” He paused, his icy blue eyes meeting hers. “Even though you are free, I would ask you to help me to lead my kingdom to victory against Lord Nero and D’Lormere.”
“Of course I would. I want Lord Nero dead.”
“Good. Also, you’re going to need to spend some time in the Hall of Magic. You need to learn to control your newfound gift.”
“Really?”
“Of course. And there is one other thing. Since you are now, by rights, a free human, I would like to ask you a question.” He paused again, a look of nervousness crossing his face.
“Yes, sir?”
“My love, would you marry me and become queen of Legeari?”
Lana’s stomach felt as though it dropped to her feet, as she leapt into Dante’s arms. Tears of happiness leaked from her eyes.
“Of course I will be your queen, sir. After all, I would never want to be free of you, ever again!”
A look of bliss passed over his face, his eyes bluer than she had ever seen before.
“Wonderful! But remember, even though you will be my queen, I won’t hesitate to spank that lovely bottom of yours.”
Lana blushed and smiled softly.
“Yes, sir. I wouldn’t expect any less.”