Dark Revelation (18 page)

            Tristan also felt a little empowered.  He could feel the creatures surrounding him, not venturing to find out whom or what was invading this space.  This Sanctum. 

            He continued to trust in Ryleigh and followed her.  They seemed to descend multiple levels.  The Sanctum was complex, full of twists and turns.  They only ventured along the paths, trusting in Ryleigh’s instinct. 

Tristan stopped, “This is where he kept us.”

            Ryleigh stopped, “This is where he kept you and Illeana?” 

            Tristan nodded and started to feel anger rise within him.  He swallowed hard feeling Illeana, inside him, her energy calming him.  Tristan would have his revenge. 

            Ryleigh stood fast for a minute.  She wanted to see if she could reach out and feel her parents.  Concentrating on the love she felt for them, she could almost see them in her mind. 

She felt them both.  “I know they are here,” she said confidently.  “I can feel them here. Just not… here.”  She pointed around the cells.

            Ryleigh sighed, “I don’t know where he could have kept them.”

            Tristan had an idea, but he wasn’t quite sure how Ryleigh would react to it.  Splitting up - never good in these types of situations; however, it was something that they needed to do in order to cover more ground.

            “We should split up,” Tristan resolved to suggest.

            “You’re right,” Ryleigh responded shocking Tristan.  “It’s the only way that we will be able to cover the most ground.”

            “Be careful, okay?”  Tristan meant it.  After losing Illeana, he didn’t want to lose Ryleigh too.

            “I will,” she agreed.  “And, I have Nissa.”

            The two held each other and didn’t want to let go. Ryleigh was the first to end the embrace. Taking a breath, she turned around and headed off.  Ready for whatever might come her way. 

22

The journey for lost souls

           
Tristan wasn’t sure which direction he should go.  With Vee on his shoulder he walked into what seemed to be another dark hallway.  The hallway, instead, was a doorway that opened into a very large room with additional exits on either side.  The room was decorated almost royally and set up like a conference room.  A large table sat center, surrounded by gilded chairs lined with plush velvet.  Although Tristan wasn’t exactly afraid of anything that might be lurking, he still was very cautious crossing the room.

            “Be wary,” he told Vee.

            “Yes, master,” Vee replied.  Vee knew that in a moment’s notice hell could break loose. 

            Tristan wasn’t sure which path to take so he took the one that was closest to him.  The path in the middle of the room.  He felt a cool breeze come through the doorway.   It caressed his skin and carried with it a scent that he could remember.  Finar didn’t keep him in his cell, he dragged him to Illeana’s… but how far exactly did he drag him.  The smell – he knew it.  He felt he knew it from something.  It was sweet and pungent.  It brought back sadness into the center of his chest.  He had to find out what it was and started to increase his pace.  Hesitating he peered around a corner, looking for anything or anyone.  The pathway led to an avenue of cells that lined the walls.  Door after door where some Fae were kept during the times they were in hiding.

            At the end of the hallway lay another dark entrance.  Hearing a foreign noise, Tristan motioned to keep quiet.  He thought he heard a muffled whimper coming from the way ahead.  Tristan switched to his form to see once they reached the end of the avenue so he could see within the darkness. 

            He was able to make out four doors that were similar to the one he had in his cell.  Wooden with iron bars through it.  He went to the window of the first cell and peered through.  It was empty.

            The next cell contained a figure that he couldn’t make out.  The third was empty and the fourth… twin girls. They had to be Sam and Cael’s girls.  Their cheeks were painted with dust and grime.  Their eyes, tired and bloodshot, were not the sparkling azure gems they should be.Mucus dried lips cried for hunger. 

            “I am going to get you out of there,” Tristan reassured.

            They were scared.  He could see the fear in their eyes.  He had forgotten what he must look like to them.  But he also knew that they had to have known their parents true forms and seen them at some point in their lives. “I know your mom and dad,” Tristan said.

            “That’s what the bad man said,” said one of the girls, her voice low and scratchy. 

            “Yeah, that’s what he said and he brought us here,” said the other girl.

            Tristan thought for a minute.  “I know that is what he said; I promise I am going to help you.  I can’t tell you to trust me, but would I tell you that if I were here to harm you?”

            Tristan certainly didn’t know if they would understand what he was trying to convey.  He had to think through and take a look at the other noise he heard.

            He went back to the first cell.  He saw the outline of a body. 

            “Hello?” he called out.

            He heard a muffled sound.

            “Are you okay?” he asked.  He saw the figure move. 

            “Water,” the voice called out. 

            Luckily, they had thought to bring water with them, “Just in case,” Ryleigh said.  “It was always an essential anytime my parents and I did anything.” 

Tristan was now grateful for the suggestion.  He reached into his backpack and then passed the water through the bars.

            A haggard looking woman approached him.  Although her face was gaunt, her natural beauty still shown through.  Her stark green eyes shone brightly and seemed  grateful for her thirst to be quenched.

            Tristan looked at the woman carefully.  The familiarity of the face was too uncanny, “Adrianne?” he asked.

            The woman looked at him at first with shock and then fear, “Who are you?” she asked.

            “I am here with Ryleigh, we were looking for you.”

            Adrianne approached the bars with urgency, “You need to get her out of here!”  Her face was the picture of panic.  She did not want her daughter anywhere in the Sanctum.  There was too much danger and too much risk.  “She cannot be here.  Where is she?” she asked quickly.

            “She took another path; she was looking for you and Tom.”

            Adrianne reached through the bars to grab Tristan’s collar.  “She is special, Finar wants her.  He never knew… he never knew…” she trailed off. 

            Tristan looked at her earnestly, “She knows she was a twin.”

            Adrianne’s eyes were wet with emotion, “Save the girls and go.  I am too much of a burden.  I am weak and I can’t do anything.  My imp…  She is dead.”

            Vee heard her say this and allowed a high pitched sound to escape before clamping his long-fingered hand over his mouth.

            “I am not going to leave you in here alone, we are all going together,” Tristan remarked.  “You may want to stand back.”

            “You can’t do anything to these doors.  They are resistant.”

            “Not to me they aren’t.  Now, stand back!” he ordered.

            Adrianne moved to the farthest corner of the cell and waited.  She wasn’t holding her breath. 

            Tristan in his true form started to gather energy from the twin inside him.  He opened the palm of his hand and started an energy globule.  It continued to increase in size until it was the size of a softball.  Tristan opened his eyes and launched it at the door’s handle. 

            The door splintered and fell off its hinges.

            Adrianne was shocked. 

            Tristan entered the cell.  “Come on, let’s go.” He reached out his hand to help Adrianne up from the floor.  “We have to get these kids and find Ryleigh. She is looking for Tom and I am not sure where Finar could be.”

            Adrianne seemed to gather all of her strength, as broken as she displayed, and walked out of the cell with Tristan, “Right, let’s get these kids.”

***

            In the darkness, Ryleigh continued to look up to reassure herself the lights were not threatening to go out.  It wasn’t that she was afraid, but she was.  She could feel her stomach continuing to perform gymnastics in her abdomen. 

            “It’s okay, Mistress,” Nissa reassured.  Ryleigh knew it would be okay. She continued to follow the inner compass that guided her.  She wasn’t sure where it was taking her but she was comfortable following it. 

            She reached a fork.  At this point, indecisiveness stepped forward.  She wasn’t sure which way to go. 

            “Just feel it,” she told herself aloud.  She closed her eyes and listened.  This was something she continued to practice with Nissa. Listening with her mind and her body.  Paying attention to the signs that she received.  She felt a whispering to her right.  A whispering that pulled her more in that direction.  It was the way she decided to go.              It seemed that with each step the pathway grew darker.  She pulled out a flashlight grateful for her family and their “list” anility.  She wasn’t quite sure where she was going but it felt familiar to her.  Almost to her core.  This was a place she was supposed to be and supposed to recognize.          

***

            Tristan, Adrianne, and the twins headed back the way that he came.  Tristan could hear noises behind and to his side. 

Adrianne looked wild eyed.  She felt naked without her imp.  Almost as if a part of her were missing.  She yearned for her husband.  It was the only way she could draw any power now.  Although Vee worked his magic and attempted to heal her, it didn’t make her complete and fill in the void she was currently feeling. 

            She had the girls to either side of her holding their hands.  She could feel how afraid they were through their trembling fingers.  “Shhh now, it will be okay.  We will get you back to your parents.” 

            Tristan still hadn’t the heart to tell the kids that their parents were dead; however, he knew that he had to get them out of the Sanctum and away from Finar.  He figured he would take them to the safe house and find someone to watch and keep guard over the children until another relative stepped forward.  Finar hadn’t scared the entire community…yet.  He was powerful, but he wasn’t powerful enough above ground.

            They reached the room where Tristan imagined hearings or rituals taking place.  His eyes drew upon the center of the room and he stopped – rigid. 

            In the center of the room waited Finar.  Dressed in his debonair flair for style.  “Now, now,” he mocked in his haughty voice.  “Where do you think you are going?”

            Adrianne backed up with the kids. 

            “I am taking them out of here Fin,” Tristan said as his form emerged.  The flames licked at invisible wind traveling over his body.  He could feel Illeana’s Chi raging inside of him.  “You can’t stop me,” he threatened.

            Finar laughed, “Oh really?  You think I can’t stop you?” With that he launched a condensed ball of energy toward Tristan.  Tristan jumped and rolled out of the way as it crashed into the wall behind him.  He wasn’t prepared for that.  He would have to be quicker on his feet and reflexes. 

            Inside he talked to Illeana,
You have to help me.  I have to save these kids… and Ryleigh’s mom.
He could feel the reassurance from Illeana and a well of power deepened within his core.  Tristan created his own energy ball and hurled it towards Finar.  Finar was fast.  He moved out of the way faster than Tristan could blink. 

            He saw Finar direct his attention toward Adrianne and the girls.  Tristan put himself between them balling his fists and coercing the flames to the surface.  “You will not have them.” Tristan spat.  “And by the way, Illeana says ‘Hello’.”  Finar looked amused as Tristan shot flames from his hands towards Finar. 

            The flames collided with Finar’s chest covering it like plated armor.  Finar cried out in pain and fell to his knees.  Tristan claimed a small victory and shot out another length of flame.  The flame curled around Finar’s abdomen and he doubled. Tristan looked back towards Adrianne and the girls. “Get out of here!”  He pointed towards the hallway that he came through to find them.

            Finar started laughing.  Mia appeared beside him and the flame seemed to dissipate.  Finar stood laughing at Tristan, “Oh, you are getting better.  But, you will have to do much
much
better than that.”  He wiped off the dust from his arms, “You can inflict pain, but I am so much more than you, youngling.”

            Tristan was angry. He flung three more explosive energy bursts toward Finar who deflected them into the rock beside him.  Tristan could feel the slivers of rock scrape and embed themselves in his skin but he didn’t care.  He continued to barrage Finar with the anger resonating from within.  “You are a monster!” he screamed. 

            Vee pleaded with Tristan, “Master stop, you are going to hurt yourself!”  Tristan started pulling energy through Vee incapacitating him.  Finar saw Tristan gearing up and flashed to his form.  It was dark and sinister.  His form had changed since the last time Tristan saw him.  His eyes were glowing embers, skin as black as ice under a midnight sky.  This was the result of consuming multiple Chi.  He looked like a demon of old.  Demon, no matter how labeled was still Fae.  And Finar’s form was one that children would be scared of in the middle of the night.  Tristan’s heart skipped a beat.  He could see the power starting to coagulate in the palms of his hands.  The room began to dampen with Finar’s darkened energy stifling the oxygen in the room. 

            The twins streamed tears down their cheeks and Adrianne seemed to just freeze as if she were a deer in headlights.  She stared at Finar, vastly afraid as he continued to ramp up for his next move.