The Chronicles of Winterset: Oracle (13 page)

Chapter 26

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and pressed the name on the screen without bothering to look at who I was calling. Anyone would be great at this moment.

“I-I’m in Rockwell Park on the trails,” I stammered. “I’m not alone. Help me.”

I dropped my phone as one of the shadow creatures lunged, knocking me to the ground. Screaming, I kicked at the red-eyed monster as it as crawled on top of me and tried to hold me down. I kicked and bucked, effectively tossing it off of me.

When it spoke, it was in a language I didn’t understand. The other creatures stood like dark sentries on the edge of the woods as they watched the creature circle me like I was its prey.

I sat up slowly, my heart hammering in my chest as I realized there was no way in hell I was coming out of this without a scratch.

“Get to your feet, girl,” the creature sneered at me. “I fear you not.”

I climbed slowly to my feet and was barely able to stand. No more alcohol for me, especially if I was going to have to fight shadows in the park in the middle of the night.

“I-I don’t know what you want,” I stammered. The creature advanced on me and hit me square in the face with enough force that my knees buckled beneath me.

“You are nothing,” it hissed at me as it landed a rough kick into my side. I felt bones snap as his foot made contact with my ribs and a painful cry escaped my lips.

The creature let out a nasty cackle and kicked me again. Blood spurted from my mouth and I fell forward onto the dirt, wishing the pain would stop. Again and again, he kicked me. When that wasn’t fun for him anymore, he lifted me to my feet and I sagged forward, blood coming from my nose and mouth as I stood before this devil.

“You are powerless, as I knew you would be,” he sneered at me, his red eyes flashing dangerously. “You cannot be the one.”

“Then why don’t you just kill me?” I challenged weakly. Anything to make the pain stop.

The creature lurched at me, and I pulled together all the strength I could muster. My hands began to tingle and ache and I knew what was coming. I didn’t try to keep it at bay, hoping the flames would engulf me and put me out of my misery.

I let out a cry as the creature hit me again hard in the face. I was lifted off my feet upon impact and flew backward through the night sky only to land many feet away from him in a flameless heap on the ground.

I rolled over, groaning and gasping for air, awaiting another blow, but then the shadow of a man came zooming into my view at speeds so fast, I couldn’t register where he was in comparison to where he’d been.

He stopped suddenly in front of the shadow creature and plunged his fist through its chest. The creature’s eyes widened in an O of surprise before he exploded into dark bits and disappeared. The man didn’t hesitate and made for the edge of the trees where he began mercilessly taking out the creatures trying to flee the scene.

It was over within seconds, all the creatures either dead or having escaped as the man stood in the center of the trail, his back to me. He flitted in and out, a dark shadow that slowly began to show his true form.

Finally, he stood in front of me in his human form and I let out a gasp. It didn’t seem possible.

Calix was staring down at me, his face alternating between a mask of terrifying anger to one of outright concern.

He came to me quickly and scooped me into his arms as I struggled to breathe. I felt like I was dying.

“Not tonight,” Calix whispered in my ear as the world began to whirl around us. “Tonight, you live.”

I felt a horrible pull in my stomach as we were whisked away into darkness.

Chapter 27

I went through a fit of terrifying dreams that night. The Master was there, cackling and burning villages to the ground with the Nihilist at his side, and the wildflowers swirled around me as I went in and out of various visions, all involving some sort of horrible scene with people dying. And then one hit me so hard, I felt my hands tremble and my stomach roll.

I was thrown into a dark, barren landscape, the trees scrubby and sparse. I looked around apprehensively, terrified of what new horror awaited me. Men dressed in tarnished armor on horses approached, and I watched as they disappeared into a narrow canyon. I was flung from there to watching them standing before a stone wall with hanging vines and intricate designs carved deep into the stone. I watched interestedly as one of the large men placed his hand on the center of a design that looked like a skull.

“Pugare impura,” he said in a deep, rumbling voice.

I gasped as the vines came to life and moved aside and the stone wall turned to a strange, silvery liquid that the men on their horses just stepped through. I didn’t have to worry about making my way inside, though, because I was once again flung to another scene with the man who had opened the gateway.

He was standing in front of another, much larger man, and I furrowed my brows as I stared at him. He was young and extraordinarily handsome with long dark hair and equally dark eyes, and he looked familiar, though I thought I’d never seen this man before in my life. He was tall and broad and looked like he knew how to handle the sword at his side. His size made him intimidating, but his facial features made me feel he wasn’t as mean as he appeared.

“My Lord, we have failed in retrieving the Oracle. The Shades we sent were destroyed by Him.”

The man turned his back to the horseman and was quiet before he spoke in a deep voice with a thick accent.

“Then we simply send more. There is no way he can defeat them all, even with the Oracle at his side.”

“My Lord, one of the survivors said the Oracle hasn’t Transitioned and hasn’t been bound. She remains untarnished.”

“That is good news,” the man murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“What would you have us do, my King?”

“Jaris, she is mine by law. I was hoping to save my bride by taking her life so she would not be forced to suffer at the hands of Zaros. I was hoping to save us all by having her disposed of.”

“My Lord?”

The man was quiet as he contemplated his next move. He gently fingered a photograph. I stepped forward to peer at it and gasped. It was a photo of me in my cheerleading outfit. How did this man in what appeared to be an entirely different world have a photograph of me? I stepped away fearfully, wondering what the hell was happening.

“Continue as planned. Take her life. If the Shades cannot succeed, then bring her to me alive, and I’ll do it myself. She does not deserve the pain that awaits her, and I shall put her out of her misery before it begins.”

Jaris bowed his head and left the room swiftly.

“My dear Analia,” the king murmured. “It is a fate worse than death to be a slave. I will not let you succumb to the same destiny as my mother.”

The dream faded away and I was left in darkness. I slipped into a dreamless sleep then, and when I finally woke, the sun was barely peeking above the horizon.

I was in Calix’s bedroom tucked into his soft, warm bed.

Looking around quickly and feeling frightened, I saw Calix asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. His long, dark lashes fanned across his ivory cheeks and his chest rose and fell as he slumbered.

I tried to get out of bed but cried out as pain racked my body, sending tremors through me.

“Ana,” Calix was at my side immediately, his concerned eyes raking over my face.

“Please,” I trembled. “If you’re going to kill me, just do it. Don’t make me suffer.”

“I’d never hurt you,” he said gently, his brow furrowing at my words.

“What are you?” I whispered. “What were those things?”

“I am Fae,” he answered immediately. “And those things were Shades. Someone must have sent them after you.”

“You’re speaking a whole other language,” I breathed out painfully, knowing full well my ribs were broken. The dreams from the night were still lurking in my mind, and I knew there was something I should remember but I pushed it out of my head, not wanting to relive any more of the terror I’d felt.

“I know I am,” he apologized, pushing my hair out of my face. “I promise to tell you everything, but first, I really want to heal you.”

“Heal me? Like take me to the doctor?” I winced.

“No, Princess,” he said with a soft chuckle. “Like I want to connect with you and use your powers to heal you.”

“My what? I don’t have powers.” I groaned as I tried to shift in the bed.

“Then what exactly do you call those flames you wield? They aren’t a figment of your imagination,” he said, gently squeezing my hands.

“How do you know about that?” I gasped. Even I hadn’t really thought they were real.

“I know a lot more than you think,” he replied. “Now, will you allow me to bind with you briefly so I can combine your powers with mine?”

“What will happen if I do? Is it going to hurt?”

The word “bind” made my stomach knot. The men in my dream spoke of it and they seemed concerned about me doing it. Then again, I was pretty sure they’d sent those things to kill me so maybe not binding was a bad idea if they were so against me doing it.

“Nothing will happen except you’ll feel better and maybe be a little tired.”

“H-how can you do that?” I asked, wondering if maybe I’d hit my head so hard I’d blacked out and this entire thing was just another dream, that everything was just a bad dream caused by my possible brain tumor.

“It’s part of who I am. It’s one of my many abilities,” he explained, still holding my hands in his. “You have to trust me, though, OK? Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” I answered without bothering to think it through. He’d rescued me so he must be one of the good guys.

“Good,” he smiled, and I felt the jolt of electricity flow through my hands again. “Close your eyes, Ana.”

I did as he said. I felt the electricity flow up into my arms as he tightly squeezed my hands.

“You’re fighting me, Ana. Don’t fight me. Give me your ability,” he murmured as my shoulders and chest began to feel warm.

“I don’t know how,” I whispered, my body trembling.

“Open yourself up to me. Let me take what I need. What I want. It won’t hurt,” he replied softly, his voice shaking slightly.

“I can’t,” I whimpered, frightened. Sure, he had saved me, but he was asking me to give him anything he wanted. Now that I’d had a moment to think, I wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea considering I knew nothing about what was going on, who he really was, or anything in between those things.

“There is another way,” he said, releasing my hands and sighing. “I wouldn’t feel right doing it without your permission, though.”

“What is it?” I asked curiously.

“I simply take it from you.”

“OK,” I replied as shooting pains crowded my chest. The pain was overwhelming, and I hoped whatever he had in mind would help and not hurt.

“Close your eyes,” he said, taking my hands in his again. “This may sting a little.”

I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught, and I groaned and arched my back as the electricity shot through me. Then the pulling starting. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction, my very essence thinning out as he picked and chose from it like he was in an aisle at the grocery store.

A sweeping heat rushed through my body, and I felt it leave me and enter him. He groaned as it hit him, and I peered out from beneath my lashes to see his eyelids fluttering, a look of pure ecstasy on his face.

The warm flood of heat hit me again, this time coming from him. It centered itself in my chest and from there it spread, enveloping me in a blanket of comfort. I breathed out a contented sigh as I began to warm. I felt like I was on the most amazing drug and was never going to come down.

When it receded, I opened my eyes dazedly and stared at Calix. He was smiling down at me, a look bordering shame on his face.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked pushing my hair away from my face again tenderly.

“Not at all,” I murmured, my eyes heavy with sleep.

“Sleep, Princess,” he said gently, his voice sounding like it was coming from far away as I slid into a heavy sleep.

“I’m so sorry,” I heard him whisper sadly as the comfort of sleep took over me. “Forgive me.”

Chapter 28

This time when I woke, it wasn’t to awful pain. Instead, I felt perfect. Like I was shiny and new. I sat up and looked around the sunlit bedroom wondering where Calix was. I saw a note sitting on the table beside the bed, and I picked it up, scanning it quickly.

Ana,

I had to leave you, and I’m hoping I return before you wake. However, if I do not, please wait for my return. There is much we must discuss, and it is not safe for you outside the walls of my home. I have left you something to eat in the fridge.

Thinking of you,

– Calix

I placed the note back on the table and looked around glumly. I was really hoping he’d be here and we could talk. Feeling hungry, I took his suggestion and went to the fridge, where I found a box with two slices of vegetable pizza inside and a can of soda next to it labeled with my name. I smiled despite the odd situation I was in and pulled the food and drink out and sat down at the table to enjoy my cold pizza.

I had no idea how he knew I liked only vegetables on pizza, but he knew. I pondered it while I chewed my second slice before the thought occurred to me that maybe he could read minds.

I set the pizza down, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.

He had to be able to read minds. There was no other way around it. Last night, when I was passing out, he’d answered my thoughts about dying without me saying a word. I knew there were other instances, too, where it had happened between us, and it left a foul taste in my mouth.

He had been inside my head this entire time!

I felt so used and dirty. He had known all my most intimate thoughts. Every single moment, every single day.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” his soft voice jolted me from my thoughts, and I stared up at him frightened.

“H-how did you get in here? I didn’t hear you come in,” I stammered, rising to my feet and backing away from him.

“It’s my house, Ana. It was easy to get in,” he replied dryly.

I stared at him wide-eyed, and he let out a sigh.

“I can travel through various forms. For instance, today I used the mirror,” he said, gesturing toward the floor-length mirror hanging on the hall wall.

“Do you do that often? Travel through mirrors? Is it you who’s been in my bedroom?”

“Your bedroom?” he asked, suddenly bristling. “I’ve never gone into your bedroom, Ana. Ever.”

So maybe my bedroom was haunted.

“Y-you can read my mind?” I demanded pushing on, not wanting to dwell on the bedroom thing.

“No, not really,” he said, running his fingers through his thick, black hair. “It’s more of a feeling I get when I’m around you. It’s like I just know what you’re thinking. I wouldn’t call it mind reading. It’s more like mind feeling if I had to describe it.”

“Do you do that with everyone?” I asked.

“No, it’s only with you,” he breathed out. He came to me and took my hands in his and squeezed them. “Ana, we have a lot to talk about.”

“I know,” I frowned looking up at him. “What am I? Am I like … you?”

“No, you are definitely not like me, sweetheart. You are far better than I am,” he replied with a wry smile.

“I don’t understand,” I said shaking my head.

“Come,” he said, leading me to the living room. He sat down on the cushy couch and pulled me down beside him.

“Do you remember your parents reading you fairy tales when you were younger?”

I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Well, we are those fairy tales, only in a darker, more twisted form,” he stated, his eyes shining brightly.

“What do you mean? A-are you bad? I mean, I saw you kill those things on the trail. You saved me from them.” I was so confused.

“Ana, understand when I say we are all a little dark on the inside. Just because I saved your life doesn’t make me a saint. In fact, it makes me the worst kind of hero.”

I was quiet, waiting for him to continue, and when he finally did, his voice was stronger than it had been before.

“I am going to tell you a story. It is the truth as far as I know. Do you want to hear it?”

I nodded eagerly and waited for him to speak again. When he did, he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“Many years ago, there was a young man named Zaros Shadowmoore. He was the crown prince of Lor’Lak, a realm of Winterset, the world I come from. He was madly in love with Emeline, princess of Asmite, a kingdom in the south of Winterset. They were to marry, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Emeline, at her father’s command, chose Lauris, prince of Dar’ish, over Zaros.

“This crushed Zaros, for he had not known Emeline was also being courted by another. The tiff led to Zaros becoming bitter. He tried to move on, and when he became king of Lor’Lak, he took another as his wife and she bore him two sons.

“Winterset was beginning to see hard times as the years passed. The Ascarians, a kingdom in the deep south of Winterset, had begun to rebel against the other kingdoms. It was filled with the worst criminals and dark creatures. Things that had been rejected by their people. They lived on the edge of the realms and they only found glory in maiming and killing others. They would pillage villages and leave women and children for dead.

“In an effort to quell the tension that had arisen between the kingdoms of Lor’Lak and Dar’ish, and for his own selfish desire of once again controlling Zaros, King Lauris proposed a treaty in the hopes of becoming allies with the kingdom of Lor’Lak. King Lauris proposed his one and only daughter be married to Zaros’s heir. Zaros agreed.

“The Ascarians had kept attacking everything they could and their strength had grown. The Ascarians had risen.

“Zaros’s eldest son, Xalvador, crown prince of Lor’Lak, was at an outpost after hearing word from scouts that the Ascarians had been sighted nearby. He was to launch an attack on them before they could cause harm to anyone.

“But it never happened. The Ascarians attacked the prince and his troops in the dead of night, and while they fought long and hard, the prince perished in the battle. His body was burned with the rest of his men, and only his sword was recovered.

“Zaros, enraged and grief-stricken at the loss of his eldest and most cherished child, pleaded with the other kingdoms to aid him in a war against the Ascarians, but the other kingdoms denied him.

“When he approached the gates of Dar’ish with his only surviving heir in tow, begging for help because of the inbound Ascarians, King Lauris invited him in and they shared a feast at the same table. Zaros asked to see his future daughter. As is tradition in Winterset, should one be betrothed to another and one subsequently perishes, the betrothal falls to the next child in line, meaning Zaros’s surviving son would marry King Lauris’s only daughter. The reluctant King Lauris had a beautiful blonde-haired child brought before Zaros and his son. Her beauty was unlike any they had ever laid eyes on before.

“The child held out her tiny hand to Zaros’s heir, and when the young man took the little girl’s hand, flames erupted.

“Queen Emeline snatched the child away as Zaros looked on in shock. King Lauris immediately withdrew from his contract with Zaros and had him removed from his palace and kingdom.

“Now Lauris had not only taken the love of his life, but he had also taken his son’s future bride. And he knew why.”

Calix stopped to take a sip of water and clear his throat as I leaned forward, eager to hear how this story played out.

“Why? Why did he not want the two of them together?” I demanded, upset at the unfairness of King Lauris’s actions.

“Long ago, there was a prophecy made. It had died out over the centuries, though, long forgotten as the years went by and people moved on from the old ways. You see, in Winterset, the Fae possess certain abilities. Think of it as magic. Not every Fae possesses them, but those who do are well cared for and almost revered, even those with very little magical ability. For instance, I knew a man who had the ability to make it rain. Except the rain would only fall over him. He was a bit of a joke, but he was still held in high regard in his village.

“So there was this prophecy made, and Zaros, being the man he was, had not forgotten it because his own great-great-great-grandfather had made it,” Calix paused, his eyes downcast.

“Two Opposites will attract

Their powers detached

Apart they are harmless

Together set the world in darkness

Ruled by One

They blot out the sun.

Fire ignites

When they unite

One of Light

And one of Shadow

With one another

Set the world in sorrow.”

“And he, Zaros, thought Lauris and Emeline’s daughter was the one from the prophecy?” I asked softly.

“He did. He was overjoyed to realize he was only missing one of them since it appeared the son he hated was what he needed to conquer everything in his sight,” Calix said bitterly, rising from his seat and looking out the window. “Zaros made a point of seeking out the Ankh of Dominus, an item giving him unprecedented control over those in the prophecy. It was easy enough for him to find once he started killing people to get it. Once he had it, even the will of his son was broken, leaving him nothing but a shell,” Calix finished softly.

“That’s horrible,” I muttered. “Isn’t there anything you can do to stop him?”

Calix laughed harshly and looked at me like I hadn’t been paying attention.

“You cannot stop a storm, Ana. It will rage despite you begging it to stop,” he stated.

“I get that, but what about the girl? What happened to her?”

“Oh, the princess from Dar’ish? She died shortly after Zaros left the castle. Within days, actually,” Calix said, taking a step toward me.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, shaking my head. “That poor little girl. What happened to her?”

“You tell me,” Calix said softly, kneeling in front of me and brushing a stray piece of hair away from my face. “What happened to the beautiful Princess Analia?”

“I-I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you,” I said, swallowing thickly at the familiar name.

“I think that poor little girl is sitting right here in front of me, listening to her future unfold,” Calix said gently.

“Wait. What?!” I jumped up from my seat. “I am not this dead princess! I was born in Boston! My parents—”

“Are not your parents, Ana. You were not born anywhere in Earth Realm.”

“You’re crazy,” I hissed at him.

“Am I?” he demanded. “Then how is it you can do the things you do? Explain it to me, because I would love to know! You’ve been thinking you’re crazy this whole time!”

“I don’t know,” I said feebly, and Calix nodded knowingly as he put his hands on my shoulders.

“Then can’t we agree that what I’m telling you is a very real possibility?”

“How did I get here?” I asked, my voice tiny.

“I heard that once King Lauris realized what you were, they faked your death and sent you here with the hopes no one would find you. You were left in a parking lot next to your father’s car. He loved you from the moment he saw you. They adopted you immediately.”

I tried to hold back the river of tears threatening to spill but they erupted from my eyes anyway. My entire body racked with sobs and I was surprised when Calix wrapped his strong arms around me and held me tight. He didn’t say a word as I cried into his chest. I somehow knew everything he said was true. The field of wildflowers. I remembered them from my brief time in the palace. My mother would take me there and we would laugh and run through them.

“You found me,” I whispered when I’d cried myself out. “Who are you, Calix?”

“I am a Guardian, Ana. I am a Silent Sentry.”

“What is a Silent Sentry?” I asked sniffling.

“It’s one who possesses an immense amount of magic. It’s my job to guard, to stand watch. I had to find you. Winterset is falling apart. War is ravaging the land. Zaros is going nuts trying to find you because he, too, knows you’re alive. I wanted to get to you before he did,” Calix said, hugging me closer to him.

“And the Nihilist?” I ventured, recalling the shadowy man from my visions.

“He is one of the two. He is of Shadow,” Calix answered stiffly.

“And me? Am I of Light?” I asked, a memory stirring in my mind from a time when I’d had too much to drink.

“You are absolutely Light, Ana,” Calix answered, kissing my forehead.

“If the shadow one is called a Nihilist, what am I called, if all of this is correct?”

“The Oracle,” Calix said softly, looking down at me. “You are the foreseer, the one who will predict the tide of war, who will guide the king’s hand as he attacks his enemies. You are the bringer of life. Coupled with the Nihilist, the destroyer, the bringer of death, an undead army can be amassed that will be expendable. It will not matter how many are lost in battle because more can be pulled from the peaceful slumber of death. This is why Zaros needs the Oracle. Not only are you his sight, but you are also the key to the vast army he needs to overthrow the kingdoms of Winterset.”