18.

  Faelwen

  We moved as silently as shadows through endless, desolate halls. Every flicker of movement in the dim light set my heart racing, each whisper of sound convincing me we’d been discovered. The consequences of being caught, especially as an escaped prisoner, were unthinkable.

  The corridors stretched on, indistinguishable from one another, dark and cold. Twisted statues loomed, and eerie paintings of misty landscapes glowed with red eyes. I could swear those eyes followed us as we ran.

  The hallways seemed infinite. We passed countless doors, ducking behind pillars or grotesque statues whenever one creaked open. Finally, after what felt like hours, we arrived at a larger door. Ash stopped abruptly, turning to me with a haunted look in his eyes.

  “Whatever you do, don’t follow the sounds,” he warned, his voice barely above a whisper. I stared at him, confused.

  “What?”

  “Promise me,” he urged, his tone sharp with desperation. Still confused, I nodded, and with a deep breath, Ash pushed the door open. Beyond lay a vast garden, shrouded in decay. Cracked, weed-ridden stone tiles stretched ahead, leading to a weathered table and a few broken chairs.

  Dead trees groaned in the wind, their brittle limbs clawing toward the earth like skeletal fingers. Tombstones jutted out of the ground here and there, their inscriptions worn to illegibility, leaving behind only cryptic scratches.

  Ash guided me outside, closing the door with a heavy thud. The sound echoed ominously, and all three of us froze, listening. For a moment, the garden was silent, but then a haunting wail began to rise, a hollow, high-pitched chorus of voices. A chill crawled up my spine.

  It was unlike any sound I’d ever heard: faint cries, whispers, and pleas tangled together, impossible to understand. Ash’s hand tightened around my wrist, his other hand gripping my shoulder as he whispered urgently, “Don’t follow the voices.”

  Artemis—his fur bristling—growled low as he approached a pit in the ground where some of the voices were coming from. The opening was sealed with iron bars, and the haunting cries seemed to slither up the sides of the pit, wrapping around us like tendrils of smoke.

  I felt an odd familiarity with the sounds, though they were warped by agony. When I looked around, more pits like the one Artemis approached, were scattered throughout the garden.

  These were once elves, now broken and twisted. Don’t listen to what they say, Artemis’s voice echoed in my mind.

  But how could I follow voices I didn’t understand? The cries changed, growing sharper, more insistent. And suddenly they spoke words I understood.

  “Be aware,” the voices sang, “for what evil our Fiend will bring. Your beloved world will have no king.”

  I froze, my heart pounding. The voices weren’t just cries now, they were in my head, whispering directly to me.

  “Seeking answers, little elfling?” “Answers we have…” “Come closer… Closer…”

  The pull was irresistible. I found myself drawn toward the pits scattered throughout the garden, unable to think clearly. I felt Ash’s grip tighten, his efforts to hold me back seemed distant and futile. Artemis’s sharp gaze met mine.

  Wen… Don’t…

  But their whispers drowned him out, my vision weakening. I was taken by the voices to an unfamiliar place, feeling as if my soul was leaving my body behind.

  ? ? ?

  I was elsewhere, in a cell with damp, bare walls. Were the elves in the pits showing me their memories? I looked around. There were no windows, only a heavy wooden door with a barred opening. A filthy pile of straw lay in one corner, along with a tarnished bowl holding scraps of food. In the shadows, a young woman huddled near the straw.

  “Hello?” I tried to speak, but no sound left my lips. I looked down at myself and realized I wasn’t truly there. I was a spectre and a spectator of the scene unfolding itself in front of me. Outside the cell, a man’s anguished voice echoed.

  “Let me go! Please! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

  The woman stirred, lifting her head. Her face caught the dim light, and my breath caught. I knew her. Her dark brown hair, glinting almost blue in the shadows, framed her pale, weary face. Her brown eyes, streaked with green, carried a sadness that had only deepened over the years I knew her.

  Her hair was tangled. Though her tiara still rested on her head, its wooden frame and delicate jewels seemed out of place against her ragged warrior’s garb. Her skin was paler than I remembered. How long had she been here?

  A door opened next to her cell and the male voice cried one last time before he landed on the ground with a loud thud.

  “Another human soul lost to the darkness,” she murmured after the guards had left the hall. Her voice quivered and my heart ached hearing her talk. I missed her so much.

  “Who said that?” I heard the man speak. His voice sounded familiar. So scared, but so familiar.

  “Merely a lost soul like you,” my mother answered. She looked young. Younger then I remembered.

  “They trapped you here like me,” the man answered. My mother sighed and leaned her head against the brick wall behind her.

  “He has trapped me here for quite some time. What year is it?” My mother asked the man on the other side of the wall. I heard him shift his position.

  “It is the year 895 of the second Era. Eleventh of the second moon,” he answered her. I saw despair on my mother’s face when he brought her this news.

  “Then I’ve been trapped here for twenty years at least. Love can feel like a prison,” she whispered sadly. It was quiet on the other side. The man broke the silence after a while.

  “I wish I could see you. Your voice sounds beautiful, like…” he fell quiet before continuing, “like soft music in my ears.” A smile appeared on my mothers’ face.

  “What’s your name?” she asked him

  “Arvis, miss,” he answered. My breath caught in my throat. Dad.

  “I’m Eyela,” my mother said. “I shall be honest with you, Arvis. I’m terrified. Have been for quite some time now.”

  “You’re not the only one, Eyela. I wish I could help you escape this terrible place. This is no place for a young lady like you.”

  Eyela chuckled, “I’m older than you think, my dear.”

  “Me too, I’m twenty-one. But people often mistake me for younger,” he laughed. The sad look on my mother’s face reappeared.

  “So young,” she whispered. “I’m of elven kind, Arvis. I’ve been wandering this world for a hundred thirty years.” It was quiet at the other end of the brick wall. Then the man whistled.

  “That’s old. I wish I could live that long,” he answered. I heard him scratching at the wall. My mother moved closer to the wall.

  “What on earth are you doing?” she asked.

  “Now, I definitely want to see you. I’ve never seen an elf in my life and the stories tell of their beauty and fairness. I want to free you,” he answered, his voice sounding lighter than before.

  “You cannot scratch your way through the wall, young man!” my mother responded. But before he could answer, a brick fell out of the wall and a small male hand reached through it.

  “What did you say?” he laughed. My mother chuckled and shook her head. Gently she placed her hand in his. They sat like this for a while. And it brought a smile to my face.

  Suddenly the scene blurred and changed. I found myself in a dimly lit hall before the iron-barred cell doors of the prison I was in before. From the shadows, a small girl emerged, her pale features strikingly familiar.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  My breath caught as recognition dawned. I knew this girl. Though she wasn’t as broken as when I’d seen her before, there was no mistaking the resemblance. She was the daughter of the Fiend.

  With deliberate movements, she jingled a set of keys in her hand, unlocking the doors one by one. The first door creaked open, and a young man stepped out. My heart clenched when I saw my father. So young still.

  He regarded the girl warily, his brow furrowed in confusion. She simply offered him a wicked smile before moving to the second door. It swung open, and my mother emerged.

  My father’s suspicion gave way to shock, his eyes widening and mouth parting slightly. Then, as though some spell had been lifted, a smile, tender and full of love, spread across his face. The way he looked at her was like nothing I had seen before. It was pure devotion, etched into every feature.

  “Thank you, my daughter. Now, go find Aldwyn like I said. He’ll get you out of here and back to me,” my mother whispered to the girl, not noticing the look on my father’s face.

  The words struck me like a lightning bolt. Daughter? My mother had a child with the Fiend? My eyes followed the little girl running back through the hallway, following her mother’s advice.

  The Fiend’s earlier words came flooding back: “She’s my child. The result of a union with an Elf. Stubborn like her mother, but strong. Too defiant for her own good.”

  Defiance, stubbornness. Traits my Mom was known for. Suddenly, the night appearances of the girl made sense, her silent staring, her attempts to reach me. She might have known I was family. A pang of realization caused tears to burn in the corners of my eyes.

  She had died. She hadn’t managed to escape like our mother had hoped. But before I could process further, the scene shifted, becoming blurry. My ghostly form trailed behind my parents as they ran down the corridors.

  A faint tugging sensation pulled at my mind, as though someone was trying to pull me back to my body. But I clung to the memory, desperate to see more.

  The image sharpened, and I found myself in a garden that mirrored its current state. A closer look revealed it was the same garden. My parents stumbled, falling and pulling each other up again. Behind them, demonic figures poured through the corridors, closing in.

  They stopped by a twisted, dead oak tree. Its branches formed an unnatural arch, a portal. My mother turned to my father, determination blazing in her eyes.

  “This is it. I’ll open the portal, and we’ll escape!” She declared, fumbling to remove a glowing stone from her neck. My father looked worried.

  “Hurry!” he urged as the demons emerged from the shadows. They shared a desperate glance, their faces inches apart.

  “This might lead to our death,” she whispered, sorrow lacing her words. She pressed the stone to the portal, her body glowing with golden light as her robes billowed in the energy. Slowly, the portal opened, but before it could stabilize, it sputtered and collapsed.

  “No!” my mother cried in frustration, spinning towards the approaching horde. At the front, the Fiend stepped into the garden, his dark cloak and purple robes billowing. His grin stretched wide, but anger glared in his eyes.

  “My dearest Eyela,” he purred. “Where do you think you’re going with a mortal?” He spat the last words as if it were a disease. My mother gripped my father’s arm, hiding slightly behind him. My father, trembling, positioned himself protectively in front of her.

  “Let me go!” she cried. The Fiend’s laughter echoed. Cold and humourless.

  “How can I, my dear? You and I belong together.”

  “Never,” my mother whispered fiercely. She turned to my father, cradling his face. “Don’t look back. Keep your eyes on me,” she urged, her voice steadying him. His forehead rested against hers, and his voice quivered as he whispered, “I’ll never forget you or what you’ve done for me.”

  I felt my heart constrict and a big lump blocked my throat, tears welling up in my eyes. The demons crept closer. My heart ached as my mother leaned in, pressing her lips to my father’s in a desperate, first and final kiss.

  I heard the Fiend roar in anger and he started running towards them. Silver light encircled them, the magical stone in her hand glowing brighter. My father tugged my mother closer as she reached behind her to the portal, breaking the kiss.

  The portal flared open behind them. My father pushed her through just as the Fiend approached, his fingers grazing my father’s collar. The portal snapped shut, leaving the Fiend roaring in rage.

  “One day, Eyela,” he hissed into the empty space. “One day, you or your descendant will be mine again. Because you have no idea what your dear mortal has done.”

  My heart raced. His words tumbled through my mind. What has my father done? I felt like it connected to the Fiend’s earlier words about his claim on me.

  And that silver light. My mother once told me about soul-bonding. It meant their souls were connected by fate. Fate had decided these two people needed to be together for a certain purpose. It was a bond so deep that if one perished, the other would feel an excruciating pain.

  Perhaps that’s why my mother had stayed behind after my father’s death. Unable to endure the pain of losing her partner. And so she did the only thing she could think of at that moment; giving her life to protect her children, me and Mira. Mira… I clenched my teeth.

  Poor Mira.

  If only I could’ve saved her.

  ? ? ?

  The memory slowly began to disappear, darkness creeping in. It felt as if I were in the midst of emptiness. Floating in space and disconnected to my body. I would have thought the Fiend would disappear as well, but he didn’t. Instead he turned to me, his piercing gaze locking onto me. My blood ran cold. How was this possible? Was his soul also wandering like mine?

  As he approached, the air grew heavy. I tried to move, but he raised his hand casting a spell and I froze.

  “Not today, Faelwen,” he sneered. Hearing him say my name sent chills down my spine. In the distance, I started to hear Ash’s voice calling me, but I couldn’t respond. The Fiend loomed over me, his voice like velvet laced with poison.

  “I knew who you were the moment I saw you. It was only a matter of time before you triggered the Elf’s memories trapped here.” His grin widened. He stood in front of me. Taller than I remembered.

  “The Returner may have put a protective barrier over you, but he will not come for you here. Your soul is mine as promised.”

  His eyes softened, grief tainting his red, piercing gaze. Something I didn’t expect. I still couldn’t move, his magical restraint on me too strong. The Fiend leaned in closer, putting an arm around my back. He caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting my head to meet his gaze. “So beautiful. Such a shame,” he whispered.

  “Faelwen!” I heard Ash call out my name, closer now as if my body became more aware of where my soul was. I tried to look in the direction of the voice, but the Fiend’s gaze kept me from turning my head. He swiftly leaned forward, his lips brushing mine.

  Panic surged. I fought with every mental and physical strength I had to get free. He pulled me closer, one hand on my lower back and the other still holding my chin.

  A cold, dark pull surged within me, draining the warmth of my magic as it slipped past my lips. He was stealing it!

  “Let her go, Fiend!” A thunderous voice shattered the tension. The same voice that had talked to me whenever I used my magic. The same one who told me he blocked my magic. Could it be the Returner, like the Fiend had said, put a protective barrier over me?

  “She belongs to me! You cannot claim what is already claimed,” he roared in anger. The Fiend only chuckled, breaking his draining kiss. He tilted my head backwards and his lips hovered over mine as he hissed,

  “Come and get her, you coward,” before he pressed his lips on mine again. Again I tried to fight him, but couldn’t break the spell holding me captive. A flicker of Artemis’ face appeared in my mind. His worried, wolfish features.

  “Wen,” he whispered. “Where are you? I can’t feel you.”

  His sorrow sparked a rage within me and I felt the air grow static around me. A burst of magical energy, that shocked me, shot from my hands and shoved the Fiend away, sending him sprawling.

  He landed roughly on his back and I turned towards the sound. There in the light stood Artemis. Looking around for me.

  “Buddy!” I cried, running to him with tears streaming down my face. “I’m here! I haven’t left you!”

  He looked up at me and his wolfish smile was warm and reassuring.

  “My dear Wen, I thought I lost you for good. Your heart almost stopped beating. Come back to me. To us.”

  I fell to my knees, embracing his soft fur.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered in his fur. “I’m here.”

  He nuzzled me playfully.

  “Don’t you dare scare me like that again. We’re a pack and we…”

  “… Leave this world together,” I finished. He grinned and licked my face.

  His lick jolted me awake and I looked straight in the teary eyes of Ash. Artemis front paws pressed against my chest. I felt tired, as if all the energy had drained from my body.

  With a trembling hand, I scratched Artemis behind his ears, offering comfort, before turning my gaze to Ash. Without hesitation, I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his, the kiss hungry and urgent.

  Ash responded in kind, his hands steadying me as mine tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. He moaned and I felt him shiver. Suddenly a familiar silver light appeared, curling like tendrils around us. A whisper stirred deep within me, words that resonated like a ripple through my soul.

  Súl? lia-gwedh.

  Soul-bounding. The thought sent a shiver through me. I pulled away. Our cheeks flushed, our eyes meeting with unspoken longing.

  I could read he had felt it too. Those words. That power. It gave me new strength. He clenched his jaws together. We lingered in that moment, seconds stretched into eternity, neither one of us knowing what to say or to do. Until the ground beneath us trembled.

  “Don’t you dare take her from me, Ash!” A low, menacing voice cut through the stillness, its power making the earth shudder. Fear flashed across Ash’s face.

  Swiftly, he pulled me back to my feet and took a small black stone from his pocket. He held the stone out in front of him and started chanting in a language dark and ancient, the stone blazed crimson, tearing open a portal. I looked up and saw a dead oak towering over us, its branches skeletal against the sky.

  My heart clenched as I realized it was the same portal my parents had once used to escape. History repeated itself. When I turned back to look over my shoulder I saw him.

  At the garden’s entrance he stood, draped in a dark green cloak, his black hair stirring in the wind. His crimson eyes locked onto me with a combination of rage and... grief?

  I felt my body trembling in fear at the sight of him. He raised a hand, as if to cast a spell, but Ash reacted faster. He shoved me through the portal with a desperate push.

  I stumbled, colliding with Artemis, who let out a startled yelp when I fell on top of him on the other side of the portal. Ash followed, crashing into us as the portal snapped shut behind him, severing the Fiend’s pursuit. For now.

  “We made it… just in time,” Ash gasped, rolling off me. Artemis’ voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and urgent: Run!

  I didn’t need to hear that twice. I scrambled to my feet and started running over a narrow golden path that stretched out before us, fading into impenetrable darkness. On either side of us, an abyss of nothingness yawned, blacker than anything I’d ever known.

  Behind us, the portal flared open once more. Artemis darted ahead along the golden path, his urgency clear.

  “Run faster!” Ash shouted as well, running in front of me. I increased my speed, heart pounding, daring to get a glimpse from our pursuer.

  Behind me stood the darkness from everyone’s nightmares. His red eyes burned like embers in the dark, his grin stretched unnaturally wide, showing rows of pointed teeth.

  “I will get you, Faelwen. Your powers and your soul will be mine to wield as promised,” the Fiend said with chilling calm, his voice laced with dark amusement as if he enjoyed the hunt.

  Cold terror coursed through me, but I sprinted after Ash and Artemis along the golden path. The void pressed, every step a test of balance and resolve. One misstep, and we’d fall into the black abyss.