Born In Flames (23 page)

I let out a sigh, glad that it wasn’t Zane. Lexi’s hands fell to her side. “You can’t just sneak up on people, you weirdo,” she scolded as she shouldered past him.
“I wasn’t sneaking. I…I was just going to let you know that we were heading to the woods now. What were you two doing anyway?” he asked as I moved into his line of sight.
“We umm…we saw something cool,” I began.
“Oh yeah? What?”
“Yeah, it umm…I think it was an animal or something,” I said sheepishly.
“An animal?” he asked distractedly, looking over at Lexi.
“Yeah, it was some kind of strange animal, but we never got a good look. Oh well,” she covered, winking in my direction.
“That’s odd,” he noted, his face puzzled. “I could’ve sworn I saw a bright light back there. You didn’t see that too?”
I stumbled only for a moment, and then said, “Light? No. We didn’t see any light, did we Lexi?” I said, searching her eyes for a good answer.
“Nope. No light. We were probably too caught up with trying to find the animal,” she said with a laugh, playing it off.
“So is that why her face is all beat up?” he asked Lexi before turning back to me pointedly. “What kind of animal was it? Looks like you’ve been punched.”
More like kicked, I thought bitterly as the forgotten pain pulsed again. I lightly touched it, wincing from the open wound Zane left on my forehead. “I uh…I fell.”
“That’s quite a fall,” he commented, moving to touch it. I turned away before his fingertips made contact.
Lexi started giggling nervously. “Yeah, I barely caught her in time. Can you believe it? She’s such a klutz,” she quickly threw in.
She started walking again, gesturing for us to follow. I didn’t hesitate.
“I’m fine, really,” I reassured as we neared the edge of the group.
Logan called out Adam’s name. “Glad to hear. Can’t risk losing you,” Adam added, walking alongside of me. Something strange flickered in his eyes. Like he meant something more than that. Like he knew something. He turned and left.
“What was that all about?” Lexi whispered. “Does he know something?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I said under my breath.
“You know…he does look familiar, but for the life of me I can’t place him. Oh well,” she shrugged, “for now we need to focus on the key. Zane will be waking.”
Waking and out for my blood
, I thought.

Chapter 27
The Full Moon is Coming
WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE group, and tried our best to blend in, but I couldn’t shake the anxiety I felt. I felt exhausted after the attack and

tried my best to keep up.

I couldn’t help the flurry of thoughts that raced through my mind. What if we don’t get to the third key in time? What if Zane wakes up? What if he doesn’t care if there are witnesses? The questions were never-ending and the answers were becoming fewer and fewer.

I tried to focus as we trailed our way through the forest. But I found myself looking over my shoulder, every sound turning into a possible attack. Time was running out. And Zane was on his way.

Lexi was just as frantic. She whispered, “Inducto,” and I saw Matt’s eyes light up with her green energy. He looked forward and told us it was time to move on.

“To the cave,” he said.
“If something happens and you need to hide, say ‘Obscuro.’ It’s a cloaking spell that will hide you,” Lexi instructed.

“But we haven’t practiced,” I replied franticly.
“Rory, you don’t need practice. You are strong.” Her confidence bore into me and then she looked around. “Did you feel that?” she asked. She tilted her head. An energy pulsed through the air, one that I had felt before.
“The darkness?” I questioned.
“Yes. It feels like…”
“Zordon,” I finished for her. I knew the feeling all too well. It was a feeling that lingered with me ever since I could remember. Only recently had I been able to place its source.
“Do you think he’s here?” she asked, the panic unmistakably lacing her voice.
My heart raced in fear as the light from the tree line filtered through the tiny leaves, casting shadows on the ground. I felt dizzy and even broke out into a sweat. I wiped my face onto the end of my shirt. I was tired, the anxiety of the past week wearing me down.
“I don’t know, but I don’t feel so well,” I replied. My Oraculus was searing through the back of my bookbag. Sharp shooting pains pierced into my brain. I staggered behind everyone, gripping a tree trunk to keep from falling. The bark felt harsh on my skin, scratching and tearing from the pressure of my restraint.
“Aurora,” Lexi shouted, reaching for me as I slid down the tree to rest while my brain pulsed and my heart raced. I was hoping that I could just breathe the pain away, but it wasn’t letting up.
The pressure behind my eyes felt too strong, and my blood felt on fire. I leaned my head back against the tree, scared of what was happening, keeping my hands gripped tightly onto the straps of my bookbag. He was pulling me to him.
“Aurora, don’t worry. I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. Just breathe,” she coaxed.
Heat was continually beating through my bookbag, causing my shirt to cling to my back in dampness.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, my hands trembling uncontrollably. It was coming from the Oraculus. “My bag—take the Oraculus out,” I said, straining against the sharp pain.
She leaned me forward, pulled it out, and set it on my lap. The book was literally vibrating, a black haze of energy radiating off of it.
“What’s happening?” she asked, fear lacing her voice.
“I don’t know, Lexi…it’s pulling me, whatever’s binding us together. I can’t fight it…” I admitted, feeling the last bit of grip I had in my realm leaving.
I tilted my head forward, squinting to see through the pain. Lexi’s fists were by her side emitting her green energy as she repetitively chanted, “Refutum vehemtia.” Then everything went black.

I was back in the Lyceum watching Zordon pace back and forth on a cloud of smoke. There was something different about him this time. He was panicking.

Worry lines were embedded underneath his eyes. His usual oil-slicked hair was a chaotic mess, his hands constantly plunging through, gripping and yanking as if to pull it out. I instantly tucked myself in a shadowed corner, hoping that I wouldn’t be spotted.

Just as I was submerging myself into the shadows, his frantic pacing stopped and his back stiffened. He slowly turned in my direction, keeping his face pointed to the ground. And then his eyes lifted toward mine and locked, freezing us both. The blood pumped through my veins so hard my heart echoed in my ears.

He blinked a couple of times, as if trying to determine if I was real, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head in astonishment. In between his blinks, I managed to back completely in the corner and silently chanted, “Obscuro…obscuro…obscuro.”

My hands emitted a soft glow of blue, and tiny blue sparkles cascaded around me. I felt them cover me like a shield, a shield from him. The rush of power was momentary.

He gazed towards the spot where I sat, squinting hard, and then huffed angrily before turning his back on me again.

A disgusting smell tainted the air as scurrying footsteps rang through the hall. A scraggly old man with one eye and matted hair ran in and knelt before Zordon.

Zordon’s back straightened and he ran his fingers through his hair, quickly pulling himself together as he resumed his demeaning stature.

“The Dark Saar is here, correct, Sayer?” It was his Seer.
“Yes, my Liege. They just arrived,” answered Sayer, bowing his head.
“And the meeting has been arranged?”
“Yes, my Liege,” repeated Sayer.
“Good…good. This meeting will be my next move forward,” Zordon replied, turning his back on Sayer and moving towards the mantelpiece, gripping the edge like it was his only salvation.
“My Liege,” Sayer spoke, though barely audible, “I overheard one of them talking about an exchange that is to be made. You never said anything about an exchange. Is this something we should worry about?”
Zordon turned back to face Sayer. “An exchange? Hmmm…I thought the killing of the Draconta was enough. Plenty of souls to go around.”
He stared into the distance, pensive, and twisted his cane in slow circles, black sparks shooting out from the tip then fizzling out after hitting the ground.
Then he turned back to Sayer and answered lightly, “No, I will hear them out. They may have something I want in this exchange.” A smirk peeked at the corners of his mouth.
“But, my Liege, to exchange with The Dark Saar…” Sayer scrambled, “the only thing they could possibly want is one’s soul.” He bent his head down again and backed up a step, careful not to make eye contact.
“Are you suggesting I’m an imbecile?” Zordon asked quietly.
“My Liege, please don’t,” but before he could finish, the sparks that were fizzling out of his cane, shot into Sayers’ chest, freezing him. His body writhed in pain and a gut-wrenching cry left his lips.
“My Liege…I,” he bit out as his fingers curled into one another awkwardly and his neck jerked from left to right.
“Liege what, Sayer? You think I’m not a step ahead? How dare you insult me so,” he shouted while striding over to yell in Sayer’s face. Spit flew from his mouth. He plunged his cane into the ground as he shouted, “Afflictum.”
Another uncontrollable cry escaped Sayer. “NEVER doubt me! Better men than you have died for questioning me.”
And then the energy stopped as he turned, moving back to the mantelpiece. Sayer dropped lifelessly to the ground, desperately trying to collect his breath.
“And what of the Shadows?” asked Zordon as if nothing had just happened.
“The…the Shadows are here as well, My Liege…residing in the forest.” His voice was hoarse and weak. He straightened out his back and stood once more but kept his head pointed down.
“I see. Nothing but darkness resides out my window. And that shall be all the Draconta see as well. It’s the beginning of the end for them,” said Zordon, confidently.
“My Liege, I must warn you. It has been heavily rumored that a Seer is working for the Draconta. A female. I’ve sent out scouts, trying to find out who she is. Her aura is familiar yet I can’t quite read it or place it. There may be some kind of cloaking spell around her.”
“A female Seer staying with the Draconta? Of all the things I thought I’d never see,” said Zordon in disbelief. “Nevertheless, it won’t matter. They cannot defeat my army, and I will not rest until every last dragon is dead.” He placed a figurine that looked a lot like him on a map that lay on the table in his room.
“Soon enough I will be standing inside their castle with the Stone of Immortality in my grasp.” His hands glowed as black as his deep evil. A fog rose up over the map and spread like a morning mist. I could hear faint, distant cries coming from the paper as figurines of dragons lifted from the corner of the table and flew over the raised castle. The fog reached up to where the dragons were flying and engulfed them, pulling them down into it. Zordon’s menacing laugh penetrated the room and my soul.
How could I defeat him?
The fog had taken over the entire map and then a flashing light appeared where the Zordon figurine had stood.
“Yes, it’s so close I can taste it. Soon, Sayer, I will be immortal, and then no one, not even The Fates, can stop me from attaining my right.”
“The girl, my Liege?” Sayer let the words hang on a whisper.
“What of her? Zane should be back soon with report of her death. And besides, the full moon is tonight. As long as she is kept from the light of the moon, she will remain over there. Now go find Gabe.” He twisted his cane and all the figurines dropped back onto the table. Then he turned and left the room.
I waited a moment before creeping out from the shadow of the corner. I felt naked standing in his open room, but I didn’t know how to get back.
And what about Zane? If he escaped wherever Lexi put him and reaches Zordon, then Zordon will know that I’m not dead. He’ll do everything in his power to prevent me from reaching the cave. I needed to know what Zordon’s next move was, and the only way I could find out was to follow him…and risk getting caught.
Lexi wouldn’t approve, or Fenn for that matter, but that didn’t matter. I needed to take matters into my own hands. I was, after all, the one chosen to protect. So this had to be my decision.
I heard Gabe’s voice carrying down the hall and slowly poked my head around the whitemarbled corner. The dimly lit stairs were only wide enough to hold one. The light of the fire holders cast eerie shadows against the wall.
What if I go down and someone comes up at the same time? I wasn’t sure if I was visible or not, and Zordon spotting me was the last thing I needed. The murmuring of voices propelled my curiosity so I took a chance and hurried down the steps on my tiptoes.
When light broke at the end of the staircase, I edged up to the archway and slowly peeked out. Goosebumps painted my skin from the cold air that breezed around me.
Zordon, Sayer, and Gabe were facing away from me so I quietly rushed over to the other side of the archway and hid in a small cluster of shadows.
“But, my Liege,” said Gabe. His voice was so comforting, like I’d heard it many times before and knew he would protect me. But he was on Zordon’s side…right?
“Do I need to express the annoyance I feel when you doubt me?” Zordon threatened, gripping his cane.
“No, my Liege, I’m sorry. I just thought that having Kaede and the leader of the Dark Saar in the same room would push Kaede away from aiding us.” He kept his eyes to the ground. “The Dark Saar is the worst kind of dark magic and not everyone wants to be mixed up with that.”
“As I’ve said before, Kaede came all the way from the Orient to help put an end to the Draconta. And I have my motives for bringing him here. He will feel more comfortable if I make him think I am including him in all my plans. A bounty of souls is what I’ve promised and not just of the dragon kind. Do you understand what I’m saying?” asked Zordon, lifting his brow questioningly. Gabe nodded as realization played over his face. “Good. You may leave.”
Gabe bowed and took his exit. I didn’t want him to go.
“My Liege,” inquired Sayer, who had remained almost invisible throughout their entire conversation. Zordon glanced up as if he hadn’t realized Sayer was still there.
“His fate somehow ties into the girl’s. I cannot read him, therefore I do not trust him.” Sayer wobbled over around the table to stand closer to Zordon.
“He is my second in command, Sayer. That is a high accusation you make against him. One that you should tread carefully with.” He tilted his cane towards Sayer’s trembling face. “Leave,” he motioned, pointing towards the door.
Zane stumbled in a second later, my heart skipping a few beats in fear. He made it back. “Sit,” commanded Zordon. He never turned to face his son.
Dirt was smudged all over Zane’s face and clothes, blood dripping from his nose and the edge of his mouth.
“Just where have you been?” asked Zordon.
“Well before I found her I was thrown to the Harpy’s,” Zane said shamefaced, wiping his mouth and smearing blood across his face.
“Harpy’s? What in The Fates’ names were you doing there?”
He was lying. He already found me. His eyes fell to the floor. “I need more men,” Zane half-whispered. He quickly continued as Zordon’s energy began to glow around him. “There was an unexpected interference. Alexis is with her, the girl that worked in the market and lives with the Draconta.”
Zordon began pacing, fury building in a haze around him. “That’s irrelevant. You’re saying you failed in killing her, and you let a girl from the market—a mere servant—defeat you? The full moon is tonight. Why are you sitting here in front of me?” The energy pulsed around him, quickly growing like a dark storm. It swarmed Zane, picking him up into the air, and Zordon shouted, “Pulsecto!” Zane’s cry pierced my ears as I braced the wall.
The energy pulsed throughout the room, shocking me to the point of dizziness. I tried to hold onto the wall for support to keep from falling and giving myself away, but Zordon’s power grew, choking both Zane and me.
I fell forward, barely able to keep myself from smacking my face against the marbled floor. Zane’s eyes shot to mine as he writhed and hollered out in pain. There was nothing I could do to help myself. I felt weak and lost.
“The girl,” Zane screamed, grabbing at his throat in agony as his body twisted in all directions. “The girl…the girl.”
“The girl, what? The girl will find the keys and make it to the cave in time? That’s what I foresee,” shouted Zordon, twisting his cane as another cry broke from Zane. “I should kill you right now for failing me and putting a strain on my plans!”
“Here,” Zane choked out. “She’s…here.” I tried to move but was frozen in place by both fear and the same choking pain as Zane. My hand was at my throat, and I was gasping for air, trying to push away Zordon’s magic. But it was too strong.
“Father…please…don’t kill me…Just…just look,” he screamed, pointing with a contorted hand in my direction.
Zordon’s head followed. His eyes widened when they landed on me and then he smiled, twisting his cane.
My body flew towards him, propelled into the air next to Zane’s, held in the same black cloud of energy. Pain like I’d never felt tore at my limbs, blood trailing from my ears and nose, down my face. I screamed and panicked. This was it. I was going to die, and he was going to live. Zane’s body dropped to the ground, but my torture continued. Maybe the prophecy was right. Maybe I was the one who was supposed to die.
“So I did see you back in my room,” Zordon said gleefully. “How did you manage to get in here?”
“I…don’t know,” was all I could squeeze out in between the painful shocks. But I did know. The prophecy…the canvas to your mortal soul…the connection to your immortal enemy. The Oraculus connected us.
“Hmm…something to ponder then,” he said as he walked a circle around me, taking all of me in.
“Your name,” he demanded from me. I tried to fight the urge to answer but lost control as another shock blasted through me.
“Aurora!” I yelled against my will. He smiled.
“You’re what they prophesied as my downfall…Aurora?” he asked, my name slithering from his mouth. A low chuckle escaped from him. “Too bad,” he said, unmercifully sending another electric shock through me. I could feel myself slipping away, falling into nothingness. I was too weak to fight and almost to the point of passing out from the pain.
“I would have preferred if you put up a fight, entertain me even a little bit. But I will settle for killing you instead. This is just too easy.” He stalked over to me and stared for a moment as I floated in pain.
“Oh well,” he said with a shrug and then slammed his cane into the ground. I braced myself for the last round of pain, for my death that he’d promised, but there I still remained, floating and alive.
His face fell as he took a step back.
A white light surrounded me, obscuring the black energy. “Oblitero Mortifico!” shouted Zordon, slamming his cane back into the ground.
Again nothing happened.
The pain I felt left, now a distant and disturbing memory. In its place I felt the edge of the dream. I was waking up. I wasn’t going to die after all. “My Liege…look,” cried Zane.
I was disappearing.
“NO!” yelled Zordon, trying everything in his power to keep me from leaving. He threw his arms around me in an attempt to pull me back down, but he went through me as if I were transparent.
The sound of his voice grew distant as the light became blindingly bright. “Go get her and bring her back or it’s your death,” he demanded.
And then I was gone.