Rebellion (2 page)

I was startled by a sudden knock on the door.

“Is he well?” I heard a low, hoarse voice coming from the other side the moment Nathan opened the door.

“Yes,” Nathan whispered.

A man walked into the room. He appeared to be in his mid-forties. A thin silver crown sat on his head. It had seven spikes that protruded from its base. His beard was dark and short; his black hair touched the nape of his neck. He gave me a warm smile.

“Isaac,” Nathan said as the man strolled toward me. “This is Demyon, king of Bellator. It was his army that found us once the castle of Justicia fell away from Tristar onto Elysium.”

Behind the king, I caught sight of my friend—the one who, more than anyone else, understood and knew of the darkness I had witnessed in the Wastelands. It was Demetre.

“You are finally awake.” There was a broad smile across his face. “You have kept us all waiting for too long.” The last time I recalled seeing him was in Justicia when the men of Aloisio joined us in the garden in front of the castle.

“Demetre!” I shouted with joy. “I am relieved to see you are well.”

“There are many who would not believe that you have returned from the Wastelands of Tristar, young ones,” King Demyon said in a soothing voice. His dark eyes seemed to smile as he spoke. “We are all relieved to see you two alive—and that the Diary and the other Books remain in the possession of their bearers.”

“Where are the others?” I inquired with a heavy heart, apprehensive and afraid of their response. “Are they alive? Are they well?”

Nathan sat on the settee located by my bed. “Yes, Isaac. All the others are here. Devin, Petra, Xylia, Adara, and Ballard are all safe.”

I sighed with relief as I reclined my head against the bedpost.

Demetre shot King Demyon a sudden stare.

“How did you find us, King? How did you know we were going to be at one of the borderlines of Justicia and Elysium? Your riders flocked to the burning castle as the Shadows sprung from the woods.”

“I hope you will find joy in knowing that even after all these years, some of us still keep watch over Elysium, Demetre, son of Paul and Lune Aliward.” King Demyon approached Demetre with calm footsteps, his eyes set on Demetre’s.

Demetre raised both of his eyebrows. “You knew my parents?” he asked, surprised at King Demyon’s words.

“Not only knew them. I was with your parents, and Isaac’s, when they escaped Justicia and fled to the village of Agalmath eighteen years ago. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the vow your parents had made with the Darkness.” King Demyon sat at the foot of my bed.

Nothing Demetre could say or do was able to hide the curiosity that was stamped on his face.

“I was there on the day the attack occurred. Queen Lylith and I had crossed over to meet Athalas when we found Justicia enveloped in smoke, shadow, and flame.” I observed King Demyon’s face filling with sorrow. “We rode to the burning castle, where we fought against the Nephilins and Shadows.”

I burned with curiosity as his words filled my ears. I missed my parents. I wanted—I
needed
—evidence that they were dead or alive.

“We crossed paths with Diane, Dustin, Paul, and Lune as they fled Justicia. They demanded we follow them.” King Demyon lowered his head.

The crackling of the burning torches seemed to grow louder as King Demyon spoke. Every word that drifted from his mouth made me anxious. I felt a sharp pang of fear. Surely the worst was true—death had found my parents.

“Paul claimed that Athalas had informed them of a box that contained the Dark Book, which we now know was a fake. Even with watchful eyes, I failed to see the master plan behind Athalas’s decision. ‘
This is ours to keep safe,’
Paul declared once he revealed to us the rugged, locked—”

“You said Paul, King?” I asked, confused at his latest remark. “Paul showed you the box containing the Diary?”

King Demyon cleared his throat.

“The Diary was not handed to your parents initially, Isaac. It was Paul and Lune Aliward who were chosen to keep the Diary safe at first.” I took a deep breath. “Athalas was no fool. The day he sold his soul to Lucifer, he erased from the Council’s memory the choice they were once given.”

I was afraid of setting eyes on Demetre after receiving this new information. My heart raced in my chest. Nathan moved toward Demetre, who rested his head on his hands.

“Lylith and I saw the box—a perfect replica of the original. As I touched the obscure object, the sound of whispering voices penetrated my ears. That was the moment when Paul, Lune, Diane, and Dustin informed the queen and I of their plan to hide away in the village of Agalmath, located next to the Forest of Hathar, where one of the borderlines of Justicia is located.”

“The borderline we crossed with Devin…” My voice trailed off as I recalled the day when we had first set foot in the Fourth Dimension.

The howling of the wind resonated outside. Through the glass window, I caught sight of the blinding snowstorm that had descended upon Bellator.

“Of course, Diane and Dustin were aware that Athalas had surrendered his life to Lucifer. They knew of the conditions on which Paul and Lune were allowed to escape the battle of Justicia.” King Demyon’s gaze pierced mine. “Your mother trusted me with her secret. She developed the gift of foresight a thousand years after the Creator entrusted the Council with the Diary. Apart from me, only your dad knew of her powers. It was because of her ability that she saw what Paul and Lune had done before they left Justicia—and why they had all been spared.” King Demyon let out a soft, disappointed sigh. “They knew you would both be hunted by the Darkness when you reached maturity.”

I was frozen in shock. “Foresight?” I shook my head in disbelief. To me, she had always been just an ordinary woman. “My mother could see the future?”

“And your dad possessed the gift of meddling with memories,” Nathan added in a soft voice.

My heart ached at the sound of Demetre’s weeping. I didn’t know what to do or say. After all I had lived through, I was still unaware of the truth behind my own family.

“Dustin erased the memories of Paul and Lune ever getting the Diary from Athalas. They stole the Diary, hiding the book away, never speaking of its powers, but unaware of the curse that rested upon the fake copy they carried.” King Demyon’s voice was filled with angst.

Demetre could not hide the sorrow that overtook him as he heard the king’s account. He gnawed on his bottom lip; his eyes welled up with tears while he gazed at the corner of the room, turning from the king’s stare.

King Demyon turned his face to the window. He watched the snow descend. “It was only after you were both attacked by Cyro that a special device came to me through Diane and Dustin.”

“My parents came your way? What did they bring you?” I attempted to hold back my tears, but the feelings that whirled within me were too strong.

“When the Council was created, the Creator not only entrusted the Diary of Lucifer to its members, but he also gave them a device that helped keep watch over Elysium. This device is named Lion’s Stare. Unfortunately, it does not function as well as before. After the fall of the Council, the Lion’s Stare was limited to showing only what its owner feels most important.”

Demetre wiped the tears from his red cheeks; his eyes were red and swollen. “When did you learn about the Fallen Star that dwelled inside of me?”

“When Diane and Dustin Khan walked through these doors informing me that Cyro was after the both of you, I looked into the Lion’s Stare and saw the truth behind Athalas’s plan. That was also the day she revealed to me what she had seen when they left Justicia.”

Demetre’s upper body shuddered as he listened to King Demyon answer his question. He lowered his head, resting it on his hands.

“Athalas erased from the Council’s memory the truth about their immortality.” King Demyon stared at Demetre in grief. He laid one of his hands against his back. “You see, the Creator also gave them a choice. If any Council member chose to have a child, immortality would be taken from them. Due to Diane’s gift, she knew of Athalas’s actions, but remained silent. One month after they fled Justicia, Diane was pregnant with you, Isaac.”

My lips quivered as King Demyon’s words drifted into my ears. My parents had renounced immortality because of me.

“While Lune was still pregnant, she and Paul rode to Bellator, seeking my council. Unaware of the memory they had been deprived of, they informed me of their commitment to Lucifer, but they never told me that their child had been destined to be a host to a Fallen Star,” King Demyon added.

Demetre raised his head. The salt from his tears had dried against his skin, leaving a trail down his cheeks. I was concerned for my friend.

Silence lingered over us. Nathan reclined against the wall, his hands crossed on his chest. With a despondent stare, he watched the snow fall from the sky.

King Demyon turned to Demetre. “On the morning Cyro attacked Diane and Dustin, they managed to go to your house, Demetre, only to find your parents’ lifeless bodies. Diane and Dustin brought their bodies here, to the castle—”

“Athalas said they died in the fields, along with Isaac’s parents.” Demetre shook his head, gnawing on the left side of his bottom lip.

“It is no surprise that Athalas lied.” King Demyon raised his eyebrows.

I leaped up from my bed, wrapping my arms around my friend.

“They didn’t know the outcome of their choice, Demetre. You mustn’t blame them for wanting a child…for wanting you.” King Demyon stood to his feet, making his way to the door.

Nathan knelt next to Demetre. “Do not weep over unwise choices. Smile for the choices you can make—choices that will shape the future of many.”

Demetre lifted his head and his bloodshot eyes met King Demyon’s.

“How…how did my parents die?” Demetre’s voice was caught in his throat.

“Bravely.” King Demyon’s lips curved into a smile.

Demetre took a shallow breath. “I need to be alone,” He trailed his fingers across his dark hair. “I need to…”

“Of course.” King Demyon darted his gaze toward Nathan. “Show Demetre to the garden, please.”

“Of course.” Nathan rose to his feet. “Follow me, Demetre. I believe you will be able to gather your thoughts in the garden of the castle.”

Demetre fumbled his way to his feet as I helped him stand. His complexion made it seem as if he had slept out in the bitter cold for hours. All were silent as he trudged out of the room.

I felt the king slip something into the palm of my left hand.

“What is this?” I stared at an old piece of parchment paper, stamped with a red lion-shaped seal.

“Your parents brought me this. It is a letter that they found in Demetre’s home.” As I twirled the paper in my hands, I saw Demetre’s name written in Lune’s handwriting.

I felt my chest constrict as my tears returned again.

“You want me to give this to him?” I feared his answer.

“You are the only one that can give him this letter right now, Isaac,” King Demyon affirmed.

I touched the scarlet seal of the lion that had been pressed into wax on the parchment, then analyzed the tears and rips on the edges. I held the last words my best friend’s parents had written to him—words that might contain answers to so many questions.

King Demyon laid his left hand on my shoulder. “We will have a special banquet prepared for you and the others tonight. Let Demetre have his time in the garden. I will have someone come and escort you both to the throne room.”

I heard the door lock after King Demyon stepped out of the room. All the darkness and loneliness I had experienced in the Wastelands felt insignificant compared to what this letter meant to the both of us.

I approached the window. The dark clouds and falling snow covered Bellator. Towering gray mountains surrounded this kingdom, reaching beyond the cloudbank; their peaks were covered in a permanent white blanket.

So much darkness,
I thought.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to disconnect myself from this present situation. I had just awakened but I felt burdened; a weight rested on my shoulders. I searched for memories that could spark joy within me, ones that had the power to reawaken hope.

I struggled to ignore the fact that the dark memories easily overshadowed the joyful ones. I saw my parents’ faces, tried to remember the sound of their laughter, but in an instant, the ash-covered terrain of the Wastelands erased their faces from my mind; the memory of the corpses of those that lingered between the Abyss and Tristar haunted me. Apparently, hopelessness was clouding my mind, keeping me from regaining strength.

I tried to visualize the mornings I would go up the Hill of Mehnor with my father, Paul, and Demetre to go fishing at the river. Life was not burdensome back then. My mind tried to remember the color of the grass, the smell of the field of flowers, the clear water of the river. These memories were also shattered by the invading image of the Wasteland Desert. The only sound I could remember was the howling of the frigid wind that created sandstorms of massive proportions under the red and purple skies. The scarcity of life in the Wastelands had deprived me of the ability to find joy inside of myself. Defeated by my own memories and thoughts, I opened my eyes and wept bitterly, wondering how I’d had so much strength, courage, and will to fight for the Creator, yet so little hope and joy within my own heart.