Sapphire (29 page)

“Isn’t there?” He tilted his head and grinned.

Shawna’s skin crawled at the pale teeth in his
silhouette. Antares growled even louder. Mira had been backing
slowly away the whole time.

“I wouldn’t move if I were you, unicorn!”

Mira paused, ears back, and Gavan took a step closer
to them.

“Ava,” He said. She was surprised that he had used
that name. “Your mother is waiting for you.”

She gasped and stared into the shadows of his
eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Orin said for her.

Gavan looked like he was finding this all highly
amusing. His teeth flashed again as he stepped forward.

“Don’t you want to find her?” he said, ignoring
Orin. “Don’t
you
want revenge? She tried to kill you, her
own
child.” He pouted his lips and pretended to be sad by
this. “Oh, you two have so much in common.” He glanced between her
and Orin. “What a pair you make.”

Orin looked about ready to cleave Gavan’s skull, but
he only followed him with his eyes.

Gavan spoke to her again. “She didn’t want you.
Didn’t care about you. She knew you would destroy
everything.
”

Shawna knew she shouldn’t be listening to him, but
the words hissing from his lips, like the slither of a snake on her
bare skin, held her captive. All her roiling emotions were
beginning to rise again and stab her in the ribs like knives from
within as he kept speaking.

“She hated you, more than you can understand. She
was repulsed at what she had given birth to. Can you imagine? Your
own daughter being the one that would destroy all humanity, all the
world?
”

“
Don’t
listen to him, Shawna,” Orin said,
then shouted,
“
Run
,
Mira! Get her away from
here!”

Mira didn’t move, she couldn’t.

“What have you done?” she said, tossing her mane,
but unable to move her feet. “Release me, or suffer my horn through
your heartless chest!”

Her horn blazed with white fire, illuminating the
small clearing, and slashing sharp shadows across Gavan’s face.

“I’m not holding you prisoner, unicorn,” he sneered.
“Nor any of you.”

“What do you mean?” Orin said. “Stop talking in
circles, you vulture.”

“Shall I rip his head from his shoulders?” growled
Antares, flexing his long claws.

“Try and we’ll see whose blood stains the ground
first.” Gavan’s face shifted and morphed bear-like for a
moment.

“No,” said Mira as Antares bared his fangs. “He
doesn’t lie. Adhara
is
here.”

Shawna clutched the sapphires at her chest. She felt
her heart pause with fear then beat again with pure hatred. Here?
She could barely breathe. Everyone was looking around as if Adhara
was miraculously going to step out from the shadows.

“Where?” breathed Shawna, finally finding her voice,
eyes darting to every moving shadow and rustling leaf.

She gripped her sword, her whole body tense.

“I
will
crush you beneath my hooves if you do
not release us,” Mira demanded again, trying to break free.

“I told you,” said Gavan. “I am not the one holding
you all captive.”

“He’s lying. You
know
that,” Orin said as he
tried to move his arms and found he was frozen, every limb
unresponsive.

Antares roared, discovering that he too couldn’t
lift a paw. Not even Lula could move. Only Shawna and Gavan were
free. She moved her arm up, flexed her hand, then looked at Gavan
staring at her like a predator that had just cornered its prey.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered, sliding off
Mira to the ground.

“Don’t!” demanded Mira, but Shawna ignored her.

“You don’t understand your own power, do you?” Gavan
said. “Amazing.” He smiled like he had pointed out wings she had
never realized were sprouting from her back.

She gripped her sword in both hands, advancing on
him. “Let them
go!
”

“I cannot.”

She stopped.

He lowered his voice. “
You
release them.”

“What do you mean?” Her hands were beginning to
sweat.

Gavan glanced at her necklace. She could feel that
the sapphires were dull and cold.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

“
What?
”

“Feeling afraid? Upset? Angry?”

“Tell me what you mean, or I swear!” She was growing
more angry and doubtful by the moment.

“You swear what? You don’t have the courage to
swear, much less use that glass sword.”

“Run Shawna!”

Something collided with Orin’s temple and he fell to
the ground.

“Orin!” She swung her sword at Gavan, but he jumped
out of its reach with ease.

“Don’t touch him,” she screamed, “or I’ll kill you!”
She was shocked at her own wrath.

“Ava,” Mira’s voice echoed in her head. “Don’t
listen to him. You
must
run when I say. I’m beginning to
break through his magic.”

“Oh, come now,” said Gavan, not noticing the silent
exchange between them. He tossed some stones in his fist high into
the air and they hovered there like tiny orbiting asteroids.
“There. I won’t touch him, or anyone, unless—”

“Unless
what?
” She was tired of this
conversational cavorting.

“Unless you refuse to find her.”

“Adhara? How am I supposed to
find
her?
You’re
the one that keeps saying she’s here. Why don’t you
tell her to come then. Aren’t you a slave to her?”

He moved so fast she had no time to react. He was
suddenly holding her own sword to her throat with her arms secured
behind her with his other hand.

“Slave?” he snarled. “Of the two of us there’s only
one
slave
, only one that can’t escape her, and it is not
I.”

He pressed the sharp edge closer to her throat and
reached for the sapphires. She tried to struggle, but either by his
strength or magic she was helpless. As his fingers touched the
stones, a blazing crackling light erupted, and he threw her from
him. She sprawled face first across the mossy earth, then quickly
rolled over to see him holding his hand in agony. Her sword was
thrown behind him.

“
You!
” he roared, infuriated.

Everyone shouted her name as Gavan snatched her
sword again and leapt towards her. She kicked up at him and her
boot made contact with his stomach, but his anger seemed to numb
him. He deflected her attacks, threw her down, pulled her head
back, and once more she felt the edge of her own sword.

“Now,
find
her!”

“How?” she choked.

She was trembling as the sword’s sharp edge sliced
her skin. She had never felt so afraid in her life. Even the
molochs hadn’t instilled such helpless fear in her.

Mira neighed. She was just starting to lift a hoof,
her nostrils flaring and muscles straining.

“How?” said Gavan. “By
wanting
to find
her.”

She could feel his breath on the back of her neck,
but unlike Orin’s, it made her cringe.

“You
will
want to.” His lips tickled her ear.
“Because she sent me to do one other thing
.
To give her
love
to you both
.
”

Before she could move, or even think, he had whirled
away from her and stabbed Orin in the chest with her own sword. He
gurgled a cry when Gavan pulled it out, then Orin slumped, and fell
limp to the ground.

“
Nooo!
”

She heard someone screaming.

Gavan laughed. “From mother to daughter,” he said
before dropping her sword and vanishing into the night.

She eventually realized it was herself screaming.
Shawna rushed to Orin’s side. Mira reared up, finally released from
Gavan’s powers. Antares roared and made to rush after Gavan, but
Mira ordered him to stay.

“It’s useless,” she said. “He’s gone.”

Everyone crept close around Orin’s still body.

“Orin?! Orin!” Shawna cried, touching his
shoulder.

He groaned, his eyes fluttered. Tears were streaming
down her face as blood trickled through his fingers that were
covering his wound.

“Orin,” she sobbed.

“I’m going to kill him.” He slowly raised himself.
“He never did learn not to play with other kid’s weapons.” He
grinned, and spread his sliced fingers to reveal a shallow cut.

Shawna couldn’t believe her eyes. “You’re
okay?!
”

“Well, no. Not really.” He did look quite pale. “I
used a deflection maneuver, but not quickly enough.”

Mira stamped a hoof, Antares huffed, and Lula flew
up and smacked Orin hard on the cheek.

“You
dung-head!
” she screeched at him. Both
Orin and Shawna were stunned speechless. “That’s the
last
time you make her cry!”

Shawna burst into a crying laugh and threw her arms
around him while he cringed and looked confused. Lula continued to
sputter at the both of them.

“I thought he
had
killed you,” Shawna said,
wiping tears away.

He hesitated before pulling her away. Her front was
stained with blood. “He nearly did. Although, he forgets he’s the
one that trained me in combat. I learned quickly that blades are
sharp.” His fingers touched the long gash streaming blood and
winced. “He didn’t entirely miss.”

“Here,” said Mira, walking over with horn lowered.
“And this is the
last
time I mend your careless hide, boy,”
but she said it with a hint of concern.

“You won’t kill Gavan,” Shawna said, as Mira healed
Orin. “None of you will.
I
will.”

They all turned and looked at her. She gingerly
picked up her sword. A droplet of Orin’s blood ran down the once
clear blade, and as she followed its descent she saw another figure
had formed within the sword. An iron wolf thrust its nose towards
the point, howling silently within the crystal.

“Zev,” said Shawna, wondering if the majestic
guardian had survived the moloch attack. Her smile fell as she felt
a weight drag at her heart, and she feared the worst. “If Adhara’s
here, I’ll find her.”

She shot a sharp look at Mira who was about to say
something, but then only stamped her hoof and remained quiet.

“She’s done nothing but cause all of us pain,”
Shawna said. “She’s cruel. She
deserves
to die.”

The three sapphires were glowing again. They seemed
to grow brighter as her courage and determination to protect her
friends above herself grew stronger. She didn’t care about anything
except finding that woman, and keeping her away from everyone she
cared about. That traitorous vile woman who gave her life then
tried to take it away; that tried to impede their every step,
destroyed the second realm, kidnapped and enslaved Orin, and now
almost killed him. Shawna looked at him, her first true kiss.

But do I love him?
She was surprised she had
to ask herself that. Part of her wanted to, but the another part
was holding her back.

Her eyes slid to the scar now upon his chest, and
the sapphires flared like suns. She shielded her eyes, but the
light didn’t abate. She thought she heard someone calling her name,
but the light seemed to deafen as well as blind her. The forest was
cast into sharp relief. The night was becoming day as the sapphires
glowed ever brighter. They were soon so bright she felt like she
was engulfed in the sun itself. The sword dropped from her hands.
She covered her face, curled upon herself, and yelled, but wasn’t
sure who’s name she screamed. There was nothing but a dull throb
and hum all around her. Then as soon as the bright eruption had
begun, it vanished. She blinked, opened her eyes, and couldn’t
believe what she saw.

Before her stood Adhara, her mother. The woman she
hated more than anyone was standing right in front of her.

Shawna couldn’t think. She couldn’t move. Adhara
remained just as silent and still. Both stared in astonishment at
one another. Almost as startling was the disappearance of the
entire forest. She found herself standing in a large stone hallway
lit by torches that were unable to lift the castle’s damp darkness.
She could not tell if it was night or day, or even where she was
anymore, for there was not one window.

“Ava?”

It was whispered so lightly Shawna wasn’t sure if
she had imagined the sound or not.

“Ava,” Adhara said again with more strength in her
voice.

Shawna snatched her sword from the ground so quickly
that Adhara jumped and took a step back. Adhara’s eyes searched
her, but they did not narrow in anger; they looked worried.
Shawna’s brow creased as she looked over her crystal blade at the
woman she despised so much. All the spite was welling up inside her
again. Now was her chance to kill all those constricting feelings
of hate, vengeance, and pain with one quick blow. In one moment she
could avenge her friends, herself, and their entire quest would be
saved if only she ran this woman through with her blade.