seconds, revealing an abundance of relics: body armors inlaid with gold script, statues of men bearing different crests, swords larger than any I have ever seen, crowns of various shapes and sizes, insects modeled out of gold and jewels. But what holds my attention is what lies in the large glass case in the middle of the room.
I cannot stop myself from clutching Adikiah’s arm and burying my face in his back. He peels me from his arm so that he can enfold me in both of them. “Do not be afraid, Eramane; it is dead,” he assures me, releasing me from his embrace so that I can look for myself. My trembling body objects as I make my way to the glass coffin. My legs feel as if someone else is trying to control them, trying to direct them away from the fragile-looking tomb. I reach it and find myself amazed that Adikiah possesses it.Not inches from me, sealed in glass, are the remains of the beast that murdered Lebis and tried to murder me. Its long, hardened body resembles the lifeless statues of the men bearing crests. The wings of the beast wrap around it, making a cocoon. Even in its death, the creature still looks fierce, frightening … able.
“How did you do this, Adikiah? How did you kill this thing and bring it back here?” I ask, running my hand over the top of the glass. “You are one man.”
“I am, but one man can have many resources.”
“Your servants?” I ask.
“They are useful in many ways, yes,” he says. My gaze does not leave the entombed beast. As I stare at it, my memories of the meadow surge through me. I feel my body begin to quake, and rage consumes me. I slam my fists on the surface of the case, and it splits under the impact. I do not realize I am screaming at the corpse until Adikiah covers my mouth with his palm. “It is all right, Eramane. He cannot hurt you,” he says, trying to comfort me. I release my tears on his chest and keep my face hidden until I can catch my breath.
“Thank you,” I tell him, not believing that could ever be enough. He lifts my face to look at me.
“Stay with me, Eramane,” his soft words ask. “Become my companion, and we will travel to the distant lands whence these relics came. Your life will be filled with experiences from the farthest reaches of this world. I will keep you safe, from even the fiercest of things,” he says, and his eyes move from me to his encased trophy.
“My debt to you can be repaid only by an agreement of marriage?” I ask.
“You owe me nothing, Eramane. Our union would make me happy, but only if it brings you happiness as well.”
I want to make him happy, and I know that I can grow to love him one day, but I fear that once I return home to see my family, I will not want to leave again.
“I need to lie down.” I do not know what else to say. Adikiah escorts me to my chamber, where I find the bed to be extra welcoming. He says nothing before leaving, the rattling of the door filling in for unspoken words.
CHAPTER TEN
The Catalyst
“ T HEY WILL BE DISPLEASED WITH your actions, gatekeeper.” A cauldron of black, frothing liquid is the catalyst of the clicking, fluttering voice speaking to Adikiah. He keeps the cauldron in the chamber where the Gate is, deep in the subregions of the palace.
“They should be pleased with what I have to offer them. The blood of a summoner is worth more to them than a thousand souls,” Adikiah fires back to the voice that angers him.
“In all of eternity, she will not forgive you for this. Her memory will only be disrupted temporarily, and then you will have to explain yourself,” the voice says, fueling Adikiah’s anger.
“When she becomes and is like me, once she harvests, she will understand; there will be no need for explanations.” Adikiah grabs the edges of the cauldron. “She will know me,” he finishes.
“What if she is not like you? This has never been done before, and to a summoner. There are no guarantees, no comparative accounts,” it says.
“She will
I cannot stop myself from clutching Adikiah’s arm and burying my face in his back. He peels me from his arm so that he can enfold me in both of them. “Do not be afraid, Eramane; it is dead,” he assures me, releasing me from his embrace so that I can look for myself. My trembling body objects as I make my way to the glass coffin. My legs feel as if someone else is trying to control them, trying to direct them away from the fragile-looking tomb. I reach it and find myself amazed that Adikiah possesses it.Not inches from me, sealed in glass, are the remains of the beast that murdered Lebis and tried to murder me. Its long, hardened body resembles the lifeless statues of the men bearing crests. The wings of the beast wrap around it, making a cocoon. Even in its death, the creature still looks fierce, frightening … able.
“How did you do this, Adikiah? How did you kill this thing and bring it back here?” I ask, running my hand over the top of the glass. “You are one man.”
“I am, but one man can have many resources.”
“Your servants?” I ask.
“They are useful in many ways, yes,” he says. My gaze does not leave the entombed beast. As I stare at it, my memories of the meadow surge through me. I feel my body begin to quake, and rage consumes me. I slam my fists on the surface of the case, and it splits under the impact. I do not realize I am screaming at the corpse until Adikiah covers my mouth with his palm. “It is all right, Eramane. He cannot hurt you,” he says, trying to comfort me. I release my tears on his chest and keep my face hidden until I can catch my breath.
“Thank you,” I tell him, not believing that could ever be enough. He lifts my face to look at me.
“Stay with me, Eramane,” his soft words ask. “Become my companion, and we will travel to the distant lands whence these relics came. Your life will be filled with experiences from the farthest reaches of this world. I will keep you safe, from even the fiercest of things,” he says, and his eyes move from me to his encased trophy.
“My debt to you can be repaid only by an agreement of marriage?” I ask.
“You owe me nothing, Eramane. Our union would make me happy, but only if it brings you happiness as well.”
I want to make him happy, and I know that I can grow to love him one day, but I fear that once I return home to see my family, I will not want to leave again.
“I need to lie down.” I do not know what else to say. Adikiah escorts me to my chamber, where I find the bed to be extra welcoming. He says nothing before leaving, the rattling of the door filling in for unspoken words.
CHAPTER TEN
The Catalyst
“ T HEY WILL BE DISPLEASED WITH your actions, gatekeeper.” A cauldron of black, frothing liquid is the catalyst of the clicking, fluttering voice speaking to Adikiah. He keeps the cauldron in the chamber where the Gate is, deep in the subregions of the palace.
“They should be pleased with what I have to offer them. The blood of a summoner is worth more to them than a thousand souls,” Adikiah fires back to the voice that angers him.
“In all of eternity, she will not forgive you for this. Her memory will only be disrupted temporarily, and then you will have to explain yourself,” the voice says, fueling Adikiah’s anger.
“When she becomes and is like me, once she harvests, she will understand; there will be no need for explanations.” Adikiah grabs the edges of the cauldron. “She will know me,” he finishes.
“What if she is not like you? This has never been done before, and to a summoner. There are no guarantees, no comparative accounts,” it says.
“She will
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