Spark (Legends of the Shifters) (36 page)

He
shook his head. “I’ve been here before, but I don’t
know why Roland would betray us for this. Especially you.”

I
simmered. “This whole time, his friendship has been a ruse,”
I said.

“
I
had a bad feeling about him, and I should’ve made it known to
you.”

“
I’d
noticed that you weren't keen on being friends, but I never knew
why,” I mumbled.

“
No
one could have known,” he reassured.

“
And
we can’t go back now,” I added.

King
Ciaran led us down into the dungeons. He walked down the steps,
breathing hard and wiping the sweat off his brow with a handkerchief
embroidered with the letters CAG in purple and green. The letters
were his name, Ciaran A. Gregson.

It
seemed like we were walking at the pace of a crawl. The king walked
past rows upon rows of prisoners, all shouting his name, pleading for
another trial. There were some that were quiet. Ominously quiet and
beginning to stink. King Ciaran turned his nose up in disgust for
them and continued to walk. Surely Roland could see his fault in
allying himself with this unmerciful king? Who would be so blind to
choose evil over good?

King
Ciaran came to the end of the cells where there was a large black
door, studded with faces of various phantoms, ghouls, and skeletons.

“
They’re
to ward off anyone curious enough to check behind the door,”
Roland whispered to me.

I
shrunk away from his voice.

King
Ciaran opened the door and stood aside with a glint in his eye. He
motioned for me to go ahead into the adjoining room. I inched forward
cautiously with Kurt at my back. The next room was lit with torches
and candles. The warmth felt much better than the coldness in the
dungeon, but I didn't take comfort in it. Comfort would not help me
here.

“
Follow
me,” Ciaran said as he closed the door, locking it with a bolt.
He went past us, lifted the flap of an old tapestry above his head,
and disappeared. Kurt and I did as he said even though I was
frightened of what might be beyond this room.

The
tapestry made way for another lit up room. This one had one window
near the ceiling, making it brighter in here than in the other room.
Waiting in the room were three other people, but I didn’t know
who they were or even whether they were male or female. They all wore
black robes that concealed their faces.

They
were chanting something that I didn’t understand. I lo
oked
back at Roland. “What is this?” I asked. The robed
figures frightened me.

“
You’ll
see,” he said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
I doubted that, especially when each of the figures pulled a knife
out from underneath their their cloaks in unison.

I
backed away, and Kurt went in front of me, as if to protect me.
Instead of advancing on us, though, they pulled out their other hand
and ran the blade across their palms. Sorcery.

They
dripped the blood into a bowl and stepped back. Their chanting
stopped immediately.

King
Ciaran gestured for me to come forward.

I
stayed where I was, immobilized with fear.

He
huffed impatiently. “For goodness sake, girl, come when I tell
you to come!”

“
No,”
I answered firmly. “I will not.”

He
looked at Roland for help. Roland glanced between him and me, and
finally took me by the wrist to pull me forward. “Come on,”
he said gruffly.

Lord
help me,
I prayed secretly.
Get
Kurt and me away from this evil.

Heat
began to burn through my skin. Roland blinked once, his face
contorting into confusion before he jerked his hand away with a howl
of pain.

“
Never,”
I whispered fiercely.

Then,
the whole room erupted into light as I transformed into the phoenix.
I had broken the spell holding Kurt and me captive. I was hardly
conscious of what I was doing as I spun through the air, crashing
through the window with all my might. It was painful, but it was
entirely worth it. Kurt changed form, too. I felt it, although I
don’t know how. There was another crash as he widened the hole
that I had left. Something surprised me, though.

When
I looked back, I noticed that Kurt had Roland on his back. My heart
tightened in rage, but I kept going, trusting Kurt to be able to deal
with him until we got a little farther away.

“
Come
back! It’s not finished! Come back!” King Ciaran
shrieked.

One
of the robed figures climbed out of the window, and raised his hands
toward the sky. The clouds swirled down and condensed into a dark
ball between his palms before he hurled it at us. It sailed past Kurt
and nearly hit me, but I dove out of the way just in time.

As if
it had a mind of its own, it circled back to Kurt and Roland. Roland
saw it coming toward them and he yelled something to Kurt. Kurt dove,
but he just wasn’t quick enough. The ball formed into a net and
enveloped him. It would have enveloped Roland too, but when Kurt
dived, it had caused Roland to fall off his back.

In
what seemed like a second, I was at Roland’s side, catching him
before he hit the ground.

I
don’t know why I did it....Perhaps it was the fact that we had
once been good friends. Too late, I realized that what I should have
done was catch Kurt. He would've been too heavy for me, but I
might've been able to lessen his momentum.

Time
slowed. I watched powerlessly as Kurt struggled in the net, his teeth
tearing through the strands, his claws ripping at it. Then he hit the
ground, causing dust to billow in the air around him.

Time
quickened again, and suddenly I was swooping downward, letting Roland
drop to his feet before I hurried to get to Kurt. I didn't even get
halfway to him when I spotted the robed figure that had climbed
through the window closing in on us. I flew past Kurt and confronted
the sorcerer, letting flames enfold my enemy. The sorcerer fell to
the ground rolling, trying to control the blaze that was destroying
his robe. His hood came off, and I immediately recognized who he was.

Niko.

His
white blond hair was getting singed, but his eyes stayed calm as he
dealt with his situation. I would've been frozen in shock at the
sight of him, but time just wouldn't allow it.

I
dove for Kurt, but Roland screamed something at me before I could
grab the dark net.

“
Don’t
touch the net!” he was saying. “It will only capture you,
too!”

I
swerved away at the last second, and landed next to Roland,
transforming into my half-form. “How do I know that you're
telling the truth?” I asked. “You betrayed me.”

His
forehead wrinkled. “Ivy, I have no idea what you’re
talking about. I would never betray you.”

I
cocked my head. Was he denying all he had done for the past couple of
weeks? Was he saying that he didn't remember them? “I'm sorry,
but I can't afford to believe you,” I said with narrowed
eyebrows.

Roland
grabbed my arm,
forcing me not
to go any closer while he searched the ground for something. When he
found good-sized rock, he picked it up and tossed it at the net where
Kurt lay, unconscious. I stopped struggling against him as I watched
as the rock tumble to a stop just before it reached Kurt. The net
began to move with an eery purple glow. It unraveled itself and
reached out for the rock, encircling it in its twine fingers before
going still again.

I
felt helpless. “What should we do?” I asked.

“
There
is nothing we
can
do,”
he said. “And if we stay here, they’ll only capture us as
well.”

I
didn’t understand what Roland meant. He was on their side,
wasn't he?

The
two other robed figures were bearing down on us and Niko’s fire
was almost out.

I
looked at Kurt one last time. I could see that his chest was moving
up and down, and I hoped that I wasn’t imagining it.

Roland
took me by the hand and started to pull me away. I shook my head
once, but I knew that it was no use. I hated to admit it, but I
agreed with Roland. Kurt’s only chance would be for us help him
escape, and for us to do that, I’ll need to be out of the
clutches of King Ciaran.

Although
it made my heart ache to do it, I turned the direction that Roland
was pulling me and transformed. I hefted myself into the air, and
gripped Roland's shoulders in my claws. At this point, I didn't care
if my talons dug in too deep. I still wasn't sure if I should trust
him, and I didn't have time to be sympathetic.

After
thirty minutes of flying, I couldn't go any further. I had to land. I
found a clearing as quickly as possible and dropped Roland roughly. I
couldn’t stand to carry him anymore, both physically and
mentally.

He
bent his knees to absorb the shock, but he still fell on his back. I
landed heavily a few feet away from him, breathing hard. Once I had
the energy to change into first form, I did so quickly.

Roland
rubbed his shoulders where I had been carrying him. The cloth was
ripped and the flesh beneath was torn slightly as well. I couldn't
hold back my guilt even though he deserved it a thousand times over.
“Thanks for the lift,” he said with a pained smile.

“
I
don't want your thanks,” I snapped, fuming. “I want you
to explain yourself, although I'm certain that this we'll part ways
for good after this.”

Roland
frowned. “Explain what?” he asked.

I
gestured wildly back the way we had come. “The entire escapade
to King's Crest! The ritual and the blood!”

“
Ivy,
the last thing I remember is building a fire several miles outside of
Nalla.”

I snorted. “Do
you really think that I'm going to believe that after everything
that's just happened? Kurt is captured—maybe even dead—all
because of you!”

Roland winced.
“Listen, Ivy,” he said, his voice desperate. “I
don't know what happened back there, but whatever it was, I didn't
have anything to do with it. I will explain if you will just allow me
the time.”

I
narrowed my eyes at him. “I still don’t trust you. It’s
awfully convenient for you to lose your memory right now.”

“
I
am telling the truth!”

“
You
stay on that side of the clearing,” I ordered, walking to the
other side. If I could just rest a little bit, I would be able to fly
far, far away from this traitor.

Unfortunately,
it was getting dark and the rain was about to start again. Thunder
rumbled and the first sprinklings of a storm started to fall.

“
I
know where there’s a cave,” Roland called to me from his
side of the clearing. The rain started to fall a little harder.

“
We’ll
be fine here,” I replied haughtily. “It probably won’t
even rain that hard.” There was a flash of lightning, and the
rain started to pour.

Roland
raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know about you,” he
yelled over the rain. “But I’m going to the cave.”

He
headed into the woods. I knew he was right. I was already drenched
and cold. Staying out in this would only make me sick, a disadvantage
I couldn't afford. I followed, but at a distance. Roland found the
cave within the hour, and by that time, my exhaustion had only grown.