AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The whistling breeze filled her ears as she reached the point she’d examined days earlier. Gravity’s forces sent a wave of trepidation through her body. The bracelets around her wrists kept pulling her back, back toward the sphere, back toward safety, back toward a life of servitude. There was no guarantee she would be successful in breaching the barrier, or even if she would survive the attempt.
She leaned against the trunk to steady herself and closed her eyes. Images of the lonely beach appeared to her, followed by a panorama of the adjacent rainforest. She saw the desert oasis, the snowy plains, and every other location she’d conjured from the repressed memories fighting to break through.
Lastly, she felt Stephen’s presence with her. He was there, taking her by the hand, guiding her forward. The low tones of his soothing voice called to her, and she needed to go to him.
Embracing her destiny had to start with a single action. The only person capable of rescuing her was herself. This might be her final opportunity, her last chance to escape. On the other side of the invisible shield stood a copse of similar trees. If she could cross over to their branches, she was certain she could descend into freedom. Letting go of the trunk and everything else tying her down, she stepped forward and took her leap.
***
Stephen believed he was facing death. He felt foolish for thinking his surreptitious efforts to both befriend Kai and defy Thirvar’s word would go unnoticed. All sorts of cruel punishments shot through his mind as he cringed, his feet frozen to the floor. There was no use in trying to flee or attempting to engage in battle with the powerful ruler. He handed over the painting and cowered against the wall, making himself as small of a target as possible while awaiting the consequences.
“What is this?” the irate lord demanded. His eyes burned with chilling fury, yet Stephen fought the urge to look away. Thirvar held the artwork at arm’s length, as if it was a vile toxin emitting noxious fumes. Its creator peeked out to get one last glimpse at it, before either he or the canvas was destroyed.
A pale woman with rosy cheeks smiled demurely. Her face was framed in an auburn corona, which flowed into waves tumbling past her shoulders. Beneath her pert nose sat her plump pink lips, hiding a lifetime of secrets forever silenced. Commanding the viewer’s attention at the center of the painting were the black-fringed azure eyes that had been described in painstaking detail by one of her many admirers. Unblinking globes the color of the flawless sky in her beloved Marindal stared from the depths of the artistic resurrection. The life which once sparkled within them was captured in one last instance.
Her husband’s seething glare lessened in intensity, and the corner of his mouth twitched. A single syllable slipped forth into the tension hanging heavy in the air, a whisper so soft, its plaintive acknowledgement could barely be heard. “Gwyn…”
Stephen said nothing, unsure of whether he remained trapped in the tempest of imminent danger. His lord fixed him in his inscrutable gaze. “Go.”
The intent of the simple command was unclear. “I’m sorry?”
“Your services are no longer required in this castle. Leave, and do not return.”
He didn’t know where else to go, but he followed the order and left the corridor at a hastened pace. When he was halfway down the staircase, a bloodcurdling wail thundered through the secluded wing, shaking the walls and rattling the windows. It was a pitiful, dreadful noise, and Stephen stumbled into the railing as he covered his ears.
He proceeded toward the main entrance as quickly as his injured leg would allow. The mournful howling never ceased as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors. Though the full terrain of Marindal was unknown to him, he needed to somehow get to Liora.
***
Sharp twigs scratched and poked at Liora as she hurtled toward the ground at a terrifying speed. As soon as she penetrated the magical barricade meant to keep her in place, a tsunami of tangled flashbacks and curious sensations swept through her body. Time slowed as she tried to make sense of the overwhelming reactions to breaking free from her restraints, but she had to do something to avoid her approaching demise.
Instinctively, she extended her arms as far as they would go, disregarding the slap of the branches as she fell past them. Streams of light emerged from her fingertips and molded into a glowing aura encasing her entire form. Her descent decelerated, and she rotated herself into an upright position. She floated to the ground in a force field of her own making, and the realization of all she was capable of dawned upon her. Smiling, she daintily stepped onto the grass as if her whirlwind trip was the most natural course of events she could have planned.
A growl behind her interrupted her satisfaction. Whirling around, she spotted the displeased guard traipsing through the forest, his bladed weapon drawn. She focused on her target and raised her hand in front of her.
A burst of energy pushed back the salivating guard, affixing him to a tree. As he struggled against the invisible attack, her other hand rose to join the first. Blinding white ropes shot out of her palm in the direction of the beast. Starting at his feet, they circled around him, weaving in and out of his limbs and tying him to the trunk. While he fought against his bindings, they held him in place, and he failed to break free.
As she looked upon the results of her handiwork, Liora heard two thuds on the carpet of grass. The silver bracelets lay in pieces at her feet, the broken shards glinting in the wavering sunlight. She gasped and rubbed her bare wrists, letting the evidence of her success sink in.
She couldn’t marvel at the bits of jewelry for very long. Her next step was to find Stephen. Overhead, the sky grew dark, and the midday sun vanished behind murky gray clouds. The forest was a blur as she raced toward the castle, closing the distance between her and her love.
***
Something was wrong. The fog which had crept across Marindal did not resemble the usual signs of a thunderstorm. Nightfall was not due for many more hours. The air grew cold, and Stephen rubbed his arms as he hurried through the woods. He didn’t know where he was going, nor did he have a firm plan in mind, but he needed to get away.
An explosion rocked the ground and sent him sprawling onto the grass. In the distance, a bright blue beam rocketed into the sky and filled the world with indescribable light. It disintegrated into a million tiny fragments before extinguishing completely, leaving no trace of effervescence against the solemn clouds of dusk.
He got to his feet and winced. The fall had given his leg an unpleasant jolt, and beads of pain rolled from his ankle to his knee as he tried to put weight on it. He limped forward, trying to fight through the discomfort, and made his way toward a dense clump of trees at a much slower pace.
A shadow whizzed past him, almost knocking him to the ground for a second time. “Stephen!” The sound of his name was practically drowned out by the gusts of wind rustling through the tall weeds.
He recognized the familiar tones as the figure backtracked, and even in the poor lighting, he could make out the face of his beloved. “Liora!” he cried as she flung herself into his arms. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know! I climbed the tree, and broke through to the other side, and the bracelets fell off, and…” She pulled away from him and tried to catch her breath. “I don’t know what’s going on. I didn’t expect this.”
“We should get out of here.”
She nodded in agreement. “But first, I want to see Thirvar. I’ve already disabled my part of the shield, so there’s little keeping everyone prisoner here. I need to show him how despite all he’s done to me, to us, he’s lost.”
