The Cursed: Book Three in The Tainted Series Page 10

  A tear escaped Aileen’s eye, rolling slowly down her cheek. It was more emotion than Rebecca had ever seen from her mother and she was paralyzed by the sincerity of it. “I loved him, Rebecca, more than I ever thought possible. And then, just like you were, he was stolen from me. In one fell swoop, I lost everything that had ever mattered to me. I’ve never fully recovered.”

  Aileen’s features hardened as she continued, “I know this is hard for you to accept, but he’s gone. If you truly love him, then you can’t bring him back into your life. To do so would mean his death. The Aillil are tracking you, desperately trying to find you. If they believe for even one second that you’ve contacted him, they’ll torture him for information. And then they’ll kill him. For his sake--for my sake--you have to forget this crazy idea.”

  Rebecca stared at her mother, unsure of what to say or how to feel. This had never crossed her mind, but her mother was right. Finding her father would put him at risk. But why, then, was he calling out for her? Why was she so undeniably sure that she needed to find him? Was it worth the risk? Was it worth the danger?

  Defeated, Rebecca hung her head. The small flicker of hope that had been burning deep within her had been snuffed out, leaving her feeling cold and alone.

  Moving forward cautiously, Aileen wrapped her arms around Rebecca, pulling her daughter’s full weight against her chest and resting her head upon her daughter’s. “I’m sorry, Rebecca, but you’ve made the right choice.” Aileen slowly stroked Rebecca’s hair. “I may not be your father, but I’ll always be here for you. I promise you. I won’t fail you again.”

  Rebecca listened to her mother. She allowed Aileen to hold her, leaning against her and letting her body fall completely limp, but she felt nothing. The realization that she would never find her father should have overwhelmed her with emotions, and yet all she felt was hollow--numb. Now, more than ever, Rebecca knew she would always be alone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  She curled her nose up as the detestable, rancid stench of the dark, desolate cell washed over her. She would never have visited this repulsive cesspool if it weren’t for her currently dire situation.

  As soon as the young general had departed her office, Neala had taken a moment to gather herself, to come to grips with the terrifying reality that loomed before her. Once she’d felt able, she’d left her office, taking great care to keep her outward appearance calm and controlled, though her mind was still reeling. She’d made her way straight to the archives, already knowing precisely what she’d needed to find.

  After verifying her security clearance with the wrinkled, timeworn Aillil historian who cared for the equally decrepit collection of ancient artifacts, Neala had headed to the far corner. Cold sweat had dripped down between her shoulder blades as she’d fought to keep her movements slow and measured. She’d flipped through the seemingly never-ending collection of archaic maps, her anxiety rising with every disappointment.

  When only a single document had remained, Neala had paused momentarily. She’d closed her eyes, feeling her heart beat so loud she’d feared it’s sound might echo within the eerily quiet room. If this wasn’t the map, if it wasn’t here…

  “Show yourself!” she barked into the shadows, lashing out with vehemence as she pushed away the memory of her futile search of the archives.

  A soft shuffling sounded from the corner of the cell, followed by a faint groan. A few seconds later, a tall, emaciated figure stumbled out of the darkness, slowly making his way toward her. The once imposing man came to a halt a few feet in front of where she stood, swaying slightly with the effort of remaining upright. His gaunt face glared defiantly at her, but the deep, dark circles under his once brilliantly green eyes betrayed the terrible toll the past years had taken on the now skeletal man.

  “How kind of you to grace me with your esteemed presence,” his voice rasped from disuse. “To what do I owe this honor?” he bent forward slightly in a mock bow, though his glowering eyes remained locked upon hers.

  “I have a feeling you know why I’m here,” Neala growled at him, unimpressed by his marked sarcasm.

  The man stood as tall as his wrecked body would allow, which was nearly half a foot above Neala’s head, and assumed an air of innocence, “You must be mistaken.” He placed a bony hand over his ragged chest, feigning surprise, “What could I have possibly done to upset you, oh great and powerful leader?” He spat his last words at her, pure hatred burning within his eyes. “I promise, I’ve been the finest of all your lowly prisoners--”

  “Enough!” Neala roared. Enraged, she advanced rapidly, but he held his ground, not even flinching at her palpable wrath. His defiance only fueled her fury, “I don’t have time to waste on your idiocy! Where is the map?”

  A slow, malicious grin crept across his pale, chapped lips and a bright twinkle lit his suddenly seditious eyes. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Neala swiftly closed the remaining gap between them and grabbed the front of his tattered shirt, jerking it down forcefully so that their faces were only inches apart. “Don’t mess with me, wretch! As historian, you had access to the ancient maps--I know you took it! Why?” She shook him harshly and abrasively pushed him back, releasing his filthy shirt. Her colossal rage and anxiety were almost tangible as she turned away. “Why would you take it? It’s only a children’s story--a myth.”

  The man’s spiteful smile only widened as he collected himself and again stood tall. “Then why are you so afraid?”

  Neala spun back around, her eyes wild with terror, “What do you know?”

  “I know only that myths often stem from a truth.” The man paused, his nostrils curling into a vindictive snarl as all humor drained from his emaciated face. “And that even the greatest of empires eventually fall.”

  Neala cried out in exasperation and viciously swiped her hand through the air. Instantly, a thick vine rose from the ground and wrapped itself around the man’s torso, heaving his body full force against the thick, stone wall of the cell. A crunching thud could be heard, and then the unconscious man fell limply to the dirt-covered floor.

  Neala flew from the cell, slamming the door closed behind her. All pretense of concealing her fear was forgotten. She needed to gather the young general’s troops and leave--immediately.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Rebecca, I can’t wait much longer.”

  Her father’s voice reverberated in her ears as the heavy, enveloping darkness suddenly came crushing down upon her unseen body. She gasped frantically for air while the compression intensified, squeezing her from all sides, painfully forcing the air from her lungs. She fought desperately against it, as she did every night, but no matter how hard she struggled to free herself, she couldn’t halt its excruciating pressure.

  Just as Rebecca felt her chest cave and her life begin to extinguish, a dark force awoke within her. Immediately, intoxicating power flooded her body, filling her veins and muscles with a vicious strength that pulsated beneath her skin. Unreservedly, she gave herself to it, allowing the intense power to consume her, to control her. After keeping this evil at bay for so long, it terrified her how pleasurable and natural it felt to finally give in and allow herself to succumb to its intensity.

  Leveraging her mounting power, Rebecca pushed once more against the crushing darkness and, for the first time, she felt its pressure begin to ease and fall away from her. Realizing she might finally be able to escape her threatening dilemma, she called upon the cruel force within her. Hurriedly, Rebecca amassed the intense energy pulsating throughout her body, building its strength until she could barely contain the power. Then, she released it, sending it bursting from her body in an exhilarating wave of destruction.

  With a sudden devastating slash, the black world around Rebecca split in two and an immensely bright light flooded in around her, chasing away the terrifying darkness and encasing her in a dazzling brilliance.

  Rebecca stumbled forward, struggling to reg
ain her light-blinded sight. Unlike the strange, dark world, here she could feel her body moving, her legs staggering beneath her. Shapes slowly came into focus as her straining eyes adjusted to the new brightness. They were green and brown, almost like plants and tree trunks, but the intense light made it impossible to discern their true shapes.

  Rebecca cautiously took a few more steps forward in the unfamiliar world, striving to understand where she was. Abruptly, a large form appeared in front of her, obstructing her path. Rebecca reached forward and felt along its rough, stony surface. A rock, a giant one. She reached its edge and peered around it. In the far distance, she saw another large, blurry shape; another stone just like the one she was standing next to. Spinning around, she spotted another behind her, equally large and seemingly floating in the distance. They were aligned in an arc, like part of a ring, which meant there had to be more of them.

  “Dad!” she called out, desperately hoping to hear his voice. “Dad, are you here? Can you hear me?”

  Rebecca crept forward, feeling the ground gradually decline as she walked. There was some sort of depression in the earth between the stones, almost like a large, shallow pit.

  “Dad! Please!” she cried out again. “Answer me!”

  As she continued toward the center of the pit, Rebecca’s foot slammed into something hard and she tripped forward, just catching herself before she crashed to the ground. Turning back to face the unknown object, she lowered her gaze, frantically blinking her eyes in order to see clearly through the blazing light that surrounded her.

  The moment her eyes met the large, flat stone all else around Rebecca faded away and her vision came into focus. Without warning, her Feiceann side surged within her with such intensely that it scorched beneath her skin, seizing control of both her body and mind, its brutal hold unbreakable.

  The curving lines of the symbol that was carved into the rock intertwined to create a continuous, elegant shape. Her eyes grew wide as within her mind a lost memory was ignited. This was the mark of the Feiceann. They were calling to her, telling her where to go and what she needed to do.

  In that instant, Rebecca knew precisely where she was; not by name, not by sight or location, but by an ominous intuition. She needed to wake up and go to this place. Only here would she find what she was so desperately seeking. Only here would she finally find herself.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rebecca stood in front of the closed door, her eyes pinned on the silver handle. She’d stood alone in the shadowed hallway for nearly 15 minutes, unable to move forward, but too afraid to turn back.

  Rebecca had awoken from her terrifying dream drenched in sweat; the strange curving symbol still burned into her mind. As many times as she’d heard her father’s voice in her sleep, never before had the dream gone so far, or felt so real. She had no idea what it meant, or what it was trying to tell her, but she knew enough by now to heed her dreams and to listen to their warnings. They were always a snapshot of the future, but this future was terrifying. She’d felt the darkness take her, felt her Feiceann instincts finally consume her mind until not even a shred of her true self remained. Did this mean she was eventually going to give in to it? Did this mean that no matter how hard she fought against her Feiceann heritage, she was destined to lose?

  Rebecca’s fear had suddenly grown too much for her to handle on her own and, without thinking, she’d sprung from her bed and rushed out of her room, racing into the dark hallway. She’d sped past the rows of doors until finally sliding to a stop in front of this door, and then she’d lost her nerve.

  It was about four o’clock in the morning, and she’d seen him slip into his room when she went to bed, so she knew he was in there. She needed to speak with him, to be with him--but how could she? After everything she’d put him through, how could she expect him to help her?

  Suddenly, a soft presence appeared at the edge of her mind. Rebecca opened herself up, allowing him in. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed this feeling; how much she’d needed it.

  “Are you alright?” Liam asked within her mind.

  “No…” She wanted to say more, but the words suddenly escaped her. Her body trembled as the chilling sensation from the dream flooded back over her.

  Still staring at the handle, Rebecca watched as it slowly turned, and the door was pulled away from her. Liam stood waiting on the other side, his reddened eyes staring down at her with worry. He was still wearing the jeans and flannel shirt from the day before, but their typical crisp appearance had become disheveled and wrinkled, as if he’d fallen asleep in them. From his drooping eyelids to his hunched shoulders, everything about Liam’s demeanor screamed of someone in desperate need of a good night’s rest, causing Rebecca to greatly regret waking him.

  “I shouldn’t have woken you, I’m--” Rebecca mumbled, and made to move away, but Liam raised a hand, stopping her.

  “Rebecca, if something’s wrong, you need to tell me.” Liam stepped back, motioning for her to enter his room. “It’s OK, you can come in.”

  Rebecca entered the room slowly, her gaze pinned to the floor. It had been so long since they’d last spoken that she was unsure of how to talk to Liam, of what to say or how to act around him. He was being so kind to her, even after she’d hurt him, several times now. She didn’t deserve his compassion or support; she didn’t deserve him.

  Liam sat on the edge of his bed and turned his attention toward Rebecca. She made to move forward and sit near him, but Liam shook his head. “I think it’s best if we keep some distance between us. I want to help you, Rebecca, and I feel guilty that lately I haven’t been doing more, but it’s been difficult for me. I hope you can understand. For now, we can’t be close.”

  Rebecca’s heart sunk in her chest, but she mustered a strong face and stood tall. “Of course. I understand.”

  “Thank you.” Liam’s features softened, his discomfort easing slightly. “Now, tell me, what brings you to my door in the middle of the night?”

  “I had a nightmare.” Rebecca shuddered as the Feiceann symbol leapt back into her mind. “I’ve had this dream many times, but tonight it changed, it went on much longer. I was taken to this new place. I couldn’t see very well, everything was so bright and blurry, but then I tripped on a stone and, when I looked down at it, I suddenly knew exactly where I was and what I was looking at. It was a relic from the Feiceann and, as I stared at it, my Feiceann side took control, complete control. I lost myself to it and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I even enjoyed it…”

  Rebecca fell silent, feeling goosebumps rising up on her skin, fear and anxiety twisting her stomach.

  “This stone, this place, is there anything specific you can tell me about it?” Liam questioned. Though he held his face steady, Rebecca heard a hint of trepidation in his voice.

  “When I arrived at this place, I was standing next to a tall boulder. I couldn’t see much when I looked around, but I could see in the distance the shapes of a few other similar sized boulders, all set at a slight angle to one another. I think there were even more of them, that I couldn’t see, forming a circle. I walked forward, into some sort of dip in the ground. And then, at what I think was its center, I tripped on this flat stone. As soon as I looked down at it, that’s when the Feiceann side overpowered me… It was so strong, stronger than it’s ever been before.”

  Rebecca shuddered as her voice cut off.

  “It’s OK, Rebecca,” Liam reassured, though she could see the unease in his eyes and the tenseness of his posture. “Do you remember if there was anything on the flat stone?”

  “Yes, it had an engraving on it, a symbol made of curving, intertwining lines.”

  “Was there writing on the stone?” Liam asked, almost too quickly.

  Rebecca looked at him quizzically, “No, should there have been?”

  “No,” Liam shook his head slowly, though his voice still held an edge to it. “No, I was only wondering.”

  Rebecca sat in silence
, staring curiously at Liam.

  Finally, Liam broke the silence, “Why are you telling me all of this?”

  Staring sheepishly at her feet, Rebecca took a deep breath before answering, “Because I’m afraid. I have to go to this place, I’m sure of it, but if I do, the Feiceann side will take me, just as it did in the dream. If I go there, I’ll lose myself to it forever, I can feel it.” Rebecca hands were visibly shaking at her sides, so she wrapped her arms tightly around her chest in an effort to hide the trembling.

  “Rebecca, don’t be ridiculous,” Liam stood, though he made no effort to approach her. “Why would you think you have to go there? Just because you saw it in your dream doesn’t mean it’s a real place.”

  Rebecca raised her eyes in shock, “But it is a real place! I know it is, and I know where it is, and I think you do too.” She stared crossly at Liam, watching him stiffen at her words, proving to her that she was right.

  Liam’s face fell into a scowl, “Rebecca, you can’t be serious. You cannot go there. You have to stay here, with the crew, where you’ll be safe. If you leave now, then of course your Feiceann side is going to win. Don’t fool yourself. It was only a dream. Nothing more.”

  Rebecca glared furiously at Liam, her anger mounting dangerously. “How can you, of all people, say something so stupid? Just a dream? When has anything I’ve dreamt ever been just a dream? It means something and you know it, but you’re too frightened to tell me. You already know I’m going to lose myself to my Feiceann side. That’s why you’ve been pulling away, isn’t it? You’re afraid of me, just like everyone else! Well don’t worry, I won’t burden you any longer!”