Embrace (15 page)

Upon entering Limbo, white fog draped over them. It cleared up after a moment, revealing the rest of the Svoda, already through.

Every few seconds another Svoda slipped through. If injured, they were carried away and treated by the doctor or Nona, and if uninjured, they got out of the way, allowing those hurt to be treated.

Inside Limbo, you could not hear the battle raging just inches away.

Back in the valley, the number of remaining Svoda grew smaller, as more and more were able to sneak through the doorway.

Inside, Meghan watched Garner Sadorus’ body fly in and slump to the ground. There was a gash along his back. He was out cold. So was Billie. She had lost a tremendous amount of blood.

“Too bad he hadn’t been wearing his over-sized coat,” muttered Meghan, before instantly feeling sorry for him; his injuries did look bad. He was whisked away to be taken care of.

Meghan watched tensely for the rest to come through, again feeling useless and unable to help.

In the valley, the Svoda numbers continued to dwindle, and those remaining were surrounded on all sides by Goblins, and overhead by the Scratchers. The Scratchers attacked both the Svoda and the Goblins, though the Goblins without success. Even their sharp talons were no match for the Goblins’ rock hard skin. The Scratchers, on the other hand, were taking quite the beating by the Goblins.

Juliska had ceased fighting and used her remaining energy to set up a barrier to protect her people. She knew it would not last much longer, seeing as the Goblin’s formidable bodies were almost breaking through.

The remaining Svoda carefully continued the retreat. It was getting harder and harder to keep the Goblins and Scratchers at bay. No one standing behind Juliska’s failing barrier was sure how they would all get through, safely.

Eidolon, seeing that his army was failing, now entered the fight. Thus far, he had allowed his minions to battle for him. He charged toward the Svoda like a freight train, littering the valley floor with any Goblins fated to fall across his path.

Ivan made his way to Juliska.

“Ivan, did you…”

“Yes! We got it!” Juliska nodded her approval. With her next breath the energy field she had created to protect those not yet through, failed.

Goblins fell forward, nearly crushing those that remained.

“Everyone, together,” Juliska ordered. “Barrios,” she shouted, reforming the barrier. The rest, except for Colin, used their remaining strength to add to her waning power. Colin continued to shoot spells through the barrier, blinding Goblins and attacking Scratchers.

The barrier spell failed within minutes.

The Svoda now resorted to their magical belt reserves. Colin, however, felt better than ever, invigorated even, with each new spell he threw.

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Catrina gasped and applauded at all the right moments to build his confidence. Those remaining watched Colin in awe as he never tired, and seemed to almost be (dare they say), having fun!

In that moment, Catrina let go of Colin’s shirt and screamed. He spun around and came face to face with a Scratcher; its wings nearly enclosed around Catrina, without even knowing she was there.

Then, the remaining Svoda watched as Colin Jacoby did something that was not possible.

Colin grabbed Catrina with one hand, returning her to safety by his side. She held his left hand as he raised the palm of his right, aimed at the advancing Scratcher.

These creatures were responsible for his uncle’s possible torture, or death, never mind the death he had witnessed only days before of Catrina’s grandfather, Balloch, along with nameless others Colin had never even met, whose loved ones deserved vengeance.

“You will never - take anything - from me - again!” Colin swore venomously.

Anger released from his body in streams of blackness, shrouding the flying beast -

smothering it.

It was at this very moment that Colin realized he was killing the un-killable creature. Then again, why did it matter? This filthy beast deserves to die! The thought repeated in his mind.

The other Scratcher’s fled, as their counterpart suffocated in a whirl of blackness. Juliska and the few remaining Svoda stopped fighting and stared in stunned disbelief. Even Eidolon and his minions watched in jealous contempt.

Catrina leaned into Colin’s ear.

“Kill it,” she encouraged. “It cannot live.”

These words sealed the creature’s fate.

The whirling blackness tightened its grip on the howling beast and with one, final, fleeting cry, the Scratcher’s body evaporated into the blackness.

Gone.

Dead.

Colin took a deep breath, stunned by what he had done. Catrina patted him gently.

“You did the right thing, Colin. It cannot hurt anyone else, now.” Guilt quickly surmounted the pleasure he had just felt.

“You did the right thing,” she repeated.

He nodded, knowing she was right. The creature needed to die.

Doubts filled his mind, however. What if the Scratcher’s that got away reported what he had done? What if they did have his Uncle Arnon held prisoner? What if he had just signed his uncle’s death warrant? His body shook and he fell to the ground.

“What did I do?” he whispered, looking at his hands. “I was so angry,” he said, glancing at the girl only he could see.

She grasped his hands, holding them tight.

Eidolon, seizing the opportunity of the Svoda’s best fighter being out of the picture, ordered his minions to back away from the surrounded group. The remaining Svoda put Colin Jacoby’s kill aside, facing their current threat.

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If they could stall long enough, they could recoup some of their lost energy. They would need it to all get out of the E Valley safely.

Juliska wiped sweat and dirt from her face, as Eidolon glared down at the weary group.

“Now, as I see it, you have but one option,” started the assuming Eidolon. “You give me what I want, and I will allow you to live.”

“Not much of a bargain,” said Juliska courageously, adding, “What exactly is it that you want, Goblin King?” She faced him confidently, but also poised for the battle to begin again.

“You know what I want, Gypsy Queen,” retorted Eidolon. “Don’t play dumb. It’s not your style.”

“Then you know I will never allow you to possess what you desire.” This did not please Eidolon. His temper flared and his body heaved as his fist pounded onto the ground, crushing another of his minions.

“You leave me no choice then! Now, I will kill you all, and claim what is rightfully mine!” He edged closer, raising his great fist into the air, ready to smash anything in his way.

“Attack,” he commanded in a roar.

The battle commenced again.

“Retreat and get through the doorway!” ordered Juliska. Three raced through to safety.

Colin jumped up forcing his fears aside, shooting a spell directly into Eidolon’s right eye, temporarily blinding him, but not stopping him. His body turned anything he touched into a crumbled mush.

As Colin aimed another blow, someone shot a spell past him and into the eye of a nearby Goblin.

“Jae! Your dad was searching for you,” said Colin, relieved to see him. He had been so preoccupied he had not even noticed both Jae and his father were part of the few Svoda remaining to fight.

“Yeah, we got separated.”

“Looks like you got injured, too!” noticed Colin.

“Hah! Who didn’t today?”

“Touche!” remarked Colin.

There were now just a group of nine remaining: Juliska and her two Balaton, Jae and Irving Mochrie, Colin and Ivan (with Catrina of course), and one other Balaton. The Balaton, along with Irving, Jae and Ivan were all exhausted. They could not last much longer. The small amount of energy they had collected during their break was not enough.

Juliska scowled (at least that is how Colin saw it) when she asked him to assist her, seeing as he was the only one not tiring. She ordered the rest through.

It was now down to Juliska, her two personal Balaton, who would not leave her side no matter what, and Colin. Colin saw from the corner of his eye, Bird flying through the doorway and sighed in relief. He did not know what had happened to him in all the chaos.

The Goblins were as close as they could be without completely crushing the remaining fighters. Jelen, one of Juliska’s Balaton, yelled out in agony as a Goblin blow crushed his foot, and he fell backward, through the door.

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Catrina then whispered something in Colin’s ear. He listened, at the same time never dropping his guard. He shot spell after spell at the Goblins with increasing speed. Juliska almost looked as though she wanted to stop and watch.

“Banon Blackwell, if I may speak openly,” he then said to her.

She nodded yes.

“I suggest that you are not the last one through! The people need you! Not me!” Her remaining Balaton agreed hastily with Colin and begged her to go through. She glared at Colin, but conceded. She slowly backed her way through. Colin told Jelen, her remaining Balaton, to go as well. He was too tired to be of any help.

“You cannot take on this army alone!” he warned.

The Goblin bodies squished up against each other, threatening to obliterate the doorway. If the Goblins continued their current path, there would soon be no way to freedom.

“I’ll be behind you!” promised Colin, insisting Jelen go. He slid in and Colin stood with the invisible Catrina behind him. Before he could step through, a Goblin body blocked the entrance.

Catrina then whispered a spell into his ear.

“Magicante just told me about it,” she said. “I’m not sure what it will do exactly, but something along the lines of disabling your enemies.”

“Why didn’t he offer that before?”

“Timing I guess,” she answered.

Colin took a deep breath. What would this spell do? Perhaps he was strong enough to overthrow one lone Scratcher, but an entire Goblin army?

His fear took over.

He was Colin Jacoby, little brother and known target for bullies!

Not an over thrower of great armies.

Colin felt the rock hard bodies of the Goblins rubbing against his skin, and Catrina’s tightening grip around his hand.

It was now or never!

He had not come this far to lose her now.

Colin concentrated, reaching deep into the valley for the magical energy he needed.

Eidolon’s voice drew him back in.

“I see you, little witch!” Eidolon cried out. “You might be hidden from everyone else, but not me!”

Catrina just smiled at Eidolon, holding the velvet bag he so greatly desired precariously out of his reach.

Eidolon peeled his way through his minions for one last attempt at claiming his prize, lurching his monstrous body toward Colin and Catrina.

Colin released his spell.

“Trucidebelio,” he whispered, ordering the magical energy to do his bidding.

The ground began to shake. The Goblins fell back, giving Colin and Catrina access to the doorway once again.

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A cutting wind swept through the valley, descending upon the Goblins, ravaging their rock bodies, dissecting them piece by piece.

Colin watched, breathlessly, as Eidolon’s lurching body disintegrated in mid air. His eyes screamed hatred as his body turned into whirling sand.

Any Goblins within a hundred feet fell to the same horrific fate.

“I did warn him,” said Catrina, squeezing Colin’s hand.

Her voice held no compassion.

Colin stood in complete awe. He could never have imagined such a force coming from his own body. Yet, it did not make him feel powerful.

Bewildered, he and Catrina jumped through the doorway, as any remaining Goblins retreated in awed amazement, over their fervid ruler’s demise.

17

Limbo. It was a boring place, with no sense of time or direction. The Svoda huddled together, so as not to wander off into the foggy patchwork. It took some time to recover from the battle, but inevitably, the onslaught of questions began.

What had caused the battle?

Why had Ivan and Colin come running from inside the forbidden valley?

Where were they to go next?

How long would they be stuck here?

In pure Juliska Blackwell style, she hushed her people with one formidable stare. She then addressed them all.

“As a personal favor to me, I asked Ivan Crane, as part of his Initiation, to rescue someone.

A man from another caravan wandered into the valley and never returned. Unfortunately, Ivan has informed me that he was murdered, at the hands of the Goblin King.” Cries of hatred filled the heavy air of Limbo.

“And now, as always, life must go on.” She then called Ivan Crane to her, and officially initiated him as a fully-fledged member of the Svoda Gypsies.

“Distractions, she’s very good at that.”

Catrina spoke it, although Colin was thinking it. Catrina smiled warmly and that tingly feeling returned around Colin’s heart. He could not stifle it.

He also knew he had a lot of explaining to do. He was not supposed to have been with Ivan and Meghan in Eidolon’s valley.

“Colin!” It was Meghan. She raced over to him, smothering him. “You’re okay!” 80

“I’m fine, at least for now,” he said.

“How did you escape? Juliska told me you were the last one through.” Colin debated, tell her or not? He knew she would inevitably find out about him killing the Scratcher, but no one other than Catrina knew about what he had done to Eidolon and his army. He was not sure he was ready for her to know what he had done. He was not sure he wanted to face it himself.

“We… he stuttered. “We were just able to squeeze through,” he lied.

Meghan hugged and kissed him.

“I’m just so happy you’re okay,” she said, adding in a whisper, “and Catrina? Is she okay, too?”

“Fine. Right beside me.”

Meghan nodded, taking a much needed breath.

“Oh, by the way,” she then blurted. “Don’t get mad or anything, but Juliska asked me why you were there, in the valley. I lied. You know me. I told her you had stupidly tried to follow us, because you were too scared to stay home on your own. She looked at me oddly when I said you were afraid, but seemed to buy it.”