The Chronicles of Winterset: Oracle (18 page)

“Teach me, Calix. I want to—I have to—learn,” I said, looking up into his dark eyes.

He studied me for a moment before nodding. “I will teach you everything, Ana. I’ll save you or die trying.”

His words made me wince, and I realized there may be many people willing to sacrifice themselves for me. I couldn’t let them die for me. There had to be a way around it, and I would find that way.

“It’s for a good cause,” I murmured. “Me focusing everything I have on learning is what’s important. My future is in Winterset, not here. It was never here.”

“You’re beautiful,” he said, cupping my face in his hands. “I admire your determination, Ana. You’re perfect on the inside and the outside. It’s what takes your beauty to a whole other level. It’s why he wants you. You are the ultimate weapon for him. The perfect balance to the Nihilist.”

His words made me shudder.

“Balance or not, I’m in charge of me. My birthday is only a few days away. If they find me, Calix—” I stammered, uncertain of what would happen to me without proper training.

“They won’t,” he assured me, kissing me gently. “They won’t.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I whispered before pressing my lips to his again.

Chapter 37

I turned my phone off that night, my heart heavy with sadness, my multitude of messages unread. No one would find me out here in the middle of the mountainous area, wherever this area was. Even Calix wouldn’t tell me, which did make me a bit uneasy. But I trusted him.

We went to sleep that night, his arm wound tightly around me as I rested my head on his chest. I listened to his slow, even heartbeat as he slept, wondering how I’d gotten to this point in my life.

And Kellin.

My heart ached for my friend. For someone I had maybe even loved at some point. I knew he was hurting. There wasn’t anything I could about it, though. Our time was over before it had even started, and now he was gone. I didn’t even know if I’d ever see him again. I prayed that if I ever got the chance to look into his eyes, it would be because we were still on the same side and I wasn’t some puppet for the Darkness.

I closed my eyes, trying to push my parents’ and Mel’s worried faces out of my mind. Sleep came sometime soon after, and I struggled to keep my eyes open, not wanting to lose the remainder of the night, not wanting to glimpse what I knew was coming.

The air was heavy with sadness, the regret nearly choking me as I watched the scene before me.

“You are late,” The Master growled, turning his cloaked form to the Nihilist as he entered the room and dropped to his knees before him, his dark hood hiding his face.

“I’m sorry, my Master,” the Nihilist said thickly, his voice deep, an unbearable undercurrent of remorse weaved into it. “I was held up trying to tie up the loose ends.”

“And?”

“I have succeeded, My Lord,” the Nihilist answered hollowly. “It is only a matter of days now.”

“Excellent,” The Master said, the wicked smile evident in his voice. “And what of the village Sarnias?”

“Razed to the ground, my Lord,” the Nihilist replied in a small voice.

“And the survivors?”

“There weren’t any. We took their heads and sent them to Dar’ish for them to see our majesty and strength, my Master. We burned what was left of the bodies. Everything as you commanded.”

“This brings me joy, Nihilist,” The Master said in his deep, gravelly voice. “You have done well, my son. Do not try to fight me again, though. I will not be so forgiving next time. You will bear more than scars if you try to overcome me again.”

“My Lord,” the Nihilist bowed his head, and my heart ached for him. He had tried to escape! He didn’t want this. I had to save him.

“Soon, you will be joined by the Oracle,” The Master said, turning away from the Nihilist and walking to a raised dais in the center of the room. It looked like an altar where they laid out bodies for sacrifice. My stomach twisted into knots at the thought.

“What will you do to her?” the Nihilist asked, his head snapping up, the dark hood still covering his face.

“Whatever I want,” he cackled. “She is there for your strength and for my enjoyment, and I do intend to enjoy her before I hand her over to you. I want to break her. I earned the look Lauris will have on his face as I take his virgin daughter from him.”

Bile rose in my throat, and I took a frightened step back. There was no way I could let him get me. He had terrible, despicable plans. It was more than hurting and killing others. He planned on carving out my soul in the process.

“My Lord,” the Nihilist interjected, his voice strained. “If the Oracle is mine, I would like her to remain untarnished. She is my promised.”

“She is mine first!” The Master snapped, turning his cloaked form back to the Nihilist in a flurry of anger. “As was her mother! I will take her, and you will accept that. And if you question my rule again, so help me, you will regret it. I have been kind in allowing you freedom of thought. I can take all of that away. Just. Like. That.”

The Master waved his hand and the Nihilist bowed his head in defeat. I felt his will sag from his body. Not even he could fight it.

I struggled to open my eyes, terrified to hear any more.

My eyes snapped open and I found myself all alone in the bed, the blankets pulled snugly up to my neck, my body drenched in sweat.

The spot where Calix had slept was cold. He’d been gone for a while. I frowned. Where could he have possibly gone? We were surrounded by hundreds of miles of woods and mountains as far as I could tell.

Not that it matters, I reminded myself. He traveled wherever he wanted by whatever means he used.

I wandered out to the large picture window and gazed outside, my stomach churning. What I’d seen left a gaping hole within me, but it also made me more determined to find a way out of this. People were dying over it. The Nihilist, even though he murdered and tortured for the Master, was just another innocent bystander, and even he did not deserve what was happening to him.

I needed Calix. I needed him to teach me. I needed him to hold me and tell me we’d get through this. I looked out through the thick trees, wondering if he was out there somewhere in the foliage. Off in the distance were picturesque snowcapped mountains. The beauty was astounding, and I breathed out appreciatively despite my troubled thoughts.

I turned around and gasped as I nearly collided with Calix, who had been silently standing behind me.

“You scared me,” I winced, clutching at my heart.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his face twisted in sadness.

“I was worried. Where were you? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine,” he answered. He pulled in a deep breath, and the sadness was erased from his face.

“Did you miss me?” he asked, the tiniest of smirks on his lips.

“I … yes. I did,” I answered simply. No point in denying it. I had it bad for him.

He leaned down and kissed me gently, and I relaxed against him peacefully as his arms circled around me.

“Did you sleep well?” he inquired, pulling away.

“Yes,” I lied, kissing him again. He smiled through the kiss and I could feel a ribbon of sadness flow through him. We were so connected, it was frightening. I wondered if all Fae were like this.

“I’ll have to go away more often,” he mused, his lips trailing a line of tender kisses down my neck.

“Where did you go? Are you sure you’re OK?” I breathed out. He stopped the progression down my neck and pulled away from me, an all-business look on his face. I guess I ended that tender moment.

“I was curious about whether anyone was looking for us, so I popped into the school,” he said, shrugging his broad shoulders and turning away from me to walk to the kitchen.

“And?” I pressed, following him. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to know.

“They’re looking for us,” he said, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water before turning to me. “And no, no one saw me.”

I regarded him silently, my heart hammering a million miles an hour in my chest. My parents must be devastated.

“H-how’s Courtney?” I croaked out, scared to hear the answer.

“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “Terrible. Her entire face was burned pretty bad all the way down her neck. She would have been disfigured for life.”

“Oh no,” I moaned, closing my eyes, the tears stinging my eyelids. I had hated Courtney, but I never wanted to see harm come to her.

“She’s going to be OK, Ana. I made a stop at the hospital and healed her. She will be fine now. I owed it to you. I hate to see you sad and upset.”

“Y-you healed her? How? How were you able to not be seen?” I asked, opening my eyes, my heart beating fast at the prospect of things not being as bad as I thought.

“You forget what I told you, my dear,” Calix said softly, his dark eyes wavering. “I am a Silent Sentry. It’s my job to be undetected.”

“Thank you, Calix,” I managed to say before the tears slipped out. “I can’t thank you enough. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I-I didn’t want any of this to happen!”

“Hey, Ana, baby,” Calix said putting his water bottle down then coming to me and cupping my face. “This was going to happen whether it was yesterday, tomorrow, next week, or next year. Your disappearance was inevitable. At some point, you had to return to Winterset. Hurting Courtney was a hiccup, but I fixed her.”

“I know,” I mumbled, my stomach churning with worry. “I just don’t want to be remembered as the person who set her on fire and then disappeared.”

Calix leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips.

“Let’s not waste what time we have worrying, OK? We have a lot of work to do,” he said, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Come on, let’s get to it, shall we?”

I nodded and let him steer me outside to the open space behind the house.

“Fire,” he stated, walking away from me as I stood on the edge of the clearing, the kind, caring Calix now replaced by the serious teacher. “You are of fire. Think of it as passion, Ana. It’s capable of burning a hole through your entire world. It can open new doors and destroy the ones built to keep you out. Wield it with caution, for a flame always burns someone.”

“That sounds dark,” I said, eyeing him as he turned to me with a demure smile on his face.

“I suppose that’s all a matter of perception, much like the way fire can cause pain if you allow it to,” he said, nodding toward my hands. “Now, my beautiful Princess, let’s fight!”

He whipped out razor sharp shards of ice and whizzed them at me. I was able to duck right before they would have hit me square in the chest. I stood back up and gaped open-mouthed at him. He only grinned at me and shot another volley in my direction.

I ducked, dodged, flipped, and rolled, using my gymnastic knowledge to avoid his onslaught, my lungs aching as I tried to breathe through it all. He was relentless, and I couldn’t imagine having to face him in a real fight.

“Ana! Attack back! I’m not going to get worn out here, so you need to try to take me out!” he called, the air around me freezing. I shivered as it grew colder and colder. I looked down at my hands and saw a thin layer of ice had formed on them and it was becoming harder and harder to move.

“Quick, Princess! Best plan your next move!” he yelled out, a wicked glint in his dark eyes. I was just about to call him a harsh name when I became immobile, completely frozen in place as ice quickly built a wall on my skin. I gaped at him, unable to speak.

“I told you,” he grinned, walking calmly to me. “Now what are you going to do? You’re frozen in place. I bet that’s really cold.”

I wanted to slap the skin off his smug face. I knew he was doing this as a lesson, but it was still irritating.

“Should you meet the Master, you must be able to fight. If he doesn’t take your mind, know that he will take your body and put it through the harshest lessons you’ll ever learn,” Calix continued, his voice bitter and angry. “The pain and torment you will endure will make you want to succumb to him, Ana. I don’t want to see you broken like that.”

Broken. Just like the dream.

He reached over and pressed his very hot hand to my forehead and the ice around me immediately melted, leaving me shivering. It was very reminiscent of what I’d seen the Master do in my visions. Something churned deep in my stomach, and I looked up at Calix with wide eyes.

“You speak like you know the Master’s lessons well,” I said softly, searching his face for a hint of explanation.

“All too well, one might say,” Calix said painfully, a shadow falling over his already dark features. “He killed my mother.”

Chapter 38

I stared at Calix, dumbfounded, my mouth opening and closing in an effort to find the right words to say to him.

“Don’t,” he whispered when I reached out to touch him. “Don’t pity me, Ana.”

“Calix, I’m so sorry,” I said gently. “I had no idea.”

“It’s not something I tend to talk about,” he answered, straightening himself and turning fiercely toward me. “You need to focus and learn how to do this, Ana. I couldn’t bear it if my mother’s fate became your own.”

I nodded wordlessly, knowing there weren’t enough words in my language to express the grief I felt for him. Instead, I focused on the task at hand, and we started round two of practice. By the end of the day, I was sore and exhausted out of my mind but had been successful multiple times in sending a flaming ball of fire in the direction of Calix. He had grinned jubilantly as it hurtled toward him, only to freeze it midair. I stared sullenly as he turned the ice to water, fully extinguishing my attempts.

He had congratulated me on being able to create the fire and had rushed toward me and scooped me into his arms, feeding my mouth with his excited kisses. That was really all I needed to push myself even more. The thought of him so happy and holding me made me try even harder, and when the day ended, I counted it as a complete success.

“You know,” Calix said, looking at my red, nearly blistered hands from all my fireball throwing, “you really need to focus on how you control the fire, baby. Remember what I said?”

“I control the flame, the flame doesn’t control me,” I repeated, remembering his words.

“Exactly,” he said, taking my hands in his. The warm electricity and energy flowed through me, and I stared down, still amazed, as he healed my hands.

“You can heal too, Ana,” he murmured, kissing my hand gently. “Just because I borrowed from you doesn’t mean you’re barren in that department. We need to work on that as well.”

I nodded, wondering the circumstances involved and cringed. There was really only one way to do it, and it meant one of us getting hurt. No matter the amount, it still made my stomach churn.

“How about we relax for the rest of the night?” Calix suggested as we walked into the house.

I nodded eagerly at the idea of resting. We’d put in so much hard work all day, the prospect excited me.

I made my way to the bathroom and quickly showered, my mind on what must be happening back home. I let the tears stream down my face as I thought about my distraught parents and Mel. I knew leaving without so much as a good-bye was wrong, but I also knew it was for the best. Saying good-bye would only make the pain worse, and I knew I may not have been able to take the steps needed to leave.

It was better this way.

I dried my eyes and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Calix had the place fully stocked, and I silently wondered if he’d planned this getaway all along.

“Hey,” Calix said, looking up at me from the breakfast bar in the kitchen, where he was placing large sandwiches onto a plate for us.

“Hey,” I answered, forcing a smile onto my lips.

“What’s wrong?” Calix asked immediately, his brow knit in concern.

“Nothing,” I said, waving him off. “I was just thinking about my family.”

“Ana,” he sighed, coming around the bar and hugging me. “I know this must be hard on you. It’s worth it, though. Someday, when all of this is over, you can go back to them.”

“I’ll never be able to go back,” I sniffed. “I think we both know this is a one-way ticket, Calix.”

He didn’t say anything as he held me, and I knew he didn’t want to chime in his thoughts because they were the same as mine.

“You’ll have me forever, Ana,” he murmured, tilting my head and planting a gentle kiss on my lips. “I promise we’ll make this right.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. No sense in crying over it.

We went to the living room and sank down onto the plush couch. Calix handed me a turkey sandwich and flicked on the television.

“What would you like to watch?” he asked, flipping slowly through the channels.

“How about a movie? A funny one,” I added in the hopes that comedy would make me lighten up a bit.

Calix obliged, and before I knew it, we were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie about four friends time traveling through a hot tub.

I began to tune the movie out midway through, my thoughts circling around the impending future. My heart rate picked up, and I swallowed hard, trying to get myself to calm down.

I may not have a very long future ahead, and if I did have one, it was looking pretty bleak considering I was just a puppet for my Master.

Nausea rolled in when I realized I had silently acknowledged him as my Master. There was no way I could allow it. I’d die before I’d let it happen.

And then it struck me—the words from the Ascarian king. He planned on killing me not out of anger and hatred, but out of protection. He wanted to protect people, and my death would mean there would be no Oracle, and without an Oracle, Zaros wouldn’t be as mighty. I could die and make it all go away. Maybe that’s what the whole vision I’d had with Calix had been about. I didn’t want him to suffer the same fate as me, but my death could just end it all. It would give the kingdoms of Winterset hope. If I weren’t there, then they may be able to overcome Zaros.

My breathing picked up as I acknowledged I had less than a week until I Transitioned. My birthday was only days away. I was on a countdown to oblivion. My inevitable end. I’d die either way because there was no way I was going to let Zaros take me.

I cried out as my hands burst into flames. Calix immediately wrapped his hands around mine and looked me in the eye as the tears streamed down my face.

“Ana, calm down,” he murmured. “Calm down.”

I shook my head, my sobs racking my body.

I felt the coolness of his ice cover my hands and the heat disappeared, followed by the familiar zing of his healing powers course through me.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me,” he said gently, pushing my hair away from my face and thumbing away a rogue tear.

“Calix,” I said, my voice shaky. “I think I know how to save the world.”