Dragonsbane (Dragonsbane Duology Book I)

Chapter 45: The Blood Witch

The horses pulling Gab Harnair's carriage came to a whinnying halt as the ground cracked into dozens of veins before them. Gab stepped out of the carriage with Cailin and they looked down from the top of Ardan Crann.

***

Ronson Caladin led Petrice Dorrel to the gallows by torchlight.

The hour was late but many were out to witness the death of the traitor, and to see a rare decision come to fruition. A merciful decision come to by a jury had been overruled and the King was there to stand by his decision. Rayla was next to him, looking at him to try and get a read of his mental state.

When she faced the noose Larian stepped forward. "Last words?" He asked. Petrice didn't even acknowledge him. The King nodded to Ronson and he placed the noose around her neck. Once it was secured, there was a distant groan followed by a thunderclap and everyone turned to the sky.

South-east from their position, near Ardan Crann and Oakwood, green and white beams of light shot out from the fractures in the earth. Blinding. Flashing with the lightning.

***

New fractures cracked in the mountaintop; geysers of light sprouted up in a line along the spine of the summit. Gab and Cailin stumbled trying to keep their footing. A solid column of light began to form at the highest point, up a path with indents in the rise that acted as a natural staircase.

They nodded at each other and ran towards the light.

***

The silver waters of the healing pools churned, rocked back and forth violently, and soon the water was joined with the maelstrom formed in the well.

From the chaos, Fomoria began to rise, her transparent body becoming more golden with every inch. She still needed the final parts of the spell.

A touch of youth...

Queen's Blood...

***

Like everyone else, Petrice Dorrel was staring at the horizon.

When the platform opened beneath her feet and she fell, her neck did not break, instead she gagged and choked until she ceased to move and nobody averted their eyes from the sky to give the dying woman any mind.

***

The elves who had survived the harkin attacks knelt down in reverence to the light emanating from the body of their god.

***

Gab held his only daughter close facing the beam and kissed her and handed her a vial and she opened it.

"I can think of no one more worthy to carry out the final task," he said, stroking her hair. There was nothing but love and pride in his eyes. And she was smiling knowing she was making him proud. "I envy you," he added. And then with one final kiss and embrace he guided her to the beam.

Cailin took a deep breath before the nearly blinding light, then nodded to herself. With the vial of blood in one hand, she accepted a dagger from her father and held it in the other hand. She stepped into the light and faced Gab.

Gab marveled as he looked upon her glow. In the light, looking like some kind of ethereal creature, she opened the vial and the blood joined with the light.

Then she put the dagger to her wrist and opened her veins.

Her blood was the last to join the light. Lightning shot from the column, the earth beneath Cailin crumbled, and she fell.

Fomoria rose in all her glory before Gab. Her golden skin was defined even through the light. Her eyes were closed as she continued to rise, reaching for the blackened sky.

At the height of the column, in the green and white light, two golden eyes opened for the first time in centuries. The column hardened from the base to the top into an ebony tower, once the top was formed Fomoria drifted down until her feet were firmly planted. Her robes were tinted crimson, the hood on her head was black like her hair. 

She looked to the heavens, raised a hand, and an unrelenting flow of lightning cracked the sky, bringing sunlight and rain.