Invidia
I bite my fingernails nervously, then curse myself for doing it. A princess who is about to become queen never shows signs of weakness. I grind my teeth and begin to pace back and force along the white corridor. The commotion outside is exhilarating. The city has breached the gates of the palace and the bloodshed has begun.
Regis will be here soon, to try and fix all of this. That is when I will drive my sword through his heart, and watch the life drain from his body.
Smiling with triumph I walk over and lean a shoulder against the door leading to the crystal pool on the other side. The corridor is empty. All my guards have already left to keep the commoners at bay until I kill the king. Now, I just have to wait. Straightening up I smooth down my purple gown, stained red from the blood of that servant boy.
Unexpected footfalls approach me from down the corridor. I swing around, drawing my sword, ready to cut down anyone that stands in my way.
But the person walking towards me is not a threat. Or more accurately, not a threat against my plans. Her beautiful hair and gorgeous face is still a threat to my being, though.
" I thought I'd find you here, Invidia." Sandrea glides across the marble floor, her brown gown cleaner than usual. My heart leaps at her presence, then twists in dread. She can't be here right now. It's too dangerous.
" What are you doing?" I hiss, storming over to grasp her upper arms, " You can't be here."
Her face falls, but she clenches her jaw, stubborn as ever.
" I know," She raises her chin, meeting my gaze head-on, " I know what you said to me down in the city. I know how much I'm a huge mistake, " She sucks in her lower lip, " But I just had to see you Invidia. I know how wrong this is. I know that your father will never approve..."
I sigh, letting her go to rub my forehead in frustration. I hate how she makes me feel.
" I know." Sandrea reaches out, gently tilting my chin up to look me dead in the eyes. I gulp. " I know what I'm doing to you. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't stay away. I can't stop thinking about you."
" Stop." I croak, trying to pull back. But she steps forward, placing a hand against my heaving chest. I swallow staring down at her, unshielded longing burning in my eyes.
" I... I think I..." She trails off, and the last three words are barely audible, " I love you."
The last fragments of the chains holding me back shatter. I step forward and crush her lips to mine, cupping her face in my palms. She sighs into my mouth, wrapping her arms around my waist and pulling me closer. All of my inhibitions float away. I want Sandrea. I want her with all of my heart. Who knew that the hate-filled Invidia could ever fall in love?
I groan as our tongues meet, and she presses her body to mine, backing me into the wall. My hands roam over her chest, shoulders, hips, without hesitation, as if I can't get enough of her. We meld our lips together, tasting each other.
Then the sound of pounding feet and slamming of bodies on the marble floor jolts us apart. I push her back, stepping away from the wall to look down the corridor. It isn't long before they appear, their feet echoing as they dash towards us, swords raised.
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Sanem
I don't stop, not until the last guard has fallen. Then it is as if all the fight drains from me. I fall, hitting the bloodied marble floor with a thump, rolling onto my back. I am surrounded by the corpses of my victims, all shredded and torn. Blood soaks my clothes, smeared over my exposed flesh. I tremble, unable to move or rise from the ground.
Someone runs to my side, frantic and terrified.
" Sanem! What happened! Are you ok!" I'm numb as Damien pulls me to my feet, keeping a sturdy arm around my waist. I nod, unable to speak from the shock of what happened.
" What's wrong with her?" Flora joins us, patting me down for any wounds. But the blood covering me is not my own.
" Oh my god. Sanem, can you hear me?" My head lolls to the side, but someone grabs my chin, forcing me to meet their eyes. Nasir stares at me, his hands shaking as they hold my face.
" She's fine." Amare pushes past Nasir to take a look at me. She touches my bloody forehead and her brows drawdown in concentration. Suddenly a wave of strength surges through me, and I straighten, stepping away from Damien. Amare sighs, her expression filled with pride as she surveys me.
" She's just surrendered to her true power."
Everyone turns to glare at Amare.
" Sanem doesn't have any power," Nasir argues, distraught at the thought of me not being human. The others just keep quiet, coming to terms with this new revelation.
" Sorry to interrupt your discussion about me," I cross my arms, making them all glance at me in shock and bewilderment, " But we really have to get to the crystal pool. Amare," I gesture at her, " Lead the way."
She nods, then begins to pick her way through the littered bodies around us. I follow her, keeping my eyes diverted from the destruction I have caused. My friends follow behind, silent.
" Wait," Nasir stops suddenly, looking around at the chaos, searching, " Where's Lael?"
Then it hits me. I gulp, sucking in tears as they threaten to pour down my face. Lael. I watched him be crushed to death under the pillar.
" He's gone." I choke on my own sob, stifling it. I don't have time to mourn.
" Gone?" Nasir asks, walking up to me. I turn away, not answering, and follow after Amare. The rest of them trailing behind me, solemn and grieving.
Amare leads us over to a pair of double doors, pushing them open with a loud groan. They swing to the sides, revealing another stark white corridor.
" The crystal pool is just down here." She begins to jog down the hall, not waiting to see if we follow. Flicking my hand over my head, I summon my sword. It flies through the air, hitting my palm and my fingers snap closed around the hilt.
My friends stare at the small act of my newfound power, but I don't acknowledge them. Instead, I run to catch up with Amare, ignoring the sticky blood coating the handle of the blade. Together we round a bend in the corridor, then abruptly come to a skidding stop.
Two people block our path, standing before a wooden door. One woman wears a brown, dirty dress. While the other is clothed in a beautiful purple gown. But along the bodice of the gown is a bright red stain. I frown, realizing the dark-haired woman is covered in blood.
Releasing my sword I direct it with my mind. It soars forward, heading straight for the two women.
" No!" Amare yells, racing after my blade. But it's too late. The sword plunges through the chest of the girl wearing brown rags. She staggers, staring at us with wide, unseeing eyes, before toppling backwards and hitting the floor in a heap.
The lady wearing the purple gown releases a screech of pure agony and dives for the girl, collapsing over her body, weeping and screaming her name.
" Sandrea! Sandrea!" She cries, lifting the lifeless corpse up into her arms, and rocks back and forth, wailing. Amare halts a few feet away, paralyzed in shock. I stumble forward, followed by my friends.
" You!" The lady holding the girl turns to point at me, her voice shrill and laced with venom, " What have you done, Sanem!"
I freeze, shocked that she knows my name. Then all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. This lady before us wearing the purple gown is Invidia. And I just killed her friend.
" This is your own fault," Amare tells Invidia, stepping forward.
" No!" She shouts, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, " This is her fault."
I gulp, meeting her fuming gaze. But we don't have time for this. We need to get to the crystal pool. Lifting my hand I call for my blade and it rips out from the dead girl's chest, blood spraying everywhere. Invidia wails again, lowering her forehead to the girl's sternum, still muttering her name.
With one look back at my friends, I charge past Amare and Invidia, kicking down the wooden door behind them. It opens up, and I race inside, followed closely by Damien, Nasir and Flora.
My feet thud down three rows of stone steps, then patterning across the polished marble floor. Just ahead, in the center of this high vaulted room, is a pool. But I don't mean just any pool. The surface of it shimmers, sparkling in the sunlight. The basin that holds it is made of transparent crystal, smooth and rounded to perfection. My breath catches. It is beautiful. The water calls to me, beckoning me over. I comply, stepping forward with reverence.
" Sanem!"
I look back at Amare who is racing down the steps after us. She is frantic, pointing over her shoulder.
" What?" I shout, glancing nervously at my friends.
" They're here!" She cries, running over, " Invidia's guards are here!"
I don't have time to question her further. For at that moment an army pours through the door frame, gold armor flashing and metal swords raised. They charge down the steps, swarming us in seconds. I lash out with my sword, tearing through limbs and flesh. Blades clash and screech throughout the hall. Blood flies and bodies fall here and there. I whirl, slashing and stabbing, cutting through the mob with the skilled perfection of a killer. It is chaos. I lose track of time, ducking and diving, slicing and cutting. The army continues to descend, more and more racing down the steps to join the battle. Slowly they dissipate, no match for my friends and I. We slaughter them. Guard upon guard go crumpling to the ground. At last, there are only ten left. Amare and I have backed away towards the door, weapons drawn and raised. Damien and Flora are by the crystal pool, being circled by about six guards. Nasir is to my right, locked in fierce combat.
" We're unstoppable." I laugh at Amare as the remaining guards advance. She shoots a brief glance my way, grinning.
" We make a good team." My hand reaches out of its own accord, and I squeeze her shoulder. Her strawberry blond hair is mattered to her face with blood, and her once white gown is filthy, but she is still absolutely stunning. Amare nods, opening her mouth to speak, then suddenly her eyes widen. She gasps, staggering forward and looking down. I follow her eyes, and all the blood leaves my face.
The tip of a silver dagger pokes out from her stomach, blood already soaking through the fabric of her gown. She coughs, droplets of blood spraying from her lips, and teeters there on the spot. Then with a cry of pain, topples to the floor. I go down with her, catching her in my arms just before her head lands on the cold marble. My mouth is frozen open in shock as I look down at her pale face. She struggles to breathe reaching up to cup my face.
" A...Amare?" I stammer, not quite realizing what is happening, " Amare?"
Her mouth opens, and fresh blood dribbles down her chin.
" Amare!" I shout, hunching over her body. She's not going to die! She's not going to die! Glancing up at the top of the stairs I meet Invidia's cold gaze. She watches us, a glimmer of triumph crossing her face, before she turns and leaves, marching out through the door.
I tremble, clutching Amare closer, willing her to be ok.
" Sanem." She whispers.
" Yes?" I sob, hot tears trickling down my cheek. Amare watches me, her eyes only filled with unconditional love.
" My... beautiful girl. You... You are the best... Daughter... A mother... Could ever wish for." Her eyes gleam with unshed tears as she pulls me down, kissing my forehead gently. And in that moment a vision appears in my mind, tearing me away from the present moment.
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Sanem's vision
Amare, a younger version of herself stands in front of the crystal pool, her hands clasped before her in what seems to be prayer. She is deciding what she should ask the water today. Finally making up her mind she bends down, whispering in a soft voice.
" Show me Invidia's future."
Ripples spread out from the edge, revealing a swirling image. The image is of Invidia. She stands before a large crowd, a golden crown atop her head. When she raises her hands the crowd bows, then guards rush in with gleaming swords. They sweep through the gathering, slaying them all as they kneel. Invidia looks on with a smile of her slender face. She is queen.
The vision before me changes, and now Amare stands on a balcony, her hand pressed to her pregnant belly. Someone asks her 'why did she conceive with a mortal man?'
" Because only a god who has human blood running through their veins can change the past. They are the only one who can one day stop my sister."
" Change the past as king Sarfire could?" The person asks her in awe. She smiles.
" Yes, exactly as he could. I will send Sanem to a human family. There she will be raised well, until the day that destiny calls for her."
The vision changes once more. This time Invidia stands over the crystal pool many years later, an evil plan brewing in her head. She asks the water if anything will ever stand between her and power. Ripples spread out to show a younger version of me, strolling down the main street of Imiopia.
" Amare had a human child!" Invidia screeches in rage, " She must be abolished."
Then finally the vision shows Invidia talking to the face of Vadiem, shimmering on the surface of the water. She tells him to capture me and keep me with him until her plan is complete. It finishes with him nodding, promising her to keep me prisoner.
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Sanem
I gasp, pulling back from the vision. My brain is reeling. Amare is my mother. She had me for a reason. I'm the only one that can change the past. None of these are questions. They are statements.
" I saw." I peer down at Amare still limp in my arms. She breathes softly, smiling up at me with pride.
" Then you know what you have to do."
I nod, resolved.
" I will not fail you... Mother." My voice catches on the last word, and Amare's eyes close. For a second I think she's just pleased to hear me call her that. But when her chest doesn't rise again, the tears burst free, pouring over the sides and cascading down my face in rivers. I cry her name, rocking back and forth. But she does not move. My true mother is dead in my arms. My heart cracks, and I wail. I wail so loudly the walls tremble. The palace shakes and the water in the crystal pool laps at the sides of the basin.
Eventually, the tears subside, drying on my dirt-streaked cheeks. The remorse leaves my being. I no longer feel. I am a machine.
Laying my mother's corpse gently on the ground, I rise. The three guards still surround us, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce. They must have faltered when Invidia killed Amare. But now they are ready to fight.
I stand before them, my sword lose at my side. Something inside me is broken. But the wild beast I met before rushes up to take over. To guide me on the right path.
I roll my shoulders, glancing at each guard in turn. They sneer at me, readying for a fight. I attack, hurling all my rage and sorrow onto them. My blade whips around, a blur of metal in the light. They never even have a chance. I strike, swing and duck, my sword cutting clean through their flesh. I don't register the blood spattering on my face. It's nothing compared to how my body is already drenched. Within seconds they are all lying at my feet, dead.
Without looking back I stride out of the circle of bodies, glancing over at Flora and Damien. They are surrounded by dead guards, but three still stand. Turning my attention to Nasir, who has still not managed to kill his opponent yet, I dash over, rearing back with my sword before swiping it through the air towards the guard's neck. His head flies off, hitting the marble floor and rolling. I watch it stop at the base of a pillar.
" Sanem." Nasir breathes, out of breath from fighting. Sweat coats his forehead and drips down his temples. His t-shirt is stuck to his skin, outlining the hard muscles of his abdomen. I nod, wiping my sword on my pants, before sheathing it.
" You... You're incredible." He pants, taking a staggering step forward. I furrow my brow, confused by his awed expression.
" What are you talking about?" My hand shoots out to stead him as he reaches me, still staring into my face.
" I... I just have to tell you..." He trails off, shaking his head and sighing, " That you're the most amazing person I've ever met."
My body goes rigid. My breath hitches. I watch Nasir's hand like a hawk, as it slowly raises up to my cheek, smudging some of the blood there. I don't know what to say. His gaze sears into mine, trapping my soul. What is he going on about? I'm a monster.
" What?" My voice quivers on the one word, unsure of how to react. Nasir smiles, brushing a lock of my black hair behind one ear.
" You know what, you're not as smart as you think you are."
My jaw drops, but he goes on.
" Otherwise you would have figured it out by now," He steps so close that his chest brushes mine, " I love you, Sanem. And I always have."
I don't have time to respond, before he cups the back of my head, and leans down to kiss me. At first, I stay stock-still, overwhelmed by what's happening. But then I relax, melting into the contours of his lips. It is a new sensation. One I have never felt before. He groans, his hands roaming over my back and down to my hips. I sigh, getting lost in the feel of his strong body against mine. But then I come to my senses.
" No." Tearing my mouth from his I back away, wiping at my lips with the back of my hand. He stares after me, hurt flashing in his eyes. But I can't do this. There is only one man that will ever own my heart. Looking over at Damien, I halt.
He watches us, his jaw slack, his sword dangling from his hand. Blood is smeared on his right cheek, and I can see tear tracks running through the red. His eyes are glassy as if he can't believe what he just witnessed. I shiver, guilt gnawing at my gut. Shaking my head at him I start to run over, needing to fix things.
But before I reach his side, the guard he had been battling rises up from behind him, raising a blood-stained sword over his head, then plunges it right through Damien's heart.
I've seen friends die before. But this time is different. This time, as I watch the body of the man I love slump to the marble floor, his mouth open in a silent plea, the world around me shatters. It breaks, glass and debris raining over my head in a flurry of power.
I scream, loud enough to tear down an entire city. Racing forward I plough into the guard, grabbing his head and smashing it into the side of the crystal basin. I hear his skull crack, then kick him to the side, turning to throw myself over Damien's crumpled body. He doesn't stir, blood gushing out of the open wound in his chest. Taking his face in my hands I shout his name, tears racking my body. Still, no movement. He is already gone. I howl like a feral wolf, reaching up to pound the place over my heart. The pain. It hurts! It hurts!
" It hurts!" I scratch at my skin, needing to feel some sort of release, " Make it stop!"
I scream at the ceiling, not caring who hears me. No matter what I do, I can't shake the look he gave me before he died. I saw his heartbreak in his eyes. Saw the fragments scatter over his soul. But now he's gone, and there's no way for me to fix it.
That is it!
Leaning down I plant one last chaste kiss onto his dead lips, before jumping to my feet, leaving his body in a pile on the floor. Ignoring the steaming hot tears burning my soul I spin on my heel and march up to the crystal pool. It calls to me, like before. I know what I must do. There is only one way to bring back everyone I love. Only one way to stop this from ever happening.
I am the only one that can change the past. I used to think it was a curse to be able to change what has already happened. But now I know better. It is the power within any being that is the real curse.
Gently, my hands trembling, I place them on the rim of the crystal basin. Leaning over, I peer into the water. My reflection stares back, filthy and haggard, hair matted with blood. She is a stranger. I don't know her. I don't want to be her.
Closing my eyes tightly, feeling the energy coursing through my veins, I let my mind travel. It starts from this point, working backwards. Past the Grove of Safon. Over the Arctic mountains. Through the jungle and Jadefire clan. Over the swing bridge I nearly died on. To that night when Vadiem rose from the dead. Past the first kiss Damien and I shared on his roof. To stepping outside the Dome for the first time. To meeting Amare. To feeling a negative emotion for the first time.
Finally, I reach the day that Invidia first sought to seek revenge on her father and sister. Amare had already given me to my host family in Imiopia. I was only a child when Invidia saw what I would do in the crystal pool. When she decided to brew her plan of evil.
I focus on that one image and everything that came after. Everything that happened in the wake of her plans.
My eyes shoot open, burning bright and hot. My face falls to the edge of the water. I gaze along the shimmering surface, resolved. Opening my mouth, I utter the four words that will save us all.
" Change it all. Everything."
Then the past changes, sucking me away to another world. A parallel universe. It's as if none of it ever happened. Everything reverses. All the conversations. All the adventures. Everything. But as I forget about everyone I've ever loved, I can't help but think, " I forgot it was my birthday tomorrow, funny that."