41. Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Eight

Finding Reason

L ily, Asher is right, her father said. I do not recommend getting close to the dragon . He may eat you. We should land nearby and yell up to them.

Lily ignored him. The dragon's back would be easy to land on.

That's too dangerous. Land here in this tree. Lily!

She knew it probably wasn't the best idea, but the dragon was high in the air, and there was no guarantee the dragon or Liam would hear them yelling. And if they did hear the yelling, there was no guarantee they would stop. Lily also knew that flying toward the dragon was dangerous and that she couldn't approach him from the front, so she stayed at a distance. The dragon grew bigger the nearer he got.

This was insanity.

But she had to try for the sake of her people.

If Liam was ready to kill innocent people to get revenge for his mother, he wouldn't stop until Merete was free. And maybe her mother could help her stop the humans once and for all.

As the dragon passed, Lily dove down onto its back.

She tumbled, rather than landed, behind Liam and transformed.

He whipped around and his eyes widened. "Lily? How did you get up here?"

"Please don't attack the city," she said. The wind whipped her hair. "I know we left on bad terms, but these people have done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" He laughed and grabbed her arm. "These people began the blood plague to begin with. The sorceress they worship? She is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of humans and elves. I'm bringing my mother back. I'm bringing Merete back. And you're going to help me."

Lily blanched. "Your mother back?"

He twisted her arm and she cried out. He placed the cold tip of a dagger to her throat. "If you don't help me, you'll be the first one dead. Now tell me—how did you get up here?"

She clenched her teeth in anger.

His eyes darted and brows pinched. "And why is your hair red?"

"This is my home," she finally answered.

He scoffed, looked her up and down, and then his eyes widened. "You're serious."

"Liam . . . Rose was my mother," Lily said.

His brows raised and his dagger pulled away from her throat.

"Please, Liam. I spoke with my father. My mother didn't start this curse. She left Vasha to try and help and everyone hated her after. The humans and elves had no justification for invading years ago, and you have no justification for doing so now. Liam, you know in your heart this is madness. You know that we cannot—"

"Madness?" A cruel smirk crossed over Liam's face. "Oh, Lily. You don't know me at all. You're will release Merete."

Lily grimaced when he twisted her arm further. If she agreed, she could get them on the ground and maybe talk some sense into him from there. "I'll help only if you promise not to attack the city."

"How far to the tree?" he called, and it was evident to Lily he wasn't speaking to her. He smirked. "Good. Make yourself comfortable, Lily."

Lily stared at Liam, at the man she'd grown up with, the man she no longer recognized. The darkness of his eyes, the cruel smile on his lips. She had once considered him a friend. Now, he appeared to be possessed.

The dragon turned just slightly, then tucked his wings in and dropped toward the earth. Lily clung to Liam in spite of herself. She didn't know if she could transform and get away, or if she should. She didn't know if she should try to get Liam's dagger and try to kill him, or if it was a good idea to free her mother and Merete, or if it was a horrible idea, or...she didn't know anything.

Her mind went blank and she froze as the dragon landed on the ground.

Liam jerked on her roughly as he slid off the dragon's side, pulling her down with him.

She stumbled and pulled against his arm. "Let go of me!"

"Or what?" he asked, pulling her close against his body. "I never should have trusted you and let you go."

Lily narrowed her eyes in a glare. She focused on Liam's energy and called the strength of fire to her, igniting her arm in a blanket of flames, which in turn burned his hand.

"Ah! By the gods!" He let go and rubbed his hand in the grass to extinguish the flames.

The dragon made a low rumbling sound.

When Lily turned, she saw smoke billowing from the dragon's nostrils and his chest glowing.

At first, she was terrified.

And then she knew she had the upper hand. Because if they needed her to release Merete, they wouldn't kill her.

"Lily, don't be a fool."

She wheeled around and, to her horror, Wester calmly walked toward her. "You. You have the audacity to show up? You took everything from me!"

He clicked his tongue. "How do you know I had anything—"

"I met my father. I know the truth!" she shouted. The ground beneath their feet trembled.

He frowned. "I raised you after your mother abandoned you."

"You mean you kidnapped me from my real father so you could manipulate me into doing your bidding, after Mother sacrificed herself to save our people," she corrected. She took a cautious step backward. Maybe she could get away from him and fly to wherever Asher was. Hopefully, her father had seen what happened and was getting help.

"Someone needed to train you," Wester said.

"By teaching me dark magic?" she countered.

"Ah." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Is that really what this is about? All you have to do is use your magic to break the spell, and then we will be gone." He turned his torso and gestured one hand to the tree she'd seen only once before.

To her left, Liam stood clutching the wrist of his burned hand, and behind him the dragon stood protectively. The dragon's eyes bore into her with nothing but hatred.

Her gaze once more settled on the tree.

I need your help, Mother, she said silently. Slowly, she approached it. What do I do? There was a reason you trapped her. Will I destroy our world if I let her go? She stopped about a foot away.

She got no response.

"Put your hands on the tree," Wester ordered. "Focus on all of the forest around you as well as the animals in the farms nearby."

Lily swallowed hard. She glanced over her shoulder, but no one she cared about was nearby. Could she transform and fly away fast enough to get help?

"Don't do it!" Asher shouted, sprinting into the meadow.

Wester gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "So many brave, pathetic children. Oh well." He flicked his fingers and a vine tangled around Asher's ankle, making him stumble and fall to his knees. The vines quickly wrapped him up, binding him.

"Asher!" she said desperately and went to run forward, but one of the vines wrapped around his throat and pulled his head back.

"You're going to kill him," Wester said in a bored tone.

She skidded to a halt.

Wester smiled. "Good girl. Now, put your hand on the tree, pull the energy to you, and then focus on unlocking the spell binding them to a tree."

"Lily, please listen to me," Asher said desperately. "You can't let her out! Mph!" He twisted his head as a thick vine wrapped itself around his mouth.

Liam stormed over to Asher and struck him across the face with the hilt of his dagger, then held the blade to his throat. "Do what you're told or I will more than gladly kill him. Did you know Takai was executed because he helped you escape?"

Lily stepped back, her whole being shaken to the core. "You had him executed?" she asked softly.

"I did it myself."

Lily placed one hand on the tree to steady herself. "You were right. I don't know you at all," she said to Liam. "I saw you as a friend. Takai did what was right!"

"Stop talking!" Liam shouted and pressed his blade to Asher's throat.

Asher grimaced and a trail of blood trickled down his throat.

Was this what it meant to be an enchantress? To be forced to face impossible situations and risk the lives of some to save others? Was there a way that she could save her people without betraying them?

Look inside of yourself, Lily. The voice was strong. Lily knew it was her mother's, she could feel it through her hand.

She looked at the tree.

Your decision will impact everyone, whatever you choose. But it must be your choice and yours alone.

What would she choose?

Lily turned and looked at the man who had once mentored her. Beside him was a man she had once considered a friend. And between them both knelt the man she was growing to love. She wouldn't let them kill her people. Yet, she knew if she refused, Liam would kill Asher and take his dragon to destroy the land.

On one hand, destroy the family she just found. On the other, unforeseeable repercussions.

It was time for her to step up into the role of enchantress. She would free the elf queen and her mother, and then she would banish the humans and elves from the land. That would at least give her people ample time to either move or defend themselves properly, should anyone return again.

She took a deep breath.

Her mother had told her that her decision would impact everyone. The decision was whether or not she would embrace her responsibility as the enchantress. Not whether or not she would break the tree's spell.

Lily felt a surge of magic in a way she never could have imagined.

She could do it.

She could save them all.

Bending her arms at the elbow, she faced her palms up toward the sky, and a dull whistling noise filled the air. The wind only blew around her, whipping her hair away from her face, playing with her long red locks.

Wester's eyes widened in disbelief. "No!" he shouted. "Stop immediately!"

Lily flicked her hand toward him.

With a burst of white light, Wester flew backward and slammed into a tree. The vines binding Asher disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Liam couldn't move fast enough to stop him before Asher was able to kick Liam's wooden leg out from under him before he rolled away and transformed into a tiger.

Wester was quick to his feet and threw his own arm out, a red orb flying forth toward Lily.

She countered the attack, crossing both arms across her chest and then throwing them apart. The ball spiraled away and struck a tree behind Liam.

She heard the dragon draw in a breath, heard the rumble of his chest, and knew he was about to explode a breath of fire. She ran behind the tree, using it as a shield as the dragon released a mouthful of flames in her direction.

Heat scorched her shoulders, but the magic protecting the tree prevented it from burning down.

Trayden entered the meadow followed by her father, King Mardai, and a small army of people. Those with bows stopped, took aim, and shot their arrows at the dragon, stopping the fiery attack.

She felt claws in her mind and knew it was Wester attempting to seize control from her. "No. You won't." She turned to him and let the magic heat her core. She felt it growing and churning inside.

Wester's magic claws dug into her mind.

She gritted her teeth and turned all of her attention on the wizard. With Asher fighting Liam and the others distracting the dragon, she knew this was her only shot to be rid of Wester. She needed the skull ring on his finger, which would take his magic. White light surrounded her hands and a long sword of white light took form.

"Enough!" Liam shouted.

Lily turned to see Liam holding Asher by the hair. Asher was on his knees, panting, and Liam's dagger was tight to his neck.

"Release them from the tree before I kill him!" he practically screamed.

Everyone in the meadow stopped attacking and turned to Lily as if she had the solution.

The magic was waning, or at least her access to it was. She was depleting her own energy.

"Go to the tree and get them out." Liam growled.

"Lily, your mother sacrificed herself!" Asher said.

Liam punched the side of Asher's head. "Shut up! Just shut up! Lily, I'll count to three and then he's dead. One."

"Lily," Asher pleaded.

"Two."

"Wait! Liam, I don't know how!" Lily said desperately. She walked to the tree and put one hand on it, then the other. When she looked at it, she could sense the energy. Like in her vision, it wasn't the green color of trees. "I don't know how to release them from the tree." She looked over at Liam desperately.

Liam's bloody lip twitched. "Three."

His blade tore across Asher's neck.

Asher's lips parted. His eyes rolled up into his head.

She heard a scream, but when she covered her ears, the scream only got louder. Only then did she realize it was her own voice.

Her scream.

Liam shoved Asher forward, letting his body slump to the ground. "I will kill them. One. By. One," he said with each step.

"Asher!" she cried out, her heart shattering to a million pieces.

Anger replaced confidence. She balled her hands into fists.

"Vrithumi, prepare to devour the others," Liam said as he raised his bloody dagger to point at Lily. "You better cast the spell."

The dragon growled and his chest rumbled as it had before. She had only moments before the dragon fire would consume the last people she cared about.

Lily gripped tightly to the magic sword in her hand. She knew nothing about hand-to-hand combat, but she knew she needed to get the ring some way or other to stop Wester from trying to control her mind. She ran forward and pulled her free hand upward, causing the earth beneath Wester's feet to crumble, which made him stumble and lose his balance. The pain in her mind stopped, and she swung the sword just as he reached out with his arms to steady himself.

"Lily, enough!" Liam shouted.

Lily swung the blade. It sliced through Wester's left hand, separating it—and the ring—from his body. Lily grabbed the hand from the ground as he screamed. The magical sword disappeared, and she pulled the ring from his hand before shoving it in her pocket.

Her chest heaved and she glared at Liam. "Now, I will do it." She walked back to the tree and placed one hand on the bark. She didn't want to see Asher's lifeless form, but she turned to see him anyway. Because she wanted to hear reassurance or believe she was acting in a good cause.

But Asher was no longer there.

The dragon roared.

Lily jumped.

Do it, Lily! the voice inside of her head told her.

"I release the spell." Blackness crept outward from under her feet as she reached out to grab on to the trees of the forest. "I release the spell which binds you to this tree!"

Her hands burned with red.

Lily felt the trees around them dying.

Liam had killed Asher. Asher, who had kept her safe for weeks. The boy who had reunited her with her father. Who had given her confidence in herself. Who had held her hand just hours ago and smiled that smile which stole her heart.

She drew a deep breath and grabbed on to Liam's energy. He was going to go down too, if she had any say. "I release the spell binding you!" she said more forcefully.

The glow in her hands became black as smoke pulled on the life forces around her and into the tree.

A horrific crack echoed from inside the tree.

It groaned and Liam dropped to his knees. "What are you doing to me?"

Lily didn't answer. She felt the tears stream down her cheeks. She felt as though she were betraying her mother by ruining her sacrifice. But what was worse was feeling Liam growing weaker and weaker.

"You aren't him," Trayden said. He rushed over to Lily's side. "Don't cross a line you can't get back over. You know this is dark magic."

Lily tightened her lips.

"Asher wouldn't want you to do this. Not even for him."

He was right. Killing Liam wouldn't bring Asher back. She let go of Liam's life force and refocused her attention on the tree.

She closed her eyes. "Please, Mother. Please help me."

The tree began to sway in an unseen wind, and the branches of the tree snapped and twisted, tearing the trunk, prying it apart. It ripped with a crack that echoed through the land, causing the very earth to tremble. As soon as the splintered trunk struck the ground, it shook with enough force to bring everyone to their knees.

Lily slumped to the ground, her head throbbing and heart pulsing forcefully enough she could feel it in her veins. She couldn't focus on anything. The world was a blur of colors.

"You came for me!" a woman's voice said gleefully. "After all these years...you came."

Lily opened her eyes to see a white-haired woman cup Liam's face and plant a kiss on his lips. "How long have I been gone? How did you lose your leg? How is there a dragon?"

"I am Liam, son of Barith Sarlor."

She blinked and took a step back. "You look just like your father. Stunning." She grinned and spun in a circle. "Where is my Sraylin?"

"He's trapped and needs you to open the portal and let him through," Liam replied.

"Tell me where to create it and I shall."

Wester, still clutching his bleeding arm, replied, "The second plane."

Merete rubbed her hands together with excitement and held both hands in front of her, then turned one clockwise so a ripple began to form in the air.

Lily pushed herself to her knees.

"Get out of our land," a woman behind her commanded.

There was a flash of white light and Lily turned her face away, blinded.

When the brightness faded and she looked up, she saw a woman with long locks of red hair, her nose dotted with freckles, and fierce blue eyes. Lily knew that was her mother. She knelt in front of Lily and cupped her face. "You did beautifully, my little girl."

"Asher," she whispered. "Please bring him back." Lily's eyes swelled with tears.

"I see no body. It must have been Wester's ring. Lily, you must get to your feet." Her mother smiled at her. "We need to drive them out of the land."

"The human army is near!" a man announced at the edge of the meadow. "And they're led by King Barith!"

"Go and stop them," her mother ordered. "I'll prevent Merete from opening the portal." She kissed Lily's head and stood just in time to block a ball of magic.