The Golden Shears (Fated Destruction Book 2) Read online

  It hissed, pinning me against the rock. I could feel the hot stench of its breath as it flicked its tongue just inches away from me. Rows of white fangs glistened in the dim light of the candle. I waved the fire at it, trying to scare it off, but it flicked my arm with its tail, and my candle went into the water. As my eyes adjusted to the complete absence of light, I realized I could still see its dim outline, illuminated by the creature’s thread, which was glowing like pale moonlight.

  I reached for it, just as the creature launched itself at me. I dove to the side and turned to run. I’d only gotten a few feet when I felt its powerful jaws clamp down on my leg. I cried out in pain as the needle-sharp teeth dug into my skin. It pulled me backwards, dragging me roughly across the cave floor.

  Then it coiled its body around me, spinning me like a spider wrapping its prey. I still had Zetico’s homemade dagger—I tugged it out and stabbed the snake several times. Dark blood spilled across its pale white body, but it didn’t stop wrapping around me. It lifted me upside down in the air and shook me so hard I thought I was going to snap in half. I lost my grip on the knife and it went crashing against the cave wall. I struggled, but with every move its coils seemed to tighten. I gasped as it squeezed the life out of me.

  Dazed, I saw the thread again, shining brighter this time. I felt the creature stiffen when I grabbed it, but he didn’t let go. I yanked and tugged on the thread, willing it to break, but it was surprisingly strong. I was close to blacking out when I brought the thread to my mouth. I positioned it between my incisors and bit down hard, gnawing on the thread with my teeth the way Jessie always opened packages, even though I always told her not to. Scenes of our childhood together flashed in my mind.

  The serpent convulsed as the thread frayed, and then finally snapped. It collapsed in a pile like a bundle of rope, then gave one last tremble before falling still. The severed threads faded in my hands. I sucked in air and touched my ribs gingerly. Surprisingly, I was still in one piece—apart from my leg, which was oozing blood from the neat row of bite marks. It hurt, but I didn’t think it was poisonous. Poisonous snakes don’t need to kill prey by wrapping around them.

  I lay against the hard stones, shaking. I was cold, wet and exhausted. It was so dark, I couldn’t see my hands even when I held them right in front of my face. I wanted to be done. I wanted to go back, to my comfortable room at Nevah. I wanted to sink into the soft mattress. Instead, I pushed myself up and headed back through the cave systems, feeling my way forward until I reached the fire in the first main room. I spotted a line of candles below the giant carving of the three Fates, in what looked like an altar. I tore one off, breaking the wax, and lit it. Then limped back to the room with Zetico’s drawings. I studied his illustrations again, and realized that it wasn’t a cook book showing me how to stay alive. It wasn’t a recipe, it was a ritual.

  I returned to the snake and cut into its stomach, then reached inside until my arms were buried up to my elbows. The entrails and organs I pulled out made wet, squelching sounds. I kept digging until I found a pair of almond-shaped organs that I guessed were kidneys. They matched the ones in Zetico’s drawing.

  I took them back to the altar below the three Fates. Three jugs were filled with oil. I tossed some over the remains of the previous offering, then lit the oil with my candle. It sizzled and burned, tossing up thick smoke and sparks. I placed the kidneys on the flat area I assumed was for offerings. The blood dripped down my arms, staining the edges of my white gown a deep crimson. I tossed the kidneys onto the fire, and they sizzled and shriveled up.

  The snake behind me collapsed into ash, its skin and flesh turning into soot, leaving only its bones and a pile of teeth. The earth trembled beneath me, and I was sure a door was opening at the other end of the caves, where I’d been stuck before. I almost smiled with relief, but then I saw the teeth move. They were dislodging from the creature’s skull and burrowing into the earth like seeds.

  After a moment, figures starting sprouting up out of the ground, like zombies rising from the grave. They were made of rocks, pebbles and the black soot from the remains of the snake. Time to go. I raced back the way I’d come, passing through the narrow chasms and Zetico’s chamber. I dove into the water when I reached it and started swimming through the chasm, past the broken remains of the canoe I’d used before. The ghostly warriors were catching up to me. They scambled on their hands and knees across the vertical walls, defying gravity.

  When I reached the other side, two of the shadow warriors were already waiting for me. Their threads were black like soot. Difficult to see in the dim light, but easy to disrupt. All I had to do was touch the thread and they vanished in a puff as the particles collapsed into a pile of charcoal. But there were many of them, and it was hard to get them all. They blocked my path, biting and scratching until I could locate their thread and end them. I took torturous steps forward, fighting off the horde one by one, blocking their attacks with my forearms, until I finally stumbled through the threshold of the now-open doorway. The rest of my attackers disintegrated behind me.

  I took a deep breath and walked moved into the room. In the center was a well, with light blue water that seemed to sparkle. I thought it was casting light onto the ceiling of the cave, before realizing it was actually reflecting some kind of bioluminescent fungi on the ceiling, that shimmered like a universe of stars. It rippled, like a giant organism, almost like it was breathing. I peered into the well at my own reflection. My dark, wet hair clung to my forehead, and the white gown was soaked with blood.

  “Hello?” I called. My own voice called back to me. There was no one here. No shears, no sisters.

  It was completely empty.

  11

  I retraced my path through the labyrinthine tunnels and emerged into the cool air outside, feeling like I’d returned from the grave. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but there was enough light to see by. I stumbled forward and found the others sleeping off last night’s festivities. Only Sarah was awake. Her eyes went wide at the sight of me—I was all scraped up and practically soaked in blood.

  “I’m fine,” I told her. “Just tired.”

  “And the shears?” she asked.

  I shook my head, trying to keep my eyes from tearing up. I’d put all of my friends in danger, traveling to the other side of the world, and accomplished nothing. I thought getting the shears, or at least meeting the Fates, would give me certainty and confidence. They’d be able to tell me what to do. I’d finally know my purpose. Instead I was still alone, and left with more questions than answers.

  “One of the sisters left your clothes,” Sarah said, nodding. “And there’s a stream for bathing.” I washed the blood and dirt off my skin as well as I could, then changed back into my jeans and black top. I’d removed my necklace last night, afraid it would get lost in the caves, and it was a relief to feel the hard plastic legos against my collarbone again. When I was done getting ready, I went back to the clearing. Jessie, Max and Puriel were awake now. They sat at one of the tables, eating bread and cheese and sipping coffee.

  I poured myself a mug of the steaming, near black liquid, inhaling the scent deeply and letting it work its magic on my fuzzy brain.

  “So no shears, huh?” Jessie asked. “How’s that even possible? All the clues point here.”

  I shrugged, gripping the mug to warm my fingers.

  “I’ll let you know if I ever figure it out. They must have been here, at one point. Maybe centuries ago. But they aren’t now.”

  “Maybe you missed something,” Max said, pushing some food into his mouth.

  “Sure, that’s possible,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “I mean I did have to wrestle a giant snake, fight an army of shadow demons, and nearly drown in an underground river.”

  “Holy shit,” Jessie said, “Are you okay?”

  “Let’s just say it was a long night. Still, I got through every test. I made it into the cave with the well. It was the right place, I’m sure of it. There was nowher
e else to go. They should have been there.”

  I didn’t mention that there had been a few unsettling differences. In my dream and in Zetico’s paintings, the cave walls of the inner sanctum were covered in carvings and prophecies. The cave I’d been in was bare and empty.

  Puriel was watching me carefully, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes were sympathetic, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what Sitri said the other night. Puriel served Zeus for thousands of years… did he even want me to find the shears? Last night’s memories were jumbled and confusing. I blushed, thinking about Sitri’s lips on mine. Had that even happened?

  Amaratha and Eumelia approached the table quietly, in clean, white gowns. The other sisters scurried around, avoiding eye contact. They looked decidedly less friendly than they had last night.

  “Did you find what you needed?” Amaratha asked.

  “No,” I said. “I passed the tests. I got to the end. There was nothing there.”

  “Only those who live without can look within,” Eumelia said.

  “I don’t know what the hell that means,” I snapped, “and I’m getting really sick of hearing it. You sent me in there. I could have gotten lost, I could have died. Why would you let me take the risk if you knew the Fates were gone?”

  “We know no such thing,” Amaratha said. “We did our part. The rest was up to you.”

  And I failed. The implied message rang in my ears.

  “But where are they? Where do we go now?” Tears of frustration were forcing their way into my eyes.

  “Now we go home,” Sitri said, coming up behind us. “Thank you for your hospitality. We’ll be leaving shortly. Just give us a moment to collect our things.”

  Amaratha nodded and left us alone.

  “Home?” I asked. “To Nevah?”

  “That was the deal, remember? I came with you to find the shears. I helped you follow this trail of breadcrumbs. But it’s over now, right? So there’s no reason to keep risking your life—all of our lives. Now we need to be smart and take shelter. I’m surprised Zeus hasn’t already figured out where we are. We’ll drop off Max and Madeline, then we’ll all go back to Nevah.”

  “You really think Able with take in Sarah and Jessie? Even without the shears?” I asked.

  “I don’t see why not. He’s a long term strategist, and you’re important to him. I’m pretty sure he’ll make allowances for you. We won’t know if we don’t ask.”

  “What about Puriel?” I asked. “Could he be pardoned? Live with the other torches at Nevah?”

  Sitri didn’t answer right away. Finally he sighed. “Even if that were possible, and I have my doubts, nobody at Nevah would trust him.”

  “I can’t just leave him,” I said. “After all he’s done for us. For me.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Puriel said. “Sitri’s right. It’s what’s best. You’re in too much danger out here. I’m grateful I’ve been able to protect you this far, but eventually my usefulness would run out. I’d fail, and someone would get hurt. It would be another burden for me to carry.”

  “You can always come live with us,” Madeline said, linking an arm in his. “We don’t have anything against torches. Especially handsome ones.”

  I caught eyes with Jessie and she rolled her eyes at me. I felt like I should giggle, or respond somehow, but my stomach was in knots. I’d gotten used to being with Puriel. Plus, he’d fallen for me. The idea of him settling down, living a life, never seeing him again… it made me feel numb and empty. I wanted to go back to Nevah triumphant, as a hero. Instead, I had to beg Able to protect my friends, and I had nothing to offer him in return.

  This situation felt all wrong, but I couldn’t see a way out of it. I had no other suggestions or ideas. My quest had led to a dead end. Now I had to face the consequences. The others started helping the sisters clean up. Madeline and Jessie went for a quick rinse in the stream. I just sat there, staring off into space and sipping my coffee.

  “Listen, about last night—” Sitri said.

  “Don’t,” I said. “Last night is a blur. We were both confused. And what does it matter, anyway? There are bigger things going on than us.”

  Sitri looked confused, then hurt.

  “I don’t care about that other stuff,” Sitri said. “I don’t care about the golden shears, or Able, or this goddamned war. I only care about you. I kissed you because I wanted to. Because being near you, without being able to touch you, drives me crazy.”

  So he did really kiss me? My skin tingled, remembering his body against mine. The realization that I didn’t have to be alone anymore. That I could be intimate with someone. I wanted him to kiss me again, to hold me and tell me that everything was going to be okay somehow.

  “But it was mistake,” Sitri continued, destroying the rising optimism in my chest. Just when I had a picture of a future I could be happy in, it was gone.

  “I lost control. I should be protecting you, not distracted by my… yearnings. Plus, Able thinks your powers might only work so long as you’re pure. So if we were to go too far—”

  I stood up, clenching my fists as blood rushed to my face. Every time I thought Sitri was on my side, he brought up Able. And what the hell, he was concerned about protecting my virginity now? The one thing I’d probably never lose, because nobody could stand to be near me. Oh my god, had they discussed this? Picturing them together, sipping brandy and talking about my sex life, pushed me over the edge.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “I kissed Puriel too. It didn’t mean anything. I think he just wanted to know how it felt. I don’t get much action, so I have to kiss as many people as I can. Maybe I’ll kiss Max next… or Madeline. You don’t mind, right? As long as I don’t take it too far, so I can still be of service to Able.”

  Sitri’s jaw dropped open. The muscles on his neck tensed and I thought he was going to yell at me, but I turned and joined Jessie and the others before he had the chance. They’d cleaned up and everybody was ready to go. We left the minokawa up on the other side of the island, since there was no room for them down here.

  Eumelia and a few of the sisters led the way, up the narrow trail that clung to the cliff walls, reversing our procession from the night before. We emerged on top of the rocky plateau, behind the crumbling ruins of the cathedral. I was about to say goodbye to Eumelia when she yelled, and pulled out a curved dagger. Puriel and Sitri reached for their weapons as Eumelia ran past them towards a crumpled shape near the ruins. I thought it was just a scrap of fabric at first, until Eumelia rolled the shape over and I saw a face. It was one of the sisters. Blood soaked through her clothes. I pulled out my sword and handed Jessie the shotgun.

  “Stay here,” I said.

  We crept forward, through the open back of the ruins, until we could peak out through the mouth of the cathedral. Puriel’s eyes widened, and he held a hand up for us to stop. I poked my head between Puriel and Sitri so I could see past their shoulders. In the field outside the cave were dozens of leeches, surrounded by crumpled figures in white. The scattered bodies of the sisters contrasted with the furious dark shapes of the leeches, as they gathered in the center of the plateau.

  “I’ve never seen so many in one place,” Sitri said.

  “They usually avoid each other. Something must have drawn them here. Can you see what they’re gathering around?”

  “Whatever it is, it stinks.” Madeline said, holding her nose.

  The dark shapes were gorging themselves on something, and as they fed, I could see them growing larger and stronger. Then one of them moved, and I saw a patch of gleaming black feathers.

  “No!” I shouted, pushing forward. Sitri caught me and held me back. The leeches paused, and several of them rose up and twisted to peer back at me. The minokawa lay on their backs with their stomaches ripped open. Guts and intestines tumbled out into the dirt. Someone had broken their wings, and their feet were tied together with rope. The leeches surrounded the bloody corpses like vultures, grabbing handfuls of blood and fle
sh and stuffing them into the grotesque orifices of their mouths. I felt sick and crouched down so I wouldn’t pass out.

  “They’re feeding on the magic,” Sitri said. “And there’s too many of them. We can’t do anything to help them now.”

  Puriel nodded. “If we sneak away quietly, they’ll probably ignore us. We don’t have much magic in us, compared to one of those animals.”

  Eumelia was still brandishing a pair of curved blades. I could tell she wanted to fight, but she glanced at Sarah and nodded. “We go back down. We’ll be safe in the caves. Follow me and be quiet.”

  Our plan was ruined when Sarah’s scream pierced through the silence. At least a dozen hunters blocked the back end of the cathedral. Two of them gripped Sarah and Jessie tightly.

  “This is not good,” Max said.

  Sitri pulled out his gun, but he never got a chance to fire. He was too stunned by the beautiful woman walking towards us, and her mesmerizing eyes.

  Her white dress parted to reveal elegant ankles in golden sandals. They seemed to drift just above the ground, like she was floating. The walls of the ruined cathedral brightened as she entered, as if the shadows couldn’t stand to be in her presence. But maybe it was just the sun’s reflection off her golden breast plate and helmet. A red cape trailed behind her, and she was holding a long spear, just as little taller than she was.

  “Who invited Xena, warrior princess?” Madeline said.

  “That’s Athena,” Puriel said under his breath. “And this is a trap.”

  “How’s my favorite pet?” the woman said, smiling at Sitri.

  “You did this?” he growled.

  “Of course I did. After that fiasco in Seattle, daddy needed to send someone competent. You’re surrounded and outmatched. Give me the shears or you’ll all die.”

  “But they aren’t here!” I said, stepping forward, “I don’t have them!”

  Athena’s laughter echoed in the small space. It was as beautiful as she was; it sounded like bells and snowflakes. There was something pure about her, but not in an innocent way. Raw and deadly, like a river.