The Golden Shears (Fated Destruction Book 2) Read online

  A fire was burning inside the cathedral ruins, and in the light of its flames I could see Puriel. I’d been afraid of what I’d find, but there was no trace of the gruesome beast he’d become earlier. His body was its normal size again, but sweat covered his skin and he was shaking. Eumelia sat next to him, wiping his forehead with a damp towel.

  “You’re up,” she said when she saw me. She put the cloth to one side, stood up and stretched. That’s when I noticed the heavy ropes tied around Puriel’s ankles. Two sisters stood nearby, watching us warily. Long broadswords rested against their shoulders.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “Why is he tied up? And why is he shaking like that?”

  “He’s in shock,” Eumelia said. “He took in too much magic. I’ve never seen a leech consume that much, that quickly.”

  “Will he be okay?” I asked.

  “You have to understand, he’s a leech now. He’ll never be the same. Now that he’s fed on magic, the thirst for more will be unbearable. You’ll never be able to trust him again. He won’t be able to be around you or anything magic. He’ll keep killing, until he destroys everything he cares about, and eventually turns into the monster you saw today for good. It would be better for everyone if you just put him down now.”

  My mouth went dry.

  “You mean kill him? But he saved us,” I said.

  “You’d be doing him a favor,” Eumelia said. “Imagine how he would feel if he does hurt someone. What if he turns on you? You think he could handle that kind of guilt?”

  “He’d never hurt me,” I said, biting my lip.

  “If you let him go, you’re putting others at risk. We can do it for you if you prefer.”

  “No,” I said. “Absolutely not. Just try to keep the fever down. You don’t know Puriel like I do. He’ll be fine. He’ll be able to fight this.”

  Jessie was outside when I returned to the cave, smoking a cigarette.

  “Where’d that come from?” I asked.

  “Sitri had a pack in his jacket,” she said.

  “Where’s Sarah? I haven’t seen her since I woke up.

  “I think Amaratha took her to meet the mermaids,” Jessie said. “She was starting to freak out. I can’t calm her like you do.”

  “I’m sorry about before,” I said. “About Max.”

  “It’s fine,” Jessie said. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

  The air was tense between us, but I didn’t know what else to say. And she wasn’t the one I was worried about right now. I returned to the cave to check on Sitri, and this time, we were alone. Sitri’s kiss had brought out feelings I didn’t know existed. Seeing him lie there, looking so vulnerable, made something shift deep inside me.

  “You don’t die now,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair. “You can’t. Because when you kissed me, I didn’t see your death. So you see, this can’t be where you end. You must get better.”

  But I wasn’t sure anymore. Did my powers even work like that? Maybe kisses didn’t count. Maybe his future had changed since last night. How could I know for sure?

  I glanced around me to make sure we were still alone, then I leaned forward slowly. I held my breath as I touched my lips to his. I was expecting the worst, but it wasn’t there. I didn’t get a sensation of death. Instead, I felt happiness. It was like running through a meadow filled with flowers, chasing butterflies and laughing. I wondered if it was my vision, or maybe a memory of Sitri’s.

  That’s when I remembered my dream. The well, the sky. A tear rolled down my cheek, but I smiled, and I knew exactly what I had to do. I found Jessie near the entrance.

  “I’ve got to go back down,” I said.

  She raised an eyebrow at me, and her eyes drifted to my broken arm.

  “Are you crazy?” she asked. “You barely made it out of there last time.”

  “I missed something,” I said. “There’s something else. I know it. And if I can find the Fates, I can ask them to save Max and Sitri. Maybe even Puriel.”

  Jessie’s eyes widened.

  “You really think that’s possible? Amaratha said she’d already done all she could, that it was up to them now.”

  “They’ve done it before,” I said. “They spin and measure the threads of all lives. If anyone can save them, it’s them. I have to try.”

  ***

  The trip down was easier this time. No giant snakes or ghostly warriors. The hardest part was crossing the river without the boat, in near pitch blackness, with an infinity of space above and below me. It was like floating in the center of the universe. I clung to a piece of wood with my good arm and kicked a path through the inky water. The door to the inner sanctum was open, just as I’d left it. The cavern was calm and receptive, and the silence embraced me with almost an almost palpable presence. I approached the well cautiously and peered inside, trying to see through through the dark veil of its watery surface.

  Only those who live without can look within.

  I still wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. That I had to give something up? Is that what Zetico’s drawing was about? Had he dropped his wife’s wedding ring into the well? If I needed a sacrifice, I had nothing valuable to offer.

  You have something.

  I reached up and clutched my lego necklace, the only thing I had left of my brother. It had kept me sane at JDRI. Whenever things were overwhelming, I squeezed its hard edges and reminded myself that I’d tried to save him. No matter what everyone else thought, I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t a killer. It was a mantra I clung to, but maybe I’d outgrown it. Maybe I couldn’t move forward without letting go of the past. I pulled off the necklace and dangled it over the surface of the well. Please let this work.

  I forced myself to uncurl my fingers, dropping the necklace into the water. I watched it sink until I couldn’t see it anymore, and nothing remained but the ripples across the surface. Then they faded as well, and the pool displayed my own reflection again. I felt a rising panic, thinking I just gave away my necklace for nothing, but then there was light from the bottom of the well and I realized I could see through to the other side.

  I took a deep breath and dove head first into the water, pushing myself forward until down became up, and I pulled myself out on the other side. I emerged with a spash and gasped for breath. Then I climbed out and placed my wet feet on the hard stone of the reverse world. It was a mirror image of the cave I’d just been in, except this world was teeming with magic. The colors were brighter, and everything seemed to have a mystical, glowing quality to it. This was the cave of my dreams, and the one of Zetico’s paintings. The walls were covered in prophecies. Timelines criss-crossed in meandering directions before ending abruptly in pictograms I assumed referred to cataclysmic or world-changing events.

  Spools of multi-colored thread were scattered on the floor—it looked like a pack of kittens had been let loose in a craft store. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt a glimmer of hope. I’d found it. A secret passageway, to the cave where I’d seen the Fates in my dreams. They must be here. And they’d be able to save Sitri.

  I searched the cave carefully, but I couldn’t find the scissors. Maybe Atropos had them; unless what Athena told us was true and the scissors were just a myth she’d concocted to keep Able distracted. I didn’t care—the scissors were Able’s dream. As long as Clotho and Lachesis were here, I could just ask them to make Sitri’s thread a little longer. It had to be possible.

  I thought I heard a voice and turned towards the cave entrance. In my dream, they’d been carrying water from the well up to the tree on top of the hill. Maybe that’s where they were. I hurried through the long dark tunnel, following the light until it finally opened up and I was outside. I shielded my eyes from the light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. There was no sun, and I wondered if it ever got dark here. When I could see again, I noticed a dark shape on the path leading up the hill.

  The blood drained from my face when I realized it was the body of a woman. I ran
to her, kneeling so I could see her face. She was beautiful, and looked only a few years older than me. I didn’t notice the blood seeping through her dark robes until it covered my palms. It was bright red. Fresh.

  A chill ran down my spine as I pictured being trapped in this alternate universe, with whatever monster had done this. What if I died in here? I hadn’t even told Sarah goodbye. I wanted to run back into the cave and go through the portal again. Back to my friends. Back to safety. Instead I ran up the path until I found the second body. It was near the top of the hill, just before it leveled out into the wide field. Lachesis. And she was still breathing. I rolled her onto her side gently. Blood gurgled from her mouth as she tried to speak.

  “So you’ve finally come,” she whispered. “You’ve fulfilled your destiny. But you have also ended ours.”

  “What happened?” I asked, “Who did this to you?”

  “You alone have the power to stop him,” she said, gasping for breath. “Find the shears—”

  “Wait, they’re real? Where are they? Why aren’t they here?” Her head fell to the side, and the weight of her lifeless body pinned my arm into the dirt. My eyes filled with tears as I shook her.

  “Wait! You can’t go yet, tell me how to spin the thread. My friend is dying. I need your help.” But it was no use, she was gone.

  This couldn’t be happening. I’d come here to save Sitri. If Clotho and Lachesis were dead, that couldn’t happen now. But why hadn’t I seen his death when I kissed him? Had his fate changed so quickly?

  I clenched my fists and continued up the hill. I wasn’t afraid anymore. Whoever killed the Fates had condemned Sitri to die. They’d taken away my one chance to save him. Which meant, I realized now, they’d also taken away any future I cared about. Whatever did this was going to pay.

  The meadow was just as I remembered it. Bright red wildflowers stood out against the ash white stalks of grass. Steep mountains and hills were separated by chasms and canyons. It was breathtaking. In the center of the valley was an enormous tree with peeling bark, and at the base of the tree, a young girl with blonde hair.

  “Sarah!” I called out, running over to her.

  What was she doing here?

  I froze as Sarah turned around. Her young arms dripped with blood. She reached into the body of Clotho, tearings off chunks of skin and tossing them to a pair of small black dogs who fought over the scraps.

  13

  “She can’t hear you,” a voice said from Sarah’s lips. It was deep and masculine.

  “Forgive me, I don’t think we’ve officially met, though I feel like we’re old friends.”

  “Zeus.” I said. “How did you even get in here?”

  “I found out recently I had a daughter,” said the voice coming from Sarah’s lips. “Well, I have thousands of daughters, if we want to get specific, but this daughter is a friend of yours. Something that’s not commonly known—in fact I’ve kept it a secret all these years by not taking advantage of it often—is that I can take possession of the bodies of my direct progeny.”

  “Which in this case, turned out well for me. All I had to do was follow you into the cave. It took you awhile to figure out the well… it’s lucky for me you’re so slow, but I guess I can’t hold that against you. I’ve been tagging along and listening, through this one’s adorable little ears, until I had it all figured out. And then you opened the doors, and I used her body to pass through. It’s beautiful here, don’t you think? A world beyond time, beyond death. No discord, no heaven or hell, just peace.”

  “How can you talk about peace, when you’ve just butchered three women?” I asked, my voice trembling.

  “These weren’t women,” he scoffed. “They were controlling everyone, measuring out fortune and destiny, choosing when a thread ends or begins. What good is freedom in the face of that kind of certainty? From now on, only I will decide who lives and who dies. Those who support me will live forever. Those who don’t, well…” he gestured to the torn body of Clotho at Sarah’s feet.

  “It didn’t work so well for Athena,” I said, daring to let a smirk cross my face. Sarah’s small features hardened with fury. I felt a crackling of electricity and the hair on my arms stood on end.

  “I’ll admit that was an unexpected surprise,” Zeus said, calming himself. “Still, there’s something poetic about it. Who would have thought, that the soldiers I made to be perfectly loyal, conductors of my energy, would be capable of causing that much damage to me. Still, Athena played her role. It was a noble death. A temporary setback, a lost battle, but it led me here, to this victory. The well should have stopped me—it only allows you through if you’re making a genuine sacrifice, something you truly can’t bear to lose. It must be painful. The Fates didn’t think I’d be able to give anything up, but they were wrong. I sacrificed my beloved daughter. Her blood purchased my entry.”

  My skin grew cold. So that’s how he’d gotten in. The pieces all fit together so perfectly. By defeating Athena, we’d unlocked the door for him, and now the Fates were dead.

  “Don’t look so surprised,” he smiled smugly. “I’ve been playing this game for thousands of years. You just started. You can’t hope to get ahead of me. I’ll admit, I was worried about you before. Able believed in the shears with such fervency that I started believing in them too. And if they were here, and if you had taken posession of them, well… let’s just say I’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to protect myself. I guess I shouldn’t have been concerned after all. The shears aren’t even here.”

  “I was surprised it was this easy actually. I expected more resistance. The powers of the Fates are legendary, but these were just three women. Frail, weak. Almost mortal. Disappointing, actually.”

  “Don’t look so sad about it,” Zeus continued. He brushed a strand of blonde hair out of Sarah’s face with bloody fingers. “You did your best. That’s something. But it’s over now. I’ve won. Without the Fates watering this tree, the world tree, magic will slowly die out of the world. In another century, all magic will be gone, except for my own, and I will bestow it on my allies, or hoard it to myself. Every human will worship me. There will be one rule. One religion. One god. Peace and stability for everyone. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

  “Able will stop you,” I whispered. I had to restrain myself from reaching out and wrapping my hands around Sarah’s neck. Zeus infuriated me, but I couldn’t touch him while he was hiding in Sarah’s body.

  “Hardly. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to kill a god,” Zeus said. “Able, as you call him, even though he’s my older brother, has never been as strong as I am. That’s why he was so anxious to believe in a pair of golden shears, a legendary weapon with enough power to defeat me. That’s why he’s hiding behind you, an emissary of the Fates who alone can wield them. It’s naïve. But enough about him. Let’s talk about us, and the future.”

  “What future?” I asked.

  “Our future. You are young, and not undesirable. And you do have powers that may prove useful to me. The power to see the threads. You can recognize magical beings, can’t you? You can help me finish my purge. You point them out, I’ll take them down. You can lead my hunters into battle. With Athena gone, I need a new general.”

  “I’d rather die,” I spat.

  “That’s your choice, of course. I’ll give you some time to think about it. In the meantime, let me offer you a small gift. A token of my appreciation, for your part in handing me this victory.”

  Sarah reached up and wrapped her finger around a strand of her blonde hair, and tugged it out by the root. She handed it to me.

  “There are benefits to being my ally,” Zeus said. “And I am generous with those loyal to me. Take this strand of hair, braid it together with one who’s life you wish to save. Cut an apple in half and place the braid inside. Join the two halves with honey and bury them where they will not be disturbed.”

  He sighed when I made no move to take his gift.

  “All you’ve he
ard about me so far has been negative, but there’s no reason to be rude. A war is coming. Thank you for that, by the way. I’ve been so bored. Without the meddling of the Fates, I can finally take out my brother’s little sanctuary and his army of torches. There’s a good chance that most of your friends are going to die. But they don’t have to die today. Take the strand. Do as I tell you, and you can save at least one life.”

  Sarah crumpled to the ground as Zeus left her body. I picked her up, gritting my teeth against the throbbing pain from my broken arm, and carried her back into the cave.

  ***

  My arms were aching when I finally made it back through the caverns to the Asclepion. I heard the sobbing before I saw the others—Jessie and Madeline were standing in front of one of the rectangular slabs, standing over a body.

  “He’s dead,” Jessie said, crying into my shoulder.

  My heart skipped a beat. I’m too late… I pushed past her to see Max on the slab, his face was pale. I felt a flash of relief that it wasn’t Sitri.

  “Did you find anything down there?” Jessie asked. “Can you bring him back?” There was a spark of hope in her eyes, an almost manic intensity. A week ago, she hadn’t believed in magic. Now she expected miracles.

  “The Fates are dead,” I said wearily. The light died in Jessie’s eyes. I hated myself for stealing it. She’d been right all along—there were no happy endings.

  “Oh my god, why is Sarah covered in blood?” Madeline said, joining us. “Are you okay? What happened down there?”

  “She followed me,” I said. “Kind of. It’s complicated.” My thoughts were too cloudy to try and explain everything that had happened between me and Zeus. And right now it didn’t matter.

  “Sitri?” I asked.

  “He’s still alive,” Jessie said, biting her lip. “Barely.”

  “They moved him to another room,” Madeline said. “Follow me, I’ll show you.” She led me to a smaller chamber nearby. Amaratha was standing with her hands on Sitri’s head, surrounded by candles and three of the younger sisters. They were whispering something. Their chants vibrated off the walls and filled the room with a strange energy.