Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

They sat blindfolded below deck, and the rocking of the boat against the waves was beginning to wear on Darius’s stomach. Whatever trickery the pirate lord used to enter his home that was concealed deep beneath the waves, they would not see it tonight. Which was no loss to Darius, considering the number of new things he’d had to keep up with in the past two days. The mysteries of Aadilor were much greater than he could have imagined, and his head felt as if it might spin right off.

Ugh.Now he was sure to be sick.

“Cap’n wishes to tells ya we are nearly there.” A scratchy voice from one of Alōs’s crew came through a hatch from above.

Darius sighed in relief before stiffening as he felt a hand reassuringly tighten on his leg. Larkyra sat beside him, and while her nearness was calming, it also made him tenser than ever.

It was becoming harder to ignore the feelings that had grown for her in his once-shuttered heart. Despite the list of reasons why he should keep his distance and even be angry, he could not disregard the help she offered, nor the fears Larkyra had overcome to bring him closer to saving Lachlan than he’d ever thought possible. Though her original reason for coming to his lands had been a lie, Larkyra was the first person to ever be utterly truthful with him in every other regard. She allowed Darius to loosen his own tightly spun existence, share thoughts he otherwise had suffered alone. She had seen his scars, and while her actions might have been misguided, she had not reduced him to what they represented but saw how much larger he was because of them.

I see someone brave.

The words she’d spoken when they had walked to the gazebo echoed in his mind, and Darius’s chest warmed, just as it had then.

Watching Larkyra walk into the Fade earlier had nearly been his undoing, for what if she had never returned? A panic had shot through him, another person he had cared for, gone.

A rough hand on Darius’s shoulder had him standing, shuffling with the rest of his party as they were led above deck.

“I’d keep your hand from going any lower.” Niya’s steely voice sounded behind him. “Or you’ll find it no longer attached.”

A deep rumble of laughter. “I’d listen to her, Kintra, for I have seen the threat more than once carried out.”

Their blindfolds were removed, and Darius blinked to find Lord Ezra standing before them, a sinner’s grin in place.

The pirate was a formidable creature, even to Darius, who had lived with his own monster for so long. After being around those with the lost gods’ gifts, even for a short time, he knew this man had plenty of magic tucked within his hulking form. His brown skin seemed to radiate with it, which only convinced him further of the Mousai’s own collective power, if they could stand before him so confidently. Especially Niya, who seemed addicted to provoking the pirate. And vice versa.

Darius was more than curious about what history they shared.

“Welcome to Esrom,” said Alōs, motioning to their new surroundings before stepping away to instruct his crew.

Darius’s eyes grew wide as he absorbed what was before them.

The water was spun of stars, a shining expanse of deep blues and greens as it reflected the night sky. Fish jumped from the waves to easily swim through midnight air, mixing with languid pink jellyfish. Three massive islands jutted proudly in the distance, sparkling waterfalls cresting their sides as smaller isles floated above in misty clouds detached from land or sea. Glistening woven bridges connected the islands, making Esrom appear a linked web of magic. A proud palace made of silver and mirrored starlight pushed through the dense jungle on the center island, thin turrets and blue ivy decorating its expanse.

“It’s gorgeous,” whispered Larkyra beside Darius.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor have many,” said Arabessa, gazing out.

“It’s okay.” Niya folded her arms, turning away.

The boat soared through the waters, banking around the smaller island to the left. Darius closed his eyes a moment, savoring the salt in the air, the splash of waves hitting his face. For a grain’s fall, it was as if he were back home in Lachlan, but here the energy was peaceful, at rest, and, most importantly, safe.

Though Darius had learned that Esrom was keeper of many dangerous things, it was apparent that no one here was at war. It acted as a sanctuary to those seeking peace, allowing them to be unbothered and perhaps even forgotten as they lived out the rest of their lives.

He understood the desire for such a place.

Their ship sailed under one of the floating islands, and Darius gazed up at the seaweed-woven bottom.

“They say these lower and rise from morning to night,” explained Larkyra as she, too, looked up, the shadow of the hovering land painting her mask in darkness before they sailed on.

As they crested a peninsula on the southern island, they were greeted with a view of a dozen smaller isles, sitting low in the distance.

Unlike the rest of Esrom, they were more rock and moss than trees and jungle, but as they drew nearer, Darius could see they were just as dense with untamed nature.

Giant boulders cut into the water at sharp angles, preventing larger ships from approaching without the threat of wreckage.

“This is as far as I go,” said Alōs at their backs, making them turn. “Take your boat into the inlet there.” He pointed to a small opening that cut between two of the rocky isles. “You will find your cherished bloom in the cave at the end. You’ll also find the things that will likely kill you. I’ll only wait two sand falls before setting sail again. It is not only you who wish not to be seen here.” With that the pirate captain retreated to his cabin.

Darius watched Niya stare at the large man until he was out of view.

“Well.” Arabessa gazed at the inlet before them. “At least we can say we saw Esrom before we entered the Fade.”

“Yes.” Larkyra tightened the clasp on her cloak. “And let us hope we can tell the tale of what happened here before we do.”

“We can still turn back,” said Darius. The weight of what he was asking sat heavy on his shoulders. This was his burden, his people he was resigned to risk his life for. Despite his desperation to get rid of his stepfather before the mines opened, it did not sit well that he might be pulling others into his fated downfall if this did not go well.

“Nonsense.” Larkyra’s gold mask peered at him from beneath her hood. “This is merely another night for us.”

Her confidence radiated, and it lit something within Darius, something proud and at the same time protective if anything were to happen to her.

“Plus,” Niya chimed in, handing Arabessa a leather violin case that had been stowed in one of their bags, “don’t you want to see how mad a tahopka can get?”

“Not really,” admitted Darius.

“Me neither,” she said. “So we better hope they are in want of entertainment.”

Rowing their small boat, the group maneuvered past jagged rocks rising from the waves to enter the calmer gap between the islands.

Giant cliffs stretched up on either side as they floated toward a cave’s dark opening, the only light coming from the bright stars above and a dimly glowing rock in Larkyra’s hand. The buzzing of insects and hooting calls of various animals echoed from the tangled nature dripping around them, and Darius couldn’t help but feel as if it were a warning for them to turn back.

“Before we start our performance”—Arabessa handed him two wax balls—“put these in your ears. You must make sure you cannot hear a thing. We cannot be responsible for what happens if you do.”

Darius took the earplugs with a nod, a buzz of nerves sliding up his spine.

“It will all go well,” assured Larkyra beside him.

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then it doesn’t,” said Niya.

“But it will.” Larkyra gave her sister a sidelong glance through her mask’s eyeholes.

Darius couldn’t help himself—he reached out and took Larkyra’s gloved hand.

Their gazes held a moment before she gave him a small squeeze.

If her sisters noticed their exchange, they kept quiet as they entered the cave, carved feathers and snake tails decorating its opening.

The air cooled, while the sounds of the crashing waves were replaced with an echoing drip, drip, drip and howling wind that whistled through small holes in the tall ceiling. Hazy starlight shone through the cracks, illuminating a large, damp cavern. Moss spread along the walls, where crabs skittered about with their approach, sending bits of dirt to fall into the water, the sound reverberating. A tangle of roots dangled from above, as if reaching out to them, while bats darted in and out of their pocketed resting places. Darius had to duck more than once to keep them from snagging his cloak.

Turning a bend in the cave’s river, they pulled in their oars, coming upon a stretch of beach where a stone stairwell led up to a large and ornately carved doorway. Four fluted columns rested in half relief on either side of its entrance, giant blazing torches on each, while a symbol of a bursting sun with a curled snake was chiseled above in its center.

The group remained quiet as they banked their boat and climbed out, all on alert for the legendary creatures who were said to live here.

Ascending the stairs, they were dwarfed by the giant carved opening, the black within impenetrable. With a soft hum from Larkyra, her rock’s light grew brighter, and they pushed forward into the tunnel.

Darius’s heart raced as the air became more fragrant with each step. Flowers blanketing the walls awoke, blossoms glowing. The petals seemed to sway in the direction they moved, their light bathing them in a green-and-blue haze.

Larkyra doused her stone.

“Midnight orchids,” explained Arabessa in a whisper. “They will light our way but also announce our approach.”

“And we’re almost there.” Larkyra shifted at the front, revealing a slice of light at the far end.

They stopped in unison; the sound of slithering bodies and flapping wings funneled toward them.

Tahopka.

Darius’s pulse fluttered wildly as Larkyra glanced at each of them.

Prepare yourselves,she seemed to say.

After the sisters had tucked away their masks, Arabessa quietly unlatched her violin, while Niya stretched her neck from side to side. Larkyra gave Darius a small smile as he pushed the earplugs in.

Everything went dead except for the sounds of his quick breaths and pumping heart.

The Mousai waited for him.

I am ready.He nodded.

Go slowly,mouthed Arabessa.

Lifting her instrument, she ran the bow in a calming motion over the strings, but whatever spellbinding notes flew out, Darius thankfully could not hear. The air around them, however, seemed to lift, the midnight orchids burning brighter; as one, they walked toward the light at the end of the passage.

Darius walked behind the sisters, Niya leading the way. Her body moved as if she, too, had a snake’s form, her cloak slithering around her, and Darius forced himself to look away. Even with no music, her sway and swing held immense power.

Larkyra walked a step behind Arabessa, her mouth open, as if mimicking whatever her eldest sister played, and Darius became suddenly desperate to hear what she sang, her voice a drug to his soul.

No.

He shook his head, clearing it of the temptation seeping in.

By the Obasi Sea, these sisters were truly things to fear.

Stopping at the lip of the tunnel’s opening, the Mousai continued their performance as they each took in the massive chamber.

It was a treasure trove of magic and riches.

The entire cavern was lit with a blue-green pulsing light from giant glowing crystals clustered along the floor and walls. Silver-spun rugs ran into mossy paths that led to shallow, glowing pools, while small lavender and turquoise flowers bloomed in various nooks, their pollen floating freely in the air. Silken hammocks were placed all around, as if the space were meant for lounging and gathering, a bathhouse. But in the center of it all was the item that sent a chill and thrill through Darius’s heart.

A tall, thick tree grew atop a small slope, its trunk winding, winding, winding all the way up to its treetop, where a mass of swaying blooms gave off a brilliant blue-white glow. This was the main light source in the cave and what they were here to take.

What Darius was meant to take.

Orenda.

Just one stalk,Achak had said.

Though the scene was peaceful and quiet, their threat was everywhere.

As if frozen, a dozen or more tahopka remained half-lounging in pools, midflight, midslither, or midturn, staring directly at them.

Darius stood stock still, his skin prickling in a cold shiver as blood drained from his face at the sight.

It was utterly terrifying.

He had never seen such creatures. From their bellies up they were woman, their pale-green skin appearing soft, even supple, with everything on display. Below they were all snake, each with a giant scaled tail of various green hues. Their wings were webbed, bat-like, but with thick feathers along the edges, while their dark hair was pulled back and braided.

Darius would have remained staring forever if it weren’t for the Mousai moving farther into the cavern, lining up near the stairs that led down into the creatures’ den.

Larkyra gave a quick glance his way, her mouth singing something different from what her eyes spoke.

Go.

Swallowing down every fear and horrible outcome his mind had spun, Darius descended into the snake pit.

They did not notice the man walking among them, stepping as softly as he could over a large tail toward the goal that sat in the center. The entire crystal cave remained entranced with the three women, Niya slithering in her steps as she wove between her two sisters, who were singing and playing. Everything in the room seemed to pull in their direction, all the unseen energy hungry for their performance.

As he crested the small moss hill, he chanced a deep breath, peering over his shoulder.

Larkyra’s gaze was pinned to his, and with a small nod, he turned back to his task.

Darius slowly climbed the winding trunk of the tree to the canopy of swinging orenda. Hooking his legs around a branch, he shifted his way out toward the flowers, their brightness almost blinding.

Opening the satchel across his chest, he reached out toward a long stalk, its petals appearing puffy and soft, magical embers in a fire.

He plucked it with a silent snap and paused.

When nothing changed, he breathed a sigh of relief, before every bloom on the tree gave a shudder, as if scared they were next for the taking, and as one, they sucked into their pods.

The cavern was doused in darkness save for the dim glow of the pools and surrounding crystals.

A hissing shriek shook the walls and invaded Darius’s brain.

The spell the tahopka were under was severed; they each swiveled to face whatever intruder had cut off their light.

Darius.

What greedy beast has disturbed our sanctuary?screeched a voice inside his head.

Darius scrambled backward on the branch as the largest of all the creatures slithered in his direction, her yellow eyes flashing.

A man.She spat the words. You will feed my sisters and me well tonight.

“Um, but I haven’t brought any food.” He hit up against the trunk.

You are the food, you foul creature.

“But if I’m so foul,” countered Darius, desperate to buy some time, “why would you want to eat me?”

Her response was another hiss that sounded inside his head as she snaked quickly forward.

“Sticks,” cursed Darius, sliding down the winding tree before leaping away from the approaching queen and toward the exit.

You shan’t live to steal again,another voice from a closer tahopka cried into his mind as she smacked her thick tail into him. Darius jumped, hitting the ground with a roll. She was on him again with another whap, leaving Darius no choice but to dive into one of the illuminated pools.

The water was warm as he splashed into it, sinking down and blinking his eyes open. The bottom was covered with thousands of twisting, glowing bugs, water worms, as Larkyra had called them, giving this underwater cavern its shining light. Swiveling around, he held his breath. Each of these pools was connected, their circular openings reflecting above.

Thank the lost gods.

Pumping his feet and legs as hard as he could, Darius swam toward an open hole in the distance, one he believed to be the closest to the exit.

A wave of water pushed him forward, and he peered over his shoulder; three tahopka were swimming, wings tucked in, tails propelling them quickly toward him.

Damn the lost gods.

With the last of his breath, Darius pushed up and out of the closest pool, hooking his arm over the edge to pull himself up.

A quick glance revealed most of the creatures flying or slithering toward where he had just been standing, which gave him extra time to run toward the stairs.

His breathing was a buzz of desperation in his ears as he saw the Mousai backing toward the tunnel from which they’d come.

Despite Arabessa’s vigorous playing, these ancient creatures seemed permanently broken from their binds. She removed bow from string, yelling something as Larkyra ran toward him.

“Run!” he bellowed. “Get out!”

Larkyra said something in return, but with his ears plugged, he could hear nothing.

A sharp slash fell across his shoulder, claws digging into his skin, right before his body was lifted.

You will not escape us.The angry hissing of the tahopka who carried him filled his head. She gave a strong flap of her wings, sending them up.

A wave of energy and wind blasted from below; Larkyra’s mouth hung open on some commanding note as her eyes burned in their direction. In the next moment, he was falling; the snake had lost her hold when broken stalactites had fallen from above to smack into her.

Darius landed with an oof as the air was knocked from his lungs. Gasping, he found himself on the lip of the cave, with the Mousai only a few paces away by the tunnel.

Arabessa and Niya were gesturing desperately toward the opening as Larkyra skidded to a stop before him. She pulled at his water-soaked clothes, urging him to his feet just as a brain-stabbing screech of the tahopka queen filled his mind. Darius’s head throbbed at the intrusion, and he dug his hands into his hair, attempting to ease the pressure.

His next steps forward seemed not his own as a hard grip dragged him into the dark tunnel. It flashed bright when the four of them entered, the midnight orchids awakening to light their escape.

He was shoved from behind and stumbled as he turned to watch Larkyra open her mouth once more and throw out her arms, sending an unheard spell barreling into the advancing monsters. The tahopka tumbled backward into their bathhouse just as a wall of broken boulders fell, sealing the cavern and blocking any chance of reentry.

Larkyra was at his side, mouthing Run! before passing him, and with the beasts now banished from his head, he did exactly that.

Darius ran and ran and ran, the tunnel collapsing in a wave behind him.

They sprinted through the columned archway to where their rowboat awaited along the small beach in the first cave. Darius fell to his knees. Dust from the collapsing rocks poured out around him, and he coughed and wheezed, attempting to ease his aching lungs.

Yet his chest remained burning, burning, burning.

A cool touch pressed against his cheek, and he jumped, but as he found those familiar blue eyes, he relaxed.

Larkyra.

She crouched in front of him, strands of her white-blonde hair loose from her tightly spun braid; dust and dirt covered her black gown. Her cheeks were flushed, and perspiration dripped along her temples, exhaustion plain on her features.

Despite it all, in that moment Darius could only think of how brave she was.

Larkyra lifted her hand once more, slowly this time, and removed his earplugs.

The sound of their caved world came crashing back.

“Darius?” Her brows pinched with worry. “Are you all right?”

Am I all right?

Her gaze fell to his shoulder, where his drenched cloak was torn and no doubt blood was seeping through.

He moved it tentatively—a slash of pain, but otherwise it didn’t seem badly damaged.

“Yes,” he said.

“We must get to the ship before it leaves.” She glanced behind her to where Niya and Arabessa waited by their small boat.

“You saved my life.”

Larkyra looked back at him. “You saved your own life.”

“No.” He shook his head, his skin still buzzing. “If you didn’t use your powers on that tahopka . . . and then collapsing the tunnel, they would have—”

“We must go,” she interrupted. “We can reminisce about the logistics of it all once we are back at sea. Or better yet, when we are back in Lachlan and have stopped the mines from opening after the engagement ball. The most important thing now is that we are safe; you are sa—”

Darius cut off her words with a kiss. One that he had been resisting for too long now.

Her lips were stiff at first, her body tense, before she seemed to melt into his fingers, her muscles relaxing as she opened to him.

He wrapped his arms around her small waist and tugged her closer. He wanted more. Needed more. She was so warm; she tasted like the sunrise, felt like the softest grass beneath his bare feet, and he wanted to stay with her, wrapped in her forever.

His life had been eternally covered in shadow, and her nearness, her touch, blazed the darkness away.

Larkyra gave a small moan, a lulling sigh that spun his skin into more of a frenzy, especially when he felt her hands drag into his damp hair. It might have been the pure relief that they were both still alive, but he was desperate to never waste another sand fall with this woman.

Why had he waited so long to do this?

A loud cough echoed into their world.

Larkyra pulled away, her eyes heavy, glossy with emotion.

Darius wanted to haul her back.

More.The word kept tumbling in his heart. You make me feel more, want more, dream more. All dangerous, but paths he would gladly walk with her.

“What was that for?” she whispered.

“Not to be the annoying interruption,” Niya annoyingly interrupted Darius’s reply. “But we have to leave now to make it to the Crying Queen in time.”

Reluctantly Darius stood, helping Larkyra up.

“When we are back in Lachlan,” he promised.

But what he was promising, he did not know.

As they climbed into the boat, Arabessa and Niya studied them, or more specifically him. Their attention felt calculating, a surgeon’s clinical eye on a discovered growth. They had yet to decide his risk.

As they rowed upstream to the cave’s exit, Niya broke the silence. “Well,” she said. “Not that that wasn’t fun, but how are we to move forward now? Shall we sacrifice another year of one of our lives to ask our mother for a different solution? If so, I think perhaps you, Lord Mekenna, should enter the Fade this time.”

“I would gladly,” said Darius. “Except I see no reason why we need a different solution.”

“Maybe because we failed to obtain the oh-so-special, one-of-a-kind, only-grows-in-faraway-treacherous-places-with-man-hating-snake-bird-women flower?”

“You mean this flower?” Pinching open the satchel strapped around his chest, Darius suppressed a grin as each Bassette’s eyes reflected the blue-white glow emanating out.

“You got it.” Larkyra smiled, her face alight with pride.

“I got it.”

“It’s not the only thing you seem to have got—ouch. Hey.” Niya glared at Arabessa, rubbing her shin. “What was that for?”

“Sorry. I had a leg cramp.”

Niya appeared more than skeptical.

“Well done, Lord Mekenna,” said Arabessa. “Now to get back and use it.”

As they rowed out of the rocky cove toward the awaiting ship in the distance, Darius’s gaze lingered on the blonde creature across from him. The same one who had entered his life like a gale-force wind and blown his whole world upside down.

Every time Larkyra’s blue eyes caught his, it felt as if his life were expanding before him.

This woman, Darius realized, allowed him to hope for a future.