The Iron Cursed Read online

  “Oh, she’s fine,” Galvyn said quickly. His eyes lit up even as he shifted between his feet nervously. “There’s a messenger in the village. He wants to see you. He’s come on behalf of Eochu Finn!”

  Leugio paused at the name. “Eochu Finn?” he repeated. “The king?”

  “Exactly!” Galvyn gestured towards the village. “You’re being summoned to see the king!”

  13

  Whispers of Lives Past

  The smell of pine, earth, and grass was comforting. It was reassuring to Alex in a way that she wasn’t ready to take a look at. When she was young she’d enjoyed the smell of grass and liked it when the yard grew high because her father was too busy to mow. She’d laid back in the grass and let it hide her from the world. Just her in a grass nest and the blue sky overhead. But this was more than that, it went deeper than her childhood. The presence of the others tickled at the back of her head.

  “This is the area where the hikers reported they saw wolves,” Merlin said from ahead of her. “Stay alert and keep your eyes out for Sídhe, Hounds or a tunnel.”

  “Any chance they actually just saw wolves?” Aiden asked.

  “The report described them as large, thin, and silver,” Morgana replied. “It is possible but given that the Sídhe have begun to break through the protection of the first Iron Gate we should assume the worst. Hopefully, putting another Iron Gate into place will slow them down.”

  “How many Iron Gates will it take to stop them?” Bran asked. “How many were there in the British Isles?”

  Merlin and Morgana both looked a little surprised at the question and Alex’s lips twitched up. Leave it to Bran to ask the obvious question that they’ve forgotten the answer to.

  “I’m not sure,” Merlin replied slowly. “Over a dozen by the end of the war.”

  “It’s impossible to say how many it will take at this juncture,” Morgana added. “We will monitor the situation, of course.”

  And that was the end of that conversation. Alex held back a sigh as they spread out a bit more on the rough game trail. Nothing clearly indicated that the Sídhe had been in the area yet. There weren’t any footprints in the dirt or signs of a large creature like a horse moving through the area. Then again, the Sídhe didn’t always bother with making the tunnels large enough for their steeds. They were too eager for more slaves. The thought sent a jolt of rage through Alex’s chest that vibrated against the tight, cold bundle of grief locked up under her heart.

  Alex strained her ears, but there were no unusual sounds in the distance. There were birds chirping and the sound of the wind in the trees, but nothing that gave away the position of this latest tunnel. Everyone stopped moving when Merlin did except for her. Alex almost walked into Aiden’s back, but Nicki’s hand caught her arm. Then they were all looking at her expectantly.

  “What?” Alex looked between her friends and the professors. “Did I miss something?”

  “Do you sense anything?” Morgana asked gently. “You sensed the last Sídhe tunnel. Anything from this one?”

  “It would make sense that you would know where to find it,” Merlin added. “Your ability with energy is remarkable, and the tunnel would allow their magical energy to seep into Earth.”

  “Uh, right,” Alex said.

  She nodded and Nicki let go of her hand. Closing her eyes, Alex tried to ignore the others looking at her. Alex focused on her magic and pulled on it gently. Beneath her heart, the small bundle of grief wrapped in magic sparked for a moment before the magic streamed around it. Alex opened her fists and let the magic flow out through her fingers. It was still a bit strange, but as she kept her eyes closed she willed the magic to let her see through it. There was a mist spreading out around her, slowly creeping across the hillside.

  There was something. The magic wavered to the left and further up the hill. Alex pushed all her senses in that direction. There was a dark goldish hue there, pressing against her magic. On instinct, she grabbed at the foreign magic and pulled. It resisted for a moment but began to shift. Her ability to see expanded and there was a vague outline of a hole in the hillside, rough and torn open like an explosion had rocked the mountain. Something pushed against her magic and there was a flash of violet eyes.

  Alex gasped. The magic fluttered painfully in her chest, threatening to snap back violently into her body. Instead, she pushed it out with a frantic command to stay there and wait. Like an obedient dog, the magic backed off and curled up. Her eyes opened and Alex brought a hand up to rub her sore chest.

  “That way,” she choked out. Pointing up ahead of them, she nodded and swallowed. “Up there.”

  Merlin moved first with Aiden on his heels. Nicki touched her shoulder for a moment before heading up after them. Morgana’s green eyes were fixed on her and Alex offered the older mage a shaky smile. Bran stepped up next to her and offered his hand. Taking it with a small smile, Alex let him support her shaky legs as they followed the others up the hillside.

  Magic flared gently around the hands of Merlin and Morgana, brushing against her own magic lingering in the air. It flared to Alex’s gaze like bright lights, but she made herself keep moving. They pushed through the underbrush quickly and Alex gasped. An orb of dark gray magic was hanging in the air, just waiting for her. There was a slight shimmer around it as the energy slowly dissipated from the surface but there it was. A small laugh of victory escaped her as it sunk in that she was about to turn the Sídhe’s own world energy against them. Beyond it, just as she had seen through the magic, was a rough opening in the hillside.

  “Well done!” Merlin cheered. His eyes were on the waiting magic.

  “There’s one in the tunnel!” Alex called out in warning.

  Morgana moved first. She shoved her hand forward and released a beam of silver magic. It shot through the air into the tunnel, illuminating the rough rocky sides and glinted off the golden armor of the Síd. The armor began to dissolve, but the Síd remained intact. There was a grunt of pain and the Síd stumbled back. It reached for a horn on its side that Alex recognized. Yellow magic flared in the corner of her eye and the horn was suddenly ripped from the Síd’s hand. It flew out into the sunlight and the Síd pulled its sword with a sharp smooth motion. The Síd never had a chance to do anything else. A green bolt hit it in the neck and Síd began to dissolve.

  “Nicely done,” Alex said softly to Bran. “Grabbing the horn like that.”

  “Glad to help,” Bran replied. “Though I know how much Morgana likes to kill Sídhe.”

  That earned him a look from Morgana. Despite the woman’s stern look, Alex could tell she was amused. Merlin was still staring into the tunnel, but slowly lowered his hand.

  “I don’t think the others heard,” Merlin said. “There may have been only one guard.”

  “Then we might as well get started,” Alex said. “What first?”

  “We have the iron.” Merlin gestured towards the bags. “Last time you all joined hands in order to share magic but given Alex’s ability to convert the magic of others to her own I’d like to try something different this time.”

  An internal uh oh in Alex’s head made her freeze. In the back of her mind, there was a curious buzz of voices that Alex desperately ignored. She glanced towards her friends and found them looking at her with reassuring smiles. At least they were confident that this would work. Merlin said something, but Alex missed it. Morgana caught her eye and frowned slightly.

  “We’re going to release some magic,” Morgana said calmly. “See if it is enough for you to guide the creation of a gate.” Morgana stepped towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Will you be alright trying this Alex?” Her voice was lower now, keeping the question just between the pair of them.

  “Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Alex replied. “A good exercise for me too.” Speaking a bit louder now, she looked at Aiden. “Just don’t set anything on fire. Let’s start slow so I can gather up the magic.”

  There were traded looks. Alex couldn’t
blame them for that. Those weren’t the best instructions. Eyeing the opening where she was supposed to put the gate, Alex nibbled at her lower lip and fought to keep her hands still. She glanced towards the orb of gray magic still hanging in the air and shrugged off her bag. Alex took a few steps away from the others and watched as Bran and Aiden shifted the bags of iron rods closer. They set the bags on the ground between her and the other mages with a soft thump.

  “You’ve got this, Alex.” Nicki gave her a wide smile and Aiden nodded in agreement.

  Unsure of what to say, Alex looked expectantly towards Merlin and Morgana. The whispers grew louder and Alex inhaled slowly. She focused on the wind cascading over the leaves and the sway of the pine tree branches. They were alone, and the spring sun was streaming down through the treetops.

  Flashes of color drew her attention back to the others. Sparks of their differently colored magics were swirling around their hands. In their little semi-circle, they looked a bit like some sort of performance art display. Aiden released a flare of fire that shot into the air. It exploded in a rush of little-colored sparks like a firework. Laughing, Alex watched the sparks fall to the earth, content with the knowledge that Nicki was ready with her water magic. Aiden grinned at her and winked.

  Bran raised a hand and yellow magic flashed through the air for a moment before all but vanishing. Overhead the rustling of the leaves intensified and Alex looked up as branches were pushed away by an unseen hand to let in more sunlight. There was a rush of blue from Nicki as she conjured the shimmering shape of a dragon. It flew into the air amongst them and opened its mouth in a silent roar. Bran and Aiden clapped and Nicki dropped into a grand bow.

  There was a noise from the tunnel and green magic flashed around Merlin’s hand. Alex looked at the orb of gray magic. It shimmered in response to her attention. Despite the playful release of magic, she was well aware of the iron waiting for her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she inhaled slowly and flexed her fingers. Alex released a soft wave of her own magic, concentrating on it spreading out around her, filling the air unseen. Then she opened her eyes.

  Her vision shifted. The normal colors of the world muted and darkened while the lines of magic turned neon. There was vibrant red, cool blue, bright silver, leaf green and sunshine yellow sparks spinning lazily through the air. Mere traces of magic left by the others, but Alex extended a hand. There was a flicker of resistance, but then the sparks turned into streams of color, racing towards her. In a flash of light, the orb dissolved into a river of sparks and rushed towards her. The colors began to blend together.

  Dark gray magic spun off of her fingertips. It reached out through the air, meeting the stream of magic. Alex’s gray magic twisted around the different colors, and as it all coiled into her hands. Alex watched as the red of Aiden’s magic dulled and shifted to the metallic gray of her magic. Nicki’s blue faded as did Merlin’s green. Bran’s yellow turned gray and she gathered it all together around her hands.

  Alex concentrated on keeping all the magic together. Already she could feel it tingling across her skin and slipping away. She willed it to condense so she could use it later. The magic hummed in response and the gray mass spun tighter and tighter. Within moments it had formed a large gray orb that hung in the air before Alex. Flexing her fingers, Alex allowed herself a small sigh of relief, but said nothing. Instead, she turned her attention to the open bags and the pieces of iron glittering in the low light through the treetops.

  She closed her eyes and ignored the others and the iron for a moment. Just at the edge of her senses was a vibration. It sang in the air like a low constant rumble of thunder. Her hair was rising as if a storm was building around her. In Alex’s chest, her own magic flared in response, surging down to her fingertips. Alex opened her eyes, pushing out her magic and calling the magic stored in the orb.

  Dark gray sparks of magic blasted through the air, encircling the bags in a mass of gray. As it churned, Alex almost thought she saw a jolt of lightning which only enhanced the storm effect. Alex twitched her fingers towards the iron and pictured the magic entering the metal. The air rippled, gray sparks poured into the waiting metal bars.

  Swallowing, Alex turned her hands palm up and raised them. Slowly the first of the iron bars rose out of the bag and hovered in the air. Alex’s eyes narrowed on the thick pieces of wrought metal. She could still see hammer marks in places where they’d been pounded into shape. Hints of Merlin’s magic were just beneath the surface of the iron in faint flashes of green. In other pieces Alex sensed her own stored magic rising to blend with the gray storm.

  The iron bands twisted in the air, shimmering with Alex’s dark gray magic. With a flick of her wrist, she sent them hurtling into the opening. There was a roar that echoed out to her, but it was too late. The Sídhe had come. Their guard had fallen and they hadn’t defended this entrance properly. Whispers turned to a mess of voices, some suspicious and some triumphant.

  With a shuddering crack, the metal embedded itself into the stone. The hillside groaned and the glowing iron rods twisted around each other. Magic sparks flew off her fingertips, but Alex kept her gaze firmly on the metal. Around her the air was humming, faster and faster. Beneath her feet, the pulse of the Earth was accelerating. More magic climbed through her legs and passed through her chest before sweeping down her arms. It gathered around the metal, settled into the iron, and into the rock.

  Magic pulled sharply, stretching out in the air between her and the iron. The gate was now formed, pulling in all the magic she could give it. In her chest, the familiar spark that connected Alex with the Iron Realm turned hot. One of the kinder voices was whispering to her. The words weren’t clear, but it was urging her on. More magic— more magic will protect the Iron Realm. Arto. The name sprang to mind and Alex tugged on the connection, ignoring the ache beginning to spread down her limbs. More sparks erupted from her fingertips and followed the shimmering threads to the gate.

  Then the threads snapped. Alex’s knees quivered. Bran caught her arm and kept her upright. Panting for air, Alex fought back the darkness creeping in at the edges of her vision. Yet the gleaming of the Gate kept her focus. Pride swelled in her chest, easing the ache. Already, magic was radiating out from the Gate. It was settling like a mist over the area, soothing the knot in her chest. The pain didn’t vanish, but for a moment Alex was able to forget that it was there. Several of the voices quieted in the back of her head. For a moment there was no pain and soft silence.

  “Alex?” Aiden called.

  “You okay?” Bran asked.

  The forest shifted. Alex blinked as the colors at the edge of her vision changed for a moment. Through the soles of her shoes, the pulse of the magic growing stronger. The trees vanished and she was on a grassy hill looking at a gleaming metal gate in the hillside. Morgana was next to it, but younger and wearing a long blue cloak that fluttered in the wind.

  Then it was gone. Alex was back in an Oregon forest, smelling the pine trees and fighting to stay upright. The wisps of magic still hanging in the air rushed towards her. Alex felt them slipping into her palm and closed her hand into a fist. They seeped into her skin and she grew a little stronger. She looked over towards Nicki who was watching her with a deepening frown. Morgana was still studying the Gate, but Merlin took a hesitant step forward.

  The world swayed. The greens of the trees blurred together. One of the voices grew louder all of a sudden, calling her name and shouting words that made no sense. The others joined in, no longer whispering. Pushing them away, Alex found herself stumbling across the terrain. Morgana’s voice cut through the haze as she called to her, alarm ringing in her voice. Some of the voices quieted for a moment.

  Alex uselessly brought her hands to her ears, trying to block out the noise. It echoed, rattled and rumbled in her head. All of them, all at once, all straining to be heard. A sob ripped from her throat. Dropping to the ground, she lowered her head to the cool surface of the rocks. The sharp edge of one dug into her
skin, but Alex welcomed the distraction. There were hands on her shoulders, someone was hugging her, rocking her, but the voices wouldn’t stop.

  Some were more comforting, but others were unfamiliar and sharp. One cut through the others in a storm of curses and bile surged up in her throat at Cuthbert’s voice. She remembered the ship and the vacant eyes of the slaves. Then he was drowned out by the others shouting. A whimper escaped Alex; she shook her head, trying to shake them out. The grip on her shoulder tightened and a pained cry echoed through her. Forcing open her eyes, Alex tried to turn her head. She could see some of the trees and tried to focus on them. The noises didn’t stop. Hands gripped her face and turned it further.

  Morgana’s green eyes were shining with fearful tears. Merlin was right beside her, one hand holding Alex’s shoulder in a tight, unforgiving grip. One voice rose above the others. There was a crack and a rumble like thunder through her mind. Everything went still and silent for one blissful moment. Then it all went dark.