Isle of Beasts and Shadows (The Forgotten Isle Saga #1)

Chapter 25

As Airella lay asleep, a strange disturbance suddenly crept over her, stirring her from her slumber. In the depths of a dream, a flash of piercing blue eyes startled her, sending an icy chill through her entire being. Startled awake, she sat upright in bed. Beside her, Sirius also awoke. His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, offering her a comforting sense of security.

“We know you’re in there!” A commanding voice echoed from outside.

Airella’s heart raced with fear. Could it be true? Were they discovered so swiftly?

“We have to leave, now,” Sirius urged, his voice tinged with concern.

Peering cautiously through the window, Airella spotted a group of well-armed soldiers, their torches casting an ominous glow, converging on the home’s entrance.

It’s happening again, she thought, a sense of déjà vu washing over her.

Opening the bedroom door, Airella and Sirius cautiously descended the staircase. From a vantage point above, they observed as Elizabeth greeted the uninvited visitors in the dead of night.

“May I assist you, gentlemen?” Elizabeth’s voice quivered slightly, her robe tightly secured around her.

“You are hiding fugitives, wanted by the king himself,” Duran accused firmly, his face etched with determination.

“Sir, I assure you, I know nothing of this absurd claim,” Elizabeth retorted, a forced laugh betraying her anxiety.

“Search the premises,” Duran commanded, his gaze unwavering.

Tension filled the air like a heavy fog as the search intensified, each passing moment dripping with uncertainty and perilous anticipation. The large group of soldiers, clad in armor and determination, surged into the dimly lit building, their shadows dancing ominously on the walls.

Airella’s heart raced as they rushed back into the bedroom, her mind racing with the urgency of their predicament. When Sirius gestured urgently towards the window, a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes—the window, their only feasible route to freedom. As they made a desperate dash across the room, the creak of the bedroom door shattered the fragile silence, sending a shiver of fear down Airella’s spine.

In a blur of motion, she was pulled into the depths of the wardrobe, her breath catching in her throat as she pressed against Sirius’s chest. The stillness of the moment was deafening, the only sound of her own heart pounding in her ears. The soldiers’ heavy footsteps echoed through the room, their presence a menacing threat that hung in the air like a storm cloud.

“Someone’s been here, sir,” a soldier’s voice broke through the tension, sending a chill down Airella’s spine.

“So it seems,” the voice of Duran, cold and commanding, sliced through the air like a blade. “Burn it down. Let’s not give them a place to run back to.”

The order to burn down the cottage sent a wave of dread crashing over her, the heat of the flames licking at her skin even before they engulfed the wardrobe. Sirius forced the door to the wardrobe open and quickly searched for an escape.

As the fire roared around them, Airella’s mind raced with memories of the home she was about to lose—the familiar creak of the floorboards, the soft glow of the hearth, the laughter that once filled the halls now silenced by the flames. She steeled herself against the rising panic, her resolve hardening at the thought of preserving her past amidst the chaos. The painted family portraits that hung from her walls seemed to watch her with accusing eyes, urging her to fight against the destruction that threatened to consume everything she held dear.

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm her, the sound of Arii’s screams cut through the chaos.

“Let’s go!” Sirius’s urgent call rang through the loud flames, the crackling fire creating a chaotic symphony around them.

“Arii!” Her heart pounded with a mix of fear and adrenaline, the rush of emotions overwhelming her senses.

As she hurried towards Sirius to peer out the window, her eyes strained through the swirling smoke, desperately trying to decipher the unfolding scene of confusion and danger. She stood frozen, watching in anguish as the soldiers ruthlessly seized a screaming Arii, their actions shrouded in the flickering shadows cast by the dancing flames.

Through the haze, she caught a fleeting sight of her mother lying motionless on the ground, a chilling wave of dread washing over her like an icy embrace. Standing over her was the possessed Duran. He shifted his gaze to meet Airella’s, and he smiled.

The soldiers vanished into the night, disappearing into the darkness with Arii in their clutches. Airella was consumed by a surge of helplessness and desperation, her heart heavy with a sense of impending doom. She was frozen, unable to move as her mind tried to process the events unfolding before her. The acrid smoke enveloped her, each breath a painful reminder of the chaos surrounding her.

With the flames encroaching, threatening to devour everything in their path, Sirius, acting on instinct, swiftly gathered Airella in his arms.

In a moment of pure determination, he made a daring decision and leaped through the window, the heat of the flames fading as they escaped into the cool night air.

The ground rushed up to meet them as they landed from the 2-story fall, the impact jolting through their bodies. Adrenaline coursed through Airella as she took in her surroundings, her eyes darting to her mother lying still on the ground.

In that suspended moment, time seemed to stand still, the world holding its breath as the gravity of the situation sank in. The thought that her mother might be lost to her forever weighed heavily on her, casting a shadow over her heart.

“Mother?” Airella fell to her knees next to her mother, shaking her by the shoulders. She could feel the coldness of her mother’s skin and the weightlessness of her body, sending a shiver down her spine. “Sirius!” She turned her gaze up to Sirius, desperation clear in her voice and tears welling up in her eyes. “Bring her back, like you did to Jonathan. Please!” Airella’s voice cracked as she begged, her heart heavy with sorrow and fear.

Sirius, his face a mask of stoicism, closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. “It’s too late. Her soul has already departed from her physical form,” he stated softly, his words heavy with finality. “I also only have one pendant to use, and Jonathan’s soul is currently occupying it,” Sirius attempted to explain, but Airella was lost in her grief, unable to fully grasp the magnitude of the situation. Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, blurring her vision.

“No!” Airella’s cry echoed, her voice filled with anguish and disbelief. It was then that she discovered the bloody stab wound implanted in her mother’s chest. The sight of it made her heart lurch with a mix of horror and sorrow. Elizabeth must have been fighting for Arii, sacrificing herself to protect her son. This was Father’s doing.

Tears continued to stream down Airella’s face as she stood amidst the chaos, her fists clenched in frustration. The soldiers had taken Arii away, leaving her feeling helpless. Would they even have a chance of catching up to them? Airella’s gaze darted around, noticing that they had even taken the horse they used to get here. The sense of defeat threatened to overwhelm her, tempting her to give up then and there. But she couldn’t. Arii needed her; he needed to be rescued. She wouldn’t give up on him.

Covered in smudges of ash, Airella couldn’t contain her sobs as her home continued to burn in the dead of night. It all felt like a surreal nightmare, as if she would wake up at any moment and find everything restored to normal.

“She’s gone...” Airella whispered, her fists tightening in grief as the held her mother’s lifeless body.

Neighboring villagers, their faces a mix of shock and suspicion, crowded around the scene. Some whispered accusations in hushed tones, pointing fingers at the young woman before them.

“I knew she was a witch!”

“Murdered her own mother...”

“Who is that strange man?”

Anger seared through Airella as she absorbed their misguided assumptions. These people did not know about what had just happened. Her heart ached for her lost mother, but she knew she had to focus on the immediate challenges ahead. With Arii’s safety hanging in the balance and the looming threat of the kingdom’s soldiers, Airella steeled herself for the arduous journey ahead.

“Let’s go,” she muttered under her breath, determination shining in her bloodshot eyes as she turned away from her mother’s lifeless form, ready to face the uncertain path that lay before her.