Through the Eyes of a Fae
Chapter 37

Ludis stood over the pillar that had the device tucked into it. They were at the western gate, and guards stood nearby, blocking the traffic, and redirecting them to other gates. Ludis was absorbed, checking and triple checking the device. She sent her magic along the length of the barrier, seeking any weakness. It seriously was like it had never been touched, except for the corrections the mages had made. She was dumbfounded. How did someone get past it? Cade came to stand next to her. She looked at him and gave a frustrated sigh.

“Other than the corrections the mages make, they are right. It is like it was designed this way. But I know what I did. I notated every part of this spell. I have memorized it.” Ludis felt a small stab of fear. Whoever did this knew magic. Not just any magic, they knew HER magic. They had to have. Only intimate knowledge of how she cast could allow someone to replicate her work so closely. She sat again, in front of the pillar. Pulling from deep within her - she scanned the device in her mind’s eye again. There. She found it! So subtle, that it was like putting bacteria under a magnifying glass. There was an alternate signature. She committed the pattern to memory and as she did, the creep of unease moved up her spine. She knew this signature. It was Sara. Her eyes snapped open, and Cade stood over her, his face unreadable in the shadow. She saw the flash of his teeth, and she felt someone strike her in the back of the head, the world went black.

Malik pushed his stallion, and the crowd scrambled to clear the streets, scared of being run over by numerous thundering horses. The horns had begun to sound. There was a skirmish at the western gate. His heart clenched, and he spurred the horse harder, looking forward. He heard his friends to his side and behind. The soldiers shouted orders. But as he grew closer and closer- Ludis was consuming his mind. He had sent her here. He hinted her to go. Reaching the gate, he saw the soldiers setting off through the gate at a gallop and jumped down.

“WHERE IS SHE?” Malik boomed, and the whole crowd went quiet. As it parted, he saw the western gates’ commander standing over a small pile of blood in the snow, and Malik fell to his knees. They were too late. Ludis was gone, Cade and Joseph traitors.

Ben jumped from his horse behind Malik and leaned down next to the blood. He could see the small indentations in the snow, and he knew that Ludis had sat there. Stella ran to her brother, as Royce approached him. Royce’s face was lit with fury. He grabbed a handful of snow.

“She’s alive. And this happened recently. The blood hasn’t dried or changed color yet.”

He turned and thundered for the commander.

" The blonde man, what direction did he go with the Mage?” the man saluted his general.

" Through the gate, sir! Knights Cade and Joseph snatched Master Ludis and booked it out the gate on horseback, I have sent a squad but -” The sound of hooves made them turn, Ben already running, Royce behind him. Kora was through the gate already on Oginalii, right on the King’s heels. Stella, atop Atsila, was right behind them. Gaining ground, they caught up with Malik and Kora. Kora was drawing power so much they could see it. Ben, Royce, and Malik, who normally could not see magic, could see the fibers swirling around her, golden fire tinged with emerald, green. Standing in her saddle, she screamed. The magic shot forth and the earth cracked-shooting down the road like lightening. The horses were frightened and ran harder. Years of training and trust in their riders kept them on course. Kora was unaffected, standing in her saddle as Oginalii ran like his life depended on it, her hair was streaming behind her. Her eyes glowed - beams of gold and green shooting out of them. When she spoke now, it was as if thunder boomed over the land. It took everything Stella had to keep her hands on the reins and not cover her ears.

" I will not surrender Ludis to our enemy! Hear me and show me the truth. Show me Ludis, stop her attackers! Deirdre, your mage needs you! STOP THEM AT ANY COST!” Kora screamed, and now they covered their ears. Tears streamed down Stella’s face. Ahead, roots shot upward, an explosion of snow and earth. The trees were ripping themselves from the earth. Their roots rising and shooting down the road at alarming speed; the crack in the ground continued, with the riders on either side, racing the roots. The wind howled and hail started to fall, pelting everything except the riders. You could hear the river’s ice cracking. Then they saw it. A huge cage in front of them, rapidly building itself with the roots of the trees. The horses reared and thundered to a stop in front of the cage. Inside was Cade, Joseph and a few soldiers, Ludis slung across Cade’s saddle. Their horses were going crazy, their eyes rolling in fear, the vines were crawling up their legs, holding them and their riders still, unable to escape. Malik’s voice rang out over the cries of the terrified horses and men. A line from a childhood tale. Told to every child of Deirdre.

“Through the eyes of a Fae, Deirdre’s traitor will be revealed. The heavens shall thunder down, and all the land will rise to crush him.” His eyes were ice. Cade and Joseph were frozen in fear, the only ones not screaming. Kora, jumping from her horse’s back - eyes still glowing, began to growl - the vines began to move, making room for Malik to crawl in and retrieve Ludis. Kora was truly terrifying, she was now inches from Cade’s face, eyes still glowing with the power of the earth coursing through her. He closed his eyes, like the coward he was. Turning, she looked at Malik and Stella, the power was great, and her voice boomed.

" Let me feed them to the earth, she is hungry. Listen to her cry! She demands the traitor’s flesh!” Lightning flashed, and her face was illuminated, you could almost see the swirling mass inside her from those glowing eyes. Stella came forward, Royce standing in front of her. She peeked around him, and truly terrified, she called to Kora.

“Kora come back! We have Ludis, you can stop! Please, hear me, Kora!”

Kora screeched.

“My King, let us EAT THEM, THE EARTH DEMANDS BLOOD! LET US HAVE THEMMMMMMM” her voice boomed over the land; Kora wasn’t human, and for the first time They saw what a full fae looked like. Her skin was starting to turn a brownish gold, like she was the earth itself. Kora’s hair was growing, turning to vines. She was getting taller, her hands turning to deadly claws. Fangs sprouted in her face, she was beautiful, and deadly. Ben made his way forward, through the howling wind. Royce tried to grab him, but he missed. He grabbed Kora by a clawed hand. Pulling her down, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight.

“Come back to me Koraline, my love. Come back. You did it, Ludis is safe.” Ben whispered. Kora looked to the sky. She opened her mouth to scream, and a beam of light shot out of her mouth and eyes. The energy of the earth leaving her. The wind abruptly ceased, and the trees stopped growing. The hail softened, turning to snow. Kora collapsed in Ben’s arms. Clothes torn and unconscious. The captives stayed silent in fear behind her.