Bride of Alvar (Redemption Saga, Book 1)

Chapter 19

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Drums pound in my ears and a droning hum of voices shivers the ground as I open my eyes to darkness. Something is tied over my eyes, it's wet and slick like leather. My hands are tied behind my back. My feet are free, but I realize getting up with the blindfold on and hands tied behind my back would inevitably lead to falling or hitting myself into something.

Oh my... is this it? The end of life. And like that, everything, all the turmoil of my youth snaps through my memories and I wonder if Emily had thought of the same memories when they'd mistaken her for me...

I thought of the first time I'd told Emily about being betrothed to Alvar.

Then the time when she'd sat me down in the coffee shoppe and explained to me why I needed to accept Mike's marriage proposal and get Mom psychiatric help.

"He'll close that door, Lucy," she'd insisted. "You need someone to keep you here. On Earth."

"Funny choice of words," I'd said dryly.

"You couldn't ask for better than Mike, he's the good kind of normal," she'd said, and we laughed together.

"Okay, but you'd better be my maid of honor."

"You know, Lucy... you need to get your mom some help, her outburst at the reference to the possibility of you having a boyfriend wasn't-um-healthy," Emily scolded, as if it were my fault Mom acted the way she did.

"I know," I'd bit my lip and tried not to cry, because I was ashamed and felt deprived of normalcy. So much of my life had been tied up in my mother's delusions.

Under my tight blindfold tears pool. Others have been raised with worse, and yet, I realize I'm terribly miserable with the memories my life possesses at this point. I've never had control or a say in anything and now I don't have control or a say in whether I live or die by the hand of Maggort.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The drumming is getting louder. I open my mouth to say something, to ask what's going on, but I can't.

For all I know, someone is standing over me with a knife pointed at my breast about to sacrifice me in some kind of religious ritual.

No. I'm not ready, just when I'd started letting myself live I'm about to die. Just when I found someone who understands me, I have to say goodbye. God, I know I've been whiny and pathetic and haven't done much with the time I've been given, but I promise, if I live I'll find a way to make it right with those I've wronged and be strong to stand up for myself. 

"She's awake!" Maggort's voice cheers and is joined by a chorus of voices joining him as the humming stops. The beating of the drums continues.

"Alvar will retaliate," I quickly say. "He will be very angry at you for killing me."

"Kill you?" Maggort snorts with laughter. I smell and feel rancid breath on my face. "Wouldn't dream of it, dear," he whispers, then thankfully the smell and heat of his closeness leaves me and I hear him declare, "WE SEND THE EARTH QUEEN BACK NOW! Without her, there is no treaty and we can take Earth."

So that's what this is about. They're sending me back to Earth?

"You might not make the journey though, the Bridge has been collapsing as of recent," Maggort whispers to me with a chuckle. "You know, the other bride was prettier than you?"

And you're one to talk about beauty. But I have little time to process this information and insult because an incredibly loud roar shakes the ground interrupting the "going away" party they're throwing me.

What now? My heart can't take much more, nor can the level of adrenaline pulsing in my veins.

Shrieks of terror from gobli, the sound of running feet on stone.

Another closer roar quakes the ground. Whatever it is, it's angry and of immense size.

I hear Maggort cry out and then, a snap. The sound of bones cracking as if they are candy.

I scream and huddle, bringing my knees to my chest and tucking my head down. I've never felt so alone. Unable to move. Unable to see. Waiting for a horrific unforeseen beast to devour me.

Thud. Something drops next to me. Something about the size of a body. I can tell by the sound. It's the squish of flesh against rocks.

I flinch. I can't stop trembling. Oh, God! What is out there?

"Untie her!" An incredibly loud and deep voice booms. The monster is speaking. "NOW."

Grimy gobli hands touch me, fumbling for my bonds.

"Don't touch me!" I scream at the creature, lashing out with what little will power I have left.

"Be still!" the monster voice commands. "All will be over soon."

I freeze when my eyes are assaulted by light as the blind fold is removed. To my surprise we're not in the mines and caverns, but outside, on the mountains of Ferar. The moons beam down brightly upon us, illuminating the rocky landscape and the bloody scene before me.

As I'd suspected, just feet from me is the crushed body of a gobli. I quickly avert my gaze from the disturbing image of his broken corpse, but find myself instead looking up upon a horrific dragon-like creature. A creature flown in from nightmares. It's sheer size is larger than any living land creature back on Earth. It's great jagged black wings are outstretched in aggression and powerful jaws are wrinkled in a snarl with sharp white teeth glinting in the moonlight. Red eyes stare menacingly at the gobli undoing my shackles. A scar trails up the side of it's serpent-like face.

I finally understand why his people fear his Cursed form so. This is my husband and the paintings back in the halls of the Underlund palace hadn't done the terror of his appearance justice.

Thank you for checking out my book. This is only a third of the way through the story... The rest of this book is available on Amazon, it's about the price of a Starbucks latte and lasts much longer. ;)