The Matriarch's Daughter

Chapter Sixteen: No Authority

Thepa froze, her body rigid as Zelphina's mocking laughter echoed in her mind. The air around her shimmered with particles of dust caught in the sunlight, swirling in slow motion as if the world itself had paused to watch her unravel. Toward the Spire, Thepa glimpsed a familiar elf making her way toward the chaos. Their eyes locked for a brief, suspended moment, concern etched into every line of the elf's face. But then her gaze flicked past Thepa, settling on the crumpled figure laying at her hooves.

The apparition's green eyes rolled back into her head.

Behind her, Thepa heard the heavy thud of boots pounding against the cobblestones. A female warrior was charging, her eyes locked on Thepa. Had she believed the whole thing real, she might have moved to protect herself, but shock shook her body. Instead, she ever so slightly held out her arms hoping to embrace the oncoming blow, wishing the sudden hit might stir her from her slumber; neither of which happened.

Instead, the warrior skidded to her knees beside the fallen figure, her movements frantic compared to the world around them. She winced as her knees hit the ground, muttering something under her breath as her hands hovered over the wounded apparition. The elf was already there, chanting, fingers twisting in the air in a desperate attempt to summon magic. But nothing happened. No spark, no glow, no healing energy.

"What did you expect?" Zelphina's voice slithered. "The wicked deserve neither rest nor good."

Despite herself, Thepa almost laughed. It's just a dream. It has to be.

But the fear in the elf's eyes said otherwise. Her hands moved quickly, lifting the phantom's shirt to reveal a grotesque sight—muscle and bone twisted in unnatural ways, as if the body had been mangled from within. Thepa wasn't an expert, but even she knew the prognosis wasn't good...not that it mattered. It was simply a trick of the mind, another confirmation that the tiny threads keeping it together were starting to unravel.

"It's bad," the elf muttered, her voice strained. "Internal bleeding... cracked, maybe broken ribs. For some reason I can't heal her. Even if I could, if her ribs are broken, I can make the situation worse by healing them without setting them. We need to get her back to the hospital."

The warrior nodded grimly, her blonde hair swinging with the movement. For the first time, Thepa noticed the horns—two sharp, black protrusions curving from the woman's head. With the image, the name Zuna silently crossed her lips snapping the threads of her mind taunt. Synapses started to fire sending rapid signals to her ever-increasing heartbeat. With each passing moment, the world caught up to her at rapid speed. All of a sudden what had only been Zelphina's taunting voice, was now shouts and cries heard all across the street.

"Not a dream, not a dream, not a dream," Thepa said repeating the mantra.

Zuna turned toward her, saying something, but Thepa couldn't hear her. The dam holding back her emotions had burst, and everything she had bottled up for months came crashing down, a flood of rage and pain surging through her veins. Tears burned at the edges of her eyes, but she swallowed them down, her fury rising to the surface like a storm.

And then, in her peripheral vision, she saw him—the merchant. The vile man who had struck Rory, who had dared to touch her sister.

Fire ignited in her chest, hotter than any forge. Every ounce of rage, every drop of grief, fueled her now. Thepa's body moved before her mind could catch up, her voice a raw snarl as she pointed a trembling finger at the cowering merchant.

"You!" she shouted, her voice cracking with fury. "Do you have any idea who that is? I will make you pay for what you've done."

The man backed away, his face drained of color, but it wasn't enough. Fear wasn't enough. Her blood pounded in her ears as she lunged at him, faster than she ever thought possible. Before Zuna or the elf could react, Thepa was on him, her fist connecting with his face in a sickening crunch.