Aqua Jewel

Chapter 12 - Fate

Alyk's fault ... Alyk's fault ... the words played over and over in my mind like a heartbeat. Alyk was the reason my mother was about to be murdered.

I was brought back to my senses by a sudden sharp pain around my neck. I stumbled backwards, my hands coming up to my throat instinctively. I felt a cold metal chain under my fingertips and horror struck as I realized what was trying to choke me. My necklace was being pulled back by its pendant, harder now, harder still.

I couldn't breathe. Pure panic settled in.

I tried to grab at the chain, to pry it off, but my efforts were useless against the tightening force causing my necklace to dig into my throat.

Tears of desperation escaped from my eyes. I tried to cry out in pain, but all that came out was a small squeak. Even that wasted most of my leftover breath.

My vision was becoming blurry, and my thoughts, clouded. The panic intensified, for I knew I was losing air.

The world was spinning around me. Everything seemed too confusing. My only clear thought was that I desperately needed to breathe. I collapsed backwards onto the floor.

"Lexa!" In the back of my mind, I heard my name being called, by whom I wasn't sure. I couldn't focus on anything at that moment.

Lying on my back made it no easier to breathe, and it made the pain worse. The chain was slowly making its way to the top of my neck, just under my chin, digging into the flesh and pulling harder than ever. Wherever it had already cut my neck stung like it was on fire, and I could feel warm droplets of blood forming.

Blackness threatened to take over, and it took every ounce of my energy and concentration to avoid it. I knew Lord Dennek wanted my necklace, and I knew that necklace was the most precious thing I owned, but at that moment I wanted nothing more than to let him have it.

Just let me breathe, I thought. Take away the pain.

As if fate had heard my silent plea, the chain finally slipped off my neck.

I gasped for breath, taking in as much air as I could before having to breathe out again.

I lay there, sprawled on the floor with my eyes squeezed shut, panting and coughing. My lungs ached from lack of air, and my neck and chin stung like I'd never experienced before. I brought my hand up to my throat, and found it wet with blood. Other than that however, I seemed fine.

Satisfied that I wasn't about to drop dead from major injuries or anything of the sort, I allowed myself to take in my surroundings once more.

I could hear Dennek laughing like a madman behind me. A feeling of dread replaced my sense of relief. Lord Dennek had my necklace now, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I rolled over onto my hands and knees, and stood up slowly, turning to face my enemy. Dangling from his open palm was my necklace. I recognized the scene from Trub's mirror immediately. The mirror had been right twice now, and there was only one more thing that was supposed to happen – the one I dreaded most.

Then I saw that there were already four other necklaces with different coloured pendants around the evil lord's neck. Scorching red, cloudy grey, fawn brown, and spring green. Somehow Dennek had pulled the necklaces off each of us.

Lord Dennek's cold black eyes glinted triumphantly. "You fools! Did you really believe you could outsmart the lord of Jesburgon? You must have known I'd have a backup plan." Lord Dennek laughed out loud. He slipped a leather glove off the hand that was not being used to hold my necklace and tucked it into a pouch at his hip. "Telekinesis can be a very useful talent, wouldn't you agree?" He smiled mysteriously.

Telekinesis – that must have been how he'd gotten the necklaces to come to him. But then, was Dennek's glove like the mirror? Did it contain the telekinetic talent?

"Now I am the one to possess all five legendary talents." I watched helplessly as Dennek slipped the remaining necklace over his head.

I held my breath and waited. A second passed, then two, then five. An undoubtedly confused expression crept onto the lord's face. He looked down expectantly at the five necklaces sitting innocently around his neck. I was not entirely sure what we were waiting for, probably something like what happened on the train.

The train ...

Something clicked into place in the back of my mind and the gears started turning. My jumbled thoughts began fitting together like puzzle pieces, creating a clear image.

Back on the train, I now remembered, our necklaces had glowed and buzzed, but only when Haras had shown up, because they'd sensed each other's presence. Then the necklaces had all connected. I recalled a brilliant flash of strange light, and a ball of aqua-blue splashing over my head, filling a part of me that I hadn't known was empty.

Water wasn't my necklace's talent, it was mine. My necklace had transferred it into me back on the train, just as my friends' necklaces had done to them. Therefore, Lord Dennek could not take over any of our talents because they were now well and truly our talents.

I smiled as my hope returned.

"What?" snapped Lord Dennek. "You find this funny?"

I crossed my arms and proudly announced my discovery.

"The necklaces don't have their talents anymore. They've already transferred them to us." I told him.

Only a few minutes ago, Dennek had been so smug and sure of himself. Now, seeing him in this state of confusion and disbelief, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"You can't have these legendary talents because we already have them," I finished, satisfied that I'd made the lord feel like an idiot.

I watched Dennek's eyes narrow, his forehead scrunching together, as he slowly realized what my words meant. His face went red; his jaw contorted into a horrible position that made him look like he was about bite something ... or someone. His hands balled into tights fists that looked ready to punch the living daylights out of me.

I didn't think I'd seen anyone so furious. Once again, I felt fear rise in the pit of my stomach.

Without warning, the enraged lord cried out in anger, as he ripped all five necklaces off and smashed them onto the tile floor with such force that I couldn't help but gasp and pray that my enchanting aqua jewel had not broken.

He looked me directly in the eyes. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Before I could process what he was saying, the lord swiftly drew a silver dagger. He then aimed with deadly precision, and threw it – directly at my mother's heart.

I could only watch in horror as the dagger soared across the room.

There was a blur of movement, and suddenly Alyk was in the dagger's path. It hit him square in the chest and he staggered backwards with the impact. The boy had just enough time to make eye contact with me, and I could see the clear apology in his dark eyes, before they became unfocussed and he crumpled to the floor.

He was surely dead.