Page 68 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

Protectively, Herrick pulled her into his arms when she reached him.

“No!” Caliban repeated like a child throwing a tantrum. “She’s mine! You can’t have her!” He stomped toward them, a menacing scowl on what little could be seen of his masked face.

Herrick rolled his eyes as he tugged Zorina behind him. “Do you really think making her your prisoner will convince her to love you?”

Caliban shot a glare at Herrick, but quickly turned an appeasing look at Zorina. “Our souls are linked. You will both suffer if you choose him.”

“Assuming I live that long,” Herrick muttered under his breath. “And that he even gives you that choice.”

Caliban ignored his commentary and continued. “But if you choose me, our magic will be unstoppable. I know I am hideous, but—”

“It isn’t your face that horrifies me,” Zorina interrupted. “Not truly. It’s the darkness in your magic, in your soul—in your words and deeds—in your choices. That is where the fear resides…and why I will never choose you.”

Anger marred the fiend’s already twisted face. “Then let it be war upon you both.” Black and gray magic crackled in his palm as he stepped closer.

Anala hissed as she lunged at him, sharp claws extended.

Zorina grabbed Herrick’s arm and yanked him toward the middle of the room. “There’s another door over here,” she whispered, pointing to the doorway on the opposite corner from the hall.

Unfortunately, Anala’s distraction did not last long enough for them to reach it. The red panda scampered toward them with her striped tail between her legs, whimpering as if she’d been shocked.

Bolts of black and gray power sizzled in Caliban’s hand before a shot of it flew up into the chandelier above their heads. Then, he began to sing.

“Bring down the chandelier

To pummel through the fear.

If she will not have me,

Her own death she will see.

The man who claimed her heart

Will soon be torn apart!”

Blocking out the hateful words, Herrick stared up at the chandelier in horror as it began to shake, the crystals knocking into each other with a tinkling sound that grew into a loud roar. Large cracks split the ceiling at its base. “He’s going to pulverize us with the chandelier!” he cried, tugging on Zorina to pull her away.

But the stubborn woman would not budge. She stared up at the chandelier, aiming her own dark pink magic at it, though it seemed to do nothing against the vast power of Caliban’s twisted song and black magic combined.

Caliban laughed once his song drew to a close, the maniacal, unhinged sound so much more disturbing than the nearly falling light fixture.

Suddenly, the chandelier came crashing down toward them. Anala instinctually leapt out of the way. Herrick wrapped his arms around Zorina to yank her out of its path—or at the very least, shield her with his own body if he could not get her out of the way in time.

“Zorina!” Caliban shouted, grief and panic filling the cry as if he had just realized what he’d done.

Before Herrick could protect her, an unexpected force shoved them both out of the way and into an awkward pile of limbs on the floor. Zorina wound up underneath him, and he quickly moved off of her to ensure she was unharmed. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, staring up at him in shock. “What…happened?”

Herrick peered over at the shattered chandelier—and Caliban crushed underneath it.

Turning back to Zorina, he said, “I think he pushed us out of the way. But why?”

Zorina gasped as her gaze flew across the room and she immediately crawled over to the masked piper. “Caliban. Caliban, can you hear me?”

A groan drifted up from the tangled mess of chandelier and injured man. “Zorina,” Caliban whispered, his voice filled with pain and lamentation. “I-I nearly killed you…and yet you are here, beside me.” Tears dotted his dark eyes as deep remorse covered what could be seen of his expression. “I am ashamed. I do not deserve you. Go. I will free your soul. It reaches elsewhere, anyway…”

Herrick joined her, noting the tears filling her blue eyes. For her to have compassion on the insane man who’d kidnapped her and put all of them in danger was beyond his understanding. But the fact that she did made him love her even more.