NIGHT by I Rin (best books to read .TXT) 📕

sand. The huge spiders were scattering in all directions. And then a vast formless monster, which had closed the half of the sky, rose over the mountains. It stretched its tentacles, which were grabbing and sucking the huge spiders, like over-ripe fruits...

“Do not look back!” Swein said. “We have too little time!”

And they spurred their horses. Soon they were hid by the fog and in a few hours our heroes came near Margo’s house.

“What was there - in the mountains?” Lica asked the Prince.

“I do not know. I think Margo will explain everything soon!”

The riders turned to the cave and dismounted. Swein took the Book of Destiny out of his bag carefully and they went inside. Ironically, Margo had been already waiting for them.

“At last!” she exclaimed. “Have you brought the Book?”

She rushed to Swein, trying to wrest the tome from his hands. But the Prince dodged and said:

“Be patient, Margo! First of all you have to explain everything!”

“What do I have to explain?”

“Everything!”

The witch flushed but then pulled herself together and said:

“All right! Come with me to the hall.”

She went into the corridor and Lica with the Prince followed her.

Margo’s revelation

Our heroes came into the room and sat down on the sofa and the witch took the place opposite them.

“Ask!” she said to Swein.

“What happened in the dungeons when I killed the Wizard?”

“In fact, the Wizard had sold his soul to Devil and when you killed him you unconsciously let the evil out.”

“What will happen now?”

“I will try to stop him there - in the canyons!”

“Margo, could you answer one more question? Why did you need Edward's body?”

“You died, Swein! Haven’t you forgotten that?”

“Then why do you keep my body? Angelica has been in my tomb and opened my coffin. She says that my body hasn’t changed at all. No decay, decomposition or mummification. I think that you have done something with it!”

Margo started. Then she rose from the chair and began walking around the room nervously.

“I always thought that this girl was too curious, but now...”

The witch suddenly stopped and said:

“I have sworn to your father to keep this secret. But now, I see, if I don’t tell you anything, it will be even worse. So listen... When your father brought you, wounded, you were on the verge of death. While I was treating you, we talked a lot with your father about your destiny and the future. According to the ancient manuscripts you had to die very young. But your death would jeopardize the future all of the people of Goblins. Because it was you who would be able to take them back to normal life and to the sunlight. Therefore, your father begged me to cheat the prophecy so as you would managed to finish your mission. And your injury had shown again that you were a mere mortal man... To cheat the ancient prediction was impossible but to play the scenario, which was described there, with the least loss for you was quite possible. Therefore, I and your father decided to play this tragedy, titled ‘The death of Swein’. Just think of it... You died young and were buried in the tomb. The prophecy had come true! Consequently your fate had to retreat. Besides, everyone calmed down... and especially the Wizard did.”

“I do not understand,” Swein shrugged his shoulders. “But why had you rather cure me?”

“And what! You would rush back to the Wizard again! And where was the guarantee, that the second time, he finally would not have killed you! And then it was the end of hopes of your nation! And so... I just separated your soul and your body, held some rituals as not to anything happen to it and started waiting.”

“Did you? What for?”

“When your time came!”

“But why did you involve Edward?” Lica suddenly shouted.

“Because Edward just turned out to be the most ‘suitable occasion’. No, you do not think it was unfair! No one had made him. He decided to give his soul for the potion himself. But the Prince was young and strong and far more experienced in combat than Swein. Without the soul his would have died within a few days and that's when I had the brilliant idea to put his soul into the Prince Swein’s body. On the one hand, I had saved Edward from imminent death and on the other hand, I had given the opportunity to Swein to fulfill his destiny with the least loss. However, I did not tell anyone about my decision, not even Swein’s father. I was afraid that he could stop me.”

“But why? Why have you done that?” Swein asked in amazement. “I doubt that you are really worried of the goblins’ fate!”

Margo paused a little and then said firmly:

“Because I love your father, Swein!”

“What?” the Prince could not believe his ears.

“Yes, and I have loved him for a long time!” the witch said calmly.

“So that's why! Well, Father! You are the old rascal!” the young man exclaimed in surprise. “And what are you going to do next? After all, we have brought you the Magic Crystal and the Book of Destiny!”

“I'll get your soul to your body back. And Edward will rest in the Valley of Oblivion!”

“I do not agree!” Angelica exclaimed. “That's not fair! You have used Edward's body and now you want to get rid of it as an unnecessary thing?”

Margo sat down in the chair and looking at the girl’s eyes, asked:

“And what do you suggest?”

“I want the Prince’s soul to get back to his body!”

“She's right!” Swein supported Angelica. “Is it possible?”

“Yes, it is,” the witch nodded.

“What do you need for that?” Lica asked.

“Oh... a trifle! You must go to the Ghosts Fields, to find the soul of dead Edward there, catch it and bring to me! Next it is my business, as they say! But as the Prince has given his soul willingly, only True Love’s Kiss will bring him back to life. So the life of Edward is in your hands, Angelica!”

“Yeah,” Swein said grimly.

Slowly rising from the sofa, he silently handed the Book of Destiny to Margo and walked out of the room...

“Well, so what?” the hostess of the cave asked Lica. “Are you ready for this rate?”

The girl was thinking.

“And what if it was not the kiss of true love?” she said finally.

“The soul of the Prince wouldn’t return to his body! But why did you ask? Do not you love Edward?”

Angelica started crying...

“Margo,” she said, sobbing, “the problem is that I cannot understand my feelings! I think I'm in love with several men at once. I do not know what to do!”

“Wow!” the witch was laughing. “And you, I see, the girl who does not miss! Well, it is clear that you love the Prince... But have you fallen in love with Swein too?”

“And not only Swein,” Lica murmured.

“Is there someone else?” Margo burst of laughing. “Who is it?”

“The Prince of vampires,” Angelica said very quietly.

“Wow!” the witch exclaimed. “You have hit me to the core! Anyway you have to decide! After all Edward’s life is in your hands.”

“Can I get some rest and think about it? I'm so sick and tired of all of this.”

“Of course, we have a few days. So while you are having rest, I will be reading the Book of Destiny.”

Having said that, the witch stood up and left the room and the girl lay down on the sofa and immediately fell asleep...

 

It was not a surprise when she woke up at home in the morning. Her parents have not come back yet.

"That's good!” Lica decided. “No one will distract me of thinking...”

Part 5

Difficult choice

The whole following week Angelica didn’t look like herself. She automatically attended the institute, did tasks and tests. But her thoughts were somewhere far away. She kept thinking of Margo’s words that the life of Edward was in her hands. However, she could not forget either Swein or the Prince of vampires.

“Flirt, deceiver!” Lica scolded herself, but it did not help.

Finally, she decided to talk to her friend Sveta.

“Sveta, what would you do if you fell in love with three guys at the same time?” the girl asked Sveta, while visiting her at home.

“Well, apparently, I wouldn’t do that!” Sveta laughed. “And I think that it never happens! You cannot love everybody at the same time. Whatever one of them you like more than others!”

“It happens!” Angelica muttered gloomily.

“Are you in love with someone?” her friend asked with interest.

“No, I just asked… it’s interesting!” the girl replied. “But if the life of one of these guys depended on you, then what would you do?”

“Well, then you should choose this guy, though as in duty bound! Look, I think you have a secret, come on tell me!”

“There's nothing to tell, I said that just theoretically!”

The girls chatted a little and Lica went home. At home she had dinner, exchanged a few words with her parents and locked in her room.

“Sveta was right,” Angelica thought. “Duty is above all! So I must save Edward and forget about Swein and Prince of vampires.”

Thinking about that she had a headache but finally she decided to be resolute...

At the weekend Lica’s parents were going to their friends’ country house.

“Would you like to go with us?” her mother asked.

“No, thanks!” Angelica shook her head. “We are too tired of each other, so this weekend we just need to rest separately!”

Her mother laughed, patted Lica’s hair and went out.

The girl went back to her room, opened the wardrobe and took her jeans, which she was wearing in the Kingdom of Night. She put her hand into the jeans pocket and pulled out the dirk.

“I think it is time to visit the witch!” Angelica said aloud.

She quickly got dressed, made her hair in a ponytail and went to the mirror. Already having got used to wielding her dirk, Lica inserted it between the mirror glass and the frame. When the mirror became dull, she stepped forward, took the knife and jumped in to the room of Prince Edward’s castle.

But she was not going to look for Henry. Not to make a noise she sneaked in the stables through the castle courtyard. There she saddled the horse, climbed slowly and went out of the yard.

“I will not say anything to Henry yet!” the girl decided. “I don’t want to worry the old man.”

She sent her horse towards the City of goblins. She knew this road very well and the moonlight helped her to light the way. Angelica pulled the reins and rushed galloping. She was riding as suddenly she felt a nasty chill inside. Lica looked around; although she did not notice anything strange, she suddenly began to be afraid of something.

“What is this?” the girl was worried. “I am not here for the first time and I have never felt anything like that before. The worst was when I fell asleep.”

She tried to pull herself together and not paying attention on her troubles to go on. Bypassing the City of goblins, Angelica turned to the right. A few hours later she got to the road that was running past Swein’s tomb.

“Well, I am going to be at Margo’s soon!” Lica thought relieved.

But here some excitement and trembling had been overcome her.

“What is wrong with me today?” Angelica exclaimed indignantly.

She pulled the reins and directed the horse to the rising mountains ahead...

After another couple of hours she got to the mountains and turned towards the witch's cave. There she jumped off the horse, tied it at the entrance and went inside. There wasn’t anybody in the first room. Lica was going along the corridor to the familiar room. When she came in, she saw Margo, sitting in the armchair with the long pipe in her hand.

“At last!” she said quietly. “Have you chosen yet?”

“Yes!” Angelica nodded. “But at first I must talk to Swein!”

“The Prince is in his room, reading the Book of Destiny.”

“Thank you!” she said and went to his room.

The Prince was sitting at the