Kelsey whirled towards Mara, crying in frustration. “Enough of this. Where is he, Father? What have you done with Desmond?”
Mara just shrugged. Kelsey appealed to Raga, who had her arm snugly wrapped around Caim’s waist. “Raga, please!”
Raga simply shook her head.
Kelsey glanced in desperation at Arati. Her sister’s gaze glanced upwards. Kelsey raised her eyes towards the ceiling and froze. Oh, Desmond. What have they done to you?
Desmond hung from the ceiling by a chain wrapped around his wrists. A thick gag had been shoved into his mouth.
She took a step towards Mara. “Let him go,” she ordered.
“He is not mine to let go, Daughter. You have a prophecy to fulfill. After that, I will release all your friends and family, including your dear Desmond, and grant you any wish you desire. If you refuse, I will kill them all and they will remain here with me in the Naraka realm as my lovely servants until you choose to come home. The choice is entirely yours if you wish to release them. But I’ll bring your toy closer to you so you know he’s alive and relatively unharmed.”
They slowly lowered Desmond towards the ground until his feet dangled just inches from the floor. He was covered in blood from the many cuts the demons had inflicted on him. Though his expression was pained, his eyes remained clear and he beseeched her. She recognized the look he gave her. Don’t worry about me. Save yourself.
She closed her eyes. Everyone she loved was here. All of her family in one room.
“It’s time,” Kenmut ordered. “Release the soldier so he can fulfill his purpose.”
The demons dragged Robbie to his feet and pushed him towards Kelsey.
Kenmut stared at Kelsey. “The prophecy must be fulfilled, and you must die at the hands of a blood relative. It must be done. Do not fear death, Princess. It is of no consequence to you. You will return as Tanha or as any other creature you’d like.”
But I want to be Kelsey Porter.
“I won’t kill her,” Robbie spit out.
Master Dov moved to Robbie’s side. “Robbie, she means nothing. She is not a human. She is a demon. Do what you were taught. This is why your life was spared and you were sent to Pritvhi. Fulfill your purpose!”
Robbie’s eyes filled with disgust. “Do not talk to me, you traitorous fiend! All these years you’ve been training me to kill my own sister! Your own daughter!”
Master Dov waived his hand dismissively. “She is not my daughter. She is a demon and you’ve trained your entire life to kill them. That is all she is. Since when do you care about the lives of monsters?”
“When the demon is my sister, that’s when! I will not kill her! It is you I should kill.” Robbie rushed towards Master Dov, but the Hell Guards held him back.
Mara seemed bored. “Let me make this easy on you soldier.” With a flick of his wrist both Ari and Jay rose from the ground and floated over to Kelsey, stopping a few feet in front of her. In seconds the sounds of invisible whips sounded and both men fell to the ground screaming in agony. Smoke rose from their backs where the flaming whips had touched them.
Kelsey turned to her father. “This is not about them. They’ve done nothing. Leave them alone!”
Mara ignored her. “I could do this for an eternity, Robbie, though I don’t think they will last that long. Now kill her and let’s end this already so the festivities can begin. This is becoming tedious.”
Robbie didn’t move, and Jay and Ari were whipped again and Kelsey’s heart hitched every time they shrieked.
“Stop it!” Kelsey screamed. She ran to their sides but a demon guard reached out his arm and pushed her back. With a glance she sent out her powers, throwing the guard across the room and out of her way. She bent down to Ari. His shirt had been burned clear through and she could see the fiery welts underneath, blistering before her eyes.
“I will get you out of here,” she whispered. “Be strong.”
“Don’t worry about me, Kelsey,” he said, breathing hard through his pain. “Do what you have to do.”
He knows who I am!
The Demon Auns turned to Robbie again. “Are you going to do this or not?”
Robbie pursed his lips and shook his head. “I would sooner die.”
“I’m sure that will be a possibility in the not so near future.” The Demon Auns turned to Mara. “It appears Robbie has failed me. He is obviously not as strong as the order thought him. I will handle this myself.” The demon threw a firebolt at Kelsey, which hit her and threw her into the far wall, pinning her there. Her clothing burned around her. With all her will Kelsey pushed the flames away and she fell to her knees in a crouch.
Kenmut shook his head. “You know that won’t work, Auns. It must be blood. Benjamin Porter was not her birth father. That is the only thing that will end the prophecy.”
“I will do it,” the Emperor uttered. He rose and faced Kelsey. All the blood had drained from his face. “I’m her blood, or was. I will do it.” A guard handed him a sword.
She stared at him in horror. She’d loved this man, too. “You would kill me, Emperor?”
The Empress grabbed at his robes, pleading with him to leave Kelsey alone. He pushed her aside. “It must be done or everything will be lost.” He ran towards Kelsey and held the sword high. Robbie moved fast and threw the flying darts at his side at the Emperor, and the world for Kelsey went on hold.
The universe suddenly switched to slow motion. Kelsey noticed everything happening at once, with total clarity. The Emperor coming to kill her, just moments from touching her skin and ending her life. The expression in his eyes empty and void of any of the love he’d held for her. Robbie throwing the flying darts with expert precision. Time moved so slowly she could see three of them floating in the air, coming straight towards the Emperor’s back.
A flick of her eyes saw the Empress throw herself forward and into the path of the flying darts, just like she’d done when Caim had tried to murder Jagan when he’d been human. The Empress was again preparing to sacrifice herself to save the man she loved.
The universe was repeating its dance. No matter how many centuries went by, nothing was new. Nothing ever changed. No matter what Kelsey did, nothing would ever be different unless she acted. They would be destined to repeat this dance for lifetime after lifetime. Kelsey realized she was Tanha and would always be Tanha. No matter what she did, she could not escape from who she was. She could not escape being Mara’s daughter, and everything she did to try to change it would end with those she loved deceiving her.
But she could still save the one person who always looked out for her. With no more thought of herself, Kelsey threw herself into the path of the flying darts. She would not allow the Empress to die again, for she knew what this woman had done. What her first mother had done. She’d loved her and cared for her when Kelsey had first come to Xanadu. She was the one who had taken the pain away so Kelsey could touch Desmond again after the Asura war. Kelsey saw all of this because she was a demon and had finally accepted her place. Now she had total clarity of what had happened to her during her entire existence.
As the three flying darts hit Kelsey directly in her chest, she saw Robbie’s horrified expression, she saw Ari screaming her name, Patricia crying, and Desmond flailing on the rope.
The pain roared in. She saw the evil glee in Mara’s eyes. The smug satisfaction in Kenmut and Master Dov’s expressions. All of it would be gone soon. All her loves, gone. She’d never see them again as Kelsey Porter. This life would soon be over.
The darts impaled themselves in her. Not just any darts, but ones imbued with the magic to kill a demon. Kelsey’s body filled with pain. The agony of the thousands of deaths she suffered roared in and she fell in a crumpled heap onto the cold granite floor.
Kelsey felt the Empress grab her and grip her close. Their bodies burned at their touch but the Empress didn’t stop as she cradled her daughter.
Kelsey had one final moment to see the Emperor glance at the Demo
n Auns and nod knowingly. Auns then stared down at Kelsey with a strange expression in his eyes. He moved his hand to his ring finger, and then her world went dark.
Chapter Nineteen
Kelsey floated through the bardos. Every time she’d died as a human she’d been sent to one of these three before she’d move on to another life. At no point did she ever travel to Xanadu, the fourth bardos, after one of her deaths.
Until now.
Kelsey saw a row of souls lined up outside the monastery to choose where their next incarnation would be. She floated up to them and took her place in line.
A monk met her. “They’d like to see you inside, Tanha. We think you know the way.”
Confused, Kelsey walked up the steps of the monastery and moved through the familiar halls into the meeting room where the Emperor and Empress waited for her. Without any preamble the Empress took her in her arms, and Kelsey steeled herself for the pain her touch would inflict.
It didn’t come.
The Empress took a step back and gave Kelsey a smile of pure relief. “You came.” She brushed a strand of straight black hair out of Kelsey’s face and placed it behind her ear. “My precious Odgerel.”
The Emperor moved next to her and Kelsey turned to him. She was still so angry at him. So confused. “You tried to kill me. How could you? After you knew who I was.”
He stared at his daughter and Kelsey saw an expression in his eyes she’d never seen from him before. Vulnerability.
“I have waited for centuries for you and here you were, right in front of me all these years. They never told me.”
Kelsey squinted. “It doesn’t explain your actions.”
The Emperor paused for a moment. “There are times when actions don’t seem right, but they are. In the scheme of the continuum, I had to do what I had to do. I promise, my actions were necessary. Eventually, it will all become clear.” He clasped her hands and she allowed it. “Tell me, Starlight. Where do you wish to go next? The universe is yours.”
Kelsey raised her brows, confused. “Where do I wish to go? I died. Am I not destined to stay here with you now?”
The Empress shook her head. “While your father and I would love to have you stay with us and help rule the bardos, we are not so selfish to ask this of you. Not after everything you’ve done. You can choose whatever path you’d like now. You’re released from the prophesy. You could be Tanha in the form you are now and return to Mara’s side if you choose. We know how strongly that world appeals to you. Or you can become a Buddha, achieve nirvana, and release yourself of any physicality. You’ve proven yourself of this greatest of honors. Or you could choose to be reborn as a human and let fate take its course. My daughter, you can choose any realm you wish. Every doorway is now opened to you.”
Kelsey bit her lip and walked over to the open window. She stared out at the expanse of Xanadu. The ribbons in the sky streaked across the land in brilliant shades of orange and yellow. She searched for the black dot in the sky, but the rift was gone.
So much had happened and there were so many choices to consider. She remembered every one of her human lifetimes and how preciously fragile they had been. She also remembered how much she enjoyed being a demon in the hell realms with every one of her carnal desires being met. She also recalled the power she had ruling over the gods in Aihika. She could be the ruling queen in that realm if she returned.
But nothing compared to the one life she so desperately wanted to live.
She turned back to the Emperor and Empress. “I want to be human again. Is there any chance I can go back to being Kelsey Porter? Is my body even still alive?”
The Empress welled up with tears of relief. “Yes, it is, Kelsey. It’s being watched over. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you chose that path.” She kissed her on both her cheeks. “Xanadu will always be open for you to come home. We will always be here for you and even if we don’t see you again in this lifetime, we know we will meet again.”
Kelsey stared at her parents, still not quite understanding why the Emperor had done what he had done, and not understanding why she might not see them again in this lifetime, but she realized there were questions she might not ever get answers for. And with that final thought, Kelsey floated away.
* * * * *
Kelsey awoke in a simply decorated bedroom with a thick red quilt covering her body. Two twin beds, simple wooden furniture and bare walls, save for a small hanging tapestry, made up the room.
The Abbott of Abora sat next to her on a small wooden stool.
“Welcome back, Kelsey.”
She sat up and blinked. “Venerable Sir, where am I?” Her voice was raspy and her throat hurt. The Abbott handed her a cup of water. She realized she was parched and thankfully drank it down.
“You’re at the Bodhidharma Monastery in the monk’s dormitory. We found you collapsed in the meeting room with us after we all returned to our bodies.”
“So you remember what happened at the Naraka Palace?” Kelsey asked, pointedly.
The Abbott nodded. “We remember everything. We’ve been waiting for you. Protecting you and wondering to which path you’d return.”
“How long has it been Abbott?”
“Two days, child. I’ve sat here and waited, and prayed. It was the least I could do, in light of your continued sacrifice and servitude to the continuum.”
Kelsey bit her lip. “Two days I’ve been gone?”
The monk smiled. “Deciding where to spend your next lifetime requires consideration. But you made your choice, and it should be celebrated. Let’s get you something to eat. Are you able to get yourself dressed?” Kelsey nodded and he stood to leave and give her privacy.
Kelsey stared at the Abbott and at the Shaolin Monk guarding the door. “Wait, sir. Before you go, what about the others who were with us in the palace? My friends and family? Please, do you know what happened to all of them?”
The Abbott hedged. “I do, but it is not my story to tell. But I will take you to those who can.”
Still so many riddles. Kelsey got dressed and then met the Abbott in a small dining chamber. They shared a simple meal of bread with honey and green tea. When she was finished he brought her outside, and they strolled into a small walled garden she’d never entered before. The garden was void of flowers in the wintry air, but she knew from the dormant roses and vines that it would be beautiful in the summer. A Buddha statue rested in the center of the space, and areas surrounding it were designed for meditation. But what startled her was the brilliant doorway that stood open against the far wall. Its door was ajar and showed a world beyond of glittery sand meeting an ocean.
She stared at the monk with wide eyes. “You have a portal right here at the monastery? Where does this door take you?”
His eyes were kind. “To a world previously closed to you, but is yours now to roam. Go through and all will be explained.”
Kelsey tentatively stepped up to the doorway and peeked through. She had an idea which world this would take her to.
Pritvhi.
She moved through the doorway and came out on a beach. She walked in daylight and a warm, gentle wind rustled her hair. The sand below her feet shimmered with quartz chips that glittered rose gold sparkles in the sunlight.
“Kelsey, you came!”
Kelsey whirled around and Desmond stood before her. He was strong and unhurt, wearing the clothing of Aihika, down to the quiver of arrows at his hip. With a cry of pure happiness, she dove into his arms and hugged him fiercely. “You’re alive!” She kissed him deeply.
Desmond returned her kisses and finally pulled back. He cupped her chin and stared at her in wonder. “I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. I didn’t know where you’d decide to come back to.”
“Oh, Desmond. I couldn’t leave you.” She kissed him again, overwhelmed at the love she felt for this man.”
When they finally pulled apart, she stared into his brilliant blue-green eyes. “You thought I would return t
o Mara’s side?”
He sighed. “It was a possibility.”
No, it wasn’t. Not after what I saw him do to you.
“Desmond, what happened? How am I even alive? Robbie’s darts impaled me. I could feel what they did to me. How they were killing me.”
“I remember, Kelsey. Watching that happen to you was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure in my entire life. What happened is that you fulfilled the prophecy, but you did it in your usual Kelsey Porter way. You sacrificed yourself to save someone else, and by doing that you were released from the fate that bound you since you first left Mara’s kingdom. It’s all over. You’re finally free.”
Free?
“But what happened to the others? How did you even get away? And what about Ari, Jay, and Patricia? And Robbie and Josh? Did the demons hurt them?” Her expression darkened. “And what about Kenmut and the Demon Auns? Are they rotting in hell right now with my father? You have to tell me, Desmond. Even if it’s hard for me to hear, I must know. Please, no more secrets.”
He hedged. “Come with me, Kelsey. I think you should see something.”
“Desmond, please. I have to know.”
He smiled that quirky, lopsided grin of his that she loved. “Just trust me. A few more minutes is all I ask, and then no more secrets forever.”
They ambled off the beach and strolled through a great park filled with flowering gardens. Musicians played and their lyrics lilted through the air with notes from pianos and harps that tore at her heart with their purity and beauty. In the distance Kelsey could see the landscape of a majestic city. Its buildings differed from the architecture on Earth and looked unlike anything she’d ever seen before. The land of Pritvhi filled her mind and heart with wonder. It was a realm filled with shapes and colors that even fantasy movies depicting grand cities couldn’t rival in their imagination. Spirals reaching to the sky. Buildings seemingly built out of sparkling purple and rose quartz and dotted with mica. Greenery breaking through the purest of white clouds as if hidden gardens floated there. Even the smell defied belief. Pure and unfiltered, as if what Earth would smell like without the toxins of the environment poisoning the very air they breathed on a daily basis. The land of Pritvhi was otherworldly and gorgeous, and it reminded her a touch of the ethereal Elven world, Rivendale, in the Tolkein novels.
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