“You’re the one who killed Liara,” Orren smirked.
Andrei shrugged. “That was in this realm, it doesn’t count.”
“She was a member of the Faery Court. She was the riskiest kill.” Killing anyone from the Seelie Realm brought them the most attention. The Unseelie Queen was sadistic and often punished people in ways that would have you begging for death. Often bored, she kept her eyes open for new victims. Killing Liara was a huge risk.
One they would take again if given the chance.
Orren sighed. “We should focus on the more prominent issues plaguing us. Like the two humans upstairs.”
Ridhor walked towards them holding several beers in his hand. He sat in his chair, chugging a beer before popping the cap off another. “Perhaps calling Ela sooner rather than later would be in our best interest.” Despite his previous outburst, he was calm. An emotionless statue once more.
Nodding in agreement, Orren pushed off the chair to make his way into his office. “Yes. I’ll get to it.”
He made his way through the house. Inside was silent. He wondered if Melas trusted them enough to sleep through the night. Maybe it had nothing to do with trust and more to do with being purely exhausted. From the time she came through these doors, she had fought a Vampire, a Berserker, and been hissed at and startled by an Oracle. For someone unfamiliar with the different realms and their beings, that was a lot to take in.
Walking into his office, he wondered how this might go.
Ela was the most powerful Oracle he knew. He never saw her angry before. Seeing her the way she was in the bathroom was enough to make him question what he knew about her.
Oracles and Seers were not a social group. It wasn’t as though they sat around a table breaking bread as they got to know one another. Their meetings were often the same, riddles through a mirror or readings of an object. There was never a moment when he felt their relationship was strong enough for him to brush something like breaking her barrier off as though it were nothing.
She was seething when she left, and she blamed him for whatever happened.
Crossing the room to the mirror, he touched the glass with his finger.
It rippled as it did before, the ripples reaching the edge of the mirror before they started again. “Ela,” He called into the mirror. “I know you’re there. I just want to talk with you, old friend.” He pressed his finger to the mirror again, hoping his light tone and familiarity would draw her out.
The ripples faded, the mirror calming finally.
A woman stood there. Her ash-blonde hair hanging in waves down the front of her naked chest. Dark streaks ran down her bright red-rimmed eyes, her hair a mess around her face. Her pale pink lips quivered as she looked at him with completely white eyes. Her hands were shaking, long pale blue fingernails clutching the thin grey fabric around her waist.
“Ela?” The woman standing before him was one he didn’t think he knew.
“Look at what she’s done to my barrier. It just keeps burning. Soon it will be completely gone.” She whimpered lifting a hand to cup her ears. “It’s so loud. I can hear it all. Shouting. Everyone is shouting. I can’t sort through it all. I can’t—” She choked on a sob.
Orren’s eyes were wide as he took a step towards the mirror. “How is this possible?” His mouth was gaping as he stared at the woman who’d been under that barrier all these years. “An Oracle’s barrier is—”
“Indestructible?” She spat the word out. She shook her head, thick tears streaming down her face as she looked down at the barrier still slowly disintegrating. “I am without a barrier. Without the barrier, everything is just slamming into me. I can’t live like this. I just can’t. She marked me, did you know? She marked me. Look!” She held her hand up. There was a shape there burnt into the flesh of her palm.
It was unsettling seeing her like this. She was always so collected. So ominous and aloof. Closer to the gods than she was to him, if gods were a thing. Now she seemed flustered, her sobs making her breath hitch in her throat as she looked at him with anger and desperation.
“I can’t tell you anything.” She said surly. “The magic. The mark. It prevents me from mentioning anything I might have seen of her, while also hiding the visions I saw when I touched her from me. This is ancient magic. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen. If I even tried to give you answers it would destroy me. You’ve killed me, do you know that Orren? You’ve killed me. If this mark doesn’t kill me, being without a barrier will. There is a reason Oracles have one. All of these thoughts, all of these screams slamming into me all the time.” She sobbed. “It’s killing me.”
He couldn’t have predicted something like this would happen but would admit this was his fault. He asked her to identify Melas and it cost her more than either of them thought was possible. “I can help you, but you would need to leave The Veil until we can figure out how to fix your barrier.”
Ela laughed, her eyes narrowing as she looked at him. “Now you wish to help me?” She sniffled, her nose running. “Look at what you’ve done.” She clutched the fabric again.
“I can create a ward in your mind. You won’t be able to see as you could until we fix your barrier, but can still access your gifts through touch. I can’t reach you in The Veil, you would have to move into another realm. Those in The Veil are beyond my reach.”
The look in her eyes told him she would rather die than trust him again, but the fabric of the barrier was just a small scrap wrapped around her hips and thighs now, and a small trickle of blood had begun to seep out of her ears. He couldn’t even pretend to know just how important a barrier was to an Oracle but seeing her complete change in character told him it was.
“Unless you wish to approach Fate for help. She covets her children. I do not doubt if there is a way to restore your barrier, she would do it.” Not involving Fate to save his skin was selfish, and he owed Ela a debt. He couldn’t in good conscience not suggest the easiest solution.
Ela shook her head. “Didn’t you hear what I said? She marked me. If I go to Fate and tell her what happened, it could kill me. Not to mention this magic is—” She crumpled to her knees, her arms wrapping around her abdomen as she screamed.
“Sweet Lilith,” He hissed through his teeth at the sight of her buckled over in pain. “Can you come through so I can help you? You’re welcome to attack me for your pound of flesh once you’re in one piece.”
A moment passed when he wasn’t sure if she was going to take him up on his offer. If her anger was rooted too deep to accept his help now. He held his breath in anticipation, hoping she would accept his help but mentally preparing himself for her refusal.
Whimpering, a shiver of pain shook through her whole body that seemed to make the decision for her. Sobs hitched her breathing as she struggled to get enough air in her lungs to accomplish her task. On her hands and knees, she crawled towards the mirror. Grimacing, she crossed out of The Veil and collapsed onto the carpet in front of him.
Orren wasted no time. Touching a hand to her forehead, he watched as she slumped unconscious on the floor.
The familiar hallway greeted him, only this time, the door immediately in front of him was outlined in bright white light. With his hands on her, his mind told him this was the door he needed to go through. He had no time to note the door was different than the others, a light grey wood with intricate rune carvings. It was a beautiful sight and had these been other circumstances he would have stood there, admiring the work.
Wasting no time, he walked into her room.
Ela sat in the middle of a room lit by white light so bright he had to shield his eyes. She sat huddled, her arms wrapped around her legs, her face buried in her knees. Her hair hung down her back and over her shoulders. Sobs shook through her, whispers and shouts surrounding them.
It was deafening.
If this was what she was hearing with the barriers down, he didn’t blame her for completely falling apart. Oracles were created with their barriers. Never
had they been without them. To suddenly have that ripped away and be thrown into this would be enough to break just about anyone.
Guilt made his heart sink.
This was his doing. He had taken the most powerful Oracle and turned her into this poor defenceless being before him now. If he could go back, he would have found another way to get the answers he needed. Leaving Ela safe behind her barrier in The Veil.
He was a man who was curious by nature, but with cause. He needed the answers if he were going to live his life the way he did, if he were going to change the lives of people across all the realms. But he was not a cold-hearted person.
He hated knowing Ela was in such an intense amount of pain. He hated knowing he had a hand in it even more.
If Fate ever saw Ela in this state, his punishment would be brutal, and he would deserve it. He just hoped Melas wouldn’t be to blame for any of this.
Taking a deep breath, he got to work.
There were no other doors in the room he could see, which made this much easier. Kneeling, he held his open palm against the floor and started murmuring the spell for the wards he would need to put up to protect her.
His hand shone with dark blue light before it seeped out of his palms. It coated the floor around them before spreading through the room. In a matter of moments, the thin blue layer of light coated the entire space, making the brightness of the room bearable. The yelling dulled before stopping altogether, leaving them in nothing but a pale blue light and silence.
Ela jolted, her head slowly raising to meet Orren’s eyes. “It’s quiet.” She whispered, her face completely covered with tears. Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks blotchy. “It’s quiet.” She repeated in disbelief.
“These wards will silence the voices. You have to believe me when I say, I never imagined something like this would happen.”
Her breath hitched and she wiped her fingers under her nose. “What now?”
Orren looked into white eyes. He had an urge to comfort her, her vulnerability calling to him. “We’ll figure this out.” He assured her, but something in the pit of his belly told him that was far from the truth.
9
MELAS
Melas woke with the sun.
Always one to be constantly aware of her surroundings, she got as much sleep as she could manage while still listening to the hushed conversations of the house. The light footsteps moving about, the way the floorboards creaked slightly now and again.
The men who lived here offered her a moment of reprieve. They took them both in, patched her up, and fed them, but she couldn’t trust them. She knew their hospitality would benefit them somehow. To believe anything else would be foolish, and Melas was no fool.
She tried to busy herself in the early dawn, not wanting to rouse Zura just yet.
Whatever journey they’d been on before being found by Ridhor had taken a lot out of both of them. Although the memories were gone, she could feel the weight of her life on her body. The way her muscles ached from overuse, the tiredness of her mind. They encased her in a reminder to always be vigilant.
She hoped meditation would help her navigate the dark corners of her mind. After an hour of stumbling around in the dark recesses with no headway, she gave up and moved over to the pile of clothes Andrei left for them. Once Zura woke she would need something to wear, and none of the clothes would be adequate as they were.
There was a large button-down shirt in the pile of things left in her room. She found a sewing kit in one of the drawers of the dresser and sewed the bottom of the top together to make a romper for Zura. It was still way too big for her, she was guessing from the length it belonged to Orren. She cut off the sleeves and sewed them so they wouldn’t hang over her hands. It would do for now.
As she cut the final stitch, Zura roused, sitting up in bed. “Morning, mama.” Her voice was heavy from sleep as she rubbed her eyes and pushed back the heavy green duvet. A light smile softened the features of her face making her the most beautiful thing Melas ever set eyes on.
A smile spread across her face as she watched her, her now dry hair a mass of tight curls around her head. Ridhor’s oil worked wonders, making them almost seem perfectly in place even though she slept over seven hours on them. “Morning, love. Did you sleep well?” She kept her voice light and quiet, wanting Zura to take her time unwinding herself from the strong arms of the Sandman.
Wakefulness didn’t compare. That space between sleep and wakefulness could be blissful if you took your time.
Crawling slowly to the edge of the bed, Zura stretched her arms up over her head before hopping down to her feet. The shirt Melas put on her before bed pooled around her feet, the short sleeves past her wrist, and the neckline baggy. The sight broadened the smile Melas wore.
It felt rare to get moments like these. When she did she liked to live in them for as long as she could.
“I was very tired,” Zura told her. “I feel much better now.”
“That’s good.”
“I feel—” Her brow furrowed in thought. “I feel like we don’t sleep often.”
Melas’ chest rose as she took in a deep breath. She felt that way too. “Well, now that we have had some rest, maybe we should get dressed and head downstairs for some food. We should get as much as we need while we’re here.” She didn’t know how long they would stay. When they would need to pick up and leave. It was best to take advantage of the situation while they could.
Nodding, Zura took the altered shirt Melas offered her and quickly got dressed.
Melas was wearing the same Henley she had the night before and pulled on a pair of dark grey sweatpants. She rolled them at the bottom to prevent her from slipping on the extra length. She took time to clean her wounds as she dressed, noting they seemed to already be healing. Pushing the thought aside, she adjusted her weight from foot to foot, testing the sensitivity of her leg.
The limp was gone, barely more than a small twinge left behind.
Interesting, Melas thought.
They donned their boots before walking down the stairs slowly, taking in the decor and trying to get a better idea of the layout of the cabin. Melas wanted to be ready for everything, which meant she was counting her steps as she walked down the steps.
“—every time I tell myself I can’t be surprised by her anymore, something else happens. I feel like she’s been here for months the way things just keep piling up. We have a woman who has speed and reflexes that surpass my own, who can surprise a Berserker, with a scent we’ve never smelled before. Now, we find out she can burn the barrier off an Oracle. What next? Can she open a portal to the Celestial Three?” Andrei’s voice was a loud hiss. He was trying to keep his voice down but failing miserably.
“Calm yourself, Andrei. You’ve been so emotional lately, and it’s too early in the morning.” Orren’s voice was calm but laced with irritation.
“Look at her. How can you be calm when Ela looks like that.” He quickly corrected himself. “Not that you aren’t beautiful. I never would have imagined all of that was underneath the barrier. Maybe there’s a reason Fate decided to hide you under there.”
Melas slowly peeked her head around the corner. Andrei paced along the dining table in front of the window. Orren sat as he had during supper the night before, Ridhor to his left and to his right sat an eerily beautiful woman. She dug into the food as though she’d never eaten a day in her life, her long white-blonde hair falling back over her shoulders as she hunched over her plate shovelling food into her mouth.
The conversation didn’t seem to be phasing her in the least.
Orren and Ridhor looked equally relaxed.
Andrei was radiating nervous energy.
Tightening her grip on Zura’s hand, she dropped to a squat in front of her behind the wall, still hidden from view. “I want you to listen to me, baby. Something happened last night that’s making everyone nervous. I don’t know how they are going to react to us today. Keep close to me, keep one of the tab
le knives close to you at all times and eat quickly. Do you understand?”
It felt like Melas held her favourite book in her hands, one she knew by heart but suddenly, she opened it to find pages missing. With those pages gone, her mind stumbled, struggling to pull the story from her memory. Only it wasn’t a book, this was her life. She was the book and pieces of who she was were torn out. Just gone. Pages still remained intact in the worn leather spine of her soul. Her caution was there, as strong and fierce as she’s sure it ever was. Trust was something she wouldn’t give to these men, or any other she came across when she left here.
That just wasn’t who she was.
Even with all those pages missing, she knew that.
Whatever happened to her, was mirrored in Zura. She could see the way her brows pinched together as she tried to find pieces of herself that were gone. Even without those pages, they were still them.
It was evident in the way their shoulders were always squared and ready. Their eyes searching every inch of their surroundings until they had it all memorized enough to make their way through it in the dark. They were both fuelled by determination, even though neither of them knew what they were so determined to get to, or away from.
Something was branded on their souls they just couldn’t forget. The shadows of their minds moving like ghosts possessing their limbs before they even thought about it.
Zura was handling their loss about as well as she was, and Melas couldn’t help but be proud. She was so small, not even six yet, she was handling this better than most adults would in their situation. She rolled with the punches of this world, brushing herself off when she was knocked down without question or hesitation.
Sadness ate away at the edges of Melas’ pride. Her heart aching at the thought of Zura being used to all of this. No one should be, let alone a child.
Sighing, she pushed the thought away. It wouldn’t help them right now.
Zura smiled. “Yes, mama. I’ll be ready.”
Satisfied, Melas got to her feet. “Good.” Squaring her shoulders, she turned the corner and entered the room.
Hidden In Darkness (A Seven Realms Book Book 1) Page 7
