Raining Light (Fate's Intent Book 5)

by Bowles, April

  “Not good.” Kole whispered.

  “Thanks a lot.” Adele said.

  I laughed. “You know what I mean, Love. Hadn’t the time.”

  “Well, I don’t care.” Ruby had her eyes on Darius and was staring at him with a sincere hunger. “I am so turned on right now.” He smiled and leaned into her for a kiss while holding his cigar away from her head.

  “Okay. You can get a room later.” Trever said. “Right now we have things to talk about.”

  “Oh, that’s my cue.” Kole snuffed out his cigar in the ceramic bowl and stood up. “It just got boring. Someone find me when you’re done.”

  “Fine. Track down Ryon and make sure he stays out of trouble.”

  “Fine.” Kole left and it seemed the room stayed quiet until we heard the door close behind him.

  “So—is this really Ryon’s house?” Jaylyn asked.

  “His stash house.” Trever said.

  “What do you mean, stash house?” Adele asked.

  “Look around. Quite a collection, is it not? This is all the stuff he’s ever stolen.”

  “He stole all of this?” Ruby sounded amazed by the quantity. “Is Bolek here?”

  Trever laughed before taking another hit from his cigar. “I’m afraid not or at least, haven’t had the chance yet.”

  “But didn’t you give that to him?” Adele asked.

  “I got it back for him, I think you mean. Bolek was his last big heist.”

  “And it’s possessed with some kind of enchantment? I remember from before, when he called to it, it came.”

  Trever slowly started to smile. “Yes and no. Bolek is said to be the third weapon ever created by man after the two very first swords. It has its own special properties that make it unique as the swords do.”

  “Special properties? How do you mean?”

  “You were there to witness it. The ax only answers to its true master. Ryon has been that and will always be until he verbally gives it away like how it was forcefully bestowed to him.”

  “Forcefully?” Jaylyn laughed.

  “I’m sure there’s a lot about Ryon you think you know but he’s used to getting his way. If it’s not done freely, it’s usually taken. He got Bolek but not in time. All the trouble it caused landed him in prison when he was fifteen.”

  “Fifteen?” Troy asked. “But he was just a kid.”

  “Yeah, but they figured if he managed to fight passed everything to get his hands on that ax and force its power away from its former master, he was grown up enough. He was held up in the Leccan high security prison for two years until he got out.”

  “You mean until you found him there.” Jaylyn said.

  Trever laughed and glanced over at Aleksander for a moment. “Yes, well, I think that’s a story for another time. We have another one to tell you.”

  “Then can we just get this over with?” Adele sighed. “It’s only getting later and we’re all going to need the sleep now.”

  “All right, well, how were we going to start this?” Trever asked, looking over at Aleksander.

  “Well, I guess as of now, you should already know we have just a few things to worry about.”

  “Oh, on the contrary, if you’re talking about the meeting with my father, I don’t think it will go that bad.” I said.

  “And what makes you think that?”

  “My father may be stern but he’s not stupid. He needs me and I fully intend to use that to my advantage.”

  There was a pause and Trever looked at Aleksander and smiled. “So, you plan to do this all yourself, do you? Well, that couldn’t be more by the book if I do say so myself, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes.” Aleksander answered. “Remarkable.”

  “What do you mean?” Adele asked.

  “Time for a history lesson. One I’m sure you never heard.”

  Chapter 12

  Jaylyn

  “It’s time you knew what’s truly happening here.” Aleksander explained. “All the events leading up to now, all the trials you’ve faced and the sacrifices you made have all been planned.”

  “Planned?” I knew I wasn’t the only one thinking it and looked around at an array of different levels of confusion.

  “Planned to go the way it was written. Let us explain.” Trever reached down and took out a book and set it on the table while having yet said a word about any of this. “This is what’s known as The Forecast of Peace to those who remember the tale. Created by the Knowledge Seekers and recently reclaimed out of the city vaults by Trever but four days ago.”

  “What’s the Knowledge Seekers?” Adele asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Good question. That’s the history lesson. The Knowledge Seekers were a secret organization formed just before the start of the war. It consisted of the last three beings of a dying race, each who possessed a foresight much greater than mine. They could see very clear into the future and predicted many things. Years after the war broke out, Kalu’s King looked to the Knowledge Seekers to vision the war’s future. That’s when they discovered that it would last for centuries after their time but they told no one about the six souls needed to end it.”

  My head was spinning. Was this even real?

  “Us?” Troy asked.

  “That’s not possible. Tell me this is a joke.” Adele said. “You said you’d try and fix this by making amends with Izin.”

  “Yes, but that’s more for personal reasons. To make true peace, we’ll actually need the six of you. It’s all real and it’s all written here.”

  “How do you know about the prophecy if it died with them?”

  “The Knowledge Seekers were reborn again through the blood of a rich ancestry to carry out its work to peace in the time of your generation.”

  “You?”

  “Do you have any idea what generation means?” Trever asked it rudely but honestly, I think Adele was just trying to make sense of it as we all were. “He’s not of your generation. It would be like someone say, I don’t know, Kole, myself and Ryon.”

  I didn’t know if that was a joke or an actual true answer coming from him for once. Was it really them?

  “You’re the descendants?”

  “My father never believed it either. He always ignored the path of peace when I would mention things I’ve seen.”

  “You were shown things?”

  “It’s how I knew. Ryon and Kole don’t have that. Their purpose is different.”

  “Then how do you know it’s them?” I asked.

  “In the darkest war come light when the wolf tames its bite. Dawn shall rise again on the wings of the eagle’s flight and our sight will be seen through the eyes of the lion’s might.”

  It was like a script from some book but he spoke it instead of reading it.

  “I see. Ryon’s the wolf, Kole’s the eagle and you’re the lion.”

  “Correct.”

  “And their purpose?”

  “I’m not sure how much I can say. In the darkest war come light when the wolf tames its bite; that’s Ryon’s quest for peace. Taming his bite is referenced to something he has to do.” I think I knew but I didn’t want to interrupt and let him continue. “Dawn shall rise again on the wings of the eagle’s flight; references dawn being a time of new brought about by the one with wings and that last part about the sight, I already mentioned.”

  “Well, then getting to the six souls?” Adele said. “What’s that about?”

  “Allow me to show you.” Trever turned the book around to us and opened it a couple pages in to an illustration of a topless woman standing on the edge of a cliff as the wind blew through her long hair and skirt. “The first soul needed. The Eminent Belle. Adele, this is you.”

  “How do you know it’s me?”

  “It’s obvious. Listen. Highly distinguished by her impetuous beauty she rewrites the telling of the ideal woman for futures to come.”

  “Meaning?”

  “It pays to be beautiful, Adele. You don
’t have to be girlie to be a belle. There isn’t a man I’ve see who wouldn’t sell his soul to be able to call you his which makes Zayden very lucky because he gets to keep both.”

  They shared this very sweet look with each other and I was ready to hear more. “See, that has to be you. Who’s next?”

  Trever turned the page to the next illustration of a naked woman on her knees, wrapped in a thick ribbon of fabric. “The second soul needed, The Blood Born. Red, this is you. Born from the very blood of her ancestors, her spirit becomes the first to stray from the line and form a new.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Read between the lines, if you will. You’re the first of your ancestors who have found the one who would replace your protector being how you first stray from the line. Then every woman in your family had a daughter, you on the other hand, will form a new and have a son.”

  Ruby looked over at Darius like she didn’t want him to freak out but he did well not to show any emotion at all.

  “Destiny is hard to run away from. Anyway.” Trever turned to the next page where there was an illustration of a topless woman, wrapping her arms around the front of her and head tilted back. “The third soul needed, The Undying Heart.”

  “I’m guessing that’s me.” I said.

  “Yes. It reads; loyal and true, her soul carries the grace of a thousand, giving to life a willingness and purpose to strive. That really does sound like you.”

  “Thanks!”

  “Well, wait until you see this. This is where it gets really interesting.” He turned the page to the next illustration of a man standing on a ledge in the wind with his left hand on his bare chest and right hand held out in a fist. “The fourth soul needed, The Noble Baron. Zayden, this is obviously you.”

  He sighed and took another puff from his cigar. “Great.”

  It sounded like he didn’t care but I’m sure he was listening.

  “Through his honor rekindled, he ascends thy birthright to become one of the greatest rulers of the known world.”

  My eyes opened a little more and I wasn’t alone in slowly turning my head to Zayden but he sat still and denied it completely. “Yeah, I doubt it.”

  “Oh, don’t be too sure.” Aleksander replied. “Stories foretold of the future say differently.”

  “Then they’re wrong.”

  Trever laughed. “They’re never wrong. You just haven’t realized the truth yet. Like you said, you’ll use it to your advantage.”

  “What about the next one?” I asked. I was anxious to hear about Troy.

  Trever turned to the next page where there was an illustration of a shirtless muscular man standing with his arms at his sides and head tilted down while glaring up as a cloud of smoke surrounded him. It was obvious to me right away of who that was and it wasn’t Troy. “The fifth soul needed, The Profound Force. Charged with energy from spite, he unleashes his rage through meaningful acts of devotion and perseverance. No doubt as to who this might be.”

  Darius didn’t say anything and Ruby put her hands on him. “Mmm. I love it. It makes you look so dangerous.”

  “That’s because he is dangerous.” Adele said.

  Darius smiled to it and Ruby kissed him.

  “Okay.” Trever cut in, making them part. “We’re not done.” He turned to the last illustration of a shirtless man standing in a lunged stance with his hands in a fighting position. “The sixth soul needed, The Steadfast Hand, being Troy. It reads; a constant dedication and loyalty through the trials, he surpasses great heights and virtue to those deemed worthy. In this case meaning those two.”

  Troy looked over at Zayden and Darius and kind of laughed to himself.

  “So, what are we supposed to do now?” I asked.

  They shared a lengthy exchange with each other before actually answering.

  “Not much of anything.” Aleksander said. “You’ve gotten through the hardest part without knowing it.”

  “So, we’re just supposed to be together?” Adele asked with attitude. “That’s it?”

  “That’s how it was mostly planned, yes.”

  “Okay, so the invasion?” Zayden said. “The one where we almost killed you, that was planned? You knew we were going to ambush?”

  “Yes.”

  “And all the men?” Adele wondered.

  Trever looked over at Aleksander for a moment and started to smile. “They weren’t exactly our men.”

  “What do you mean by exactly?” Zayden asked.

  “We weren’t actually dumb enough to use our own soldiers. They were just sacrifices. Good way to clean out the prisons. We suited them up and sent them off. It was our plan to intersect with the Great Seni Fighters and lose to ensure the Queen’s next move.”

  “You mean sending us after them?” Ruby asked.

  “Yes. It was the only way. She thought she was doing well for herself. Thinking you would just kill each other though she didn’t really care who died. As long as the six were split forever.”

  “But that’s not what happened.” I said.

  “Yeah.” Ruby agreed. “Did she even think of that?”

  “She did and she prepared for that five years in advance when she sent Adele on her test mission into Seni.” I turned my eyes to Adele and Zayden and hoped nothing would happen with mention of it. “It was all her doing. She always knew where she would send you.”

  “But why?”

  “If there has ever been the slightest whisper of peace, the Queen would know about it. She heard about these six souls and carried out her plan based on a guess. She thought by sending you to kill someone close to him, your union would never happen but she did not think about when he would have found out. She assumed it to be right away and you’d be dead but that’s not what happened at all, is it? It waited longer and by doing that you secured your union because it has already been developed by then.”

  “Why don’t you ever just tell us?” Adele asked.

  “We had to wait until we knew for sure first.”

  “But how did you really? What if it’s not us?”

  “I’ll prove it.” Trever flipped through the pages of the book like he was looking for something specific. “It shall begin with the first shock of the world when two teams from both sides of hate cross paths and unexpectedly join together under the terms of war through love, creating a double sided betrayal of both duty and country. Sound familiar yet?” I looked around at everyone to the coincidence. It did sound like us. “There’s more about Zayden’s part. Fate brought them together in life yet only if they choose to stay as such can the course of the world be changed and only together will they prevail but in the end it will be solely up to the noble baron to secure their futures and form peace between their nations.”

  “So, that’s why you said it’s going by the book but why me?”

  “Hmm. It doesn’t say but it does say this; upon arrival the noble baron shall discover the only window of opportunity to make said peace but if he chooses to let it pass the world will remain in a darkened war for eternity but then says nothing about what will happen if you do take it. Peace, I’m assuming.”

  “So, I’m just supposed to know when that is?”

  “I guess so. Best keep your eyes open.”

  “What else does it say about our futures?” I asked. “Anything worth knowing or is that just about peace?”

  “Haven’t fully had the time to check but it’ll have to wait some more. We should all be getting some rest for now.”

  “Hey! That’s not fair.”

  “It seems plenty fair.” Aleksander said. “We’ve done what we needed to for now. You know how important this trip is for everyone. Now it’s time for a rest.”

  I sighed and leaned against Troy and waited for him to finish his cigar. I didn’t want it to be over. I liked hearing about this.

  “This is hard to believe, you know.” Adele said.

  “I do.” Aleksander nodded. “But it’s all true and we would have liked
to tell you sooner but we needed to wait for some things.”

  “I don’t think my father’s going to believe any of this.” Zayden said.

  “He may not but it’s also not necessary that he knows. Izin’s always been a good man but it’s going to take some convincing before he remembers it. He wasn’t always as you see him but time changes people and war corrupts even the most solemn of us.”

  “Can we sleep now?” Ruby asked, holding her arms around just one of Darius’s. “I think I’ve fallen asleep like five times already.”

  “Just pick a room.” Aleksander said. “I’m sure there’s enough for everyone here.”

  “Does Ryon have a specific room that’s just his?” Adele asked. “You know, so we don’t take it.”

  Trever laughed. “No. He’d rather just crash on a couch than a bed. He says it makes waking up alone easier.”

  “Well, that just makes things easy for us.” Ruby muttered.

  What was left of the cigars were put out and we started to head towards the stairs.

  “I’ll be right up.” Troy said. “I’ve got to go get something.”

  “Should I come with you?”

  “No. Go ahead and pick a room. I can find you.”

  “Okay.” I was still unsure about leaving him but kissed him just the same and went to find a room for us to stay in.

  Chapter 13

  Troy

  “Troy, what can we do for you?” Trever tapped his cigar on the edge of the bowl on the table to remove the ash from the tip as I walked back.

  “I wanted to ask you about your father.”

  I sat where I was before and Aleksander let out a long breath while putting his cigar out. “I’ll leave that to you. I should probably turn in.”

  “Thank you.” Trever replied.

  Aleksander walked away, leaving us alone.

  “So, what exactly is it you want to know?”

  “Back at the lodge when you were laying dead, it grew cold at one point when your father came. I just wanted to know what that really meant. Kole said he marked someone, first saying it was him but then said Bryce wouldn’t kill him but take something he loves.”