She nodded her agreement then I told Kalen we were ready to go.
Long ago the Elders had a permanent portal created in their chamber that they and they alone could open by chanting a few magical words. Protective wards kept them safe by making it impossible for anyone else to gain access to their domain. While Kalen worked on opening the portal, Serafina and Dragon whispered their goodbyes and I held Angela close, smoothing my hand over her hair. Just before we stepped through the shimmering rainbow of colors I saw Claire and Angela exchange serious eye contact but there was no time to worry about what the psychic was up to.
The Elders’ chamber was a small naturally formed cavern with damp stone walls and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Kalen moved to take his place with the other Elders in throne-like chairs placed on a dais a few feet away. He was dressed like me in leather pants and a shirt but the other Elders wore elaborate ceremonial robes. Once we were all safely through the portal it closed behind us and a sense of dread settled in my stomach. I never should have allowed Angela or Dragon to come here tonight.
Dragon and Angela took their places in the back of the room while I presented myself to the Elders. Coming to a halt in the center of the chamber I went down on one knee and bowed my head.
“Sa’jon, many time demons live their entire lives without ever seeing the inside of this chamber, yet here you are for the second time,” Esja commented from the second chair from the right. Of all the Elders I believed her to be the most corrupt.
“The first time Sa’jon Ruk was in this chamber was when we performed the ceremony binding him to his charge,” Kalen reminded her from his chair on the far left. “He has lived every moment of his life with honor and with the blessing of the Goddess. To even entertain these allegations against him is blasphemous.”
“Let’s not start that again,” Pius told them from the center chair, then addressed me, “You may stand Guardian.”
Pius wouldn’t stick up for me the way Kalen would, but I believed he would at least listen to what I had to say. As for the other two Elders Ka’ja and Taico I had no idea what to expect.
I came to my feet and stood tall and straight with my hands behind my back and my feet shoulder width apart.
“The accuser Adan will now take his place beside the accused.” Pius commanded.
Adan sauntered out of the shadows and came to stand beside me. As he passed by me he whispered, “After they take your powers and banish you, I will make your woman mine forever. Now that your abomination is gone she will have no way to stop me from bonding with her.”
My fists clenched but I kept my cool. The words from the prophecy playing through my mind like a soothing balm. Stay your hand, when you thirst for blood. Vengeance is yours, after the flood.
Once Adan was in place Pius informed me, “Sa’jon Ruk you have been accused of altering time to save the lives of thousands of humans in New Orleans and the life of a human known as Rachel Marie Ruby. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Na’tu.”
Esja’s eyes narrowed and she asked, “Did you use your power to stop Travali’s vampires from slaughtering the humans in New Orleans?”
“No, Na’tu,” I replied then added, “I used my power to stop his vampires from entering the human world. It was not a certainty that any of the humans present would lose their lives since there were so many nightshifters present. Even if Travali’s vampires had attacked the humans, I was confident that Dragon and his people could have revived them with their blood. Therefore, the humans’ lives were never in danger. I only acted as I did to prevent the humans from learning of our existence.”
Esja’s lips thinned, “Did you use your abilities to bring a past version of the human Rachel Marie Ruby into the present to replace the version of her that was addicted to Oblivion?”
“Yes, Na’tu.”
Before I could add anything else she said, “There you have it.” She smiled glancing from one Elder to the next then turned back to me looking very smug and pleased with herself.
Kalen took a deep breath then asked, “Sa’jon, was the human child’s life in danger when you traded her past self for her present self?”
Thankful for his presence, I replied in a strong clear voice, “Not at all, Na’tu. Her quality of life was certainly lacking, but at no time was her actual life in danger. With the help of the nightshifters she could have lived in that state until her body perished from old age.”
“Nonsense,” Esja disagreed. “Everyone knows that it eventually becomes impossible to feed Oblivious humans, therefore, in the absence of any other life threatening circumstances, they are all doomed to die of starvation and dehydration long before they reach old age.”
“I beg to differ,” Ka’ja said, joining the debate from her chair on the far right. “I have gone back to witness firsthand how the nightshifters cared for the child and I believe Sa’jon is correct. The child was in no danger of losing her life.”
“We have already debated these issues at length. Now that we have heard from the accused we will vote,” Pius announced. “Kalen, how do you vote?”
Kalen responded with a resounding, “Not guilty.”
“Esja?”
“Guilty,” came Esja’s gleeful reply.
“Taico?”
Taico looked at me, then after a moment of silence he reluctantly murmured, “Guilty.”
“Ka’ja?”
“Not guilty,” she responded immediately.
“It seems my vote will break the tie,” Pius mused. “We heard you found a conduit Sa’jon. It didn’t take you long to learn how to use the power from the River.”
Any hope I still had died with those words. I knew how Pius would vote and it wasn’t because he thought I was guilty, it was because he was afraid. He, like the other two who voted against me, was afraid of the power I could wield through Angela.
“May I speak?” I asked and Pius waved his hand giving me the floor.
“It’s no secret that I have never agreed with our laws, and I’ve often wondered how our moral compass became so skewed. What does it say about a people when their laws force them to stand by while hundreds of people die, but at the same time they encourage sociopathic killers like Adan to murder with impunity?”
Adan bristled beside me but held his tongue as I continued, “Or that the life of a child means nothing simply because he lacks the same abilities that they possess?”
Kalen and Ka’ja appeared remorseful while Pius and Taico looked on me with pity. Esja however simply looked bored which enflamed my anger more than anything else could have.
“Over the centuries I’ve asked you as our Elders to loosen your grip on the River of Time and allow us the freedom to use that power for good. Your constant refusals have long since felt like betrayals of the trust we place in you as our leaders. It wasn’t until recently though, that I realized the true depth of those betrayals.
For centuries our numbers have declined instead of grown. Too many of us find it tiresome to be near other time demons, our powers always competing to maintain our current timelines. The thought of bonding to another of our kind as anai always seemed tedious and the chances of meeting a conduit were almost nonexistent.
But what if the River flowed freely?
I began suspecting the truth in Solaria, but when I pulled Rachel through time I knew I was right. If we as a people had access to the River, many of us who are strong enough to wield its power would be able to bond with anyone we chose, not just other time demons or conduits. We’d be able to pull anyone into the ether to complete the anai ritual.”
I looked each one of them in the eye and demanded to know, “How could you take that from us?”
“We do not answer to you Sa’jon,” Esja replied, her voice dripping with scorn.
Before I could respond Dragon’s hand was on my shoulder. I looked back at him as he came around to stand before the Elders.
“That is where you are wrong Esja,” he told her and the rest o
f them. “All leaders are beholden to their people. We owe them the same measure of respect and loyalty that they give us. Without that return of devotion your subjects will lose faith in your leadership and rebellion will be inevitable.”
“Let them rebel,” Esja scoffed, then told Pius, “Cast your vote so we may be done with this matter once and for all.”
“Let it be known that any act of aggression against my Guardian will be seen as an act of war against The United Clans,” Dragon’s voice thundered in the small chamber.
I knew Dragon meant what he said as did the Elders. But looking in their faces I also knew that his threat would not sway this decision. To them, the danger I presented far outweighed the risk of war with Dragon and his people. With unlimited access to the River they were nearly untouchable by anyone except another time demon who could counteract their ability to manipulate time. Lives would be lost in a war with The United Clans, but it wouldn’t be theirs.
Looking at the five demons responsible for the lives and futures of my entire race I felt nothing but contempt. These were not demons worthy of our trust or loyalty; they were traitors to their own kind. Their lust for power had long ago blinded them to the needs of the people they were sworn to serve.
Pius cleared his throat but before he could speak I added, “Whether my life is forfeit or not, I ask that you consider the fate of our people as a whole. Will you condemn all time demons to one day be extinct simply because you’re unwilling to share the power granted to us all by the Goddess herself?”
“I find your concerns valid and I will think on what changes we might need to make in the future, but regretfully, I must side with Esja and Taico in this,” Pius said with a shake of his head. “Sa’jon Ruk, you have been found guilty of altering time to save the life of the human known as Rachel Marie Ruby. As punishment, your powers will be stripped and you will be banished to the Netherworld between times, where you will remain forevermore.”
Just as the last word passed his lips three things happened at once. Dragon unleashed a stream of fire aimed at the Elders as he roared with rage. I felt a sudden drain on my powers that nearly brought me to my knees and Angela screamed behind me.
Wheeling around I saw Adan backhand Angela across her cheek and she went flying into the wall. As he stalked towards her again I reached out with my power and stopped him in his tracks. If it had only been the two of us he would be dead in seconds. I had more than enough power saved up from the time I spent in Mystique with Angela to take care of Adan.
But we weren’t alone.
There were five Elder time demons in the room who had managed to freeze Dragon and his flames in place just inches before it reached them. On top of that, they were still draining my power at an increasingly alarming rate.
Fury and fear warred in my mind. What could I do to stop this from happening?
Stumbling as I struggled to hold Adan in place while the Elders siphoned more of my reserves I landed on my knees in front of Angela. Grasping her arms I pulled her up from the ground and begged, “You must say the words Angela. You must leave this place while you still can and take Dragon with you.”
Despite his actions or his threats, I didn’t think the Elders would harm Dragon for fear of the repercussions, but there was no sense in taking chances.
Angela’s eyes blinked a few times then cleared and her lips parted but instead of the words I expected to hear the ancient words of the anai ritual spilled from her mouth. Her soul burst wide open shining bright like a beacon of hope.
Say the words, your soul burns bright. Gather the strength, to make things right. Nothing to lose, so much to gain. Feel the wrath, release the pain.
I repeated the ancient words and my soul burned bright as it merged with hers, but when I tried to shift us into the ether between times the Elders blocked me. The ritual could not be completed unless I found a way to circumvent their hold over me.
My powers waned and I’d all but given up when the most amazing thing happened. Angela looked right into my eyes and smiled, a brilliant smile that was both satisfied and comforting. Only as I gazed into those swirling silver eyes I knew it wasn’t Angela looking back at me. With hope filling my heart I tried one more time and moved us easily between times where our souls were finally, irrevocably, bound together as one.
The instant the bond snapped into place I felt the power of the River rush over me. So fast and strong, the current nearly swept me away, but once I got a handle on it, I pulled it faster, faster still, until nothing could stop the River of Time from breaking through the dam the Elders built all those centuries ago. I felt it the moment the spell broke and the River ran free.
Coming back to the present I laid Angela gently on the chamber floor and turned on the Elders. Stark terror stared back at me as I ripped their power from their bodies leaving them weak and utterly defenseless.
With their power gone Dragon and his stream of fire were released from their hold and they fell to the floor rolling and smacking their clothes to put out the flames.
Dragon glanced around ready for action, but stepped back when I raised my hand asking him to stand down.
“I will no longer stand by and watch our people suffer under the tyranny of leaders tainted by greed and corruption,” I told the Elders as they struggled to their feet.
“Who would lead our people in our place? You?” Esja asked with a venomous sneer.
I shrugged. “In time, the Goddess will reveal which path our people should follow. In the meantime we will no longer live in fear of using our powers for good. But you Esja, have no need to worry about the future of our people.”
“And why is that Sa’jon?” she asked, still so sure of herself.
I knew they were all pulling power from the River as fast as they could, but it wouldn’t matter. I no longer needed to reach out to the River for power, I was the River, or rather Angela was, and since our souls were bound as one her power was my power.
“Because Esja, you won’t be here to see it,” I told her in a low menacing voice letting her hear the contempt and rage that filled me when I thought of the sins she and the others were guilty of.
She took a step back but her chin came up in a brave attempt at saving face.
“Goodbye Esja,” I said, making her eyes finally widen with fear.
With a thought I drained every last drop of power from her body and thrust her into the Netherworld between times. A nightmare realm where the River did not flow and she had no hope of ever breaking out with only her inherent abilities to draw on. She was doomed to live an eternity of torment enslaved by the demented demons who inhabit that dimension.
The rest of the Elders started inching towards the exit but froze when I said, “Don’t.”
“Will you banish us all Sa’jon?” Kalen asked.
“No Kalen,” I answered shaking my head slowly.
His shoulders relaxed but the other Elders remained tense, watchful, as I moved closer to where they huddled together.
When I came to a stop just in front of them I said, “For you Pius and Taico I offer a choice - banishment or death.”
Taico held my gaze for a moment then quietly said, “Make it quick.”
Aside from Kalen, the Elders were so confident in their power that they had little to no combat training. Using the fail-safe programmed into our DNA to help parents protect their children, they relied on their ability to drain weaker demons that they could then hold helpless for the slaughter.
Before Taico could blink I reached out and snapped his neck. His body crumpled to the floor and I turned to Pius.
“Have you no mercy Sa’jon?” he asked, his eyes wild with panic.
I gave him cold, dead eyes and asked, “Where was your mercy Pius, when you sentenced me to a fate worse than death? At least I offered you a choice. That is all the mercy you will get from me. Now decide.”
His eyes darted around the room searching for any means of escape. When he found none he fell to his knees and begg
ed my forgiveness. His life ended just as swiftly as Taico’s had.
Drawing in a deep breath I faced the remaining two Elders. “Our people will need guidance in this new era of freedom and I’m trusting you to provide that through good leadership.”
Kalen and Ka’ja looked at each other then back to me.
“Are you up to the task?”
Ka’ja bowed her head. “Yes, Sa’jon Ruk. I look forward to the journey we begin today, may it be blessed by the Goddess.”
I inclined my head to her then asked, “And you Kalen?”
One side of his mouth curved up in a grin. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Kalen had always been a good mentor and a close friend of mine. I knew he would do his best to help our people learn how to balance the power and responsibility we would all share now that the River flowed freely once again.
Dragon cleared his throat behind me and I turned to see him standing with Angela across the room. Gesturing towards Adan, who was still frozen in place, he asked, “What do you plan to do with him?”
Focusing on Adan I let myself feel the wrath burning through my veins then I released the pain I felt for what he did to Angela and for the life of the child I would never know.
“Keep Angela safe,” I told him.
“Rook?” she asked.
I met her worried eyes and said, “I need to do this Angela, for you and for our son.”
After a moment she nodded her head and followed Dragon to the other side of the room. Once she was a safe distance away I released my hold on Adan.
He spun in place and glared at me.
“Not feeling so almighty now are you?” I asked with a smirk.
I felt him trying to freeze time around me and what do you know... He was reaching for the River even though he had no way of knowing it now ran freely.
“The Elders gave you access to the River.”
His eyes widened and I felt him trying to drain my power.
I took a few steps closer to him and we started circling each other looking for an opening to strike.
“It’s a shame you’re not nearly strong enough to handle all that power. That’s why it won’t come to you when you call it. Do you want to know what it feels like, just once before you die?”
Destined for Time Page 28
