“You were not revealed to me until only recently. The Mother moves in ways that are often unseen by her children. She revealed you to me when it was time for me to aid you in the prophecy.”
I contemplated her words for a moment. All paths have led me here. The river, Johai and even the war. Be it the prophecy, the Mother or the Goddess, I was brought here for a purpose, it must be.
“I had thought I foretold the prophecy about the destruction of the kingdoms,” I said.
“The prophecy is even older than me, child.” She traced her finger across the surface of the water.
A desolate landscape revealed itself. The ground was scorched black and lined with corpses. Crows picked at carcasses. A man crawled across the ground, his nails digging into the blood-soaked and burnt soil. He was emaciated and bleeding from a wound to his abdomen. He seemed to turn to look at me from within the basin. He held his hand up in a pleading gesture. I looked away, terrified by the images.
“One will come who is crowned in starlight,
He wears the night as his cloak,
And the wind is his steed,
He shall rise among the children of the first Mother,
When the daughter of sunlight is slain by love,
When east and west become one,
He shall hold the world in his palm.
“He shall appear fair, but his kiss is poisonous,
He is the host of death and destruction,
He shall call himself the one true king,
The daughter will love him and yet fear him,
The daughter’s innocence shall be stolen to cloak her,
The daughter’s devotion will break the bonds that hold him,
“On the day the moon swallows the sun,
The child of two crowns shall be unleashed,
To the destruction of man,
Enemies, wedded and intent on a common foe,
Will stand no chance against his might.
All shall fall; all shall perish,
If the daughter of the blood does not smite the moon’s child.”
As she recited the prophecy, her voice took on a melodic quality. The final lines of the prophecy hung in the air; they were the ones I knew very well. All shall fall; all shall perish, if the daughter of the blood does not smite the moon’s child.
“You were chosen for an important task,” she continued. “Every few generations, the evil rises, and only one of our own can stop it. Now is the final time; you will end the cycle. You are the circle unbroken.”
My fate was decided before I ever took my first breath. I was meant to fall in love with Johai only to be doomed to kill him. The prophecy says as much. The realization sank like a stone in my gut.
“How can I kill the man I love?” I whispered. Tears threatened my eyelids, but I would not let them fall. I am done crying. I have cried enough for a lifetime. Johai is dead. The specter has stolen him from me. I continued, my voice stronger, “I tried before the transformation was complete, and I could not... How can I possibly stop him now that he is much more powerful?”
“It is your destiny. It cannot be avoided.”
I stared at my hands balled into fists in my lap. I will kill him, but how? He knows my every move. As I sense him, he senses me. She reached across to me and patted me with a bony hand. “Do you know the story of the fall of the House of Diranel?”
“I know that they were betrayed from within after the death of the head diviner. That the king wished for them to divine a path to prevent a war, and they failed and were disbanded and exiled.”
“That is partially true. The real truth is we were ruined by the sorcerer. It was the same specter, the one who has taken over this man you love. A hundred years ago, in my mother’s time, we were beloved of the courts. We attended upon kings and lords. It was a golden age. We had long forgotten the ancient curse that we were burdened with. We forgot the spirit that our powers had bound. The last of the great house died unexpectedly. Her two daughters, both able diviners, fought bitterly for the title of head diviner. Then one daughter came out victorious. She was backed by a mysterious man, her lover, a sorcerer. We were so blind”—she shook her head—“that we did not see the signs right there in front of us. The sorcerer had ensorcelled the poor woman, and she could not break free. He manipulated her powers, letting her see only what he wanted. He destroyed our reputation in hopes of ending our line, but when my mother realized what he was, she slew him before we were exterminated. It was too late for our once great house, and my mother fled south here to live a simpler life beyond the courts.”
The specter tricked my ancestors just as he tried to deceive me. Elenna thought there was a way to save him, but I do not think she survived the flood. I have no choice. The oracle was my last hope. “How did your mother kill him?” I asked.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She inhaled and exhaled. I wondered what she was doing when she opened her eyes again, and they seemed to glow. “The specter meets his end at the beginning; his life fire must be quenched by the sacred water of the Mother’s tears and the blood of the first. In the sacred Sea Chamber the specter will meet his end.” She closed her eyes again and slumped over onto the ground, hitting her head.
I jumped up to help her. I held her head in my lap. She was light as if she were made of feathers and twine. Was that a vision? I need to bring Johai to this Sea Chamber. Where is this place, and how do I get him there?
My grandmother gasped, and her eyes opened once more. She stared up at me. Her eyes were clouded for a moment as she adjusted to her surroundings.
“Can you read dreams?” she asked. Her voice was a thin thread.
I was puzzled by her oddly timed question. “Yes, I can. Perhaps you should rest. The vision came over you, and you hit your head.”
She ignored my concern and questioned me further. “And you read the waters? And do you dream true?”
“Yes to both.” I frowned down at her. Her eyes were half closed now. She leaned back against me. Her muscles relaxed as she folded her hands on her chest.
She smiled a tired smile. “You have the trinity. None have had the gift since my grandmother’s time. It was our punishment for our ignorance.” She closed her eyes as if she were falling asleep.
I shook her lightly. She could not fall asleep now; I had so many questions left to ask. “What do you mean the trinity?”
“You were born with all the gifts of a diviner: the dream walking, the prophetic dreams and the ability to scry. I can only scry, your mother as well. We are limited in our gifts but not you. You are the last.” She rested her head in my lap. I cradled her head in my hands, fearing to let her move. I was afraid she might snap like a twig.
“I am the circle unbroken,” I replied. I looked over to the scrying dish. I reached out and traced my finger along the edge against the symbols that my grandmother had touched earlier. “How do I break the circle?”
“The specter is bound to the world of the living. He needs to pass beyond the veil to the world after. You must find a way to break his hold on this world and force him to pass through,” my grandmother answered without opening her eyes. Her skin was thin and near translucent. I could see the veins upon her eyelids as she lay in my lap.
I pondered her words for a moment. For generations my people had been defeating the specter. Something tickled at the back of my mind, something the specter had told me when we were on the rooftop in Sanore. You and those like you are meant for me. You are not destined to be my destruction. Why do you think it ends the same? Those were the specter’s words. I knew then what was holding the specter to this world.
“We are keeping him here. The specter is bound to this world by the diviners. Our fates are tangled together. He will continue to return as long as we remain,” I said.
My grandmother opened her large violet eyes. She pushed up and returned to a shaking seated position beside me.
“Yes, I have thought much the same. The Sea Chamber is the
source of our power, where the first of our line was bestowed the gifts to look into the past, present, and future. You must bring the specter to the Sea Chamber, where this battle began. Blood will open the gateway, and then he can be led beyond the veil. But only on the day the moon swallows the sun, the gateway will open only on that day to allow him to pass through. He will want to use the gateway to gain his full strength as well, so you must be careful.” She sighed.
My hands shook, and I stared at the dark surface of the water in the basin. “I’m afraid,” I whispered.
She sandwiched my hands between hers. “I know. It is all right. Fear is its own form of bravery. Just remember you are Helene’s daughter, and you were meant for this.”
My mother’s name, I had forgotten or maybe I never knew it. My mother had died when I was seven years old. It had been a very long time since I had spoken of her with anyone.
“My mother, Helene, was she a powerful diviner?” As much as I resented my mother, I longed to know about her.
“She was. She showed great promise, but she never developed the other skills you have.” My grandmother reached up and stroked my cheek. “You look like her when she was your age.”
“I know. She speaks to me in my dreams and visions,” I admitted.
“Your mother?” My grandmother’s eyes glistened with tears. “I wish we had mended the cracks between us.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“Would you like to see her?” I said. I was not certain I could connect my grandmother with the realm of dreams, but I had to try.
I glanced at the water. How long had it been since I had gazed into the waters, and the pull here was very strong. I felt the magic coursing through me, and the memory of Johai’s burning touch remained with me. My grandmother drew closer to the basin, sitting up on her knees. I sat up on my knees as well and leaned over the basin. My grandmother placed her fragile hands over mine, and I sank into the vision. I felt a sigh escape my lips as the vision overtook me.
Adair paced up and down the length of his privy chamber. His hands were folded behind his back. To the side of the room, Layton leaned against the far wall, looking relaxed and unruffled.
“Why is he coming to me now with promises of soldiers and aid?” Adair said to Layton.
“I think he meant what he said; he wants revenge. You know how vengeful he is. Remember at the end of the war how he disappeared for years?”
Adair nodded. “I remember well enough. But we have never been close, he and I. This could very well be a trap, a way for him to wrest the throne from me.”
“He was never one for politics, and I do not think he wants to be king,” Layton said.
Adair rounded to face Layton. “Since when are you on his side? You’ve been against him for as long as I have. Why the sudden change? Has he ensorcelled you with his smooth words?”
Layton shrugged. “I do not trust him any more than you do. What I know is our ambassador in Neaux is dead, as are our soldiers. There have been reports of attacks all along the border. Whether we want it or not, we are at war. He is offering us the aid we need to fend off Neaux.”
Adair scowled then turned away. “What about what he said about Maea. Do you think it’s true?”
Layton frowned. “I think he speaks the truth. Why would he have reason to lie about that?”
Adair punched the wall and then leaned against it. “Why?” He said no more. He pushed away from the wall and faced Layton. “Prepare a parlay. We will agree to his terms. And Goddess strike me down if he betrays me. I have no other choice because all my plans have been ruined.”
The vision changed, and instead I saw Sabine sitting in a chair; her belly was burgeoning with the child growing within her. She seemed as serene and beautiful as I remembered. Her dark hair was coifed on top of her head, and she was working on some needlepoint. In the chair beside her sat Duchess Magdale. Her bright blond hair had been pulled back in a caul, and she wore a pale pink gown. She, too, was working on a cross-stitch, and the pair of them side by side looked like the sun and the moon.
Sabine stopped and pressed her hand to her belly. “The child is very active today.” She smiled and stroked her stomach.
The duchess smiled, but once Sabine was distracted once more, she scowled. Her hand brushed against her own stomach, and then she let it rest in her lap.
“The birth is not far off. Are you prepared?” the duchess said.
Sabine nodded. “Yes, I cannot wait to hold the child in my arms. His Majesty thinks it will be a boy; I only hope for a healthy child.”
“But a boy would be a great blessing, someone to carry on his father’s name. He will be Duke of Ilore come the time, since he cannot take his father’s place on the throne.”
“No, he would never sit on the Danhad throne.” Sabine was pensive.
Both women were silent in contemplation, and I did not like the look on the duchess’s face. I focused the vision, trying to call my mother to us. We were in a circular chamber; water dripped nearby. The walls were lined with torches, which cast long shadows across the room. A stone basin was erected in the center of the room. Adair stood over it, dagger in one hand. Johai stood beside him; his hands were red with blood.
The base of the pedestal was soaked crimson with blood as well. I saw black locks curled about on the ground and a pale hand. I moved around the pedestal. I lay on the floor in a pool of my own blood.
I screamed.
Johai turned to look at me and smiled. “The time is coming, Maea. Are you prepared?”
Chapter Eight
I THREW MY HEAD BACK to break the trance and the vision’s hold on me. My heart jumped into my throat. Was that my death, or the future if I fail to stop Johai? I felt my grandmother’s eyes upon me. She had shared the vision with me. Her expression was difficult to gauge. I stared into her violet eyes and tried to read her thoughts. She slid her gaze from me. Her skeletal hands were folded in her lap. Her eyes were fixed upon the water’s surface.
“Do you understand the meaning of this vision?” she asked me.
My chest was tight; it was difficult to breathe. I tugged at the white gown Shewa had given me. I never changed after the dance. My hair was still braided, with the bells tinkling each time I moved.
“Not every vision comes true,” I said with more confidence than I felt. “This is a possible future. One where if I were not to stop the specter, my life would be forfeit.” My mother has told me from the beginning that I must kill the specter or be killed. It was one thing to be told and another to witness your own death. A hundred different questions were buzzing through my head. That place seemed familiar, but I could not recall where I had seen it.
My grandmother spread her hands palm up and shrugged. “We are meant to be vessels for the vision; interpretation can often be subjective. You may be correct that it is one possible future. I can also tell you what I have seen when I gaze in the waters. Our line is dying. As it stands only two remain, you and I. I am an old woman; my time here draws to a close. The specter has his host, and he will not suffer us to live. You are the circle unbroken, and you must put aside all doubts. You must bring the specter to the Sea Chamber. There you will kill the host and destroy the spirit within. You have to sever his ties with this world.”
I must kill him. There is no other choice. Johai is gone. I contemplated the water’s surface, trying to let my thoughts settle. How do I bring him to the Sea Chamber? I do not even know where it is. My grandmother made it sound easy. Even if his soul is gone, how can I face him as I kill him while he wears Johai’s face?
“Where is the Sea Chamber? How can I bring him there?”
“You will not need to bring him, my child. He is drawn to that place as you are. You will both go back to the beginning, and there the cycle will end at last.”
“Where is the beginning?”
She tilted her head to regard me. “Do you not know yet? It is back in Keisan, the city by the sea. You must return to our family’s ancient seat in Ke
isan, find the chamber, and on the day the moon swallows the sun, he will come for you and the chamber to finish his ascension.”
I jumped to my feet. “No. I cannot return there. Adair would have me killed the moment I arrived. I can never go back.” I put my hands to my throat, the same place Adair had tried to squeeze the life out of me. He will take my head this time for sure. I am not welcome in Keisan, not while Adair lives. In my vision he seemed concerned for me; what did Johai tell them? What if I could return? What if Adair did not kill me outright?
“You must,” my grandmother pressed. She, too, rose, and though she was a head shorter than me and slumped, she seemed powerful, and I shrank beneath the burning light in her violet eyes. “The end must happen there.” Her voice echoed around me, filling my head and ringing in my ears.
This is it? Even if I manage to make it to Keisan and lure Johai and kill him, I may not escape. Either way I go to my doom. I cradled my head in my hands. Tears threatened, but I held them back. I am strong. What life I have, I will give to save the kingdoms; I would rather die than let thousands perish because I was a coward. And that was the heart of the matter. The specter keeps coming back because the diviner line persisted. I knew what I must do. The truth gnawed at me, but I dared not give it form, not yet.
My grandmother invited me to stay in her tent. I could feel Johai waiting for me out in the night, and I agreed to stay with her. She shared her sleeping mat with me. I tried to protest, but she would hear none of it. The night was cold, and the wind howled outside, but I was wrapped up safe in my grandmother’s furs. They smelled of musk and herbs. It was a comforting scent. My grandmother did not lie down to sleep; instead she sat before her basin and gazed into its depths. I watched her through sleep-heavy eyes as she scryed before I descended into my deep dreamless sleep.
In the morning when I woke, my grandmother was nowhere to be seen. I stretched and looked about her tent. It was different in the daylight. Sunlight filtered through the canvas top and cast light upon the bundles of herbs and the jars of oils that lined the floor around me. I rose up, my body aching, and headed for the door of the tent. Outside was an endless sea of grass; it rustled in the wind like golden waves. On the rise of the hill beyond, I saw smoke curling from thousands of campfires. The sky was clear and blue; the air was crisp and cold. Winter is coming apace. Time moves too quickly. The day the moon swallows the sun is not far off; it will be here before I know it. I must prepare.
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