Quintessence (Statera Saga Book 2)

by Amy Marie

  There’s just over an hour before I have to be back on campus for a staff meeting with Uncle Mike, so I drive out to my special spot on the river that originally sparked all of my memories.

  The river borders the land I once occupied in another life – Eleanor’s life.

  Memories from her past have come through to me ever since I was sucked into the power of the reminiscence. This power gives me glimpses into the past. Anything that has to do with the Statera, and the light soul inside me that’s been carried over since time was time, all comes back to me through the reminiscence.

  Darcy is my counterpart – the dark to my light and my trigger to this power. He claims that makes us soulmates, but I’m still trying to figure out what that really means.

  I make a point to come to the river once a week to relax and reflect during some alone time. I lay some flowers in the clearing where Gabriel and Eleanor were killed. A tribute to their lost lives, along with many others.

  Even though Talbot tried to turn this area into a haunting memory after so much death and destruction took place here, I refuse to let him take it from me.

  This is my place.

  L. Marcus Talbot cursed Darcy and has hunted my soul ever since. Even before that, from one life to the next, his goal has always been to destroy us and disrupt our balance. In doing so, he’s kept us from filling the emptiness that invoked his evil form.

  Settling down on the side of the river, I pull my feather-down coat tighter around me. It’s that time of year when the snow begins to melt and one looks forward with hope to the new life of spring, but the piercing cold dangles it just out of reach.

  Looking at the opposite bank, I think of Darcy. This is where he first saw me, in this life and in Eleanor’s. In every life we’ve lived, I’ve always told him he could find me by the river. Through every culture, every civilization – somehow, he has.

  A single tear traces a line down my cheek. I never could’ve imagined feeling this way, but now that Darcy has distanced his affections from me, I miss him.

  I see him every day, yet I miss him.

  My memories have shown me the possibilities of what could be. I wish there was a way to repair what’s been broken between us.

  I close my eyes and vision after vision of a man and woman playing chase, laughing, kissing, and expressing their love by the river’s edge flash through my mind. Our bodies and even our names have changed, but throughout the span of time, we were always the same inside.

  We found each other through the meaning of our names. Mine always represented light – his dark. Being near each other would trigger our power to carry over knowledge from previous lives and let us recognize our true forms in each other. We’re the only two who have the power to defeat the ancient evil, and that’s what hunts us now.

  My musings are interrupted with the snap of a branch nearby. My body freezes, but not due to the cold. My left hand clutches the metal lighter in my pocket, while my right hand grips the pepper spray on the opposite side.

  But it’s the middle of the day?

  Opening my eyes, I turn my head to the tree line at my side. A striking woman with jet-black hair is watching me from the brush. She tilts her head, and finally speaks.

  “Your light dims when you cry.”

  Chapter 2

  Did she say light?

  My heart stalls before it picks up a rapid pace.

  “What’d you say?” I ask, struggling to hear my own words over the echoing drum of my heartbeat in my ears.

  “I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you.” She moves closer, holding her arms up to display she means no harm. “I think you are the one I have been looking for.” She smiles, though it doesn’t reach her eyes.

  Wary of the stranger, I stand and back away.

  “Please,” she implores. Her voice is almost too deep to be feminine. “You must understand. I am supposed to find you. I have been led here.”

  The statement stops me in my tracks. Is this the reason for my dream? Does she have something to do with the elemental souls?

  “Who are you?” I ask, perusing her flawless features. She’s taller than me. Her skin is the color of caramel, and just as smooth. Her eyes and hair share the same deep shade, so dark they’re nearly black holes of color.

  The woman’s smile remains, but her eyes stare unblinking.

  “My name is Lilly.”

  Lilly. Could this be the dark flower?

  My dreaming memory thrusts the recognition to the forefront of my mind.

  “What do you want? How did you find me? Are you part of the prophecy?” My dreadful habit of spouting off in my confusion shines through.

  The woman’s smile deepens, cat-like, and it finally reaches her eyes. She seems pleased I’ve recognized her reason for being here – she’s found me.

  She hesitates a moment before answering.

  “I have been looking for you. I knew to come where the dark meets the light. It is prophesized that the elements will be led to this point,” she says with authority.

  “You seem to know a lot about all this. A prophecy was shown to you?” I ask, suspicious.

  “I am part of the prophecies. I take on many names. I am the element guide,” she replies.

  I’m taken aback. I’ve never heard Uncle Mike or Darcy mention such a thing. We haven’t translated anything from the Statera that mentions anything close. How can this be?

  She senses my discomfort. With a subtle tip of her head, her stiff demeanor changes and she smiles with charm. If I’d blinked, I would’ve missed it.

  “Please, let’s go sit somewhere warm. I’ll do my best to explain,” she implores.

  I hesitate, certain I don’t want to take her back to the sanctuary without finding out more.

  Reading me again, she adds, “Someplace public, to ease your qualms. Perhaps we can get some coffee?” Her palms turn up in question.

  We agree to meet at the little cafe near my old apartment, just a few blocks away. On my way to the car, I text Uncle Mike to let him know I’ll be missing the staff meeting. Talk about a breakthrough, wait until I get home and tell him this!

  Lilly sits across from me at the café and orders a caramel macchiato from the waitress. Looking again to her flawless skin, I wonder if she drinks it, or bathes in it.

  I opt for a chai tea, but when we’re served, I sit back and wait for her to drink first. Something associated with the evils of the emptiness surely wouldn’t sit and sip an espresso in the middle of the day, right?

  She sips, swallows, and smiles.

  I laugh out my nervous tension under my breath, and receive a look of question in return.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I was testing you.” I shrug sheepishly.

  “Testing me?” Lilly asks.

  “Well, I thought maybe if you weren’t human, or possessed by evil or something, that you wouldn’t drink. I’m not sure how it works. Just a silly idea.” I wave away my childish notion.

  She levels me with a direct look.

  “The thirst of evil is insatiable.”

  I pause.

  She starts laughing, “I’m kidding! I can’t imagine any evil thing craving macchiatos. You never told me your name. Though from my dreams, I know it must represent the light.”

  “It’s Nora, well... Eleanor actually,” I say, still not at ease. This girl has a strange sense of humor.

  Her eyes graze over me slowly, feeding off my discomfort.

  “Shining light,” she says, almost in question.

  “Yes, that’s right,” I say, sitting up a little taller. Does she think I won’t live up to what my name represents? “And what about your name? It doesn’t seem to represent a guide.”

  She smiles into her cup as she takes a sip. Dipping her head, she says. “Ah, yes. Well, my name has changed with each form of guidance depending on the element’s prophecies. Do you not know of the elemental prophecies?”

  Why does it seem like she’s challenging me?

  “
Of course,” I say, but hesitate. “Though, I wasn’t aware of the existence of a guide.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t be. Guidance is for the elemental souls. It’s been a long time since the light and the dark have united. Even longer since any of the elementals have been guided to them.”

  “Have they all been united before?” I ask.

  “Not entirely. Not in this existence, anyway.” She stares away, seeing her own distant memory.

  “How you do have knowledge of the past like that? Do you have the reminiscence?” I ask.

  “Something similar, but it’s more for everything surrounding the elements, especially everything that has gone wrong before. It’s almost like a curse, seeing all the death and pain.” She shakes her head.

  “Tell me everything you know,” I say, too eager.

  “Not so fast.” She crosses her arms. “Tit for tat.”

  I hesitate, not quite trusting this stranger. But I’m anxious to learn her knowledge and secrets.

  “One thing first,” I begin, coming to the decision to open up a little. “If you’re the element guide, then do you know where the elemental souls are?”

  “Not precisely, no,” she admits.

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  She pauses as if to gather her thoughts. “There have been too many failures in the past. The purpose of the guide has always been to seek out the elementals to guide their path to the light and the dark. But time is running out. I’ve decided to try things different this time. I’ve sought you out first. Once I had the dream that you were reunited, I came. I figured we could help each other find the elementals, together this time.”

  I wasn’t expecting that.

  “More help can’t hurt,” I say under my breath.

  “More?” She raises her pencil-perfect, ebony brow.

  Again, I hesitate. Something tells me not to reveal everything.

  “More than just me and Darcy,” I say, covering my blunder.

  “Ah, the dark.” She gives a knowing smile, a little too eagerly.

  Don’t even think about it.

  My thoughts spin out of control as my body tingles in reaction to her sultry smile at the mention of Darcy.

  Reading my reaction, she smirks and continues, “I take it you have a guardian?”

  My natural reaction is to hide Uncle Mike and Rafe from her, but I’m not sure if I’m being controlled by my jealous emotions. I’m not even sure where they’re coming from.

  I opt to stay quiet.

  “Surely someone brought you two together? And what about the book? Do you have the ancient instructions?” she asks, probing.

  “A friend brought us together by chance. And we have the book, yes,” I say in a clipped tone.

  She waits for me to look up at her, but I can’t quite meet her eyes.

  “Nothing is by chance. You must trust me, Nora. I’m asking these questions so I can gauge your knowledge, your determination, and where you stand. You have come farther than many before you. I have to admit, your light... it shines. To have the book at hand when you just found the dark soul is exponential. And now with a guardian and a guide, we can find the elements faster. We can go farther than any of the souls before us.”

  She knows so much.

  But how?

  “And what about the destructor?” I ask. “You’ve forgotten to mention him.”

  “The destructor will continue to hunt the light and the dark, as well as the elementals. Evil will stop at nothing to destroy the balance. The emptiness can sense the growing threat. It will react accordingly.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I told you, I hold the memories of all the failures. Including the failures that brought on this existence. I know what the emptiness is capable of.”

  “The shattering of the souls?” I ask, leaning forward.

  “And much more,” her voice grows dark. “You know the story?”

  “Not well enough,” I say. “Please, tell me what happened.”

  She sighs, looking into the depths of her cup for the right words. “I’m sure you’ve been told, as the light soul, that you and the dark are the oldest. The first souls born from the energy of creation. Your souls emerged from the energy, two halves of one whole. The dark was then separated from the light and the eternal balance commenced. But you may not know that you were not the first light soul. There was another before you. The original bearer of light.”

  This news floors me. How can the Statera be missing so much valuable information? So many questions spin my thoughts into a whirlwind.

  “I had no idea,” I say, shaking my head in denial. “How can that be?”

  “You’re not meant to know. It’s a forbidden memory, blocked from being passed to your soul. So that you will not be tempted by the power you bear.”

  “Power?” I ask.

  “Oh yes, Nora. Light is truly the greatest of natural powers, an energy within itself. If mankind could harness such power, the possibilities could be endless. Your potential for power exceeds any subject of creation. Even your counterpart, the dark.”

  My mouth goes dry. The gleam in Lilly’s eye when she speaks of my so-called power makes me uncomfortable.

  “Don’t be afraid of the power within you, Nora. Embrace it, for it is all your own.”

  Not sure I agree with her logic, I continue with a different line of questioning. “Does Darcy have similar power?”

  Her half-smile rubs me like sandpaper. “Darkness has a much different type of power, but formidable in its own right.” Lilly speaks as if she craves such power, while I’d pass on the particular responsibility of it all.

  “Why are the oldest souls different? Why do we have this kind of power within us?” I ask.

  “Your soul was placed on Earth in its original, whole form. Unlike all the shattered souls of the rest of the population. The reminiscence is just the beginning of what you’re truly capable of, if you open up to the light inside of you.”

  Something is tingling from the back of my neck, down my shoulders. Darcy once said I should open up to the power of the reminiscence, and now Lilly is encouraging me to do the same with the power of light inside my soul.

  Can such power be harnessed?

  My phone beeps with a text message from Darcy.

  Where are you? Almost dark.

  I shake myself out of my reverie and look out the window. The sun is setting. I have to get a move on fast!

  “Um, Lilly. I have to run,” I say, rushing to leave some money on the table and take my leave.

  “Nora, wait,” she tries to stop me.

  “I’m sorry, I have to go. Here’s my number,” I say, writing my phone number on my napkin. “Text me and we can meet again soon.”

  Her eyes grow dark at my hasty departure. “Very well,” she concedes. “We will meet again soon, Nora. Tell Darcy I can’t wait to meet him too.”

  I give a quick nod in annoyance to her words and scurry out the door.

  Chapter 3

  It’s only minutes before lockdown when I make it back to the sanctuary.

  I’m greeted with mutual frowns of disapproval from the resident beast and his two flanking guardians. Char just smiles and gives a friendly wave in contrast as she sets the table for dinner.

  “I know, I know,” I begin, halting any admonishments. “Just wait though. Something kinda big happened.”

  Their expressions change to an array of instant surprise.

  Char fumbles the dishes onto the table. She rushes over with the others as Darcy guides me by my arm to take a seat.

  “What is it?” he asks. “Are you alright?” Lines of worry wrinkle his forehead.

  “I’m fine,” I nod, barely containing my excitement to share the news.

  “Well, my dear, what happened?” Uncle Mike asks. “We’ve been worried, you know.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. But there’s been another breakthrough. I decided to take a short break by the river, to try to spur so
me memories and maybe glean some direction from all the dreams and symbols. I was sitting there concentrating when a woman approached me. She... she recognized the light in me.”

  I observe contrasting reactions from Char, Rafe, and Uncle Mike. As expected, Darcy’s face is a mask of dark anger.

  Uncle Mike does his best to take control of the tension and concentrate on the positive. “Excellent, my dear. Another breakthrough! Who was this woman, and what did you find out?”

  I don’t move, unable to continue until Darcy breaks his spell of displeasure.

  After a moment, his eyes cast to the floor. “I am glad you are safe. The woman was a friend then?”

  My stomach unknots. How can this man affect me like this?

  “She seemed to be, yes. Though at first, I wasn’t sure.” I relax in my seat, ready to relay the afternoon’s events.

  I announce the existence of Lilly, the elemental guide, and all her knowledge to the four people I now consider to be the closest to me. They’re just as stunned as I was at the revelations.

  For the first time in my memory, Darcy just looks lost. “An elemental guide?” he asks.

  “It makes sense,” Rafe reasons. “You guys have a guardian to bring you together, the elements should have a guide. But how could the Statera leave such a huge piece of information out?”

  “Maybe it’s been that long since we’ve come this far?” I suggest.

  Uncle Mike gets up and moves over to the study area where we keep the gathered prints of the Statera. The original book is now safely preserved and stored away under heavy security. He fumbles through the paperwork, distracted.

  “Do you trust this Lilly?” Darcy asks me, his accent giving her name a bitter twist.

  I look into the dark depths of his eyes, and he can see the truth before I can even answer.

  “I think you should stay away from her,” he carefully words his command.

  My hackles rise. “Darcy, it’s not a coincidence that she found me right after my dream. She’s part of the prophecy. The dark flower. If you had seen her, you’d know she fits the bill. The prophecy from your lifetime was never fulfilled. She’s the guide that will lead the elementals to us.”