by Raine Thomas
“We’ll start with stretching over here,” Gabriel said, leading them out to one part of the space.
Woven mats covered the area. Skye sat down on one as her sisters sat nearby and they all began warming up. Her gaze moved around the room as she stretched. Uriel hadn’t ordered it emptied, so a number of Waresti were in various stages of exercise. That didn’t bother her, though. This was their home, after all. And she had gotten quite used to having an audience during these sessions.
She was highly impressed by the equipment she saw. The Waresti obviously stayed as up-to-date as possible when it came to fitness and training. The entire room was encircled by a paved track meant for jogging, a rather modern form of exercise. There were sand, gravel and water pits and grassy areas surrounded by racks of weapons, both wooden and real. She spotted weights in varying shapes and sizes and other specially-designed equipment that looked like it was intended for resistance training. Several sets of stairs had been carved into the rock face and a few Waresti were running up and down them. What appeared to be the equivalent to a rock-climbing setup comprised another portion of the area. There was even an archery range.
But what captured the majority of her attention was the intricate and expansive system of bars and platforms starting at ground level and rising up several stories in height. There were ropes and nets in addition to ladders and horizontal and vertical bars comprising the complex structure. She saw a couple of Waresti doing pull-ups using some of the lower horizontal bars. Others were climbing and using the ropes to swing from one platform to the next.
She couldn’t wait to try it.
“Time for weights,” Gabriel declared a few minutes later.
She had to admit that her body needed this. Just the effect of the stretching made a difference in how she felt. They had been so focused on their mental and spiritual activities recently that she hadn’t had time to think about her body’s need for exercise.
She saw Uriel, Knorbis and Ini-herit standing by the weapons racks, evidently discussing what they would use later. The Waresti lieutenant, Balera, was on another side of the complex chatting with Zayna, Malukali, Sebastian and Jabari. Harold and Alexius had both gotten very familiar with the sisters’ routines over the past couple months, having worked with them nearly every day at Central, so they had pulled out weights while the girls were stretching, setting them up for their use.
Gabriel walked over to evaluate them before the sisters got started. “Less weight for Olivia and Skye now,” he said, catching Harold’s gaze.
“Less?”
“Yep.” Gabriel walked over to replace a couple of the weights and pull out some others. “We’ll focus on sculpting with muscle control and attention to form rather than through the amount of weight.”
Harold and Alexius looked from Olivia to Skye. The sisters smiled at them. Much to everyone’s surprise, both commanders smiled back.
“Congratulations,” Harold said. Then he surprised them all further by extending his fist toward James, waiting for him to tap it, and then toward Caleb, an action he had learned by watching the brothers interact over time. Alexius followed suit.
It made Skye burst into a fit of giggles.
They spent twenty minutes on sets with the weights before moving over to weapons training. They started with swords, then moved on to staff weapons before transitioning to the archery range and spending some time with the targets.
Finally, Uriel introduced them to the challenge course.
“The goal is to get from the bottom to the top as quickly as possible without using your wings,” he explained. “You may use any of the equipment available on the course.”
“What’s the top time so far?” Amber asked as she looked up with interest.
“Just under five minutes,” Uriel said. “But I would not recommend your participation, little mother.”
She frowned. “Why not? We’re all pregnant.”
“Yes, but you are further along in your condition,” he explained. “This level of physical activity would not be wise.”
Gabriel put his arm around her shoulders when a decidedly disappointed expression fell across her features. He kissed the top of her head.
“I’m going to be heading into battle,” she grumbled with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn’t seem to realize that her posture accentuated her slight pregnancy belly. “You’d think I could handle this.”
“Next time, Am,” he said understandingly.
“You wanna try it first?” Skye asked Olivia. “You love to climb.”
“Trees,” Olivia argued. “Climbing trees and climbing this beast are quite different things.” She gave her sister a sideways look. “You go ahead.”
“Yay!” Skye clapped her hands and hurried over to the bottom platform.
She spent a moment looking side to side and up, tilting her head a few times to study the layout. Then she used some of the powdery substance in a container by the platform to dust her hands before moving into position and nodding to indicate she was ready.
“Go,” Uriel said.
She got a running jump and grabbed the closest high bar, using her momentum to swing herself around until she stood on top of it. Then she launched herself from the bar and caught a rope several feet away, swinging to the next highest platform. Above her was a long row of what looked like monkey bars. Knowing her upper body strength was far from stellar, she grabbed the first one and brought her leg up, hooking her ankle around the side of the bars and pulling herself up so that she was on top of the bars. Running across them was no more difficult than running along a long balance beam, something she had done a few times in her life. She was across it in a blink and jumping to the next rope and platform.
She felt her smile widen as she made her way from one obstacle to another. Sure, she was being rather creative with a few parts of the course that seemed designed for larger or stronger beings, but she wasn’t using her wings, she was using her legs and her ability to balance.
Before she knew it, she was standing on the top platform.
She looked down at everyone watching her and lifted her arms above her head. “Ta da!” she called out with a beaming grin. “How’d I do?”
“Three minutes, forty-nine seconds,” Uriel called back.
“Woohoo!” She leaped from the platform and flew back down to the ground. Her sisters exchanged high fives with her. So did James, Gabriel, Alexius and Harold.
Then she turned and threw her arms around Caleb. I think my heart stopped a couple of times watching that, he thought. But, my God, you amaze me.
“Why don’t we round out the workouts with some cardio before the ritual?” Gabriel said. When the sisters groaned, he grinned. “Swimming,” he added. “I hear it’s good exercise for expectant mothers.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
When they left for Central that evening after completing the second ritual that day, Caleb, James and Gabriel once again carried the sisters so they could sleep. This time, the girls all slid into unconsciousness at the conclusion of the ritual, indicating how tired they had been going into it.
Every single Waresti who had been at the homeland was following them now. They all intended to participate in the coming battle, even the youngest of them. So they would stay at Central until the time came to leave.
Caleb thought again of the conversation they’d had earlier that day about doing what they could to try and prevent as much loss of life as possible. They hadn’t come up with any good solutions.
“We really can’t stop anyone from participating,” Gabriel had said. “We’ve been anticipating this battle for centuries, ever since Knorbis predicted it. There are going to be a lot of Estilorians who want in, whether they’re ready for it or not.” He sighed. Then he looked at each of the sisters. “Considering you three are going into battle while pregnant, there will be no arguing with anyone who wants to fight.”
Thinking now about the power behind the Great Foretelling, Caleb wondered if t
here were any more answers to be found there. Something in his subconscious was telling him to explore that further.
But now, as the lights of Central neared and they approached the landing platform that Sebastian had ordered prepared for them, he put it aside. Tomorrow morning would be soon enough to weigh and measure everything as they made their plans.
“Welcome back,” Caoilinn greeted them quietly when they landed. She bowed. “I am pleased to know that the rituals were all successful. We have your rooms ready and waiting for you.”
“Thanks, commander,” Gabriel said. Glancing over his shoulder toward the burnt orange wings flashing in the distance, he said, “We’ll make our own way back. You’ll have your hands full for the next little while, I’m sure.”
She smiled and bowed her head. “As you wish, archigos. Good night.”
The brothers turned and walked down the corridor leading from the platform to their rooms. They traveled through a few transition tunnels and then got to the courtyard, which they would cross to get to their rooms. When they emerged from the tunnel, they staggered to a halt.
The entire courtyard was filled with Estilorians. The brothers looked around with expressions of astonishment at the buzz of activity. Caleb saw representatives from every class.
After a brief moment of them standing in silence, a few of the Estilorians on the edge of the courtyard noticed them. They elbowed the beings closest to them and then all of them fell to one knee. Within a matter of seconds, all noise in the courtyard ceased and every Estilorian mimicked their respectful greeting.
Gabriel exchanged looks with James and Caleb. They’re honoring the sisters, he conveyed with a small smile. And they’re sleeping right through it.
Turning, he said to the crowd, “Thanks. To all of you. We understand why you’re here and who you’re honoring. They’re exhausted after today’s rituals or they’d tell you themselves. But you’ll all get the chance to see them after they’ve rested.”
Everyone rose. The brothers started forward and the crowd parted to let them through. Heads bowed as they passed. The amount of reverence being shown by the beings around them truly shocked Caleb, though he kept his expression contained. It was nothing less than the sisters deserved, but what a remarkable difference this was compared to the vague feelings of unease or distrust that Estilorians had held toward the sisters even two weeks ago.
He knew for certain that despite all odds, the sisters had successfully united them. And he had to believe they would lead them to victory.
When Caleb woke the next morning, the sun was just starting to streak the sky with color. Although he had only slept for a few hours, he knew he wouldn’t fall back asleep.
His mind hadn’t stopped working even in slumber. He had dreamed about war. Of death and destruction. He had dreamed about the deaths of his family…saw Skye’s blood run across the field of battle. He had dreamed of what it would be like to cope with that depth of loss.
He knew it would kill him.
Then he had dreamed about Skye and the family they made together, felt himself lift a bundle wrapped in pink and hold the warm, wriggling baby so he could kiss her fuzzy scalp. He breathed in her indescribably sweet scent and although he shouldn’t have recognized it, he identified it in his dream as baby powder. Beside him, Skye held another bundle wrapped in blue and wore a smile brighter than the sun. Despite his Estilorian ignorance about such things, he somehow understood that she was now pregnant with twins. That because of this as well as the three-quarters-Estilorian nature of the babies’ anatomies, her symptoms of pregnancy were more advanced than her sisters’ had been at the same point in their pregnancies.
And he understood that there was another definition of love awaiting them both. So when he drifted from the dream, he woke knowing what they had to fight for.
Skye was still sound asleep. She had thrown an arm and leg over him at some point during the night. Her head was tucked down in the crook of his arm. The heat radiating from her was now very familiar and comforting to him. He debated for a moment what he should do. Then he subtly touched on James’ thoughts to see if his brother was awake. If so, Caleb would get up as carefully as he could and shower while James kept watch, leaving Skye to get more rest before he woke her.
He learned through his efforts that James was awake, but otherwise occupied. Grinning, he went to Plan B: waking Skye the way he really wanted to.
Later that morning, the siblings gathered around the table in Gabriel and Amber’s room to eat breakfast. The night of rest had done them all good.
“I’ve been thinking more about our discussion yesterday,” Caleb said as he spread some blackberry jam on half a biscuit. “About how we can possibly save lives during this battle. Something struck me when you mentioned how motivated we all are by the Great Foretelling, Gabriel. Maybe the answer we need is in there somewhere.”
There were looks of consideration and head nods around the table.
“Okay,” Gabriel said after taking a drink from his glass. “Let’s run with that. What are some of the excerpts everyone remembers that relate to the battle?”
Skye frowned. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the last line Leoma read to us. ‘In the end, as it always has, it will come to good versus evil.’ But I think we already know that. Us versus the Mercesti.”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes. That’s the very essence of what we’re dealing with. What else does everyone remember?”
“I sure remember this one,” Amber said dryly. Then she quoted, “‘At last, doubt will be overcome. And the new beings who had once been considered unworthy outsiders will lead us all to our fates.’”
“Overcoming doubt,” James said thoughtfully. “Well, I think we can say that has been achieved, judging by our welcome last night.”
“What welcome?” Amber, Olivia and Skye asked at the same time.
The brothers all laughed over their identical expressions. After their humor abated, Gabriel patted Amber’s arm and explained, “Let’s just say there are a lot more Estilorians here at Central than you’ll probably believe, and every single one of them wants to follow you gals into battle.”
The sisters exchanged glances. Skye felt the weight of Gabriel’s matter-of-fact statement squarely on her shoulders, and knew Amber and Olivia did, too. Caleb reached over to rub her knee, obviously sensing her thoughts.
Then Gabriel said, “The part of the Great Foretelling that most directly relates to the battle is the one that says, ‘Even those of us who do not know what it is to battle will soon find something worth fighting for. And it will be love, hope and joy.’”
They all considered that. Olivia twirled a strand of hair around her finger as her sharp mind worked through this puzzle. Then she said, “Another line that doesn’t mention the battle but seems to tie indirectly to that one says, ‘And so it will be strength, courage, wisdom and faith that bring them to us. But it will be love—that of which we know nearly nothing—that will prove most vital to our future.’ So that seems to say that, well, love is a key.”
Again, they paused to mull this over.
Skye smiled and shrugged. “Well, we all love each other. And we’re bonded, right? Making us stronger, you could say.”
“That’s it,” Caleb said, his eyes flashing. “We all experienced something indescribably powerful when we exchanged vows. We can all agree that our connection since then has been vital to many things that have occurred these past months, including the rituals.” When they all nodded, he said, “What was it Saraqael said? He said, ‘You are now six, and before long, you will multiply.’”
“Our number has grown through the pregnancies,” Olivia said, understanding. She exchanged a look with James. “Thus, our potential power has grown.”
Skye gasped. Then she recited, “‘Led by faith in each other, the combined powers resulting from the exchange of vows will be beyond any possible belief.’ Oh my gosh. I remember thinking of how we had exchanged vows, but that it hadn’t seemed to
me that the result was beyond any possible belief. Do you suppose…”
They all nodded. Everyone stood at once.
“Wait a minute,” Gabriel said as they all moved together. “The last time we did this, we ended up unconscious and in need of healing. We’d better do this with the other elders nearby, just in case.”
After exchanging glances, none of them spoke. They merely headed for the door.
Almost an hour later, Gabriel explained their theory to the other elders when they congregated in the large coliseum where they had conducted the first ritual. There was a long pause after he finished speaking.
“I believe you are correct,” Knorbis said at last. “This would obviously be much easier if my foresights had been clearer,” and here, he smiled, “but there is sound logic in your idea.”
“The last exchange of vows did not impact the baby Amber carries,” Ini-herit said. “I do not see that any harm could come of the attempt.”
“I sure hope my skin doesn’t turn purple this time,” Skye joked.
“Don’t worry,” Amber said. “If it sticks to pattern, it’ll turn light blue.”
Skye laughed. Olivia added, “And why should you worry, anyway? Evangeline can always fix it for you.”
“Yeah,” Skye said with a grin. “Good point.”
They all knew the chatter was simply to cover their nerves. This was a potentially dangerous undertaking. But with that risk could come spectacular reward.
“Okay,” Skye said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “We’re doing the right thing. And it’s going to work.”
Her family nodded. They all gathered in a circle. This time, rather than stacking their hands on top of each other, as they had done the first time, they reached out and grasped each other’s wrists, covering their shared marks. The elders backed to the outer edge of the stadium floor.
