“Chris,” she asked again, “what are you doing? Can you hear me?”
Still Chris did not respond, rather he moved so that he was facing her, his hands still holding hers and then he embraced her, bringing his icy body against her ghostly one, as the pair united. Immediately Ari felt darkness press down on her, seeming to come from the inside out, as the room, the circle... everything faded into nothingness.
She wasn’t sure how long it had been before she saw something again. Her mind had woken to a light, so bright that it seemed to pull her from the darkness, like a magnet. There was nothing at all surrounding the light, no scenery, not even her body, and it made her feel as if she were disjointed from the world, if she was even still in the world.
When she reached the light, she heard a voice; it was kind and familiar and she smiled when she saw the face behind the voice.
“What took you so long?” asked Chris.
“What happened?” asked Ari, and she was pleased to see that Chris’s eyes were no longer black and empty, but green and kind looking.
The moment she spoke, everything around her shimmered gold and then, as though a veil had been lifted, she saw where they were. She and Chris were sitting on emerald grass by an enormous lake. The lakes crystal blue water seemed to stretch only a short way, though Ari couldn’t see anything at all beyond it, as if the world ended at its edge. In the centre of the lake was a small island, no bigger than a few metres and from which an enormous weeping willow grew, it’s long and slender branches reaching out and bending near the water, so that tiny green leaves brushed against the lakes still surface. There was something odd about the shape of the tree. It was as if it were made of three trees and the trio had grown together, wrapping and weaving so closely that they united as one.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“This,” Chris said, indicating the lake, “is death. Not too shabby, hey?”
“Death?”
As she looked out, Ari realised that off to the side of the lake, only just visible, was a line of people. She was too far away to see any of their faces, though from the distance that separated her from them, she could tell that they were naked. The man at the front of the line moved into the water, his entire body quickly swallowed up by the crystal blue lake, so that only his head was visible. He continued further into the lake, wading through the water until he reached the tree in the centre of the island. The branches of the tree seemed to bend towards him, as if a great gust of wind had directed them, and Ari watched as the tree began to unwind, the thick branches slowly coiling away from each other until there were clearly three trees.
But they were not merely trees… Ari didn’t know how to describe it; it looked as if they were three ancient, petrified women. They were partly formed from branches and leaves, but with obvious human traits, faces carved into the trunks and what looked like branches for limbs. All three tree-women appeared to be of different age. The closest to Ari was the tallest of the three, with a far less wrinkled face etched into the trunk and long slender branches and bright green leaves. Next to this was another tree, obviously older, the face resembling that of a middle aged woman. Her branches seemed to droop lower and there were a few yellowing leaves that gathered around more coiled twigs. The final face was so heavily wrinkled that it appeared more of a knot in the tree than a true face. This trees branches were leafless and curled down low, as if time had forced it to bend.
When the man in the lake approached the trees, he hovered in the water, sending tiny blue ripples across the surface. For a moment the three trees remained motionless, their tiny wooden eyes apparently contemplating him. Then there was a rumble and a giant wave of water crashed down on the man, sending his body over the edge of the lake… into the nothingness beyond.
“What, what just happened?” asked Ari. “I thought that you were supposed to bring Grandor back to the circle.”
“I think you’d rather be here,” said Chris.
“Why?”
But it wasn’t Chris who replied, rather a kind voice spoke. Immediately the aroma of flowers wafted over to Ari. She breathed in the sweet smell and something triggered in the back of her mind, like the distant echo of a long forgotten memory.
“That is the pool of death,” said the kind voice. “The newly departed meet here. They are judged. Then they are taken beyond.”
Chris and Ari stared up at the woman who had spoken. She was short, with dark hair that reached to her waist and light blue eyes. Next to her was a man, tall and strong looking, but with the same dark hair, though he had green eyes. Both figures seemed to glisten, as if illuminated by bright sunlight, giving them a transparency that made them appear not quite there.
“Mum… dad?” said Ari, and though she had never seen her parents before, she was certain that it was them.
It felt bizarre and wonderful to say those two words... mum and dad… like her whole life her parents had just been a story she had heard of. Now they were standing in front of her. They were real.
“Yes Ariana,” said the man, smiling kindly down at her.
“Is it, it is really you?” asked Ari, and they both smiled and nodded, and Ari watched as a tiny glistening tear, so bright gold that it seemed to glow on its own accord, traced its way down her mother’s cheek, leaving a shimmering line behind, just like glitter.
Ari jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around her parents. She had been worried that she might not be able to touch them, that they would disappear the moment she reached them, but as she hugged them she felt the warmth behind their embrace and squeezed harder, afraid to let them go. Far too soon, Ari felt her mother slip her hand in hers as she pulled out of the hug, moving to stand in front of Ari so as to look at her better.
“You are so beautiful,” said her mother. “We’re so proud of you.”
“We watch over you all the time. But why have you come here?” said her father, his voice tight, even scared.
Looking up in awe at Ari’s parents, Chris said, “I brought her here.”
Ari’s father looked down at Chris. There was an odd smile on his face, but his eyes shone of sympathy or was it pity?
“But why did you… how did you,” Ari stammered, trying to compose her thoughts.
“You called for your ancestor, Grandor, we heard the summoning and came,” said her mother, looking back at the lake and the tree in the centre. “We can’t stay long.”
“But…” said Ari, and her voice trailed off when she too glanced at the weeping willow; the carved faces in the tree were watching them and though Ari wasn’t sure, it felt as if they were counting down the seconds before they would pull her parents back into death and beyond.
“I don’t want you to leave,” said Ari, and like her mother, her face suddenly shone with tears. “There’s so much I need to know… and I don’t want to lose you, not again.”
“I know baby,” said her father, looking down proudly at her. “We didn’t want to leave you.”
“And you will never lose us,” her mother added.
“We haven’t got long,” said Chris, and Ari turned to see him staring in concern at the tree, his face almost pleading as he glared at it.
“We come with a warning,” said her father, hurriedly whispering. “Times are changing and the enemy has the power to upset the balance; they could destroy everything. Your ancestor, Grandor, knew of his mistake, but by the time he realised it, it was too late. Already he loved the immortal races he had created. That is why he passed his power down his line. So that you might do what he could not.”
“But, but, you mean I am supposed to get rid of all the immortals? Kill all the wraiths and waeres and vampires? I can’t do that. They aren’t all evil.”
Ari’s mother looked at her, her face glowing as she said, “You have been alone for so long. We didn’t want to leave you. But you have grown into a beautiful and compassionate woman. The power you have, it comes with responsibility, but it is your decision as to what yo
u do with it. You must trust to yourself to do that which is right.”
“But how am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to know what the right thing is? I don’t know anything about being the Grandor descendant, why I have all these powers, what I’m supposed to do with them?” Ari stammered, finding it difficult to speak her thoughts. “That’s why we came. I need someone to teach me, to tell me what to do. I can’t do this on my own.”
“You are the blood of Grandor, the blood of the true immortal,” said her mother. “You command the sunlight. The darkness fears that.”
“Your voice,” said Chris, and his eyes had become wide, “I’ve heard it before… when I died.”
Slowly Ari’s mother nodded, saying, “You are unique Christopher Bolt. A wraith who is good. You must learn to control the shadows,” she said, still looking at Chris. “Ari may control the light, but you control the darkness.”
“It was my mother’s voice you heard? But, but then, was you who told Lea about Riley being pregnant?” asked Ari.
Again Ari’s mother nodded.
“What do you mean, control the shadows?” asked Chris. “I thought it was Ari’s destiny to fix Grandor’s mistake, but you keep talking about these shadows, like they are something specific.”
But Ari’s mum and dad suddenly looked scared, their faces becoming more transparent. Ari clamped down on her mother’s hand, feeling nothing but cool air there.
“Mum, dad, please don’t leave me,” screamed Ari.
“You are not alone,” said her mother, “you have a…”
Ari stared wildly into the air. Her parents had vanished. Soon she was crying, thick tears streaming down her face as she raced towards the line of people in the distance and made to jump into the lake, certain it would take her to her parents. The moment her feet touched the water they burned, not hot, but deadly cold, and Ari felt Chris’s hand reach for her.
“No, Ariana Sol,” said the tangled and convoluted sound of three voices all meshed as one. “Your time is not now.”
Ari looked up at the weeping willow and saw that the tree had once again split so as to form three women who spoke to her.
“Ari,” hissed Chris, careful to keep himself out of the lake, “you can’t go in there.”
“Let go of me,” she cried, trying to pull free of Chris, “I want to stay with them. I don’t want to be alone.”
“You’re not alone. You have Ragon and the coven and all your friends... and me. Your parents wouldn’t want you to stay with them… not like this. Not if it meant dying.”
Ari felt herself drop to her knees, just as Chris pulled her to the edge of the lake and back onto the emerald grass. Though she looked up at him, her eyes were too drowned in tears to see his face, but she felt him reach down and hug her. Again she felt his icy touch, and as his hand closed around hers, she sobbed, a sound which echoed despair and grief.
“You’re not alone,” he said again, while the lake and grass and the weeping willow all faded, replaced with darkness.
When Ari opened her eyes again, she saw that she was once again standing as part of the circle. Chris was in the centre of the room looking at her, his expression blank. One by one each of the witches dropped their hands by their sides, just as a crackle of electricity filled the room and the white glowing dome which had encased the group, faded entirely. Without the hands of the girls on either side of her to keep her upright, Ari dropped to her knees.
“What happened?” Ragon asked, racing to Ari’s side and picking her up so that he cradled her in his arms.
She was trembling, her teeth chattering and her eyelashes wet with tears.
“What have you done?” asked Ragon, glaring at Chris.
“Nothing,” Chris said indignantly.
“The connection,” said Lea, looking around in confusion, “it didn’t work?”
“Then why is Ari like this?” asked Ragon.
“The magic must have been too great for her,” said Lea, but there was something in her voice that made Ari think Lea didn’t believe what she was saying.
Ari had heard the entire conversation in her head but couldn’t reply. She felt trapped by grief, the images of her parents still burnt clearly in her mind as she tried frantically to clutch onto the little features she could still remember about them; the sweet floral smell of her mother and the strong comforting presence of her father.
“I’m going to take her back to her room,” said Ragon, and he raced to the doors.
“No wait… the locking spell,” cried Lea, but it was too late, Ragon had already reached the doors and was thrown backwards.
Ari glided from his hands and fell heavily onto the floor a few feet away. In an instant Ragon was there, brushing the hair out of her face. Ari felt her eyes jolt open. There was someone behind Ragon, and Ari watched as Chris leant down.
“Get away,” Ragon hissed.
“It’s ok,” she whispered, reaching out a hand to touch Ragon’s chest. “Chris, what is it?”
“We need to talk about what just happened,” said Chris, keeping his voice low, so that only Ari and Ragon could hear. “Come met me in my room; I will make sure Lea comes too.”
Ragon looked confused but did not argue. When he had made his way to the second level, he walked past Ari’s room and entered Chris’s instead. The door had barely closed when Chris appeared. He looked breathless, as if he had run after them.
“Lea won’t be long,” Chris panted, closing the door behind him. “She’s just finishing up with her circle I think.”
“What happened?” asked Ragon, addressing Ari.
Rather than placing her on Chris’s soft bed, he kept her wrapped tightly in his arms.
“What did you see?” asked Chris, looking at Ragon.
Before Ragon could answer, Lea walked inside the room. She looked nervous, her eyes darting from Ragon and Chris, clearly sensing the tension in the air.
“I think the circle believed me; that Ari just was exhausted” she said, “but what really happened?”
“What do you mean?” said Ragon. “What did happen? I saw the same thing we all saw, some weird circle of light form and then it broke and Ari fell to the floor.”
Ari looked astonished and whispered, “That’s not what happened.”
Immediately Chris delved into the details. When he had finished telling them what had happened, and the conversation they’d had with Ari’s parents, Ragon was clutching Ari even more tightly in his arms, while Lea sat grasping her hair, pulling it hard in disbelief.
“So Grandor did make the other immortals,” said Lea, breathing out sharply, “but he couldn’t destroy them, so he passed the responsibility down his family line, hoping someone else would be able to? Talking about passing the buck!”
“And your mum said that you were supposed to fix his mistake? But, does that mean, she thinks you should kill us?” asked Ragon, looking intently at Ari. “Like we are all damned? Never supposed to have existed?”
“I don’t know,” Ari admitted. “She said I had to do what was right.”
“Whatever that means,” said Chris.
“I wish there was some sort of rule book that told me exactly what the right thing was,” said Ari. “My mum talked about it as if the answer was obvious, but it doesn’t seem obvious to me. I mean, there is no way that just because you are a vampire that I would hurt you,” she added, looking at Ragon. “That just doesn’t make sense. I would never do anything to hurt anyone in the coven, no matter what crazy family destiny I am supposed to have inherited. And if I listen to what the destiny says, it would mean that I am supposed to rid the world of wraiths and waeres too. Like I am going to do anything to Chris or Riley, just because of what they were born as. It’s just so confusing.”
“And Ari’s mum told you that you needed to control the shadows?” asked Lea, looking at Chris with concern. “What does that mean? Is that something different to Ari’s destiny, or was she meaning that you could help her?”
Immediately Ari thought back to what had happened when Chris had attacked Ragon and the strange way that Ragon’s shadow had trembled under Chris’s gaze.
“I think,” she said, slowly sitting up in Ragon’s arms, “I think it has something to do with what happened when Chris attacked Ragon.”
Chris looked down at her and frowned.
“But I don’t know what happened,” he said finally. “I have never done anything like that before and I have never heard of any wraith being able to do it either.”
“Wraiths are necromancers,” Lea said slowly.
“Sticks and stones,” said Chris, shaking his head.
“No, what I mean is that wraiths have dominion over the dead and vampires are dead,” Lea went on, but this time Ragon interrupted her.
Bound (The Grandor Descendant Series Book 3) Page 25
