A Passage of Threats

by Bella Forrest

  I didn’t move, watching her float and analyzing her words carefully.

  “Who’s the traitor, then?” I asked.

  “I don’t know yet.” She shook her head slowly, her lips pursed. “I had a vision of the future, of Azazel having captured you, laughing in your face, and telling you that you were betrayed from the inside, and I’ve tried looking into it in past, present, and future, but my powers haven’t been very helpful due to my imprisonment. I gave most of everything I had to your mother, and I’m barely left with any Oracle essence in me. It’s taking its toll on me. I’m also trying to listen in on Azazel when he thinks I’m asleep, but I can’t get a name out.”

  A few moments passed before she reached her hand out, piercing the shield and further stunning me. I didn’t know how much of this was real.

  “Touch my hand,” she said. “Look inside me if you wish. As an Oracle, you have complete access to my being. There’s a connection between Oracles—we can communicate with and see through each other freely if we learn how to reach out. It’s how I’m here now, I’m projecting myself to you directly, away from visions and unbeknownst to anyone. Not even Azazel knows that, we’ve all kept it from him at the cost of much physical pain… Please, Vita…”

  An Oracle can communicate with another Oracle outside visions? An Oracle can touch another Oracle and see right through them? See the truth? How does that work?

  I slowly raised my hand to touch hers.

  I didn’t even realize I was moving until our fingers touched, and I felt the cold rush through me and trickle down my spine. The view before me turned white. It was a strange vision I was having, as if I were in the Nevertide Oracle’s body but with my own consciousness.

  I was floating in the water bubble, feeling cold and weightless, hearing Azazel’s muffled voice as he paced around my glass sphere, talking to a Destroyer.

  “I don’t care what you do. Find a way to get in!” he barked at the creature. “I want the Oracle, and if you come back without her, I will have your head.”

  My strange vision was short-lived. I felt myself fall, and everything turned white again. I hit the ground hard. Sharp pain seared my left arm and hip caused by several loose rocks. I shook my head to realize that I was lying in the dry dirt with stones digging into me.

  Horror took over as I then understood that I had fallen outside the shield. I gasped as I looked back and saw my legs half-visible, the rest hidden by the Daughters’ magic. I looked up and to my right, and my gaze met Goren’s.

  He seemed baffled for a second, before a sadistic grin slit his face. He slithered toward me, gripping his sword.

  Oh, no.

  I was petrified, unable to move for a split second before adrenaline kicked in. I needed to disappear behind the shield again, where no one could see or feel me.

  Feel me. Azazel can feel me outside the shield.

  I pushed myself back inside the shield as the Destroyer charged toward me, hissing.

  I vanished completely, and he hit the clear wall.

  I breathed frantically. My eyes felt bleary as I watched Goren take his rage out on the invisible dome again, bringing his sword down and shouting all sorts of curse words.

  “Come back here! Come back here, you little worm!” he barked, unable to see or hear me anymore.

  My body shook, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying and gasping for air. I managed to stand up and run back inside the mansion, bumping into Bijarki as I reached the foyer. He noticed my distress and instantly took me in his arms.

  “Vita? What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow creasing with worry.

  “He saw me! The Nevertide Oracle! She appeared in front of me, and something happened, and…I fell. And he saw me!” I tried to make sense, but my words felt jumbled and difficult to extract from the back of my head.

  “It’s okay,” he replied. “You’re okay now. You’re protected.”

  I slowly managed to get my breathing back under control, but a sense of urgency made me restless. As good as I felt in his arms, this incident added a new layer of danger to our mission and our personal safety.

  I tried pushing him away, but Bijarki stood still, holding me firmly and frowning at me.

  “You don’t understand, Bijarki,” I said, my voice trembling. “The Nevertide Oracle tried to warn me, like she tried with Aida! She touched me, somehow, and I had a vision. I was seeing what she was seeing. Azazel ordered his Destroyers to do everything possible to get us out of here. Aida was right. He knows there’s an Oracle here. Except now he knows there are two of us, because I collapsed mid-vision and fell beyond the protective shield. Azazel can feel the Oracles outside the shield! He now knows there are two of us in here!”

  I took a deep breath, trying to go over what I’d just explained, hoping that I’d made enough sense for him to understand why I was so horrified.

  On top of it all, I still couldn’t understand how I’d gotten so close to the boundary. I thought I’d kept a safe distance from it. How had I fallen in the first place? I wasn’t sure whether it was the Nevertide Oracle’s fault or whether I’d simply lost a couple of feet during the vision.

  Bijarki held me steady as I leaned into him. My knees felt weak.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you, Vita. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.” His voice was low and husky, rippling through me.

  Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as his expression shifted from concerned to pained. He held me in his arms so close that I could feel his heartbeat.

  “I can’t stand the sight of you crying,” he said, then lowered his head and captured my mouth in a sweet kiss.

  The fears I’d harbored began to flutter away like dry leaves in the wind, as I allowed myself the luxury of being comforted by Bijarki. He didn’t hold back as an incubus anymore. His effect washed over me like a hot summer breeze. I abandoned myself in his arms as he pressed further, his tongue invading and tasting, his lips a perfect fit for mine.

  My breathing was labored and broken, my body unable to control itself anymore. My head felt light, and, for just one second, everything seemed okay. There was no Azazel. No Destroyers. No one eager to capture or kill us. It was just me and Bijarki, lost in a kiss meant to help me forget everything except him.

  He paused to look at me, his silvery eyes searching for something.

  “We’re in so much trouble,” I muttered, once again reminded of the last few minutes of my never-boring existence.

  “I’ve got you, little fae,” he whispered, dropping a kiss on the tip of my nose.

  Noises outside startled us, making us stand apart. His hand took mine as we headed back outside. I heard Serena’s voice and was instantly relieved and thrilled.

  They were back.

  Serena

  We emerged from the grotto, finding the mansion bathed in orange light, a typical Eritopian sunset that I’d grown fond of. Relief made my feet feel light as I crossed the lawn and reached the porch steps, calling out Phoenix, Aida, and Vita’s names.

  Draven, Hansa, Sverik, and Jax soon joined me. The rest of our group came out of the house. Vita and Aida squealed as they jumped over the porch. They grabbed me in a long and affectionate embrace, kissing my face and hair.

  “It’s so good to see you!” Aida said.

  “And we have so, so much to tell you,” Vita added, visibly concerned.

  My instinct kicked in then, warning me that we were in for some not-too-good news. Anjani came out next, hugging her sister. Jovi, Bijarki, Field, and Phoenix slipped out behind them. My brother hurried over to hug me, holding me tight and exhaling sharply. I felt his arms shake a little, and I understood then just how worried he’d been and how happy he was to see me again.

  “I told you I’d make it back in one piece,” I quipped, well aware of my pre-departure pessimism. I was genuinely blissful to hold my brother close after the passage stone journey.

  Tamara and Eva came out of the mansion as well, followed by two young succubi. I r
ecognized the smudges of red war paint and their leather garments as elements of the Red Tribe, and I looked at Anjani, who nodded at me while beaming a bright white smile.

  “They made it?” I managed to ask just as Jovi and Field hugged me at the same time. I laughed.

  “They did! But they went out to rally more rebels,” Anjani replied. “I’ll explain later. It’s good to see you!”

  “I see the little ones stayed behind!” Hansa practically squealed with delight and opened her arms wide, falling to one knee.

  The succubi ran down the steps and jumped on her. Their skinny arms wrapped around her as they hugged her tightly. Hansa’s eyes filled with tears as she held them close, kissing their cheeks over and over again.

  “The Daughters have been kind and spared your lives,” she said to them. “I’m humbled and fortunate to be able to hold you in my arms now.”

  “We’ve missed you, Hansa,” one of them muttered, hiding her face in Hansa’s black mane.

  “I’ve missed you too, my darlings.” Hansa sniffed and stood up, letting the girls stand by her side as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

  “I cannot explain how good it is to see all of you!” I exclaimed, smiling at everyone.

  It took us a few minutes to say our hellos and for Draven to introduce Jaxxon, Lord of the Maras, to our group. Jax measured each of us carefully, squinting at the sight of Aida, Vita, and Phoenix, before he looked at me again. He nodded toward my brother.

  “Sentry?” he asked.

  “And Oracle,” I replied.

  “Ah. Double trouble, then,” Jax remarked. He quickly glanced around, frowning at the sight of Destroyers and green fireflies still moving around the protective shield. “I’m not sure you noticed, but there are Destroyers out there trying to get in.”

  “Like I’ve said before. They cannot get in,” Draven said, watching Goren as he prowled around, still searching for weak spots.

  Jax stilled as the Daughter came out of the house, her reddish pink hair loose around her shoulders. She moved to Phoenix’s side, holding his arm and slowly leaning into him. My brother gave her a quick, affectionate glance before he focused his attention back on the Mara.

  The Daughter’s eyes were a most peculiar violet, making Jax narrow his own eyes as he tried to figure out what she was. His face dropped once he realized.

  “Looks like a goddess,” he murmured, then looked at me. “A Daughter of Eritopia? Really? Is this what you meant when you said you had the Daughters’ support?”

  “Pretty much, yes.”

  “I understand now why you were ready to kill me if I came all the way here and decided not to join your alliance. I would’ve done the same,” he said, filled with awe, then bowed respectfully before the Daughter, whose confused expression was downright adorable. “It is an honor to meet you, Daughter of Eritopia.”

  She didn’t seem to know how to react and looked around at us for clues. Phoenix gave her a gentle nudge and a smile, nodding toward Jax.

  “There you go. I told you your kind is famous around here,” he joked, making her giggle.

  Vita stepped forward, beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. It was only when I got a second look at her that I realized exactly how pale she was.

  “Vita, what’s wrong?” I asked.

  She gave me a weak smile. “We all need to talk. A lot of things have happened while you’ve been gone.”

  We gathered in the banquet hall. Phoenix stood tall, while the rest of us took our seats. A plethora of dishes appeared on the serving plates, prompting Jax to raise an eyebrow.

  “Ancient ward magic,” I said briefly.

  “Okay, I’ll go first, to maintain a chronology, so we don’t miss anything along the way,” Phoenix started. “First of all, a strange thing happened.”

  “Of the many normal things that have been occurring since we got here?” Jovi smirked, pouring himself a glass of water.

  “Aida, Vita, and I got together for a session,” Phoenix continued. “But this time, we only had one vision each.”

  “After which, later on, I had a set of three by myself,” Aida added.

  “That’s strange,” Draven seemed intrigued. “Please, go on.”

  Phoenix continued. “I was somewhere in the distant past, during Azazel’s first expansion campaign, when he took over Almus’s kingdom. Ten young Druids were helped to escape just as Destroyers came after them. The elder Druids stayed behind to stall them, so the young Druids could make it out of there alive. They flew away on winged horses. This happened at a massive temple. I believe it was the Grand Temple you mentioned, where young Druids were taught the magical arts.”

  “Did you register any names? The elders, maybe?” Draven asked, his interest piqued. He sat up straight, his elbows on the table.

  “Yes. First of all, Goren was one of the Destroyers sent to get the young Druids. Second, one of the elder Druids’ names was Drago. The Druids called him Master.”

  “Drago was one of the principals of the Grand Temple. He taught my father and mother when they first joined. I heard he died during the invasion, along with the students,” Draven mused.

  “He did die. But I don’t think the students suffered the same fate,” Phoenix replied. “They were told the horses would take them to the shelter and that Jasmine would wait for them there. Do you know who Jasmine is?”

  Draven nodded. “Jasmine was my father’s younger sister. This is extraordinary.” He stood up and paced around the table. I could sense his excitement, the weary joy of learning that there might still be other Druids out there—and family at that!

  “If those Druids survived,” he added, “we need to find them. Aida, you should focus on them for your next visions. If they’re alive, an Oracle will be able to see them.”

  “Speaking of Druids and present days,” Aida replied, “I saw Patrik during my first vision. He’s struggling with Azazel’s darkness controlling him. He’s pushing back. It’s incredibly painful from what I could tell, but he’s actually trying to resist and shift back. I saw him myself. His eyes shifted back to their original color, and his bones crackled. But Azazel’s hold is still very strong. I’m surprised he made it that far in his attempts to reverse it.”

  “I thought once you said yes to Azazel, once his darkness took over, you could no longer go back,” I replied, confused.

  “Technically speaking, you can’t,” Draven said. “But one should never underestimate the strength of one’s will. Or the power of one’s emotions. They might shatter the most impenetrable of spells.”

  He glanced at me as he said that, giving me the impression of something deeper lying beneath his words. Something he’d aimed specifically at me. My heart skipped a beat. I felt like this was his way of telling me that no matter what came at us, our feelings for each other were strong enough to help us overcome it all.

  “It would be interesting to see him,” he added, shifting his focus back on Aida.

  “Who? Patrik?”

  He nodded. “I wonder how much self-control he has, given his condition. What his reaction would be at the sight of me. After all, he was loyal to my parents. He would have died for them. Which is why I still don’t understand how he wound up saying yes to Azazel instead.” He sighed.

  “Oh, I can answer that,” Aida replied. “After our Oracle session together, I went up on the roof and somehow ended up having another set of visions. In the first one, I was in the company of Destroyers just outside the shield. They were commenting about Azazel. Most of them don’t like him but have no choice but to follow, given his control over them. They think he’s too proud and weak, despite his magical prowess.”

  “Weak? How so?” Draven asked.

  I watched the expressions around the table, as Aida explained what she’d heard.

  “They say he’s still pining over Tamara and that he’s desperate to find her. According to his self-professed hate of Lamias, he might be looking to kill her and her daughter, who is consi
dered an abomination.”

  Tamara scoffed, placing her hand on top of Eva’s and giving her a warm, reassuring look. Eva wore a weak smile in return and glanced at Draven, lust flaring in her yellow eyes. I felt the urge to throw a glass pitcher at her head but decided instead to look away and take a deep breath for the sake of our alliance.

  “The Destroyers think that Azazel just wants Tamara back. After Genevieve refused his advances, he started losing his mind bit by bit. Despite his violent treatment of Tamara, they say he still longs for her. I’m telling you, Druid, the Destroyers may be following orders because they have no other choice, but I have a feeling that if they’re given the opportunity of a cure against Azazel’s dark magic, they might take it.”

  “Duly noted,” he replied, then looked at me. “We’ll look into this.”

  I nodded.

  “Now, back to Patrik, to answer your question,” Aida said, then looked at Tamara. “You’re going to want to pay attention to this one. I saw your sister, Kyana.”

  The Lamias instantly straightened their backs. Their eyes were wide, and their lips parted with shock. Tamara’s hand gripped Eva’s.

  “She’s alive?” Tamara gasped.

  “Patrik’s looking after her. Sort of,” Aida replied. “She’s a prisoner in Azazel’s dungeon. Patrik keeps trying to find out where you are. Obviously, Kyana’s not telling him anything, even though he insists he just wants to warn you.”

  “Warn me of what?”

  “That Azazel is intensifying his search for you,” Aida said, then looked at Draven and me. “Point is, Patrik and Kyana used to be together before he was turned. He loves her, and something tells me she still loves him too. I saw her cry after he left. But given his condition, not much can happen between them. One thing is for sure, though. The only reason why Patrik said yes to Azazel instead of choosing death was because of Kyana. Her life was at stake. If he hadn’t said yes, she would have been killed. Patrik chose to become a monster to keep her alive.”

  “Wow. There is so much to work with, here,” I said, going over all possible scenarios involving Patrik.