Black Ruins Forest (The Elder Series Book 1)

by Karen DuBose

  “We won’t let anything happen⸻” Kiernan starts.

  I don’t hear the rest of what Kiernan says. The vision comes so fast that I feel sick. They’re getting stronger.

  I see two dragons flying at a speed I never knew they could, whipping and twirling in the sky.

  “You think you can lose me, you stupid fool?” Niko shouts

  Jax looks back. “The only fool I see is you!”

  “Ha! Why don’t you stop and see who the real fool is.”

  “I rather enjoy you chasing me. I’m getting a great workout.”

  “I know you’re trying to lose me. What are you trying to hide?”

  “Why do you think I’m hiding anything? I have nothing to hide from you or anyone else.”

  “You know where to find her, don’t you?”

  “Find who?”

  “Isobel. Do you know where she is?”

  “No, I don’t know where she is.”

  “Don’t lie to me. Take me to her now.”

  “Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn’t take you anywhere near her.”

  “You’re in love with her. That’s funny. She is my mate, and I will claim her.”

  Jax is weaving in and out of the trees as fast as he can. “She will never be your mate. She has already claimed someone else.”

  Niko let out a deafening roar. “Who has she claimed? I will kill them. She is mine!”

  “She has mated with me if you really want to know. We are soulmates. You will never touch her or go near her.”

  “AHHH! I’m going to enjoy killing you. You dare take my mate away from me?”

  “Go ahead and try. If you think for one second, I will ever lead you to her, you are wrong.”

  The vision ends. I can’t believe Niko is going to try to force a mate bond with Isobel. I need to warn her. I know now that we can trust Jax. What is up with people trying to force things on people? Niko needs to go, and I need to figure out a way to make that happen.

  I slowly open my eyes. The vision gave me a massive headache.

  “What did you see, love?”

  “We can trust Jax. That, I’m sure of. Niko wants to force a mate bond with Isobel, and he’s trying to catch Jax to kill him to make that happen.”

  Kiernan growls low in his chest. “Killing him will not take the bond away. Niko knows that. If he tries he will kill her. Once bound there is nothing that can break that even after death.”

  Mom looks sick to her stomach. “Why does he want to do that? What has she done to him? I think Niko has lost his mind. He should know better.”

  I close my eyes and lay my head back on Kiernan’s leg. “Your guess is as good as mine. We need to find out what is going on.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  My head is still killing me, but we need to figure out why Niko wants Isobel.

  Walking back to the guys and Isobel, I noticed the energy has changed. It’s like the magic here has calmed down somehow. It’s soothing and caring. I wonder what has changed.

  As we walk into the part of the cave where the everyone is, I notice a woman with the palest skin and the most vivid green eyes that I have even seen. Her hair is so black that the darkness would be jealous. She isn’t more than five foot six.

  She reaches a hand toward me. “Hello, Dariya, it’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Oceana.”

  I think my jaw drop so far that it hits the floor. She’s not what I expected at all. I thought her eyes had turned white. I don’t even know what I expected, but this is not how I imagined her.

  Kira reaches for her hand, since I lost the thought to not be rude. “Hello, I’m Kira. Her best friend slash sister.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, as well. I’m sure you have a lot of questions to ask me.”

  Kira and all her feistiness was at it. Her hands are on her hips and she is mad. “We do have a lot to ask, but for right now, I need to know one thing. Why have you been no help when we needed you the most?”

  She always speaks her mind. It’s one of the many reasons I love her. I’m still trying to pick my jaw up off the ground. I have a lot of questions, and I need to learn from her. If she’s the one who’s supposed to help, then I need to start like last week. I need her to help me get my visions under control and figure out how I’m supposed to defeat the elders. I’m so ready for this to be over with. I want my life cycle back. I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want as much of a normal life cycle as I can get.

  Picking up my jaw off the floor, I blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. “Are you here to teach me, or is this just a quick visit to make my life cycle more messed up than it already is?”

  “I’m here to help. Sorry it’s taken so long. I needed to see what path you were going to take. If you would have taken a different path, there was no reason for me to come here. I’m glad you decided to accept your fate. We really need you right now.”

  My eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”

  “The some of the Elders are out of control. They all want different things, and will destroy anything and everything to get it. The time has come. We do not have much more time as it is, before they realize their own fate has come to an end.”

  “I’m not their fate. I’m only eighteen cycles old, and I have no clue how to destroy them.”

  “You are not their fate. That is true. You are the one who will destroy them, with the help of the thirteen over there.” She points to everyone behind me.

  I look at my dragons and Kira. They all look ready to kill. I keep forgetting how deadly they can be. How did I go from being a nobody to someone who has all these shifters that will do anything for me?

  How did I become the shifter that will take down the elders? I think the fates were playing a joke when they made this plan. I have no magical powers. If you had said this to me a month ago, I would have laughed in your face and asked you what you were smoking.

  So much has changed, and I think I’m finally ready to take this on. As long as I have everyone here that I love, I know we can do anything. Now I just have to get my gifts working correctly and learn how to control them.

  I look back to Oceana. “What makes me so special?”

  “You are special because your dragon is very powerful, and you are a seer. Once I train you to use your sight, you will be a force to be reckoned with. I also have to tell you; your dragon will be here sooner than you think. That’s why I’m here: to help and teach you.”

  “How are you going to help me?”

  “First, we need to get your sight working. That’s going to be the hardest part. It takes cycles to master it, but we only have months⸻if not weeks. I’m going to say sorry now for what I will have to do to get you to get motivated. If there was another way, I swear I would do it.”

  “I don’t like how you just said it. What will you be doing to me?”

  “I will have to combine our powers. You do know I’m a seer and an enchantress?”

  “I knew you were a seer, but what the hell is an enchantress?”

  Kiernan rushes to my side. I can see the beast inside wanting to come out. Through gritted teeth. “Love, it’s an extremely powerful witch.”

  “I thought they were called sorceresses?”

  Oceana doesn’t take her eyes off Kiernan. “I am more powerful than they are. I could take the Elders down, but I can only do so much before it would kill me and everyone on this planet. When I saw you and felt you being born, I knew the Source had answered our prayers. When your dragon makes an appearance, you will understand what I’m talking about. Now, to answer your question. I will combine our souls together and guide you. It will hurt you and me until they are joined, which can take up to a few days. We will both be in extreme pain.”

  Mom came over and stepped between me and Oceana. I could feel her vibrate from anger. “I will not allow that. You think I’ll stand here and let you rip my child’s soul apart, so you can control her? You may be an enchantress, but I’m not stupid. I know
what that will do, and I’m stopping it right here, right now!”

  I look over my mom’s shoulder to see Oceana. “I have no idea what you guys are even talking about, but if my mom is freaking out, I don’t think I want to do it. You need to explain it a lot better.”

  “I will be splitting both of our souls apart, so we can mend. I’m not doing the spell to control you. I won’t have any kind of control over you. I’m giving you a piece of myself so that I can guide you. You will be able to see what I see and vice versa. I’ll be teaching you to bring your sight on command. I’ll also teach you how to tell the difference between what is real and what is magic made⸻past, present and future. I will teach you what the auras mean and to reveal anyone who calls on you to astral project to them. I will also help you block out anyone who tries without permission.”

  I throw my hands in the air. “Are you kidding me? You want to split my soul apart? What the hell?”

  “Love, out of all that, that was all you heard?” Kiernan says laughing.

  I turn to look at him. My temper was starting to show it’s ugly face. “Yes, it was all I heard⸻that and the extreme pain. Why are you laughing?”

  “I’m laughing because I was trying to lighten up the mood. I’m also trying to wrap my brain around everything without attacking her.” He turns his head to look at Oceana.

  Getting his attention back to me. I push his face back to me. If anyone was going to attack her it was me. “Have I said how much I love you?”

  He smiles down at me, making me weak in the knees. “You just did, love, and I love you as well.”

  I kiss him on the cheek and look back over to Oceana. “Ok, so, what would we have to do to get this done?”

  “You are not doing this. I forbid it!” Mom yells at me.

  I take her hand into mine. I look her in the eyes. “Mom, as much as I love you and know you’re trying to protect me. I need to make up my own mind and do what’s best for everyone. I know you’re all thinking the same thing. I know none of you want me to do it, but I need to learn how to get my sight under control, and if this is the fastest way, then so be it.”

  Mom twirls around facing Oceana. She walks over to her getting into her face. “I swear to you if I even hear one word that I don’t like, I will rip you apart, and I don’t care if I die trying. You will not harm my child.”

  “I will not harm your child by controlling her. What good would that do for anyone? I want those bastards dead. I will follow your daughter and be proud to do it when she becomes the ruler. I would love to even work for her, but that’s up to her. There is nothing in the world that would make me use a person, or have you forgotten what they did to me?”

  Bruno pulls my mom away from her to stand in front of her. “I haven’t forgotten… It still doesn’t feel right. How do we know you’re not going to use her? I need you to swear an oath to the Source. That’s the only way I will feel better about this.”

  If I remember right, this is going to happen to me, not them. I love their protectiveness, but damn, it’s my decision to make, right? What do they mean by ‘an oath to the Source?’ There’s so much crap I don’t know about.

  Oceana doesn’t even blink an eye. “I will do an oath if that will ease everyone’s mind. I have no problem with that.”

  I really hate being out of the loop. “Hold up a minute. What do you mean, an oath? What does making an oath mean?”

  Bruno turns his head in my direction. “To make an oath to the Source means whatever you make in that oath must be followed through with, and if you don’t do what you say, the Source will take your lifecycle. It is almost like a ritual ceremony, but you can die doing the oath.”

  I’m trying not to freak out. “But if my soul is merged with hers, won’t my life cycle be taken as well?”

  Kiernan squeezes me closer to him. “Not if it’s worded right. It has to be specific. I will keep you safe.”

  I look up at him. I can see the worry that mirrors my own. “Ok, so how do you do an oath?”

  “You swear to the Source what you want to be said, and they hold you accountable for it.”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “So, if she does the oath, and we’re all good. I want to get my training going. I can’t afford to not know what I need to do.”

  No one says anything. They’re all looking in different directions. It’s like they’re trying to hide the fact they were talking to each other, and they have forgotten that I can hear them. I swear, they’re all going to not like me in a few seconds.

  I twist out of Kiernan’s arm and put my hands on my hips. “Excuse me, you do realize I can hear you guys, right? I don’t need you all talking amongst yourselves about me. I do have a mind of my own. You should include me in these conversations.”

  “We knew you were listening. If you wanted to be in on the conversation, you could have talked at any point,” Desean says, rolling his eyes.

  “Let’s get this straight. The only one who can decide on this is Kiernan and me. I know you want to protect me, and I am more than thankful for that. I will never take that for granted, but some things need to be decided just between him and me. With that said, I’m going to do this, and I need you guys to support me and protect me when I really need it⸻like this oath. Make sure it doesn’t involve killing me at any point if she dies. That’s how you can protect me.”

  “If that’s how you feel. We will support you,” Cicero says.

  They all go down on one knee and bow, holding their right fists up to their hearts. Let’s just say that this is something I will never get used to. I feel unworthy of this, and it kind of makes me uncomfortable. I think we will need to talk about that at some point, but right now I need to get this ball rolling.

  “Thank you all for the support. I know we all need to be on the same page and stick together to defeat the elders and any enemies we come across from now on. I may not have the knowledge that everyone here does, but that’s why I need each and every one of you. With all the knowledge everyone has, we can figure out what we need to do. With that said, let’s get this ball rolling. Oceana make your oath with the Source, and please don’t screw me over. I would really hate to have to kill you, even if it means killing me.”

  “I promise I’m not here to screw you over. All I want to do is help and end the elders.” She scrunches her nose like the word was sour on her tongue.

  I clap my hands together. “Ok, let’s get this show on the road.”

  Oceana walks into the circle of dragons. I really don’t think it’s intended. Are they in a circle for a reason? I’m clueless about all this. Kiernan grabs my hand and makes me close the circle.

  I look at him, clueless. “Why are we in a circle?”

  “In order for the oath to work, the person has to have witnesses, and the witnesses will surround the person with a closed circle. It makes the oath that much stronger. If someone doesn’t like what’s being said, they break the circle and make them reword the oath or make them say what they were supposed to. If that person doesn’t change the words, then they die on the spot for giving a false oath.”

  My eyes grow wide. “Well, remind me not to piss off the Source.”

  “Shhh, she’s about to begin. We need to hear every word,” Mom says next to me.

  “To the Source above,

  To the Source below,

  And the source between,

  I bind my words to you.

  I swear to you that I am not going to cause Dariya any harm now or in the future. If I die after we are bound, I release my soul from hers, so she will live on.

  I swear to you that all I want to do is help her and guide her the best I can.

  I swear to you that I will be honest with her and keep her safe with my own life cycle.

  With these words, I bind myself to you, and if I fail in any way on purpose, you are to take my life cycle without taking hers.”

  She pulls out a knife and slices her hand. She lets the blood flow to the ground. Where the blood
lands, it absorbs into the ground without leaving a trace. I’m in awe. Desean opens the circle by going to her. She’s still kneeling and looks a little out of it. I wonder what’s going on. I hope she’s ok. Is this normal?

  I’m about to go to her. “Is she ok?”

  Kiernan holds my hand to keep me where I am. “This is normal, love. She just gave herself to the Source. They’re binding her to them. In order to do that, they take a small piece of her soul.”

  I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “Does it hurt like merging?”

  “No, it just takes a lot of energy from you.”

  “Will she be able to do the soul merging today or tonight?”

  “I don’t know, love. We’ll see.”

  Desean picks her up and leads her out of this part of the cave. I’m sure she needs to rest to get her energy back. Remind me to never make an oath with the Source. That seems scary all on its own. I hope she’ll get her energy soon.

  Kira grabs my other hand bringing my attention to her and away from Oceana. “That was cool to watch, but I don’t ever want to go through that.”

  Bruno wraps Kira in his arms. She is still holding my hand. “We all will go through that when Dariya becomes the ruler. We will not only bind ourselves to her, but we will also make an oath to always protect her with our lives.”

  “I-I well… I guess I have no choice,” Kira says, looking upset.

  He leans down closer to her. “You always have a choice, babe, but in order for you to be around her full time, it will need to be done,” he says gently. “It’s just the way it works. I don’t make the rules. That’s why I’m never around the Elders. I was not binding myself to them.”

  “Well, when you put it that way, I have no problem doing that then,” Kira replies.

  “You better not, bitch. I’ll have to hunt you down and beat you,” I say with a grin.

  “Bitch, please. You’ll have to catch me first.”

  I roll my eyes. “I don’t think that will be a problem.” She gives me a small push. I giggle at her.

  I got serious for a moment. “I thought you had already bound yourselves to me.”