Destiny (Cornerstone Deep Book 3)

by Wilson, Charlene A.

  Brilliant power flowed from the globes, to Cole’s hands, and then pulsed toward the gateway, creating a solid barrier, discolored by the blood of the trapped limb. Cole’s head hung forward, and his weight increased on James’s arm. White strands formed within his long crown of hair, and as James looked at Cole more fully, he noticed facial hair growing by inches. Time was passing too quickly. We’ve got to get this port sealed!

  As if Cole had read his mind, he spoke the final command. “Partolca silyst. Vi omicorto silyst!”

  The barrier turned gray, the globes’ light faded, and James felt Cole’s shudder hit his orb.

  Cole’s knees weakened and threatened to give way. Surrealism surrounded him in a haze of warped shadow and waves of nausea. He quickly sent a mental command to the Candle Vignette in his pocket. “Chronicles of Shilo Manor, entry, My love, Mianna.”

  He mentally spoke to the record keeper. “They say love will always find a way, it’s always darkest before the dawn, we must go through the bad to appreciate the good, every storm cloud has a silver lining, and we all have the potential to one day be as the Gods. But all of these have one thing in common; for them to mean anything to us, we must have the insight to see the big picture.

  “My whole life, I’ve tried to keep this in mind, to see things in an eternal perspective, and have failed miserably. Perhaps it was wired into my psyche at birth as a trial to overcome, or my own shortsighted goals that would only afford me to see the present. Regardless, I’ve always been nothing without you, my love. The heavens could open and pour blessing upon me beyond dreams, and I would see nothing without your eyes, feel nothing without your heart, and understand nothing without your soul there to show them to me. Colhart Nixtoro Krylu Shilomacj. The greatness in the names is lost to me without you. Emptiness engulfs me in the moment, expands to stretch out on every side, when you’re not there.”

  Cole lowered his head. The weight of the power caused his arms to weaken. Complete the task. A conduit, he must relay the power of the Gods.

  James hooked his arm under Cole’s elbow and then Mechenzie did the same. Relief washed through his exhausted muscles, and he focused on his discourse to his love between channeling the energy and fighting to stay upright.

  “My mind grows weak. My body fatigued… My eyes are heavy. I fight to keep focused. Oh that I could blink and this bitter end be gone. For I feel…this is the end, my love.”

  He shuddered as tremors took his body. Breathe. He needed to breathe.

  “My vision is… darkening. Shadows of… doubt… overwhelming.”

  Fear.

  “Will I see you again, my love, in this life time? Oh, that I could awake and…find you watching me… across… a bay of… never ending… time… where none… depart. Where love…”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  James released his globe as Cole crumpled to his knees, and then to the side. He quickly lifted him into his arms and motioned to the young woman standing beside them. “Mechenzie, grab my sphere and take hold of my cape. Don’t let go.”

  She wrapped her arm around the balls and then grasped his cloak tightly with her free hand. Her blonde brows pressed into a high arch, determination replaced by fear in her bright gray eyes. A quick nod told him she was ready.

  “Midway Summit,” James said, as he marched ahead. A tall doorway appeared before them and, as they stepped across the threshold, the wide view of a waterfall filled the space. Splashes filled the air, mineral water assaulted his nasal cavities, and his shoes skidded on the slick rock. James laid Cole on the wet ground at his feet.

  As the portal closed, he rummaged through Cole’s cape for the Moment Maker. “Cole is in need of immediate attention. We’re going to travel fast.” He found what he sought, and quickly dialed the circular base of the spindle. “This will give us a small amount of time in our favor, but I’ll need you to fly as fast as you can so my energies can focus on carrying Cole. He can’t be within the magical time period. His timing needs to stand still with the rest of the world, or we could lose our chance of getting him the help he needs before it’s too late.”

  “I’ll fly fast, Poppa James.”

  Her voice sounded foreign, and James unconsciously glanced at her to marvel at the phenomenon. The six year old little girl he knew her to be stood before him fully matured into a young woman. Long blonde hair reached to her thighs and framed her angular face with long waves. The chipmunk cheeks he’d loved had disappeared to cover a dainty jawline and meet a narrow nose. Her thin lips twitched, as if her tone had surprised her too.

  Shaking himself back to reality, he blinked. Stay focused!

  He took her hand and spoke the command to the Moment Maker. “Mirhus silyst.”

  A wave of nausea washed over him with a heavy metallic scent, and he glanced at Mechenzie as she placed her hand on her stomach. He should have warned her of the discomfort, but after what they’d just experienced this was nothing, and time was of the essence.

  Motion ceased. Water hung before them in frozen flows. Droplets in mid-descent stood before them like a halted hologram.

  James swiped aside the miniscule sprays that had rebounded from the rock. They floated to the far side of the concave. Stooping to pick up Cole, he carefully lifted him into his large arms, and then dispersed his lower body into the Smoke of Night. Mechenzie dissolved, and James felt her presence holding tightly to his. He shot through the small space between the water fall and mountainside, knocking droplets aside from their halted downward course.

  Stillness painted the countryside on a vivid backdrop of a multitude of color. From deep green to bright purple, foliage covered the mountain and surrounding fields. A light blue sky hosted the white sun in full array, and warmth kissed his cheeks as it seeped through his skin to his bones for the first time, it seemed, since he’d gone to the frigid temperatures of Cornerstone Deep. How he missed the Meridian sun and the constant heat. He allowed the warmth of this realm to fuel his flight, relishing it as it reminded him of his home. Feeding his will, he pushed his half-phased body into an outright sprint. Mechenzie’s particles thinned and he made a conscious effort to cling tighter to her as not to lose her.

  James glanced at Cole as he lay stiffly in his arms, and anxiety knotted his chest. The white sun erased the shadows from his face and washed his skin to a sickening pale. His gaze flew over the platinum hair of Cole’s face and head, and then to the darkened skin on his brother’s hands and arms. To use a conduit of the Gods’ powers was one thing, but to be that conduit was a completely different matter. Would his heart, his mind, be the same? He couldn’t imagine the toll it had taken on his brother. Would he make it in time to save his health, much less his life?

  An enormous city expanded ahead of him, and James unconsciously paused to take it all in. Traffic flowed at an alarming rate along wide byways around the city. Skyscrapers reached upward. Sunbursts gleamed off mirrored buildings, and he searched for a reason this dimension could have advanced to such lengths before a cornerstone realm had.

  Mechenzie’s quizzical thoughts hit him and jarred him back to his task. He swooped to the left to follow the base of the mountain to where Shilo Manor had stood so many years ago. The stately home appeared around a rolling mound, surrounded by acres of white-capped orchards.

  Knowing the front door wouldn’t respond to a command given under the Moment Maker’s control, James pulled his essence together on the front porch.

  Mechenzie formed beside him, panting. “Poppa James, I’m sorry. I tried to keep up the best I could.”

  “You did very well, Kenzie, but right now, we need help.” He quickly nulled the moment with his command. “Conmirhus silyst.”

  The world turned into a myriad of noises; birds, bugs, traffic, the breeze through the trees…

  The front door flew open, and before James could take in the scene, Rhune took Cole from his arms and placed him on the veranda floor. He removed a knife from his jacket pocket, opened it, and then sliced int
o his own palm. Without a flinch, he threw his hand to Cole’s neck. Rhune’s nostrils flared as a heavy glow issued from where skin met skin. “Come on, Colhart. I refuse to let you die!”

  Wind whipped, white petals tumbling over the landing in a fury, and James uttered a silent prayer. Please don’t take him due to his heroism.

  Cole jarred, a deep gasp shuddering his cheeks. His eyes peeled open, and for the first time, James saw the extent of agony the ethereal act had on his brother. White shadows clouded the onyx irises. Deep wrinkles edged the corners of his eyes, and if James hadn’t known better, he’d swear he stared at a ghost.

  “Thank the Gods,” exclaimed Rhune as he removed his blood soaked hand and gathered Cole into his arms. “Let’s get him inside quickly.”

  James held the door as Rhune sidled inside and headed for the parlor. “How did you know to be right here when we released the Moment? You were right at the door.”

  “Son, I’ve had an alert on my scry for activity of the portal for ten years now.”

  “Ten years! That much time has passed?” He looked at Mechenzie, whose eyes glistened with moisture. She bit her lower lip, and a sob shook her shoulders. All those years, her child hood had disappeared. A span of time she could never relive or get back.

  But instead of the shed tears for herself, her whisper revealed her true concern. “Momma must have been sick with worry that whole time.”

  “Right you are, my special dove. For the first three years, she insisted on me and Vincent flying her there to stay through the day. Your father took her place at night.” He looked at her and nodded. “He’s been mighty worried too.”

  “Daddy did that?”

  “Your aunt Mianna helped out at times, and Elaina wanted to join them too, but with the baby and all, it made it difficult to spare the time.”

  Mechenzie voiced James’s astonishment at the same time he did. “Baby?”

  “Oh yes. Lacey is a fiery little girl, if you catch my drift.”

  Cole groaned as Rhune rested him on the cushions of a leather sofa. In his weakened state, his head lolled to the side as his hand slid to the floor. Rhune gently place it on his waist and tucked a pillow beneath his neck.

  “I don’t know what you all have been through in that portal,” said Rhune. “But I’m inclined to believe the worst. And for Colhart to attain such a state, it had to do with channeling the ethereal.”

  “His globe was damaged. He used himself as a conduit.”

  Rhune nodded. “Then, while the results of the stress may be permanent, the gods are likely to grant that he live after my Gift of Life administration.”

  Mechenzie seemed unable to speak above a soft chord. “Where is everybody?”

  “In the back. It’s Lacey’s birthday. Mandy prepared a special celebration. But I think we should get Colhart squared away here before we spring this development at them. And you, young lady, had better go up to your sister’s room and change into something that fits you properly. We don’t need you parading around here in a skirt that barely covers your…uh… You catch my drift.”

  Mechenzie looked to her short skirt and tight blouse that barely covered her breasts and blushed. She quickly folded her arms around her chest, and her lower lip pouched out into a pout. “Okay,” she said in a tiny voice. “Do we have the same room?”

  With a grin, Rhune nodded. “And same bedspread. She refused to get a new one until you were here to pick it out together.”

  “Oh, Mandy…” Tears fell to her cheeks. “Does she have big,” she glanced at her bosoms and turned bright red. “Poppa James,” she squeaked.

  James leaned his head to the side and picked up a throw from the back of a chair. Placing it on her shoulders to give added coverage, he wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay, Kenzie. We’ll get through these changes. And I’ll bet Mandy will be your biggest supporter.”

  Her sob punched the air as she rushed off.

  Rhune passed his hand over Cole’s eyes. “Do you see at all, Colhart?”

  Cole’s voice rasped, and it sounded painful to speak. “I see shadows. Where’s Mianna?”

  “She’s with the others, my boy. Let’s get your sight and strength back, and then I’ll call her to you.” He placed his blood-stained palm over Cole’s brow and in a low tenor commanded the healing energies of his Gift of Life. “Brayton ambrelo. Amorianta.”

  A deep breath shook Cole’s shoulders as his chest expanded. His mouth dropped open, a stifling groan gurgled in his throat. He flexed his fists, bent his knees, and seemed to try to double into himself.

  Rhune placed his other hand on Cole’s chest. “Try to relax, my boy. You’ve aged considerably due to the stress put on your body. There will be many changes you’ll have to consider now.” As Rhune removed his hand from Cole’s brow, his lids blinked wide. The off white clouds that covered his irises faded to a dull gray.

  “Somebody turn on the lights,” grumbled Cole. “It’s too dark in here.”

  “Ah, well, the lights are on,” said Rhune in a grave tone. “Shadows cover your sight. It could get better with time, but not by much, I’m afraid. Age is nothing anyone can reverse.”

  James lowered his gaze. Such a sacrifice Cole had made to ensure a complete sealing of Cornerstone Deep’s gateway to the realms, an act worthy of more than an aged body. But then again—he looked at Rhune—if it hadn’t been for his uncle…his father…it would have been his life Cole had sacrificed for the cause.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Cole stroked his white beard, marveling at the length it had grown in the short time they’d fought with the closure of the doorway to the realms. He slowly rose from the sofa and shuffled to the wide mirror on the east wall of the parlor. His long hair seemed to be at least two feet longer, and the lack of pigment cast a white glow to his crown. The glass reflected the large room with one dominant item missing. His father’s portrait. How many years had he sat across from the depiction and spoke as if the man stood there ready to give advice? With the happenings of the last several months, he would never want for advice from the Senior Sentinel again.

  He ran his palm down his beard again and then gingerly touched the deep wrinkles that creased his face. What was ten years in Midway Summit equivalent to in Meridian time? No doubt the process affected him in ways he didn’t understand while in the place that had no understanding of time. He’d worked directly with the Gods on this matter. Perhaps it had grabbed the Meridian timeline to add to the taxation of his system. He quickly figured a loose translation of the math. I’d be…eight thousand twenty-five by Meridian…seventy-three by Midway? And I left Cornerstone Deep a healthy thirty-two.

  He groaned. I feel ten thousand ninety-two.

  But what of Mianna? She had turned twenty-five not long before he’d harvested her for Lord Dressen that fated night. She was now thirty-five and married to an ancient. How could she love him in such a state?

  “Cole!”

  His heart turned to butter as he heard his love’s anxious voice from the receiving hall. As much as he wanted to rush into her arms, insecurity kept him rooted to the spot. Mianna’s reflection appeared around the corner, and he glanced away, as if it would hide his appearance.

  “Oh, sweet Arylin, Cole,” she cried as she dove for him. “I’ve prayed every hour for your return to me since we came to Moraine. We waited all day for you to follow us, and then watched the Utopian for a sign of you all night. You didn’t come out. I feared the worse! But every scry Rhune performed stated that you were untraceable. He assured us that meant you were still alive, just not on this plane.”

  “Oh, my love. I was very much alive, and I prayed for our reunion unceasingly.”

  “But you’ve been hurt badly.” She brushed the white hair from his face and gazed adoringly into his eyes. “Are you well?”

  Cole smiled. How could she look at him with such love in her gaze, with such adoration in her emotions? He felt the creases in his eyes deepen with his smile. The love
pouring from her soul seemed to have doubled from the last time he’d seen her. Or was it the fact they had thought they’d lost each other that compounded the cherishment?

  “I’m well; though I have aged I’m afraid. As you can see, I no longer appear in my thirties.”

  Laughter punched from her lips, and it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. “Oh, Cole, you look perfect.” She laid her head on his chest as she wrapped him in her embrace. “So perfect. Wasn’t it you who has always reassured me that the soul will never age? Only grow in spirit and knowledge. And you…” Her gaze met his again. “You and I will be together so much longer than these mortal bodies will.”

  “Oh, but my love…”

  She looked deep into his eyes, and he saw eternity in the sparkle of her blue irises. “What is it you told me when my life was nearing an end as Mianna, Cole?”

  “Though eyes may dim and the body fades, love grows in an eternal realm of ageless spirits. Flesh cannot take away that which our souls have united. My love, my eternity is yours.” Cole’s heart wrapped around the reality—forever and always, he and Mianna, whatever lifetime they lived in, would be together.

  “And my eternity is yours, my sweet Cole.”

  Warmth wrapped them in a thick mist, and he knew it was true. Heaven deemed it so, the Gods anointed their love, and no matter the course they must take, their destinies were united as one.

  Laughter filtered through the back door from the kitchen, as Linda’s alto could be heard over bickering young voices. James smiled and glanced at Mechenzie.