Rune started to pull away, but I kept hold of him.
“No, you don’t understand. The Alfar prophecy has it right. Not this one. I can’t be what you’re looking for. I don’t have what it takes, and even if I did—I’m not ready!”
“I told me Molly tis too soon t’ be tellin’ ya. And you’ll be the one mistakin’. We’ve been preparin’ for centuries. You’d be the one, now wouldn’ ya?”
“Rune, please. You have to talk—”
He pried my fingers from around his neck. “I’ve said I’ll not be discussin’ what you’ve been seein’,” he growled, his eyes glowing to a dusty blue. “And I’d be meanin’ it.”
Tears slid down my face. If Rune wouldn’t help me convince Molly, then I didn’t know what we were going to do.
Rune sighed and patted my shoulder. “I’ll be playin’ so you’ll be hearin’,” he repeated, slipping past the threshold. His eyes flicked to mine before darting away. He grabbed a thick rope from the entryway and pulled. The deep grinding sound of rock rolling over rock echoed in the chamber as a large slab moved across the opening, leaving me alone with Gavin.
I crossed my arms and hugged my torso, afraid that if I let go, I might actually fall apart.
Gavin stood by the bed, watching me pace.
Being the Last Light of the Ancients I could handle. That was something passed down from generation to generation. Anyone in my mother’s line held the trait. Simple genetics. No problem.
Yes. I’d always believed the best in people. As a child, Edna called me an old soul, being able to find a bright spot in the darkest of times. But that didn’t mean my intent was always pure. When I thought Gavin had died, I wanted to save the land for future generations, but who was I kidding? Half of me was looking forward to death so I wouldn’t have to live without him. How could anyone consider that intent pure?
“You hungry?”
I jumped, forgetting Gavin was in the room. “No.”
“Nora, you should eat a little something. Here.” He handed me a slice of pink bread.
I broke off a piece, shoved it in my mouth, and gave the rest back to him. He stood there, bread in hand, staring at me.
Turning away, I took off my shirt and camisole, threw on one of Gavin’s pajama tops, shucked my pants and fell into bed.
And the Alfar prophecy was about Gavin, not me. That I could buy. He came from the first King, the only Alfar other than the ancients that could see his way into the mountain. He was the strongest healer, the best fighter. Lera even made sure his name defined him as a great warrior that wielded the strength of God.
I was a human whose mother wasn’t strong enough to make it through childbirth and whose father was a raging alcoholic. The energy in the lake even stepped in and helped so I could get into Kailmeyra. And now, after all the practicing and preparations, I was still the weakest Keeper by far. Weylin and Gavin watched my every move. Even my subconscious protected me because I couldn’t handle my dreams.
I rolled over and faced the wall as that thought crossed my mind.
Gavin meandered around the room, taking his time, listening to my racing thoughts. His emotions, calm and muted, stayed with me even though he never said a word. Finally, he extinguished the small torch by the door, and the room plummeted into darkness.
The feather mattress dipped as he sat on the edge of the bed. He scooted toward the center and pulled me close. Out of habit more than anything, I rolled over, and my head found its spot on his chest. He skirted his hand under my shirt, tracing patterns on my back, his emotions nothing more than a calm ripple of understanding.
“Never think of yourself as weak,” he whispered. “You’re the strongest person I know.” Gavin kissed my forehead, his arm tightening around me. “I keep watch over you because I love you, and your mind will reveal what you have seen when you are ready, not because you’re not strong enough to handle it.” He hesitated, seeming to choose his words carefully. “I think you’ve overlooked something too. The Urisk know of a place that may help seal the abyss ... and apparently, from what we’ve seen of the Urisk’s prophecy, you are the key. Don’t you think that’s good news?”
“But I don’t know what to do.” I shifted, looking into Gavin’s eyes. “I get they’ve been preparing for centuries, and they think I’m going to lead something called ‘the lost.’ But where? And what do they mean ‘redemption?’” Frustrated, my head fell back on his chest. “How can I possibly seal the abyss if I don’t understand the prophecy itself?”
Gavin rubbed soothing circles on my back, patiently waiting for my mind to quit churning. “I don’t know the answers to those questions. But I promise I’ll do everything I can to help.” He kissed my forehead. “And please don’t discount destiny so easily. You were born human for a reason. We met for a reason. You have strengthened in the way of the Alfar for a reason.
“All three races—humans, Alfar, and Urisk—have myths, legends and prophecies. While human prophecy is often tied to religion, the Alfar and Urisk are tied to intent. Therein lies the difference.”
I snuggled close. “Have you always known? That you were part of the Alfar prophecy?”
Gavin sighed. “No. We learned the tale growing up. The others would whisper, but no one believed our generation would be the one to make it come true. It wasn’t until I met you I considered the possibility.”
He pulled me over him, my chest resting on top of his.
“Nora, you aren’t alone. The Urisk’s prophecy only speaks of their Light. But the Alfar prophecy only speaks of a warrior whose source equals no other. Don’t you see? Malachi stated time and again that we are two halves that create the whole. This is not your burden alone, nor is it mine. This we must carry together. We’ll find a way. Somehow, together, we’ll find a way.”
He kissed me and settled his muscular thighs between mine.
I traced his jawline with my nose. “For some reason, when we lay this way it calms me.”
I felt his lips thin into a smile as he kissed my forehead. “Get some rest.”
A lone flute echoed outside the door, the sound of an Alfar lullaby intermixed with the Appalachian sunshine song Edna sang a lifetime ago.
“Hmmmm.” My eyes grew heavy, and I settled my head under Gavin’s chin. “I’ve missed Rune’s music.” I yawned.
The Urisk’s melody soared, and I fell into sweet slumber.
“SHE FINALLY COMES OUT to play.” Rena grinned, motioning me to join her.
Gavin and I walked from the mouth of the cave onto the velvety green grass. Warmth brushed my shoulders as we stepped from the shade and into the evening light. Tendrils of smoke danced from the dying embers of the fire pit. Tark and Rena sat on the ground, playing a game that involved rounded stones, while Weylin paced like a tiger in a cage. He stopped as we drew near.
“I’m surprised to see you out of your quarters. I thought you and the Prince would need a few days to strengthen.”
I smiled a little too wide. “Really, Weylin. We’re fine.”
Gavin huffed but didn’t say anything. He knew I was lying through my teeth. Despite the fact that I’d practically slept the entire day, I still felt like I’d been up for a week straight.
I blindly stared at the terrain as Weylin and Gavin held a silent conversation.
“The course of fate is not yet set, a destiny not yet chosen ... She will nurture our spirit and be our Light to the darkness, our hope to despair, our lover of the hated, and our compassion for the wicked.”
How? How could I be anyone’s compassion for the wicked?
“Nora?” Rena interrupted my thoughts. “I asked if you would like to play.”
I shook my head no. Rena’s voice faded as the memory came flooding back.
“Our Light will leave the one that has been marked but has refused to be claimed, surrendering all that is within and is to come. For only in that which she willingly gives, will the hopes of Creation be redeemed.”
What did that even mean?<
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“Nora?” Rena called again. I glanced over to see her worried gaze fixed on Gavin. “Perhaps she should eat a little something.”
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.” I looked past Rena, to the trees struggling to survive.
“For centuries, we have prepared for a time when she guides the lost back to the beginning, leading them to the path of redemption. Only then will the blaze of evil be contained.”
How had the Urisk been preparing? Where was the “beginning,” and what path? At least Gavin and I had figured out one thing. Obviously, the Urisk believed I had to see this through in order to smother the flames so we could seal the abyss.
How they thought I could do that was anyone’s guess.
Gavin hugged me from behind and kissed the side of my head.
“Stop thinking about it. Focus on here and now,” he whispered. “Your best friend is worried about you. I don’t want her to weaken too.”
I glanced at Reen. Gavin was right; anxiety rolled off her in waves.
“And remember, love, we’re in this together. You’re not alone.”
“My lady?” Rena stood, glancing back and forth between Gavin and me.
“Really, Reen.” I smiled. “I’m just a little distracted, that’s all.”
Several Urisks made their way from the fields, closely followed by Molly and Rune.
“Ah,” Rune smiled. “You’d be up, Lass. Tis a good thing.”
“I’d be thinkin’ you’d be doin’ well with a wee bit more rest, though.” Molly’s deep eyes glittered with concern.
“I’m fine. Really.”
Rune frowned.
Weylin scoffed as he took his place at my side. “You should probably pick a different saying. No one’s buying the ‘I’m fine’ routine.”
A shadow stretched across the grass, pooling at my feet. I looked up to find a Urisk with an oh-so-familiar scowl on his face. Weylin stepped a little closer to me.
“Finn,” Molly greeted. “It’d been reported that you’d left in the wee hours of the morn. I’d not be expectin’ ya back fer a few days.”
“Aye, that’d be the plan, but then I’d be findin’ a nest of them demons close t’ the killin’ fields. We buried ‘em afore we made our way back.”
“I’ve never heard of a “nest” of Dokkalfar. And what are the killing fields?” I looked at Finn.
His eyes focused solely on me, intentionally excluding the others with his gaze. “A nest’ll be where they’ll be sleepin’. Ya know, burrowed underground, like vermin. It’d be sheer dumb luck that I’d be sniffin’ ‘em out on such a sunny day.”
Gavin’s emotions darkened, but Rune was the one that growled.
“Which side of the killin’ fields?”
Finn’s eyes glittered as he turned to Rune. “They’d now be past the barrier.”
Finn hadn’t finished his sentence before the Urisk set off in a flurry of activity. The fire was smothered, the provisions that had been brought out of the cave were swept back in, and I was now surrounded by a tight circle of black, plumed feathers.
Molly touched my arm. “I’m thinkin’ it’d be best t’ be gettin’ into the mountain.”
Weylin stood on one side, Gavin on the other. Elias and Elaine took the lead while Rena and Tark fell behind. One by one we ducked into the slate opening. Urisk poured in behind us, lining the walls of the cavern. As soon as everyone was safely inside, the Urisk faced the walls with their heads bent and eyes closed. A low hum echoed in the chamber, growing louder. That one pitch, repeated in the lower octaves, caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand. The rock walls rippled in response. Concentric circles undulated around the immense cavern like molten silver. They raced around the room, colliding at the cavern’s entrance. With each swell, the crevice grew smaller until not even a crack remained. The way into the mountain had been sealed.
I looked at Gavin and then Rune. “Is there another way out?”
“You’ll not be worryin’ about that, Lass.” Rune patted my shoulder.
The crowd thinned as the Urisk dispersed through the tunnels, leaving only the Alfar, Molly, Rune, and Finn.
“Finn, you never told me what the killing fields were.” My breath shook as I tried to not think about the possibility of the Dokkalfar roaming around outside.
“You’ll be rememberin’ the dead land we’d be passin’ on the way here?”
I shuddered as images of barren mounds filled my mind. “I remember.”
“Well, that’ll be where we buried them demons’ hides, so they’d not be burnin’ with the sun. The land’ll not be likin’ it though.”
“Wouldn’t all that suffering draw them to the place?”
Finn’s eyes took on an ominous glow. “Aye, that’d be true if they’d be dyin’ there. But them’s that buried are the ones we killed in the battle by the pure lands months ago. It’d be takin’ several nights to drag the carcasses, but the stench’d be what hid yer scent when we’d be makin’ our way here, and that’d be worth it, now wouldn’ it?”
Rena stiffened. “So that’s what is wrong with the land? You poisoned the fields by burying the Dokkalfar?”
“Aye.” Finn grunted. “It’d be goin’ against nature. There’s a reason them demons turn to ash after the light’d be hitting their sorry hides. But we’d be findin’ their biggest fear is bein’ buried alive. Anyway, they’d be avoidin’ the area at all cost. The land’ll be dead in spots, but it’d be necessary to keep the Nora safe.”
“Do we have time to go back and fix what has been lost?” Rena asked.
“Nay, land healer.” Molly sighed. “Perhaps after we’ll be takin’ care of what’s needin’ done, you can be tendin’ the fields. ‘Tis not possible now.”
Rena frowned.
Finn bristled. “Don’t be lookin’ like that. While you’ve been sittin’ in the perfect kingdom, we’ve been fightin’ any way we can. Buryin’ them shadows is why my Light’d be makin’ it here unharmed.”
“That’ll be enough, Finn.” Molly’s feather’s ruffled.
Finn’s gaze shot to the floor. “Of course, Nayshell. They’ll not be understandin’ what’s needin’ t’ be done. But I’ll not be apologizin’ fer it, neither. Now, if you’ll be excusin’ me. I’ll be gatherin’ the clan.”
Finn’s feathers ruffled as Weylin turned sideways, giving the Urisk barely enough room to pass.
“Nayshell?” I looked at Rune.
“It’ll be what the Urisk’ll be callin’ their leader.” He faced Molly. “I’ll be seein’ t’ the Lass. You’d be needin’ t’ take care of a few things in the great hall, now wouldn’ ya?”
“Aye.” Molly placed her palm over Rune’s heart. Their eyes locked, and again I had that feeling that we were interlopers witnessing something personal. She touched her forehead to his before walking away.
Rune watched her until she disappeared around the corner. “Listen, clan. The Urisk’ll be wantin’ t’ meet. My kind’ll be usin’ energy freely—I mean, it’ll be different than what yer used to, is all. And Molly’s seen we’ll be needin’ t’ harness what we’ve been usin’ and combine it.”
I rubbed my forehead, tired of not understanding. “What?”
Rune grew frustrated and growled. “’Tis no use standin’ here tryin’ to explain. Jus’ know you’ll be needin’ to accept the energy you’ll be feelin’.” He took my hand and pulled me forward. “You’ll be gettin’ the gist in a few minutes.” He motioned the rest of the clan to follow. “Come on.”
Chapter 15
The Mural
The sea of Urisk parted as we made our way past the threshold leading to an enormous grotto. When we left Kailmeyra, I’d hoped to meet Molly. I’d even thought there might be a small clan remaining, but it never occurred to me that there would be an entire network of Urisks worldwide. Or that their culture would be so sophisticated.
Torches lit the perimeter of the cave, illuminating a large stone dais in the center of the room. Molly and Rune
easily hopped up, followed by Elias and Elaine. Gavin was next. He reached for me. Weylin put his hands on my waist, lifting me into Gavin’s waiting arms. Weylin took his place at my side. We stood in a clump, watching the Urisk’s feathers ruffle in agitation.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to Rune.
“They’ll not be likin’ the way the Alfar are handlin’ their Light.”
I rolled my eyes. “I guess no one’s told them that I’m not exactly an expert at scaling things.”
Rune grunted and then smiled. “Aye, that’d be it.”
Molly’s long arms stretched wide, and she looked over the settling crowd.
At first, I thought she would speak, calling the meeting to order, but she surprised me by singing a single pitch. Her normally raspy voice became crystal clear, pure and perfectly centered. Slowly, one by one, each Urisk joined in. My skin prickled. How could one lone pitch seem so ominous?
The sound reverberated around us as if it had a life of its own. My thoughts raced at the power flowing through the space, and for the first time in a while, I had a hard time controlling the streams in my mind. It was as if they wanted to spill over their banks and meld together.
The last time I’d allowed that to happen I was surrounded by Dokkalfar and black flames.
I gritted my teeth and focused on keeping them where they belonged.
Molly spoke in the Ancient Language. “My friends, it is time.”
It is time ... those words sent a shiver through me. A whisper of a dream lingered. Gavin squeezed my hand, and I concentrated on Molly again.
“The way has been prepared. Tonight, we begin a new phase in the war—one that will allow us to defeat the enemy and heal the land!”
The Urisk’s single tone exploded into a roar as they let loose their battle cry. Energy ran rampant, and the cavern walls shook.
Their power grew, creating a wind that whipped around the platform. Instinct took over, and I released some of Kailmeyra’s energy stored in Gavin’s amulet. Light blue, so familiar in Kailmeyra’s caves, streamed from my wrist, swirling and dancing as if it was happy to be set free. The Urisks energy, which up until now could only be felt and not seen, had taken on a heather-gray hue. It was as if some cosmic force had been waiting—waiting for the combination of the Urisk and Alfar to combine. The wind picked up, creating a vortex that scooted the nearest Urisk back from the platform. Fear shone in their gray faces as they scrambled to their feet. Their voices, which had moments ago roared in triumph, now shouted in confusion.
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