“We don’t have time to argue. I’ll trust your judgment on this, Bala, but I want Ivin to put a spell on it to restrain its shifting abilities for now.” Wraithe took control of the situation. “We need to go. Can you walk?”
He helped balance her between himself and Luxe.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry about before.”
“Don’t apologize. Just walk.”
Wraithe looked around at the crowd who was no longer paying any of them the least bit of attention. He sure as hell hoped Oz had scrubbed all the surveillance by this point. The four of them made their way into the crowd and through the bubble. They quickly made their way down Main Street to the main entrance, headed back for safety, home, Elethiya.
Chapter Seven
Luxe stared at Bala lying on the floor of their living room, standing guard over Obsidian. Today had not been an easy day. In truth, it was the first display of the dark they’d come to know back home that they’d faced since coming to the human realm. Everything here had been so easy, up until today. He’d been a fool to hope for even a second that the dark wouldn’t follow them, wouldn’t come to reclaim them to the Marrow.
He drew a breath and shook off his dourness. She needed him and he’d be strong for her.
“He’ll be just fine. Everything is going to be okay.” He moved in to sit beside Bala on the floor.
Obsidian was still unconscious from Ivin’s magic. Blu’s protector was still holding its ragamuffin puppy shape and was curled up beneath Obsidian’s long fur. He had to assume Ivin’s magic was at play there, as well, and that the spell she cast on him would keep him from transforming into anymore dragons.
Bala hadn’t even acknowledged him. She stared into the fire as if he hadn’t said a word.
“I saw you today. I saw you start to transform.” Now she turned to look over her shoulder. “How is everything going to be okay if you slip back into the darkness?”
He drew a breath and ran his hand through his thick dark hair.
“Bala, for your life, I’d risk the dark.” It was the truth. Nothing else mattered but her, and he’d risk anything, even his own life and that of the entire human realm for her. “After everything we’ve been through, I will not lose you. I will tempt anything to make certain of it.”
She turned and took both his hands in hers.
“No. You cannot let those thoughts in. I love you, my darling, more than anyone has ever loved another soul, but we have responsibilities and we can never tempt the dark. You can never slip on this. Otherwise, all we went through—” She shrugged and a tear slipped down her cheek. “—it will be worthless. It will mean nothing.”
He placed his hand along her cheek and she pressed against it.
“Bala, I was lost to the dark when you found me, but not now. Your love saved me. You gave me back my heart. I believe that makes all the difference. If I transformed now…”
“No.” She shook her head as fear filled her eyes. She placed both her hands on his face. “Promise me that no matter what, you will never risk it. Please, Luxe. Please. If you love me as you say you do, promise me.”
“Darling…”
“Just promise me.” She demanded this time.
He sighed and shook his head before looking deep into her eyes.
“Fine. I promise, but Bala, you could have been killed today. Between Blu’s rogue protector…”
“He isn’t rogue, just… confused.”
“Fine. Blu’s confused protector and that roahn-ami, I cannot lose you anymore than you can bear losing me. When that darkness stared into your soul today, god Bala, I thought you were gone. I couldn’t get to you. I couldn’t do anything. I was suspended in some energy field and couldn’t get to you. It’s too dangerous out there. We must not venture out of Elethiya again, no matter what.” To him the subject was now closed.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and lie beside Obsidian like they’d done countless nights before, and pretend everything was as it always had been.
“Luxe, something is wrong with me.” She swallowed hard and drew a deep breath.
The words alone sent a chill through him. He remained silent, knowing she needed to tell him whatever it was. Knowing he wouldn’t like it.
“There is a fear in me that never was before.” She pressed her hand against her heart. “I don’t know how to control it. I worry what it will do to Elethiya if I stay here much longer. I won’t put these people in danger.”
He calmly listened.
He wanted to brush it off, pretend it was simply that she needed sleep, but he saw it in her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me before? Did the dark one do something to you today?”
She smiled and rested her forehead against his.
“No, but I think he saw it. I think that’s why he left.”
He moved and placed a hard kiss to her forehead, then pulled her tight into his arms.
“We’ll get you help, Bala. We’ll go to Wraithe, if he can’t fix it, then Ivin, or Hayden.” He shoved down his own fear and looked at her directly. “Whatever it takes, I will not allow the dark to invade your pure soul, Bala. I will not allow it.”
She smiled and curled into his arms. She ran her hand along Obsidian’s fur and snuggled down even further into Luxe.
“I’m afraid that too much has happened. I’m afraid the prophecies are coming to be. Most of all, I’m afraid we are too late, too weak, too disorganized to fight this coming darkness.” She looked up into his eyes. “For the first time, I’m afraid that the light, that love, may not win after all.
* * * *
Wraithe heated the fire in the small chamber of the castle that was his office. Even though it was a warm Florida evening, something about the day’s events left him chilled.
They still had no idea how to awaken Blu. Ivin couldn’t even be sure if her soul was one of those she had in the soul skulls Rigo brought.
Today had not gone well. They made a mess. Chaos and confusion reigned and it gave the perfect opening for the dark to come charging in.
He’d been stupid today.
Thank gods Oz had been able to stay atop the footage of all that happened and had erased it even as it was being recorded.
That young boy was as much a wizard as any he had ever known.
He walked over to his desk and looked at papers, mail, and a few personal items he had placed there.
Maybe Ivin was right. Maybe his guilt had been going on long enough.
Maybe it was time to lay down the grief he carried.
Maybe with all that was going on now, he simply didn’t have the luxury for this self-indulgence.
It was a long and very dark road from that dark day in sixty five.
He picked up a picture from his desk. One of himself and a smiling Walt, arm in arm.
Happier times.
“I loved you like you were my clan, Walt. You always mattered to me.”
The time had gone so fast. He’d felt so lost, so torn between his friendship and loyalty, and his oath. Then suddenly it was simply too late to do anything at all.
If the prophecy was true, if his kingdom, and Walt’s, were the center of this first wave of darkness, he had to find a way to protect them both.
“I failed you once, but I won’t do it again.”
He set the photo back down and glanced at a note card to the side of it. It hadn’t come through the post office and it had only his name on the front.
He opened it and read the card inside… and the chills he’d been feeling all night intensified.
Wraithe, that’s your name. In less than forty eight hours I’ve discovered who you are, and where you are. How long do you think until I figure out what you are?
I’m coming for you. – DC
* * * *
You’ve just read one episode of ten of The Seven Kingdoms, a serial from Tales of Elethiya. For more information on this series, the world of Elethiya, and all of Ms. Lucas’ writings, please visit www.samanthal
ucas.net or subscribe via Patreon at www.patreon.com/Elethiya
The Failsafe Prophecies Page 7