by E. L. Todd
Accacia’s hysterical shouts woke Aleco with a start. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her from the nightmare. He was surprised her own shrieks didn’t wake her from her horrific vision. He questioned her about the night terror, but she didn’t answer. She felt her stomach with her hands then began to heave with sobs as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen, protecting a child that didn’t exist. He suspected they were about Drake, but he had no idea to what extent. Aleco cradled her in his strong arms and kissed her on the brow. As he ran his hands through her hair and down her back, he whispered words of comfort in her native tongue. Accacia finally stopped crying and hugged Aleco, silently thanking the gods he was there.
The piles of snow receded from the forest and the ground was no longer hidden under fresh powder, but with the sludge of old, frozen snow. Early spring was creeping into Orgoom Forest, carrying both heat and light to the plants and animals. The dreaded day Father Giloth feared finally arrived, and he knew the news would change all their lives for the worse.
Father Giloth received the letter from a Roslyn emissary that first spring morning. The Nature Priest opened the note with shaking hands, and his heart dropped when he recognized Lord Artremian’s handwriting. He didn’t need to read the letter to know the contents. It included the decision made by the council. At the insistence of Lord Letumian, Father Giloth and Father Hyphalia had been prohibited from attending the meeting, stating they had no purpose in politics and should remain within their holy sectors. Lord Artremian promised he would send news of the council’s decision immediately after it was made.
Father Giloth read the letter.
Father Orgoom Giloth, Orgoom Forest:
This letter is sent with regret. What we feared has come to pass—Drake has been legitimized as the Sole Sovereign of the United Continent. The coronation will commence five days hence—Father Hyphalia will preside over the ceremony.
The choice of the councilmen leaves me in surprise. They recognized the duke for what he was—or at least I thought they did. Rancar and the other councilmembers must have been compromised, but what they were bribed with I haven’t the slightest idea.
I can promise one thing; it was preordained. Drake didn’t attempt to fake his surprise at the council’s announcement, despite their earlier statements against the possibility of a single ruler.
Rancar was sweating during the entire meeting despite the chilling weather. He is obviously hiding something. When I tried to question his decision, he said it was voted by the council and the choice couldn’t be reversed. His handkerchief reeked by the end of the day.
I’m sorry this letter couldn’t bring better tidings. I hope you are well, Father.
Art
Father Giloth read the letter twice, hoping he had misread it the first time. The news hung heavy on his heart. The worst had come to pass, and he knew what they faced would kill them all. He crumpled the paper in his hands and threw it into the fire, destroying any evidence that could be traced back to Artremian—one of his closest friends and allies. He was a good man and he feared for the man’s future—especially since Father Giloth was powerless to help him. He sent Natalia to fetch Aleco and Accacia. The time had come.
Aleco and Accacia entered the study, smiling as they took their seats. Aleco held Accacia’s palm within his own and rubbed her delicate knuckles with his thumb. It was rare to see them not touching each other in some way. Aleco hardly ever left her side. Accacia looked down at their joined hands and smiled at his affection. She enjoyed his touch.
A frown touched Father Giloth’s eyes and he sighed before he began. “I have something to tell you both. It will not be pleasant,” he said. “Not for me to tell, nor for you to hear.”
Accacia dropped her smile. Aleco’s thumb paused in its embrace. “What is it?” Aleco asked fearfully.
“I have received word from my source in the council that Drake has successfully unified all the armies under his command,” he said. “He hasn’t been crowned king just yet, but that will follow shortly, I have no doubt.”
Accacia’s mouth deepened into a frown at the news. Such an evil man in possession of such authority caused her body to tremble. She could have been his queen if she hadn’t been rescued. She looked over at Aleco, silently thanking him for taking her away. “What do we do?” she asked. “There has to be something.”
“Nothing,” he replied. “There is nothing that can be done. The forces of evil working against us are paramount. No difference can be made by us.”
“Yes, we can make a difference,” she challenged. “Not just by the three of us, by your Naturalists, the people of Morkarh, all the citizens who suffer at his hands. Together, we can change the course of events.”
“Us against two hundred thousand soldiers?” Aleco said sarcastically. “I like those odds.”
“Well, we can’t just give up.”
“Yes, we can,” Father Giloth said.
They both looked at him. He was the wisest man they knew. He always had the right answer. The idea of him surrendering was inconceivable. “What?” Accacia asked. “You are just going to let them take the forest? Isn’t that against your oath?” she shouted. Her emotions were flowing from her quicker than she could stop them.
Father Giloth pressed his fingers to his lips and thought for a moment. “Let me try this again,” he said calmly. “You will give up. I will die protecting the forest to my last breath, even though it will be useless. I will not be able to quench the unstoppable fire,” he said simply. “But I will try nonetheless.”
“You speak as if you expect to fail,” she accused him.
“Because I do,” he replied.
“How can you say that?” she asked with tears in her eyes, “With our help, you will not fail.”
“No,” Father Giloth said firmly. “You cannot help me in this.”
“Yes, we can.”
“No,” he snapped.
Accacia was stung by the anger in his words. Father Giloth had never yelled at her before, or even expressed anger in any form. She didn’t understand what provoked such a furious rebuttal.
Father Giloth lowered his voice. “Accacia, you cannot help me in this. It is my responsibility to protect the forest, not yours,” he said. “Please respect that.”
“I’m sorry, Father,” she whispered. She averted her gaze to the floor, ashamed of her heated emotions.
“Besides, I have other plans for you,” he said. “This is the difficult part.”
Accacia and Aleco both looked at him, waiting for whatever pronouncement they couldn’t predict.
“You will leave this land, travel to the secret island of your people, and never return, Accacia,” he said. “It is your only option.”
“My only option?” she repeated.
“Yes,” he said. “It is the only one.”
Aleco finally spoke. “Why can’t she return?”
“There will be nothing left to return to, Aleco,” he said. “If she does, she will be captured immediately. Drake will not end his search until he has her—dead or alive. He will have complete dominion over this land. She will never be safe.”
“She can stay with me,” Aleco said. “I know a place she will never be found.”
“You would have her spend the rest of her days in a secluded area where she could never leave?” Father Giloth challenged. “She would never find happiness living that way. Eventually, they will find her, Aleco, whether on purpose or accident. If she is recaptured, she will never escape—not again.”
“Fine,” Aleco reasoned. “Then I will go with her.”
Father Giloth sighed heavily. “Aleco—you can’t.”
“Why not, old man?” he shouted. His voice dripped with frustration. He wasn’t parting with Accacia. He wouldn’t let that happen. “I’m going with her—that’s final.”
“You can’t, Aleco,” Father Giloth repeated. “They will never accept a human among their people, even if Accacia accompanies you. And with your appearance,
I suspect they will kill you immediately.”
Aleco cursed to himself. His twin was responsible for the death of the Asquithian people who visited the land under a banner of peace. They would immediately assume they were one and the same. He released Accacia’s hand and dropped his face into his palms, cursing under his breath. “Boggs,” he snarled. The three sat in silence as the inevitable truth sank in—that Accacia was leaving this land.
Accacia broke the dead air. “I’m not going,” she said.
Father Giloth fixed his gaze on her. “You must,” he insisted. “There is nothing for you here. Live out your life with your people. It is the only place you will be safe.”
“And leave everyone else to their fate?”
“Yes,” Aleco spoke. He lifted his head from his palms and looked at her. “You need to leave.”
Tears bubbled in her eyes. Aleco wanted her to go and that hurt her deeply. “I can’t abandon everyone I care about,” she said as she stared at Aleco. “We can overcome this.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, reassuring him of her faith.
“The old man is right,” he said. “And you know how much I hate it when he is.”
Father Giloth smiled at his words.
Aleco continued. “Even if we gather the free people in an uprising, we will be outnumbered a thousand to one, Accacia. One thousand to one. If we decide to go after Drake alone, past his mass of soldiers, guards, and palace walls, we will never succeed in killing him—since he is immortal.
“You don’t know that,” she said.
“Yes, I do,” he said. “And when he finds you, I won’t be able to protect you. You’ve already experienced more pain than anyone should ever endure and you deserve to be happy—I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” she whispered through her tears and squeezed his palm.
He kissed her. “If you stay here, I never will be,” he said. “Please do this for me.”
Accacia looked down at their joined hands. She felt the rough patches on his fingers with her own callouses, the ones she had received during her battle training.
“Accacia?” he pressed. “I hate this as much as you do, but you have to do this.”
“No,” she refused.
“Accacia,” he snapped. His blue eyes were in flames at her disobedience. “You would defy both of our wishes—the two men who care about you?” Aleco’s anger began to seep through. The ferocity flashed in his eyes as he listened to her defiance. “You have two choices: either you can do as I say, or I can make you do as I say. What’s it going to be?”
Accacia knew how to sheath his anger. She had learned the tactic during their time together in Orgoom Forest, and she wished she had known the secret sooner. It would have been useful when she was traveling with this sulky stranger across the Continent, listening to his insults and hateful comments. She cupped his cheeks with her fingers and kissed him. Father Giloth looked away at the affection, uncomfortable by the sight. She removed her lips and heard an audible sigh, a replacement for the usual moan he always made.
“It’s not going to work, Accacia.” He was still angry, but his fury had dwindled significantly. At least he wasn’t threatening her anymore. He grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. He looked her in the eye. “Please do this for me.”
Accacia hated the idea of leaving the Continent, abandoning the man she loved and her father, but she was moved by the determination in Aleco’s eyes. He would have it no other way. “Okay.” She sighed.
Aleco forced himself to smile. Accacia had obeyed his command, but it brought him no satisfaction. He didn’t want her to leave. The only reason he encouraged her to go was because he knew she would be safe—and that’s all that mattered. The idea of her absence—permanent absence—made him sick to his stomach. He couldn’t breathe, despite the rise and fall of his chest. He couldn’t think about anything but the excruciating pain of the loss. He wanted to die. He couldn’t see the purpose in going on without her. “Thank you,” he whispered. His tears hid behind his eyes, and he blinked them back.
“You need to leave soon, Accacia,” Father Giloth said.
Accacia nodded.
“The duke will approach the forest, and he will unleash everything he has to bring it down. You need to be gone when he does,” he said. “You will leave three days hence.”
“Three days?” Aleco asked.
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” he said. The pain on Aleco’s face shattered the old man’s heart. He was finally happy, but soon his depression would be greater than it ever was. Father Giloth wished he had a different fate. “We will begin our preparations immediately.”
Accacia and Aleco rose to their feet. Accacia left the study first, but Father Giloth held Aleco back. “We need to talk, Aleco.”
“When?” he asked.
“Return when Accacia is asleep.”
Aleco nodded.
Accacia was sleeping on his chest, one arm hooked around his neck, while the other rested on his stomach. His arm circled her torso while the other ran through the strands of her hair. It was the first night they didn’t make love.
Aleco turned over slowly and moved Accacia from his chest to the bed. She didn’t wake as he shifted her, but she sighed loudly at his movements. She began to shiver from the absence of his body heat, and her arms freckled with bumps from the cold. He covered her with the blanket and kissed her temple. He dressed himself, tossed another log onto the fire, and left for the house.
Father Giloth sat at his chestnut desk in the study. His table was empty except for two objects: a red stone and a blue stone. Aleco took his seat across from him. The heat of the fire thawed his extremities. The house was only feet away, but it was enough to chill his body.
“Why am I here?” he growled. Every moment with Accacia was precious; he didn’t want to waste it there.
“There are a few things you need to know,” he said. “When Accacia leaves, you will be too delirious to hear them, so it’s best if I say this now.”
Aleco nodded his agreement.
“A new Nature Priest will need to be appointed when I meet my end. I have sealed my choice within this Soul Catcher,” he said as he lifted the stone. It was red like dry blood on a handkerchief. “This stone houses all my knowledge, and it will guide my successor through any problems he may face. It also contains wisdom in other matters as well. It encompasses my entire order, my entire life.”
“Why are you telling me this?” he snapped.
“Because you need to know where this is when the time comes,” he explained. “When it reveals the successor I have chosen, my staff and the powers of the forest will respond only to him, and him alone.”
Aleco nodded.
“Can I count on you?” he asked.
“Yes,” he said.
Father Giloth placed the stone on a high shelf in the corner. Aleco watched him. “You act like death is unavoidable,” he said.
“That’s because it is, my son.”
“Your upcoming death doesn’t seem to trouble you,” he observed.
“I will perish so something greater than I will flourish. I am prepared to meet my maker and reunite with my family,” he said. “Why should I be troubled?”
“What about those you leave behind?” he said. “You have no concern for them? Your time is over, so let the others deal with the problem?”
Father looked at him. “The forest will survive at the cost of my death. The outer edge may burn in flames, but the center of the woods will persevere. Of course, I care about what I leave behind.”
“How do you know this?” he asked. “I know you have paramount powers as a Nature Priest, but I didn’t realize seeing the future was one of them.”
Father Giloth said nothing. He grabbed the other rock from the table; the heavy one Accacia had appraised before, and looked at Aleco. “I know what this is, Aleco,” he said. “Do you wish to know as well?”
Aleco looked at the metallic gem. Accacia had a vested interest wit
h the stone as well. He wondered why she wasn’t included in their moonlight discussion. “Yes,” he said.
“Give me you word that you will not relay this knowledge to Accacia. You can’t reveal my upcoming passing either,” he said. “This entire conversation is confidential.”
“Why don’t you want her to know?”
“It will only hurt her,” he said. “She is about to leave, Aleco. There is no point in making her suffer needlessly.”
Aleco nodded. He could agree to that.
“It is similar to a Soul Catcher,” he said as he turned the stone with his palm, “but it does not harvest memories from minds to be relived later. It does something very different—it harvests souls.”
“Harvests souls?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” he said. “Within these stones live actual souls—of people—and their souls offer energy to the beholder of the gem. The power the person accumulates in life will accompany them in death, and this energy can be accessed by the beholder. For instance, a king will contain more energy and power than a peasant.”
“All souls aren’t equal in value?”
“Definitely not,” he said. “This is how one can be immortal,” he continued. “When someone suffers a mortal wound, a treacherous fall, or old age, they can withdraw energy from the souls stored within the gem to restore their bodies.”
“What happens when an entire soul is used?”
“It vanishes,” Father Giloth said simply.
“Does it go to the afterlife?”
“No,” he said. “It ceases to exist. It does not travel to the light or the dark, it just vanishes. Their souls are no longer immortal.”
“Gods,” he breathed. It was worse than death. “What happens when a gem is depleted of souls?” Aleco asked. “Is that person no longer immortal?”
“Technically, yes,” he said. “But they probably have another stone stowed away, or they can refill their empty gem with new souls, which would be difficult because they are very rare.”
“Why are they rare?”
“Only Asquith souls can be stored within the stone.”