Sofia took a deep breath. She believed in the Goddess completely, and she accepted that She had chosen her to complete this task of saving the Diasodz, but she still had no idea how to save them. She replayed the prophecy that Cybil had given her in her mind. When the time is upon you, you must give of yourself to save those you love most. Hadn’t she already done that? She turned against her own parents to side with their enemies. But if that was all she had to do, why was the war still happening?
Ar’ch stepped out of the house and walked over to her. He sat down beside her and looked up at the statue. “Are you all right?”
Sofia nodded. “I’m just thinking about the war.”
“What about it?”
She shrugged. “Everything. I don’t know what to expect. It’s not like I’ve ever been a part of a war, and the ones on TV back on Earth have bombs and guns, and you guys don’t have those.”
“That is true,” he said and then turned to face her. “So, what do you want to know?”
“How will it happen? You guys have picked a date, time, and location. Does everyone just show up there and go at each other?”
He chuckled. “More or less. We each take a side, and the speaker of each side can try to negotiate a peaceful outcome, though that rarely works. When it doesn’t, each side begins to attack.”
She chewed on her cheek. “So, what am I supposed to do during the war?”
“Stay close to me and defend yourself,” he said and smiled. “You will be heavily protected. Just protect yourself.”
She exhaled her frustration. “But what am I supposed to do? I am the savior, but I have no idea what I must do to save you all. How am I supposed to win this war for the Diasodz if I have no idea how?”
Ar’ch shrugged and pulled her into a hug. “I don’t know, but the Goddess does, and I’m sure you will know when the time is right.”
Sofia sunk into his embrace. She knew that he wouldn’t be able to answer the question for her, and she also knew that he was right. The Goddess wouldn’t lead her this far and then abandon her at the most important moment. She just had to trust that the Goddess knew what She was doing. She looked back at the statue and prayed that she was ready when the Goddess called upon her.
-o-
Rafe threw another ax at the wall in the training center. He wanted to make sure that his aim was perfect with each throw. There was no room for errors. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to use his weapons to kill any of the demons and deminions that he had become friends with during his short time with his father. If they attacked him or Sofia, then he would know that they were no longer his friends, and he would be ready.
“Great aim,” Angel said as he entered the room.
“Thanks,” he said and threw another one. “So, how is all of this going to happen? Are there rules to follow or is it a free-for-all?”
“There are rules. We can use any weapons that we have brought along with our weapons to call, but we cannot use our skills to harm our enemies. We can use our skills to assist our own side. For example, I could use my affinity for emotions to give courage to those who are afraid, but I cannot use water to drown a demon. If one side uses their skills to harm his enemies, then the rules are discarded.”
“So, what’s to stop the side with more skills from attacking with their powers?”
“In the old days when we had all our power, I think the only thing that stopped them was honor and respect for our laws. The Diasodz have always had more power because most demons and deminions lose their powers when they denounce the Goddess. Nowadays, even the Diasodz’s powers are less than what they used to be. I might be able to drown four or five demons at once, but I can’t fight off the others who will attack me while I’m focusing on my skills.”
“That makes sense. So, we fight with swords and our weapons to call?”
Angel nodded and hesitated. He could tell that he wanted to say something else, but he seemed to be struggling with it. He threw another ax to give Angel time to work through his thoughts.
“Can I ask a favor of you?” he finally asked.
“Sure.”
“Can you do your best to stay close to my side?” he asked. Rafe looked at him questioningly, so Angel explained, “When I met with Cybil, she gave me a prophecy. At the time, it didn’t really make much sense to me, but I think I understand it now. She told me that earth cannot survive without water just as fire cannot flare without air. Ar’ch’s affinity is air, and Sofia’s is fire. Without Sofia, Ar’ch was completely lost and unable to function. My affinity is water, and yours is earth. I need to know that you are safe. Ar’ch needs Sofia, and I need you.”
Rafe knew the struggle Angel felt to say those words, especially after how he had treated him before. He expected to feel repulsed or awkward, but instead those words filled him with gratitude and peace. He smiled at him and said, “We need each other, Angel. I will do my best to stay close by.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. “Thanks.”
Rafe threw one more ax and then said, “I think I’m done with target practice. How about we get some lunch?”
“Sounds great. I think my father wanted to meet with us soon anyway.”
-o-
Nolan saw Rafe and Angel walk into the dining area and said, “Wonderful, we are all here.”
“Weren’t we going to meet later?” Angel asked.
“Yes, but since our stomachs decided to bring us together now, let’s take advantage of this moment. Plus, it will allow me to leave a bit early to finalize a few things with the High Council.”
After they had filled their plates and had taken their seats, Nolan began discussing the war. “Our sources tell us that the Raizyns believe that Sofia will save them. That means that Drake and Damiana have not shared with them that Sofia is no longer in their custody.”
“Or it means they think that they will be able to control me,” Sofia said and frowned.
“They can think whatever they want. It isn’t going to happen,” Ar’ch said and kissed the palm of her hand.
Nolan recognized the look that Ar’ch gave Sofia because it was the same look of love that he gave to Valerie. His son had finally found love, and he could not have chosen a better match for him. He looked over to his wife; she, too, saw their love. Hopefully, all would end well with the war so that the family could maybe celebrate with a possible engagement. He smiled at the thought and then mentally chastised himself for going all romantic when they were talking about war.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Ar’ch is correct. The Goddess will protect you, Sofia. She chose you to be our savior, and She will protect you.”
“So, what is the plan, Father?” Angel asked.
“As the leader of the High Council, Lucas will speak for the Diasodz. I assume Drake or Damiana will speak for the Raizyns. Each will give his speech, and since the Diasodz will not surrender to the Raizyns, the war will begin. The Raizyns will be lined with the mountains to their backs, and we will be in front of the lake.”
“What do you want our focus to be?” Rafe asked.
“Your job is to protect Sofia. The High Council is aware that the three of you will not be going on the attack like the rest of the Diasodz will be doing. You will be focused on keeping Sofia out of harm’s way.”
“Isn’t that a little ridiculous?” she asked. “I mean, isn’t the point to fight the Raizyns? If all you are going to do is babysit me, can’t I just stay home? It sounds like I’ll be in the way more than be of any good.”
“You must be there, and you will fight if attacked. We don’t know exactly what the Goddess has in store for us, but the High Council agrees that you must be there and that you must be protected,” Nolan replied.
“And what about you and Mother?” Angel asked.
“We will fight,” Valerie said with an eager smile. “Your father and I have been Altorus far longer than any of you, and our skills are needed on the battlefield. You all are our children, and though we know
that one day you will need to fight in battles, for just this one battle, we want you focused on self-preservation. If we know that our sons are protecting our savior, then we can fight the Raizyns with everything that we have.”
Nolan thought back to those days when Valerie was just a feisty trainee who eagerly showed off her abilities, and his heart swelled with pride. He had not seen that much spunk in her in life years, but he could see it in her eyes now. She was more than ready to get on that battlefield and make the Raizyns pay for all that she had been put through because of them.
“We will protect Sofia. You need not worry,” Ar’ch said, breaking him out of his admiration of his wife.
“We are not worried, son. We trust in you all, and the Goddess will be with you,” he said. Then, he turned to Sarah. “Sarah has a little gift for each of you.”
Sarah stood and adjusted her dress. She pulled orange and yellow handmade bracelets out of her pocket and attached one to the left wrist of each of them. “These bracelets are made with certain herbs and minerals that will help you heal quickly should you become injured. Please wear them beginning today so that your bodies can begin absorbing their healing qualities. Also, your rooms may smell slightly different for the next few nights. Liana and I have infused them with oils to help you sleep restfully.”
“Thank you,” they all said as she handed them the bracelets.
“You always take such great care of us, Sarah. Thank you,” Nolan said. “And thank Liana for us as well, please.”
Sarah blushed. “Of course, Mr. Nolan. Now, if you will excuse me. I must continue preparing the rooms.”
After she left, he turned back to his family. “Each of you will have a transponder. I have also made one for each leader of the different communities. Unfortunately, I will not have time to make enough for everyone. Use them carefully, and do not let them get into the wrong hands.”
“Father, do you think that they will obey our laws for war?” Angel asked.
He pressed his lips together. “So far, they are following them. It is in their best interest to follow the laws because we have more skills than they do. At least, we think we do.”
“What do we do if the laws are broken?” Ar’ch asked.
“Protect Sofia. I realize that the four of you have been blessed with the four elements. I also realize how powerful a weapon those elements could be, but if we lose Sofia because you were focused on your elements, then we will have lost everything. Focus on protecting Sofia. The rest of the Diasodz will deal with the Raizyns.”
All of them nodded in agreement. He looked at Sofia and could tell that she hated the fuss that they made over her. He wanted to comfort her, but there wasn’t anything he could say that would ease her discomfort, so he just left it alone.
“Any other questions?” he asked. When they all shook their heads, he sighed. “Very well, let’s enjoy lunch and the next two days.”
Nolan sat down and kissed his wife before beginning to eat. He watched Angel engage the others in small talk to try to lighten the tension in the room. He smiled when Rafe laughed at something Angel had said and then teased Sofia about it. Ar’ch kissed Sofia endearingly on the cheek while she rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Rafe. Goddess, he loved his unconventional family, and he would protect them all with his life. He just hoped it didn’t come to that.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“I thought I’d find you here.”
Liana looked up to find Sofia walking toward her. She stood and wiped her hands on her apron. “I was just collecting a few more herbs.”
“Why do you need so many herbs?”
“It is our custom to make healing salves for when the war ends.”
Sofia looked away, and then said, “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“Of course, especially for you,” she said.
“Can we go to the gazebo?”
“Lead the way.” Noticing Sofia’s nervousness, she asked, “So, how are you holding up?”
Sofia shrugged. “It’s been a crazy couple of months, huh?”
She smiled. “That’s one way of putting it.” She couldn’t remember when life had felt normal. She wished that she could turn back time to when Sofia was just a carefree teen who went to school, worked her part-time job, and hung out with her friends. She hated that Sofia’s whole life was upended. If she could take her place, she would do so in a heartbeat, just so Sofia could live a normal life.
They reached the gazebo, and Sofia blurted out, “I’m scared.”
Liana wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, honey, of course you are. So am I. I think everyone is, but that is normal. We just have to keep believing in our Goddess’ love for us and Her protection of us.”
Sofia nodded. “I do believe in her. I just…I’m afraid of Damiana. When she ordered me back at her house, I couldn’t disobey her. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t. What if that happens again?”
She took a deep breath and sat down. She patted the bench next to her so that Sofia would join her. Then she said, “I think that the Goddess will protect you this time. The prophecy stated that the four of you need to be together, so maybe Ar’ch, Angel, and Rafe will bring you strength.”
“What if she orders me to set everyone on fire?”
“Then, I will put the fire out.” They turned to see Angel walking up the gazebo steps. “May I join you?”
She looked at Sofia who nodded and smiled. Her heart skipped a beat. It was always a joy to have her son near her. She turned back to Angel and said, “Please do.”
“If you put out my fire, wouldn’t you be breaking the laws?” Sofia asked after he sat.
He shook his head. “If Damiana orders you to use your skills against us, she breaks the laws first.”
“So, if she does that, can’t Ar’ch just suffocate our enemies?”
“If I had my full powers, maybe I could, but right now, I’d only be able to do that to whomever stood directly in front of me. Even that would take great concentration.”
Sofia and Liana startled at Ar’ch’s voice. Sofia stood and gave him a kiss. “How did you know I was here?”
“I always know how to find you,” he said and tapped his temple.
“Your souls are connected,” Liana said when they sat down. When they both looked at her with curiosity, she said, “It doesn’t happen often, but the Goddess has blessed your relationship with a soul connection.”
Ar’ch smiled at Sofia and wiggled his brows, making her smile and blush. “It’s like my prophecy stated. You are the one for me.” He kissed her again and then turned to Angel. “And you didn’t believe me when I told you that Sofia was different.”
Angel laughed. “I’ll admit that I doubted you, but let’s be honest. You didn’t have the best record with relationships before Sofia.”
“That’s because none of those girls was Sofia,” he said and winked at her.
Liana thanked the Goddess for giving Sofia such wonderful people in her life, and she loved them for trying to take her mind off her worries, but she knew that she needed to talk about tomorrow.
Redirecting the conversation, Sofia asked, “So, could Rafe bury them all in a hole or something?”
“Did someone say my name?” Rafe asked and walked up the steps.
“What is going on here?” she asked while laughing. “This is too much of a coincidence.”
Angel sheepishly said, “I felt your distress and thought you needed some support today, so I told Ar’ch.”
“And I contacted Rafe,” Ar’ch said smugly.
“And here we are. So, what were you saying?” Rafe asked.
“If Damiana forces me to hurt you all with my fire, Angel says that she breaks the laws of engagement. But Ar’ch and Angel’s skills can’t reach masses of people. Could you just bury them all?”
Rafe pressed his lips together. “I’ve never made a hole larger than the one I made for you and me, so I don’t know.”
“And with our proximi
ty to our enemies, he might accidentally bury some of our own kind,” Angel added.
“So, your skills will be practically useless except for up-close, but Damiana can control me from a distance. If she does,” she paused when all three boys started shaking their heads. She frowned and continued, “If she does, you must not let me hurt anyone, even if it means killing me.”
“Nope.”
“Not happening.”
“Absolutely not.”
Sofia’s eyes welled up with tears, and Liana held her hands. “They all love you, Sofia, as do I. And you love them. They will not harm you. They will protect you, and you will protect them. This is what love is all about.” She looked at each of them and said, “I love all of you, and if anything were to happen to any of you, it would break my heart. So, I beg you all to be careful and take care of one another.”
Ar’ch cleared his throat. “You have been a mother to each of us in one form or another, and it has been your love for us and for our Goddess that has brought us this far. We won’t let you down. We will all come back home tomorrow in one piece, I promise.”
She stood and hugged Ar’ch. He had finally accepted her back into his life. “Thank you,” she whispered and then turned to Sofia. “You see, honey. Love is the answer.”
Sofia stood and hugged her. “I love you, mom.”
Liana blinked back her tears. “I love you, too.” She pulled away, blinking rapidly, and picked up her basket of herbs. “I think it’s time for me to get these herbs back to the kitchen.” She looked at the others and smiled. “You are safe here, Sofia.”
Each person stood and hugged her and told her how much they loved her. As soon as she walked away, the tears came. She was overcome with their love for her and her fear that one, or all, of them might perish. She told herself to take her own advice and trust in the Goddess, and she did. She trusted Her completely. And still, she worried because She had Her own plans, and there was no guarantee that those plans would not bring heartache to her.
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