by Meg Anne
The Triumvirate did not respond, they merely turned and disappeared back into the forest from whence they’d came.
Chapter Twenty-One
Well, shit,” Ronan said.
“I think that sums it up nicely,” Von said dryly.
“What the fuck are we supposed to do with that? Not only are they refusing to explain what the vision means, they’re also taking away the source of the vision, so we have absolutely no fucking idea what lies ahead,” Ronan sputtered.
“How’s that any different from where we were before?” Helena asked, amused at her Shield’s unexpected rant. She knew why she was upset, but she hadn’t expected him to feel the same.
“Well, it’s not, but… they were supposed to help us, damn it!” Ronan was fuming.
Helena couldn’t help herself, her shoulders began to shake with barely suppressed laughter.
“You’re laughing?” he asked as the rest of the group joined in. “How can you laugh at a time like this?” Seeing that they had no intention of stopping any time soon, he threw his hands up in the air. “This is a load of steaming wolf shit and you know it!”
“I’m sorry,” Helena hiccupped, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s not that I disagree, it’s just this is all par for the course, wouldn’t you say? Of course the people that can decipher the vision refuse to tell us what it means. These are the same men,” Helena paused, wondering for the first time if the Triumvirate were in fact all male. That was a mystery for another day. Waving away the thought, she continued, “That like to give me warnings by terrorizing me.”
“I’m sorry, Kiri. I had hoped given what’s at stake that they would be more forthcoming,” Timmins said on a sigh.
“It’s not your fault,” she said.
During all of this, Effie remained quiet.
“I’m sorry,” Helena said, instantly sobering. “It’s not too late to change your mind. If you’d rather not go with them—”
“No. They’re right. I’m no use to anybody until I learn how to understand these visions. Besides, it can’t possibly be normal for them to affect me as they do. Perhaps they can help me fight the side effects.”
Helena pressed her lips together. “You have a home with us any time you desire. You might be a Keeper, Effie, but you will always be one of us.”
Effie’s lower lip quavered but she fought back her tears. “Thank you, Helena. I will hold you to that.”
That much settled, Kragen directed them back to the matter at hand. “So what do you think they meant, you ‘have everything you need to guide you to the correct answer’?”
“Precisely that, I’d gather,” Timmins said, rubbing his eyes.
Kragen rolled his. “Thanks for that illuminating contribution, Advisor. As always, your insights prove invaluable.”
Timmins shrugged. “Not every nugget is going to be perfection. Sometimes one can only work with what’s in front of them.”
Helena groaned. “They clearly believe that I do not require any outside input to arrive at the correct conclusion. That means that I just need to decipher the clues based on what I already know to be true.”
“So how long do you think this is going to take? Ten, twenty minutes?” Ronan drawled, his lips curling into a sarcastic smile.
If only she felt that confident in her ability to rationalize everything out. The only reason she’d been able to connect the dots on Effie’s previous vision is because it’d come to pass first, and they’d been able to work backwards. There was no way that particular approach was going to help them again this time.
“At least,” Helena replied, wrinkling her nose at him. “Prick.”
Ronan gave her a mocking bow. “I live to serve, Kiri.”
Helena snorted. “A little more serving and a little less sarcasm, if you will.”
Her Shield winked. “What reason could you possibly have to keep me around if I turned so predictable? It’s not like you require a second Advisor!”
The other Circle members laughed as Timmins began to clap in long, drawn-out movements. “Your wit sir, is legendary.”
The conversation was rapidly devolving, and Helena knew that if she didn’t step in fast, they’d lose the thread entirely. “Alright, alright. You can tease Timmins later. Right now we have a vision to interpret.”
Effie shuffled forward, her hands nervously playing with the front of her dress. “Perhaps I should go pack my things. From what they said, I don’t want to unduly influence your assessment.”
Helena frowned. “Don’t you think that they would have insisted on your going with them immediately, if they were truly worried about it?”
The blonde woman’s face brightened considerably. “You’re right! Carry on then.”
One by one the group settled into place around the campfire. In another time or place, Helena could have simply been regaling them with ghost stories. She yearned for such a day and such simple pleasures.
Von sat directly across from her, his blade brother on one side and his blood brother on the other. Serena sat on the floor between Nial’s legs, while Reyna and Ryder chose spots next to Ronan, who lifted a brow at the choice but provided no further comment. Kragen, Timmins, and Joquil took the spots beside Nial, filling in that side of the semi-circle and leaving the rest of the group to sit beside the Night Stalkers. Starshine, who had been off hunting for her dinner, chose that moment to stalk quietly into their camp and take a seat behind her Mate.
Von lifted a hand to rub her in greeting, but she bared her fangs at him. “Or not,” he muttered, his hand falling back to his side.
Some things never change. Even in times of chaos, people were just people. It was an uplifting thought. Helena’s eyes moved over the group, her heart feeling full. They were faced with the biggest threat the Chosen had to deal with, and yet they still found a way to hold on to their humanity. Her eyes fell on Ronan; they teased. On Reyna; they flirted. On the newly mated Nial and Serena; they loved. The Mother’s Chosen were not as fragile as they appeared. For all that their lives could be taken in less time than it took to draw a full breath, so too could they live. It was a beautiful thing, this ability to adapt and endure.
Feeling inspired, Helena turned to Effie, who was standing beside her. “Shall we try this again?”
“What would you like me to do?”
“Well let’s talk it out, starting with what we think we know.”
“The spider obviously represents Rowena,” Von said, not wasting any time.
Helena nodded. “I’m inclined to agree. It’s my feeling that the color of spider matched the same cold color of her eyes. And only Rowena would get that much pleasure out of trapping someone.”
“That was my thought as well,” Effie said.
“Very well, I think we can accept that as fact and move forward.”
Unfortunately, that was the first and only fact on which they agreed. The group talked well into the night, each minute detail of the vision hashed out with no further understanding of what it represented.
“But the web is clearly a trap left by the spider, who in this case we all agree is Rowena!” Joquil shouted in exasperation.
“If each strand is a separate individual, those must indicate the Chosen. Rowena’s followers lack that kind of diversity,” Timmins said as he paced around the fire.
“The Chosen would never agree to be part of such a scheme!” Effie insisted.
“Who says they have a choice? Rowena is a gifted manipulator,” Von said.
On and on it went, until she couldn’t take it anymore. The longer Helena listened to the other’s talk, the more certain she became that she alone would find the answer. For all that her friends were her resources, the truth of the vision lied within her.
“Enough,” Helena said wearily. “We’ve come up with several possible solutions, none of which feel quite right. I’m sure we’re on to something, but we may as well get some sleep and try again with fresh perspectives in the morning.”
; Her words had a sobering effect as the group remembered what the morning would bring.
“She’s right,” Von said, pushing himself to a standing position. “We aren’t getting anywhere; we might as well call it a night.”
There were a few murmurs of agreement as people began to make their way to their tents. Effie remained behind.
“I’ll wait for you inside,” Von said, gesturing to the tent they would share.
“I’ll be right there,” Helena said with a thankful smile.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful, Helena. I really wanted to be the one that gave you what you needed to defeat that evil bitch.” For all her venom, Effie still reminded Helena of a kitten that had just discovered its claws. The thought made her smile.
“Who’s to say that you haven’t? Just because you couldn’t solve the riddle doesn’t mean that you haven’t given me the answer.”
Effie looked down as she considered the words. “I hope so.”
“One way or another, I will find my answer, and I hope,” Helena said, her hand reaching out to touch Effie’s arm, “that you find yours as well.”
One side of Effie’s mouth lifted in a wry smile. “Who can say? With the way those three communicate, you never know what you’re going to end up with.”
Helena laughed. “How very, very true.”
When Helena had fallen silent, Effie met her eyes head on and said, “I guess this is it then.”
“We will have time in the morning—”
“You and I both know that they will arrive for me long before you wake. They gave me tonight, but they did not promise me the morning,” Effie said, cutting her off.
She was right. Helena sighed. “Did you not want to say goodbye to the others?”
Effie shook her head. “I’ve said enough goodbyes for now. I have no intention of saying it again anytime soon.”
Helena tilted her head. “It isn’t really goodbye, you know. We’ll see each other again.”
Effie nodded, her eyes already starting to take on some of the ancient wisdom that her grandmother’s had held. “Eventually.”
“You take care of yourself, Effie. If you have need of anything, all you have to do is call.” Helena held out one of her last fully charged Kaelpas stones. “You will always have a place in my court.”
Effie took the stone, clasping it to her chest. “Thank you for being my friend, Helena. You were the first I ever really had.”
The words struck her like a blow, and she reached out, pulling Effie in for a hug. “I’m going to miss you.”
“And I you.”
“Farewell, Effie.”
“Send her straight to hell,” Effie replied, stepping out of her arms.
Helena nodded, her expression serious. “I intend to.”
Effie stared at her a moment longer before turning and walking into the tent she was sharing with Reyna.
When the morning came, she was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rowena stood looking out over what should by rights be her Queendom. The harsh winds of Vyruul were whipping her hair out of its binding, but it was the only part of her that reacted to the extreme cold of her surroundings. The heat of her rage had long since cooled. Now it was as if she was forged from the ice itself. There was little that would cause her pristine façade to crack.
“My Queen?” Kai-Soren called.
“What do you want?” Rowena asked without turning to face him. They’d been married less than a week and already he’d disappointed her.
“The men are growing restless. When can we return home?”
“Home?” she scoffed. “What home? Greyspire is in ruins, no thanks to you and your ‘men,’ or did you already forget?”
Kai-Soren waited a moment before replying. “There’s still the keep at Endoshan—"
“The Mother will strike me dead before I go crawling into that pile of stones you call a keep.”
She could feel his wounded pride from where she stood. Men were so easily broken.
“Well perhaps the men could return so that they at least have a roof over their heads and warmth instead of freezing to death in this cave.”
“You seek out comfort over the safety of your Queen? You’d leave me here unprotected?” Her voice grew colder with each word she spoke until the wind soon seemed balmy by comparison.
“Rowena, I—"
“How dare you address me so informally,” she snapped, finally spinning around. The full power of her ire was unleashed on him, and for the first time since she’d known him, he looked truly unnerved.
His golden eyes were wide, the whites clearly visible on both top and bottom. He caught himself and quickly schooled his face into an impassive mask. “Apologies, My Queen. It will not happen again.”
Rowena sighed, wishing she could use a small bit of compulsion magic to make him less insufferable. Alas, she could not give up the charade entirely. Not yet, but as soon as she could… Rowena’s eyes narrowed in malicious glee. Her darling husband Kai-Soren was living on borrowed time, and it tickled her to no end that he was completely clueless.
“You know that we must remain here until I find acceptable replacements for the two that were lost. I cannot let that sniveling impostor discover me until then.”
“How do you expect to find anyone while we hide in a cave?” he asked, causing her to grit her teeth.
“I’m working on it.”
His eyes shuttered; his faith in her ability to lead was dwindling more each day. He thought her weak for hiding, but she was not sitting idle. As always, she was thinking four and five steps ahead of everyone. How else would she have been able to fool so many into believing she was dead? Things were set in motion long before she ever knew she’d end up here. It was only a matter of time.
Rowena turned back toward Elysia, dismissing him without a word. She was the rightful ruler of the Chosen. One way or another, she’d reclaim her throne.
There was never any doubt about how this was going to end.
She walked amongst the twilight, the stars illuminating the path before her with their brilliance. On either side, trees stretched up into the sky, obscuring what lay beyond them. All she could see was the path before her and the stars in the sky watching over her, lighting her way.
She walked alone, but felt no sense of fear. It was safe here; there was nothing but peace in the starlight. She continued to wander until the road began to curve, opening up on the shore of a beach. The stars continued to shine down, the water reflecting their light back up at them. Everything was awash in shades of blue, giving the secluded beach an air of ethereality.
Seeing nothing else, she walked across the powder soft sand toward the shore. Once she reached the edge, she let her bare toes dip into the water, not caring that the bottom of her gown grew wet. She tilted her head up toward the sky, feeling her hair brush against her back. It tickled, causing her to smile and close her eyes, wanting to memorize the feeling of total peace.
She had no idea how she got here, no clue where she was, and yet she did not want to leave.
“To remain means you must also leave behind. Could you really do that?”
Opening her eyes, she saw the figure of a woman take shape beside her.
“Miranda?” she asked. It was not surprise she felt at seeing the Keeper, merely wonder.
“Hello, Kiri.”
Helena smiled. There was no accurate way to describe her joy at finding the friend she thought she had lost.
“Is this where you live now?” Helena asked, looking around for some sign of a dwelling.
Miranda’s answering smile was kind. “No. I am just visiting, as are you.”
A breeze picked up, causing her to shiver for the first time. Helena cast a glance up at the sky, feeling like some of the stars were starting to dim. The first tendril of concern snaked up her spine.
Miranda held out a hand. “Walk with me a ways.”
Helena took her hand and the two women began
to walk along the shore.
“Your mind is heavy,” Miranda said.
The thoughts and worries that she had forgotten while admiring the stars started to come back, reminding her of what waited. “Yes,” she sighed. “I don’t know what to do, or how I am supposed to defeat her.”
“Yes you do.”
Helena frowned.
“Look,” Miranda whispered, her arms lifting until they were fully extended on either side of her. Helena let out a startled gasp. The beach had disappeared, giving way to a meadow. The sun was shining overhead and flowers were dancing in the breeze. She blinked, but the image remained intact.
“How did you do that?” Helena asked.
Miranda smiled. “You do not need to look far for your answer, Helena.”
Helena opened her mouth, questions ready to fall from her lips, but Miranda stopped her. “The Mother has given you everything you need.”
With that, the Keeper lifted a hand and ran it along her cheek and the meadow disappeared.
Helena bolted upright, her heart still thundering as she pulled her consciousness from the grips of the dream. It took her a moment to remember where she was. Seeing the familiar purple of her bed, she let out a deep breath. She was home. She was safe.
Von grunted and rolled toward her, his arms trying to pull her closer, but Helena disentangled herself and pushed out of the bed to pad across the cool floor.
Why did I dream about Miranda? Is she trying to tell me something? For all that she was awake, Helena still felt like her brain was a bit foggy from sleep. Before Darrin had come to her and told her of her destiny, Helena had never put much stock into dreams having any sort of relevance. After all, they were just the images one’s mind assigned to things that they had experienced during the day and were remembering on some unconscious level. Weren’t they?
Now that she had firsthand knowledge of visions and prophecy, Helena wasn’t so sure. Miranda’s presence in her dreams had to mean something. It couldn’t just be coincidence, not with everything else that had been going on recently.