Mara paused but then nodded. “I understand the bonds of blood, but I fear you will regret it.” She took a step back. “Thank you, Tristan.”
Tristan gave a slight bow of his head and followed Seren and Malcolm out the door.
“He is a good soul,” she said to Corbin.
“Now that the power of both those wretched creatures surrounds him, he doesn’t stand a chance. They will corrupt him soon enough,” Corbin said bitterly.
“You’re probably right,” Mara said. “But let’s not worry about that now. We have more important things to attend to. Ailwen and Annora haven’t yet woken.”
Drake was trying to rouse them as Mara and Corbin knelt beside their unconscious friends. Drake shook his head. “They will wake to their lives again, but it won’t be the lives they remember.”
Mara pursed her lips and stroked Ailwen’s forehead. “He will be devastated when he learns what’s happened. What his hands have done to his own father.”
Drake looked up at her, serious and sad. “He will. But don’t allow his sorrow to move you to bring Barrett back. That is a power we can no longer trust.”
Mara nodded and lowered her eyes. “I know.”
“It’s not your fault,” Corbin said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Just then, Annora stirred. Mara rushed to her side. “Do you think they’ll believe that?” she asked Corbin.
Corbin nodded. “How can destiny be anyone’s fault?”
Mara and Corbin walked along the path to Silver River. It was time to fetch Isa and Helen.
Once Kain had been banished to the vault, Corbin finally revealed to Mara where he’d sent them. He told her that once he’d realized there was a darkness amongst them, he’d sent Barrett and Gareth along with a letter for the old warrior, Ebrill, begging his protection for Isa and Helen. It was a clever scheme, Mara thought gratefully, for had she known where they were, Kain might have found out as well.
As they’d expected, Ailwen was overcome with grief by the death of his father. Mara did what she could to soothe him, but even her power could not quell the knowledge that his own hand had done the deed.
Between the two of them, Annora and Ailwen had no memory of their days possessed by Dia. And while their power of Light remained unaffected, their minds provided a haze of confusion that only time would heal.
Mara had made the decision to remain at Ayrith. That mountain was theirs, and she was determined to guard the captive spirits imprisoned there.
She was also relieved when Eira and Silas decided to stay. They were ancients who knew all of the history that the books left out and could guide her through the years and through her immortality as the ruler. They didn’t want her power; that much was clear. But they also didn’t want to see that power wind up in the wrong hands.
In the days following Kain’s defeat and Malcolm’s departure, Mara felt her foothold on the past begin to lift. Those memories of her days at Valenia no longer haunted her, Malcolm’s image no longer tormented her, and the grief that had become so interwoven through her soul had begun to unravel.
But now there was a new weight suffocating her; a knowing that she couldn’t ignore.
Mara stopped in the shade of the forest, the rustling trees and twittering birds the only witnesses to what she was about to do. A tear came to her eye, and she let it roll down her cheek. Corbin stood in front of her, and seeing her tear, wiped it away.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, his blazing eyes nearly melting her resolve.
“Because I’m sad,” she said.
Corbin stared at her with that same awed expression of love that had always warmed even the coldest parts of her soul. She smiled through more tears and pressed herself against him as though the wind might blow him away. “I love you,” she whispered.
Corbin squeezed her tight and rested his lips on her head. “I love you, too. You’re shaking,” he said, his voice filled with concern. He pulled her back to look at her. “What is it, Mara?”
She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to say the words. The pain of it was almost enough to make her forget her plans and stay in his arms forever. But she owed him more than that. She owed him life.
“I have to let you go,” she said with a sob.
Corbin’s brows came together. “What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere. I promised you I would always be right here.” He brushed his hand over her cheek.
Mara wiped away more tears. “No, Corbin. Right now your place is not here. You deserve more than this life will give you. You deserve more than I can give you.”
Corbin smiled as though her words had little meaning. “How many times do I have to tell you? You are all I want. You are all I’ve ever wanted.”
Mara shook her head again. “No. You wanted more. You wanted a true life. Not this life of chaos, this constant fight to protect a power we never asked for. This life was thrust upon you because of who I am, and I can’t watch you spend another day living a life you never wanted to live.”
A shadow eclipsed Corbin’s face. He tipped her chin up to look at him. “I am not going anywhere, Mara. You can try and cast me out if you think it will free you from your needless guilt, but I will never turn my back on you.”
Mara sobbed again and wiped her hand across her face. “Corbin,” she whispered. “Corbin, I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. You’ve given me something greater than any power the gods could have ever created. You’ve grounded me in this world.”
There was a solemn pause between them. Corbin held her hands in his and waited for her tears to stop falling.
But she knew they wouldn’t.
“You would die for me, I know that,” she continued.
“But I also live for you,” he said.
“I remember,” Mara said. And she did remember. The stream of moments flowed through her mind like a lucid dream, taking her back to all the times she needed him, even when she didn’t know it. She saw his face the day they first met in the forest, his kind eyes and gentle voice becoming her beacon of hope. Her lips quivered as she remembered their first kiss on the rock of Valenia, and the rush of energy that moved between them like air. She remembered the day he taught her to use a bow and arrow, his strong arms guiding hers, helping her understand her Light and the power inside her. And she remembered his grief for her when he’d discovered what Malcolm had done. The anguished cry that escaped his lips equaled the anguish she held inside. Finding shelter in his arms had become the momentary hand wiping away the past. Without those arms around her, without him near, she was weak.
Whether the gods had intended them to love one another was uncertain. But what Mara did know was that as the Keeper of the coire, her guardian’s love also made her weak, and her love would soon destroy him.
Under his thoughtful gaze, she took a moment to compose herself, to push the fury of sadness down long enough to say what she needed to say. “I want you to live, Corbin. I want you to live a normal life. Join the army if you wish. Marry a woman and have children. Fall in love again. Find a woman who is not cursed by the gods. Find a woman who can make you feel like the man you were meant to be.”
This made Corbin laugh. “You do all of that for me, my love. I have no reason to seek it outside of our world.”
“No.” Mara shook her head. “You’re not listening. You won’t be like your father if you leave. This is not a desertion. But you must go. As your queen, I command it.” Mara held her breath to keep her sobs down even though the tears continued to sting her eyes and streak her face.
Corbin’s expression turned serious and he clutched her hand to his chest, looking with those ocean-blue eyes right into her soul. “Well, then I must be a traitor, because that is an order I cannot obey. I refuse it.” He dropped his voice to a throaty whisper. “I will stay with you always, Mara. And if I ever find myself lost, even if all the stars in the sky have vanished, the stars in your eyes will guide me back to you. ”
A guttural sob crept up Mar
a’s throat. “I am sorry,” she said.
Before Corbin could say any more, she grabbed him in an embrace and called upon her Light to subdue the power within him, to take his memories; to make him forget about her. She felt his body stiffen as his Light withdrew, still within him, but no longer his to call upon. This was the same magic her mother had worked on Drake when she gave him the coire, the same magic that made Drake forget all that he had known. And now with that same magic, Mara was freeing Corbin, releasing him from his duty, from his fate, and from his love so that he had a chance to be the man he’d always wanted to be.
Mara wept until she knew it was done, and when she stepped back, the look in his eyes nearly made her collapse to the ground. He seemed to search for a word, but confusion had him speechless.
“Go west, Corbin. Go west and fight the invasions.”
His eyes followed her hand as it reached for the sword at his side. She touched the hilt and used her power to quell its magic. “This sword is yours,” she cried. “It will protect you. And when you’ve lived the life you need to live, and when you no longer regret the things you did not become, return to me. You have an eternity that belongs to the gods, Corbin. I am giving you a piece of it back.”
He looked at her, searching her face. “I know you,” he whispered, looking at her with mixed confusion and intrigue.
An angry rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.
Mara stretched on her toes and kissed his lips. “You do know me. And you will know me again. But for now, you must go.” She drew back and looked in his eyes. “Go, and forget me the moment you step out of this forest,” she said.
Corbin hesitated for a moment with a wrinkled brow. She could see the subdued part of his mind trying to fight it, but her spell was too strong, and within a moment, he did what he swore he’d never do—he turned his back on her.
Mara wrapped her arms around herself and trembled. She hadn’t done this to save herself. She did this for Corbin. And even if he loathed her for it, she knew his freedom was the best gift she could ever give him.
She waited and watched until Corbin reached the edge of the forest. He turned and looked back once, his eyes scanning the trees, but he couldn’t see her through the veil. He waited, squinting his eyes, but then turned with a shrug and continued on until he’d gone from Mara’s sight.
“Goodbye for now, my love. Come back to me someday…and forgive me,” she whispered through the river of tears.
At the peak of Ayrith, under the clear blue sky, Mara and Drake watched Eira and Silas guide the many climbers coming up the mountain.
At the doorway stood Annora, Ailwen, Isa, and Helen, all watching with fascination.
Drake leaned into Mara. “He might not forgive you for it,” he said, his tone bordering on angry.
Mara nodded. “I know. But it was the right thing to do, and you know it.”
Drake didn’t respond.
“He deserves the life he was meant to have,” Mara added.
“He was meant for this life,” Drake said as he exhaled. “How long will you let this go on?”
Mara shook her head as the warm breeze ran through her hair. “As long as it needs to.”
“And what about his child? Is it fair that he will know nothing of it?” Drake asked reprovingly.
Mara’s hands instinctively moved over her womb, the growing life inside her pulsating with energy. “He will know of the child when he’s ready.” Mara wasn’t going to let Drake’s reservations change her mind.
“This is the same fate that was thrust upon me,” Drake said. “It is not one I would wish upon my son.”
Mara regarded Drake with sincerity. “You lived a mortal life, Drake. You had your son in that life. It was you who brought him up as a mortal. He needs to fulfill the wishes you gave him.”
Drake nodded with a hard expression. “I could go after him, bring him back here and save you from yourself, Mara.”
Mara gazed back down the mountain. Hundreds of Dia were making their way up the paths, travelling from all across the realms and sea to find her. She had put out the call to them, drawing them to her as their new queen. She didn’t want to admit it to Drake. She didn’t want to confess the selfish reason she’d sent Corbin away—she needed to find her own strength. Corbin held her heart in his hand, and when she sent him away, she let him go with it.
Kain was right about Corbin’s love weakening her. His shoulder had become her crutch. His embrace had become her cave. If she was going to be the Ruler of Dia, she needed to be strong, she needed to be unshakeable, she needed to harden what heart she had left until she could find that unwavering strength for herself. No one would understand it, not even Drake.
Corbin’s departure was as much for her as it was for him, and when the time was right, she knew he would come back to her.
“You could go after him,” Mara said. “But you won’t, will you? Not if your queen commands you by her side.” She gave him a sidelong glance. This was the promise he’d made to her after their first visit with the ancients, and the promise she knew he would keep.
Drake nodded solemnly, trapped between the bonds of blood and duty. “I will follow you to the ends of the earth if I must. And until Corbin returns, I will be your guardian.” He looked at her with sad eyes and smiled. “I will never let you down.”
Mara returned his sad smile. “Give me time, Drake. Don’t fret about tomorrow or the day after that. Just give me time to create the world we’re supposed to live in.”
Drake nodded and pressed his lips in a hard line. “I’m afraid time is all we have, my Queen.”
Tristan settled on the crag to watch the murder. There was no breeze, only a blazing sun that pierced his dark feathers with warmth. He let out a slow, gurgling croak as the victim appeared on the path. The vicious Seiren lurked behind a tree.
Tristan watched with his gleaming amber eyes as the man spotted the maiden and reached for the dagger at his side. It seemed that this one was a murderer himself, but the prize that he thought he would take was about to take him.
Seren feigned fright, letting out a startled cry as the man moved in on her with lustful eyes. But when he was close enough to fall victim to her trap, he stopped, stunned by her mental tricks, and slowly began to move the blade to his neck. Seren smiled and watched as he pierced his own flesh with the weapon. The look in his eyes was now one of complete fright. His mind tried to fight her, but his hand disobeyed under her spell.
Tristan watched as she toyed with him, forcing him to press the knife only hard enough to bleed, but not hard enough to kill. The act made Tristan ill, forcing him to look away, and when he did, he realized that he was not the only specter to the fatal scene.
Standing at the top of the path, Malcolm watched with an expressionless stare. This was an interesting sight. The last time Malcolm had witnessed Seren at work, Tristan had seen his disgust. Now, Malcolm watched like a statue, neither sickened nor pleased by the sight of death.
When Tristan looked back on his sister, her victim was still alive, slowly bleeding from his throat as Malcolm approached. Tristan observed with intrigue and finally decided to take flight in order to better hear what they said. He glided on the winds, not flapping his wings or making a sound, and landed on a branch of the tree above them.
The man made a low gurgling sound as the blood seeped from his throat. Seren bent down and stroked his forehead. “This is such a beautiful death, is it not?”
Malcolm stood over her and nodded. “Indeed it is,” he said. “But it could be better.”
Seren’s head shot up with a frown, her eyes blazing with anger. “And what would you know of beauty?”
A wicked smirk crossed Malcolm’s lips and in a quick gesture, his hand shot up, sending a spiral of black Light towards the man. It wrapped around the victim’s neck and when Malcolm pulled back, it severed the man’s head completely.
Seren gasped and jumped to her feet, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Kain?” she w
hispered.
There was a moment of silence that, for Tristan, seemed to last an eternity, until the being who looked like Malcolm nodded its head. “Yes,” he said. “I am your king.”
Tristan remained perfectly still, watching as Seren took a step towards Kain and touched his face.
“But how…”
Kain laughed, revealing a lower tone of voice and eyes black like fire. “They thought they banished me to that dungeon. But my soul is stronger than the mountains themselves. I held this body, and my son became the sacrificial lamb. He can spend an eternity down there with Daria.”
Seren smiled. “The blood never lies,” she said. “I saw us together.”
Tristan had heard enough. He pushed off from the tree and landed on the ground in human form.
Seren and Kain had no reaction to his appearance.
Tristan grabbed his sister’s arm. “Come, Seren. Let’s leave. We don’t need him to survive out here.”
Seren tugged her arm away. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she scolded. “This is a sign from the gods, Tristan. This is the savior they foretold.”
Tristan shook his head, fed up with his sister’s predictions, fed up with her murders, and fed up with having to watch it all. “This is no sign for us, Seren. Come with me now, or I will leave you forever.”
Seren looked between Kain and Tristan for a moment, and shook her head. “Idle threats,” she said. “You won’t leave me. I say we stay with Kain.”
Tristan let out a grunt of frustration and glared at his sister. She would never change. She was destined to kill. It was what she was made for. It was what Tristan had always known. But with Kain, Tristan had no clue what would come next, or how many would die. He couldn’t become a casualty of their immortal game. He let out a breath, and the decision he made next was not easy, but it was what had to be done. “Goodbye, sister,” he said, planning to take flight before she could object. But as he began to transform, Kain grabbed his arm. The black, fiery eyes blazed into Tristan’s, freezing him in place, and his mind suddenly went blank.
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