by L. J. Stock
Acantha’s white blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders in waves as she shook her head. “Without an end to the rivalry, Layland was crowned King by his mother and the majority of the people with noble blood, or the dux as they’re known there. The dux had the authority to become the balance of law if the legions of faithful had come to an impasse and fought the natural order. Fortunately, most seemed loyal to the logical choice of the first son’s ascension to the throne.”
My feet slipped off the chair as I sat forward. “Is this the war I'm hearing?”
“No, sweetheart,” she hummed gently. “This was over three centuries ago.”
“Oh,” I whispered, looking down at my hands. “Has the blood of royalty become too ingrained with one element again?”
Acantha laughed gently, the sound airy and light and full of genuine humor. It died into a smile of adoration I didn't feel as though I deserved. I flushed and pulled my legs back up to my chest, my hand on the book beside me. I had a feeling she was editing quite a lot and I still wasn't sure most of this was pertinent information – at least, not when it came to me. As interesting as it all was, I didn’t know where I fell into the grand scheme of things.
“When he finally heeded his mother’s request to meet with a council comprised of nymphs of each element, Layland realized quickly how detrimental the imbalance of elements was to his bloodline. To reintroduce the order of elements, he lifted the ban one of his great grandfather’s had set regarding marrying other elements, and he himself married an air nymph who he had fallen in love with. He would have lived happily ever after if his brother hadn't continued his vicious fight for the throne. Having no other choice, Layland exiled Thánatos, with a faction of his dedicated soldiers, to an isolated island.”
“Did he die on that island?” I asked, brushing my hair behind my ears.
“Sadly, no,” Acantha said, her nose wrinkled. “He may not be fighting his brother anymore, but Thánatos is still fighting.”
“How? You said that was three hundred…” I realized I was questioning his lifespan when the woman sitting in front of me claimed to be even older. “Okay, but if Thánatos is still alive, what about his brother?”
Acantha sat forward. “As much as I would like to explain that, I think it's a story best left for another day. Right now I think I need to get to where you come into all of this.”
As interested as I was in this anti-aging situation, I couldn't help but become focused on the next part of the story. She was right, I needed to know where I belonged in all of this, and by the look in Acantha's eyes, it wasn't going to be something that any of us was going to enjoy hearing.
Fate’s Folly
“Okay, so how does this have any bearing on who I am or what my future is? How do Zander and Alexa tie into it all?” I asked.
Acantha folded her hands in her lap before unfolding them again, her eyes trained solely on me. This part of the story obviously made her uncomfortable, and though I hated to ask her to tell it, my curiosity demanded that I hear at least a little more so I could put some parts of it together.
“Thánatos didn't die on that island. In fact, with no honor to bind him or law to restrict him, he thrived. Layland had inadvertently put him in an area with a large population of the underworld nymphs his lineage had once coveted so much. Thánatos saw his opportunity and used these females to breed, as well as torturing them for secrets. Every male child these nymphs were forced to bear became a soldier in Thánatos’ army. They’re known as Latros. When they came of age, they would reproduce with the nymphs also, building a large and strong army who were completely loyal to Thánatos and his cause. You should know that age is a relative thing. You yourself will age slowly, but nowhere near as slowly as a purebred nymph. You will slow down around thirty like Alexa and Zander did. Every decade will only reflect one year on your face. However, Thánatos is not aging at all. He isn’t accomplishing this through nature, though. He uses an old and dark magic that not even I understand.”
“You’re telling me magic, as in abracadabra, is real?” I asked, waving my hands around like I was holding a wand.
“In a way, yes it is. It surrounds us all. It’s nature itself. Thánatos' magic, however, comes from his DNA, which is mostly made up of the fire gene. Nymphs were born to predominantly carry one of the elements, but we have all four within us. It's how we were made. Thánatos is a bastardization. He wasn’t created in a way he could contain all four elements. He has very little of the other three elements in his genes, and from what we know, it’s barely enough to keep him alive. This is what's caused his pause in aging, and could very well be his downfall. Nature needs to be balanced, and to obtain that, there needs to be some semblance of order.”
“What about us?”
“You have all four elements. You all do,” she said gently.
“It's nature. All humans do as well, but most don't know how to tap into it,” Alexa added helpfully. She gave me a wink before sitting back in her seat.
Acantha laughed and nodded in agreement, her eyes drifting to the fire for a moment before she came back to herself. With her hand resting peacefully at the curve of her neck, she offered me an apologetic smile. “I'm wandering off topic again, aren't I? If I keep this up it will take all night to tell this story.”
I offered her a reassuring smile, holding back my agreement. It would have been rude to concur.
“Where was I before I started rambling...? Ah, yes. Thánatos. He and his driving force to be king never died. As he grew his own army by kidnapping the underground nymphs around his island, he started making attempts to steal his brother’s kingdom piece by piece. His mother went to him in an attempt to make him see reason, but Thánatos murdered her. Layland had no idea what had happened or how his mother had died, until one of the nymphs escaped and managed to explain to him what his brother had done and was planning. It was then that Layland realized his mistake in his exile of Thánatos. At the end of his wits, and in an attempt to make peace with the underworld nymphs, Layland went to Salarakis, a colony for nymphs. I was living there at the time, helping one of my sisters, Daphnis, who was a prophet. It was a rare gift, and as her visions began to plague her, she needed help to look after herself. This gift of foresight is what we nymphs call a vates. It is something that is, more often than not, associated with land nymphs because they're attuned with nature. With Thánatos’ attempts to rule, the visions were almost constant, and Layland, knowing she was haunted by his brother’s actions, had a specific set of questions for her, all focused on how he could stop Thánatos for good.”
“Did you know both brothers?”
“I knew Layland well. Thánatos... is a different story, I didn't know him well, mostly in passing, but he knew of me, so I made sure I stayed clear of him.”
It took me a moment to realize that my skepticism had taken a back seat. I was completely engrossed in her story now. Wandering storylines or not, I was invested. I needed to hear more, because I wanted to understand. More to the point, I was starting to believe her, and I wasn't sure when that conviction had started to settle in.
“Daphnis and the king were in council for days. No one was allowed to break the door’s seal because she needed the concentrated reading. For a while, all anyone knew of the meeting was that Layland was going to be given two weapons against his brother, though only one ever became public knowledge. An army of his making that would be the eyes and ears against Thánatos and his movements in both worlds. An army that would come to be known as the Vis Liberi.”
“The what?”
“Us, in this room,” Alexa said as she sat forward. “Rough translation is Nature’s Children, but it was from Daphnis, so it’s very rough. It’s an army comprised from the descendants of nymphs.”
“Does that mean...?”
“Yes, sweetheart. You, your brother and mother, and possibly your nephew, are all Vis Liberi. When Layland first discovered the usefulness of the nymph and human children in his meeting wi
th Daphnis, he tried to force them into his army, but with his council of nymphs advising him, he finally made it voluntary. Many nymph children from both here and Mortisali came forward to volunteer and they are what helps keep the balance now. All children are given a choice. They have no obligation, but with the natural balance threatened, it seems like a choice most find easy. They were never meant to be used as a direct attack against Thánatos, and Daphnis made that clear to Layland after she discovered his heavy hand of recruitment. The Vis Liberi were there to keep the worlds from folding and save the underworld nymphs, while Thánatos broke all the laws of nature. It was that rule breaking that stopped the advancement of Mortisali, while this world thrived. Daphnis saw the advancement of weapons and warned the king.”
I looked over at Zander and Alexa and noticed them grinning proudly. It was obvious to me that they took pride in their decision to help the greater good.
“You said that Layland asked for a way to get rid of Thánatos for good? What was the second weapon she gave him if she stopped them from developing guns?”
Acantha's smile told me she was beginning to see my belief shining through. I still needed an explanation of why they seemed to think I was a huge part in this, and something told me it wasn't the usual recruitment for the Vis Liberi.
“Daphnis, caught in the midst of her visions, was never conscious of speaking and the prophecies were always spoken as riddles in the old language...”
She tapered off, leaving silence to fill the space that her voice had been occupying. I was at a loss.
“Are you saying...?” Zander paused and looked between the women in the room before landing back on Acantha. “Why didn't you tell us?”
“Would it have changed anything?” Acantha asked, a small, quizzical smile on her lips. “Would you have treated her differently? You both know you would have handled her as though she were made of glass if you'd known, and that wouldn’t have been fair to Cassandra.”
“Known what? What would have made him treat me differently?” I asked, folding my legs under me. All eyes in the room seemed to divert back to me as I sat forward, my hand inadvertently stroking the cover of the book as I looked between them. Knowing there were answers inside it seemed to calm me.
“Daphnis gave King Layland a riddle. Roughly translated into English, it says...
“Earth and Air together will stand to bear the fruits of man’s last stand.
Joined in a union with forbidden Fire and Water, the pair will produce a powerful daughter.
A mother's love so raw and revered will stand the test of the darkness you fear.
Two sides – one light and one dark will end the adversary with a spark.
The two worlds will succumb to their fates, their division from darkness closing the gates.
“I'm certain there were some mistranslations in there, and over time words have been replaced, but it's the gist of it that counts.” Acantha moved to the ottoman in front of me in her graceful manner and clasped my hands in hers. “We believe this prophecy is about you.”
“Are you sure?” Alexa asked, sitting forward in her seat. “I mean, I'm seeing it all a little more clearly now, but there are still some things missing.”
My eyes went between them with the speed of a tennis tournament. I didn’t want to miss anything that passed between them, whether spoken or unspoken. What were they trying to say here? What was a little clearer? Because I had to be honest – it all seemed to throw me right back into the haze I’d been in at the beginning.
“All in good time, Alexa. I can only say so much. The rest is for Cass to discover herself. I promised her mother I would let her ascertain some things with her own intuition. I made an oath and I plan to stand behind that.”
“Discover what?” I asked, getting frustrated all over again. “What has all of this got to do with me? How can I be the fire and water? I'm barely a descendant of water from what you said.”
“It will all come in time, Cass. Your mother lied to you about your heritage for a reason. I have to respect your parents’ wishes and hope that you have the tools you need to discover the answers on your own. It pains me not to tell you more because I know in your stead I would be as you are – frustrated and angry.”
“I think she's been frustrated and angry for years, Acantha,” Damon said, making me jump. I’d forgotten about him while I’d been wrapped up in the story, but his voice was now crystal clear in the quiet room. With the silence that had been blissfully lingering around me, the sudden reappearance of bodiless voices made my skin prickle.
“Yes, well, I think she's entitled to be,” Alexa interjected on my behalf. Her eyes were narrowed and focused on nothing in particular, but she was defending me. As much as I appreciated it, it pushed me over the edge I’d been teetering on for hours and I suddenly felt a need for escape. I didn't have all the answers I wanted, but I had enough to keep my mind churning for a century.
I also had the need to escape Damon. I hadn't really spoken to him since he'd reappeared, but the truth was, I wasn't ready to. So much had happened since I’d seen him in that bathroom, and yet the pain and rejection hadn't faded; they were still there in the middle of my chest as memories flooded me at the sound of his voice.
“I hate to be rude, Acantha, but is there somewhere I could sleep for a little while? It's a lot to take in, and I've been up for longer than I have in a while. I just need to clear my head.”
“Of course. I'm so rude to have kept you up so long. Alexa...”
“I'd be happy to,” Alexa answered, hopping to her feet eagerly.
I stood slowly, my mind still churning through all the information. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Of course.” Acantha smiled, lifting her chin so she was gazing at me.
“If the war ended, what is it I’ve been hearing?”
“With no heir to the throne of Mortisali and no queen, Thánatos thought the realm was weak enough to attack. He started from the east coast and has been chipping away at it for years. He just never expected the villages to fight back with the armies.”
“So Layland…?” I asked, trailing off. I was unsure of what was outlandish and what was normal.
“He had a long life span, but he died just before his one hundred and twentieth birthday.”
“Thank you,” I replied, heading to the door where Alexa was waiting for me, completely lost in thought.
“Cass, can I talk to you for a minute?” Damon asked, the sound of his voice disconcertingly close.
“Not tonight, Damon,” I answered, a tight smile on my lips.
My smile eventually warmed again when I turned to Acantha and Zander to say my goodnights. It was rude of me to deny him anything, but I was on information overload and I knew anything Damon had to say would fall on deaf ears. My brain couldn't handle much more.
I embraced the silence as Alexa led me upstairs. She was almost bouncing with excitement as she steered me down the hall. My free hand trailed over the stone walls, my feet dragging when I curiously saw a school picture of mine on one of the ornate tables.
“How are you so hyper?”
“I'm used to staying up late.” She laughed and stopped outside of a door. “I also know that this is your room and it has been waiting a decade for this moment... Though it's changed a bit over the years. Welcome home.”
She pushed the door open, and for a moment I was truly speechless. I looked around, and it was perfect. I'd never really had a room that felt like my own. When I said my father didn't like me much I wasn't exaggerating. Growing up, my room had had the necessities and that had been it. The hospital had been much the same way. This, well this was personalized. I wasn't sure how they knew, but the alcove around the window had built-in shelves that were filled with my favorite books. The cushioned seat was thick and welcoming, and overlooked the horse pens.
The bed, ornately framed and beautiful, was covered in a comforter and sheets made from my favorite colors with an array of throw pill
ows that left little real estate on the mattress, but it was perfect. Everything about the space screamed that it belonged to someone. That I was that someone brought tears to my eyes.
“How?”
“You think I didn't learn a few things about you?” Alexa snorted, leaning against the dresser next to the en-suite bathroom. “Acantha knew this day would come eventually. She wanted you to feel at home.”
I laughed once, the sound almost foreign to my own ears because it was filled with the confusion I was feeling. After hearing all of this information and finally starting to believe that Acantha was who she said she was, I was getting angry with my mom. I'd had a chance at being loved, at knowing who I was, and I'd been told my grandmother was dead. All of these years, I'd been treated like I didn't belong in my own home and I was unwanted, and here was a grandmother who seemed eager to have me with her.
“Talk to me, Cass.”
“It's nothing.”
“It doesn't look like nothing.”
I turned to look out of the window. The sun was rising slowly from the east, settling a myriad of colors over the sky. I'd never felt so confused in my life.
“I could have been happy.”
“Could is one of those impossible words. You can't change the past, and dwelling on it will only drive you crazy.”
“You’re right, but I can wonder why my parents decided to torture me rather than allow me to be with family members who loved and understood me.”
“I'm sure your mom had her reasons.”
I released a long breath and shook my head. There was still so much I couldn't possibly understand. I wasn't sure of my part in any of this. The prophecy really hadn't done more than confuse me further, and I'd hit another roadblock when I'd asked for clarification.