Sloane strode forwards quickly, a firm frown pinching her forehead as confusion overwhelmed the joy she had felt at seeing Rowe and Jack again. The guards parted as she approached, and Esther smiled warmly at her.
‘It’s good to see you,’ Esther said. The woman stepped forward with open arms when Sloane reached her and pulled her in for a hug. Esther’s embrace was tight but filled with affection. Sloane felt stiff in her aunt’s arms as she tried to process what was happening. She couldn’t remember the last time Esther had hugged her. Although Rowe had spent years in their aunt’s care, Sloane had been stuck at the Academy, and they had rarely spent time together. As Esther pulled back from Sloane their eyes met, and her aunt seemed genuinely pleased to see her.
Sloane was still speechless as she tried to comprehend how her aunt could have come to be in the world of the Unfaih. She studied the woman and couldn’t help but notice how relaxed Esther seemed in the foreign surrounds, flanked by fearsome alien warriors. There was little sign of shock or awe on her face, and she barely seemed to notice the gargantuan ice castle they stood in.
Esther looked well despite the long journey from Earth. Her long dark hair was just as lustrous as Sloane remembered and her bright green eyes seemed alert. Sloane always found her heart gave a strange tug in her chest when she saw her aunt for the first time after a long period apart. Esther looked so much like her sister Elena that Sloane found it difficult not to be reminded of her mother.
‘It’s good to see you too,’ Sloane replied, finally finding her voice again. She felt a brief respite from her confusion as she turned her attention to Rowe and Jack. Sloane could practically see Rowe’s happiness radiating from her body in a bright glow, while the expression on Jack’s face seemed somewhat more cautious.
‘I missed you,’ Rowe said, moving in to give Sloane a hug. It had only been a few days, but it felt like an eternity had passed since they were last together and Sloane had missed her sister too.
‘Do you know what’s going on here?’ Sloane whispered into Rowe’s ear as she pulled her close.
‘Esther’s here,’ Rowe said in return. ‘Can you believe it?’ There was so much joy in Rowe’s voice that Sloane couldn’t bring herself to point out that her sister hadn’t answered her question and that she was still completely confused.
‘Do you know what’s happening?’ Sloane asked again, this time turning to Jack. He simply shrugged. Sloane’s stomach churned with uneasiness as she pulled back from Rowe and turned to face her aunt. She didn’t like surprises, and Esther’s arrival made no sense to her. Why her aunt thought she had information that could help the Unfaih baffled Sloane even more.
The sound of someone clearing their throat echoed from across the room behind Sloane, and she turned to see Vas tapping his fingers restlessly against the armrest of his throne. The family reunion was keeping him waiting. Rhyn had moved to stand at his side and waved Sloane and the others forwards, a hint of curiosity flaring in his eyes.
‘Shall we?’ Esther said to Sloane, tilting her head in the direction of the king.
Sloane nodded tentatively, and they started moving towards the throne with the entourage of Unfaih guards following closely.
‘What are you doing here?’ Sloane whispered to Esther as they walked.
‘I’ll get to that,’ she replied. Her words were confident, and she seemed nothing like the reclusive woman Sloane had known back on Earth. Everything about Esther seemed different, and it made Sloane wonder if she’d ever really known her aunt at all.
Vas rose from his chair as they came to a stop before him. He was watching Esther closely, eying her up and down as though he could determine the reason for her arrival just by looking at her.
‘Who are you, human?’ Vas demanded. ‘What do you need to tell us that is so urgent?’
Esther hazarded a glance in Sloane’s direction before she straightened her back and turned her hard eyes back to the king.
‘I am a relative of Sloane and Rowe’s,’ she responded. ‘And I know where part of the Oblivion Stone is.’
Chapter Sixteen
‘What?’ Vas barked, as gasps echoed through the room and low murmurs of conversation grew louder.
Sloane’s heart had started racing, and her mind was whirring as she tried to understand how Esther, of all people, could know where the missing piece of the Oblivion Stone was. The Unfaih had one fragment of the broken stone, the Original Braky had another, and now Sloane’s aunt had arrived from Earth claiming to know the location of the third and final piece.
‘I know where a part of the Oblivion Stone is,’ Esther repeated.
‘How?’ Vas growled, taking a step towards Esther. Rhyn’s hand darted out, and he pressed it against his father’s chest, stopping his advance. Vas shot Rhyn a glare but stopped in his tracks.
‘I think it best if I explain things in a more private setting,’ Esther said, looking past Vas to where his advisors all stood muttering to one another.
‘Leave us,’ Vas called out to them, not removing his gaze from Esther.
Everyone fell silent as the advisors and guards filed out of the room. There was so much tension in the air, and everyone kept glancing in Esther’s direction. Lorian was the only one of the king’s advisors who stayed in the throne room, and he stepped closer to the group and stood at Sloane’s side.
‘I told you to leave us,’ Vas said, his eyes narrowing on Lorian.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ the elder replied, his eyes just as stern as Vas’ as he stared back at his leader. The elder was always confident around the king, but he seemed particularly determined to hear what Esther had to say. Vas let out a breath and turned from Lorian, who must have taken that to mean he could stay because he didn’t move an inch towards the exit.
‘Well?’ Vas asked.
‘I’d also like Ash to hear what I’ve got to say,’ Esther replied.
Vas let out a frustrated breath. ‘You cannot order me around, woman.’
Esther let out a laugh. ‘I’m only asking,’ she replied calmly. ‘Ash needs to hear what I have to say just as much as everyone else here.’
Rhyn shot his father a look. ‘Why don’t we reconvene in your chambers?’ he said, trying to mediate the situation. ‘We can send for Ash to be brought to us, and I would also like Kai to be there if we’re going to discuss the Oblivion Stone…’
‘Fine,’ Vas grumbled, before he stormed from the throne room, shouting orders to the guards in the corridor as he left.
‘He doesn’t like guests much, does he,’ Sloane said to Rhyn, once Vas was gone.
‘You know what happened the last time we had unexpected human guests,’ Rhyn replied bluntly. ‘You’d be cautious too if the fate of your people rested in your hands.’
‘I suppose,’ Sloane said, scratching the back of her neck. She’d never really thought about how much pressure there was on Rhyn and his father. She’d only ever had to look after her sister, but the Unfaih king and the young prince both had the weight of far more lives to bear on their shoulders.
‘Come,’ Rhyn said, waving for the group to follow him as he started to leave the throne room.
Sloane fell into step beside her aunt. She had so many questions for Esther, but couldn’t decide where to begin.
‘Do you really know where the Oblivion Stone is?’ she asked as they started down one of the corridors.
Esther gave a small nod. ‘But I must wait until we have Ash with us before I explain.’
‘Does he really need to be there?’ Sloane asked. ‘You don’t know what he’s done here. He’s currently a prisoner of these people.’
‘I have more to tell you than just the location of the stone,’ Esther replied. ‘Ash has as much right to hear my story as you and Rowe do.’
Sloane’s curiosity began to flare even more furiously. ‘What story?’ she asked.
Esther shook her head, her lips remaining firmly closed. It was clear she wasn’t going to budge, so Sloane quickened
her pace to catch up with Jack and her sister, who were walking just ahead.
‘Did Esther say anything to either of you on your way here?’ Sloane asked, stepping in between the two of them.
‘No more than she’s told you,’ Rowe replied. ‘She came and found me as soon as she got off the ship. I was just as surprised to see her as you are.’
‘How do you think she even knew we were here?’
‘She didn’t tell us that either,’ Jack answered. ‘She made us explain everything that has happened since we got here, and when she heard you were with the Unfaih, she said she had to get to you. It seems she is even worse than you when it comes to taking off on a mission without giving any explanation.’
Sloane punched his arm in response to his sad attempt at a joke.
‘Hey!’ Jack winced, rubbing the spot on his arm.
But Sloane barely noticed his complaint as she was glancing over her shoulder to look at Esther. Her aunt seemed relaxed and at ease as she strolled through the castellum with an Unfaih escort, which only heightened Sloane’s curiosity. What was she hiding?
When they reached the door to Vas’ chambers, Esther touched Sloane’s arm and pulled her aside before they entered.
‘You’ve changed since being here,’ Esther said. A more concerned expression had appeared on her face.
It was the understatement of the century. Sloane hadn’t merely changed; she’d become a whole new person in Ellysia.
‘Yeah,’ Sloane agreed. ‘Just call me Sloane 2.0.’
Esther didn’t laugh at the joke, and Sloane was beginning to feel increasingly uncomfortable under her gaze. She wondered just how much Esther knew about the Unfaih world. But she wasn’t ready to tell her aunt about how she had become a supercharged version of her old self, or what might eventually happen to her. Especially when Esther seemed to have so many secrets of her own.
‘You seem different too,’ Sloane eventually said.
Esther nodded. ‘I think you’ll understand a little better after I’ve explained a bit more about my history.’
Sloane frowned at her words, but before she could question her aunt further the sound of footsteps caused Esther to turn and look down the corridor. Sloane followed her gaze to see Ash being brought towards them with two Unfaih guards on either side of him.
‘Esther?’ Ash said, stopping short as he laid eyes on their aunt. He looked every bit as surprised as Sloane had been to see her in Ellysia. It felt like the first time she had seen a genuine emotion on her brother’s face in a while. His shock quickly lessened though, and a look of thoughtfulness replaced his confused expression. He seemed to be trying to work through the mystery in his head.
As the Unfaih guards pushed him to continue walking, his eyes betrayed a hint of the disbelief and intrigue he felt at Esther’s arrival.
Everyone remained silent as he walked past them and through the open door of Vas’ chambers. Despite the two guards shadowing his steps, Ash didn’t look intimidated and stood tall. He was acting so sure of himself, which only made Sloane worry.
‘Are you sure it’s a good idea for Ash to hear about the stone?’ Sloane asked her aunt under her breath, once her brother had disappeared from view.
Esther glanced at Sloane, a hint of disapproval in her eyes. ‘He is family,’ she replied as if that was enough of an explanation.
‘Yeah, well, he should start acting like it,’ Sloane muttered, moving past Esther to walk through the door. He may have been her family by blood, but Sloane no longer saw Ash as her brother.
As they entered Vas’ chambers, Rhyn directed everyone into a long narrow room, which contained a large wooden table that extended from one end of the space to the other. Simple wooden chairs surrounded the table and Vas was already seated at the far end of it, with Rhyn and Lorian taking their place on either side of him. Sloane walked around the table so she could sit next to Rhyn.
While the others all took their seats, Sloane noticed that the Unfaih had put chains around Ash’s wrists. He sat a few places away from everyone else at the opposite end of the table to Vas, and the Unfaih guards stood just behind him against the wall. It briefly saddened Sloane to see him as a prisoner, until she remembered his betrayal. She had nearly died trying to save him from the Brakys, but all he had done since then was try to manipulate and harm her.
‘Well, what do you know about the stone?’ Vas said, staring at Esther.
Before she could answer, the door to the room opened again, and Kai appeared in the doorway. He gave his father a brief nod before doing a quick scan of the room with his eyes. Sloane could see his interest grow when he glanced at Esther, but the look only lasted a moment before he closed the door behind him and found himself a seat next to Jack.
Esther sat across from Sloane, next to Lorian, with Rowe on her other side. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat as she prepared to address the room.
‘I have a lot to say to you all,’ she began. ‘I will get to the stone, but first I need to explain a few things.’
Sloane frowned. It was hard enough to believe that Esther knew where the Oblivion Stone was, so it was difficult to imagine what else her aunt had to tell them. There were so many questions running through Sloane’s mind, and she felt her hands twitching with a combination of impatience and concern while Esther spoke.
‘It all started when the rift to Earth was closed,’ Esther continued, turning her attention on Sloane. ‘From what Rowe has already told me, you are aware of what happened that day.’
Sloane gave a slight nod of her head, too curious to speak and interrupt.
‘On the day that rift was closed, an Unfaih girl was left stranded on Earth,’ Esther said.
‘Yes, my daughter, Eva,’ Lorian said. His voice was quiet and filled with sadness, but he was leaning into the table to listen closely to Esther’s words.
Her gaze darted to look at Lorian, and her eyes widened in surprise. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Eva was her name.’
Sloane sat forwards in her seat and flicked her gaze between the two of them. She had no idea that Lorian had a daughter, let alone that she had been the one trapped on Earth after the rift was closed. She wondered why he had never mentioned Eva before, but when Sloane noticed how sad the elder looked as he listened, she felt that perhaps the memory of his daughter was too painful. His eyes remained focused though, and he nodded for Esther to continue.
‘What you may not know, however, was that when she went to Earth she was pregnant with a child.’
‘Pregnant?’ Vas exclaimed, his face growing white at the news.
‘That’s not possible,’ Lorian replied, his voice quaking with emotion. ‘She was injured in the battle against the Brakys. She was too young to drink the Liftsal so we all knew there was no chance she would survive. She died the day that she was trapped.’
‘No, she didn’t,’ Esther replied, her tone soft and reassuring. ‘You know that Eva fell in love with a human. They drank the Liftsal together. Although her wounds were serious, she was able to recover because of the Liftsal, and she lived to give birth to her child.’
‘She drunk the Liftsal?’ Lorian’s eyes were wide with shock and covered by a glassy layer of tears. ‘She would have told me if she was pregnant,’ he said.
‘Perhaps she didn’t know,’ Sloane suggested.
But Esther was shaking her head. ‘She knew, but she was ashamed. The child’s father was the human she fell for. The first one to drink the Liftsal—the Original Braky.’
‘Eva was pregnant with that creature’s child?’ Vas gasped, his voice cold with anger.
Esther frowned slightly, surprised by Vas’ passion. ‘It happened before she knew what he was turning into,’ she explained. ‘She truly loved him. Are you really so surprised?’
Vas was bristling with rage, but Esther continued her story before he could say more.
‘Eva gave birth to a girl. She called her Lora, after her father,’ she said, giving Lorian a warm smile. His eyes
were wide, and Sloane could see he was hanging on to Esther’s every word as she explained what had happened to the daughter he thought had died a thousand years ago.
‘And as Lora grew older, she began to notice that her mother did not age as the others around them did,’ Esther explained. ‘She pestered her mother for answers, but Eva refused to explain until Lora was old enough. Eva had brought a small vial of Liftsal with her to Earth, and when Lora came of age, she gave it to her daughter.’
‘So, Eva is still alive?’ Lorian asked. There was so much hope in his eyes it was heartbreaking to watch as Esther gave a small, sad shake of her head in response.
‘No,’ she croaked, her voice filled with untold pain. ‘She died not long ago.’
Lorian’s face fell, and his head dropped, but he did not cry or open his mouth to ask more questions. He simply stared down at the table as sorrow clouded his eyes.
‘I wish I could tell you differently,’ Esther murmured.
Lorian slowly nodded as he forced himself to once again accept what he had believed for a thousand years; that his daughter was dead. He wasn’t the only one at the table who had reacted to the news though. Vas had risen from his chair and was pacing around it, but instead of sadness, there seemed to be anger radiating from his body.
‘When did this happen?’ Sloane asked. She desperately wanted to know more and the words came tumbling from her mouth.
‘Just over ten years ago,’ Esther responded, her focus turning on Sloane. ‘She was murdered. You and your sister were seven at the time.’
Sloane stilled at her aunt’s words and her mind repeated them over and over. Esther was still watching her as if she was waiting for Sloane’s reaction.
‘That was the year our mother died,’ Sloane said, her voice barely audible in the silent room.
‘Yes,’ Esther agreed. ‘Because your mother and Eva were one and the same.’
Sloane didn’t move as she stared back at Esther and tried to process what she was being told. She could sense Rhyn turning to face her from the seat next to her, but Sloane’s mind was entirely focused on the fact that she wasn’t just descended from the Unfaih—her mother was one of them.
The Rift War Page 18