“We are shunned because we are different, just as the Cynewards are,” she said in a small voice as she stared at her fingers. “When you are invisible, you see more than others think you do.”
“What do you see?” Rhaya asked.
“I was chosen to tend to your needs because the Tainted are not a threat, and the Duillaine fear others with power. They fear making the same mistake that led to Solanna’s firstborn being taken. They discussed this in front of me. I see that the donnfay take care of us out of love, and that they love us all equally. No one realizes it, but the donnfay take care of the Tainted too. They give us food, help us with our chores…they help us survive when no one else will.” She glanced between Rhaya and Zelene with contemplation. “I also see how different you are from the Duillaine. They know it, as well. They fear it, because they fear change. They don’t know what to do with you.”
“So," Zelene drew out the word, "they decided to push us off on Tate here so he can give us a course in Magic 101?"
The treior smiled, understanding the reference. "Something like to that effect, yes. I think they hope to prepare you for our next sacred day, Samhain. There’s usually a big feast and they probably want to present you there."
Zelene’s stomach twisted with nerves. "How big are we talking here?"
"All of Anscombe and some of the most important people from the other worlds," Tate answered nonchalantly. "Your people"
"See, I'm still having a little bit of trouble with the whole 'our people' thing. I mean, I get we're meant to rule them or whatever," Zelene said, "but I mean, I've never even had a pet before. So taking care of a kingdom seems like a giant step there."
"Hopefully, many years will pass until you take over the rule of the worlds. The power is passed from generation to generation, so you will remain in training, so to speak, until the current generation passes the power down to you," Nolan explained. "I know this is overwhelming for you—"
"Everyone keeps saying that," Zelene interjected with heavy skepticism. "But I mean, do you really? Do you have any idea what's just been thrown onto our shoulders?"
Her brother stared at her levelly. "More than you do, I believe."
"Hey, it's okay," Rhaya said, sensing her cousin's anxiety. "This is pretty freaky, but we'll get through it."
Zelene shrugged her off. “So why is it we have all the power?”
“Your power comes from our blood line,” Nolan answered. “It has been this way since the Mhathair Mhor.”
“The what?”
"The Great Mother,” Tate interpreted for them. “Before the Mhathair Mhor, only one person oversaw the rule of all the worlds. The power was passed from mother to first born daughter at that time. In her wisdom, the Mhathair Mhor saw this as unjust. She saw how easily one person could lead the worlds to strife and suffering for their own misguided reasons. So she took her power, and split it into four parts. One part for each element: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. We have four festivals in our year in honor of each element, and her four daughters were each born on those days, and thus bestowed the power of the element they represent. Any daughter they had born under one of the four signs would also be blessed with the power of the Great Mother and would be destined to help rule over the worlds."
"You two were both born under the sign of one of the elements," Nolan continued. "Rhaya, you were born on the day we refer to as Lugnasad, which falls under the element of Water. Zelene, you were—"
"Born on what you call Samhain, right?" Zelene finished for him. "We call it Halloween, but these Pagan kids in school called it Samhain," she explained. "My element is Fire, right? Isn't that what Terrena said?"
"Yes," Nolan beamed proudly, "just like our mother."
"They told me my mother was fire too. So she could command fire? Did she like, I don't know, shoot flames from her finger tips or something?" Zelene looked at her fingers wearily. Shooting fire might be cool, but she worried about controlling it.
The group laughed together at the thought of this before Tate responded. "She wasn’t Dragon Ball Z, Zelene. Besides, the command of fire is a common skill, so the things she could do were much more advanced. Fire is used every day by average citizens. Fire is used to cook, to warm a bath, to light a room," he added as he gestured around them. "Using it as a weapon or as a means of destruction are much more advanced uses which came quite easily to her."
"She could make flames dance," Nolan added in a faraway voice. "She'd do that for us kids sometimes, to make us laugh. She'd have them chasing each other...she'd make a whole show for us." He stared at Zelene with great sadness. “You look just like her.”
"I guess the same can be said for Ariana then, being my twin and all." Zelene said with an awkward glance at her brother.
Nolan tilted his head, his long dark brows furrowed as he thought this over. "I'm not sure. I was told you weren't identical at birth, but I was just a child, so all babies tended to look the same to me.”
“You’re definitely sisters,” Tate offered, “but not identical by any stretch of the imagination. She represents Spirit, which is how they knew the Prophecy had come to pass.”
“Five instead of four,” Zelene said with a nod. “I heard.”
Rhaya nodded as well. “Raemann told me. What’s the significance of there being five of us instead of four if the power is supposed to be split?”
“Spirit is what ties us all to the elements,” Nolan explained. “With the representation of Spirit by Ariana in this generation, this marks the five of you as complete in your ties to the elements. You are stronger for it.”
Rhaya leaned forward. “Then why didn’t the Great Mother split her power into five instead of four? I mean, aren’t the Duillaine supposed to be the most powerful in all the lands?”
“They are,” he agreed. “I believe the Great Mother knew what she was doing.”
“Like she created a loophole?” Zelene asked as she squinted at the air in front of her, trying to make sense of everything she was being told. When she looked up, she realized all sets of curious eyes were on her. “We’re basically a way to fix things in case they screw it all up. Which it looks like they have.”
“I won’t argue that,” Nolan muttered as exhaled and leaned back. “I have to say, I understand why they are in such an uproar over what to do with you four.”
Rhaya rolled her eyes haughtily. “I don’t.” Truthfully, she had been waiting for days for her mother and father to show up, happy to be reunited with her. But they never came. “I mean, we’re family. Shouldn’t that count for more than politics?”
“For some of us, it does,” Nolan assured her. “Sylvanna is the eldest and cousin to our mothers. She sort of…runs the show more than she should. The Duillaine are four equal parts, which Sylvanna sometimes forgets. I doubt she has left any time for your parents or our father to get acquainted with you. Hopefully, when they are done interrogating the Cynewards, they will have more free time. I am certain the Duillaine will also want to meet with you once everything is cleared up.”
“Looking forward to it,” Zelene muttered. At Rhaya’s patronizing frown she threw her hands up. “What? I’m willing to fake a cough if you are.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kyle looked up from his bed in the Leigheas as Zelene's form filled the doorway, her face a mask of cold indifference as she stared him down. At least, that’s the look she was going for. Judging by the way his eyes narrowed, she assumed she had succeeded.
"Well," he said and put down the book he had been reading, "so nice of you to stop by. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me."
"Tried to," she retorted. "Varrick made me come. He disappears for the whole day yesterday and then shows up and starts yelling at me for not coming to see you. Whatever."
"He had to make you come visit me? Am I keeping you from something more important?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, you are. I'm supposed to be in a lesson with Tate today. He's trying to help me figure out
how to use this supposed power I have. And I figured you'd be running out of here as fast as your legs could take you days ago."
Kyle pushed himself taller in the bed. "Is that supposed to be funny?"
"Is what supposed to be funny? That you're still here?” She gestured around her heatedly. “Yeah, I do find that funny. I guess you're still waiting on your hero's send off, right? Crowds 'ooing' and 'aahing' over you as people carry you all the way home on their shoulders?"
He balled up his fists. "I'm sure you're just laughing this up, aren't you? I guess now karma's come around for me, I'm back on your shitlist. Well, go ahead. Come on Zelene, give me your best cripple zinger."
"My best what? Why would I—“ Her flushed skin paled, all anger dropped as she took three quick steps forward. "No." The word came out as a command, as if she was demanding he tell her she had jumped to the wrong conclusions. There was no way. He was fine. Kyle was fine. He had to be fine.
"Varrick didn't tell you. Figures." He looked to the ceiling, then back at her. "I can't walk, Zee."
"I'm so sorry, Kyle. I didn't...." She closed her eyes, trying to squeeze the guilt away. "I did this to you. That's my gift," she muttered to herself. First, her parents. Then her foster-parents. Then the mother she had never even met. And now Kyle. “I mean, it makes sense. I was born under fire. Everything I touch turns to ash.”
"No," he argued in a patient and soothing voice. "Dean throwing me across the room, and my spine crashing into the tile of the bathroom did this. Not you. Zee, look at me.”
Her eyes, full of remorse, looked into his as he held his hand out to her. Reluctantly, she moved forward and accepted his hand. He pulled her next to him and wrapped his arms around her.
"You didn't do this, okay? You've got to remember that. No matter what happens to me or anyone else, it isn't your fault."
She shook her head. "You don't know, Kyle...this whole war is about us. If we didn't exist—"
"Stop," he said forcefully as he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her head back so he could look her in the face. "This war was going on long before you came into this world, Zee. From what I understand, you're gonna be the one to end it."
She shook her head as all of her deepest fears came pouring out into his arms. "I can't. They keep saying we're supposed to be so powerful, but I can't do anything. Rhaya can and Isauria is clearly powerful with her psychic dream thing and Terrena’s been doing magic pretty much since she started talking…but I can't do anything. I can't feel any kind of connection. What if they're wrong about me? What if I'm too broken to do anything?"
"You aren't broken, Zee. You're perfect just the way you are. The rest will come. I know you, Zelene. And the most powerful part of you is this," he said and placed his hand over her heart. "I don't care if you can throw fireballs or not, you are still one of the most powerful people I know because of this."
"How do you do that?" she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."
"I know you. They might be putting a lot on you, but if anyone can take it, you can. You're one of the strongest people I know."
She huffed a sardonic laugh at this. "I don't feel very strong right now. Everything's so messed up." Her hand drifted to his chest, drawing small circles in on his sternum like she had done when they were together. "Isauria's locked in this magical coma where she can see Ariana. She's my twin, and the people who want us dead have her. They keep hurting her. I can't help but think it could be me there, you know? If she had been born first instead of me, I would be there being tortured instead of her." She sat up so she could look at him, his hand resting on her neck. "And then you really would be dead."
"I'm tougher than I look. Obviously."
"I'm serious, Kyle. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Zelene, this is a war," he said softly and with apology in his tender voice as she pulled back to look at him. "People are going to get hurt no matter what you do. But you have to keep in mind that it isn't your fault. You didn't ask for any of this, but you can do something to bring change, to make things better."
"How? I can't be what they want me to be. I'm not a princess, and I'm definitely not a warrior."
"No, but you are a fighter. Don't be who they want you to be, Zee. Be you. That'll be enough." He pulled her back down into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I heard about your mom. I'm really sorry, Zelene."
He felt her stiffen in his arms as she responded. "It's not like I knew her or anything."
"Hey," he said and shook her slightly, squeezing her closer. He rested his chin on the top of her head, "Don't do that with me. I know how much you wanted a mother."
He wasn’t wrong. She’d lacked a mother figure most of her life, always looking in the wrong places for it. Every time she was placed with a new family, the hope would be there. And it would die. Maybe she’d find it for a while, but sooner or later her time with them would end. And then she was placed with Nora and Danny, and she had learned to stop hoping. Or at least, she thought so. When she’d learned that her actual mother had died, she’d felt that same hope break inside her once more.
She shifted the subject back to him, tilting her head so she could see his face. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
He smiled in response, "Old habits." He shrugged. "Plus it seems like I'm going to be stuck here for at least a little while longer. Might as well play nice." He closed his mouth around the hopes he might stay longer, wanting very badly to believe she needed him still, but terrified she wouldn't for long.
"They're still going to send you back? Like this?"
"Well, hopefully this," Kyle said as he gestured toward his useless legs, "is temporary. Bianca thinks there's swelling around my spine causing the paralysis. Once the swelling goes down, I should be able to walk again."
"Good,” she responded with some relief, and a certain amount of selfish disappointment she didn’t want to admit. “Good, I'm glad it's not permanent."
"Hopefully not permanent, but she didn't give me any reason to think I wouldn’t get better. She's pretty confident in her skills, and she has Terrena as back up."
Zelene tilted her head to the side when he mentioned Terrena. She didn’t realize her cousin had been to visit. "Bianca was pretty upset with you when you were touch and go. I guess she didn't want the black mark on her track record."
Kyle cleared his throat, with no certain amount of reluctance. "So, um, this is gonna be awkward as hell, but we should probably talk about what happened at the hotel. Between us."
Zelene's cheeks flushed at the memory. "I thought we pretty much covered it at the hotel. Heat of the moment, the inexplicable sexiness of moments of peril…."
"Right, right. I just, uh, wanted to make sure that's all there was to it."
"Of course. I do still hate you, after all," she assured him with a bit of the humor usually accompanying that statement.
"Right, sure. Only a little bit less since I'm a cripple?"
"I guess I can give you some sympathy points,” she said in mock consideration. “How much are we talking?"
"Friends?"
She sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Aiming high, aren't you? From hate to friends?"
"I am paralyzed, you know."
"Temporarily."
"Maybe," he corrected, the fear of that possibility evident in his eyes.
She tapped the bed with her finger, staring at the ceiling as if she needed to think over his terms. "Okay, I can give you friends. But just until you start walking again. The minute I see you take two steps, I can go back to hating you again."
"Deal," he agreed, holding out his hand for her to shake.
"Deal," she said and they shook on it. "I really do need to get going, though."
"Come back soon?" he asked, a hint of vulnerability in his features which she hadn't seen in years.
"I'll come back after dinner," she promised and gave his hand a squeeze. "I really am sorry I
haven't come before now. I promise to come by more. And to plan the big hero's sendoff you asked for."
"You didn't know, Zee. It's cool."
On impulse, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later,” she said and hurried from the room.
***
Ariana sat on the edge of the bed, her arms crossed over her chest stubbornly. "I refuse to do it."
"Ariana," Alec sighed, exasperated and kneeling before her. "We've been over this. We have to do this, or we are as good as dead."
"A bit melodramatic, don't you think?"
"Explain to me," he said through gritted teeth, "how you can grasp the gravity of the situation one moment and the next you don't."
She sneered at him. "A little thing called denial. Besides, that's not even what this is about. What you’re telling me to do is impractical."
He waved the dress in front of her face again. "I’m telling you to blend in. You can't go around dressed like that or people will know you don't belong," he explained again. "It's just a dress."
"Why can't I wear pants like you?" she demanded, snatching the dress from his hand. "How am I supposed to run or fight in this thing? It's like a tent."
He chuckled as she stretched out the black fabric and peered inside the neck hole. "You will wear a cincher as well, which will make it more form fitting."
"A corset? You want me to wear a corset?”
He stood up, rubbing his temples as he took several deep, steadying breaths. "Perhaps I didn't properly explain how dire of a situation we are in. I am sorry Kellen didn't see fit to fill your closets with clothes that will allow you to comfortably fight her. We have to make do with what we have. Now I am going to turn my back so you can undress in privacy."
Ariana sneered at him once more as he turned his back to her, even going so far as to stick her tongue out. She struggled to undo the zipper by herself, dancing around slightly until the back finally slid off her. The dress fell to the ground, and she stepped out of it, kicking her prized outfit to the side angrily. "You know, you should probably change too. Your clothes kind of scream 'dungeon dude' if you know what I mean."
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