As I said the words, I thought about Bijarki’s behavior just now. It had felt like he was trying to protect the Druid from something concerning the Daughters. It had been unwelcomed, obviously, but the intention was there. I wondered if there was a deeper friendship there, between Draven and the incubus. One that both men navigated awkwardly, having spent both their lifetimes embroiled in a state of danger and war.
“Are you going to try to call on the Oracle?” Serena asked as we reached the top of the hallway. I could see her edging toward Elissa’s old room, clearly desperate to continue reading the diary.
“I’ll try. Don’t worry, I’ll call if I need anything, go ahead.” Getting back into the right state to receive visions would probably take a while anyway, and I didn’t want her impatience stressing me out.
“I’d probably only be annoying,” she replied, pulling a face.
“I know,” I said, pushing her toward the room and laughing.
I headed off to the bedroom, ready to attempt accessing another vision. Already exhausted from the last one, I had serious doubts that I’d manage again today, but I felt that the others were relying on me—too heavily, in fact.
Not for the first time, I wished Zerus was here. I could have done with his guidance, his understanding. I felt strangely lonely, even though I was surrounded by my friends—and it wasn’t like I was the only one having visions. I had no excuse or justification for the feeling, just that I felt it. It was painful, and I thought of Draven again, all alone here in this house. I felt a pang of guilt. We had been giving him a hard time, all of us, when he’d only been trying to help.
Serena
I took the diary back downstairs, thinking that I’d find a shady spot in the garden to read in. The garden was empty when I arrived, and I wondered where everyone had gone. Assuming they were either in the house somewhere, or around the entrance of the building, I found a magnolia tree to lean up against and opened up the diary again.
Almus has still not returned. It’s been three days and I don’t know what to do. I haven’t had any visions since he left, and so this afternoon I went in search of the herbs that we’d used to invoke my visions when I’d first arrived in Eritopia and fallen ill, halting their regularity for a short period.
I took Draven down to the basement with me, not wanting him to be left alone, but at the same time worried that he’d panic when I fell into a semi-conscious state. Still, I felt the risk was worth it—if anything happened to his father that I could have prevented, I would never forgive myself.
To my regret, none of the visions showed me Almus. I saw plenty of the Destroyers, and Azazel. None of it gave me any hope. I couldn’t see an end to their destruction of these planets, and that fleeting glimpse I’d seen of us trekking through the jungle in safety didn’t reappear.
Draven was a good boy, and sat silently playing with beakers and herbs while the visions consumed me. I worry about him. What if his father never comes home? Will it just be the two of us, alone in this house? Waiting for the end of days?
I can’t believe that’s our future.
God, this was depressing. I wanted to skip ahead, find out if Almus returned home to her and his son. I presumed that at some point he had, as he was here later to try to save the second, Nevertide Oracle, but what had happened to Elissa?
I turned the page, seeing another jump ahead in dates—about two months.
I am frightened that Almus will never return.
I am frightened every day. His son will grow up without a father, and I will have to go on without my rock, the man who showed me I could be happy again. The one person I felt saw my soul, who loved me despite the fact I couldn’t bear him children, who restored color to my life—literally, when he assisted in restoring my vision. How would I survive without him?
I try to take solace in Draven. I love the child, and I vow to care for him for the rest of my life, whether or not Almus returns to us.
How exactly had her vision been restored? I got the impression that fleeting comment was going to be the only answer I got, and it had obviously happened before she started writing the diary, and so was ancient history to her now. Damn.
I also felt a huge amount of pity for her. Two months would have been a long time to wait for him. No wonder it sounded like she’d given up hope of him ever returning. I hurriedly read on, desperate for Almus’s return. The breeze, thankfully, had started to pick up, sending petals scatting across the pages. I looked up in surprise, amazed to find that the breeze seemed restricted to where I was sitting. The rest of the grass and trees across the garden were perfectly still. The pages of the notebook ruffled, the pages whipping themselves up into a frenzy. I held on tight to the notebook, waiting for it to pass. Most likely the wind abnormality was just a small, irregular pocket of air bursting out in revolt against the heavy afternoon sun. I tried to refocus on the book, ignoring the strange sense of unease that crept over me.
I have seen him! In a vision, and not a happy one, but at least I know he is alive! I feel like I have gone almost half mad. I am writing this in the middle of the night, having just woken, and I don’t know what to do with myself.
Almus was in the jungle somewhere, calling out to me with silent cries, his arms raised—in welcome or warning? I couldn’t tell…it was the least vivid vision I have ever encountered. The images confused me, flickers of Almus more than a solid sense of his being. But still it is hope.
I need to decide what I am to do.
Almus always told me never to leave the confines of the house…but what if he needs me? I need to decide before dawn. I am sure I cannot stay here and do nothing—I am prepared to take the risk. But what of Draven? I can’t leave him here, but can I take him with me? It seems too dangerous.
He needs to be protected. At all costs. Almus would never forgive me if anything happened to him. What do I do? Oh, diary, I wish you could tell me.
I heard noises coming from the greenhouse, and with reluctance I drew my eyes across the garden to see who it was. It was Jovi and Field. They waved to me, and started to make their way over.
“The diary?” asked Jovi as they approached.
“Yeah. It’s just getting good.”
“We won’t disturb you then. We were going to have a training session,” he added, slapping Field’s back and sending the Hawk stumbling forward.
“You’re going to pay for that,” Field mocked, dragging him down into a headlock.
“Where’s Phoenix?” I asked. I would have thought that my brother would have wanted to join them.
“Don’t know,” Jovi replied. “We looked for him, but he’s not in the house.”
I looked worriedly toward the outskirts of the garden.
“He wouldn’t,” Field replied, understanding my thought process. “I wouldn’t worry about him, he’s probably gone in search of that tree.”
I let out a breath. Field was right. I’d even told him to do that myself.
“We can look for him out front if you want?” Jovi asked.
“Nah,” I replied, shaking my head. Phoenix hated missing out on training sessions, but my brother also liked to spend time alone…or sort of alone. It was usually in the company of a girl who didn’t live in The Shade—but I guessed in absence of any available outsiders, he’d gone off hunting for a tree. I smirked. I was sure my brother thought the change of priorities was as ludicrous as I did.
“Give us pointers?” Jovi asked. I rolled my eyes, waving the diary.
“I’ve got other priorities,” I replied.
“Aw, come on. You can stop Field from cheating,” Jovi said.
I snorted with derision at that. Jovi knew Field was too honorable to cheat—which was probably why it was so fun to tease him about it.
“What?” Field replied with mock indignation.
“I’ll watch,” I replied, “only to keep an eye on Field.” I winked at Jovi and the two of them headed off to a clearing in the grass where they wouldn’t be in danger
of accidentally hitting me.
I watched them for a while, laughing as they took turns knocking one another to the ground, their punches and throws echoing around the stillness of the garden. I imagined that the force they battered one another with would have been surprising for anyone who wasn’t a supernatural, but I was used to the excessive supernatural strength they both displayed.
After a while, I turned toward the greenhouse, sensing another presence. It was Draven, leaning on the broken doorframe, watching the boys as they fought. Field must have noticed him too, because a moment later, he called out to him.
“Want to join us, Draven?” he called, his smirk challenging but not unkind. Jovi frowned briefly, but his sense of competition won him over, and he grinned at the Druid, beckoning him over.
“All right,” Draven drawled, making his way over. “Who’s first?”
Field and Jovi glanced at one another, Jovi smiling broadly.
“I’m taking you down,” Jovi replied, the two of them having reached some kind of agreement. Field backed off and came to sit under the shade of the tree next to me.
“This should be good.” He whipped off his sweat-drenched shirt, revealing his muscled torso.
I smiled in agreement. I wasn’t worried that the Druid wouldn’t be able to handle himself. I’d seen what he was capable of in the forest, though that was with magic…but those muscles, and that broadness. I was pretty sure it wasn’t just there for show. Jovi would have a fight on his hands—an entertaining one for Field and me, as Jovi was sometimes too cocky for his own good.
The two men started to circle each other, each weighing up their opponent. I wished Aida and Vita were here to watch this—they’d both get a kick out of it.
The fight started swiftly. Jovi hit first, sending the Druid reeling backward, but at the last moment he caught his footing and caught Jovi’s shoulder as the werewolf was about to land another blow. Jovi staggered to the ground, and without a second to recover, Draven sent him flying backward with a kick to the chest. Jovi landed on the earth, laughing. He was quick to jump back up, catching Draven in a mid-air jump and throwing him to the ground. Draven rolled, narrowly avoiding a kick. The Druid scrambled to his feet, launching into another attack. The first blow was blocked by Jovi, but the second landed—sending Jovi to the ground once again. This time the Druid managed to pin him down, and Jovi bellowed a surrender. The Druid instantly backed off, holding out his hand. Jovi took it, launching himself to his feet.
I couldn’t help but smile. Both of the men were laughing, and I’d never heard Draven make that sound before, or seen how his face transformed from the stern, focused expression—which usually gave him an air of dignity and coldness—to the handsome, laughing one that I saw now, one that made him look younger, freer somehow. I was struck by how little we knew of Draven—not just what Vita and I had been discussing earlier about the Druids in general, but Draven as a person. As a man—one I wanted to know better.
The fight continued. This time, Field jumped up, swapping places with Jovi. The werewolf came to sit down next to me, grinning.
“He handed you your ass.” I laughed.
“I know it,” Jovi replied easily. “He’s good. I didn’t expect that. I know he’s built, but he just didn’t seem the type.”
Jovi wiped a shower of sweat off his brow, flinging it in my direction.
“Eugh! Jovi!” I cried, backing away from him in horror. He laughed, flicking his hands toward me. “Stop!” I laughed, scrambling to my feet. I happened to glance over at the fight as I did so, and for a split second I saw the Druid staring at us with an unfathomable expression before Field, taking his distraction as an opportunity, flung him to the floor. I turned back to face Jovi, who hadn’t noticed Draven’s look, but had thankfully given up trying to terrorize me with his sweat.
I took my seat back, watching the fight as it resumed like nothing had happened—Draven’s focus was solely on Field.
Serena
When the boys were finished, it was approaching sunset and I decided to go indoors. I was starting to get hungry, and figured the three of us could have an early dinner if the food was ready.
I left before Jovi and Field who were still messing around—Draven had already retreated into the house—and made my way inside. When I reached the main entrance, I heard the creak of floorboards coming from above me, and assumed it was one of the girls. I climbed the staircase, but as I reached the top it was Bijarki I saw instead.
“What are you doing up here?” I asked. He was looking distinctly shifty, and I knew he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t, whatever it was.
“Just getting a book,” he replied smoothly, taking what looked like a random one from the bookshelf next to him.
“On what?” I asked, challenging him. With a roll of his eyes, he looked down at the cover.
“The Kelpie,” he replied, holding out the cover of the book for me to see. I read the cover. The Sea Dwellers, a short history on the Kelpie. I wondered if those were the In-Between’s equivalent to merfolk.
“Really, why?” I asked.
“The conversation yesterday. I thought I could regale you all with interesting facts on Eritopia’s creatures.”
“Right,” I muttered, shoving past him on my way to our bedroom—the direction from which he’d emerged. I burst inside and shut the door firmly behind me. Vita and Aida were both fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed. I looked around the room—nothing seemed amiss. I didn’t trust that incubus in the slightest. I just knew he’d been in here, but I didn’t know why.
“Hey,” yawned Vita, waking.
“Hey,” I replied. “Are you okay?”
She looked around the room, disorientated.
“Oh, damn. I was trying to get in touch with my visions…I must have dropped off,” she said sheepishly.
“Don’t worry, and don’t exhaust yourself—you’ve done enough today.” I was all for them both getting as much rest as they could. The visions were clearly taking a toll on both of them, and I wasn’t comfortable with it. I knew we needed them to help us get out of here, but I didn’t want them to damage themselves in the process. I could already sense that their energy was low. Normally their vibrancy slammed into me whenever I saw them, but the last two days, their energy had started to diminish. It wasn’t a good sign.
Vita still seemed flustered, and a pink glow appeared on both her cheeks.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked again, looking at her closely.
“Yeah,” she replied quickly. “Just some…weird dreams.”
“About the Oracle?”
She shook her head. “No. Erm, they were just weird. About boring stuff—you know, usual weird dream stuff.”
“Right,” I replied slowly. That girl was so odd sometimes. I didn’t imagine for a moment that Vita had ordinary dreams. I couldn’t even imagine what it was like up there in that head of hers.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she asserted, jumping up off the bed.
“Oh, my God, guys, can you keep it down?” Aida groaned, thumping her pillow.
“Sorry,” I replied, as Vita crept off to the bathroom. I came and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard.
“What time is it anyway?” Aida asked, her tone sullen.
“I thought we could have dinner soon,” I replied, knowing that the mention of food would probably cheer her up.
“That would have worked if I didn’t know that dinner consists of the same food we had last night, and the night before,” she replied, reading my mind, but now grinning reluctantly.
“It’s still food,” I sighed.
“Did you find out anything more about the Daughters?” Aida asked.
I shook my head. “No. But Elissa’s diary is getting more interesting—I think I’m close to understanding what happened to her. The subject of sight restoration came up, but apparently, it was Almus, Draven’s father, who helped it happen.”
“Really
?” she replied, sitting up. “That’s odd.”
“Yeah, I know. I just hope the magic hasn’t been lost…that Draven might be able to do the same.”
“So do I,” Aida replied. “It worries me, a lot. But do you think the Oracle would have passed on the gift in its true form? She must have known that blindness is a sucky deal—no matter if you can see the past, or future or whatever.”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “She might not have known any different. If she was blind from birth, maybe she didn’t know it was that bad?”
I felt guilty as the words left my mouth—it wasn’t exactly an encouraging sentiment—but I didn’t want to lie to Aida either. We needed to be prepared for the worst, and hopefully, find a way to stop it.
“And the reproductive organ bit.” Aida shuddered. “That would not be okay.”
I didn’t reply. As far as I was aware, from Elissa’s diary, she had remained unable to bear children. But surely that was something you had to be born with? Obviously, Aida and Vita both had their reproductive organs—how would that ever change?
“I don’t think you need to worry too much about that,” I replied, coming to a conclusion. “You have them, you can’t just lose them like you can your sight.”
“Yeah,” replied Aida quietly, “but they can stop working...”
Not knowing what to say, I took her hand and clasped it in mine instead. I wasn’t going to let that be my friend’s fate. I would move heaven and earth to make sure they didn’t have their future children robbed from them.
Aida
“We’re going to see the Daughters tomorrow,” the Druid announced as we all sat down to dinner. Serena and Vita turned to him in surprise. I was pleased he’d come to that decision, but considering what the girls had told me about his reluctance earlier, I’d have thought he was going to refuse. I also noticed that Bijarki looked less than pleased. He stared angrily down at his plate, avoiding making eye contact with Draven.
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