“Other Guardians began twisting the truths of our creation, distorting them to fit their own power-hungry desires. You see Emily, it can be difficult to feed someone a blatant lie, but if you take truth and contort it, mix it with a lie, then the dishonesty is harder to detect. This is what those first Guardians did. When they decided our creation and purpose did not match their own ambitions and wishes, they convinced others to follow them by feeding them a distorted truth. Many believed these things because it was so close to what they had already been taught. After the great dissent The Seer instructed the history of our creation, as well as the location, to be sealed. The knowledge was withheld from our kind until it was needed again.”
It made sense to Emily. She could easily see the reasoning. After all, she lived in a world full of distorted truths. Her father had often issued the warning to ‘not believe everything she heard, or read’. Everyone seemed to have an opinion and was certain their opinion was right. But, how could everyone’s opinion be right? It was a confusing loop and, if Emily entertained it, would cause a headache and overwhelm her with uncertainty.
Alexander interrupted her thoughts. “So you hid the truth because you feared we would do just as the Ancient Ones had? You don’t think we’re any different than them?” The heat of frustration once again crept into Alexander’s voice.
Aldara stopped and turned toward him. Her face was filled with compassion, but also a hint of sadness. She ached for her son; she hurt when he hurt just as any birthmother, and she wanted to wipe away his pain. But pain was a personal choice one of few Guardians actually owned just as much as humans did. One either chose to move past or let it fester and drive them mad.
For the first time Aldara wondered if her son might choose the latter. She was cautious as she continued. “No, I do not think you are as the Ancient Ones. You are different.”
A smile swept across her face and then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
“But, you must come to realize everything has purpose, even this. Though everything may be hidden at one time, all things will manifest themselves in their due time.”
She faced him for a moment, giving him an opportunity to respond but he remained silent.
The three continued to walk down the path as it twisted and curved through the wall of trees that hugged its corners and edges. They soon came to a small opening where a dainty stream trickled, flowing delicately over rocks so round and shiny they almost appeared to be polished marbles. Emily heard Alexander take in a deep breath.
This wondrous place was where Guardians were created. The stream fit the description and Alexander’s simple reaction spoke volumes.
“Is this it, is this where you perform the ceremony?” Emily asked as she glanced around.
Flowers sprung up around the water’s edge, drawing life from the liquid flowing effortlessly behind them.
“This is where all Guardians are born,” Aldara opened her arms to indicate the space around her.
“I can’t believe I’m actually here,” Alexander whispered almost too softly for the two women to hear. “I barely recognize it. I don’t remember much but it feels like this place is familiar.”
“Guardians, though already physically grown when they’re born, are much like human infants in the sense that their minds and emotions are not fully developed. The creation memory becomes blurry to all Guardians, even myself, to an extent. I don’t remember all the details of my birth.”
“So where is the Pool of Tibess?” Emily did not mean to sound impatient, but it was too late. She’d spoken the thoughts in her mind before she realized it. Her desire to see the pool came mostly from a feeling relentlessly tugging at her now.
There was an urge growing inside her, an undeniable and incessant urge.
“Through there lies the source of the revered waters,” Aldara pointed eastward in the direction they’d been heading. The path narrowed again, cocooned by the surrounding trees.
Emily peered down the trail catching a glimpse of willow branches peeking from behind the giant oaks that acted as pillars on either side of the path. She began to move forward, unaware of Aldara or Alexander.
She knew not if they followed her, nor did she care. Each step she took fed her curiosity more and more, a magnet inside her pulling her deeper and deeper into the forest. Soon, Emily knew exactly where she was and what surrounded her. This place was as familiar to her as her own home. It was the forest from her dreams.
The willow branches fell low enough to brush and tickle her arms and face as she passed underneath. The sunlight became scarcer, yet it still penetrated through the leaves creating a soft glow. The tiny specs of light became prominent the further Emily went.
She was tempted to pinch herself just to check and see if she was dreaming again. Everything was exactly the same, and as she neared the path’s end she saw precisely what she expected. Directly in front of her stood a giant stone building with huge pillars lining the front and sides.
Emily heard footsteps behind her and knew the other two had caught up. Momentarily looking over her shoulder to assess their reactions, she wanted to see if their faces held the same awe she knew hers did. Alexander seemed completely amazed as his eyes surveyed the building before him.
Wasting no time, Emily pressed forward up the stairs and into the building, the familiar pull growing stronger, just as it had in her dream.
Once inside she saw the altar and dagger and headed directly to them. As she approached the altar, she held out her hand. When she was within just an inch she stopped. This was as close as she’d ever gotten in her dream. Her heart thudded in her ears, her pulse began to race. She took a deep breath, closed the last space between her and the dagger, and grabbed it off the two prongs.
She carefully turned it over and over in her hands, inspecting the floral carvings which adorned not only the handle, but also the length of the blade.
The dagger gleamed in the light shining down from the open roof above. A reflective glare rolled over her face, pestering her eyes, but she soon realized it was not from the blade she held in her hands. Taking a step up to get a better view past the altar, Emily focused her attention to the glistening water twenty feet or so behind it.
Scooting around the altar, she took the three steps down to the sunken pool’s bank. The grass was soft and lush and ran to the water’s very edge, looking as though it even curved and grew directly into the pool. The water was crystal clear and sparkled like it had diamonds floating within. The smooth rocks present in the stream they’d seen earlier were also here at the bottom of the pool. To Emily’s right was a small golden staircase that rolled like waves down into the pool, the water softly lapping over the first step.
This was indeed a sacred place. Emily felt the sanctuary’s very power permeate every inch of her. Great things had happened here. She now fully understood why it was so imperative to keep this place holy, undefiled.
She felt Aldara’s hand sweep slowly across her shoulders, drawing Emily to her side reminding her she was not alone. Not as she had been in her dream.
“You feel it don’t you? The water’s power calls to you. The reverence of this place appeals to your nature.” Aldara had not been asking, she was merely stating what they both knew.
“Yes, yes it does,” Emily whispered, as though speaking louder might disrupt the peace and tranquil feeling around her. It was a feeling she did not want to drive away.
For the first time since entering the building she searched for Alexander. He stood only a few paces back, his eyes going over the scene before him. There was a slight nervousness in his stance.
She returned her attention to Aldara. “How do I do this?” she asked breathlessly.
Alexander’s antsy mood was transferring to her rapidly.
“You can give a little blood each day. In time the reserve will build and will be enough for our purpose. You may choose to only prick your finger with the point of the blade and then place your finger in the water�
��. Or you may choose to inflict a slightly larger wound upon your hand. This would greatly speed the process, however whatever you are willing to give is up to you. The sacrifice must be a willing one; no force or coercion is permitted and would defile the gift you give.”
Emily pondered her words. A finger prick would be much easier to inflict than a gash to her hand. She’d never intentionally harmed herself and it went against a human’s very nature to do so. The fear of the pain did weigh on her mind, and was a factor. Knowing she would be doing this almost every day made her wonder if she had the courage to cut her hand time and time again. How would she continue with her training if she had wounded hands? It was a very logical argument in favor of just pricking her finger but inside Emily felt like all would still work out somehow.
“So I suppose you can’t cut my hand for me?” Emily could stomach the thought of someone else doing it to her, much like going to the doctor and getting a shot or a vial of blood drawn. But, to ask her to do it to herself brought on a whole new conundrum.
“No, I am afraid I cannot. It must be a free gift from you,” Aldara reiterated, with a kindness only a mother could convey.
“I understand.” She stooped down to the water’s edge, eyeing the dagger and its sharp edges. Holding the handle firmly in her right hand she placed the blade in the middle of her left hand, closing her palm and fingers tightly around it.
It was a frightening experience for Emily but she tried to muster strength from within. And just when she felt she had gathered the confidence needed she was abruptly interrupted.
“I can’t do this!” Alexander’s words broke through the air.
Emily looked up to see his eyes, clouded and tearful.
“I cannot. I’m not ready.” Alexander breathed heavily as though he had been punched in the gut. “I’ll wait back at the eastern gardens for you. I’m sorry.” He left with haste in his step, not sparing any glances behind until he was fully out of sight.
Emily watched him leave and then looked up at Aldara for assurance. This was now the second time he had abandoned her side and it was totally foreign for her. Since the time they had confessed their love for one another Alexander had rarely left her alone and he had definitely never left her when she stood in need of his support or comfort.
“He does not accept things at this time, but I assure you he will come to understand.” Aldara’s demeanor supplied Emily with the confidence she was lacking in the moment.
Turning back to the pool, she watched as the water rippled and danced before her. She let the little waves entrance her. Silently she pled for the strength to do what was being asked. In fact, she pled for fearlessness, and the ability to face the pain she knew would result.
Closing her eyes, Emily inhaled deeply. Before she could give it another thought she swiftly pulled the dagger through her closed fist.
The pain was intense. A searing sensation shot from her palm all the way to her elbow. Blood poured from her wound.
She wondered if she’d actually been holding the dagger too tightly and had cut herself too deeply. It felt as though it went straight to her bone. Only now did she factor in the blade’s sharpness and how it would have determined how deep it went. But caution had been thrown to the wind and it was too late to think about.
Emily’s breathing became labored. She struggled to clear her mind. What was she supposed to do? The thought was brief and only lingered a moment before she felt her hand being drawn to the water below.
The clear water of the pool was where her throbbing wound belonged. Emily placed her hand in knuckles first, waiting to open it until it was fully submerged.
Mostly because she was frightened to see the damage she’d done.
As she gently opened her hand the blood dispersed into the water much like tiny little snakes slithering away leaving a minor wake behind them. She could feel the water’s coolness soothe her burning wound. The tendons and muscles suddenly relaxed and the pain ceased altogether. Once the blood had cleared from view, Emily saw her palm for the first time.
The cut was gone. It had vanished.
The water must have been distorting the view. When she pulled her hand out to examine it she found there was no wound. Not even a scar, which made Emily question her sanity.
“I didn’t imagine it, I’m certain I cut myself. I felt the pain, I saw the blood!” her mind tried to make sense of what it saw.
The astonishment on her face was easy for Aldara to read.
“As you give to the water, it gives back to you. This is how the circle is, an unbroken chain. You will see sacrifice is not truly sacrifice at all, for we are all eventually rewarded for what we give. Whether it is immediately or far in the distance, our losses will be returned to us.”
Aldara’s words sparked a moment of sheer clarity for Emily, a ripple of time that stopped in its endless, forward course. So many things flooded her mind but the one which stood out among all others was the sweet and vivid memory of her mother.
Chapter 9
Laughter echoed down the stone hallway. The torch flames seemed to dance with the reverberation bouncing off the walls.
Olivia stood some fifty paces from the heavy wooden door. She whispered with the three other women huddled closely around her.
“No, I didn’t tell her, I was too nervous to mention it in front of Alexander. He knows the rules and is openly mocking them. I wasn’t about to challenge him, I didn’t dare,” Olivia confessed, giving slight glances at the door every few seconds, paranoid she would be caught divulging her secrets. “When he entered I was so shocked to even see him in there. He quickly dismissed me saying I wasn’t needed and I didn’t know what to do. So I just left.”
“I don’t understand why he is suddenly acting this way. It just isn’t like him,” one of the women added.
“Oh, Ruth, I don’t know why you appear so shocked. Alexander has been breaking rules for quite some time now. You know we are not to carry on relationships with humans, let alone reveal our very nature to them. It is only natural progression that he would continue to defy our ways.” The woman who spoke was a tall slender Guardian with black hair curling loosely around her shoulders. Her eyes were a mysterious, deep green almost matching the same dark tone of her hair.
“This isn’t the same,” Olivia defended, “Alexander is simply breaking a conduct rule. No man in the women’s quarters is more like a guideline. But, what you reference, Niera, was supposed to happen. Alexander was meant to bend the rules; that was part of the prophecy. He was supposed to choose Emily.”
Niera glared at the door, her eyes burning with resentment and disgust. It was becoming more difficult for her to fake her delight and excitement over the events going on in Eden and she wasn’t sure her phony appearance was currently appropriate in this moment anyway.
“Was he?” Niera questioned, lifting her eyebrow. She needn’t say more, her two words revealing what she implied. Her simple sentence had accomplished what was needed.
The three other women simultaneously peered down the hall at the entrance to Emily’s chamber. Whether they recognized it or not, a seed of doubt had been placed in each of their hearts
Chapter 10
Emily was completely oblivious to the hushed whispers going on down the hall. She was also completely unaware Alexander was currently breaking a rule by being in her chamber. But he knew the rules.
The laughter had been Emily’s as they sat with their feet dangling in the sunken tub’s steaming water. In reality, her bath was large enough to be a Jacuzzi and it was hard for her not to view it as such.
Alexander had playfully splashed water up at her, getting her face wet with a few droplets landing on her nightgown.
“Don’t get me wet! It’s almost bed time and I’ll wake up smelling like mildew,” Emily playfully scolded.
“That’s impossible. For one thing, this water is so heavily saturated with scented oils I can’t imagine it turning stale. And why on earth do you think you have
to go to bed soon? There are no curfews here,” he shrugged his shoulders, shooting her a challenging look.
“Well, there may be no bedtime but I still need rest. I can’t delay Olivia waking me at the first glimpse of the sun. I swear she lingers, waiting to wake me up as soon as she feels it is officially a new day.” Emily laughed at the thought of Olivia pacing the floor just waiting. She did not intend for her comment to be a discredit to her friend. She was truly beginning to love Olivia. She just wished she would let her sleep a little longer.
“Then just dismiss her. Tell her you need your beauty sleep.”
“She’s not my servant; I don’t want to order her around.”
Emily had made a silent promise she would not let all the pampering get to her. She never wanted to treat Olivia like a servant or handmaiden, even though Olivia acted as one. Alexander’s remark stung a little because Emily felt like she had not fully lived up to that vow she had made to herself.
“That’s why Aldara gave her to you, to help you. Isn’t help just another word for service?”
“I guess so, but I like to think of her as a friend.”
“She’s still a Guardian. Helping humans is what we do. So, in all reality we are mere servants. There is no arguing with it.” There was the smallest hint of distaste in his voice, like he had momentarily relinquished a sliver of the turmoil he must have been suppressing.
She wanted him to be his normal, fun-loving self, the man she’d fallen for before the troubling truth had placed a thorn in his side.
“Let’s just pretend none of that exists tonight. It’s just you and me, equal and completely the same. No worries.”
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