As disgusting and ferocious as the Destroyers were, Aida’s insights shed a light on who they really were and how they were dealing with what had happened to them. It made me wonder about the others. If Patrik had chosen to say yes because he wanted to protect Kyana, what leverage had Azazel had on the rest of the Destroyers? How many of them, besides Goren, had accepted his darkness willingly?
“And last, but not least,” Aida breathed out. “The nasty part of this Oracle business, of which I am unwillingly a part of. My third vision took me to the top of Azazel’s castle, where he keeps his Oracles. I saw three in his possession. Two are apparently comatose and unresponsive. The third is the Nevertide Oracle. She saw me in the vision. She could see me there, in front of her, in real time. She tried to warn me—or at least that’s what she said. She told me there’s a traitor among us and that we’re not safe.”
We all looked at each other. A whiff of suspicion hung in the air.
My stomach churned as an uncomfortable heat seeped into me. It was doubt, and I wasn’t sure which of us to aim it at. None of us had any reason to betray the alliance. On the contrary; we all wanted Azazel dead and Eritopia free.
“She previously told Vita it doesn’t have to be a conscious act,” Aida continued, “that Azazel’s spell didn’t require one’s consciousness to get results, which is even worse, because if that’s true, it means any one of us could be susceptible to his darkness.”
A moment passed in silence before she let out another heavy breath.
“He saw me,” Aida said.
All eyes were on her, popping out of our sockets. I froze, unable to move or react.
“I was standing right there in the vision, in front of the Nevertide Oracle, when Azazel popped out of nowhere and said, ‘Gotcha!’ like he’d caught a mouse or something. I woke up screaming, still here. I think he knows about me now.”
“Did he look at you, specifically?” Draven asked.
“Yes.”
He ran a hand through his hair, mulling over everything he’d just been told. I paid close attention to the emotions he experienced through the channel open between us. I felt genuine concern and a sliver of fear as he looked at me. His steely eyes flickered black for a second before he blinked and glanced at Vita.
“My turn,” she said.
“And what good news do you bring?” he asked her, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
I couldn’t blame him for feeling what he did. We’d gotten to the point where I was afraid to ask how all this could possibly get worse. Vita looked down.
Bijarki sat next to her and watched her carefully.
“I was on top of Azazel’s castle again. I know what that bright pink flash was now,” she said slowly. “It was the Daughter, sacrificing herself to destroy Azazel. It turns out that a Daughter’s touch can no longer kill Azazel. That’s how powerful he’s become. So she unleashes all that energy inside of her and wipes us all out in the process. I got to see everything from my previous vision from a different angle. We’re all up there. Draven is badly wounded.” She gave me a pained look. “Aida, Field, Jovi, Phoenix, you, Bijarki… We’re up there with Azazel when the Daughter appears out of nowhere. It all ends there in a bright pink flash.”
She shuddered as Bijarki took her hand and held it tight, helping her regain her composure.
I felt my eyes sting. Tears rushed to the surface. I swallowed them all back, battling a wave of grief and disappointment. I had to keep it together for the sake of our entire group and our survival. Draven came to stand next to my chair, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently, as if trying to comfort me. I realized then that I, too, was projecting some very intense emotions that he’d learned to pick up on.
“Azazel has a Daughter in his possession,” she added.
“What?” Draven asked, stunned.
We were all stunned.
“He snatched an egg off Mount Agrith and forced it to hatch before its time. He refers to her as the little one, and he’s holding her as leverage against the Daughters,” Vita continued.
“It’s true,” the Daughter interjected. “I spoke to my sisters in a dream. I told them I want nothing to do with this. I told them I don’t want to kill you all. I only want peace and Azazel gone. And I asked them about our sister. They said he draws enormous amounts of power from her, not just from the volcanoes. It’s why a Daughter’s touch can no longer kill him.”
“Then why did they ask me to protect you?” Draven asked, gritting his teeth.
Anger blazed from him, red and intense. He felt betrayed by the Daughters, and I couldn’t disagree. Not after everything he’d been through.
“Because my egg came after our sister was taken,” the Daughter said. “Eritopia reacted to Azazel by giving birth to her, but he was cunning and fast and took her away. He made a deal with my sisters. They don’t intervene in his expansion plans, and he makes sure she stays alive. Because she was hatched so early, she’s very vulnerable. Everything they did for you was part of a loophole in the deal. Even the way they isolated Eritopia from the rest of the universe was their way of limiting his power without breaking the terms of their arrangement.”
“Something else happened.” Vita’s voice was weak. “Just before you got here. I was outside, by the shield, when the Nevertide Oracle reached out to me as well. I had a strange vision of her. Well, through her, sort of. Apparently, there’s one thing about the Oracles that Azazel doesn’t know, that no one knows. We can communicate with each other directly, through some form of projection, outside of visions. We can look into each other’s souls and see the truth of our visions, although I’m not yet sure how to do that on my own. Thing is, I fainted and fell through the shield.”
She broke down crying, no longer able to hold it in. Bijarki wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him, and looked up at us.
“She got back just in time, but Goren saw her. And Azazel most likely sensed her presence as soon as she fell through the shield,” Bijarki said.
Draven groaned and let his head fall back, eyes rolling. My heart ached for him, for myself, for all of us. It felt like with each step we took forward, something pulled us two steps back. Every inch of progress came at a very high and painful cost.
It took us a few minutes to digest everything and accept the fact that Azazel knew for a fact that there were Oracles beneath the protective shield.
“He’ll want to come here himself,” Draven said.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” Jax interjected, his tone low and cool.
“Not if you enjoy having your entrails ripped out through your mouth,” Sverik shot back sarcastically.
“No, wait,” Draven replied. “The Mara has a point. There is an upside to this entire situation. Azazel would be the one to come to us. We wouldn’t have to venture out to his castle and engage in a full-on siege. He’d be on our turf. We’d have better control of the fight here and perhaps a better shot of killing him directly, provided we get some inside help.”
“Inside help?” Hansa asked.
“Someone who could give us some of his weak points in a setting such as this, who could help us level the playing field without anyone else knowing,” Draven explained. “We’re due to meet and establish the alliance with the rogue nations in six moons’ time. We could bring them here from Mount Agrith to defend the shield and draw Azazel out here. He’ll be intrigued to see rogues defending the Oracles hidden beneath. He’ll be curious enough once he realizes he cannot breach the protective shield, even if he’s getting power from the Daughter. He would’ve done it by now if he could.”
“Okay, let’s say that works, and we draw him out, and we get the alliance to fight and defend us,” Hansa replied. “Who would you have on the inside to tip the scales in our favor?”
“Someone he thinks he has under complete control and has trusted with a significantly large army, plus the keys to his dungeons,” Draven replied steadily, then gave me a sideways glance.
It dawned on me who he had in mind. We said his name at the same time:
“Patrik.”
Serena
An hour later, we were still in the banquet hall going over all possible outcomes. We’d managed to get past the initial shock and fear of these new developments and focus instead on what should come next.
“We need to hold out for six more days,” Draven said, with newfound strength. “On the seventh day, we’ll use whatever small amount of ingredients we have left for the invisibility spell to sneak out to Mount Agrith. Then we’ll bring the garrisons here and take our unwanted neighbors by surprise. I reckon Azazel will want to come here himself by then.”
“How sure are you that this protective shield can resist his Daughter-powered magic, though?” Jax replied.
“The shield is meant to protect me,” the Daughter spoke up. “My sisters will not sacrifice me for the stolen Daughter. They will not get involved in any way, and the shield will hold as long as I’m inside.”
Jax nodded slowly, occasionally glancing around the table, as if analyzing each of us carefully.
“What about the traitor, then?” he asked.
“We don’t know for sure there is a traitor. The Nevertide Oracle cannot be trusted,” Vita said, and Aida nodded her agreement.
“She told both me and Vita that there’s a traitor in our group, but in both moments of contact, she screwed us big time. I was seen by Azazel, and Vita fell through the shield, enough for Goren to see her and the dark overlord to feel her. Frankly, I don’t trust her one bit,” Aida added.
“Nevertheless, it should still be considered as a risk.” Jax cocked his head to one side.
“We’re not rejecting the idea. We just don’t know where to start or how to ascertain which one of us could be under his spell.” I stood up, feeling the need to move. I felt restless and irritated as I paced around the hall.
“So, for now, we just have to get used to Destroyers lurking outside,” Jovi muttered, leaning back into his chair. He gave Anjani a sideways glance, and in return she offered him a half-smile. The succubus brought her hand up to her chest, fingers fiddling with a small pendant I’d not seen before—a wolf’s head holding a diamond between its fangs.
“Sure,” Phoenix chimed in. “Might as well bring them breakfast every morning, don’t you think? I don’t think Azazel feeds them well.”
Jax smirked, his attention set on my brother.
The Mara joined the boys’ banter. “I don’t think they like the cooked stuff much.”
“At least coffee,” Phoenix mumbled, prompting Jovi to laugh and slap him over the shoulder.
Jax then looked at me, his jade eyes smiling.
“I like your brother. He’s got spunk,” he said, his voice low as Phoenix and Jovi continued to crack jokes at the Destroyers’ expense in the background, making the girls smile and easing some of the tension weighing heavy on our shoulders.
“Yes, they’re both out of this world,” Draven interjected, his gaze finding mine.
The double entendre was an absolute hit with my senses, making me smile for a moment. I was fortunate to have him near me, his strength and golden energy fueling me even when I thought I didn’t need it. I fought the urge to hold him and kiss him right then and there. I poured myself a glass of water, crisp and cool, courtesy of the wards.
I noticed Eva staring at Draven from the other side of the table, one finger running along the rim of her glass as she measured him from head to toe. I felt irritation simmer inside me. I watched her persistently until she looked at me.
As soon as our eyes met, I raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes at me, then resumed gawking at Draven. I scoffed, looking forward to the day I’d see the back of her as she wandered back to the River Pyros.
Draven gave me a nudge with his elbow, humor flickering in his steely eyes.
“Don’t be mad, Serena,” he whispered. “Consider it fate repaying you for Zeriel and his obnoxious ogling. Jealousy can be a cruel mistress.”
“I’m not jealous of her, Druid. I know who makes you all soft and gooey on the inside, and it’s not a spoiled Lamia. I just don’t like her,” I shot back with a smirk.
His eyes went black for a split second, before he licked his lips and smiled.
“Hey Draven!” Aida called from her seat.
He turned to face her, breaking eye contact and leaving me with a smoldering heat in my chest. I looked forward to another moment alone with him. The two of us had a lot to catch up on, and the thought sent my pulse racing.
“What shall we focus on next, as far as visions go?” Aida asked.
“You should certainly keep an eye on Patrik and Azazel. Their next moves are very important, as we may need Kyana to sway Patrik back on the right track. You could also see if the young Druids survived,” Draven replied.
“You’re up for another trip to Luceria, then?” Hansa quipped, half-smiling.
“If it helps bring Azazel to his knees, might as well,” he replied.
“Looking forward to experiencing another one of his death stares?” I shot back, reminding him of how he’d nearly drowned during our escape down the river because of his eye contact with Azazel.
“Not if it can be avoided.”
“I’ll continue to check the future for changes,” Vita intervened, her eyebrows drawn into a frown. “With everything that’s happened over the past twenty-four hours, chances are we’ve influenced the outcome.”
“Agreed.” Draven nodded, then looked at Phoenix. “Can you focus on the young Druids in the meantime? We need to find out where they went and whether they found Jasmine. We need the full story before we start looking for them in the present.”
“Sure,” my brother said. “I’m extremely curious myself.”
The Daughter caught my eye. Her head rested on Phoenix’s shoulder. She looked lost and sad.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her gently.
“I don’t want to blow up,” she replied. Her voice faded. “My sisters say that my sacrifice will be required no matter what we do. But I don’t want to hurt any of you. I can’t.”
“Listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once.” I took a deep breath. “As long as there are Shadians around you, you will not perish, and you will not hurt us. We will do everything in our power to make sure we all come out in one piece. The only one who gets obliterated will be Azazel.”
Phoenix beamed at me, proud and bold, as he held the Daughter’s hand in his. I believed in everything I’d just said, even though our circumstances made it difficult. But I knew, deep in my heart, that as long as I kept my resolve strong and unyielding, there was nothing I couldn’t do. And if we were all of the same mindset and on the same wavelength, we could become a truly unstoppable force.
Vita
By nightfall, we’d all retired to our rooms, utterly exhausted. I shared a bed with Aida and Serena again. We did our own personal catching up.
We’d been through plenty of horrors, but we’d also been experiencing some truly amazing things. Who did I share these moments with, if not my best friends?
However, before the strike of midnight, Aida and Serena were both asleep. My mind raced in one too many directions, and the humid heat wasn’t helping either. I tossed and turned, once again thinking about the visions I’d had and the concept of a traitor among us. Was the Nevertide Oracle telling the truth, or was it just a ruse? Who could it be? Would they even be aware of it?
I looked out the window and let out a heavy sigh. The sky was a perfect giant tourmaline sprinkled with stars and crowned with a giant pearl for a moon that cast its milky light into our room. I wasn’t going to fall asleep anytime soon.
I got out of bed and tiptoed into the open corridor, making my way to the upstairs study. I figured I could read something to put myself to sleep.
I passed by one of the remaining spare bedrooms and spotted a figure at the corner of my eye, stopping me in my tracks. I turned my head to get a better l
ook and saw Bijarki standing by the open window. The night breeze rolled in, lifting the fine off-white organza curtains. He looked breathtaking under the moonlight, his skin shimmering silver as he gazed outside.
He sensed my presence in the doorway and turned to look at me, his eyes scanning me briefly before darkening. I felt overexposed all of a sudden. My cheeks flushed as I realized I was wearing one of the skimpier undergarments I’d found in the attic, a short summery gown with shoulder straps that left much of my skin bare.
“What are you doing here?” I asked in a hushed tone.
“Just doing my part to try and prevent that awful future from happening.” He shrugged, unable to look away. “You said we’d be in my room when the Destroyers came in, so I figured I’d move here for a while. Not sure how much that helps, but it beats doing nothing.”
His voice was low and pained, compelling me to take a few steps forward and get a better look at his face. He wore his emotions raw, and it tore me apart on the inside. I couldn’t stand seeing him like this and cursed my Oracle abilities for casting such dark shadows on our budding relationship.
His torment was my misery. I felt tears welling in my eyes. He stilled as I wiped them off quickly, his hand reaching into his pocket. He swallowed, then came toward me, stopping when there were only a couple of inches left between us.
He raised his hand to show me a small pendant with a perfectly polished turquoise stone attached to a delicate silver chain. It hung from two fingers.
“Jovi got a special pendant for Anjani from an old fae in the Sarang Marketplace,” he murmured. “This one isn’t of any mystical quality, but I found it to be a perfect complement to your eyes. I figured it would look beautiful on you.”
I lost my ability to speak for a moment. My gaze fixed to the little stone dangling before me. My lips parted, and I tried to figure out if I was still breathing. He looked at me, waiting for a reaction.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
Our eyes met, his smiling gently.
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