Visions & Shadows (Vaalbara #1)

Prologue

Raighne

I am her guardian, and she is my charge.

She’s the only being who matters to me.

I vow to protect her.

I’ll live and die for her.

I’ll sacrifice everything I am for Alchera.

“We have to bring Alchera home. She needs to train, and we’re running out of time,” Janak, our elder, says. “Awo has spoken the words, and we must abide by them. We can send Griffith to retrieve her from Earth.”

“No, Janak.” Queen Mya shakes her head. “Griffith is the King’s guardian. I will not hear of it.”

Standing in the throne room, tension fills the air. My eyes flick between King Eryon and Queen Mya, and I notice the tired lines on their faces. The long years without Alchera must’ve been hard on them.

It’s been excruciating for me.

The Queen’s voice is drenched with fear when she continues, “We can’t leave the King unprotected.”

I glance at my father, who’s been King Eryon’s guardian for as long as I can remember .

“We shouldn’t have sent her away,” King Eryon mutters, drawing my attention to him. “Alchera’s been alone and probably very confused. Now we’re going to snatch her up again and bring her back to a world she’ll hardly remember.”

“As Your Highness knows, we had to send her away,” Janak says. “She had to experience what it’s like to be human and live like they do. She has the most difficult task ahead of her, having to save the chosen ten. The future of humankind depends on her.”

I suck in a deep breath while crossing my arms over my chest.

I should’ve been allowed to go with Alchera. It’s been pure hell knowing she’s alone on Earth.

“We can’t forget that we needed to hide Alchera from Adeth, who has the power to kill an immortalis,” Queen Mya murmurs, her tone still trembling with fear.

I glance at my father, who’s a large man and the best fighter our realm has ever seen. I should know. I’ve landed flat on my back plenty of times while sparring with him.

Dad meets my gaze, his eyes filled with pride as he nods at me. His deep blue irises are sprinkled with golden flecks, a sign of the great power he wields that keeps many automatically at a distance.

My father is the most powerful when it comes to the guardians due to the bond he shares with King Eryon.

The closer you grow to your charge, the more powers you attain.

Taking a step forward, my voice is filled with strength and determination as I say, “I will go. Alchera is my charge.”

All eyes snap to me and King Eryon stares at me for a moment before he says, “It’s only right that you go, Raighne. Like you said, you’re her guardian.”

Janak takes a couple of steps closer to me. “You’ll have three weeks at most to find Alchera and bring her home. The visions of the chosen ten can start at any time once she turns twenty-one. I shouldn’t have to remind you of the severity of the consequences should you fail.”

“I won’t fail,” I state confidently.

Queen Mya rises from the throne she’s sitting on, and as she walks toward me, her features tighten with emotion. Coming to stand in front of me, she says, “Please, be gentle with my daughter. She won’t remember our ways and will think she’s an eighteen-year-old human girl because of the spell that was cast on her.” Giving me a pleading look, she adds, “Keep her safe.”

“I will,” I promise. “I’ll protect Alchera with my life.”

When Queen Mya returns to take her seat beside King Eryon, I suck in a deep breath.

This is it. The moment I’ve trained for.

Soon, I’ll be by Alchera’s side, and nothing will ever separate us again for all eternity.

I glance down at the small vial of elixir in the palm of my hand before I tuck it into my pocket. I’ll need to drink it the moment I reach Earth. It will make me look more like a human teenager and less immortalis-like.

Also, it will change my eyes so I don’t freak out the humans.

My father holds an envelope out to me. “It’s the money they use where Alchera is. It should last you three weeks.”

Taking the envelope, I nod while shoving it into my other pocket. “Thank you.”

He lets out a heavy sigh. “Be careful. Never let your guard down.”

I nod again.

“Remember, she’ll have no memory of us until Janak and Aster reverse the spell. Even though you are bonded to her as her guardian, you are a stranger to Alchera. She’ll be very confused. So even though she’s twenty on Vaalbara, she thinks she’s a seventeen-year-old girl on Earth.”

“I know, Father.”

The last time I saw Alchera was the day Adeth attacked, and Janak and Aster had to cast a spell on Alchera so she’d forget her life here on Vaalbara.

I only got to hold her when I carried her away from danger and took her through the Virtutes Waterfall to leave her on Earth .

Before that day, I was training and didn’t get to see her.

My father takes a step closer to me, and putting his hand on my shoulder, he says, “We don’t know what Adeth has planned or where she is, so we have to be vigilant at all times.”

“I’ll be careful,” I mutter the words to appease him.

For a moment, emotion tightens Father’s features. “You look so much like your mother. She would’ve been proud of you.”

I have my mother’s dark brown hair, and before I became Alchera’s guardian, I had Mother’s light blue eyes. Due to the bond I’ve formed with Alchera, my eyes are now purple – as is every guardian’s when the initial bond is created. Only when we grow stronger does the color change again.

“I won’t disappoint you, Father. I’ll bring her back safely.”

We stare at each other for a brief second before I walk out of my house and into the cool afternoon air.

As I make my way toward the Virtutes Waterfall, I glance over the hills and planes of grass.

I see a rider steer his horse in the direction of the training grounds, where I know men are assembling tents at this very moment for the coming training season. It’s almost a full day’s ride to get to the camps.

During the hour-long trek toward my destination, my thoughts are filled with Alchera. I’ll have to find a way to make her comfortable with me before bringing her home.

I hear the rush of water, and as I reach the top of a hill, the Virtutes Waterfall comes into view. Like always, when I see the spectacular sight, I pause for a moment to take in its splendor.

The waterfall flows over the side of a cliff, the rocks and ground on either side of it a rich brown, which is in stark contrast to the blue-green pool below.

There are majestic trees with the deepest green leaves and trunks covered in soft moss where the pool feeds into a gentle stream. It meanders all the way to the village, supplying our people with fresh water.

The Virtutes Waterfall is the heart of Vaalbara – a planet clothed in its original splendor, just as when Earth took its first breath.

Moving closer, I look up to where I know Kalin and Raker, the guards of the entrance to Vaalbara, are watching me from a ledge behind the curtain.

Kalin, who’s not much older than me, is the first to appear, shouting so I’ll hear him above the roar of water, “Peace be. State your business, friend.”

“Peace be,” I call out, greeting him in the way that’s our custom. “I seek permission from Raker and yourself to shift to Earth.”

At the mention of his name, Raker appears next to Kalin on the ledge. “Peace be. Why do you seek to shift, Raighne?”

“I’ve been ordered by the head of the guards, the king, and our elder, Janak, to go to Earth to acquire something.”

I know better than to divulge the true reason. Who knows if there are ears hiding around us, listening in on our conversation on behalf of Adeth or Void.

There’s a moment where we can only hear the rushing of water before Raker nods. “May Awo keep you safe.”

Sucking in a deep breath of air, I step into the pool and wade my way closer to the curtain.

This is it.

I’m coming, Alchera.

Droplets of water hit my face and body, and when I’m standing in front of the curtain, I take another deep breath. I clear my thoughts of everything but Alchera before stepping beneath the spray.

The world starts to blur around me as I leave the only home I’ve ever known.

Not even a minute later, I move out from under the curtain of the waterfall nearest to Alchera.

My sight is still blurry for a moment, and I wipe the drops from my face. Glancing around me, I take in all the trees around the waterfall. The forest is more overgrown than I remember from when I left Alchera here.

I make my way to the embankment, where I pull myself out of the pool. Reaching into my pocket, I take the vial out and quickly drink the bitter elixir. I feel the change wash over me, transforming me from immortalis to a teenage human boy .

Just as I’m about to look at my reflection in the pool, I hear twigs snap.

Someone’s coming!

Glancing around, I rush toward the nearest large tree and take cover behind it.

When a girl comes walking down an overgrown trail, every muscle in my body tenses and a breath explodes over my lips.

Her dark brown hair hangs down her shoulders, and her green eyes seem to be filled with loneliness.

Alchera.

My entire being shudders at finally laying eyes on my charge.

Once she’s back on Vaalbara, her hair will be as black as a raven’s wing, and her eyes will sparkle like emeralds.

I watch as she sits down near the pool and stares at the water. Her features grow sad, then I hear her thoughts as if they’re my own.

“I can’t wait to leave this town.”

Soon, my charge. Soon.