Chapter 8 #2
Once again, the whispers were gentler, more patient, and they sounded clearer too.
Merrick picked up his own name and Lessia’s, and something that sounded like “brave,” as the shadowy figures materialized all around them, some floating across the sea, some so close he could reach out to touch them.
As his gaze flew across the souls, making sure none of them posed a threat to the female he held, dark eyes latched onto his, and this time, Merrick staggered backward so forcefully he almost lost his grip on Lessia’s hands.
It couldn’t be…
But beside the female with those large dark eyes, where silver swam and whirled like the sea behind her, stood a Fae male with silver hair tumbling down his back and an expression on his face that Merrick interpreted as…
Was it love that made the male’s features so soft?
Merrick opened his mouth. Then he closed it again.
This… this was…
A rush of tiredness enveloped him like the salty breeze just had as Lessia let go of his hands, spun around, and stalked up to the two Fae staring back at him.
“We don’t have much time,” Lessia said sharply as the female’s gaze moved to his mate, and Merrick knew he should have spoken up, but he couldn’t.
That…
For the first time in his life, the Death Whisperer just stared at what unfolded before him.
“You need to tell us what’s going on and why you are here.
And how we stop fucking dying whenever you come around!
” Lessia’s voice was as hard as her face as it bounced between the two shadows, who didn’t seem much like shadows at all anymore as their features sharpened, their skin turned more golden, and their hair even moved with the wind.
The female smiled at Lessia. A warm, understanding, and motherly smile that had Merrick’s gut twist.
“We will, child. And we know you don’t have much time, so we’ll tell you everything we can as fast as possible, but first…
” The female peeked over Lessia’s head, her blonde hair carrying streaks of gold similar to the ones in Lessia’s brown strands, shining brightly even in the dim light surrounding them. “Can I say hi to my son?”
Merrick stumbled forward as Lessia turned toward him, and whatever she read in his face had her skin whiten before bright red spots burst across her cheeks.
“Y-your son?” she stuttered as her rounded eyes remained on Merrick’s.
It took everything in him to keep his voice steady, albeit much lower than he intended, as he took the two steps needed to reach them and wrapped an arm around Lessia’s shoulders to keep himself upright. “I… I don’t know… They—”
Lessia’s eyes flew across his face, wonder and confusion and just a little bit of worry whispering across her features, and he stepped even closer to her as he finally made himself look at the two people he’d seen so many times, depicted on the paintings in the war camp he’d grown up in.
Like everyone in the Morshold family, they’d been heroes, both of them. In a way Merrick could never live up to. Not with the gift of death he wielded.
The Morsholds were known for how bravely they’d fought as they drove the gods from this realm, how they’d commanded Rantzier’s armies, and how they’d given their lives to save others.
He’d only been a babe when his parents were killed—on the same day but in different parts of the battle—and he’d heard whispers that his father had gone first, and his mother had felt their mate bond break, and when she’d fallen to her knees, an enemy sword had severed her head.
There was no trace of that now, though. Both his mother and father were clad in gray robes, the silver in them mirroring his father’s hair, and their faces and skin were clean, not a speck of dust or blood marring them.
“Hi, Merrick,” the female said in that loving voice that made his throat close up. “It’s so good to see you.”
“We don’t have much time,” his father continued. “But we’ve waited so long to speak to you.”
Lessia’s mouth was still hanging open when Merrick’s eyes returned to her, and he hesitated for a second when his mother spoke once more, and his and Lessia’s heads snapped forward.
“Elessia, we’ve wanted to meet you as well. We’ve watched for so long, and—”
“You’ve been watching us?” Merrick didn’t mean for his question to sound so demanding, but there was a flicker of fear in Lessia that he wouldn’t stand for as she eyed his parents.
His mother only smiled. “Of course we have. We’ve been with you your whole life. You just… couldn’t see us.” The silver in her eyes turned almost liquid, sorrow spreading across the dark.
“And with that, we seem to have forgotten our manners.” His father gave his mother a teasing smile before settling his own almost black eyes on Lessia.
“Elessia, my name is Sandir Morshold, and this is my mate and wife, Ewiline Morshold. We died when Merrick was barely a year old, so he’s never known us, only what we look like. ”
“It… it’s nice to meet you,” Lessia said when it had been silent for a few seconds. Her eyes were still so wide Merrick would have laughed if the situation were different.
“And you, my daughter,” Ewiline said, her smile returning as she blinked away the tears. “You’ve made him so happy. It is everything we’ve ever wanted.”
Another twist of his gut had Merrick grip Lessia so hard her eyes flew to his, and she quickly slipped her arm around his waist, a weak smile tugging at one side of her mouth.
A smile that should have resounded within him but was replaced with worry when Lessia’s eyes seemed to focus and unfocus.
Fuck. As the adrenaline from seeing his parents faded, that tiredness from earlier crashed into his chest like one of Raine’s blows, and when Auphore let out a demanding screech, Ydren’s soft whimper following, Merrick managed to dip his chin.
“It’s…” Fuck, what did you tell the parents you’d never talked to before? The ones you’d dreamed of and wished for, but never believed you’d actually meet?
“We know.” His mother reached out a hand, and while Merrick didn’t feel it as it stopped by his cheek, the sense of love brightening her eyes built across his chest, fighting with the fatigue already taking hold. “You need to let go.”
Concurring murmurs rose around them, and when Merrick lifted his gaze for a moment, he saw several of the souls nod, and when he found bright blue eyes in a tilted, smiling face, a huff left him.
He knew he hadn’t imagined it when Lessia breathed, “Thissian!”
“We’ll have to be fast,” his father interrupted.
“Son, there is so much we need to tell you, but there isn’t time.
You shouldn’t try this again. Not now, not yet, not until it’s safe.
You need to find the one that clings to life.
It’s your balance, as the ones who rose from death.
We don’t know exactly what it means, so don’t waste time asking. ”
His father threw him an apologetic look when Merrick opened his mouth, so he closed it again when his mother rushed out, “The living have forgotten, Merrick, but the gods got too strong—too power hungry—and nature fought back. We were losing—the gods killed us and many who stand with us today—erasing the knowledge of how they abused their power. But then a threat awoke somewhere, one whose memory had faded in this realm but now has awoken again. One that balanced the gods’ power, as everything should be balanced. ”
“Lessia,” Merrick said, wishing with everything in him it didn’t seem so clear to him.
“Both of you,” his father responded as his figure began to flicker—whether it was real or caused by the black spots now dancing before Merrick’s eyes, he didn’t know—and his voice started going in and out.
“You’re the soulbinder, Merrick—you’re the reason we all could stay—to hopefully fight that evil once more—to continue helping this world.
And Lessia is one of the keys. But you cannot do it alone—there always, always needs to be balance to your powers, and right now…
” Sandir winced. “Bring the witches to Vastala, and search the old books. You need to find the one who clings to life.”
Lessia started swaying beside him, and that was enough fucking pushing it.
Merrick didn’t even bother to nod as he shoved the magic away from them, doing everything in his power to keep his legs straight as the shadows evaporated, the wind picking up again, rushing around them as if the storm had just waited a beat and now decided to try to sweep them off the cliff.
“Behind you,” Auphore ordered, his harsh voice barely carrying over the howling. “Go into the cave, and we’ll guard you from here.”
Neither Lessia nor Merrick could talk as he half dragged, half pushed Lessia through a rounded opening.
Merrick didn’t need to touch his nose or ears to know blood trickled out of them like it did for Lessia, as he managed to place her in the driest spot, settling himself between her and the roaring weather outside.