Chapter 20 #2
“You released the álfur River. That thing’s been frozen for over a century.” The outline of Olivia’s face appeared next to mine, rippling in the water. “How do you explain that?”
I forced air out of my nose. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“You tapped into your emotions. You allowed yourself to feel, and…?” The rest remained unspoken in the grin that softened the furrowed lines of her face.
“Listened to my heart,” I finished. This is what she’d said, what she’d been trying to achieve in our therapy sessions before she was kidnapped.
Her shoulders rose with a steady inhale. “When people pass over to the next realm, they leave behind a unique imprint of energy—particles of creation that cannot be destroyed, so they redistribute back to the environment. Or in your case, transfer.”
Butterflies whirled in my gut, the sensation ballooning into my chest, moving upwards until a lightness filled my head.
“Your mom’s necklace was an heirloom you can never replace.
But it’s not the only thing channeling your powers.
Sure, it helps do it faster, and with less mental strain.
” In the crystal waters, she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
“But her Source, your Source, lives in your heart. That’s the biggest conduit of them all. ”
For a moment, I swore another pair of eyes stared back at me from the water. Ones so much like mine, curved and curious, but also like hers—my mom’s. A piercing, flame-like blue, full of secrets. I swished my feet, the ripples shattering my reflection.
I focused on the stillness between the tiny wakes, but it was me once the water settled. Olivia shifted next to me, clearing her throat.
“I was saying, I wanted to be there for you, and I wish I could have told you all this earlier—” I bristled at the statement, but she held up a hand so I wouldn’t interrupt this time.
“But after I escaped Chthonia’s clutches, I had to fake my death, or they never would’ve stopped hunting me. So, I came here.”
“Why here?”
“Same reason as you, I assume? To find Gaia.”
“Did you get detained at the lighthouse, too?” I bit back a smile.
“Surprisingly, no.” She laughed. “I was able to contact the elves before I arrived and arrange my visit…” That spark of joy slowly tapered off. “Corbin hid so much from you. I get that was his form of protection, but… I think it did the opposite.”
“Yeah.” Leaning forward, I curled my fingers around the smooth edge of the lagoon. “So, um... Are you even a real therapist?”
“Yes!” Her jaw dropped playfully as she feigned offense, hand shooting to her heart. “Licensed and insured.”
“Sorry.” I cringed. “I had to ask. Well… What do we do now?”
“It’s a good question.” She sighed, relaxing her spine. “Not in a million years did I expect you to turn up here. It changes everything.”
I peered into the pool’s opaque surface again. “Any leads on the Angel of Earth?”
She shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. From what I gleaned when I was captured, I don’t think Chthonia has any either, though.”
“That’s good.” I wiggled my toes beneath the warm silky surface. “Are they looking for her, then?”
“Hard to tell exactly what their next move was going to be. Between the threats and the blindfold and whatever they slipped me, I was pretty disoriented.” Olivia shuddered.
I wanted to reach for her hand, to tell her I was sorry again.
“They’ll start soon if they haven’t already.
In order to bridge the realms, they need her—they need you. They need the Watchers’ Source.”
My fingers grazed my lips, and I chomped at the nails. “The queen promised to take me to Gaia’s lair in the fjords after I completed her silly little task, but she kind of just bowed out.”
“Jarearbaeli, right? The few other Nephilim I spoke to in Reykjavík made it sound like an abandoned tourist attraction. Said no one’s been there in a decade.” She frowned. “That the cave was cursed and the highlands make the journey impassable, anyway, and to not waste my time.”
My ears perked. “The highlands, you said?” Flóki had mentioned he was stationed out there.
Olivia nodded.
Tendrils of unease curled in my gut. “Something here is off.”
“Agreed. I can’t put my finger on it, but the Galdur almost seems…” She gently kicked her feet, stirring the water. “Restricted?”
“Right? Like, why did Hildur need me to clear the moat? Why couldn’t she do it?”
Dropping her voice so the swish of the lagoon masked her words, she whispered, “Something is definitely up.”
“What do we do?”
“When do you see the queen next?”
“Tomorrow, I’m assuming?” I shrugged. “She didn’t give me a clear answer.”
“Okay.” She rose to her feet. “Since there are no other Nephilim here, I’m going to the archives to see what I can find out about Jarearbaeli. It’ll look too suspicious if we both go there now—she has Eyes everywhere.”
The birds, the wind, even the hills have eyes for their queen, Hildur had told me.
I craned my neck so my gaze roved across the ceiling, the stalactites, all the nooks and crannies, for a flicker of movement, for a spy.
“What about Akosua?” I said suddenly, softly—a question I’d cycled through endlessly in my mind. “She left Empyrea too, not unlike my mom. Worse, actually. She betrayed them.”
“I—” Olivia sucked in a breath. “I know. My captors mentioned her.”
I picked and pulled at my cuticles until the skin was tender and bright.
“I know she was disappointed about my mom’s decision.
Hurt. Angry. But what I don’t understand is…
” I tore at the jagged tip of a nail. “How she could do that. Side with the enemy. Go against everything she stood for. And for what? Revenge? A change of heart?”
“Grief changes people,” she said, and if anyone understood that it was me. “Eternity is a long time to mourn. Imagine the stress of trying to protect a realm on top of that, and with only a fraction of the strength you once had.”
Blood welled on my nail bed. I tucked it under my thumb, putting pressure on it.
A shadow passed over Olivia’s face. “Who knows what Akosua’s breaking point was? Maybe she was desperate. Maybe she felt betrayed. Maybe she thought she had no other choice.”
“Desperation, betrayal…” Grief, I wanted to add, but couldn’t find it in me to say. “It can eat you up inside.”
My eyes fluttered, thoughts a flurry of Javi’s stark white hospital room, and the smeared blood at Crescent Rock, and the cemetery that held Olivia’s grave.
A gentle hand cupped my shoulder. “Let’s touch base tomorrow. Are you going to hang out here?”
“Actually,” I pushed myself off the ground, Source and adrenaline shooting through my veins, “do you know where the sparring ring is?”