Chapter Two #3
Erica shrugged. “Wasn’t much left of home once we had to leave, anyway. I’m not too worried. I’m sure we’ll get Octavia Falls back.”
“What does it look like?”
Marcus asked warily.
“It’s a literal hellscape,”
Lucas said gravely. “When we left, the entire city was in shambles. There were cracks in the earth, and massive black tar pits had popped up all over the city to suck people to their death. The dark gods and The Mission destroyed the town. It was nearly uninhabitable.”
“After everything you did to fulfill your prophecy and save it, now it’s gone,”
Marcus nearly wept.
“He ain’t the only one, kid,”
Liam grumbled. “Kinpago’s destroyed for what has to be the millionth time. I’m starting to get used to it being on fire.”
“We can get our cities back,”
Lucas said firmly. “This war isn’t over, and everything isn’t completely gone. We can rebuild once we win. The true heart of a community isn’t the place; it’s the people. We’re still surviving, so they haven’t beat us yet.”
“Dad’s right,”
Erica cut in. “We don’t stop being a community just because we lost our home. Witches are still going through with their Evoking Ceremonies to awaken their powers, and they’re still brewing potions, casting spells, and surviving no matter what. We don’t stop being witches because there are people out there who want to take us down. No matter where we are on this planet, we’re going to continue being who we are.”
“You need to stay out of this, Erica,”
Marcus said. “You’re too young. You can’t fight yet.”
“Actually, my birthday was last week, and my powers awakened,”
Erica stated matter-of-factly.
Marcus’ features paled. “How long have we been on the run? What day is it?”
“It’s July fifteenth,”
Lucas told him.
Marcus blew a breath of disbelief. “I didn’t realize how much time had passed since we left the Institute. I’m sorry I missed your birthday, sis, and your Evoking Ceremony.”
Erica nudged him. “It’s fine. It’s not like I expected my fugitive brother to break out of prison to show up for my birthday. But look— here you are. Just a couple days late.”
Marcus choked back tears. He obviously really missed his family.
“Of course I’d break out of prison for you,”
he whimpered.
After all the complaining Marcus did about how perfect his sister was, I was surprised to see they had a good relationship. Clearly he’d just been talking out his ass.
“Can I see it?”
he asked her.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Erica obviously understood. She pulled down her shirt collar to show a tattoo of a skull across her collarbone.
“Mortana,”
Marcus said with a nod. “You got the powers of a Death Witch. What’s your specialty? Necromancy? Can you control dead bodies like zombies?”
“Nah, it’s not as cool as your powers, bro,”
she teased. “I’m a Reaper’s Apprentice, just like Dad.”
Marcus gasped and clutched his heart, until he nearly fell over. “Reaper’s Apprentice? That’s a super rare gift.”
“The coven needs more reapers.”
Erica dropped her gaze. “I’ve already heard more voices in the last few days than Dad did in his first year. It’s tough out there.”
“Voices? What do you mean?”
I asked. “What exactly is a Reaper’s Apprentice?”
“I have the powers of a reaper,”
Erica explained. “In Miriamic culture, reapers are specialized spirits who greet witches at death and help them cross over to the afterlife. I hear the last thoughts of the coven’s dead, and I carry them with me to the afterlife, to help make their transition easier. As a Reaper’s Apprentice, I’m studying under Dad to learn my abilities, so that one day I can help the souls of the coven reach our spiritual realm.”
“Did Kellen make it out of town?”
Marcus blurted. “Is he here with you?”
Kellen had been Marcus’ mentee before he came to the Institute. His older sister was Anya— Marcus’ former girlfriend, who he’d accidentally killed years ago.
“I’m sorry, Marcus,”
Erica said gently. “I saw him get captured by The Mission before we left Octavia Falls. Neither me nor Dad have heard his last thought, which means he’s still alive. We believe he’s being held at the Main Facility.”
“Then we need to get him out. The minute we find out where the Main Facility is, I’m going in there,”
Marcus pledged.
He turned his attention to two people standing near Kallie. “Let’s get to work. Who are these people?”
He’d asked that question rather rudely. One of them had to be Kallie’s twin, because they appeared to be very alike. Kazim didn’t look much like a king, more like a scholar. He was scrawny and wore glasses that were slightly askew, his blond hair a mess on top of his head.
Nobody answered Marcus’ question, because the twins were staring each other down.
“Kaz.”
Kallie observed her brother, unsure of what to say. This had to be the first time they were facing each other since she’d been sent to the Institute.
Kazim’s face brightened into a wide smile. He embraced Kallie, lifting her off the ground with the force of his hug. “Never thought I’d miss you so much as the day you left for the Institute. It’s a wonderful thing we're together again. Shouldn’t have ever been separated.”
Kallie gulped back tears as Kazim placed her back on the ground. “Shouldn’t have. Wouldn’t have, either, if not for Valen.”
“Believe me, he’s on my list,”
Kazim growled. “I’ve got guards crawling the country looking for his arse. If he’s anywhere to be found, I’ll have them bring him back to Malovia, so I can skin him alive myself.”
Kallie leaned in to hold her brother again, like she couldn’t get enough of him. “I can’t tell you how much that means, Kaz.”
“You know I couldn’t believe it when you tried to kill me, even when the evidence was staring me in the face. I felt something was wrong. I should’ve put it together that Valen compelled you. Once the evidence came out against Valen, I ordered him to be found and brought to trial immediately. I felt terribly guilty you had to go through all that. I should’ve listened to my gut, and never allowed you to go to the Institute.”
Kaz frowned.
“We’ve all made mistakes,”
King Ethan said, coming between them both and laying a hand on each of their shoulders. “All we can do now is put the past behind us.”
“Indeed.”
Kaz gestured to the woman beside him, speaking to the room at large. “For anyone who does not yet know, this is my queen, mate and soon-to-be wife, Sigrid.”
Sigrid was tall, taller than Kazim, with black hair and dark, hooded eyes. She spoke with a slight Malovian accent as she nodded toward the rest of us. “We finally meet again, Kalina. As for the rest of you, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Kazim’s eyes raked up and down Marcus’ form, like he was expecting more than the man before him. “Is, uh… is this it?”
“Kaz,”
Kallie hissed.
“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to put it that way. Just… never seen one of our kind with a warlock before,”
Kazim said. He reached out to shake Marcus’ hand. “You’re my sister’s mate, correct?”
Kazim’s parents must’ve informed him about what was going on between Marcus and Kallie. Her parents knew she was mated, but beyond that, I wasn’t sure what else she’d told them.
Marcus appeared to have no idea what was going on. “Ah… not really.”
Kazim’s eyebrows knitted together, like he didn’t understand why Marcus didn’t accept the title. He slowly let go of Marcus’ hand and drew away. “Good to meet you, besides.”
“I’m really happy to see you both,”
Kallie replied, quickly diverting attention away from Marcus. “From what I’ve heard, Malovia hasn’t been seized. Shouldn’t you be there, preparing for battle?”
"Mom and Dad are staying in Ilamanthe to support the fae who have fled Malovia, but I’ll be returning to our country soon, as Sigrid and I need to maintain a stronghold in Dolinska,”
Kazim replied. “We’re here to see you, and to speak with everyone about what’s to be done about this war. We need to make some decisions on what to do next.”
“Everyone take a seat,”
Emperor Cassiel instructed. Chair legs scraped across the floor, and a variety of noise surrounded me as everyone went to sit at the round table. Oberi changed into a phoenix and sat on the back of my chair, tilting her head inquisitively.
Cassiel took a breath, inclining his head. “Firstly, I wish to thank King Ethan once again for providing us this island where we can hide. I’d also like to thank him for lending his fae to help us to build this city. Your aid is greatly appreciated in a time of war.”
King Ethan nodded. “I promised myself long ago that if there was another supernatural war between the races, I would do whatever it took to protect others, and do what is right. The fae made a mistake in the last Great Supernatural War, and my family is here to right the wrongs our race caused.”
“Secondly, I would like to thank Queen Emmaline for providing an alliance with the dark fae city of Eiragrad, which is located in Edinmyre,”
Cassiel stated. “Assistance between the dark fae and ourselves has been vital to keeping the city alive, and the portal that’s been sustained in Ilamanthe that leads to Eiragrad by your magic gives us an advantage. The magical pathway between the two cities enables us to exchange resources, and have an exit strategy if Ilamanthe is compromised. I would also like to thank you once again for moving the ruins of Ithriel from Edinmyre to Earth, which enabled us to build Ilamanthe from the bones of our ancestral city.”
I nearly toppled out of my chair. Kallie’s mother was the sorceress who’d portaled the city of Ithriel to Earth? That kind of magic would kill most fae instantly on attempt. Queen Emmaline was far more powerful than I could’ve ever conceived.
“The city was helping me, and the magic was working for me, not against me. Ithriel wanted to be inhabited again, and the spirit of the city enabled my powers,”
Queen Emmaline responded. “It wasn’t a simple task, but it needed to be done, so I finished the job.”
I could hardly take my eyes off such a powerful caster. If Queen Emmaline could do that— move whole cities across space and time to new realms— she was an ally we needed on our side. More than that, she was a woman I wanted to be like.
She caught me staring at her and looked my way. I felt a shiver roll up my spine as the queen set eyes on me.
She frightened me. Her power was so immense it was terrifying. And I wasn’t an easy person to scare.
“All the same, moving a city from one realm to another is an incredible feat, one the very gods could be proud of,”
Cassiel responded.
“It is what my goddess expects of me, and I’m more than happy to be of help,”
Queen Emmaline replied. “It was the least the fae could do, to repay the Elves for what we did to them a hundred years ago.”
“Isn’t Edinmyre its own realm, one the fae and Elves come from?”
Marcus asked. “If there’s a portal open to Edinmyre, why don’t the Elves hide in Eiragrad? Edinmyre would be safer than Earth.”
“Some Elves have moved there,”
Cassiel said. “But migrating to Edinmyre is a permanent choice.”
“Most supernatural races can’t go there,”
Kallie explained. “Fae and Elves are able to handle the strange way time and magic works on that planet, but other supernatural races aren’t able to spend more than a few hours there; otherwise, they become trapped and go mad.”
“Isn’t it better for the Elves to hide there, then, if the angels and other races can’t stay in Edinmyre?”
Marcus asked.
“It’s difficult to move back to Earth once you’ve spent more than a few days in Edinmyre at a time, even for one of our kind,”
Queen Emmaline said. “The fae and Elves who choose to live in Eiragrad can never return to Earth once they’ve settled there, as the magic doesn’t allow them to leave. If the residents of Ilamanthe were to migrate to Edinmyre, they’d be stuck there permanently, though it is a last resort if Ilamanthe is sieged like Forevermore.”
“And we’ve settled here on Earth. We aren’t going to let the other races push us out of our home, not when Charlie’s prophecy is so close to being complete, and we have a chance to move on to the Blessed Haven,”
Cassiel said firmly. “If we move to Edinmyre, we have no way of coming back to Darke Island and communing with the gods again through the Elven Gate, or journeying to the Blessed Haven at all. Running isn’t the way to solve this. We have to pursue some sort of peace.”
“And opening the Elven Gate is the only way to do it,”
Charlie said. “We have five Divinity Keys now; the elemental, witch, fae, angel, and merfolk key. If we can find the vampire and Astromancer key, we can open that gate and put a stop to this. Not to mention if the Elves die out, all magic will as well, because the Elves are the original supernaturals and the magical world’s connection to the Blessed Haven. So I’ll lead the Elves to paradise, and perhaps then the war will be over.”
“The war’s never going to be over, not until we stop the Warden,”
I said. “Even if we open that gate, he’s dead set on starting a war between the gods, so he can rule over the afterlife and life on Earth both.”
Quite right, Oberi said. Dominion over the spiritual realm is his top goal, and if he succeeds, there will be no hope for any of us, not even if we manage to open the Elven Gate.
I repeated what Oberi said to the room at large. Kazim leaned on the table. “What’s his plan, here? How does he think he’ll be strong enough to conquer all the gods in the Blessed Haven so he can seat himself as the only ruler of the afterlife?”
“He’s set the dark gods from hell loose,”
Kallie said. “He plans on overwhelming the gods in the Blessed Haven, then once they’re taken care of, he’ll be making the rules.”
“Then… what? He expects all these dark gods won’t turn on him once they’re done doing his dirty work?”
Kazim asked. “They’re not just going to fall in line and do as he says.”
“There must be more to his plan that we don’t know about,”
Lucas said. “He’d think farther ahead than what we’re considering. There must be a way he can control them.”
A shiver ran up my spine at the suggestion. I couldn’t imagine what kind of power or weapon the Warden had that would make even the dark gods fear him.
“Do we have any clues on where the last two keys might be?”
Nadine asked. She flipped open a notepad and clicked a pen, a detective gathering clues.
No one said anything. Ez groaned and said, “Come on, there has to be somewhere we can start.”
“The Astromancer key will be the most difficult to find. The enchanters are a very reclusive society, and as such, information on where their key is will be almost impossible to locate. If anything, finding the vampire key should be the next step,”
Cassiel mused.
“Why don’t we ask for their help?”
I questioned. “The vampires have already taken the Warden’s side, but maybe the Astromancers will want to lend us a hand.”
“We’ve already sent a request to their leaders for an alliance, and have been ignored,”
Cameron noted. “The angels haven’t outright attacked the Astromancer city yet, so we believe they’re playing both sides.”
“This isn’t right,”
I said in frustration. “The Astromancers can’t sit out and claim to be Switzerland when the supernatural world is in chaos. Whatever happens affects them as much as it does us.”
“But that’s the stance they’ve chosen to take,”
Daddy replied. “The Astromancers won’t make an alliance until there’s an obvious winner to the war. Then it’ll be too late.”
“If I know anything about vampires— and I do— they’re all greedy bastards who want the most power for themselves,”
Ivy said. “So I bet the vampire key has been passing through the hands of dozens of vampires through the years, who kept on killing each other for a shot at having it. That’ll leave a bloody trail we can follow, so we can start investigating.”
“At least that’s something,”
Charlie grumbled.
“What do we know about the gods— all the gods?”
I asked. “Can we infer anything from there?”
“That’s a very large subject. Where do you wish to begin?”
Cassiel asked.
I sighed. “Well, the Hawkei god is the Great Spirit, who in our culture is above all beings. The Great Spirit split into hundreds of other Hawkei gods, such as Coyote Spirit and Whale Spirit.”
I was worried about Coyote. He hadn’t contacted me since I’d escaped Cellblock 9, and I wasn’t sure what had happened to him, or if he was okay. And it wasn’t like I had a way to get ahold of him, so I was left to wonder.
“Mother Miriam is the goddess of the Miriamic Coven, alongside her husband Santos, and the Seven Gods are the deities of the fae pantheon,”
Marcus said. “Hopefully they’re still in the Blessed Haven, in their respected afterlifes, and defending their territories from these dark gods the Warden sent to take them down.”
“How many of these dark gods are there, and why should the gods in the Blessed Haven be threatened by them?”
Charlie asked.
“These dark gods are lesser deities that aren’t as strong as the rulers in the Blessed Haven, but they outnumber them,”
Cassiel said. “That’s where the threat lies. They were previously contained in the Eternal Torment, but now that the Warden has set them loose, they’ve become a threat.”
“And these dark gods are angry,”
Cameron added. “They were banished to hell because they were weak, and unable to accumulate followers to worship them like the other gods did. They most likely seek to take the patrons of the more benevolent gods for themselves once their enemies have been destroyed.”
“Not all of the dark gods are weak,”
Ivy countered. “The vampiric god resides in hell, and I can assure you, he’s gonna want a piece of the action.”
“What’s he like?”
Kallie asked.
“The vampiric god is a high-level entity named Uraeus,”
Ivy explained. “You can’t get into his lore without learning about the angel deity, the Almighty One.”
Chancey nodded. “The king of heaven, surrounded by all his archangels. His brother, Uraeus, used to be a god as well, but he got kicked out of the afterlife after he tried to overthrow the Almighty One.”
“So Uraeus is definitely on the Warden’s side, because I’ll bet he’s pissed that the Almighty One kicked him out of the Blessed Haven, and wants payback,”
Ivy stated.