Chapter 27 #2
The subtle aroma of herbs and spices filled the room. Jasmine and vanilla and sandalwood. Soft light filtered through the front window, casting gentle patterns across the wooden floor, the sun clearly having made its way out from behind the clouds.
The furniture was sparse, yet every item seemed to have a purpose.
A large, overstuffed armchair sat near the crackling fireplace, its cushions worn with age.
Tall, solid bookshelves lined the walls, not only filled with old tomes and ancient texts, but jars of dried sage and bundles of dried lavender.
A small altar, decorated with crystals and candles, sat on the wooden mantel.
And in the corner, the hearth crackled with warmth, the flames dancing merrily beneath a cauldron where something was simmering.
In the centre of the room stood a sturdy wooden table, its top scarred from use. It was there that Eudora directed me. I pulled out a comfortable-looking chair and sat, meeting her gaze across the table.
She sent me an enigmatic smile. “You have returned, Aelyra, to fulfil your birthright.”
I frowned, uncertain of her meaning. “How do you know who I am?”
She grinned with that mysterious air once more. It was the kind of smile that hinted that its owner had a profound understanding of all that was around them. “Your mate was correct. I am a wise woman,” she said. “I see all. Past, present, and future. I have been waiting for you to visit me.”
My eyes widened. “What do you see for me?” I whispered.
Her eyes glazed over, and I felt a slight chill in the air, but then it lifted and only the vanilla-scented warmth remained. “You will be happy,” she replied, her eyes on mine again. “In the end.”
I wasn’t sure if that was meant to be reassuring or ominous.
Or both.
Taking the teapot off the nearby tray, she poured me a cup before stating quite sternly, “Now ask your questions, girl.”
I took a sip of tea first, gathering my thoughts. “I wanted to ask about soul bonds,” I hedged.
“Out with it, little bird. You want to know what will happen if you don’t complete the bond ceremony.” Her penetrating gaze and the way she knew what I was thinking were making me feel slightly uncomfortable, but it was the name she called me that made me pause.
“Caelan calls me that,” I said. “Little bird. How did you…”
I trailed off at the look on her face. She had already told me.
She knew all.
“Um. I want to know what will happen if I complete the bond ceremony. But also if I don’t.”
“If you don’t accept the mate bond, the curse will not be broken,” she said in a firm voice.
I reared back. It is about me.
“Of course it’s about you,” she continued, her eyes never leaving mine.
“Did you think Ladeyn would have sent you away to the Human Realm if she was not sure you were the one? Your mother was not a stupid female, Aelyra. In fact, she would have been a very wise female indeed if she had lived to see my age.”
“You knew my mother?”
The expression on her face conveyed that I was asking the wrong questions. I guess it was a stupid question. Of course she knew my mother.
“What do you mean, ‘accept’? I didn’t know I had to accept anything. Is that what the ceremony is for?”
“Yes. If you don’t complete the bond ceremony, you can live your life as you do now. But once you do, you have accepted that Caelan is your mate and that your lives will be forever entwined. That is what it means.”
“So, I have no choice but to accept the soul bond if I want the prophecy to come true?”
“Choice, you say…” she said cryptically. “There is always a choice, Aelyra. It was not destiny’s choice. It was yours. You chose this. You.” She pointed a long, crooked finger at me.
I furrowed my brow, not understanding. “Me? But how could I have chosen anything? I’ve only just learnt of it.” Her words were making no sense. I felt like the conversation was going around in circles.
“You and your brother were given the option: which one would go, which one would stay. You made the decision, choosing to go to the Human Realm so your brother could stay here.”
“But we were just infants, not even six months old. How could we have done such a thing?” I threw my hands up in frustration. Every answer only led to more questions.
“You may have been babes in body, but your spirits were old. You were given the choice, and you made it – not once, but twice,” she revealed.
Again with the cryptic answer. I was getting tired of the games. More and more, I was feeling as if everything was out of my control. That my life was all set out and I was just watching from the sidelines.
Softly, as if realising I was nearing the end of my tether, Eudora said, “Accepting a mate bond is a beautiful thing, Aelyra. Do not be afraid of it. You chose Caelan as your mate. You. He is the one who had no choice in the matter.”
But… how? I just looked at her, unable to keep asking the same thing repeatedly.
“When you were switched,” she answered, waving her hand.
“When you were travelling in that place neither here nor there. The void in the crossover. You reached out and grasped hold of his soul, tethering him to yours in that instant. You initiated the bond, making that decision before fate could intervene. You chose him. So yes, Dream Weaver, you chose this. You set the narrative. Not the fates. Not the gods. You were in control from the start, regardless of how it feels now. Do not let your fear of the unknown stop you from heading down this path. Walk it with conviction, knowing you chose it.”
Dream Weaver?
“What’s a Dream Weaver?” I asked.
“You are, my dear,” she whispered. “It is your gift. One of them.” Her piercing blue eyes held a depth that I couldn’t quite fathom. “You have the ability to weave dreams.”
Understanding dawned, and I couldn’t quite hide the shock and awe that must have shown on my face.
“I see you know about that of which I speak,” she continued, her voice low. “You control the dreams, just as you control your fate. But know this: if you accept the mate bond, you will be forever bound to this land. The earthly realm will be closed to you.” Her words sent a tingle up my spine.
A crushing realisation settled into my heart.
I would never again see the comforts of my home.
Never again hear the familiar tones of Sarah’s voice.
Never again feel her warm hugs or see her face.
As I stared into Eudora’s eyes, that ache of absence deepened, casting a shadow over my soul.