Chapter 37 #2
But what I can tell you is that you are a queen, my daughter.
Not just any queen, but a uniter. A healing one.
You will one day bring together both Kinetics and Elementals and restore them to their origins.
You will rule with kindness, strength, compassion, and a ferocity that no one will ever dare to test. Because, unfortunately, we can’t achieve greatness without having gone through the growing pains first.
There will be many points in your journey that’ll make you want to surrender. Do not. You are powerful. So much more powerful than you can fathom, my dear. And when you discover the extent of your strength, you’ll never look back.
I can’t disclose more insight without tampering with the fabric of reality, but I can bestow a single hint. And when the time comes, you’ll know what it means.
There’s a sword, only one of its kind. A majestic one with a pearly white blade and blue symbols.
It’s the secret to breaking the ties that sustain.
It’s called The Eternal Sword. You’ll know it when you see it.
With a power not of this world, it possesses the ability to sever all bonds.
Dark or light. But you must pierce the heart of the bond bearer, as that is where all bonds are sealed.
Your own heart will shatter, but you will heal.
Take what I’ve written in this letter and hold it close to your heart.
I love you, my darling. I’ll be there with you in magic and spirit. You’re never alone, even in your darkest hour. Hold true to yourself and remain strong, no matter how hard others try to break you. Because they won’t succeed.
With my eternal love,
Your mother and queen,
Lilliana Silas.
I gently folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope before turning my attention to meet Slate’s anxious gaze. I rasped through the mixture of emotions suffocating me.
Lilliana sounded as regal as I had always imagined her to be, and even in just her written words, it was clear she’d been as kind and empathetic as Orion had described her.
My heart squeezed with pain, knowing I’d never hear from her again.
The loss snowballed, and I realized I’d never have a child of my own someday to forge that bond with.
I’d been robbed of a chance of love in every direction: family, friends, and partners. Maybe I was destined to be alone.
I sat hunched on the floor, the letter slipping from my fingers and fluttering onto the stone. Slate didn’t push me to speak. He simply sat in the heaviness with me.
After several minutes grieving a mother that I never met, I picked up the letter again, sniffling as I wiped my cheeks with my free hand.
My mom had mentioned a sword that severed bonds.
My eyes shifted back and forth as I reread the hint she left me, trying to make sense of it.
I could only hope that it didn’t mean what my brain led me to believe.
But with each pass, my hopes sank further into the recesses of my darkness. I just hoped that I wouldn’t come across such a sword to confirm her words. And then my mind spiraled, wondering how she could’ve possibly known any of this so many years ago?
Worst of all, if what she said was true, that meant that Chrome had known all along.
“What’d it say?” Slate sat up, leaning forward to move toward me.
“I—” The door burst open once again. On instinct, I shoved the letter behind my back as if I could actually hide it.
I anticipated finding Chrome in the doorway, but what I saw left me in more surprise than if my mother were to suddenly make an appearance.
“Cotton?” Standing beside him, I did another double-take. “Onyx? What the—”
“Gray, Slate. Oh, thank the gods,” Onyx said in relief, rushing over to me and lowering himself into a crouch. “Let’s get you both out of here. We don’t have much time.” He fumbled with the chains and observed the cuffs.
“How are you two here? And why?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“No time, Princess. Do you know what these cuffs are made of by chance?” Onyx’s amber eyes searched my body, anger brightening them as he took in the state of me.
I shook my head, not having a clue.
Sounds of a struggle came from the distance, like a fight was breaking out somewhere outside the prison. Onyx snapped his attention to Cotton and Slate, apparently coming to a decision.
I angled my head, confused, partially wondering if I happened to be in a dream state.
Onyx slid a Kinetic sword from his back, its blue sigils glowing in the darkness. In one swift swing, he brought the blade down onto the chains connected to Slate's ankles and then moved to do the same with the ones attached to his wrists.
I wondered if Cotton were here, if Scarlett would be, too. The last I saw of them, Chrome and I basically forced the pair into a portal. Seeing Onyx gave me hope, too, that the Perry Hollow survived after Chrome and Royal’s ambush the night he took Slate and me.
“The cuffs need to go, too. They’re restricting our powers and ability to replenish them,” Slate explained.
Cotton nodded, his clean-shaven jaw tensing.
Oh, no. I cringed at the memory of the last time he freed me from cuffs.
The searing torture of the restraints melting my skin at the King’s Palace during my escape was something I’d tried to block out.
Slate held out his wrists, not even questioning Cotton’s intention.
He seemed to trust him immediately. “It’s fine.
I’ll heal. Chrome and I helped you train with this ability, remember? ”
Cotton took a deep breath and dropped into a squat so that he was eye-level with Slate.
He placed his palms on the metal cuffs, and a few seconds later, the cuffs began to glow a hot red-orange until they melted.
Slate’s breath increased as he closed his eyes against the agonizing pain, but he made no other sound until his hands were free.
Luckily, within seconds, they began to heal.
I released a pent-up breath but then held it again as Cotton repeated the action once more to remove the shackles on his ankles. When he finished, Slate shook out his wrists and groaned from the rush of his magic and power coming back to life.
“Thanks, Cotton.” Slate slapped a hand to his shoulder and gripped him, a small smile on his face. “It’s been a while, right? It’s good to be back.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering how Slate seemed to be carrying on a conversation with him. But I didn’t have long before Cotton hurried over to me, reminding me of how much more slender he was than Chrome and Slate.
“Nice to see you again, Princess. Or shall I call you ‘Queen’ now?” Cotton smirked above me.
I almost burst into tears again. “Is that—is that you speaking in my head?”
Cotton nodded as he said, “Yeah, I might’ve learned a few new tricks since you tossed my ass into Arcadia.”
My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry about that! Trust me when I say, be glad we did.”
Cotton lowered himself to my height as he had with Slate. “I am. Thank you.”
“It’s really good to hear you, Cotton.” Joy lifted my heart for him finally having a voice. Even if it was in an unconventional way that I hadn’t even known was possible.
“There’s a lot to catch you up on. But first, we gotta get you two out of here. Your ride is waiting for you just outside the gates.”
I angled my head, questioning who that could possibly be. But the suspicion quickly transformed into nervousness when Cotton hovered his palms over the cuffs on my wrists.
I took a steadying breath, bracing myself for the pain. “As if the first time you did this didn’t traumatize me enough. Let’s go a second round, shall we?” I joked, trying to distract myself from what was to come.
“Stop getting cuffed, and this wouldn’t be a problem, Princess,” Cotton returned with a crooked grin.
He didn’t give me a chance to retort. Instead, he went straight for the restraints as he had with Slate’s, and I bit my bottom lip to fight off the pain.
The metal heated abnormally fast, searing my skin and melting into it.
Holding my breath to suppress my screams, I nearly passed out.
“Breathe, Gray.” Slate’s voice broke through my lightheadedness and racing heart.
I opened my eyes as Cotton backed away with his head bowed and remorse clouding his expression as he moved to squat between my ankles.
The burn on my wrists went to the bone, but it wasn’t long before my magic began soothing it with healing power.
I winced when Cotton’s Kinetic energy began to heat the shackles on my ankles.
And once again, the agony ripped through my feet, feeling as if someone were sawing them through to the bone with a jagged knife dipped in acid.
Despite it feeling like an eternity, I forced deep breaths into my lungs until Cotton removed his hands.
Finally, I was free from the cuffs. The bliss of my magic flowing through my body once again rejuvenated me. At least I still had that.
A hand caught the arch of my back. I opened my eyes, spotting Slate at my shoulder, assessing me with worry in his hazel eyes. “Are you okay?”
Giving him a solemn smile, I said, “I will be.” My eyes welled with the tenderness that he offered me.
“We need to go. Shit’s getting wild up there.” Onyx stalked to the cell door, peering outside of it from left to right.
“What’s going on?” Slate asked, stepping in front of me.
I rolled my eyes. “I love how you think I can’t defend myself.”
Slate looked over his shoulder, shaking his head. “You’ve been weakened, and your magic has been diminished. You’re in no condition to fight.”
My shoulders slumped forward because he was right. But I’d be damned if I went down without a fight.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled, despite feeling lightheaded.
“Let’s go. It’s clear for now,” Onyx said with Cotton at his side, moving to exit together. Then Slate nudged me from behind for me to follow so he could take my flank.