Chapter 76
Chapter seventy-six
Dominick
Dominick thought he had imagined Sera’s voice. Since washing Theo, he’d started hearing things that weren’t there. Whispers and calls. He was going mad.
It wasn’t until her arms were around him, when she whispered in his ear that she missed and loved him, that he believed she was real. At that moment, he fell apart, and she held him as he broke.
He didn’t know how long they’d lain together crying. After a while, Seraphina started to talk. He listened to her talk about her time with the demon lord, about her sister, about the oracle who’d erupted into blue light.
When she was done, he wiped the tears from her cheeks.
Dominick choked on his words when he told her of Theo, how he had been beaten and brutalized for two days. As he and Alistair had rushed to get him out of the tower, and how Dom had cradled his corpse long after Theo took his last breath, praying to Shadow to bring him back.
Sera cried for him, cried because he didn’t have tears left when he described his brother’s burning, how his parents were now trapped in the Citadel. But when he was done, a small weight had been lifted from him. Minimal compared to the boulder that still held him down, but it was something.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he croaked. A headache had formed behind his eyes from everything he had put his exhausted body through the past few days. “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Always,” she whispered. “But you need to wash. You’re ripe.”
“All right,” he said and made his way to the bathing chamber. His bones ached. He felt like he’d aged a century in a month. Removing his clothes, he glanced at himself in the mirror.
He was in bad shape. Lowering himself into the hot water, he soaked his aching bones and closed his eyes.
Upon opening them, he screamed at the witch standing before him. “Who the fuck are you?”
The witch smiled.
Sera burst through the door. “Everything okay?”
“No.” He pointed to the corner and covered himself with his other hand. “Who is this witch?”
“Where?”
“Right there.” He pointed again. The witch smiled at him and raised a brow.
“Dom, I don’t see anyone.”
“Tell her it’s Ophelia,” the witch said, her voice ethereal, something dark and other about it.
Dominick stared at the strange witch, then back at Sera. “She said her name is Ophelia?” Sera’s eyes went wide as she looked to the corner.
“Dom, she’s dead. That’s the oracle I was telling you about.”
He watched the shade in front of him roll her eyes. She wasn’t even see-through. Shades were supposed to be see-through, right? Ophelia was wearing oracle robes, her hair long, her face no longer battered and bruised. He hadn’t even recognized her as the witch he’d seen on that platform.
“Tell her that I am fully aware of what happened, and she needn’t remind me.” Ophelia straightened her robes.
He repeated her words to Sera. Seraphina just rolled her eyes in return.
Dom cleared his throat. “I need you both to leave.”
Sera nodded and closed the door behind her. The witch in front of him raised her brow. “You sure I can’t watch?” the shade said.
Dominick responded through gritted teeth. “Sorry, babe, you’re not my type.”
“Suit yourself.” The oracle shrugged and left.
“Wait!” he pleaded. “Theo, can I see Theo?”
Ophelia’s eyes grew sad. “Maybe one day,” she said and disappeared.
Dom hated to admit it, but the bath did feel good. It hadn’t brightened his spirits, but it did ease some of the ache in his bones. He wrapped a towel around his waist and inspected the clothes that Sera had laid out for him.
“These are too big,” he said.
“They’re Al’s. I refuse to let you put on dirty clothes.” She held his gray robes an arm’s length away and dropped them outside the door, apparently for a demonic laundry service. “Where’s Ophelia?”
“Not here.”
Sera huffed. “I know where she’ll be.”
Dominick followed Sera through the halls.
He held his breath as he gazed at the mirrored pool.
The far wall was illuminated by moonstone, a rare rock said to be found at the bottom of the ocean.
Its glow bounced off the walls, making the chamber feel almost holy.
There, at the center of the pool, was Ophelia.
“She’s here,” he said. Sera looked to the center platform, giving the shade a small smile as if she could see her. “The pool is magnificent,” he said. “How long has it been here?”
“I’m not sure. Before the war started, that’s for sure, but I was never able to determine an exact date,” Ophelia answered. “Maybe you will.”
“I’ll let the two of you get acquainted,” Sera said, leaving him alone with the ghost.
He admired the colors twisting beneath the surface and stepped next to Ophelia.
“What have you learned from the master oracle?”
“Not much. Weather predictions, crop yields—I had just been moved to lifelines before we ended up here.” He swallowed at the thought. The only reason he’d been promoted was because Theo had been imprisoned.
“Seems like I’ll be stuck here longer than I thought.” Ophelia threw her hands up in defeat.
“Why haven’t you moved on?”
“Never mind,” she said and motioned to the pool. “Pull a life.”
Dominick raised his arms and closed his eyes. A red column formed, extending from the pool to the cave ceiling. He let out a breath. His mother was still safe and alive.
“Good, pull your father now.”
“How did you—”
“Don’t ask, warlock,” she snapped before he could finish his thought. “Just do.”
Dominick pulled a new column of blue. His father had frayed ends, gaps, and damage to the threads. His brow furrowed.
“Hmm, not so good,” Ophelia said.
She instructed him to use his magic repeatedly, requesting the lives of people he knew and some he didn’t.
“This was a good test,” she said. “Get some rest. We’ll start fresh tomorrow.”
Dominick walked back to his room. Theo’s face kept popping into his mind. The way he laughed, his lopsided grin. A wave of grief washed over him, heavy as an anvil, and he burst into tears.
He opened the bedroom door to find Sera curled on her side, already asleep.
They’d been through so much together, and then apart.
He was certain more was to come—more death, brutality, and war.
His father wasn’t well, if those threads were any indication.
He needed Al to get his parents out as soon as possible.
He swallowed his tears and snuck into bed, trying hard not to disturb her. Just before he closed his eyes, he heard Theo whisper his name.
Frantic, he looked for the voice, willing him to materialize. “Theo?” he whispered. No one was there.
Lying in bed, he let his tears soak the pillow. Dominick focused on Sera’s breathing. He wasn’t alone, not with Seraphina here. And after a time, he drifted to sleep.