Chapter 14
Theo is coaxing the janitor out of some kind of fugue state.
The smoke provoked such a primal reaction in Ludo that it must be PTSD. I saw a lot of that in the Kormovia army. It never gets easier to witness. Fuck.
We all deal with trauma in different ways. Take my cousin; he’s back in his hound form, tearing around the hillside completely manic.
Donovan is asleep on the grass.
And Drakeward? He is staring into the distance, jaw clenched. Who knows what goes on in that mind?
As for me, an emotional or psychological experience leads me to seek answers, so that’s what I’m going to do.
“Where are you going?” Drakeward frowns as I start moving.
“Taking a look inside.”
“I’ll come. You are not the only one here with an intellect, Feniks.”
I don’t bother giving him a response; I’m too focused on the structure in front of me. The walls are not fabric, but something that moves like it—a kind of gossamer glass that ripples like liquid silk. Its construction is utterly alien; the effect of the golden light passing through is mesmerizing.
A breeze parts the drapery, letting more of the golden light pour out. Holding out a hand, I tell Drakeward to wait. I don’t trust the dragon to remain calm and observant, and who knows what is beyond these curtains?
“Fine, put yourself in the firing line,” he snaps. “I don’t care.”
I know you don’t, Dragon-boy.
My feelings towards Cosmo Drakeward are dismissed as soon as I step inside.
I’m in a temple in a different realm; fucking amazing!
Light filters down from the open ceiling, and my eyes land on a raised dais, at least ten feet above me. Looking up, I see a throne cut from white stone. A figure sits with a bowed head. A female figure. Or what's left of her.
Is this biological—a mummy of some kind, or a highly realistic sculpture?
Her face is stretched taut over bone, and wispy strands of lifeless hair hang from her skull. Her eyes are closed, chin dipped to her chest, as if she lacks the strength to lift her head.
The robes she wears are gauzy like the temple's drapes, but worn and frayed.
A faint tremor vibrates through the floor.
“Feniks?”
I figured the dragon wouldn’t stay out for long. "Tread carefully," I warn him. It feels like this place is sleeping. Do we want to wake it up?
"Whoa." Max appears suddenly. "Think that's a Goddess? I'd expect her to be a little more... immortal,” he breathes into my ear.
A low, rumbling sound starts, growing with intensity as the floor begins to shake. The fabric veil around the figure stirs, not from a breeze but from a barely visible movement. A shaft of light cuts through the darkness, landing on the figure’s face.
Beside me, Max murmurs, “Ruh roh, Scooby,” under his breath.
It’s then that I see it: a shimmering trail on the statue’s cheek, like a glistening tear track. She isn't stone, but something else entirely.
A small, cool hand threads into mine, and immediately a pleasant tingling sensation travels through my body. “What’s this?” Theo whispers.
I wish she’d stayed outside, safe with Ludo, but it’s too late now.
"Shitballs!" Max points at the seated figure, whose head is slowly turning.
A low grinding sound comes from the throne until the face stops, looking directly at Theo.
"Move behind me," I tell her in a tone that says no arguments. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work on my girl.
"Absolutely not," she says. Shaking my hand off, Theo steps up to the monumental figure. I watch her movement critically. She isn't favoring her right side anymore. In fact, she’s moving with a fluidity that shouldn't be possible given the nasty scrape she took in the tunnel.
I glance at her hip. The unzipped hoodie reveals the skin and…it’s knitting together. Before my eyes.
A faint, golden glow pulses under the dermis, turning the bloody patch into nothing but a faint pink line.
Whatever energy she absorbed from this place, it isn't just empowering her; it’s preserving her. It’s keeping her whole.
A fucking mountain of relief crashes through me as I realize my girl can self heal. I watch my miracle girl as she inclines her head respectfully to the statue and clears her throat.
"Er, hello. My name is Theodora Wilson.”
Donovan shifts slightly. I know we’re both ready to grab her and run. The statue doesn’t open its mouth, but suddenly a voice fills my head. The sensation is almost overwhelming.
How has Theo not gone mad after years of this?
—I have long awaited your arrival in Avalon. I am Amirene—
Avalon?
We’re in Avalon?
My mind races, but I instantly banish any skepticism. This is amazing! And this creature, Amirene... the name tugs at a loose thread in my memory. Greek roots. Amintōr... defender. Eirēnē... peace. Amirene—Defender of Peace. This thing isn’t just a statue; it’s a living myth.
—Correct, male of the Earth Realm. I am a protector tasked to defend the serenity of Avalon.—
I glance at Theo, who is wide-eyed and open-mouthed. “Did you bring me here?” she asks. “Was it your voice that led me into the portal of light?”
—Yes, Daughter of Avalon. For you have the gift of my Lumina—
“Your Lumina? Wha...what is that?” she stutters. “I don’t understand?”
Neither do I.
—Lumina is my essence, child. The light. I sent it out to your Realm when the breach began—
"Time out," Max shouts. "What breach?"
—Obex... broken...—
An image slams into my mind, violent and sudden. A colossal stone gatekeeper, Obex, crumbling into dust. Black, oily smoke pours from the cracks in his armor, leaking into a world that looks suspiciously like ours.
—The balance tips. The darkness bleeds into the Earth. There is much you must know, but so little time—
“Is it bad to have Avalon essence in our realm?” Theo asks with a tremor in her voice. “The way you are talking, it sounds like it’s really bad.”
—Poison— Amirene’s voice echoes, sad and hollow.
—Men drink the poison and call it power—
Another image floods my vision. Validus Vale.
Students walking through black mist, unaware as wisps of smoke attach to them like parasites.
I see it seeping out from below the building site fencing.
The vision morphs into a laboratory. Men in white coats gathered around glass tubes where dark essence churns and seethes.
“What will this do to people?” Theo whispers.
—Man twists the corrupt energy to their own ends.—
The shimmer that has been surrounding Theo intensifies while the figure on the throne fades slightly.
—You must reverse the flow. Send it to the void, or your realm will be destroyed.—
Theo’s fingers convulse around mine.
—Theodora, Daughter of Avalon, you carry the Lumina. It is possible to succeed, but only when you have your knights at your side... though one is lost—
“Knights? Lost? You mean Wes?”
—And be wary of the men who twist its energies for their own ends—
“Sure, OK. But what about Wes?” Theo asks again, flapping her hand at Amirene in frustration. “Please, this is so important.”
—I understand, Daughter of Avalon. You will find him again, for he’s already back in the Earth Realm—though he traveled there through the storm—
As Theo and Donovan let out sighs of relief, I make a mental note of her words. He traveled through the storm. Does she mean the storm Drakeward struggled with? If so, that could be a problem.
—But for now, child, you must let your powers guide your actions. Trust your innate nature. Even though I’ve given you my Lumina, it will be hard to wield, but you must learn. And trust your protectors. Love and loyalty will provide you with everything that’s needed.—
“Wait, wait,” Theo stutters. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. You’re saying this dark essence is seeping into the Earth realm, and somehow I am supposed to use the Lumina to plug the leak, and also send all the dark crap into a mysterious void? And the guys are to help me?”
Theo looks completely shattered. I’m not surprised.
“Is, like, the fate of the world actually on my shoulders?” she asks. “Please, please tell me I’ve got that wrong.”
—Go now, child. The minotaur must lead you back—
“No!” Theo almost shrieks. “We can’t go, we need more information. How will we know what to do?”
—When your natures are revealed, they will have the tools you need. Now I must rest, and you must leave—
“But, it’s too much,” Theo says, her voice shaking and overwhelmed. “Why me, Amirene?”
—Love and loyalty— The voice, barely a whisper, fades to nothing.
The glow surrounding Theo flares brighter, breaking into a thousand colors, then settles again.
Amierene is statue-still once more.
“She’s gone. We’re supposed to stop Armageddon, and she just shuts down with a ‘figure it out, kids.’” Theo stumbles back, pressing a hand over her face. “It’s too much.”
Donovan gathers her into his arms.
I’m also annoyed at the statue. This is an appalling lack of critical intelligence. We’ve been presented with a problem of global significance and are told to rely on our 'natures'?
She gave us no context on how to neutralize the dark essence Obex is leaking into our world. How do we access a Void?
“Listen, pulu, none of us know what we are going to be facing, but whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together. For now, we head back to the Earth Realm. That’s one clear thing Amirene told us to do. Once we’re back, maybe we can get some answers from Validus Vale’s library.”
“He’s right, Tee-Tee,” Donovan says, moving closer. “And that Amirene chick said you had her Lumina-essence, right? So think about it, you’re filled with super-powered goo. There'll be nothing on Earth that can take you down—and if anything even tries, I’ll be there first to get in its way.”
“Only if you can beat me to it!” Max grins. “Remember, I’m the hellhound.” He gives Theo a wink. “And this hound is gonna be hell on your enemies.”
I watch Theo’s eyes drift to Cosmo.
He is staring at his hands, rubbing his thumb over his fingertips as if trying to clean off invisible dust. Finally, he looks up, his expression hardening. “If our realm is using this dark essence, I’d wager everything that my power-crazed father is involved.”
He hesitates for a beat, his jaw working, before nodding once. “So yes, I’m on board. There are no lengths I won’t go to to get rid of my father—permanently,” he growls.
That surprises me. I thought Cosmo Drakeward was being groomed to become the perfect Conclave member. I may have been wrong, seeing as patricide is one of his life goals.
“So, can we please go home now and find Wes?” Donovan asks.
“Yes,” Theo sighs deeply. “Yes, please.”