Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
The next day, I avoided Demir like he was a sickness, but I saw him out in the field with Jasper and some of our soldiers; he and Everett were learning all they could from our fighters.
Demir was faster and stronger than all of them, and he was adapting to the new fighting style well.
Stepping back from the window of my council room, I waited for the others to join me.
Sienna and Cain entered first. Geraldine was now relieved of her duties now he’d returned, and he had already sent her back out to see what else they could uncover to help us in this war.
Her gift for warping memories made her particularly useful, more so than our whispers and shadows, because even if found, she could still leave without a trace but she had never had to rely on it, she was just that good.
Mattias had followed my orders and remained invisible in the lead up to the Ascent, never daring to step foot near this room.
As I prepared to begin the meeting, Vivianna walked through the door, a smug expression on her face as she noticed my shock before I could school my features back to their usual stoic state.
She was never able to surprise me much, but this I truly did not expect, and she relished it.
Looking at Cain accusingly, he only shrugged, confirming that he had known of her arrival but didn’t think it was worth mentioning.
I refused to be the first one to break, so I sat, watched and waited as she circled the room and pulled up beside me.
‘I’m sorry, Sky,’ she said as she knelt down at my side, all arrogance draining from her, ‘I shouldn’t have kept anything from you; I should have trusted you the way you have trusted me all these years.
And thank you. Thank you for taking away the choice for me, so that I wouldn’t have to be the one to kill my own brother.
You saved me from a pain I can barely comprehend.
I don’t deserve a leader or a friend like you.
Please, I can’t not have you in my life anymore.
I’m ready to take my place back by your side. ’
In an instant, all the apprehension, fear and anger I had been holding onto faded. That was the Viv I knew, but even after all those pretty words, I knew one thing for certain. I could never fully trust her again, even if the flame remained quiet as she spoke; but I could trust her just enough.
‘Take a seat. We have a meeting to start.’ She grinned happily at my invitation. ‘I assume you have information and updates for me after speaking with your commanders.’
She nodded. She was never one to shirk her responsibilities. ‘Prince Acheron of Cazina has vowed allegiance, but his father, King Tiberias, is still warming to the idea. They will be in attendance at the ascent of the souls, where we will make our case.’
I stared at Viv, shocked. Cazina had historically allied with Morgad and Suncela. ‘Perks of sleeping with the prince, I suppose?’ I jabbed.
‘Oh, there are many perks—BIG perks,’ Viv joked before she continued, while Sienna groaned.
‘Word is that the rest of the Morgadian army is making their way to the nearest border of the Ancient Forest. It will take four weeks for them to move that many soldiers, but they’re preparing for a massive assault.
We are moving all our fighters to the outskirts of the Ancient Forest and the border.
We still don’t know how he managed to get in and out with no one seeing him when you infiltrated Morgad.
We believe they found a way to tamper with the wards.
No as for our soldiers, we will be there a week ahead of them, so we’ll be ready.
The Forest Fae battalion, led by Jasper, will leave on the night of the Ascension to pick off any scouts and smaller units attempting to make their way through while the rest of our people proceed.
This is it—the fight we have been prepping for.
We are ready, but we need more fighters; that’s where our allies come in. ’
Once Viv had finished, Cain slid me a note.
Every ruler will be in attendance at the Ascension.
There, we will finally confirm who our allies are and how we will use their soldiers to our advantage.
We have enough time to get their people into place while Morgad crosses their lands to our border.
The outlier lands that are too far will come through portals; Sienna has been toying with some new magic thanks to our new Nomadie ally.
We have confirmed that Sebastian already has access to some form of dark magic; it is unclear where it originates or how to stop it, but I believe Mother Zeina will have answers.
You need to give her the Oracle—you will gain more from one conversation with that being than you ever will from looking at its pages.
I also need you to prepare yourself for the reality that there may not be a way to break your bond with Demir, other than perhaps his death—but it would fundamentally change you in a way I don’t think we can predict. It would be a shattering of the soul.
I took a deep breath, not liking much of what I had read, as I passed my gaze around the table to Viv and then Sienna.
Sienna spoke up next. ‘My mother will be at the Ascent of the Souls—the rest of the High Elder Wiccans have refused—but I’ll ask her tomorrow about what form of dark magic Morgad has. Perhaps she has heard something new.’
‘If the other Elders are refusing to attend, it’s safe to assume that they have allied themselves with that swine Sebastian and were perhaps the ones that manipulated the wards to allow him entry,’ I said.
Sienna gasped; the thought had never crossed her mind, but judging by Cain’s expression, I could see he had similar suspicions.
After discussing a few more minor details, I dismissed the council.
Viv stayed behind, waiting for the room to clear before she cleared her throat.
There was still tension between us. All of my instincts told me to make her suffer, to keep being angry, and to hurt her the way she had hurt me, but I fought against them.
Those are the instincts that had left me so broken and alone in this world, and as hurt as I had been after Visarous’s betrayal, perhaps it was my tendency to keep everyone at arm’s length that had left me so blind.
Perhaps I needed to draw them all in closer instead.
‘Tell me about him, Viv. Tell me everything I should have been willing to hear before,’ I nudged. She stared at me in shock; I don’t believe she had ever seen me this way. I suppose this is what they called growth.
‘He’s amazing, Sky, unlike his family. He has a heart of gold and cares deeply for everyone.
It started off as a friendship, but quickly it became so much more.
Every time he looked at me with those blue eyes, I felt like I saw nothing but the truth of his feelings.
There were never any games. He didn’t care about sides or class; he just wanted me for who I was.
His own father and mother accepted me when you sent me there—that’s how much they trusted and respected his judgement.
Lejla, your Zauvek’s ex, was less than thrilled, but he put me first, protected me.
Not his blood. He has continued to choose me time and time again, and I won’t take that for granted.
I love him, Sky. I don’t know what that means for the future or for our roles, but he won’t make me choose between you and him.
He’s already promised to walk away from his birthright if it comes between the two.
I hope you can be happy for me with time.
’ A sad but genuine smile took hold of my face as I listened to her ramble, trying to convince me it wasn’t all bad.
‘I am happy for you, Viv; that’s exactly what you deserve. I realised something while you were away, though. I’m not so much angry at you as I am with myself. Viv, I’m jealous of what you have.’
She scoffed at that confession. ‘What do you mean? You have a Zauvek! What I have with Acheron is nothing compared to that bond.’
I laughed. ‘You can’t possibly be serious.
That can never be anything. I’m going to have to find a way to break the bond—there’s too much history.
I’ll never have something built on trust, the way you do with Acheron.
All these feelings I’m having aren’t even real, they’re just brought on by the bond. ’
‘So, you do have feelings then?’ she probed.
‘Gods, you’re incorrigible. I can’t talk about this with you anymore’ I laughed the first genuine laugh that escaped me in some time.
We spent hours talking, catching up on her time away and how her prince had won us an ally, until she began to yawn and needed rest from her journey back.
I walked the halls aimlessly until I found myself in the library.
Cain’s words about considering giving up the Oracle replayed in my mind.
I truly didn’t know if I could. The book had been in the royal bloodline for generations; I would be shattering something sacred by getting rid of it.
Each step toward that underground chamber where it lay felt heavy.
I had not made my decision, but it was as though the universe had already decided for me; it felt like a death march.
The dragons on the door seemed faded, and the room was colder when I stepped in.
I felt as though I was dreaming; nothing felt right.
‘Tell me what to do,’ I pleaded as I opened the book.
Black smoke shot up from the pages and filled every inch of the room until no light from the blue flames was visible any longer.
I could barely breathe; the air was laced so thickly with the substance.
I felt it then—the panic rearing its nasty head.
It was as though the darkness of the smoke had transported me to the darkest recesses of my mind, where nothing but fear resided.
I braced against the dais that held the Oracle, trying to stop myself from fully succumbing to it and falling to the floor.
I gasped for air as my limbs grew weak and prickled with energy.
My hand reached for the pages, trying to grasp for something to hold onto and pull myself out of the panic, but instead, a hand clasped over mine, pulling me around the dais and into a warm embrace.
Immediately, my nerves began to settle as the smoke started to clear.
My nails dug themselves deeper into his flesh, not wanting to let go of the calm that was slowly taking over me. I needed it like I needed air.
Once the ringing in my ears faded, I felt as though I could open my eyes, and when I did, all I saw was Demir enveloping me in his embrace.
‘I can’t fucking to do this anymore,’ he whispered under his breath.
‘Do what?’ I asked, slowly pulling myself back but not letting go. He was surprised that I had registered what he said.
‘You. I can’t watch you in pain. I had sat here telling myself—telling you—I want nothing to do with this, giving you the space you so desperately craved. But when I see you like this, something in me breaks, and I need to fix it—fix you.’
I couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from me.
‘Nothing and no one can fix me, princeling,’ I said, pushing him off me.
The gall of him. I knew I was broken, but it wasn’t a bad thing.
I liked who I had to become. At least I thought I did.
Before he could say another word, I turned, returning to the Oracle.
The images wouldn’t settle on the pages; they were a swirl of colour mixed with letters floating around that spelled nothing.
I slammed my fist onto the book and screamed.
Demir moved towards me, but I stepped back; instead, his hand fell onto the corner of the book, and instantly the pictures became clear.
I lay on the floor, dead next to Demir in the Ancient Forest. The Morgadian army slaughtering my army and allies.
It was our defeat. I turned the page, and it showed me the same image.
I turned it again and again and again and the image remained the same, no matter what I asked it to show me.
Nothing I did could stop this. A brutal, shrill scream escaped me as I flung the book across the room.
When Demir came once more to soothe me, I pounded his chest, sobbing, screaming and breaking.
Everything was for nothing. I would lose them all.
I have worked so hard to see Sebastian die, the Oracle had been so certain on that future until Demir changed everything.
Through the bond, I could hear Demir humming a comforting tune in his mind as he allowed me to release every emotion I needed to feel. Eventually, my voice broke to the point where I couldn’t make another sound. I all but collapsed in his arms as he carried me back to my room.