The 7th Relic, page 26
I let the sword drop to my side, and it separates on its own. I sheath the scimitars as I move to meet Grace. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, you?”
“I’ll live.” I pull her in, holding her close.
She catches my eye and says, “For now.”
Atheas struggles against the force that has her in its grip. She lifts her hand to call up the shadows, but Vilzen is faster. With one hand he holds her in place with the invisible force; with the other he points at me. When I feel the relic at my chest begin to pulsate, I push Grace from me. She looks at me confused and tries to reach out for me but I shake my head at her. She steps back and watches helplessly.
A small portion of the relic heats up, and suddenly my chest is on fire…the pain is excruciating. The mage pulls from me a liquid gold ball. It burns through my clothes and like a whip it snaps to Atheas’s neck, encircling it—a gold collar.
“No!” she screams, clawing at her throat. She turns to Vilzen, “Please, no, don’t do this, please…”
Vilzen is unmoved by her pleas. “For your sin against the realm, and against the gods, you will be bound to the Shadow Realm for a thousand centuries.”
“No!”
Atheas’s screams echo through the caverns as she is swallowed up by a black hole. The Skytes, or Wisps, whatever they were, disappear without a trace. Grace is back at my side, holding me up, the pain subsiding quickly. I hold her tight, and I can feel her body relaxing against mine. “I love you, Grace.”
Overcome with emotions, I lean down and take her lips. The kiss is deep, long and only a taste of the promises I plan to keep. I let her go when Seelah’s soft crying invades our intimacy.
She is at Reiko’s side again, and Grace pulls away to go to her. I am unable to move to him just yet, so I stand where I am and watch. Haro sits at Reiko’s other side, chanting a prayer of safe travels for his fallen friend.
Lyrthan appears at my side, black soot covering most of him. “Sorry it took so long, but not only did I have to cut through the wards she placed on him, but the chain was Thessi’s gold. Once I gave Vilzen the latha, he had to teach me the chants to release him of its hold.”
Vilzen, looking more his age now than the muscle-bound bouncer, appears next to Lyrthan, watching Seelah. When she feels his eyes on her, she turns to him, mouthing the word, “Please.”
Vilzen shakes his head slowly, and when he speaks his voice is heavy with sorrow. “I’m sorry, child. He is beyond my reach.”
The last thing I remember is Grace turning to me, shaking her head. I watch as she drops next to Reiko, before my head hit the stone cold floor.
~ * ~
Chapter Forty-One
~ Andrew ~
Since Reiko’s death, Seelah has been a shadow of her former self. Like an apparition, she haunts the halls looking for the missing piece that will make her whole again. No longer the life of the palace, she stays hidden in her room, only coming out at night when she feels no one is around. She ignores the guards on duty, despite their greetings to the most beloved of the royals, who once knew their names.
Since Seelah no longer leaves her room, I moved in, sleeping in her spare bedroom for now. From her kitchen table I have been taking care of business until the Rising, which is tomorrow.
“I’ve arranged everything with Rusmal.”
Haro as he continues to peruse dozens of contracts strewn across the table. “After the Rising he will be the new ruler of the Molsna Territory. He is Sanul’s oldest friend and advisor, who prepared Reiko to take the ruler’s seat. He would have been Reiko’s choice.” It still pains me to say his name. I hold back my emotions, as I have done since the night at the grotto.
“For a minute there,” says Haro, “I thought there might be an uproar when you announced Seelah will rule in your stead should something happen to you.”
I laugh softly to myself. “They didn’t have much choice when I told them Vilzen will be her champion in my absence. It also helped when young Sonek stepped up, announcing his allegiance, being the first to concede to the princess. That kid will be all right. He’ll make a good ruler. He’s also the first to accept the ruling state being governed by a woman, a queen.” I think of my aunt. Cohnia was right about one thing. She would have made a good queen, but she was wrong about my father. He was a king, and a good one. “When did you suspect her?”
“Who?”
“Cohnia.”
“When you received Konè’s message. I couldn’t understand why he would send it to Morfais. It’s because he didn’t; he sent it to Cohnia. When Grace awoke, she told me Atheas told her the relic came to life when Konè died. The truth is, the relic was ‘awakened’ by Konè before he died, the night he sent the message. He knew there was a traitor. Not knowing Cohnia was the traitor, he sent it to her to pass on to Morfais. Vilzen confirmed Morfais had one of the Elders send a message to Konè to warn him, but he sent it too late. When Vilzen showed up, Cohnia and Atheas panicked. Everything depended on Morfais denying he got the message directly from Konè.”
“So Konè was warned by the same man I believed killed my father.” The guilt from my misguided accusations against Morfais still bites.
“Yes. He must’ve known he wouldn’t make the trip, and had to find a way to protect Grace. To keep her alive until the Rising, until Vilzen unknowingly sent her to Atheas, who suppressed Konè’s awakening spell. But she didn’t count on the Karas’s Fire to take its place.”
“Of course. Atheas was right. Vilzen and Konè wouldn’t have suspected my aunts as traitors trying to kill me.” I am still dealing with their betrayal.
He shakes his head. “No, they didn’t. Once Atheas discovered the location, she used the shadows to open a gateway right into the Ranch. Allowing Cohnia to take care of Konè, Lana and Grace while the Wisps quietly took everyone else out. It’s the only way she could have caught him unaware.”
I think of Atheas, trapped in the Shadow realm, never able to enter any other realm, including Omakei. I don’t feel any anger against her, only pity.
I shake off thoughts of the Tryse. “And, you, Cumro? What will you do now that your debt to my father has been paid?”
“Yes, that debt is paid, but there is still the one I owe you.”
“My friend, you don’t owe me or Kalorii a thing. Go home; it’s what you’ve been talking about since I can remember.”
“I’ll leave for Velesi after Vilzen and I solidify Seelah’s position as queen. You have some trustworthy people here who will help guide the young queen, and Vilzen will return often to make sure things stay under her rule. As for the Elders, Quino has been made lead counsel. His father was a trusted friend of the other Elders.”
“Quino? But he’s no older than I am. Why would the other Elders trust him to lead the counselors?”
“Because he is young. He’s also a prodigy. His knowledge of the realm’s magical properties and his own ability to manipulate the elements are off the charts. His father was High Elder until his death a few years ago. The Elders and Vilzen wouldn’t have approved his position if they didn’t trust in his abilities. He’ll bring new blood to a very archaic institution. And should he stray off course, Vilzen and the Elders will help lead him back to the right path.”
I think about the Elders’ new leader. I mentally shake my head at the thought of him. He is more suited to lead my guards than a bunch of old men. “Was he the one who helped Morfais with the message to Konè?”
“Yes,” answers Haro. “So, I’ll be gone for a week to pay homage to the new king and queen of Velesi. The king will give me his blessing for my return. And when I do, I’ll fulfill my debt, then decide what to do afterward.”
“And what is this so-called debt you owe?”
“You saved Reiko and me at the docks. I don’t take my life being saved lightly.”
I stare at the old man, knowing he would have found a way to free himself and Reiko from the Skytes. I let it go. I have no words for him except two. “Thank you.”
Haro removes his skullcap, tossing it on the table, and leans back into his chair. He rubs at his weary eyes, sighing heavily. “Andu, about tomorrow…”
I push away from the table, lifting a hand. “It’s a done deal, old friend. There isn’t anything we can do about it. And if Vilzen couldn’t come up with a solution, then we have no choice but to let the prophecy come to pass.”
“What about Grace?”
I had pushed all feelings of Grace into a small box in the back of my mind. “I’ve made arrangements with the family treasurer to have funds put into a bank account in Pathen under her name. They will open it with ten million, and a million every year thereafter. Knowing her, she won’t use very much of it, except to rebuild the Ranch; she won’t stay here, at least not for a while. She’ll want to go home. Besides, the project will keep her busy.
“I’ve already contracted someone to start the rebuilding, and have paid them a portion upfront. I contacted the Chows and they’ll make sure the contractors follow the agreement they signed. The Chows will pay them in full at the end of the project. They have also agreed to live on the Ranch once it’s built, to assist Grace as instructors.”
Haro shakes his head at me. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“There’s nothing more.” I rise, changing the subject. “Have you spoken to Vilzen about this afternoon? Has he agreed to send me back to the grove?”
Haro is silent for a moment. Finally, “Yes, he’s agreed. When you’re ready he’ll send you back to the tree where you gave Grace her gift. He’ll also give you instructions on how to enter and leave it.” He pauses, then stands, frustrated. “I don’t understand why you would want to spend your last night alone. Away from the people you love.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
I head for Seelah’s room.
I find my young cousin in her usual spot, at the window, staring out into the moonlight. She sits with knees drawn up, arms wrapped tightly around them, her hair in a long braid pulled over one shoulder. She will be eighteen next month, but her sorrow makes her look at least five years younger. She seems so small, so vulnerable…so fragile.
I move to my usual seat across from her. “Hey,” I say, smiling encouragingly. “How are you feeling today?”
Her eyes remain on the moon. “I understand now.”
“Understand what?”
“The stories. The ones about the Moon Goddess and her lover the Sun God. How despite his death she always believed he would come back to her. Through the centuries of loneliness and loss, she never gave up on him, never stopped loving him. And after all that time, when tomorrow comes, they will finally be together again.”
“Seelah, you know those stories were about the gods, right? Reiko is gone. He will never come back.”
She nods with trembling lips, dropping her head as her shoulders begin to shake. I pull her to me, gathering her in my arms, and let her cry against my shoulder.
“I will never love again,” she sobs, burying head in my chest.
“Yes, you will.”
“No. I will never kiss anyone else for as long as I live.”
For the past five days I have watched my cousin mourn the loss of the only man she’s ever been in love with. And it wasn’t until Reiko kissed her in the caverns that she let go a part of herself, and willingly gave it to him. With that one kiss, every kiss after will never be good enough, and though the years will temper the sting of loss, there will be moments when it will return. A melancholy reminder of what could have been.
And that is why I’m leaving the night before the Rising to be alone. I told Grace at the grotto that we weren’t done, but after witnessing Seelah’s torment for the last few days, I know I can’t go through with it. Because for Grace and me, it will be more than just a kiss.
I won’t imprison her to this fate.
~ * ~
Chapter Forty-Two
~ Grace ~
I can feel the relic’s heat singeing my flesh and burning off my clothes. Shadows, wisps of faded light, flit through the darkness around me…reaching out for me…but the light within keeps them at bay. And from the shadows he comes to me.
Reiko.
My heart lurches, the tears fall and my life as I know it will never be the same. I tremble when he is suddenly at my side, gently caressing the side of my face, catching the next tear.
“Don’t cry, Gracie.”
I’m unable to speak, to think…only feel. Feel my chest cave in as I choke on the sobs trying to escape. I feel a piece of my heart fall away, the piece that belonged only to him. And finally, I feel the weight of all my losses: Lana, Konè, him, and soon Andrew. How is it physically possible that I am still breathing?
“Shh,” he comforts. “Don’t stop.”
I look up into dark brown eyes that I have known all my life, confused at his words.
He smiles. “Don’t stop breathing.”
I awake in a pool of sweat, my shirt, the sheets and pillows drenched. My hand reaches for my neck, feeling remnants of heat from the relic. Every night since Reiko’s death, and the closer we get to the Rising, the relic has reacted to my emotions. It’s as if it knows its time is coming, to meet its maker who will take the man I love from me.
Tomorrow is the Rising.
The final day.
And as always, Andrew is on my mind. The last time I saw him was at the cavern. Five days. I haven’t seen him in five days, and when I ask about his whereabouts he is always somewhere I can’t reach him. I’m done with the runaround. I will find Haro and demand he take me to Andrew; I won’t take no for answer.
Tomorrow is the last day. I won’t let it be the only day I have left with him. But before I can go and find him, I have to unchain myself from my grief and get out of bed.
Vilzen stands next to me, ready to open the thela so I may enter without Andrew knowing. When I found out earlier where he was I asked—okay, begged—Vilzen to send me to him. But the calling was too complicated for me learn, so he brought me personally.
When the door to the thela appears I turn to the mage. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“It is. But it seems you don’t agree.”
“I don’t judge, but I know there are some needs that are better left unfulfilled. One’s soul can only take so much. Will yours be able to bear the consequences of your choice tonight?”
“Would you have survived Maggie’s love if it weren’t for your soul?”
It’s slow in coming, but when it does the smile is genuine and accepting.
“Goodnight, Grace. I will see you both at the Rising tomorrow.”
I walk to the doorway, but stop before entering to look back at the mage. I should have known better—he’s no longer there.
Unlike the other thelas we’ve been in, this one only has one large room. There are three balls of light floating against the wall, dimly lit. I scan the room for Andrew, but he’s not here. Did the mage bring me to the wrong tree? I am about to turn back to the door when across the room the branch bed sways softly. Andrew turns to lie on his back, and then freezes. He’s up and out of the bed faster than I can react, startled at the sudden movements.
His eyes widen when he realizes it’s me. He remains standing and a look of anger comes over his face, but I stand my ground. However, it’s difficult with him standing there with only his short briefs on. My knees buckle slightly, and I take a step to cover my betraying limbs. I breathe in, gathering my courage.
“Weren’t you going to say goodbye to me?” My voice barely above a whisper. I can feel myself shaking, but have no clue why I would be nervous around him. “Or,” I continue, “were you planning on saying it to me tomorrow, before…you know…you go up in flames and become the Sun God?”
He remains where he is, not making any effort to come to me. He doesn’t say a word, either. Just keeps that pissed-off look on his face.
I take another step toward him.
“I remember when the relics set us on fire, and I remember what you said.” I take another step, and another, all the while locking eyes with him. “You said you love me and I didn’t get the chance to…to say that I love you, too. And then I thought maybe it was just the excitement of the moment, or maybe I imagined it. I mean, why would you tell me you loved me and then not come to me when you had to know how much I was hurting over Reiko? That can’t be what love is about, can it? To tell me you love me, then allow me to grieve alone, right?”
I stop inches from him. I reach up to touch his face, and he jerks as if I burned him. I pull my hand back; maybe I did imagine it. Was I wrong? I throw caution to the wind. “I love you, Andrew.”
Silence.
The wait to hear him return the sentiment becomes unbearable. I nod, accepting his silence as his way of telling me to leave, that I’m a fool. I turn to go.
His words stop me before I take another step. “Grace, you know what will happen tomorrow.” Strong hands take me by the shoulders, turning me to face him. “There is nothing anyone else can do about it. There will be no last minute heroics, or miracle. The Rising will happen. Vilzen will take the relics from us and call the Moon Goddess to do the summoning. Karas will rise, he will take over my body, and you will go on with your life. I have taken care of everything for you in Pathen, to return to the Bay Area, back to the Ranch. There you’ll meet someone and fall in love the way you’re supposed to.”
