“The swamp witches’ spells are a priority right now,” Draven replied. “Should the Daughter manage to translate the runes before we leave as well, good. If not, they’ll have to wait until we get back.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Field asked.
Draven shook his head. “Nothing other than watching over the Oracles. We need you here, since you are one of the strongest and your wings might come in handy. Although, personally, I’m hoping you won’t need them while we’re away.”
I could tell from the look in Field’s eyes that he still battled his guilt. I wanted to say something to soothe him, but as soon as Aida leaned against his shoulder, I watched him relax a little. It was enough for me to understand that she had a calming effect on him. We needed him sharp and strong. There was no room for unnecessary guilt clouding his judgment. Our Hawk was strong and fierce and unyielding, and we couldn’t have it any other way.
Vita
Jovi continued pacing the room like he’d done outside, constantly looking through the window. I craned my neck to get a glimpse of what he was seeing, and another wave of chills shot through me. Destroyers were very much still there, beyond the shield, prowling like bloodthirsty predators trying to get in. It was a shame that the shape-shifters were smaller in size and not strong enough to take on the Destroyers, I would’ve enjoyed that show.
Phoenix was the first to describe his visions. I registered a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke—he was as rattled as Aida and I were.
“The visions came to me in a set of three again,” he said, his finger drawing invisible circles on the table. “I saw a massive hall with a big banquet table in the middle that held twenty seats. It was surrounded by twenty different doors carved into the circular wall, and each led to one of Eritopia’s planets. From what I could tell, they were like portals.”
“That was the Grand Council Hall you’ve just described,” Draven replied. “It was where the Druid leaders of Eritopia’s twenty planets once met on a regular basis to discuss state affairs. I don’t know what happened to it. The magic that held it together was extremely powerful, created by the first rulers. It could only be reached through those doors, one on each planet, their locations undisclosed. Only the Druid in charge and his predecessors knew where they were.”
“I saw Almus there, along with your mother, Genevieve.”
At the sound of her name, Draven’s expression softened, a glimmer of sadness temporarily flickering in his gray eyes. He’d never met her, but the longing he must’ve felt was entirely understandable. I didn’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t had my mother in my life.
“And I saw Azazel there, before he became a Destroyer,” Phoenix continued. “I saw their tattoos, the circles. Their arms were covered with them.”
“Druids earn an arm ring tattoo for each completed stage of their apprenticeship,” Draven explained. “Our education comes in levels. When all ninety-nine stages are completed, Druids can ascend to a leadership position, and only then do they receive the very last tattoo, the hundredth, on their upper left shoulder. It’s a tradition of sorts, marking the hierarchy among our kind.”
“So, your mother and father each ruled over a planet?” I asked.
Draven nodded.
“My father had the seventh kingdom, the smallest of Eritopia’s planets, but crucial to our world. It held the Druid Academy, where seasoned scholars taught the magic arts to young Druids. It’s where they got their ninety-nine tattoos after centuries of study and practice. It was a place of knowledge and mysticism, where the laws of physics were bent by the will of the Druids. Nothing was as it seemed there. Nothing did what it should. Azazel might own it now, but I have a hard time believing he can actually control it. Millennia of wisdom has been stored in that place, most of it long before Azazel was even born.”
“What about your mother?” Serena chimed in. “Which planet did she rule over?”
He looked at her and smiled. “This one right here. You might find it wild and unwelcoming, but it wasn’t always like this. It’s the biggest in Eritopia and filled with precious resources. Over half of its wealth came from exports alone, as it sustained the other planets.”
“So your mother was quite powerful,” I concluded.
“Indeed, she was. It’s why it took Azazel a long time to overthrow the Council, as his kingdom depended on her resources.”
“He didn’t seem so murderous during this Council meeting,” Phoenix continued. “He was friendly and eager to talk, but he was irritated with the bureaucracy. He’d made changes to his military at the time, and the Council, which hadn’t been consulted about the changes, ultimately overthrew his decision. It pissed him off big time.”
“That doesn’t come as a shock. The Council’s old-fashioned way of doing things through a string of approvals was one of the main reasons behind his bloody rebellion,” Draven mused.
“In the second vision, I saw him watching Almus and Genevieve from afar. I believe your parents were getting to know each other better at the time.” Phoenix grinned.
The Druid’s eyes flickered black for a second, as he took a deep breath and waited patiently for Phoenix to continue his account.
“It’s in this vision that I saw him meet Tamara,” he added, glancing over at the Lamia, whose face lit up at the sound of her name. “No one knew she was a Lamia at the time.”
“You have to admit, I’m as beautiful now as I was then, right?” Tamara quipped.
Phoenix cocked his head to one side, his grimace disagreeing. It prompted the Lamia to scoff and lean back against her chair, arms crossed.
“That’s just your opinion,” she replied, clearly irritated. “Besides, it isn’t true. Genevieve knew exactly what I was when she took me in, like I’ve said before.”
“But Azazel didn’t know,” Phoenix shot back, and she stiffened. He then focused his attention on Draven. “Azazel was in love with your mother, Druid. I could see it in his eyes, the longing, the frustration, and the anger at the sight of Almus holding her hand. But when Tamara showed up, he fell for her. I’m guessing he’d been trying to resign himself to the idea that Genevieve and Almus would never separate, that he would never get a chance to be with her, so when the Lamia entered his life, he channeled his love toward her.”
A moment passed before Phoenix spoke again, as the new information sank in. I had a hard time imagining Azazel as anything other than the slithering abomination that I’d seen in my visions. I couldn’t see him falling in love or yearning for someone to love him back.
“My third vision took me to Azazel after he became a Destroyer, most likely right after he started tearing down Eritopia’s leadership system. He’d killed at least some of the other Druids for sure, and he’d begun collecting Oracles already. He was taunting one for information about Tamara, who had run off, pregnant with his child.”
“That child was me,” Eva interjected.
Judging by the tone of her voice, her paternal heritage wasn’t something she was particularly proud of.
Phoenix nodded in response. “He was desperate to find you and your mother, but the Oracle refused to help him. Given that you’re both here with us today, I’ll go ahead and assume he never found you.”
Draven sighed, then looked at Aida. “What can you tell us, wolf-girl?”
Aida straightened her back and cleared her throat, glancing out the window with a frown.
“I saw Azazel in his chamber, conferring with two of his top lieutenants, Goren and Patrik,” she replied, prompting Hansa to groan and look out the window. “They were talking about Roderick’s clan not having sworn fealty to Azazel yet.”
“I know Roderick,” Sverik interjected. “He’s a good man, from my father’s generation. He’s one of the last still standing against Azazel. His armed forces are not to be played with.”
“Which is probably why Azazel hasn’t simply wiped them off the face of this planet,” Aida continued. “He needs the armies, from what I understa
nd. Patrik persuaded Azazel to hold off on doing things his bloody way, saying he’s close to convincing Roderick to join on his own. They then talked about Marchosi, his latest catch. He’s turning into a Destroyer now, but the others don’t seem to trust him much. What I can tell you for sure is that becoming a Destroyer isn’t necessarily a choice. Azazel described the process briefly, and it seems to me that his dark magic is at the core, infecting Druids like a disease, ultimately dismantling their will. When the transformation is complete, the Destroyer’s body and will belong to Azazel, and they can do nothing against it.”
“So, what you’re saying is that there’s a chance that most of these Destroyers didn’t exactly choose to become what they are today?” Serena asked.
“Yes. Once they surrender to Azazel, he does something to them. I think he needs them to comply first, to willingly give in to him, before his magic can take over. From my visions, I can tell you for a fact that Marchosi is still struggling with his transformation. I think he only told Azazel he’d help him to escape torture. And Patrik struggled as well at first. According to Goren, he fought long and hard against his condition, constantly trying to get back to Almus somehow.”
“Patrik was one of my father’s generals,” Draven explained. “I never met him, but my father only had good things to say about him. His capture brought much suffering, as Patrik was essential to my father’s plans to counteract Azazel’s toxic expansion.”
“It’s interesting to note that Patrik and Goren don’t like each other very much,” Aida replied. “There is tension between them, as Goren is willfully loyal while Patrik has no choice, since Azazel’s magic compels him.”
The Druid nodded. “That is very good to know, indeed.”
Aida then looked at Hansa and smiled gently. “There are succubi from your tribe who survived,” she said.
Hansa lit up, a glimmer of hope rippling through her emerald-gold eyes.
“You saw them?” she gasped.
“Yes. They were camping somewhere in the forests nearby. There are twelve of them, of which two are very young. They sat around a fire, discussing their next steps. They agreed to go back to the camp and see if anyone else survived. They used something called prayer dust,” Aida recalled.
“Smart girls!” Hansa grinned. “What happened when they used it?”
“The fire burst violet, and a tear-shaped diamond appeared beneath the embers with a flame inside.”
Hansa leaned back against her chair, nonplussed. She looked at Draven. “The Daughters answered a prayer,” she said.
“What’s prayer dust?” I asked.
“It’s a rare powder. It can no longer be found anywhere. A few grams were left here and there with the succubi tribes after Azazel started killing left and right. No one knows how to make it, but it’s part of ancient prayer rituals known to effectively reach out to the Daughters,” Hansa explained. “We had very little left ourselves. I kept it hidden in my tent. The girls must have taken it during the attack.”
A long minute went by before Draven beckoned Aida to continue her account with a brief nod.
“My third vision took me to Jovi, Anjani, and Bijarki, as they rode their horses toward the River Pyros. They were being followed by rogue incubi.”
“Yeah, they chased us for a while and attacked,” Jovi confirmed. “But Lamias came out of nowhere and helped us capture two of them. The incubi were rogues looking to cash in on a ransom. We left them with the Lamias.”
“Ah yes, the triplets.” Tamara grinned. “They’re scouts. They keep the scoundrels away, especially those venturing out from the Sarang Marketplace. They’re not to be played with. I’ve trained them well.”
“What ransom?” Draven asked, clearly uninterested in the Lamias’ prowess.
It occurred to me that the animosity between Druids and Lamias ran deep, the result of millennia of separation and disdain.
“There’s a price on my head,” Bijarki replied. “Azazel knows I’m involved in the rebellion against him. He’s spread the word.”
My heart jumped at the statement. Then it shrank into a frozen ball inside my chest.
“Well, that doesn’t help,” the Druid murmured. “It means you need to keep away from crowded places where you could be recognized.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m in a rush to go anywhere right now, given our current circumstances.” Bijarki shrugged, a bitter smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
It was my turn to speak. I took a deep breath, ignoring the chills running through my veins as I remembered everything I’d seen during my visions. It was time to tell them about Jovi—I could no longer postpone it.
“I had three visions as well,” I started. “First, it was a snippet of the near future, from what I could tell. Marchosi was with Goren and Patrik, still struggling with his condition. They both urged him to stop fighting it, as it would ease the pain. Azazel’s spell will take over sooner or later, but the process is longer and much more painful if you resist it.”
“So, if you give into it, it takes over smoothly,” Draven concluded, and I nodded in response.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you guys,” I breathed out with a shudder. “One of my first visions from the future had us Oracles captured by Azazel, somewhere at the top of his castle.”
I looked around the table, registering the shock and gloom that took over my friends, one after another. It was too late to turn back now. I had to tell them the whole story.
“That wasn’t the worst part,” I continued. “In that vision, Jovi is killed by a Destroyer’s spear.”
Aida’s face dropped. Her gaze darted toward Jovi, who sat motionless, eyes wide open as he watched me tell him about his future death. My heart broke, but at least now that he knew, we could work together and find a way to stop it from happening.
“But then, that vision changed. During this recent set of three, I saw a different outcome. There was a siege on Azazel’s castle, led by Hansa and Anjani, from what I could tell. Dearghs, succubi, Lamias, and even incubi and other rogues came together and fought hard against the Destroyers and incubi armies loyal to Azazel. Then, there was a massive explosion at the top of his castle. A bright pink flash swallowed it before it all crumbled before my eyes. I saw Anjani cry out Jovi’s name, looking up at the explosion. Jovi was up there when it ripped through the castle.”
A moment passed in utter silence as we all looked at each other. My stomach churned. I wasn’t done with the bad news yet. I swallowed back tears, willing myself to keep my cool and not collapse in front of the people I loved.
“So, I still die,” Jovi concluded, his voice low.
“No, that can’t be. No, just no!” Aida murmured, her entire body trembling as fear settled on her features.
Jovi stood up and went over to her. He squeezed her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her forehead, as she sniffed and continuously shook her head.
“It’s okay, Aida. It’ll be okay,” he mumbled.
“No, Jovi, it’s not okay. I am not letting you die. I am not losing you!” she nearly shouted.
I nodded, unable to hold the tears back anymore. My eyes stung, and I felt the hot streams down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Jovi,” I managed to say.
He gave me a weak smile, sadness in his eyes.
“It’s not your fault, Vita. There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he replied.
“I should have told you sooner.”
“It’s okay. I would’ve had a hard time saying that kind of stuff if I were in your shoes. Really, it’s okay.”
“And you know by now that they will make it inside the shield at some point,” I sobbed. “My third vision took me to a room here in the mansion, in the middle of the night. Destroyers crash through it, and I’m captured. They will make it past the shield somehow. I’ve seen it before, but I thought it was just a bad dream. This time it was clear. I was perfectly awake when I saw it. They will come for me.”
My body shudder
ed as the scene replayed itself in the back of my head, over and over again. Each time, I was knocked out and abducted. Each time, my heart pounded in my chest as I tried to adjust to the idea that eventually I’d be taken by Destroyers. I just couldn’t accept it.
Jovi
I thought the idea of me dying was the worst I’d hear from Vita’s visions, but the notion of Destroyers making it past the protective shield took the grand prize in this whole mess. I felt the chill running through my veins, and, judging by the consternation on everyone else’s faces, they were experiencing the same shock.
It felt as though the air had been kicked out of my lungs.
“Destroyers will come in here…” Serena mumbled, as if repeating the words to believe it.
I couldn’t blame her. I found it just as hard to believe, but given Vita’s visions, I had no other choice but to see it as a possibility.
“How can that be?” Draven replied. “The Daughters’ magic cannot be breached by Destroyers or any of Azazel’s magic. What you’re saying is virtually impossible. Unless it has to do with a previous vision of yours, where Azazel told Serena that the Daughters were gone…”
“And yet I’ve seen it happen.” Vita’s voice trembled as she wiped her tears. “They will get through somehow. It could very well be related to the Daughters leaving. It will happen.”
“But how?”
“I don’t know!” she nearly shouted. “I don’t know!”
Bijarki moved to rest his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently as she took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. Whatever he did, it worked, as Vita gradually relaxed.
A long moment of silence followed, as we all digested the information we’d been given. I was going to die, and the pain of that thought was impossible to comprehend. My whole body hardened, and a ball of fire grew in my chest and poured through my veins, melting the initial chill until the prospect of my mortality sank in.
My mind wandered back to The Shade. My parents and extended family. My friends. My sister. I’d never see them again. I’d never see Anjani again. The idea drove sharp blades through my throat into my stomach, tearing me apart on the inside. My inner-wolf howled, its echoes rumbling through my head like the sea crashing against a rocky shore.