I clenched my fists, infuriated with the response; she was my last resort. If Mother Zeina had no alternatives, then the bond could not be broken. I either had to wait for the promise or my death to take place, or perhaps they were one and the same. ‘What does Morgad have at its disposal, and who has supplied him with the Mrak?’
‘He does not have true dark magic; he has a cheap knockoff that the Elder Wiccans have concocted for him. The true darkness he wishes to release is still contained, but not for long. However, the darkness they have summoned is similar enough that it may act as a key to unlock that which is in the Ancient Forest. Like calls to like. It’s contained in a stone he wears around his neck, as black as obsidian but you know this. Theonly Elder Wiccan you can trust is your little council member’s mother. She has no idea that the others have acted outside of the coven in bad faith.’
‘How do I win this war?’
At that she cackled a sick and sadistic laugh. ‘By losing, by doing exactly what theOraclewants you to do. Give up and die. You cannot fight this battle; you cannot win this generational fight in this lifetime. The darkness will be released. There is no doubt about that. It is so close to cracking the surface, even if it weren’t Sebastian, it would have been someone else soon enough, and there is no fighting it. It’s an all-consuming entity with no consciousness. Nothing exists to contain it permanently. This was predestined to happen; let it be. Say your goodbyes and kiss your loved ones. Spend what little time you have left with them.
‘But I suppose, in your case, Skylar, that would be a lonely way to go, so you’ll fight until the very end, won’t you? Which means your next question will be how to win over your allies. Getting your council members into bed with them has been very effective, but for others, there is nothing that will convince them other than the truth. If they don’t fight for you when their realm is at stake, then they never will. Do not trust those who cannot decide which side of this moment in history they want to be on. Anything else?’ she asked as she watched us absorb every last piece of information she shared.
But there was nothing. She was right about it all.
‘Tell me about the history of this darkness as you know it. How did it become trapped?’ I asked, trying to leach the hopelessness from my voice, infusing it with anger instead; anger had always been my crutch. I needed to know if what Demir had said was true. Nothing else in my research had corroborated it, but I felt its truth in my bones.
‘What that Elder Wiccan Sage showed you was the truth. You will have to do what your ancestor did: bleed out a sacrifice to call on any of the darkness that has escaped, then recapture it in another vessel. But you will not find something as strong as adragon god. The second vessel that Sage spoke about was not an object, but a person.
‘There is a second in the forest that lies beside the dragon who had to embody the Mrak to contain it; that was your ancestor and the Queen of the Skin Seepers. You will find her body alongside the dragons. Her vessel is responsible for it leaching back into this physical world. However, your lover here has already informed you of that fact, hasn’t he? If Sebastian touches it with the dark magic he contains, he will be able to unleash it as easily as opening a door,’ she explained, bringing into focus the memories Sage had shown me and the warning Demir had given me.
‘Then we cut off his hands and burn his remains,’ I said matter-of-factly.
Mother Zeina laughed at that. ‘The darkness that infected him will simply infect another who will call to the Mrak, and you will be exactly where you were at the beginning of all this. That is all I have for you. If you want a chance, Let him get close enough to the Mrak, sacrifice something to call all the darkness, including that which he holds, and then contain it in something that can hold it.’
‘You just said nothing can hold it; that’s not remotely helpful.’
‘No single thing. But what did theOracleshow you? Your deathandthe death of your soul bonded. Perhaps if you were to share the containment, it would be enough.’
My mind split into two in that moment. A determination to sacrifice myself as my people needed; I did not think twice. But I equally paled at the thought of Demir’s death, which settled a truth within me that I had been pushing and pulling against. Something clenched tightly around my heart, and when I looked at him, I saw he felt the same—except it was concern for me.
‘You have a lot to mull over and a soul ascension to attend. Now, I want thatOracleas promised.’
Nodding, I stepped towards the back of the library beforegrabbing Demir’s arm and pulling him with me. Everyone in the library was shocked, but none more so than me. In that moment, it felt as though he would slip through my fingers like sand, and I needed him close. I needed the comfort of the bond; I didn’t fully understand it myself, but it felt right, and nothing had in a long time. Except for those evenings with him.
We descended to the cellar in silence. When we reached the familiar door, I had to take a deep breath. Demir released his arm from my grip and slid his fingers through my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He could sense the fear and defeat in me.
The room looked like it always had. I took my time running my hands over the bright, colourful jewels of theOracle. This would be the final moment I ever used this book.
Demir sidled up beside me. ‘Together,’ he said as his fingers traced the other edge of the book. There was something that snapped within me, in the deepest crevices of my mind, body and soul. It dawned on me then that this was the purpose of having a Zauvek. To meet everything in this life with someone by your side. Someone who wanted to be there, not someone who had to be there out of obligation or duty. A single tear ran down my face as he cupped my cheek and brushed it away with his thumb. I had pushed so many people away from me over the years and every single one of them had listened and left. But not Demir. He had stayed unyielding beside me until I was ready to accept whatever it was that lived between us.
‘Together…’ I whispered.
‘Princess.’ He pulled me to his chest.Always together, until the end. I will be with you.
His thoughts comforted me in a way that healed some of the jagged pieces within me because I believed them.
We opened theOracle, but the usual black smoke did not rise from its pages, nor did the usual images appear. Instead, words formed—it looked as though they were etched in blue flames, fluttering with movement.
Death.
‘Are you fucking kidding me? That’s it, that’s the big reveal? I cannot be fucked with this life anymore, just fucking take me!’ I screamed, throwing theOracleagainst the wall.
Demir grabbed my arms, calming me.
‘I’m so tired, I’m just so fucking tired. I can’t do this anymore, I have nothing left in me to fight anymore. This life has asked too much of me.’
‘I know your life has been less than fair, but you cannot give up now. What’s the difference between dying today, in two weeks or in two years? At least do what needs to be done to give your people a chance. This isn’t you. Fight with me; together, we will figure this out. And if we die together, at least we don’t die alone. My soul has latched onto yours, Skylar. I cannot let my Ruhi go anymore, so I’m here no matter the outcome. I am with you.’
‘Time.’ I begged him with my eyes to understand that the reason I was frustrated now was that, for the first time, I feared death. I had something or someone in my life I wanted to explore. For the first time in over a week, he pressed his lips to mine, and everything shattered within me in a way the transcended every moment I had ever lived. His soft lips, the feel of his warm slick tongue finding mine, the grip of his fingers around my waist and neck began to unlock something in me, in our bond. ‘Let’s go. We have an Ascension of the Souls to attend.’
Demir pressed his forehead to mine, holding himself back from kissing me again. Grabbing his collar, I pulled him back, sliding my tongue into his mouth, kissing him as though it would be our last I needed more, more of him and I wouldn’t deny myself any longer. He was mine.
