“The world is, well, there’s no better word for it… It’s fucked,” croaked the old woman.
I laughed bitterly.
“Well, that’s an understatement,” I said, though none of the three smiled.
“Seriously,” Kitty said, squeezing my arm gently.
“The world is…out of balance,” Kate said. “When Hecate and Elus created the world, it was a world of balance. Mageian and Elusian as equals, neither outnumbering the other. The rise of the Elusians, the enslavement of Mageians and the downfall of the Illyrians have thrown it out of balance.”
“If we don’t do something right now,” Kitty said emphatically, “The world will destroy itself.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked after mulling over their words for a moment. “The world’s a mess, I know, but I’m just one person.”
Maybe if Ri hadn’t died, we would have been able to help other Mageians, but without him, there was nothing I could do.
“One person can make a difference, Hel,” Kitty said.
I rolled my eyes. It was like a tagline off an old-fashioned vid show.
“Seriously,” she said. “Think about it. What do your people need more than anything else?”
“More Mageians,” I said without hesitation. We had Somas aplenty, but without Mageians to bond with, our powers were limited at best, especially against the greater firepower of the Elusians.
“What if…” the old woman said. “We had a way to get you an almost unlimited number of Mageians?”
“I’d ask what you were smoking, and if you brought enough for the whole class,” I said. Looking around I added, “Or is that what this is? Some kind of drug induced hallucination?”
She sent me a disappointed look, and I felt my face flush in embarrassment. I felt like a kid who mouthed off to his mother.
“Sorry. I’d say, we need them,” I responded to her silent admonishment.
She patted my arm.
“You do, and we have a way to get them for you,” Kitty said.
“Say I agree, what does that entail?” I asked.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Kate said. “You… You were badly hurt.”
I turned and looked at her, memories of pain and darkness whirling through my head. I looked down at my body, which showed no marks.
“Hurt? How badly?” I asked.
“You suffered third degree burns over almost half your body,” Kitty said quietly. “You will be badly scarred.”
“How… how am I even still alive?” I asked. I’d had medical training; most Somas had. People with burns that severe don’t usually live long.
“Your Bonded protected you with his last breath,” Kate said.
I felt tears welling in my eyes again. I remembered Ri’s face, the feel of his magic. Ri. Oh, Ri…
“Tell him all of it,” the old woman demanded.
Kate took a deep breath.
“Ri… might have been able to survive,” she began. “He was given the same choice we are giving you.”
“What? Why didn’t you save him?” I demanded angrily.
