“One day, he traveled to the Celestial Kingdom with the intention of negotiating with the king and queen regarding the growing threat of the Tempests. Until then, we had tried to stay clear of them, but the threat was affecting the aethereal balance, which became our problem. When Merryk arrived, he met a woman and became completely enamored with her beauty. Secretly, he would meet up with her in the Dryad Forest while claiming to go to meet with the Celestial Council regarding the Tempests. I kept wondering why no agreement had been met, until one day, I sent a letter to the king and queen, and they confirmed there hadn’t been any new meetings since that initial one he’d attended.”
Brecken wove his fingers again, forming a different set of lineal patterns. Three chalices of water appeared on the table, one for each of us. The Druidic leader grabbed his chalice and drank from it. Onyx curiously grabbed for his, peering inside first before giving it a cautious sniff.
I rolled my eyes, but after growing up in the Kinetic Palace, I couldn’t blame him entirely. The metal of the chalice was chilled, and my mouth instinctively watered just as I took a sip. The purest water I’d ever tasted soothed my dry mouth and throat. I hadn’t even realized how thirsty I was.
“Anyhow, when I confronted Merryk, he admitted to me that he’d fallen in love with a Celestial woman who served under the queen. He begged me to spare him, but I couldn’t risk them reproducing and bringing an unknown factor into the world that could threaten the entire balance of our realm just by its existence. It was my primary responsibility as the leader of the Druids to protect the balance at all costs, regardless of emotion. At any given moment, the tiniest shift could alter everything, and the world would crumble.The only reason it hasn’t completely succumbed to the Tempests’ Syphon Bonds yet is that we hold the ultimate key.”
“The Seraphite Stone.” Onyx exhaled, relaxing into his seat.
Brecken nodded. “Yes, and if there is any hope of bringing back the Celestial species, then we need to save the queen and pray that her Twin Soul departs this world soon and is reincarnated. Together, they can restore the broken Celestials, or as you know them—Elementals and Kinetics.”
“So, what happened to Merryk?”I asked, redirecting the conversation back to my ancestor.
“I banished him and the Celestial woman he loved to Terraguard, or the world you grew up in. I presume they had a child together, half-Druid and half-Celestial. From there, I theorize that the child reproduced with a Kinetic and so on. It’s likely your father is just as ignorant of your lineage as you are, as it’s been many generations since then. And as it appears, Celestial history has been eradicated from your archives, so it doesn’t surprise me that Druid history was, too. However, I am very surprised to have Merryk’s descendant show up on my doorstep. I’m not quite sure what to do with you, whether you pose a threat to our balance or not.”
“I don’t. I assure you,”I quickly replied.“I’m here to help save this realm and Terraguard’s, not add to its destruction.”
Brecken chewed on his cheek and narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized me. “Regardless, whether your Druidic blood is diluted or not, you have it, nonetheless. Therefore, I’m obligated to provide you with a home and safety.”
I nodded, grateful for his mercy.“Thank you.”
“As for your friend, he’s welcome here as a guest. We have guest chambers prepared for the pair of you. Until then, I imagine you must have empty bellies after your journey from the Mystic lands. I’ll bring you to the Great Hall shortly, where you can nourish yourselves.” Brecken clasped his hands together on the tabletop, leaning forward and settling his gaze on me as he offered the first grin I’d seen on him yet. “Also,welcome home, Cotton Sjodin.”
I bowed my head in respect.“Thank you, High Mage. Your generosity doesn’t go unvalued.”
Brecken drummed his thumbs on the table for a few moments before he asked, “Do you have any questions regarding your Druidic nature? Might I ask what happened that spurred the recognition of your mixed ancestry?”
“I believe I performed Druidic magic. The guide I’ve been staying with since my arrival was the one who questioned it when I told him what happened.”
“And what exactly happened?”
I cleared my throat, glancing at Onyx before I recounted the tale of the Endarkened unicorns. When I finished, Brecken's lips were pushed forward as he processed my story.
“I see.”
“One of the Mystics explained that I’d never experienced my Druidic magic before due to the lack of aether in Terraguard,”I explained.
Brecken nodded. “That is exactly why. When the sigil came to you in your mind, had you called for help in some way beforehand?”
I frowned, wondering how he knew that. “I did. It was out of sheer panic, and I didn’t think anything of it.”
“It appears the goddess of air, Aera, took mercy on you by showing you the sigil for an air shield.” Brecken sighed. “The gods don’t typically deliver us the sigils in our minds like that, which tells me that she trusted you and felt you were worthy.”
With how quiet it was in the room, a pin could have dropped, and it would’ve made me jump.
“While Druids are warriors, we also seek knowledge and cherish it. We grow up learning the sigils as young children. It’s not enough to simply memorize the sigils; you have to call upon the god or goddess for whichever element you need to grant you the magic, and then you must know exactly how to draw them. So it seems Aera went out on a limb for you, Cotton,” Brecken explained. The weight of what had happened that day settled in the air surrounding us.
“Believe me, I am grateful,”I responded, remembering how close we’d been to death that day.
“I would like to train you, at least to teach you the basics of our magic. But please, I ask you not to walk around wielding Druidic magic. Failed attempts could end very badly,” he said, glancing to my right at Onyx.
I nodded, swallowing to rid myself of the anxiety.“I won’t. I give you my word.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chrome
Celanea slit her wrist inches away from me, her blackened blood oozing onto the floor of her receiving room.
