She stayed in the same inn she had on the way to Volantia, brooding and silent.
She made good time, and made it back to the castle grounds by the next afternoon.
Not able to stand the idea of being inside a castle filled with demons just yet, she steered Draugr towards the mountain trails and headed to the glacier lake, wanting a moment of peace and calm before she went back.
She arrived at the vibrant turquoise lake, and dismounted, stretching her limbs, and meandering along the rocky shores. She sat down on a large rock and watched the water sprites dance across the surface of the lake.
Elizabeth practiced taking a pebble from the stream and levitating it. She had taken to practicing whenever no one was looking and could now hold a small stone in the air for up to a minute. Even if no one was there to see, she was proud of her progress.
She watched the stone with pride as it slowly rotated, suspended in mid-air. Sweat beaded down her back, and her neck prickled, but she didn’t become as exhausted as she had the first time.
She wondered if she should tell the witch she had succeeded in her little test, or if it would be best to keep it a secret.
She heard clapping behind her and spun around. The stone dropped to the ground.
“I see you’re learning fast,” Ambriel said, inclining his head towards her.
She flushed at the compliment. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “I’ve been meaning to ask … what exactly it is that you did to me.” She paused. “The—er—you called it a ‘gift?’”
The ethereal angel walked closer to her. His figure was lithe and tall, his blond hair swept back by a light breeze.
It was then that she realized he was an immortal being, but she was not afraid of him. He drew near, and nothing made her shoulders tense, nor did unease coil in her gut. While Caspian prowled and his every action set her on edge, Ambriel simply walked like a normal man.
She felt safe around him in a way that she couldn’t put into words.
Her eyes lingered on his full lips as he answered her, “I awakened what was already inside you. It slumbered.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “What do you mean?”
“You have magic, Elizabeth. And I think, in your lifetime, you will come across the ancient artefact we seek above all else.”
“Pardon?”
“I need you to master your powers so that you can retrieve it for me.”
“What?” She blinked in confusion. “But I don't know what you seek.”
“Has he not told you of it yet?” Ambriel asked, brows raised. “He will. They seek it too.”
She must have looked bewildered, because the angel sighed and explained, “It would banish the demons to the Underworld. Forever. Keep them away from you.”
A worthy cause.
“But what does that have to do with me? And what does any of that have to do with an artefact?”
“There was once a prophecy. I think he may have chosen you because you fit it.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “But I don’t know of any angel artefacts. That’s silly.”
“The prophecy calls for a young woman found in the land of the flowers and sea, with magic in her veins. Born in the eighth month of the year.” She started at that. How had he known her birthday?
Ambriel’s gaze was intense. He nodded several times, as if mentally checking items off on a list. “As her third decade dies, she will find the sacred object and will find a way to destroy the portals to the Underworld, once and for all. You are almost thirty.”
She looked away. “Twenty-six is a bit far off fromthirty.”
“War is brewing. It may not come to pass for a couple of years,” Ambriel said with a smile.
She narrowed her gaze. “So, what is this prophecy? How do you know it’s even real?”
