"I could leave you out here." Ione scoffs. She extends her hand to Delilah. "I'm Ione."
The women shake hands. "Oh, that's pretty." Delilah smiles. "Let's give them time to talk." Grasping Ione's hand, she leads my avatar a little ways off.
"Your eyes are on her like a hawk." Luciara comments. "We have taken consorts."
Closing all of my eyes, I sigh heavily. "Where are the others?"
"Ignoring me," She clucks her tongue. "Normal."
"Luciara."
"Fine, fine." She arranges her long-sleeve robe around her arms. "Out and about, around and everywhere. You only need call us and we will convene, oh overbearing one."
Does she not understand the complexity of the situation nor the amount of wrong that has been done to us? It's infuriating me and I cannot seem to wrap my head around the fact that she does not feel as I do.
"I would like my revenge." I rub my forehead. "We have been wronged."
"I am well aware." Luciara answers. "I understand, Athanasius."
Does she? Betrayed by the ones we held dear, warped into this miniature versions of ourselves, and attached to trinket items. Her form is held captive by a silver bracelet. My sister once roamed this earth in water form she chose, seeping into soil, expanding into air, bursting as rain, and she is content with what she is now?
"I can hear you thinking. I can feel the irritation coming off of you." She sighs. "Are you sure your domain isn't revenge and anger as well?"
I shrug. If I peddle on with this it'll fuel her to annoy me more. "In five days, bring them to Ione's home. We will speak more."
Luciara rolls her eyes. "Destiny has been keeping tabs on the mages, those that are left. You do realize you've killed four of the six."
"And we have one more." I reply, arms crossed over my chest.
Luciara pulls my arm. "You do see the reason why they might have done this?" I narrow my eyes at her. "Not the mages, absolute powercorrupts absolutely, that this the way of things." She forces me to uncross my arms. "Our avatars, Athanasius."
I don't care to think about it.
The air hung heavy with the weight of Luciara’s words, each syllable a measured cut against my long-held beliefs.
“We used them,” she said, her voice quiet but unshaken. “We took and took until they were nothing but tools to us. We abused our powers, never seeing mortals as they were—as individuals, as beings beyond our purpose." She sighs. "We could not, perhaps, because such is the way of a primordial so far removed from the frailty of human existence.”
I listen, silent, though my thoughts churn.
Luciara steps closer, her gaze unyielding. “But we should have known better. We should have seen deeper. There was always another to replace one, and the humans knew this. Perhaps this punishment—this entrapment—is a lesson we failed to learn.”
I shift slightly, but still, I do not answer. Luciara and Destiny are always the ones who speak freely, who feel things in ways I do not. That much has never changed.
She exhales, tilting her head to study me. “You never did move with empathy, Athanasius. Affection is a slow tide for you, distant and hesitant.” Her eyes flicker with something almost amused. “But I see the difference now. I see it in how you look at her.”
I do not have to ask whom she meant.
“How long has it been?” she asks.
“Days,” I answer, the truth a simple thing.
Luciara arches a brow. “Then tell me—why do you allow Ione to challenge you?”
I say nothing.
She studies me for a breath longer, then nods as if she has already decided my answer for herself. “Think on that.” She turns, lifting a hand. “I will gather the others and meet you later.”
"Delilah?" She calls gently. The Lycan land bids goodbye to Ione before inclining her head to me. She shifts effortlessly, paws landing soundlessly on theearth. Luciara climbs onto her back, and with a final glance, they're gone, racing into the distance.
