Chapter 49: Chapter 49

IRIS

“What do you mean by that… Something is inside him?” Aidan asked me.

He looked from me to Ava. Even Inna and Jade were staring at me, stunned.

I had to meet my brother. Immediately after Avery left, I ran to Ava.

She believed me; I didn’t have to prove anything to her. So we decided to seek Aidan’s help.

He was surprised when we came to the island and disturbed him during training. My brother paced up and down the beach.

My words must have hurt him badly. “I swear I could feel it,” I replied.

“Devas was right…” I heard Jade say.

All eyes were glued to her as her words reached us.

“What the hell are you talking about now? What was Devas right about?” Aidan asked.

Jade looked from me to him, pausing briefly before she sat down on the sand.

“His last words… before he went through the portal. He said… don’t let it take him,” she explained.

“Don’t let it take him? What is it?” Ava asked, puzzled.

“You’re completely insane,” Aidan interjected.

But Jade’s gaze told me more than she said. It was spreading… from Avery to the other residents.

Even Aidan seemed to be affected.

“The Lignum Virtutis… it hasn’t bloomed. The Tree of Strength is still withered. No leaves… Even the aura around it is empty… almost dark,” Jade explained.

We were still looking at Jade, her words penetrating our minds, tying everything together. She was right; whatever it was, it had Avery in its power.

His true force had not hatched, the Tree of Power was clear evidence. It should have bloomed when Avery accepted the crown.

A new king, whose power feeds the tree, and thus all the inhabitants of Antaris as well. Their pure souls are protected by the tree, and only the good king’s aura can nourish it.

But now, we were all in danger. It was only a matter of time before evil spread here, like a plague over Antaris.

And all good would die out. Abaddon would then have an easy time invading here.

The protective walls would give way, the good magic would disappear… We were all doomed when that happened.

“I have to find Devas,” I whispered.

Aidan turned to me, his expression in disbelief at my words. “No,” he said.

I glanced from him to Ava, who looked at him questioningly.

“I get what you’re saying… I really do. But you have no idea where Devas and the others are,” Aidan said, taking a deep breath.

“And you do know?” Ava asked.

“He does…” said Inna.

Aidan glanced at his mate as if she had betrayed him. “Tell them,” she demanded.

“The place where they are is called ~Poena Terra~… the land of punishment,” Aidan explained.

I blinked a few times. I had never heard of it before.

“You’re not serious,” I heard Ava say.

My gaze apparently betrayed her ignorance. And I saw Devas in her for a moment as she rolled her eyes.

“Poena Terra is ancient. It is the only place between our world and Portus Mali where banished beings live. The only way in and out can only be a portal… and it has to be opened by a good being outside Poena Terra,” Ava explained.

“Let’s open one then…” I told her.

Aidan shook his head. “It’s impossible to find the location. Only the King of Antaris knows the exact location,” Aidan explained.

Jade cleared her throat briefly. Everyone looked at her.

“That’s… not quite right,” she whispered.

Aidan looked from me to Jade. He raised his hands in the air questioningly.

“I opened the portal with the others… I know where it is,” she explained.

“Great…” Ava said excitedly.

“Great?… You’re completely insane…” Aidan contradicted.

Jade looked at Aidan as if she knew what he was going to say. But Ava rested her hands on her hips and turned to face Aidan.

“You can’t just walk to Poena Terra,” Aidan began, completely annoyed with us, his hand sliding through his hair.

“The place is guarded by worse guards than on that shitty island where Alatus was trapped,” he added.

I remembered the beings there, the power they had. And all the things Alatus told me when we freed him.

If he were here… he would advise me not to go there. But I left him in the mansion to watch over Avery.

To let me know if anything happened. I kept my questions to myself because, aware of the whole situation, Alatus would come to see me immediately.

And Avery would know that something was going on.

“The evil there… never sleeps. And the dark forest…is always watchful. There’s nothing but endless forest around a patch of bare rock…littered with fire…ash and dust. Even the air you breathe can drive you insane. The labyrinth…is far too difficult to get to the center,” Aidan said.

Ava glanced from him to me, and we both stared at Jade. She just nodded… confirming every word Aidan said.

“You can’t do this even with a thousand men, it’s madness,” Aidan added.

His words were heavy. The weight hung in the air.

“What is in this forest…in this labyrinth?” I asked.

“Nothing but horror… Your worst fears will come to you. Everything that’s going on in your head will become reality. And you can’t escape. Once the portal closes, you’re cut off from everything,” Aidan explained.

Ava smiled as she heard this. “I thought he was dead… I couldn’t feel him anymore. But it’s this place that doesn’t allow him to contact me,” she said.

I realized that there was no way Ava was going to stay here. The look on her face told me that she could hardly wait to go.

“I’m going… and you’re going with me,” I told her.

She looked at me—there was gratitude and relief in her gaze.

Aidan rolled his eyes and huffed out, as if he knew that’s exactly what I was going to say.

“Jade can open us a portal from here. Avery won’t notice anything,” Ava added.

“And you two don’t think he’ll notice that his mate and sister are gone?” Aidan asked teasingly.

“He won’t. Our last conversation ended in a fight. And he’s avoiding Iris anyway…,” she replied.

Aidan shook his head, still not in agreement with our decision. “And how the hell do you want to get back?” he asked us.

I hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“I’ll give you two days… then I’ll open the portal again at the same place,” Jade replied.

Aidan glanced at Inna, who nodded. And my brother knew exactly that this was the only way to save Antaris.

“I’ll come with you,” Aidan said, still looking at Inna.

His gaze glided from her face to her belly, which she gently caressed, and I gasped at the realization.

Inna was pregnant. Aidan was coming with us to save Antaris.

This was the only way his unborn child would have a future.

“And I’ll hold the fort here and cover you,” Inna added, smiling.

Ava squeezed my hand gently, just as relieved as I was.

We had to find Devas. He could tell us how to save Avery.

How we could save all the good beings.

“Are you sure you want this?” Jade asked again.

Ava and I looked at each other, our eyes meeting Aidan’s. I sensed the steely determination in all of us.

“Yes… we have to,” I answered.

Whatever awaited us there, it couldn’t be worse than the fate we were trying to avoid.