Chapter 52

AURORA

The strangest thing was this weird sense of déjà vu, like I should have known him from somewhere. I squinted, stepping closer to get a better look.

“Have we met before?” I asked, his dark gold eyes captivating me.

He smiled, amused. “No, not at all. I think you’re seeing a resemblance between me and someone you know well. It’s not surprising. I like to think we share some traits.” He quickly changed the subject. “But let’s move on. Nighttime is short, and there’s a lot to tell and teach you before the time comes. You hold the key to ending this quickly and efficiently without a full-blown war.”

He was right. Judging by the moon’s position, it was already past midnight.

“Okay, but what can I do? I’m just a human, even if I am Rin’s beta,” I reminded him.

“True, but don’t underestimate the power a human can have in this world. You, in particular, can do so because of what this Faerie tried to do. Her sister is right. Her plan to use the stone she tricked Rin into getting for you has backfired. To cut a long story short, when you started blooming as a beta and recently chose Rin as your alpha, your spirit began to overtake the part of her soul that’s been transferring to the stone,” he explained.

I gave him a skeptical look. “Wait a minute. Slow down. Are you saying she planned to take over my body, and part of her has always been in this stone?”

“That’s correct,” he confirmed. He touched my throat where the stone was, and I felt that same pulse, but it was softer than before. “This is also how she can be destroyed. Since this stone has been inside you, Lila has been steadily feeding her soul into it. I’d guess that about half of it is there now. That’s how you were able to stop her earlier when she tried to kill her sister in front of you. She’s fed her power into your soul, and you unconsciously tapped into it and used it against her.”

“You’re kidding! I’ve been gaining power from her?!” I exclaimed in disbelief.

He took my shock in stride. “You certainly have, and that’s part of why I’m here. I’ve gotten my permissions and I’m going to teach you how to start tapping into that power. Hopefully, we can do it enough so that you can use it when the time is right.”

It sounded too good to be true, but what other options did I have? I knew what had happened earlier. Lila had stopped when I’d told her to, and Rayne had almost broken through the spell on him. If this was why, then I needed all the help I could get to tap into it. But there was something I needed to confirm first.

“If I agree to this, will it help free Rayne and keep him and Flora safe?” I asked.

“Yes. Steps are already being taken with them too, and I’m sure that Rayne will break free of this spell soon. But for now, you need to focus on yourself and tell me if you’re committed to doing what needs to be done,” he responded.

I nodded firmly. “Yes. I’ll do whatever I can to stop her and help Rin and his family.”

He smiled and patted my head. “Good girl. I knew you were the right one for Rin the moment I heard about you.”

That strange familiarity kept nagging at me. “Who are you? Are you connected to Rin’s father?”

“You could say that.” He bowed to me. “For introductions, you can call me Sionn. But let’s move on. As I said before, there’s not much time, and you have a lot to learn.”

I nodded. “Okay. I’m listening, so teach me everything I need to know.”

***

“Rin!”

I pounded on the glass in front of me, unable to see much beyond the courtyard that stretched beyond the edge of the forest where I was. I was on my knees on the grass, surrounded by shadows, desperate to reach the light. That courtyard, the palace in the distance; this was supposed to be my home, and the one I loved so much was inside.

I knew this was a dream, but I desperately wanted to go home. It felt so real, like I’d actually come there. I just couldn’t get in. Whatever this invisible barrier was, it stopped me from going any further, and after several attempts to push through it, I’d ended up here on my knees with my fists against it, desperately calling for my fox.

Tears streamed down my face as I hung my head. This was hopeless. I was locked out. I didn’t even know how I’d ended up in this dream. I knew I’d been exhausted and fallen asleep next to Sionn, but I didn’t think I’d be so aware of dreaming or have one this vivid. All I’d wanted when I started drifting off was to see Rin, for him and Jekia to come here and rescue me and Rayne.

~This is hopeless!~ I thought miserably.

But I couldn’t give up. I had to try one more time.

“Please, Rin, if you’re in there, please help me!”

Everything was quiet for a few minutes, and I sat on my knees, trying to wipe the tears from my face. I just wanted to wake up. There didn’t seem to be any way to get to the palace or get Rin’s attention.

But as I thought that, I found myself looking at my hands. It was like some strange instinct had kicked in. I focused, and a blue light began to glow above my palms. It condensed and turned into a beautiful butterfly, much like the one I’d seen from Lila, only this one was sky blue.

Sionn’s words echoed in my mind as the butterfly floated up in front of me.

~You can tap into her power, but yours will be purer, born of light while hers is born of darkness.~

That must’ve been what he meant. Like Lila, I could use these ethereal butterflies to my advantage. Maybe this one could penetrate the barrier for me.

I extended my hands, watching as the butterfly effortlessly slipped through the invisible barrier as if it didn’t exist. It fluttered toward the palace, and I closed my eyes, clasping my hands together.

~Please Rin~, I prayed, ~come to me. I need to see you.~

Silence enveloped me as I sat there, repeating those words like a mantra. Then, suddenly, I heard the sound of running footsteps approaching the barrier. My butterfly was returning, and it wasn’t alone. I quickly got up on my knees as I saw Rin, shouting his name.

“Rin!”

He looked stunned as he saw me, and before I knew it, he’d crossed the barrier and I was enveloped in his tight embrace, hugging him back just as fiercely. I’d never felt such relief, even if this was only a dream. At least here, I was back in his arms.

“You’re here! Even if this is just a dream, you’re still here!” I heard him whisper, his voice sounding suspiciously shaky.

“I don’t know how, but I think it’s connected to what’s happening. It feels like a dream, but it’s also not,” I told him.

“No, not entirely,” Rin agreed, finally pulling back a bit to look at me. “You’ve somehow managed to pull me into this dream with you. I felt it starting when I suddenly began falling asleep. But how did you do this, and how did you create that butterfly?”

I had a lot to explain, and I hoped I’d have enough time to do it. It already felt like I’d been pushing my luck trying to get him here with me.

“I don’t have much time, Rin. I’m still trapped with the Faerie queen,” I told him.

“I know, and we’re on our way to get you. It’s just taking longer because Emelio was badly hurt. He couldn’t transport us, so my father and I have had to travel on foot,” Rin explained.

“Emelio’s still alive?”

“Yes. He’ll be okay, but it’s going to take him some time to regain his strength. But we’re almost there, and we’ve heard that the Sumarians are already making moves to help us.”

Sumarians. I remembered Lana mentioning them to me before, though she hadn’t said much, only that they were some of the Higher Ones that the rulers answered to. If they were involved, then they wanted her stopped, and I bet they wanted Jekia and Rin to do it, even if they would offer different kinds of assistance.

Then it hit me. Sionn must’ve been a Sumarian. That must’ve been why he seemed familiar. Maybe being with Rin had given me that sense about him.

“I think there’s one helping me right now, but I don’t have a lot of time. I needed to tell you that there’s a way I might be able to help you stop Lila. She’s keeping me because she wants to use my body as hers soon, and this stone is more than just a tool to control you and Rayne. It now houses half of her soul,” I explained to him.

Rin’s eyes widened at this. “She wants to take over your body?!”

“She has Flora too, and Flora mentioned something about her time running out and that Lila needs my body to keep living,” I confirmed.

“So ~that’s~ what Vincent was referring to,” Rin muttered.

“You mean the Southern ruler? He’s involved too?”

I had heard the names of the rulers in this world from Rin, though Jekia was the only one I’d met so far. Vincent was the Northern one and was supposed to be a phoenix. I’d hoped to meet him one day. Rin had always described him as being brilliant both in color and intellect.

“Yes.” Rin looked around us as the shadows deepened for a few seconds. “We don’t have much time left. I’m guessing that when she transferred her soul into that stone, it gave you some of her power. That’s how you pulled me in here and sent that butterfly to me.”

I nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to learn all night, and I think I have some of it. It’s also what Sionn has been telling me can be used against Lila. If I can harness it enough, then I can fight back and weaken her, and eventually, I might be able to destroy her with it.”

Rin didn’t like the sound of this at all.

“You don’t need to do that. It’s too risky for you. Just give us a little more time and we’ll be there to rescue you and hopefully help Rayne.”

“I can’t just sit there and do nothing!” I protested.

“You’re only human, Amore. If you try to fight her then she might kill you and take over your body immediately!” Rin countered.

The shadows around us deepened, making everything appear darker. We were starting to wake up. The dream was almost over.

“Listen, please. I need to do what I can. I can’t just sit there and feel helpless anymore. I’ll help too, and I’ll come back to you, no matter what,” I promised.

Rin looked defeated, holding my face and kissing me. There was pain in his eyes as the darkness began to envelop us more.

“Please, don’t destroy that stone. If you do, then you’ll….”

I didn’t catch the tail end of his words before everything went black. Moments later, I was jolted back to reality. My heart throbbed with a dull ache. I yearned to stay in that dreamlike state with Rin. It hadn’t even been a full day and I missed him terribly.

Sionn had stayed by my side, sitting up next to me. It seemed like he knew what I’d been dreaming about.

“He’s hurting just as much as you are. I’m relieved this will be over soon, even though it might get a bit tougher for him before it does,” he said, his voice soft and tinged with regret.

I slowly sat up next to him. “You’re a Sumarian, right? So you must know a lot about this.”

“Well, not exactly, but I do work closely with them,” Sionn replied.

He shifted the conversation as he glanced towards the door. “Listen, we’re running out of time. Jekia and Rin will be here in a few hours. Until then, you need to keep Lila at bay. I’m pretty sure she’s planning to hurt her sister, and maybe even try to control your ability to resist her. She knows what you managed to do yesterday and I’m sure it scared her. So, you need to be extra careful and not let on that you’ve gained some control over what’s been transferred to you.”

“Are you sure this is safe? I mean, you mentioned something about her power coming from darkness and mine from light. What did you mean by that?” I asked him.

“Exactly what I said. Lila didn’t get all this power on her own. I’m sure you’ve heard the Golden Queen story and how she worked hard to become an alpha, but it’s not entirely true. A long time ago, Lila was chosen by a fallen angel to cause chaos in this world. He offered her the power to rule it through one of Hell’s spell books, and she took the bait, falling under the control of darkness. That’s partly why she was sealed away shortly after Jekia took power in these lands. It was known that neither he nor anyone else could stand a chance against the power given by a fallen,” Sionn explained.

I was taken aback. This Faerie had some of a demon’s power?

“But how am I supposed to make a difference against her? Even if I’ve gotten some of it, wouldn’t it just try to take over me?” I argued.

“No, because you are much stronger than she ever was. Despite everything you’ve been through, your heart remained pure and never succumbed to the darkness. That’s how everyone knows you’re meant to be here and help defeat her. You will become the rightful heir to purify her power and keep it for yourself,” Sionn assured me.

I stood up with him as he slid off the bed, grabbing his arm before he could walk away from me towards the balcony door.

“Wait. What should I do to stop her? Should I try to fight her too?”

Sionn turned to me. “You might have to soon, but remember Flora’s warning, the end of this will also require a sacrifice,” he replied, touching the stone in my throat.

“Destroy the stone,” I whispered, guessing his meaning.

“Don’t be afraid. What needs to be done, will be done. I have no doubt about the strength of your heart.” I was taken aback when he leaned down and kissed my cheek, whispering in my ear, “Take care of Rin for me. I’m so glad he can finally be with someone who will make him happy and accept him for who he is.”

I stood still as he moved away, his fingers gently brushing my cheek. Then he walked over to the doorway and out onto the balcony, but not before turning back to speak to me one last time.

“Also, don’t worry about the men who follow Lila. They will be taken care of. Just focus on what you need to do with her.”

With that, he was gone.

His words echoed in my mind, and a strange ache filled my heart. If he wasn’t a Sumarian, then who was he, and why did he care so much about Rin?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my bedroom door being unlocked. I turned to see Fai opening it.

“Good, you’re awake,” she said, her expression stoic. It seemed like something was bothering her, but she was trying to hide it. “Come with me. Our queen is waiting.”

I decided to follow her, for now, remembering Sionn’s advice. It was better to go along with this without resisting, at least for now. But I won’t lie, I was still furious at the sight of her. Even though I never considered myself a vengeful person, I wanted Fai to pay for what she’d done.

I followed her out of the room, but she made a quick detour to a bathroom so I could freshen up and fix my hair. Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to meet her queen looking like I’d just rolled out of bed. I couldn’t help but scoff at their vanity. I’d run into Lana and Selenia plenty of times before getting ready for the day. They were just like me. No one cared about appearances among us.

Once I was deemed presentable, Fai led me upstairs to the same throne room I’d been in the night before. As I suspected, Lila was there with Rayne, but to my surprise, he was restrained with his hands chained behind his back and another chain around his neck. The chains were bolted to the floor, keeping him in place.

“You foolish Dog. Did you really think I’d let you roam free when I knew what was going on? I don’t take such risks, no matter how much I can still control you with just my power,” Lila said to him.

Rayne lifted his head and glared at her, his eyes looking just like they used to before all this. I also noticed a blue glow emanating from his neck.

~Did I take over her butterfly?~ I wondered.

“Give it up! You can’t control me anymore!” Rayne growled.

“I don’t need any more control over you,” Lila retorted. She yanked the chain around his neck, making him gasp for air. “I could let you rot here, for all I care. But you’re too valuable. Your father will do anything to get you back.”