Prophecy and Fate

BAMBI

Ekon retired to his chambers after visiting his mother’s grave.

I felt it was best to give him some space and let him work through his feelings.

By evening, I was tired of being a bookworm and searching through bloody tales of the Great War. So, I headed to the compound and found myself outside Ekon’s room.

I knocked on the door, but there was no response.

After a few moments, I opened the door and peeked inside.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Ekon spun around on his heels, a fresh drink in hand.

“N…nothing,” he stammered, “I was just…”

“About to have ~another~ drink.”

Ekon dropped his shoulders and sighed.

“There’s no point in lying,” he said. “Yes. I was about to have a drink. But I haven’t had a drop yet.”

My first thought was to storm out of the room and get as far away as possible. I knew all too well what it meant when Ekon got his hands on alcohol—and how quickly it could devolve into chaos.

But the sadness in his eyes told me he was sorry. And it also showed me that he must have had ~a lot~ on his mind.

Ekon made his way to the bathroom and poured the golden liquid down the sink. He turned on the faucet after, just to make sure it all washed away.

I closed the door behind me and then sat on the edge of the bed.

Ekon put the bottles of alcohol back inside the cabinet and sat beside me.

We remained silent, listening to the creaks and groans of the old mansion.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally.

“I know you are,” I replied. “But that doesn’t take away from what I saw. I’m here to help you, but you have to make an effort.”

My skin burned with annoyance as I looked into his defeated face. The man I loved was a liability, especially when things got tough.

But I loved him. And I wanted to help my mate through his struggles.

“But I didn’t drink,” he pleaded. “And isn’t that good enough?”

I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm my nerves.

“I care for you,” I said. “More than I’ve ever cared for anyone else. But I can’t keep doing this on my own. You ~have~ to take matters into your own hands.”

Ekon nodded weakly, but I needed to hear more.

“Are you listening to me?”

Ekon looked in my direction, and I saw the pain that he was trying to hide.

“I’ll do better,” he stated. “I promise you, I’ll do better.”

His hand reached for mine, and I placed it in his lap. The warmth of his touch was nearly enough to make me forgive him.

Ekon always meant what he said—but that didn’t mean he’d be able to keep his word.

~Can I really trust my mate to give up his addictions?~

I wanted to. And if I was going to be a good Luna, I needed to.

“I know today was a lot to handle,” I said calmly. “It would be a lot for anyone.”

“Resurrecting my mother is a huge risk,” Ekon admitted. “I don’t know if I want to speak with her again.”

I stood up from the bed and moved to the liquor cabinet. After grabbing the same glass Ekon had emptied, I returned to the bathroom and filled it with water.

Ekon accepted the glass and emptied it after only a few sips.

“I’m here to help you,” I reminded him. “No matter what.”

“So, you won’t run for the hills just because I’m a liability?” he asked, laughing.

I kneeled on the ground before him, peering up into his overwhelmed face.

“Absolutely not,” I replied. “Through the good and bad. No matter what happens, you’ll still be the Ekon I love. You’re still ~my mate~.”

Ekon offered me his hand and pulled me into his lap.

We stayed in that position for what felt like hours, listening to the simple rhythm of our beating hearts.

HOLLY

Returning to the compound was a shock at first. It was like falling into a pool of ice water in the middle of the desert.

But after a few days, I felt restless.

And that meant ~practicing my spells~.

I stared at the target dummy across the field, over one hundred yards away. Ekon had allocated my training grounds to this expanse of grass and trees that was larger than a football field.

It was another brisk morning with a steady breeze that wouldn’t die down.

I licked my finger and held it up, checking the changes of the wind.

“East to west,” I mumbled to myself. “Ten to fifteen miles per hour.”

I sucked in a deep breath and felt the familiar, magical tingle in my fingertips. After several seconds of focus, I shot my palms forward, blasting out a bolt of magic.

The blast careened toward the target dummy, but at the last second, I threw my left arm out, and the spell went ~wide~.

“Still need a bit of practice,” Ekon’s voice called out from behind me.

I smirked but continued to focus my attention on the dummy.

Pulling both arms back toward my body, I managed to recall the spell. But it didn’t return to me…

Instead, it smashed into the target from behind, tearing through the hearty burlap exterior. Its sandy innards sprayed across the field and whirled in the chilly Alaskan breeze.

I turned to Ekon, who heard the impact even if he couldn’t see it.

“Someone spoke too soon,” I teased.

“Impressive,” Ekon replied. “It seems like your time at the university was well-spent.”

Even though he was blind, I was still embarrassed to find myself blushing.

The university had taught me a lot. Sometimes I wondered if I had learned ~too much~ while under the tutelage of Zillana…

“Which brings me to why I’m here,” Ekon continued. “I’m ready. I want you to bring my mother back from the dead.”

My jaw dropped open as I realized what he was telling me…

When I had first mentioned my idea, he’d reacted as if I’d insulted his entire heritage.

But as I looked into his calm face, I could see that he was telling the truth. He ~was~ ready.

“I trust you,” Ekon said.

I scoffed at the idea. What had happened to me in South America was out of my control—and I was terrified of that same thing happening to me again.

If I hadn’t heard Ekon’s tortured howls, I might still be lost inside the horrific mind-scape that Devina had created.

“This ritual isn’t as easy as sending a blast of magic at a dummy,” I reminded him. “Raising your mother will require ~dark magic~. It will take blood and sacrifice to feed the spell.”

Ekon nodded slowly. He’d been expecting me to say as much.

“That’s why I need you,” Ekon replied. “You’ve been through hell and come back the same person I invited to live at my compound all those months ago.”

“Not the same,” I warned him. “We all change. Even if no one else can see the difference.”

Another gust of wind picked up, causing us both to pull our jackets tighter.

“It’ll come at a price,” I continued. “Maybe not tomorrow, or the day after…But sooner or later, the debt must be paid.”

Ekon smiled as if I’d told a joke.

“Very well,” he said. “I’ve paid my debts in full. This will be no different.”

Ekon held out his hand, and I accepted the handshake.

Soon I would revisit the darkness that I’d been so afraid to master…the same darkness that embedded itself in my mind and refused to let go.

~Will I be able to control the darkness this time, or will it control me?~

EKON

There were no other options.

If we wanted to end the war against Matthias and Devina, we had to do everything in our power.

Holly’s acceptance of the plan was all I needed. After all, she was the one who had thought up this insane scheme.

It sounded so ridiculous. The only way to defeat my brother and sister was to raise my mother from her grave.

Not her body…but her ~soul~. Only then could we stop the prophecy from happening…

~Three siblings, the blood of her blood, destined to unite…~

~Three children who will bring three Great Wars, which will raze the realm, leaving behind ruin and desolation…~

~Together, they fulfill their destiny.~

But separate, they hopefully would not.

I thought back to the times I’d fought against my brother and sister. Our battles were knock-down-drag-out affairs that took every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears.

~Could resurrecting my mother really bring an end to the terror that Devina and Matthias love to create?~

I wanted so badly for the answer to be “yes.”

But the tightness in my gut told me it was hopeless.

Fate had brought the prophecy to life.

And if fate had the final say, it would ensure that the prophecy came true.

But I couldn’t let that happen.

~No matter the cost…~