“If I can comfort you, Adara,” Leethan started as he approached the man’s body, “your parents have gone to Tristar. They did not die ignorant of the truth.”
Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened. “They crossed over?” she asked.
The moment Leethan was done speaking, the mist began to circle around him. Moments later, both Leethan and the body of the lifeless man vanished from sight.
Without uttering a word, I looked at the faces of my companions.
“We are alive,” I said with a shy smile. For a moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the fact that Ballard lived and that we were all standing here—together. We broke out in laughter, sharing tears of joy as we embraced one another.
“We are alive,” I kept repeating. Even if it was just for a short moment, I wanted to enjoy the feeling that all was going to be well. I knew our enemies were still close. I knew we were being hunted. Despite all these facts, I wanted to revel in this moment as much as possible.
Xylia touched the right side of my face. “I am sorry I tried to blame you for his death.”
“There is nothing to be sorry about.” My fingers touched her hand. “We were desperate.”
She gave me a shy smile.
“Are you able to carry on, Ballard?” she asked him, adjusting her satchel around her shoulder.
“Yes,” he replied, arching his back as he stretched out his arms.
Ballard’s eyes were taken by sorrow. If they had the ability to speak, they would probably have much to share.
“Do you know the way to the Road of Ahnor from here, Devin?” I asked.
“I do,” he said. “We go northwest. The Road of Ahnor will lead us to the Weeping Mountains, bringing us close to the Ruins of Madbouseux. That is the most probable path that King Ohmen, King Folletti, and Queen Vallerre have taken.”
“Let us also not forget that Madbouseux is also the place where Bartholomew and the other blood-drinkers were first seen.” I trembled at my own remark. I noticed the faces of my companions growing worried at my words.
“This way,” said Devin, walking ahead of us. I hastened my steps until I walked alongside him.
“My heart is greatly troubled,” Devin remarked, his eyes set on the forest ahead of us.
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“In my heart, I do not believe Bartholomew and the others will stop their hunt just because they don’t find us.” He shook his head. “They will come for us. I’ve heard stories of how King Bartholomew and his army slaughtered thousands, conquering the neighboring villages and peoples.” He glanced over his shoulder, setting his eyes on Ballard. “They will not stop until they have that book within their grasp.”
“I fear that Nephele and the others are also plotting against us,” I added.
“That is a fact.” Both of his eyebrows rose up. “Lucifer and the Fallen Stars silence themselves when they plan an attack. It took them ages to come for you and the others. They are patient.”
A loud cry sprang forth from behind me. Ballard crouched his body as he bent his knees; both of his hands covered his ears.
“Ballard!” Demetre yelled, grasping Ballard’s right arm. “What is wrong?”
He continued to scream, falling to the ground.
“We have to help him,” Adara said, kneeling next to him.
“Make it stop,” he said under clenched teeth. “Please.” Sweat trickled down his forehead, the veins on his neck lifting beneath his skin. He crawled on the snow, his nose bleeding, his breathing ragged.
“It must stop,” he screeched. “I cannot…” He never finished his sentence.
Petra reached for Ballard’s satchel.
“Look.” He pointed at the object. There was a faint light shining from within the satchel. “It is coming from the book,” he affirmed with a confused look. Ballard’s cries were deafening.
Petra grabbed the book from inside the satchel.
His eyes closed tight. His breathing grew heavy and I noticed his chin trembling.
“No,” he mumbled. Petra opened his eyes wide as blood poured down his cheeks like tears. He knelt down, pressing his hands against his eyes.
“What is happening?” Xylia inquired, watching in horror.
“Inside Petra’s satchel.” Adara pointed to the object, which also had a faint glowing light shining from within.
“Will we also suffer like that?” Xylia asked with a tight voice.
I watched both of my companions writhing on the forest floor. I was not accustomed to this feeling anymore—it crawled inside my heart like a dangerous insect, ready to infuse me with its poison. I felt vulnerable and weak. I did not know how to help my companions now. I stared at them, thinking about a way to release them from their suffering, but I couldn’t. I recalled the words Adawnas had spoken over me:
“Even though your inner man is strong, you won’t be able to completely rid yourself of your human desires
.” Once again I felt like the naïve boy I had once been. My right arm trembled as I clenched my fists.
“Demetre.” I set my gaze on him. “Grab the Book of Letters.”
He gave me a confused look.
“You…you…want me to grab—”
“Just do it,” I insisted. “You are the only one who is not a direct bearer. The moment Petra touched that book, its power struck him down.” I was hoping my thoughts were correct. “Grab it.”
Demetre looked at Ballard and Petra as they crawled on the ground; their screams were like howls. Blood drops stained the snow. He bent down as fast as he could, grasping the Book of Letters and Petra’s book. The light that shone from the symbols etched into the their covers disappeared.
Demetre and I exchanged a surprised look. Ballard and Petra ceased their screaming. Ballard shrugged his shoulders as he attempted to stand to his feet.
“Are you both alright?” I knelt beside them.
They both nodded. With the back of his hands, Petra wiped the blood from his face. Ballard had his hand over his chest.
“Can you please tell us what happened?” Xylia requested.
“It’d be best if we kept on going,” Devin said in an assertive voice, his eyes surveying the woods around us. The faint cries of the crowd were still audible.
“Wait, Devin,” Petra said, rubbing his eyes. “I need to rest for a short while.” He sat on tree bark located next to Ballard.
Devin gnawed on his bottom lip, shaking his head. “We will be caught if we stay here. Bellator is still not far behind us.” He grew impatient.
“Please,” Ballard said, quavering. “I need to rest—even if just for a short while.” Sweat streamed down his forehead, reaching his cheeks.
“Do as you wish.” Devin spread out his arms. “Let me know when you would like to continue. Let us hope we are not too late to encounter the kings and queens.” He reclined his body on one of the trees.
“What happened?” I asked, standing back on my feet.
They both looked at the snow-covered ground with despondent stares.
Ballard ran his fingers through his chestnut hair. He narrowed his eyes, probably trying to recall everything that had happened.
“I remember the moment you snatched Demetre and Petra from those rocks,” he started, his eyes meeting mine. “I was no fool. I knew you could not carry all of us to safety at the same time. I looked to my left and saw Devin, Adara, and Xylia still standing inside that tunnel. The waters rose at a ferocious speed.” His fingers clenched over his knees. “Moments later, I saw Devin soaring, holding the girls. That was when I felt a weight on my shoulder. I recall my book feeling as heavy as a rock. My hands lost their grip and I plummeted into the freezing waters.”
“So you were not attacked?” Adara asked in a tone of confusion.
“No, I wasn’t.” He crossed his hands. “I tried to swim, but my book continued to grow heavier, pulling me to the bottom. When I tried to remove the satchel from around my shoulder, my arms failed to respond.” He fell silent for a moment and then continued, “That is the last thing I remember before I stood…before I saw…him.”
“Him?” I asked with a gaping jaw. In my heart, I knew whom he spoke about.
“The lion with wings.” Joy filled his eyes.
“You saw him?” Petra raised his brows.
“Yes, I did,” he answered. “He stood right beside me, quietly. His peaceful scarlet gaze brought me comfort. I looked around and saw the greenest grass I had ever seen, and trees as high as castle towers adorned with flowers.” He let out a soft laugh. “I saw birds flying in the blue sky.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Petra staring out to the horizon with empty eyes.
“The Creator and I stood atop a mountain, looking out into a red sunset,” Ballard continued. “A gentle breeze brushed my face as I watched his mane moving with the wind, the feathers on his wings dancing with the breeze.”
Ballard was quiet. He seemed to be lost in thought, probably recalling the vivid images of his memories.
“After a while, I saw a being flying in our direction. He hovered in the air like an eagle,” he continued. “As it drew closer, I was able to see that it resembled a man. It was Leethan. His feet touched the ground in front of me. He knelt before the lion.” He narrowed his eyes, curving the corners of his lips. “The feathers on his wings changed color as the light touched them.”
As I heard Ballard share his tale, in my heart I felt a burning desire to lay eyes on the lion again.
“‘Take him,’ the lion declared. His deep voice was unlike anything I had ever heard. When he spoke, it was as if the trees, the rocks, and the sky had voices of their own, uttering the same words that he did.”
Ballard rested his head on his hands.
“He sent you a message, Isaac,” he said in a soft voice. “I will use the same words that he used.”
With curious eyes, my companions looked at me. My heart palpitated. I was anxious to know what he’d said. Though our encounter had been brief, I missed the company of the white lion.
Ballard sighed as he scratched his head.
“He said you asked him where he has been. He wants you to know that he has been watching.”
I gasped. Ballard could not have known what I had just asked the Creator. I contained my tears, recalling the words that had drifted from my lips. Demetre approached me, resting his left hand on my shoulder.
“After the lion had ordered Leethan to take me away, he rose to his feet and touched my right shoulder. ‘Your companions are waiting for you,’ he said. I gave the lion one last look; his eyes were brimming in tears. Like ice that melts under the sun, the breathtaking landscape around me disappeared. Leethan kept his hand on my shoulder until our return.”
Ballard grunted, rising to his feet.
“I stood there,” he said, pointing to the place where Demetre and Adara had gone to rescue the stranger. “I was surprised when I saw Leethan’s wings shrink underneath his skin. His eyes grew dark and his hair disappeared. A few moments later, the powerful Higher Star had the appearance of a fragile old man. ‘Your life rests on the actions of your companions. If they rescue me, you will return to your human body; if not, you will be taken back to Tristar,’ Leethan said as he lay on the snow. At the top of his lungs, he started shouting for help.”
We were all silent. None of us dared to look at one another.
“I did not want to leave you all during such perilous times.” He trailed his eyes across our faces. “I watched as you all stood on the other side, debating whether or not the man should be helped.”
“And then you saw me?” Devin said in a louder voice. “You saw me trying to stop Adara.”
Adara was quiet, shooting Devin a shy look.
“I am not blaming you, Devin.” Wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. “You did what you thought to be right. Adara did what she believed to be righteous. Neither of you were aware of the outcome of your choices,” Ballard remarked.
“We need to move on.” Devin turned his back to us. “Our enemy is still lurking around.” He marched toward the woods.
“He is right,” I said. “We’d better move.”
No one questioned Devin’s orders this time. In silence, we all followed at his heels, treading our way through the valley. The shouts of the angry crowd faded as we continued to head to the Road of Ahnor.
Despite all the questions that needed to be answered, some burned within me with greater intensity. Had I entered Xylia’s mind? An urge to murder her had taken over in an instant, due to the simple fact that she had not agreed with me. What was happening to me?
A dark memory invaded my mind. I recalled the day Nephele mentioned that Lucifer and me had a special connection—something that the Fallen Stars and Nephilins were yet to discover. Was that the reason why this new ability had developed? What kind of connection did I share with the Dark One?
I set eyes on every single one of my companions, thinking about the situations and struggles that might have led them here. To my right was my ever-faithful friend whom had been with me through all my trials and perils. Despite our journey through the Wastelands, our friendship had remained untouched. To my left was Xylia, the girl I had wanted to kill a short while ago. Judging by her strong attitude, I knew her past had been brutal. Petra, the one that had brought me some comfort when we met, was now quiet, walking with his left hand resting over his ragged satchel, caressing the object that was hidden inside it.