The Last Hope

44 - Vote

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER - Find you, Ruelle. If there ever was a perfect song for a chapter, it's this one. Linked above! If you enjoy the chapter please vote, it means a lot.

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"It's got to be a sick joke." Ariah mocked, her face torn between disdain and disbelief.

"I thought so too, but apparently not." Lincoln's voice was harsh, indignant. Angry. That was good, Mercy supposed, as a thousand thoughts buzzed in her skull like hornets. Anger was better than complete denial, which is what he'd responded with when she'd told him last night.

"It can't wait," she told him grimly, and watched his face change from excitement to confusion as she'd explained. "When we were in Mira," she'd told him, choosing her words carefully, "Heleyna - the Dowager Queen- gave me this." She produced the pearl from the folds of her collar to show him, and he'd nodded distractedly, not understanding. His expression was still trusting, still kind. Mercy steeled herself for that to change.

"She explained to me that I have the sight. That I can see the future, and she told me not to look for my future."

"Why?"

"Because I might not like what I see."

"Mer, why are you being all cryptic? You're freaking me out, is something wrong? Is something going to happen?"

She'd hesitated, and his face had shuttered. "Mer if we are in danger you have to tell us."

"No! It's nothing like that-"

"Then what could possibly be so bad to make you look like this? You are acting like someone died. Just tell me what happened I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making out."

"Sebastian gave up the memory of his mate, to trade for the sword, remember? We'd just gotten the sword when we accidentally ended up in Mira."

"Sebastian took you there on purpose, Mercy, there was nothing accidental about it," Lincoln replied grouchily.

Mercy nodded her agreement, but continued, "well, I felt guilty, that he'd traded his memory for the sword. Especially because he'd just started to act like a half-decent person."

"I'm not sure our definitions match up-"

"-it doesn't matter. I wanted to do something kind. I wanted to help him. And I thought maybe if I could find Idra - his mate - it might help him."

"...Okay?"

"So, when Heleyna gave me the pearl, I asked it to show me Sebastian's true mate." Mercy had waited for the realisation to sink in, but Lincoln's remained blank.

"...and?"

"And the pearl showed me my face, Lincoln. It showed me myself, and Sebastian. Our future together. He's my true mate... whatever the hell that is supposed to mean."

"Mer, that's impossible. True mates used to exist in Allunyah but, they only happen now with Mirans. Something to do with their blood and their magic - I'm sure whatever you saw was something different."

"I have Siren blood Lincoln, Alexandria told me so." She raised her arm to show him the coiling black ink, "that explains this hideous thing - it's a mating mark. Sebastian probably has one too - he's just been hiding it."

Lincoln's face was still scrunched in confusion. "Linc?" He didn't speak. Didn't even look at her, he was just staring off into space. "Lincoln, you're scaring me."