Blood and Water - The Darkling

Chapter 29: Eternal

*Unedited

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𝕹𝖎𝖐𝖔𝖑𝖆𝖎 leads me across the palace grounds to the old zoo. A full moon is rising.

Zoya groans, "Why can't it be as simple as war? One enemy facing another in honest combat? No, now we have some kind of monstrous blight to face."

"Of course, this isn't simple. It's the end and the beginning."

I feel the eyes of both my friends.

The King says, "When did you get so cryptic? You sound like..."

He doesn't need to finish his statement. We all know who he was comparing me to.

I shrug, "I'm not sure. The past few years have changed me. My gut feelings have gotten stronger."

The Squaller asks, "And what does your gut tell you about this 'end and beginning?'"

"It tells me that the old age is ending, chaotically, as is natural. But when this is over, a new beginning awaits. One that is bright and full of promise and peace."

Nikolai mutters, "Well, that's all fine and good. Let's hope it works out like that."

It will. I'm sure of it.

We continue through the old zoo that is located in the wooded area on the eastern end of the palace grounds. It was abandoned generations ago, but somehow it still smells of the animals that had been caged there. I see weathered illustrations: a leopard in a jeweled collar, a lemur wearing a velvet waistcoat and performing tricks, a white bear imported from Tsibeya that had mauled three different keepers before escaping. It had never been caught, and I hope it somehow found its way home. As a lonely creature, I can relate to wanting to find a home.

The zoo is built in the shape of a large circle, the old cages facing outward and overgrown with brambles. At the center is a high tower that had once housed an aviary at the top. Though some part of me recognizes it. Perhaps Sankta Vasilka once wove her tapestries at the top of this very tower. I have no way of confirming my suspicion, but I can't help believing this tower is the same one from the stories. Maybe it's the Firebird's knowledge lurking within me.

But now it is home to a man more akin to the sorcerer who attempted to steal Vasilka and her power. A man who succeeded at stealing my heart.

As I climb the stairs behind Zoya and Nikolai, nervousness strikes me. How will Aleksander react to seeing me?

I don't have to wait long.

When we reach the top, I notice how Nikolai and Zoya built this prison carefully, leaving only the skeleton of the aviary. Its walls are now made entirely of glass, letting light in throughout the day. At night, Sun Soldiers, heirs to my sister's power, many of whom fought against the Darkling on the Fold, keep the light alive. They have all been sworn to secrecy, and I hope that vow will hold. Supposedly, the Darkling had emerged into this new life without his powers but they aren't taking any chances.

I guess that answers my question of whether our connection is due to our powers. If he truly does not have them, then something deeper ties us together. As I can feel the vibrations in their full glory. They rush just under my skin, intensified by the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

When the door opens, their prisoner rises from where he'd been sitting on the floor, moving with a familiar kind of grace. Yuri, as Nikolai informed me, was a young monk who had preached the gospel of the Starless Saint and led the cult dedicated to worshiping the Darkling. They believed the Starless One had been martyred on the Fold and would return. And to everyone's surprise, Yuri and the rest of the addlepated zealots clad in black and chanting for a dead dictator had been right: The Darkling was resurrected. His power poured into Yuri's own body and now... now he's here. His face is narrow, his pale skin smooth, his eyes gray beneath dark brows. His long black hair almost brushes his collarbones. He wears dark trousers and nothing else, his chest and feet bare. Still vain.