Arwick (A Light Of Roria Sequel)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Addisyn

A breeze had begun since I'd last stood before the forest, with Ahab's kingdom behind me. Looking back at it now, I could see the smoke of our destruction rising above the towers in a dark and ominous cloud.

Immediately turning to Staci, who was still dizzy from wind travel, I wrapped my arms around her, letting out a breath of relief. Not only was she alive but we'd also found her. Everything I'd hoped for while trapped in Ahab's kingdom had come true. Within seconds my own Divinity sensed her dark magic, warning me to take caution. It was a heartbreaking experience, and though I would be leery of her magic, I wouldn't lose the relationship we'd built. "I wish I had gotten to you sooner," I said, finally releasing her. Looking directly into her eyes, it was the first time I'd noticed the change. Her left eye was no longer the bright emerald it used to be but the same color as the smoke that exited the hands of any dark user. It swirled in a counterclockwise motion like a menacing reminder of what was within. I wasn't certain but assumed it had to do with the markings of our kind, being represented in a way not intended by divinity.

Ignoring the change for both our sakes, I smiled as Staci shrugged. Her expression was distant, and I noticed she began attempting to avoid eye contact while her posture was not of the confident girl I'd known. She appeared uneasy, and I wondered if the dark magic she'd used was sending signals just like divinity had done for me when we'd hugged.

It won't be long before Kane hears of this. He may send his entire army to kill us.

We'd won a battle, I thought. But Kane still controlled this world. There were places and people, just like Agatha and her brother, who had suffered far longer than I could even comprehend. Soon I would be tested. Soon I would face the war of this world, and as the thought of everything being far from over flooded my thoughts, I shook my hands violently, rolling my shoulders several times as well, to relax.

Fear wasn't something I could easily conquer. In fact, I assumed I would battle it all the days of my life. Though I believed divinity was capable of impossible things, my mind still took me to places I knew it shouldn't go. Especially when considering that the fate of this world rested on my ability to save it. It was times like this where I'd have to remind myself that divinity would pull me through, but it wasn't something I could simply say once and trust in forever. No, my doubtful little brain needed constant reminders.

Sighing, I looked to Joash, who had been waiting for me to reply. "I know," I started out. "Luckily for us, there's a lot of people out there willing to fight for their freedom." With a bittersweet smile, I thought of Agatha and her brother before continuing. "Believe me, I would never have made it to your cell if that wasn't true."

Elijah looked to Staci, who still said nothing, like she was waiting for a lecture. For a moment I could see that his own instincts were shouting for vigilance. But then he glanced my way, and with a deep breath, Elijah grasped her shoulder for a split second.

"I am glad you are all right." Their interaction was tense, and rightfully so. Elijah had spent his entire life fighting against dark magic. It was the reason for Arwick's despair. Just the fact that he'd attempted to look past her mistake was incredible, and I smiled at the gesture.

Elijah moved to my side, touching the side of my face. He took hold of my right hand before turning my palm upward. His actions grabbed my attention as I looked at my skin. A blister that had clearly opened at some point and bled was now dried and had stained my palm red.

"This needs tending to. If only we had time to sleep, I would heal it myself," he started out. When he kissed my fingertips, I shivered with delight. Elijah was a gentle and passionate soul. He cared for so many things at once, like a minor cut on my hand to the biggest problems that lay ahead. I wondered if he ever stopped to think of himself. "Dear heart, we must be on the move. Let us journey into the forest to search for our friends and head for the sea of Zerenea. We must remain on our guard. Though the city lies behind us, there are many spies of Kane that scout for betrayers of his law."

It is no scout that concerns me but whether we survive the journey across Zerenea with a dark user among us, Joash said rather coldly.

With an abrupt turn, I faced Joash. "It won't be a problem," I told him firmly. "The sea will know Staci didn't mean to use dark magic. Whatever the reason, I'm sure she was in an awful situation and felt trapped. Staci is still Staci. She ran to us back there in the throne room, remember? It will see. I know it."

I didn't mean to go on a rant. In truth most of what I had said aloud wasn't intended for Joash or Elijah to hear but rather to convince myself and Staci that she was okay. That this could be fixed.

"I hope you're right," she mumbled. It was the first thing she said since we'd found her, but she still wouldn't look at me directly.

"I am," I replied strongly. I might have allowed fear to cause myself to fall into the occasional moment of self-doubt, but I refused to believe there wasn't hope for her. And I was willing to defend this belief against anyone at any time if necessary. "Now let's go find our friends," I said before taking my first steps toward the forest.

Staci, who glanced toward the kingdom one last time, closed her eyes abruptly. As I was about to motion her forward, she finally moved beside me, with her eyes focused straight ahead.

Elijah gripped his blade, drawing in a breath and allowing his own determination (I recognized that focused look in his eyes immediately) to dictate his thoughts rather than anything else. Stepping forward, he reached my left with ease as the three of us stepped beyond the line of the trees.