Balam: Virgo the Pure (Trials of the Zodiac Book 2)

WHISPERS OF DESTINY

ZAKHAR

I had never been able to stay asleep when the sun was out. The dappled early sunlight woke me from my dreams. The chirping of birds didn't help. I dreamed of growing up, the abuse I faced, and my fear when the snow started falling after I ran away.

I tried to shake the thoughts off, looked up, and saw my new allies asleep. Zakhar was covered in dirt, and the others were marred with soot from the fight. We would need fresh clothing before the festival. I couldn't walk around shirtless. It was getting cold, and the mark on my back would draw attention. I still couldn't believe what happened in the pub.

A giggle caught my attention. I peered through the branches that made up our hut and glimpsed a slight woman staring at me from a few yards away. She was of average human height with long green hair and tawny skin that had peculiar marks curling around her body, almost like tree rings. The woman was nude except for a skirt made from pine needles, and on her arm was what looked like a sloth.

"Dryads." Balam's voice drew me in, and I turned to him. He was sitting up and staring at me. I turned back to the dryad, but she disappeared. The hut slowly came to life. Jalen stretched out his arms and legs before turning to Kai and planting a kiss on his lips. Rashid patted the dirt off of him, but his clothes were ruined.

I pushed myself to a sitting position, wrapping my arms around my knees. The previous day's events left me sore and bruised. Grass speared through the moss bedding and wrapped around my torso, forming what looked like a shirt. Balam smirked, "We can't have you walking around with that mark on display."

"Thanks." I watched finished weaving into a. Their magic was so delicate and raw. Sebastian had brought in witches who could use magic in the past. None of them could do what I had seen the Zodiacs accomplish.

"So, are you two a thing like Jalen and Kai? Both of you keep staring at one another," Rashid said, looking between Balam and me. Balam blushed at the question while I tried to formulate words. Rashid, who had been stoic until that moment, cracked a smile.

"Romance makes children out of even the gods," a voice, smooth as honey, echoed into my head. I noticed the others didn't look shocked while I, on the other hand, shot up, hitting the roof and falling back on my ass.

A short Asian woman appeared in the middle of the hut. I could tell that she was a powerful being, the air around her vibrating against her presence. Was she wearing high-waisted jeans? She wore a band T-shirt, and her hair pulled into a long braid that hung between her feet as she floated. "Zakhar, prince of giants, your journey has brought you to the precipice of destiny."

I looked to the others, who didn't look as surprised to see the woman. I observed everything around me and saw leaves stuck in a bent position for the first time. They didn't move. Nothing was moving because time had stopped. I rose to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

"I am the Primordial Thought," she replied, her words weaving through my consciousness. "I am the whisper of fate that guided you here. I know who you are and everything your mind will allow you to be."

My mind reeled at her words. She guided me, whispering in my thoughts and leading me to confront my identity. "Why?" I asked the question, hanging in the air.

The Primordial Thought regarded me with an enigmatic gaze. "I couldn't and still can't intervene in this war. The seal has been broken, and minds have been enlightened, but some bindings and rules older than time dictate my actions."

"What does that have to do with me?" I spoke before I could filter the words out. Luckily, she didn't smite me; instead, she smiled.

"You are the heir to a throne that holds the power to sway more than this world. Like in the war against the gods, the giants hold the key to restoring balance and averting the impending catastrophe that looms over The Universe. They lost hope and their drive. You, Zakhar, are their hope." She spun around, her hands dancing through the air.