Born of Flames

Chapter 17 ~ The Ritual of Fate

    Arlon gritted his teeth, hard enough that a sharp pain stabbed through his jaw. Neeri was still trembling, her eyes closed as she waited for him to begin. It twisted something in his gut, seeing the terror written plainly across her ashen features.

    What could he and Rehema have missed that would have this effect on her? They'd been so thorough. He drew a deep breath, shifting his hand from her cheek to her temple. He didn't move his other hand. Neeri still had a death-grip on it, keeping it crushed to her shoulder.

    With a slow exhale, Arlon stretched his magic towards her mind and brushed against it. He could already see the vague glimpses of her memory and focused his magic towards it. He went slowly, doing his best to ensure that Neeri would feel no pain.

    As he'd said, he and Rehema hadn't been able to practice this very much before they left for the Isle of Lorn. He had only ever used his power to separate a person's consciousness from their mind, essentially leaving their body empty.

    He could see their memories then, but trying to draw a memory out of hiding was something else entirely. Rehema had done that when they tried to restore her memories before. Arlon wasn't even sure it would work for him.

    Still, he locked onto the images flickering through Neeri's mind and began to coax them out into one coherent thread. It was like spinning wool into yarn, just as he'd watched his mother do a few times as a child. Neeri flinched as voices became audible within the memory.

    Arlon exhaled through his mouth and drew another measured breath. The memory thread stretched further, allowing him clearer glimpses of what it contained. A cold dread washed through him and settled in the pit of his stomach.

    Neeri's teeth chattered with the force of her shivering and each of her breaths shook. Arlon hesitated, then shifted closer to her. He twisted his hand beneath hers, rotating it off her shoulder and towards her palm, then folding their fingers together. Neeri clutched his hand hard enough to whiten both of their knuckles.

    "I've almost got it," he murmured. Neeri barely nodded, her throat bobbing as she gulped. Arlon threaded the memory along further until he could see the end of it. With another gentle tug, he pried it away from the rest of her memories and guided it into the open.

    "As soon as I let go, it's going to play out in its entirety," he warned. "Are you ready?"

    He saw the faint sheen of tears on her cheeks as she nodded again, though he didn't know when they'd begun to fall. Arlon gently tugged a curly lock of hair over her shoulder and took her free hand. He closed it around a golden moss bead.

    "You have protection," Arlon said softly. "From the Little Gods, and from me. It's just a memory and it can't hurt you."

    "I'm ready," Neeri rasped. "It could be something Morana needs to know." Arlon offered no further warning. He released the memory and it slammed into the forefront of Neeri's mind, already playing as clearly as if it were happening now.

•༻☽☾༺•

    She was raging as the male figure locked chains around her wrists and ankles while the shadowy monster lingered at the foot of the altar. Why had they brought her here? What were they doing! She was so thirsty. Starving! Her innards twisted with ferocity as she gnashed her fanged canines at the male beside her.

    He leaped back, then laughed. "Have you not fed her yet?"

    "Not yet. It will come soon. I want to see if this works first."

    "Why test it on her, my Lord?"

    "For the fun of it, and for the bitter irony if it's a success. Think of how heartbroken and enraged our dear Lady Phoenix will be if her friend is joined with me."