The Gathering of Masters: The Bond Once Severed Book 1

49. A Conclusion

Just as they entered Raja's Mindspace, Brother Fire bowed deeply to Natalia and Lukas, then vanished. Raja materialized before them, arms outstretched. Lukas hesitated, a shadow of uncertainty flickering across his face, but Natalia didn't. She rushed into Raja's embrace with overwhelming joy, feeling his warmth and the residual energy of Fire's healing touch. Lukas joined them, albeit more cautiously, his arms encircling them as Natalia pushed a wave of contentment towards him.

The embrace broke first with Lukas, his position on the outside making it inevitable. Natalia reluctantly followed, and the three stood silently studying each other. The empty space between them hung heavy with unspoken words, each a tangible thing that pressed upon their chests. Unresolved tensions pulsed like an open wound, a constant reminder of the lingering pain. This was not the moment for a complete reckoning, but the inevitability of what was to come seemed to whisper through the silence, a haunting melody that couldn't be ignored.

"Don't come back to the Kingdom, Natalia," Lukas demanded, his tone urgent. "Now that you know you can do so easily, you will be tempted. It is not safe. Remember, I can come to you if needed. Though I lack the Elementals' power, I can manage the one-way trip alone."

"Don't be so cavalier with your power," Raja interjected sharply. "Your arrogance nearly got you captured again."

Lukas's expression softened, a mix of frustration and gratitude. "Yes, but now I know what they know about me and how." He grasped Raja's hand, visibly relieved when Raja didn't pull away.

"How so?" Raja asked, seemingly unaware of the emotional turmoil flickering across Lukas's face.

"There was only one person other than you who knew my weaknesses. We trusted him, and we were wrong." Lukas's voice quivered with barely restrained fury and pain.

"Everly?" Raja whispered after a painful pause, his voice mirroring Lukas's anguish.

"Who else would know about my bridge-building and my vulnerability afterward? How else would they know to send their assassins at that precise moment?" Lukas's voice wavered, defeated. "He knew about my mission. He knew when I'd be most vulnerable."

"It must be him," Raja's voice cracked, the words weighted with a raw, jagged-edged betrayal that made Natalia flinch. She could practically feel the pain radiating from him, a smoldering ember of anguish. Beside him, Lukas stood rigid. Natalia watched, her heart aching in sympathy, though she couldn't fully comprehend the depths of their shared sorrow. The weight of their unspoken history, the magnitude of this revelation, was a burden she couldn't entirely shoulder. "Then they know almost everything," Raja continued his voice a barely audible whisper now, each word a confession that seemed to tear at his soul like a brandished flame.

"Yes," Lukas confirmed. The sadness in his voice had a hard edge—a jaded resignation as if he'd long anticipated this blow.

"Who is Everly?" Natalia finally asked her tone a blend of determination and hesitation. She hated to interrupt the flow of their conversation, but the need for information crucial to keeping them safe outweighed her reluctance.

"At one time, he was a close friend and advisor," Lukas explained, his eyes tilted down. "He helped us create The People, designed so much of what worked well in our rebellion, and then..."

Natalia waited for Lukas to continue, but Raja took up the explanation thread instead. The usually affectionate couple stood apart, tension crackling between them.

"Everly thought he was in love with Lukas and did everything to stay near him, to entice him, and one night it worked." Anger infused Raja's words. "For Lukas, sex is not tied to a deep connection. It is recreation, something friends can share without becoming more."