A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Sixty-One

 I stared at them, feeling immediate relief at the sign of familiar faces. Then, as if my body never stopped feeling on edge after being on the run in the first place, the paranoia crept in. How did they know to come here? Were they notified by James? If not, then they were keeping tabs on the world outside of them. That made sense, I'd do it to, but then they'd know that I was presumed dead and that Eris was looking for me. If they knew that, why would they help me? I'd bring even more danger to their current safe haven. Sure, helping me presumably meant good relations with James, but did they know we were lying about my powers from the start.

"Can I help you?" I asked, choosing to feign ignorance as much as possible without being too obvious.

"We do not have time." Cetus continued with urgency. "You must come with us now."

"I need to speak to James before I leave," I lied. "I need to—"

"There is no time," he repeated. "James sent us to you."

I was easily more confused with that statement. James very well could've reached out to our allies for help. That would be a great first step if you've lost control of your own situation, and I don't know what happened after I left. On the other hand, it was also a very simple and convenient lie that would get me to believe them. Using a known person to gain the semblance of support was a very easy way to trick someone into believing you are on their side and then backstab them. I had no way of knowing whether the kings were truly here to help or if stepping out of the Vault would lead to my death.

I tried to consider different ways to play out the situation at hand, but it wasn't like I had time to think it through thoroughly. Whatever choice I had to make needed to be made quickly and in the least offensive way as possible, in case they actually were trying to help. The only thing I could consider was getting to safety. I didn't need Cetus to get back to Coralis, I'd already been there before. I stood firmly in front of the restricted books, hoping they couldn't see what I was doing from so far away, and answered them as confidently as possible.

"All due respect, King Cetus. I have a travel stone." I grabbed the glowing travel stone out of my pouch and shared it with him, indicating that I could return to Coralis on my own, without their protection, more instantaneously that traveling on his back.

"You must use it. She is coming."

I know Cetus wasn't in Dreadshade Summit with me, but the phrase 'she is coming' gave me an immediate flashback to Eris indicating 'it's coming.' Whether coincidence or purposeful, it made my hair stand on edge.