Fire Weaver (Fall of the Fey #1)

Chapter 24

It was hard carrying another person so far and when Carmel and Lucius finally came out of the flames in the familiar room where Carmel had grown up she fell to her knees, still holding on to Lucius's hand. He looked down at her as though he were perplexed by her exhaustion before his nose flared and he glanced up sharply. Carmel followed his gaze to see Sara, ever glowing, staring forlornly out one of the many windows.

'It took you longer than I expected.' She said as she turned to them, smiling serenely. 'There are many things to say and not much time.'

'I have come here...'

'Yes, Wolf Prince.' Sara interrupted him. 'We will get to that, but first,' Sara turned to Carmel. 'My child, you are not supposed to be here. I know that it's hard to accept but you were cast-out. You failed in your duty and thus can no longer remain here. I will distract the others as long as possible but others know you have entered these halls and I cannot at present...' Sara paused for a moment, her gaze turning blank for a moment before refocusing on Carmel. 'I cannot see at present when the others will catch up to you. I will find a way to get a message to you so that you are prepared but until then, you must keep to your path.'

Sara then turned to the Prince, all the warmth draining from her expression, to a hard mask Carmel had never seen from the woman before. Sara spoke, 'Prince what you are searching for no longer exists. There is no castle for you to take over and no people here to lead. The history of our people was rewritten so that new generations could live in peace without trying to see the grand expanse of the world or for the more stupid of the humans to hunt us. Some chose not to join us and they are the ones you see traveling around you as werewolves and other creatures and they will slowly dwindle as the humans become stronger in number.'

Sara's gaze wondered, as it often did when she was talking of the future as though when she mentions a possibility, they all call to her, seeking her attention. This is why the Spirit elementals were loved and feared, they were peaceful people but they were driven crazy by the pull of the threads of Past, Present, and Future.

'So, the shifters are all our species?' Carmel prompted.

'Mmm,' Sara said and nodded. 'You aren't alone even though you are no longer here.'

'Why was the past rewritten?' Carmel asked, desperate for answers to questions she wasn't sure she understood. Why was this all happening? Why her?

'A spell was caste so that everyone would forget the war between Lucius.' Sara glanced at Lucius as she continued, 'and Jacoby,'

Lucius regarded Sara silently, his face so still it could have been mental, or stone. So it was Carmel who asked why.

'What do you think would have happened if the humans knew they could learn magic. You saw what it did to your friend.' Sara stated, Carmel's eyes widened at the implication but Sara continued, 'Humans covet what they see and don't have. The majority of us left our lands to come here and watch and monitor to make sure what happened with Jacoby does not happen again.' 

'Carmel, we should go.' Lucius said, his face alert like a dog when it hears a noise that wasn't there before.

'Carmel is not your name.' Sara told Carmel. 'Carmel is dead. You are Mel, the sister of a half demon, Saviour of the South.' Sara looked at Carmel in awe before she seemed to hear the noise coming towards them. She grabbed Mel into a hug and pulled back, she seemed to be glowing as bright as a star. 'Go to Deadly, Obikwa is too far. I am proud of you. Now go.'

Sara practically shoved Mel towards to fire and Lucius snatched her hand as the fire seemed to reach out and swallow her whole. Moments later they stumbled into Deadly's Sin to the surprise of the patrons who stared in shock. The bartender, however, smiled and called greeting, which seemed to placate the crowded room.