Myth's Friend (Book 3 of Seven Series)

Chapter 4- Eira's POV

I set my jaw and didn't look at Caden or Zanaya. Guilt blossomed in my chest while we walked to the entrance of the Between, knowing that there were families that had been split while I had lived my life here, away from the magic and having the Veil cover my eyes at the orders of the Gods.

I knew that most of the people who lived here didn't blame me for forgetting my duties and having the dimensions closed off to each other, traveling seizing until each of the Holders had been found. I knew that, but that didn't stop the guilt. It didn't stop the feeling as if this was my fault, and if I had known that my uncle had done what he had done, then they would be open, and we would have found everyone before now.

"What happened?" Zanaya asked, breaking me from my thoughts. Curiosity filled her voice, and I could feel her gaze on me while we walked forward, keeping to the path with eyes open. "Had it always been closed?"

I puffed out my cheeks and slowly shook my head. "No," I said finally, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat and licked lips, not looking at her, for I didn't want to see the mistrust in her eyes. "It had been opened, and traveling happened between each dimension. However..." I cleared my throat again and filled with my staff before I sighed. "... on my tenth birthday, um... my uncle tried to kill me. He almost did, but he had failed. Instead of me ending up dead, I ended up in Colorado and was raised by a family that I am not allowed to see." I shrugged. "They aren't from magic as you and I are from. They had been born here."

"But why aren't you allowed to see them?" Zanaya asked. "Why can't you see them?" Her voice was filled with sadness, and I could tell that she didn't like the fact that I didn't see my family, at least the people who had raised me while I couldn't remember the world I had left behind."

"They are not of magic, for one," I replied. "And I had to make it so that they wouldn't remember me to protect them from Bane." My grip tightened on my staff, and the sudden urge to find Bane and kill him was strong. However, I knew that I wouldn't be able to kill him yet, not yet, at least.

One of these days, he was going to die by my hand, and I was going to make sure of it.

"Bane is your uncle..." It was a statement, not a question, but I nodded. There was no accusation in it, no fear, and I had a feeling that wasn't afraid of me because of him.

"He is," I confirmed. "I don't care about him and want to kill him, but he is hard to kill because he is blessed by a God that had been banned from Yervon."

"Had been banned?"

"He tried to break the balance between the Gods and Goddesses, and he was banned by them and was sent to his world where he stays, locked up but with his "followers" that include my uncle."

She was confused; I could tell when I glanced at her. Her brows were furrowed, and she looked at me with brown eyes that were filled with confusion and wonderment while she listened to me talk about a world that she was now apart of.

"Basically, the worlds were closed off by their Gods to protect the people. They saw what had happened to Angesia and didn't want it to happen to them. It also didn't help that I was "missing," and the stones couldn't call their "masters" because my fate was "changed" in a way that the Gods and Goddess hadn't planned."

"And the school for the Holders, that is what you all are called, had been destroyed," Caden said. "And the Watchers have either been killed or are in hiding as well," he added.

"Right now, we only have two Watchers, and then there are three Holders. You make the fourth Holder that we have found."

Zanaya nodded slowly, but she still looked confused. She had no idea what I was talking about, and I knew that she would understand when we got back to the house we were staying at. "How many people do you need left, and when can you find them?"

"We need two more before we can find the balance person," I replied. "And we will be able to find them after you get your dagger."

"When can I get that?" she asked.

"After you have finished your training, we will be able to bring you to Yervon, where you collect your dagger." I glanced at Caden and then looked at her. "You figured out one thing by yourself, but there will still be more that you have to learn."

"And who will teach me?"

"Me," I replied. I shrugged when she raised an eyebrow, and I had a feeling that she was wondering what I could do to help when my powers were different than hers. "I might not know the basis of your power, but I know enough to know what I can and can't help you with. The main thing that you will have to do is trust yourself. If you do that, then there is no way in hell that you can't do what you need to do."

Zanaya paused and bit her lip. She looked at the path we were following, and I could tell that she was questioning how Caden was wearing shoes when he had hooves. She cleared her throat and shook her head before she looked at me, her eyes wide and filled with fear. "But what if I can't do it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if I can't do what you need me to do? What if...?" She trailed, but I had a feeling that I knew what she was wondering.

What if I fail, and there is no way for me to control my powers?

"We all have those thoughts, even me," I said, offering her a grim smile. "But, I can promise you that you will be able to do it. You will be able to succeed and get your work done. Everyone insecurities. Trust me."

"Including you?"

I hesitated but nodded my head. "Yes," I replied, tightening my grip on my staff until my knuckles turned white. I offered her a grim smile, tired and sad. "Including me."