Page 50 of Wings of Betrayal

I scratch Keva behind the ears. “You wait here, okay? I won’t be long.”

He nuzzles his face into my neck and then plonks himself down. His curious eyes remain laser focused on mine, and I know he’s not going anywhere.

I step up to the gateway, take in a deep breath, and then close my eyes. I picture my mother in my mind’s eye and then jump through.

I free-fall for some time, hating every second as nausea sweeps through my stomach and into my throat.

Please don’t be sick, please don’t be sick.

The firm ground knocks the air out of my lungs, and I snap my eyes open to see where I am. I’m in a forest I immediately recognise. Where I’ve visited my mother before.

But there’s something different about it this time. What was once a calming and beautiful place now feels darker, colder, like there’s something seriously wrong here.

I wander through the trees and eventually come to the waterfall, where I find my mother waiting for me. Her long, blonde waves touch her hips, and she smiles at me as I approach her.

But there’s something not quite right. The water doesn’t sparkle like it usually does, and there’s sadness in her eyes, mixed with something else. Fear.

She opens her arms to me, and I embrace her. Only this time, it feels rushed, like she wants to get to the point of why she called me here. She presses her lips into a firm line as she studies me and then tucks my hair behind my ears.

“Mother, what’s wrong?”

Her attention shifts around the area, as if to ensure we are alone. “Someone has opened the Realm of Lost Souls, allowing a connection between Earth and here.”

I frown. How in the gods is someone able to do such a thing? “How do you know?”

She swallows hard and checks once more time that we’re alone. “They’ve been opening portals, allowing lost ones to escape. Allowing them to enter the Kingdoms. I’ve even seen portals here, sucking spirits through them, and I fear…”

Her eyes widen a fraction.

“What? What is it?” I ask.

“I fear they will be trapped in the Realm of Lost Souls, or even down on Earth, unable to ever find peace.”

I scratch the side of my nose. “So it’s true, then. This is the Spirit Realm?”

My mother wets her lips and nods. “Yes. I have always had a connection to the Spirit Realm, and it appears that you do, too.”

My mouth parts in shock, and I raise my hands. “Hang on a second. So I can see ghosts?”

She laughs. “I suppose if you put it like that, it sounds a little crazy. There are two realms where you can go when youpass over. The Spirit Realm, if you’re lucky and were a kind and decent angel, or the Realm of Lost Souls, if you were not. If you’ve done serious harm to others. Someone has been taking spirits from the Spirit Realm, and I fear their intentions.”

This is big. And it’s not good at all.

“Who would do such a thing?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Someone with a lot of power. It’s possible they’re trying to build an army. Zarla, you must stop it. The Gatekeeper of the Spirit Realm has been on high alert, trying to protect the spirits here, but he’s had trouble protecting them all. He cannot intercept the ones who are destined to come here who are being sucked through portals into the Realm of Lost Souls. He doesn’t like outsiders coming in, which is why he wasn’t happy to see you here the last time.”

I snort. “He was a little more than unhappy. He wanted to kill me.”

She brushes her fingers over my cheeks, her touch tingling my skin. “I will always be here for you, and you will always be able to find a way back to me. You have strong powers, and you don’t need the gateway to get here.”

Okay, now I’m just confused. Although, I remember the first time I came here, I didn’t use the gateway. I just passed through from Silanthia into this realm like it was nothing. I decide not to ask her about it, knowing there is much she can’t tell me.

“Our time is limited,” she says. “You must go before the Gatekeeper finds you here.”

I wrap my arms around her and breathe in her floral scent one last time before making my way through the forest toward the gateway.

“Zarla?” she calls out and hurries to catch up to me. “You must be careful around the lost ones. If you are marked by one, you will become one when you die and be trapped in the Realm of Lost Souls for eternity.”

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