Page 2 of Releasing Darkness

As soon as his steps faded, I crawled away from my sister, tears blurring my vision, and stumbled to my feet. I glanced toward the front of the building and then back toward the forest beyond, where I had heard about the portals that would lead to the Earth realm, and made my decision.

A Few Days Ago

IN THE CAVE OF THE FATES

The beautiful woman with long black hair made the final steps up the side of the mountain, glad that her treacherous hike was finally over. She glanced at her companion, laying a gloved hand on his arm before he could walk further.

“Thank you, Asmodeus. But I need you to wait for me here.”

Before he could protest, she gave him a gentle smile and a small squeeze of her hand to let him know she was aware of his misgivings.

“I must do this myself. You know this.”

With a tight clench of his jaw, he nodded once and stepped back, allowing her to pass through the dark cave entrance alone. She hurried inside, knowing that her absence could be discovered at any time. She had already spent far too much time away from the palace and had no good excuses for doing so. She only hoped that Lucifer would not call on her.

She heard her light footsteps echo through the cavern, following the glow ahead. Many tales had been told of the Fates. Where to find them. What was required to ask a favor of them.Though few had ever boasted of the accomplishment of the arduous task of actually approaching them. She only hoped the tales were not wrong.

She stepped into the lit cavern ahead and caught her breath at the sight.

Three extraordinarily beautiful women sat near each other, each diligently working on individual tasks, each task a part of a whole. They were making a tapestry.

The colors were brilliant, more so than any the woman had ever seen before. The colorful threads glimmered like gemstones in the candlelight, the artistry unlike any she’d seen from the most accomplished weavers at the palace.

“Mother of Four…”

“... you have finally come…”

“... to see us about your sons.”

She jerked her eyes away from the brilliance of the mesmerizing threads and focused on the three women. They sat on plush pillows on the stone floor, their skirts flowing around them, overlapping in such a way it was impossible to tell which fabric belonged to which woman. Their long golden hair trailed down their backs, looking as if it had been brushed by an army of servants until it shined so glossy and straight it would have made any woman envious. The Fates were older than time, one of the first to come into existence, along with the Deities that ruled all the realms. Looking at them, the woman could easily mistake them for being in their early twenties, though. She straightened her shoulders and focused on the reason for her visit. “I have. Memories have started to surface?—”

“Yes. The Four…”

“... are finding…”

“... their mates.”

“Is that why this curse, or spell, or whatever we are under is beginning to break?”

“You seek…”

“... to find…”

“... answers.”

“Yes. My memories are very foggy, as if I’m waking from a dream and trying to remember what it was about. I know that I have sons. I need to know what I can do to help them.”

She watched as the Fates pulled at shimmering golden threads from a basket in front of them where they sat, somehow not tangling them or mixing them with the others they were using on their current tapestry.

“A spell was cast…”

“A spell is breaking…”

“Two mates found…”

“Two mates waiting…”

“One will face pain…”

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