Page 88 of Morning's Light

Cecilia chuckled, the sound like two pieces of steel rubbing together. Tell me.

“That’s your birth, evil one. A talisman, a magnet, a symbol for eternal balance. You thought you could use it for a fix-all, but it wasn’t a gift. It was a one-way ticket.”

Astix spoke with conviction, the knowledge imprinted on her through her connection to the stone. It spoke to her in riddles, words so foreign they swam before her in an indecipherable puzzle. Through the melee, she managed to grasp bits and pieces. Enough to know what had happened. To see the past.

All this she picked up with the speed of a thief stuck in a bank vault, one who has no choice but to weasel his way out as quickly as possible or be locked inside with no air. She saw the gift for what it was: a curse. And she knew what would happen to her sister—to any of them—if they caved.

She strengthened her resolve and moved her body to further block Aisanna. “You made a mistake bringing me here.”

Let me assure you, I make no mistakes.

Cecilia glided over to the stone and ran a ghostly hand above the surface. Power crackled in the depths and spears of energy passed through her.

Aisanna cradled her arm, letting her sister do the talking, still not understanding. “What’s going on?”

Before Cecilia had the opportunity to speak, Astix opened her mouth. “No more lies. That thing, stone, mineral, came from the world of ancient magicks. It holds the balance of good and evil in our universe. One side light, the other dark. It seeks hosts, bodies to keep the eternal balance. It chooses the two souls destined to become the veil keeping our worlds separate and stabilized. And someone thinks she got screwed hard without grease.”

I did not choose!

The booming rebuttal shattered their defenses. The shields of their minds tumbled down under the onslaught and left them vulnerable to her. Limestone, calcium, and granite shook, the whole of the cavern threatening to collapse.

Cecilia spun around with fury in her eyes and unimaginable power at her disposal.

I did not choose. The talisman was known to my people as the Telos Amyet. Magic was too unstable, and my husband and I found a way to fix it. The stone chose for me. It read what was in my heart, lurking there in wait, undetected by my own self. Everything I was, everything I loved, was taken from me.

Her open palm came to rest on the area above her empty womb.

I am the keeper. I am able to see the past, the present, the future. I saw new hope with an eclipse on the vernal equinox. An escape from my prison. I saw you girls.

She spoke each word slowly, the booming echo causing minute hairline cracks to form along the walls.

Aisanna listened to her, heard again the words in her mind. Finally, the pieces clicked into place. “You need one of us to make a choice, one of us to choose to replace you before the Harbinger witch repairs the balance. You were waiting—”

Yes…

“—for us to be old enough to accept.”

Astix shook her head vehemently, tears beading in her eyes. “Aisanna, don’t say it.”

“Old enough to take your place. We’re yours by blood. Your legacy. I know who you are, Cecilia Cavaldi.”

A bell tolled a deep, resounding peal, cementing the rightness of their knowledge. For a brief moment, Aisanna saw Cecilia as she’d been once. The innocent, headstrong young woman determined to find the stone, to find a way to save her people and be forever with her love. She’d been mistaken.

Darkness returned in an instant, blotting out the image. She brought both girls to their knees, their insides writhing. Aisanna heard the howl of spirits. Evil rolled over them with the stench of antiquity, immutability. It wanted their souls.

Give in to me.

The girls both reached for their power and were shocked when they found nothing.

The wind died and Darkness prepared a final blow. I admit it has been most intriguing communing with you girls. More fun than I’ve had in ages. Alas, our time has come to an end. One of you must take my place so I may live.

Astix tried again to harness the power of the earth around her. She dug her hands deep into the cavern floor, sending her consciousness down, down, down.

“We have to go!” Aisanna screamed. She tried to drag her sister with her, escape the confines of their prison. Her feet froze to the floor and both remained rooted in place.

A tendril of blackness eked out from the shadow pool and turned to face them, pointing first to one and then the other.

It came to rest on Aisanna.

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