Page 53 of A Soul to Guide

Maia nodded her head to the Priest while waving her left hand, and the man bowed before leaving. He’d been dismissed, and once he was gone, she dropped any superiority she’d held.

Her shoulders slumped, and her chin fell just enough that it was no longer jutting. “Much has happened in the three hundred and forty-three years since your people were here last. Our portal is gone, and we Anzúli that are left were stranded here a hundred and ninety-three years ago.”

“How?” Raewyn asked.

Merikh, who was choosing not to insert himself into a conversation that had little to do with him, tilted his head at the crack he noticed in her voice.

“Our head temple was attacked in what we believe was a targeted raid by the Demons and Jabez, the Demon King.” Maia turned her head away, looking off into nothing as her eyes bowed with obvious sadness.

Raewyn’s shoulders turned inwards, like someone who had been caught red-handed in a crime or lie, which was odd, since she was usually so forward and open with her expressions.

“When the Demons began entering the portal, those inAnzúla chose to permanently close it to protect our world from being infested. Since then, we have had no contact with our people, no help or assistance, and every generation, we grow weaker. We have begun reproducing with the humans to avoid mixing the same genetics. In another generation or so, we will completely lose our ability to perform magic. Some are already being born without our third eye or glow, and currently, we can do little more than create advanced medicines and basic protection for the humans. Our mission here is failing, and soon, the humans will be left with no one to protect them.”

“B-but you can still produce magic, right?” Raewyn beseeched as she lifted her face, her eyes bowed with a plea. “Maybe I can help you open a new portal, and we can both contact our worlds. We can bring more Anzúli here to help.”

Maia sighed as she shook her head, her black hair dancing as it swayed.

“Only a rare few of us can even create the elements. Those who can become a holy overseer, but our power is limited. It would require every holy overseer on this continent to band together, and then we would need to hope you were able to draw the correct navigational runes to take us to our realms. Do you know the specific Anzúla or Nyl’theria geographical pinpoints that would be the safest?”

Raewyn fisted the skirt of her grey dress with both her hands, the material crumpling with how tightly she held it. “Well, no. Portal magic is forbidden to the Elysians. All our texts regarding it have been sealed away.”

“Anzúla is lively with both ice and lava. If you were to open a portal into one of our many volcanoes, you’d be submitting us to death. As for Nyl’theria... would you be able to accurately open a portal to somewhere safe?”

“I’m sure we could figure out a way,” Raewyn argued, but Merikh could already read the writing on the wall.

All the anticipation, the excitement, the fuckinghopethat had grown within him as he travelled steadfastly to this temple was twisting into a knot of despair.

“Perhaps I can help,” Merikh offered. “I am able to produce magic and can assist the Elf. I’m sure there is a way we can all work together.”

He’d give and do anything to achieve their collective goal. Hell, he’d give every drop of blood if needed – nothing was too great of an ask.

Maia, for the first time since greeting them, looked upon Merikh. Her glare was sharp and hateful, her eyes glistening with the tiniest hint of tears.

“And just how did you obtain yourmagic,Duskwalker?” she nearly growled through clenched teeth.

His orbs flared a deeper red, and the snarl that echoed from him was malicious and unholy as it echoed off the walls of their temple.

Maia’s glare disappeared the moment her eyes fell back on Raewyn, choosing to ignore his very existence. She never gave him time to voice his callous response.

“It wouldn’t matter. We have already tried everything, and we know there is nothing we can do. I want to help you, but unless you want us to heal you or give you charms, there’s not much more we can do.”

Merikh lifted his skull to the ceiling, trying his damn hardest to stem the vengeful roar building in the back of his throat. Had it not been for Raewyn, he may have already destroyed this temple for its utter uselessness. They didn’t deserve to be a beacon of hope for the humans.

When something upset him, Merikh had a deep desire to eradicate it from this world, to destroy and maim whatever had birthed his ire so he could sit in its destruction with pride.

He didn’t, because for some stupid reason, he didn’t want to upset the Elf.

He also had no desire to claw or bite at her like he did with every Anzúli who currently stood in this sanctuary, even though she had allowed him to believe there was a chance he would be free. She was the centre point of why he felt so desolate. She was the reason invisible hands of rage were massaging his brain, and yet he didn’t have a single shred of anger towards her.

They werebothgoing to be fucking stuck here on Earth. Raewyn wasn’t the key he’d been looking for; she was just as lost as he was.

“O-okay. I’ll figure out another way then,” Raewyn conceded. “Thank you.”

“You’re fucking thanking her?” Merikh barked as he lowered his head to look at her in disbelief. “She did absolutely nothing to help you, so why the hell are you thanking her?”

Raewyn turned to him and shined the fakest smile he’d ever seen. Her lips wobbled like they wanted to uncurl.

“Because that’s what you do when someone has politely informed you of the situation.” She turned back to Maia and bowed her head. “I think it’s best we leave.”

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