Page 24 of Magic & Secrets
“It’s a trick by Ivitithi to distract us,” Mina insisted. “The ancient one aided the attackers on Haven Junction. It means to keep its disciples safe.”
“I’ve been dreaming of Roque for many full moons. Not the other Bane Shifters, just him. I only saw his kind after the attack,” I told Mina, who shook her head and backed away. “It was Solme Divige’s voice I heard during my visions. She said Roque was my destiny.”
“He’s meant to kill you.”
“Maybe,” I said and glanced out the window to the woodlands where Roque was likely resting. “Or Solme Divige has bigger plans for us than to be the Gathering’s weapons.”
Enya admitted, “I’ve dreamt of Koda. I saw him at Haven Junction before the attack.”
“Yet you spoke nothing of this?” Mina demanded.
“Solme Divige told me to keep my dreams to myself. How can I disobey an ancient one with the power to dig around in my mind?”
Mina shook her head and backed away until she slammed into the wall. Unsettled, she tightened her hands into fists.
“I want to complete our mission and return to the Citadel.”
Stepping closer, I whispered, “You want to please the Gathering.”
“Don’t you want the same, sister?”
“I want to be more than a weapon,” I admitted freely now with a solid distance between the Citadel and us.
“You don’t care about pleasing the Gathering because you wield the power of dawn.”
“The Gathering has twisted your mind regarding your power,” I said, cradling her jaw in my hands. “You aren’t to blame for why your kind struggles. The Gathering hobbles you. Then, when your kind rebels against their chains, the Gathering blames you. It’s a lie you’ve chosen to accept.”
Mina squeezed her eyes shut, fighting between the Gathering’s training and her instincts. I stroked her forehead and cheeks, reminding her of her value. We were living beings, not simply weapons. The Gathering knew this fact, manipulating us into obedience.
I doubted the Bane Shifters were given such care by their Murade overseers. My heart ached at the thought of Roque never knowing a tender touch.
Despite the orchestrated attention from caretakers at the Citadel, I'd never truly trusted anyone within the Gathering. They weren’t my family. I only trusted my fellow New Armgard. Even among them, I could only display weakness in front of my sisters.
“We are the offspring of Solme Divige,” I told Mina while stroking her face. “She doesn’t care about the Gathering’s plans. She allowed them to use her magic to make us because she has her own goals. Maybe this bond with the Bane Shifters is our true master’s plan.”
Mina held my gaze and whispered in a frightened voice, “I’ve dreamt of Delta. He feels like the one to bring me to my doom.”
“Possibly, we are mere pawns in a game between ancient ones. This entire journey might end with our deaths. But seeking the Gathering’s approval will only lead us to war and death, too. They intend to use us one day. Why shouldn’t we see where this current path guides us?”
“You behave suicidally with the Shifter. Why bring up the Armgard?”
“Whynotask him about them? He has no reason to believe we’re Armgard. Roque thinks I’m a Witch.”
“They were behaving territorially like Shifters do around their mates,” Enya said, still at the window. “They’ll never accept the mate bond, especially if they learn what we are.”
“We waste time worrying over what we can’t possibly know,” I said and began to unstrap my weapons. “Days ago, we could not see this moment. We should be prepared for anything and assume nothing.”
“We can’t be their mates,” Mina said as she removed her heavy chest armor and sighed in relief. “The Murade designed their Shifters without many normal Shifter qualities. They don’t gain increased power from the moon cycles. They can’t breed. How can they have mates?”
“I know what I feel,” Enya said and finally began to discard the Elven armor given to us as part of our disguise.
Mina stared into my eyes, and I heard her unspoken fears.
“We know now the Murade used ancient magic to make the Bane Shifters,” I said softly as I held my sister’s gaze.
Enya nodded. “Like the Gathering, the Murade conjured ancient magic they couldn’t possibly understand, let alone control.”
“We’re shackled to the three Bane Shifters now,” I said and tugged free of my blouse. “Whatever spell holds us to them is beyond our knowledge. We would be best to work within its parameters.”
