Page 53 of Eclipse of Fate
“What did she say?” Raelle asks.
“She told me to keep the light in my soul and that if I ever find that I’ve lost my way, just look for the light… I don’t think I understood what she meant at the time,” I turn to meet her gaze. “But now I know.” Cupping her cheek, I guide her lips to mine and gently kiss her. “Though I didn’t have to look for the light… it came down on my world like a bolt of lightning. Lighting every dark corner inside of me. As much as I tried, it was not easy to ignore. Before you, I didn't see clearly. My light was snuffed out by my shadows and the pain I thought they caused.”
“Dax,” My name is a plea on her lips. Her eyes glisten as she looks into mine. I watch her throat bob as she swallows down the emotion there and blinks away the tears. “No matter what happens—you have to know I love you with everything I have to give. Your mother would be proud of the Fae you have become. I know—” Her words are cut off by a strong blast of wind pushing at our backs. I have to push against it for it to not send us tumbling from the edge. I pull her into me as I stand and back away from the ledge. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. A raspy growl sounds off, just as thunder booms in the distance. The storm is making its way back to us, and from the sounds of it, Raskins are close too. We need to get back to Alaric and Kait to see if we can get farther up the cliffside before the storm gets worse.
Raelle bites at her bottom lip as she looks out at the path we aim to take to make it to the cliffs. Worry pulls her brows down, and as I place my hand on the small of her back, she looks up at me.
“I don’t think we can go any further.” I consider what she’s saying as I look out at the craggy, narrow path.
“It’ll be risky, but we have to get to the caves.” She’s scared. She’s been scared since we were in the bordering town, and the closer we get to our destination, the more worried she gets.
“We will have to climb this section,” I point to the closest area as I stride closer to the path, but she’s shaking her head before I finish. She closes her eyes, and when she opens them, they zero in on me.
“Dax, only you can go.” She pulls the parchment from the pocket in her cloak. Unfolding it, she points at the words there.“While everyone was sleeping, I read this probably a thousand times.” She recites the words from the parchment again.“Seek out what is hidden but open to see. Temperature and time may lead youto the edge of the Sea, but only the part of the bird that's not in the sky, can swim in the ocean and still remain dry may step inside. That which binds two souls, yet touches only one, will open the gates and restore what was; when the moon has ascended and the unkindness is full, only then will true power unfold.”
“What are you saying, love?”
“You have to project your raven. I think you have to use your shadows, Dax.” A deep line forms between her eyebrows as she folds the parchment up, walking to meet me where I stand frozen. “Seek out what is hidden but open to see? That’s the caves. Temperature and time? It’s the coordinates, Dax. Everything we’ve done so far has been right here!” She pushes the letter into my chest, and I place my hand over hers. “We are at the edge of the sea. Don’t you see?” Her hand waves out at the cliff.
“Only the part of the bird that’s not in the sky can swim in the ocean and still remain dry can step inside. The cave we need is hidden below the water…you’re right…” My voice trails off and is taken away by the howling wind. I put the letter in my cloak, and I’ve decided then that I will do whatever is needed of me to get this done. I’m done hiding from the demons I thought hid in my shadows. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the answers we seek. Whatever is in there, I need to secure it.
Chapter forty-four
My eyes snap openat the sound of movement outside of the shelter we found. I’m not coherent enough to understand what I'm hearing until it sounds like it’s right on top of us. I place my hand over Kait’s mouth; the feel of it causes her to wake with a jolt, but when her widened eyes meet mine, I bring my index finger to my mouth. She blinks her big blue eyes rapidly before I finally peel my fingers away from her face. The ground vibrates from the sound of thunder as I help Kait to her feet.
“Get your weapons ready.”
“My weapons are always ready. Where the fuck are Dax and Raelle?” She scans the area just as I do, and Ishake my head. Inching to the edge of the covering, I tilt my head up so I can look above the lip of the cave. Jumping back, I bar Kait from going any further, seeing a shadowy figure approaching. When she opens her mouth to say something, I shake my head. We stand there in silence for a moment as I watch the opening with rapt attention, only allowing my gaze to flick to Kait when she moves at my side. She shifts nervously on her feet, a blade in one hand and her other fist clenching tight at her side.
“I need to shift into my wolf,” She whispers.Fuck. I shake my head, urging her to wait. Reaching behind my back, I slowly unsheathe my onyx sword and bring it out in front of me. There is a crunch of gravel, and then I lunge into the darkness.
“Fuck.” Dax curses, unsheathing his blade in time to meet mine. It comes down on his, and they clash loudly between us. “What the fuck are you doing, bastard?”
“Shit. I thought you were someone trying to sneak up on us.” Seeing the fire in his eyes brings a smirk to flit at my lips, but I roll them to hide that fact. As much as I like to press Dax’s buttons to get a rise out of him, now is certainly not the time. I’m not that fucking stupid.
“If I were trying to sneak up on you, you wouldn’t have had time to unsheathe your blade. That I can promise you.” Arrogant fuck. I wipe my thumb across my lips to hide the smile that threatens to show. Sounds like something I would say. I know he’s right. He shoulders past me into the dwelling and crouches down. Raelle comes following behind, narrowing her eyes on me knowingly. I can’t help but smile at her, though.
“What?” I ask, biting my lip through my smile. She doesn’t answer; she just shakes her head, moving to stand at Dax’s side, where he is pulling folded parchment from his cloak. As he unfoldsthe letter and locks his eyes on Raelle’s, he reaches for her, pulling her flush against his chest and her mouth to his. His knuckles are white where they wrap around her waist, and when their kiss is over, they linger in each other’s gaze. What the fuck is going on?
“We can’t go any further,” Raelle says as she blinks away from Dax and looks at me and Kait at my side.
“What do you mean? We need to get to the caves.” Kait says incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.
“I’m the only one who can get to the caves we need. I have to project my shadows, my raven.” He continues. I can’t help the reaction I have to Dax’s words. My breath comes out in a—PAH.
“Projection? It can’t be done—It’s not been done since before the war—even then, it was fucking rare. Are you saying you can do it?You can project?” There is hardly any information on projection; the power is so rare that there is no way of knowing, even if Dax can do this, what the ramifications could be. There have been stories of things happening. Bad things.
“I can. I didn’t know I was doing it at first. It started when I was cursed, but we have no other choice.” He passes the parchment to me before he continues to explain what the words I’m reading mean. What he has to do. It makes sense what he’s saying, but what of the rest of this prophecy?
“Ok, so what are we here for? You said that your vision showed that we were needed,” I ask Raelle. Her lips are pressed into a firm line. I know that my questions are not fair. I know she likely can’t answer, but it’s a half-cocked plan. Even though he’s a dick, he is the king. We have to consider all options.
“It has to be this way, Alaric. It’s the only thing that makes sense. We have to get what’s in the cave; I know it.” Raelle’s eyes flick to each of us. “We will have to stay here while Dax does this.”
“Here? Like in this cave? Do you know how asinine that sounds, Raelle? Any number of things could happen—not only that, but we have no idea how long it’s going to take. You don't even know what it is you are sending him in there for. Do you even—-”
“You will watch your tone as you speak to my wife,” Dax growls the words through gritted teeth. “The decision has been made. It’s a fuckingorder.”
I clamp my mouth shut and stare at him contemptuously. When Raelle says nothing more on the matter, I spin on my heel in a move to leave the cave. But Kait stops me with her hand on the center of my chest. I look down at it, then slowly tilt my head to look back at her. She doesn’t say anything, but her blue eyes are wide, and what I see in them has my heart skipping, and the hair on the back of my neck prickles standing on end… the pounding in my chest evening out the longer I’m lost in the ocean of her eyes.
