Page 52 of Gift from the Source
“Of course, filia mea. It’s time now you can know,”he easily agrees, I’m pretty sure for the first time in my life, and I release a relieved breath. “I want you to know, my death was an unwavering, singular path. The methods in which would change but never the outcome. I was Elementra’s first and only creation ever to be made with the intention of dying. I resented her so much for it.
“I even went as far as ignoring the first few visions that followed my emerging one. I deeply regret that still to this day. Despite what will seem like a selfish or unfair decision on Elementra’s part, it was far from that. She blessed me in so many ways and still continues to even in the beyond. I live in a paradise that I couldn’t describe to you even if I had the words for it. And I still get to live among you in a sense.
“So before you get angry at her for this, know that if this hadn’t happened, everything you all know now never would’ve happened. Starting as early as my mother. She never would’ve had any children, ending the Vito line. Her cruelty shouldn’t been have passed down. My creation paved a new path for her. Willow, you would’ve been born Nexusless. All the tangled webs have a perfect path. I promise.”His tone falls to a whisper, and I barely hear the deep breath he takes through the ringing in my ears.
Everything, every step has had a purpose, years in the making. The saddest and most heartbreaking choices were supposed to be made. Even the creator had to make those hard calls.
“Now the why it came about as it did,”he says, pulling me back into the moment,“you and Oakly have already figured out that the gifts that the Summum-Master steals are fueling him like he is still blessed by Elementra although the potency is different because she doesn’t recycle the power. She no longer serves him or any of his followers, but that wasn’t the original plan.
“He was alwayssupposed to take my gift for himself. It was a sacrifice I had to make in order for us to control him. His next steps, the visions he saw, the decisions he made. She was going to sacrifice her strong belief in not crossing the line of balance in order to interfere with my gift through him. He would’ve gained the give and take relationship back, but she would’ve stood in his way as much as possible.”
“I don’t understand that, though. That would’ve tipped the scales in favor of the Mastery,”I say as I force my mind to focus one thing at a time right now.
“It would have for a short time. Then it would have changed.”
“How?”I ask.
“With your arrival, princess. You would’ve tipped the scales back,” Corentin says out loud and I whip around, wide-eyed.
I didn’t realize I’d left my mind open for them all to hear.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention, or I would’ve given you a warning.”
“It’s okay, keep it open. We need to hear this. Uncle Orien, is that true?”he asks calculatingly and the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
“It is.”
There’s a shift amongst my men and Gaster that I don’t quite understand. Oakly can also hear what’s going on judging by her pale face, but she isn’t tense like the guys. Lyker just looks utterly confused, so I quickly fill him in, and like the others, he clams up.
“What am I missing?” I ask quietly, to which no one responds as my eyes travel over them.
I land on Caspian, knowing if it’s something bad, he’ll rip the Band-Aid off, but not this time. By the way his shadows swirl around him, he doesn’t want to say it.
“Little wanderer.”
My whole body turns toward the purr leaving Draken’s lips and my eyes widen at the soft look on his face.
“It’s about the balance in the realm. The Summum-Master is the ultimate evil. Your mom—really from what we know, your whole family line—was the ultimate good. They would’ve been more equally matched.”
“Okay…” I say slowly.
“The rules of unequally matched Primaries. It goes both ways,” Oakly whispers and when she lays her hand to her heart, it clicks for me.
“My mom outweighed Franklin. Tipping the balance. I would’ve arrived and it would’ve balanced the power out again,” I mumble. Shocked.
“The attacks and everything else picked up so much over the last few years because we lost Uncle Orien, didn’t have you or any of your family. The power still tipped but without the benefit of Elementra being able to interfere,” Tillman says.
“The true unbalance happened when Iris passed. I tried to keep everyone blind to it by running as much interference as possible,”CC says softly.
“You mean like how you befriended the second family that’s betraying us?”Cas asks. There isn’t any accusation in his tone, more so, he’s trying to piece something else together that doesn’t quite make sense to him yet.
Shit. How could I forget about the call he took?
“Dillon and Pran are in the Gale Nexus. The Central council,” I state the obvious.
“The two of them aren’t your enemies. They’ve been working from the inside for me for many, many years. I do consider them friends. The rest of their Nexus…”There’s anger in CC’s tone that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before. Neither have my men judging by how straight they sit up.“They’re vile. They’re to blame for so many atrocities I can’t even begin to explain. Nor will I forget or forgive, even from the beyond. Their crimes will come to light, and they will all get what you believe they deserve.”
That order mixed with permission has the energy in the room shifting once again. The bloodthirsty smirks that spread across the lips of my men says it all. They plan to dish out plenty of revenge for whatever it is the Gales have done.
