Page 99 of Gift from the Source
Her small laugh makes me smile although the feeling in my gut tells me she’s about to tell me something I need to hear. Good or bad. I also see it in the softening of her gaze.
“You were right. Our time is not now. At least the time of the realms isn’t. A prophecy has been told. There are many changes upon me, andI have a lot of work to do from here until then. As for you, I suppose I took my first vision of this moment, our meeting, and combined it with the vision I saw recently of the war. To me it made sense that’s what we needed to discuss, but I was only given half answers to both things I saw.”
I’m so incredibly frustrated on her behalf. I would’ve easily assumed the same thing. There’s nothing worse than only seeing a piece of something, then trying to work out what to do with the rest.
“So where does that leave us? Do you still need the Gods Binding? Or is it Bindings?” I ask.
“Binding. Those are two pieces that connect to the whole. Yes, I need the one in your possession returned. It’s not you who will bring it, though.”
“Then wh—” I stop and look down beside me. “V. You’ll return it when you return home.”
“Yes, I will.”
“When do you need him to return it?”
“He will know when it is time. Before you return it, though, it will need to be cleansed. If it has been used to do the unspeakable acts you’ve mentioned, that will have infected it. It needs to be returned in its natural state.”
“I have no idea what that means or how to do that. The one and only time I’ve been told how it works, was my father-in-law sharing with us the one time he witnessed it being done. The Summum-Master cut his hands, the hands of the men he was sacrificing, and touched it with his blood. He was also chanting what I assume is a language from your realm,” I inform her.
“That is the ways of Old. It is a stronger method of binding to use blood. A lifeforce so pure and powerful. It has not been practiced for some time. Unfortunately, though, the Binding is a being of order. To unbind, the same method will have to be used.
“Because he used his blood, there are pieces of the people he’s bound both attached to him and the Gods Binding. That is what I mean by cleansed. You will need to use his blood to strip the power attached to it.”
“I don’t have…”
Oh Elementra.
My realm tilts on its side as my revulsion sets in. Between yesterday and right now, I absolutely hate how much and how many similarities between us keep coming up.
I have tried my hardest to deny any connection we have at every turn and any opportunity, but with the directions in front of me, I can’t.
His blood also runs through my veins.
Clearing my throat, I nod to myself, maybe her, I’m not sure, but then I push on. “Okay then. Blood we have. Do I need to chant just as he did and if so, what do I say?”
“I’m not sure where he got the words he said, nor can you speak it out loud to me. Words are used differently between our realms. My people speak worships and prayers to the Gods and stars. They pick and choose to listen depending on who’s calling upon them. They will take your name and attach it to what you beg for.” I don’t miss the disdain in her tone. Nor the underlining meaning of what she just said.
“Names have power,” I whisper.
“They do.”
“When you said strip the power from the Binding, I understand that, but what will it do to him?” I ask with so much hope in my tone as it all starts making sense to me.
“I believe you’ve already worked that out,” she says knowingly, and I could sob.
Stripping the Binding is going to strip his stolen powers.
“I’ll return the Gods Binding to you as it should be. I’ll do the same for the second when it’s retrieved,” I swear, letting my appreciation shine through my eyes.
I don’t believe she has any idea the leverage she just gave me.
“I need something else from you. Two things actually,” she says softly.
“What’s that?”
“Hold onto that one for me. Keep it safe for my realm. There will come a time that it’s needed, but the time is not now. When you do return the first, close the portals.”
The need to ask her why is strong, but the pleading in her eyes stops me. We’ve been very open this entire time, which I am so thankful for, but there’s something that she’s seen that she can’t talk about. It has her very…I’m not sure…emotional.
