Page 101 of The Spark that Ignites
Emmery gnawed on her cheek, peeking at every angle. “But there are always two sides to every story.”
“You’re ahead of me already. The next part is open for speculation, depending if you are Fallen or Hollow. But when Deimos tried to hold her, to give her some comfort, she sent him away. You see, he loved her more than anything. He wanted to be free only so he could finally be with her. Despite the betrayal she felt, he’d given her everything she ever wanted. All he had wanted was to lay claim to his children they had created together. It’s said he was the one who called to her, the reason she fell from the sky.”
“It’s sad,” Emmery said, leaning into Briar’s shoulder, her navy locks smelling strongly of lavender. “They were tethered, and they both hurt each other so deeply.” Emmery sank her teeth into her lip, thinking of her own plans of betrayal. “What happened after that?”
“Kahlia was angry and dedicated her entire life to vengeance. It’s claimed she wouldn’t stop until Deimos was trapped once more. Their differences of opinion on whether magic should be given or earned and how to raise their daughters only drove them further apart. Kahlia also forbade Deimos from seeing his children. She thought it was a fitting sentence for his trickery
“And one day she lured him back to the Hollow, promising to make amends, and trapped him in the very black ice he’d once escaped. But she couldn’t go on after what she did and in grief, she drowned herself in the Blood Mire. And because she’s a god, she couldn’t die. It’s said she’s trapped there to this day, drowning in blood. Some say she regrets her choice and waits for Deimos to come for her. To admit her mistake.” The pictures danced across the window, the rich history full of such underlying heartache. “But Deimos remains in his ice prison, unable to save her. It’s rumoured he still dances with her shadow to this day, longing to be with her.”
“Romantic and tragic,” Emmery said and tilted her head up to look at Briar. “Is that why thekhaosflame went out?”
Briar picked at her tunic hem. “We aren’t sure. But we know relighting the flame will allow us to regain our magic. Our people are dying off.”
Emmery drummed her fingers on her knees as she surveyed each of the goddesses and their trees, much like the one she had visited the night before. “What happened to the sisters?”
“They took human lovers and had an abundance of children to carry on the line. Kahlia was furious. She wanted her daughters to split their hearts to keep the bloodlines pure, butthey didn’t want to sacrifice like their mother. Because of that all their children lived shorter lives.
“Serafelle was the only one who didn’t have children with a mortal and her bloodline remained pure. Ironically, she was the only one who followed her mother’s wishes, but she was the one Kahlia loved the least. She had many descendants, each with theShadowheartbloodline and a fragment of her heart. They were incredibly strong, without the dilution of mortal weaknesses. They lived immortal lives, untouched by time, until they were all brutally murdered.
“When her sister’s all lost their mortal loves, they no longer wanted to live in this world without them. So, they transformed themselves into trees, wrapping themselves in the trunk with their loves, for all of eternity. Their magic is fed through the roots into the spring.”
Emmery shivered. A dead goddess had beeninthat tree. “What about Serafelle?”
Briar blanched. “She still walks the land to this day. She was always seen as the evil daughter, likely because it’s rumoured that shattering her heart stole the last shred of her humanity, like she did for her people. But she was Deimos’s favourite child. It’s rumoured she visits him often, but she lives in the Forgotten Lands. Probably because she’s trapped there beyond the barrier.” Briar pressed her lips together. “Ves is convinced Destonne snuffed out thekhaosflame, but I think she’s responsible. She always wanted vengeance for losing her sisters and what better way than to kill everyone who shunned her and murdered her people?”
Briar rubbed Emmery’s shoulder then abruptly stood and smoothed her clothes as she strolled to the door. “Anyway, that’s the Ballad of Beginnings—a story of love and tragedy.” A sympathetic smile. “I need to go see Ves, but I’m glad you’re okay.”
Emmery sat there, her mind reeling, and there was one thing she couldn’t ignore. “Do you think it’s a coincidence I have the same magic as Kahlia? That I look like her?” They could very well be sisters with their silver hair, golden eyes, short stature, and heart-shaped face—
Briar paused in the doorway and drummed her red-tipped fingers on the wooden frame. “I think there are very few coincidences in our lifetime. And this,” she paused, her scarlet eyes studying Emmery’s face, “isn’t one of them.” A contemplative look twisted her mouth. “You know, most of us glow or flicker throughout our life, but rarely can we inflict change. To burn bright enough to light the flame of the universe. But really, all it takes is one spark. A single spark to ignite.”
Emmery stared at her friend, her stomach twisting. “And you think that spark is ...?”
“The gods abandoned us long ago, and we spent a century trying to figure out why, but ... maybe we don’t need them anymore. Maybe it’s time for change.” Briar’s gaze across the room stirred something in Emmery’s soul. “Some of us aren’t born to blend in. Some of us, no matter how painful it may be, need to stand out to ignite.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
The next afternoon, Emmery and Vesper set out for the last two items for Izora’s spell. With only four days until the Fallen Equinox, they opted for a shortcut through the mountains.
Assaulted by flurries that camouflaged and froze them to the bone, they clung to their steeds as they navigated the narrow, winding path, Balthasar’s form a shadowy beacon in the white blustering haze. Vesper huddled under his cloak, grumbling softly to himself. Between the howling winds tearing off her hood and stealing her chapped lip curses, Emmery’s teeth chattered so violently they threatened to shatter.
She envied Aera, tucked in her warm bed at Castle Dusk. But with the retrieval of dragon essence—whatever that was—it was surely too dangerous for the spoiled little thing.
They both stiffened as they neared the infamous mountain passage—Arkon’s Spine. Fluffy flakes snagged her eyelashes as she dismissed Juno, her numb legs sinking to mid-calf in the snow. Dread slithered up her spine and she shivered, but this time not from the cold.
No, it was the vast darkness stretching endlessly from the cavern mouth and jagged rocks fringing the ceiling like hungry teeth.
And there was something inside that cave. Something that hummed magic into her veins.
Something ancient and powerful and equally terrifying. And impossibly sad.
Nonetheless, Emmery unsheathed her dagger and removed her glove to draw blood for the spell. She hissed as it slipped in her clumsy, frozen fingers and gouged her palm.
Shit—well, that was one way to do it. She bit back the deep sting.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she pressed her hand to the barrier, unseen to the naked eye, like searching for a wall in a dark room. Thekhaosflame purred as she imagined it sparking, cracking tiny fissures in the invisible obstacle. It roared—hungry, joyous, monstrous.
But it didn't frighten her. And when the faceless, consuming thing stared, she stared back.
