Page 51 of A Clash of Embers

"So, Lachlan, what do we call it? Is there a name? Thischange?"I saw Eros take a deep breath of frustration beside me, but I didn't care.

Lachlan's deep voice answered me, "We call it Immure. The sky starts to fall with this icy rain and the ground becomes filledwith it. It makes it difficult to fight, walk, and live outside. It's unbearable."

Eros interrupted Lachlan, "And that is why we must go to this meeting now and not wait. We have to get what we need accomplished before Immure starts. If we don't, it will be nearly impossible."

We never had this in the curse. It never was cold. It was always warm and delightful. Fields were always full of flowers and greenery. I couldn't imagine what this world would look like without it. Why did it stay so warm?

"I'm sure you're wondering why we never had Immure in Carondelet, aren't you?" Eros questioned me, but in a way that was condescending.

I glanced over my shoulder toward him with my hair whipping in the wind around my face. I watched his eyes trace my face down to my lips and turned his head forward to keep pace with Lachlan.

I sighed, "Yes. I was wondering about that. Is it because of the curse?"

"I am certain that it is. Everything under the curse was frozen in a continuous loop. We also happened to be in the southern portion of Darthium that stays warmer year-round compared to here, in the North. It is a more wrathful Immure than anywhere else." He continued with his stride until we came upon a barrier.Invisible.

I couldn't see it, but I felt it.

My magic was seething, thrashing to touch it. To know its essence.

"I need you for this." Eros gripped my hand and started to drag me towards the wall. With every step my magic was thumping in my veins.

He lifted my hand to his mouth and bit down slightly causing a tear in my palm. He pulled away, pressing my hand against theinvisible wall and that's when I felt it.Magic. It was known to me.

The scent of eucalyptus filled my senses and chills were sent across my skin in reaction to it. Feeling my power within something else was peculiar. It was my own power lingering on the shield.

My eyes flickered towards Eros, and I saw him staring at me intently with a wild gaze. A slight drop of my blood was on the corner of his mouth and I watched him as swiped his thumb across it and pressed it into his mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head as he grumbled a curse softly.

"You need to walk through before I bite you again." He demanded of me and I wasn't going to stand there and find out if he'd actually do it so I turned and walked.

As I passed through the wall, Eros and Lachlan followed closely behind. I noticed a few long paces in the distance there was a house built within a tree. I looked up and saw a woman with long black curly hair and dark brown eyes. She merely watched us as we passed the tree tower. Waiting for us to make the wrong move.

A few more steps in and I saw it. The hub of Bolzana.

The entire city was built within the trees, with bridges connecting homes and large buildings throughout. The homes were on the land and in the sky. The colors resembled the world of Darthium with natural tones that blended the homes into the landscape.

I watched a slew of people mixing and mingling with one another, gathering herbs, spices, preparing meats for drying. It was a bustling city within a forest, one that you would never know was there. The further we walked into the city of trees, I saw the castle. It was nestled within an opening with vines and flowers draped over it. It was the castle I knew. The same one or a copy of the one in Elistayre.

No one seemed to mind the large man behind me walking who was half vamprye and angel, no one even batted an eye, which made me believe he had been here before. But what Queen Anne told me was that Eros was a monster. Someone who was against us, and that the witches had no place in taking sides, so why was he so accepted here?

"Straight ahead is where we need to go," Eros told me, but deep in my bones I knew exactly where I needed to be. In the castle. Elistayre.

The vines that draped over the walls were in the most spectacular fashion contrasting the white clay stones that held it together. The large doors were built with different colored glass that invited us in, and when we approached the door, Eros knocked. The door opened and a young woman about my age stood aside to allow us to enter.

Her soft voice was inviting as she welcomed us, "Please come in. The Doyen is expecting you."

Eros nodded at her as we continued to follow her through the castle. My home, or at least, I thought it was. We turned towards the dining room that I knew well, but what wasn't expected was my mother sitting there with another witch, or so I thought. Sophia?

My mother's eyes widened and she pushed her chair out behind her and it fell to the ground. With each step toward me, I thought my heart would burst at finally seeing her, Queen Claire, my mother.

I took quick steps toward her, reaching out for the embrace that I so desperately needed. Her arms wrapped around me, gripping me tightly in her grasp and pulling me into her warmth.I embraced her right back. I breathed her in and I realized that Iknewwhat the scent was on the wall. It was her.

"Oh, my gods! My sweet Clara. I have been so worried about you. I have so much to talk to you about, but first..." She pulled back from her embrace holding me steady with her hands on my arms. Her eyes peered into mine and I felt that overwhelming love that she always carried with her. "I am so proud of you. I know it was so difficult to lose your father and make the choice you did, but it had to happen. It is how your father wanted it to happen." Her hand swept over my cheek and the other was placed gently on the other side.

She cradled my face in her hands and she smiled faintly. "Your father knew exactly what he was doing. It had to be done. There will be a day when you will understand, but I am so glad you have found your way here because we have so much to discuss." She kissed my forehead and released me from her grip.

Stepping back, she looked at the super fun crowd behind me.

"Eros, Lachlan, it is great to see you. Please have a seat." My mother gestured to us to sit at the table, and when we did, I sat across from another witch who I could’ve sworn looked just like Sophia. She smiled at me, but I only sat there and studied her.

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