A Destiny Revealed (27 page)

***

Oya stared into her well at Dalia's sleeping form. Her plans
were unraveling and she helpless to stop it. If they lost Dalia, she would have
to wait until someone else in her family was born in order to pass on the
power. That would take years, years the Earth could not afford.

War crept steadily forward, the powers aligning, taking
sides. Those who opposed her gathered an army and waited in the wings for one
mistake from her.

"Oya."

"What are you doing here, Rue?" She didn't bother
turning.

"I felt your sadness."

Maybe he did. "Did you come to mock and gloat over
it?"

He sighed. "What has happened?"

"The
ala-irin
crossed the veil too soon. She's
in between." She wanted to rail, to throw something, but her temper had
never gotten her anywhere but trouble.

"I'll send a shaman to help her." His voice was
soft, full of compassion.

She narrowed her eyes and turned to him. "Why would you
help me now?"

"
Rewa
, let's not start this argument
again." He growled and balled his fists.

"Why now, Rue? Why not when my oracle lay dying?"
The wind picked up, howling and snapping her skirts around her legs.

He stood in the midst of the gale force winds, eyes narrowed
against it, powerful and unshakable. Damn him for the steel control he kept
over his emotions. She turned her back to him and pulled back the winds.

The silence stretched between them until her fury folded in
on itself. She sighed in relief. "Why didn't you help, Rue?"

"You're not a creation goddess,
rewa
. The
warriors were
okay,
you used the humans already in the
tribe. But the oracle…" He sighed. "She should've never been created.
She was apart from the natural order."

"She was my child," she whispered. The pain of
losing Layla stabbed as sharp as the day it happened and lanced through her,
stealing her breath.

"Balance, Oya. You know there must be balance. You
can't just stick a being into the world and expect there not be
repercussions."

"You wouldn't give me the child I asked for. You say
you love me, but the one thing I wanted, you wouldn't give to me." No,
that wasn't right. He didn't refuse her a child. He only refused to send their
child down to her tribe to help.

"If I had allowed you to do what you wanted, then it
would be a child of mine dead. I'll not risk my blood in your games."

Hot fury rushed over her. 
"Games!
You think I play games? As a goddess I must have worshippers to keep my power
or I waste away. Keeping that tribe intact kept me alive and at full power. You
know the enemies I have, even among family."

"They are not the only–"

"They were the most loyal." She insisted.
"Besides, I had a right to get back the power stolen from me."

"So you thought to create a portal to Alafia. Oya, what
makes you think only those with worship on their mind will look for that
portal. What will you do when your enemies find out there is a way to you that
does not involve dying? The first oracle had to die, that village had to be
destroyed in order to keep that secret. Anyone who was alive at that time is
not alive to tell the tales of that portal."

It hurt. The truth of his words hurt. "You could've
warned me."

"So you could save the oracle? I couldn't tell you what
was happening,
mi okan
. The balance had to be
restored, our secrets kept safe. I did it to protect you."

"You let them kill her, Rue. How am I supposed to
forgive you for that?" She lowered her head and let the tears track down
her face.

"Everything that will happen, will happen, my love. If
I'd stopped them from raiding your village,
who's
to
say what the primal source would demand in recompense. Better to lose a few
humans than you."

"But I punished my warriors for centuries Rue.
Centuries, had you only warned me, I would not have been so hard on
them.
"

"And because of your anger, they're alive, now, in
place to serve in Earth's war."

She raised her head. He was right. Her curse allowed them
the immortality they now had.

"Prepare them, Oya."

"Send your shaman. My warriors will be ready, and will
serve my purpose. The Ajo will pay for what they did to my daughter."

He sighed. "You would put your anger before the
world."

"After all this time, you still see me as a selfish
girl." She sighed, and waved away the hurt. "The Ajo are being used
to get to
me
, not the Demi. I will handle them, and keep this war from
destroying all I know and love."

She turned her back to him, weary of the conversation. If
Earth would have a chance in this war, Dalia had to live and the Ajo had to be
put down. Let the other gods call her selfish, she would show them.

Dalia just had to wake.

Chapter 26

"
DALIA",
ISABELLE CALLED. Dalia grumbled
and rolled over expecting to see her mother in the room. Disoriented, it took her
a moment to take in her surroundings. Bron’s room was dark making it hard to
figure out where she was. Her hand brushed his chest and the memories of
flooded her mind.

The last thing she remembered was her travel across the
veil. Her brows bunched in confusion. How long had she been sleep? Was her
mother here? She knew she'd heard her mother’s voice.

'Dalia
,'
  Isabelle
said
urgently.

'Yes, mama?'
Dalia was still
confused.

'I need you, mi hija. I feel evil stalking me,'
her
mother said. Isabelle spoke in her head.

Her mother was not prone to dramatics, so Dalia scrambled
from the bed.

"Tia?"

Dalia stopped and turned to see her niece sprawled in an
armchair facing the bed. "Frankie, what are you doing here?"

"Oh God, Tia."
Frankie
jumped from the chair and hugged her hard. She pulled back and flopped into the
chair exhaling.

Dalia frowned in confusion. "What's going on?"
Dalia pulled up her jeans and searched for a t-shirt.

"You've been in a coma, for like a week now." Her
eyes roved her aunt's body taking inventory. "Where are you going?"
Frankie pushed her heavy mass of curls off her forehead and rubbed her face.

"Mom just called."

Frankie straightened, her eyes darted to Bron's sleeping
form. "Called?"

"Yes, she said she's in trouble. What do you mean I've
been in a coma for a week?" She searched Frankie's face.

"You crossed the veil, whatever that means, and you
got…lost." Frankie threw her hands up.
"Still not
sure on the specifics, but the oracle called and asked me to sit with you.
I took leave from work."

Dalia sat on the edge of the bed as memories of her seeing
the goddess and Bron calling her back. Her head spun. "So I've been what?
Sleep?"

"I don't know. We were only told to sit here and keep
you anchored to us. It's a little confusing to be honest." Her eyes
narrowed as Dalia pulled on her sneakers.

"I think you should wait on Bron." Frankie stood
and placed an arm on Dalia's shoulder.

"It's not that serious, Frankie. I'm just gonna pop in
and check on her."

"Dalia-"

"I should be back before he wakes up." She kissed
her niece’s cheek and teleported to her mother.

Her mother's panic immediately swamped her and her stomach
dropped when she got there.

Nala’s hand snaked around her mother's throat and two
powerful vampires flanked Nala on either side. Her mother’s face held no fear,
but the slight trembling of her body showcased her anxiety. She looked at Nala
and clenched her fist.

“I told my second in command that I knew how to make you
heel,” Nala said smugly.

“You have not given me enough time,” Dalia told her.

“You’ve had two weeks."

Dalia reeled. Two weeks! She'd been sleep for two weeks?

"All you had to do was make a phone call, Dalia. That
shouldn't have taken you more than a few minutes. It seemed to me as though you
needed a little persuading.”

Dalia’s mother made a small sound as Nala’s hand tightened
on her throat.

“The
oracle is not stupid, nor are
the guards who watch her.” Dalia scrambled for something, anything to explain
the lapse of time.

“Too bad for you then.”
Nala
dismissed her excuses.  “Now, I'll wait here while you go and get the
amulet for me.”

Frustration clogged her chest. How was she supposed to grab
the amulet?  Could she go to Bron? Would he help her? “They won’t just
hand it over.”

“That’s
a
YP not a MP.” Nala threw
Dalia’s words back at her.

 She thought briefly of running to her mom and
teleporting them both from the room. Her body flexed.

“Uh-uh.” Nala dug her nail into Isabelle’s neck. “Don’t try
anything funny, Dalia. For once just do as I ask you.”

A trail of blood ran down her mother’s neck and a surge of
impotent rage nearly blinded Dalia. She turned her head from her mother’s pain.
She was tired of people using her family to get to her, but she didn’t see a
choice in this.

"How long?"
She would
grab the amulet, no matter the consequences.

“I'll give you two hours tops, then I'll kill your mother,
after that your brother and his lovely wife. Bring me the amulet, and I will
allow your mom to go free. Bring me Bakari too, and I will step back from your
entire family.” Nala’s eyes were steely.

She'd run out of time. She thought of attacking Nala, but
Dalia she was no match for the vampire’s power, especially not with the two
goons standing behind her. Heart heavy, she sorted through her memories of the
route to the safe house and teleported there.

Zahra gasped as Dalia came into the room. Aren and Fynn both
looked up at her arrival, their gazes puzzled. Dalia stood frozen, their happy
faces, filling her with regret.

"Dalia, Oh my God.
You're alright.
What are doing here? Where's Bron?" Zahra stood and closed the space
between them.

“I’m sorry Zahra, but she has my mother,” Dalia choked out.
She moved towards Zahra and tried to grab the amulet.

Zahra leaned back out of her reach and Aren slammed into her
body. Dalia hit the carpeted floor hard, the fall leaving her breathless.

“Dalia, what are you doing?” Zahra protested.

Dalia fought Aren’s weight and struggled to get from under
him. No matter how much she squirmed he pinned her to the floor. She tried to
knee him and his body evaded. Soon she found her arms pinned above her head,
and his heavy body kept her lower body immobile.

“You have to give me the amulet!” Dalia shouted at Zahra.
“Get off me.” She begged Aren. “I have to save my mother.”

“Calm down, Dalia and I will let you up,” Aren said between
clenched teeth. He struggled to hold her down.

"Dalia, what’s wrong, where are you?"
Worry
and fear colored Bron's tone.

"My mother, Bron."
She said.
"Nala has her. I have to get the amulet."

"Calm down, Dalia."
Bron ordered.

“I don’t have time for this, let me up.” She bucked under
Aren and he cursed as he lost his grip. Dalia moved to stand up but was pushed
back into the floor.

“Settle down, Dalia,” Aren demanded.

“Get off,” she screeched. She fought Aren tooth and nail.
Her fist connected with his chin and Aren roared. She barely noticed the tears
soaking her face. She vaguely heard Zahra trying to talk with her. A fissure of
power went through the room, and Dalia stopped fighting.

Bakari stood in the middle of the floor. The forbidding look
on his face sent a cold shiver down her spine. “What's going on?”

Fynn held Zahra back, keeping her out of Dalia’s reach.
“Dalia tried to take the amulet.”

Zahra opened her mouth to argue and Fynn held up his hand to
silence her. “She is screaming about her mother but I can't make sense of it.”
Fynn released his wife when it was clear Dalia had stopped fighting.

Zahra rushed to her side, only to be stopped by her father
in law. She growled in frustration. Dalia's turmoil hurt, the woman's emotions
swamped her and Zahra closed her eyes.

“Aren let her up,” Fynn ordered.

Aren turned his face to Fynn, disbelief in his eyes. His
eyes darted to the Ijoye. Bakari’s face was carefully blank.

“Are you crazy?” Aren asked.

“She won't harm Zahra, let her up.” Fynn sent out a small
pulse of power and Aren complied.

Dalia lowered her head, and Zahra snatched her arms from
Bakari's grip. “Dalia.”

Fynn reached his hand down to her and helped her stand.
“What has happened?” his voice was soft but still Dalia flinched.

Tears burned Zahra's eyes.

“Nala has my
mom,
she'll kill her
if I don’t bring back the amulet.” She hugged her arms around her waist and
turned from the group.

Fynn placed his hand on her shoulder.

“You could have said that when you popped in here,” Aren
snapped, breathing heavy. He rubbed his jaw where Dalia had managed to sock
him.

“I panicked.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Sit, Dalia,” Fynn grabbed her shoulder. “Bron is out of his
mind with worry; calm down so that he won’t be too worked up when he gets
here.” Fynn led Dalia to the chair across the room, well away from Zahra. He
could feel her desperation and he did not want his wife at risk.

BRON PACED HIS ROOM at the temple, he could feel Dalia’s
panic and fear, he roared in frustration. He had contacted Saleem as soon as he
felt Dalia’s pain.