Embracing the Flames (36 page)

The merging of two evils was instantaneous, and I pushed out all the flames I could muster. But Zordon’s body had morphed into something similar to mine, and he easily deflected the flames, hurling them back towards me. I wasn’t quick enough and fell to the ground as my own power slammed into my armored chest.

I picked myself up, ready for another round, but something in Zordon’s eyes stopped me. It wasn’t hatred or evil. It was foreign. It was fear.

Just as a flash of searing pain crossed my mind, alerting me that something bad was about to happen, Zordon shouted, “NOOOOO!” as Gwen’s dagger drove into my back.

Everything stopped for a brief second until I realized that I was screaming in pain. Gwen ruthlessly pulled the enchanted dagger out, following with a kick to my back. The lack of apology in her eyes spoke volumes. She stood over me, justice crowding her hardened smile. My legs crumpled beneath me, and I fell right before Zordon, my eyes widened in shock.

His eyes were just as wide. “You STUPID —,” he weakly shouted, cut off by the blood that spewed forth from behind his teeth. Gwen ran to him, catching his staggering form as he reached out towards the altar. His chest was bleeding in the same spot as mine, death creeping in.

One in the same
, I thought as the light began to fade from my eyes. But my leg wound didn’t affect him...how?

I rolled over, struggling for consciousness. Blood sprayed from my mouth, choking me as I touched at the wound in my chest.
What did she stab me with? How did it pass through my armor?

My stomach turned when I saw that my fingers were heavily coated.
This is it
, I thought regrettably, glancing down at Gabe’s stirring body. Nothing made sense anymore…

“The Stone,” Zordon begged, hobbling over to it with Eve’s support. I followed him with my last bit of strength, dragging myself across the ground. I had to stop him. If I died, he died. This must be the only way. It could all be over. I thought of Fenn and all the memories I would miss out on. I sent my love to him through our connection.

Gabe sat up, alarm marking his features at the sight of me. I latched on to the edge of Zordon’s robe to pull him back just as he immersed his hand into the fire and curled it around the Stone. 

And then everything went black.

Chapter 30

A Bittersweet Reunion

DEATH WASN’T AS BLEAK OR as painful as I had imagined it would be. Except for being stabbed, of course. After the light had finally disappeared from my eyes, a sense of peace began to settle in.

For a while, I simply floated about in darkness, waiting for my thoughts to cease. At least that’s what I thought would happen. Was this the brain activity that happens moments after your heart stops?

Images flitted across my vision like a low-budget film. Fenn’s beautiful face appeared in most of them. The images had no rhyme or reason, no great lesson from my life that stood out. It saddened me to realize that I had only begun my journey. But the sadness quickly disappeared with the realization that Zordon was dead. He had to be. And just as quickly as the images had appeared, they disappeared. A breeze chilled my skin...wait, I could feel?

When I opened my crusted eyes, the glaring light was so bright, my eyes watered furiously from the strain of adjustment. After a few seconds of rapidly blinking and rubbing, I was finally able to focus on something solid. A large man hunched over a rickety, old wooden table with a single candle lit on its corner.

I shot up, placing my hand over my heart where the wound had been. It was gone. The bruises and broken bones were healed. And best of all, the pain and heartache that had driven a dark hole into my very soul no longer plagued me. Instead, I felt an overwhelming, almost crippling joy. I had crossed over into the Hall of Knowledge.

I slowly stood, my human form never feeling so light, and I smiled. I was on the verge of twirling just for the hell of it.

With mild curiosity, I glanced over at the hunched figure. I wasn’t alone. Maybe this man would have some sort of explanation.

As I pranced over to him, something about him became familiar...I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. His shoulders stiffened as if he felt my intrusive gaze, and he turned.

Caught by his gaze, I stopped in my tracks, almost toppling over my own footsteps. Glowing blue eyes lit up with love.

“Aurora!” Astral crooned, standing so fast his chair flew backwards.

Without thinking, I ran to him and threw myself into his warm embrace. “I never thought,” I began, choking back the tears that threatened to rain, “I never thought I’d see you again.  You sacrificed yourself for me. You broke so many laws for me. I never knew until it was too late. I never thought I’d get the chance to thank you.”

“I would gladly stay in the Inferno to see your safety, Little Flame. They let me out a while ago to resume my duties as an Ancient on the condition that I never leave.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why couldn’t I know?”

He tilted his brow at me. “Would you have listened?”

My cheeks flushed. “Tell me what happened, Astral. Why did you let them take you?”

He sighed heavily and reached out to grip my shoulder. “I didn’t return your Oraculus because I knew it wouldn’t be safe here. After I discovered that Saeth was aiding Zordon, I knew that you would never be safe. That was the force I believed was against you, but how could I tell you that when your confidence was already so low at the time?”

“I knew it. I knew you knew something more was going on.”

He smiled and continued. “You needed to prove to yourself that you were strong enough to withstand before the rest came crashing down on you.”

“Zordon’s plans of getting rid of The Fates includes getting rid of his father. He used Saeth just like he uses everyone. Just like he used me.”

Astral smiled, confirming my thoughts. “I figured out what Zordon was going after shortly after Gabe said that Zordon had been leaving the Lyceum from time to time. There were rumors going around the Undermarket that information was being requested by him about things that haven’t been mentioned in quite some time. I spoke with Alister about it, and he confirmed my suspicions. The creation spell. That’s why I left you the portal to Alister. He was supposed to give you the book that led to the story of the creation spell. I knew it was only a matter of time until I was summoned by Saeth. It was my hope that if you read the book, you would piece it together.” He winked at me.

“He gave me a book about the Dark Saar,” I told him.

Annoyance flashed across his face as he shook his head. “I had an inkling he would forget, but there was no time to ensure. As you may know, he can be quite scatterbrained.”

“Why didn’t you tell me what he was after? Why didn’t we form a plan to stop him?”

“There wasn’t enough time and you weren’t ready yet. By the time we were summoned by The Fates, I knew I had to stay away. That is why we went that day. You needed to do it on your own. You earned the right to be called the Progeny by how well you have done, Aurora. By the way, how did you get into the Hall of Knowledge?”

I bit my lip as I looked away. The memory of the blade searing through me resurfaced, and that familiar tightness began to weave around my heart. “Gwenevere murdered me,” I sorrowfully admitted. “I didn’t earn anything. I failed.”

Astral faltered back a step, shaking his head in denial, bracing the table as a crutch. “But…” He broke off, his brows knitting together.

I quickly filled him in on what happened with Alexis to explain how I found out who Eve really was. His eyes scanned the floor as if the answer to his torment would appear there. After a moment he said, “I tried to keep her identity a secret from all of you for this specific reason. I knew Zordon would use her as a tool.”

“How was she able to stab me? I was in my dragon form. I thought I could only be defeated by a Dark Saar.”

He shook his head. “You are also part Mage, Aurora. You are mortal. You will injure like any other mortal.”

I sighed, remembering something else. “When she stabbed me it was like she stabbed Zordon. He’s immortal so how can that be?”

“The power behind your Oraculus is more than you can begin to understand. You are his mortality. A broken bone will not affect him, but if you are fatally wounded, he would be as well. Why do you think he didn’t try to kill you?”

“He’s dead then?” I asked, hope filling me.

“You’re not dead, Aurora. I would know if you were.”

“The Stone. It’s a port key. When I grabbed on to him, it ported me here. It must have healed us. You knew that all along didn’t you? You knew that I would only be able to defeat him by killing myself.”

“You’re looking at it all wrong, Aurora. You’re thinking the worst. Would I have given up everything for you, just to watch you kill yourself to save us all?” He looked offended by my words.

“There’s another way?” My heart skidded to a halt.

“There has to be,” was his answer.

I didn’t question it any further. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Was I ready to accept the fight wasn’t over? “Oddly enough, what hurts the most isn’t the fact that I was betrayed, but that I was murdered by my soul mate’s mother.” Crazed laughter broke from deep within me. Where had that peace I felt a moment ago gone?

“She gave up her son and daughter to protect you. She let them go. She believed in you that much,” he protested, his wizened hands picking up his chair. He fell onto it, his head cradled by his propped-up hand. “I don’t understand how she could let him take her over again.”

“Astral,” I soothed, gently squeezing his shoulder, “you’re not a Seer. You can’t know everything. Zordon got to her. He poisoned her with his darkness. I looked into her eyes. She wasn’t there anymore. She was lost.” I didn’t know whom I was really trying to pacify with that lie. Gwen was there; she was just full of hatred.

“Nevertheless,” he swallowed, “you are here and this is not where you should be. The realms now depend on you. We have to get you back,” he said as he stood and pulled me forward. Déjà vu. I felt like a child again, awoken in the dead of night by The Fates. I yanked my hand back.

“I am not a little girl anymore,” I disputed with a twinge of guilt. “You can’t just force me to do things without my consent. I’ve been through enough, Astral. I am finally at peace.”

His eyes bunched up in puzzlement. “But of course, Little Flame.” 

I stammered as I tried to hold my own without backpedaling. “Well then, where are you taking me?”

A smile threatened Astral’s lips. “Your defiance has grown even stronger since I left,” he mused.

“You mean my will,” I corrected, forcing my grin into a scowl. He would not mock me.

“Oh yes, you’re right. It is your will. Well, now that we have settled that, I am taking you to meet someone special — the Fate that has saved you in the past. This must be corrected.”

“What if I don’t want it to be corrected,” I admitted quietly.

“Do you really mean that? Would you really give up? Just like that?”

I paused, envisioning Fenn’s face and the agony that would fill him should he find out I was dead. I sighed. “Let’s go.”

He pulled me past miles of bookshelves that held the Oraculuses of every life ever lived. The Hall was made up of a light so pristine it was almost painful to keep my eyes open. The air was so light and sweet, it reminded me of cotton candy. I suddenly noticed that there were no other Mages around. As we twisted and turned through the maze of hallways, I asked, “Where is everyone?”

“In their own heaven. When you die, you come here and stand before The Fates who grant you one place to live eternally. A plane of utter happiness. Ah, here we are. Wait here for me.”

We stood in front of a large wooden door. I had seen this before, but how? He knocked once and then entered, the sound of screeching piercing my ears. I turned away, covering my ears and glancing out the arched windows into the strange starry mid-day sky. When the door shut, the voices stopped.

Something about this place felt so familiar, and for a brief second I envisioned it as night. I had a strong urge to hide in the shadows. I had an even stronger urge to listen in on The Fates.

What was Astral saying? What would The Fates say? Was Saeth in there? I waited for what seemed like forever. A wisp of energy zoomed past me and brought me back to the cold, barren hallway. Curious, I followed after.

The end of the hallway offered two options—curve left and continue or turn right into a room. A breeze swept out of the room and wrapped around me, as if encouraging me to enter. I turned right.

At first there was nothing much to the room. It was barren, like everything else in the Hall of Knowledge. Nowhere to sit, nothing to look at, just an empty peace. Until movement caught the corner of my eye. I turned and found a feminine finger shushing me.

My eyes gathered in recognition as the pit of my stomach bottomed out. “Lexi?” I forced out around her finger.

She stepped back and stared at me curiously. “You know my name?” she asked. I couldn’t stop the tears as I threw my arms around her and pulled her into me.

“I never thought I’d see you again,” I choked out, trembling with happiness. “I’m so sorry, Lexi.” Her body remained stiff. She did not return the hug. I let her go, guilt and shame crippling my composure.

Her face screwed up in agitation. “You really shouldn’t be here,” she said, pushing me towards the doorway.

“Wait, Lexi, it’s me, Aurora.”

She stopped. “I’m sorry, I-don’t-know-you.” She enunciated each word slowly as if I were too dumb to understand her chilled reaction to my presence.

“Wait a minute…why aren’t you in your own personal heaven?”

“That is for mortals,” she said snidely, as if the mere thought was beneath her.

I braced her shoulders and forced her to look at me. “Lex, you were a mortal, well,” I corrected, “at least half mortal.”

“And the other half of me was immortal. I am bound to The Fates. I am a Celestian now — a member of the Army of Light.”

I shook my head. “You have to come back with me, Lexi. What about Brohm? He’s miserable without you. This isn’t you.”

“And how do you know what is me? I don’t even know who you are. Some strange girl that rudely sneaks into my room,” she said disgustedly. “Why would I leave this palace to follow you when you can’t even obey the first rule of our kingdom?”

“What rule?”

“Do not wander,” she snapped.

I felt my temper flare but quickly swallowed it. “Look, Lexi, do whatever you want. I just thought that maybe you’d like a chance to have your freedom back. Guess I was wrong.” I looked directly into her eyes.

Astral was only footsteps away when I left her room. “We have a problem,” he said grimly, once again pulling on my arm.

“What?”

“Zordon has infiltrated the Hall of Knowledge. We must go…now.” I swallowed the fear that had risen. How could I have forgotten about him? 

“Let’s pray that he doesn’t find his Oraculus. If he knows that it holds the power to transport you into each other’s lives…” He broke off.

What if Zordon did know? Zhax could have told him that night in the desert. I felt my Oraculus burning with acknowledgement. Astral was right. I had been denying the tie between us for so long. I never acknowledged that he would be included in every step I took.

“Zhax might have told —” But before I could finish, a jarring blast of rock and rubble threw us backwards.