The Labyrinth of Destiny (44 page)

This time, she knew she was ready
to face him.

As predicted, the demon was waiting
for her. He immediately sent a beam of darkness, aimed directly at her heart.

Adesina lifted her hand, and the
deadly beam simply disappeared.

Cha-sak’s ruby eyes widened in
disbelief.

He raised his arms as he gathered
more shadows to him, and he sent an even larger beam of darkness hurtling
toward the young Serraf.

She lifted her hand again and the
beam disappeared.

“What have you done?” he demanded.
“How is this possible?”

Adesina had a flash of insight as
she answered. “It is possible because I have been entrusted with the power of
Light, whereas you are merely a tool of the Darkness.”

Cha-sak openly sneered at her. “I
am the embodiment of Darkness, I receive all of its powers.”

The young woman shook her head.
“No, you are nothing more than a pawn.”

The demon hissed with rage.

“How could you be anything more?”
Adesina went on. “The Darkness is selfish and would never trust itself fully to
the hands of any creature. The Darkness knows only how to manipulate and to
consume.”

“You speak as though Darkness and
Light are sentient,” Cha-sak said, “but that is not true.”

Adesina inclined her head. “You are
right, but they have innate qualities that never change. You can grasp at as
much Darkness as your being can hold, but it will never be yours. You will
never truly master it.”

“You think you have become the
master of Light?” scoffed the Shimat.

“No,” answered Adesina truthfully.
“I am not the master of Light, but I have been accepted by it. I have become a
part of it, and therefore it is a part of me.”

Cha-sak spoke with hate dripping
from his words. “Does that mean you now have the power to defeat me?”

“I do.”

Suddenly, Adesina knew what the
decision was.

She did have the power to defeat
Cha-sak. She could burn him from existence, if she so chose.

The question was: would she?

There was no doubt that Adesina
hated the demon. He had ordered the murder of her father, and Rajan, and
countless others. He was drenched in the blood of her people, and she knew he
was glad to have killed each and every one of them. Cha-sak reveled in his
alliance with Darkness, and he would never return to the Light.

Would it not be better to destroy
him?

If Adesina destroyed Cha-sak, the
Darkness within him would be destroyed as well. The loss of so much Darkness
would cause an imbalance in the universe. Under normal circumstances, something
would happen to bring balance back to Light and Dark. However, Adesina knew
instinctively that they had entered the brief span of time when the balance of
the universe could be permanently changed.

Two choices were before her. She
could destroy Cha-sak—along with the Darkness within him—and the balance of the
universe would shift in favor of Light. Or she could allow Cha-sak to live,
which would mean allowing him to continue to fight until Darkness prevailed.

She knew she could not allow
Cha-sak to win, but Ruon’s words haunted her mind. The Laithur had warned her
that it was a heavy matter to bring an Immortal to an end, and Adesina knew
that he was right.

Could she live with herself,
knowing that she had made that decision? Was the fate of the universe more
important than a single life?

Her Shimat training had taught her
that the ends justify the means, but the L’avan believed otherwise. She was
inclined to follow L’avan teachings, but what if this choice was simply too
important?

She could not allow Darkness to
win, but would Light truly prevail if she had to destroy a life to accomplish
it?

There is a third choice.

Ravi’s voice was calm, and it
brought her back from the edge of frantic indecision.

The import of his words slowly
penetrated Adesina’s mind, and she felt a weight lift from her heart.

There was a third choice.

She raised Falcon and pointed the
blade at Cha-sak. “I will not destroy you, Lord of the Shimat. It is not worth
risking my soul to destroy yours.”

“What will you do?” asked Cha-sak
quietly.

Adesina was shocked to realize that
the demon accepted that she could do anything she wished to him. He was
acknowledging her superiority over him.

She used her Blood Sword to draw a
rectangle in the air, and a new Threshold began to form.

“You will be banished from all
worlds where you might cause harm. All those who have sworn their allegiance to
you shall be bound to share your fate.”

The Threshold was a gateway filled
with endless black, and the force of the vacuum on the other side began to pull
Cha-sak toward it.

The demon shrieked in fury and
fear. “No! It is not possible!”

Adesina’s voice thundered with
authority, and the words that she spoke came through her as if from another
source.

“You have embraced the Darkness,
and now you shall know nothing else. You are cast from this world to the
darkest corner of the universe, and there you will stay for all eternity.”

Cha-sak’s claws scraped at the
gateway as he tried to pull himself free. His efforts were futile. The vacuum
drew him in, swallowing his final scream.

Adesina raised Falcon once more and
slashed across the newly formed Threshold. Golden lines crisscrossed the black
gateway, and it began to shudder. The Threshold collapsed in on itself and
exploded, becoming nothing more than a few motes in the air.

There was no way for Cha-sak and
his followers to escape their prison now. The Threshold that had sent them
there had been destroyed.

Cha-sak could cause no more harm,
but his soul remained intact.

And so the balance of the universe
remained intact.

Adesina smiled.

Adesina found herself standing in
the Thieves’ Forest once more. She felt disoriented and empty, for she was no
longer filled with the power that had flowed through her only moments before.

She looked down and saw that she
was wearing her L’avan armor, and a glance behind her revealed that she no
longer possessed the large feathered wings. Anyone who looked at her now would
have no idea of the transformation she had gone through.

Ravi loped up to her, and she could
tell by the look in his eyes that he was all too aware of her experience, even
if it wasn’t physically apparent.

“Ma’eve. You saved us all.”

His voice was filled with emotion,
and Adesina felt her own eyes filling with tears.

“I did not do it alone,” she said
with a trembling smile.

Adesina looked past her guardian
and saw L’iam sprinting toward her. All efforts to control her emotion were
abandoned as she rushed to his arms. She sobbed openly as she buried her face
in his shoulder.

“I am so proud of you,” L’iam
murmured into her hair. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” she laughed as
she wiped away her tears. “What happened to the battle? Is it over?”

L’iam grinned as his eyes met hers.
“We could hear you banish Cha-sak. Your voice rolled over this forest like thunder.
The Shimat and the mercenaries made a hasty retreat when they realized what had
happened to their leader.”

Adesina’s relief only lasted a
moment. “We have not seen the last of the Shimat,” she said, knowing it to be
true. “We will be fighting them for many years yet.”

“The organization is gone, though,”
pointed out Ravi, who was standing at a respectful distance from the couple.
“They may cause trouble as individuals or as small groups, but they will never
again be what they once were.”

L’iam nodded in agreement. “Hestia
has gained the respect of all those who have fought here. I have no doubt that
she will be established as queen of Sehar. She is not likely to let the Shimat
regain the power that they used to have.”

Adesina saw Ruon, Sitara, and Riel approaching
through the trees. Each Immortal’s face was wreathed in smiles and glowing with
pride. Ruon looked strange with such unreserved approval in his expression.

“We felt you call upon us, and so
we each stood with you during your battle,” said Sitara. “We could see through
your eyes, and we could hear the thoughts of your heart.”

Adesina’s face warmed. She hadn’t
realized that her Immortal allies had been witness to her personal struggle.

Ruon placed a slender hand on
Adesina’s shoulder. “You proved yourself to be everything that we hoped you
would be, Threshold Child. I was proud to stand with you against Cha-sak.”

“We all were,” added Riel.

“Thank you,” Adesina said
sincerely. “Thank you for standing with me.”

Sitara gave a brilliant smile. “Now
we can free our brothers and sisters from their prison.”

Adesina’s brow furrowed as she
thought about the concerns that had been voiced regarding that very issue.

“Where will the Immortals go?”

Sitara seemed rather surprised by
the question. “Wherever they wish, of course.”

Ruon appeared to understand
Adesina’s reservations, and he spoke up calmly. “This world belongs to humans
now. They have been the sole rulers for a long time. They may not take kindly
to the Immortals taking that from them.”

“They cannot stay where they are,”
argued Sitara. “This world is our home.”

There were a few moments of
uncomfortable silence, but L’iam was the one to present a solution.

“The mountains of Pevothem are not
inhabited by the L’avan. The Immortals could begin their settlements there and
expand as humankind becomes accustomed to their presence.”

Adesina smiled at her husband.
“Yes, that is perfect.”

Sitara and Ruon seemed to agree,
and Riel glanced at Ravi. “It will be a good opportunity for the Rashad to
reunite.”

“Can you create a new Threshold for
them to pass through?” asked Sitara.

Adesina nodded, feeling reasonably
confident. “I will do it after the aftermath of this war has been resolved.”

The Immortals nodded in agreement
before walking away. They all had work to do, and their work was just
beginning.

Well done, my child.

The feeling of absolute peace
settled over Adesina once more, and she opened her mind to the Creator.

“Was my decision acceptable?” she
asked out loud.

Ravi could hear and feel through
his Joining with Adesina, and he experienced both sides of the conversation.
L’iam, on the other hand, could not hear the voice of the Creator. Even with
that being the case, the look of wonder in his eyes indicated that he could
feel something important was happening.

Your decision was as it was
meant to be. That is why you were chosen.

Adesina felt her heart swell with
gladness. “I am happy that I did not fail you.”

You did more than simply not
fail. You exercised mercy and justice on behalf of we who placed our trust in
you. You opened your homeland to those who have been lost and forgotten. Such
an act of love shows the true merit of your heart.

The young woman reached over and
took her husband’s hand.

“It was L’iam that did that last
part.”

I know. That is why I am granting
the two of you a boon. You have served the Ancients well, and such service
shall be rewarded.

“A boon?”

Yes. You need but ask, and it
shall be granted unto you.

The last time Adesina had been
granted a boon by some unseen entity, it had been chosen for her. After she had
rescued her father from the Shimat fortress, the forest of the Immortal spirits
had transported her back to Pevothem in the blink of an eye.

She had never been asked what she
wanted to receive as a gift from the gods, and she was at a loss now that she
was given the choice.

It was tempting to ask for
something that would help her in her duties as Threshold Child, but that would
be a gift solely for her benefit. The boon was meant to be for L’iam as well.

She began to wonder if it would be
possible to restore the lives that had been lost in the course of the war with
Cha-sak.

Do not ask for the dead to be
returned to life. It is in my power to make it so, but they have fought well
and have now been given their rewards. They deserve the rest that they have
found.

Adesina felt somewhat chastened.
She had not considered her request from such a point of view.

Her eyes wandered over the forest
that surrounded them, searching for some sort of inspiration. The evidence of
war was everywhere, especially in the broken forms that were scattered across
the ground.

The L’avan and Seharans searched
among the bodies for those whose wounds could be healed. Abandoned weapons were
gathered, and debris was collected in piles for burning.

War had brought so much suffering.
What could Adesina possibly ask for that would help heal the scars of battle?

Ravi spoke in his low, quiet tone.
“The only way to move on from so much sorrow is to help life move forward. War
brings death, and the only cure to such a travesty is to encourage life.”

Adesina nodded.

He was right, and she knew it. The
best that she could do as a leader would be to rebuild and to show that life
continued onward.

Her eyes continued their sweep of
her surroundings, and came to a rest on the face of her husband. Her heart was
so filled with love that she thought it might burst, and a slow smile crossed
her face.

Have you chosen your boon?

“Yes,” answered Adesina softly. “I
believe I have.”

Adesina became aware of the
sunlight before she opened her eyes. She was surprised that she had slept as
long as she did. She sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.

She heard the gentle humming of
L’iam as he paced the room, and she gazed at him affectionately.

“You could have woken me,” she
reminded him.

L’iam gave her one of his golden
smiles. “I know I
could
have.”

Adesina slipped out of bed and
crossed the sunlit room. She put her arms around her husband, hugging him from
behind, and gazed at the tiny bundle in his protective embrace.

The infant was sleeping
contentedly, with one small fist resting against her rosy cheek. She had
L’iam’s golden hair, and the wisps that framed her perfect face were silver to
match her mother’s.

“You know she will never learn to
sleep in her cradle if you hold her all the time,” Adesina reprimanded her
husband.

L’iam’s shrug was anything but
repentant. “Cradles are not as comfortable as a father’s arms.”

Adesina laughed quietly and started
to get dressed. She hated to leave the scene of idyllic family life, but she
had a full day ahead of her. Sitara and Ruon had just returned from a long
absence during which they had been searching for the remaining Thresholds
around the world that could be repaired. Adesina knew they would be anxious to
report to her on their findings.

“Are you meeting with the building
council this morning?” inquired Adesina.

L’iam did not take his eyes off of
his tiny daughter as he shook his head. “No, that meeting was cancelled.”

Adesina glanced up in surprise.
“Why was it cancelled?”

“Because I cancelled it.”

Her expression shifted to one of
disapproval. “Why?”

“L’yra needs to take a walk in the
gardens. She told me so,” L’iam claimed solemnly.

“Our daughter is less than a month
old,” retorted Adesina. “She told you no such thing.”

“Oh, but she did,” insisted L’iam.
“It is very important to her.”

Adesina couldn’t resist laughing.
She threw up her hands, “I give up. I thought I could force you to continue
acting as a king should, but it seems that your daughter has convinced you
otherwise.”

L’iam nodded wisely, “My new
position is much more enjoyable than my old one.”

“Because you can cancel meetings
and go on walks instead?” asked Adesina archly.

“Exactly.”

Adesina laughed again. “Well,
I
cannot stay and stare at L’yra all day. I have work to do.”

L’iam gave her a sly look.
“Jealous?”

She pretended to be exasperated.
“Of course!”

L’iam chuckled. “Well, no one said
it would be easy to be the Threshold Child. You have much to do before your work
is done.”

Adesina wrinkled her nose at him.
“I do not need reminding.”

She walked over to L’iam and gave
him a kiss.

“Maybe tomorrow you can spend the
day with L’yra while I catch up on all of my meetings,” suggested her husband.

Adesina leaned down to kiss her
daughter’s soft forehead. “I love that idea.”

L’yra stirred and opened her eyes.
They were a vivid, metallic purple with flecks of gold—just like Adesina’s.

The baby gave a sleepy sort of
smile and reached up to grasp Adesina’s finger. The young queen felt her heart
warm at the touch of the tiny child.

Yes, there was much to be done as
the Threshold Child, but Adesina did not dread it as she once had. She was
surrounded by those who loved her, and that love gave her the strength that she
needed to continue with her work.

“L’yra, give your mother a kiss,”
instructed L’iam, half teasing. “She is off to change the world.”

Adesina was the one to give the
kiss, and she did so happily. “Yes,” she whispered to her daughter, “I am
making it ready for
you
.”