Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series) (20 page)

The shaman
nodded. Speaking loudly to the room, he
proclaimed
,
“Then I pronounce you both bound.
Eternally as one
.” When he finished
, the invisible grip Ramien had over me evaporated.
I breathed a sigh of relief, immediately searching the crowd for my parents. With Ramien dead, what would happen to them? I received my answer instantaneously. All of the
guests
’ bodies
vanished
! Including my mom and dad, Zaren, Palamina, Dervinias, Cheverly, and Palmo. Their
glittering essences
remained
though,
and
flitted around the room, like excited butterflies. I could hear
their thoughts
:

Free.

We’re free.

It’s a miracle.

We’re saved.

Michael moved so we were toe to toe
and took one of my hands in both of his
.
Rhino shaman
said, “You may seal your bond with a kiss.”

I was in shock.
The marriage didn’t count. Surely.
I turned to Michael. “It isn’t real.”

He beamed, and my mind went blank.
No words. No thoughts. I was swallowed up in Michael. It was as though I saw him
for the first time. Not
an arrogant human
in need of a haircut
, or even a
soulless
ferether. But as my counterpart, made for me in every way.

Your soul mate
, Tortevia whispered.

And I finally comprehended what that meant.

Michael smiled. “I’m going to kiss you now. Ready?”

A very unladylike huff rose in my throat.

“Such a pain in the ass.” Michael grinned, dipping his head, and pressing his lips to mine. The kiss
filled with
promises of the Universe.

Soaring.

Soaring.

Soaring.

21.
Freedom

When Michael released my lips, I sensed someone watched us. I turned, and saw Ith and Aetha.
My actual parents.
The gods of Kelari.
Now
I knew
who they were
, I wasn’t sure how to act. I was in awe of them.
These beings, the
se gods.
And I was
supposed to be
like them?

You are one of them
, Tortevia insisted.

It didn’t make sense.

“Hello, Venus,” Aetha said
, an ethereal smile lighting
her whole face.

She and Ith stood at the bottom of the steps, inches from where Ramien lay face down on the floor. They paid him no heed, and I wondered if they
saw
him.

“We see
him
, daughter,” Ith said, his grass green eyes sparkling.

“Oh?” Had I spoken aloud? I didn’t think so, but Ith responded as though he heard me.

“Ramien was a body without a soul
, like a husk, or
an
empty shell.
He survived
, as all ferether do,
by feeding on the souls of others.” Aetha bent and
placed a hand on Ramien’s face.
At her touch, Ramien’s body withered, turning in on itself like a corpse
decaying
in the heat of the sun.
The too sweet smell that was Ramien thickened the air momentarily, and then he was gon
e, and the odor went with him. “You and Michael used your combined power to destroy
him
.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything.” I was glad Ramien was gone.
His death
meant the souls were all free to r
eturn to the Creator, but it
hadn’t
been because of me
. It w
as all Michael. “Michael did it,
”
I said, grabbing his hand in mine and lifting it upward.
A loud cheer came from the essences fluttering around the room

Ith
and Aetha
came forward and took
our clasped hands in theirs
.

“You did better than we ever hoped,” Aetha said to Michael. Then she turned to me. “As did you.”

The medallion
warmed between my collarbones
again
. The buckle heated at my waist.
They
grew
so hot I thought they might
burn me up
. I looked down. The buckle glowed bright red
. I guessed the medallion must
be
doing the same. Michael’s expression turned from mild interest to real
concern
.

“What’s happen
ing?” he asked.

Ith and Aetha said together. “Watch.” As they spoke Tortevia burst forth and landed on all fours behind the gods. Tortevia roared and shook her mane, her enormous
black
wings flapped against the air, blowing my hair
and the essences around
. I couldn’t help but smile at her happiness.

Three young women gracefully landed next to Tortevia. They held hands and looked like triplets. They only way to tell them apart was the color of their calf length dresses. One wore an electric blue, another wore bright purple, and the last had on a candy apple red. Their feet were bare, and their hair was cropped short, and
was as black
as Tortevia’s fur. They giggled.

“What?” I asked
, concerned they laughed at me
.

Michael
chuckled
. “I know who the girls are.”

“Of course you do,” I uttered, sarcastic.

One of the
girls
waved and winked at him.

I wanted to box their ears, and te
ll them he was taken. But . . .
that was just too weird to think about.

“These are they
who belong to the gods of Kelari. Don’t you recognize them?” Aetha’s words were sad and spoken with a tinge of
melancholy
.

“So they belong to you?” I asked, confused.

She shook her head, and I swear he
r
eyes filled up with tears. “No, my child. They belong to you.” Then she indicated Michael. “And you.”

Ith wrapped an arm around Aetha’s shoulders, and she leaned into him.

Michael glanced at my necklace, and his eyes grew wide. “May I?” he asked.

I nodded, remembering when he put it on me.

After he undid the leather chords, he held it up for me to see.

It was
still as beautiful as
before
.
The same images engraved upon it.
A book lay opened. O
n one side were three girls. On the other
was
an irrihunter with a boy and a girl riding on its back. In the irrihunter’s paws it clutched something round.

Finally I understood. This was Tortevia, Michael and I. On the left were the girls, but who were they? What part did they play in all of this?

As though reading my mind, Michael said, “They are the Systern Sisters. Together they are the Keepers of Kelari. Not to long after you left me with Ith and Aetha, they gave me the Sistine Grimp, which is the book.” He pointed it out to me on the me
dallion with his thumb. “The sisters have
kinda
been hanging out with me in here,” he pointed to his chest, “and, in here.” He pointed to his head. “They are teachers, seers, and
revelators.”

“Oh,” was all I could utter.
They—the Systern Sisters—looked like simpletons.

Ith and Aetha moved toward Tortevia, and the sisters.

“Come here, children,
” Aetha s
aid, beckoning us to come down.

Michael stepped toward the stairs, but I hesitated. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. He seemed to sense my
reluctance
.

“I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Michael
brushed his fingers along my jawline.
“Ever again.”

My insides clenched. I searched his face, wondering how he was so calm, so accepting of
the events occurring
around us. Since my sixteenth birthday I hadn’t h
ad a moment
all to myself
—one
where I wasn’t worried about my life, my country,
my family, Zaren, even
Michael
. I’d been
exiled to earth. Told Michael was my soul mate
, that w
e were created for each other. Then I was finally made a kelvieri, the immortal I always dreamed of being, but that wasn’t even really true.
Had me loving Zaren been a lie
as well
? My mind told me no, but I also realized it wasn’t the kind of love I felt for Michael.

At
those
thought
s
I froze. “Holy
cret
, I love—” I clamped my hands over my mouth. Was it possible? My heart screamed a gigantic, YES.

“What?” Michael asked, an amused grin on his lips.

I shook my head. Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, and I needed to allow my mind to grasp them.

The symbols in the heels of my kelvieri boots came to mind. In
the left heel were
stars. The other heel held fire. With a surety
so undeniably strong it hurt,
I understood the symbols represented what I was and what I would become. But I didn’t want it.

I’m not a god!

“Venus, child. You were created with—”

But I cut Aetha off. “No. I won’t be your pawn.” I glared. “You’re no better than Ramien.”

“Venus,” Michael balked.

The sisters and Tortevia let out a collective gasp.

“It’s true,” I continued. “
Ramien
wanted to use me as a means of becoming the Creator’s equal. You used me to take him down.” I began to breathe heavily. My part in the plan was over. What other use did they have for me?
Did they intend to send me to the Creator?
“I’m of no use to you now, just a
nother piece you can toss aside . . .
” I trailed off as an uncontrollable
cry
tore from my chest. “What more am I good for
? You’ve won.
Ramien is gone. The fight is over.
”

Ith pulled me from Michael’s hands, and gathered me into his arms. “There, there, child,” he soothed. I wanted to resist, push hi
m away
, this god who was supposed to be my real father
. “
This planet is in need of you
and Michael. You have much still to do.”

His voice
soothed
, but not his words.
What did I, a sixteen-year-old kelvieri, have to offer
beyond what
Ith and Aetha could give? They were the gods of this world, not me.  

Aetha’s arms joined Ith’s around me.
“You and Michael are to become the new gods of Kelari. This was always the plan. The way the Creator intended it.
We will be leaving soon.
” As she spoke a lavender light surrounded us like a bubble.

I was about to ask what was
happening
, but my mind was
inexplicably
filled with the knowledge.
Comprehension of the way Kelari was created, the creatures
designed to inhabit
the land.
The first male and female kelarian.
The growth of th
is
world.
Wars. Death.
A billion lives flashed before my eyes at once
,
along with at least
as
many days. I felt as though my mind expanded, taking
in all I saw
. And somehow I understood everything.
Including my part in the grand design set forth by the Creator.

“Oh my.” A sense of peace warmed me from the inside out.
But e
ven with all the knowledge Ith and Aetha gave me, a tiny part of me doubted.

“
Doubt not, child.
You
possess all the keys the Creator intended you to have. You are the
ch
ild Ith and I shaped you to be.
” Aetha
spoke with affection.
She stroked my face with tender care.
The
intensity
of
her
love
sank deep, filling me with a glow
.