The Oracle’s eerie silver eyes swirled with color. “Some could save this realm, and others, too.”
Aria’s glance darted between Ash and Cara. The Watcher had made it clear she wasn’t in agreement with the Elders. Was this a conspiracy in the making? “Does the Elder council know of these possible futures?”
Cara nodded. “I have informed them, although things have moved along since then. But they refused to believe, or even listen.” She pushed her braids off her face. “I fear they have grown complacent, and have forgotten our true purpose in the universe. But sometimes Fate refuses to be put on the back shelf.”
Cody had sat quietly, listening as he munched potstickers and drank his beer. “Ryan just told me that turning Nikolai loose could go all kinds of wrong. And Kitani thinks that the human realm needs serious intervention if it is going to be a good place for our girls to grow up.”
Ryan? Kitani? Aria stared at Cody before she realized that the Sabre’s mates must have been telepathically linked through all this. But her brain spun. Was Nikolai a savior, or destroyer? Her heart told her one thing, and her brain, another.
Lucas cleared his throat. “Nikolai might be scary as hell, but he saved my life.”
And Cara smiled, lighting up the entire room. “I have had Mai watching Nikolai,” she said. “I believe he can overcome the legacy of his bloodline.”
“What legacy?” Aria asked.
Cara linked her fingers together. “The Perditor that killed the Torshin covens was Nikolai’s maternal great grandfather.”
34
Nikolai’s thoughts seethed as he stared at his father.
He’d been adrift as he roamed the meadows and forests, his emotions muted by the runes traced along his skin. Now, he struggled through a thick mental fog. Whatever was happening here, he needed to focus.
Galeran clearly believed what he’d said. His father thought that Nikolai could free the Bellatis.
Free them from what?Nikolai asked.
We have been imprisoned in this realm for a thousand years, while the realms suffered for our loss. Now, we will fulfill the roles to which we were born.
Galeran stood before his throne, arms spread. From the tunnels on each side of him, stepped more Bellatis. Their expressions were set with grim purpose as they lined up on each side. Standing closest to Galeran was a Bellati of almost the same height. He looked young, but with a strong, muscled body and a perfect face as cold and still as stone. Nikolai’s glance slid over the others—Galeran was by far the eldest in the cave, and that included the small group of women. Only Isobel had the pure-white braids of a Watcher. A few others had white streaks in their hair, but most had dark braids that shimmered in rainbow colors beneath the glowing crystals.
Galeran waited for them to fall silent before speaking.
“The moment we have waited for is at hand.” His eyes glowed so pale a silver they were almost colorless. “No longer will we be bound by the antiquated morals of the Elders. Our true purpose awaits—to purge the realms of impurities and restore the balance.”
All eyes were riveted on Galeran’s tall figure, and even Nikolai’s skeptical heart lifted.Purpose.A reason for all the madness that his life had become. Could it be true? Did he exist to free the Bellatis from this realm?
But the word “purge” gave him pause. He was all for restoring balance, but he had no idea just what that entailed. And the Elders had been responsible for binding him to this form. He may be part of the life energy that swirled around him, but he had no control over it. He couldn’t do anything to help himself, let alone anyone else.
He tensed as Galeran stepped down off the raised dais and approached him.
“My son has been delivered to us. He is a Perditor, and his power will pave the way for our future.”
“But I am blocked,” Nikolai stammered. “I cannot access thee energy.”
Galeran’s eyes flashed, and he held up his arms. Something glowed on each wrist—runes. “Youare blocked. But I am not. When the others chained you in runes, Isobel wove one in that links me to your power. You are our conduit to the future.”
Could Galeran use him to access the deep energy that he’d touched before?No.He remembered the fierce, all-consuming power that he’d channeled. He’d had more than a glimpse of its potential for total destruction.
Horror pierced the fog in Nikolai’s brain. He had to break free from Galeran and his Bellatis. But he was surrounded by the warriors, and he had little doubt as to their abilities.
For the first time since the Watchers had bound him, Nikolai reached for the power, hoping to use just enough to escape.
But the runes had done their job. The fog within him hardened into a wall, blocking him from any access. He could feel it was there, but he might as well be reaching for the moon.
It will be all right, my son. You were destined for this.
Nikolai trembled. Out on the Kalahari, he’d seen what could happen when one group believed they were superior to another. Ngubi’s people had endured unbelievable atrocities in the face of it. And Galeran’s words echoed through that bloody past.
