My thoughts drift to Colton, to how my heart aches for him even while my mind tells me that my destiny might be inexorably linked with Nyx.
“The reason I ask is because if you healed this magical heart and things in Zomea seem stable, the only other thing I can think of that is causing this destruction in Eguina is you,” Drew says matter-of-factly. I swallow hard, not wanting to hear this. Anxiety grips me, and I start chewing on the inside of my cheek, feeling sick to my stomach as I ponder what to say, what to do.
“I don’t mean for this to be harsh, but Colton and Nyx are fools, fools in love, and they are not going to give it to you straight. And I think that’s what you need right now,” she continues, and I nod, agreeing but bracing myself for what she’s going to say next. “Those creatures tonight didn’t come out of the bridge. They were already here. I fear they may be drawn to you, to your dark magic. I can’t help but wonder if these prophecies that say you will destroy everything if Callum’s son’s light doesn’t save you don’t mean what we originally thought. I don’t think you physically will go mad and destroy the realms with your dark powers.”
Drew crosses her legs and collects her thoughts.
“But I do fear that with so much darkness in the realms, we have started a shift, which is causing these evil creatures to multiply and emerge from the depths they once hid in. I think they may be drawn to your darkness, and in turn we may be overrun by all this madness. The shift we are on the brink of might be too far gone if we don’t act soon.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, wiping the sweat off my palms on my nightgown.
“I’m saying pick a brother, and soon. Pick the right brother and commit to him. Make your final vow in a bonding ceremony, and if there’s any truth to this prophecy, then this one simple act could end the destruction in Eguina. At the very least, it will give us an answer,”Drew insists.
I shake my head, my eyebrows knitting in confusion. “Brothers? What are you talking about?” I ask, bewildered.
Drew curses under her breath. “Of course, neither of them has said anything to you yet. King Onyx and Colton are half-brothers. They share the same father—Callum,” she says.
“I’m sorry, what?” I exclaim, struggling to process this new information.
“Yes, I’m afraid I’ve known for some time, but it wasn’t my place to tell you. Onyx didn’t know, and after you left the council meeting, Colton made it public knowledge to everyone. I assumed one of them would have told you by now,” she explains further, and I’m still struggling to catch up.
“Colton knew and never told me,” I murmur more to myself than to her.
“Colton had his reasons for not telling you, and Nyx presumably chose not to tell you out of his own selfish reasons, wanting you to choose him because you thought he was the only right choice,” she continues.
I uncross my feet, feeling the need to stand, to pace. This revelation throws everything I thought I knew into disarray. The weight of the decision before me feels even heavier now, tangled with betrayal and hidden truths. How could I make such a choice under these circumstances? The very foundation of my relationships with both Colton and Nyx has been shaken, and now with Eguina teetering on the brink of collapse, the pressure to make the right choice is too much.
“And if I choose neither of them?” I say, my anger bubbling over. They both knew how much I’ve struggled to make the right decision, and yet they kept this from me.
“Choose neither, and we will find out if your darkness really will destroy us all,” Drew responds coolly.
I turn back to face her. “Aren’t you worried?” I ask, my tone edged with annoyance at her nonchalant attitude.
“I don’t want more of my people to die, if that’s what you’re asking, but I also don’t know the right answer here. Only you can make this decision. I have a feeling many more things will come to light before you do,” she replies, calm yet enigmatic.
I let out a breath of frustration, temporarily pushing the deception by those boys to the back of my mind. “What would you do if you were me?” I ask, meeting her steady gaze.
“I would choose the one I love and damn the realms, if that’s what the outcome is,” she states frankly, a response I hadn’t anticipated.
“Choose the one I love even if I don’t know who the light is?” I press, seeking clarity.
“I don’t think you will truly know who the light is until you make a choice, so you might as well choose the one you love, assuming you don’t love them both,” she says, a smirk curling her lips for the first time since we started talking, one fang gleaming slightly.
“And if I do love them both?” I let the words slip, regretting them almost instantly.
“That is more complicated. Trust yourself, and don’t get me wrong. You do have some time. I don’t think the realms will be overrun tomorrow, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” she answers, her tone light.
“Reassuring,” I say, the sarcasm thinly veiled.
“If it helps, you can use my echosphere. Remember, it only shows possible futures, and the future is forever evolving,” she offers, and I curse myself for not considering it sooner.
“Yes, I’d like to use it again,” I tell her, though a knot forms in my stomach at the memory of the last time I accidentally came across it and it showed me a version of myself I was afraid to face then.
“Very well, it has been a long night. If you’d like to get cleaned up and think about all thisfor a bit, you can. I trust you’ll find the echosphere when you’re ready, if that’s what you choose,” Drew says, and I can’t help but notice the cryptic undertone in her voice, but I simply nod. I assume it’s back in the same place it was last time I touched it.
“Don’t you have any other questions?” I ask her, still feeling frustrated by the entire conversation.
“What questions would you like me to ask?” she responds, and I inhale long and slow.
