“Fuck, Zara, I—” My words were cut off as I caught a glimpse of her face, contorted not just with fury but with disappointment.
“Stop it!” She advanced on me, jabbing her finger toward my chest. “Compose yourself. I can’t even understand you.”
Her admonishment felt like a splash of cold water. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of my emotions and piece together the fragments of our conversation that now seemed scattered across the floor like the pages of one of her tomes.
Regaining my breath, I pushed myself into a sitting position. As I looked up at Zara, a smile cracked through the turmoil on my face. Despite her sternness, a familiar warmth coursed through me. She had been more than a mentor; she was the closest thing to family I had left, like my mother. Through centuries of upheaval and lifetimes of loss, she had remained a constant, guiding me with a firm hand after Balthazar betrayed me.
“Slow down and tell me what’s going on,” she said, her voice softening. “What happened? You came here in such a rush.”
“I can’t believe you were right about everything,” I said, each word laced with the gravity of our shared history. “Everything you warned me about Mathias, Alina, and their monstrous ways is true.”
Zara’s eyes held mine, searching for sincerity, for the trust woven into the fabric of our relationship.
“Even after I showed you the past,” she said, her voice low but laced with an unmistakable ache, “even after I cared for you like my own son, you still doubt me.” She paused, her expression hardening though the pain lingered in her tone. “We’re fighting for the same side, Malik. I’ve suffered just as much, if not more, at the hands of the same enemies you despise. Don’t forget, yousawit. You saw how Mathias orchestrated the slaughter of my family by those Timehunters. Youknowwhat they’ve done.
“I know, Zara,” I said. “I saw it all unfold. But now Balthazar... he’s been captured. And Alina… She’s alive. Every single truth that you have said and shown me is believable. I feel disgusted with myself for not trusting you one hundred percent.”
Anguish twisted my features as I confronted the gravest truth. “I was used by Mathias and put Olivia and Roman in danger!”
The confession whipped me, the sting of guilt sharp against my failures.
“Zara,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips, “I’m lost without your guidance.”
Silence enveloped us, and in her eyes, I saw the reflection of our unspoken understanding—the promise that we would see this through together, no matter the cost. I pushed to stand.
A torrent of regret swept through me as I paced across the timeworn planks of Zara’s secluded refuge. The air was thick with my self-loathing, a suffocating cloud that refused to dissipate.
Zara gripped my shoulders, anchoring me back to the present.
“Malik, stop.” Her voice was a force to be reckoned with, pulling me from the quicksand of my thoughts. “Don’t be angry. Don’t drown yourself in guilt over Balthazar’s capture. He deserves this. He needs time to reckon with the pain and devastation he’s inflicted on Olivia and so many others. Let him stay captive. Let him confront his sins.”
Her reminder was a spear through my heart, for I knew the pain and the vengeance that fueled her every move. It was a pain we shared, a bond forged in the fires of loss and injustice. How could I doubt her? How could I not see that every step she took was pursuing retribution for those timeless wounds? In the steadying grasp of her hands, the chaotic pulse of my heart slowed. The anger that had threatened to consume me ebbed away, leaving behind the embers of resolve.
She had cared for me through the ages, her guidance the compass by which I navigated the perilous waters of our shared destiny. In the quiet strength of her hold, I found the courage to let go of my rage, to trust in the path she had laid before us.
“What about Alina?” I asked. “She’s alive, which means Olivia is in danger.”
The thought of Alina, with all her cunning and malice, set loose upon the world once more sent shivers down my spine.
Zara’s words rang out in the quiet room, her voice firm and commanding. There was no room for argument.
“Alina should be the one worrying about Olivia, not the other way around,” she said, her steel eyes fixed on me. “You must protect Olivia and Roman so they can fulfill their destiny. But you also know that Alina and Mathias will stop at nothing to prevent that from happening. As members of the darkness, our sworn duty is to protect and care for the Timebornes. We were never meant to hunt them down and destroy them.”
Her gaze pierced through me, reminding me of my oath to protect Timebornes. The sacred duty that was now mine.
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of destiny upon my shoulders. Protecting the Timebornes wasn’t just a mission—it was a calling. One I couldn’t fail. Not now, not ever.
“Zara,” I said, “you were always right about Mathias. I wanted to believe there was some part of him that wasn’t as you said.”
Regret tinged my voice, the taste of it bitter on my tongue.
She regarded me with an unwavering gaze, disappointment etched deeply into her features. “After everything we’ve endured together, all the sacrifices I’ve made for you, you still doubt me. I’ve protected you, Malik. I helped raise Rosie as if she were my own, yet you still question me.
Her words settled on my shoulders, heavier than any physical burden.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice breaking. “I’m so sorry to have doubted you. I’m just shocked by recent events. I want to take Roman and Olivia out of there immediately. It doesn’t feel safe. Especially since she’s about to have her baby.”
“Not yet,” Zara interjected sharply, halting my cascade of worries. “Not till the moon dagger is found. Olivia needs to possess both blades.”
