Eleanor kneels before me and tries without much success to hide her amusement. "I know this has to be tough for you, being thrust into this world and knowing absolutely nothing about any of these things. I feel for you, but this is how it had to be, one day you’ll understand the importance of it all. Now, to answer your 659 questions, Solomon Flint is from an ancient order that was formed long ago. Each member can travel through time, with their main goal being to fix the wrongs of the past. Your mother trusted him to a point. She said as long as it served his purpose, he would do what was right. You must find him, because your mother said you couldn't complete your journey without him. This letter is from her to me, I only found the note this afternoon in the back of a picture frame. That's why it was so urgent I reached you before you traveled any further in your journey.”
Eleanor hands me the note, and I run my fingers over the words my mother wrote. She loved Eleanor, they were true best friends, parallel to my relationship with Merrie-Beth. My heart aches for our loss, but there is no time for tears. It's nice to be around someone that knows my parents better than most.
?Dearest Eleanor,
You've taken on a tough role as confidant and protector of our Arabella. We are forever grateful for the wisdom and guidance you will give her. Sweet friend, our time is nigh, for we will not be on this earth much longer. Our knowing this was the hardest secret we have ever had to keep. I wanted to tell you many times, for that I’m sorry. We had to allow things to happen in just the right way for our child's sake. For her to live, we had to die.?
Our Arabella will grow into a great leader, she will be just, and nothing will stand in her way of winning the war. Not only will Mayra fall once and for all, but so will Duvessa, The Queen ofthe Dead. Before Arabella’s journey to compete in the Ice Trials, you must speak with her. I had a dream several years ago that Solomon would be taken, he laughed when I told him. He’s very prideful and vain, and he never believed he could be captured. Our dreams are sometimes a burden, but we must listen to them. Solomon is one of the keys to winning this war. As you know, he and I had a love-hate relationship, but he will help her find the artifacts that our ancestors hid in plain sight. Mayra has been searching for them for years. However, Arabella must find them first. Through Solomon, I’ve seen the devastation of billions being murdered because of this device. They must be stopped!
Tell my beautiful girl, in my dream Solomon was being held captive in the highest tower on the eastern side of the castle. Some kind of massive beast was guarding his prison cell. She must be careful but tell her that we believe in her. We love and miss you both terribly.
Eleanor, my dearest friend, and most trusted ally, thank you.?
Until we meet again,?
Isabella Grace
PS. See if she is like you, Eleanor. I feel deep down in my gut that she will be! It’s in our blood and could help to unite our brethren if she is Maritime. I pray she is.
I reread the letter several times, until the tears fall so hard my vision blurs. For once, I don't try to stop the waterworks. My parents had to die so that I could live. It’s not fair, and I want to lash out, to scream, to throw things against the fucking wall! Nothing will ever heal this tiny void that their loss has put inside my soul.I don't know when Eleanor took me in her arms and started holding me, all I know is that I felt more at ease when she did. She smells of lavender, and it helps to soothe me. "Eleanor,it’s obvious my parents didn't tell you of their impending deaths, but did you sense anything at all?"
She nods. "I knew they were hiding something big from me, but I didn't know what. I certainly didn't think it was their demise. I want to chat with Solomon, Arabella. I want to know if he knows anything. You must find him."?
"I have to, Eleanor. You read what she said, he will help me. This is hard for you, too. Thank you for helping me." My eyes are misty, but I can’t cry any more tears right now, because the numbness has crept in and seeped deep into my bones.
"Ella, we are family. My best friend is still alive, because she is a part of you. I will help you until my last breath, and I will fight in the war that's coming. Consider me your first Maritime recruit." She hugs me. "You must be getting back. I can only imagine how antsy your cousins are getting."
I laugh despite the feeling of a knife repeatedly stabbing me in the heart. “My cousins aren’t in my room, Eleanor. However, they are a little protective."
Eleanor huffs. "Yeah, when you left, everybody busted in your room, and I mean everyone! Just remember, as annoying as their protectiveness will probably be for you, don’t be too hard on them. They're just playing the role they were designed to play. Protecting you is their destiny. They were built with that very instinct in their DNA. We will all have a role to play in this, we were all built for something more."
I smile at her, because she’s right, they mean well. I grimace as Sebastian's handsome face pops into my mind. He’s probably killed somebody in my absence. Wait, when she said everybody, does that mean my uncles because I’m not ready for them to know I’m Bound. Fuck!
"As much as I hate leaving you, it's time. How will I travel back?" She leads me into the library in the next room and removes a book from one of the shelves revealing a secret door. A smaller room is revealed within that has a full-length mirror standing against the wall. She walks to the side of the mirror and comes back with a small bag which contains three small peach-colored pebbles.
We hug each other fiercely. “Never fear the shadows, Arabella. For its proof that when the darkness comes, it can never truly overpower the light. When you think it's over, and you've had enough, please remember it's always darkest before the dawn. The light deep down inside of you will find a way." Not trusting my voice, I smile at her. Standing in front of the mirror, I wait for her to throw the pebbles inside. “Arabella, to free Solomon you’ll need to take the throne back for the Fitzgerald’s first. That will be your first true battle on the road to the war. Trust only those that are worthy of that admiration. King Diodyus will harm you in any way that he can. He controls his people by something dark and sinister. That’s why they are too terrified to overthrow him, but the Resistance against him grows in numbers every day. You must rid them of the darkness that’s controlling them. Rally them towards our cause because we will need them in the fights to come. They will not trust you easily, we've idly sat by as rumors circled our kingdoms of the horrors they have faced. It is up to you to right our wrongs."
"I will help them first, Eleanor. Then finding Solomon will be next on my list, because we need answers." I feel sorry for the members of the Kori, and my irritation grows towards all the higher authorities that did nothing to stop their suffering. My family did nothing, and that’s not right.
Elenor hands me the small bag and gives me instructions. "This bag is filled with rocks that will get you to me, no matterwhere we are. They're magically linked with our DNA and were a present from your mother to the both of us. This is your bag. Take it with you wherever you go. Travel safe, trust very few, and right our wrongs."
She speaks so assuredly but I just don’t know, because it’s just not that simple. She throws the pebbles in her hand, and a swirling gray circle forms faster and faster as it churns, until an explosion happens in the mirror. I gaze at her sweet face one more time, then jump in without hesitation. A smile forms on my saddened heart, I’m finally getting the hang of this mirror travel thing. “Until next time, my sweet Eleanor!"
Chapter 24
Solomon Flint
Moon magic can be lethal, and had she stayed gone for much longer, I would have traveled into the Moon Realm and killed the one who had tried to take her from me.
-Sebastian
Jeremiah slams his sword into the bedroom floor for the hundredth time, frustration is so thick in the air that even Falkon couldn’t burn through it with her fire. “Who the fuck gave her a moon ring?”
“A Maritime wraith gave it to her in a dream, she meant Arabella no harm. Eleanor sent for her.” I combed through the wraiths mind myself as it was happening. Had she meant Arabella any harm I would’ve reached in and gutted her myself. “Listen, I don’t like it either, but our bond shows me she’s still with Eleanor and that she’s okay.”
I don’t add that just mere minutes before, my heart shattered into tiny fucking pieces because I could sense that Arabella was upset, which filled me with a murderous rage. No one will ever harm her again, and thankfully, as quickly asher overwhelming sadness had come, it passed just the same. “Eleanor better have a good fucking excuse for giving her that damn ring or I’m going to lose it the next time I see her.”
Arabella’s cousins slammed open her bedroom door the second she had left, alerting everyone that I was butt ass naked in her bed awaiting her return. Fuckers. Everyone wanted to move to the living room, but I wouldn’t budge. She left this room, she’ll return here. I’m certain of it.?Josiah St. Grace's stare hasn’t left me since his arrival. My father came in shortly after the King and Queen of fire, and Merrie-Beth and my sister were the last to walk on in. The gangs all fucking here. Yay.
