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I hope she doesn’t expect me to be the one to protect her in all this. Because I barely have the strength and fortitude to protect myself.
That’s not who I am.
It might have been once.
But now, I look after myself.
As I open the door, and it groans loudly on its hinges, I realise that I’m not doing this because I feel it’s the right thing to do. I’m doing it because the thought of my wife’s disappointment is too much to bear.
And because if I run, where will I go?
That thing Finn turned into? He’s not going to just set up camp in the castle and rule peacefully for the rest of his days. He wants destruction. And, no matter where I run or how far, his shadows will reach me.
Especially if he knows I betrayed him.
But there is safety in numbers. If the elves band together, we have a chance.
“What is this?” Pria folds her arms and stands back, examining the shrine in front of her.
It’s more of an altar than a shrine, in actual fact.
Candles, symbols etched onto the wall, and a large silver bowl. Next to it, a silver jug.
“It’s how we tell everyone that trouble is coming our way.” I lift the jug. It is full to the top. Despite everything, this is the one tradition of my mother’s I have always kept. Ensure the jug is full. Always. So that when you need it, it is there.
I exhale slowly and motion for Pria to step back.
She moves out of the way as Elodie moves forward. From the corner of my eye, I notice her try to take Pria’s hand, but Pria scowls at her and shrugs her off.
Was Elodie always like this? A scared child with no gumption or wit about her?
I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, raising the jug.
As I pour the water into the bowl with one hand, I start to stir it with the other and begin to whisper the words I never thought I’d need to use...
“Vael’sor ith’mar, lun’dae kir’ath, Shal’mor fen’thi, rae’lum vor, Eth’nar sil’vai, dae’lith kun, Thae’sor vael’mar, lun’dae kir.
“Ith’rae shal’vor, eth’lum fen, Mor’vai thae’kun, dae’nar sil, Vael’lith sor’mar, lun’rae kir, Eth’mor shal’vai, dae’lum vor.”
“What did you say?” Elodie whispers.
Part of me wants to tell her to be quiet. But a pang of guilt tugs at my gut, and I force myself to answer her.
“I said... Kin of starlight, heed my call, Through shadow and light, come to me, By ancient bonds and sacred vows, Gather now, from near and far.
“Time of need, time of change, Elven brothers, elven sisters, Unite our strength, unite our will, To face the darkness, to shape our fate.”
“Oh,” Elodie replies, biting her lower lip. “It sounded beautiful.”
The water is turning blue. Dark at first, then brighter. It starts to glow. It swirls faster. A pattern forms on the surface. Elodie and Pria move closer. Then Elodie lets out a small gasp. It turns into a cry of pain.
She shakes her arm and looks down, pulling up her sleeve to examine her skin.
I do the same.
Pria stares at us.
On our forearms, a symbol is appearing. Red at first, like it is being drawn there, right now as we watch, by a red hot poker.
