Chapter Thirty-Two
Serafina
The abyss was the same as before, with one exception. Rather than just three mirrors, a fourth sat in the middle of the sphere of light. Above sat an effigy of a young woman with feathered wings protruding out her back. Traveling from the glass was a linked chain that ended deep within my chest.
Padding on the floor came from behind me. It was the young maiden from before, with a crone’s voice and child’s dress. Belinha.
“You found the black dragon,” her voice rasped. I nodded in reply.
“Is there a way to heal him from where I am?”
Belinha walked past me and paused before the looking glass. Lifting slim fingers, she traced the silver rim.
“Pull on your chain and draw him out,” she instructed.
I wanted to ask who, but was too eager for the help that I thought better of it. Gripping the metal links with both hands I pulled to feel resistance from the other end. The center of the glass rippled in response. Stepping back, I continued to pull until my heels stood at the edge of the light. Any further and the darkness would swallow me whole.
Putting all my strength into the chain, I tugged once more, finding relief as a familiar body fell from the ripples, along with another being. Elek lay still on the floor, the chain embedded in his chest, unconscious. The one who followed him appeared to be Elek if he had aged a couple of decades.
The man first looked at me, his indigo and gold eyes silently questioning me for pulling him through.
“Alexius.” The goddess whispered towards the man in a maiden’s voice. His head snapped in attention.
Eyes brimmed and glassed over as he approached the goddess, extending out his arms to pull her close.
“Bel, I got you back. After all this time.” He said into her hair, relief filling his voice.
As they basked in each other’s presence, I raced to Elek and placed his head in my lap. Tracing my fingers over his forehead a chill ran through me. He was so cold.
“Elek, wake up.” I whispered, giving him a light shake.
He didn’t move.
“Please wake up.” I shook him harder, my eyes beginning to sting.
Clanking and clinking echoed as I lifted his head further up and rested him against my chest, my heart, and wept. Waves of affection and love washed over me as I wept harder. What Alexius had said to Belinha was true and I felt it in my very being.
“Elek, I got you back after so long. Please don’t leave me the way I did you all those thousands of years ago. We aren’t cursed, we were given another chance. Please come back to me.” I pleaded, gripping him tightly while rocking back and forth.
Memories flashed in the void above us, displaying for everyone to witness.
“I have to go, Alexius. My duties here are over.” A young Belinha said to Alexius as he rocked a bundle in his arms. A newborn daughter.
“No, you don’t. Please stay and we can raise her together.” Alexius pleaded, gripping the bundle tightly.
Streams poured from Belinha’s emerald eyes as she looked at him and then turned away.
“That’s not how my role works. I shouldn’t have even made you. It was selfish of me. I need to go and face my punishment.”
Before them stood a large stone archway with dragons etched into the pillars on a rocky mountain top. She stared through it, a sheet of silvery mist obscuring whatever lay beyond it.
“I want you to take Serafina and live a long life. Have her grow up happy and free.”
“Bel, please stay!” Alexius cried out, reaching a hand towards her but it was reflected by a stream of mist.
Belinha continued to stare into the mist, her eyes overflowing with sorrow.
“One day, I promise that we will live our lives out the way we want. Our souls will find each other again and when we do we will right the wrongs I couldn’t in this lifetime. It may not be in this lifetime or even a thousand years from now, but we will get our chance one day.” She vowed as the mist began to engulf her.
Alexius continued to plead with her. Placing the newborn on the ground, far away from the arch, he took to his black dragon form. He charged towards the mist wall that separated them. The ground quaked as he fell, unleashing a piercing roar of frustration. Long talons then clawed at the wall, to have the long nails turn upwards and break.
“Please forgive me, Alexius.”
The mist condensed around her and then they both evaporated completely. Through the archway was just an open ocean scenery.
The memory faded away and I clutched onto Elek tighter.
“You promised we would be together again and live out our lives.” Tears fell freely as I confronted the goddess. I was furious at her and myself for making such a promise. “And now he’s just going to die. He’s leaving me the way you left him.”
With pity in her eyes she lowered herself to me.
“When I told you to find the black dragon, it was my hope that all would be well. I hoped that Oberron would relent and disperse his army once he found out that I had returned, or at least my soul and a piece of my power. I’m sorry for all that you have suffered.”
Her eyes spoke the truth but I didn’t care. Gazing down at Elek I began to search deep inside myself. Yes, we were only two souls in a void of nothingness. Yes, I had no physical strength left in the outer world. But if I could just pull energy from somewhere, there may be a chance.
“I’ll help you.” Alexius announced, taking a seat next to me.
“How?” I didn’t look up.
“I can give you a boost and act as a connection. It’ll be as though you are physically there with him. If we can neutralize the poison then he will be able to do the rest on his own.”
“Will it really work?”
Looking up, I locked eyes with Belinha, her face seemed doubtful.
“I can’t say for sure. You’re more powerful than you realize, but with so much of it lying dormant I can’t guarantee that it’ll work.” The goddess admitted.
“But it might?”
She didn’t answer.
“It might?” I repeated.
“With your physical body being as weak as it is right now… if you were to attempt to heal him through the bond it could take whatever is left of you. You may not wake up.”
It wasn’t a choice, I had already made up my mind.
“Even a small chance is better than none.”
Alexius clasped my hand and overlapped it with Elek’s, his own remaining on mine. Belinha reached over and lightly rested a hand on my shoulder.
“Concentrate as best as you can and I’ll try to support you.” The goddess instructed.
Closing my eyes, I searched for any obstruction within Elek’s body. Like small strands of thread, black strings flowed through his entire body. Slowly I worked to eliminate each strand. Only a few strands remained as my energy began to falter and I felt myself becoming weaker.
“Sera.” A soft whisper rose from my chest.
Still, I concentrated on removing the poison.
A calloused hand stretched across my cheek, so familiar.
“Sera.” The voice said again.
Almost done.
“I love you.”
I did it.
