Lilliana
I stared at the growing fog swirling before me. I hadn’t returned to Ephrem’s apartment. Instead, with both talismans hanging from my neck, one ArcKnight, and one KelHan, I found myself making my way back to the forest. Back to Grayson. He had so much to answer for, and I was angry he’d withheld so much from me. My heritage and my entire existence.
“Grayson!” I stepped into the dense cover of mist, heart pounding in my ears, for I’d run the entire way from the ArcKnight palace to the edge of Temple. “I know what I am now,” I called out into the woods. “You need to tell me why.”
I waited, feeling the rush of cool air and moisture swirling around me, clinging to my clothes and exposed skin. I felt the rune on my hand grow in intensity underneath my leather glove. If I pulled it off now, it would surely be glowing brighter than the moonlight filtering through the canopy.
“Grayson!” I yelled out again.
“I knew you’d return.”
I whirled around, startled by his sudden appearance.
“You knew. You knew I wasn’t born into my pack, but yours. The KelHans.”
Grayson’s stoic face told me nothing. He dropped his eyes to the ground. “I’m sorry if the news is less than comforting, but there’s also more to it.” He peered back up again, but before he could continue, his eyes settled on my necklaces.
“Two talismans. One ArcKnight,”—he tilted his head, giving me a tiny smile—“… one KelHan.” He fingered the KelHan talisman. “This one belonged to my sister. Did you know that?”
I reached up and grasped the pendant from his grip, feeling its pulse beneath the surface. “What do you mean?”
“My sister Malia sacrificed herself to save us. When she returns, she will be free of the curse that holds us. Most of my family has chosen to sleep, frozen in stone to await my sister’s return. She was part witch and wove spells to keep us safe. Then she died, leaving me to endure immortality to await her return. My pack will rejoice to know our wait is over.”
I stepped back. “What are you talking about?”
“My sister has been reincarnated. You are the exact duplicate of her, down to the rune glowing on your right hand. Reborn into this world free of the curse. Now you can ignite the path to freedom for our pack and release them all from their stone prisons so we may roam the earth again. It won’t matter if it’s day or night, we will be able to move and transform at will.”
“I still don’t understand. I’m not her.” Was I? I could sense there was a spark of truth in what he was saying, for his words stirred something inside my marrow and dislodged old memories from the back of my mind.
“You are Malia, my sister,” Grayson said. The corners of his lips upturned, and he reached out toward me. “You’ve been reborn and must prepare to lead us as we seek our revenge. We will have our vengeance against the MarkTiers. You made it all possible.”
I continued to shake my head, baffled by his words. “I would never go against the MarkTiers. Ephrem is a MarkTier. We’re engaged.”
“You will do it. You are bound by blood to do so. But first, you will free our pack.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out an old, rusted key.
“How am I supposed to do that?”
He gave his head a small tilt, smiling with amusement. I bet he was enjoying my confusion; I could see it in his face.
“Come with me, and we will save our people and claim our vengeance.”
My talismans hummed against my skin. I clutched them in my hand, wondering if they were going to explode with the amount of energy they were emitting. Peering down to my chest, I saw that both had melted together. Two stones, side by side, surrounded by the platinum encasement. I didn’t know what it meant. One had been MarkTier, turned ArcKnight when Ephrem gave it to me, and one was KelHan, but both were mine. Since both were bonded to me, Ephrem’s was mine more than his now. Just as my own ArcKnight talisman was now more his than mine.
“What’s happening?” I whispered into the air, peering up at my brother. Grayson was my brother. Yes. It felt right to say this to myself. But what were my talismans trying to tell me.
“Your talismans have fused. You’ve been bonded to more than one. It’s most curious; I’ve never seen that happen.” Grayson’s voice had changed. It was deeper, harsher. I eyed the creature before me, but I was no longer frightened. In fact, an odd feeling of déjà vu filled me as though I was walking in a dream, in a place I’d been before. Many, many times. “Please help me help our people,” he said.
“How do I save them?” I asked. He held out his arm. It was a claw with talons the size of my entire fist. His whole body was growing as he began his transformation.
“Malia, my sister. I’ll take you to them now. You can save them. Make us whole once more. All you have to do is take my hand.”
The odd swimming feeling in my head clouded my thoughts. I couldn’t protest, and I didn’t want to resist. If there was one smidgen of truth that our people, the KelHans, could be saved, I had to go with Grayson.
I took his grotesque hand, and he completed his shift. A monstrous troll-like figure with spread wings stood before me. He motioned for me to jump onto his back.
“Lily!” A familiar voice shot out from behind me, and I spun to find Ephrem running toward me. “Get away from him!” He held out his sword as he ran, ready to impale Grayson. I stood between them, but he was faster than I was and sped past me toward Grayson.
Grayson bared his teeth and shoved me to the side, but it wasn’t hard enough to hurt me. A second later, Ephrem’s sword smashed against the gargoyle’s arm. A deafening twang sounded and sparks flew from the impact, but neither stopped. The stone warrior swiped at Ephrem, but he dodged it easily. Grayson’s size made him slower, but he managed to grab hold of the sword and squeeze his fist around the blade. Ephrem was forced to let go while Grayson flung it to the side.
“A MarkTier prince. I needed your help before, but you did not come. No matter. I have what we need. My sister will help us, and then our wrath will bring all to their knees.”
I finally managed to get to my feet. It had been too dangerous to move with Ephrem’s sword swinging.
“You can’t awaken them. You don’t know what they’ll do. Let them slumber. They don’t want to live that way!” Ephrem yelled over the rumbling growl resonating from the gargoyle’s throat. It made my skin vibrate. I ran toward them, screaming and hoping they would hear me.
“Stop this! Don’t hurt each other, please!” At that moment, Grayson was turning, swinging his tale toward Ephrem and me. Unfortunately, I caught the tail end of the massive appendage, which uprooted me and threw me several feet.
Thwack!
I was sent flying into a tree. My vision blurred and flickered out, but I could still hear the ruckus as I collapsed to the ground, unable to move, stunned from impact.
“Lily!” Ephrem screamed. Another scuffle and the scrape of metal.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Grayson said.
I struggled to open my eyes, but they were heavier than boulders and refused to obey.
Turn. Turn already!
I heard Ephrem laugh. “So you do bleed.” Hatred dripped from his words, and I had never heard him speak with such venom before.
My thought began to fade, and I wondered if I’d broken my neck. Moments passed, and I still couldn’t move. I had to shift. This injury was too serious to recover from without help.
“We’re still human, or have you forgotten that about your kindred, Prince?”
“It doesn’t matter. I won’t let you bring down the packs. Your intentions are not honorable.”
Grayson huffed, and the rumbling in his voice increased. “What do you know of honor, MarkTier?” The ground shook as he ran, and it grew closer with every step.
“Leave her alone!” Ephrem’s footfalls followed, but he was too late. Grayson scooped me up. I felt my fur ruffle and distantly realized I’d managed to complete my transfo
rmation into a wolf. He turned with me in his arms and growled toward my love.
Ephrem…. My eyes fluttered, and I caught a momentary glimpse of him trying in vain to catch up to Grayson’s gigantic strides.
“She is one of us,” Grayson snarled. “The ones your family banished and left to rot. She doesn’t belong here.” I could feel his muscles dig into me with every movement, causing excruciating agony, before he pushed off, shooting into the sky.
Ephrem shouted my name, but the rush of the wind deafened my fading senses. I saw black night intermittently sprayed with bright twinkling stars before my vision blurred once more. We were beyond Ephrem’s reach, skimming the thick canopy of the forest.
Unable to do anything, I tried to relax. I felt an overwhelming relief that Ephrem was safe. The need to protect my newfound brother had also surfaced during the fight, even though Grayson was able to handle the powerful MarkTier warrior. My love. My fiancé. I had watched their fight in great fear of losing them both.
I’m so sorry, my love, I tried to whisper, but the words didn’t make it past my tongue. One day, I hoped he would forgive me and understand what I had to do. This was my destiny, and I had to allow it to happen. I had to do it not only for me but to also help my family. I had never belonged anywhere, and now I knew exactly why.
Not ArcKnight. Not MarkTier. Just something else entirely.
KelHan.
As we fled into the night sky, I locked Ephrem’s love down deep inside my heart, hoping it would be enough to keep it from hardening like the statue creature holding me now and sustain me through the trying times ahead.
Chapter Thirty-Four