Page 178 of A Soul to Embrace

And Earth wasn’t any safer than Nyl’theria. It was just as full of Demons, and even horrible humans who would hunt Zylah because ofwhatshe was, rather than giving her a chance.

I just want to put her somewhere untouchable.A place where this sweet female would never be in pain again, with or without him.

When she was secure in his hold, and she’d wrapped her arms around his neck for support, Jabez took in her pretty white rabbit skull. His gaze flicked up to her dainty antlers and how they each had only one small fork three quarters of the way up. But he shied away from the way he could feel her gaze on him, and how hollow it made him feel inside.

Just as he was about to teleport to the biggest blight in his mind, Zylah gingerly touched the side of his jaw.

“Why does your expression look like that?” The blue in her orbs deepened and swallowed up some of the white.

He knew what she meant. She wanted to know why his features had gone cold and indifferent, his mask firmly in place in order to spearhead himself through his next tasks.

Quietly, and without looking down at her in his arms, his gaze instead fixed on the invisible road before him, he answered, “I’m taking you to the Elven city.”

She jerked in his arms. “What, why?”

“Because you’re not healing, Zylah, and I don’t know why. I took you back to Earth and nothing happened.” Trying to be steadfast in this, he refused to meet her orbs. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t see any other way.”

She chittered nervously, lowering her hand to rest against her chest. “But you hate the Elves.”

His head lowered as his ears drooped. “I know.”

But right now... my worry for you is stronger than my hatred.

He knew he could wait on Earth and see if she healed the next day, but that was just another day of pain. What if it didn’t work anyway? What if this ended up becoming her permanent state the longer he waited?

He hated unknowns and unpredictability for this reason. He wanted to fix her injured state, and he wanted itnow.

Without speaking another word, his hands tightened on her. Jabez teleported them to one of the two gates belonging to Lezekos City.

Cream stone walls ran around the city, acting as a blockade against sound and sight for the peace of mind of those just on the other side. It was also the final defence if the translucent bubble dome with a rainbow shimmer popped.

All his life, he’d seen these walls as nothing more than a taunt, a barricade to what he wanted most in this world. Now, they just appeared daunting, and he worried they would be a barrier to the safety and nurturing that could be provided within.

How many times have I looked at this gate?Jabez thought with pain as he stared at the tree of resilience’s knotted design.

The bleached-white tree was a symbol of hope for the Elysians. It stood taller than any other tree in this realm and towered over the entire city. With its pink-and-purple leaves, its branches reached out for kilometres, blanketing the city in shade to protect those below it from the heat and radiation of the three suns throughout the day.

Otholla could just be seen cresting over the forest far to the right, but it would’ve been beautiful had it been directly behind the tree. It would have made the leaves glow brighter than they already did, and would have stopped it from looking like a shadowy creature ominously reaching for all and blocking the night sky.

The people here had literally taken a piece of its bark for the gate’s double doors and dribbled gold, silver, and bronze into carved grooves to make a glistening tree design with its roots encompassing a seed. The Nyl’kira written around the top border of the door stated, “The tree of resilience will shelter all.”

The first time he’d read those words, he’d laughed and thought it was bold of them to assume they’d rely on such petty, hypocritical words. Now, with Zylah in his arms... he for once hoped them to be true.

A sense of doubt trickled down his spine.What if they don’t let me into the city?He needed to explain who and what she was, her strengths, and where her weaknesses lay without revealing how to destroy her – not that these people would even dare harm a living creature.

The last time he’d been inside, he’d instigated bloodshed and fear. He’d murdered anyone who’d gotten in his way, blinded by hunger and the potential to feed properly for the first time in his life. Since then, he’d sworn vengeance and death to these people, and he’d told them.

He still wanted that.

Yet Jabez stepped closer than he’d ever dared to before.

“Do you mind knocking for me?” he asked with a strained voice, having to fight the clog of emotion behind the ball in his throat. “My hands are currently full.”

Zylah’s shoulders turned inwards, and she tipped her skull to him slightly. “You don’t have to do this. I’m fine. I’m sure I will heal eventually.”

I’m not willing to take that chance.It’d already been too long, and...This city is the safest place I can take her to inanyrealm.

Here, she’d never have to worry about Demons hunting or attacking her again. She wouldn’t have to watch her back in case human Demonslayers were hiding in the snow or brush.

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