Page 79 of Legacy of the Heirs
“For answers.”
Larelle nodded as Nerida spoke the final words of their unified sentence.
“The one—”
“With all four—”
“Awakens.” Vala did not contribute; instead, the goddess glared at Elisara and Kazaar.
“The kingdom—”
“Can fall—”
“To the darkness.”
Again, Vala said nothing, and her siblings cast odd glances her way. Nyzaia sighed and leaned forward.
“We know.” She tapped the talisman on the table. “We have seen the dark creatures; they have attacked and killed; they even took one of us.” When Nyzaia looked at Larelle, Nerida twisted her head to her descendant, concern swimming in her eyes.
“You are okay?”Larelle kept her face neutral as her goddess’ voice entered her mind, the same voice she had heard when first picking up the second half of the talisman. Larelle nodded.“Zarya… is she okay?”Warmth flourished in Larelle’s chest that the goddess cared about her daughter. Larelle could not hide her smile this time as she nodded again.
“There is more—”
“To darkness—”
“Than wings—”
“And amber.”
Amber.Larelle recalled the amber flowers on Osiris’ jacket and the wings that later protruded from it.
“What do you mean by more?” Elisara asked. While she avoided Vala’s gaze, she kept her chin high. The gods stopped until each stood directly behind the queens and king of their realms. Nerida’s ghostly hands floated upon Larelle’s shoulders.
“To understand—”
“The coming war—”
“You must see—”
“The past.”
Larelle gasped as Nerida gripped her shoulders, as though material hands were there and not those of a spirit. Light burst from the centre of the table until it faded, leaving a floating scene before them of two young children with dark hair running through the sand and laughing. A small sob escaped Elisara, and Larelle saw the emotion swimming in her eyes as she stared at the young girl whose features resembled hers.
Chapter Forty-Four
Nyzaia
Nyzaia had never seen her father so happy. She wondered when in his life he had lost the smile that was now clear in the scene before her as he ran hand in hand with Vespera, Elisara’s mother. His eyes gave him away, matching the amber glow of Nyzaia’s as he threw a flame alongside them for lighting, enriching the royal red and orange of his attire. Joy bloomed in those eyes whenever Razik looked at Vespera, and they laughed in a way only children did. Nyzaia glanced at Elisara, who had the same dark locks, thick eyebrows above wide brown eyes as her mother. Razik and Vespera were simply two carefree children, no older than eight or nine, running along the edge of the Ashun Desert. The image floating before them swirled, twisting and changing until Nyzaia saw an older image of her father, not much younger than Nyzaia was now.
Razik stood in the palace gardens, yet the shrubbery hid whoever he spoke to.
“I cannot keep having this conversation!” Razik shouted. His voice was far less daunting than when he shouted in Nyzaia’s presence. “You know my parents will ensure you are wed off to someone else if they discover we were together!” Razik ran his hands through his hair and glanced up at the sky. Vespera stepped into view, her long dark hair identical to Elisara’s. She flipped it over her shoulder and shouted back at him.
“Why would attending the same celebrations as you mean we are together?” she shouted. “I am a lord’s daughter, albeit not your father’s favourite one, but my presence there would still becustomary!” Vespera crossed her arms in front of her blush-coloured lehenga, and Razik groaned.
“I cannot be in a room where every eligible man is watching and attempting to court you. It pains me to be apart from you, but it would pain me even more to cause this ending and to push my father’s hand. Because if you are there, Vespera, I cannot keep myself from you!”
The pair paused, their chests rising and falling in tandem. In one stride, Razik reached for Vespera and crushed his lips to hers, a kiss that spoke of urgency and passion.
