Page 48 of The Dragon's Gambit
“Some sacrifices will ultimately affect your friends and family, even if it is inadvertently.”
“You mean like my death? Yes, I know this. But Lee is more important to me. His safety and happiness are more importantto me. I know he’s the one who is supposed to protect me, but I’m going to also protect him in return. It’s who I am. I’m not scared of whatever I would have to do, as long as there is something that can be done.”
The Great Sage looked around the room cautiously, as if he was double-checking that they were truly alone. “There are things that would free him if he were held captive. One such thing would be for you to take another as your mate or to reject him as your mate. Obviously, the end of your life would also give Lee his freedom. There is another for-sure thing, though … one that would be a great risk for you to take but would also offer the greatest reward if you’re able to do it.” His voice lowered even more as he began to whisper the last part. “This must remain an absolute secret, my dear. If Levi were to find out, he would be furious. He would absolutely forbid it, for more reasons than one. However, I think this is what you’re meant to do.”
Reiya was sitting on the edge of her seat and found herself inching closer and closer to him as his voice quieted even more.So much suspense. Out with it already.
“I won’t say anything.”
“Before I tell you, I will tell you what would come of you choosing this option. If you succeed, the deities will not touch Levi. They will allow the two of you to live your lives together. You’ll also have their favor and support. However, with a great reward, there is also a price to pay. You would both be paying this price, but it would be a decision that you alone would have to make, my dear.” He captured her gaze, feeling her determination. “You would have to make the decision to link your lifelines together.”
“Link our lifelines together? What would that mean?”
“Leviathan is a deity. He is immortal. And while fairies and werewolves also have longevity, they are not immortal. Immortal, as you know, is not the same as invulnerable. Youwould have to make the decision to link your lives together, meaning if you were killed, then Levi would also die, and vice-versa. It would also mean that you would be taking away his immortality. If you make it to the end of your lifetime, it would also be the end of his. Whether that be several hundred years from now or not, Levi would no longer live forever.”
Reiya gasped at this news. She would be taking away his immortality. “Shouldn’t he have a say in this? I wouldn’t want to take his immortality away from him for my own selfishness. That seems cruel.”
“Hmm, I wonder if it is cruel, though. What is more cruel? To lose your immortality or to live an immortal life without your mate? Which do you think you would choose?” A grin formed on his face as he clasped his hands in front of him on his desk, awaiting her expected answer.
Reiya thought about what he said. She knew her answer. She wouldn’t want to live without Lee for any amount of time. She wasn’t Lee, though, and she wasn’t immortal. An immortal might feel differently and maybe even fear death, because it wasn’t something they really had to worry about. Especially Lee, who was such a strong deity.
“For me, an immortal life without Lee would be the cruelest. I’m not Lee, though. I’ve never been immortal. Why can he not have a say in this?” Reiya didn’t understand why she couldn’t just ask him for herself.
“Because of what you would have to do in order to grant this. There is no way he would approve. You would be putting your life at risk in order to even obtain such an outcome.”
“What if I casually asked him? Like playing the ‘What If’ game.” She watched him look at her in confusion. “You know ... the “What If” or “What Would You Do” game? Like, what would you do if you were lost in the woods? Or if you were starving, would you eat your own leg before you ate your pet? You’venever played that game before?” Reiya watched his eyes widen and then listened to his gentle chuckling.
“Eat your own leg or your pet? Oh, ho ho ho. That’s funny. That’s an interesting game. I suppose, presented in a game as a question, you might be able to avoid suspicion. You would have to weigh the costs on that, if it means that much to you to have his answer. But is it really an answer, if it’s posed as a hypothetical question in a game versus a real possibility? When the fun of the game is not there and it is an actual reality, does a game’s answer hold any clout?”
Reiya smiled. She understood what he was saying. A game is played in fun and could have fun answers that were never meant to be serious. “I will keep that in mind. All I’m looking for is a hint of how he feels. I think I might be able to find it. You never said what I have to do, though.”
“Is it something you think you should know now? Does this mean you’re going to embark on this journey immediately instead of waiting to see how things turn out?” The Great Sage found her selflessness very interesting.
“Honestly, I don’t know yet. Do I wait and see how things turn out and only go on this quest if things take a turn for the worse? Or should I go before anything can happen, have faith in my abilities, and bring back what I need so that this is something we never have to face?” Reiya bit her bottom lip and stared at her fingers. In either case, she should have this knowledge. What if something happened and Grandpa Sage wasn’t around to tell her what he knew? She should have the information and then do whatever she decided was best. “I do think that I should know now. If anything should ever happen, I would know what to do.”
“Okay, but just know this: If you go on this journey first, Levi will find you. He’s connected to you as your summon and as your mate. He won’t allow you to go on this journey. I can assure youof that. Not because of the outcome, but because the chance of you achieving your goal is only fifty percent.”
Wow, that was harsh.Was his confidence in her so low that he could only give her half a chance of success?
“This has nothing to do with you. It has to do with who has the item in their possession and whether or not you can convince them to give it to you. You see, you will not be able to steal it. You will have to plead your case for it. But if you fail to convince them, they will try to kill you in order to keep the item a secret.”
Reiya nodded her head slowly. She understood now. There was no way Lee would allow her to make this trip. Who would, for that matter?
“Remember, in your premonition, you said a voice called out to you, and you thought it might have been your great grandmother’s voice? The more I thought about it, I don’t think that was the voice you heard. I believe you were being given advice from the Moon Goddess herself. She told you to find the Ocean’s Tear. This is not some secret weapon against the demons. Your family still has to battle them, but you’ve already changed the future with the gathering of allies. I dare say you have the ability to win over all the dragon kingdoms. They will be invaluable allies in the war against the demons. Your brother Hunter will also have a part to play in aiding in the war, but that’s all I will say about that.
“Anyhow, back to the Ocean’s Tear. The Ocean’s Tear was created from the tears of a goddess who mourned the loss of her mortal lover. This tear has been kept hidden and out of reach of deities, because it’s something that they cannot claim themselves. It’s an item that only their lover can claim on their behalf. With this item, you can link your life with Levi’s. It would mean binding you as one. Your souls would be connected. Your life force would be connected. Whatever happened to one wouldhappen to the other. Meaning, if either one of you dies, so would your partner.”
Reiya thought about this. “Why would the Moon Goddess speak to me in a vision to help me out? Who am I to her?”
“She has taken an interest in you, Reiya. All wolves are a gift from the Moon Goddess. However, your wolf was handpicked by her. She’s putting her hope in you. She’s putting her hope in your family so that the werewolves aren’t destroyed by the demons. Werewolves are like her children ... they are her chosen kind. She doesn’t want to see them destroyed. So, she’s putting her hope in you and your family.” Grandpa Sage leaned back in his chair. This war was also important to him. He knew that if the dragons didn’t get involved now, they would be battling the demons later. It was imperative for them to fight now, alongside Reiya and her family. This would present the least number of casualties.
She didn’t really understand it at all. If the Moon Goddess handpicked her wolf, then why was she keeping her hidden? Grandpa Sage probably didn’t know the answer to this question, or he would have told Lee, so she asked the next question on her mind.
“Where do I find the Ocean’s Tear?”
Chapter 34 Ocean’s Tear
The Sage nodded his head and looked at Reiya with an intense gaze. “The Ocean’s Tear is in the hands of the Queen of the Merrows.” He watched Reiya’s eyes widen, showing that she knew of merrow and mermen. These were not like mermaidsthat most fantasy books depicted. No, merrows were vicious and cruel. “Men who have found her end up being used as her lover and then drowned. Women who find her are also killed. To be truthful, no one has ever managed to collect the Ocean’s Tear from her. Perhaps, with you being the fairy princess, you have a chance, since merrows fall under the fairy queen’s authority. They are a marine fairy after all. If anyone has a chance at obtaining this, it’s you.”
