Page 24 of Imbalance
Jace's head popped out the door, and he smiled deeply as his eyes settled on me, "Come on in! You missed a bit of fun, but you got here just in time for the food.
"May I have a word with her first?" a gentle female voice called. Glancing around, I tried to spot the owner of the voice but came up short.
Jace inclined his head, "Of course, Seer."
Seer? What the fuck?
"Come on guys, come inside with me. Ama's safe," Jace called out, motioning with his hand for Adrien and Damien to leave me.
Damien let out a growl, "No. We're not leaving her unsupervised at any point."
A rustling of wings drew my attention upward, and my mouth dropped at the most gorgeous purple wings I'd ever seen gently beating in the air as the woman floated down to her feet. She had long, white hair, similar to the Dark Elves, but her wings made her an Angel of sorts. That must have been her species mix.
It was hard to see in the dark, but it appeared as if her irises were void of all color. Maybe she really was a seer.
She smiled kindly at me, and almost immediately, I felt at ease with her. The energy that radiated from her felt protective and maternal. I knew I'd be safe with her, just like I knew I needed air to breathe.
Grabbing my guys’ hands and squeezing lightly, I reassured them, "We'll just be out here. I'll be in shortly."
They looked at me, then exchanged a questioning look with each other before sighing deeply and nodding their heads in understanding. As they left my side and walked to Jace, who held the door open for them, I took in the woman in front of me fully.
The tips of her wings brushed against the ground as she folded them into her back. It made my own wings itch with the desire to fly, and they twitched against my back, hidden in glamour.
I couldn't place her age, because she truly seemed otherworldly with her energy, but from the smile lines and slight wrinkles, it was safe to say that she was definitely my elder.
She wore a black shift dress that contrasted with her milky skin beautifully. It reached mid-calf and appeared to be a similar silk material to the robe I had on.
"I've waited a long time to meet you, and we have much to discuss, but it isn't the time yet," she said ominously as she gestured with her hand to a bench nearby.
If it wasn’t the time, then why was she asking to speak with me? That made no sense.
Following her to the bench, I sat on the opposite end and shifted to face her slightly, voicing my confusion. "Then why did you wish to speak with me right now?"
A corner of her mouth tilted up. "I forget that you do not know me at all, whereas I feel as if I know you quite well already from my visions. Forgive me, I merely wished to check on you now that you have arrived."
"It's, um...okay," I answered awkwardly, wondering just how much she knew about me. “I feel like there is a lot I don’t know about this place, and I have no idea where to start.”
"I'll start at the beginning to give you a brief insight," she offered, waiting for my nod to continue. Glancing up into the sky, she began, "The barrier that obscures our city from the rest of the realm is magic that has been passed down through my genetic line since the very first Queen of Impurus."
This was a history lesson that I actually found myself interested in, and I greedily awaited more words. It was nothing like the stuffy lessons I received back home.
"Queen Orla's line—my line—are a mix of Dark Elves and Fallen Angels. She was blessed by the devil before he went to sleep, and that blessing gave her the powers that allowed this city to rise up and prosper," she explained, fondness for her ancestor filling her voice.
Wait, did that mean I was talking to the current queen?
She chuckled as if reading my mind. "After we began to rebuild our numbers and she saw the city blossoming into a sanctuary for all hybrids, she abdicated the throne and passed it to a family she knew was worthy."
I relaxed slightly and breathed a sigh of relief. I was way too tired to handle being in the presence of this new kingdom’s queen right now.
"Our line are now the guardians of the barrier, and we also run the temples scattered throughout the kingdom. We focus on peace of mind, body, and soul. Many visit us to seek guidance on how to align the three. Every generation, one of our line is gifted with the sight. I was blessed to receive it for mine."
Awe seeped into my voice as I asked, "What's your name?"
Her white eyes turned from the sky to look at me as she answered with a smile, "Pelia."
I smiled in return, "I suppose you already know my name, but I feel it's only polite to introduce myself anyways. My name is Amare."
A knowing smile crossed her face as she said, "But you prefer Ama, no?"
