Page 38 of Tainted Rose

“You’re as pale as a sheet,” he commented.

“Elias. My best guess is he confronted Mako and it didn’t go too well. Eli took over before she pulled herself out of the bond. We’re heading back now,” I explained, trying to compose myself.

I still felt unstable on my feet.

Matthew walked towards me, his hand landed on my shoulder, urging me to sit down. I stared at him, frowning in defiance. He raised one of his eyebrows as we continued our staring match. I let out a huff before sitting back down.

“Give yourself a few more minutes. We can’t have you passing out on campus. It would be bad for your image. If your assumption is correct, Kai and Daniel should be somewhere near the house and can assist in de-escalating the situation. They will summon you if they need anything,” Matthew reassured me.

I looked up at the first commander of Heila, a hint of his authoritative nature came through his voice. Not like his powerful aura didn’t make you shiver with concern. He did a fair job hiding it during classes and walking through the halls, but when with us, he couldn’t help but leak small bits of his energy, reminding us of where we stood in our group.

I may have been the leader of our expedition, but he was still our leader and teacher back at Heila, deserving much respect and praise with his position alone.

“While you rest up, I have some news.” He walked towards one of the desks, pulling out a chair and dragging it to place beside the table I was resting on.

He sat down, leaning back as he lifted his right leg to relax on his left. He pulled his black rimmed glasses off his face; his hand roamed through his hair as he sighed.

Marcus and I shared a look. This didn’t look like good news.

“Remember when I told you that I was going to contact a good friend of mine? Well, I explained Mako’s situation to her, especially with the discovery of Midnight,” Matthew began.

We both nodded, urging him to continue his explanation.

“Winterlya is making her way over here as soon as possible. She should be here within a few days,” he admitted.

His stern face emphasized the sudden development.

“Winterlya? Please don’t tell me it’s that tall, repulsive woman with the annoying aura.”Stryker’s annoyed voice filled my mind.

I smirked at his comment.

Winterlya was one of the strongest necromancers in all of Heila. Not only did she know practically every spell, she knew about almost every spirit species, traveling across the realms to acquire knowledge and learn from each dimension. She had even gone to Realm One before it perished. She was our teacher throughout our teen cycles, assisting us in learning how to perfect our strengths and abilities.

“Why is she rushing over here? Is something wrong with Mako’s health?” Marcus inquired, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

I was concerned, too. Sure, if she was simply taking her sweet time to get here then I wouldn’t be bothered, but speedy to Winterlya meant four days flat and that was only because she hated using the portal.

“Mako’s faint spells...they’re a problem. Mako shouldn’t be fainting and switching to Midnight like she has been the last three days. Winter and Karen both agree that something was triggered mentally when Mako surpassed her magic limit. They both believe if we don’t do something, the fainting spells are only going to get worse,” Matthew explained.

I clenched my hands, trying to calm myself. Thanks to King Aspen, Mako’s mental stability was unstable. I was concerned about her and Midnight. What could happen if the problem wasn’t fixed?

“How is she going to fix it? Is she going to place a spell on her or something?” Marcus inquired, both of his fists clenched as he gritted his teeth. He was more than a little upset by the news; his emotions of anger flowed through me.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to ride the feeling out, not wanting to show how affected I was by it. With Elias’ previous emotional tornado, my ability was in a hypersensitive state.

Marcus must have noticed my struggle, taking a large breath, before sighing; his hands spread out as he wiggled them.

“Sorry, Ryder,” he apologized.

I smiled weakly, nodding in acknowledgment.

“Winter has a theory. After explaining it to myself and Karen, I think she potentially may be right about her hypothesis,” Matthew acknowledged, his face grew grim.

“What’s this theory?” I questioned.

I needed to know if Mako’s life was in danger or if it was something that could be fixed.

“When Nightmare professed Mako’s future, she stated that Mako would carry four spirits, correct?” he questioned. We both nodded. All of Heila knew about the prophecy, the Princess of Heila who would carry four spirits and save the galaxy from darkness, alongside her star knights.

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