MorkaTempeli.Abraxas’ words to me.Ihad seen it, many times.Ourworld churned in a great cycle.Atree fell in theforest, but from its corpse, mushrooms would grow.Animalswould find their home, and new life began again.Deathwas not the end as we sentient creatures so feared, but just the beginning of something new.Whenour souls passed beyond the stars, did they stay there or return to live again?
Rainpounded the windowsill, and the sea mist obscured my vision.Ifelt likeIcould still see that island whereAbraxaslay; deep within the earth he was concealed by.Likehe was waiting to hatch from an egg.Ichuckled at my own stupid joke.Itwas easier than thinking about howAbraxasHADbeen born from an egg.Irecalled the feel of his scales under my palms, his onyx claws that carried me through the sky, and the sheer size of him.
Hewas not like me; he was not fae.Andyet,Icould feel the connection of our hearts even now.Ihad clung to that feeling, but doubt snuck its way in for the first time.HowcouldIbe his mate?Iwas strong, a fae trained in battle who could easily overpower almost any enemy.Almost.Comparedto him,Iwas nothing.Aspeck, an insect crawling on the ground.HowcouldIbe the one to save him?
Oursouls knew one another, and it seems that the soul was not bound by the body that it inhabited.
Thedoor behind me cracked open, and slate-grey eyes peered at me. “Areyou alright, sister?”Junasked. “Pallastold me about her dream manipulation spell.Didit work?”
Inodded. “Itseems that with the right anchor,Ican use some magic.Therunes guided themanain the wayIneeded.”
“Whatabout those flames you’ve been calling?”
“Ihave an anchor for those, too.”Ananchor whose tether could snap at any moment.Ipulled the green flames to my fingertips.Iheld it away from my body, butIcould still feel minor burns forming on the tips of my fingers.Faeweren’t meant to play with dragonfire.Iwinced asIlost focus, and the flames licked the side ofmy finger.
Junfrowned. “Doesit hurt you?”
“IfI’mnot careful, yes.Itis fire.”
“Well,Ijust thought…IguessIreally just assumed it wouldn’t.”
Iflicked the flames away. “Abraxassaid it was dragonfire.Heis immune, butI’mjust fae.Ican burn.”
“Doyou really think you are just fae,Tori?”
Ilooked at him, eyebrow raised. “Imean, you were there whenIwas born,Jun, just the same as you.”
Heshook his head. “Exactly,Tori.Wewere born twins.Onesoul split into two bodies.Theold babas used to say, one soul was too much for a single fae body to handle.”
“Doyou think we are… something else?”
Heshrugged. “Maybewe’ll never know.ButIalways felt likeIdidn’t belong, andIknow you felt the same.Wewere born into bodies, into a life that we didn’t fit, and that mold almost broke us.”
“Jun…”Imoved to hold him but stopped before he flinched.Instead,Iwrapped my pinky finger in his.
“Ifthe soul was split, then we aren’t what we used to be.”
“No.”Helooked out the window, and the rain cast moving shadows on his face. “Weare something new.”
Asoul returned to this world but split apart and molded into something new, something different.Thecycle turned, but somehow, everything was changed.Ilooked at my brother, the only constantIhad in my entire life.Thecycle of the world stopped for no one, and now we were different as well.
“Jun, whenIwent toKoron,Ifought my way through the basements, looking forHadeon’senchantment.Ikilled men.MorethanIeven thought to count.Ihad a goal in mind;Ihad to save you and endHadeon.Inever once doubted;Inever stopped to think if it was wrong.”
Hesqueezed my pinkie. “Itwasn’t the first time you killed.”Hehad held my hair asIpuked my guts out after my first patrol.
“Yes, but it was the easiest.”Along pause stretched out between us. “I’vebeen thinking…”
“Nevera good thing,”Junjested, trying to lighten the mood.Myserious face silenced him.
“Anexchange, that’s whatPallassaid.Faeneeded to exchange something with the earth to call on mana.That’swhatIneed to do to getAbraxasback.Justmy power as a conduit isn’t enough.Ineed it and fae magic.WhatwouldIbe willing to give?WouldIdestroy a home or perhaps a piece of beautiful art?Thatwould be simple.Whatabout a life?Onelife for another.Afterkilling so many, it would be easy.Whatif it wasn’t enough?Howfar wouldIgo?Tenlives?Awhole city?Awhole world?”Junjust stared at me, and tears streamed down my face.
“Youhave a piece of my soul, and so does he.Isthere anythingIwouldn’t destroy to have you both safe with me?”
“Tori…”Hereached out, butIdidn’t stop.
“WorldBreaker.AmImeant to destroy it all?Isthat the cost of having thoseIlove?”
Therewas a long silence before my brother finally spoke. “Wouldthat be so bad?”
