"In that case," began Aaliyah, "Let us start with the beginning. Though as our people know, beginning and end are all the same. Aradia has been the Guardian of the Gates as long as we have dwelled here among the spirits of your world."
I was caught by her words. "Aradia?" I asked. It was the name that was written in the letter. I hadn't even known my own mother's name.
"That was just one of the many titles that she carried," Arzaan explained.
Aaliyah continued. "She dutifully led the spirits of the dead to their destinations, guiding them with her torches. It is well known among our people that we were the first to grant her the fire that burns in the very same torches. She dwelled among the creatures of the night, but she was not of darkness. Her light was gentle as the glow of the moon but more beautiful than the sun. She attracted many who wished to stand in her presence. One among them became her suitor."
"Was his name Phosphoros?" I asked.
"You know the story?" She asked, surprised.
"No, but I have heard the name," I explained.
Arzaan picked up the story. "Phosphoros was called the Lightbringer. He was drawn to your mother's light like so many others, but he was different. He was beautiful and resplendent in his own right. She too was drawn to him. They fell in love over timeless centuries. Meeting, again and again when they had the chance. But something happened over time. She grew away from him while he grew angry and wrathful. There is no record of what went wrong, but he became twisted by his love for her. He became a monster."
"How horrible." I breathed, taking in the story. Still, I wished there was more I could learn. I craved to know who she was and what she was like. "Do you think he has something to do with her disappearance?" I inferred.
"It is quite likely, I might guess," answered Arzaan.
"I think that I can track her down," I explained, "If I can visit her shrines. They seem to affect me in some way. They give me strength."
"That might be true," Aliyah said. "In which case you may feel free to make use of the shrine here in the city. You will be quite safe within our walls."
I hadn't known there was a shrine here. Perhaps things were starting to look up for me.
"What will you do if you cannot find her?" Arzaan asked gently.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I have to hope that won't be the case."
"We will hope for you as well," Aaliyah said kindly, in her strange ethereal way. The djinn were some of the strangest people I had ever met.
I followed them as they let me to the shrine. It was just outside of the palace and situated in a lush garden, that felt more like a wild oasis than anything purposely created by the work of hands. It matched the others in the general shape but had the simple and open style seemingly favored by the djinn. Arzaan and Aaliyah left me in the garden and promised that I would not be disturbed.
I walked up to the shrine, not sure what to expect. The first shrine had granted me the power of light, which had healed me from the banshee. The second shrine gave me the ability to speak to my friends. What would this one hold?
I walked up the carved sandstone steps and stood in the center of the shrine. The deep grooves on the floor created a geometric pattern that resembled a flower. I had nothing with me that I could use to draw blood. I sat on the floor, feeling both exhausted and defeated. I had come all this way.
I sat down on the floor to rest for a moment. Even after sleeping in the Djinn's palace, I was still exhausted from my ordeal. Every muscle in my body ached. I crossed my legs and felt something sharp against my skin. The shard of mirror that I had stolen from the Ocean Shrine was still tucked into my pant leg. The Djinn must have left it there when they were taking care of me. As much as I was thankful for their help, I had to admit that something about their presence made me wary. There was no confusing them for humans.
I peered into the mirror. "Show me Kairn," I whispered over it and saw the fog drifting back in. The vision came faster and clearer this time. I saw Kairn in his God-form in a forest. It was the Realm of the Wild Hunt. I recognized it from my visit last summer. He was riding a horse through the woods. The trees there were taller and more ancient than any on earth. The sheer size of the forest was mind-blowing. He was looking for something. I wasn't sure what, but I knew that he would not be able to talk to me. Besides, there were no mirrors there. I watched him for a while, feeling my heart break the whole time. Kairn was going to be called back to that world one day for good. And what if I was trapped here forever?
I hadn't wanted to think of that at first, but eventually, I would have to ponder the future. What if there was no way back? Perhaps it was my destiny to stay here. I let the image of Kairn fade until I was simply holding a piece of mirror. I used it to pierce the tip of my finger and the blood dropped into the grooves of the shrine. I didn't get up or move. Instead, I stayed sitting there in the center of the small stone Shrine. At first, nothing happened, but then the air began to change. I could feel the exchange of energy when suddenly there was a great wind that came rushing through the chamber.
13
The Blade’s Destiny
The Wind
