Chapter Three
Victor
It’s just gone eight. I’ve been looking over the shipping logs all day. It helps to stay distracted. I didn’t want to fan the flames of suspicion even more by speaking to Heath more than necessary.
I’m in charge of the mines and the hangar with the larger space ships. I usually end the night in the mines. More so when I realized that was the location for Heath’s astral pocket.
I head there now to take my position on the platform. From up there I can see the inmates on the other side of the mine and in the tunnel because of the height.
This was where Selene got me.
The cavern we were in is just behind me.
I make my way up the steps and when I get there I notice the guard who I’m supposed to relieve is just standing there looking at me, like he’s in some kind of daze.
“Patrick?” I say.
Like Roth he’s a dark elf, except for his dark skin and lighter hair he looks more like me. He’s one of the only others I speak to here. he doesn’t answer me.
As I step closer I see why. Selene steps out from the cavern with a tentative expression on her face.
She walks up to Patrick and he moves his head to her, acknowledging her.
“You will go back to the hangar and prepare one of the larger ships. Fill it with supplies and enough fuel,” she tells him.
I’m shocked to shit when Patrick nods and walks away under her spell.
My gaze snaps to her and I shake my head. “Don’t. Don’t do that to me.” Now is the worse time for her games. With the fae here I need to be a hundred percent.
I step back to move away from her but she’s fast. Faster than me which is unbelievable.
She moves to me quicker than I can blink my eyes and places her hand at my temple. When her fingers brush over my skin the scenery shifts before us and we’re outside in bright sunlight, during the daytime in the meadow. On Earth.
My first instinct is to put up a shield over her to protect her from the sun but I realize she’s not burning.
Her eyes … look different. They’re brown and so is her hair.
There are three little girls playing by the stream with a Labrador. When they see us they all run to me and as they do I know these are my kids.
“Father, look at what I made,” The tallest one says holding up a bracelet of violet flowers. She looks just like Selene but she has my eyes.
“Maribelle, that’s beautiful,” I say and I don’t know how I know her name, but it is hers.
“Thank you, Father.”
The littlest one who looks like my mother right from the blonde hair on her head to the ice blue eyes tugs on my leg.
“Elena… I—” she fades from me as does the meadows, the sunlight, everything, and Selene and I are back on the platform at the mine.
I’m staring at her and she’s trembling. Her eyes are violet again and her hair jet black.
If not for the feeling in my heart that tells me what I just saw was completely real I’d think she was playing games with me.
She wasn’t this time. I know too from the same feeling that the previous charm wasn’t done with any ill will either.
“Those were our children,” I state. I can’t take my eyes off her.
The vision or whatever it was that just happened may have only lasted a few minutes but it felt like that was our life right now.
“Yes. They were. Something happened today and I have to speak to you.”
“What is it?”
She puts out her hand to mine. I take it and the surge of emotion that fills me makes me stare at her delicate hand. That vision was real . She was real , the kids were real and they were mine.
Selene tugs on my hand and I allow her to lead me to the cavern. It looks the same as it was when we left it. the faint light coming from outside is bright enough for me to see her beautiful face.
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a vial of purple light.
“The key?” I ask. I’ve only seen drawings of this object on scrolls from the elders quorum. “Is this really the key?”
“Yes. The fae gave it to me. she said you need to leave tonight. Without her. She has a special mission she needs to fulfil, someone she has to help defeat Roth.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I’m supposed to take her away from here.”
Selene shakes her head. “No, she was very clear that we’re to leave her here and take the key to the leader of The Hallowed. You have to leave before midnight.”
“When did she tell you this?”
Selene tenses and a tear slides down her cheek. “I was called to Roth’s office. He wanted me to see him torture her. He asked me to follow you around and spy on you because he knows something is up. So, you were right not to trust me.”
“You were working with Roth?”
“I’m so sorry, Victor,” she whispers. “He threatened to kill me and my family. That night we were together wasn’t that though. That was me. I wanted to be with you. He knew we were together and I was scared. I was scared.”
I’m looking at her and I’m processing what she’s saying to me.
Her working with Roth is enough to piss me off but I can’t hold it against her for the threat on the lives of her family. I couldn’t hold it against her even if I wanted to. The vision of me and her and what we could be in the future has a hold on me because I want that.
I see how scared she is, but the fear I sense is more to do with me not forgiving her.
I
