The Hallowed (The Scrying Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Gabby leaned back in her chair and smirked. “The ether provides us with everything we need.”

  Dane shook her head. Another day of the constant bickering.

  “Hi Ty,” she said as she saw her dog peek around the corner. As he entered the sun-filled kitchen, tail tucked between his legs, Tyson slunk toward Diego. He was unsure about the changes he sensed in his best friend and his body language revealed his insecurity. Dane watched as the two dogs moved toward one another. Diego was much larger than before, dwarfing Tyson. There were other significant changes as well; his fur was longer and thicker, and his eyes sparkled, catching the sun’s rays as they filtered through the sliding glass door.

  He sniffed Tyson as he inched forward, sensing the surrounding energy. The exorbitant greetings and playful ease of their past relationship no longer present. Like Gabby, Diego had lost his mortal demeanor reverting to the immortal being that once inhabited a powerful magical realm. His innate suspicions guided his every action. He was cautious with Tyson but curious. Nudging his face, he circled, sniffing. Dane could sense that Diego would do him no harm so allowed the two to engage in this primal behavior.

  “Why is Diego so much bigger than he was before?”

  Rafe gave her a strange look, shrugging. “I can only assume the magic we reignited in Dywen is now flowing into this world and affecting any supernatural beings that reside here.”

  “Our realm’s magic is affecting a being from another?”

  “Thanissia magic is collective. The ether infuses all the realms equally. It is elemental magic that is specific.”

  “Oh. I guess I still have a lot to learn.”

  Rafe squeezed her hand. “It will come.”

  After scrutinizing Tyson and sniffing the air with suspicion, Diego sauntered back to lie at Stevie’s feet. Tyson followed, curling up next to Diego but at a comfortable distance. Dane could see the shift in pack dynamic as Tyson accepted Diego as the alpha. A newfound respect stirred his instincts and dictated his behavior.

  Stevie sat watching the three of them over the rim of her coffee mug.

  “Did you sleep well?” Dane asked, putting bacon on her plate.

  “Where are your wings?” She demanded, ignoring Dane’s question. She had put down the mug and was pointing toward Gabby’s back, where the large black wings were noticeably missing.

  Gabby stared, iridescent eyes unblinking. “Celestials only show their wings when required.” Her tone was flat as she stated the information like this should already be a known fact.

  Stevie’s eyes narrowed. Looking back at Dane, she muttered, “I’m not sure I like this version of Gabby.”

  Rafe chuckled to himself as he tried to suppress a smirk. “On Thanissia, the celestials are the least social and unlikeable of all the races. They’re aloof and superior nature often puts them at odds with the inhabitants of other realms. Even the elves, while disciplined and forthright, were less rigid than the sentinel army.”

  Gabby glared at Rafe before turning her back to him in silent protest.

  “You will get used to her,” he continued, shaking his head in jest. “Liking her is something different.”

  “And what about you?” She asked her suspicious eyes turning to him. “What is your story?”

  Rafe grinned, looking at Dane for help. She returned his smile, raised a brow, and shrugged.

  “My story is complicated, but I come from the same place as Diego and Gabriella. A world your ancestors and Danes once called home.” A sadness surrounded him. “But that was long ago in a forgotten time.”

  “My ancestors are from Romania,” she retorted, defiance hardening the edges of her tone. Taking another sip of her coffee she eyed them all.

  “Your mortal ones maybe.” Gabby snapped.

  “That’s enough Gabby,” Dane said, as she took a seat beside Stevie. Clasping her friend’s hand in her own she stared into her eyes.

  “Stevie, I have to tell you something that even you may find unbelievable, but you have to trust what I’m telling you is the truth.”

  Stevie nodded, casting the others a wary glance.

  An hour later, Dane had told her everything she knew about her family legacy, the prophecy, her journey to Dywen, the Druidstones, and Sebastian. She had intentionally left out her binding with Rafe, her immortality, and Stevie’s pending birthright. Overwhelming her with inexplicable details was not going to help her adjust to a new reality or accept her destiny. Stevie would discover everything soon enough.

  Stevie paled as she tried to process the information.

  Dane knew it was a lot. It also didn’t help that Gabby kept interrupting to infer Stevie’s ancestors had possessed an infuriatingly unbridled passion.

  “I hope that trait skipped several thousand generations,” she said, before being quieted by Dane’s withering stare.

  Stevie sat for a few moments, staring down at her hands, her index finger absently playing with the ring she wore on her thumb.

  “Tell me about my ancestors,” she whispered looking at Rafe. “The ones that lived in your time.”

  Gabby began to speak.

  “Not you.”

  Rafe smirked as Stevie managed to disarm the celestial in a way he had not seen before. With a renewed quiet in the room his mind drifted back to memories of her ancestors—the inhabitants of the fire realm.

  “The Dragon Gypsies were a unique race for their powers originated from the dragons who ruled the realm before them. Thanissia was born from the ether and many magical creatures inhabited its worlds long before our kind rose to dominance.”

  Stevie’s eyes dropped to Diego.

  “Yes, Dragonwolves shared the realm during the time of the dragons.”

  Diego raised his head as if to acknowledge his place in their world’s history.

  “Unlike the other races, whose powers derive from their specific element, Dragon Gypsies enhance their inborn powers with the elemental energy. The magic of the dragon is ancient and as old as the universe itself. A magic that is both creative and destructive. It ignites passion, anger, tenacity, and an unrestrained daring. Its volatility is legendary. Dragon Gypsies were known for their unpredictability.”

  Gabby huffed, “That’s putting it mildly.”

  Rafe ignored her and continued.

  “Kaizi is the name of the fire realm. It is a world of molten lava rivers, charcoal black mountains, and fiery red skies. The Dragon Gypsy race was not large, in fact, before the Great War, there were only a few hundred that remained, but they were tenacious. A race that is born to exist. They were also the only race to be ruled by a royal family.”

  “Royalty?” Dane asked.

  Gabby sighed. “It’s not as grand as you may think. The Dragon Gypsies were the first of the races that emerged after the celestials—the Velkia family, the first of the Dragon Gypsy bloodline. Their family magic was powerful, more controlled than the others, so they designated themselves as royals.”

  Rafe nodded in agreement. “The Velkia built an empire on Kaizi, ruling it with a firm but fair doctrine. Their empire became known as the Dominion of the Dragons and was a vital part of the Thanissia trade route. Kaizi’s alchemists, armorers, and blacksmiths were renowned, their wares sought after by many of the other races. The royal subjects were very skilled in their professions.”

  Stevie frowned, “And these are my ancestors?”

  Rafe looked at her, his eyes revealed his uncertainty. “Yes, but unlike Dane, we do not know yet, which of the family bloodlines you descend from. Once you accept your birthright I suspect your ancestry will reveal itself.”

  Dane shot Rafe a dirty look as Stevie’s curious nature took notice of the words he had just spoken. “Accept my birthright. What does that mean?”

  “It’s not that I wa
s keeping anything from you, Stevie, it is just not an easy thing to tell someone,” Dane said.

  “What is it, Dane?”

  “Your birthright is immortality,” she blurted out, cringing at how forceful her voice sounded. She had meant it to be soothing, but it had come out anything but.

  Rafe glanced at her, his shoulders lifting in question.

  “You have a better way of telling someone their destiny is to become immortal?” She said projecting her thoughts into his mind. He smirked and shook his head in defeat. “Please continue.”

  Inhaling deeply, she decided to tell Stevie the rest and deal with the consequences as they arose.

  “To fulfill the prophecy our ancestors must bestow ‘a birthright’ on the one whose blood is pure to their race. It imbues the descendant with the ancient magic of their birth realm and knowledge of their ancestor’s past. Your birthright will be received when you activate the Druidstone on Kaizi, at which time your dead ancestors come forth and transfer your birthright to you. You gain powers, ancient knowledge, and become immortal. At least that is how it happened for me.”

  She watched Stevie for a reaction.

  Her eyes widened as the meaning of Dane’s words became clear.

  She gasped. “Shit, Dane, are you really immortal?”

  Dane nodded.

  “But you don’t seem different.”

  She smiled, “No, I don’t, but I do feel a little different.”

  “So, I will become immortal as well?”

  “Yes. It is a sacrifice we all must make for the prophecy to be fulfilled.”

  “That must be what bunica meant,” Stevie whispered, using the nickname that referenced her grandmother. She got up and ran out of the kitchen, Diego following close on her heels. Tyson lifted his head but stayed where he was glancing back at Dane for reassurance. She smiled, and he put his head back down, wagging his tail against the kitchen floor.

  Stevie returned, a small white notecard in her hand, eyes glinting with a mischievous and excited radiance.

  “The Roma people have a tradition prior to the birth of a baby. The elders from the expecting mother’s tribe write down fortunes for the future; specific wishes for the newborn.” She waved the notecard in front of her. “This is the one my grandmother wrote on the day of my birth.”

  Her hand shook as she handed the small white card to Dane.

  Taking the card, she read it aloud to the others.

  “The child shall be blessed with intelligence, tenacity, and the knowledge of our ancestors. Her path will lead to an immortal destiny and a hallowed future.”

  “Well, that is telling,” Rafe acknowledged.

  “There is something else I need to tell you, Stevie,” she said casting a sideways glance at him. “It’s about Rafe and me.”

  Stevie’s head snapped toward him; then back to Dane. “What is going on with the two of you? You may appear the same but there is something different about you. I assume this one has everything to do with it,” she insisted, pointing at Rafe.

  Dane hesitated, which was long enough for Gabby to intervene. “They have experienced a binding and now share an ancient destiny. It’s rare and boring. Can we move on? We need to get back to Thanissia.”

  Dane’s eyes flashed at Gabby in frustration. She was not sure, as Rafe promised, she would ever get used to the new Gabby. Gone was her sweet, thoughtful, demure friend and in her place was this over-confident, arrogant, impetuous, and often infuriating immortal.

  “What does that mean—ancient binding?” Stevie questioned, her vivacious curiosity peaking with every new revelation.

  “It means that Rafe and I share not only a destiny, but we have an intense emotional connection. We can feel what the other feels.”

  Stevie’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “So, no need for Alex then?” She asked jokingly, referring to the friend who was desperate to take Dane on a date.

  “No.” She smiled as Rafe’s curiosity flooded through her. “I’m taken.”

  Stevie nodded, giving Rafe a piercing stare. “You will treat her well?”

  “You have my solemn word.”

  There was a change in the kitchen’s atmosphere as Gabby’s wings reappeared, stretching out on either side and almost knocking Rafe from his stool.

  “I hate to interrupt but I believe we have something more pressing waiting for us back home. If the prophecy is coming to pass, we must be ready and the power of Dywen will not be enough. The Dragon Gypsy and I need to reignite the magic of our realms and we must find the others, so they can do the same.”

  “The Dragon Gypsy?” Stevie scowled. “We have been friends for thirteen years and it’s always been Stevie, now it’s the Dragon Gypsy!”

  Gabby shrugged, which infuriated Stevie even more, but she refused to respond any further to her callous nature.

  “Are you ready for this Stevie? Can you accept your birthright?” Dane asked, disregarding the tension that pulsed around them.

  Diego placed his large head on Stevie’s lap his eyes eluding a calm, confident understanding. She stroked his head, a smile coming over her face. “Do I have a choice?”

  Dane laughed as she remembered her conversation with Sebastian when she asked the very same thing. “Our destiny does not always give us a choice,” she responded, echoing his words. “But hopefully you can find peace in it.”

  Stevie glanced down at Diego. The connection she had with him from the moment she found him curled up on her porch in a terrible blizzard, had always been infinite. She now understood why. Their destinies, like Dane and Rafe, were connected by a magical past. Her grandmother had predicted her fate at birth and for all her superstitions and old-world zeal, much of which Stevie found eccentric, she was correct. Stevie must honor her heritage and accept her destiny, whatever the cost.

  Chapter 3

  It was almost two in the afternoon when they reached the Elder Oak. The bright sun rebellious as its rays pierced through the clearing’s thick canopy. Strands of sunlight flowed downward to thaw the frost-covered ground. Water beads glistened on the surfaces of the fallen leaves; a bright mosaic that littered the clearing, still untouched by the snow that fell everywhere else. The clearing was a sacred place where the norms of the modern world did not penetrate. Dane’s breath sent a foggy puff floating into the afternoon chill. The clearing was quiet. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

  “He, no doubt, wants to make an entrance,” Gabby stated, her iridescent eyes filled with displeasure at the thought. Her wings appeared once again, the black feathers rippling in the breeze as it blew past her on its way to dance through the treetops.

  Dane was not sure she would ever get used to seeing Gabby’s huge wings unfold like origami as they untucked gracefully from fleshy slits on her shoulder blades. She had changed into jeans, black ankle boots, and a knee-length black leather jacket, the button front open. The thin white t-shirt she wore underneath had been cut, like the leather trench, to accommodate her wings. The black streak in her hair was braided from crown to end and pulled into a ponytail with the rest of her blonde hair. She looked more like the modern celestial now.

  “An entrance?” Stevie questioned.

  “Like Dane and me, Sebastian is a Warlician warrior, but he was transformed by the Guardian into light stasis when our realms fell. A required sacrifice, which enabled him to endure the millennia that passed in this world before your ascension,” Rafe stated. “He is a watcher and will have gained great knowledge from his presence on Earth. Light stasis provides the gifted with acute senses through which mass amounts of information may be gained. He will have sensed our approach and will already know the celestial and another Arcanist has been found. I suspect his delay in appearing is deliberate. It most likely relieves his boredom.” He smirked at his statement.

  As
if on cue, the Elder Oak began to glow from within. A piercing light ebbed forward from its depths. It melded with the bark, the intensity increasing until it exploded in a sparkling, erratic shower. The shards of light crept across the forest floor toward one another, their brilliance causing the frost and water droplets on the fallen leaves to sparkle. As the shards converged at the center of the clearing they formed a shape, the edges ebbing and receding as a dark shadow emerged from the light’s depth.

  Dane glanced over at Stevie, who stood mesmerized by the light throbbing in front of her. Diego had placed himself in a protective position, but he too remained calm as Sebastian’s normal form appeared from the radiance.

  As swiftly as the light appeared, it receded back into the Elder Oak leaving Sebastian standing in all his finery in front of them. He frowned as he looked from one person to the other, his eyes pausing on Gabby. His scowl gave way to surprise.

  “Gabriella. You are the fallen one?”

  “Hello Sebastian, you look well considering you have been confined to a tree for all this time.”

  He chortled, unfazed by her condescending attitude. “Life as a mortal has not taught you humility, I see.”

  She sniffed, lifted her chin, and peered down her nose at him. Her wings stretched out to their full extent. The feathers caught the sun’s rays igniting an iridescent sheen in the black.

  The posturing was getting old.

  “So, you know Gabby as well?” Dane asked.

  “Of course, she was commander of the sentinel army of Etheriem, although I had no idea she had fallen.”

  “Etheriem?” Stevie asked.

  “The realm of the celestials,” Sebastian said, turning toward her. “So, you have found the one descended from the race of fire and ash.” Glancing at Dane, a twinkle in his eye, he said. “This was easier than you thought, yes?”

  “Yes.” Dane agreed. She understood what his question referred to. “I have known both Stevie and Gabby for quite a long time.”