Chapter Three Aria

Chapter Three

Aria

Tearsith

Aria appeared at the edge of the meadow. Peace echoed through her being, palpable and alive as she stood at the periphery of their sanctuary. Floral scents rose from the red vingas that sprouted from the fertile ground, tasting sweet on her tongue as she inhaled the comfort of this place.

Lush woods hugged the field, and light streamed through the leaves of the soaring trees surrounding Tearsith in a hedge of protection. It dappled the expansive clearing in natural warmth, in a comfort unlike anything found in another place.

The air was misty and written in a hue of silvered blue.

Here, it was a haven.

A moment’s harmony before they descended into the darkest place.

On the bank of the small brook with crystalline waters that ran along the far end of the meadow, her Laven family had begun to gather at their great teacher’s feet, the way they did each night. There were about two hundred of them, and through Ellis’s teachings, from his own vague understanding, it was believed there were many more Laven families spread over the world. Each drawn together by Valeen’s call on their lives.

They all donned the same uniform they appeared in each night, the material of the fitted pants and long-sleeved jacket brown and thick.

Aria paused as her attention sought out one thing.

She didn’t have to search. She was drawn, her heart and soul pulsing out to meet with the energy that rippled back.

Pax stood at the back of the crowd, facing her, as if he had sensed her arrival.

His hair was a shock of white where it wisped around his face. A face carved into severity. The angle of his cheeks and jaw were harsh, the slash of his brow hard and fierce. His mouth was somehow plush. A soft contrast against the abrasiveness.

Gray eyes that were the same color as hers burned with white fire. So intense they made her shake. Somehow, they softened as they took her in when she stepped from the dense foliage and into the grass-covered clearing.

Sparks of energy arced between them as she began to walk toward her Nol, who moved for her at the same time. It was a connection that she had only ever experienced with him.

They met partway, and he took her hand. Warmth spread through her body.

A flame.

A balm.

She was sure she could physically feel the fury that blazed beneath his skin.

“You were burned last night.” His voice came on a low, grating rasp.

They often fought through the night without being burned. But on the times when she was? She could sense the rage that scorched through his being. As if he wanted to protect her from who they were.

But he couldn’t do that.

Both their fates were here, their burdens the same.

“As were you.”

He blinked harshly, and he lowered his voice to shield it from anyone who might overhear. “You have to be careful, Aria. I know you were burned because of me. I cannot stand the thought ...”

His teeth ground to stop himself from saying the things that were forbidden to be said.

“I’m fine,” Aria promised. “It is part of this life. You and I know it, and we must accept it.”

“The thought of you being hurt. When I wake up and know you’re in pain, I ...” His jaw clenched.

She squeezed his hand. “I know. I hate it for you as well. But you know that—”

“Good, you’re finally here,” a voice peeped, breaking into their huddle, and they both jerked to find Dani standing at their sides. The young woman watched them with concern, her pale eyes dimmed.

She was waif thin and so short she reminded Aria of a pixie, her eyes wide and almost too big for her delicate face. The fact that she wore her blond hair cropped with little fringes wisping out only sealed the resemblance. In her late twenties, the Laven had taken a mentor position in the two years before Aria had first descended into Faydor, doing her best to prepare Aria for what was to come.

As grateful as Aria was to her, none of them could truly be prepared for what they would face until they had experienced the depravity for themselves.

“You should come,” Dani encouraged. She took Aria’s hand as she glanced at Pax. He roughed his fingers through his hair, vibrating with frustration.

Even though she ached to spend one moment alone with Pax, Aria dutifully followed, allowing Dani to lead her to the gathering. Their Laven family was at Ellis’s feet, and Aria and Dani joined them, sitting down on the cool grass, so thick it pillowed beneath them.

A minute later, Pax took the spot on her opposite side.

His presence was overwhelming. The only thing she could feel.

She had to force herself to turn her attention to Ellis, who spoke in front of the group.

Their eldest Laven appeared withered, his limbs spindly and thin, like the craggy curl of a great old tree. The lines carved deep in his face spoke of the evil he had witnessed, and the weight in his pale-gray eyes spoke of his unending compassion.

Respect filled Aria as she listened to him again emphasize the importance of their calling. As he gave them reason for the sacrifice they made.

“You were chosen for this, to fight the evils of Faydor, to protect humans who do not know of the war that is being waged for them. They know not of the dangers that surround them each moment. Kruen are hungry for their ruin, and you are fighting to protect them from atrocities they do not understand. Do not take that calling lightly.”

Aria’s stomach turned as she prepared herself for the wickedness she would face tonight.

“Remember, you are only protected here.”

They could be burned in Faydor, but they could not be killed.

“When you are awake and walking on Earth, you are completely human, and you are susceptible to every vulnerability. Weaker even, as the Kruen will fight to put dangers in your path. They will destroy you if given the chance. And I know it is painful, but you must never interact with other Laven if you ever cross paths. The great book given by Valeen warns of this truth. In all of history, each time Lavens have come together in the human realm, they have been attacked. Decimated. Together, our spirits act as a beacon for the Kruen. They can easily find you, and they will use that vulnerability to their advantage and destroy you there.”

Aria had never seen another like herself. But she wondered ... God, she wondered.

Ellis paused before he spoke. “Much more than that, you must never, ever seek your Nol while awake.”

Aria swore she felt Ellis’s gaze brush over them, and she wondered again if it was possible that only she could feel this way in the sea of her Laven family. If the bond she shared with Pax was greater than theirs.

“Your Nol is your greatest strength here in Tearsith and in Faydor, and your greatest weakness while awake. You cannot protect them there, and it would place you both in the path of the gravest of dangers. Not only is it two Laven gathering to create a target for the Kruen, but it goes deeper than that. Your spirits cannot withstand that pressure, and the Kruen will pit you against one another, change something in your hearts the way something changed in Kreed’s heart.”

The traditions Ellis taught each night were found in the great book. Aria knew that Valeen and Kreed had once been bound as mates before the world had fallen. But it was Kreed who’d led the world into wickedness when he’d turned on Valeen and sought her power for himself.

Tradition said she’d been devastated when he’d betrayed her. That his heart had been turned corrupt, and because of his greed, he’d brought every cruelty into the world.

She’d warred against him ever since, the Laven her chosen ones to fight.

“Be careful, my children,” Ellis continued. “Remember your calling. Your purpose. You may seek pleasure awake, a family and love and a normal life. But here? Here, you were born to fight.”

At that, their family all stood, and they paired off, taking each other by the hand.

Ellis stretched out a hand toward Josephine, his Nol who had fought by his side for their entire lives. Her movements were slowed by her age as she shuffled to him.

Dani’s Nol, Timothy, approached and took her hand, and she smiled softly up at him as he gave her a tight nod. A silent promise that they were in this together.

Aria’s spirit sang when Pax wound his fingers with hers, and she shivered as their souls entwined.

“Are you ready?” Pax rumbled in his gravel-cut voice.

Aria looked ahead of them as the pairs stepped into the heavy woods. Their essences lit, flashing in a brilliant light before they disappeared into the bowels of Faydor.

“I’m ready.”

With one last squeeze of her hand, Pax stepped forward and led them into the darkness.