Page 112 of Forgotten Fate

Guilt ripped at me from the inside. My mind wasn’t my own, and I abandoned him in the magical mind-fuck of a deeply enchanted forest.

But he would find me. He always finds me.

I stepped forward, eyeing the old buildings thatonce made up an entire kingdom. Most of the structures had crumbled to the ground. The ones that still stood were completely taken over by vines, almost making it look like the building itself was made up of them.

I walked over to one of the used-to-be buildings which was now just a pile of rubble. A small stone wall that barely made it to my knees was all that remained. I bent over it and peered inside, seeing nothing but broken stone and untouched earth. I turned to get another look at the forgotten city. It didn’t just look like it had been abandoned. It looked like it had been through a war.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath. I made it. I fucking made it. I made it to Zolmara alive. But I was alone, and had no idea what I was looking for. I decided to walk towards what I assumed to be the center of the city based on the way the fallen buildings seemed to form around it.

As I got closer to the heart of the kingdom, my skin began to crawl. I hadn’t sensed the magic of the wards like Elias could right before we entered. But here…the unexplainable energy buzzed around me like lightning was about to strike. It wasn’t a good feeling, but one that filled me with unease. I was hoping the glory of finding the once flourishing kingdom would bring me joy and awe, but something like despair washed over me, and I couldn’t shake it.

My hairs stood on end as I made it closer and closer to the center of the city. I kept moving, until I noticed a building that hadn’t been completely torn down. I was drawn to the words etched above the door frame. The scripture was identical to what I remembered in the book. I reached for the door and gently pushed on it. The thing nearly fell off its hinges at the slightest pressure, but it managed to barely stay intact as I made my way inside.

Sunlight filtered through the broken windows, illuminating the dust that seemed to hover in the air. The inside of the building was not as intact as the outside. Cobwebs and layers of dust took overthe small front room. There were shelves that lined the walls, most of which were broken and empty. This must have been some sort of shop, but after centuries of abandonment, there was no way to tell what it sold. I turned to see an old side table in the corner. I walked to it and had to yank on the stiff drawer to get it to open. Inside was nothing but some empty and broken vials. Perhaps witches sold their potions here.

After looking around for a few more minutes and finding nothing, I left. As I exited the building, careful not to touch the door again, I saw something up ahead that made me stop in my tracks. A small trail of smoke floated to the sky far off in the distance. From where I stood, I could not see its source. I headed towards it with caution, aware that it could be a trap.

I walked slowly and quietly for long minutes until I finally reached the edge of the city. Beyond the desolate ruins, there appeared to be farmlands, with cottages that looked just as abandoned and broken as the city behind me. Some of the cottages were made of stone, some of wood and hardened clay, but all of them had either fallen apart or were covered in vines and overgrown foliage. All except one, near the far end from where I stood. And that one little building was the source of the smoke trail.

I continued forward until I came upon the cottage near the shore of a small lake. As I got closer, I could confirm that it appeared to be in decent shape compared to the rest of the buildings that surrounded it. Smoke came out of the chimney and floated towards the sun.

Someone was definitely here.

But who the hell would be in a place like this? And how? No one was supposed to be here. Elias and Willow said it was abandoned. Not only that, but how did they get through the wards? I barely made it through them – wouldn’t have, had I not had Elias to lead me most of the way and advise on how to move forward.

Elias…gods, how I longed for him. We hadn’t been separated long, but with our bond now fully formed, I felt like I literally ached for him, my body screaming at me to find his. I brushed it off as I took a few more steps towards the occupied hut, reminding myself that it could be some sort of trick, or a distraction.

When I noticed a presence behind me, I slowed my steps. I saw their shadow first, then heard the quietest of footsteps. So quiet, the beating of my own heart overpowered the sound.

I slowly bent down, then began pulling my borrowed bow off my shoulder and pretended to inspect the ground. As subtly as I could, I nocked an arrow. My heart fluttered as I felt the presence looming nearer. But before they could reach me, I shot myself up and flung around, pulling the arrow back with enough force for a killing shot. I almost released it, pointed directly at the man that stood less than ten feet away.

“Since when do you know how to use a bow?”

A simultaneous feeling of both exasperation and relief hit me as I met eyes with my uncle.

“Uncle Balor,” I gasped his name. I gently released the bowstring, careful not to shoot the arrow at my uncle. I ran to him and embraced him tightly, dropping the bow at our feet.

“You actually made it,” he laughed as he hugged me back with the same enthusiasm, his sheathed sword swaying at his side.

I forced myself to pull away, my uncle’s hands remaining on my shoulders. My feeling of relief began transforming into anger. “What the fuck are you doing here, Uncle? You said you couldn’t come here. You lied to me.”

“Aurelia, calm down. I never lied.”

I shoved his hands away from my shoulders and took a step back. “All this time, and you were already here? Just waiting for me? Do you know how many times I almostdiedto get here? How manypeople I put at risk? What is wrong with you?!”

“I never said I couldn’t come here. I said you would have to find your own way.”

“Why?!” I was so angry, so full of rage and betrayal.

A sense of despair trickled down the bond as Elias sensed my anguish.

“It was never about the destination, Aurelia. It was about the journey. I thought you coming here would trigger something in you – would help unlock your memories.”

“That doesn’t answer why you couldn’t just take me here yourself!”

“I couldn’t take you because of Adelaide,” Balor answered, his voice sharp.

I paused. “What does my mother have to do with this?”