Moirai
Chapter 16

It was the firsttime I had ever witnessed someone die, or even seen a dead body. Centurion’sdeath was so sudden that a stunned silence followed for nearly a minute.

I felt like Ihad frozen. Numbness spread through my hands and feet as I stared at his nowlifeless form. My head spun wildly.

“How…” my voicecame out as a croak. I cleared my throat and swallowed several times beforecontinuing. “How could this happen?”

Kasanda’s voicewas flat and I looked up to see her own eyes haunted by what we had justwitnessed, as she answered me. “This is what Indina is, Alnya. Death. Pain.Suffering. Do you see now how important you are?”

“Stop.” Ibreathed, holding a shaking hand to my mouth. “Stop saying that.”

“I’m not tryingto pressure you.” Kasanda said firmly. “I only want you to realise that I trustyou and I trust that you can defeat her. You can, and you must.”

Beyond words, Ishook my head. I felt wetness on my cheeks and dimly realised I was crying.

“Kasanda! Won’tyou take it easy on her?” Mayran’s words were delivered with as much a shakingvoice as mine, yet they were stern. However, as he reached towards me, I joltedaway and glared at him.

“No! For all Iknow, you are what he was, or worse!” I spat.

Kasanda staredfrom him to me. “Mayran, what is she talking about.”

He grimaced.“She…she overheard Umbra reminding me of my past.”

“What past?” Idemanded, wiping my eyes furiously and deliberately turning away fromCenturion’s body.

“You mean youhaven’t told her?” Kasanda gasped disapprovingly.

“How could I?”Mayran asked hoarsely. “You know, Kasanda. What would she think of me?”

“’She’’s righthere!” I snapped. I knew that my emotions were stretched taut and under normalcircumstances I would be treating this with a much calmer attitude, but at themoment I couldn’t care less. “Will someone please tell me what is going on!”

After shootingan angry look at Mayran, Kasanda placed a hand on my arm. “Alnya, do you trustme?”

I looked intoher dark green eyes. Her steady gaze had an instantly calming effect and I feltmy breathing slow. “Yes.”

“Well, I trustMayran. I know his history, and I accept who he is, having thrown it behindhim. Now,” she addressed Mayran, who had been silently standing, looking at theground like a naughty child. “Tomorrow, you are to tell Alnya and Loni everything.I don’t care what they think of you for it, but you must be honest with them.Look at what Alnya suspected without knowing the truth!”

Mayranswallowed. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Alnya. I will tell you everything.”

And strangely, Icould hear the genuineness in his words, and I believed him. I nodded.

“Go back to bed,Alnya.” Kasanda said softly.

Closing my eyes,I murmured, “I can’t.” my hands started shaking again. “Not when all I can seeare Centurion’s eyes, and all I can hear are his final words.”

“I can helpthere.”

I jumped when I sensed her use her aura, although ittook me a moment to realise what she’d done. My eyes became heavy. A yawnforced its way out of my mouth, and I felt my knees begin to give way. Mayranscooped me up.

“Take her backto the cottage.”

I registeredwhen we left the house, but dropped off almost immediately after, and did notwake until morning.

When I opened myeyes, visions of the previous night’s event flashed before them like watching aslideshow on fast forward. I shivered, though the room was warm and cosy,trying to block out the images. Today I needed to focus on other things.

Indina hadprobably intended to scare me off by waiting to kill Centurion in front of me,but in fact it had the opposite effect. My resolve was nothing if notstrengthened.

Still, Icouldn’t deny that witnessing a display of her power had left me shaken up.

And then therewas Mayran…

A knock on thedoor startled me out of my musings. For a moment, I seriously consideredpretending to still be asleep. I didn’t know whether I was ready to face himyet. I still didn’t know what to think, despite what Kasanda had told me.However, I was saved from the confrontation when the door opened to revealLoni, looking rather wild and flustered.

“Alnya! Are youalright?” She asked anxiously. “Last night, I heard voices but by the time Icame outside, there was no-one around. I stayed awake, and less than half anhour later Mayran appeared carrying you. I didn’t know what happened. He saidyou were just sleeping but…”

I held up a handto stop her, used to the fact that she would often speak a million miles anhour when excited or worried. “I’m fine.”

Briefly, Iexplained what had happened the previous night. It was difficult to retell, asit brought the memories into sharp relief once again, but I managed to force myemotions down. Loni clapped a hand to her mouth at the end of the tale, hereyes shimmering.

“He clearlywasn’t nearly like the awful person Indina made him be.” She whispered. “Tokill him like that, in front of you all…that’s beyond evil.”

I nodded gravely.“And then there’s the situation with Mayran. I don’t know what to think…Kasandasaid she trusts him…”

“Well, you saidshe told him to explain things to us.” Loni pointed out. “I guess we’ll justhave to wait and see.”

“Mm-hmm.”

She came and satnext to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’m really sorry, Alnya.For everything. For you getting dragged into all this.”

“It’s not yourfault.” I murmured. “It’s not anyone’s fault, really. Except Indina’s.”

“I know it’s notmy fault, but I still feel somewhat responsible. As the Inventrix, I found you and, when the time came, I gave you the book. But I understandwhat you mean…I can’t imagine how you must feel, having all of this thrust uponyou out of nowhere.”

I shrugged,trying to lighten the mood. “Hey, I’ve been told by many that I’m veryadaptable.”

She grinnedsuddenly. “Like when you auditioned for that play and started readingShakespeare before you realised it was meant to be based on To Kill aMockingbird, so you changed halfway through.”

“And becamefamous throughout the school as Juliet Scout!”

We dissolvedinto fits of laughter and found ourselves unable to stop. The memory wasn’treally that funny…it was just that it felt like we hadn’t laughed in ages.

A light rap onthe door stopped us, although we were still giggling when Kasanda walked in.

She looked asthough she didn’t know whether to be amused or concerned as she said, “Are youtwo ready?”

Sobering up, Igot to my feet. “I haven’t packed yet, but it won’t take me long.”

“I’m ready.”Loni said, also standing.

Kasanda nodded.“Alright, well, Alnya when you’re done, come to the Praesul. They havesomething to give you before you leave.”

I had almostforgotten about that. My first meeting with the Praesul seemed so long ago, butin reality it had only been two days since then. The expression ‘time flieswhen you’re having fun’ should be changed to ‘time flies when you feel likeit’s running out’.

I quickly threwmy meagre belongings into the backpack and Loni and I made our way to the Praesul’house. I knew that Mayran would probably be there as well, and decided that itwould be easiest to pretend as if nothing was wrong until we left Flowerage.

All four Praesulstood in a line outside their picturesque cottage, their faces blank. I wasglad that I wouldn’t have to go inside; I didn’t know if I would be able tobear seeing the room…

It was strange; yesterday,I had hated and feared Centurion in equal measure, both before and during theTrial. When I had guessed his secret, I hadn’t known what to think. Now, barelytwenty-four hours after the Trial, I was mourning him. He was nothing more thanan innocent person who had been Indina’s pawn.

Sol approached meand took my hands in hers. She must have done something with her aura, becauseinstantly my body was filled with warmth, driving away the coldness of thenight. She smiled up at me and again I was struck by how petite she and theother Praesul were.

“As we told youlast time,” she began. “We have something to give you. You may have wonderedwhy we did not give it to you before the Trial.”

I nodded.

“The answer isthat it must only be used against Indina.” Aurora trilled, her bright eyesflashing with a swirling array of colours; purple, gold, blue…

“Used?” I questionedher use of words.

“Yes, for whatwe have to offer is the only weapon that can successfully kill her, for it hasbeen imbued with each of our auras over the years since Kasanda first had hervision. Indina resides in the dark, but, each in our own way, we all bringlight.” Luna stepped forward and I realised that she was holding something thatwas covered with a shimmering dark blue cloth. As she stepped forwards, shepulled the cloth away, revealing a dagger.

It was of veryplain design; nothing more than a blade and a handle wrapped in black leatherfor grip. No jewels, no writing on the blade, nothing that would suggest thatit was anything out of the ordinary.

I reachedtowards it, but Luna’s voice, usually dreamy but suddenly sharp, stopped me. Shefixed me with a piercing stare. “If you take up this blade, you are sealingyour fate. Only the person who intends to slay Indina can hold this blade. Mayyour resolve be firm, or else you will replace it turning against you.”

“As we are sureyou have surmised by now, Indina has filled herself with such evil that it willtake more than a simple sword through the heart to kill her.” Sol said as Ihesitated.

I nodded,though, despite the fact that I had guessed this to be the case…I had alsofervently hoped it was otherwise.

“You must trustin your own instincts, Alnya. Your instincts, and your aura. Both will neverfail you. That much is certain. When the moment is upon you, you will know whatto do.” Sol explained.

I thought aboutwhat both of them were saying. Did I really have it in me to kill Indina? Toactually take her life? Despite how evil she was, did I even have the right to do that? It seemed like theright had been given to me by fate, without any thought as to whether I wantedit or not. Surely fate wouldn’t make a mistake.

Faces swambehind my eyes; Eldaline, her worn and tired face contrasting with her sharpeyes and wit as she told of how she rescued Okanto’s people from Indina’sattack. She and the others were worth ridding the world of Indina for. Kasanda,her blue eyes bright with belief and confidence in me, yet also the desperationI could see behind the brightness that revealed how much she wished for Renentato be at peace. To see that desperation and sadness gone was worth it.

And thenCenturion; nothing more than an innocent bystander whose self-pride made him Indina’starget. Centurion, who was forced to fight me, apparently Renenta’s only hope,without any control over his own mind and body. Centurion, who lost his life tothe wicked aurae herself. He was worth it.

But why did it haveto be me? Surely a Dryad or human aurae, adult and well versed in combat andthe ways of Renenta, would have been more suitable. Why had fate thrust thisupon me; a seventeen year old outer-worlder who had never had any moreresponsibility than was necessary upon her shoulders.

I breatheddeeply, struggling to keep a hold on my wavering emotions. I squeezed my eyesshut and curled the hand that still hovered above the dagger into a fist.

I did not want to break down again, but I wasoverwhelmed with what felt like a mountain resting upon my back. If I took thedagger but couldn’t kill Indina when the time came, not only would my own lifebe lost but so would Renenta. If I didn’t, was there anything else that wouldwork against her?

I felt a warmhand on my shoulder and knew without looking that it was Loni. Then I feltanother hand, this time squeezing mine in reassurance, and for the first timesince yesterday I felt no suspicion towards its owner.

Not alone. Ithought back to all the books I would read in the outer-world; the protagonistwould often have companions along the way but, at the climax, they would go offalone. I vowed not to do that. I never wanted to be alone against the enemy. Myfriends would stay with me to the end, and make sure the three of us saw Indinafall together.

Opening my eyes,I reached forwards and took the dagger.