Wings, Beasts and Claws: Violet Embers

Ch. 11 : Dreams of Caution

That night I felt a familiar pull that I thought I would never feel again.

My body floated and swayed as if it were a leaf in a breeze as I started to see blurry swirls of color appear out of the darkness. A soft, wintery white patch of ground materialized first, surprising me when my feet and toes dipped into the glittering snow. It didn’t feel cold at all and I watched as the trees around me started to shimmer into existence. Some were barren and topped with snow, some were flowering with crystalized petals that winked in the light. The sky then flickered above me and a spattering of stars awoke, twinkling in all shades of blue and white.

I looked down at myself once more and found that I was in a long and simple soft lavender dress that covered my arms. The skirt danced and lifted along with my loose hair as if there was a breeze, but the trees remained still and my skin felt nothing.

“I have missed you, my child.”

I turned and smiled, seeing the ethereal beauty of the All Mother Goddess standing behind me.

Her deep night sky hair was down and once again looked as if it were connected to the sky behind her, with a few stars winking at me here and there. Her skin looked a little paler than I remembered it, but her earth brown eyes still shone with love and wisdom. The dress she wore was an entanglement of yellow, pink and blue winter flowers and twisted tree branches. It was long like mine and fitted perfectly, even if they were nothing more than small pieces of nature.

“I didn’t think you would call on me again, All Mother.” I said, bowing to her before stepping closer. “It’s been so many years since I’ve seen you.”

She reached out and cupped my cheek, smiling warmly at me.

“I have watched you grow your family, dear one, and am very proud of you and all my children that have accepted their True Mates.” She dropped her hand then, her eyes growing dark and her smile disappearing. “Though I wish to be visiting you for more cheerful reasons than this.”

She waved her hand and I watched as thick tree roots shot out from the ground a few feet in front of us. They looped and snaked around each other for what felt like a long moment before they stopped moving, forming a bench for us to sit on.

“Is it because of the war?” I asked, cautiously taking a seat beside her, surprised by how comfortable the roots actually were.

“Yes.” She nodded, staring out into the trees.

“Is my husband going to die?” I nearly shouted, reaching out to take her hands in mine as panic made my heart race. “My brother?”

“Calm yourself, dear one.” She gave my hands a squeeze when she turned to face me, a tiny smile curling her lips. “I know you’re worried, but the skills and strength of them alone will make it difficult for anyone to hurt either one.”

‘Difficult, but not impossible.’ I thought, searching her eyes for any kind of clue.

“I’ve called on you for another reason entirely.” Her words confused me for a moment and I sat there thinking how it could be related to the war at all if she was talking about something else. “I fear for the lives of the children around you.”

My body froze. My hands turned cold. And my mind went blank as something dark dropped in my stomach.

“The children…?” I murmured, unable to fully focus on her face as the faces of each precious child in the Palace rushed through my mind. “What do you mean?”

“The children are the future of your people, and your sons, daughters, nieces and nephews are all vital to the peaceful, bountiful future that I had seen.” I slowly slipped out of my petrified state and blinked away the fog, refocusing on her. “Their lives will be under threat and at risk once your husband and brother lead their Knights away from you. Because of the many lurking in the city and working in the Palace that will try to take advantage of the lowered number of  Knights to harm them.”

“Who?” I asked, feeling the inferno of rage grow inside my chest, wanting to reduce all potential threats to ash. “Who are they?”

“I can not reveal this.” She said softly, looking pained as she gave my hands another squeeze. “It is not my place to intervene… all I can do is warn you so that you may prepare.”

I nodded slowly, recalling how, in the past, she had been adamant about not controlling the lives of her children. Only ever interfering to nudge them in the right direction for them to learn, grow or change. Because, in the end, every decision we made must come from us, and nothing else.

“Then… what can I do?” I asked, knowing now that all she was able to really help me with was some advice along with the warning itself.

“Trust in your instincts, they will never fail you.” She said, her voice almost urgent as I looked into her eyes. “The darkness in those around you will always show itself in some way, no matter how small. So you must pay close attention to any and all that try to get close to you.” Her grip on my hands tightened some more and her body leaned forward, adding weight to her words. “You, and you alone are the only wall standing between the children and the many that wish to harm and use them.” I nodded along, taking in every word she said and engraving it into my heart. “Others already close to you will stand beside you to protect them, but you are the blaze that will ignite the embers in each child's heart. You are the violet light that will show them the way into that beautiful future that awaits them.” She smiled then, her hands relaxing as she slowly leaned back. “You will know that the children are finally safe from all dangers once the Raven and Dragon Souls have been engulfed in amethyst fire.”

I felt my brows knit together at her final words, confused by their meaning.

‘The Raven and Dragon Souls… Those are Cal and Reya’s animal halves.’ I thought to myself. ‘But what does she mean that they’ll be engulfed in amethyst fire?... They’re still so young... And are years away from their first Shift.‘

I didn’t have much time to really puzzle over as the Goddess of creation began to speak again.

“I know you’re afraid to lose someone again.” I returned my gaze to her, feeling that sorrowful pit settle in my chest again. “I have seen you struggle with the memory of your mothers death for years before you met Dorian.” I nodded, flinching as those very images flickered in the back of my mind. “You cannot let yourself be drowned in sadness and fear again, my child… it will only isolate you from those you love, like it did when you first met Dorian.”

I nodded weakly, recalling how much I fought against the natural pull of our Mate Bond when I first met him. But this pain and fear, though similar, was hard to get rid of. And with my brother and husband leaving soon to fight against our enemy, that fear was getting stronger. The very memories I struggled with were also returning and a part of me knew that I would start having nightmares again once Dorian was gone.

“I’m trying…” I told her, my words barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to panic my friends or worry my children… but I’m so scared.” I looked up at her again, feeling another bout of tears begin to spill from my eyes. “I don’t want to lose anyone.”

She reached out and hugged me, running her fingers through my hair as I pressed my cheek against her shoulder.

“I know, dear one.” She started. “But you need to understand that all of my children must return to me at some point.” Her voice was soft and soothing, helping me stop the tears from rushing out some more. “Their deaths happen for a purpose, and the events that come out of each beautiful Soul returning to my arms was meant to happen.”

I thought about what she said and couldn’t help but see the truth in her words.

If our mother hadn't died when she did, Arden and I would've probably spent the rest of our childhood in a different city, growing up as commoners. We wouldn’t have grown up in our father's estate with his wife and kids, suffering through their abuse while also growing our bond as twins. Which in turn meant that I would’ve never been selected as a Queeness, or mastered archery while living there. Arden wouldn’t have gotten all those years of travel and training that helped him become a Captain within the Royal Knightage. He wouldn’t have met Morina either, since he followed me to the Palace when I was a Queeness. We wouldn’t have gotten married, made friends with all the people that we met along the way, or had our kids that we treasure so deeply.

Everything would be so different from what it is now… and that knowledge terrified me.

“Don’t let yourself crumble under the fear, my child.” Her voice sounded fainter than it had a moment ago, and I suddenly realized that the dream was ending, my body no longer able to move. “Cherish the memories of those that pass on and know that they are safely resting with me.” I smiled a little as I pictured that, seeing my mother as well as my kind hearted mother-in-law standing side by side as they joined the All Mother. “They are all watching over you, sending you love and wishing for your happiness.”

The color of the world around me soon blurred along with her fading words. Foggy shapes soon evaporated into nothing, and the floating feeling returned.

Slowly, I began to regain the feeling of my body as darkness surrounded me. My eyes fluttered open and my arms and legs twitched as I gingerly awoke. The sight of my sleeping husband's face greeted me once the weight of sleep left my eyes, and a smile pulled at my lips as I stared at him.

He looked so peaceful as he dreamed, his body surprising me when he hummed and shifted around slightly. His arm came up and hooked my waist, pulling me closer and making me giggle.

“The sun is up, my King.” I muttered, softly pushing against his chest.

“No…” He groaned, tightening his hold on me. “The sun is gone.”

I laughed some more and pushed a little harder, watching his eyebrows wrinkle as he groaned even louder.

‘Who would’ve thought that the great Black Dragon would be so stubborn in the mornings.’ I thought, smiling even more as we continued going back and forth while the light of the rising sun spilled into our room.