Bound by Blood & Parted by Fate

Chapter 12 – The Vision In The Cave

Chapter 12 – The Vision In The Cave

Fae had been trapped in the cave for what felt like an eternity. The darkness was suffocating and the silence was deafening. She had lost track of time and didn't know how many days or weeks had passed since she was captured. The only time she saw any light or human interaction was when they brought her food, which was usually just enough to keep her alive.

As the days went on, Fae felt like she was losing her mind. She would talk to herself just to hear her own voice, and would spend hours imagining different scenarios in her head, forcing her mind to escape from this prison.

But the worst part was the thought of her sister alone, she couldn't shake off the constant worry about little Nae. Everytime she tried to remember their peaceful life in Bravadis, her mind would eventually drift back to that fateful night, to the last time she saw her little sister ; the moment she was her grandmother lying on the cold ground.

It was her fault, all of her fault. The Basharite had killed thousands of people just to find her and she handed herself in a golden platter. Maybe she should have died, and the sacrifice of a few lives would have been worth it.

Despite her despair, Fae clung onto the hope that one day she would be rescued and reunited with her sister. But for now, she was stuck in the darkness with nothing but her thoughts and the occasional visit from her captors.

Fae closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to steady her racing heart. She could feel the pounding in her temples as she focused on the pain in her hands. She scratched them against the rough cave walls, feeling the blood trickle down her fingers. The pain was excruciating, but she knew it was the only way out of here. She bears the thought of staying in the darkness and isolation any longer. She needed to have a vision, see something, anything that would get her out of here.

With her eyes closed, she concentrated harder, willing the pain to intensify. Suddenly, the darkness behind her eyelids gave way to a faint, blurry image. As she squinted, the image came into focus - a man with grey hair and a beard, a woman in a shimmering gold and white dress, and a sense of malevolence that made her shudder. They seemed to be discussing something, but she couldn't make out their words.

Fae's heart raced as she tried to focus harder to make sense of what she was seeing. She dug her nails deeper into the wall, ignoring the pain that shot up her arms. The image became clearer,she could not see the man's face – but she knew it was twisted in a sneer of hatred, and his eyes gleamed with malice.

As she watched, the vision slowly faded, and she was once again plunged into darkness. But she knew that she had seen something, and that was enough.

As she fainted, she heard a distant voice whisper these words to her ear:

A man with a gray beard, wise and old,

In a faraway land, his stories are told,

A woman whose dress shines gold and white,

A lady of beauty, a heavenly sight.

But enemies lurk in the shadows of night,

They seek to bring you down from your height,

But hold your head high, and stand tall,

For with me as ally, you will never fall,

Fae's body was weak and her mind was hazy as she sat in the darkness of her cave. She barely had the strength to lift her head when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. It was the guard coming to bring her food.

Summoning the last bit of her energy, Fae managed to whisper with a broken voice, "I had a vision." The guard looked at her with surprise and concern, but Fae had already used up all her strength. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted, falling to the ground in a heap.

The guard carried Fae into Reza's office carelessly, prompting Reza to look up from his desk with surprise.For a split second he looked concerned. The weight loss had subtly reshaped her face, her cheekbones more pronounced. The shadows under her eyes told tales of sleepless nights.

Her hair styled in cornrows, bore the marks of her time spent in the cave. The once beautiful hairstyle had grown loose, some strands escaping to frame the braids in a halo of curls.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, standing up from his chair.

The guard explained how Fae had whispered about having a vision before fainting.

Fae's head lolled to the side, her breaths shallow and ragged. Reza gestured for the guard to set her down gently on the nearby sofa. "Call a servant," he ordered, this time his concerned face more visible, "and have her taken to be bathed, dressed and fed properly."

The guard immediately obeyed and left to fetch a servant. Reza knelt down beside Fae, placing a hand on her forehead to check for a fever. He felt a twinge of pity for her.

Reza watched the guard carry Fae away alongside two servants with a sense of pity, but also a tinge of frustration.

She deserves to be punished because she tried to escape. No one escapes from Reza, the Basharite of Meyaris. He had been too nice to her. He had released all of her people as she had requested, giving her one of the finest bedrooms of the palace. She needed to be reminded of her place, even though she is a priestess with the means to help him attain his goals, she still is no more than a prisoner.

He sighed and returned to his desk, picking up his quill and dipping it in ink to continue writing his letter. But as he wrote, his thoughts kept drifting back to Fae and her desperate state.

He couldn't deny that he felt a certain level of intrigue towards her. No one had ever been bold enough to try to kill him, at least not openly. He admired her courage and her willingness to fight for what she believed in. Reza couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about her or else, why would he think of her so much?

The guard followed the two women to the bathhouse. He then left as they took care of her, they removed her clothes and put her into a wooden tub filled with warm water and fragrant oils. The steam rising from the tub enveloped her, making her feel as if she was in a dream. The woman gently washed her hair and body, taking great care to be gentle with her bruises and cuts. Fae closed her eyes, feeling relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. Later one Sade came and it brought a smile to Fae's face, something she hadn’t done in a while. Sade hugged Fae and she could not help me burst into tears.

"Don’t worry, child. It is over…” Sade's voice was as gentle as a soothing lullaby, her fingers tenderly stroking Fae's hair until the tremors in her body began to subside. Sade's eyes, warm pools of understanding, met Fae's gaze with a comforting intensity, conveying a sense of safety and reassurance.

With delicate hands, Sade wiped away the tear stains from Fae’s cheeks, her touch soft yet firm, as if erasing not just the tears but the pain that lingered beneath them. Her words, spoken with a motherly tenderness, held a healing power, a promise that the storm had passed and tranquility would follow.

"Do not let those ugly tears ruin your pretty face," Sade said, her tone filled with a blend of empathy and strength. "You are strong, my dear. Sit down, let me fix your hair." As she spoke, her fingers moved skillfully through Fae’s hair, each stroke carrying a silent message of care and protection. In those moments, Sade's nurturing presence enveloped Fae like a warm embrace, offering solace and a sanctuary in which she could find refuge from the world's troubles.