It shouldn’t have, but Pearl’s murder had fallen to the wayside, something I had decided to rectify.
Only Ishira could take me to the one who discovered her body, but I hadn’t realised in that moment, how hard it was going to hit me.
Pearl had been discovered by her mate, and she refused to leave her watery dwelling. I couldn’t blame her for that, but I needed to know how she was found. Her brother deemed it a necessary action to meet with me, and that was how I found myself sitting at the edge of the lake.
The water nymphs rarely revealed any features to be able to discern just who you were speaking with, and that occasion proved to be no different.
The water rose half out of the lake, in a humanoid shape, with just enough definition to give you an impression of a male.
We all knew they could look relatively human, even though their skin always held a translucent nature, with a faint sheen of blue to it. Clearly, they did not feel it relevant to allow me the courtesy of such a reveal, but it didn’t seem a worthy battle to wage.
“My sister is too distraught to relive such a painful experience; we recognise you as a leader but that is not enough to inflict more suffering of such a delicate nature.”
“I respect the reasoning behind her refusal of a meeting, this is something I wished did not have to happen, but I need to know how she came to find Pearl in the first place.”
“My sister could never accept that Pearl would ever betray us. She knew she would never have left without her mate beside her. We still don’t know how that traitorous bitch was able to lure her into deceiving Unya, but we do know it would not have been willingly. My sister never stopped trying to find her, they were connected on a spiritual level and Pearl’s connection to her resurfaced.
I refused to let my sister go off on her own, she relented to me accompanying her. I’m glad I did, otherwise I do not believe she would still be here now. By the time we got to Pearl she was only just clinging on to the last dregs of life, she had been tortured. Removed from the water for far too long, her skin was cracked and the parts that weren’t, had been scorched. A water nymph should not be able to burn, but Nyakesh found a way. My sister dragged her into the water, and she died in her arms, it was too late for us to be of any assistance.”
What could I say to something like that, I knew Nyakesh had lost her way but never would’ve believed she could do something so heinous. It was an unconscionable act. I wanted to offer closure but knew better than to deliver a promise I did not know I could fulfil.
“Where is your sister now? Is there anything any of us can do to help her in any way?”
His eyes were revealed to me, and it seemed as though he had something he needed to say, but he held back.
“My sister is too lost for anyone here to be able to help; this is a water nymph problem and we will rectify it between us.”
I wanted to say something, anything, but he stole that option when he merged with the water and disappeared.
“I warned you it would not be easy to hear of her demise, do you now see why I reacted the way I did?” Ishira asked, once I returned to my new home within the camp.
“He was hiding something from me Ishira and by the way you averted your eyes, I think you know what that something is.”
“I will not betray my people, he is trying to fix an issue that has arisen, please do not question me further I would hate to have to lie to you my friend.”
Ishira had let the guilt over what she had done consume her, I never would have considered us close, but a considerable distance had grown between us. If she wasn’t avoiding me, then her protectiveness was bordering on stifling. It went from one extreme to another.
“Have you felt any more of Unya’s fire, do you still believe she is okay?”
“She is far from okay, but she is most definitely alive. Her fire is raging within her, being fuelled by negative emotions. I can sense a darkness consuming her very being and it may be too late to reach her, if she carries on down whatever path she has taken, I fear she will never return.”
The news just kept on getting worse, an ally had been murdered, my closest friend was in danger and the Gods were plotting nefarious deeds no one could predict.
I felt entirely out of my comfort zone and for the umpteenth time, found myself wishing Alistair was still here. Leadership had come so naturally to him, I wasn’t terrible, but my skills paled dramatically in comparison.
Ishira had quietly slipped out of the dining room but was replaced by Janelle and David.
“Janelle has something she needs to tell you, she has ties to many creatures we never knew about,” stated David the ire apparent by his tone.
Janelle shuffled on her feet, which was unusual for her. She never came across as someone who had a nervous disposition, which didn?
?t bode well for whatever she would say.
“I took Nora with me to London, according to David I need permission to go anywhere, but that is neither here nor there. While I was away, I came across an old friend of mine who was being attacked by, what appeared to be nothing more than a shadow. It looked as though it was smothering him, I don’t know what it was doing, but if it hadn’t had been for Nora extinguishing the shadow with her light he would have died.”
“Janelle, despite what David may have said, you can come and go as you please. Just stay safe and always have a way to contact us, just in case you need it. First off do I need to be worried about you disappearing to London without telling either of us and, does your friend warrant my attention.”
“Yeah, she seemed to have forgotten to tell you who He was, what a surprise.”