"I wonder why Victor would do that," Sam mused.
"Do you not know the answer?" Haniel asked looking at her intensely.
"Because Victor wants to be his own boss," I answered. "He doesn't want to have to answer to anyone, not The Light or The Dark One. He is selfish and offered up his own flesh and blood so he could continue to prosper."
"Krista is correct," Haniel said.
"So, while Krista is leading us in to rescue our missing Links, you will be destroying Victor and his Descended?" Shawn asked, carefully skirting around using Mark's name.
"That would be correct." Haniel said without hesitation.
Sam came over to stand next to me. She placed her arm around my shoulder, offering moral support at Haniel's words.
"I'm okay," I said. I hope he can be saved, even if we aren't Links anymore.
"What?" Robert asked, clearly confused.
"Our Link was broken the moment Mark sealed his soul from mine," I said looking at Haniel for confirmation.
Once again being of little words, he merely nodded his head.
"So, all hope is lost?" Sam asked as her shoulders slumped.
"One can always hope, Sam. That is the privilege that all those in the earthly realm are given. Hope is a powerful emotion that should never be given up on," Haniel affirmed.
"Well, I don't believe it," Sam replied stubbornly.
"Sam, even if Mark isn't a Descended, our Link is gone. We no longer belong to each other."
Sam's eyes filled with tears at my words, but I kept the wall I had erected around my heart firmly in place. "It's fine guys. I've accepted my responsibilities as an Ascended and that's what matters now. It's my job to get us in there and rescue who we can," I said, addressing the group as one.
My words seemed to open the flood gates and for the next hour we discussed strategies. I could tell my Band still wasn't overly crazy about my part in the whole mission, but I stoically ignored their exchanged looks of concern.
By lunchtime we were famished, but at least we had a solid plan in place. Kieran and Jenna made a mountain of sandwiches out of the last of the bread and supplies. I loaded up my plate with chips and one of the thick sandwiches, before I settled on one of the logs. I balanced the plate on my knees just as the first snowflakes began to fall.
Glancing up at the sky beyond our protective tent, I could see that the heavy clouds had moved in over us and were rapidly dropping oversized snowflakes. The temperature drop from the night before made it so that flakes began to stack up on each other instead of melting, blanketing the area around us. I couldn't help wondering whether this was a gift from The Light or a curse from The Dark One. I could see the perks of leading our attacks that night when Victor might have his defenses down, although a frozen snow covered mountain would prove difficult for escape if the battle took a turn for the worse.
The conversations around me dwindled down as we finished our lunches, keeping our eyes on the snow that continued to fall. Each flake was roughly the size of a cotton ball making it tough to see much beyond our temporary shelter. The others did not voice their concern, but I could feel their mixed emotions rolling through the camp. Taking my new role to heart, I tampered their mixed emotions back easily and filtered them instead with courage and peace. The task was as easy as breathing to me and it felt second nature to do it. >"It's what I'm made to do now," I finally answered Kieran, pulling my mind back to the conversation.
Kieran looked at me closely, obviously trying to gauge how I was feeling, but I deflected her attempt without an effort. I was not ready for anyone to know the rollercoaster ride my emotions were on as I sorted through my new priorities.
"Is Haniel around?" I asked, changing the subject before she could pry any further.
"I haven't seen him this morning. Do you need him for something?"
"Yeah, I have something I need to run by him. I guess I can always page him," I said, shooting her a smile. My mind sent the message before the words could even leave my lips and within seconds, Haniel was striding through the woods toward our campsite.
"Did you require my assistance?" He asked, stopping in front of me.
"I was hoping we could go for a walk and talk," I said, making my point clear. My friends had stopped all their morning rituals at Haniel's appearance and were all studying me intently. It became abundantly clear by their expressions that my nightmare the night before had woken more than just my friends in our tent. By the looks they were shooting my way, it was obvious they were expecting some kind of nervous breakdown from me.
"I'm fine guys," I said, trying to reassure them. "I just need to iron some stuff out with Haniel."
My words seemed to ease their stress a little, but I could still feel their stares boring into my backside as Haniel and I left the campsite behind.
Instead of walking up toward the stream like the previous day, Haniel and I walked down the mountain until we hit another small clearing not too far from camp. The clearing was empty except for a lone boulder that was roughly the size of one of the cute Mini Cooper cars I loved. The boulder was smack-dab in the middle of the clearing and was covered with a soft blanket of moss that begged you to sit down. I scrambled up the side of the boulder and perched myself on the flattest spot I could find. The height of the boulder allowed me to make eye contact with Haniel from where I sat, which I felt was crucial for what I had to say.
Haniel's face was a blank slate and he watched me without saying a word. His blue eyes turned guarded as I finally turned to him.