Imperial (Insight #8)(68)

This couldn’t be; this was unprecedented. How could two from darkness bring forth such a beautiful sight?

I couldn’t ask the questions that were racing through my mind, for all I could do was watch with wide eyes as our mists, now one, began its descent as its path divided the heavens with a bold steak of light.

The mist found its host, a woman with a powerful heart and calm thoughts.

I witnessed the birth. I saw our daughter take her first breath.

“Where is she?” I breathed, stepping closer to the stream, wanting to go to her this instant. I had to see this precious creation, this symbol of love, this symbol of the perfect devotion and love that Vade and I had not only for each other, but also for our lines, for the souls we were created to protect.

Vade’s arms seized around me; they were not peacefully holding me. I knew this embrace. It was the one he used to hold me in check right as my emotions assaulted the universe. Why? Why was he holding me back when I felt bliss?

Then I saw it. Then I understood. She was stolen. My precious little girl was stolen—and the king of fear, Donalt himself, had stolen her.

I bellowed a scream like no other and fought to reach the springs, fought to reach her and pull her from his clutches. I was going to rip Donalt into shreds, burn each shred, then resurrect him just so I could kill him again.

Vade’s hold on me did not fail. His energy encased us, and the raging storm my soul let out beat against it as a stagnant force, enough force to end time for every single dimension below. Vade was the only thing standing between them and absolute destruction.

My wrath refused to die or waver. I kept seeing those dark eyes of hers, a perfect combination of Vade’s and mine, her ivory skin, how just like Vade she was so calm; she was so much of him and so little of me, but she was ours.

I began to feel weak, to quiver, and as my knees buckled Vade fell with me to the floor and turned me in his arms. I felt his hand holding my head to his chest as his lips rested at the peak of my forehead.

“She exists because we love each other, Glory.”

The word I feared that had caused me so much turmoil was now my saving grace. It was forcing me not to see her as a prisoner, as a stolen part of my line, but as a child, a child made of love.

I told myself I would make this up to her, one way or another I would make this up to her.

“Name?” I breathed, feeling the storm calm around me, but Vade refused to let either of us out of the essence he was shielding us in.

“Monroe.”

“How long, Vade? How long did you know she was taken—and why have you done nothing?”

He lifted my chin and caressed my tears away. “He told me when to send our energy out. That last fight we had, it wasn’t about your line feeding properly; it was about you. I wanted you to take care of yourself, for your energy to be as strong as possible because I felt this coming. At the circle of kings, right after you were taken, the Creator showed me our mists, those two dancing above, daring to join but then shying away. I took it as a promise that you would come back, and when you did that energy would find the power to collide.”

“Has her essence been cycling through lives this whole time? How has he hurt her?” I knew our Fated had lived several lives in the dimensions below at this point, and the idea that this precious child was all alone down there was too much. She was different from the others: she was not an old soul that had chosen the path of an Escort; she was a new soul, a new beginning.

“No, our energy carried on that dance until quite recently. She has only lived fifteen years at this point.”

That was too long, as far as I was concerned. “There is no telling what Donalt has said or done to her, Vade. We have to go, we have to go now.”

“Shh,” he said, caressing my cheek. “Her host, her Earthly mother is very wise. Donalt came to her some time ago, swooned her. Even gave her two other children that she loves deeply, but when Monroe was born she sensed that something was very different about her. She sought a Witness to protect her, to take her out of The Realm that Donalt had them all living in. That Witness has guarded her fearlessly, and now he has the help of our Fated.”

“Silas,” I said with wide eyes.

He nodded once. “I turned back to the springs and saw Monroe’s Earthly mother speak to Silas. She trusted him because she said she could sense her daughter in his presence.”

“Donalt doesn’t have her?” I clarified.

Vade nodded to the streams. There, I saw our precious daughter sitting in a field of flowers with two other children. I knew this place was not the place that Donalt took human form in. She was far from him in that sense.

All at once, Monroe looked up, right into our waiting eyes. She edged forward ever so slightly as her dark eyes grew the slightest bit wider and a ghost of a smile that her father was known for echoed on her lips.

The children with her grinned widely and waved in our direction.

“She can see us!”

Still not trusting my control, Vade did not let down his guard just yet. “Those children, and many more like them, are the mist of lights.”

I couldn’t look at him; I was staring into Monroe. “I heard them,” I whispered.

“She is safe, Glory. I will smite anyone who dares to harm her, but right now this distance is needed.”

“No. No way.”

“She is in transition, her powers growing into form. Even if we were there from day one, she would have to leave us now and walk with that light, understand that side of her energy.”