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The trio sat in an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the flight to the gate’s location until Luc announced he thought the remaining Esrac would be somewhere close by. At Ella’s side, Fidget grumbled about being in his cage. But she wouldn’t let him out, no matter how much he protested. It’d be much safer for him in there than anywhere else, and he wouldn’t get up to mischief either.
“Eric, stay here,” Luc told him, as they got up to disembark. “I don’t know how long we’ll be, but we might have to make a quick exit.”
“Don’t let Fidget out of his cage, either,” Ella warned. “No matter what he says or does.”
Eric stood up as Ella turned away from him. “Wait, what if you get into trouble? What are those monsters, anyway? You and Griffin never did tell me the full story.”
Luc’s jaw tightened. “We told you what you need to know, leave it at that.”
He opened the ship’s door. “Ella, let’s go.”
“Be careful,” Eric said.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I have Luc.”
Eric snorted. “Somehow I doubt your safety is his first priority.”
“I can take care of myself.” She turned and hurried after Luc, ignoring Fidget’s calls to come back.
Luc didn’t say anything to her, which she was grateful for. If he had, there was no doubt they’d only end up arguing again. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, about the Esrac, about being an avatar, and about the future, but she stayed quiet, doubting she’d like some of the answers. She knew what Luc was set on, and there was no way she’d let anyone take her magic away without a fight.
Luc stopped when they reached a clearing, and Ella glanced around, half expecting something to jump out at them. Nothing happened.
“Do you feel anything?” Luc asked.
“Oh yeah, tired, irritated...” She pushed her long hair off her face to roll her eyes at him.
“That’s not what I meant. Avatars can sense when Esrac are close by,” he said. “Close your eyes. Tell me what you feel.”
She scowled, but closed her eyes. She heard her heart pounding in her ears and the wind rustling leaves and smelt wet grass and pinecones.
“I don’t feel anything,” she said after a few moments.
“Concentrate. What did it feel like when you saw that other Esrac?”
Ella shuddered at the memory. “Awful. Cold and empty.”
“Good, focus on that.”
She closed her eyes again, this time remembering what she felt when the Esrac had attacked her. “I still don’t feel anything. I don’t understand why you brought me along given how determined you are to take my magic away.”
“I already told you why.”
Ella’s hands clenched into fists, but her eyes stayed shut. “No, you just said it would keep me safe. I know you’re still hiding something from me. I get that they’re a threat, and I know I screwed up when I opened the gate, but how would you feel if someone tried taking your magic away?”
“That’s—”
“Don’t you dare tell me it’s different. I control my powers just fine! I’ve kept them a secret for as long as I can remember,” she hissed. “Do you just want to be the last Valan knight aside from Griffin?”
“I’m not the last. There are others out there.”
Ella’s eyes flew open. “What? Where?”
Luc shook his head, his jaw tightening. “I’ve said too much already.”
He turned to go, but Ella grabbed his arm. She’d get answers out of him one way or another, even if it meant pestering him for them.
Energy jolted between them, and the forest faded. Ella lay on the ground in the gate room, feeling her power and her life draining away as it poured into the open gate.
“Aurelia!” Luc appeared at her side, falling to his knees beside her. “Aurelia, what have you done?” He clutched her hand.
“I had to do it.” She reached up to touch his face. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“You’ll never lose me.”
“We failed, Lucan. It was our duty to protect the world. If I can stop the Esrac by sealing the gates, I will. I’ll give my life if I have to.”
“No, you can’t die! You can’t, I won’t let you.”
Ella smiled as she felt her life force seeping away.
Another man appeared. He looked so much like Griffin it was eerie.
“The city has fallen, and most of our people are dead,” he said. “You did this. An avatar and a knight share a sacred duty to protect the gates between the worlds. You both failed in that duty.”
“The Esrac are gone. I sealed them in another realm,” Ella rasped.
“We brought the threat here. What’s to stop them or another enemy coming through?” the Griffin look-alike demanded. “I warned you both, but you didn’t listen. The gates can never be opened again, nor will any other avatar be trained to protect them. I curse you both in this and every future life. You’ll never be together. Not until balance has been restored and the threat from the Esrac is finally over.”
Ella pulled away, letting go of Luc’s arm as she gasped for breath. “What just happened?”
“The truth,” Luc said. “Now you know why duty must always come first.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Avatars and knights were sworn to serve the goddess, ensuring the balance between magic being used for life and death was kept between the worlds. In our first lives, we broke our oaths. We not only fell in love, we walked between the realms and found an enemy that almost destroyed the places we were meant to protect. Our people blamed us for the destruction that ensued and cursed us. I’ve been trying to find a way to stop the Esrac ever since,” he said. “Our people decided to ban magic and stop the training of all avatars in the hope the past would never repeat itself, and the bloodline died out. You’re the only one because we were cursed to come back over and over again until we fix it.”
“And instead of doing that, I started the cycle again.” She sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I hoped to keep you away from this. I wanted you to have a life free from the past, for things to be different this time, but I guess I couldn’t stop fate from having its way.”
“Is that why you pushed me away?”
He avoided her gaze. “It doesn’t work between us, Ella. It never has.”
“Really? Because something keeps drawing us back together.”
“Being together won’t change anything. I’ll still have to watch you die, and I won’t do that again.”
“Luc...” An icy feeling washed over her, and she stiffened. “They’re here. I feel them.”
Luc glanced around, pulling out his sword. “Where?”
“Close.” She touched his arm. “Look, I still don’t understand what all this means, but whatever happens, I think we’re supposed to get through this together. Powers and all.”
“Ella, I can’t watch you die again. I won’t.” He touched her cheek. “If that means taking your powers, then—”
He suddenly pulled away, drawing his glowing sabre.
A chill ran over Ella once more. Goose bumps spread over her arms, exactly as they had the day she’d first encountered the Esrac. One of them had arrived.
Something blurred toward them.
Luc shoved her behind him as an Esrac appeared and his sword flared to life.
Ella’s scrambled up, sensing a second Esrac. Although an avatar’s role was to keep the balance and protect the gate, she hadn’t been built to stand back and let someone else fight her battles for her.
Purple fire formed in her hand as the second Esrac came at her.
“Alright, you slimy-faced beast. I’m ready for you this time.” She threw the burst of starfire straight at it. The Esrac ducked and the tree behind him exploded.
“Ella?” a voice called, echoing through her ears. “Ella?” It was the same voice she’d heard haunting her dreams.
Who is it? What does it mean?
The Esrac flew at her, but she blasted it again. This time, the starfire burned its arm, making the Esrac howl in pain.
“Ella, you must help me!” the voice called again
Ella clutched her head as the voice grew louder. Seeing its opportunity, the Esrac grabbed her by the throat, its barbs piercing through her neck.
Ella raised both her hands, calling up all the power she could muster, and set the creature aflame. As she caught her breath, she noticed Luc was still battling two of them.
“Ella?” the voice shouted. “Ella, you must come to the gate!”
One of the Esrac knocked Luc to the ground, and the other one fled, heading off in the direction of the gate room.
Without thinking, Ella ran after it. She couldn’t allow it to try and open it. With enough blood and force restored to its body, it might be able to weaken the wards that had been placed on it so long ago.
The rings shot up as the Esrac activated the transportation device, and Ella gritted her teeth as the ring platform fell away, disappearing from view. She jumped onto the platform the second it reappeared, ordering the device to take her down into the chamber.
“Ella, no!” Luc called after her.
She ignored him as the rings rose up and light enveloped her.
This time, the chamber was lit by glowing torches that filled the space with an eerie glow, and Ella quickly spotted the Esrac standing in front of the gate.
“Stop!” she cried. “I won’t let you open it.” Starfire formed in her hand as she prepared to strike.
The Esrac laughed. “You can’t stop me, avatar. My queen will walk this world again and destroy everything. Everyone will suffer for what you did to us.”
There was a shuffle behind her, and before she could turn around, sharp barbs dug into her neck.
A second Esrac, she realised too late.
The first Esrac bit into its palm, its metallic fangs tearing through flesh as black blood gushed out of the wound. The second Esrac scooped her up, its talons tearing through her palm.
Ella flinched, feeling pain jolt through her. The Esrac were trying to break through the wards! They would weaken and fail if she couldn’t stop it. She struggled, trying to break free of the Esrac’s grasp, and reached for her magic. Blue fire emanated from her hands, stronger than it had ever been before. She grabbed the arms of the Esrac holding her, and it screamed as its flesh smouldered. She jumped free of its grasp and raised her hands, her eyes flashing with light. The Esrac struggled against nothing as the gate’s ancient runes flared to life. For a second, the portal opened, filling with glowing energy as she forced the creatures through. Moments later, the gate fell dormant and went dark.
The rings shot down into the chamber and Luc appeared, his face bloody and bruised. “Ella?”
“I’m fine.” She let out a breath. “Did you get all of them?”
He nodded, sheathing his sword. “They’re gone. For now, at least.”
Ella raised her hand, hurling a ball of starfire at the gate to be sure it was closed.
“I was so worried when you ran off. It’s my duty to keep you safe.” He pulled her into his arms, no longer caring about the distance he had tried so hard to keep between them. “So that’s what I’ll do.”
“Why don’t we just destroy it? Without a gate, no one will ever be able to come through to our realm.”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Luc said. “The gates are too powerful to be destroyed.”
She clung to him then, glad for the warmth of his embrace. “Come on, let’s go back to the citadel.”
