Deadlands (The Healer Series, #2) (25 page)

Corwyn opened the glass doors and took out the smallest scroll. It was barely the size of a regular sheet of paper it was so small. The edges were yellowed and the parchment was on some type of dried skin. It wasn’t made of paper at all, which proved the date of which it was written. It must’ve been very long ago indeed. “The Healer’s Prophesy.”

Chase snorted. “That’s it?”

Corwyn narrowed his eyes at Chase. “This prophesy is very valuable and my peopl
e are lucky to find it. Few understand the words to it, and I have looked at it many times to decipher its meaning. It is more important than my King and Queen acknowledge I’m afraid. Because not only does it contain information of what is to come, but it holds the key to all races. If I remember correctly, if this prophesy does not come to fulfillment, than all races will be bound to the Fates’ desires of evil, even our realm.”

Princess Aralee gasped a
nd looked at Elirana and Tierran. “Why have you not said so before, Corwyn?” she asked the Satyr.

Corwyn looked dismal as he bowed his head to the Princess. “I am sorry, My Lady, for I did not take a Witche
s prophesy to be relevant. Many prophecies are hearsay and never have true value. Many times, when a prophesy is written, it is difficult to determine whether it was actually real or not. Only few have the gift of foresight, and those that try and do not exceed, may write false prophecies just to satisfy the demands of their race. Witches find hidden meanings in words, but words about a Healer when a Witch Healer has not arisen in a Coven for centuries, well, it was strange to say the least.”

“Heal
ers have been in the Witch race before,” Willow protested.

“Yes, but they
are rare. In fact, I have only heard of one other Witch in my lifetime that has been a Healer, but she died at a young age and could never use her powers. You have a very rare gift,” Corwyn said. “Use it wisely, my dear. Now, please enlighten us and read.”    

Corwyn carefully handed Willow the scroll, and as soon as she took it, a feeling of completeness overcame her.
The words written on this scroll were about her in this moment, in this age, with evil swirling all around her. This ancient prophesy was written for the present time right now. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly unfolding the fragile scroll. The writing was done in elegant script. She looked up once at Declan with apprehension. He encouraged her by smiling and nodding. Clearing her throat, she read the words to the prophesy; the words to her destiny and everything that was to come.  

Come forth the light in Witches plight

To heal the wounds of terror night

And bind Destroyer power be,

With
Gemstone dagger kill the Three.

The Three will rise to power if

The spell accepted recompense

The Healers choice determines all

To let love reign or darkness fall

And cover land in shade and woe

And even Healer
dies by foe

When t
wo become one so shall it be

The Healer takes the place as Queen
.

Nobody spoke. Willow scanned the words over and over again with her eyes, soaking it in, memorizing it and trying to find meaning in them. But what did it mean? What was her mission now? Everything had changed. She set out to free her sisters, but this was much bigger than saving them. This was about her future, and like Corwyn suggested, the future of all races if she failed.

“I am going to die?” she whispered scanning the words again. Declan came up to her
and pulled her into his body, looking over her shoulder to read the words himself.

“That is only if you fail,” Corwyn’s gruff voice spoke up.

“But I cannot overcome the Fates,” Willow said, tears spiking her eyes. “This says nothing. I don’t understand!”

“Relax,” Corwyn said. Willow looked up at him disbelievingly. “You are only focusing on one line.”

“Even Healer dies by foe,” Willow said reading it again.

“There is still hope,” Corwyn said and slowly reached his hand out to take back the scroll. He adjusted his glasses on his face and skimmed the words again. “I have studied this prophesy for a long time, but I have not read it in a while. Follow me
please.”

Corwyn
led everyone back to the main area and gestured for them to take a seat. Willow sat in the middle of the couch and Declan immediately sat next to her. Chase sat on the arm of the couch and crossed his arms, always hovering over her protectively. All the Elves gathered around Corwyn at a messy desk, making a clear divide between them.

Corwyn addressed everyone.
“I have picked apart every line to this prophesy and it is very simple.” Willow was about to speak, but Corwyn held up his hand to silence her. “I say this because I have studied it thoroughly. The light is the Healer. That is obvious. Out of Witches plight…again obvious.”

“How is it obvious?” Declan reprimanded, stepping in to defend Willow.

“A Witches plight could mean a Witches evil, a problem in the race, or a betrayal perhaps?” Corwyn suggested.

“Hekate,” Willow gritted through her teeth.

“Yes, I believe that in Hekate’s deception, your powers have emerged. Several races now know you are the Healer. So the next line, to heal the wounds of terror night. Terror night, in this case, is the war and evil upon us. Somehow, I believe you are the key to stopping that. Does that make sense so far?” Corwyn stopped to let it sink in. Willow’s emotions were running all over the place, though, so it was hard for her to think clearly and comprehend that, but she nodded anyways so he could continue.

“The next part was a little hard
er for me to determine,” Corwyn said breezing over the words. “And bind Destroyer power be, with Gemstone dagger kill the Three. So…” he looked over his glasses at Declan. “You are the Destroyer?”

Declan held his head high. “I am.”

“Well…from what I know of a Destroyer’s power, it is also quite rare. It’s amazing how you two came to be together, how your powers all of a sudden grew. What is your connection to each other?”

“Um…well,” Willow said looking at Declan.
When it came to speaking about their relationship, Willow was at a loss for words, but she was saved by Declan as usual.

Declan stared back at her through his hazel eyes while saying, “We were friends at first…well, sort of. I secretly liked Willow but every time we were together, we’d argue and fight. We were sent into the Everwild together to retrieve her talisman, where I fell in love with her, and she…with me. And then we went to the Deadlands to get the key to save her sisters.”

“Okay, okay,” Corwyn stopped him. “So…during this time, was there anything between you that happened?”

“Like what?” Willow couldn’t turn to look at the Satyr. Declan held her mesmerized gaze. She loved his eyes.

“Like for instance, you feel more powerful together? Like you balance each other’s power out?”

Now, Willow did turn to face Corwyn. She noticed all the Elves were staring at her highly intrigued. The Princess’s eyebrows were raised and her mouth was open wide. Elirana
was smirking and Tierran was staring intently between her and Declan.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Willow nodded. “He makes me feel calm and takes my nightmares and fears away.”

Declan agreed. “She calms my anger, too. But when she’s not around me, when I can’t protect her, I turn into something, well…”

“The Destroyer,” Corwyn nodded. “Okay, that solves that puzzle.
The Healer is capable of binding the Destroyer’s powers…keeping him suppressed and calm. Without that, the Destroyer could turn into a ruthless killing machine. So the next line…this gemstone dagger. That is what will kill the three Fates.”

“Do you know of this dagger?” Chase spoke up.

“No,” Corwyn said to everyone’s disappointment. “I have not read anything or remember anything about this dagger. Perhaps the dwarves crafted it. They can forge magical devices. I’m not sure, but I know you will need this dagger to defeat the Fates.”

Willow groaned. This prophesy was getting worse and worse.
“What’s next?” she asked, not wanting to reflect on how nobody on this planet (or realm) knew of the gemstone dagger.

“The Three will rise to power if the spell accepted recompense. This means that a sacrifice must be made for the Fates to come to power. I’m not sure why
it has to be a sacrifice, that’s just the way it is. It may have something to do with blood. Blood is the key to anything in life, and blood can be important for spells consistent with Black Magic…” Corwyn continued thinking out loud.

“We figured that part out,” Declan said snidely. “Willow’s sisters in Pandora’s Box will be the sacrifice. But she has the key to free them before the Fates can extract their powers.”

Elirana spoke up now. “We mustn’t let that happen. All will be lost.”

“But the Fates are together now,” Willow said, her heart dropping. “What’s to stop them from taking their powers right now?
The box has been sucking their essence and powers for who knows how long already! It extracts slowly I think, but still, it won’t be long before they are too weak to fight it. Are you suggesting that when that happens, Hekate will take their blood to complete the ritual?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Corwyn nodded.

“What if they are killing them as we speak?” Willow exclaimed slightly hysterical.

“Because there is one Fate who is still on our side,” Declan said taking her hands and squeezing them.

“Carmela?” Willow asked completely doubtful. “She will stand against Hekate and Selene all alone? Declan no she won’t. They are her sisters, Dec, her flesh and blood. She wouldn’t go against them. They are her family, and nothing comes between family.”

“Family comes in many forms, Willow,” Chase said drawing her attention to him. “It’s not just being bound to your family that you are obligated to follow them. Sometime
s, they get it wrong. If you knew without a doubt that your sisters were wrong in something and committed a crime or an atrocious act, would you not fight against it too?” Chase looked to Elirana and pierced her with a steely gaze. “I would leave my family if they forced me to do something I knew was wrong. I would leave them and follow my dreams, and what I know is right in my heart.”

Elirana sta
red back at Chase unwavering and without giving any indication of her feelings whatsoever, but it was clear his words were meant for her, to let Elirana know that he would’ve left his family for her. It was sweet.

Corwyn didn’t seem to notice the exchange between them, and continued on. He read the final few sentences of the prophesy again for everyone’s ears and then looked to Willow. “It seems you must make some kind of choice. To either love with yo
ur whole heart or deny who you are and let the darkness come.”

“But I do love with my whole heart,” Willow said, not understanding. “I don’t let the darkness take me under.”

“Because of the Destroyer…” Corwyn said. “You said you two fell in love?”

“Yes,” Declan and Willow said together.

Corwyn clapped his hands. “This is amazing! You see, Healer, you have already chosen your place in this world. You have chosen to love the Destroyer, and already things are being set into motion before you even realized it!”

“What are you talking about, Corwyn?” Willow asked
, getting annoyed that she wasn’t getting it.

“
I believe you and the Destroyer have been destined to be together from the very beginning. By choosing to love him, the connection you have to each other, makes you both unstoppable in the face of evil. All we need is the Gemstone Dagger to kill the Fates and then you may take your place as Queen among your race and balance nature once again. Love, you see, conquers all things.”

By the end of Corwyn’s speech, everyone’s mouths were gaping open staring at him. Willow recalled her conversation with Carmela in the cells of the Black
Castle. It seemed like it was so long ago when she had been held prisoner there, even though it hadn’t even been a day. So much has happened it was overwhelming.

“Carmela told me something like that. She said Declan and I would make a lethal combination when we’re together. She said that by my choosing to love Declan instead of leaving him, it made her life easier
, whatever that means.” Willow shook her head trying to remember Carmela’s words. “She said something about the balance of nature and that our destiny is not set it stone…I just don’t understand it.”

“Well, I think I can explain it. Or try to at least,” Corwyn said sitting back chuckling. “In nature, there is good and there is evil. Try to think of it as an ecosystem. What would h
appen if the larger predators got taken out of the equation?”

“That’s easy,” Chase said speaking up, “the smaller animals will grow and reproduce, outnumbering the predators.”

“Exactly, exactly,” Corwyn said rocking in his chair. “And when that happens, a threshold is met. Resources get scarce and then those animals die because they do not have the proper nutrients to meet their needs. Balance gets out of nature until the predators return to keep the population from reaching that threshold. So in a way…good and evil are like that. What is happening right now? Evil is rising up, getting stronger, multiplying. Soon, it will overcome and outnumber the amount of good in the world. So it is up to the good to come into power as well. It is your time, the Healer’s time to be the light into the darkness. Just as you balance the Warlock’s powers, he balances yours, making you both capable of defeating the darkness together and restoring the balance between good and evil.”

“But how do we do that without the dagger?” Willow asked. “We don’t have
Carmela to seek out the object!”

Declan’s back erected as an idea came to his mind. He jumped up out of his seat. “We have a way to find it.”

“What?” Willow also stood to her feet as well.

“The Oracle,” Declan said. “At Bunches and Barrels! Remember Carmela used it to find where your talisman was? If we get that Oracle, maybe we can find someone who can use it
to locate the dagger.”

Willow put her hands on her hips. “Like who?
”

“There are so many flaws to that plan, Pretty Boy,” Chase said agreeing with Willow.

“Like what?”

“Like…what if the Oracle only responds to Carmela? What if
Carmela hid it from us? What if it isn’t even in her shop anymore? What if she has it?”

“We don’t know until we try,” Declan said
confidently.

“
Okay, okay, I get where you’re coming from, but it’s kind of sketchy. You’ve got to admit that.”

“Look, we
don’t where to begin to find it…unless the Satyr knows of someone who would know about the location of the dagger?” Declan looked to Corwyn hopeful.

Corwyn crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, but I am the only Historian who is an expert on ancient prophesies. The other Historians in our realm would not know. I do not think the Fey concern themselves with knowledge like this and would not have anybody who would know either.
I have not heard of the dwarves in over five centuries. They stay in their underground dwellings and barely come out.”

“I am a great Tracker,” Elirana spoke up for the first time in a while, “but my powers only go so far. I cannot track what I do not know, o
r anyone knows for that matter.”

“I saw some
dwarves at the Neutral Zone in the Everwild,” Willow chimed in.

“Are you sure they weren’t gnomes? Often times they can be mistaken as dwarves.” Corwyn questioned
with furrowed eyebrows.

“Well…no, I am not sure.”

“So our only chance is that Oracle…” Declan said.

“Maybe…” Corwyn said rubbing his chin.

“Do you think it will work, Dec?”

“I’m playing a hunch here, Willow. It’s worth a try.”

Willow turned to Corwyn. “Thank you very much for allowing us here and showing us the prophesy. Your help will not be forgotten.”

“You’re
very welcome, Healer.”