From The Falls (The Falls Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  “Can we expect her help in this matter?” Lorelle asked.

  “Not her direct help, but she will send people to you as she can. The Fae are always at battle with each other.” The woman sighed and looked to me. “The Otherworld is not all bad, Kaliah. Just be cautious. You have very good intuition, and you need listen to it while you travel through the different levels.”

  I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse. All I knew was it definitely made me more nervous.

  “Cassius is able to summon the Parias and force them to do his bidding,” another male Fate said. “The Parias believe that Cassius will win. If he does then the Parias would be free and able to roam the Otherworld and Earth as they please. The girl that was taken was seen traveling through the sixth level of the Otherworld. We lost track of her then. She will be to Cassius soon and you won’t have time to waste if you are to save her and stop him.”

  I glanced at Lorelle, “Is the tracker working that you put on her?”

  “Unfortunately, it’s not. It stopped working when they left the lighter levels of the Otherworld.”

  Well, that sucked. Hopefully, the Light Fae queen would be able to keep track of Jenna for us.

  “How many levels are there until they reach Cassius?” I asked.

  “He’s on the level eight, which is the lowest in the Otherworld. Only those with absolutely no light left in them choose to frequent that part of the Otherworld.”

  Great, we were going to be hanging out with some complete psychopaths. I wasn’t sure when or if we were going to get to some good news but I could really use some right about now.

  “Do we have any other alliances there besides the Light Fae?” Lorelle asked.

  “Yes, but we don’t know all of them. We have asked the Light Fae to pass along our need for help. They are using a phrase so should you come across someone wanting to help, you know you can trust them. All you have to do is mention the darkness and they will respond with always choose the light.”

  I wasn’t sure of the reliability of this plan, but it appeared we didn’t have any other option. I still worried the wrong person would be within earshot of someone being told the secret phrase and then we’d have any even bigger problem on our hands. We couldn’t afford to have a traitor among us.

  “So, how are we supposed to defeat Cassius?” I asked. “Are we locking him away somewhere else or do we have to kill him?”

  If I had my physical body, I would have been dripping sweat from how nervous I was right then. I knew I was much stronger than before, but even with what I’d learned over the past year, I’d have to be crazy not to be scared to face this Dark Fae. What we were about to do was nuts.

  “You’ll have to kill him.”

  The Fates just stood there and let that sink in for a few moments. They had amazing poker faces. Not one of their muscles even flinched while we waited for further explanation.

  “You will need several items to help you kill him, but you should have plenty of help to find these items. Most residents of the Otherworld don’t want to see Cassius released. Not even those who live in the lower dark levels. You will need three items. A Light Fae stone, which has already been located for you, a dagger from the Elves and the blood of a Succubus.”

  Cheese and rice, did she just say succubus? I had to remind myself to breathe. We could do this. Most of these people would want us to succeed. I was going to focus on the positive aspects.

  “That is all we have for you for now. If we learn more, we will send word through your books. I know we don’t use that method as often now that you are Elders, but our communication won’t work the same way in the Otherworld as it does in Arvata. Take all of the Elders with you and remember where you come from. Kaliah, you were chosen as the Arelia for so many reasons that you’ve yet to understand, but just know that you haven’t tapped into your full power yet.”

  My jaw dropped. I knew I still had a lot to learn since Lorelle hadn’t been around to train me and Strix only knew so much, but this was huge. I was hopeful that Lorelle would have some time to teach me more things while we were trying to find the last two items on our list.

  “It’s okay, Kali. You’ll be prepared, I promise,” Lorelle whispered to me.

  I gave her a smile and turned my attention back to the Fates.

  “Lorelle, you know what you need to do already. Make sure everything is arranged. We will continue to do what we can from here to help. Don’t forget to check your books regularly, and stay safe.”

  We said our thanks and goodbyes before I felt the tug back to our bodies. As we floated back down, I went over what we just learned. Though I was nervous, I knew we could do this. The Fates had not let us down and we were as prepared as we could be. It was time to find some Fae, Elves and Succubi.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Lucas was waiting for us when we came back from our visit. Lorelle and I quickly went over everything we discussed with the Fates, then she made a quick exit to finish preparing. It was still early evening and I wanted to do something with our friends that might help everyone relax a little before tomorrow.

  “How about we invite everyone over for an impromptu dinner?” I asked Lucas.

  He raised his brow at me, “Everyone?”

  “Well, no.” I laughed. “The other Elders and the half-Guardians.”

  I wanted to spend some time getting to know the half-Guardians better. I wanted them to feel comfortable here, and the only way they were going to do that was if they made some friends.

  “That’s a good idea, my love. Why don’t you call the others from that tech device Kale gave us all to try out?”

  I kept forgetting about that. I had spent the last year without being able to use anything similar to a cell phone, so it was easy to forget. Kale was a part of the group of Guardians who came back before my group. He had been interning at a big tech firm before he came here and wanted to continue that work. He had created several items that people now use daily around Arvata.

  I went to the living room and powered on the device. It was flat like a tablet, but had buttons along both sides that made up the keyboard to dial out. Currently, it only made calls, but Kale hoped to figure out a way to enable video chats at some point. I pressed the speed dial button for Jordan and listened for the beeping that would indicate the call was going through.

  “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this thing!” Jordan complained as soon as she answered.

  “Well, hello to you, too. Want to do dinner at our place tonight?”

  “Sure thing, I’ll bring chips and dip. Anything else?”

  “Nope, that’s good, but if you’ll call Lela for me, I’ll give Tiana a call.”

  “You got it. See you soon!”

  I hung up with Jordan and pressed the button for Tiana. It rang a little longer and I was about to hang up when I finally heard Tiana’s voice.

  “H-hello?” She said sounding very much out of breath. “Everything okay, Kali?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yup, everything is great here. Did I interrupt something?”

  “What? No, it’s fine. We’re done. I mean, we weren’t doing anything. What’s going on?”

  I couldn’t help it. I completely lost it. Lucas came in and checked on me and I waved him out. I laughed so hard my sides and stomach ached. Tiana was never going to live this down.

  “You can shut up now. Not like you weren’t doing the same thing earlier.”

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” I calmed down before continuing. “If you’re not too busy, we’d like to invite you guys over for dinner.”

  “We’ll be there and bring some salads like usual. Do not repeat this conversation,” Tiana said and then immediately hung up.

  I just shook my head and giggled some more. Lucas walked back in and saw I was off the phone.

  “Do I even want to know?” he asked.

  “Nope. I need to go tell the half-Guardians. Will you get the grill going and I’ll be right
back?”

  “I’m on it,” he said. “Hurry back.”

  I turned to leave and he smacked me on my butt. I glanced back at him and he had the smile of a five-year-old at Disneyland for the first time. I blew him a kiss and ported to the others.

  I arrived outside Miah’s door and knocked, but there was no answer. I walked next door and when I neared the door, I could hear laughter. That made me smile. I was glad to hear it. I hoped that meant they were settling in and might want to stay here with us after all of this was solved.

  I knock on the door and everyone got quiet. I knocked again and could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Dylan opened the door for me and held it wide while gesturing for me to come in.

  “Come on in. We weren’t expecting you tonight,” he said. “Is everything alright?”

  “Oh yes, everything is fine,” I said. “We just wanted to invite the three of you to dinner at my and Lucas’s house. If you already made plans, that’s okay.”

  I smiled at them as friendly as I could without looking creepy. I wanted to give them an out in case they weren’t comfortable enough around us for dinner.

  “Of course, we will be there,” Miah said. “That was nice of you guys to think of us.”

  I looked at Dylan and Nathan. Dylan seemed excited, but Nathan didn’t look so happy that I ruined whatever they had been doing.

  “Well, if something comes up and you guys can’t make it, no hard feelings.” I turned to leave. “We would love to get to know you. Dinner is in an hour, so feel free to show up any time before then. I really hope you can all make it.”

  With the door almost closed behind me I heard Miah call out, “We’ll be there!”

  I knew I liked that girl. I ported back home to see Jordan and Lela getting things ready in the kitchen and Lucas, Kane and Ryan on the patio, manning the grill.

  I said my hellos, gave hugs, and started helping them get everything prepared. With the three of us, we made quick work of it all.

  “Where’s Tiana?” Jordan asked. “Did you not get a hold of her when you called?”

  “Oh no, I did. She was just a little preoccupied.” My laughter started all over again. “She said they’d be here, though.”

  “That’s perfect!” Jordan laughed with me. I really shouldn’t have said anything. “She won’t hear the end of this. You guys give Kane and I crap all the time for being late. Now, it’s Tiana’s turn.”

  “Poor Tiana,” Lela giggled. “I never want to be on the other end of Jordan’s amusement.”

  “You’ll slip up one day,” Jordan grinned, “and I’ll be there to capture it and remind you of it frequently.”

  Lela groaned and I laughed some more. This was just what we needed tonight. As much as spending time alone with Lucas appealed to me, I knew the eight of us needed each other as well. Since becoming Elders, our bond as a group had strengthened tenfold.

  When Tiana and Oliver finally showed up, Jordan followed through on her threats. I thought about feeling bad for Tiana, having been on the receiving end of Jordan’s amusement often enough, but Tiana gave her just as much of a hard time. Oliver, on the other hand, was not used to the ribbing. He quickly found a reason to leave the room.

  “I really hope Miah, Dylan and Nathan show up,” I said as I checked the time. It had been almost an hour since I left their house and I was beginning to think they wouldn’t come.

  “We spent some time with them while you guys were gone,” Lela said. “Miah will make sure they come. She is a good persuader, and she has Dylan wrapped around her finger.”

  “Do you think the Meraki rules apply to half-Guardians?” I asked. Someone should probably explain all that to them if it did.

  “Who knows,” Jordan answered. “I hope Lorelle can figure something out when we’re all done being badasses in the Otherworld.”

  “Speaking of which,” Tiana said, “I didn’t want to bring it up since we were having fun, but how did the visit with the Fates go?”

  “Let’s call the guys in and I can explain it to everyone at once,” I said.

  As soon as the guys joined us, there was a knock at the door. Lucas went to answer it and came back with Miah, Dylan and Nathan. Miah’s face was pale and she didn’t look good.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Miah had another vision,” Dylan said. “We won’t be able to go with you into the Otherworld like we wanted.”

  “Is everything okay?” I asked. “What did she see?”

  Dylan looked at Miah and she nodded for him to continue speaking for her. “She didn’t want to go into details, but she said if we went then lives would be lost including yours, Kali.”

  My heart started pounding a million miles an hour. That wasn’t exactly what I thought he was going to say, but it was what it was. We would deal with this and everything would be okay. At least we had a warning and could change things, maybe.

  “I’m not going to lie. That’s scares me more than I thought it would.” I shivered. “Miah, don’t worry. That information only helps us. I’m glad you guys can’t come. I wasn’t comfortable with it to begin with. I didn’t like putting your lives at risk like that.”

  Miah nodded and they finally sat down on the chairs in the living room we brought out. Nathan hadn’t said anything yet. He looked very uncomfortable here, but I was glad he at least came. It was a step in the right direction.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Lucas whispered in my ear. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  I loved his confidence, but no matter how much he wanted to protect me, there were some things even he couldn’t stop from happening.

  As soon as everyone sat down and I was able to calm my racing heart, I told them about the visit with the Fates. A few gasps of surprise were heard, as well as a few groans, especially when I mentioned the succubus blood we would need to acquire.

  “I hate Succubi,” Jordan said with an eye roll. “They’re sneaky little tramps. You can’t usually trust them further than you could throw one.”

  “So, we need to find the Elves and the Succubi. Then we can go find Cassius?” Ryan asked.

  “That’s the plan,” I said. “Not sure how all the stuff in between will go, but we will find out soon enough.”

  “All too soon,” Tiana said.

  We sat around and chatted for a while longer, but we needed to get some good rest, so we decided to call it a night earlier than normal. All the goodbye hugs were given, but Miah, Dylan and Nathan stuck around for a minute longer.

  “I’ll be honest,” Nathan said, “I always knew I was different and I appreciate all the help you guys have given me, but I’m not sure I can be a part of this.”

  “Understandably so,” Lucas said. “We would never force you. When we get back, we can talk about it some more and figure out your options.”

  Nathan just nodded and walked out the door.

  “I’m sorry we can’t help,” Miah said. “I feel terrible. I don’t know what to do.”

  I pulled her in for a hug, “You’ve done more than we expected already. Try not to worry about it. We will be fine, I promise.”

  We said our goodbyes and I pulled Miah in for one last hug. Then it was just Lucas and me. I was exhausted. It had been such a long day, but I needed more bonding time with Lucas. I knew when I needed it because I felt the intense pull of my soul reaching for his. It always did this in times of stress.

  “Ice cream and a movie in bed?” Lucas asked as he pulled me to him.

  I looked up at him and smiled, “You know me so well. That’s just what I need. I’ll get the movie started and you bring the ice cream?”

  “Yes, dear. Just try not to make it a sappy chick flick.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  He knew me well enough that a chick flick was definitely what I would have picked if he hadn’t asked. I walked to our room and picked a comedy we hadn’t watched in a while to surprise him.

  I changed into my favorit
e nightgown and got into bed. Lucas arrived right after I got settled. His smile light up the whole room. Those dimples always took my breath away.

  “You’re the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on.” He set the bowls down and crawled into bed. “I’m the luckiest man alive, you know that?”

  I smiled sweetly at him, “I do.” He laughed at me and tickled my sides until I caved. “Okay, we’re both lucky. You’re not too bad yourself.”

  “I love you and I will not let anything happen to you in the Otherworld. You know that, right?”

  “I know that you would give your life for me in a heartbeat, but I also know that some things are out of our control. If something does happen to me, it will be for good reason. You’re always telling me to trust the Fates and I am doing so now. Don’t forget to take your own advice.”

  “I’m not even remotely okay with even the chance of putting you in danger, but where you go, I go. I won’t be left behind to be the most miserable man who ever lived.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to either of us.” I cupped his cheek with my hand. “Don’t think about what could happen. Picture the outcome you want and make it happen.”

  He tilted my chin up and kissed my lips, “I love you so damn much.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. “I love you more.”

  “Not possible, but let’s agree to disagree and eat our ice cream before it melts. Then I can warm you up when you’re done eating.”

  He waggled his eyebrows at me and I just shook my head. We would be okay. Everyone was going to come back to Arvata when we left the Otherworld. I couldn’t picture any other outcome.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The following morning, right after the sun had risen over the Falls, the nine of us stood around the table in the Elder room. As I gazed around the room, I saw the determined look on each of my friends’ faces. We were ready and we were going to beat Cassius.

  Strix was perched on my shoulder and rubbed his head against mine. Things had been happening so fast around here, we’d hardly spent any time together. My bond with Strix was different than the one with Lucas, but it still needed attention. If I was away from Strix for too long, I had an ache in my chest that not even Lucas could heal.