The next thing the Priest requested dashed Belladonna’s hope.
Something that belonged to Eli?
She had lost his ring to the sirens and the necklace she was now realizing wasn't with her any longer.
There was nothing she could provide that belonged to Eli.
“We have memories of him. That can be used, right?” Alaris asked and the Priest nodded.
“If it is strong enough. But memories are tricky, they must not be strained. It is a warning to tread carefully.” Then he looked at both of them.
“Or what will happen?”
“Madness or worse. It is a thing of the mind, the mind is very delicate.”
Belladonna nodded. That didn't scare her, nothing did.
“One must volunteer.”
Belladonna did. It was the better option. Most of the memories Alaris had of Eli were filled with rage and betrayal. Although the way he felt towards his brother had now changed, that didn't change the memories.
Besides, as much as Alaris could now tolerate his brother, risking his sanity for him was something he wasn't prepared to do. Not when he was back in Vestros, not when a war loomed over his head, not when the throne beckoned to him.
It was a sacrifice he would never give.
They didn't need to find a vessel for him to come back in since death had taken his body along with him.
Ny'ka couldn't wait for this to be over. She hated being here, however she could endure it for two reasons. The first one was that she was still alive and the second one was that she was finding out more about the ever-crying female than she did before. Although, since they had returned, she wasn't crying like she was before but not so much time had passed and she might become as useless as she was again.
Only time would tell.
Belladonna had expected that after helping Alaris find the gem, he would perform some spells on the gem, and they would morph into one. However, things hadn't gone that way. Instead, she was the one to press her hand over the Life Gem, while Alaris held the Death Gem. Belladonna wondered if they were doing things this way because it was connected to Eli. She had no plans of staying in this Realm, and if the Life Gem could only work while she was holding it, that would mean that Alaris had tricked her.
But he wouldn't do that, would he?
The time for questions was later; right now, they had to bring Eli back.
Belladonna still couldn't believe it.
It was finally happening!
The last time she had seen Eli played over and over again in her mind. He was dying in her arms and there was nothing she could do about it. Then the memory of seeing him in Gaya’s Garden played again in her head. He had said that would be the last chance she would ever have to bring him back.
Now that she was thinking about it, it must have all just been Gaya’s manipulation.
By Ignas, it was a good thing that she was dead.
With their hands pressed on their respective gems, the Channeler's eyes closed after receiving Belladonna’s consent to use her memories as a guide to the Spirit Realm, and Priest Uza chanting spells, they began.
Belladonna felt an intruding presence in her mind; the feeling of numbness washed over her, and soon enough, memories overwhelmed her. Eli’s voice, Eli’s smell, his touch, and his laughter echoed in the corners of her mind. His eyes, the texture of his hair, of his skin. She could smell the paint as he wiped his brush against the canvas, she could feel the scales on his cheekbones, his presence flooding her with a feeling she could associate with only him.
Reading her stories, their moment with Arlo on that sofa, like a family.
His voice.
“Donna.”
A tremble rushed through her, his voice echoing over and over again. As the memories moved away from the sweet moments they had to the difficult and bitter ones.
The realization.
The begging for forgiveness.
His death.
Suddenly she found herself on a straight road with nothing on either side. There was someone a long distance away from her, a hooded man who had his back turned to her.
“Eli?”