Chapter 108

“I’m really lost on what to do right now. They just had a fight and it’s all my fault. I feel so bad for being selfish. Do you think it’s possible…” She paused, biting her lip.

“Possible for what? What were you going to say?” The priest inquired curiously.

“Well, remember how Romulus used to be Romulus before Malachi took over and brought it as a physical town here on Earth?” The priest nodded. “What if I could do the same, bring Romulus here, and much closer this time? What if I could bring Romulus close to Bloodmoon? Then I’ll be close and Ruby will be close.”

The priest was quiet, and Delphine felt he was going to say something, but when he didn’t she urged him to speak, “Please say something, is it a crazy idea? Am I being crazy with this?” The priest shook his head. “So, you think it is possible?”

“I think so…but you don’t know how to do it, do you?”

“I don’t even know if I’m capable of doing it,” she admitted, looking away.

“Well, Delphine you have only just discovered half of what you are capable of,” he told her. “I’ll help in any way I can, but I believe your uncle Paluma will have much info on this.”

“You’re right. I should go see him.” She stood up.

“You’re not going to Romulus now, right? It’s already getting dark.”

Delphine smiled. “It’s a good thing I can now teleport.” And she was gone.

~~~

Malachi thought more on Delphine’s words, saying that a little of the gem’s magic was still in him and that’s why he was the way he was. The wheels in his brain spun around fast, and suddenly an idea popped into his head. “Is that possible?” he asked himself. If it was possible that he could use that tiny influence of the gem still in him and escape the prison hole. He was slowly losing his mind and he knew he needed to get away fast or soon he would turn to a crazy mind.

He wasn’t underestimating Delphine, he wouldn’t make that mistake again. He couldn’t imagine losing his memories and becoming a helpless man. “No.” He shook his head, the thought of it scared him and he knew he needed to act fast.

His mind went to the old witch who had always accompanied him. “Old wretched woman,” he cursed her angrily. “Didn’t even stop to fight, was on her heels, breaking into a run faster than even the soldiers to escape, not after all her claims of standing by my side till death.”

He closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate, see if he could summon the powers. “Don’t even try it,” Delphine told him.

“Can’t you give me a moment of privacy you bitch. What? Are you always spying on me?”

“With all the things you’ve done, yes, I always check on you. Also, don’t be stupid. You can’t summon any powers here, have you forgotten?” She laughed. “You told me yourself that in the prison world we are left without our powers, so what do you think you’re trying to do?” Malachi froze in shame, she was right, he had said the same thing to her when he had her trapped in his prison world.

“Then just kill me. Just kill me! You are enjoying yourself aren’t you?”

“Very much, Malachi. Seeing you frustrated gives me the greatest pleasure.” His screams filled the prison once again, he rolled on the ground while kicking his feet into the air in anger like a child throwing her tantrum.

Delphine sighed and shut him out. She had already arrived at Romulus, and didn’t have the time to handle Malachi when she had something important to discuss with Paluma. She was happy it was dark, she didn’t want anyone to see, though she still had a hoodie on to be on the safe side.

Finding Paluma wasn’t hard, he lived at the Palace. She was able to teleport right in when she got to the Palace gate. Paluma was in his meditating room, even before Delphine could walk in, he already sensed her presence and called her in himself. “Come in Delphine, I caught your scent the second you arrived here.”

She proceeded in, closing the door behind her. “Good evening Uncle Paluma. I have something to discuss with you.”

“I suspected, that’s why you came at night? It must be something serious.” Delphine nodded. “Okay, I’m listening to you.”

“Okay, so…How can I bring Romulus closer to Bloodmoon?” Paluma who had been sitting crossed legged, his head raised to the sky and his eyes closed, peeked one eye open before the other when he heard Delphine’s words.

“I’m a seer, but I did not see that one coming.” He got up to sit on the small stool which was before the chair Delphine sat on. “What do you mean by bring Bloodmoon closer to Romulus?”

“The way Malachi took Romulus out of its Realm and made it a physical land over at the Eastern rivers, close to the red bull. Can I also bring Romulus from its Realm over to Bloodmoon. If…If the two lands are together, then we can all be together, closer. I know I can teleport here anytime I want, but that’s just me.”

“What brought this idea to your head?” he asked. “Surely something must have made you begin thinking of this.”

She sighed. “Ruby and Ryan had a small fight. She’s in Bloodmoon at the moment, you must know this by now. She said they had a fight because of the distance. I mean, if Damien and I get to stay together, it’s only fair that Ruby and Ryan also get to stay together.

“I see what you’re saying, but Delphine…I don’t know how to do that.”

Her heart fell. “You don’t?”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t. Before Malachi did it, I didn’t even think it was possible to bring a whole town from its Realm, down to Earth. He…he is the only one who has ever done it and he did this with the power of the gem. He is still in that prison of yours right? Ask him.”

Delphine laughed, thinking Paluma was joking, but it soon turned to a forced cough when she saw he wasn’t. “You know I can’t ask Malachi, he won’t answer me.” She sighed. “Also, I want nothing from him.”

“I was going to ask, what do you plan on doing with him later? Surely even if you have him in your prison world, he still manages to disturb you.”

She sighed. “You wouldn’t begin to imagine. I—wait, Uncle Paluma, you’re with the staff right? The one that holds all the powers of the gem?” He nodded. “Then why can’t I use that instead? I don’t have to meet Malachi, I can just do that myself…” She stopped when Paluma was shaking his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Delphine, you saw what that gem did to Damien, you said it yourself, it made Malachi the evil he is today, and you want to use its powers? How do we bring you back if it takes control over you? You are the Queen of Romulus, blessed with the powers of the goddess, if the gem powers makes you evil? You’ll be unstoppable. So no, it’s not advisable at all.”

“But we don’t know that, the powers of the gem had no effect on me when…” Flashes came back on the day of Lila’s death. “When Lila was killed. Malachi had tried to end me that day, but he couldn’t. So, I don’t think there’s anything to be scared of.”

“Delphine we aren’t sure, we can’t take any chances.” She sighed in defeat. “Is it really worth taking the risk?”

“I don’t know, I just want to make everything right. Well, since we haven’t decided on that yet. The staff, can you make one like it?”

“Do you need one?”

“Yes, I need to remove the darkness the gem had placed in him and then…I really want to wipe off his memories and make him miserable, but I can’t do it. If I take the darkness out, then he wouldn’t be evil Malachi anymore, just Malachi, my uncle and I don’t know if I can bring myself to do it to that Malachi. I mean, I hate the one trapped in my prison world with passion, but…Remember how different Damien was when the gem took control of him?”

“I remember.”

“The only reason I never hated him, or tried to hurt him was because I know Damien is a good man and it was all the gem. This means everything Malachi has done so far, has been the gem, not him. If I remove the darkness—you get what I’m saying, right, Uncle Paluma?”

“I understand what you are saying, Delphine.”

“Making decisions are so hard. I wish I just had someone to make them for me.”

Paluma gave a small smile. “Well, nobody but you can make those decisions, but you do have a partner, go meet Damien. Tell him everything, you two should make the decision together.”

“Okay, I’ll meet him.” She stood up. “I should be going now, I bet Damien is already back from his run and looking for me. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.”