Chapter 87: Talia

Chapter 87: Talia
Marcus POV

Watching at the little cottage that was in front of us, Azrael said, “Well, here we are. Ready?” he asked, looking over at Damon and me.
I nodded my head while Damon said, “Let’s go.”
We walked towards the cottage, reaching the front door as Azrael extended his hand and knocked on the door.
There was silence as no sound from the inside the cottage came, making me feel restless as my mind started to wonder maybe Talia was not home.
Damon, Azrael and I, looked over at each other, each one of us wondering the same thing, hoping we were wrong.
“What if she is not here?” Damon said out loud what we all were thinking, looking towards the two of us.
Azrael breathed out loudly, saying, “I guess we won’t have any other option but to wait for her then or try to find her, but then again we have no idea where she might be.”
“I am not giving up. Or she is inside and we will get to talk with her or one of us will stay and wait for her while the other two will search for any clues that might tell us where she might be.” I said to them, making them agree with the plan.
“Then let’s try one more time knocking on the door and if there is no one inside I will go and search inside to see what I can find,” Azrael said, raising his hand, knocking this time a little more loudly at the front door.
A moment later, there came a sound from the inside of the house, making me wish to grab the handle and open the door but I forced myself to stand still and wait when finally the front door slowly opened revealing a female, standing in the doorway as her eyes traveled from me to Damon and stopping on Azrael.
Looking at her, I couldn’t know how old she was as her features didn’t reveal her true age.
She stood there, silent for a moment when her eyes widened slightly as they stopped on Azrael. Soft lines formed around her eyes as a smile appeared on her face as she said in a velvet voice, “Azrael. My o my, I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
I looked over at Azrael who showed no emotion as he spoke, “Talia. I am here with Alpha Marcus and Alpha Damon and we are in a need of your help.”
Her brown eyes went to look over Damon and me as her smile never left her gentle features. She moved aside, motioning with her hand for us to come inside. “Please come in,” she said sweetly.
Slowly, we all entered the small cottage and the first thought I had as I looked around was how much Olivia would like the place. It was homey and there was not a thing that showed riches or any extravagant item inside.
I could see near the fireplace, herbs hanging from above as they were drying. A globe was next to a small wooden desk on one side of the room, while a three-seater couch with two armchairs was placed in front of a fireplace with a small handmade that was polished and used as a coffee table. Colorful cushions sat on the couch as the three of us walked towards the seating area, taking our seats.
Damon and I sat down on the couch while Azrael took one of the two armchairs as Talia disappeared into her small kitchen, coming out from it with a tray filled with what smelled like tea.
She placed the tray down onto the little handmade coffee table.
Picking up an empty cup, she poured the tea into it and gave it to me.
She continued until we all didn’t have our cups of tea in our hands.
Taking a sip, enjoying the taste of the tea.

“So you said you need my help for something?” she asked, looking over at us.
I placed the cup of my tea, down onto the coffee table, placing my elbows on my knees as I leaned onto them, looking over at her, “Yes, we need your help in making an opening in the invisible barrier that is dividing the lands of the darkness with our world.”
Her eyes were calm as she silently took in what I just said to her, making me hold my breath as we waited patiently for her to speak.
She turned to look over at Azrael, and said, “Another one of your crazy adventures, Az?”
Azrael rolled his eyes at her, “Talia, it is a serious matter and we came a long way to ask you for your help, not to joke around and play riddle games. Now that being said, will you help us or not?” His eyes narrowed as he looked at her, serious.
Talia chuckled, “O chill out, you old buffoon.”
In any other situation, their bickering would be funny, but not now. I just wanted to get out of this cottage and get to that barrier and break it down so I can get as soon as possible to Olivia.
Azrael snorted at her answer, but she ignored him as she turned her eyes at Damon and me and said, “Why do you need to get across into the lands of darkness?”
“My mate is being held captive there, and I need to get to her. I wasted to long already and one way or another I am going to bring her back.” I said honestly to her.
“Hmm… I see.” Talia said, “You all are aware that those lands are locked there for a reason as no one knows what evil lives there except for one that no one would dare to come across with.”
“Yes, we all heard stories about Alodar.” I said.
She looked over at me in silence, her eyes squinted as she was thinking, and making me feel nervous of being rejected.
A loud joyful sound, followed by an excited clap of hands, came from Talia as she grinned over towards us all and said, “Wonderful! When do we leave?”
A smile as relief washed through me. Hearing her words, I asked, “You will help us?”
Talia stood up and smiled warmly, looking at me, “Of course I will. I am not missing on such adventure!” she exclaimed, “Also I will get two pleasures out of it, well one for sure.”
We all stood up from our seats when Damon asked her, “What two pleasures?”
She grinned at Damon before she answered, “Well I will get to test out new spells that I haven’t yet used,” her eyes looked over at Azrael as she continued, “Also, I get the pleasure to tease this old grumpy wolf.”
Azrael groaned hearing her say that, and finally she left us in her small living room as she went to prepare for our trip.
Soon as Talia was ready, we all walked outside her little cottage when Damon spoke, “Talia, I hope you wouldn’t mind if we travel by air as it is much faster that way?”
Her eyes shined as she heard him speak, “Not at all. I am ready.”
The three of us walked towards the edge from where we came up, but were stopped the moment when Talia asked, “Where are you going?”
Confused, we turned around towards her as Damon said, “Well down the mountain and to find a large enough clearing so I can shift and we can go.”
She chuckled, looking over at us, walking towards the edge on the right side of the mountain, looking towards the horizon that was covered with a soft, white clouds, going on as long as the eye can see.
She raised her hand, and the clouds cleared away, showing a clear blue sky as she turned around towards us, “We don’t need to go down the mountain, and we can easily go from here.” Smiling, she said to us.
The three of us rushed towards her as Damon stood in the middle and rid his clothes in a rush, tossing them to me as his shift took over in the next moment.
As the huge, dark dragon appeared in Damon’s place, we rushed and climbed onto his back. Soon as we were all sitting on his back, Damon jumped off the top of the mountain and we were flying through the crystal blue sky towards the lands of darkness.
Damon rushed faster than he ever did before, cutting through the air, and soon enough I could see the warriors together with other shifters, waiting on our arrival next to the border to the land of darkness.
The moment we landed, I jumped off of Damon’s dragon’s back, helping Talia to climb off as we all went to greet the enormous crowd of warriors.
Damon joined us as soon as he shifted and dressed and we stepped aside, letting Talia walk around near the barrier, estimating with her hand that was touching the barrier, making it glimmer.
I saw her lips moving as she was under her breath saying something as in the next moment she stopped moving, turning around towards the barrier, looking at it as she raised both of her hands into the air.
“Now watch her do her thing.” Azrael said next to me as I held my breath, waiting to see what will happen.
Everyone was silent still, not even making a tiny noise or breathing, watching at Talia as the words grew louder and louder, disturbing the weather elements as the wind grew strong, dark clouds showed above us, flashing with electric thunderbolts as one hit hard into the barrier, shaking it as it glimmer away, while her hands glow with a white light, as she tossed the ray of her magical light into the barrier loudly pronouncing, “Sic luceat lux in tenebris lux sua et revelaverit secretum iter!” (Let the light shine its way through the darkness revealing a path.)
I heard a loud crash. The moment her white rays of magic hit the barrier same time the electric thunderbolt hits in it as well.
We all stood and watched, eyes fixed towards the barrier, waiting for some sign to show us that we finally made it.
Talia frowned as she watched at the barrier, turning away from it as she was deep in her thoughts. We waited, giving her a moment to think, when in the next moment her eyes shined when her eyes went towards witches, mage, wizards, sorceress.
I followed her movements as she walked up ahead towards them, said to them something, turning around and walked back towards the barrier.
I saw her setting each one of them in a carefully thought position, instructing them what to do and how as they all listened carefully, nodding their heads, agreeing to her ways.
Soon when the last was standing in its place, they all started chanting low, making earth shake beneath our feet, while wind blew harsh and the dark stormy clouds have reappeared into the sky.
As their voices grew louder combined with weather elements and earth shaking growing stronger, the moment they all together as they were one, said the last of their chant, “Sic luceat lux in tenebris lux sua et revelaverit secretum iter!” they hit the barrier with their power in the same time all together, making an erupting sound making us all to cover our ears at it.
Everything was still, we could hear no sound. The dark clouds have disappeared as the wind calmed down.
I looked ahead towards the place where Talia was standing with the rest of the mages, wizards, sorceress, but couldn’t see anything as they were all wrapped in a white smoke that was rising from the barrier.
Looking towards the barrier, I noticed the glimmering didn’t stop nor was the shaking of it.
Before I could think further or question about our success, I heard Damon exclaim as his hand landed on my shoulder, “Marcus! Look!”
I looked at the way his hand was pointing towards Talia, noticing a large opening appearing right in front of her.