Chapter 60: Nikolai
You're wondering why Stetson is the way he is," Delphine hums, her voice vibrating through me, "He was cursed as a child by the witch Belinda. He was cursed before the Princes closed the doors to the Sprite kingdom, but that is a story for another time. Right now, we should initiate the blood vow before your time has run out." She replies, her knowledge about my situation indicating she knows more than she's letting on.
I go to ask another question, but she holds her hand up to silence me, "I can only see a brief glimpse of your future. You've chosen the correct path, Nikolai, but your fate will change if you come home empty-handed." She states cryptically, "Now take my hand and repeat after me."
No longer hesitant about making a blood vow, I place my hand in hers, her magical energy rushing into my body as our hands become one. "A gift for later. You'll know when to use it." She whispers before raising the dagger and stabbing deeply into our joined hands, stabbing a hole directly through the center; as our blood combines, she starts reciting the vow in the lost language.
"Voveo pacificum esse cum Spritum intravero terras. Promitto quod nullus Spiritus moriturus per manus meas. Iuro quod, cum auferam mulierem Anyam de custodia principum suorum, sit tempus tantum, quando ad octodecim annos pervenerit, ego Spritus Principes ad regnum meum veniant, et quod illis destinatum sit recipiam, hoc votum facio, sciens quod, si fregerit, sanguis meus in aeternum effundetur, me relinquens. est gluma quem quondam fui. "
I repeat the vow in English, wincing once more as our powers intermingle, her magical ability over a hundred times stronger than mine.
"I vow to be peaceful when I enter the Sprite lands. I promise that no Sprite will die by my hands. I swear that when I remove the woman, Anya, from the custody of her princes, it'll only be temporary; when she reaches the age of eighteen, I'll let the Sprite Princes come to my kingdom and take back what was destined for them. I make this blood vow, knowing that if I break it, my blood will spill for eternity, leaving me to be the husk of who I once was."
As soon as I recite the final word to the vow, our wound starts to heal, and my oath forever binds me. Kade's vow is simpler than mine, and I notice when Delphine only cuts into Kade's palm, not spilling any of her blood. She also speaks the vow in English, advising Kade that there's no need to repeat it after her, that once she's completed the oath, his blood will seal it to his body.
"I vow that when I am in the land of the Sprites, no Sprite will be harmed, and not a drop of blood will be spilled."
Once the vows are said and done, Delphine takes both of our hands in hers and walks us into the river, stopping when the river submerges everything but our heads. She smiles at both of us, a wicked sparkle in her eyes, before she drags us down below the water, the river's depth deeper than it should be. We continue to sink to the bottom of the river, and my body quickly lacks the oxygen it needs to survive; my vision starts to fade in and out, and just when I think I'm going to pass out, a small sphere appears, surrounding the three of us, and engulfing us into I blink rapidly, trying to make my eyes shoot back into focus while simultaneously inhaling and exhaling repeatedly getting the much-needed oxygen back into my lungs. It isn't until my breathing has normalized that I notice we're no longer in the sphere or floating in the river's depths but instead standing in a gorgeous meadow.
"Welcome to the Sprite Lands." Delphine states with her arms spread out in a welcoming manner.
As I look at her appearance and notice her clothes are dry, and not a single strand of her hair is out of place, I realize that the river was a mirage, powerful enough that your body mimics what you're seeing, causing you to drown on dry land. It isn't that you need a sprite to enter their lands; it's the fact that only Sprites know the secret of the river.
"Hurry along, know kiddos, we haven't got all day," Delphine calls to Kade and me as she walks further into the meadow, heading straight for a dirt path.
I choke down a laugh; it's been over a millennium since someone has called me a child. As I trout through the meadow, keeping close to Delphine, I notice a small village isn't too far off in the distance. Compared to most places in my kingdom, the village is modest, but it glistens like it was crafted out of something pure. When we reach the village, I am hit with tranquility, feeling the opposite of what I've felt since the beginning of this dreadful week.
"That feeling is the magic that surrounds the Sprites; our home isn't one created from violence and hatred; the purity of the Sprites crafted our home. Don't taint this village with your impurities." Delphine warns both Kade and me as we walk toward the edge of the village, "As one of the seven, I will request a meeting with the Princes; they'll not be able to deny me. You will be with me during the meeting," Delphine states, looking at me, "And Kade, you'll go to Anya; she'll trust you more than Nikolai, whose face is plastered everywhere for all to see. It is imperative to our mission that you convince Anya to return with you. The princes will reject Nikolai's request, but when Anya informs them that she's needed back home, they will not be able to deny her."
"Here, take this." I reply as I hand Mary's heart-shaped locket to Kade, "Treasure it like it's your first born child; the locket is Mary's; I took it from her to have the tarnishes removed, and a new chain added on as a surprise. Anya will recognize the necklace as her sister's. It should help you convince her to return to the palace with us."
"Alright," Delphine claps her hands, calling our attention back to her, "Now that that's settled, Kade, you head to the garden round back, Anya is usually there at this hour, and Nikolai and I will call upon the Princes."
As Kade heads toward the garden, I feel relieved, knowing that I won't have to be the one to explain to Anya that her sister has been taken and that I won't be the one who has to convince Anya to return home with us. Kade is more pleasant to be around and charming than me; out of the two of us, he'll be the one to win Anya over.