"You see child, you are special. Every child is special, but you my dear change the fates of those around you by weaving their futures together. When you were a child you touched the life of a Prince who learned not to hate, but to open up and care. That Prince in turn became the solace of a young Princess who had grown up in a volatile home.
The shifter girl who was to die, alone so long ago by her own hand… you transformed to a warrior, a piece of three whose fate is not so tightly tied to your own there is no telling how this all will end.
You have gone through life changing fate through who you are. People want to listen to you, need to understand you and others who fear change try to destroy you and you change their fate too. The Hyenas were to succeed in that kidnapping. I was already waiting for the child at the edge of the forest when you slowed them just enough for her father to catch up." The Raven's words were smooth and held the slightest hint of a smile in every word. She was obviously proud of Kyera's achievements but her eyes were glued to the suffering boy before her.
"I did this?" Kyera asked, tears pricked her eyes as her heart broke again for the Talis.
"No, Verone made the choice to do this. It was just put in motion when you changed Talis' destiny." The Lady Raven replied softly as she pulled orb from the depths of her cloak. It was glass and within which should have been two colors, one overtaking the other as death caught up with time. However, the color had only a sliver left, and the black seemed to be hesitating, held back from the deep green color by a thin sliver of color. Kyera didn't need to look too closely to know the energy holding back death was purple. Her hand raised to touch the lavender stone on her ear.
"How long?" Kyera asked, her heart slowed and she could feel every agonizing beat as she looked down at Talis's face. He looked so serene now. She was fairly sure that the Raven was taking his pain away so Kyera would remember him like this… not in agony. Part of her prayed he was still just sleeping, and couldn't let herself look at his chest to see if he was still breathing.
"The day you crashed into and saved him from that net, Kyera. He would have died before they ever got him into that crate. He would have tried to run and been stabbed." Raven pointed out with a soft smile. She knew how the girl before her thought.
"I ran… they didn't stab me." She pointed out and the Raven smiled knowingly. She wasn't going to argue, she simply raised the orb again the purple line glowing brighter now.
"Every time the darkness tries to take him, you have defended him, Kyera. You have a purpose for his life, not the Gods. The choice is yours, do you keep him here with you, or do you let him go? His life is tied to yours. Make a choice, Kyera." The Raven replied and Kyera felt her heart beat quicken and her hand trembled as it took Talis' hand in her own. She let the thoughts run around in her mind, what would she do? What was the right thing here? She was mortal. No mortal should have control over life and death. She had no right to decide his life.
That's right. No mortal should have that power, but Kyera had never been mortal. From the moment she drew breath she had always been a Goddess. She reached up and gently brushed the hair from his face. "I'm not ready to lose you… there's work to be done yet." She whispered softly, a small voice in the back of her mind called her selfish. She pushed it aside. "What do I do?" She looked back at her aunt who was no longer there. A few stray black feathers all that remained of her presence. There was no reason for her to stay. If he lived or died, Kyera would be caretaker for his soul. She owed him that much.
She closed her eyes and felt something inside her, something hitherto ignored. The power she had tried to pretend didn't rest just below the surface. Hesitantly, but will all her skill, Kyera coaxed a small bit of the magic from the depths and guided it up through her body. It was similar to the shadows but oh so different. It sparkled with vitality at the heart of it's cool, charcoal gray shadows. There were less shades to it than there were to her father's shadows but they were oh so much darker. A darkness she once feared, but now had no choice but to embrace.
The energy seemed to pool in her throat and finger tips, pressed against his hand as she held it tightly. She opened her mouth to speak but instead a lullaby fell from her lips, the air seemed to shimmer as the magic passed from her to him. The room became warm and cozy filled almost uncomfortably with something she could only call life.