30

~Vaela

My hands drag over the craggy cave walls as I struggle my way into the part of the cave Hale retreats to when he wants to paint.

Sure enough, a brush is in his hand, as he crouches down, working on a particularly detailed aspect at the bottom of the painting. It's a night sky. It hurts to look at, knowing I haven't seen one in quite a few weeks.

I seat my hands in my pockets. "I've made a decision."

Hale straightens, dumping his brush on his metal tray. "Is that right?"

"I want to go out again," I decide.

Finding my mate has nothing to do with this now. What I need is a distraction that isn't Hale. Being around him in most of my waking moments is getting to be too much, and with Will gone and Eyla busy, I need fresh company.

Hale rubs his hands together, fingers stained with midnight purple and cobalt blue. "For how long?"

I chew on my lower lip. "Not long. Just a night."

"A night? You may get sick..." he frowns.

"Okay, for a small portion of the night, then," I sigh. I wish I didn't have to divulge my intentions to him, and that he would just trust that I wouldn't do anything to put my mortal self in danger.

"What would you like to do?" He stalks past me, and back into the main corridor of the cave, leading me back to the warmth of home. I'm shivering already, but part of that can probably be attributed to my nerves.

I chew on my fingernail, careful not to slip on the slick ice that coats the rocks. "Meet someone. Let them distract me for part of the night."

He holds the door open for me once we make it back, eyes following me as I pass by.

"I'm assuming that means what I think it means."

I whirl around. "I can't get you out of my head, Hale. I'm guessing it's because I'm in such close proximity to you, and you're a perfect Pureblood, so I need to get out of here and prove to myself that I can be with someone else like that, physically."

It may not work, considering the pleasure Hale has wrought from me. But I have to try.

"I don't like this idea," he mutters, closing the door, sealing us in once again.

"Doesn't matter, I need to do it," I decide.

"If you're absolutely sure, I can take you. But know that you don't have to avoid me. It can be completely platonic from now on, no suggestive remarks or anything." He holds his hands up defensively, but there is still an amused gleam in his eyes.

He knows that suggestive remarks aren't enough to keep us apart. There is something that draws us together.

"I need to do this, or I'm going to go crazy," I insist.

"Tonight, we will find you someone. I'll stay close, but I won't intervene," he finally conceedes. He may sound like he is relenting, although I hear the tension in his voice.

He knows this is a terrible idea, that I will not learn until later, when this is over.

"I may have someone in mind, from my old work. Maybe instead of going out, they could come here?" I offer.

Hale's eyes narrow. "With me here?"

"I'm sure you can find somewhere else to be for a bit, right?" I ask nervously. It feels wrong to kick him out of his own home, considering the nature of our strange relationship, but the thought of him being a room over...well, it's out of the question.

"Tell me his name, and I'll see if he's willing to come visit you. From there, it's up to you." He winks, and I roll my eyes, telling him his name.

He vanishes, and I gasp. Right now?

Quickly, I smooth down my hair, fixing my outfit. I look ridiculous, all dressed up in bundles of clothing. Despite the constant roaring fire, I'm still always cold, so when Hale brings my Kyler up here, he's going to have to deal with the look of me.

I don't think that will be a problem. Kyler and I had a short tryst during our time working together a few years ago. I moved, so it had to end, but there were never any feelings involved.

He may not even want me now. If not, fine, but it's worth the try.

Hale suddenly appears exactly where he had been standing a couple minutes ago, a man right next to him.

That isn't Kyler...

I blink, staring at the strange man. I figured Hale had some magical ability to sense people, so I thought telling him his name isn't Kyler was enough. Clearly I'm wrong, because this tall, lean man with haunted eyes is not who I was expecting.

"Wait, this isn't Kyler," I breathe, taking a cautious step back.

Hale frowns, turning to look at the strange man. "What do you mean? He told me-"

The man pushes out of Hale's grip, charging toward me. "Vaela, I need to speak to you."

"Who are you?" I demand. Why would someone lie to a Pureblood? And how does he know my name?

"I've been having dreams about you. Fate has brought us together," he exclaims wildly. He looks crazed, eyes wide and dazed as he looks over me, as if he's confirming details about myself that I don't even know.

All of a sudden, he grabs my arm, yanking me toward him before he clasps either sides of my face, forcing me to look into his striking green eyes.

My entire vision is suddenly plunged into a thick, grey mist.

For a moment, it's just pure, burning pain in my head. He's a Gaze Reader, just like the one Hale and I saw. And there is no fighting back, my entire being now belonging to him and his power.

That is, until I'm abruptly pulled from the void, blinking as my vision returns, seeing the stranger has been pulled viciously back by Hale.

"Wait! He's a Gaze Reader."

"What do you want with Vaela?" Hale growls, pushing the man up against the wall. He startles, staring at the Pureblood like he's going to be torn apart, which at this point, is entirely possible.

"I've been having visions about her. She has upset the course of nature," he grits out, squeezing his eyes shut.

Hale, with his arm against the man's chest, pushes slightly harder. "Were you trying to kill her?"

The Gaze Reader's eyes fly open, looking straight at me. "I wanted to confirm my visions, and they are true. You are in danger."

"How?" I whisper, feeling panic constricting my chest.

"He's going to come for you...He's going to-"

Hale slams the man harder against the wall, causing him to gasp out in panic. "Who's coming for her?"

"I can't say this name. But you need to become immortal again before he can get to you," the Gaze Reader insists.

Whoever he is, he's terrified this man, which in turn, is terrifying me. Why can his name not be uttered? I thought no one would learn about my mortality, and more importantly, I didn't believe it would affect the course of nature...

I glance at Hale, who continues to stare the man down, keeping him pinned against the wall. "I don't know how."

"Go back into the pond you fell into it, and then end your own life. Then, the spell will be reversed, and you will be immortal again," the man explains.

End my own life? That would send me back to Death's Realm.

"Tell us who is coming for her," Hale growls, slamming his hand against the wall, right next to the man's face.

He winces, before gritting out, "Relm."

The name doesn't strike anything in me, but it clearly affects Hale. He physically flinches, stepping back from the man, who rubs his chest uncomfortably.

"Relm isn't real," Hale murmurs breathlessly.

"He is. He hasn't been around for a long time, but I read a gaze recently and he was in it. He's back," the man insists. He's trembling, I realise, and not just from Hale's intimidation.

There can't seriously be a being out there more powerful than Purebloods...That wouldn't be fair.

"Who's Relm?" I question.

"Nobody," Hale dismisses.

"He's a monster." The Gaze Reader seems to grimace every time I say this mysterious man's name, like he is afraid he will materialise in the centre of the room.

"Hale, who is Relm?" I growl. I want more information, not to be left in the dark. Just because I'm mortal now doesn't mean I can't handle more information.

Hale releases a tense breath. "Technically, he was once Fate."

"Once was?"

"He was unable to handle his duties, and went mad. We wared with him for a long time, but eventually, he fled to another realm. He hasn't been back since," Hale admits.

I shudder, watching his eyes glaze over as he relives old memories. This must have been centuries ago, because I've heard of no such tale.

"He's back now, and he could use a disruption in nature to do terrible things," the Gaze Reader adds.

"I'm just a mortal..." I break off. What harm could I really do?

"But he could use you, and he would. He's pure evil." The Gaze Reader sounds painfully desperate now, like he's pleading me to become Immortal again. And not for myself either, but for the fate of the rest of the world.

Hale grabs his arm. "You need to leave. You're scaring Vaela."

I don't flinch, as the man stares me down, eyes shining with tears. "Become Immortal as soon as possible, even if you have to live out your sentence in Death's realm. It's better than being his forever."

Hale vanishes, taking the man with him.

Turning around, I pace back and forth, fingers clenching into fists. Be his forever. I

Hale returns only a moment later, immediately coming to my side.

"You okay?"

I whirl toward him, trying not to become hysterical, although it's near impossible at this rate. "Is it true? Is Relm back?"

"I doubt it. He sounded insane, I wouldn't worry." His soothing tone does nothing to quell my rising fears.

"But what if he's right?" I chew on my fingernail, which is nearly down to my skin.

Hale watches my mouth, a the faint lines of his forehead deepening as he frowns. "He's not, Vaela. We will find a way for you to become immortal in a way that actually works."

"His plan might work..."

"We don't know that. I'm not taking risks with you." I can barely hear the last part, his pained voice making my heartbeat falter.

I stumble backwards, until I'm braced against the wall, avoiding falling my to my knees. "I don't have much time. I may never find my mate, Hale, not yet at least. This could save me."

"Give me a week, or two...Maybe I can find another way that will work."

I barely nod, unsure he will, if he hasn't already. "Will you get me out of Death's realm?"

"Of course. You won't have to spend so much of a day there, okay?" He strides toward me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

Going back to Death's Realm...It's a dark, unavoidable thought.

"I'm scared of Relm," I admit.

I know nothing about him, but seeing how much fear he can incite in someone like Hale, means I should be absolutely terrified.

"Nothing will happen to you, especially not at his hand," Hale assures me.

I shudder. "He's that evil?"

Hale sighs, grim.

"More than you could ever know."