37. Vericus

Sloane looked at me like I was larger then life, I hadn't seen that look in his face since he was five. It felt so good to be back I had missed being with the pack and with Sloane. To them only a few days had passed but to me it was more like two years. Time in the druids mountain flowed a lot slower then the world here. I doubt they would believe me if I told them this so I figured better they didn't know that part.

"I'm sorry Sloane I should never have run off it was a coward thing to do. However it was a necessary thing I had to do and I knew the pack would be fine in your hands while I was gone."

I stepped closer pulling him into a brotherly hug.

"I'm proud of you Slo you did well."

Slo pulled away as he stared at me like I wasn't real. Til finally a chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Slo eh? The nicknames spreading even you've picked it up."

I laughed. I hadn't even realised I'd said but I guess it's true. Kandra was right it was the perfect nickname for him. My thoughts made me frown. No not Kandra, Rix. It all made sense now it wasn't that Rix had stole Raines power at birth it was hers to begin with. I was drawn to Kandra because it was Rixs soul all along.

"Where have you been Ver I was worried?"

Slos voice pulled me from my thoughts. I stood there glancing at both of them. There was so much to explain I didn't know where to start.

"Come on we'll go to the office to talk I'll have Owen meet us there."

'Owen?'

'Vericus?'

'Yes meet us in the office.'

'How are you using the mindlink when I'm not shifted?'

'I'll explain just come to the office.'

'Very well...and Vericus…..Welcome back.'

'Thanks.'

"Owens on his way."

Slo stared at me not moving.

"Did you just mind link without a shift?"

I nodded smiling.

"Come on I'll explain let's just get somewhere more private."

I lead them both out of the basement and upstairs. Owen had beat us to the office and was waiting in his usual chair. When he saw me however he jumped up and brought me into a fatherly hug, considering he was the closest thing both Slo and I had to a father it felt good. Instead of sitting behind the desk I just leaned against it as a faced all three of them. I told them of my encounter with the druids and of the true story of the curse. I also told them of how they had helped me tap into my full potential as the red eyed king. By the time I was finished they were stunned into silence. Well Slo and Owen were, Roake however....

"That sly moon goddess. She certainly has a round about way of helping out."

I chuckled.

"She does at that. Though to her credit I think it was the only way she could do it. She must have known she wouldn't be able to interfere beyond what she did."

Slo seemed to still be processing all that I had said so Owen was the next to come back to life.

"So your saying it's Raine who's cursed and not Driak?"

I nodded.

"Yes Driak is hell bent on keeping her cursed. Even after thousands of years he still holds a grudge. With each life Raine lives he invents new ways to torture her. This life is just the lastest of his forms of torture."

"And you think he plans to make her immortal?"

I nod as I go around the desk to sit down behind it.

"Yes. What better why to solidify her curse by making sure she hates him for eternity. Not to mention even if she does somehow manage to let go of her hate if she's immortal then she'll still be cursed but just in a different way."

My eyes turned to Slo, his face was bent as he stared at the floor. He seemed lost in thought and hadn't said a word. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Slo?"

His eye snapped up startled at hearing his name.

"Are you alright? This is a lot to take in I know but-"

He waved a hand dismissing my words.

"It's not that it's just... there's just so many unanswered questions. If Driaks plan is to make her immortal then how is he going to accomplish that? He's not a god surely he doesn't have that power? Then there's Rix. If Rixs soul is the one trapped inside Raines mind why wouldn't she tell Cora when Raine attacked her? She had her memories back so she would have known that she was Rix and not Kandra. Then there's the fact that Rix is your mate so that means she is the one cursed yet Raine is the one who's consumed by hate not Rix. It's just doesn't make sense."

I had to admit he definitely had a point there. I didn't quite understand it myself. There was still so much that we didn't know. Slo had already told me about what had transpired while I was gone so I knew all about what Raine had done to Cora and of the encounter she had inside her own mind.

"Your right there are a lot of questions that even I can't answer. I don't know why Raine is the one cursed instead of Rix, it could just be something to do with the fact that they are twins or it could be something else entirely. As for the whole not telling Cora I assume that's pretty easy to guess. Rix would no doubt know that we all thought her dead she probably didn't want us to get our hopes up that her soul was still alive inside Raine. Then there's the whole immortal part. I can't tell you how he plans to do it it's more of a hunch."

Slos eyes widened but it was Raoke who answered with a growl.

"A hunch?! You can't be serious Vericus. You can't tell me even with your full powers back your still basing this on a hunch?"

I shrugged.

"I'm not all powerful Roake even with the powers that I now possess it's not as simple as just knowing."

"That's another thing what exactly are your full powers I saw what you did with the lock downstairs and the fact that you knew that sirens name. So what you knew her name but you don't know this?"

I laughed at Slos words which regrettably made him angry. I could tell in the way he clench his fists stopping my laugh abruptly.

"Sorry it's just I only knew her name because I ran into her mother on my way back. As for the lock that was something else. The way my power works is not magic in the basic sense. It'll try to explain it as best I can but the way it works is it's not me who wields power but nature. I merely have the ability to bend the force of nature to my will. All metals are formed by nature so all I had to do was will the lock to open and it did."

Slo stared at me in silence like what I spoke was the most outrageous thing in the world.

"And you learnt to do that in just two days?"

I chuckled nervously at Owens words.

"Kind of."

By the look Owen was giving me I knew there was no way he was going to let it go. Guess there was no avoiding it. Sighing I told him the truth.

"TWO YEARS?!"

Slos outburst made me realise just how much these last couple days had effected him. I'd hate to think how he would have been if I had been gone the full two years. After awhile he take a deep breath clearly trying to calm himself before he spoke again.

"Look Ver I get why you left and after everything you've said I get why you had to stay but did you not think that we were worried about you? That I was worried? All this power you hold and you couldn't find some way of letting me know that you were alright?"

I started to answer but he growled stopping my words.

"Just forget it Ver I'm glad your back but I promised Cora I'd have dinner with her."

I watched him go leaving an awkward silence in his wake. My eyes were still on the door when Raoke spoke.

"He'll be alright Vericus he just needs some time. Acting as king in your absence even if for just a few days hasn't given him much time to breath. Especially after what happened with Raine."

Roake was right I'll find time later to talk with him.

"Speaking of Raine what do you plan on doing about her?"

My eyes met Owen's. as both Raines and Rixs uncle it was no surprise he wanted to know. However to be honest I had no idea what to do about either of them. If Rixs soul was trapped inside Raine what did that mean for us? How was it even possible for something like that to happen? Having my full power back didn't do much in the way of helping the situation we were in. Slo was right there was still so much we didn't know. It was like we were missing something. Missing a very important piece of the puzzle and without it how were we to move forward?

"For now we leave her to Malix and Ty. There's no point in forcing her to come back it'll only make things worse. without knowing how exactly two souls can inhabit one body and why they ended up like that there's not much we can do in the way of helping either of them."

Even though Owen nodded in agreement I knew he didn't like the idea of leaving her out there. To be honest neither did I. When I heard Silan say that Kandra was actually Rix I couldn't believe my ears. I had excepted that she was dead. Even thought that she was possibly not my fated mate. I had been wrong to doubt what we had. I had failed her in so many ways. Now I had no idea what to do. No idea how to get her back. What was there to do in a situation like this? Even if I knew of a way to free her soul from Driaks influence what then? She would still be trapped inside Raine. Would she return to the surface using Raine body as before or would she fade into the back ground of Raines mind?

"Then we need more information."

My eyes met Roakes his words straight from my own thoughts.

"Yes and the best way to do that is to ask the person that started all this."

Standing up I spoke to both of them.

"Leave Driak to me we need to find him before Raine. Have Malix and Ty stall her as much as possible. She must not try to take him on before we figure out this mess."

I started towards the door.

"How do you plan to find him before she does?"

I smiled at Owen.

"I'll ask the trees."

I left them to ponder my words as I made my way through the house to the rear door. Outside the night air caressed my face like an old friend. Ever since Vale and her grandfather helped me I felt at one with everything around me. The power to bend nature to my will came so easily now that I no longer fought against it. I made my way into the woods. It only took a few minutes before I made it to a large oak. I stared up at it branch's the leaves swayed in the breeze.

"Rise great oak and speak your name."

The trunk of the tree distorted as a female with green flowing hair and pointed ears detached herself from the bark. The browns and green of the oak blended to form a vined like dress that swayed with the breeze just as the leaves had a moment ago. A vined tiara wound its way around her brow and a staff carved itself in her hand. The sight was extraordinary. She bowed before me.

"My king it has been far too long since you have pulled us from our slumber. I am called Caho how may I serve."

Her head remained bowed as I spoke.

"Caho rise the others use your trees and find me the immortal named Driak."

"It will be done my king."

She began to stand just as she was about to return to her place within the tree I grabbed her arm. Her green eyes turned to met mine.

"Was there another request my king?"

I hesitated to make my request but I couldn't stop myself from asking it.

"Yes please help keep Raine Valdier safe."

Her knowing smile curved her lips.

"We will do what we can my king."

She was gone before I could even thank her. Wood nymphs were noble creatures. They served the red eyed king and only awakened when the king called to them. They were one of the few supernaturals that everyone thought to be myths since they rarely left their tree counterparts. They lived as long as their tree partners did. There were so few these days with humans tearing down their trees and in turn killing them but hopefully there was still enough left to help find Driak.

That's assuming he was within their range but even if he wasn't most towns or cites were surrounded by trees so they would at least know if he had passed through.

It would take some time to find Driak even with the nymphs help so all that was left to do now was wait. My eyes looked to the stars and the moon that shone bright in the sky. Hold on Rix, Raine both of you stay safe I will get to the root of your curse and I will break it. I refuse to let you die another life filled with hate. This time Driak will loose I'll not let him have you not ever.