He shrugged. “Sorry, my love, it just never crossed my mind. I have so many years of stories and legends.” He turned to Brace and I. “And it is a secret. The worlds cannot know of them.”
Lallielle smiled at me, just a gentle curve of full lips. “You don’t have to give it back, the stone, laluna...” She threw a sideways glance at Josian. “Whichever one, it is yours, Aribella. You’re the first baby of the new millennium, born under a blood moon – you’re the empress.” She smiled like that was the greatest honor.
She was clearly crazy, and I was hoping it wasn’t hereditary.
Josian cleared his throat. “Uh, now don’t get upset, Lalli dear, but the laluna simply recognizes Aribella because it recognizes Walker power. I know we’ve argued about this before, but we must not just assume.”
I was highly amused to see him tip-toe around his wife.
“We don’t argue, Josian, we discuss,” Lallielle admonished.
Brace interrupted from the across the room. “If Abby’s not the chosen empress, why has there never been another born?” He didn’t make any attempt to move closer. “Lucas needs his empress more than ever.”
I glared at him. What the eff?
Brace was all ready to marry me off to Lucas like a prize cow won at auction.
Josian snorted. I looked up and he shrugged. “Sorry. You have a unique way of looking at things.”
I needed to figure out how to end the mind-reading thing.
Josian distracted me by answering Brace. “And to answer you, Brace, Aribella’s not the empress. Why another hasn’t been born, I don’t know. Keep in mind she isn’t even a full First Worlder ... she is Walker, which is even more potent and dominant.”
I waited for him to elaborate. I totally love it when people talk about me like I’m not in the room.
“The world crisis stems from a larger and more universal issue. In the last twenty years many Walkers who were in sleep stasis are waking – ahead of time. The imbalance in the universe is disturbing them.”
His tone changed.
“This tells me that this all has something to do with Walkers. Not a First World or royal family issue. They’re just collateral damage.
“Remember Aribella’s the only ‘half’ in existence, and maybe if I give you a small insight to our origins...”
Worry creased his defined brow. “Legends tell that our race was created from an explosion of energy – moonstale and laluna – in an empty universe. Seven Walkers emerged, pure and powerful. They were uniquely linked and created a complete supremacy.”
That was the second time he had mentioned moonstale. I wondered what it was.
Josian was powering along with his explanation. “I’ve been hearing whispers that this is about the Seventine. They are the universal balance to Walkers, although we do not acknowledge them as Walkers. They’re made from the anti-matter to ours.
“Allegedly the last great act of the seven, before they disappeared from all knowledge, was to banish the Seventine to a barren wasteland. Its location, one of our greatest secrets, has never been discovered.”
His voiced lowered. Unconsciously, I shifted close. “It’s said that the Seventine’s evil will never die, and if all of them escape their combined negative energy will consume the essence of every living entity. It will end the worlds.”
“Shut. The. Door.” I jumped to my feet, horror and panic consuming me. “That’s what you think is causing the chaos? How the hell are we supposed to fix that?”
He looked baffled for a heartbeat, but recovered. “No, I am not saying that’s what’s happening, I personally don’t believe it. But even if it were true we can’t fix it. Only the original seven have the knowledge and power.”
I crossed my arms. “If you can’t die, they’re out there somewhere. And this is their problem.”
Josian shook his head. “In a manner, we can choose to ‘die’. The essence of our power can be given freely, rendering our skins useless.”
Say what? “Are you telling me that our bodies are just the ... coating we wear?”
He gave me a slight wink. Was that a yes?
“Beside a few weapons which can disable us, we can also choose to free our powers to the universe. The weary will free themselves to be reborn and start the cycle again.”
Lallielle chimed in. “On First World we also do not age. Cell regeneration’s an integral part of our world. At birth we’re infused with an activation substrate that prompts the continual regeneration of cells. This kicks in after the age of maturity.”
“I guess that explains why no one has looked over thirty here... well, except Quarn.” He had an aged grimness.
Lallielle looked troubled. “I’m not sure why that would be. We still die from injuries and illness – there are some terrible diseases. Plus, there are always those who have lived through too many circles of First World. They will choose to release their energies.”
I stared. “If I’m correctly interpreting your words, I’m going to live forever – providing I don’t suicide or get stabbed in the heart.”