She stepped into the cavern and walked through the center, ignoring everything else as she approached the light.
When she was directly in front of the arch, she felt an incredible sensation of peace. It surged through her body, sending a tingle through her limbs, and Ella realized the pain was gone. While she looked at the light there was no more agony, only joy.
“Ella,” she heard behind her.
Ella turned in surprise as she heard the voice. For the first time her gaze took in the entire cavern. Jewels of all colors sparkled from the rocky ceiling, reflecting the golden light. A beautiful centurion tree with glistening green leaves stood over a wooden bench, branches drooping down.
Ella drew in a sharp breath.
An old man in a sky-blue robe sat on the bench, and Ella’s eyes widened as she saw he had a little girl on his lap, her hair pale blonde and her eyes sparkling emerald. He set the girl off his lap and rose to his feet as he once more spoke her name.
His white hair was flecked with ginger, and his soft beard was dotted here and there with red. His intensely blue eyes looked at Ella with the utmost kindness and compassion as he stepped toward her.
“Evrin,” Ella whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here because you’re here,” Evrin Evenstar said.
Ella looked down at the little girl, whose hand was clasped in Evrin’s. “Who is she?”
“She’s you,” Evrin said.
Ella’s senses reeled, and suddenly she was the girl, the girl was she. She looked out through the little girl’s eyes, and then Ella closed her eyes and opened them, and the girl was gone. Evrin’s hands were now empty.
“I remember,” Ella said.
“That is good. But tell me, my dear,” Evrin said. “What do you remember of lore?”
Ella spoke with a trembling voice. “Runes are drawn with essence. Different runes combine to give objects properties they didn’t possess before.”
“What makes someone a master of lore?”
“Learning,” Ella said. “Experience. Wisdom.”
Evrin shook his head sadly. “You never did understand, though you came close to the source three times.” He came forward and put his finger at Ella’s breast, close to her heart. “Power comes from within. Only when you realize this, will you become the master of yourself, and then you can become what you’ve always wanted to be.”
Ella saw Layla enter the cavern to stand by Evrin’s side.
“She knows it,” Evrin said, indicating Layla. “But then again, her people were always close to the truth.”
“What truth?” Ella said.
“You’ve always believed everything should have a rational explanation, and you’ve struggled to explain the things you don’t understand. You can’t explain away love, my dear, it doesn’t work like that. Nor can you explain intuition, or the strength to go on even through the darkest struggles.”
“I don’t understand,” Ella whispered. “Why can’t you just tell me?”
“Because these things are for each of us to learn on our own. They can’t be taught or explained, which is the point of what I’m trying to say to you.”
Ella turned to look at the archway of golden light. Once more the feeling of restful peace came over her.
“You can go that way, yes, and you deserve it, that is true.”
At the other end of the cavern, from where Ella had come, the entrance darkened with shadow. The man stood at the cusp of the cavern, watching and waiting, filled with menace.
“Or you can fight,” Evrin said. “It will mean discovering the source of your strength in the face of utter darkness. You will either find yourself, or you will perish.”
“We must go,” Layla said to Evrin.
Evrin nodded. He turned back to Ella. “I have faith in you, my dear. But when you make your choice, remember: if you choose to fight, the battle will be more difficult than any you’ve ever faced before.”
Evrin and Layla both turned to the light-filled tunnel, and as they walked, they began to fade. They became translucent with each step, and the centurion tree and wooden bench also faded.
“Don’t go,” Ella pleaded.
“Trust in yourself,” Evrin and Layla whispered together.
Evrin looked one last time over his shoulder back at Ella, and then he and Layla walked through the archway, into the light.
The man in black now stepped forward into the cavern, half-filling it with shadow as he snarled, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Ella looked longingly at the light, and then at the darkness.
She chose to fight.
54
Tiesto Telmarran stared white-faced down at Seranthia as the rumbling horn blast sounded the call to arms from behind the city walls.
It was time.