“Why is this happening to Faery? The Mages? Why aren’t the healers doing anything?” I asked, turning to find Ristan watching me closely.
“There’s nothing they can do, Syn. Our world is rejecting them because it’s been poisoned. The Fae who were injected with iron…same sort of thing was done with Faery. She’s dying now, and the infants and children perish because the land can no longer welcome them. The visions I get—well—they show the heir’s giving birth to the next generations of heirs—one’s who can bond to the world and start healing it from the inside out. The Mages poisoned it, and Danu will not assist us in healing it unless we make the first move. By going with Adam, you would be doing what is necessary for this world to begin healing. You can stop this, Synthia. I had, at one point, thought you were against us, or some sort of distraction to throw Ryder off his goal, and that was why I couldn’t see your future. Now, I know it’s because you are a part of the cure, and Danu made me wait until the time was right to see your future.”
“This is crazy. This is happening now?” I asked, unable to take my eyes away from the horrifying scene in front of us.
Ristan shook his head and grabbed my hand. No longer were we inside the medical pavilion; we stood in a forest surrounded by ancient oak trees. “This is the heart of Faery,” he said, when I looked at him.
I moved from him, looking all around us at the ancient dying trees. I turned as I felt Ristan’s hand reach for mine, and, once again, he sifted us somewhere else. This place took my breath away. Water covered the ground and, even though we stood above it, you could feel it on your flesh. Moisture completely saturated the air, creating a pureness from its beauty. A thousand tiny fireflies lit up the night sky, as smaller ones covered the trees, giving them a luminescent glow.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered holding my hand out for one of the many flying bugs.
“I wouldn’t do that; they bite,” Ristan said, acting as if he was shooing the small creature away. It wasn’t a bug; it was a Fairy.
They were trying to heal the land. Thousands of them worked together to protect the ancient forest, but they were fighting a losing battle. “I can fix this by marrying Adam,” I whispered through thick tears that tightened my throat.
“You can, but you’d have to let Ryder go, Syn. It’s not going to be easy for either of you. He is trying to walk away. You need to let him go, so that he can do it. This is going to hurt you both, but, eventually, both of you are going to do the right thing for both worlds.”
No, it wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t know if I could do this. Not even to save one world from dying. I wasn’t a selfish person, but Adam? Marry Adam to save the world. Okay, it wasn’t the whole marry Adam part that got me…it was the produce an heir part…sex with Adam. It was laughable. We were as close as siblings, or at least on my end we were.
“You’re asking a lot. You are asking me to sleep with someone that I’ve considered a brother for most of my life. I’d be giving up my life for your world, Ristan. One that didn’t want me.”
“I know, but I also know it’s not inside of you to just walk away. You cured the dying in the medical ward because you were tired of death; tired of being unable to save people you cared about. Imagine what would happen if the entire Fae race was to descend upon the human world. Only one percent of our world has left for Earth so far, and billions more would make the jump if they had no choice but to do it in order to live. Would you stand by and allow that to happen if you could help us stop it?”
“No, but you guys knew that. Ryder knew what choice I would make if I saw this. It’s why he had you bring me here. Dirty. Plain and simple, Ristan. You just took my choice away from me. Bravo, now take me back.” It was the truth. Those faces of the dying would haunt me if I chose to walk away. I’d see them in my nightmares, and every moment of the day. They’d known. So, to make my choice, they’d brought me here to show me, up close and personal, what I would be walking away from.
“We knew, yes. We had to have you see what was happening, so you would understand why we are doing what we have to. This isn’t something that would go away for either of you. We came to your world to find the heirs, secure the relics, and gain a foothold against the Mages. You’ve already helped us in that department. It’s not fair of us to ask more, but it’s also not fair for us to walk away when we can ask you to help stop this.”
“I just need to know what makes you so sure that I’m the Light Heir, that I’m the Heir that the prophecy spoke of. Don’t these types of visions have to be interpreted anyway?” I was grasping at straws, I knew it, but I had to try. Ristan nodded solemnly.