What the hell was he talking about? “Who sent you here? Why?”
Autumn smiled warmly. “Sophia—this has been hundreds of years in the making. The first attempt had been in the late 1600s, but unexpected events derailed the Universe’s plans. As things changed, they had to take additional measures to prepare. Even Ophelia’s life has been devoted to awaiting your arrival.
“They brought you back time and again, but the path was not an easy one to resume, to line up as had originally been intended.”
She spoke as if the details carried no weight. Perhaps they didn’t. Perhaps the night’s events rendered everything meaningless.
The Chibold, Charles thought toward me. My parents would not get tangled up with such tricksters. Don’t believe anything they say.
I disregarded his thoughts. Much as I loved him, he was a horrible judge of character. His perceptions of Thalia and her coterie had been way off. Then again, perhaps I was no better. I’d trusted Ivory for years.
“You could have prevented the deaths of your host family,” I said. “I hope you can see why we’re hesitant.”
Charles crossed his arms, his mouth dipping into an even deeper frown. The shadows under his eyes deepened with each passing moment.
“The Liettes were like parents to us,” Autumn said, her voice lullaby-sweet, “but we are here to save something bigger. We needed to meet you, Sophia.”
Charles scoffed. “You could have saved my parents and found her later. Or joined them on their visit to the States.”
“Brother,” Aspen said, his voice darker than his sister’s, “we couldn’t come forward until now—we simply were not able. Sophia had to act first.”
The idea was hard to accept, but I’d gone years without even knowing about my gifts. Perhaps things were the same for them.
“We would not willingly sacrifice our host family,” Aspen pressed. “That would mean risking our own lives. Host families are hard to find these days, and even centuries might not be enough to find one to hide our true identities. Surely you understand that?”
“Why is this happening now?” I asked.
“Because you willed it,” Autumn said in her musical voice. “Your ritual set these events into motion.”
My ritual? My ritual hadn’t willed this to happen. I’d never want the Liettes sacrificed because of me.
“That ritual was months and months ago,” I said. “Couldn’t you have come to me sooner?”
Aspen shook his head. “The ritual was only the first step. The herbs you used welcomed not only your purpose but your gifts as well. But you still had to learn, on your own, who you were. To accept yourself for who you were—who you are—and prove your strength and loyalty as you did tonight.”
Autumn leaned back in her chair, resting her hands in her lap. “By not caving in to the Maltorim’s request, you triggered our powers and allowed us to progress on our path. Just as in your first life, you did not cave—you remained true to yourself until the end. That was the moment the Universe was waiting for.”
The tension did not leave Charles’ neck or shoulders, but some of the anger dissipated from his expression. “What business are we of yours, then?”
“We are your messengers,” Autumn said.
“Messengers?” I said, disbelieving. “You’re children.”
“We are, in that we carry a child’s appearance. However, we have greater knowledge—one bestowed upon us by the Universe that we are to share with you. We are your guides. The Maltorim remains strong and their plans for the future nefarious. You will need our help.”
Guides? Messengers?
Nefarious?
The concept muddied my thoughts, and Charles was still skeptical. I stared blankly at the children.
“At one time, the Universe thrived alone,” Aspen elaborated, “but in time it became weak. It spawned humans to recycle the energy. The Universe fed from the positive energy of people at night, pulling them into sleep. The energy allows the Universe to create and put new life into the earth. If the humans die, the Universe dies…and vice versa.”
“Negative energy poisons the Universe,” Autumn continued in place of her brother. “The original immortals were here to clean up the mortal world, but some veered from the path the Universe had set for them. Though the source of the original evil is unknown, we imagine that sometimes the Universe accidentally feeds from the energy of corrupt human life and, in creating elementals, some of that dark energy is unintentionally imprinted.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“This will never be a perfect world,” Aspen said, “but it could be better. You will play a role in making that happen. The evil will continue to propagate.”