“No one should be here. I am the only one able to follow these paths.”
“They are following us. They wish to destroy us.” Broni’s battle instincts were surging through her body. Although she wanted to stay and face the approaching enemy, she would not risk her sisters’ safety.
“Whatever happens, we cannot release hands. You will become lost and disoriented without my help,” Cara spoke hurriedly, feeling the danger drawing nearer. She was practically running through the corridor. “Can you tell what it is?”
Both women shook their heads as Cara rushed along the unseen path with her sisters desperately trying to keep up.
“We’re almost there.” Cara could see their doorway just ahead.
They each prayed to reach the doorway before whatever danger stalking them struck. They were inches away from their destination when they were suddenly hit with a power surge, knocking them apart.
Cara heard her sisters’ screams at the same time she felt as if she had been struck by a massive fist to her head. Helplessly, she tried to keep from losing consciousness. When she realized it was a losing battle, Cara attempted to simply stay alert long enough to find her sisters.
Seeing a movement to her left, she found Broni being flung toward a particularly small and dark doorway. Dread filled Cara at which doorway Broni had unwillingly entered.
Quickly, she tried to find Zerina, beginning to lose hope until Cara saw her struggling to pull herself out of a doorway. Then she lost her battle and was dragged backward as if an invisible hand had grabbed her.
Cara knew she was in danger and unable to help her sisters now, but at least she knew how to find them.
Cara started crawling along the dark path, but her sisters’ doorways were no longer there, vanishing as each entered. All she could do was anxiously search for one that could be used to access her way home.
She was about to give up hope when she saw a small doorway to her left, but knowing where it led, she was going to pass it, even as she felt herself growing weaker. There was one farther away that held the possibility of being able to follow Zerina.
Crawling on her hands and knees, she was about to pass the small doorway when she heard a voice calling to her. Turning to look in the doorway, she feared she was wasting precious time, barely able to focus. Then she heard her name called again. One of her gifts was seeing inside each doorway, and unless she was mistaken, that was her aunt Destiny calling for her.
Swiftly changing directions, she began crawling toward the doorway she saw her aunt standing beyond. Of all the doorways, Cara would have chosen this one last. It would provide many difficulties that would be hard to overcome.
Cara barely made it through before she lost consciousness, sensing the doorway closing behind her. She hoped Destiny knew what she was doing by leading her here. However, she doubted she would have made it much farther. At least she knew where she was, having visited here many times.
Pain burst behind her eyes, and for the first time, Cara realized what many of her souls felt at their death. Except, no one was there to help her, to show her the way home.
* * *
Fate stood on the balcony of her palace, staring at the sky before her.
Destiny walked to her sister’s side. “Have you found them?”
Tears streaked down Fate’s cheeks as she answered, “They are mortal.”
Destiny also stared at the dark sky, reading the same twinkling lights Fate was observing. “Only a god can retrieve them now. We have so many enemies it will not be safe to send anyone after them.”
“There is one.” Fate’s voice broke. “He hates me, but he will not betray them.”
Fate turned back toward the star-studded sky and began weaving a pattern. Twinkling lights moved, slowly adjusting positions, circling a small light that was barely visible.
Destiny reached out and grabbed the arm closest to her. “What are you doing? You cannot interfere.”
Fate roughly pulled her arm out of her sister’s reach, resuming her weaving. “I am not interfering; I’m assisting. Cara needs help immediately. She took the worst of it trying to protect her sisters.”
Destiny watched the pattern Fate spun, a gasp escaping when she finished. She turned pale when she saw what Fate had maneuvered.
“You are sendinghimto help her? Are you crazy?” Destiny could not believe what her own eyes were telling her.
“No one else can protect her as well. He will keep her safe until we can retrieve her.”
“He will not help her; he will destroy her! Do not do this, Fate. It is too dangerous.”
Angrily, Fate snarled, “Why did you lead her to that doorway?”