Chapter 374

We stood in front of the ocean in a line parallel with the water. First Veronica. Then Julian. Nicholas. Elva, and myself.

Veronica raised her book. The book light was no longer needed now and turned off. Veronica read the invitation spell by the bright light of the morning sun.

The words were foreign. Merfolk, probably. When she finished, I held my breath. Waited.

In the distance, I continued to see the Oracle and her entourage bob under the surface of the water. They made no movement closer, nor did they move away.

I leaned forward to look at Veronica. She had a look of confusion on her face.

“Maybe your pronunciation was wrong,” Julian suggested.

“I asked Ambassador Zale on one of his visits,” Veronica said. “The pronunciation is correct.”

Nicholas glanced at me. “Do you feel fear in your heart?”

“No,” I said, confident. “I trust Veronica, as I trust all of you.”

Elva tilted her head. “She can’t hear.”

“Huh?” I asked.

Elva looked up at me. “How can she hear what we say up here, when she is down there?”

I looked at Veronica. Veronica frowned down at the text.

“I’ll show you.” Elva tugged at my hand.

“Elva,” I said, trying to hold her back, but she was insistent. Together, we walked right up to the water. Elva stuck her toes in the water. She leaned down toward the waves and shouted, “Please come ashore!”

It was adorable, if not ridiculous. I started to tug Elva gently back toward the shore.

We’d only taken one step back when The Oracle herself broke the surface of the water. Her seashells looked radiant, sparkling and glistening under the morning sun. Her scales shimmered as she approached us, with two of her followers at her flank. They wore matching colors, though not nearly so glamourous.

“Hello, little Elva,” she said to my girl, coupled with a kind smile.

“Hi,” Elva said. She was shy now. She clung onto my hand with both of hers.

“Please,” I said and gestured for the merfolk to come ashore. “Join us.”

“Thank you,” the Oracle said. The others dipped their heads in acknowledgement. Yet she didn’t move yet. Instead, she looked at me closely. I felt a tiny bit unnerved. With her sole focus on me, I felt like she could see straight through me.

But then she smiled so warmly, that the heat filled the uncertainty in my chest.

“I am pleased to see you have removed the fear from your heart,” she said. “I am very eager to help young Elva. I assume you have decided on volunteers.”

I motioned her toward the shore once more. This time, fortunately, she started moving.

“Yes,” I said as we approached my friends. “Us four will be your volunteers.”

The Oracle had no eyebrows to lift, but her eyes still opened wide in obvious surprise. “All four of you?”

Each nodded in turn.

The Oracle’s kind smile lowered to Elva. “You are blessed, child, to have so many who love you.”

If we had been back home, she would have had more still, of that I was certain. Susie, for one. Mark, another. The wolves, perhaps. And Anna, if she had been permitted to join us at the palace.

I was so pleased. Elva seemed to gather good faith and friends wherever she went. It was an ability I hoped would stay with her into adulthood.

“It will,” the Oracle said, looking straight at me.

“I…” Did she read my mind just now? What was I supposed to say to that? How was I to ask?

The Oracle didn’t wait for me to figure it out. Instead, she looked toward Veronica.

“You’ve studied the book. You know what is to come.”

Veronica nodded.

“Then I will tell the rest what you have withheld. I do not judge you. I know you seek to protect the girl, and do not question the will of your friends. They should know however.”

Veronica hung her head.

She left something out? Nicholas and I glanced at each other, before the Oracle spoke up once more, reclaiming our attention.

“For the volunteers it will be painful. Perhaps you’ve guessed as much. The sacrifice of life force, even that freely given, leaves it’s toll. Knowing this, do you wish to persist?”

“Yes,” I said at once. “This changes nothing for me.” I realized as soon as I said it, that I shouldn’t speak for my friends. Though I was willing to do whatever it took to save Elva, that didn’t mean the same for others.

Yet, one by one, they spoke up.

“I will stay a donor,” Nicholas said, voice strong and proud.

“Me, too,” Julian said, laughing. “I can handle whatever comes if it helps out our princess.”

Veronica lifted her head again. “You already know my answer.”

The Oracle nodded, seeming pleased. “Gather in a circle then. Hold hands. Elva, you stand between them, in the middle of the circle.”

We moved into positions. I held Nicholas and Julian’s hands. After setting aside her book, Veronica, on the opposite of me, did the same but in reverse. Elva moved into the space between us.

The Oracle nodded at her companions, and they spread themselves and equal distance around our circle.

Then they all lifted their hands.

At once, a strong, pulsing magic flew from the Oracle’s hands. It stretched outwards, moving like waves as it circled all of us in a bluish-purple light.

Elva began to glow, just as she had done during Veronica’s experiment.

“Mommy?” she said.

“It will be okay, honey,” I told her. A zap rushed through me like a bolt of electricity. The pain quickly followed.

I clamped my teeth and held on. I didn’t care how painful it was. I wasn’t going to let go. I’d hold on and free Elva from this curse even if it killed me.

Nicholas looked at me. His face was stricken but his grip was strong.

“Piper?”

“I’m okay,” I growled out through the pain. “Keep going.”

“I don’t like this,” he said.

“Don’t you dare end it before she is healed,” I said to him. “I can handle it! I swear!”

The pain was worsening by the second. I whoosh of air and water sounded in my ears. I felt as if I was in a whirlpool being lashed around in the water.

But my feet were firm on the sand. It was the magic. I had to hold on.

Miracle, help me! I won’t let this end before Elva is saved!

I felt Miracle’s strength fill me in answer, but it still didn’t feel like enough. The pain was near overwhelming. Tears filled my eyes.

“Piper!”

“Don’t give up!” I begged. Nicholas was stronger than me. As was Julian and Veronica. I was the weak link here.

I knew it hurt Nicholas to see me like this, to hear the strain in my voice, to feel my body shaking.

But I needed him to hold on. To believe in me.

I could do this. For Elva, I could do this.

Then, just when I thought I had reached the outer limits of my pain, a new wave crushed over me. I felt as if my soul was being sucked straight from my body.

This was worse than when I had lost my wolf.

It hurt so bad, I felt like I was being turned inside out.

I tried not to. I tried to hold back as long as I could. I didn’t want Nicholas to end it. I didn’t want to scare Elva.

But the pain was too much.

I screamed.

“Stop!” Nicholas shouted. He let go of my hand.

At once, the pain vanished, and I collapsed into the sweet release of total darkness.