Life and Death (Book 1 of the Mergence Series)

Chapter 7 - The Mergence

Chapter 7 - The Mergence

When Mira finally stepped from the bathroom, she looked around in confusion to find the room just as it had been this morning, chandelier and all. Like the confrontation with king had never happened.

" Pretty cool, right?" A voice asked, and Mira jumped at the sudden voice, turning to find a man lounging on the bed, his arms behind his head as he grinned at her. " Princess." He greeted.

Mira stepped backward, about to make a dash back for the bathroom when the man was suddenly next to her before she could blink, blocking her path. " Easy, easy. I just want to talk." He assured as she stepped out of his reach, her eyes narrowed.

" My name is Theo. I'm one of the ones that pulled you from the river."

" I know, Wicca told me." She told him quietly." I'd thank you, but you should have just let me drown." 

" I could have, but then who would I return this to?" He asked, producing a long golden chain from which hung 7 red crystals, swinging it lightly on the tip of a gloved finger.

" I'm sorry, but that isn't mine." She said, unfamiliar with the piece of jewelry, but as Mira stared at red crystals, she found there to be a pull that was familiar. Whether they were hers, or not, she felt she had to have the necklace. She needed it, like it was a part of her, somehow.

" Are you sure?" He questioned, an almost knowing look on his face, as if he could hear her soul screaming out for her to take it. So she did, nearly so quickly that the chain might have snapped in a tug of war if he had tried to keep the necklace from her. He did not, instead he released it immediately like he'd been burned the moment she had her hand wrapped around the chain and closed the center most red crystal in her hand. And just as quickly, the feeling went away, and Mira blinked at it as if coming out of daze

" See. They are yours." He nodded.

" But I've never seen this necklace before in my life." Mira said, honestly, and he cocked his head at her. " It's your Focus."

" Focus?" Mira questioned, and he let out a sigh. " Did your parents teach you nothing? Very well then, it seems I must have the boring task of explaining it to you." He grumbled, before turning toward the door." Come along, Princess."

Mira hesitated, fidgeting with the necklace in her hands," But the King said-".

" The King will never find out. So long as we're quick." He called, before motioning her closer with a wink." Our secret."

She stepped forward but was still hesitant. " And the barrier?"

" Who said we'll be using the door." He grinned. Her eyes widened, but before she could even utter a protest, he pulled her toward him. Her eyes squeezed shut as she slammed into his chest, gripping tightly on to the front of his shirt as a wave of energy rushed through her, like stepping from a warm room into the cold of winter and then back again. It wasn't the first time she had experienced such travel. Many people could do it, and each form was different.

It was called Soul Stepping and was usually one of the first forms of magick that someone learned when they got their powers. Someone could simply step into the base of a tree or a cornered shadow and be gone in an instant. Her twin siblings, Adrian and Alison, had the ability to use the light from the sun and moon to travel. Mira had the ability, she'd be back home by now if she could, but the distance was too great, and Soul Stepping wasn't meant for long distance, a few miles at least, and you had to know and have the destination in mind.

When Theo released his hold on her, they were standing on the first floor of a large three floored library. Mira hated being cooped up inside, but the sheer size of the room, gave her the desire to spend hours exploring amongst the shelves, or curled up on one the sofas in front of the fire.

An image of herself before the fire flickered through her mind, a thick blanket wrapped around her as she stared contently into the flames with a cup of warm tea. Her back pressed against his chest as he wrapped his arms-

She quickly squished and tossed the images away before her mind took it too far. Where did that even come from?

" Princess." Theo called out, and Mira blinked at him, realizing that he had been talking while she daydreamed.

" I apologize, what did you say?" She asked guiltily, and he let out a sigh before motioning upward to the ceiling above them, and a gasp left her as she looked up. The entire ceiling was decorated in a mess of colors and images, all depicting what had to be the history of some event from long ago.

" In the beginning, there was nothing and then there was life." Theo began pointing to one side of the painting where the sky and earth seemed to merge in a swirl of colors which became darker as it approached the next section of images where a group of people knelt with their arms raised in praise to a much larger man and women, their hands joined. " And from the merge, they came. He was Chaos and she was Order. "

" Did they have names." Mira muttered.

" Ja'nean and Lucien. The Mother and The Father. " Theo responded.

" Mother and father?" Mira questioned.

" They were the first. And from them came the First Generation. All the royal families can trace themselves back to them."

Mira made a face and Theo laughed before shaking his head." No. No not like that. They weren't really their children, more their creations. They were born more from thought and force of will then anything else. " He assured. " Shall I continue?"

" Please." She pressed, and he motioned to the next group of images, the women, Ja'nean, now stood with her back to the man, Lucien, her face bowed in sorrow and her eyes closed, behind her the group of people now stood surrounding Lucien, who reached out for Ja'nean with a pleading look, their weapons were drawn toward him. " Lucien might have had a hand in creating them, but he was cruel and evil, he saw only slaves to do his bidding. It broke Ja'nean's heart to see her children suffer, so she gave them the power to fight back." Theo continued, and Mira's flickered to an image of a smiling Ja'nean, standing above the people with her arms raised a ball of light held in her hands.

" If she was helping them, why does she still look so sad." Mira muttered, and Theo looked at her with a frown before looking back at the painting." Because even though she was saving her children, she was also creating a way for them to put an end to the only man she ever loved. Just as Ja'nean loved her children, she loved Lucien. It's stated that when Lucien was defeated that Ja'nean created the Eternal sisters and then disappeared. Some theorize, that she just couldn't exist without him."

Theo was quiet for a moment before shaking his head." Anyway, to defeat Lucien, Ja'nean granted power to a few of her eldest and most beloved children, the forces of nature were granted unto them, and when the battle was over the land and world was spilt amongst them."

" I know this part." Mira said with a grin. " The three kingdoms were named in honor of the powers bestowed, but over time they were just referred as what they were. The kingdoms of Sky, Earth, Water, and Death. "

" Yes, but do you know their original names?" He questioned and she frowned in response before motioning with his head to a large map hanging above the fireplace, it was ancient and looked like it had been hanging there for a while, a similar map hung in her father's study though it wasn't as large as this one. " Celestiam, Terra, Kai, and Mortith." He said naming each one.

" Ok, all of that makes sense, but what does this have to do with this Focus thing?" Mira questioned and he rolled his eyes." The power that Ja'nean bestowed came in the form of Magical energy and with this energy came certain abilities or heightened talents. The Focus is just as the name states, to focus the excess energy and for some people it can actually make them stronger, awaken other abilities."

Other abilities... is that what that light was? 

Mira looked down at the necklace in her hands, before looking at Theo as he stepped back toward her and offered his arm." We should go back now. Dinner approaches and the king should only be pressed so far."

" I'm really never going home, am I?"

When he only stared at her, she let out a sigh and took his arm.

If you see any spots where the POV switches to first person let me know, those were unintentional

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