The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 26 - Ithuriel

Chapter 26 – Ithuriel

"Stephen," said a lovely voice and the scenery changed again. I was standing on the edge of a balcony. A man stood by the balustrade, his back to me, staring out at the green of Idris. The demon towers gleamed on the horizon and the rising sun was reflected in their adamas.

The man slowly raised his head. A young woman – no, she was hardly older than a girl – came towards him with firm steps and stopped short in front of him. She had her eyes fixed on the man who was at least a head taller than her. Her long blond hair glistened in the light, and she wore a loose robe that hid her figure underneath.

The man turned to face her fully and I paused for a moment, thinking I saw Jace in front of me. He had the same golden hair, bright blue eyes, and same angular features. If you looked more closely, you could see that he appeared to be a bit older. Maybe late twenties. The tired look in his eyes made him look even older. When he saw the woman standing in front of him, his expression softened a bit and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's on your mind, dear?" His voice was deeper than Jace's, yet there was an undeniable resemblance. Even his posture, the straight back and the elegant, almost dancelike movements, spoke of Jace.

"How long is this supposed to go on?" the woman asked, her worried eyes wandering up to his face. His touch made her stiffen and she seemed to struggle to stay in place. "You know exactly how loyal I am to Valentine. He and Jocelyn ... they represent everything I ever dreamed of for my own family, but I need you here for that."

Stephen sighed, bowed his head, and then leaned against the stone balustrade. As he looked down, all that could be heard was the gentle breeze rustling in nearby trees and a few birds chirping. "Do you think it's easy for me to leave you here?" he finally broke the silence and searched her eyes. As he spoke, he slid his hand down and pulled her toward him. "I would like nothing more than to be here with you and await the arrival of our son. But Valentine needs me out there, especially now that Lucian has left him."

At his words, my gaze wandered to her stomach. The robe didn't reveal much, and the wind was too weak to steer the light fabric in one direction. And yet you could make out the contours of a small baby bump. I swallowed when I realized who the two were.

"I know that," the young woman whispered and closed her eyes in an almost desperate gesture. "I endorse what he is doing and honor him and any men who join him in battle against these ... savages. But I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you. Look what happened to Lucian."

"Look at me, Céline," Stephen said, his voice firm now to get her full attention. "Valentine has done a lot for us, and I want to go out there and fight with him. I do it for us. I'll come back to you, I promise." He took her hands in his and linked them together. One might have assumed that there should be something loving on his face, that he should show some kind of affection towards her. But he didn't. His expression was warm, caring, and kind, but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

Céline didn't seem to notice. His words seemed to calm her a little and she squeezed his hands. "I don't know how to live without you."

The image swam before my eyes again. The world turned again. A deep crunching sound reached my ears from far away. Then the colors were gone, as was the bright light. All that remained was the dark cave under the abandoned manor house. I had to blink several times to adjust to the darkness and peered down at Ithuriel. My heart was beating like crazy in my chest and my breathing was rapid as if I had run a long distance. I turned my head and staggered back.

Someone touched my back and stopped me from going down on my knees. My eyes met Jace's and I had to choke back a gasp. I could see in his eyes that he had seen the same scenes as me. He now knew the truth and that I had not lied. I feared that he would react with defiance. But the look in his eyes showed nothing but melancholy and a brief flicker of longing. He looked away and let go of me.