Yvonne awoke to a curious sense of peace inside her heart and soul. She was ready to move on and start the next, and final, phase of her life. She had done a lot of things in her current and past lifetimes. She had saved the world many times. She had seen dozens of lands and other worlds. She had made friends in other galaxies. She had graduated top of her classes and designed hundreds of beautiful rooms and homes. She had even gotten to have grandkids. That wasn't so bad.
Doug rose onto his elbow behind her, and his free hand smoothed down her arm. "I thought I felt you wake up," he said softly.
"Mm." She snuggled back against him contentedly. "Just thinking about the things I've seen and done." She laughed. "It's funny. One of the things I was always determined to do, I just never got around to doing."
"Do tell."
"Learn Vericin."
He blinked. "Well, hell. If you'd mentioned that, I'd have taught you centuries ago. Sam taught all of us Commanders the language so that we'd know what he said when he cussed at us." He smiled when she turned over to look at him. "Why were you determined to learn?"
"I liked how it sounded, and I liked how it had come to be. After meeting Sam and Allister and Jean, I thought again I'd like to learn the language. I just didn't get around to it. Maybe that'll be what I do in my new life as a goddess." She smiled. "You can teach me."
"I'm always happy to teach you things. It's so rare I know something you don't."
"You're wrong." His brows lifted, and she reached up to frame his face with her hands. "You taught me a lot of things, Douglas. You taught me how to play and laugh." She shook her head. "You taught me how to tease and be teased. I've always been an introvert prone to anxiety. Siobhan and Rocky and Virginia overwhelmed me too many times to count, but they knew what I needed when I needed it." She started laughing. "Okay, I have to tell this. You'll find it as funny as I do."
He grinned. "This should be good."
"Promise not to get jealous?"
"Okay, this really should be good."
She grinned at him. "Rocky was my date to the winter solstice ball in Lux the year before the Redemption War started."
He started laughing as he sat up. "I can see how this might have happened, but do tell. I'm assuming Shana knew his intent to take you, given that she had been a part of his life since childhood by then, thought in absentia at that point."
"Oh, she knew alright. You know how Delphinians like having their way?" She sat up as well and her yellow eyes were lighter than usual with humor for the memory. "Well as the ball approached, it turned out that everyone had a date except for me, even just a casual date. I had not seen someone I wanted to ask, and no one had asked me—which, yes, stung a little but I expected it since I rarely ever hit anyone's focus in that manner. I figured I would stay home and hear about it the day after." She sighed fondly. "Turns out Rocky did not like any of that situation. He called Shana to ask if it was okay if he would take me to the ball since Shana was not there. My understanding is that Shana's response was somewhere in the line of 'why are you asking me when you know I'd say yes?'"
Doug fought more laughter. "And?"
"The day before the solstice, Rocky suddenly showed up at one of my design classes with flowers—irises, the brat!—and asked me if I would let him escort me to the ball."
Doug dropped his head as his shoulders shook with laughter. "You were no doubt mortified."
"To say the least! It was like having my little brother ask me out! I rushed him out of the room to demand answers, and he said that he had heard Siobhan lamenting that I was so shy that I was scaring off suitors, and she hated that I was staying home. He decided he take matters into his own hands." She sighed fondly. "Have you ever tried to tell that man 'no'?"
"Once," her lover said dryly. "And only once. Only Shana and Sam have ever out-stubborned him."
"I have kept trying over two lifetimes and never succeeded, so I gave in without a fight that time. Walking into that ballroom on his arm was nerve-wracking. I mean . . . he was a High Prince. He had a presence." Her eyes softened. "And he was smart. It didn't take more than ten minutes before other people came up to ask me to dance. I had more fun than I had expected to have. The following year's solstice happened in the middle of the Ranunculus War, so we did not attend, and then the one after that all of you had come home, so it became irrelevant because I had a permanent date in you. To this day, I don't know how Rocky changed things the way he did."
"I think I know what it was," Doug decided. "For starters, Cultivators can be pretty intimidating to people as a whole, especially Defenders, and really especially Duals. On top of that, you've always been shy and anxious, so people would be worried about that. What he did was prove that you were both approachable and friendly, and that if you felt comfortable, you warmed up. Honestly, once you feel comfortable with someone, you turn downright sassy."
"That too." Her eyes softened. "It's so funny how life works."
He knew what she referred to. "She was doomed to be a smartass, given she got it by nature and nurture both. She also got your cool exterior hiding warmth, and my lack of shyness over anything, so she is a force to be reckoned with even without being an Apex! You know, I truly believe that may be the reason we were drawn to help Jean during the Realm War, and the reason my stone of Dark was near her as well. Hell, I was even close with Liena to where she joked about adopting me. I've never seen any person created more deliberately than our daughter."
"Neither have I." She drew a long breath. "I'm ready, Doug. I can feel her waiting nearby. She knows it's time as well. I even know what place of memory I want to visit."
"Then we'll go together." He kissed her softly, lingering over her icy fresh taste and soft iris scent, and then let her go. They both got out of bed and got dressed then headed into the manor. The entire place was silent. They were the only two left of the Elder generation other than Shana and Siobhan. Nothing was left to hold them to this plane. Nothing . . . except their daughter.
They found her and Rodi sitting on the roof. Both watched the sun struggle to rise in the distance. Somehow they managed to be part of the darkness and light both, and the soft glow of pure, good majik inside them shined brighter than the dawn. Yvonne let out a little breath and walked over to sit beside Tasia. "I guess I don't have to tell you it's time."
"Of course not. I knew exactly which day it would be." She lifted a hand and a swirl of chaotic shadows lifted from her fingers. "I could pinpoint each and every day that each Elder Cultivator would be ready. There was a pattern to it. You had to be last."
"Why?"
"Because the others needed my knowledge." She straightened and smiled. "I am here to guide. They asked, and I gave. I couldn't do that if I was recovering from reaching my final tier."
"I'd argue with that," Doug countered dryly.
She grinned at him. "No, sorry, I really can't use Telepathy if I'm unconscious. At least, I've never tried to use it, so I might be wrong."
"The fact that you can touch minds across dimensions ought to be a clue."
"Nah, that's the Apex thing that I share with Shana and Siobhan. It's a little different from Telepathy. Though, again, maybe I could use it even unconscious. It would depend on how deep under I went, and considering this is me, there are definite levels to that. You'll need to count on Rodi to make sure I'm enough asleep to not flit through minds."
Rodi grinned. "I'll do my best." He got to his feet gracefully and reached down to tug Tasia up as well. The way he carried his new self as a wizard made Yvonne and Doug both wonder why he hadn't done it sooner. He looked much more . . . natural now. As if something unnatural had been removed. "Where do you need to go for your place of memory, Yvonne?"
She got to her feet. "It's on Iris." She looked at her daughter and smiled, and she saw Tasia lift a brow as she read the information. "Can you take us there?"
"Naturally." She lifted her hands and swirls of purple and yellow magic swelled. It had always fascinated her friends that they could often tell the difference between what power she used just because of the color. Here, using her magic as a Dual of Iris, it showed the colors of her Mother world's purple iris.
They disappeared from the roof and reappeared far away on Iris. They landed outside the remains of the palace, and it was much quieter than it had been before. Tasia felt the air but she did not sense Xavier anywhere near. The spirit inside her seemed to stir and she reached out gently to comfort. It will be fine. He is strong. You will see him again. Can you tell me who he is? There was no response, but it didn't surprise her. The spirit grew stronger with every passing day though she was still terribly weakened. She had been locked in limbo for a very long while, far longer than Chance himself ever had. He had been freed before he had reached this state.
Yvonne tucked her hands into her pockets and walked slowly closer to the crumbled castle exterior. "This is where my most important memory happened." She turned and smiled. "This is where I met you the first time," she told Doug. "Do you remember?"
"Naturally." He smiled back.
Neither Tasia nor Rodi felt surprised that this would be the important memory. "So what happened?" Rodi asked.
"I was just seventeen." Yvonne tilted her head back as she let herself remember. "The Commanders had been appointed to Evan and Robert only months before. Shanae and Sayena of course could not travel alone, and Shanae really wanted to come visit me. She was pitching something of a fit over it."
"She suspected," Tasia murmured.
"Hindsight? Indeed she did. She called me on it much later, too." She waved a hand. "That's a different memory. Anyway, Dane volunteered to escort her." She shot a smile at her husband. "He was always wrapped around her finger."
"You try looking into those big pink eyes and not melting. I dare you."
"Oh, I've had my share of that." She sat on the edge of a broken wall and swung her feet. "I had not yet met Dane, of course," she told Tasia and Rodi. "And I really didn't know much about him. I just knew he was the peacemaker of the Commanders as a whole, and that he was a musician who had been friends with Liena for a while by then—she had brought him to Genevieve and Matthew's attention, in fact. Things had been busy as usual around the kingdoms, and I belonged more to Delphinium, so a formal meet just had not yet happened."
Humor lit Tasia's mismatched eyes. "So how did that first sight of a soul mate thing work for you?"
"Well, I was seventeen. I didn't realize what he was to me." She laughed. "I was out here reading when I was suddenly tackled down by my princess. And even at ten, she was already very tall, so it was quite a tackle! We ended up in the dirt, and a man offered a helping hand." She looked at Doug. "He was so beautiful to me. I almost did not believe he could be a Commander, because he seemed different from the others somehow. I also didn't believe a word anyone said about him being the nice one! I just knew he was dangerous."
Doug sighed gustily. "Can you imagine how I felt?" he asked his kids plaintively. "Shanae had gotten free from my sight, and by the time I found her, she had mowed down another person. I looked down at this ombre-haired young woman . . . and I just knew I'd found the one for me."
"What happened when you were twenty-five?" Rodi asked Yvonne.
"I still had blinders, actually. Ironic for someone with a Light core, but true in my case; I have always assumed I'm the balance for Kellie being not blind with her Dark core. Too, Doug and I alike have often had aspects of both sorts of core—can't imagine why. Anyway, by that point, Dane had become a permanent fixture in my life. Then, one day, he wasn't there. Shanae asked me if I knew why he dropped everything for me. Or if I realized how happy I was around him. Sort of began to click pieces together at that point, especially given that other Commander-Cultivator pairs had visibly begun happening."
"And you promptly proved you could be just as sneaky," Tasia murmured.
Her mother eyed her. "I didn't tell you any of that. Where do you get your knowledge?"
"The depths of the universe. Seriously. I really can't be more specific. I just know stuff." But even knowing things, it was still wonderful to be told others. Getting to share this important memory with her parents was something she would always treasure. "Are you ready?" she asked quietly.
"I am." Yvonne stepped closer and hugged her tightly. "I can go on peacefully knowing you will be here in my place. I know this . . . this has to be hard after how you lost your birth father. But . . ."
Tasia shook her head. "This is both easier and harder. Easier because you will not truly be dying. Harder because I love you both that much more." She stepped back and smiled. "Let's go. The Core is waiting."
The entrance to the Core of Iris was located in a formerly evergreen forest, though not all trees were evergreens. Just as Protea and its always sunny climate could grow most anything, Iris and its always snowy one could. The trees had been blackened and burnt, but most still stood and many still lived. A little work and some time would restore it all. The hatch was buried under the ashes of fallen trees, and it took a lot of digging to find it. It was sealed tight from rust and age, but a quick spell from Tasia removed the rust.
Doug jumped down first and was followed by Tasia. Yvonne and Rodi went next, and they shared a brief smile at the similarity between father and daughter. Because it was Yvonne's trial, she went first down the darkened tunnel, and Rodi palmed a ball of majik to allow them all to see where they were going; though he and Tasia could see in absolute black or white, neither Doug nor Yvonne could. Nobody tensed or worried for danger. There was none to be had.
A pinpoint of light finally signaled an end, and Rodi put out the spell. The light in the distance grew closer and closer until it finally illuminated the door waiting for them. It was tall and imposing, and it had been made from grayed wood and inlaid with amethysts. Words across all times and worlds that represented the Ice Flower Element had been carved across the surface, and in the center was the iris blossom that showed on Yvonne, Tasia, and Daelan alike.
None of that surprised anyone. What did surprise them was to discover that the door showed impressions—not yet carvings—that represented the Chaos Flower Element as well. Even Tasia felt a little moment of startle that ebbed quickly. "So that's it," she said softly. "That's why the Core became Gray. Because little Iris, the always quiet, never important world, had a role more important than we realized. And it had to be me that effected the change because my world follows Light, I am twin to Dark, and I am Chaos itself. The first, last, and only Lead Defender of Ice—who had to be Lead because she is all that is magical and physical—also had to be of Iris because only Iris is versatile enough, calm enough, to embrace Chaos."
"Iris' arc follows yours," Rodi murmured. "She started Light, but then she evolved to Gray, and now she draws in Chaos. And like you, it was a connection to Aria that sparked it—literally. No wonder Aria and Iris became so close. They first reached out and bonded over a love for you, but then grew to love one another as well."
Yvonne smiled. "You know, we tease you about being a Gardener, Rodi, because you're more than a Caretaker to Tasia and tend to be running herd on her entire team, but perhaps Tasia herself is one as well. I've watched her keep my generation in line, and I remember how she found Starlight and immediately became her Defender as well. Aluria no doubt loves Tasia as much as Iris and Aria do, and we already knew Ranunculus did. She truly is the Daughter of every world, either born or adopted, and she protects and tends to the flowers that every world produces."
Doug grinned at Tasia. "You know you're blushing?"
"Shut up, Dad," she groused. She huffed out a breath. "Though given the circumstances, no surprise. You guys do know what this wood is, right? And how it ties to our purple iris and amethyst?"
"It's gray oak," Yvonne said. "I know that much because it is native to Iris. I know all totems have meaning, but I never really asked beyond our flower. Probably because I didn't guess how important it may be."
Tasi trailed her fingers over the door. "Gray oak, the most powerful wood in existence where majik is concerned. It embodies wisdom, strength, and endurance. But it is also versatile. It can stand in for any other wood, can do nearly anything. Our purple iris is about wisdom as well, and eloquence. And the amethyst, well, is the stone version of gray oak. The most powerful out there for spell casting, and it also is about wisdom, but also intuition, and protection."
Everyone stared at her. "No wonder," Doug said softly. "That explains a lot about you and Yvonne both."
Unexpectedly, seemingly out of nowhere, Tasia suddenly hiccupped. She clapped her hands over her mouth as her family stared at her. Another hiccup snuck out anyway. "Uhm." Rodi smiled at her in bemusement. "Need some water?"
"No—hic!—it's not that!" She scowled at the air. "There's a—hic!—goddess around here!"
Yvonne burst into laughter. "It is genetic! Liena would get an itchy rash, and Jean started sneezing!"
"I'd rather—hic!—have the rash!"
A presence stirred on the air, able to be felt by all of them and not just the sensitive priestess. It was feminine and welcoming and very familiar. In a way, it was also not unexpected. Softly, Rodi murmured, "Destiny."
The door shimmered with all the colors of life and then began to ripple with the purple and yellow of Iris. I feel before me the two Mothers of Iris; the Son is not present. Who is it who comes to make the final sacrifice?
Yvonne smiled. "Me. I am the eldest Mother of Iris. I have come to give back my life and magic to the planet that brought me forth. I give myself in place of my daughter so that she may fulfill whatever need you have of her." The sound of a hiccup made her add more dryly, "Tell me the hiccups are not part of that."
Destiny laughed softly, and Tasia felt a soothing touch move through her. The hiccups blessedly lessened. I would apologize, Destiny told her, but it is nothing I can control. Your bloodline is . . . sensitive to higher powers for a very good reason, Anastasia.
"Because of Liena's mother?" Doug asked curiously. "Tasi mentioned her namesake was a demi-goddess when she told us about her being the founder of her Faith."
That is one reason, to be sure, but not the only reason. The answer will come shortly. For now, the first trial awaits.
Yvonne nodded. "I am ready."
Then you must make the first sacrifice. The sacrifice of mind. Your memories will remain here as you travel, and they will slowly leave you as you progress. You will remember only the people you love but not any experiences you shared with them.
Tasia's lashes flinched but she said nothing. Rodi wrapped his arm around her waist and held on tightly. Knowing a happy end waited ahead in no way made it easier to endure watching the sacrifices to be made.
Doug gently touched Tasia's cheek and then stepped up beside Yvonne. "What of me?" he asked. "I, too, come to give my life and power to follow my Cultivator to the next plane. My prince has left. Nothing binds me here."
Your sacrifice comes in the end, Douglas. To reach the Core, it must be Yvonne's sacrifice to open the way. But your dedication and your vow are heard, respected, and expected.
Yvonne let out a little breath and moved forward. A glow centered at her heart and slowly pushed forward a beautiful glowing Life Orb. It floated toward the door, and they merged to dissolve. A tunnel loomed beyond, and she began to walk forward. Pain welled in a way she had not imagined as her memories began to leave.
It was the normal things that went first. All those designs she had done and the years of studying and practicing to make them beautiful. All the other little things along the way. There were more than she had ever imagined. In a few more steps, the memories began to gain in importance. Across her mind, she watched the Resurrection Cultivators flicker. She had been awed by them. Impressed and sometimes intimidated. And yet, she had loved them all. She forgot learning to how to shop and dress with Sherry and Theo—it had only taken their tag-teaming to finally give her a clue after five thousand years—and she forgot watching Emily bicker with Alexandria and give her a dose of her own medicine. She hadn't realized how important each of them was until they were gone.
It was the Dark Defenders and their Commander Caretakers who left her next. Those strange yet fascinating people that you could never predict. She forgot Desiree's patient tutelage in styling hair and makeup, and Kellie's willingness to bring coffee if Yvonne stayed up late. Alexandria's easy companionship, and Clara's ageless wisdom—maybe she had a little oak in her as well. Tyson, Uwe, Diaz, and Sam; elder brothers who had teased her mercilessly and then turned around and threatened anyone else who would dare tease her instead. They had been her friends for millennia, and every memory went away. The other Protea Commanders were the next to go. Justin's hot temper yet patient artistry. Nathaniel's quiet and casual charm. Michael's tireless dedication and ridiculous stubbornness. She had been even closer to them than the others, given the circumstances, and they left her before she could catch and hold on.
Her Light Defender partners left her next. Sherry, again, always after her because she just felt convinced Yvonne was too beautiful to not show off. Virginia's bossy nature yet ready shoulder to lean on, never afraid to make the hard decisions so others did not. Juliet's need to nurture and care, and how she would show up every week at Yvonne's place to bring ready-made meals for the week lest her friend starve or live only on sandwiches. She forgot how they had always found a way to smile at everything, found a way to do anything if they were together. Her dearest friends, gone.
Rocky and Edgar left her next. Both were her kings for different reasons. Rocky was hers because she had vowed to defend him as she defended Siobhan. Edgar was hers both because she had been willing to defend him where the Dark ones could not, but also because he had belonged to Siobhan. Her dear friends. She forgot that silly ball attendance with Rocky, and she forgot how Edgar had insisted on hiring her to redecorate Chivanti Corporation because he trusted no one else—and he paid her more than she had quoted. How she had cherished every moment, and now there was nothing left.
The images of her two queens filled her mind. One she had loved endlessly and the other she had idolized. She had wanted to be like Shana so terribly. She knew she wasn't the only one. So casually confident and courageous and able to balance both work and play. And Siobhan. Yvonne would have done, had done, anything for her. Someone who loved her and believed in her through everything. They were both taken away from her before she could protest.
Her daughter's beautiful face slipped past her eyes. Humbling. Awe-inspiring. Tasia was all that and more. Nine small years together. Nine precious years. She had been given the honor of being a mother for this powerful, incredible, loving woman. She forgot learning to read tarot cards and discovering a fondness for tea. Forgot the hours they had spent debating art and design, forgot the beautiful words her daughter had written. She was torn out by the root, and her heart wept.
She stumbled for the first time as she thought of Doug. Her lover and confidant. She forgot those happy days in the early Royal Era, forgot the joy of their reunion in the Rebirth one. Forgot how he had still always managed to be there. He was her support. Everything she had been able to do was because he had been there for her deep inside her soul. As he ripped from her mind, pain scored at her heart.
She staggered and would have fallen if he and Tasia hadn't moved forward and steadied her. The second door immediately appeared, and Destiny's presence swirled soothingly. Tasia felt a sudden pulsing inside, and she closed her eyes to focus. As she did, she was sure she felt Yvonne's memories inside her. "I see."
"See what?" Rodi asked quietly.
It is Anastasia's final evolution. When this journey ends, Yvonne will no longer exist on this plane, but her very memories, emotions, reason for being, and strength will become your mate's power. She will be her mother's living legacy.
"And I accept that legacy." Tasia opened her eyes and looked upward. "It is not the only legacy I have accepted."
You have accepted a great many legacies, little dragon. Destiny sighed softly. And one of those legacies is, of course, of Tananeen.
Rodi looked up. "Is he the reason the High Priestesses are sensitive to gods and goddesses? He's higher in level than even Orion or Alexander, given that he is not just a Guardian demi-god but outright a full god himself. He is called the God of the Skies."
With good reason. Tananeen is my son.
"That's it," Doug whispered. He stared at his silent daughter. "That's why. No one ever was able to figure out how your bloodline was able to have such powerful Sight without being gifted by Orion. You are descended of Destiny herself."
Tasia slowly nodded. "I had been suspicious. All of us Resurrection Cultivators had," she admitted. "It made sense of why I was closer to Shana than to Siobhan. Kindred spirits. Both descended of Destiny herself. It also made . . . symmetrical sense, given that Sia Courimay was a demi-goddess herself. Only a demi for Hope had barely come together to create her via osmosis, but osmosis from Destiny resulted in a whole god. Put a demi from one absolute with a whole from the other absolute, and you get a series of High Priestesses who are almost allergic to gods and goddesses as well as capable of wielding a blade of pure divine power that first came from Destiny herself as a gift to her granddaughter and then passed down to me, an Apex." Under her breath, she muttered, "Awaken the sleeping power. The legendary third. Just a pain in the ass."
The sleeping power you have awakened thus far is not your true destiny, Anastasia. The power that you must truly awaken lies still ahead.
When Tasia said something rude, Yvonne found a smile as she straightened. She did not remember her daughter's dislike of being bossed around, but she was amused anyway. "I am ready to go on."
Then it is time for the second sacrifice. The sacrifice of heart. As you progress, you will lose your love for all those around you.
Tasia's hands curled into fists but she did not protest. Rodi pulled her close and she held onto him tightly, let his soul curl around hers and bolster her inside. It hurt horribly to let this go on, yet there was just no choice. Doug was no less shaken but he bit back his protests as well. It had to be done.
Yvonne slowly nodded. "I am ready."
The second glow centered at her chest and slowly brought forth a force that resembled an iris blossom. Her two Marks had begun to fade, and Tasia's Defender Mark had begun to take on a sparkling around the iris blossoms to match the sparkling on the tiny black poppies; she was the first and only Defender of Aria, too. Her Ruler Mark did not sparkle, though, for Daelan would be the next Ruler. The flower floated forward to the door, and they merged and disappeared. The tunnel loomed, and Yvonne tried to walk forward. It was nearly too painful, and Doug and Tasia instantly moved to support her. Letting them be her strength, she moved slowly down the hall as the love she had for those in her life seemed to vanish.
The Resurrection Cultivators, gone. The Dark Defenders and their Caretakers, gone. The Protea Commanders and the other Light Defenders, gone. Every lost emotion made her want to cry out. Tears slid down her cheeks helplessly. Rocky and Edgar, gone. Shana and Siobhan . . . the pain as they disappeared nearly broke her heart. And when her love for her daughter slipped away, everything shattered. Doug's face loomed in her mind, and for the first time, she balked. "No!" she cried. "You can't take him!"
The third door was instantly there and Destiny's presence felt warm. I would not take from a Cultivator her soul mate. I would not split two who are meant to be one.
Rodi looked up sharply. "Destiny, you planned very carefully for Tasia to be here. Does that mean that Liena . . . Liena could never have been with her soul mate? They never had a chance at getting past their blindness and pride?"
Very gently, Destiny said, In the end, everyone will be happy. Everyone, Rodi. Things are not always as they seem. And . . . everyone who has ever suffered will find peace. There will be closure for all.
Tasia's chocolate eye flickered in the familiar way that meant she had unraveled a piece of the pattern. And that, too, no longer seemed surprising. Her Pattern Mastery came as a natural evolution of being descended of Destiny. The fact that she didn't share what she had learned was also not a surprise. She would tell when it was important. Still, Rodi was beginning to have his own suspicions as well. Something seemed missing, though.
Yvonne had recovered some of her strength and she carefully straightened. "What else have you to take from me? Obviously my firstborn belongs to you already."
The reason for your existence: your Seed.
She took a long breath. "Done."
The third and final glow brought for her Seed, and it flew forward to the door. Both merged and dissolved, and the last trial loomed. Walking forward was nearly impossible. Yvonne's legs could barely support her weight. Doug and Tasia braced her, and Rodi moved close as well. With every step, her knowledge of her life as a Dual Cultivator of Iris went away. All that was left was a burning need to make right what had been made wrong. Seed or no Seed. There was something important she needed to do, and she would do it!
A point of light began to grow larger, and it became a doorway as it rushed toward them. Beyond it, they found a circular room. In the very center sat an immensely large amethyst covered in purple irises slowly being eaten by the evil tar dripping from the ceiling. The Core of Iris.
It is time, Yvonne. Doug, your time has come as well.
Yvonne straightened carefully and found the will to walk beside Doug toward the dais. The evil gathered itself and fired an attack at them, but an answering purple and yellow shield from Yvonne repelled it away. The light cleared the entire room, and the Core glowed weakly in response. It was so drained that not even Tasia could sense it.
Yvonne climbed the dais and gently put her hands on the Core. It was sick and tired, and she could not bear it. She needed to help this most important person. She removed her Mask and placed it on the Core, and then covered it with her hands to let her lifeforce and magic well. They both began to fade, and in that beautiful moment, everything came back to Yvonne. Of course it would not have been gone for good. Her Mother loved her as much as she loved her Mother.
Destiny's presence swirled around her. You are everything that is Iris, Yvonne. You are wise and strong. You are versatile and enduring. There is nothing you cannot do, and now you can rest. You have done all that was ever asked of you, even when you did not know you were being asked.
Yvonne turned and held out a hand to Tasia, and her daughter crossed to take it. "Thank you," she said softly. "Thank you for being you. My life has been so much more wonderful with you in it. I know that what is asked of you is great, but I know you can do it all. You will be the one who gives everyone their happy ending."
Tasia fought to blink back tears. "You can count on it."
Finally, slowly, at last, Yvonne faded away entirely, everything that she was returning to the planet that had given her life. Doug, too, faded away. The Core began to quiver and shake and then produced a glow more radiant than anything anyone had ever seen as all flowers came back to life. Tasia could feel the pulsing warmth of Yvonne's magic inside her soul. It was her memories, emotions, existence, and life. She had become her living legacy.
Let go, she thought to the spirit inside. Let go for just now. You will not survive what is to happen to me. She felt the spirit stir and separate from her. It was still nearly invisible as it hovered safely to the side.
Her Mask appeared in front of her and began to sparkle brightly as every fracture mended. Inside her body, she felt her arcanistry not become stronger—an impossibility—but become more concentrated, and more flexible. Her Flower Marks began to glow and burn hotly.
It is time, Anastasia, came Destiny's voice. You are powered by the oldest of magic, the rawest force of the Ice Flower Element. Take this destiny thrust upon you and bloom!
Tasia calmly grasped her Mask, and a shockwave tore from her body as her Marks changed. The one on her chest opened to full bloom, and the one on her shoulder gained both a new iris blossom and a tiny black poppy blossom before all bloomed as well. The shockwave she released tore through the room and the Core soaked it in eagerly. Chaos power began to well, and sudden gray veins appeared through the amethyst that crackled with the sparks inherent to the element. The Core of Iris had evolved too, and now it would forever shelter the critical Chaos Flower Element the way Protea and Delphinium sheltered Dark and Light.
Tasia pulled on her Mask, and her armor came fast to cover her. It shined and glittered and almost glowed. Finally, for the first time, she truly exuded the aura of an Apex. There could be no mistaking her for anything except an equal to Shana and Siobhan—or, maybe, just maybe, a little bit more. Her arcanistry pulsed into the air as actual music that resonated through Rodi's soul before it reached his ears. It felt, a little, like Yvonne had never left. She was there, living inside her daughter, becoming the power that fueled her.
Tasia turned and held out a hand, and the spirit returned to her. She closed her eyes and opened them again, and the pale brown one had returned as well. Even before she realized she was going to fall, Rodi was there at her side. He caught her safely in his arms. The music throbbed from her soul to his as a call to arms. There was no grief inside her. Already she prepared for the end. He removed her Mask and then lifted her into his arms properly. His majik welled with the wonderful fragrance of black poppies. "Rest," he told her roughly. "You need rest."
Destiny's presence swirled around them. He is correct, Anastasia. You must rest. I will return you to the surface. The pieces are in place now.
Softly, Tasia's voice countered, But there is still more to be done before the final battle.
Yes, but it can wait for now. When you have recovered, we will talk again. Her voice warmed. Even those without limitations must take the time to restore themselves. Let your Caretaker tend to you, my beloved Gardener.
Her lips curved in amusement. What was the point of having no limits if people would not let her push them? You would think she was some important goddess or something.
©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.
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