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Alex lifted her head from Kaiden’s shoulder and placed a calming hand on Soraya’s neck as the three of them looked up at Athora.

“You have a prophecy to fulfil, Alexandra. And you won’t manage to do so while sitting here and bawling your eyes out.”

Used to his caustic attitude by now and beyond the point of additional pain, Alex wasn’t surprised that once again Athora knew more than he should.

“The prophecy is a load of rubbish,” she replied. “Everything it spoke of occurred today, and nothing happened.”

“Tell me,” Athora ordered. “Tell me what occurred today.”

Indulging him, Alex recited, “When Day and Night combine and fight against one Enemy, then Dark and Light shall meet mid-strike and set the Captives free.” She wearily gathered her thoughts and explained, “‘Day and Night’—that was the Dayriders and the Shadow Walkers who fought together against Aven, their ‘one Enemy’. The ‘Dark and Light shall meet mid-strike’—that was Aven and me crossing blades. Me with A’enara, the Bringer of Light, and him with his new weapon, Vae’varka, which is made fromtraesos—pure darkness.”

Kaiden jerked at that, and Alex remembered that it was he who had first mentioned the name ‘Vae’varka’ to her, having seen it written in ancient texts while he’d researched A’enara. She’d presumed it was a name of a person, but it wasn’t—it was a weapon.

A’enara and Vae’varka. Two weapons of power, one light, one dark.

Moving back to her point, Alex continued, “All of that happened, all except for the last part—the freeing of the captives. Not one damn thing changed, Athora. Not magically from some prophecy, nor from me having any idea how to use my gift to help them.”

Athora waved a hand in the air. “Your gift wouldn’t have helped anyone. Free will is something everyone is born with. Much as you might wish it so, you will never be able to share with them what they already have.”

There was a ringing sound in Alex’s ears. A ringing so loud that, for a moment, she couldn’t do anything but repeat Athora’s words over and over in her mind.

When she spoke again, it was in a voice she’d never heard come from her before. A voice filled with such fury that Soraya’s hackles rose and Kaiden rested a calming hand on Alex’s leg. But it did little good.

“You told me I would be able to share my gift with others.”

Athora sniffed. “I did no such thing. I merely said I could teach you what you needed to know.You’rethe one who misinterpreted my statement.”

Blackness dotted Alex’s vision, so encompassing was her rage. “You told me you wouldn’t waste your time on a lost cause!” she all but screamed at him. “Youtoldme that!”

“And I did not lie,” he responded, frustratingly calm in the face of her anger. “But I was not referring to the impossibility of you sharing a gift that cannot be shared.”

Jumping to her feet, Alex yelled, “Then what the hell—”

A voice rumbled around the cavern then, interrupting her before she could finish her shouted demand. It was the voice of Athora, words he’d said to her after her first official task as his student.

‘You needed to fail, Alexandra, because you needed to understand that sometimes failure is unavoidable… You needed to accept that. You needed to embrace that. And you needed to take a step forward while knowing your actions were unlikely to result in victory.’

His voice continued to echo around the rocky cave.

‘On the path ahead of you, with the challenges you are yet to face, you will see your share of failure. It is inevitable. And when it comes, you need to have the strength of character to continue on, to rise again after you fall. Because youwillfall, Alexandra. Of that much, you can be sure.’

“Your first lesson with me was to prepare you for everything that would come,” the real Athora said, his monotonous voice uncaring as to her raw, emotional state.

“But—” Alex swallowed against the lump in her throat. “But everyone has been counting on me and the idea that my gift will free those who are Claimed. Why would you—” She swallowed again, this time to hold back fresh tears. “Why would you let me think it was possible if it wasn’t? What were you training me for, if not for that?”

“The prophecy,” Athora said, holding a hand up when Alex opened her mouth to demand he stay on topic. “You were wrong in your assumption that nothing happened.”

She snapped her mouth shut, waiting to hear what he might possibly say to convince her.

“At least two captives were set free as a result of the events in Graevale,” he said. “Aes Daega has long since known her time was at hand. She was sent to Medora as a gatekeeper, a sentinel to watch over those who were cast out of Tia Auras, tasked with assisting the Meyarins to thrive in this world despite their being exiled here. But as meaningful as her task was, she did not come willingly.” Uncharacteristic emotion filled his voice as he lowered it to say, “One does not live a single day amongst the splendour of Tia Auras and then choose to leave.”

Hearing the longing in his words, Alex looked at him. Really looked at him. “She’s not the only one who was sent here, was she?”

For the first time since she’d met him, Athora pushed back his hood, the dark material falling to his shoulders.

Indescribably ancient. Those were the only words Alex could think upon seeing his face for the first time. Just like Lady Mystique, his entire being radiated wisdom and knowledge beyond anything Alex could comprehend.

“No, she was not,” came his quiet answer. “The two of us were exiled with the Meyarins to watch over them. But being away from our world for so long took its toll on Aes Daega.” He paused. “It has taken its toll on the both of us.”