“Because I had no choice but to believe in them. The Fates cannot lie and I mean that in the sense that Pythia would literally die and be exiled from Heaven if such a thing happened. So you see, I had no choice but to believe in what she told me.” I shook my head and felt the anger turn quickly to a bitter devastation.
“So what are we to do? I mean did they at least tell you how or give you a date?” I asked and Draven laughed once only it wasn’t because he found the situation funny.
“Come and sit back down and I will explain everything.” I nodded knowing that every feature on my face showed my despair.
“Trust me, it is not now as dire as it seems.” Draven tried to assure me as he walked me back over to the sofa that it felt like we had both being playing jack in the box with this evening. We sat down and I listened as Draven began the real truth of the matter.
“Around the time my contact with you stopped was when I finally found the Oracle. I ended up finding her exactly where I first found her all those years ago in Mount Parnassus in Greece and at the now hidden Temple of Apollo. It was as though they knew they needed to get me as far away as possible from you before they could contend with my rage. I couldn’t believe it and was very much like you to begin with. I couldn’t understand why they would finally send me my Electus and then so quickly take her away from me again.” I shook my head not understanding it either and he gave me a sad smile before carrying on.
“They explained how this is the way of the Fates and the prophecy must be fulfilled at all costs. I demanded to know details but other than telling me how I would bring forth the death of the one I love and gifted with my life’s blood, this was enough for me to make that soul destroying decision.” I still couldn’t believe it as it just seemed too cruel to believe.
“But why didn’t you just leave me…why have me believe you had died?” I asked feeling hurt and the evidence of this ran down my cheeks and dripped onto the sheet.
“I was told there was no other way you would have let me go. They needed you to live they said, as you were still important to their plans. But they needed you to continue along your chosen path and if you knew I had simply left you then that path would never have taken place. I never understood it but I just wanted you to live. I wanted you to have the full life that they spoke of, telling me of how your life’s plan was set and in the future they saw only happiness...” He paused long enough to pull my body back to him and then say,
“…and I so wanted that for you Keira, I needed that for you. For if I couldn’t be with you, if I couldn’t give that to you myself, then I needed to know at the very least there was happiness waiting for you.” I held him back and started sobbing on his shoulder. It was the hardest words to hear and yet I needed every single one of them he gave me.
“But then after I saw you, after I heard how the Fates had not only intervened in my life but in yours also, I was furious! I knew they had set you out on this journey and that was the path they spoke of. They had said things to you and spun their little webs of twisted truths until they got what they wanted, only I just didn’t figure it all out until now.” Hearing this and the bitter edge that laced his voice I lifted up my head.
“What do you mean?” I asked wiping away my tears.
“I was so blinded by my self-pity and self-loathing for what I had put you through that I couldn’t see the smoke for the flames. It’s ironic then that it was my once enemy who made me see the truth.”
“Lucius?” I said his name in shock and Draven nodded in response.
“And what was the truth?” I was almost too scared to ask but it was like Sigurd had told me, ‘Don’t ever be the type of girl to run from the truth because of fear’.
“We have both been played from the very beginning.”
“I…I…don’t know what to say.” And this was the truth.
“Now I don’t know exactly how they have twisted what they told me to make me believe I would end your life but the only certainty I have is that they did.”
“But why?!” I shouted throwing my hands up in the air as my anger came back at me.
“Because they needed you to do what no one else could do.” He said taking one of my fists and uncurling it gently to then run his fingertips down the length of my hand.
“And what’s that?”
“It’s simple. They just needed you to be yourself.” He looked up and saw my confused face and in that moment I don’t think I have ever seen him looking so proud.
“You have no idea how my kind is drawn to you. Even from your childhood they never shied away from you. I never understood it when we first met, just saw it as an annoyance in a selfish greed to have you all to myself and I suppose I still possess these traits but at least now I am more understanding of why.”