Fated to the Dark Elf Episode 7

Chapter 39

Delia

With trembling hands, Nimue sets a small cup in front of me. A floral scent emanates from the yellow liquid, lending me a bit of solace.

“You can drink that if you want,” she says, taking the seat across from me and pushing her hair behind her ear. “It’s nothing special. Just some tea.”

I’m seated in her home, at a quaint dining table with enough space for two people. Small plants adorn the window sills. In the corner of the living room, Nimue has a bookshelf full of books and empty potion vials. A musky, natural aroma fills the cabin. It’s quite cozy.

“Thank you,” I say, sniffing at the cup. I wonder if she slipped some poison in when I wasn’t looking. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a lot calmer now.”

“Yeah, well, a revelation like that would subdue anyone.”

“You knew I was your sister the whole time?”

Nimue nods, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“Then, why were you out to kill me?” I ask, raising a brow. “If I found out that I had a long-lost sister, I wouldn’t go out of my way to kill her. That’s just me, though.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Help me understand.” There’s desperation in my voice, clawing at the edge of my words. “I’m confused out of my mind! And if you’re my sister, the least you can do is help me out.”

Nimue taps her fingers on the table. She sends me a pensive gaze, as if she’s taking in my features and analyzing their every detail. Then, she lets out a soft hum.

“You and I share a mother,” she begins, leaning back in her chair that creaks with the movement. “Her name is Myra. I assume you know next to nothing about that.”

“You’d be right.”

“When you were a baby, your father stole you from her. She was devastated and she spent the rest of her life searching for you. I came along sometime later and she let me know right away that one of my main priorities in life would be finding you.”

My shoulders slump. Meanwhile, a sad smile graces Nimue’s lips. To know that my real mother loves me and has been searching for me my whole life is a comfort. But to know that I was Nimue's purpose feels… wrong.

“All this time, I’ve felt a lot of resentment towards you. Do you realize how badly that screwed with my mind? My mother… Our mother was obsessed over the idea of you, but she didn’t seem to realize that she had another daughter right there in front of her. I never even knew what you looked like, but I lived in your shadow nonetheless.”

“...Nimue, I’m so sorry.”

“No need to apologize for that now,” she says, lifting a hand up. “What’s done is done; Truth be told, I had planned on killing you the moment I found you. I wanted you out of the way for good, but…”

Nimue stares at me. A twinkle glimmers in her eyes.

“I never knew that the true reason she wanted you back was because you’re the Chosen One.”

There it is again. Those words. That title. A role that I never knew belonged to me.

“What does that even mean?”

Nimue scoffs. “Seriously? Has no one ever told you about the prophecy?”

The memory of that late night in Thorne’s study resurfaces, but I push that away for now. He never gave me any answers. It's about damn time I got them myself.

“Nimue, I’ve been struggling to survive for the last year, so forgive me for not knowing about some ancient text that I never knew existed.”

“There are two halves to this prophecy,” she explains, holding up two fingers. “One is an individual who is the master of chaos magic. And the other is a pure mortal who is the key to the elements.”

“The elements?” I gaze at my palms. “Does that mean…?”

“I’ve seen your powers, Delia. You’ve used them on me in your dreams. And just now.” Nimue gestured towards the front door. “Out there, you used divine magic on me. That sealed the deal. I knew that you were the Chosen One. There’s no doubt about it.”

“Divine magic?” Thorne had mentioned it once but I still don’t understand it. “I’ve always had an affinity for the elements, but beyond that, I don’t know what else I’m capable of.”

“You temporarily suppressed my magic. You took it away! That’s an ability the gods possess. You have it in you, Delia. You’re a wielder of divine magic and you’re the other half that the prophecy foretold!”

That's when the memory hits me in full force. The prophecy that she speaks of and the prophecy that Thorne was studying… are they one in the same?

Am I important to him because he knows he needs to use me? 

“Give me a second,” I whisper. “I-I don’t know if I understand any of this. I mean, how is that possible? How is it possible that my dad stole me away from my… our mom? Is he even my dad?”

“Craig Wraith is your dad, yes. Unfortunately. He’s a bastard, for a lack of a better word. Sorry if that offends you.”

“No, you’re entirely right. He sold me into slavery. He’s the reason why I’m living with Thorne.”

“Our mom always wanted to reunite with you, but Craig never gave her the chance. He was a sneaky bastard, I’ll tell you that. He was always moving around from place to place, making it hard for us to pinpoint his exact location. Even with her magic, she couldn’t figure him out. Craig had important people offering him protection, so there was that.”

“Is she a powerful woman?”

“A powerful purna. We’re not mere human women. We are women with magic, a power so strong that it scares the dark elves.”

My eyes widen. “I’ve heard of the legend of the purna. I didn’t think it was true. Covens of women living together, magic strong enough to rival the other species of the planets.”

“Blessed by the gods, themselves. And our mother is very powerful. She taught me everything I know.” Nimue beams with pride. “Of course, I wish our relationship could be a little different. For one, I wish she could have stopped obsessing over you all the damn time, but I get it now. I understand why she was so desperate to have you back.”

“Is she nice?”

Memories of my old mother flash to mind. She wasn’t evil, but she wasn’t the best to me, either. There was always an aloofness to her that I couldn’t understand, and with the gift of hindsight, everything is much clearer.

“When she’s not going crazy about the prophecy, she is. We have a lot of nice memories together.”

While I gather my thoughts, Nimue glances at me. She smiles, nudging the teacup towards my thoughtful state.

“Drink it. I made it for you.”

“Is it poisoned?”

Nimue laughs. “No. There are much easier ways to end you if I still wanted to, which I don’t, by the way. But with divine magic…” She trails off, shaking her head.

“Is that something you can come to learn, too?” I ask, bringing the teacup to my lips.

“I doubt it. There was something special about your conception, based on what I understand. That’s what allowed you to have these special powers in the first place. No average purna will be born with an affinity for the elements. And you didn’t train your powers over the years, either! Our mom is a powerful purna and your dad is…” Nimue shrugs, which makes me grin. “I don’t know. A mortal human guy. I question our mom’s taste in men.”

I purse my lips, looking around. “How long have you been in this cabin?” How long have you been watching me is the question I don’t ask.

Nimue perks up at the question, something lighter than the topic we were just discussing. “I don’t even know, time passes fast when you’re on a mission.”

“Where are you when you’re not on a mission?” I’m still wary around her.

“Mom and I live in a coven with other women like us. It’s nice. There’s always an opportunity to practice your magic.” Her lips twitch and there’s a bitterness to her voice as she says, “That was my mom’s plan with you all along, before Craig ruined everything. She wanted to raise you in the coven, surrounded by your own people.”

I sigh. My life would have been very different if that were the case. As I look back on what happened to me, I’m somewhat grateful for everything. I suffered, that’s for sure, but it molded me into who I am today.

Not only that, but it led me to Thorne.

Thorne… The more I think about him, the deeper the frown forms on my face.

“Does Thorne know about the prophecy?” I ask her, wondering how much she knows.

Silence stretches out and Nimue fidgets in her seat. She’s fiddling with her hands, as if she has something she wants to say but keeps holding it back. I finish the last of the tea, enjoying the way it courses smoothly down my throat and into my stomach. It warms me up nicely.

“Well?” I ask.

“He does.” Nimue looks at me. “And…there’s one more thing about the prophecy that I haven’t told you about.”

She swallows thickly.

“...And it’s… it’s…” she says, voice breaking. “It’s the worst part. More horrible than everything else.”

“Okay…” I prompt slowly, feeling more unsure with her words. “Well, what is it?”

What could be worse than being kidnapped by your father and him selling you into slavery?

“You…” Nimue sighs, rubbing circles into her eyes. “This is so hard. I didn’t think it would be…”

“Just spit it out, Nimue! Tell me what’s going on. We shouldn’t keep any more secrets from each other.”

“You have to die for the prophecy to be fulfilled.”