A Shade of Vampire 84 A Memory of Time - Bella Forrest Page 0,57

A Darkling towered over him. He held Eldfenn’s heart in his hand, watching as the Master Commander gave his last breath.

“Elias Dratch killed me. Aelyn’s father. All the Dratches were Darklings,” Valaine said. “It was revealed on the night of the wedding when Aelyn poisoned the blood at the celebration feast. Elias killed Thyme. It devastated Mira and Kemi. They never spoke about Thyme again after that. It was as if he never existed, because they couldn’t bear the pain or the shame. They regretted not being more involved in their son’s life, especially after Eldfenn’s warnings.”

“And after Thyme, they had Eliana, about twenty thousand years later,” I replied. “They were not lucky at all.”

“They thought of it as the universe’s punishment for their aiding and abetting of the Spirit Bender. They knew their sins in getting the Unending trapped were not something that would be easily absolved,” Valaine murmured.

In the end, Mira and Kemi suffered greatly at the hands of fate and the Spirit Bender. They’d helped him keep the Unending bound. In return, their first child was assassinated. I remembered they’d had other children after Thyme who continued the Nasani dynasty, but they’d distanced themselves from the empire’s official courts and assemblies. Later, they had Eliana, and we all knew how that had turned out.

I could only imagine the pain of a parent losing their child. I couldn’t even begin to imagine losing two children to the same relentless sort of evil. No wonder they’d grown tired of living. No wonder they wanted to be relieved of their immortality, to die of old age, to never feel such heartache again. The Unending’s history was deeply complicated—her gold thread wove throughout the fabric of Visio and its dynasties.

We’d managed to peel away some of the layers, but I couldn’t see her. Not yet. I’d found her once, and I’d find her again. I had to. We had no other choice.

Tristan

This process was painful for Valaine, but it also got a little bit easier with each death she remembered. It wasn’t a smooth journey, as each memory brought back an incredible amount of grief and tears. Every time, I had to watch her go through it all. I had to witness every cycle of birth, life, and inevitable death. The fact that she had to relive everything hurt me on a level I didn’t even know existed.

Her pain was my pain, yet she proceeded with grace and poise. Being inside this interdimensional pocket had changed her demeanor. It had given her strength and patience. My presence, along with Phantom and Morning’s, played a part, as well. Valaine was calm and confident, despite the suffering she endured with each memory.

“Where are we now?” I asked as the image continued to change around us. The blackness had been replaced by another, earlier version of Visio.

The land looked different. Mountains rose where there had been plains. Oceans pulled back, revealing new islands and broader, rocky shores. The planet was everchanging, yet for the Aeternae time had stood still. They didn’t age. They were destined to live forever, and they were loving it. We’d come to a time when their species was relatively young, and the Unending’s wounds still fresh.

“Nine hundred thousand years since the binding,” Valaine replied. “Mira is Lady Supreme. Kemi is Lord Supreme. They do not have children yet, as they’re still adjusting to their immortal lives. They feel guilt toward me… well, toward the Unending. But they’re also enjoying the concept of time never running out.”

“And who are you?” Phantom asked.

We were taken to a small village on the southern shore. The houses were made out of straw and red clay. They’d used rocks to create elevated foundations. My guess was that they’d had enough experience with the tides to fortify their homes as best as they could. Aeternae children played by the water, the ocean lapping at their tanned feet.

Their parents watched from the edge of the beach, sitting by a crackling fire. The sun was setting, a flaming red ball that turned the sky crimson and orange as it descended into the dark waters. Peace reigned over this period, but it felt forced. Unlike their children, the parents looked unhappy. They wore iron cuffs around their ankles. Valaine noticed my attention being drawn to them.

“They’re blood slaves,” she said. “Before the Aeternae discovered and conquered Rimia and Nalore, they fed on their own. It’s a piece of Aeternae history that they’ve hidden very well. Even the descendants of