Chapter 121


    Zenovia


    I tore my eyes away from Cahan as Drusi grabbed my hand and began dragging me.


    “Where are we going?” I asked.


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    Drusi grabbed the car keys from the office table and muttered, “Do you think we can perform the


    ritual in this office? Duh!”


    She flicked my forehead, and I rubbed it as she continued to drag me down the stairs and towards the


    garage.


    The garage door opened when she clicked a button and I saw several cars, all sleek and shiny, waiting


    for us.


    “Feeling fancy today?” Drusi asked, and I shrugged.


    I did not understand much about cars or luxury, so they all looked pretty high-end to me.


    “Today is a special day, so let us drive you in a special car.”


    “Drive me where?” I asked and again she shook her head.


    “Will you stop trying to ruin my surprise? I am setting up the mood.” She. pouted.


    I looked around, but Cahan hadn’t followed us. “Is the Lycan King noting with us?” I asked.


    The anchor bond had to be established between me and him, right? So, we had to do the ritual


    together.


    At least, that is what I assumed.


    “He needed some time to cool off. So, he would join us directly there.”


    “Where is there?” I tried again, but she simply unlocked the doors of a car and shoved me in.


    “Ow,” I rubbed my elbow when it lightly hit the door.


    “Sorry. It is just that I am both nervous and excited. I have been asking him for days…no…years to


    listen to me. He never did. I spent countless hours locked in a room, studying the visions and trying to


    analyze a


    09:07


    pattern. I just hope it works.”


    She added nervously, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a bit too hard. Her painted nails dug into


    the soft leather and I tried to calm her down.


    “Well, let us just get there and be done with the ritual.”


    Drusi nodded, and she drove the car outside, taking me through the wide empty road that she soon


    left to drive on a muddy, dirt patch.


    The ride wasn’t bumpy, but I saw the way she drove deeper into the forest, leaving the city behind.


    I would have asked her where we were going for the umpteenth time, but I doubted she would answer.


    Cahan had always asked me not to venture deeper into the forest since there could be rogues and


    such, but somehow she was taking me there and, given that he let us leave, this could be a safe


    territory.


    That only piqued my curiosity.


    The trees were denser here and the moonlight filtering in through the canopy of trees got fainter as we


    drove forward. However, I did not feel the forest to be eerie or creepy.


    Somehow, despite it being nearly dark, the air around here felt calm and rxing, soothing my nerves.


    The forest was quiet and the night animals probably sleeping or hunting. My fear of some rogue or any


    other wild animal suddenly pouncing on us vanished as a soft breeze kept caressing my face, tickling


    an idle strand of hair against my skin.


    The cool wind and the quiet were enough to lull me to sleep. My eyelids began to droop, and I felt that I


    would sleep like a baby.


    But soon, the car came to a halt as Drusi hit the brakes and turned the ignition off.


    “Hey, get up,” she said, gently nudging me. I had my elbow propped on the window pane and my head


    was resting on it.


    “Don’t fall asleep,” she said excitedly as I stifled a yawn and stepped outside the car. And the scene


    waiting in front of me was something that wiped off all the sleep from my eyes.


    09:07 [


    The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp moss as I rubbed my eyes to see the splendid sight


    in front of me.


    The moonlight was shining brightly into this clearing and only now I understood what was lulling me to


    sleep. A huge but serene waterfall was cascading gently into a crystalline pool below. The water looked


    sparkly white, whiter than the clouds adorning the night sky. Stars were twinkling from amidst them, the


    reflection of the night sky visible in the small pool of water surrounded by the rocks. The water


    disappeared into the crevices, traveling underground to probably join some river.


    “Ta da” Drusi threw her hands open while standing in front of the huge scenery as if she was the


    mastermind behind nature to create it.


    “It is beautiful,” I whispered, not wanting to break the calm silence by shouting unnecessarily.


    “Ie here to study or just rx when my mind is feeling particrly uneasy or I feel restless,” she


    added as I neared the cascading waterfall.


    “I can guess why. It feels so calm here,” I replied, and she nodded her head. Her hands dug inside her


    bag that she had slung across her shoulder and she pulled out her diary.


    I had been so engrossed in observing the waterfall that only now did I notice something on the edges of


    the jagged rocks.


    Roots of a tree had woven themselves through the numerous crevices. and it stood tall upon the cliff


    through which the water cascaded down, as if standing guard over something.


    The branches were long and elongated, and lush green leaves nketed us from above.


    Its roots snaked across the rock, creating an intricate pattern that mirrored the flow of the cascading


    waters. The leaves rustled gently in the breeze, whispering tales to anyone who cared to listen.


    I wondered how the tree had not fallen down and managed to stay upright while growing on the edge of


    a steep cliff and a waterfall.


    But Mother Nature was mysterious, and her magic was not always understandable to us.


    I smiled and thought of sprinkling the water over my face to get rid of the sleep. As I took a step closer,


    I bnced my foot on the edge of the rocks surrounding the small pool. The water spraying on me was


    cool and sweet.


    I sshed it on my face and gathered some in my palms that I drank heartily. I immediately felt


    refreshed.


    As I wiped my face with my sleeves, I noticed something else as well.


    Amidst the moss-covered rocks, partially veiled by the silken spray of the waterfall, an extraordinary


    sight unfolded-a statue carved out of the very stones that formed the cradle of the stream.


    “Is that…?” I started, but could not quite understand it from this angle.


    Drusi came to stand beside me and replied, “Oh, you noticed it right


    It took me a while when I first visited this ce.”


    We were staring at a huge statue carved out of the stone, seamlessly blending with the natural


    surroundings. There were three figures looking in three different directions. I peered intently and


    noticed that they were three females, d in long, flowy robes. A very skilled sculptor had


    carved them and it must have taken him months, if not weeks, to chip off the stone and patiently create


    three distinct identities from a huge rock.


    The three women had their faces partially covered with veils that I marveled at how the sculptor created


    with stone. They stood side by side, their eyes gazing into the infinite. And they all had their hands


    outstretched, and there were small branches of various small trees and shrubs weaving through their


    fingers.


    “What is this ce?” I asked, after admiring the statue for a long time.


    “Well, it is a depiction of the Norns. They are the deities of fate, and together, they weave the threads of


    fate, determining the destinies of individuals and even the fate of the cosmos.”


    “I thought your talk about fate and destiny would be over by the time I reached here.” A familiar voice


    called out from behind.


    I turned around to see Cahan walking towards us, shaking his head in disappointment.


    “Shut up, Cal!” Drusi retorted, but he only smiled instead of getting angry.


    “You were supposed to take ages toe here. I figured I would calm my nerves and let her look


    around as well!” She added.


    “I was supposed to never agree to this. But you girls don’t want to listen to me. Stubborn lot”


    Drusi stuck out a tongue as my gaze drifted towards him again. He was trying very hard to act


    normal, but he was notfortable about being here.


    “Fate and destiny is a thing, Cal. The sooner you agree, the better.” She added and began taking out


    some stuff from her bag.


    “I stand by my words. Destiny is what I make of my life. Fate is what I did not put my 100% effort into.


    End of discussion.”


    I stood around undecidedly, not wanting to take anybody’s side. Drusi pulled out some candles,


    herbs, matches, and whatnot while I watched her nervously.


    She looked up at the sky, and the moon was shining brightly.


    “Please bless us,” she said while looking at the moon and I offered a silent prayer too.


    “Please bless us and bless Cahan too,” I spoke in a low voice.


    He might be stubborn and arrogant, but he did not deserve the fate he was tied to. And it was almost


    comical the way he was now standing before the deities that determined fate, trying to change his


    prewritten destiny.


    I could only hope I would be enough and that the Moon Goddess would give me strength and courage


    to save him from his doom.


    “Let us begin”