*Noah*
The corners of my mouth turned down as soon as Zara’s back was turned to . I knew that I needed to be strong for her. She had been practically shaking the whole ti we were walking through the cave. It caused my chest to tighten whenever she was upset or frightened.
I forced a reassuring smile onto my face when she glanced over at , her wide green eyes shimring with apprehension. It only mirrored what I was feeling.
I badly wanted to encase my mate in my arms and shield her from all of this fear and danger, but I knew we had to go through with this. It was to save our daughter first and foremost but also to help Zara finally discover who she was.
I clenched my jaw as Zara hovered her hands over the water, preparing to dip them in. I resisted the powerful urge to grab her and pull her back protectively. I had to dig my nails into my palms and take a deliberate step back to keep the temptation at bay.
I sucked in a breath when Zara’s slim fingers broke through the surface of the water. My mate imdiately entered so kind of trance, undoubtedly as her suppressed mories were flowing through her mind. I badly wished I could hold her hand through this.
From the distance, I could see images start to appear across the surface of the pool. They were blurry, just smudges of color. I carefully made my way behind my mate and peered over her shoulder down at the visions from Zara’s mysterious origins.
The images flickered and blurred in and out of focus, but I was able to make out the form of a young, heavily pregnant priestess. She was beautiful, and I knew that she was related to Zara sohow. She had the sa gentle smile and luminous locks of hair.
The picture flashed again, revealing the young priestess tearfully handing over a swaddled newborn into the arms of a dark-haired teenage girl. It took a mont to realize that the bright doorway in the image was a magical portal.
The priestess had just given birth and was sending her baby off with this young girl. I wondered why. Confusion and fear for my mate weighed heavily in my mind as I continued to watch the scene. The girl disappeared through the portal.
Before the teenager slipped through the portal, I got a good look at her face and was shocked to realize that she was Niva, Zara’s matchmaking teacher and ntor. At the mont, however, she looked no older than sixteen.
I felt my eyes widen as another possibility struck. Could the infant be Zara? Could the young priestess be her mother?
It was blurry, but I could see the anguish on the young mother’s face. She was mourning the loss of her child, but there was sothing else in her large eyes as well. I was shocked to find relief in her wide, erald-green orbs.
I felt my chest constrict as the valiant mother’s form started to beco transparent, causing her smooth skin to look like it was made out of glass. Her face was pale. I sucked in a breath when it beca clear that she had used the last of her life force to ensure her infant’s safe passage into a new realm.
I gritted my teeth together, my heart going out to the young mother who I had never known yet was able to see her most vulnerable mont. The pain and wistfulness in the young mother’s eyes were far too close to Zara’s when she worried about Briella.
“Noah, you must brace yourself.”
My head whipped around, and I locked eyes with Eva, whose gray eyes were dark and serious. Her jaw was clenched, and she looked pointedly at my mate.
I turned to look and gasped quietly as Zara started to tremble uncontrollably. Her smooth lips parted, and she let out a pained moan.
“What’s happening?” I demanded. “What’s wrong with Zara?”
I took another step forward, my arms going out to grab my mate, but I hesitated. I didn’t know if touching her would sohow disrupt this delicate process. What if it wound up hurting Zara if I interfered?
I felt helpless as I watched Zara shiver as if she was having a seizure. It was as if the trauma of reliving a past life’s mories was threatening to overwhelm her.
“Vision sharing is a delicate process,” Eva said to . “Zara is likely going through so intense emotion, using a large amount of energy.”
I had about a hundred more questions based on her response, but I didn’t have ti to ask a single one. Without warning, Zara’s legs gave out. She started to fall backward. I lunged, wrapping my arms around her petite form.
“Zara!” I cried, cradling my mate’s limp body against my chest. I fell to my knees with my lover in my arms. I cursed and pressed my ear against her nose, letting out a relieved breath when I confird that she was alive.
I stared down at her. She looked so delicate, her cheeks flushed and lingering tears leaking from beneath her closed eyelids. I wiped the little droplets away tenderly, hating that that was the only thing I could do at the mont.
“Eva, what is wrong with her?” I yelled, panic coursing through . “Is she going to be alright?”
Eva kneeled next to us and pressed her hand against Zara’s cheek, peering carefully into her face. “I believe so,” she said, but her voice was grave. She stood quickly and gestured for to do the sa. “Co. We must get her back to the resort so I can do a full examination.”
I thought Eva ant it to sound sowhat reassuring, but it filled with a higher sense of urgency. I leaped to my feet with Zara in my arms.
Eva and I raced through the caves. I stared down at Zara’s pale face, praying to the Moon Goddess that she would be fine and wake up soon.
My mind raced as I thought of everything I had seen in the pools. I was undoubtedly only getting glimpses of what Zara had seen. I had so many questions about the young priestess and Niva. We had made our way to the caves to get answers, and I felt as if I just gathered more pressing questions.
“She will be alright,” Eva told , but her voice was full of sorrow. “I am sorry that she had to go through so much to learn the truth.”
I didn’t answer. I just gritted my teeth and held Zara even closer to . She felt so small in my arms, smaller than she ever had. She had to be okay. She just had to be.
We entered the resort through a side gate so we wouldn’t alarm the staff. Eva led us back to our room. I imdiately placed Zara on the bed and drew the covers over her. I pushed so hair away from her clammy forehead.
“You’re going to be alright,” I murmured to her, kissing her slick skin and grasping her hand tightly in mine.
My eyes raked over my beautiful mate, my heart breaking at how still she was, how fragile she seed swaddled up in the large bed. It wasn’t right. She should have been looking in the eye and telling that we would get Briella back and that everything would be alright.
She was far too brave to be drowning in bed with her eyes shut. She was the bravest person I had ever known, even more brave than the beautiful priestess.
I was so focused on Zara that I didn’t even notice Eva rustling through so bags behind .
Eva had an array of supplies in her black duffle bags. She pulled out so vials full of glowing liquids as well as so small bags of powders.
I watched her wordlessly as she hurried to Zara’s bedside, her small, quick hands mixing so of the vials together. She sprinkled so glittering powder into a light blue bottle and then started to swirl it gently, careful not to spill a drop of the mysterious solution.
“Excuse , Noah,” she said, stepping between and the bed so she had better access to my mate.
“What is that?” I asked, gesturing to the small glass container the witch held.
I was quickly learning not to question the mysterious woman. She proved that she was a capable witch with a good head on her shoulders. She was obviously extrely practiced and knew what she was doing, but my protectiveness toward Zara won out. I wasn’t going to let her do whatever she wanted to Zara without asking so questions.
Eva wasn’t perturbed in the slightest by my interrogation. “Like you, I only saw glimpses of Zara’s visions in the pools,” she said, continuing to swirl the liquid in the glass. “But whatever she saw had an intense effect on her. I’m going to have to administer an array of cleansing spells and protections over her tortured dreams.”
I nodded, feeling much more at ease now that I was hearing the full extent of the witch’s plans. It was obvious she felt compassion toward Zara, so I felt compelled to trust her.
It was clear that Eva wasn’t waiting for my permission anyway. She didn’t even look at as she put an arm around Zara to prop her head and shoulders up. Eva carefully poured the liquid into Zara’s slightly parted lips. I watched as she expertly ran two fingers up and down Zara’s throat, coaxing my unconscious mate to swallow the liquid.
I had been hoping the magical elixir would work imdiately, but Zara remained unconscious for the rest of the day and the entire night. She had moaned right before passing out, but now she made no sounds at all except for her deep, even breathing.
I sat in a chair in the corner of the room while Eva tended to Zara for the next twenty-four hours. She gave her more of the elixir and started to chant over my mate with her hands hovering over Zara’s still form.
I was more grateful than ever that Eva was there. I wouldn’t know what to do if it was just . I would likely just be praying next to Zara’s bedside, helpless as to what to do next.
After about twenty-four hours, my beta Caleb poked his head into the room, his dark eyebrows furrowing when he saw Eva tending to Zara. “Sir, is everything alright? How is Zara?”
“Caleb, you may enter,” I said tiredly, heaving myself up from the chair. I felt as if I had aged a whole decade over the course of a single day. “I have an important assignnt for you.”
Caleb stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, straightening as I approached him. “Of course. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“I know you will,” I said with a knowing smirk. Caleb was like a brother to , always dependable and ready to serve however he could. I pinned him with a serious look. “I need you to get in contact with Niva. She is an instructor at the matchmaking school.”
“Of course, sir,” Caleb said at once, nodding firmly. “Is there a ssage I should include, or are you simply summoning an audience with her?”
I cast a quick glance toward the bed, at my still mate and the skilled witch administering cleansing spells and protective charms over her.
My chest constricted again as I prayed to the Moon Goddess that Zara would be alright and that I would be able to gaze into her bright green eyes once again.
I turned to my face my beta. “Tell her that Zara has recovered her mories at long last.”
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