CHAPTER 33

 MARI AND MAOPA stared into the Eternal Flame. The spirit world was unnaturally quiet. The Earth Mother and her chosen were furious over the treatment of their mortal descendents but were unable to intervene.

“What was I thinking?” Mari stormed, ignoring the brilliant streaks of lightning bouncing around them from the angry energy flowing from her essence.

“We wasn’t. I neva trusted that dark un,” Maopa grumbled. “These be our own. We should a taken care of ’em and that demon woman ourselves.”

“I know! They’re our responsibility, not Intunecat’s. I should have trusted in myself instead of listening to his reasoning. As strange as it seems, I do trust him. I’ve known him a long time. He’s many things, but he has never lied or deceived me.”

“There may be truth in that, but I’d feel better knowin’ I were the one lookin’ after my kin.”

“So would I.”

A flicker to their right interrupted the conversation. Vyushir and Arbora appeared simultaneously. The wolf spirit lay by the flames, yawning tiredly as the warmth of the fire wrapped itself around her weary body. The purple-haired woodland spirit gave Mari and Maopa quick hugs before sitting on a log and glancing at the images of the two mortals.

“They sure do get themselves into situations,” she mused. “I think you two are going to have a lot of worries over the next sixty or seventy human years if your children keep this up.”

“I can’t believe you find this amusing,” Mari growled, glaring at Arbora.

“Of course not. However, I seem to have a lot more trust in the Dark One’s word than you two. Besides, Sarpe said she’d keep an eye on them. Surely you don’t distrust her?” Arbora asked, making eye contact first with Mari, then Maopa.

“I trusts her more than that there dark un.”

“I know they’ll do everything possible. I’m just afraid it may not be enough or they’ll be too late. Already, the venom is working its way to Yemaya’s heart. Even she isn’t strong enough to fight the damage it will do to her body. I should never have given my word not to interfere.”

“Perhaps, but I have to agree with Intunecat. He is in a better position to handle the situation. You’re too close and there’s too much at stake for both of our worlds to let you and Maopa charge to the rescue. Most humans are not yet ready to know of our existence. It’s fine that they believe we’re real. It’s not that they know we are. The damage they would do to each of our kin to promote their own agendas would be catastrophic.”

“As always, you’re right. I’ll give him a little while longer, but I’ll not sacrifice my daughter for the sake of a reluctant promise.”

Maopa nodded in agreement.

“If it comes to that, we’ll see,” Vyushir said. “The word of the Earth Mother is never given lightly nor is it taken so. If we of our world cannot trust you to keep your word, Mari, who can we trust and what will become of us?”

Realizing Vyushir spoke the truth and that she was a prisoner of the very principles she had established and practiced from her birth, Mari swore under her breath. Looking at her chosen, she felt trapped between the love for her mortal child and her love for those she had shared an existence with for eons.

“We must have faith,” she said quietly.

Again Maopa nodded but didn’t say anything. The four spirits turned their gazes toward the Eternal Flame.