Chapter 45

Two men opened the Chamber door, and light spilled inside. Silence filled the crowd as Nicola, about six months pregnant now, walked over to the Chamber and her eyes went wide with anxiety and she ran inside, meowing and yowling.

"Someone grab that cat!" a person cried.

Midori stepped up, and walked into the darkness, calling Nicola's name She knew the crowd would think her strange for calling Nicola a human when they had seen her as a cat. "Come on, kitty," she crooned, pretending Nicola was her pet. "No time for games."

Nicola's whisper met her ears. "This is the only time I'll let that pass, but I need for you to come see this."

"How will I find you? I can hardly see."

"Can you see my eyes? They should be glowing." Nicola answered.

Midori saw, on the far side of the Chamber, Nicola's yellow-green eyes, bright against the darkness. She ran towards it, the smell of blood burning at her nostrils, bile rising in her throat and stomach churning as she drew closer.

"What are we looking for?" Midori asked, almost gagging.

Nicola shifted back to her humans form, and pulled at Midori's breeches telling her to kneel, "Look." Nicola gestured with a hand that glowed with a white light just enough for Midori to see.

The squire gasped and stumbled back, mouth agape and eyes frightened. "No." she whispered, "He couldn't have."

"He has." Came the shocked reply.

Midori put a hand in the crimson mess of blood and studied it and suddenly pictures flashed before her, the view from Kalen's eyes:

Two figures emerged from a blinding light: The Great Mother Goddess and the Black God.

The Goddess placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke, voice almost mournful. "Kalen Haimaid of the Bloody Hawk…Fly with peace."

His skin suddenly throbbed and he cried out in pain as it only intensified. It was like fire and ice, burning and cold. His throat, tight from swallowing his cries of agony and screams, finally let out a yell as gasped and shape shifted to the black hawk. As large black-red wings sprouted from his back and the wind began to pick up, blowing dust around the Chamber, the last words he uttered, though soft, were clear: "I did this for the realm and you."

Midori choked back a sob and buried her head in her hands; not caring if one was stained with blood. She felt his pain in her skin, his screams echoing in her ears. It was if she was living his hell all over again.

As the Black God touched Kalen's brow with a hand of shadow, a torrent of flame gushed and surrounded Kalen, as he let out a screech so full of pain and sorrow it seemed to plea for his unanswered prayers as the flame licked at his hawk shape, draining him of his life.

Midori was aware of Nicola shaking her shoulders and calling her name but also more aware of the heat that surrounded her and of how weak she suddenly felt.

Kalen felt deaf as the flames burned and snarled, and he bowed his head feeling his tears of failure stinging in his eyes. "Love may not have saved me, Midori, but you have. Wear that token, and I'll fly with you…" he whispered, through his pain.

The vision faded and Midori fell forward as Nicole caught her. "What did you see?" the shifter demanded.

"Kalen." Midori whispered, sitting up and picking up a feather that crumbled to ash in her palm.

Nicola averted her gaze. "His immortality destroyed him."

"No." Midori murmured, Yamani calm hiding her anger and grief. "The gods slew him…"