Zira and Clary locked eyes for a few more moments. Zira was confused that nothing was happening. She remembered the way it felt the last time she did this, but she wasn’t getting anything at that moment. Did I lose it?
“You look a little lost, Zira,” Clary said with a smile. “Was something supposed to happen?”
She knows, Zira thought. "How…”
“Let’s just say we might be cut from the same cloth. What I can’t figure out is how you’re able to use them.” Clary yanked her wrist from Zira’s grip. “I’ve stolen power from a few white wolves and yet I can’t use a single one, but I saw you in the PixieLand, and put two and two together. You stole power from Lana, didn’t you?”
Zira didn’t answer, so Clary continued. “He told me you would be different because of Niamh. With you being her descendant.”
“He? Who are you talking about?”
“I know what happened in the spirit realm, Zira. I know you talked to Niamh, and she told you to destroy the crystals, but I also have my own spirit guide and he showed me everything. Niamh had a chance to save the white wolves. To save us all from this hellish reality, but she refused. After today, I will have the power to fight back.”
“There has to be a better way, Clary,” Zira pleaded with her. “We don’t know what we’re about to unleash. It could make things worse. Why else would Niamh trap it here?”
“Because she was weak and that weakness pushed our people to near extinction, but not anymore, Zira. We will show all those who put us down, killed us without a second thought and gave us a false sense of security. We will not be treated like garbage!”
Clary quickly grabbed Zira’s necklace and placed it on top of her own, holding Zira’s hand in place.
“No!”
Zira tried pulling away but for a moment she stood still. She felt a pull from inside her as if the necklace was taking something from her. The same happened with Clary before the fountain exploded with darkness. The impact broke through the ceiling, causing rocks to crash below. Zed took this distraction to break away from Drake and ran towards Zira. She looked at him with a worried expression before being sucked in with Clary.
*****
Zira opened her eyes to see the same staring down at her. Zira groaned and kicked her feet.
“Not this again,” she said, sitting up as Niamh knelt beside her. “What cryptic message do you have this time?”
Niamh cocked an eyebrow at her. “My messages are not cryptic.”
“Then cut the bullshit-”
“Language!”
“- and just tell me what I need to do.”
Niamh crossed her arms. “First, you need to apologize.”
They sat there in silence, staring each other down. Neither one of them wanted to give in to the other. They stayed this way until they both looked away to blink.
“This is stupid,” Zira said, clearly wanting Niamh to weigh in. When she didn’t, Zira crossed her arms as well. “Fine! I’m sorry. Better?”
“Hmph,” Niamh said. “I think it would be easy for you to say those words since you had to apologize to everyone in your life. Constantly, I might add.”
“You’re no saint, Niamh,” Zira snapped back. “All of this is because of you. I don’t have my son, or my mate, or my family because of something you did. Why should I be punished?”
Zira was angry about how things turned out. She was so close and failed.
“I’m sorry.” Those words took Zira out of her thoughts. Niamh was standing a few feet away from her with her back turned. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“Then help me make sense of it,” Zira said. “What happened? Why do I have power now? What will Clary do?”
Niamh sat down at the edge of the fountain and played in the water. Zira sat across from her. “I was considered the most powerful white wolf in the world. It could be seen as a good thing to some but a dangerous thing to others. Not only could I heal, but I could control any white wolf I wanted to and use their power as my own. In my time, we were at war with the Royals. The Alpha King went mad when a wolf killed his Queen. It was said it was one of us and he believed it. At least according to Faulkner.”
“Faulkner, like Councilman Faulkner?”
“Yes, Faulkner and Finnick Gustav, were my chosen mates?”
“Wait a minute! Are you saying I’m related to Councilman Faulkner in a way?” Zira gagged. “Please kill me now.”
“Focus, Zira," Niamh said, glaring at her. "Anyway, our side was losing fast. White wolves weren’t well-liked in the first place, so when the Mad Alpha King gave the order, it lit a fire in the others. Killing us became a sport. It was sick. Faulkner campaigned for us, getting a few Alphas and the next-in-line Alpha King to our side to dethrone the mad Alpha King, but Finnick was angry. He wanted to show people we were a force to be reckoned with. For a moment, I agreed. Seeing all the atrocities happening to white wolves darkened my soul until…” Niamh stopped and, at first, Zira thought it was for dramatic effect until she saw Niamh's face. Her eyes were closed tight, and her fists clenched the hem of her dress.
"Until I met Percy," she said.
"Don't tell me we’re related too?”
“No," Niamh said with a little laugh. “Percy was the light to my darkness. Even coming from a pack that used and abused him, he was still so optimistic about life, and he showed me the way. Needless to say, I fell in love with him, Zira. I mean, he was my true mate after all.”
“Wow,” Zira said. “Let me guess. That didn’t go over well with Faulkner and Finnick.”
“I couldn’t tell them who Percy was to me and I couldn’t bring myself to reject Percy, even though he said he understood. I tried to ignore it and keep my distance from Percy and focus on the Nexus, but it was like the fates kept bringing us together. So, I threw myself into helping Faulkner create a seat at the table for us, including meeting with the soon-to-be Alpha King and creating a seal of protection for my people.
Finnick wasn’t happy about the whole ordeal. He felt we would be powerful enough to take over. Faulkner and I worked to get him back to a positive outlook and we thought we succeeded. I even created these necklaces to show him how much I loved him.”
Zira touched the crystal around her neck as it glowed.
“Percy was the one who found out Finnick enchanted the crystals to siphon my powers for himself. He tried to warn me, but it was too late. Finnick got to him and almost killed him. With the help of a witch, I put him to sleep until he was needed again, and I confronted Finnick. He admitted to stealing my powers, but he couldn't use them. That’s when he contacted a demon.”
“So, he had a demon do his dirty work?”
“Worse. He gave himself over to the demon, body and soul. With help, I locked him up. Our plan was to deal with him after the battle with the Mad Alpha King, but he got out. We were in battle when Finnick showed up with darkness around him and one goal in mind. The demon targeted every white wolf in its sight, stealing their power to make it stronger. Once it had their power, it had their soul and he used it to control them. Mindless puppets. So, I did the only thing I could think of then. I took all their powers within me and ran back home to here.
That was the day you saw in the dream. I knew he would follow me and when he came back, I trapped him here along with myself.” Niamh hugged herself as the silence grew between them. “I didn’t know my soul was stuck until you found the crystal. You released me and I tried to give you as much information as I could through my book.”
“Except for a way to stop your crazy mate. If he’s targeting white wolves, that's including my son, and who knows if that’s going to be where he stops. We,” Zira said, placing a hand on Niamh's, “have to stop him.”
“I have tried and failed already, Zira. I don’t think I can…”
“You have to,” Zira said, “but you won’t be alone, this time.” She stood up with her hand out and Niamh hesitated before taking it. “We’re going to do this together.”
“I see Percy is rubbing off on you.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, and we both know it’s not. So?” Zira kept her hand out as Niamh looked at it for a few moments. She sighed and with a smile, stood up and grabbed Zira’s hand.
“Fine, I will go back, but I hope you're willing to share."
Zira gave her a confused look while Niamh only smiled at her.