The Labyrinth of Destiny Read Online Free Page A

the future than what I see now.”
    Adesina’s temper flared and her
fists clenched into balls at her side.
    Ravi sent soothing emotions through
their connection. Do not let him bait you, Ma’eve. He wishes to start a
fight.
    I would be happy to grant him
his wish, she thought back angrily.
    Sitara was the last to stand before
Adesina. Not a trace of doubt darkened her lovely face as she gently laid her
hands on Adesina’s head. All of the negative emotions that swirled inside of
the L’avan woman’s head dissipated in the light of Sitara’s smile.
    The Serraf leader spoke the oath
slowly and with purpose. The words somehow took on a new and deeper meaning,
and Adesina felt her vyala swell from the core of her being.
    What just happened?
    Ravi’s mind was just as uncertain
as Adesina’s.
    I…think you have become the
leader of the Serraf.
    Sitara smiled as if she understood
their thoughts and gave the briefest of nods. Adesina stared at her in
bewilderment.
    “And now, little sister, we must
make haste,” said Sitara calmly.
    The heads of the Council members
standing around them nodded in agreement.
    Adesina frowned slightly. “Where
are we going?”
    Sitara’s smile was both sad and
determined. “We are going to win your world back from the Darkness.”

Chapter Three: The Northern Threshold
     
    Adesina was eager to leave the
hollow where the Council met and begin the next leg of her journey.
    “Wait,” called a voice from the
crowd.
    A small red feline with yellow
stripes made its way to the front. “We Children of the Night have bound
ourselves to you, and yet you have not offered any of our representatives a
place in your party.”
    There were a handful of murmurs
that indicated approval.
    Sitara’s brow furrowed. “There is
no need to make a distinction between the Children of the Night and the
Children of the Light. Our purposes may be different, but our allegiance is not.”
    “But there is a need to make
a distinction for the Creatures of Darkness,” asserted Ruon.
    “Only if you continue to insist on
associating yourselves with the Darkness,” replied Sitara stiffly. “The
Creatures of Darkness were not born evil. It is only by embracing the Dark that
they became what they are.”
    Ruon raised a hairless eyebrow. “I
am aware of this.”
    Adesina was uncertain of what was
happening. She wished she had spent more time reading the L’avan histories
concerning these groups of people.
    Are the Children of the Night
the same as the Creatures of Darkness? she asked Ravi through their
Joining.
    No, they are not. The Children
of the Night are still allied with the Light, they simply serve a different
purpose than the Children of the Light. The Creatures of Darkness have forsaken
the Light.
    Ravi’s explanation probably would
have continued, but there were other things going on that drew their attention.
    Sitara appeared more agitated than
Adesina had ever seen her before. She was visibly irritated by the Laithur’s
superior manner. She crossed her arms and fixed an icy stare on him. “The magic
of the Thresholds remains weak. We do not have the power to transport a large
party.”
    The small red feline who had spoken
originally shook its head. “We are not asking for a large party—only for a
representative.”
    Adesina waved a hand impatiently.
“What does it matter if we are all on the same side?”
    Ruon inclined his oval head.
“Exactly. Why would it matter if we elected one of our own to be a member of
your party?”
    The rock-like creature rubbed his
head thoughtfully with the grating sound of stone against stone. “Brother Ruon
has a point. This is not merely a Serraf matter—it involves all of us. The
Serraf alone should not bear the responsibility of stopping Cha-sak and his
followers.”
    “Adesina needs my guidance,”
insisted Sitara. “She is a newborn Serraf and does not know how to use her new
abilities.”
    “Thou needst not stay behind,”
assured Toraun, “but a truth