Chapter dedicated to Foxxfate. Thank you, sweets, for reading, voting and commenting!

Chapter 148 - Pools of Morenth - Raine's POV

Adrenaline ran through my system at a frenzied pace when Tavian's dragon heaved his massive body from the ground and took to the air, his wings unfurling with beauty and grace. Once again, Talon was wrapped around me, holding me tightly in place and protecting me with his body, as we rode on the back of the Dragon.

Anxiety wound through me. The pain of the mate bond was still shockingly strong, and by now, according to Felaern, we were very close to Cage. Shouldn't the pain have lessened some? I tried not to think about the reasons why it hadn't. But doubt crept into my mind. Was it possible Felaern had gotten it wrong? What if Cage wasn't really here? Or worse, what if we found him, but he wasn't alive?

A crippling sense of dread crashed over me. I pushed the thoughts from my mind. I couldn't break down, not now. No matter what we found, I needed to stay strong to endure the challenge ahead of us. Talon must have sensed my anxiety, because his thumbs gently massaged the back of my hands, and he murmured soothing words in my ear. The irony wasn't lost on me, how far we had come. Between the two of us, I was the broken and weak one now, and he was my strength.

I always knew he would be.

Within a few minutes, several bodies of water came into view. They were different shapes, sizes and colors. Unlike normal lakes, their water's did not rest peacefully. Instead, they churned in swirling patterns. I was struck by their beauty but an innate sense of danger washed over me. I shuddered. Talon's arms tightened around me.

Tavian lowered himself to the ground as we approached, landing just on the outskirts of the Pools. Talon helped me from his back and we joined Felaern, who stood with his spine straight and head erect, every sense on high alert.

I looked around. The one thing I didn't see was Cage. Nor was there any type of dwelling he could be staying in. Dread rolled through me once more. I whispered, "Where is he?"

Felaern ignored me. Instead, he turned to Tavian. "What magic possesses these waters?"

"All is not known. I am simply here to observe while you remain in our Realm. I cannot help you with your task."

I turned to him, my anger and frustration seeping out, as I spat, "Can't or won't?"

He met my gaze without flinching. "In this instance, I cannot assist you. Meddling with these waters is dangerous, as your witch can probably already sense. If you do so, you do it at your own peril."

I bit my lip to keep from spewing hateful words at him. It was just a waste of time. Obviously, he would be of no help.

Felaern strode forward, navigating the land in between the swirling waters.  We followed silently. The first body of water was porcelain white.  Felaern dropped to one knee in the grass, and dipped his fingers into the liquid, causing the surface to ripple. The ripple spread, seeming to peel back the top layer, revealing strange flowers beneath the deep water. The flowers swayed, almost as if they were in a choreographed dance in the moonlight. I stared, mesmerized, at their beauty.

Felaern straightened to his feet. His brow was furrowed in concentration. He continued walking for several minutes until we came upon the next Pool.  Once again he stopped. I struggled to understand what he was doing, but didn't interrupt his deliberation. What was he looking for? Were they portals? 

This Pool was the complete opposite of the previous one. Where that one was bright and otherworldly beautiful, this one was dark and menacing. The water was crimson and black, churning angrily. Felaern knelt down on one knee next to it.  Rather than dip his fingers, he held both arms out, his hands suspended in the air, his palms facing the water.

There was an unusual sound coming from the murky depths. I listened closer. It was high-pitched but deep at the same time, not loud but severe.

"What is that noise?" Talon asked quietly, echoing my thoughts.

"They're howling," Felaern replied without emotion. He pulled back his hands and stood to his feet.

Howling?!

Who the hell was howling?

"Dark magic," Killian murmured.

"Yes," Felaern answered grimly.

"Do you think he's there?" Killian asked.

"What?" I gasped. A cold chill passed over me, forming a pit in my stomach. I grabbed Felaern's wrist to turn him to me. My voice rose in a panic.  "Do you think Cage is in there?!" 

His eyes were tight. His mouth set in a thin hard line. "No."

I exhaled in a huff, releasing the breath in a whoosh.  I was hugely relieved to know he wasn't floating with creatures who were howling, but who knew what dangers the rest of the Pools held? I pressed for confirmation, "But you think he is inside one of the Pools?" 

Felaern nodded.

Brialle sucked in a deep breath.

"Why?!" I struggled to understand. "Why would Lady Sofielle bury his body under water, or whatever this liquid is?"

"My instinct tells me it was to keep his body hidden, since she wouldn't have been able to attend to him on a regular basis."

My heart lurched in my chest. Cage had been buried all of this time?  How was that even possible?  He didn't need to breathe to live, but vampires were not aquatic creatures. They didn't just hang out underwater for months at a time.  My chest heaved, my breaths coming in short pants. Brialle wrapped her arms around me, holding me close. "It will be okay.  We are here now.  We're going to get him back. "

I looked at her, my agony transparent in my eyes.

She continued, "He needs you to stay strong.  You cannot panic."

I bit my lip to keep my tears at bay. She was right.  Whatever we faced now, I needed to keep my strength and wits about me. Cage's very life might depend on it.  I nodded and she released me.

Felaern continued forward.  The next pool was calm compared to the last. Azure and cerulean water with flecks of jade, shimmered in the moonlight. Exactly as he had done previously, Felaern knelt down. His hands hovered over the water. I stared into the depths, but was unable to see anything beneath the surface.

"Raine," Felaern murmured and extended a hand toward me.

I quickly dropped to my knees next to him. He dipped his fingers into the water with one hand, and placed his other hand gently against my temple.  I held perfectly still, and willed the universe to reveal whatever he was looking for.  An excruciatingly long minute went by. No one moved. No one spoke.

Finally, Felaern turned to look at me. "He's here."

I couldn't hold back my gasp, realizing how close we were to finding him. I looked out over the water again. The Pool was large, hundreds of feet in diameter, and the depth was not discernable since we couldn't see below the surface. I asked, "How do we find him?"

Before he could answer, Killian interrupted, "What properties does the water hold?"

"Time and memory," Felaern replied through gritted teeth.

"Fuck," Killian hissed.

My anxiety level ratcheted higher. "What does that mean?"

Felaern turned his body so that he faced me. He grasped both of my hands. "Each of the Pools has different properties.  I can discern them when I touch the liquid. While I know he is here, it will not be easy to find him."

That much, I expected. 

"Once someone descends into the liquid, time is held in suspense, meaning the person will no longer have any concept of the passing of time. For them, one minute would feel the same as a thousand years."

"Oh," I breathed. "So, Cage will not know he has been down there for three months?"

"True," he nodded.  "However, the person who goes in to find him will also lose track of time while down there."

My eyebrows furrowed, as I considered the possibilities.

"Given the injuries you described, it makes sense Fee put him here, because his body is being held in a state of perfect suspense. His injuries will not worsen, but they will also not have healed. You are very close to him now and yet you still feel the sharp pain of separation, yes?"

I nodded. It was exactly what I had worried about earlier.

"Then I suspect he is still severely injured.  Once we get him to the surface, I will do everything I can to heal him." His face was grim.

"What do you mean?" I whispered.  "You aren't sure if you can heal him?!"

"I wish I could tell you I was without doubt, little one." He spoke softly, gently grazing his knuckles along my cheek. "But I will do everything within my power to make him whole.  Let's focus on retrieving him, and then we will face the next challenge as it comes."

I refocused on staying strong. Cage needed me. "Okay, how does memory factor in?"

His eyes tightened. "The effect of memory will make it very difficult to locate him, because once a person enters the water, they will not remember why they are there."

"No!" I gasped. How were we supposed to find Cage, if we couldn't remember what we were looking for?!

He spoke grimly, "The task will not be easy."

"I'll do it." Talon stepped forward. His voice rang with determination. "I am the strongest vampire."

Felaern looked at him. "It is true. A vampire must be the one to search for him because Fae cannot survive without air for an extended period of time. However, given the challenges, Raine is better suited.  She is connected to him through the mate bond, which might be the only thing that draws her to him."

Talon's jaw locked. He didn't like Felaern's answer, but he didn't argue.

My resolve strengthened. I gritted my teeth. "I can do this." I was a strong swimmer. And every ounce of my body yearned for Cage.

Felaern's full attention was on me once again. "Once you go into the water, you will have no sense of time passing and you will not remember why you are there," he reiterated. "It's possible that other memories will float through your head, but I am not certain. I will try to communicate with you mentally to keep you on track.  Again, I am not certain if we will be able to connect in that fashion, but try to keep your mind open to me. Focus on your bond with him. Are you ready?"

I nodded. I could do this, I chanted in my head...

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Quick pop quiz. Can anyone name the woman who sat on the couch in the previous chapter? Not the woman who spoke to Felaern, but the woman who remained seated.  I only gave a description, I didn't provide her name. I am super curious to see if you know this answer. It isn't easy, but it is if you are looking in the right place.