Kai's POV
After returning to Raven Hollow, I thought that I'd be able to get my mind off Elaine or feel better knowing that I was far from where I could cause her harm. However, things always seemed to go the other way around. I just hoped that she was okay wherever she was.
Seeing that she talked so much about Cordelia, for the first time, I actually thought I could have a conversation with her, and she would give me listening ears as she did for Elaine. Maybe she could help me—not with everything I wanted, but at least with little facts that would show slight improvements in everything I'd been doing lately.
After stepping out of the shower, I picked up one of the shirts I wore in Elaine's place. Maybe because I missed the living hell out of her and I wanted something to constantly remind me of her… something subtle yet powerful, like her intoxicating scent. I wasn't sure how long it would linger, but for the most part, I was glad that it did.
"Good morning, Cordelia," I greeted her awkwardly while trying to keep my gaze fixed on her, but the old woman was more intimidating than she looked.
"Good morning," she glanced over my shoulder, probably looking for Elaine, so I just kept mute until she asked me directly. "Kai. Where is Elaine?"
"She didn't return with me, and I had to leave…"
Before she asked me what the matter was, she studied my entire physique, assessing me thoroughly even before I could speak. It was both funny and weird, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was everything Elaine had to bear before getting Cordelia to speak.
"Why?"
"As you know, the full moon is fast approaching, and for some reasons, I had the thirst quite early this time. I don't want to risk creating chaos in the world of humans, if you understand…" I trailed off, slightly uncomfortable with her eerie silence.
"I see. Did she say when she'd be returning, though?" She asked still arranging her counter, and even though the weight of her voice bore so much concern, she tried to sound very formal with me.
"She didn't give me a particular date, but she said she was going to return the moment she was able to clear her mind," I told her, now wondering if I had even done the right thing by leaving her alone there.
"Well, you two are adults," she mumbled. "What brought you here, though? Because most of the times you showed up here, it was for her, and you know where she is currently."
"Uhm," I took a deep breath. "I came to ask for your help," I said with new seriousness hoping that I'd get her to open up to me somehow.
"Elaine wouldn't mind if we used her room, right?" She finally spoke up after a while, making me think coming here was a bad idea.
"Sure." I nodded.
I followed after her and stopped when she paused to get something she probably didn't want me to see yet.
"So what exactly do you want?"
"I do love Elaine, Cordelia, and I'm afraid I can't keep messing with her if I know that I'm going to eventually die with my curse. I've tried to make her see that loving me is a lost cause because my redemption isn't even guaranteed, and there would be nothing anyone could do if something were to happen now," I explained.
"So?"
"I've been trying to see if there are possible sacrifices I have to make or certain lengths I have to attain to be able to break free from my curse. I don't have a life with this curse, and I don't want Elaine suffering for that in the future."
"For how many years, Kai?" She lowered her voice, leaning in so that I could see all the traces of seriousness on her face. "If you think it is something you could do, then why haven't you been able to do it in the last few years?"
"Because in the past years, it was more like I didn't have any reason to live. I went around feeling constant pain and cursed. However, this is a turning point for me, and if not for anything, at least for her, I have to try my best," I answered without really thinking, making her smile.
"There is something you need to know. For you to have failed all these years, it means the solution is somewhere else, and you didn't even realize it. Kai, Elaine is, and that was part of the reason I was mad at her for trying to hide what was going on with her," she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Is it connected to it?" I asked from genuine confusion.
"The ancient prophecy has been passed down for many years, and she is the special breed from my bloodline talked about in the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" I asked, this time, slightly embarrassed.
I was aware that when rumors spread about my curse, a similar rumor spread about someone from a special bloodline being able to save me or utterly destroy me. Shortly after that period, there were also rumors of a new prophecy, though it lasted for more than a century. However, for all those times people went about doing whatever they wanted, I chose to act like none of it was my business.
Too disappointed by my response, she handed me a small scroll that read exactly what those rumors had pronounced to be true.
"But how?" I furrowed my brows tightly trying to put all the pieces together .
Maybe it was true that she had special abilities and all, but how would she be able to unravel a curse placed thousands of years back? How was she going to make it possible?
"Exactly. How?" She rested deeper into her chair while exhaling. "There is a second part to this prophecy; however, it seems like the cult got a grip on it and sealed it so that nobody would know what to do and when to do it," she lowered her voice.
"So what are you saying in essence?"
"Elaine is the only one who can be either your salvation or your utmost destruction. Every other thing I'd always tell her was a speech of faith and the trust I had in what would happen after she harnesses her powers."
I kept mute and waited for everything to sink in properly. Maybe her being my savior or condemnation had something to do with how hard and almost impossible it was to ignore the instant pull between us.
Meanwhile, that wasn't the case. Making sure Elaine knew what she was doing was crucial—not to sound selfish, but her ignorance could kill me as well as keep our kind locked in fear forever. So, I had to help her while she helped me.
"Does she know this?"
"She does, but she doesn't know that we are from the same bloodline, and it is almost impossible to know what is inside of her and what she is capable of if she decides to keep running. The full moon is around the corner, and while we don't know what our enemies are planning yet, we should be almost ready for them, no matter the form they take."
"Perhaps I'd reach out to her and get her to come back. Although… there's something else, Cordelia," I paused.
"What is that?"
"You said something about your bloodline… I don't want to interfere, but if there's anything that you're hiding from her at this point, I think it would be wise for you to tell her so that when she's healing, she heals at once and gets back strong without the fear of breaking down again."
"Well," Cordelia stood up. "A lot of information at once would do more damage than ignorance would, so let's focus on the basics, shall we?"
"I'll try to get to her." I promised.
"Bring her back to me unharmed. I'll prepare her in case something happens, and you should learn some sort of self-control technique because I can feel it—what's coming is something big. The first in history, and we need to get ready."
"And if she ends up killing me?"
"Elaine wouldn't. You should start being optimistic that she's only your redemption. Or you can give up and leave her to Damien and Luca," she winked at me, knowing exactly what she did.
I returned the scroll to her and stood to leave while still processing a lot of information. Honestly, for someone that has lived so long on earth, it was expected that news like this shouldn't surprise me, but it was wrong. Even while there were a lot I need to sit down and properly try to comprehend, nothing made more sense than these words:
Elaine was my redemption as well as my destruction. And not just for us—she needed to get everything right to save the entire supernatural race.
I just hoped she understood how demanding her responsibility was and how much she needed to train for it.