Sahara Ashdell: Rebirth of Patreek (Book 3)
Chapter 20: Sooner than Expected

They learn that Waizlynn and two other elves that were helping her attack Sahara are imprisoned when the Tari arrives home in the next hour. Brystol had been distant since their conversation earlier. He had only spoken three words to Sahara and she wasn’t sure why that second future affected him so much. She races up the stairs to her room and pulls out the declure. She quickly says the words and the rainbow changes to a picture of Holestroy. She watches the first future unfold showing her and Brystol dancing happily in their wedding clothes in the ballroom. She smiles seeing how happy they are together. She loves Brystol and feels excited that this is what their wedding day will look like. “I love you more than anything.” The future Brystol whispers in her ear.

The scene fades to Holestroy lit up by holiday lights again and she sees Brystol dancing with another elleth in a golden dress that matches his wardrobe. “Where am I?” She asks out loud. She notices Brystol looking sad over toward a small crowd of elves. She sees her future self standing in the crowd looking sadly toward Brystol as well.

Phylan is standing next to her and leans over to her future self and asks, “Maybe you and Gunthrie can come to the game?”

“That would be lovely.” She says before smiling politely at them, “Excuse me.” Her and Brystol’s eyes stay locked as they both move out toward two different exits of the ballroom. A moment later, Brystol is pulling her by the hand down the hall and into his office. They immediately begin kissing. “I hate seeing you with Gunthrie.” Brystol says panting.

“And I hate seeing you with Fershtu.” Sahara says with teary eyes.

“I don’t love her anymore than you love Gunthrie.” Brystol says pushing her up against the wall and kissing her again.

“We are married to other elves?” Sahara asks out loud as the picture fades. She realizes that he is not dead though in either future, so that is good news. “I need more.” She says wondering if perhaps the futures she sees are clips from the same time she is in now. She says the words to the declure again and the rainbow again changes to a picture of Holestroy.

“A toast,” Tari Nathila says raising a glass toward the large crowd in the ballroom of the castle. “To the Aran and Tari of the six kingdoms.” She sees Brystol holding a glass up in one hand and his other arm wrapped around her future self, who is still in a wedding dress. They all drink from the glasses before music plays and Brystol whispers in Sahara’s ear causing her to blush. He takes her hand before pulling her toward the exit of the castle toward an awaiting carriage.

The scene fades to Brystol’s office again where her future self is now fixing her dress and he is tucking his shirt back into his pants. She covers her face feeling embraced by what she knows they just did in this future scene. “I am sorry I screwed up our future.” Brystol says sounding sad.

“It is just as much my fault as yours.” Her future self says sounding sad also. “We knew the cost of our decision.”

The scene fades as Sahara realizes that this must be some link to the Grey Elf. “He was right.” She says sadly realizing that she can’t let the second future happen. “Our wedding is in three months.” She thinks back to what Tari Nathila said about their betrothal being broken if her virtue is found to not be in tact. “Surely it was not from that.” She says shaking her head.

She put the declure back in its place inside her trunk before heading to replace Brystol. It was late so she wondered if he was in his bed chamber yet. She knocks on his door gently hoping not to be heard by the Tari, who insisted upon moving into the room across from Brystol’s room after catching the two of them together that one morning. She feels unsure of herself as there is no movement inside and she wonders where he could be at such a late hour. She teleports to him and replaces herself in his office. “What are you doing up so late?” He asks never even looking at her.

“I looked again.” She says moving over toward his desk, where he is sitting with no emotion on his face.

“You are right. We are not wed to each other in the second future but to other elves.” She sits down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk from him. “I am not sure it was connected to the Grey Elf though. I think it was more our fault.”

“What do you mean?” Brystol sounds interested suddenly in what she is saying.

“I think it is because we broke my virtue before our wedding day.” She says remembering back to the Tari’s words.

Brystol laughed. “Oh. Well, now that we know, we will not let that future happen.” She notices he seems much more relaxed than moments before.

“Are you alright?” She asked wondering if that was all that was concerning him.

“Fine.” He says, standing from his chair. “I will walk you to your room.”

“We could just teleport.” She smirks at him.

“That is too fast.” He says taking hold of her hand. “I want to spend some time with you.” She smiles allowing him to lead her toward the office exit but she still senses something else is wrong.

“Are you sure there is nothing else wrong?” She asks curiously.

“Nothing to worry about.” He says quickly kissing her forehead before they step out into the hallway. “You head back to Malorsty in a few days. Then, we will not see each other again until,” She hears him pause before continuing, “well graduation. I guess.”

“Three whole months?” Sahara asks wondering if he is saying she cannot come for their nightly kisses again. “What about our nightly...”

He stops her before she can finish. “I think we should make those a weekly thing instead of a nightly matter for a bit. I have much to attend to and mother asked we not any longer.”

“Alright.” She says knowing it is probably the best decision.

“Your carriage will be ready to leave after breakfast in the morning.” He says kissing her cheek quickly before opening her bed chamber door.

“What?” She asks not sure why she would need to leave tomorrow. “But tomorrow is...”

“I know but you must leave tomorrow. Verdiwild said it would be best.” He again interrupts her and now she is annoyed.

“What has happened?” She demands in an angered tone. He doesn’t answer so she crosses her arms with her words. “Why are you suddenly giving me this weird cold shoulder?”

“I’m not.” He is lying and she can tell.

“And now he is lying to me.” She huffs in annoyance entering her room and slamming the door in his face.

“Sahara?” She hears him knock on her door with his soft plea, “don’t go to bed angry.”

She pulls the door open again so that she can see him and she sees unhappiness in his expression. “Then, tell me what is wrong?”

He pauses for a moment before moving into her room and closing the door so that they are alone. She expects him to speak but instead he pushes her up against the wall and kisses her intensely. “Stop.” She protests after a moment trying to push him away from her. He ignores her protest and begins kissing her again. “Stop it!” She says in anger pushing him harder away from her. “I said stop, Brystol!” He stops and steps back away from her looking over toward her window. “What is wrong with you?” She asks in more anger than anything.

“I have it all.” He says and Sahara is lost suddenly but he quickly clarifies. “All your powers. Telepathy. Portaling. All of them. And the Grey Elf is not dead.”

“How would you know that?” she asked.

“I found her in a portal.” He confesses and Sahara doesn’t see how this is a problem.

“So she was helping us?” She asks feeling a bit of excitement. “And Slagwart, is he alive too?”

“I don’t know.” He says not sounding as excited as she is. “But you do realize what that means?”

“No?” Sahara says uncertain of how she would know what that means.

“My father may not be dead either.” He says looking sorrowful.

“Did you replace him in a portal also?” She asks not understanding how the two could be related.

“No.” He shakes his head sadly. “I tried but I couldn’t replace him.”

Sahara isn’t sure what to do or say. She remembers back to his father dying and she knows there is no way he survived. But at the same time she wonders how the Grey Elf survived. “Let’s ask her.” Sahara says simply knowing that if he found her in a portal once she could surely do it also.

“No!” Brystol says in fear shaking Sahara. “Leave it alone.”

“But what if...” She begins to ask but Brystol interrupts her.

“Our betrothal could be broken for trying to save him Sahara. We already both know that we would never break our betrothal by you losing your virtue but there are other ways.” He turns away from her rubbing his head before continuing. “When elves die in the Underverse when they are not meant to be in the Underverse at the time, they go to another realm. The realm of the in between. He is there. Just like the Grey Elf is there.”

“How do you know that?” Sahara asks not understanding how he suddenly knows this.

“The Grey Elf told me.” He says looking ashamed.

“You spoke to her?” She asks not understanding still.

“Just for a moment.” Brystol continues still looking ashamed. “We could save them both but it would cost us and I didn’t realize what that cost was until the declure showed us earlier.”

“So?” She is not sure why he is considering this.

“I might have already started the process of saving him.” Brystol says anxiously. “If the elders replace out our betrothal will be broken, Sahara.”

“What have you done?” she asks. He seems hesitant to answer her for a moment before she says his name. “Brystol?”

“The Grey Elf told me to portal a potion to her, which I did. She could not portal in the in between.” His confession causes his breath to increase in pace. “What if it is too late Sahara?”

“What was the potion?” She asks wondering how a potion would help them to escape the in between.

“Hawthrow potion. It is for shape shifting.” He says looking overwhelmed by his actions.

“I don’t understand how that will help them?” She asked for clarification.

“Animals are the only beings that can escape the in-between realm. She said they would alter to animal form and then they would need one other thing to completely escape.” He answered.

“Did you give them the one other thing?” She asks feeling her heart rate quicken.

“Not yet.” He pulls a small bottle out of his pocket. “I am to deliver this within an hour.”

“Brystol?” She says, in a panic.

“I don’t know what to do?” He says looking down at the glass bottle. “He is my father Sahara. I love you but he can be saved.” She reels through her thoughts as she shakes her head at him not knowing what to say. “What do I do?” He asks brokenly.

“I just watched us in the future have an affair, when we are married to other elves.” She feels her chest hurting from the realization that this future is happening far too quickly. “If we do this, we will make our future spouses feel like your mother has felt for years. Unloved and lonely, while we sneak around and have an affair.” She sees her words do not change the brokenness on his face. “If this is what you want, we will deliver the bottle.” She reaches over taking hold of his empty hand and looks down at the bottle in his other hand. “It is your choice.” She says much more calmly than she feels. She knows what she just saw in the second future was horrible and sad but would it be worth it to save Aran Rayterbay?

The next few moments feel like torture as Sahara watches Brystol thinking about his choices. “It feels selfish to choose our love over him.” Brystol finally says closing his eyes and clasping his fingers around the glass bottle. His words caused Sahara to feel a crushing sadness sweep over her and tears break from her eyes. Were they really about to become the second future version of themselves, unhappy and not together?

“Then, don’t choose our love. Choose the one that will be most beneficial to our kingdoms.” She says stepping back away from him knowing that if he truly thought saving his father was better for the kingdoms than the two of them being together, then she would do it. Not because she agreed with him, but because she loved him. She wonders if she asked him not to do it if one day he would despise her for it and blame her, so she knows she can’t do that.

She sees his eyes meet hers and they change from a panic to a calm manner after a moment. He nods his head at his words. “Thank you.” He says before suddenly smashing the bottle onto the ground. Sahara feels immense relief sweep over her as she lets out a sigh and wraps her arms around him. “My father would say our betrothal is what is best for our kingdom than him coming back.” He says wrapping his arms around her tightly.

“I am so sorry Brystol.” She says knowing that was a hard decision for him to make. She can’t fight her heavy tears as she begins to weep realizing how close it was to their betrothal being broken.

“Hey?” She hears his concern for her as he tries to console her. “What is wrong?” She could never handle being as miserable as she was in the second future she saw but she can’t tell him that. “Sahara?” She tries to stop crying but just can’t seem to stop. “I am sorry.” He says moving her hair out of in front of her face and kissing her forehead. “I am so sorry!” He wraps his arms around her again running his fingers through her hair.