Chapter 36
36
I had somehow made it off the roof, barely comprehending that I had to place my iron bands back on before I could stumble out of the training ring and back down the hallways before Leah intersected me and guided me back to my rooms. Two guards were stationed at my door—likely to keep me in rather than keep threats out.
After bathing, I found a simple tunic and dark leggings in the dresser. I dressed and then opened the door, turning to the guards.
“I want to go to the library. The one in the East Wing,” I said. Zara had mentioned a library in the Saltspire Palace—and whether I would be allowed to visit. But it was a seemingly innocent request, and one I’d hope they wouldn’t think twice about.
They exchanged looks, and then the tall thin one stepped forward and led me down a series of hallways.
The Saltspire Library was just as stunning as the rest of the palace. It was a quiet, cavernous room that was completely empty when I entered. Towering bookshelves were accessible by golden rolling ladders, and I could smell the familiar scent of aging tomes from where I entered.
But after I piled my arms high with those dusty books, I found myself trying not to drop them all as I turned a corner and found the reading room.
The reading room—if you could call it something as humble as a mere room —looked out onto the sea. I was in one of the lower levels of the palace, so I could see the way the azure waves hit the rocky shore, spraying the gardens below with its salty spray. The reading area itself was a sloping pit in the center of the room with cozy couches that almost looked like one large bed. Salt lamps scattered across side tables lit the space with that warm light, and I melted into the comfort of it, picking a spot with a view of the ocean from those panoramic windows.
Then, I started to read. The books I picked were about the gods, about how heart crystals reflected magic, and what magic could be wielded beyond what was gifted in those heart crystals through spells and ancient rituals. I read about how King West had sentenced rebels to death in Luminaria in order to reestablish his dominance.
I read for hours, but knowledge didn’t set me free. I couldn’t find the clarity I was looking for, didn’t receive the answer to my question of why me? in the thick volumes of history and guides for magic wielders.
Instead, I found myself gazing off into the sea beyond the huge windows, my thoughts drifting like the tides.
“Find anything interesting?”I looked up as Zara landed on a cushion across from me.
“No,” I admitted. “Just historical texts, but they all conveniently leave out any history of past victors, or anything else regarding the outcome of the past Ash Trials.”
“You see the importance of my role, then. So much of these games have been lost to history. Almost as if we forget why they’re put on each year.”
“And why are they?” I asked, realizing I wasn’t sure of the answer.
Zara gave me a serene smile. “Over a hundred years ago, the gods were captured and lulled into imprisonment on this island. Six gods for the six kingdoms of Septerra. But King West’s late father didn’t believe in leaving the gods imprisoned. Instead, he believed they should return to the kingdoms that worship them, and that humans should once again fight for their favor. This was the basis of the beginnings of the revolution that would eventually split Luminaria in half, the western side of the continent becoming Stormgard as the rebels gained territory.”
“But that still doesn’t explain why these games are played.”
“You’re right,” Zara said. “Luminaria runs these games to restore the power to the Queen of the gods—Illumia, the goddess of light and order. They believe if they give the Queen her freedom to roam the earth once more, then they will rule over all of the other gods—and the rest of the lands. But the gods were imprisoned and sucked dry of most of their power by a Siphon, who made sure the gods were too weak to leave this island. She gave her life to absorb their powers, and was destroyed by them. But she succeeded in keeping them trapped.”
“If a Siphon imprisoned them, why would they think a Siphon could help change the tide of the war? Is it because of the prophecy?”
“Yes. The prophecy can be interpreted as saying that a Siphon would be able to affect the tide of the war, but it was not described how . The Ash Trials are like an ancient sacrifice, run by disciples of Orsi who try and raise the sleeping gods after each victor is crowned, hoping that the fallen prisoners will feed the soil and the drained gods with their sacrifice.”
“Is it working?” I asked, afraid of the answer.
Something flashed in Zara’s eyes. “Every monster that slips out from the underground prison that holds the gods is proof that they’re growing in power. And if they manage to escape from the bonds that imprison them, only the Brightborne and the foretold Siphon will be able to put them back.”
“What’s a Brightborne?”
“A human touched by a drop of a god’s magic. They’re faster, stronger, and live longer thanks to that god’s touch—but they also bear the burden of the god’s power they are gifted with.”
I bit my lip, drawing blood. Something felt very wrong about what was happening here. The Ash Trials were deadly already, but hearing what they may be preparing to unleash… somehow, the threats seemed to loom larger, like growing shadows.
I was about to ask Zara for more, but footsteps had us turning as Leah entered the library.
“King West requests your presence at dinner. He wishes for you to demonstrate your power to the court.”
I took a steadying breath as I sat up. My servitude had begun.