Chapter 41 #2
Mikayla scoffed. “How fitting.”
Metal clamored as her mom set scissors onto a tray with force. “I should think so. Who better than someone untainted by our selfishness?”
“Selfishness? That’s rich coming from you, Cordelia.”
Her mom turned to Mikayla. “No one likes a hypocrite. But Lia is right. My father did what we should have done. And what matters now is that we continue his work.”
Everyone nodded, until even Mikayla had the decency to tuck her chin.
“Adrian will have returned to the Seekers,” Reynaldo said. “It’s likely that ImaginX’s CEO is who he reports to.”
“Then it’s him who has the other book piece.” Leo rubbed his forehead. “When it isn’t on loan to Adrian.”
It was hard for Aurelia not to chastise herself for allowing Adrian to flee, even though she only thought she may have seen the piece of the Initiis during their brief encounter.
“Then there’s one more piece to locate, apart from Julian’s,” Mirel gathered.
Aurelia caught her mom’s eye, who nodded. “We need to find them before they do,” her mom said. “Bringing creations to Earth is not the only thing they want.”
“They want Malum freed,” Aurelia finished.
Terranth leaned forward. “Who is he, exactly?”
“He’s the worst of the worst.” Kayce filled him in. “They call him the Devourer.”
Fee nodded. “He was like me once. Meant to guide the dreamers, aid the creations. But he wanted more. He stole the Initiis to do it, and that is a tale forbidden to us, even now. It’s how the First Rift began.
He was imprisoned in a sphere he tried to make, but the Initiis was broken into three pieces because of what he did.
The legends Julian was piecing together suggested one of the pieces partially mended the First Rift. ”
“Until now,” Mikayla said bitterly. “A piss-poor attempt at a Band-Aid.”
“Actually, that ‘Band-Aid’ has been slipping for fifty years. Another thing you all wanted to ignore,” Fee reprimanded, reminding Aurelia of the Vilentian sphere and what she learned there.
“It would seem Malum has been growing stronger in his confinement. He has influence, whispering into the Seekers’ minds.
But he does so in a way even we cannot see. ”
“So we get all the pieces first,” Aurelia summarized. “Once the Initiis is whole, it should mend the tears permanently, hopefully preventing Malum from being freed. Wherever his sphere is.”
“That’s not exactly true.” Mom stepped in, her tone somber. There was an unsettling silence as everyone looked to her with unease. She casted a glance at Aurelia before continuing. “Lia was attacked the other night. By a creature we are certain Malum made.”
Leo looked between them with shock turning his skin ashen. “What? You never mentioned this before.”
“Because I didn’t know who to trust,” she shot back.
Aurelia studied her mom in a new light. She had bet Mom told Leo everything. Even though there were secrets that she’d harbored, it comforted Aurelia to know that not all of her dirty laundry had been as aired out as she’d feared.
Leo considered this a moment, before leaning back with a look of understanding so her mom could continue.
“Lia’s abilities are far beyond what we are capable of.
She went to the world where this creature is from in her sleep, and the nightshriek—as we call it—hitched a ride back to Earth.
I’m certain that Lia’s thoughts of all of this, of Malum and the Seekers, accidentally guided her to Malum’s world. His prison.”
The words knocked the wind from Aurelia’s lungs, leaving her gasping as everyone clamored in reaction.
Malum’s prison. No, she couldn’t have—but she did.
She’d seen it in the ringed eyes of the nightshriek.
Of the owls. She’d known his messenger birds had been stalking her.
Resigned herself to it. But to have been pulled into a world no one knew how to access…
She wanted to find the deepest hole beneath Mount Fealtek and bury herself in it. Hide inside it. Dimly, she was aware of the Order’s eruption, of how Kayce shifted closer, his heat radiating into her side.
“I’m not sure how it happened,” her mom called over the debate, “but it’s clear to me that the barriers of even Malum’s prison must be weakening. Lia’s mind needs to be strengthened so she can master these abilities.”
“Absolutely not,” Mikayla said, her shrewd focus returning to Aurelia. “We can’t trust someone the rules don’t apply to.”
“What do you mean?” Aurelia demanded, struggling to ignore how her stomach dipped even more after the bomb Mom had dropped on her.
“We saw what you did,” Mirel said quietly, as if she regretted siding with Mikayla. “You Transcribed that minotaur without a pen. Likely did the same to the gremlin in the city?” At Aurelia’s answering nod, a flash of hurt crossed Mirel’s face when she looked at her mom. “You didn’t tell us that.”
“I thought this very thing would happen!” she insisted. “That you would all look at Lia like she’s been helping the Seekers or something worse.”
“She’s a child,” Mirel said, insulted at the insinuation. “Who would ever think a child, recently Sparked, would do such a thing?”
Aurelia figured it wasn’t the best time to voice that she was a year shy of adulthood by American government standards.
A scoff erupted from Mikayla. “Stranger things have happened. Just look at Adrian.” There was an uncomfortable murmur of agreement before she continued, “Let’s not forget that Aurelia brought her prince over.
If she can do that, what’s stopping her from bringing something worse should the wrong person cross her? ”
Aurelia let out an indignant snort. “I have more self-control than that.”
That terrible nightshriek notwithstanding.
But the more Mikayla talked, the more appealing a loose gremlin in her home sounded.
“How do you do it?” Mikayla asked. “Do you even need a pen?”
Aurelia opened her mouth to speak, but her mom stood. “Don’t answer that.”
“Why shouldn’t she? We’re airing out all the dirty laundry now,” Mikayla flung a hand toward the royals present. “Unless you want to spare her precious creations something ugly about the girl they owe their lives to.”
“You go too far.” Kayce’s voice deepened with contempt as all the Weatherstones, even the Lions, wore faces of outrage. They all moved to stand, and Aurelia’s eyes burned at their defense.
Leo put a firm hand on Mikayla’s shoulder. “Our selfish ignorance has cost Norenth too much. We will not insult them or Aurelia in their home.”
Everyone relaxed at that, but Kayce, who had surged to his feet, remained beside her. Aurelia looked at her mom, whose face had gone pale again. Was there something ugly about what she could do?
True to his word, Leo diverted the focus from her.
“Aurelia will learn to harness this…additional layer to her Flameheart abilities. Perhaps in the future it will aid us against the Seekers. But it will only be done under direct Order supervision.” He glanced at her mom.
She gave him a stiff nod. He continued, looking at Aurelia, “Let the Initiis searching be left to us. We have much to atone for, and I know I speak for other chapters as well.”
“They have to be told,” Reynaldo interjected. “The Legacy Chapter will convene for this, considering Malum is involved.”
While the Order murmured agreements, Aurelia glanced at Kayce to find him watching her. A muscle ticked in his jaw, his eyes hard amber shards. He didn’t trust them not to mess this up. Aurelia didn’t either.
She had been going over everything in her mind, especially what the Lions told her. That message in her Norenth keepsake box, about walking through fire—it all was the key. That clue, if she could figure it out, would help her find the Initiis piece her papa left to her.
“Papa left one piece to me,” she said, her voice carrying over the small conversations that had started. “I was told I have everything I need to find it.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Aurelia swore the Lioness fought a smile.
But Leo’s face was solemn once more. “Then you will tell us what you know.”
“No.” Aurelia lifted her chin, her tone firm but respectful. “I’m sorry, but no.”
“Lia—”
“Mom, I can’t,” she turned to her mom, heart aching, her mind dissenting.
But her soul rallied. “This is what Papa wanted. And this is what I want.” Aurelia knew her papa wanted her alone to find this piece.
It was bigger than her understanding and what she knew logically.
It was faith, a faith in all the good her papa stood for. She could honor him with this.
Her mom’s eyes shone as if she knew it too. “I’ll officially accept the Corvine seat in this chapter.” None of the tension loosened from Mom’s stature as she spoke, a look of resigned determination in her gaze. “I’ll monitor your progress myself. With both your training and this search.”
“Well, we don’t always get what we want.” Mikayla dropped her arms. “I say we put it to a vote, especially regarding this hunt for the Initiis—”
“Another time,” Leo cut her off, a twinkle in his eye like he was also aware—and agreed with the Corvines. “It’s been a long day, and we’ve devoured enough of Their Majesties time. They have a kingdom to run, and we have families waiting.”
“Indeed,” Lion Magnar said, rising to clasp Leo’s hand. “And we all have beds to sleep in. Rest would do us wonders.”
It felt like the understatement of the century coming from a king, but it loosened the tension in the room enough. A small mending.