Chapter 6
Six
Hayle
Despite myself, I liked these two old women. There was a ferality about them that spoke to my own magic.
Rolling his eyes at the theatrics, Kian had left to tend the horses, while the hounds sat at the back of the room so they could watch the whole place for threats. I could sense Quarry in the trees, and Epsy was still nestled down Avalon’s shirt, completely oblivious to the fact that we had stopped.
Vox cleared his throat. “You may have to explain that a little more thoroughly. What Line are you affiliated with?”
“Every Line,” Meela answered.
“No Line,” Reeba said at the same time.
“Very clear,” Lierick muttered, and Reeba’s unseeing eyes flew to him with unerring accuracy. It was unnerving.
She gave him a softer smile. “It should be clear, young Heir.” Her milky eyes ran across his face. “Yes, Meela was correct. You have the look of the Hanovans about you. Have you returned to reclaim what you lost?”
Lierick looked uncomfortable for the first time since he’d turned up at the gates of Boellium War College. Apparently, he decided to go with honesty. “Yes, ma’am.”
She gave him another wide grin. “Good. Then you’ll want to follow me.”
Like ducklings, we all followed behind her, except Braxus, who stayed to watch the exit and wait for Kian’s return. I sent my thoughts out to both of my hounds, seeking their consultation. Animals could sense things about people even the Third Line couldn’t detect.
Braxus sent me an image of an old hound chasing its tail. He thought they were crazy.
Alucius huffed her disagreement and sent an image of an owl in a cage. Wise, but they’d been down here by themselves too long.
That was my feeling too. It was in the way they were so happy to see Kian Halhed, like he’d brought the sunshine personally.
I thanked them both for their input, and Alucius walked at my side.
I had my hand wrapped in Avalon’s, unwilling to let her stray too far from me.
Although I knew that the futures she’d reset could no longer occur, it was a lesson written in blood on every single page.
If I let her too from my grasp, she got hurt.
Or Vox did. I couldn’t withstand her pain, if anything happened to that surly asshole.
Honestly, the longer I spent by his side, the more I loved him too.
Down into the mountain we went. There were doors off to the left and right, and I once again wondered where we were.
Or who’d built this place, because regardless of how impressive Meela and Reeba were, unless they were powerful members of the Fifth Line, there was no way they could have bored a hole this far into the mountain by themselves.
I tried to guess what Line they were from, but they didn’t have any distinguishing features. Or maybe I was just out of practice noticing the tells. After all, I never would’ve guessed that Celis was from Bine.
Finally, Reeba pushed open a set of large wooden doors, Iker stepping forward to assist, like she was feeble and probably hadn’t hauled open these doors every day of her life.
Avalon’s gasp was justified. Beyond the heavy wooden doors was what could only be considered a dragon’s hoard of gems and artifacts. Books lined the walls right to the ceiling. Heavy wooden crates were stacked high, all labeled professionally, but not in any language I could read.
We all stepped inside, fanning out as if we could see everything there was to see instantly. There was no way.
“This is the true Soul of Ebrus,” Reeba said softly, her voice reverent.
Vox’s eyes were wide. “This is… I don’t understand.” He stopped in front of a large shelf of leatherbound books, running a finger just out of reach of the book’s spines.
I wandered closer to the crates. They were written in no language I’d ever seen, and gave no hints to what could be inside.
“What language is this?” I asked Reeba. I just assumed she’d know what I was referring to, because she seemed to know so many things, despite the limitations of her sightlessness.
“The High Language.”
Lierick spun. “The Votresses…”
Reeba gave him an encouraging smile. “Yes. The Votresses also have texts in the High Language. I assume that perhaps the Sixth Line would have some texts in their own library written in the language, though I doubt they could read it any longer.”
Lierick nodded, but he’d drifted to a sword that was mounted on the wall.
He stared, and stared, and stared some more.
It was a nice sword, both intricately designed and practical.
There was a seal in the crossguard, a family crest, two wolves’ heads forming the guards, and the pommel had a starburst shape etched into the silver, a brilliant blue stone set inside.
It was a beautiful sword.
Iker moved toward him, his eyes also wide. “Is that…”
“Luftan Hanovan’s sword,” Lierick breathed.
Luftan Hanovan had been the last Baron of the Second Line before they fell. The one who had saved the Second Line, but sacrificed so many others, including himself.
Reeba gave them a sad smile. “Yes.”
Meela appeared behind us, Kian and Celis at her side.
“Luftan was a great Baron. He not only thought of the current members of his Line, but far into the future. Should the Second Line ever rise again, he wanted them to have access to their history. He approached us about storing the Second Line’s archives.
He couldn’t send a bunch of leatherbound journals and dusty old swords to Ozryn, when he could send one more of his people to safety in their stead.
He approached our predecessors, wishing to give them a selection of texts and artifacts for ‘preservation.’” Meela shook her head.
“They couldn’t have known that it was preservation in the face of a genocide. ”
Oh shit. This was the Second Line’s whole history, buried in the mountains of no-man’s land.
“Approached whom exactly? Who are you?” Vox asked again.
Reeba threw back her head and laughed. “Have you still not worked it out, young Heir? I thought you were sharper than this.”
I chuckled beneath my breath, because Vox Vylan, haughty Ice Prince, actually flushed with embarrassment. Aw, poor Voxy.
“Don’t tease the boy, Reeba,” Meela tutted.
Reeba crossed her arms over her chest. “I already told him, Meela. Just not in so many words.”
Rolling her eyes, Meela gave Vox the kind of gentle look you might give a harmless farm boy. “We are the Soul of Ebrus, Vox Vylan. We are the library.”
I frowned.
Vox frowned.
Okay, now I really didn’t feel so bad that I wasn’t making the connection.
But my girl, she’d always been sharper than anyone gave her credit for. “You’re the central library?”
Reeba gave her a proud smile. “Close, child. So close. No, the library in Fortaare, for better or worse, is the central library. We are their vault, where they send the information that is too dangerous to be left out for public consumption, or too precious to be accessed by those who wish to skew the views of Ebrus.” She looked pointedly at Vox, who dipped his chin.
“This is where the Librarians are sent to learn.”
I shook my head. “So people know you exist?” How could this be common knowledge, but news to both Vox and I?
“The Goddess sends us her Librarians, by one means or another. We teach. Then they go where the call takes them.” Meela looked pointedly at Celis.
She was still standing open-mouthed by the door.
“Often, they leave home, not knowing why they are restless. Sometimes they get caught in bad situations, but inevitably, they end up in the village above us.” She petted Kian’s arm beside her.
“You were a surprise, but I guess we understand your purpose now.”
I blinked slowly. This was a lot to take in. “Aren’t you worried that someone will break in here and steal all this?” They were two elderly women, and this was an untapped source of wealth. There was a necklace in a glass case on the wall that would probably set up a family for generations.
Reeba let out a cackle that was spine-tingling. “Oh, little Third Line Heir. You should know better than anyone that looks can be deceiving.”
So they knew about my beast. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Did they also have a beast?
Once upon a time, I’d foolishly thought I knew everything there was to know about Ebrus.
Then the Second Line had reappeared, and my Soul Tie could turn back time, and there was a hidden cache of gems and information beneath the Pillago Pass.
Apparently, the Goddess wanted me to know that I knew absolutely nothing.
“If the Goddess leads all the new Librarians here, then why are we here?” I asked, because I was many things, but a Librarian candidate wasn’t one of them.
Meela shrugged. “It could be that you were just meant to guide these two here, as was Kian. Or maybe there is information here that the Recreationist will need.”
You could hear a pin drop in the room. They knew.
They knew about the Second Line.
They knew about my beast.
They knew about Avie’s magic.
What magic did these two old women possess?
Vox frowned. “Do you know what information that is?”
Meela shook her head. “No, I don’t suppose I do. But I know where I’d start.” She waved toward the door. “And nothing is so urgent that it can’t be done tomorrow. Come now, I’ll show you to your rooms so you can rest.”
She ushered us out of the underground library, the doors shutting themselves behind us with a heavy thunk.