Chapter 32 #2
Aerona points to the door, and Fen quickly stands, urging Silas to leave the room.
He hesitates but eventually responds to his mother, encouraging Larkin to stand and head toward the door.
I follow close behind them, hiding the book containing the Rigil under my shirt.
I move across the room, unable to hide my irritation that this has gone horribly wrong again.
They cross through the door, and I hear her voice once more. “Briar can stay.”
Silas whips around. “What?”
“Briar,” Aerona repeats. “I would like to speak with you alone.”
I look at Silas, whose face is hard and filled with frustration. I slip the book into his hands and give him a reassuring smile.
“We have things to prepare, so don’t take too long,” Silas replies. “I’ll be outside.”
“I will let her leave in one piece, don’t worry.”
“Oh, I’m not.”
I slowly turn, having not yet fully exited the room, and face her. I steady my racing heart when I hear the latch sound from the door closing behind me. Aerona walks to the large window and looks toward the forest.
“I don’t blame you, Briar,” she says without turning to me. “Not for what happened with Malachi, or for anything that’s occurred.”
I slowly move behind her, waiting for her to face me again, but she doesn’t. She keeps her gaze fixated on the forest.
“Can Kalix hear us?” she asks, and the question catches me off guard.
“To an extent, I believe she can. But she is not present right now.” I pause, finding myself doing a quick check.
“I’ve mastered keeping her at bay over the years.
It’s difficult, but it’s doable,” I explain.
“But, to be honest, it’s not manageable forever.
Each day gets harder, and one day, I know my time will run out. ”
She turns to me and studies me. “Does Silas know?”
“He knows a lot.” I shake my head. “But I haven’t told him the extent of how hard it is.”
“I know you keep it from him to protect him, to keep him from worrying, but don’t. He would burn this world to the ground for you and rebuild it using the bones of the fallen.”
My heart thunders. “That’s exactly why I keep it from him, Aerona. I fear he would destroy himself to protect me, and right now, I can’t put that on him. It’s an impossible weight to carry.”
“Nothing is impossible.” She moves toward me. “But, I understand your fear. There are many things I’ve kept a secret to protect those around me. It’s hard—it eats at me daily—and I fear every second that the truth will come forward.”
I know exactly what she is speaking about, but I remain quiet to allow her to ponder her own words.
Aerona fidgets with her necklace, moving the jewel in and out of her hands. The dark jewel gleams in the light. It’s distracting, even amid the beauty of this bedroom. I can’t help but stare at it.
“I’ve entered the Forgotten Archives a few times, and would you believe me if I told you each time was an accident? A gravitational pull for me to enter it.”
“I believe you,” I respond.
“I have always searched for something, knowledge regarding something, and each time I was lost in thought, desperate for answers, it would appear. I had family members go mad searching for the Archives, but it opened each time for me.”
Aerona moves back to the couch and plops down, like a weight sits heavily on her shoulders. I remain standing, watching her for a moment.
The queen lets out a shaky breath, recounting the memories. “Without knowing, I entered the Archives and was quickly turned away by the darkness that haunts there.”
I move to sit back down near her. “Is that the answer you were looking for? Haunting creatures that aren’t from this realm?”
She slowly pans her gaze to me. “Yes.”
“Why?”
A tear sits heavy in the corner of her eye. “I think you know why, Briar.”
I don’t respond, but I watch a tear roll down her cheek.
I can’t imagine the weight she feels from having lied to her children their whole lives about their father.
As much as I want to dislike her, I pity her.
A woman faced with an impossible choice will often do desperate things, especially for the sake of her children.
I now know why she wanted to speak about that alone.
She couldn’t tell Silas why she was in the Archives without having to come clean about Malachi.
“Are the answers we seek in the Archives?” I ask.
“Yes,” she whispers.
“How can we safely get in there? How does this Rigil protect me?” I lean forward, and I can feel the desperation rolling off my tongue.
She exhales and dives deep into her own mind for a moment.
“When you enter, immediately hide. There is a desk in the middle; don’t go to it.
That’s what the creature wants. There is a large bookcase to the left.
Rush behind that and gather yourself.” She swallows as if remembering the fear she experienced.
“The creature will feel your presence and prepare. Draw the Rigil as quickly and accurately as you can on your hand. You can’t draw it before entering, or the wards won’t move into place.
The Rigil will make you invisible for a short while.
Use it wisely and go after what you want. ”
“And if that goes wrong?” I reply, making mental notes of everything she said.
“Then you need to run as if your life depends on it—because it does.”
I swallow hard, and she stares at me even harder.
“What’s in there, Aerona? What is everyone so desperate to find out?”
She squirms in her seat and fiddles with the jewel resting low on her chest. “After the Great Battle, many tried to destroy all documents related to the Great Wiitches. People were ashamed and afraid and wanted no records of their magic or stories. A few individuals saw this as wrong and sought to preserve history, which is why the Forgotten Archives were established. The Great Wiitches, the stones, even the Gods, have weaknesses, and those weaknesses lie within the Archives.”
I nod, allowing the words to sink in as I prepare to stand up to take my leave. I don’t believe there is anything else she is willing to discuss.
She sighs. “There is one thing that won’t be in the Archives.”
She once again clutches her jewel, and I drop my gaze, not wanting to stare continuously.
“This has been passed down through my family for many generations. I only recently learned more about what I have possessed all these years.”
I freeze, anticipation taking over me. She removes her necklace and extends her hand for me to take it. I don’t move.
“Take it,” she offers.
“I don’t believe that’s necessary, Aerona,” I respond, retracting my hand behind my back.
“Please.” She extends her hand further. “There are many things I regret in my life, and I don’t want to make this one of them. It will be of better use to you.”
I angle my head and study the jewel perfectly crafted into the necklace. The light dances off the stone, casting dark green and black colors into the room.
“You will learn more in the Archives, but it’s yours, Briar. Wield it, use it, and wipe those fuckers off the face of this realm.”
Islip out of Aerona’s room and back into the narrow hallway leading down to the main part of the castle.
Her words rush through my mind. Entering the Archives tonight will be challenging, but nothing I can’t handle.
I’m ready, but even in the back of my mind, what dwells within makes my stomach roll.
I’ve seen my fair share of haunting creatures before, but something tells me this one is where the rumors started in Andorwood.
I glance in all directions, looking for my worrywart of a man, but I don’t see or feel his presence.
I continue my stroll, trying my best to ignore the height staring back at me through the large open windows.
I feel my palms become sweaty, so I move to the farthest stone wall, dragging my hand along the rough surface.
Aerona’s necklace sits heavily in my pocket, and I reach in, messing with the thick chain holding the jewel.
My fingers tingle against the smooth texture of the stone, and I can’t help but feel as if I’m back in the forest from so many months ago, finding the resurrection stone.
However, this time is different. My magic isn’t pulsing, and this stone feels dead.
I understand this signifies something important, and I’m eager to learn why.
My senses perk, and something in my chest tightens. A smile spreads across my face as I round a corner, leading me down into the castle. Silas leans against the stone wall with his arms crossed, his back to me, impatiently waiting for me to arrive.
Without even turning, his voice sounds around the hall. “Hello, my queen.”
“Hello, my stalker. I’m having flashbacks of you at Daramveer Castle, always lurking around the narrow halls.” I grin and grab his arm, turning him to face me. “Are you always this desperate for my attention?”
“I’m desperate for anything concerning you,” he says with a smirk.
“Come on,” I tug on his arm, pulling him to follow me.
“You know I want to ask,” he says, his steps falling in line with mine.
“Oh, I’m sure you are dying to know what I talked about with your mother.”
“I am,” he bites back.
“She loves me,” I say, sarcastically.
“Who wouldn’t?”
I huff. “A lot of people, apparently.”
He chuckles.
I pause, planting my feet, and Silas runs into the back of me. The abrupt stop causes him to trip, nearly taking us both to the ground. Turning to stare at him, his face is laced with confusion. I reach into my pocket and pull out his mother’s necklace. His eyes widen, but he doesn’t speak.
“Aerona gave me this.” I extend my hand for him to take it if he wishes, but his hands remain at his side. “She told me I would find out what this is within the Archives.”
He gazes at the stone, his eyes widening slightly. “I can’t believe she gave you that. She’s had that for as long as I can remember.”
“She provided me with information about the Archives, and I trust her regarding the documents. She also informed me about how to use the Rigil to our advantage and where I should hide once I enter.”
“Alright,” Silas replies. “That sounds great, but I sense you’re not happy about something?”
I nod. “She told me to go to the left and hide, but what she doesn’t realize is that I’ve been in the Archives, and there is no bookshelf to the left.”
He angles his head, still confused.
“There is a tunnel in that direction, but there is nothing there for me to hide behind. She’s lying, and I don’t know why.”
“Maybe she just got confused, Briar. I don’t think my mother would lie about this,” Silas defends.
“I thought you might say that,” I shake my head. “Then, tell me why she gave me a fake stone as well.”
“What?” he unintentionally shouts.
I clutch the stone and close my eyes, allowing my magic to react. Once again, nothing happens. Silas watches me, his eyes intensely focused on me and the stone.
“Your mother has the stone Yara referred to, not Malachi, and I think it’s similar to the resurrection stone. She acted like she wanted me to have it, but this is a fake, and I know it for certain.”
“Wait,” Silas snaps, understanding exactly where I’m going with this.
“Your mother doesn’t have the real stone. Fenmore does.”