Chapter 34
The sky is aflame with the deepest shades of auburn and red as the sun sits low, barely peeking over the horizon in the fresh night sky.
On the opposite side of the world, an unforgettable crimson moon rises, sending a chill up my spine.
We exit Silas’s house together, as prepared as we possibly can be for tonight’s events.
We spent the rest of the afternoon devising plans for various scenarios that usually ended with something going wrong, the plan failing, or not finding the Archives at all.
Despite preparing as much as I could, I feel like I have no clue what I’m up against.
We move across the vast grounds, and I revel in the open air.
We take turns shifting toward the kingdom, but never all together so we don’t attract unwanted attention from the surges of magic.
Something about being here has deepened my love for nature, despite the threat from the creatures in the woods.
That’s one thing I fear I’ll never get over.
I gaze up at the sky and think of all the past moons I experienced in Daramveer.
Many times, I would venture out to the roof of the castle to watch the moon rise and fall after my birthday had passed.
I never got over the beauty of the different moons marking each new season.
However, this moon is filled with an ominous calm that does nothing to settle our nerves as we head toward the castle in the night.
The moon's eerie red glow illuminates our surroundings, and the air feels thick—as if holding its breath in anticipation.
The clouds above swirl in violent chaos, with tinges of a blood-red glow casting a beautiful yet unsettling feeling through my bones.
This is the night, and I swallow down all the fear desperate to break loose.
Silas walks beside me, his towering body calm, steady, and filled with a lethal focus.
He’s dressed in fine armor that perfectly contours over each of his finely toned muscles.
The armor resembles what he wore upon our arrival, featuring a deadly serpent on the front and sturdy sections of thin metal that protect him from external threats.
The other men are similarly attired, and I couldn’t help but feel surprised when I saw Oak clad in such darkness.
Fen lent me and Maines some of her finest armor—also adorned with serpents—allowing us to wear similar fittings to the men.
Ours differs slightly, as our snake is bright gold, flashy, and a bit excessive, which perfectly describes Fenmore in most settings.
I begged Silas to let me bring my axes, but he assured me that they would do nothing to protect us from the creature that dwells inside the Archives.
I protested, but finally agreed to leave them behind.
They would have looked perfect against the gold snake on my chest.
We walk together as a united force, outmatching the chaos that swirls above us in the sky.
No one dares to come near, aware that it would be a deadly mistake, as we move closer to the castle.
The castle grounds are quiet, and I can’t help but glance around every corner for something unseen.
Anxiety about Malachi's return gnaws at me, but I push the feeling down.
We enter the castle from the back instead of the usual front door.
Hours earlier, we decided that shifting to Silas’s room would be an obvious choice.
Since we don’t know where the Archives will open and can’t afford any mistakes, we opted for a secret back passage that Fen knows about.
That girl is sneaky, and I absolutely love her for it.
Moonlight shines through the castle's windows, making it appear as if blood is smeared across the stone walls. Our steps are soundless across the hard stone floors, and each noise has us all on edge. As we move deeper into the castle, the air becomes impossibly thick, and a bead of sweat forms on my brow—from the armor and nerves. Silas leads the way as we move through each winding hallway, always looking over his shoulder to make sure I’m close behind him.
The others cover us with Warrick at the very back.
The lit torches compete with the brightness of the moon, and for the first time in a long while, I wish the darkness concealed us more. Being this exposed makes me uncomfortable, especially when we want to avoid any unwanted visitors. Silas comes to a stop and turns to face us all.
“Do you have the page with the Rigil?” he asks, looking at me.
I nod, patting my breast pocket. “Yup.”
“Any clue where this thing will open up?” Larkin asks.
“Unfortunately, no. I’m not aware of that. The last time I genuinely encountered it. A Traveler was pursuing me, so I was panicked and desperately searching for a place to hide.”
“So, emotions played a role in finding it,” Silas thinks aloud.
Oak steps forward and says, “There's no way you'll find another Traveler to chase her.”
Silas rolls his eyes. “No, Hombern. I’m not having that happen. However,” he says, clearly thinking. “Briar does have another creature that seems to help her.”
I snap my eyes at him. “Not an option. Plus, that thing comes when it wants, not when I call it.”
“Have you ever tried?” Larkin asks.
“Well, no,” I respond. “What do you suggest, Larkin? Just shout, ‘Come here, creature. Come help me, please.’”
Larkin huffs, “Alright, sheesh. I was just asking.”
I lean forward to nudge him, but he bats me away.
Silas sighs, obviously tired of us already. “Well, if that isn’t an option, we have to think of something and fast. We need to look for any signs that this is going to open up for us.”
I look at Fen, who stands closest to Warrick. As usual, her hand is wrapped around the jewel that hangs low on her neck, outside of her armor.
If this stone is important and similar to the resurrection stone, then perhaps it can assist us now. I push through the others and walk before her. She jolts back at my presence, and I gently remove her hand from the jewel.
“Can I see that?” I ask quietly.
I can tell from her reaction that she did not see this coming, so I allow her some time to think. She glances down at her hand wrapped around the stone and unfurls her fingers. She slides her thumb across the smooth crystal and hesitates to respond.
“I believe what you have is something special. Your mother gave me hers, but it isn't the right stone.” I take her mother’s necklace from my breast pocket and show it to Fen.
“When I first realized the stone was fake, I accused your mother of lying. But now that I think about it, I don’t believe she knew.
I think all along she believed she had the real stone. ”
I hear Silas exhale with relief, hoping that his mother may not have betrayed us. Although, I can’t shake her telling me to go toward the bookshelf on the left. There isn’t a bookshelf on the left if my memory serves me correctly.
“May I hold the stone? I know it’s important to you, so I’ll do my best to be as careful as possible.” I give her a kind smile and make sure to keep my voice low and gentle.
She hesitates but motions for Warrick to unclasp the chain from around her neck.
He slowly reaches up to her neck and works for a second to release the necklace.
The jewel falls in her hand, and she stares at it for a moment, lost in thought.
She raises her gaze to mine and extends her hand for me to take the pendant.
I move my head toward the shining jewel, and my magic dances excitedly.
This is the right stone.
She drops the jewel in my hand, and a shock travels up my arm, similar to the resurrection stone. The weight of the stone is surprising.
How could anyone wear this daily around their neck without developing neck problems?
I turn to face Silas once more. “This is going to help us. Don’t ask why; I know. I’m following my instincts.”
“Lead the way, my love.” He beams with pride.
I push past the others and make my way down the winding halls deep within the castle walls.
With each step forward, the passage darkens, making it harder for the moonlight to seep through the stone cracks.
The air grows musty and hot, accompanied by a faint trickle of water echoing in the darkness.
I don’t tell the others, but I have no clue where I’m going.
I push forward, faking my confidence with each step, and pray the others can’t tell I’m completely lost.
I continuously look down at the stone, hoping that something will give me a sign.
I hear Fen whisper to Silas behind me. “Do you have any idea where we are?”
He doesn’t reply, so I know his answer must be no.
Frustration begins to grow in my chest, and I know the others are starting to tire of mindlessly wandering around the castle backrooms. I close my eyes and focus forward.
Even within the depths of the stone walls, I swear I can hear a faint breeze.
I pause, causing the others to stop abruptly behind me, and I hear Oak curse softly after slamming into Maines.
I keep my eyes closed and tune them out, focusing on what my surroundings are trying to convey.
My magic starts to simmer within my veins, and I release control, allowing my shadows and light to guide me.
I need to know the truth that the Archives holds.
The jewel in my hand responds to the small bouts of magic dancing around me, and I glance at my palm.
The dark green stone begins to illuminate, causing my hand to tremble under its weight.
Silas leans over my shoulder for a better look, and I feel his body tense beside me.
I hold my palm forward, allowing the stone to brighten the way, only to be met with a stone wall a few yards ahead in the darkness. Defeat spreads through me.
A dead end.
“Well, this is unexpected,” Oak chimes in through the darkness, followed by a loud “shhh” from Maines.
Silas places his hand on my shoulder. “Is this what happened the first time?”