Chapter 38
Idress, throwing the dark green stone into my pocket, and move out of my bedroom faster than I ever have in my life. I rush down the hallway, my hair still soaking wet, and pause outside Oak and Maine’s bedroom. Fen and Warrick still wait outside the door while Silas stands behind me.
“You can head inside, Briar,” Warrick instructs, stepping to the side. “I told the healers you’d be coming in.”
I smile in his direction, and he nods back.
“I’ll be right outside. You go in first,” Silas says. “I’ll come in a bit later.”
I push open the thick wooden door and step inside, hearing the latch slowly close behind me.
The windows are open, and the brilliant morning sun spills in, making the room bright and airy.
A few healers move around the room with bowls and various instruments, and the scent of incense fills the air.
Their room is dark like Silas’s, but something different lingers here.
Oak sits beside the bed, his head hung low, and one hand rests against Maines.
A bright halo of light appears to pulse around him.
Maines lies on a small bed, and her eyes are closed.
Oak slowly lifts his head, and his eyes are red, swollen, and filled with a sadness I’ve never seen them harbor before.
My heart splinters.
I cross the room, keeping my eyes fixed on Maines. As I approach the bed, she gently opens her beautiful blue eyes. A soft smile curls her lips, and I sit next to Oak, placing my hand on his leg to assure him that I’m here. He grabs my hand, and I feel the warmth of his light.
“You look like a wet rat,” Maines rasps.
I let out a sob mixed with a laugh, and Oak squeezes my hand.
He moves closer to the bed, helping her sit up higher on a few pillows.
Maines groans in pain, and Oak gently traces her cheek with his thumb.
Her eyes are exhausted, but she’s here. She’s alive and receiving care. She’s going to be okay.
“How are you?” I ask.
“As you would expect me to be after being barbecued by a giant serpent,” she replies.
Even after everything, she is still trying to crack a joke. Even though she can laugh, I glance at Oak, and he isn’t smiling. He’s still horrified, and I know how he feels.
Once you see someone you love go through something like that, it changes you, and not for the better. He refuses to let his eyes leave hers—as if he’s waiting for something else to happen.
I squeeze his hand, and he slowly glances at me, but doesn’t say anything. I almost flinch under his gaze, but he doesn’t release my hand, only squeezes harder—like he can’t imagine losing us. I believe that in this moment, he needs to sense that this is real, that she is truly here with us.
“I can’t believe you came into the library with them,” I whisper. “It was too dangerous, Maines.”
She attempts to lift herself higher but winces and leans back on the bed. “You were gone for hours. I don’t regret my decision at all, because even knowing for a moment that you were okay was worth it.”
She coughs, and Oak stands, getting her a sip of water.
“I got the book,” I fill her in. “I achieved what I set out to find. I’m not sure what happened once you all entered the library, but it caused Eldursyth to halt in his tracks like he was startled. I believe you all coming in is why I’m sitting here right now.”
“It has a name?” she asks, and closes her eyes, exhaustion weighing on her. “Great.”
“I’ll tell you more about it later. You rest right now.”
“So bossy,” she rasps.
“Rest.”
She cracks open her eyes, staring at Oak, and extends her hand. He immediately takes it.
“Don’t leave until I fall asleep,” she tells him. “Please.”
“I’m not leaving,” he responds, planting a kiss on the back of her hand.
She snuggles back into bed, and within seconds, she’s asleep again. The magic flowing into the body during an intense healing overwhelms both the healer and the person being healed. I’m thankful that they managed to get three healers to assist, given the severity of the injury.
We fall back into silence, and I glance at Oak. He kisses her hand once more and places it gently beside her body.
He stands, grabs my hand, and pulls me to the corner of the room, wanting to speak privately.
“Are you alright?” I ask, as we get to the farthest corner of the room from Maines.
He shakes his head. “I’m alright because she is.”
I lean forward and embrace him. He rests his head on top of mine, but his body remains tense.
“What are the healers saying?” I sigh, looking back at Maines resting.
“What you would expect.” He shrugs. “They are surprised she is even awake and speaking. They said any more time, and she would be dead.”
The door creaks open slightly, and I see Silas peeking through, hesitant to disturb us. I wave him over, and he slips through the opening, joining us on the far side of the room. He rushes to Oak and pulls him into a hug. I smile, watching their sweet, awkward embrace.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hugged you,” Oak says, pushing Silas away.
“It was a good one, wasn’t it?” Silas chuckles.
A healer shushes us, and we all flinch.
I glance toward the healer, but she shields her face, making it impossible to see past her flowing white hair. I ignore the urge to walk toward her and return my gaze to the men.
“Should we let her rest and take this somewhere else?” I ask.
“I’m not leaving her,” Oak says.
Silas nods. “We understand.”
Oak’s face hardens. “Did you bring the book here?”
“Yes.” Silas looks to me, but answers, “We have it with us.”
“I don’t think we should mess with what’s in that book,” Oak says. “You need to hide it. If anyone finds out we have it, we will have a bigger target on our backs than before.”
“We know.” I give a nod in agreement.
Silas leans in. “We are going to need your help with this, Oak. It’s in a language we can’t read. You will need to translate everything,” Silas explains.
“The entire book?”
We nod.
“Gods, as if I’m not busy enough,” Oak says, as he rolls his shoulders. “I’m not starting right now. Maines needs me. And honestly, if the book is as old as we think, there will be parts I can’t translate. Even the newer items aren’t very translatable.”
“That’s fine,” I chime in. “We aren’t asking you to do it right now, but we will need to start soon. Silas has to make an announcement to Andorwood shortly, so perhaps we could begin after that?” I offer him a smile. “Or whenever you are ready.”
He glances back at Maines, sleeping peacefully in bed. “The healers say she will be bedridden for days and will move slowly after that for weeks. What are we going to do about the ship that travels here?”
“We will do what we can without her. We have talented healers in Andorwood who were involved in the plans when Maines met with them. They are ready, and she will stay here with Rose. She’ll be safe.” Silas places his hand on Oak’s shoulder. “But we really need you, Oak.”
Oak looks back at us, tears forming in his dark eyes.
I reflect on how it felt when I first lost my mother—the first death I faced—and the deep impact it had on me.
Maines didn’t die, but it was close, and for Oak, that’s the closest he’s come to losing someone more important to him than all the realms combined.
“I know you’re shaken up, Oak—we all are—but she’s okay. She is the strongest person I know. Maines will pull through this and still be her wonderful, sarcastic self,” I try to remind him.
A tear rolls down his cheek, and I can’t help but feel the urge to cry with him.
“I have to tell you both something,” he whispers, and acts as if he’s scared to speak the words aloud. “I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more. She seems to be her normal self, but there’s something else—a darkness I’ve never felt from her.”
I furrow my brow. “Maybe it’s just the effects of being so deep within the castle around Eldursyth.”
Concern laces his entire expression. “I felt it before that.”
“What does it feel like?” Silas asks, sharply.
“I can’t exactly tell, but it’s like a dark veil hangs over her—like something else is with her.”
We swap glances, and a chill runs up my spine.
“Let us know if you need anything or when she wakes up. We’ll keep an eye on her, Oak. Keep your light around.” I glance toward Maines. Her chest rises and falls steadily.
“She’s going to be okay. I promise.” I lean back in and give him one more squeeze.
Silas places a hand on Oak’s shoulder. “Let me know what you need. Anything at all.”
He nods.
Before Silas and I head out the door, I watch Oak settle back at her side.
She remains asleep as he places his hand on hers.
A halo of light begins to illuminate around him, casting a subtle golden glow that fills the room.
No darkness lingers over Maines, and nothing makes my senses scream, but Oak’s words replay in my mind.
All I see is Maines, my best friend, surrounded by someone who would willingly give his life to protect her.
She’s safe and will be safe for the rest of her life in Oak’s arms.
We enter the hallway and hear hushed conversations in the main part of the house. Silas cuts his eyes in my direction, and I follow him toward the vast living space. As we approach, female voices fill the air, and a bead of anxiety sits on my chest, knowing exactly who speaks.
Aerona sits in the living area next to Fen, with Rose filling the space across from them.
We round the corner, and they all turn their heads in our direction.
Silas strides forward as his mother stands and quickly embraces her in a hug.
Rose stands, grabbing my hand to pull me next to her, and Silas settles in next to Fen and his mother.
“You never venture this far,” Silas says, directing his gaze toward his mother.
“Not every day is my son going to make an announcement to the entire kingdom. I came to offer my support.” She smiles in return.
“I appreciate you being here,” he responds. “Your support will be much needed when the time comes.”
“I forgot how amazing your house is out here. It's so airy, yet moody—just like you. You know how suffocating the castle can be,” Aerona says.
“You should come out here more.”
Aerona smiles, looking at me. “Briar, I’m so sorry to hear about Maines. Fen was telling me she will recover, but it was close,” she says.
I nod. “Yes, she has a long road ahead of her, but the healers say she will recover.”
“That’s great,” Aerona says, before her eyes darken. “And the Archives?”
I shudder.
“Did you get what you were after?”
I hesitate to respond. The fewer people who know I brought something ancient out of there, the better.
“The trip wasn’t wasted. However, I don’t think Maines’s injury would ever be worth it,” I say.
She leans forward, and I notice Silas tense. I sit further back in my chair, creating distance between us.
“Did you see him?” she whispers. “The serpent.”
“Yes,” I reply. “I did.”
“And did he see you?” Aerona’s eyes widen.
“Yes.”
She leans back, settling into her chair and diving into her own thoughts. Her dark hair pools around her sides as she smooths out her dress. Out of habit, she reaches for the jewel around her neck that no longer rests there. She looks at Fen, noticing that hers is gone, then glances back at me.
“You are quite impressive, Briar.”
“Yes,” Silas says. “She is.”
Rose chimes in, “You have no idea.”
I’m grateful for Rose now, and I can’t help but think that some of this was a test for Aerona’s approval. Seeing her reaction, I know I’ve earned it.
“Oh, I think I’m starting to get an idea.” Aerona smiles in Rose’s direction.
The weight of the Andorwood stone drags me down, and I can feel its smooth edges in my pocket. I slide my hand into the soft fabric of my pants and fidget with the stone. I need to learn more about what I now possess and what the other kings have.
I take the stone from my pocket and open my hand, pointing it directly at Aerona. “I assume you knew what you were possessing when you handed me this—or at least thought you did.”
Aerona tenses, and I see Fen do the same out of the corner of my eye.
“I am aware that I had something of importance, yes,” Aerona responds, sitting up a bit straighter. “However, it wasn’t in my possession, was it?”
Fen angles her head at her mother. “It was my stone that possessed the powers. It has been hidden in plain sight all this time, and you wore a fake. Why?”
“I created a fake to protect you, Fenmore. If someone realized we still had the stone after all these years, they would likely assume I had it and come after me. If word got out, I always intended to tell you to keep you safe.” She reaches for Fen, but she retreats.
Silas stands and begins to pace. “So what does this stone do?”
“That is something I have tried to uncover for years. The stone reacts uniquely to each Wielder. For me, the stone revealed ancient, hidden, and forgotten things. For others, it could reveal different things.”
“Like the Archives,” I chime in.
She nods. “Exactly.”
“The stone had a similar effect when I had it as well. It revealed something I was looking for,” I explain.
“The stone can do more, but you must know how to wield it,” Aerona adds. “But, I can’t help, because honestly, I don’t know how.”
Silas walks over to where I sit. “What can you tell us about the others?”
“The other stones?” Aerona asks.
“Those were given to the kings at the time of creation,” he responds, his tone sharper.
“Very little.” She stands as well. “These are old and seldom discussed. Many consider them to be mere legends, but they aren’t. Whoever could possess them all would be unstoppable.”
Silas looks at me and says, “We will need to gather more information about what each kingdom possesses and whether the person in power actually has it.”
I nod and stand to join the others as Aerona walks across the living space with feline grace. Her long gown travels behind her like a serpent’s tail, and I can’t help but perk up my senses around her.
“I have a bad feeling about these stones,” I whisper, as I peel my gaze away from Aerona’s back.
Silas leans in. “So do I.”
Fen and Rose remain on the couch, talking in hushed tones, allowing us privacy to speak.
“Silas,” Aerona calls from the bottom of the stairs. “It’s time to go. Andorwood is expecting you.”