Chapter 42 #2
She shakes her head. “No.”
“Why?”
“It’s like there’s nothing there for me to search for. I’ve tried, but it’s dimmed so low that in the darkness I can’t find him—I can’t hear him.”
“I refuse to believe he’s gone.” I turn to Silas and Oak. “He is stronger than that. I know he is.”
Oak stands. “What do you suggest we do?”
I turn and race down the hallway leading to Silas’s room.
I cross the threshold and crash to my knees before the small table in the sitting area, where the large red book sits like a beacon in the night.
I flip open the book, and a shudder runs up my spine.
The thick, worn pages of the ancient book feel heavy against my fingers, and even though my senses scream, I turn each page, desperate to see anything that might help.
I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Oak and Silas race around the corner after me.
“I can’t read any of this,” I rage.
“We can try,” Oak says.
Ancient texts, markings, and pictures cover each page, yet none of them make sense to me.
Oak stands over my shoulder, trying to glance through the leather book as I do, hoping he might decipher something.
My fingers can’t move fast enough, flipping through each page, and a sharp pain shoots through my finger.
I wince and jerk my hand back, watching a drop of blood fall to the ground beside me.
“Ouch,” I hiss, putting my finger in my mouth to stop the bleeding.
The pages come to a halt, and I freeze, staring at a page written in a language I can’t understand. Oak leans in closer and squints his eyes. He retrieves his glasses from his breast pocket and places them low on his nose.
“Hang on,” he whispers, and leans in closer to the text.
Fen enters the room and joins us, plopping down in one of the nearby chairs. I offer her a soft smile, despite my system being on fire with anxiety. She watches Oak with a burning intensity as he studies the page.
She leans forward. “What does it say?”
“This is the first time I’m seeing this book, and my Gods it’s fucking old,” he says, and places his glasses on his head as he looks up from the text.
My heart thunders in my chest, and anticipation creeps up into my throat.
Oak shakes his head. “I can’t read this. I had just begun studying this ancient text when we left for the trials in Daramveer. I’m not skilled enough to read anything in this book, to my knowledge.”
My shoulders slacken, and Fen sits back against the tall cushions.
“But, I know someone who can,” Oak says cheerfully, trying to give us an ounce of hope.
“Who?” I ask.
“My grandfather,” Oak replies. “He was the one who taught me when we were in Brinkym. He should be able to read most of this book.”
Silas leans against the mantle while the roaring fire makes shadows dance across his face. “How does that help us now, Hombern?”
Oak grimaces. “It doesn’t, but at least we know someone can read this. We just need to get this book to Brinkym.”
I push against the table and get to my feet. “Amazing. Let’s add this to the list of impossible shit we have to do.”
“It’s doable, Briar,” Silas chimes in, and turns to Oak. “Would your grandfather be willing to help?”
Oak nods. “I would think so, yeah.”
“Then, when we head back to the mainland, Brinkym will be our first stop,” Silas commands.
“And Daramveer?” I add.
“Calia and Nolan will expect us to return to Daramveer. We need to be strategic when the time comes to go back. They will have spies everywhere—watching for our return—so reaching anywhere safely will be the ultimate challenge. We will need to remain unseen when we return.”
I remain quiet because I don’t disagree.
They will definitely expect us to return at some point, and Daramveer is the first place I want to visit.
So even though it pains me, I understand that we can’t go there right away.
They know we can’t stay here forever. But a thought flickers in my mind, and a broad smile spreads across my face.
Oak looks at me. “Either she has a plan, or she’s finally lost her mind.”
“Both, I think at this point,” I respond. “Especially when you hear what I’m going to say.”
They all wait with bated breath.
“We can be invisible.”
Silas laughs, and I know he knows exactly what I’m referring to.
“You are a genius, my love.”
“We have a specific Rigil on our side that offers a degree of invisibility. When we return, we can be unseen. We can set foot on the mainland again, and for a moment, no one will ever see us.”
Oak claps his hands together. “You are right. That, at least, seems like a plan we can set in motion. Now, we just need to cross off the other hundred things on our list, and we’re golden.”
I turn to Fen. “Rohhit will be okay, but please don’t give up on him. Keep listening and continue tugging on the tether. Maybe he felt you pulling back and stopped searching for you as well. Please, Fen. Don’t give him another reason to give up.”
She nods. “Alright.”
“Please,” I whisper.
“I’ll keep trying.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, placing my hand on her arm. “Warrick is also going to be alright. He cares about you deeply, Fen, and this doesn’t mean you care about him any less, either.”
“It just means I have to care about Rohhit more,” she replies.
I squeeze her arm. “That’s up to you to decide.”
She wipes a tear from her eye and stands, heading to the threshold of the room. “I’m going to bed. Please wake me if any other revelations occur, but please, Gods, I would like one night of good sleep.”
Silas moves forward. “I’m going to walk you to your room.”
She nods, and they move into the hallway, leaving Oak and me alone for a moment.
He stands and walks to the open window in Silas’s room.
The heavy curtains sway in the breeze, and the sun has completely disappeared from the sky for the evening, gracing us with the largest white moon I’ve seen in ages.
I join him, and we gaze upon the vast black sea before us. The waves crash against the cliff’s edge, and the water churns like a storm is coming.
“Maines feels lighter,” Oak says. “I’ve been obsessing over the darkness I felt attached to her, but today, it seems to have lifted a bit.”
“Any clue what it could be?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No. It was dark, as if a shadowy hand was constantly resting on her shoulder. When it was there—I won't lie, Briar—I was afraid to even touch her.”
A shiver runs up my spine. “Have you asked her about it?”
He turns, facing the door where Maines rests. “Before this happened, no, I never did, and I regret it. But, now isn’t the right time to push her. Resting is her main priority.”
I fidget with the ends of my hair and press my back against the wooden windowsill to look toward her room, too. “Do you remember when you first felt it?”
He stills, and his blinking slows. “Yes.”
I angle my head toward him and await his answer.
“It was right after Malachi killed Yara.”
I remain steady, even as I fight the urge to let my legs wobble.
I think back to that night—the pain, the suffering, and the blood that filled the room like a rushing red river.
Malachi’s words, promises, and threats echo in my mind.
I brace my hands against the ledge and glance at Oak.
His eyes stay fixated on the closed door where Maines sleeps peacefully, unaware of the terror I feel right now.
“Do you want me to stay with you until Silas gets done speaking with Fen?” Oak looks at me.
“No, you go check on Maines and get some rest. Tomorrow, we can make a plan and see if Silas knows anything about this darkness.”
He moves toward the door. “You should rest too, Briar.”
I smile as he exits, closing the door behind him.
I wait for a few moments before striding across the room to the bathing chambers, taking Oak’s advice.
I splash some water on my exhausted face and remove my worn clothes.
I slip into something lighter and more comfortable before moving back toward the large, dark bed in the room.
The silk sheets are cold and so soft that I can barely feel them as I slide under the thick duvet.
A soft groan leaves my lips as I settle my head against the feathery pillow.
With the sun behind the horizon, the moon shines into the room as I extinguish all the candles, wrapping the space in darkness.
I pull the covers high and feel myself slipping into the nothingness that sleep has recently graced me with.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see a spot deep in the curve of the room that somehow looks darker than the black of the room, but my eyes are too heavy to stop me from drifting to sleep.
I tell myself that Silas will be back soon, and my eyes close.
The world around me is dark and familiar, yet not home.
My eyes adjust to the suffocating darkness, and through the smog, I see the city center of Andorwood.
This time, though, there are no bustling civilians, no vendors, no scents of cooked food or delicious spices, and none of the pleasant chatter of people discussing their daily lives.
The center of Andorwood lies in ruin, and ash falls from the sky like dusty gray rain.
I turn my head in all directions, but I’m alone.
Fear creeps over me, and I force myself to look down each dark alleyway, each leading only to despair and misfortune.
The chilled breeze whips my hair about, and my surroundings are bleak.
The air is thick and reeks of the burning memories of what this kingdom once was.
The bodies of the civilians lie in a scattered mess around me.
Growls in the distance snap me to attention, and I rush toward a building that is barely standing from the destruction. I press my back against the cold stone and steady my trembling hands.
This isn’t real.
This isn’t real.