Chapter 67 #2
James shook his head, jaw working under his emotions, his eyes too bright, and I had a feeling those awful memories had darted through his mind.
He sucked in a harsh breath and hugged me hard against him.
“I…I mean, I can’t say I didn’t suffer because of them, but what could you have done?
It was an impossible position to be in.”
Still, I clearly could have done it. We weren’t given impossible Tasks. Difficult, yes, impossible, no. I didn’t fully understand why I had hesitated so badly that I’d screwed up the first go-around. I had the power now to fully do my duty, and by all the gods, I’d do precisely that.
“I let the limitations of my position reign over me in the first life. This time, I did not. This time, I chose you above all else. I will always choose you above all else.”
James’s breath hitched and shuddered against my neck, his whole body curling into mine. Tears dampened my skin where his head burrowed in, and I hugged him back with all the strength I possessed, pouring my love into him.
“I apparently need to be the mean one in this relationship,” I teased after a few moments, rubbing a hand up and down his spine while he composed himself. “You’re too nice for your own good.”
James huffed a watery laugh and pulled back to kiss me softly. “You can be as mean as you like.”
“As if I need your permission.” Eyes twinkling, I kissed him back. “That wasn’t the only thing she told me.”
James sat back enough to give me breathing room. “You were told more than your Task, then? I’m almost alarmed. What else was said?”
“First, a confirmation. I did love you in our previous life.”
He smiled bittersweetly. We both regretted not saying something to each other, not taking that final step. I hoped our regret faded with time. We had each other now, and would continue in the future, and that was what we must focus on.
Only I wasn’t done. “She also informed me that in every incarnation of our lives, I have loved you.”
Oh, that startled him for sure. I’d never seen such an absolutely stunned expression on his face before, his mouth working, but only croaked gobbledygook coming out. It was really rather funny and I grinned at him without meaning to.
“She also told me that I volunteered to be your protector. I chose you as my Task.”
“Gods above,” he whispered, eyes filled with tears. Happy tears, as he kissed my palm, and then just held it, cradling his face with it.
I was so glad I’d told him. I’d just made him unreasonably happy.
I leaned in to kiss him, lingering, because I wanted to bask in this moment.
He kissed me back, but mostly held me close.
I could tell he needed a moment to absorb.
I certainly did. It was a bit much to take in all at once.
I had a feeling I’d be thinking about the information for years to come.
James finally found words again. “I somehow knew that. That you’ve loved me in all of our lives. But it makes me happy to think that in each life, I’ve managed to find you.”
“It makes me very, very happy as well. I also now understand better why I fell in love with you so quickly. That’s really not in my nature, but my soul clearly remembered you. I just wish I could remember those previous lives better.”
“I don’t doubt we’ll have our full memories, of all of our lives together, once we attain Paradise.”
Oh, now, that would be very nice indeed. I wondered if I could get that wish confirmed, somehow? I was nosy and wanted to know everything, it was a failing of mine.
James’s eyes searched mine. “Was that all she came to say to you?”
“Not quite. She also wanted to pass along information we need. I was shown a particular book.” My hands lifted to outline it in the air, as if trying to describe what was shown.
“It’s in the palace library, and I know approximately where.
It’s very, very old and written in the Old Tongue, but inside is a vital spell we’ll need to vanquish the Demon King. ”
James jolted upright, all tears forgotten. “Wait, wait, vanquish? I thought the Demon King couldn’t be killed!”
“No, not killed. I think in this context, it’s more a permanent sealing away for him instead of sealing the portal between our planes. That’s the feeling I got.”
“Ahh. So this information wasn’t known the last time he was driven back, then?”
“No, it wasn’t. The book has been sitting in the library for so long, unread, no one living knows about it. I mean, of course the librarian knows where it is, but no one’s read the book in ages.”
“Why tell us this now?”
“The angel said Nimus and the other gods are nervous about events repeating. No one wants you dying in battle again, so this is a tool to help prevent that future. But considering gods are at play? It wouldn’t surprise me if they have a hidden agenda or there were restrictions during the first life prohibiting them from telling us. ”
James sat back and ruminated. “I’m…incredibly grateful but at the same time alarmed.”
I could see his alarm. Also his dismay. In fact, he sat there, his gaze on his hands, as if he were reliving that battle in his mind. I could see his frustration, because he’d thought this problem resolved already, but also a growing fear. He didn’t want to fight that battle again.
I certainly didn’t want him fighting the demon king again.
I think James feared not only for his country and for himself, but mostly for me. I’d died on the battlefield, even when I shouldn’t have been in immediate danger. I grasped his hands with my own, and he locked on tightly enough it threatened circulation.
When he spoke, it was with a raspy voice, heavy with emotion.
His expression was one of a man pained. “I sealed the Demon King away with my own life’s blood—hard to find magic more powerful than that, a willing sacrifice.
I’d made such a sacrifice without blinking, as I hadn’t wanted to keep living at that point anyway.
Now, though, I very much want to keep living. ”
I would not sacrifice my husband, not for any cause, no matter how noble. So I was glad to hear he had no intention of going that route again. “Apparently, the gods agree I should live a very long life with you.”
James’s brow furrowed deeper. “If the angel told you of this book, then does this mean my attempt to keep the Demon King sealed during my reign is going to fail? That fighting him is part of my Task no matter what precautions I take?”
“Sadly, that’s the obvious conclusion. The mages found the cause of the river drought, but the blockage has proven very difficult to dismantle, and the elemental water powering the seal is at an all-time low.”
“Shidteus’s balls, I forgot with everything else going on.” James thought another moment before tacking on, “Do we need to send them more manpower?”
“I’ve already dispatched more people, they’ll be on the road tomorrow.”
“Of course you have.” Shaking his head, he kissed my forehead. “Thank you for saving my brain. Now, do you think there’s something in the book that will help us track demonic energy? Or tell us how to properly redo the seal?”
“It might? I’m not sure that’s why my god pointed me in this direction, but if not, surely some other book written in the same era would have the knowledge.
Let’s look for it.” Urgency drove me up to my feet and out of the bed.
“We must find the book at once. If it’s really in the Old Tongue, we’ll need time to decipher it, and right now, I don’t know how much time we actually have. ”
“My concern as well,” he admitted, also standing and then heading for the bathroom. “I’d love to take the book with us to our morning meeting.”
“It’s a grand thought, if we can make that work.” I also had a thought to pull my sister into the meeting, so I’d need to send her a message too.
We went about eating breakfast, which our new maids delivered, and then got dressed for the day.
I did send off two quick notes, one to my sister, the other to the palace library letting them know we would be there shortly.
Random, spontaneous visits from royalty tended to alarm the staff, so I would try to give a heads-up.
Only, upon exiting our rooms, I came face-to-face with a very grumpy set of knights. “Sir Seymour, Sir Collins, is something the matter?”
Sir Collins stood at attention, mouth in an unhappy line as he reported, “An escort of the male variety tried to sneak in here last night. He was caught before he entered the hallway and confessed he was trying to get into King Edwin’s bed, but he wouldn’t say anything more. I had the guard drag him away.”
I just sighed, resigned to such shenanigans now. “Thank you, Sir Collins. You did well.”
I exchanged a look with James. We both knew who had likely sent the man. It seemed a very Valentina move, one designed to either discredit me or drive a wedge between us.
James groaned. “I really fucking hate her. Dearest, after we get the book and the meeting out of the way, we must focus on how to get rid of her.”
“Trust me, I’m all for it.” The sooner the better, in fact. “For now, let’s get that book.”
It was a rather peaceful walk to the other wing of the palace.
A few staff paused to bow and say hi, and to the ones I knew best, I paused as well to say a few words to them.
I wanted to make sure normal routines were being handled well during this transition.
I heard no ill reports, which was a minor miracle, and I’d take it without asking questions.
The palace library was a massive beast existing within the heart of the building.
It had been here since the very first stone was laid in construction of the palace, as the first king had been a huge advocate of learning.
Of course, back then, all books were hand copied and preciously few in number.
The library had started out with a grand total of twenty-three books, or something of that number.
Ridiculously small by today’s standards.
The library had been expanded many times over the years, taking over what had been the original ballroom, then again into what had been the guest quarters.
Now, it was a behemoth with four stories, multiple wings, and a dedicated team to keep it all organized.
I’d been in here more times than I could count, although not in the restricted section, sadly.
I hadn’t had the right authority. I greeted the staff by name as we sailed through.
My note to the librarian had been well received, and an escort was poised to guide us the moment we arrived.
We went up a level, then deeper within the stacks to where a secondary desk sat next to a locked door.
With armed knights on either side, no less.
“Geneve, they’re here!” my librarian escort announced with a smile on his round face.
The librarian at hand scrambled to her feet, eyes wide before she hastily ducked into a curtsey. “Your Majesty! Welcome, welcome. What may I find for you?”
“Miss Geneve,” I greeted with a faint smile. “We’ve come to find a specific tome. Giffards’ Magic Treaty and Grimoire.”
She blinked first at me, then questioningly at James when he merely smiled, and then back at me. “I…do know the tome you’re referencing, but it’s in Old Tongue?”
“I know. I’ll need a dictionary to translate it, as well.”
“Oh. Um, one moment.” She practically flew to the index card system, which was only a six-by-six block of files, as this section only housed the very rare and older tomes. Then she pulled a card free before gesturing for us to follow her.
The key hanging around her neck opened the doors. Not even a single window penetrated this space, the only light coming from mage lights inside. An effort to help preserve the ancient texts, no doubt.
Miss Geneve led us quite confidently down the row, almost to the very end, and then fetched a large tome with fraying stitching. She used both hands, and I accepted it with both hands as well, as I was quite sure we were equally afraid to drop it.
A wave of relief washed through me knowing I held the precise weapon we needed.
“Miss Geneve, Edwin is now my husband and king,” James informed her. “Do give him full access to the library.”
She looked ready to swallow her tongue in surprise, those brown eyes nearly popping out of her head. “Gods above, I thought that was a rumor! Congratulations, Your Majesties.”
I gave her my best smile. “Thank you. And thank you for this, I need it. Where might a dictionary be?”
“I can direct you to our foreign languages area. Please come with me.”
If the angels themselves were giving us hints this time around, then no one wanted a repeat of the previous fiasco.
It gave me a good feeling that this time, I’d put a thorough end to the whole business.
Gave me a spring in my step, and I might have been whistling as I returned to the office.
I couldn’t wait to pass this over to the priests later today and get this ball officially rolling.