Chapter 21
We head back to the party for a while just to show face.
We need to be seen so that people can vouch for us being there.
I am the first to leave. It’s not uncommon for me to slip away from these parties unnoticed, and my father won’t care.
Oak left next, excusing himself for some fresh air, and headed for the balcony.
Once the coast was clear, he moved back inside the castle, closer to the study.
Maines was the last to go, distracting a few of the men with flirtations before heading for the door, leaving them rejected and embarrassed.
We meet in the hallway, just a few turns from my father’s study. Once we enter, there’s no escaping by magic. The claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in there sends chills down my spine.
“Okay, you have fifteen minutes to look around. I think anything longer than that, we are pushing our luck,” I whisper, glancing at the time.
Maines stands post around the corner, the hallway most likely someone would travel down.
Oak and I move toward the door, praying it’s unlocked. To our surprise, it opens with ease, the feeling of excitement and caution moves through my entire body.
Grabbing Oak’s wrist, I pull him toward the desk.
Numerous books and scrolls sit, cluttering the area.
Taking the closest one, I flip through the pages, trying to find anything that looks remotely like the crystal’s markings.
My hands tingle with adrenaline as I notice the pages slightly trembling in my hands.
Oak flashes a look my way. “If you don’t calm down, you’re going to leave sweat stains on the pages.”
I roll my eyes and exhale, trying to do what he says.
“I’m not seeing anything different than at the House of Hedro,” Oak admits. “We don’t have much longer to search before we overstay our welcome.”
I feel the panic rise in my body as I know this may be our last shot at finding something in this study. I reach for the drawers, expecting them all to be locked like before. “Oak!” I gasp. “These were locked the last time I was in here.”
Oak rushes to the back of the desk. One scroll lies deep inside the drawer, hidden from plain sight. When I unroll the scroll, my heart stops at the sight of the marking.
“That’s it!” I shout, louder than intended. “That is the exact thing I found on the crystal.”
Oak leans in, taking a closer look. “That’s no Rigil I’ve ever seen before. It’s old, and I don’t think it’s something we should ever mess with.”
“What does it say?” I ask. “We need to hurry.”
He reads the script on the following pages as I scan the room, nervousness taking over. A slight knock on the door makes my heart fall to my stomach. Our time is up and sweat forms on my brow.
“This is taking too long,” I whisper.
The door opens. Oak grabs my hand, pulling me under the desk. My father enters the room with someone trailing him. I peek around the corner. Elrod follows him in and Calia is by his side, holding his hand. They move into the room, speaking in hushed tones that I can barely make out.
Oak looks at me with wild eyes and places a finger to his mouth.
My stomach twists with terror. If we get caught, we’re dead. My father won’t care that I’m his daughter. To him, this will be treason. A public punishment would be the least of my fears, and I’ll have to convince them we were doing something far more inappropriate than reading.
Oak peers around the desk, trying to get a closer look, but when he jerks his large body back, his hands shake slightly. He barely fits behind here to begin with.
Where is Maines?
He grabs my hand to steady my nerves. It doesn’t work.
“How dare you try to go over my head with this, Elrod,” my father snaps. “Are you trying to make me look stupid?”
We hear a thud behind us that makes my shoulders shoot upward. I slowly gaze around the desk to see Elrod lying on the floor at my father’s feet. Calia standing over him proud.
“Lornx, I would never make you look foolish. I didn’t go over you; I was merely trying to implement the plan faster,” Elrod begs.
My father steps closer to him, standing on one of his hands, and a groan leaves Elrod’s mouth. “If you ever make me look stupid again, I will kill you and your family.”
My heart drops at the thought of Maines.
“My king, I would never. Only your word and plan will be followed from now on,” he winces.
“Very well, we are getting closer to the rituals being completed. You must trust me and your son to complete them. Thatcher will do what needs to be done, and you know that!”
He offers Elrod a hand, pulling him up.
“The stone is safe, and your only concern is making amends with our guests. You are the one who looks foolish.”
Elrod shuffles out of the door, leaving my father and Calia standing before the fire. “Every day, we are closer, my love. This will be different soon. You’ll see.” He caresses Calia’s face. Her wide grin toward my father leaves a pit in my stomach.
I jerk my head under the desk, hitting it slightly on the desk. A quiet thud travels to my father as he looks directly at us, hiding behind the thick wood.
Oak closes his eyes in preparation to fight or be killed.
I can’t decide which, and I’m instantly hit with a memory of the trouble we used to get into as children.
I guess things haven’t changed much. The king takes a step toward us, following the sound of a loud crash coming from outside of the door, breaking their gaze toward one another.
Calia pulls him toward the door, swinging it open, nearly taking it off the rusty hinges.
A massive exhale caves my chest in as I breathe for what seems like the first time in ages.
“Holy shit,” Oak whispers, “we need to leave. Immediately.”
I quickly move from behind the desk, pulling his large body with me. We didn’t have enough time to finish reading the scroll. We quietly slip into the hallway.
Maines rushes around the corner. “Gods, I thought you two were dead!”
“We need to get to my bedroom immediately so we can talk. Don’t say another word.”
I grab both of their hands and shift through the shadows of the castle hallways. Mist takes over my body as I grunt, pulling the weight of two additional adult bodies.
Landing with a thud, I release their hands, my breathing jagged from both Maines and Oak.
“Impressive, Princess, it’s not easy carrying people during a shift,” Oak applauds.
“Sit down and shut up,” I order, gesturing to the sitting area. I collapse into a chair, the antique creaking under my weight. “That was a complete failure. We’re no closer to finding anything out, and I think I lost five years of my life in fear.”
Oak slumps into the chair beside Maines, attempting to throw his arm around her.
She bats him away with a huff, making Oak smile, his white teeth shining in the light cast by the fire.
“I wouldn’t say it was a failure, Princess.
I got enough from the text to point us in the right direction.
I know what the markings on the crystal mean, possibly even do. ”
“What!”
Maines pushes his arm. “Go on!”
Oak takes a second to get the translation accurate, “The script was super specific and extremely lengthy, but from what I gathered in those few seconds, the marking means… resurrection.”
“No offense, but nothing good can come from your father having his hands on a resurrection stone.” Maines breaks the silence. “What do you think he’s planning to do?”
I rack my brain, thinking about the conversations I had with Barlowe, but nothing concrete comes to mind. “I’m not sure, but I don’t like it. My mother must have had something to do with this.”
“What happened while you were in the study? It didn’t look like a pleasant conversation by the state my father left in,” Maines asks.
Oak leans back, rubbing his temples.
“My father threatened him,” I explain. “He told Elrod not to make him look foolish again and that Thatcher would complete the rituals. But we still don’t know what that means. He also mentioned that Thatcher would do whatever was necessary, which makes me nervous.”
Maines nods in agreement. “Believe me, I know Thatcher is rotten. He always has been. He’s no brother of mine.”
Oak stands, knocking over his chair with force. “We’re getting in over our heads. What can we really do? Your father is the king. If we step out of line, he can have us killed.”
I don’t disagree with him. “I know. But whatever he plans to do, we have to stop him.” My stomach tightens as I feel like I’m beginning to understand his plan, but it’s still unclear.
“For far too long, I’ve hidden in the shadows, scared of my own potential. It’s time I start acting like the queen I will be one day. The queen I want to be one day.”
Maines blinks rapidly, her face breaking into a slight smirk. “I’ll gladly honor you as my queen one day.” She bows in mock reverence, acknowledging the declaration I just made.
“We will make Daramveer a better place. Together,” I say, and she nods.
“I’ll do whatever I can to make our future brighter, my queen. I’ll serve you until the very end.”
I stand, the weight of their eyes on me nearly overwhelming. “Let’s hope the end doesn’t come sooner than later.”
“I’m going back to the House,” Maines announces. “Now that I know the crystal’s potential use, maybe I can find more information in the library.”
Oak winks at her. “I better go too. My father will want to discuss more about the upcoming trial. Let me know if anything comes up—unless you want me to come with you, Maines.”
She rolls her eyes but moves closer to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “We’re going to figure this out. I’m here for you, every step of the way.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
Oak shifts, a trail of light following him as he disappears.
Maines slouches, her voice softer now. “Get some rest, Briar. You’ll need all the energy you can get.” A shadow takes her place as she disappears from my room.
Alone, I feel the weight of emptiness press down on me.
I used to prefer being alone, but with Maines and Oak around, I realize how lonely I’ve become.
The next trial will be announced soon, but I won’t tell Maines that.
I need to focus. Thatcher may have a plan, but little does he know that we’re forming one of our own.