CHAPTER 15
Frankie
“Interesting,” the gray-haired demon says for the fourth time in less than a minute.
I bite back the urge to ask him if he plans on saying anything else while he scours through an old, dusty book.
He has no horns or wings—nothing that screams demon—and for a second, I wonder if he’s a shadow demon like Ronin.
But aren’t shadow demons supposed to be, I don’t know, intimidating?
His pale gray eyes and inked-stained fingers are anything but.
“Do you know what it is?” Zarreth asks, growing impatient.
Quenric looks up, startled. Did he forget we’re sitting right in front of him? “Know what what is?” he asks.
Zarreth squeezes his eyes shut, rubbing one of his temples. “The jewel,” he sighs. “You know, the one on Frankie’s neck. The one you’re reading about.”
“Oh, that.” He looks at my necklace like he hadn’t already examined it. “Well yes, it’s a light rock.”
Zarreth exhales sharply through his nose. That tiny sound is enough to finally snap Quenric into focus. He reaches toward the stone but remembers to jerk his hand back at the last moment. “Right, yes, no touching,” he mutters. “I forgot.”
His lips press together while he stares at it, his mind clearly working.
“I can’t tell you what it does,” he finally admits, his head tilting as if to get a better look.
“Or why you can’t take it off, but it’s definitely from the Realm of Eternal Light.
” He looks at me, puzzled. “And you don’t remember how you got it? ”
“Nope, I still don’t remember how I got it,” I repeat for the third time since we’ve been here.
He shakes his head at Zarreth, tsking. “You should know better than to feed her demon brew. That stuff is no joke.”
Zarreth’s fingers clench under the table. “I didn’t give her demon brew. We told you already, she’s losing time.”
Quenric blinks, freezing mid-fidget. “Ah, yes.” He taps a finger to his chin.
“She’s experiencing episodic temporal dissonance—short term disassociations where her conscious awareness disconnects entirely.
Awake, but…absent. When this occurs, her bond link drops, preventing external magic tethering. ”
He gestures vaguely toward Zarreth, now flipping through the pages. “Yet despite this disruption, you perceive, through your bond, that she’s safe. We must be dealing with an autonomous, localized shielding phenomenon rather than a full severance.”
He squints at the necklace again, then pushes away from the table.
“Now, I’m not suggesting these two things are related,” he says, slipping back into a distracted mutter.
“I know there’s a book somewhere here, assuming no one’s moved it.
I hope…” His voice trails off when he disappears between stacks of books.
If awkward brilliance were a person…well, it’d be a demon. My stomach growls while I grab one of the books Quenric suggested, reminding me I skipped breakfast. Zarreth notices and sits up straighter. “Should we go to the market? Get you something to eat?”
I really should eat, but I want to get to the bottom of this. He sees me hesitate while I flip through the pages. “I can grab you something real quick so you can keep researching. I won’t be long.” He vanishes, smoke curling in his place.
Leaning back in my chair, I rest my shin on the table and prop the book on it. The Five Realms. “This should be interesting.”
The first page is an index listing each realm and the associated God and Elder. Curiosity has me searching for the Mortal Realm section, but something catches my eye while I flip through the pages. The Union of Light and Dark.
Right away the names Erebus and Theia pop up. Zarreth already told me Erebus is the God of Darkness, but I had to search the index to find out that Theia is the Goddess of Light. This should be interesting—a love story with a morally grey character is right up my alley.
The Gods, though warned by the Primordials, bound themselves in love. Unable to endure separation, Erebus and Theia wrought a passage between their realms, a portal none had seen before. The Primordials, angered yet curious, did not intervene but watched the tale unfold.
For many centuries, the Realm of Darkened Depths and the Realm of Eternal Light dwelt in peace.
From their union were born many children: daughters fierce and radiant, the Valkyries; and sons of shadow and dominion, the Deviants.
In all their years, only once did twins draw breath—Nova, bearer of light, and Noxian, shrouded in shadow.
Most powerful were they of all their kin.
Yet tragedy fell. The Gods perished, but the strength of their love endured, keeping the portal open and sustaining their children.
The Valkyries procreated with other races, and new lines were sown.
The Deviants, scorning such behavior, slew the crossbreeds and halflings born of their sisters, and thus, the first war ignited between Light and Dark.
Nova and Noxian, now elders of their realms, could not bring an end to the strife.
So the Primordials sealed the portal, separating Light from Dark.
The children of Erebus and Theia perished—all but the twins.
Their lives were spared, their deaths slowed by the Primordials, who decreed they would linger until their successors arise in the latter age.
Wait, didn’t the prophecy say a being with dark and light would be born in the 21st century, who would either destroy or save the realms? I thought the prophecy was tied to the Realm Eater…to me. But could it also be tied to the elders?
I slam the book shut. There’s no fucking way I am supposed to be an elder. Besides, wouldn’t it make sense that the next successors would also be twins? Actually, I don’t know if any of this makes sense.
“Maybe Quenric can shed some light on this,” I say to myself.
A tickle skims the back of my neck, and I jolt upright. What the—.
“I’d be happy to shed some light for you.” His voice nearly sends me flying.
“Oh my God, Quenric,” I exclaim, bringing my hand to my chest before I have a freaking heart attack. “Where did you come from?”
“Oh, I’ve been here the entire time. I didn’t want to be rude and intrude on your reading, so I went invisible,” he says, like that makes it any less rude. He takes a seat next to me and uses his index finger to push up his glasses. I wonder why he wears them. Don’t all demons have perfect vision?
Instead of risking him going down another brainiac hole, I decide to set my curiosity on the glasses aside and ask, “I’m sure you’ve heard the prophecy related to the Realm Eater. Is it possible it’s connected to the elders that are supposed to be born in the 21st century?”
He studies me for a moment, like he’s debating how much to tell me. Instead of answering my question, he sings a song—a song I wish to never hear again.
“When light fades and shadows play, the Realm Eater comes to take you away. Step softly, dear wanderers, for I’m watching you all, and I’ll feast on the brave ones who answer my call.”
My skin crawls at the second line. Ronin told me those were the exact same words I said after my mating mark faded, after Zarreth nearly died. I think he’s finally stopped singing, but unfortunately, he’s only taking a breath.
“From the depths of darkness, a pure light will rise, chasing away shadows and painting the skies. With whispers of courage, it banishes fright, transforming chaos into beauty and light. As light meets darkness, forces entwine, guiding the realms through fates aligned.”
I go perfectly still. There’s another verse? Why did no one tell me? Nova and Noxian are made of light and dark, just like my magic, just like this song says. But the two can’t be related, or if it is, it must not have anything to do with me because there are two elders, and I’m only one person.
I wait for Quenric to tell me the importance of the song, but he only looks at me. Finally I ask, “So are the two related? Do you think it’s possible I’m the…the…” I can’t finish my sentence. I don’t really want to know the answer, do I?
“I am no seer, only time will tell. But, I do sense something in you, something old and powerful. Do you have a twin?”
My ribs refuse to expand all the way. I shake my head. “No. I had a brother but…he’s dead.” The words feel raw. I press my hand to my chest, trying to steady the ache. “He was two years older than me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His eyes go distant for a moment. “It’s not easy losing loved ones.”
I can’t imagine the amount of family or friends he’s lost, being as old as he is.
The silence that follows is brief before his fingers tap against his chin and his brain is at it again.
“Perhaps your connection to light and dark could serve the same role twins once played.” He hops up and wanders through the books again.
“I think I have something on the…” His voice disappears, along with his body.
God, I hope he’s wrong. I barely even know what an elder is. How could I possibly be one? I could really use Jess right about now. I hope she wakes up soon.
Thud!
I jump again when yet another heavy book lands in front of me. Whoever said libraries were supposed to be peaceful has never been to this one. “I figured you could use this.” I already know who the irritating voice belongs to, and it’s not Quenric.
Shit! If Zarreth sees her, it’s going to get ugly fast. He knows what she did. I told him everything last night, and I could still feel the anger rolling off him this morning.
Naked demons having an orgy decorate the cover. If I grind my teeth any harder they’re going to crack. “What do you want, Sable?”
She sits across from me, kicking her boots up on the table. “It was taking Z longer than he wanted to get his human some food, so he sent me here to watch over you. It must be exhausting having a mate who can’t protect herself.”
Not wanting to feed into her shit, I ignore her jab and ask, “Why would he send you?”
“I think he felt bad spending so much time with me when his poor little mate was starving, so when we were done, he asked if I’d do him this favor. Of course I said yes. I’ve never been able to say no to ZeeZee.”
A pang of jealousy hits me, but I ignore it. She’s just trying to get under my skin. Zarreth would never give her the time of day after what she did to me.
“I also wanted to apologize for the little miscommunication yesterday. I forgot that you’re not a full-blooded demon. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but I had to make sure they didn’t use tainted blood. I’m sure you understand.”
I’ve spent my entire life living with a sociopathic mother. I know better than to waste my breath trying to point out what she did was wrong. She’ll find a way to blame it on me or someone else. Instead of responding, I make a show of flipping through pages, wishing she’d randomly combust.
“Why are you reading about our history? It has nothing to do with you.” She pushes the book she threw down earlier closer to me. “You should be focusing on this one if you want to truly satisfy Z.”
Darkness swirls inside my chest, but it stays put. I’m surprised it doesn’t spread to my hands, given how badly I want to punch her in her stupidly perfect face. “Don’t worry about Zarreth, he’s taken care of. Now stop talking before you piss me off.”
She does the whole wide-eyes-hand-to-chest act. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just thought I would offer some advice, since I know exactly what ZeeZee likes. I mean, how could I not, when I’ve spent ten years learning what pleases him?”
I school my features, even though I swear I’ve just been punched in the gut.
Ten years? Zarreth and I haven’t even known each other for ten months.
I try to tamp down my jealousy. I knew I’d run into one of Zarreth’s exes here, but I didn’t expect it to be the conniving little bitch sitting across from me.
The stone at my neck grows heavier, warmth building under it as my anger spikes. But my magic stays still. No shadows…nothing. Is it reacting to me? Absorbing my magic?
I slam the book down, leaning closer. “It took you ten years to figure out what he likes in bed? I bet he thanks the Gods the two of you weren’t mated.”
I can’t help my smile when her face falls. I know I’m being petty, but I don’t mind stooping to her level. She quickly recovers and focuses on the stone. “Your necklace is glowing.” She reaches for it, but it zaps her before she makes contact. “What the hell? Did you feel that?”
“Weird, it’s never done that. It must not like you.” I shouldn’t lie, but the look on her face is worth it.
“You know, Frankie,” she huffs. “You don’t have to be jealous of me. I’m only trying to help you.”
“Stop talking.”
Sable and I jump at the same time.
Zarreth comes through the door a second after his voice does. His eyes are already locked on Sable’s with a focus that could cut bone.
“Z…?” She sounds breathless, unsure. Almost frightened.
He walks to the table with the slow, deliberate pace of someone who’s trying to keep himself from violence. He sets a cloth napkin in front of me without taking his eyes off her.
“Go away.” His voice is low and flat, but I know he’s not as controlled as he sounds.
She swallows hard. “I—I just wanted—” Her voice cracks. “It’s just been so long, and when I saw you—”
He cuts her off with a sharp look. “Stand up.”
She rises slowly, like she’s unsure her legs will hold. When she reaches for him, his hand snaps around her wrist. “Don’t touch me.”
He releases her arm, looking at it with disgust. The tension is heavy, and I stay perfectly still.
Her eyes flicker with something, maybe grief. “Zarreth…” she whispers. “I—I didn’t think you’d ever come back. I—when they dragged you away, I—”
“I don’t care,” he says. “Leave.”
She pulls back like she’s been slapped. “I came to apologize for last night,” she tries. “It was a misunderstanding, is all.”
“You humiliated her. You crossed a line and you’re lucky I let you live.”
“How could you—”
“Leave before I change my mind.”
She stares at him, stunned, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. I look back at my book as she walks out, pretending I hadn’t been watching the whole time. I almost feel sorry for her…almost.
Zarreth’s attention shifts to me. His shoulders relax when he steps closer. “You alright?” he asks, his thumb brushing my cheekbone.
I tear off a piece of the bread he bought and pop it in my mouth. “I am, now.”
He blows out a breath and sits halfway on the table.
“I can’t believe you dated her.”
“Believe it or not, I wasn’t always this smart.” His eyes flick over me, checking for any distress, when that familiar heat settles in. “Are you jealous, little mate?”
I shoot him an as-if look. “Of Big-boobs McGee? Never.”
He laughs. “Good.”