Chapter 20
twenty
. . .
The book flies open of its own accord, pages flipping until it settles.
Lines of gold script ripple into being. The letters shift and pulse, as though alive, before resolving into readable form.
Gold ink shimmers across the pages, forming words I shouldn’t understand—but somehow do.
Unease continues to prickle at my skin. This book—it shouldn’t exist.
Anders reads the illuminated passage. “The Fae were born of sky and storm. The Elven, of root and stars. Their magic flows not through will but memory. They do not cast. They become. Their souls remember the world’s first name.”
A chill rips through me. I look at Anders. “What does that mean?”
He shakes his head slowly. “I don’t know. But it’s beautiful.”
The page flips, of its own accord, to a new section. “The Codex of Origin,” Anders murmurs, reading the title. Below it, a picture: five sibling gods, and beneath them, three distinct groups of people. He scans the text, then the image.
“Before the councils were formed, before the gods rose from the breath of the Primordials, there was harmony in separation. The Elven remembered the roots of the world, and the Fae sang to the sky’s first winds.
The humans—newer, more fleeting—were born of will and fire.
Their potential drew the gaze of the divine. ”
My gaze drops to the image. The first council: the Elven.
Tall, beautiful beings with pointed ears and eyes of wisdom.
The second council: the Fae. Similar to the Elven, but harder, more cunning.
The third: the humans. We are silent as we study the image, something stirring in me, a deep hum that feels both ancient and utterly new.
It pulses behind my ribs, a strange ache of recognition for a memory I don’t possess.
After a few silent minutes, the pages flip of their own accord, like the book wants us to read specific passages. Anders shakes his head. I clutch his side, not amazed but scared. He reads the new illuminated passage:
“Astor and Calia, firstborn of the Primordials, forged the veil with their immortal councils, sealing what could not be destroyed. Kane and Ravana, their middle siblings, hungered for what was never theirs. Jealousy burned them hollow. Rage gave them shape. In shadow, they wait. Though they were not the first heirs to the Primordials, ancient gods whose names are lost to mortal tongues, they pursued the dark, ignoring the commands of their creators. For from their breath came sky, sea, and flame. Their children shaped their own worlds, but even the gods fear what they cannot control. For darkness awaits until the time of the two to unlock and make anew. The veil holds. But not forever.”
“They had parents.” I already knew that, but my head spins with knowledge. “The gods…are born?”
Anders stands, pacing. “Which means they can die. And be replaced.”
Something in the chamber shifts. Anders flips a few pages.
“From the Primordials came five: Astor and Calia, bearers of light and time, knowledge and creativity, and Kane and Ravana, shadow-born twins, seeded with unrest. They were not evil by nature but unruly, insatiable, bound by no law but their own will. They sought to undo the veil of life and death, to lift the chains of mortality from themselves and others. What they created instead was corruption: twisted immortality, a hunger that devoured time and memory alike. The youngest, Caelus, the most contemplative, always watching, always learning.”
A gust of cold air curls into the chamber. Another page flips. The light from the disc dims, turning bluish-white.
“When the two awaken, the veil will stir. The gods will whisper again. Seek the place where roots meet sky. There, the first song may be heard once more. And in song, remembrance. In remembrance, power. But beware: not all who remain in shadow have forgotten their hunger.”
The light dims. The book closes with a soft, final click.
Anders exhales, running a hand through his hair; his earlier paleness has been replaced by a subtle flush of exertion. “This isn’t mythology.”
“No,” I whisper. “It’s a warning.” The air feels heavier now. The disc still pulses, like it’s waiting for someone to ask the next question.
“Raea, I think we need to go before our magic shifts again.” He’s right. I feel something coiled inside me, not a voice exactly, but something older. A presence. A pressure. Something waiting.
My knees feel shaky. “Okay, just for now.”
Anders nods. “We’ll come back.”
“But we can’t just leave this here. What if we don’t make it back?” He reaches for the book, tucking it carefully into his bag. “And a few of the scrolls, too. Just in case.” He rolls his eyes, but shoves those in as well.
I don’t know what we’ve stepped into. I only know this: nothing is the same anymore. Not in this room. Not in me. And I’m not sure if I’m terrified…or ready.
And I swear—for just one breathless second—I hear a voice behind the veil. Low. Cold. Whispering my name.
I don’t know who I am anymore. But I think something else does.
And it’s waking up.
“I’m so freaking excited,” Ciara shrieks as she throws her arm around me as we make our way to my transport the next day. She, Kellan, and a few other students are taking the palace transport back to Kyrr before dispersing to their planets.
Ciara’s parents have agreed to let her and Tate head to Brov, to the Fountains, where there will be a three-day celebration for the holiday. It’s really one big party with lots of dancing, drinking, and bands from around the system coming to play.
During the day, vendors and shops sell paraphernalia featuring pictures of the gods, often printed or engraved on items. There are even parades and pop-up temples for offerings.
“It’s going to be so dope. Sorry you can’t come,” Tate teases from my other side. I give him a dramatic eye roll because we’ve been over this. I have zero desire to be in that kind of environment—it’s like my own personal brand of torture.
“We’re going to have so much more fun than you,” Kellan claims. I look over at him beyond Ciara and smile.
His brown hair flops over his forehead as he offers me a knowing look.
He is like me; we would both rather be alone, holed up with books or exploring a forest or swimming, than surrounded by a bunch of strangers.
Our bags are loaded, and the other students coming with us file onto the transport ahead of us. They all offer their thanks as they find their seats in the common space.
“You are going to tell us what happened on your trip, right?” Ciara asks, changing the subject.
I’m grateful for the distraction before Kellan starts throwing longing looks my way, and I have to come up with an excuse as to why it’s starting to feel suffocating.
I never thought I’d find myself attracted to two very different men.
“We need all the deets…was it steamy?” Tate asks around a mouthful of water just before he chokes, spewing the liquid everywhere. Kellan slaps him on the back while Ciara and I just laugh.
“Serves you right,” I tease.
“Raea,” Anders yells breathlessly from behind me just as we get to the ramp.
I look back to find him running across the launch pad from where his transport is.
Cole is being helped up the steps by two healers.
He looks a lot better, but they said it would be another week before his strength returns.
My friends all pause at the base of the ramp and look at me questioningly. I tell them I’ll meet them up there, and Anders and I wait until they’re inside and out of earshot. I’m still shaken up about what we found.
We ended up sneaking out whatever we could carry. I feel a little guilty about it, but we couldn’t just leave them there. When we got back to the transport, the tower grounded us without providing any information. It was Anders who told me he could feel the veil acting up again.
With nothing to do but wait, we studied more of the books and scrolls, and when my body was flushed with unexplained heat again, he promised to help me search for answers. We were stuck on the launch pad for five hours. It was late by the time we got back to school.
We both agreed that for now, they’ll stay locked up in his room here at school, and when we get back from break, we’re going to spend more time going over them.
He was right down in that chamber—the knowledge has changed our lives, and now I can’t look back.
It’s like my eyes have been opened, and I’m still not sure how I can pretend.
But I have to. We agreed. People would kill for that information, and I’m not sure even a crown could protect us.
“I just wanted to say have a good break,” he says, swiping a hand through his hair nervously, the movement lifting his shirt and baring a sliver of tanned flesh above his waistband.
“Kliax should be amazing this time of year. There’s FinSurfing too if you want something else to do.
Or there’s an aquarium on the main island.
Or the Bubble Village is always fun to walk through.
” He’s stalling even though he’s been at my side for the majority of today, finding excuses to see me between classes.
I dip my chin and hide my smile. He’s kinda cute like this.
“Thank you,” I reply. “I hope you have a good break too. I hope you can get out of the palace. The invite still stands if you want to join us in Kliax. Maybe you can show me the Bubble Village.” He smiles, like really smiles with his dimple and everything, and I’m knocked breathless.
Gods, he’s got an amazing smile. We hold each other’s gaze for long moments until I remember that I’m holding everyone up.
“Well,” I clear my throat and hold out my hand like an idiot. Am I really going to shake his hand? Anders glances down at it and then snorts.
“A handshake, really?” he drawls. And his cockiness is back. I roll my eyes and pull my hand back with a shrug.
“Guess not. See ya later,” I say, and turn with a smirk. His hand yanks me back until I find myself stumbling into his chest. I’m a little reluctant to admit this is exactly where I want to be. My hands slide up his chest, my right settling over his heart, feeling the erratic beat beneath.
He just tsks and bends down, his mouth hovering over my ear as he whispers, “Feel free to miss me, Princess.” I don’t know what I expected him to say, but that wasn’t it. My whole body shakes with laughter.
I pat him on the chest, not bothering to admit that I will, and turn up the ramp, refusing to look back even though I know he’s watching me.
The ramp begins to lift as I reach the top.
Once the doors are closed, I fall back against them with a smile, my heart doing some sort of flip routine, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why I’m so high from that interaction.
The pilot announces we are cleared for takeoff, and I feel the engines turn on as I make my way up the stairs to the royal family suite, where my friends are waiting. They already have drinks in hand when I get there, and I drop into one of the sofas as we lift off.