Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
After Master Fistideeous documented everything I’d encountered and learned on my hunt for the Wishing Stone, Kole and I spent what felt like only an hour in the small room searching for answers in the library’s immense resources, but time moved differently on the island, so it was hard to know exactly how many hours had passed.
As it was, we didn’t find anything in our hurried search to uncover what we could of the infecting potion, creatures, or how I might be connected to it all, but Master Fistideeous patted my hand as the time came for us to leave.
“Fear not, Primelle. Come morning, I shall continue searching for answers and will alert Whiteolf’s head librarian should anything be found.
If a new potion that can cause a nightmare infection has truly come into existence in the realm, our university will endeavor to catalogue everything about it. ”
I bent down to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you again. Your help means the realm to me.”
He chuckled softly. “As long as you continue sharing your knowledge with us, I’m more than happy to share what I learn with you. We aren’t as restricted by the courts here on who we aid, and as I’ve said previously, I’m always happy to help a fellow scholar.”
Kole dipped his head in farewell. “I also thank you for your assistance.”
“My pleasure, Warrior Swordwielder. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”
Kole mistphased us back to Whiteolf, and once again, we arrived just in time to meet my curfew. The sun was setting on the horizon, and twilight was looming.
“We accomplished a lot today,” Kole remarked, just as Betsee knocked on the door and entered.
I shrugged. “We did, but we’ve only scratched the surface. I just hope we find answers sooner rather than later.”
We spent the next week in a haze of long days spent in the capital’s libraries. From sunup to sundown, Kole, Ree, and I had our noses buried in books.
Kole stayed at my side throughout it. Loolee helped too, and Ree joined us every day that she could.
But even though we found endless books on potions, lengthy archives on curses, and a plethora of documentation regarding afflictions, after a week of searching, we still hadn’t uncovered anything that explained how fae could be turned into those horrific creatures.
Even worse, Master Fistideeous had received an urgent request from the Nolus queen, so he hadn’t been able to start searching within the Isle of Song’s library on my behalf.
Still, we refused to give up, and as we all dove into our second week of research, early afternoon sunshine streamed in through the windows.
We sat in the Whiteolf Academic Library’s large open study area filled with tables and chairs.
Loolee was at work in the back, collecting what she could find on the subjects we’d given her.
Around us, other scholars and fae worked or studied while the permanent scent of anise and thyme permeated the air, the ingredients often used in preserving magic.
Luckily, Ree had been able to join us since Gwen had offered to watch Siam again for her, so she, Kole, and I were all hunched over open books, tomes, or scrolls.
A crick had formed in my neck, and I occasionally stopped to massage it, but even that didn’t stop me from leafing through book after book.
Beside me, Ree sat back in her chair and opened another large tome. Dust wafted up from it, but the pages were perfectly crisp and new-looking thanks to the library’s preserving magic.
My best friend had been with us since breakfast, and even though we’d skipped lunch, she hadn’t complained.
Quiet filled the air as each of us combed through our materials.
It was hard at times not to get sucked into reading, even when the material had nothing to do with the creatures we were looking for, because so much information was readily available at our fingertips, and my scholarly side was in rapture, even if we hadn’t found anything of value yet.
Out of nowhere, Ree bolted upright in her seat.
“Prim, look at this.” Brilliant red hair curled around Ree’s face, and her eyes were particularly bright today since Siam had slept through the night.
That, and we’d all already drunk half a dozen cups of strong tea.
“I think you may have been right when you suggested that we expand our studies. This chapter has some striking similarities to what you and Kole said I should be looking for.”
“What is it?” I asked curiously. Across from us, Kole also thumbed through a tome. His was titled Potions and Afflictions: Death and Gore. It looked like truly fascinating reading.
Ree scooted her chair closer to me, and the chair’s legs made a horrible squeaking noise across the floor. Once right next to me, she tapped the middle of her book’s page. “What do you make of this paragraph?”
I peered down at it, and as I began reading, my forehead scrunched together.
A lore from the time of the elves speaks of the God of Night and Goddess of Light, dual gods at war with one another in their quest to rule the realm.
The lore speaks of a dark creature created by the God of Night, bound to walk the realm under the cover of darkness, with fangs like a colantha and claws like a dragon.
The creatures served the God of Night, acting as warriors in his name until the Goddess of Light seized his warriors and infused them with her power, giving them traits from her fae children.
The Goddess of Light allowed the creatures to walk in the light and banished their claws.
But their fangs remained, a trait from their original creation that the Goddess of Light left as a reminder of what the God of Night had done.
I stilled and read it a second time. My heart thrummed faster, and I recalled what Verin had said, about how we were all pawns in the game of night, perhaps in reference to the God of Night.
“Excellent find, Ree. This definitely has similarities to the creatures we encountered in Inisville and the maze, and then the creature that Timith appeared to be turning into sounds like one of the Goddess of Light’s creations.
He had fangs but had none of the other traits the creatures had.
And Verin also said something about a game of night. You truly may have found something!”
“Really?” Ree grinned, and I nearly laughed.
“Yes, really!”
Across the table, Kole arched an eyebrow at us. “Find something?”
“I think so.” I showed him the verse Ree had discovered. “What do you make of it?”
He read through it and shifted on the bench. His sword’s end caught on the bench’s leg, and he had to adjust his position a second time. Even in a quiet, innocuous library, his sword remained strapped to his back, within reach at all times.
After reading it twice, Kole peered up at me, and his striking Solis eyes sparkled in the fairy lights. “What I think is that you may have been right to turn our attention to the ancient lore archives. This is too similar to what we’ve seen to ignore. Any word from Master Fistideeous?”
I shook my head. “Not since that last dillemsill he sent, but if all goes to plan, he’ll be able to start researching later this week.
” Excitement coursed through me, and I said with gusto, “I’ll send him a dillemsill to let him know about this paragraph.
Perhaps he can focus on this area and see what more he can find of the God of Night and Goddess of Light. ”
“Have you ever heard of those gods?” Ree pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
I shook my head. “They’re not well known from what I remember. What about you? Do you recall anything about them?”
“Nothing at all. I’m afraid I’m a bit useless in that aspect.”
I squeezed her hand. “You’re hardly useless. You may have found exactly what we’ve been searching for.”
She smiled and pinched my side. “Excellent, I do live to please, and I’m always happy to serve my royal highness.”
I snorted a laugh. She’d been making cheeky comments all week about my royal lineage, and I was so glad that she continued to act as she always had.
Kole dipped his head back to his book. “Well, if you have any interest in learning how to create a potion that withers one’s organs and liquefies one’s skin, say no more. I have the recipe right here.”
Ree laughed, which garnered a few grumbles in our direction from the fae sitting a table over, and she lowered her voice. “You know, I was just thinking the other day that I was in need of an organ-liquefying potion.”
I giggled, getting another grumble from the nearby fae, so I began to whisper too. “Does it, by chance, come in a variety of flavors?”
Face entirely deadpan, Kole replied, “Why yes, I believe it can be made to taste like licorice or fish. Take your pick.”
Ree’s laughter abruptly stopped, and she gaped. “Seriously? Does it really say that? Or are you joking? I still can’t tell with you.”
She reached for the book, and one of Kole’s rare smiles emerged. “No, it doesn’t say that, and yes, I was joking.”
Ree gave him a flat look, and I slapped a hand to my mouth to stop another laugh. Kole, of course, merely gazed at my best friend with an expression completely devoid of emotion.
Ree tossed the book back to him and turned to me. “How do you put up with him? I can never tell if he’s serious or not. It drives me crazy.”
I laughed anew, and Kole’s aura strummed toward me, a brush of it caressing my Shield. He felt warm, inviting, and a shiver ran over me, but I replied in a steady tone, “Exactly, that’s one of his most endearing traits.”
A light chuckle lifted Kole’s shoulders, and Ree sighed dramatically. “You two, I swear.” She returned her attention to her book, and I winked at Kole. Under the table, his foot shifted to rub against mine, the movement subtle and unable to be seen by anyone.
It was an innocent enough gesture that nothing around his wrist flared, but my heart began to race.