37. All Answers Can Be Found in Books #2
Kaiden whirled his head around the library. “How the —?” He scratched his head in amazement. “How long have you been here?”
Jasper shrugged. “At least five minutes.”
Kaiden looked at Jasper.
Jasper stared back. “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just … how do you do it?”
Jasper’s lips twitched more. “If I told you my secret, I would have to kill you.”
Kaiden scrunched his brows. “Okay … look what I found.”
They pored over the books and history together for hours. The bell tolled four more times, pulling them out of their studying.
“Look,” Jasper placed a book on the table. “This seems important.”
The First Sacrifice
The pages were brown and falling apart. The spine barely attached as if it had been read thousands of times, passed down through generations of scholars. He skimmed through the pages, squinting at the faded handwriting.
“This speaks of the Cranzinum sacrifice.” Kaiden leaned closer to a lantern, his interest rising.
“The magic was cast from Lilith Cranzinum to Ravina Damali, Aradia’s grandmother thrice over.
” Kaiden read aloud the events of the sacrifice.
“One heart, born of pure gold and stainless as starlight, will mend the broken and tattered realm mortals have made. The gods have chosen their sides and humanity will fall by Ukoron’s hand.
” Kaiden read on how Lilith had cursed the gods, her magic shooting into the only one with a true and pure heart. Her best friend Ravina.
“Her own mother killed her?” Jasper crossed his arms. “Brutal.”
Kaiden’s mind raced as he dove back into the story. The distant toll of a bell was a small reminder, time was passing and midnight was drawing near.
“The curse Lilith cast tainted the sacrifice, and a ripple in the Veil was created. The strength and force needed to shut Ukoron away forever was now weakened. It allows Ukoron the opportunity to one day break free and wreak havoc once more. If Ukoron grows mighty again, within his prison he will cause a rift in this realm. A joining of power from a mighty mortal, whose blood runs black with the magic of the gods, will break him from his imprisonment.”
Kaiden’s legs felt as if they would give out.
A mighty mortal? Magic of the gods. Blood runs black.
Kaiden dropped into his chair, face blanching. His father’s potent ring flashed in his mind. The ruby diminished to a swirling black. The Ring of Kings. His family's curse. He looked at Jasper with dread.
“The king.” Jasper dragged a hand down his face. “It’s his ring — his power all along.”
“There’s more,” Kaiden blinked up at Jasper, eyes tiring from the low light and squinting.
“The gods banned Lilith from the afterlife. Forcing her to relive a life of misery. She must guide the souls of the damned from the living to Moliath’s realm until her curse is renounced, the Veil mended, and peace restored to Peraynia.
Only then will she be allowed to walk through the Gates of Qualan. ”
Jasper crossed his arms. “What does it take to mend the Veil?”
Kaiden read past a few more sentences of doom and gloom. His eyes scanned the last paragraph of the book. Once, twice.
“Depths,” he whispered.
“What is it?” Jasper leaned toward the book.
Kaiden’s eyesight blurred with the pressure of tempering his magic. The truth dropped in the pit of his stomach like coals, scorching his insides. There was no way around it.
Jasper grabbed the book from Kaiden’s hand, searching the lines where the words ceased to pass his lips.
“The Veil must be mended the same way it was weakened,” Jasper froze. “A sacrifice?”
Kaiden nodded slowly.
“The magic stolen must be given back. Blood beget blood. As guardians of Qualan only their blood may open the Gates, allowing entrance to the realm of the gods.” Jasper looked at Kaiden over the book. “And only the death of a priestess has the power to mend what is broken.”
Kaiden closed his eyes. The realization of what must happen left a chill in the room even his fire couldn’t diminish.
“There’s got to be another way, Jasper,” he stood, pacing back and forth from the table to the bookshelves. “This isn’t possible.”
“My father said he wanted her dead or alive weeks ago. He knew. If she was already dead, he could easily tear the Veil down and control the abyss with Ukoron’s magic still embedded with his own.
If she’s brought to him alive, he can use her blood to open the Veil and unleash Ukoron while still maintaining control.
After that he wouldn't need Aradia, so at the end of the day it never mattered.”
Jasper crossed his arms and scowled. “And what if we were trying to fix everything? What would that cost?”
Kaiden looked over to where Jasper tried to peel another page but there was no more to read.
It ended with the only solution centuries of years had not changed.
Jasper’s voice was a quiet whisper filling the library and slithering into every crack of his heart.
The heart she had been slowly healing, unbeknownst to him.
“Aradia Damali must die.”