Chapter 41 Esmeray
Chapter forty-one
Esmeray
The nap was much needed after diving into the Prism, but my body and my heart still felt heavy. I searched through the drawers, finally finding the sweater I had been thinking about since resurfacing from the past.
It was old and well loved, the black knit stretched out at the hem.
The back was open, roomy around my wings, with a strip of fabric that connected the base of the sweater to the nape of my neck.
But the scent on the sweater was why I needed it.
It still smelled like Keerian. I bundled the extra length of the too-long sleeves into my hands, bringing them up to my face to inhale his scent.
Leather and dew-covered forests. I couldn’t stop the tears blurring my vision.
Keerian’s sweater came down to the middle of my thighs, so I added some soft black leggings underneath. My hair was a mess, the normally straight locks tangled. With some effort, I tamed the flyaway pieces from the curls of my horns and wrapped my hair into a bun on the top of my head.
The smells coming from the kitchen were divine, and I could hear Sparrow’s lively chatter drifting into my room.
I wiped away the tear that escaped before it made its way down my cheek.
With a deep breath, I headed towards the motley of voices coming from the kitchen.
It was time to begin planning. But I already knew what I had to do.
And it didn’t involve risking the lives of any of the beings residing in Sparrow’s home that I found myself growing closer and closer to.
“It would be stupid to all go in at once. Adara’s probably waiting on us to do just that. It would be suicide without the proper precautions.”
We sat at the yellow dining room table. Dinner had been consumed in its entirety an hour ago, and the talk had turned to next steps.
We couldn’t be sure if Adara was aware that I had Merrick, Laurent, Sparrow, and the Oracle on my side. For the sake of the plan, we assumed. My uncle had seen me with them, and I knew his sniveling self would immediately crow that information back to Adara.
“Infiltrating the Opal Palace without knowing what spells Adara could have in place would be stupid.” Merrick nodded his agreement to Laurent. Forgoing a wine glass entirely, the gargoyle was drinking straight from the bottle.
Brooding. It seemed to be his base emotion.
I swirled the contents of my own wine glass, listening to the two ex–King’s Guards bicker back and forth on different battle strategies.
Merrick rubbed his beard. “I don’t think we can trust anyone. We need to keep this between this table, and this table only.”
“The first thing we need to do,” I interrupted, not looking up from my wine glass, “is confirm my suspicion that Adara killed my parents.”
Lenna, from the other side of the table, winced. “If I use you as an anchor, Esmeray, would that be the fastest way to find what we need?”
I nodded towards the Oracle, and she settled herself back in her chair, one hand resting against her stomach.
We had all eaten seconds of the delicious pasta and fish that Sparrow whipped up.
Merrick and Lenna had both opted for thirds–the pair now looking uncomfortably full.
Sparrow directed her next question at Lenna.
“Do you think you would be able to get that memory tonight? Let’s get the confirmation that Adara is behind the murders of King Scottrell and Queen Elera and see if we can get any clarity on the spells or the book. ”
Lenna nodded, her face a bit pale, but she stood up and disappeared down the hall, coming back a few moments later with the Prism.
“I’ve been practicing.” Her soft voice was laced with grief, her eyes never leaving the grey stone that she placed gently on the center of the table. “I had to check on some friends from the Slate Kingdom.”
“And are they alright?” Sparrow inquired, kindly giving the Oracle her full attention.
Lenna did have a life before she came here.
I wondered if she left loved ones behind when Merrick took her to the Opal Kingdom.
The thought made my stomach clench. I had never asked, too wrapped up in my own shit.
Lenna looked wistfully at the Prism. “No. Well, I don’t know… I couldn’t find their thread.” Her voice shook, as if there was more she wasn’t saying, but the Oracle didn’t seem inclined to share.
Sparrow gently reached out her hand, grasping Lenna’s forearm.
Speaking low, she noted, “The past cannot be rewritten. Although that is normally seen as a relief, when the past doesn’t lead to a future we hoped for, it can be difficult to understand.
But you can always talk to us if you need anything. ”
I hated myself for pushing, adding this to the list of things I would need to beg forgiveness for at another time, but I said, “Let’s look now.
I want everyone to anchor–so all of you will also see what happened to my parents.
The more beings that know the truth, the better.
” I left out the part where it put them all at an elevated risk of being called traitors to the Crown.
I figured now was not the time to bring that up.
Around the table, Merrick, Laurent, Sparrow, Lenna, and I linked hands. Lenna inhaled deep and focused on the Prism. I sent a quick prayer skyward that this would work. I didn’t call upon a specific god, though I felt a cool presence at my shoulder for a moment.
Lenna exhaled and her eyes fluttered shut.
On the table in front of us, the Prism began to glow.