Chapter 26 #3
“A book… yes.” Connor glanced over at the bookcase. “That feels right.” But which book?
He scanned the titles on the wall, discarding them quickly. On the third shelf, his eyes snagged on a large tome. Pulling it out, he flipped through the pages. History and languages, but not the one he wanted. He kept searching until Ryan called his attention.
“Take a look at these,” Ryan said, a gleam of excitement in his eye.
Connor studied the pages Ryan handed him. “Look at what? They’re just letters.”
“Exactly. The rest of that drawer is filled with copies of reports—a number from Team Obsidian, by the way—and other official type documents. All of which I would expect to find in a commander’s desk, home office or not. These stand out.”
“You think they’re coded messages?”
“It’s very possible, in my opinion. But you know her best. You tell me. Does any of this sound like correspondence she’d be receiving?”
Connor frowned as he looked down at the letters and started reading. “How should I know?”
Ryan sighed and put his hand over the pages to break his line of sight.
“Come on, Con. Think of your sisters. Even without identifying information, you could tell who the letter was for. Something about herbs or medicine or refugees would make sense to find in Celina’s correspondence.
Something about judicial law, cultural studies, or fashion trends would for Cat.
I know you don’t want this to stray into the personal realm, but it’s going to. There’s no way around it.”
Swallowing, Connor nodded and read through the letters, trying to feel rather than analyze. He separated two of them out and handed them to Ryan. “These two stand out, the others are legitimate. At least I think they are.”
Ryan squeezed his shoulder and accepted the letters back.
“I think you may be right, Ry. I’ve never seen those before, but I just have this feeling.”
“We’ve gone on less when we’re out in the field. I’m going to copy these down so that we can take them with us to study later.”
Connor nodded and turned back to the mantle.
“Tals?” Connor asked, realizing she hadn’t moved or spoken while they’d been going over the letters.
She slowly turned to face them and held up a small medallion engraved with the image of a snake with an amber jewel for an eye.
Cold iced Connor’s veins. Slowly, he brought out the medallion that had been warming his pocket since the battle.
He took the piece Thalia held up and reluctantly compared it with his.
They looked like two halves of a whole. Alison’s piece was decorative and looked valuable with the jeweled eye.
His half showed a flat engraving of the snake.
The chunks cut out of each piece let them lock together as a set.
As he held his piece up to the one Thalia held, his heart beat faster.
Just because they were two pieces of a medallion didn’t mean they were pieces of the same whole.
Part of him didn’t want to know. Wanted to hold on to the moment of uncertainty in order to preserve the Alison who loved him. Who had helped shape the man he was.
Meeting Thalia’s eyes, he knew he had to accept whatever came.
She had a right to know the truth about Jax’s death, no matter what it meant for him personally.
Nodding to her, he held steady while she pressed the pieces together.
A snap clicked the two pieces into place, creating a heavy, seamless medallion.
Elaborate on one side, understated on the other, but holistically depicting the famed viper.
Connor’s lungs heaved at the confirmation that the men who’d attacked them had been sent intentionally. The ambush in the forest was no accident. He had the evidence of it in his palm.
Ravensmere Keep, Realm of Calderre
A loud thunk shook Connor from the wanderings his mind was chasing at the bottom of his mug of tea. He’d been up with the others most of the night, going over what they’d found with Morgan and Cass. Then up early with Opal for a horseback ride before her daily lessons.
He refocused to find a large book next to him on the table.
“Everything you never wanted to know about old languages,” Ryan said. “Have fun.”
Connor chuckled. “I know you mean that sincerely. Thank your mom for me. Or did this monstrosity come from your collection?”
“Hers, and I will. But you should really thank her yourself.”
Ryan’s parents were both historians and had an impressive collection of books at home. Though Ryan had never wanted to sit behind a desk, he did pick up a love of reading and learning from his parents. For that matter, so had Connor.
A touch of guilt prickled his chest. He really should have made the time.
Alison may have mentored him and guided him in his warrior training, but Ryan’s mother, Charmaine, had nurtured the grieving boy he’d been.
Offered a mother’s love and guidance when he needed it, and more importantly when he thought he didn’t.
Ryan interpreted his silence correctly, and being the friend that he was, pushed harder. “She’d love to meet Opal. Probably the only grandchild she’ll get anytime soon.”
“I know,” Connor said, rubbing his temple. Everything with Alison made him want to close down. But that wasn’t fair to those around him. “I’d like that too.”
Ryan leaned against the counter, relaxed other than the serious tone of his voice. “She didn’t believe them. That you were dead. Told me to keep hope until they brought your body back.”
“I’m sorry, Ry.”
“I needed the reminder.” Ryan’s lips twitched into a smile. “I’ve never been happier to be wrong.”
“I’ll visit her soon, I promise.”
“Good. Now, back to your reading.” Ryan gestured at the book on the table.
“All that guilt to extract a promise from me?”
“I’m a good son.” Ryan winked at him and strode deeper into the kitchen.
Shaking his head, Connor lifted the cover and began to turn through the pages, keeping an eye out for any of the symbols he’d been drawing. The pages blurred rather quickly, eliciting a headache, but he kept turning them.
The sound of cabinets opening and closing drew his attention several chapters later.
“Hey, where does Celina hide the berry mead?” Ryan asked.
Connor looked up to find his friend frowning and laughed. “The sun hasn’t even crested yet, Ry.”
“Code breaking is an art, Con,” Ryan retorted. “It requires creativity more than caffeine. Don’t knock the process.”
“You’re sure it’s a code, then?”
“Pretty sure. And those symbols must have something to do with it, so keep reading while I search.”
He shook his head and returned to the book. “I think it’s in the cellar. The two of you are the only ones who like it.”
“Well, there’s no accounting for taste.”
Connor was about to comment when his breath caught. The spread of pages he’d just turned to had the symbols he’d been drawing. “Hey, come look at this.”
“What did you find?”
“Here, these. I’m certain I’ve seen these pages before.”
“This is not coffee reading. It must mean something,” Ryan murmured, using the phrase his mother used to refer to light, entertainment reading. He pulled up a seat and spun the book around toward himself.
Connor stood, thinking to refill his tea while Ryan studied the page. A glance over at the now upside down to him book made his head fog.
Suddenly, the book was in the same position but on Alison’s desk in her study. A letter was open beside it, as well as a response she’d just finished writing.
“Connor! I didn’t know you were stopping by,” Alison said as she re-entered the room.
“Yeah, I had time after training and wanted to see if you were free for a meal. I used my key when you didn’t answer. Figured you were in here.” He knew that her den was very soundproof, especially if the door was closed.
“That’s what it’s for. You’re always welcome here.” Alison squeezed his shoulder affectionately—the equivalent of a hug from one of his sisters.
Connor gestured to the huge book on her desk. “I didn’t know you were interested in the old language.”
“I’m interested in history in general more than the old language specifically. We can learn a lot by studying it.”
“Father loved studying history. He always used to say the same thing.”
“Well, then I guess he and I would have agreed on one thing after all, because it is true. Usually I prefer military history, but sometimes, I like other types as well.” Alison closed the book and tapped the cover. “Had to borrow this one, as it’s not my usual cup of tea.”
“We can go out another time if you need to finish something.”
“Now is fine,” she assured him.
He glanced down at the envelope that lay on her desk and frowned. That wasn’t her seal on the envelope. He would have thought it was an unopened letter, but the wax was still shiny, not fully dry yet from when she’d pressed it.
“Hey Ali, whose seal is this? It’s not yours.”
Alison studied him for a moment before chuckling. “Fastest way to have your mail stolen is to use a prominent, official seal. Good eye, kid. We should put you into reconnaissance or something.”
Connor laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, or something.”
“Guess we landed you in the right place with me instead of following your mother into the rescue teams, huh?”
“Yeah, we did.”
He’d only been out on a few missions, but the placement seemed like a good fit, and he was enjoying the specialized training he was getting between missions. It was fascinating and kept his mind busy more than simply working with his weapons in a physical capacity.
“Come on, kid, let’s get that meal.”
With a last glance at the unfamiliar seal, he followed her out of her office.
“She had the book open while she was writing a letter,” Connor murmured, rubbing his temple.
Silence pushed him to open his eyes, about to ask if Ryan had heard him. His partner was nodding to himself, fingers tapping on the book.
“Ry?”
“Heard you.” Ryan stretched and flexed his fingers. “Alright. I’m going to need the letter copies and the notebook we found. A stack of blank parchment and ink. And that bottle of berry mead. In reverse order.”
So, the messages were coded into the letters. “You think the symbols are the key?”
“Not one I’m familiar with, but yeah, I think that’s the connection.”
“How long to break it?”
“Two days, maybe three,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “More if it’s a complex code. Less if it’s not.”
“So, no idea?”
“Code breaking—”
“—is an art,” Connor said in sync with him. “Yeah, yeah, I remember.”
None of the rest of them had the patience or mind for it, so like it or not, he’d have to wait and let Ryan work it out. Connor sighed, but headed diligently for the cellar.