52. Carys #2
Gods, I hate silence. I zip my amulet along the necklace as I walk down the row of books.
Dust coats the shelves, as though no one has dared to venture this far for quite some time.
I make it to the wall, and as I’m about to turn to walk back down the row of shelves, one book in particular catches my attention.
As I stare at it, four glowing symbols materialize: a singular spiral, three whorls, a cross within a circle, and a triquetra.
The symbols fade away as I reach for the book.
I remove the book carefully and stare at the title: The Book of Agryna. The symbol of the goddess is inked into the front cover. I trace my fingers over the beautifully engraved whorls within the sun, the wavy rays radiating off the center.
It’s exactly like my necklace. I press my hand against my pendant before taking the book to one of the two velvet armchairs in the main chamber and sinking into the comfortable cushions.
The book is thin, but the text—written in the Ancient Tongue—is tiny.
There’s a lot more information here than I expected from such a small book, beginning with a short history of Agryna in the days when the old gods and goddesses roamed the mortal realm.
Agryna is the patron goddess of the royal house of Erleya—my ancestors on my father’s side.
I flip through the pages, searching for something—but what?
There are references to shadows and dusk quite often, used almost interchangeably.
The sun casts shadows. Dusk comes after sunset, just before nightfall.
Under the cover of dusk and shadows, there is protection and relief from the heat of Agryna’s rays.
Solace of dusk … ? Like from the book of fairytales. Is it connected somehow?
From the beginning of time, Agryna and Ehlach, sister and brother deities, worked to maintain perfect balance. Day and night. Fire and shadow … Embers and dusk.
The Heirs of Dusk and Embers.
In ancient times, there were priests and priestesses of Agryna.
They not only worshipped the goddess, but also possessed magical powers, gifts bestowed upon them by Agryna.
Namely flamewielding and lightweaving. They spoke in the Ancient Tongue and documented many prophecies in sacred texts.
Which … my moronic ancestor later destroyed when he sought to eradicate magic from the kingdom.
I suppose Enidwen’s tale isn’t fictional either.
I thumb through the book, skimming over texts of the Veil being forced open and the sun and moon falling from the sky, setting off an eternal winter and never-ending darkness.
My hands slicken with perspiration, gooseflesh breaking out over my arms and the back of my neck. I roll my shoulders to loosen them, wipe my hands on my dress one at a time, then flip to the back of the book where there are handwritten notes. A list of references.
**The Song of Moonlight (prophecy). Banishment of Enidwen. The Beginning of the Purge. Lugda’s hells (and the secret prison). Caiolair’s Champion.
Then there is an underlined note scrawled on the bottom of the page:
Caiolair foretold the fall of the old gods in 1024 After Purge. It will begin with the rise—
The corner of the page is ripped out along with the rest of the text. How convenient.
My entire body goes cold. 1024 After Purge. That’s … next year. And … fall of the gods? No one’s seen proof of the gods in ages. The name Caiolair doesn’t ring a bell to me, not from any fairytales nor word of mouth. Yet it’s here twice on one page.
“Carys?” Callum calls. I jump so hard that I nearly fall out of the chair.
“Yes, Callum?” I ask, an edge to my voice.
“Everything alright? You’ve been in here for a while.” He steps in, shutting the door behind him before approaching.
My head is light, my breath shallow as I pinch the bridge of my nose.
I press my feet against the floor to keep myself rooted in this moment.
Slowly, I loosen my grip on the book and gently set it on the table before lifting my face to Callum’s.
“I need you to help me find something. Please.” I’m on my feet, already hurrying back toward the dusty shelves.
“The Song of Moonlight. Banishment of Enidwen … Something about Caiolair.”
Callum’s quick footfalls trail me. “I don’t understand,” he whispers, closer than I’d expected. I spin to face him and my back hits the shelves, sending a pang through me. He grasps my upper arms and pulls me away from the shelves, closer to him.
It takes effort to inhale and release the breath. “I don’t understand either.”
Still holding me away from the shelves, he tilts his head slightly.
“I can’t explain, but I need to find these other books.
Song of Moonlight. Enidwen’s—” All the titles flee my mind, my body unsure how to handle his proximity in the midst of this situation.
“Oh for …” I push my hand against his chest to put some space between us and point beyond the shelves with my free hand.
“It’s in the book I set down on the table. The Book of Agryna.”
Callum leans in, his brows drawn together as he presses his hand over mine where it’s still against his chest. “Alright. I’ll get the book, and we’ll figure this out.” His tone is gentle and hushed.
My legs turn wobbly, and I sag against him for a moment. Pulling in a slow, tremulous breath, I stand upright again and clear my throat. “Thank you, Callum.”
Once Callum gets The Book of Agryna for our reference, we begin an intense search for the books listed. Shelf after shelf, book after book—we search and search until my head aches, until my vision begins to blur. When every book title has been checked, we collapse onto the armchairs.
There are a thousand questions written all over Callum’s face, none of which I can answer, because I’m equally befuddled, but I need to figure it out. Iywan wants to open the Veil … just as Enidwen had. Everyone’s life may be in danger.