10. Callum #3
I was careful to place the texts exactly where I’d found them as I moved through the meticulously stacked piles, discerning which texts were common knowledge in Aurum Quarter—the kinds of manuscripts we’d studied in university as young angels.
And which texts even those studying under Elion in the Guild hadn’t seen throughout our centuries of studies.
If I had to take a bet, I’d be willing to guess that here, in Solis, all of these texts had been hidden in the High Temple, where access to this knowledge had been limited—perhaps even restricted—from the majority of the citizens.
“I don’t get it,” Axel spoke into the otherwise still air. “If he was going to all this trouble to bury the truth, why keep ancient texts speaking on the history of Aurelia—on Aeternus and the creation of our people?”
“Stupidity?” I took a guess. “Or ignorance.”
“If anyone found these,” Axel replied as he moved through the space opposite me, searching for answers much as I was. “It would have the entire Quarter questioning those in authority. Questioning their entire religious system.”
“Would it?” I wondered aloud, my gaze flicking to Axel as he turned to look at me.
“Yes?” he retorted, and I lifted another file, this one on Aeternus, referencing the elemental and aetherial markings and their abilities.
“We’ve seen the Remnant at work in Solis—spreading the word of Aeternus. They disregard those messages,” I replied.
“Still,” Axel argued.
“If the history of Aeternus has been buried in the past—if the citizens of Solis Quarter believe him to be lore of old rather than the true Eternal—why would they believe an ancient document over what their leaders have been telling them for centuries?”
Axel fell silent at my words, the air heavy between us as we shifted through the files.
“You’d think they’d at least question whether they’d been led astray. Whether they’d been deceived their entire lives.”
“I have a feeling we’re going to get the chance to see if they do,” I replied as I absentmindedly rubbed at the newest mark across my wrist. The starbound mark—the only mark that could entwine two fates together, permanently binding two unique souls into one.
My thoughts drifted toward the female with sea-glass hazel eyes threaded with starlight and a sassy tongue as I wondered whether she would believe the truth, should it be revealed to her.
“Hold up.” Axel’s voice took a hardened edge as he tugged an ancient parchment to the surface. “Take a look at this one.” He gestured to the title of the paper, Affinity Claiming.
“What about it?” I asked as my eyes scanned through the texts.
“Read the third paragraph, specifically,” Axel stated, his voice laced with tension as I took the parchment from his outstretched hand. I began reading as he sifted through the surrounding texts, and felt my blood chill as I read the words.
“Those who hold the true blood ties of the original kings can restore the world to its former glory through the sacrifice and restoration of the source’s of power.
The power flowing through those who wield the most sacred of affinities—those closest to the Creator of the world—can be harvested and disrupted for those deserving of its true glory.
One with unmatched ruling and control may ascend as a god should they discover the ability of harvesting, creating in themself an aetherial being of ultimate superiority to reign over those they’ve ensnared under their control. ”
“What the fuck?” The statement was a harsh scoff as I reread the text.
Then read it once more before passing it back to Axel.
“There’s no way he’s—” Axel didn’t finish his sentence as he stared at me. “He has to know that’s not possible.”
“And yet, this text has been stored with other ancient texts of our world,” I replied bitterly. “Leading me to believe that Lucanus—and those who ruled over Solis Quarter before him—truly believed it was possible to gain enough aetherial power to elevate to an entity themselves.”
“He can’t seriously think he can harvest enough power to become a god.” Axel and I both shuddered at the thought.
“I mean, he could be stupid enough, though. You’ve seen the male,” I stated, thinking back to the supposed king running Solis Quarter. To the ultimate control he’d managed to secure over the citizens.
Here, he was the ultimate authority—the voice of their “gods.” My thoughts flickered toward the devotion shown by those in this Quarter at the temples. The control Lucanus had over the seers . . . Control that enabled him to shape what the people believed.
“Elion is going to want to know about this. And soon,” Axel stated as he snapped photos of the documents we’d discovered.
“Eleana will be here in two days,” I replied as I scanned over the remaining documents in the room, ensuring that we’d properly covered our tracks.
“Until she arrives, we need to make sure we gather any other information that could connect. I’d bet my pilaeria season pass that the black markings from Marking Day are linked to Lucanus’s attempt to become a god. ”
“I’ll look into what I can once we’re back at the safe house,” Axel replied.
“The Remnant male who snuck into the marking room—the one altering the results. We need to meet with him,” I said as we began weaving our way through the maze of secret rooms, out to the entrance of the temple hallway.