27. Lora #2
“Must be our reply,” Caldera said, turning to us. “Perhaps you should come along?”
Erion and I followed Caldera down the path into the center of Brookfalls, past storefronts and narrow alleys. She explained in a hushed voice that the moon seer thought she was a spy for the Moon Queendom. He knew she communicated with the spy master, but he didn’t know her true origin.
The moon seer’s office sat wedged between a tailor’s shop and a baker. Guilt twinged in my gut as the sight of it reminded me that I hadn’t sent a message to my family since we left Six River City.
Inside, a man hunched over a mountain of papers, quill scratching across parchment. At the center of his desk sat a wide basin filled with water.
An image of a woman’s face rippled across the surface. Another moon seer in some distant town.
Her voice drifted up from the water like she stood right beside us. “…and she must take her family and leave Brookfalls at once, because it’s far too close to Blightlands. It’s not safe.”
The man lifted one finger without glancing our way, his quill never slowing. “Understood. Anything else?”
The woman in the basin shook her head. “No, that’s all.”
He waved his hand over the water and the image dissolved into ripples.
A heavy sigh escaped him. “This tide-sodden rift mess.”
Frowning, I glanced at Erion, whose confused expression mirrored my own.
The moon seer looked up, and his eyes narrowed when he spotted Caldera. “Ah, Caldera, good. I received another message from the Queen’s council.” His tone dripped with suspicion as he eyed her. “As always, they’re demanding instant replies.”
Caldera slipped a few nuggets across the table. “I appreciate your discretion.”
He pocketed them without comment, his gaze sliding to Erion. “The Dual Wielder, I presume?”
Erion’s gaze darted to Caldera. She offered a reassuring nod.
The moon seer smirked. “The council extends their deepest sympathies for what happened during your journey. They regret to inform you that they still haven’t found the missing moon guards.”
My stomach clenched. If they hadn’t been found by now, they couldn’t have made it out of Blightlands. Images of the three surviving moon guards clawed through my mind, their blood-streaked frames in a sea of carnage. If the pirates hadn’t killed them, monsters probably had.
Guilt burned in my throat. I should never have abandoned them.
The moon seer tapped his quill against the desk. “They also wish to remind you that the eclipse is in a month. They want confirmation that things are going according to plan.”
Erion’s fingers twisted together, the weight of expectation pressing down on him.
I pushed my spiraling thoughts about the moon guard aside and leaned close to him. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
He nodded, but his jaw stayed tight, his gaze lingering on the moon seer. “What was that about Brookfalls not being safe?”
The man’s face hardened. “There’s been reports of new rifts opening along the Blightlands border with dozens of monsters pouring through. A few towns and villages have suffered severely and have been evacuated.”
Hook-shredders crawling from that violet tear flashed through my mind. I’d thought it had been an isolated horror, but if these reports were true, it was just one of many. Cold dread pulsed through me. Things were getting worse. So much worse.
Was Erion’s arrival tied to this somehow? Was he the catalyst?
Or perhaps his pocket inside the rift had simply ruptured and spat him out the same way these other rifts had spewed out monsters. Maybe the whole thing had been straining for decades, and now it was finally breaking apart.
My chest tightened. How long did we have before monsters tore across the entire Queendom and devoured every last one of us?
“The council is waiting for your reply.” The moon seer dipped his quill. “What should I tell them?”
Erion’s fists clenched at his sides. “Tell them we’re not ready. If they want it done by the eclipse, they’ll have to find someone else to do it.”
The moon seer gave a disapproving hum, lifting a brow. “Is that all?”
Erion nodded.
I bit my lip. The council wouldn’t be pleased with that reply.
And honestly, neither was I. The Queen’s hidden prophecy had clearly stated how the Dual Wielder would find the scattered artifacts and join them during the eclipse. Erion was clearly the Dual Wielder. How was the council supposed to find someone else to fulfill the prophecy?
If we could just find those artifacts, maybe they would help him control his powers.
Before leaving the office, I asked the moon seer to pass along another message to my father and sister. Since our village didn’t have a moon seer, he’d have to send it to the nearest town, where my note would be carried by a river guide to Rootmere.
I kept it short and practical, assuring them I was safe and hoped to see them again soon.
As we stepped outside, Caldera turned to us. “I might as well shop for supplies while we’re here. Do you want to tag along?”
Erion looked like he might crumble into dust.
I shook my head at Caldera. “We’ll just wander around town for a bit.”
She dug into her pouch and handed us a couple of coins each. Before I could protest that I didn’t want her money, she cut me off. “I’ll be claiming this back from the Queen.”
With a wink, she disappeared into a nearby shop.
I resisted the urge to grunt. Her attempts at winning us over were getting ridiculous. She was laying it on far too thick.
The streets of Brookfalls stretched before us, bustling with morning activity.
Erion’s shoulders hunched. “What do you think happened to the moon guards?”
My throat tightened as I racked my brain for an answer, but I couldn’t even lie to myself anymore. Erion would see through any empty reassurances.
Voices from passing townspeople cut through my thoughts.
“…evacuated after a hoard of monsters attacked their town. Their entire family had to move into his cousin’s already crammed home.”
“That’s awful! And did you hear the Queen ordered the border guard to pull back again. Surrendered the whole town to those monsters.”
Erion’s gaze trailed after them, all color draining from his face. I grabbed his arm and tugged him toward a narrow building with the word Museum written on a faded sign. Hopefully, no one would be gossiping in there.
Inside, shelves and pedestals crowded every available space, overflowing with trinkets, old tools, and dusty relics.
Erion’s eyes snagged on something in the corner, and his sagging frame straightened as he moved toward it. I followed, curiosity prickling along my spine.
On an unassuming pedestal, a stone no larger than my palm rested against faded velvet. Its snow-white surface was threaded with silver veins.
Erion stared at it, transfixed.
I glanced between him and the stone. “What is it?”
A man stepped through an open door in the back. “That, my dear, is a moon stone. A rare thing indeed.”
He swept forward, eyes glittering beneath gray brows that bristled like frost-touched thorns.
“A moon stone?” I echoed.
“Oh yes.” His slim frame slid in beside us.
“Moon stones were considered sacred once. Some say they were conduits for great magic. But their secrets have been lost to time, and most of them have disappeared. This one’s been in my family for generations.
” He patted the pedestal holding the stone.
“Entry fee is three nuggets each, by the way.”
Grudgingly, I dug into my pouch and handed over the coins. Had I known there was an entry fee, I probably wouldn’t have dragged Erion inside.
A girl burst through the back door, spinning in a pale blue dress. “Papa, look at my new dress!”
The museum owner’s expression shifted to mild alarm. “Careful around the displays, sweetheart. Where’s your mother?”
She pouted. “I wanted to show you my dress!”
“It’s very lovely, but—”
She beamed and twirled through the room.
“Wait! Watch out!”
As he chased his daughter around the room, Erion leaned close, lowering his voice. “This is one of them.”
“One of what?” I whispered.
His jaw clenched. “One of the stones Lysanna and Beloren used in their ritual.”
Frowning, I stared at him.
“Lora, I—” He swallowed. “I think this is one of the artifacts from the prophecy.”
Disbelief flickered through me, followed by a rush of something dangerously close to hope.
The museum owner shooed his daughter toward the door. “Go find your mother and siblings.”
“Yes, papa.” Giggling, she darted out.
He turned back, smoothing down his tunic. “Sorry, where were we?”
I pointed at the pedestal. “Is the stone for sale?”
Laughter burst from him. “Absolutely not. Didn’t you hear me? It’s been in my family for generations.”
“Of course.” I forced a brittle smile. “And… how would someone go about finding… another moon stone?”
He shrugged. “No idea. This is the only one I know of.”
Frustration simmered beneath my skin as I glanced at Erion.
There was no doubt in my mind. We needed this stone to seal the rift.