Chapter Seven #7
“I am a chieftain of my people, which puts me on equal standing to you. Don’t piss off the few allies you still have,” Liam threatened. “Power isn’t given. It’s earned, and you have no right to order my daughter around when you can’t control your own court.”
I was awed Liam was standing up to Cameron. Finally, someone was telling him to go piss up a rope.
I expected the other Elves in the room to protest, but no one spoke out against Liam’s strong voice. They were all intimated by him.
Cameron couldn’t be half the leader Liam was if he tried. The Water chief could force my father to his hands and knees like a dog and parade him around the palace if he wanted to, that much was clear.
I think Cameron knew it, because he started to back off. “I understand she is grieving, but speaking out of turn to the Emperor is unacceptable!"
“Ava just lost her mentor after experiencing the loss of her Familiar and the loss of her bonded partner. That she’s holding herself together at all is a great feat of strength,” Liam demanded.
“And why should I care? It’s not my problem to solve,” Cameron whined.
“Then deal with the problems that are your responsibility, and let me take care of my own,” Liam replied. Ava’s sobs quieted as I heard Liam kneel beside her chair, taking her into his arms.
“Fine,” Cameron sneered. “Just get her out of my sight.”
Ava wept softly as her parents wheeled her out of the throne room. Oberi gave a longing whine as he watched her go.
I was glad Liam and Sophia left. I couldn’t face them— how could I, after I’d destroyed their daughter? I knew I’d have to speak to them eventually, but bearing the thought that I’d have to meet with Liam again after what I’d done…
I felt nothing but shame. I’d promised him I’d take care of her, and look at what I had done. He’d put his faith in me, accepted me into his family, and I’d failed. He never should’ve given me his blessing, because to do so was to let a wolf into his tribe, one that tore apart whatever it touched.
I nudged Oberi. “Go with her. She might not be able to hear you anymore, but she still needs you.”
As you wish. Oberi hurried off after Ava.
“My Associates will handle this investigation,” Cameron restated firmly. “As for the rest of you, you may return to your quarters, so long as no evidence arises pointing to your involvement. I don’t want to hear another word out of any of you.”
Takahashi led us into the hall. My father was a terrible Emperor. Any king with a spine wouldn’t have let us talk out of turn for that long without cutting out our tongues. Part of me wondered if Cameron enjoyed the altercation.
“He’s wasted everyone’s time!” Danny snarled. “All that time spent arguing when we could’ve been tracking Alistair. He’s got to be halfway across the city by now!”
“We don’t have to bother with Alistair anymore,” Marcus said.
“As long as he’s not around us, he can’t funnel any more information back to the Warden.
If he lives long enough to find a way past our shield and out of the city, he won’t survive in the Warden’s world, because Doctor Taurus will kill him once his usefulness runs out. He’s already done for.”
“If Cameron isn’t going to do his job, then we need to get the Demigod Guardians together and work outside the crown’s knowledge,” Takahashi suggested. “Follow me.”
I followed alongside Kallie, Marcus, and Danny as Takahashi led us to the palace library. My magic swirled upward several stories. I could feel the immense stacks of books lined in massive rows, interrupted only by spectacular arched columns.
“So this is where the Demigod Guardians have been spending their time,” Marcus noted.
We’d never been in the palace library, because we were usually out in the field and left the research to others. But here in the quiet amongst endless pages of books, I could understand how one might enjoy the peacefulness of the job.
“More or less,” Takahashi responded. “Come.”
He led us to a far corner of the library, until it seemed we were weaving through a maze of bookshelves. Takahashi bent to assess the titles.
“Are we doing research, Professor?” Kallie asked.
“Much more than that,” he said. “Ah, here we go.”
Something clicked as Takahashi triggered a secret passageway with the books. Air whooshed forward to fill a hallway that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
Marcus approached the passageway with wonder. “So the Demigod Guardians have continued working in secret.”
“Yes. I’ll explain along the way,” Takahashi said.
We entered the secret hall, and the hidden doorway closed behind us.
Takahashi’s voice echoed off the stone walls.
“What I’m about to show you is a hidden research room gifted to the Demigod Guardians by Emperor Cassiel.
He wanted us to keep our records a secret in case things went south— both to hide our knowledge from the Warden, and from Cameron.
He didn’t want his son doing anything rash with these records if he were to rise to power.
We were only supposed to show this room to you as a last resort, but if Cameron isn’t helping us to defeat the Warden, then we have no choice.
We call this place the Hidden Legends Archives. ”
“Hidden Legends?” I repeated, feeling something stir within that told me the name meant something profound.
“Hidden Legends is the name the Demigod Guardians have given to your stories,” Takahashi explained.
“The moniker refers to a collection of historical documents tied to our supernatural history— legendary tales hidden away from the rest of the world, if you will. The greatest stories belong to chosen ones, usually, talented supernaturals, or demigods with prophecies written about them. We’ve spent our time here in Ilamanthe compiling these stories, searching for clues within our history on how to beat the Warden. ”
The hall gave way to an expansive room even greater than the library we came from.
My magic extended upward and kept going.
I couldn’t sense the end of my Air magic, and wondered how far the ceiling rose above us.
Sunlight streamed through nearby windows and warmed my skin.
I reached out to touch a column to my right.
I found that the wood was expertly carved with depictions of dragons, unicorns, and other magical creatures.
Kallie drew a deep breath as she marveled at the expansive room. “What an incredible library! The drapes lining the shelves… they’re color coded. Purple and blue there… purple and pink there… purple and teal? What does it mean?”
“The shelves are coded to each different supernatural race,” Takahashi said. “Purple and blue for the Elementai, pink and purple for the Arcanea, and teal and purple for the Miriamic Coven.”
Danny’s voice came from yards away. “What about these shelves lined in red? They’re empty. There are hardly any records here.”
“Those shelves are reserved for the vampiric records,” Takahashi said. “There are stories of chosen ones that have not been written yet, but one day, when the story of the Midnighters is to be told, these shelves will be full of first-hand accounts of their history.”
Nearby, a bird gave a low croon.
“Aiko!” Kallie exclaimed. It was Takahashi’s red-crested crane, a companion of his who was always perched in his office during our counseling sessions. “We didn’t know what happened to her when you were kidnapped.”
“Aiko fled, to avoid capture,” Takahashi explained. “But she returned once I was rescued.”
Marcus spun around to take everything in. “How are you hiding all this in the palace? Wouldn’t someone notice a space this big missing in the blueprints?”
“This room is expanded by illusion magic,” Takahashi explained. “But all the scrolls and documents themselves are real.”
Kallie went over to the fae records and plopped a tome onto a table near them. “The Wolven Mark? What’s this?”
“This one looks similar,” Marcus noted from the witch’s section. “The Coven’s Secret, it says.”
I found myself drawn to the Elementai section. I nudged a ladder out of the way, and it rolled several feet down the length of the bookcases. My fingers roamed the spine of a thick book.
“These records are the beginnings of accounts written by your parents,” Takahashi said.
“The Fire Prophecy, which Charlie is holding, is the story of the Elementai Civil War, while The Wolven Mark details the Malovian Revolution, and The Coven’s Secret the Miriamic Conflict.
When your parents heard the Demigod Guardians wished to put together records of past wars, they offered to lend their aid and record their first-hand accounts of what they’d experienced.
We’ve been able to use a combination of their own memories as well as visions to recover what they’ve forgotten, in order to give the most accurate accounts of what they went through all those years ago.
We’ve even recorded the accounts into audiobooks, for accessibility purposes. ”
He handed me a set of headphones, and I placed them over my head. Liam’s familiar voice rang through my ears as the first page began. “Grief is like being underwater, but never being allowed to come up to breathe.”
Oof. Maybe Liam would understand me better than I thought. Still didn’t mean I wanted to face him.
“Is there anything here about the Great Supernatural War?” Danny wondered.
“I’m afraid not,” Takahashi replied. “Though some immortals lived through the Great Supernatural War, there are very few left alive who were directly involved, so our records do not go back that far.”
“This is incredible,” Kallie breathed as she flipped through the pages. “I can’t believe all this exists!”
“One day, these stories will be finished and released to the public,” Takahashi stated. “Though for now, these books are discovered only by those worthy enough to read them, and by those that need them the most.”