Chapter 35
Thirty-five
Jada
If I wasn’t fully convinced the Kosmos were evil beforehand, this solidifies it.
They took Zellie. The Kosmos has my best friend.
All because of their irresponsible, stupid plan.
For some moonstone and a tome? After Brinn cautiously informed me, my vision tunneled, and my legs ceased working.
I sat with the shock of the news for almost an hour, my mind reeling.
Will they kill her? What if I never see her again?
What if our last conversation is the way our friendship ended?
Guilt and dread fill my lungs, weighing them down until I can’t breathe.
I bring my knees to my chest as the men, who introduced themselves as Seb and Lando, sit with Brinn and Orion, quietly discussing what possible next steps could be.
I find myself asking, “Was it worth it?”
Their voices stop, all four heads turning in my direction. Seb taps the tome lying on the small round table. “She sacrificed herself for this knowledge to get out.”
“What knowledge could be worth more than her life?”
Orion speaks calmly to me, wary of the sharpness oozing from my pores. “We’re going to get her back, Jada.”
“What is inside this book that is so important?”
“We think it’s a prophecy.”
“A prophecy,” I scoff.
“It talks of finding someone who will choose to make the worlds a better place. We believe they are the key to ending the Kosmos’ reign.”
I look to Brinn for some support, someone to acknowledge this madness, but she sternly nods in my direction, her lips downturned and body tense.
“And you believe it?”
“Why else would something this primitive be so heavily guarded?”
I sigh, brushing my pants as I stand. The significance of this moment is not lost on me. Up until now, I’ve toed the line of rebellious acts. After seeing what is written on the parchment, I’m doubtful that line won’t be crossed. “Can I see it?”
“By all means,” Seb slides the tome towards me as I approach the table.
The parchment is yellowed and frayed at the edges, but the words sink deeply into the paper, vibrating with life.
To restore the balance, one must dare;
To be clever, kind, and fiercely fair.
A single choice will shape the fates;
Fail, and the worlds shall bear a heavy weight.
From mortal blood and midnight eyes,
Banded with dawnfire, the Starborn will rise.
A prickle develops behind my ears, creeping up into my hairline. This is big—monumental. What does it mean?
“Who is ‘the Starborn’?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? Clearly a human.” Brinn’s arm nudges against mine as she comes to stand next to me, peering down at the prophecy.
My thoughts whirl as I try to make sense of the scrambling mess. “Is it, though? ‘Banded with dawnfire’... wouldn’t that imply that they have powers? Maybe ‘from mortal blood’ means one of their parents were human.”
Brinn scratches her cheek. “I don’t know. Someone with ‘midnight’ eyes, I’d say you fit that description, Jada.”
“Stop it, so do thousands of others.”
She throws her hands up. “I’m just saying!”
“I’m not the only person with dark blue eyes in all the worlds, Brinn.”
We fall silent, pondering. My eyes continue to stick to the word “balance”. Is it purely coincidence that I saw The Scales out of balance that morning? It has to be.
Brinn’s voice pulls me out. “We’re going to need some of the group to look into this. Seb, can you hack into any electronic records?”
“On it.”
“The prophecy can wait—we have more pressing matters.” Orion’s voice fills the space, his eyes aglow with determination. “How are we going to get our girl back?”