Chapter 44 New Discoveries
Xander
My eyes bore into the rune lying on the desk in my office.
The night after with Vanessa, I sought the marked spot on the borders grounds which Max had called my attention to a month ago. It was almost like it called to me.
Now, it lays in front of me, scraped from the grounds hours ago. Surprisingly, it wasn't just a drawing on earth's surface, but carefully concealed a wide stone underneath that blended with the earth.
I can't seem to take my eyes off of it, glaring at the jagged, asymmetrical lines that form an inverted pentacle and surrounded by runes. It hums faintly like a pulse caught in stone, and that sets my teeth on edge.
The foul odor from it has dissipated but it left a niggling feeling of unease that makes me want to recoil from it.
Even after weeks, there's been no traces of whoever, or whatever has breached the wards without trouble.
I had read that, runes do not possess powers on their own, but they are awakened as a response.
Who or what does this one respond to?
I call for Elda.
Elda arrives without ceremony, her white robes whispering against the floor, while her white hair whips behind her.
As soon as she appears by the door, her body goes rigid and her eyes are fixed on the object on my table as if it's been calling her, long before I even spoke her name.
She circles the object, never touching, and fingers twitching like she's suppressing an instinct, while still wary of it.
"This rune isn't one to stand alone. It's not a spell, your Highness."
The words land heavy and a beat of tense silence ensues. If it's not a spell...then what the hell is it?
"Explain," I demand.
"It is a fragment," she continues. "A part of a much larger working. On it's own, it does nothing but anchor."
"Anchor what?" I ask in confusion.
"A passage." she pauses. "This is portal magic, and it's not the crude kind that rips holes between places, but it's one that... remembers."
My head reels, trying to grasp some understanding of all the cryptic explanations she has offered so far.
"What does the magic remember?"
"It remembers paths that once existed and places that once touched and were never meant to be separated."
My jaw clenches at the realization. "So, you're telling me someone purposely planted portal magic in my territory?"
"Yes, your Highness. Royal blood strengthens old magic, and whoever planted this knew exactly where to place it," she concludes.
What exactly is their purpose, that they're willing to risk their lives?
Elda hovers her fingers on the surface of the rune, then closes her eyes.
Her head tilts to the side as if listening to something that speaks to her. She yanks her hand back and takes one step backwards, her eyes widened and lips pursed.
She looks up to me and says, "I need to see Vanessa."
I frown. What does she have to do with this?
"Why?" I ask suspiciously.
"It called her name." Cold dread seeps down my spine at her words.
What?
Vanessa appears, her hair like a bird's nest atop her head and she subtly tries to pat it down. Her blue eyes pin me with a deadly gaze as she approaches, crossing her arms.
"You have two seconds to give me a damn good reason to interrupt me from my beautiful sleep," she grumbles, and I almost smile.
"Your Highness," Elda greets and Vanessa's angry face morphs into one of surprise at the Seer's presence.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were here also," she says, then gives me a quick glare.
What? There was no time to warn her.
"Come here, child," Elda calls and Vanessa moves to sit beside her on the couch, but I don't miss the way her face sours as she catches sight of the object on the table when she passes by.
She sinks into the couch and Elda smiles at her calmly, taking Vanessa's hand in hers.
"I'm only going to take a part reading on you. If it feels overwhelming, do say so," she warns.
Vanessa looks to me in confusion, wondering what is going on, but I nod at her once, asking her to trust me a little.
She doesn't say anything to me and turns her attention back to Elda. "Okay."
I move closer to them, I know I can't really do anything but I'm ready to tear the world apart if it so much as breathes wrongly near her.
Elda closes her eyes, Vanessa following through. The moment they do, the air changes, and thickens with pressure.
Elda's breath stutters at what she sees, her hold on Vanessa tightening to an almost painful grip, but she doesn't complain.
"There's a seal here," Elda whispers. "There's neither decay, not damage, but it has been done, deliberately."
Seal? Of what?
Elda's hands start to vibrate and she withdraws her hand sharply as if she got burned. Then I see the blood trickling down her nose, one drop at a time and I rush to her.
"Elda! Are you alright?" I ask frantically.
She holds her hand up, waving me off, while the other holds her bleeding nose.
I run to rummage through my drawers and find a box of tissues and hand it over to her. She presses it against her nose, tilting her head back to stop it.
I turn to look at Vanessa to make sure she's also not hurt, but I stop in my tracks.
Suddenly, a gasp is heard, then a sharp intake of breath echoing through the large space. It takes me a while to realize that the sound came from me.
I retreat.
Vanessa stares back at me, not with the electric blue eyes I've come to admire, but with golden eyes!
It isn't just any gold, it's beautiful and shimmers like bursts of stars trapped in her irises.
My mind goes back to the time we had sex and I had seen it for the first time. So I hadn't imagined it?
"What? Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
No, Firecracker. It's something much worse.