Chapter 66 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-Six - Sebastian

Chapter 66 A Queen Among Tides: Chapter Sixty-Six - Sebastian
“Name it,” I shrug.

“When we came here before, it was because we were looking for something that Izzy believes resides in your kingdom. It’s part of a broken stone tablet, it contains part of an ancient prophecy Izzy has been trying to reassemble for centuries,” she says, causing Isolde’s eyes to blow wide.

“You’re still looking for the missing piece?” Aiyla asks in surprise.

Okay, so she seems to know about this ancient prophecy, but it’s complete news to me. I try to think if I’d read or heard about anything like that or seen anything like that kept in our vault, but I’m coming up blank.

I shake my head, “I can’t recall seeing anything like that,” I say guiltily. It’s the one thing they ask for and I can’t give it to them.

“This tablet, does it have glyphs on it?” Lemuel suddenly asks, surprising me.

Isolde begins to nod furiously, “Yes! It’s written in the language of the Gods. Have you seen it?”

“I think I have, and so have you,” Lemuel says, looking at me.

I stare at him wide-eyed, “I have?!” I shriek.

“The stone you keep on the desk in your room,” he reminds me.

I cock my head to the side, “My paperweight?”

“Your what?” Isolde chokes out as I look over to see her clutching her chest as Valeria wraps her arms around her.

“Breathe, mi vida,” Valeria says soothingly.

“Sebastian, go get it before she hyperventilates,” Lemuel urges.

“Hang on a second,” I say, feeling my eyes burn as I take the form of water and teleport to my bedroom. As I reconstitute I walk over to my desk, moving things around until I find the large stone tablet with scribble on it, or glyphs as everyone is claiming. I grab the block of stone and immediately teleport back to the throne room. “Is this is?” I ask, holding up the piece of stone.

Aiyla’s eyes widen in disbelief and Isolde looks like she’s about to pass out. I walk over and place the piece of stone in Isolde’s hands and watch as she reverently traces her fingers over the carvings.

“You were using part of an ancient prophecy, written by the Goddess Fretez herself… as a paperweight?” She asks in a low and slow voice. Wait, that thing was written by the Goddess Fretez?! Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that? It’s not like it came with a warning label that reads: ‘made by Goddess, do not touch’.

I shrug feebly, “I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was just scribble,” I say defensively. Obviously, if I had known it was a sacred magical relic I would have been more respectful.

“I have no idea what to say to that,” Lemuel says in disbelief. Hey, whose side is he on?

“I didn’t know!” I shriek. What is this, gang up on Sebastian day?

“He was using it as a paperweight,” Isolde says between strangled breaths, looking to her animai as if she’s oxygen.

“I know, baby, I know,” Valeria says soothingly, tucking Isolde’s hair loving behind her ear, “But we have it now and you’ll keep it safe. Just take slow breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth,” she coaches her. Isolde follows the coaching, but she still looks ready to have a conniption and I’m not sure I want to see what a pissed-off High Priestess looks like. “I think we’re going to go because I’m pretty sure she’s about to implode. So, um, don’t let anything happen to the Orraikam, and thanks for the tablet, see you at the next leader’s meeting.”

Valeria guides Isolde who is still staring at the stone tablet in her hands, back through the portal.

Aiyla gives me a kind smile, “All worked out in the end I suppose. I’ll be back soon to check on things,” she says.

“How long do we have to protect this for exactly?” I quickly ask.

“Five years. I’m not sure what happens after that, but that’s how long you need to keep it safe.”

“Just got to keep it secure until 2026, seems easy enough,” I shrug.

Aiyla smiles and shakes her head before stepping through the portal behind Isolde and Valeria. Then moments later the rippling in the air disappears.

I stare up at the giant magical crystal now floating in the throne room, “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”

“How are we getting that down into the underwater palace?” Lemuel asks curiously.

“Hope you don’t mind getting wet,” I smirk.

He sighs, “Why do I bother getting dressed at all?”

“I ask myself that every day,” I grin.

I feel my eyes burn as I pull on my magic letting it fill my veins like a surge of energy. I call forth a stream of water from the fountain and will it to wrap around the Orraikam securely. Once it does I hold the end of the stream of water like a leash and hold out my other hand to Lemuel.

He groans, “I hate this part,” he says, taking my hand.

“Hold your breath, but I’ll try to work as fast as I can,” I promise.

I once again pull on my magic feeling my body become weightless as I teleport myself, Lemuel and the Orraikam down into the old throne room of the underwater palace. I don’t think Lemuel expected us to turn up submerged, so I can understand why he’s panicking a little bit. I tighten my hold on Lemuel and release the Orraikam as I push forth a burst of my magic and will the water to disperse from the throne room creating a pocket of air. Lemuel drops to his knees soaking wet, catching his breath while I land on my feet and brush back my wet hair.

“What the fuck, Sebastian?!” He yells.

“I told you to hold your breath.”

“You didn’t tell me we were going to end up completely underwater!”

“Was there something about an underwater palace that went over your head?” I quiz.

“Don’t be a smartass,” he says, getting to his feet. He removes his suit jacket seeking one less waterlogged outfit to weigh him down as he finally takes in the room, “Wow…”

I smile at his reaction. The old throne room used by my ancestors is a long 55-foot-long colonnade with rectangular marble columns running down the sides adorned with pearl-like sphere sconces that would act as torches. There’s a seashell arched ceiling, and a long marble path running down the length of the colonnade with seashells printed into the marble, nestled between two streams of water that remained in the room after I cleared it. Down the far end are two magnificent ten-foot-tall thrones carved from pearls.

We stand at the far end of this exquisite room, the spheres lighting up and casting a heavenly glow as they sense our presence. The ocean surrounds the room like a cocoon with sea animals swimming by peacefully unable to enter as I keep the water walled off outside the room.

“So this was where your ancestors sat and ruled from?” Lemuel asks.

I nod happily, “Makes more of a statement, doesn’t it?”

“Can say that again. It’s exquisite,” he says reverently, taking a few steps forwards as he continues to admire the ancient structure.

“I wouldn’t have minded ruling from here, but you’d have had a hard time,” I tease.

“I prefer to breathe, thank you.”

I chuckle and summon the water leash to my hand as I delicately pull the Orraikam down to the end of the throne room and allow it to float tall in front of the thrones. It feels appropriate that something so powerful reside in this spot. I release the water leash and let the water return to the water outside the room.

“Now to keep it safe,” I say.

“What did you have in mind?” Lemuel asks while wringing out his jacket.

“We just have to protect it for five years. They have some plans for it and well, since it’s the magic of a God I think it can only be trusted by the Gods.”

“Meaning?”

“Lemuel, I wish for your to place a barrier around this throne room that only the God Ezillus can break.”

He thinks it over, and then I feel the intense surge of power move through his body as his eyes spark like an electrical storm and the mark around our wrists begins to glow. Lemuel snaps his fingers and a shockwave ripples across the room and a thin veil of energy surrounds the entire throne room, glowing with a soft blue and purple light. I walk over and tap my finger against the barrier and feel a sharp electric shock zap through me making me recoil my arm and shake my fingers.

“You said make it so only Ezillus can break it, that means not even you can touch it,” says Lemuel, rolling his eyes.

“I know that,” I say, poking my tongue at him, “I was just testing it. We, along with Eisa, Thanos, my parents, and the Elite Guard can take turns checking on this place daily to ensure its integrity is maintained. I think this should hold for five years easily.”

“What do you think happens in five years?”

“I haven’t a damn clue.”