Chapter 100 The High Lords

Chapter 100 The High Lords

Byron

“So tonight was a lot.” Carden started the second the glamour fell back into place.

“It was. And I'm ready for it to be over with.” Aidas added. “Are we going to get any food at this hour, especially since the festive ball is still going on?”

“I don't think so. Why don't we just go back to the Keep and raid the kitchen? There will be a lot of food leftover tonight.” Carden said.

“No.” I said quickly. They both turned to me with eyebrows raised in question. “I don't think it's a good idea to go back there today. At least not until we're sure no one knows we broke in.”

I wasn't sure about that. A part of me was almost certain that the High Lords were aware of what we did tonight. It will be impossible for them to hide such atrocities beneath their Keep and not have some magic set in to alert them of intruders.

They seem to arrive at the same conclusion as me and nodded.

“We'll just go to the market then and hope a few stores are opened. Or maybe we shadowshift to another town. Azehar is close by.” Carden said.

Their voices gradually faded as they walked ahead. I didn't follow them, and of course, they noticed it soon enough.

“Aren't you coming with?” Carden yelled loud enough for me to hear.

“I'll stay back and watch the others!” I yelled back.

I watched as they shadowshifted away and slumped against a tree. The reason I didn't want to go with them wasn't just because of what I said. It was also because I needed to sit with my thoughts for a while.

I hadn't told them what happened when I went to look for the books just few minutes ago.

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No one seems to remember the books that brought us here in the first place, how they had just seem to vanish.

Several thoughts ran through my head as I walked the forest, searching for them. Those books seem to have life in them and had assembled right in front of us back in the tomb, insisting they come with us. But now, they're just…missing.

And how do they know to bring us here? Not the Keep, not even Drakmor, they had brought us here because Eloise said ‘somewhere safe'.

Everything was so confusing right now and my mind had started to spin, but at least all our questions will be answered once we read these books and Tatia's research.

That's the hope I heard onto as I found the first four books piled on each other.

So they had assembled, just not where the portal dropped us.

I checked around for any sign of the fifth book but I couldn't find it. I noticed it was also the one that contained the spell Eloise had used to portal us here.

Had someone taken it or has it gone back to the tomb?

My eyes darted around but I couldn't find it. I decided to go back to the cabin. Maybe one of the others have found it and taken it with them.

I got to the spot where the cabin is and raised my hand to remove the glamour when I saw the fifth book. It was on the ground, covered by grass. I picked it up, dusted the cover, and placed it neatly on the other pile.

“Child of all.”

I flinched as I heard the voice in my head. My eyes darted around and I tried to figure out where the voice was coming from.

“Child of all.” The voice came again.

This time, I figured out where it was coming from. My eyes widened slightly as the last book I just picked up glowed in the way it did back in the tomb. And it was talking to me.

After all the bizarre thing that happened today, a book talking to me shouldn't be that surprising, but it was.

I managed to gather my thoughts and not drop the book. I cleared my throat, prepared to ask some of the questions in my mind. But the only words that came out of my mind was,

“You know who I am.”

“Yes, Child. We know who you are. Created to be an equal of the Child of none. Her mate.”

I got the answer to my question. It seem like it knows me really well.

“What do you mean ‘created to be an equal'?” I asked.

“You know what it means.” Was the only answer I got.

The only parts I understood was that it was talking about Eloise and I. I didn't understand what that specific word meant or why it referred to her as ‘child of none'. As far as I knew, Eloise had family back in Thornwood.

Another question snagged my mind, a bit ridiculous, but I couldn't help my curiosity.

“Am I speaking in the common tongue right now?”

“You're speaking in your true tongue, the language of the Faes.”

The Faes. It seems like everything seem to circle back to them. The creatures that we didn't even know existed until a few days ago. There was no mention of them in any of our history books and yet I'm somehow speaking in their tongue.

I understand why Eloise had seem so confused when we told her she wasn't talking in the common tongue earlier. She hadn't realized it.

“How can I understand you or hear you?” I asked.

“You share your thoughts with me, Child.”

That explains how I could hear it voice in my head.

“Is that how you were able to figure out this place was the only safe place and you brought us here?”

I could have sworn I heard a slight chuckle in my head.

“You know why I brought you here.”

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I did.

Which was why it has bothered me since last night.

Carden and Aidas had came back and went into the cabin with food like they said they would, but I hadn't been able to go in.

I had just sat under this tree and stared up into the sky until the moon disappeared and the sun slowly crept up. It was only when the sun was fully up that I stood up and went into the cabin.

The first thing I saw was all of them sprawled in different position in the sitting area. Some on the chairs, on the table, and on the floor with the books scattered around them.

My eyes caught the particular book that had spoken to me yesterday. It was in Eloise's hand and it look just like a normal book. I averted my eyes from it and grabbed some water from the dining table.

That was when I noticed that Aeron was missing from the group. I became alarmed instantly and began searching the area. I checked the rooms first. Aidas', Carden's, and mine.

My room was the only one locked from inside. My magic was linked to the lock so I opened it easily.

Aeron was sitting at the foot of the bed, his eyes wide opened and papers scattered around him. A quick look at the papers and I realized they were Tatia's research.

I stepped into the room. Aeron lifted his head and stared at me. His eyes were red and puffy.

“Couldn't sleep?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I had to finish this.”

I recognized the pain in his voice. He didn't just mean his mother's research. It made me wonder what he saw in those papers.

“And did you?”

He lifted his eyes to meet mine and I instantly knew the answer. “I want to share it with everyone.”

“Sure.” I nodded.

We gathered the papers together and stepped outside the room. Everyone was already waking up except Carden and Raihn. Aidas tapped them and they both woke up as well.

“I have something to tell everyone.” Aeron started when everyone was awake and sitting.

“I went through all of my mother's research papers yesterday.” His voice broke at the last word.

I moved closer to him and patted him on the back. He gave me an appreciative look and cleared his throat.

“I think I understand why my mother was researching possession and why her research was locked away in that place. We were right to think they didn't want anyone to find it. But not because it's some forbidden knowledge, it's because those papers have the ability to tear the whole of Varethin apart.”

“What exactly is in those papers, Aeron?” Thomasina asked when he remained quiet for so long.

Aeron took a deep breath. “My mother was researching about possession because she figured out that there are possessed dragons in the Keep.”

“Well, who are they?”

“The High Lords. All three of them.”