“We take the western pass,” Holden argued. “The terrain’s rougher, but there’s more coverage. We stay hidden that way.”
Obren shook his head. “That’s foolish. The Noskari attacked us once. Do you think they won’t have their eyes on the same pass? They know we’ll head north. We need open ground, not an ambush waiting to happen.”
“Open ground means exposure,” Nathan cut in. “Wecan’t afford to be seen.”
Alaric listened quietly for a while, letting the argument loop around itself. Then he cleared his throat and finally spoke.
“The Noskari attack at night,” he said. The bickering stopped, and all eyes turned toward him. He placed a firm hand on the edge of his map, the only one he had left. “If we keep moving during the day, we can avoid them best. But that also means we need safe places to camp before nightfall. Wolves can push through exhaustion, but horses can’t. We have to plan for that.”
Obren folded his arms, studying the map.
“So what are you suggesting?”
“There are hills, high grasses, and scattered forests throughout the eastern lands,” Kaldrek added, eyes narrowing over the parchment. “We could use the land to our advantage. Keep to the forests when we can. Move fast when we need to.”
Alaric nodded. “It’s a start. But there’s something else.” He hesitated, then traced a path along the map with his fingertip. “I once found an abandoned trade route on a map back home. It doesn’t appear on this one, but I remember it. If it still exists in some form, even overgrown, it could be our best chance at reaching the mountains undetected.”
“There’s no such path,” Obren said flatly.
Alaric met his stare. “Not on this map. But I swear it was on another one. Maybe it’s been lost to time, but if there’s even a chance it still exists, we must find it.”
“So we’re supposed to chase after some path we’re not even sure is real? That’s ridiculous,” Obren said, shaking his head.
Kaldrek scratched the stubble on his chin as he thought about it. To Alaric’s surprise, he said, “It’s worth a try, Obren. We’re out of options.”
The others exchanged uneasy glances, but didn’t argue. Reaching the northeastern mountains would take at least three to four weeks, which was a problem for another day. For now, they needed a path and a plan.
The door burst open with a force that rattled the walls.
Evelyne stormed in, breathless, her face lined with exhaustion. Her eyes burned with something fierce. She clutched a book to her chest, her fingers digging into the worn leather cover as if it were the only thing tethering her to the ground. She didn’t so much as glance at the others seated at the table, didn’t acknowledge their meeting or the startled silence that followed her entrance. Instead, she pushed between Kaldrek and Alaric, slamming the book onto the map sprawled across the table.
“Evelyne?” Kaldrek asked with a look of confusion.
“There’s a way to defeat her,” she declared, voice trembling with urgency. “And it’s the only way.”
Alaric stiffened. He had never seen her so wild-eyed and desperate.
“There’s a prophecy,” she continued, turning to Alaric as if willing him to understand. “There is something out there that can stop her.”
Kaldrek’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Evelyne exhaled sharply, her fingers working furiously to flip through the pages. “The witch in the marketplace recognized this book.The Lantern’s Keeper. Selene knew what it was the second I pulled it from my bag. It’s more than just a book. It’s a guide, or a key. And the man who gave it to me back in Caltheris—he was a seer. That can’t be a coincidence. He must have given it to me for a reason.” She looked between Alaric and Kaldrek, gaze pleading. “I know this sounds insane, but please just listen to me.”
She took a breath, steadying herself before continuing.
“We cannot take on the Noskari after what we witnessed last night. And we don’t know how many more Vaelora has in the north. Butwe can’t just walk into this blind. We need a way to stop her. And maybe—maybe this book, this artifact, is the answer.” She hesitated, then pressed on. “A Hallowell witch wrote it. Perhaps the same one who performed the ritual a hundred years ago.”
“What ritual?” Kaldrek asked, and Alaric realized he had no idea what she meant.
The others fell silent, the tension in the room thickening as Evelyne quickly explained everything she and Alaric had uncovered. By the time she finished, Kaldrek’s expression had darkened, his hands curling into tight fists.
“You didn’t think to tell me about this?”
Evelyne snapped her gaze to him, her patience worn thin, her voice cutting. “You never asked. And you never seemed to care about our mission, so I didn’t think it was worth telling you.” She sighed and flipped through the book, eyes scanning the words. “I thought this was just a storybook. But then Selene told us a Hallowell witch wrote it, and that got me thinking.” She paused as if realizing something. “The seer in Caltheris told me Cillian should use this as a guide. And if he was truly a seer, then…”
Her hands trembled as she turned the pages. She skimmed her fingers over a passage as she read it aloud:
“When the night devours the land, and the stars fall silent, a Lantern shall be kindled in the hands of the Keeper. A soul bound to a lineage unseen, carried by blood long shrouded from fate’s reach. The darkness will beckon, weaving shadows into chains, but the light will rise—pure, unyielding.
