I open my mouth and close it again, unsure what answer they are looking for. The things I need to know about the stone are endless. Is it real? Can it help save our kingdom from the Allaji? Will retrieving it put me back in the Statera’s good graces? I choose the question that has sat heavily on my mind since it was presented as a possibility.
“Is the stone linked to the prophecy given to Micah before I was born?”
They drag their gaze over each of us, as if they are debating whether we are worthy of the answer. It’s unnerving, and I’m already second-guessing my question. Maybe I should have started with a less controversial topic. I scramble to ask another one, but they respond before I get the chance.
“You two”—they point a gnarled finger at Kyron and me—“come with me. The rest of you are free to wander.”
Kyron places his hand on the small of my back and guides me forward. We follow the Sibyl as they shuffle down an aisle and rapidly turn down another. Each twist and turn leads us further into the maze of endless shelves. The air grows musty and the natural light fades. Sconces light our path in a buttery glow and shadows flicker across dusty books. The deeper we go into the stack the quieter our surroundings become. Our steps fall in sync to a rhythmic beat that could very well be the heartbeat of this place.
“The stone you seek is called the Imperium,” the Sibyl says, their voice quiet and shaky. “Over the centuries, the fable many know today has robbed it of its name, reduced it to a bedtime story. But there was a time when the Imperium was the mightiest of the sacred gifts.”
“How is that possible? How does everyone forget a stone that was so powerful existed?” Kyron asks.
“Deflection and deceit.” The Sibyl stops and inches their fingers between two thick tomes. They pull out a book so thin it can’t be more than a couple dozen pages. The cover is a weathered leather with no engraving. It might be the most unimpressive book I’ve ever seen.
“You come from a long line of truth-benders, secret-keepers, and storytellers, Your Majesty. Even your dear King Micah fell into one of those categories, didn’t he?”
Kyron and I glance at each other. It doesn’t matter that Micah had good reason to do what he did. He was still a secret keeper. His hidden truths made an impact on both of our lives. But buried beneath his many secrets were his truth… his driving force. He loved us, and it was that love that drove him to do what he did.
“I don’t understand what Micah has to do with the Imperium,” he says, not bothering to hide his agitation.
The Sibyl clicks their tongue and fans through the pages of the book. “He was the unsuspecting device used to put everything into motion. By the time he and his sister split their crown, the Imperium was practically erased from Pliris’ history. The day the prophecy was given to him, he interpreted it to the best of his understanding. He thought his heir would unite his broken kingdom, but that wasn’t what was foretold.” They hand me the book, and say, “You are to restore Pliris’ place within the five kingdoms.”
I brush my palm over the soft leather, and an electric current travels up my arm. It is the same feeling I had when I first held the map. The tome fans my spark of excitement turning it into a roaring flame.
“I don’t understand. What is our place?” I ask.
“Read and find out.” With a gentle squeeze to my shoulder, the Sibyl leaves Kyron and me in the dim corner.
I stare at the book. It must be the smallest book in this place, yet it holds the answers to everything. The pages have the power to change my life... to change my kingdom. It feels like a boulder in my hand instead of a small stack of bound paper.
“This feels too big, Kyron,” I say, looking up at him.
He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s a good thing you don’t have to handle it alone. I’ll bear the burden of whatever is within these pages with you.”
His declaration has a fraction of my fear lifting from me. It’s replaced with the unwavering hope Kyron has exhibited since I returned home. He believed we would find the answer we needed to make everything right. He never gave up on me or the Cyffreds or the betterment of our people. His hope has steered our destiny from the start.
We sink down to the floor. Sitting side by side, we open the book and prop it on each of our thighs. Neither of us rushes the other, quietly reading and nodding when we are ready to turn the page. We hold back the onslaught of questions swimming through our heads, absorbing every word instead. When we close the book, my heart is pounding. Never would I have guessed what was written on these pages.
They are life-changing.
World-changing.
They will reform the five kingdoms.
Minutes pass in utter silence, both of us staring blankly ahead.
“I was right; that was big,” I finally say.
He braces his elbows on his bent knees and drags his palms down his face. His hair falls over his eyes, and he looks at me through the strands. “Well, at least we know what we have to do now.”
I nod and say, “We have to find the Imperium.”
Twenty-One
KYRON
“All of our people used to have powers?” Greer says, leaning back in her chair and grazing her palms along the shaved sides of her head.
