Shelets out that little huff of frustration—the one that screams, 'Why can't mortals keep up?'—before grabbing both books. "These texts describe the same realm, just from different perspectives. The geographical locations match perfectly."
I blink at her like she's speaking in tongues. "You lost me at geographical."
"Look here," she says, her delicate fingers dancing across ancient pages. "See how the Norse text describes Ásgard? The cloud palaces made of solidified clouds infused with celestial light? The way Valhalla stands adorned with gold and silver?" Her voice carries that musical lilt of excitement. "Now look at the Zephyrian text—it describes 'magnificent cloud castles that float gracefully above the landscape, constructed from solidified clouds that blend seamlessly with the surrounding sky.'"
My jaw drops as she continues, her voice taking on that excited teacher tone. "And here—the Norse book mentions the Bifrost, their light bridge, while the Zephyrian text speaks of 'Sky Trails, invisible air-current pathways connecting various floating islands.' They're describing the same celestial highways, just through different cultural lenses."
"Hold up," I lean forward, coffee forgotten. "Are you saying Ásgard is in Zephyria?"
"Precisely!" Seraphina's practically bouncing with enthusiasm now. "The 'Wind Spires' in Zephyria match perfectly with the descriptions of Ásgard's ancient watchtowers. Even their sacred sites align—the 'Elemental Nexus' in Zephyria corresponds with the gathering places in Ásgard. These aren't separate realms—they're different cultures interpreting the same space!"
Well, shit. Looks like our magical scavenger hunt just got a whole lot more interesting.
My brain short-circuits as the implications hit me. If Ásgard and Zephyria are the same realm, then not only did Rhyland take an impromptu trip to the air realm, but somewhere up there, walking on clouds and probably rocking some killer armor, is my half-sister. The sister I never knew existed until Rhyland dropped that particular bombshell.
The possibility of meeting her sends my thoughts spinning. What's she like? What color are her eyes? Are they like mine? Does she also think that our Father is a self-righteous pain in the ass, or did she luck out with the whole father-daughter relationship thing?
I shake myself out of my celestial sister daydream. "So... any chance this magical geography lesson tells us where to find our next shiny rock?"
Seraphina's eyes scan the text. "According to this, the Zephyrite stone resides in the highest Wind Spire, where the Zephyrian's maintain their most sacred temple. It's said to be guarded by ethereal beings who can manipulate air currents and command the winds themselves."
She traces a detailed illustration of a magnificent floating structure. "The spire rises above even the cloud castles, its peak seemingly touching the stars themselves. The stone is kept in what they call the Elemental Nexus—a sacred site where the purest essence of air converges. The text mentions that only those deemed worthy by the winds themselves can approach the stone."
"Great," I mutter, taking another sip of coffee. "So we just need to break into the realm's most sacred site, climb what's essentially a tornado turned sideways, and somehow grab a magical rock without getting blown into the next century. Should be fun."
Seraphina gives me that angelic smile that somehow makes impossible tasks sound like a delightful afternoon activity. "At least we know where to look!"
"Yeah, assuming any of this is still accurate," I snort, remembering our last magical treasure hunt. "These books aren't exactly up to date with current events. Remember Aquaria? That whole 'peaceful underwater paradise' description turned out to be complete bullshit. More like, 'Surprise, here's a smear campaign to overthrow a mermaid queen, force her to wear a corrupted stone, and oh yeah, let's just lie about an entire species to keep people away from the Lyre.'"
I take another sip of coffee, grimacing at the memory. "At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if we get up there and find out the Zephyrian's have turned their sacred temple into a cosmic nightclub or something. These ancient texts have about as much reliability as a weather forecast in Seattle."
"It's a start, Dani."Seraphina'smelodic laugh chimes through the room. She nibbles her lower lip thoughtfully, that mind clearly piecing together some puzzle. "Actually, this explains quite a bit."
"Care to share with the class?"
"Well," she begins, her voice carrying that 'I just solved a riddle' tone. "It actually makes perfect sense when you consider the bigger picture. The Norse gods, particularly the Valkyries, have always been associated with wind and flight. Their very essence is tied to the air itself. No wonder they're the guardians of the Zephyrite stone."
"Well, when you put it that way—"
"And your sister!" Seraphina practically bounces in her seat. "She might be able to help us navigate all this!"
The mention of my mysterious sibling reminds me of something that's been nagging at my brain. "Hey, speaking of my long-lost sister—you mentioned hearing something about this centuries ago. What exactly did you overhear?"
A shadow passes over Seraphina's delicate features, her eyes growing distant with memory. "It was right after the realms were sealed. I was stationed near the Hall of Light when I overheard Elysium speaking with Jophiel." She wrings her hands, a very un-angelic gesture of nervousness. "They were discussing the prophecy—about how one savior was dead and the other..." she pauses, choosing her words carefully, "unable to handle the power required. Elysium was insisting a new plan needed to be formed."
"What happened next?"
"Unfortunately, I was immediately called away to my duties," she sighs, clearly frustrated by the memory. "I only caught fragments after that—something about 'trying again' and 'this time it must work.' I never knew what all that meant." She smooths her hair, a nervous habit I've noticed. "But now? it's clear they were talking about you and Rhyland—well, the original plan for him and your sister, at least."
"So you got assigned to me as my guardian angel without knowing what or who I really was?"
Seraphina's delicate features cloud with memory. "Not at first. It wasn't until I was sent to protect your mother before Azrael could..." She trails off, those honey-colored eyes darkening with pain. We both know how that particular chapter ends—or would have ended if she hadn't intervened. "Elysium was furious when Azrael discovered the truth. It meant Moretemis knew about his backup plan." She shakes her head, golden hair catching the light. "That's when everything became clear—who you were, what you were destined to become…"
Well, isn't that just perfect? Even my guardian angel's assignment came with a side of secrecy. At least Seraphina turned out to be more than just my celestial babysitter—she's family now, whether my father likes it or not.
"Your father was... less than pleased, when he found out about Rhyland—his…nature. He thought something had gone terribly wrong, that your powers had been corrupted somehow. But now?" Her face lights up. "Now we all know the truth. Rhyland truly is and was your destined mate. The prophecy wasn't broken; we just didn't have all the pieces—it was fulfilling itself exactly as it should."
Looking back, I can't help but smile. Sure, Rhyland and I didn't exactly have love at first sight—more like lust, sass, and a healthy dose of supernatural drama. But that pull between us? That bone-deep certainty that we belonged together? That was real from the start, even if it took awhile for my brain to catch up with what my heart already knew.
