She gave him a softer smile. “It should be clear, young Heir.” Her milky eyes ran across his face. “Yes, Meela was correct. You have the look of the Hanovans about you. Have you returned to reclaim what you lost?”
Lierick looked uncomfortable for the first time since he’d turned up at the gates of Boellium War College. Apparently, he decided to go with honesty. “Yes, ma’am.”
She gave him another wide grin. “Good. Then you’ll want to follow me.”
Like ducklings, we all followed behind her, except Braxus, who stayed to watch the exit and wait for Kian’s return. I sent my thoughts out to both of my hounds, seeking their consultation. Animals could sense things about people even the Third Line couldn’t detect.
Braxus sent me an image of an old hound chasing its tail. He thought they were crazy.
Alucius huffed her disagreement and sent an image of an owl in a cage. Wise, but they’d been down here by themselves too long.
That was my feeling too. It was in the way they were so happy to see Kian Halhed, like he’d brought the sunshine personally.
I thanked them both for their input, and Alucius walked at my side. I had my hand wrapped in Avalon’s, unwilling to let her stray too far from me. Although I knew that the futures she’d reset could no longer occur, it was a lesson written in blood on every single page. If I let her too from my grasp, she got hurt. Or Vox did. I couldn’t withstand her pain, if anything happened to that surly asshole. Honestly, the longer I spent by his side, the more I loved him too.
Down into the mountain we went. There were doors off to the left and right, and I once again wondered where we were. Or who’d built this place, because regardless of how impressive Meela and Reeba were, unless they were powerful members of the Fifth Line, there was no way they could have bored a hole this far into the mountain by themselves.
I tried to guess what Line they were from, but they didn’t have any distinguishing features. Or maybe I was just out of practice noticing the tells. After all, I never would’ve guessed that Celis was from Bine.
Finally, Reeba pushed open a set of large wooden doors, Iker stepping forward to assist, like she was feeble and probably hadn’t hauled open these doors every day of her life.
Avalon’s gasp was justified. Beyond the heavy wooden doors was what could only be considered a dragon’s hoard of gems and artifacts. Books lined the walls right to the ceiling. Heavy wooden crates were stacked high, all labeled professionally, but not in any language I could read.
We all stepped inside, fanning out as if we could see everything there was to see instantly. There was no way.
“This is the true Soul of Ebrus,” Reeba said softly, her voice reverent.
Vox’s eyes were wide. “This is… I don’t understand.” He stopped in front of a large shelf of leatherbound books, running a finger just out of reach of the book’s spines.
I wandered closer to the crates. They were written in no language I’d ever seen, and gave no hints to what could be inside.
“What language is this?” I asked Reeba. I just assumed she’d know what I was referring to, because she seemed to know so many things, despite the limitations of her sightlessness.
“The High Language.”
Lierick spun. “The Votresses…”
Reeba gave him an encouraging smile. “Yes. The Votresses also have texts in the High Language. I assume that perhaps the Sixth Line would have some texts in their own library written in the language, though I doubt they could read it any longer.”
Lierick nodded, but he’d drifted to a sword that was mounted on the wall. He stared, and stared, and stared some more. It was a nice sword, both intricately designed and practical. There was a seal in the crossguard, a family crest, two wolves’ heads forming the guards, and the pommel had a starburst shape etched into the silver, a brilliant blue stone set inside.
It was a beautiful sword.
Iker moved toward him, his eyes also wide. “Is that…”
“Luftan Hanovan’s sword,” Lierick breathed.
Luftan Hanovan had been the last Baron of the Second Line before they fell. The one who had saved the Second Line, but sacrificed so many others, including himself.
Reeba gave them a sad smile. “Yes.”
Meela appeared behind us, Kian and Celis at her side. “Luftan was a great Baron. He not only thought of the current members of his Line, but far into the future. Should the Second Line ever rise again, he wanted them to have access to their history. He approached us about storing the Second Line’s archives. He couldn’t send a bunch of leatherbound journals and dusty old swords to Ozryn, when he could send one more of his people to safety in their stead. He approached our predecessors, wishing to give them a selection of texts and artifacts for ‘preservation.’” Meela shook her head. “They couldn’t have known that it was preservation in the face of a genocide.”
Oh shit.This was the Second Line’s whole history, buried in the mountains of no-man’s land.
“Approached whom exactly? Who are you?” Vox asked again.
Reeba threw back her head and laughed. “Have you still not worked it out, young Heir? I thought you were sharper than this.”
