“How the hell would someone in Daramveer have access to this poison? It hasn’t been around for hundreds of years, and it’s not from these lands.”
“That’s exactly what we are trying to find out,” I cut in.
Oak keeps flipping through the pages while Maines hovers nearby, watching carefully. Looking over his shoulder, he breaks the silence and says, “If I could see more of these, I might be able to help further. At least I could translate some of the text to gain a better understanding of what we’re dealing with.”
She narrows her eyes. “We? We don’t need a partner. Briar and I plan to figure this out on our own. Thank you, though.”
“Well, good luck reading this without me. I’m not sure why I’m hanging around if I’m so unwanted.” He straightens up. “Thanks again for saving me, Briar. I owe you one.” He stands, brushing off the dust peppering his pants from the books.
He turns to walk from the sitting area when I groan, “Stop, Oak.”
Maines snaps her head in my direction, looking annoyed. “We are going to need help, and for some foolish reason, I trust you after all these years.”
A grin spreads across his face, showing a row of white teeth. “Perfect. Let’s get started tomorrow. I’ll meet you both here, and we can head to the House of Hedro. I’ve always wanted to see it and the healers running around.” He winks at Maines before exiting.
“What the fuck, Briar,” she fumes.
I lock the door behind Oak and move back to Maines, who is once again pacing around the room.
“You don’t trust anyone, but for some reason, you’re willing to tell him everything?”
“Yes, I do trust him. He’s a good person. Can’t you feel his aura?”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t want to feel anything from him, but that’s fine. We’ll head there early tomorrow. The women are going to love him.”
Many hours later, my eyes sting from staring at the textbooks, a wave of exhaustion hitting me harder than the second trial did. I finish reading, and close the third book, but I’m no closer to finding anything. Old stories of the Great Wiitches and wars from long ago fill the pages, but I can’t decipher any of them. We’re going to need Oak to help us read the ancient text.
I glance at Maines, her eyes closed and her breath deep. Her legs are propped on the table, and her head is tilted to the side, a quiet snore escaping her lips. I chuckle at her current state before moving toward my bed to grab a blanket for her. Just having her here makes me feel calmer—I pray that sleep will come quickly to me tonight.
Finally, I flop onto my bed and let out a soft groan as the cold sheets meet my skin. I force myself to relax, beginning at my fingertips and working my way down. A deep breath escapes me as thoughts of the past week race through my mind.
Block it out, Briar.
Sleep.
Images of my brother’s body and rising black waters make my heart race. I swear I can feel the Serpyndens clawing at my ankles. Fear takes over as I kick my legs to make sure it’s my imagination. For a moment, I question whether I’m having a nightmare or if my dreams are slowly becoming a reality.
Sighing, I sit up in bed. Maines lies still in the exact position, sleeping gracefully. Scanning my bedroom, my eye catches sight of the moving curtains against the outside breeze. The slow movement reminds me of the creature haunting my reality whenI realize I’m not staring at curtains anymore and Maines and I aren’t the only ones in my bedroom.
The creature wears its familiar black cloak; however, this time, I see its face. Its thin lips, or lack thereof, are pursed—like it's studying me—surprised I’m not asleep. Its eyes are an unholy black and gray, and cracked skin coats its body. I glance at Maines, my eyes wide, as she continues to sleep peacefully, unaware of what lurks near her in the shadows.
My whole body stiffens as the creature’s gaze slowly travels to Maines. A dagger, along with both axes lie on the floor beside my bed. They may stop the creature, but I’ve got to grab them first should it lunge. I drape my leg over the bed’s edge, prepping to grab whichever weapon I can reach first.
“What do you want?” I ask, not knowing if I genuinely want the answer.
The creature snaps its lifeless eyes in my direction, noticing I’m reaching for the steel. It points its long, great fingers in my direction as if I’m to stop moving.
“Okay, I won’t grab anything if you promise you aren’t going to hurt us,” I whisper.
It responds with a nod.
“What do you want?” I ask again, my voice quaking.
The creature moves toward Maines, and panic swirls in my chest as I leap from the bed, grabbing the dagger tightly in my hand. It freezes, retreating further into the shadows by the adjacent wall. Once more, the fire casts no shadows on the obscure creature.
“Sorry,” I whisper, trying not to wake Maines. “You make me nervous.”
Again, the creature nods and floats back in its original direction toward the books scattered on the table and floor. A sudden gust of wind rips open a book, flipping the pages rapidly on the small table near Maines.
