We hear a thud behind us that makes my shoulders shoot upward. I slowly gaze around the desk to see Elrod lying on the floor at my father’s feet. Calia standing over him proud.
“Lornx, I would never make you look foolish. I didn’t go over you; I was merely trying to implement the plan faster,” Elrod begs.
My father steps closer to him, standing on one of his hands, and a groan leaves Elrod’s mouth. “If you ever make me look stupid again, I will kill you and your family.”
My heart drops at the thought of Maines.
“My king, I would never. Only your word and plan will be followed from now on,” he winces.
“Very well, we are getting closer to the rituals being completed. You must trust me and your son to complete them. Thatcher will do what needs to be done, and you know that!”
He offers Elrod a hand, pulling him up.
“The stone is safe, and your only concern is making amends with our guests. You are the one who looks foolish.”
Elrod shuffles out of the door, leaving my father and Calia standing before the fire. “Every day, we are closer, my love. This will be different soon. You’ll see.” He caresses Calia’s face. Her wide grin toward my father leaves a pit in my stomach.
I jerk my head under the desk, hitting it slightly on the desk. A quiet thud travels to my father as he looks directly at us, hiding behind the thick wood.
Oak closes his eyes in preparation to fight or be killed. I can’t decide which, and I’m instantly hit with a memory of the trouble we used to get into as children. I guess things haven’t changed much. The king takes a step toward us, following the sound of a loud crash coming from outside of the door, breaking their gaze toward one another. Calia pulls him toward the door, swinging it open, nearly taking it off the rusty hinges.
A massive exhale caves my chest in as I breathe for what seems like the first time in ages.
“Holy shit,” Oak whispers, “we need to leave. Immediately.”
I quickly move from behind the desk, pulling his large body with me. We didn’t have enough time to finish reading the scroll. We quietly slip into the hallway.
Maines rushes around the corner. “Gods, I thought you two were dead!”
“We need to get to my bedroom immediately so we can talk. Don’t say another word.”
I grab both of their hands and shift through the shadows of the castle hallways. Mist takes over my body as I grunt, pulling the weight of two additional adult bodies.
Landing with a thud, I release their hands, my breathing jagged from both Maines and Oak.
“Impressive, Princess, it’s not easy carrying people during a shift,” Oak applauds.
“Sit down and shut up,” I order, gesturing to the sitting area. I collapse into a chair, the antique creaking under my weight. “That was a complete failure. We’re no closer to finding anything out, and I think I lost five years of my life in fear.”
Oak slumps into the chair beside Maines, attempting to throw his arm around her. She bats him away with a huff, making Oak smile, his white teeth shining in the light cast by the fire. “I wouldn’t say it was a failure, Princess. I got enough from the text to point us in the right direction. I know what the markings on the crystal mean, possibly even do.”
“What!”
Maines pushes his arm. “Go on!”
Oak takes a second to get the translation accurate, “The script was super specific and extremely lengthy, but from what I gathered in those few seconds, the marking means… resurrection.”
“No offense, but nothing good can come from your father having his hands on a resurrection stone.” Maines breaks the silence. “What do you think he’s planning to do?”
I rack my brain, thinking about the conversations I had with Barlowe, but nothing concrete comes to mind. “I’m not sure, but I don’t like it. My mother must have had something to do with this.”
“What happened while you were in the study? It didn’t look like a pleasant conversation by the state my father left in,” Maines asks.
Oak leans back, rubbing his temples.
“My father threatened him,” I explain. “He told Elrod not to make him look foolish again and that Thatcher would completethe rituals. But we still don’t know what that means. He also mentioned that Thatcher would do whatever was necessary, which makes me nervous.”
Maines nods in agreement. “Believe me, I know Thatcher is rotten. He always has been. He’s no brother of mine.”
