My response is kissing him in return, deep and slow. If the others weren’t right outside, I’d scream his name again. I dress and slip out of the room, joining my friends around the crackling fire.
“So, the resurrection stone?” Oak cuts the silence.
Silas blinks. “I’m sorry, what?”
Squeezing his hand, I pause, letting Oak continue. “We found some additional text on the steps you must take to bring someone back. The longer they’ve been dead, the more extensive the process. You must complete the ritual in thepresence of the four main elements. The process isn’t quick, but it’s doable.”
We stare at him as Oak recites what they’ve learned, sounding like he’s been studying for years. “Air, water, earth, and fire must be involved… and blood. Lots of it for the final ritual. If they are not performed in that order or skipped, it will be incomplete and won’t work. The stone can resurrect however many people you’d like, but there is a large cost: your magic, lifeforce, and soul if you continue to bring people back.”
“Thatcher,” is all I manage to say. “My father is using Thatcher to complete the rituals. It’s what he meant in the office, Oak! Our magic is already riled up during the trials from fear, anticipation, excitement, and the rituals. The bouts of magic aren’t noticeable since there is already such a surge. Doing this on his own would have caused too much suspicion!”
“I knew something was off during the second trial,” Silas cuts in. “When I arrived on the island, Thatcher, Cromwell, and the Twins were in the middle of the island instead of getting back in the water to win. I didn’t think anything about it at the time.”
“That means Calia is in on this, along with your father, Maines,” I add.
“So, it seems like he’s completed three of the four rituals then,” Maines joins in. “Air, water, and earth!”
Oak shakes his head. “No, Thatcher was knocked out during the third trial. I don’t think he ever completed one, so we have more time. They’re going to have to start over.”
Dread flushes my face, the color draining. “We don’t have time. Thatcher didn’t complete a ritual in the third trial… I did, within the earth element—the forest.”
“Shit,” Silas chimes in for the first time since the conversation started. We all glance in his direction. His head dips low, his mouth forming a thin line.
“I would have never let Rohhit die, Silas. You know that. I knew something was off when I blacked out and had the vision of my mother.”
“Briar, you didn’t just black out. Your body hovered over the ground. A silent scream was being ripped from your mouth like your body was desperate to get rid of whatever was being held inside. Tears were streaming from your black eyes. I couldn’t come near you. Shadows were swirling around you like a black veil,” Oak explains.
I lower my head. “When the ritual started, I saw my mother. The same thing happened to her. It’s what killed her. Rose was with her that night, but I don’t know why yet.”
We all exchange looks, the crackling fire blocking the silence from becoming unbearable.
“You were pure darkness, Briar, unlike anything I’ve ever seen or felt. What was moving around you was ancient. Your hands glowed black, the darkness snaking through your entire body like a disease. When I arrived, I pulled you from the shadows. The shadows around you didn’t hurt me. Oak tried, and it nearly took his hands off,” Silas adds.
I glance down at my hands, the black veins barely visible. “We’re going to have to continue to compete in these trials. We can’t let Thatcher successfully complete another ritual. And we’re going to have to break into my father’s study again. I know there’s something in there that we missed.”
“I’m coming with you, then,” Silas cuts in. “You aren’t doing this alone.”
Maines claps her hands. “Well, then it’s settled. You two are going to break into his study… again, and we’ll keep watch. I’m great at distractions, remember? I’ll poke around to see if I can find out what the fourth trial entails.”
For some reason, being closer to finding the truth doesn’t make me feel at ease. I need to speak to Rose to figure out whathappened the night my mother died. I know this is all connected, but I don’t know how. Maines and Oak gather a few books and place them in her satchel.
“We should all meet back up tonight! Oak, you are coming with me,” Maines says.
“To the ends of the realms, Miss Madden,” he replies with more meaning behind that than she realizes.
Oak follows her through the heavy doors, shutting them with a thud.
“I’m going to go ask some questions. Stalk, if you will, since you think I’m an expert on that.” Silas winks. Rolling my eyes, he closes the gap between us. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. See if you can find anything that could help us in the texts here.” He kisses my forehead and moves down to my mouth; a soft kiss sending a shock through my body. He shifts from where he stands, shadows lingering where he stood.
We don’t have time to wait until tonight. While my friends are away from danger, I’ll do what needs to be done, and I’ll do it fast.
Chapter 29
The castle halls are silent as the excitement from the trials fades with many of the fallen competitors. An honor was held for Cromwell and the twins. Cromwell’s mother’s sobs echoed through the crowd while Calia blankly watched my father speak, unable to accept her son’s death. She remained on the grounds long after the ceremony concluded, as if she were stuck to the earth, forever frozen in their memories.
My father stayed by her side for support.
I left no note or any signs of me leaving my room in case Silas returned. I don’t want him to know what I’m doing and try to stop me. I lost my family; I can’t lose anyone else I care about, and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I care deeply for Silas. It’s as if we’ve known each other forever, as if we’ve lived many lives together.
