“I think Yara left me something in her room. Right before…you know what happened, she mentioned something. At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant, but it finally hit me.”
“Alright,” Silas replies. “What are we looking for?”
I shrug. “Since Malachi threw the book into the fire that contained the Rigil, we needed to enter the Forgotten Archives. I’m not sure what we are looking for.”
I turn the knob and push against the thick wooden door. The room is filled with an impenetrable darkness, and my senses are on high alert. Silas walks ahead of me toward the small sitting area and throws open the heavy curtains. Dust fills the air, and the room is instantly brightened by the sunlight streaming in from outside. Even in the glow, the room remains dim, musty, and aged. This definitely isn’t like the other rooms I’ve encountered in this castle.
A few things catch my eye that I didn’t notice before when I was in here. Books of all kinds—romance, history, and fiction—are scattered around the room along with beautiful paintings. A pang hits my chest, and I move deeper into the room. No one has been in here since Yara, and everything sits untouched. Larkinand Silas split up and begin looking through things that may be able to assist us.
“Wait,” I stop them. “I feel bad going through her things.”
They both pause, their hands almost touching her belongings, and exchange a glance.
“I don’t think she would have led you here if she didn’t expect you to look through her stuff. We will be able to cover more ground if we search together,” Silas responds.
He’s right. Our time is limited, so looking together will only help. I replay our brief conversation in my mind, but nothing stands out. Frustration bubbles in my chest as I move toward the window, trying to think of something, anything.
The city center below is dark, yet people travel to and from various places. I can’t help but think about how different Andorwood is from what I imagined. Yes, it’s dark and full of various deadly rebels, but it’s a kingdom. It’s people who want to live their lives away from the mainland, indifferent to the rumors that travel across the seas.
The men continue to shuffle through various papers and drawers in the room, but are unsuccessful at finding anything of importance. I peel my gaze away from the kingdom and scan the surroundings.
My eyes slide to the many books that scatter around the room. Outside of furniture, there aren’t many places that something could be hidden, so I take that as a sign to start there.
I move swiftly and crash to my knees in front of the books, beginning to flip through the pages. At this rate, it will take hours to sort through all these books. Silas and Larkin turn their attention to me.
“What are you doing?” Larkin questions.
“Maybe she hid something in the pages?” I respond. “I mean, I would hide something here.”
They join me, each grabbing a book. Larkin makes a huff, closing the spine, and I look in his direction.
“Not your style of reading?” I ask.
“I’ve read my fair share of romances, but this one isn’t a favorite of mine, is all.”
I bust out laughing.
“I’m serious, the ending made me so mad.”
Silas looks at Larkin and laughs. “You are something else, my friend.”
Focus silences our conversation as we continue flipping through numerous books. Silas concentrates on the history books, while Larkin and I browse through all the romance novels. Pages filled with tales of great adventures and even greater love catch my eye, and I mentally note to read a few of them when things calm down. If they ever do calm down, I remind myself. Time feels like it's passing at warp speed, and I know each second that ticks by is another moment lost in our search for something.
Larkin stands, shakes his hand, and gives his back a good pop, taking only a second’s rest.
“How can someone have so many books?” Larkin crouches back down and returns to flipping through the worn pages.
“It’s easy,” I shrug.
Each completed book makes my heart ache more, knowing we’ve found nothing. I know she wanted me to come here, and this has to be where a clue lies. Frustration begins to overwhelm me, and even though I know the others feel the same, the men continue to help me search.
After finishing flipping through the last book before us, I drop mine and head back to the window, letting the cool night air calm my frustration. We are missing something—I know it, but I can’t figure out what. Under the window is a small sittingarea covered with worn pillows and a few blankets. This must be where she spent many hours reading these books.
I lower my hands to move a few pillows when a book falls from behind one and hits the ground, echoing throughout the room. Larkin and Silas glance in my direction, making puzzled faces. My heart begins to thunder, and a sense of hope sparks within me.
I lean down, grasping the book’s old leather spine. The thick red hardback weighs down my arm as I lift it to get a better look. I flip the book over and see the title,The Huntress.
This isn’t a romance but more a haunting fiction book that tells the tale of a brave woman who sets out to travel to the darkest realm to fight death itself. I shudder at the thought of the story I was told as a young child, remembering it vividly. The woman in the story always believed she was the hunter, but in fact, she was being hunted her entire life, driven there by fate. In the end, she never makes it out. This story used to give me nightmares as a child. Even though this book haunted me, I hold it closer and bring it over toward Silas and Larkin.
