Fear drenches her, and I notice a slight tremor move through her.
“Everyone out,” she shouts. “I am still queen of this kingdom for another day, and I demand you leave.”
Aerona points to the door, and Fen quickly stands, urging Silas to leave the room. He hesitates but eventually responds to his mother, encouraging Larkin to stand and head toward the door. I follow close behind them, hiding the book containing the Rigil under my shirt. I move across the room, unable to hide my irritation that this has gone horribly wrong again.
They cross through the door, and I hear her voice once more. “Briar can stay.”
Silas whips around. “What?”
“Briar,” Aerona repeats. “I would like to speak with you alone.”
I look at Silas, whose face is hard and filled with frustration. I slip the book into his hands and give him a reassuring smile.
“We have things to prepare, so don’t take too long,” Silas replies. “I’ll be outside.”
“I will let her leave in one piece, don’t worry.”
“Oh, I’m not.”
I slowly turn, having not yet fully exited the room, and face her. I steady my racing heart when I hear the latch sound from the door closing behind me. Aerona walks to the large window and looks toward the forest.
“I don’t blame you, Briar,” she says without turning to me. “Not for what happened with Malachi, or for anything that’s occurred.”
I slowly move behind her, waiting for her to face me again, but she doesn’t. She keeps her gaze fixated on the forest.
“Can Kalix hear us?” she asks, and the question catches me off guard.
“To an extent, I believe she can. But she is not present right now.” I pause, finding myself doing a quick check. “I’ve mastered keeping her at bay over the years. It’s difficult, but it’s doable,” I explain. “But, to be honest, it’s not manageable forever. Each day gets harder, and one day, I know my time will run out.”
She turns to me and studies me. “Does Silas know?”
“He knows a lot.” I shake my head. “But I haven’t told him the extent of how hard it is.”
“I know you keep it from him to protect him, to keep him from worrying, but don’t. He would burn this world to the ground for you and rebuild it using the bones of the fallen.”
My heart thunders. “That’s exactly why I keep it from him, Aerona. I fear he would destroy himself to protect me, and right now, I can’t put that on him. It’s an impossible weight to carry.”
“Nothing is impossible.” She moves toward me. “But, I understand your fear. There are many things I’ve kept a secret to protect those around me. It’s hard—it eats at me daily—and I fear every second that the truth will come forward.”
I know exactly what she is speaking about, but I remain quiet to allow her to ponder her own words.
Aerona fidgets with her necklace, moving the jewel in and out of her hands. The dark jewel gleams in the light. It’s distracting, even amid the beauty of this bedroom. I can’t help but stare at it.
“I’ve entered the Forgotten Archives a few times, and would you believe me if I told you each time was an accident? A gravitational pull for me to enter it.”
“I believe you,” I respond.
“I have always searched for something, knowledge regarding something, and each time I was lost in thought, desperate for answers, it would appear. I had family members go mad searching for the Archives, but it opened each time for me.”
Aerona moves back to the couch and plops down, like a weight sits heavily on her shoulders. I remain standing, watching her for a moment.
The queen lets out a shaky breath, recounting the memories. “Without knowing, I entered the Archives and was quickly turned away by the darkness that haunts there.”
I move to sit back down near her. “Is that the answer you were looking for? Haunting creatures that aren’t from this realm?”
She slowly pans her gaze to me. “Yes.”
“Why?”
