“I can live with that answer.” Fen turns to enter the house once more. “Come on, let’s get you ready for the Archives. I have some armor that your ass is going to look amazing in.”
I boom a laugh and follow her into the house, but I can’t shake her question.
When this is over, what happens to Silas and me?
Chapter 34
The sky is aflame with the deepest shades of auburn and red as the sun sits low, barely peeking over the horizon in the fresh night sky. On the opposite side of the world, an unforgettable crimson moon rises, sending a chill up my spine. We exit Silas’s house together, as prepared as we possibly can be for tonight’s events. We spent the rest of the afternoon devising plans for various scenarios that usually ended with something going wrong, the plan failing, or not finding the Archives at all.
Despite preparing as much as I could, I feel like I have no clue what I’m up against.
We move across the vast grounds, and I revel in the open air. We take turns shifting toward the kingdom, but never all together so we don’t attract unwanted attention from the surges of magic. Something about being here has deepened my love for nature, despite the threat from the creatures in the woods.
That’s one thing I fear I’ll never get over.
I gaze up at the sky and think of all the past moons I experienced in Daramveer. Many times, I would venture out to the roof of the castle to watch the moon rise and fall after my birthday had passed. I never got over the beauty of the different moons marking each new season. However, this moon is filledwith an ominous calm that does nothing to settle our nerves as we head toward the castle in the night.
The moon's eerie red glow illuminates our surroundings, and the air feels thick—as if holding its breath in anticipation. The clouds above swirl in violent chaos, with tinges of a blood-red glow casting a beautiful yet unsettling feeling through my bones. This is the night, and I swallow down all the fear desperate to break loose.
Silas walks beside me, his towering body calm, steady, and filled with a lethal focus. He’s dressed in fine armor that perfectly contours over each of his finely toned muscles. The armor resembles what he wore upon our arrival, featuring a deadly serpent on the front and sturdy sections of thin metal that protect him from external threats. The other men are similarly attired, and I couldn’t help but feel surprised when I saw Oak clad in such darkness.
Fen lent me and Maines some of her finest armor—also adorned with serpents—allowing us to wear similar fittings to the men. Ours differs slightly, as our snake is bright gold, flashy, and a bit excessive, which perfectly describes Fenmore in most settings. I begged Silas to let me bring my axes, but he assured me that they would do nothing to protect us from the creature that dwells inside the Archives. I protested, but finally agreed to leave them behind. They would have looked perfect against the gold snake on my chest.
We walk together as a united force, outmatching the chaos that swirls above us in the sky. No one dares to come near, aware that it would be a deadly mistake, as we move closer to the castle. The castle grounds are quiet, and I can’t help but glance around every corner for something unseen. Anxiety about Malachi's return gnaws at me, but I push the feeling down.
We enter the castle from the back instead of the usual front door. Hours earlier, we decided that shifting to Silas’s roomwould be an obvious choice. Since we don’t know where the Archives will open and can’t afford any mistakes, we opted for a secret back passage that Fen knows about. That girl is sneaky, and I absolutely love her for it.
Moonlight shines through the castle's windows, making it appear as if blood is smeared across the stone walls. Our steps are soundless across the hard stone floors, and each noise has us all on edge. As we move deeper into the castle, the air becomes impossibly thick, and a bead of sweat forms on my brow—from the armor and nerves. Silas leads the way as we move through each winding hallway, always looking over his shoulder to make sure I’m close behind him. The others cover us with Warrick at the very back.
The lit torches compete with the brightness of the moon, and for the first time in a long while, I wish the darkness concealed us more. Being this exposed makes me uncomfortable, especially when we want to avoid any unwanted visitors. Silas comes to a stop and turns to face us all.
“Do you have the page with the Rigil?” he asks, looking at me.
I nod, patting my breast pocket. “Yup.”
“Any clue where this thing will open up?” Larkin asks.
“Unfortunately, no. I’m not aware of that. The last time I genuinely encountered it. A Traveler was pursuing me, so I was panicked and desperately searching for a place to hide.”
“So, emotions played a role in finding it,” Silas thinks aloud.
Oak steps forward and says, “There's no way you'll find another Traveler to chase her.”
Silas rolls his eyes. “No, Hombern. I’m not having that happen. However,” he says, clearly thinking. “Briar does have another creature that seems to help her.”
I snap my eyes at him. “Not an option. Plus, that thing comes when it wants, not when I call it.”
“Have you ever tried?” Larkin asks.
“Well, no,” I respond. “What do you suggest, Larkin? Just shout, ‘Come here, creature. Come help me, please.’”
Larkin huffs, “Alright, sheesh. I was just asking.”
I lean forward to nudge him, but he bats me away.
Silas sighs, obviously tired of us already. “Well, if that isn’t an option, we have to think of something and fast. We need to look for any signs that this is going to open up for us.”
I look at Fen, who stands closest to Warrick. As usual, her hand is wrapped around the jewel that hangs low on her neck, outside of her armor.
