“I won’t lie, the future is bleak no matter what path is chosen. Many, many lives will be lost.”
“Is there anything we can do to prevent it?”
Eimear tilted her head back to stare at the heavens. “What do you think I’ve been doing?”
“Is that why you can’t sleep, either?”
“Partly.” Her eyes flickered toward Arianna’s wrists. “The rest, well, I’m certain you have your own demons to face.” Arianna was sure they all did at this point. “So,” Lady Eimear continued, unwilling to expand on her own darkness. “I’m certain Lord Avalon put you through just as much schooling as I required of my own younglings. Tell me, what is our next move?”
“To prepare.”
“And how does one go about preparing?”
“I—” Arianna had seen a village prepare for a battle they could never have hoped to win. She’d prepared to face Niall and his warriors. She’d even prepared to face Vairik when she’d gone after her sister. But how did one prepare to face off against an entire horde of monstrous creatures?
“I’m not asking you to plan the entire war.”
“I don’t know.”
“We study our enemy, Arianna. We learn everything we can, then make a counter strike.”
“But the scouts don’t come back. No one ever comes back.”
“You did. Your companions did, which means there are others who have done the same.”
“How do we find them?”
“We read the words they left behind.”
Books? “But Vairik changed everything.”
“Not everything,” Eimear said, pushing off from the railing. “Have you so quickly forgotten the information Connall bestowed on you? If you recall, they started their organization right here in this city.”
Arianna tried to filter through Connall’s words. She wasn’t even sure, until now, whether the conversations had been real.
“He mentioned a library.” Tension tightened her features, the headache rising again. “Something … underground?” Arianna grabbed the side of her head as piercing pain spurred through her.
“We’ll have to fix those.”
“What?” Arianna asked, her vision slightly blurred.
“The pain. I’ll talk to Sive in the morning.”
Arianna stood straighter. “Sive? She’s here? They’re all right?”
“No one told you? They met up with your father in Levea. They were part of the reason so many made it out of the city alive. And not to worry, her child is absolutely delightful. It’ll be nice to have a little one in these halls again.”
Tears of happiness sprang to life behind Arianna’s eyes. The Weavers. The Weavers had helped them escape. “So you’ve spoken to them.”
“Yes, Sive helped me quite a bit. I’m certain she is the only reason I’m able to speak to you right now.” Eimear looked down at her wrist. “She did a lot to alleviate the shackles Niall still had over my mind.”
“But how does an entire library exist? How did Vairik miss it?”
“He didn’t. He just couldn’t access it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s reserved for The Divine and her mate. Only those with the necessary magic can open the lock.”
