Chapter forty-four
Esmeray
IwatchedLennainhaleand exhale, low and controlled. I knew the enormous strain she was under, especially since she admitted to using the Prism herself while closed off in her bedroom. Next to me, Laurent was droning on about different dialects of the fae and how the words scrawled on the paper were purely phonetic and spoken like languages that went extinct long ago.
Unfortunately, none of us could confirm any other tidbits of information, and all admitted a translator would be necessary to even start in the right direction.
Lenna began trembling next to me, shaking so hard that the fork in front of her started rattling. I grabbed her hand–it was cold as ice. I gasped. Merrick shouted for Sparrow, who came running out of the kitchen.
Lenna’s eyes flew open–but her gaze was unfocused, dazed.
“The light will swallow up the darkness. Forgetting darkness absorbs light every night.
When the moon is full, the darkness will feast, and the beasts will rejoice and rally overthe coming blood.”
I shook her by the shoulders, shouting her name, but she didn’t come to. Lenna swayed in her chair, her head slowly turning to look through me.
“The darkness absorbs the light. Black wings conceal the moon. The blood runs below the veil.”
Lenna smiled, the hazy grin lopsided, before her entire body pitched forward. I caught her head in my hands before she could smash against the wooden table.
My heart raced, Laurent furiously repeated and wrote down what Lenna had said.
Fuck. Seer indeed.
Sparrow knelt next to Lenna’s chair, placing a large glass of ice water in front of her as Lenna let out a garbled moan, squeezed her eyes shut, and slowly picked her head up from the table. As she slumped back, rubbing her eyes and blinking furiously, she startled, darting her head around the table, as if she just realized we were all staring at her.
“It–it happened again…didn’t it?” Lenna asked, her voice no more than a rough whisper. Merrick huffed a confirmation, his face grim. I looked over Lenna’s curly hair, meeting Sparrow’s hard eyes. She nodded once and angled her head towards the kitchen, requesting a private conversation. I gently rubbed Lenna’s back before standing. Merrick and Laurent, sensing the shift in Sparrow and my demeanors, stood as well. Merrick claimed my seat, Laurent slid into the empty chair at the head of the table. Lenna looked from one to the other, confusion causing the thin lines on her forehead to crinkle further. Laurent began reading back to Lenna the words she spoke, the Oracle growing more and more pale.
I followed Sparrow into the kitchen, throwing a golden light against the door so the others in thedining room couldn’t hear.
“She needs to stop using the Prism so much,” Sparrow snapped half-heartedly, busying herself by pouring the now steaming coffee into various mugs.
I leaned against the cabinets, rubbing my horns, the swirl comforting and familiar, the ridges along the sides tactical and soothing. “I agree, but what the fuck was that prophecy about?”
Sparrow shrugged as she placed each mug on a circular tray. “It could be anything–something that will happen tomorrow, or something that’ll occur years from now. We need to focus on containing Adara and getting Keerian back, the prophecy can wait.”
“What if its connected?” I pushed, flaring out a wing to cut Sparrow off from the kitchen door.
She threw me a withering look before nudging my wing with the tray in her hands. “What if it isn’t, and we get tripped up in the semantics? I have an idea on who can potentially translate the spell. You, me, and Lenna need to go to town tomorrow morning. Keeping her hidden is not helping anymore.”
“What about the rest of the spells?” I hated myself the second the words came out. Lenna was tapped–another dive into the Prism could put her dangerously close to a burn out. The last thing we needed was for our Seer-Oracle to spend the next week unconscious while her magic replenished.
Sparrow glared at me. “Lenna needs to rest. I know how serious this is with Adara, but Lenna is ouronlyway to get the information we need. Let her sleep tonight, and we will bring the spells we know to town tomorrow. AndifLenna seems rested in the morning, thenIwill anchor her and search for the rest of them. You havegotto sit some of this out–let us help you. You are no use to Keerian if you are burnt out as well.”
I put my hands up in mock surrender. I truly didn’t want anything to happen to Lenna. I’d only met her a few days ago, and already felt a fierce need to protect her. I waved my hand and the golden barrier disappeared. Sparrow stepped back into the dining room, immediately fussing over Lenna, and placing mugs at every seat–except mine.
I smiled. She knew me so well.
I stood in the doorway for a long moment, taking in the comradery, the soft words to Lenna. The closeness that, only days ago, had been nonexistent, now bloomed and grew like the thick, strong vines wrapping around Sparrow’s garden. I took one more moment to watch, before I waned in a flash of golden light.
Chapter forty-five
Merrick
“Where’sEsmeraygoing?”Merrickdirected gruffly to Sparrow once the gold light winked out. Sparrow hummed a non-answer, settling against the lavender chair across from him. “What did you talk about?” His eyes narrowed, taking in the fae female slowly sipping her coffee, her eyes never leaving Merrick’s in a silent challenge.
“If Esmeray wanted you to know, she would’ve announced it to the whole room,” Sparrow replied simply, setting her mug down on the table. She smiled sweetly at Merrick, resting her chin in her hands. “Don’t question your Queen’s actions.” The tone was gentle, but Sparrow’s words were edged with venom. “I mean, sheisyour Queen, right?”
