“I wasn’t always a chef.” He shrugged, opening the book to look over the content distractedly. “I studied anthropology and my mother, even though a Catholic, was obsessed with old myths and legends. As a child, she told me stories about the Chimeras and their ever changing appearances, their involvement in developing the land to make it more welcoming to humans, how they reshaped the mountains with fire at whim. About the Phoenixes and their regenerating magic, and how they made humans more and more resistant to sickness and age. The majestic Dragons and their commitment to increase people’s strength and riches…She had an old thousand-page book she used to read to me at night.”
I drank his words, storing each information in different boxes in my mind.
“My mother read that their combined strength gave powers to humans or turned a few to animals.” He gave me a pointed look. “And she also thought that something terrible must have happened to each of the three species as they stopped reproducing or being seen centuries ago, right as their blessed humans started to change for the worse.”
Corrupted Warlocks. That might have been what Dimitri meant.
“The Maiden,” I whispered, eyes drifting between his. He leaned back in his chair, bringing the cup of tea to his lips, hiding a slight smile. “Wait, what do you know about the Maiden?”
“Not much, unfortunately. Only that it’s a special woman meant to marry an Astral and give him his heir.”
So it might have been why they were extinct now…If Lola was the Maiden and she escaped, there could be no heir.
“They can’t select another one?” I asked.
Aymeric shook his head. “The Maiden is special. Astrals can have as many children as they want, but there can be only one heir. One child with genes strong enough to become the new leader of each clan. The child the Maiden must carry, and the offspring was always a male. Without that special woman, the line weakens.”
“But what if there are no Maidens? What if she dies? What if sheescapes?”
He seemed to ponder that for a while, fumbling with the leathery notebook on his lap.
“For the latter, I guess the Astral would get in an undying rage and chase her until he gets her back. After all, their urge to pass down their powers to the next generation must be strong after the first ones were stuck in their positions for millions of years.”
My eyes widened. So everything I read before he showed up, he already knew. And here I thought it was secret knowledge…
“Why are you suddenly so interested in the topic? It’s only tales, nothing has never been proven about their existence.”
Was it? Because a lot of things started to make sense and clicked into place since I first found that book in Lola’s hand. Since her damn tears stained the paper.
“These books started showing up unexpectedly in the Archives, and it feels like Margaret is enjoying playing with my head.”
Aymeric chuckled, the sound warm and deep. “Maybe she’s not a spirit,” he said. “What if she’s actually an elemental Sprite?”
What?What the Hell was a sprite?
“That would be hilarious. And it would explain why she tries to make you read about the beings that brought them to our planet with them.”
Fuck, I’d need to go back to the Archives and get more books, because everything Aymeric told me I either already knew or raised more questions. And maybe Margaret—or whatever her name was—could give me some answers.
Chapter 6
Lola
Marcus washed our dishes as I tied my shoelaces. There was no way to know when I’d get some energy back, so back to real clothes it was…
“Where are we going if I’m not allowed in the Archives?”
I had my first full night of sleep in a whole week, and I had to admit that the bed was way more comfy than the Archive’s sofas. Real food was also significantly improving my mood after eating snacks and chips for so long. Aymeric was not around this morning, but he’d left me a whole plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in the fridge with a kind little note. How adorable was that? He was like the father I always wished I had.
Even though Maggie had kept spawning coffee multiple times a day, her food offerings had turned more rare with each passing day. It should have tipped me off on the fact that she was getting annoyed at me for staying there.
I guess even moody spirits needed their space too.
“I have the day off before I’m switching to evening shifts,” Marcus said, drying his hands with a towel before throwing the wet fabric on the counter and picking his phone out of his back pocket. “I’m showing you around town today. It’s a bit sad that you still haven’t seen everything even though you’ve almost been here for a month now.”
I discreetly folded the towel and hung it where it was supposed to be; Aymeric would be upset if he came back tonight and found it still damp, and I couldn’t stand to see the disapproving glance another time. He’dscoldedme like a child for staying at the Archives and not coming here earlier. Not going through that again.
“Not sure if you know this, but the town is separated into three distinct areas.”
