“So you think someone brought it across the borders?” Kohen asked, sliding his legs off the table. “Who, and why?”
Sawyer shrugged. “Who? I have no idea. But as to why, maybe they knew what it was.”
“But there'snothingeven written in it,” I added. “And if that's the case, then they had to know Cicily personally to even know what the journal was.”
“And for it to end up in Beaumont’s study, they also had to knowhim.” Sebastian’s epiphany was soft spoken, but blew all of our minds.
“Lucan?” Pia asked.
Sebastian shook his head. “No. He would have worked to give Beaumont the other journal, too.”
“Unless he thought it was destroyed. Or he didn't know there was another one,” she responded.
Sebastian’s head shook again, his dark hair flowing into his eyes. “No. The journals weren’t something she ever spoke about. I don’t think my father even knew she was a seer. There's no way Lucan knew.”
We sat in silence for a while, racking our brains.
We ruled out Lucan and Aldous after a bit more discussion. Pia was ticked off about it, but we even considered the possibility of her mother, Ottilie, but ultimately ended up ruling her out as well.
We were at a crossroads. Then it struck me.
“Venay,” I whispered.
“What?” Kade answered.
I raised my voice. “Venay. She was probably one of the only people who knew about the journal.” I looked at Seb. “She was friends with your mother. She enchanted the journal. She must have known what it was.”
“There is no possible way that Venay would do something like that.” Kade's demeanor darkened, a scowl forming from ear to ear. “I have known Venay since Archer brought her here. She has never shown me an evil bone in her body.”
“And why would she help us find it if she gave it to Beaumont?” Pia questioned.
“I don't know,” I answered honestly, briefly considering Kade’s words.
“And why would she offer to undo the enchantment if she didn’t want us to read it?” Sawyer added.
I slumped back in my seat. “I also don’t know.”
“Maybe she didn’t just undo the enchantment,” Kohen supplied and all our attention refocused to him, “maybe she erased the pages. Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to read it.”
“Oh, fuck.” Sebastian sounded like he was going to be sick. He stood up and closed the door to the common room, leaning back against it before he spoke again. “When Beaumont had me in the dungeon, he told me that Lucan wasn’t the only one he had working for him across the continent. He said he had assistants wandering the halls of the castle and our cities. He said they were aids to his plans.”
“Oh, fuck,is right.” The knowledge made Sawyer shoot up to his feet. “Well, there's only one way to be sure. Let’s go question this bitch.”
Sawyer started for the door, but Sebastian pushed him back. “Not yet. We should find out how long Venay has even been in Lumosia first. This is an awfully big claim to make, and if we’re wrong…”
“If Venay is working with Beaumont, then wouldn’t he know about Lumosia?” Pia raised the question. “He wouldn't have bothered taking Seb, and the Draemornian army would be here by now for Maeve.”
Valid points. Both of which no one had an answer to, though I had an idea. “My father told me when I first arrived here that only he could bring people into Lumosia—until I arrived, and the wards fell. Now anyone could stumble into the land.”
“Okay. But still, with the wards dropped wouldn't she have led Beaumont here by now?” Kade pitched, his skepticism still plain as day.
“I’ll ask my father how much he really knows about Venay,” I suggested, holding my palms up in innocence. How I would start that conversation beats me, but I'd figure it out.
“Do you really think he would give her up if he knew anything?” Kade scoffed in my direction.
I grimaced at him. “Why wouldn’t he? I’m his daughter.”
“Yeah, and Venay is his wife. Who he has known longer than you, I should add.”
