Page 114 of A Legacy of the Light

He positions the ladder so he can climb and retrieve the book, handing it to me before scaling down.

The white thread of the Seòlta doesn’t immediately disappear. Instead, it illuminates a page about halfway through the book.

“That’s new,” Finneus mumbles.

When Màiri got out, she could have used her magic to disguise herself, and age as a mortal would. She could have lived in the mortal world, waiting for the right time to come back.

I flick through the pages until I get to the one faintly glowing with the magic of the library guardian.

When I open it, there’s an incredibly detailed and lifelike rendering across the two pages. A woman with long flowing golden hair the exact same shade as mine, wearing silver armor covered in blood and dirt, stands atop a hill overlooking a brutal battlefield.

I move under the light of the sconce to get a better look at her face. My eyebrows pinch and tears spill over my lower lashes.

“Is this Màiri Darrow?” I ask Finneus around a tight throat.

“Yes,” Finneus confirms, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“That’s my Granny,” I whisper as more tears fall. I stroke the drawing of my grandmother.

I feel Finneus’s shock. “Are you sure?”

I look over the image again just to be certain. Her green eyes are sad and tired. There aren’t many photos of Granny and Grandpa from when they were young, but I would know her anywhere. It’s her.

“Yes. I’m sure.”

Finneus squeezes my shoulder, and I stare into her face as if she might turn and look at me. I miss her so much.

“Do you think the Dorche found her? In the human world? Do you think they killed my mom? Is that what happened?”

I know Finneus can’t answer. I never understood why Grandpa didn’t ask more questions, and I didn’t believe the police when they told us about the accident, something just didn’t add up. Now, standing here in the secret chambers of a magical kingdom, finding out that Granny was their queen, the puzzle finally fits.

It wasn’t an accident at all. Mom was murdered by the Dorche, and they took the rightful ruler of this kingdom.

A sob escapes me. Finneus pulls me into a hug and comforts me as I cry into his chest.

“Shh, it’s okay, dear.”

His scent of old books, and a hint of peppermint, feels so much like home that I can’t hold back the pain.

“I never bought it,” I cry. “I never believed the bullshit we got told about the accident, and Grandpa never questioned it. Did he know?” Betrayal runs through me. He must have known. They all knew. My entire family knew what we were and didn’t tell me.

“Elsie, the Dorche wouldn’t have been able to get through the barrier. It’s guarded night and day,” Finneus says as he rubs a comforting hand down my back.

My head pounds with my tears and the information I’m trying to process.

I sniffle and pull back from him. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, dear. It’s guarded by the strongest Seelie because it’s failing. Dorche wouldn’t get through without us knowing about it.”

His words stop my sobs but don’t take my suspicions away completely. I still have too many unanswered questions and it makes too much sense to me. But how would they have gotten through the barrier if it’s guarded as Finneus claims?

“Let’s get some tea,” Finneus suggests. He gently takes my hand and leads me toward the stone that opens back into the library.

He places his palm on the mountain door and I ask, “Does this mean I have magic? Can I wield?”

“It’s difficult to say,” Finneus replies as we exit the chamber. “It’s not an exact science. Just because they could wield doesn’t mean you can.” He keeps his voice low, making sure we won’t be overheard.

I let him lead me to the area with plush sofas and chairs where Tavish waited for me on my first visit here. I sit in a chair right by the fire, which Finneus ignites with a flick of his wrist.