Page 94 of Wraithwound

The instant she pulled it off the shelf, she was met with an overwhelming scent; floral, gentle, and so very familiar. The scent of the God’s Eye flower. She recognized the book she held in her hands. It was her grandfather’s journal.

She didn’t feel the impact of the stone floor when she fell to her knees clutching the journal at her chest. It had gone missing the day her grandfather was killed. She truly never thought she’d see it again, never have the opportunity to read his thoughts or explore his insights, for the journal contained so much more than his knowledge or findings. Each entry was followed by something personal, a summary of what he’d done that day, details about a new game he’d played with her, places he hoped to take her and Henry. It included quotes from his friends, new ideas, and his goals for the future because he liked to link his findings to his life, claiming it made the technical side of healing easier to recall in a medical crisis.

But she had found it. Or rather, it had found her. What she would do to see her mother once again, to share the journal with her and Henry, too. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lena stood and turned to find the light of the crystal.

“Do you typically hug books before you read them?”

Jade’s voice came from behind, and Lena turned to find the young woman leaning against one of the stacks, genuine curiosity on her face. She had no idea how long she’d been standing there or what she might have seen, but Lena didn’t care.

“Dauen is back in his lab,” Jade said. “Do you want to head there now?”

“I’d prefer to go to my room,” Lena managed.

Jade nodded. Concern lined her features, but she walked Lena out of the library and back to her room, departing with a promise to send dinner. Lena was shocked to learn she’d spent the entire day in the library.

Unlike the night before, Lena fell asleep immediately with the leather-bound journal still clutched to her chest. When she awoke a few hours later, she felt rested, like a piece of her soul had settled. The eleuth was curled in front of the fire yet again, and she smiled at the sight of it.

Lena wandered over to the tray that had been left by the door to see what had been served for dinner. Put off by the thin film of fat that had settled atop a bowl of soup, she reached for the hard cheese and bread that accompanied it instead. Lena pulled the small plate atop the bed next to her and reached for her grandfather’s journal.

Inspecting the worn leather, she noticed a small God’s Eye flower had been stamped into the spine. When she touched it, gentle energy zinged her finger. It was this design she’d seen glowing in the dim light of the library. Lena marveled at the magic that emanated from the book, wondering how it worked, and wished she could ask her grandfather about it. About all of it. She’d always been told the land was devoid of magic, but that didn’t seem to be entirely true. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the cover and began to read.

Lena let the heartbreak spill out of her as she cried, laughed, and reminisced. While the grief she experienced anew made her feel raw and tender inside, it also reminded her why she’d gone into healing in the first place. She remembered the hope she’d brought others and the relief she’d felt when she managed to spare them from pain or grief. Lena revisited all of the most wonderful parts of her childhood, holding the memories close to her heart as they healed yet another broken part of her.

It was in those pages that she found herself again. Reconnected with who she’d been and found forgiveness for who she’d become after her mother disappeared. Lena would always mourn the loss of her family, and although grief made her life feel darker, heavier, it also connected her to her humanity in a way nothing else could.

The last few pages detailed information about the final patient he’d worked with. Something about the case struck a note of familiarity, clearing the fog of sleep from her mind, and she set to work piecing it together.

Chapter

Fifty-Two

Lena nearly burst out of her room the next morning when Jade showed up at her door. She’d been up the rest of the night reading through her grandfather’s journal and was eager to speak to the healer scholar about the things she’d learned. Lena and Dauen spent the entire morning together discussing everything from infections to viruses to poisons. Dauen was fascinated, pulling notebook after notebook from his own shelves and scribbling notes. He didn’t seem at all surprised Lena had found the journal in the library.

They tested her mother’s serum once again, upping the dose while Dauen continued to evaluate her and take notes. She already knew it wouldn’t have an effect on her but still felt hopeful, even if not for herself.

After she and Dauen wrapped up their discussion, Lena sent for Jade, and the two women conversed quietly over lunch. Leonid joined them briefly as well.

A guard was escorting her back to her room after the meal when she heard Cross’s voice.

“Would you like to join me above for some fresh air?” Cross asked.

“You’re back,” she said, unable to keep the happiness from her voice.

“Come on. I want to show you something,” he said, relieving the guard who’d been escorting her with a nod.

After she’d unloaded her cloak and gloves in her room, they walked in silence for some time. Every step she took away from the tunnels and the truth she’d learned felt like a small weight lifted from her shoulders. They finally emerged atop an expansive flat stone structure, but it wasn’t the plateau that captured Lena’s attention. Gasping, she tilted her head back to see two enormous planets had descended further into the sky, almost blotting out the sun.

“Wha . . .” she started, her voice trailing off.

“Beautiful and terrifying, isn’t it?” he asked.

Cross led her to the edge of the plateau where he sat, gazing at the celestial bodies before them.

Lena gaped at the sight before her, unable to wrap her mind around the fact that both Eduard and Henry were from a different world. So much knowledge had been lost when the city fell and the scholars died. She couldn’t help but wonder what the astrologers had discovered before they all perished.

She sat beside Cross, unease growing in her belly, and it struck her then that one of those planets might be SecaTerr where Henry was from. The one on the left was smaller than the other. It was dark, with swirling clouds that obscured its surface. The one on the right was xanthous in appearance and so much larger than the first.

“This is because of what’s happened to the Goddess, isn’t it?” she asked.