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“We’ll leave for the Cave of Silence tomorrow.” Lark thrusts out his hand.
Bennidix takes it. “Tomorrow.”
Like sand slipping through a grate, the vision cuts away as quickly as it came. Oh my fucking stars.
Oh my fucking stars.
The moment I won The Helios Blessing in the Summit, I had one of the three most powerful channeling stones. I knew it was an ancient relic cherished by many. Heck, it was even used in battles I’d studied for Tellings—a powerful protection stone. One used to safeguard entire populations.
A prickling of smug satisfaction warms my neck. Fucking Hels! Castor was right about the Spring Equinox as well! That it’s the only time to get the Cebalrai from the… the…
Trix sits with her arms crossed in her lap, eyebrow raised. “Are you going to keep pretending like you are listening to me or are you going to tell me what message you got from the stars?”
I adjust my position on the couch, unsure how to formulate words.
“I’ve seen it before. Come on. Do tell.”
Not sure where exactly to start, I blurt, “You’re aware that the moon is traversing farther and farther from the Earth, which is causing all sorts of issues with Moon’chers and not to mention eventually going to destroy our world as we know it.”
Trix looks unimpressed. “Why do you think the Underworld is so affected?”
My heart skips a beat. “The virus is caused by the moon, isn’t it?”
“I’ve lived a long time, girl, and while nothing like this has happened before, I’m certain it’s because the moon is drifting further away. It is the Underlings’ home planet after all.”
My head spins at the information. I recall in history learning about the collision of the planet but didn’t realize that wasn’t a collision, but an invasion. I set aside the—quite extreme—urge to look up all of the possible information regarding this historical event for a future Telling and return to the topic at hand.
“All the more reason to fix this! Everyone is impacted by its orbit.”
“And what do the stars have to say about it?”
“How did you… you know what, never mind.” I explain to Trix about the visions of the two young Watchers, their discussion around the three stones—the Helios Blessing, Marfik, and Cebalrai—and how together, they are the most powerful stones to channel the Source. Powerful enough to rein in the moon.
“And you believe the star stone to be in the Cave of Silence?” Trix asks, taking in my story one chapter at a time.
“Yes.” I take a shaky breath. In all honesty, I had seen the face of a cave on the side of a mountain in a memory from the stars earlier this year. But every time I think of it, I feel the hard, cold table beneath my back. How my wrists ached and chafed from iron. Even the faintest echo of scraping of knives across my stomach fills my mind.
I take another shuddering breath. Trix gives me a few moments, eyes filled with understanding and providing me space to think. I knew all along what the location of the Cebalrai stone looked like based on the visions the stars gave me while I was tortured.
What I didn’t know was that the very same cave I saw was The Cave of Silence. The same cave Marrow obsessed over for years when we first met. He had been collecting stories about it, trying to put pieces together to find the location. There was a sense of desperation in his search. He chalked it up to preparing for a Telling, but I knew there was something deeper within his obsession. Could he have known about the Cave’s significance to the Cebalrai Stone?
My heart is heavy with guilt. Why didn’t I ask him more questions when he was alive? About his adventures. His own stories.
“I know where it is,” I say, eventually.
Trix goes back to stabbing her knitting. “Good. Then go get that stone, girl.”
A bright pop of laughter escapes before I clamp my mouth shut. “Easier said than done.”
“The stars gave you those memories for a reason. Trust that.”
She’s right. I know it deep in my bones. Whatever my fate is, it’s sealed by the stars. A power I had no intention to possess, and yet, I do. “Trix?”
“Hmm?”
“Have you ever heard of Starwatchers having other abilities?”
“Be more clear with your question, or I’m going to poke you with this needle.”
