Silver at Midnight: A Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy (The Keepers of Knowledge Series Book 5)

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Silver at Midnight: A Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy (The Keepers of Knowledge Series Book 5) Page 24

by Bridgette O'Hare


  “What’s goin’ on? Ya seem perplexed.”

  “The arrow is just spinnin’. It won’t stop and give me a direction. So, I don’t know which tunnel t’ take.” He raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

  I started to step away from our entry point but then I considered how many tunnels there were. I stopped, looked around, and grabbed the first loose stone I saw, centering it in the opening of the tunnel to mark the exit. As I moved to Cian’s side, he held his hand out for me to get a better view of the arrow.

  It wasn’t just spinning; it was out of control. “Do ya think we got off course somewhere? Missed a turn?”

  “No. It was dead on pointed this way until I stepped in t’ this area.”

  I held the orb a little higher and walked around, trying to see down each tunnel, but to no avail. I moved over to the pillar in the center to sit for a moment and think. When I did, the glyphs engraved within the stone glowed beneath the presence of the orb.

  “Well, didn’t expect that,” I mumbled, drawing Cian’s attention.

  “Wow. That’s kinda cool. I wonder what they mean.”

  “What? You don’t speak wolf?” I jabbed. “You’ve lived thousands of years, but haven’t found the time to learn this?”

  “Wait. What? How’d you—”

  “Kage. He ratted you out.”

  “Oh.” He plunked down next to me. “You know . . . time doesn’t work for us as it does for beings with a shorter lifespan. It doesn’t feel like I’m as old as one may expect. It just feels like I’ve been super busy and packed a lot into time I’ve had.”

  “Okay. I will have more questions later. We don’t have that much time for that conversation right now. But since we’ve already missed that twenty-minute window of getting back before Kage, I am goin’ t’ ask this. What do ya know about my father?”

  He linked his hand with mine, I assumed to comfort me based on his response. “I wish I knew everything and could answer every question you’ve ever had about him.”

  “But ya can’t . . .”

  “Afraid not. All I really know is what we were told when you became a person of interest to our cause.”

  “Person of interest? That sounds like I committed a crime.”

  “Not at all. When we were interested in working with Lachlan, we did a background check on him. Ran his family line back. And checked on any living relatives. That would be you.”

  “So, you know who my father is then?” My hopes perked.

  “I don’t. Someone does. All they told us about your father was that his file is sealed, and he is of pure descent.”

  So much for getting my hopes up. “What does that even mean?”

  Cian rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of my hand as he looked me in the eye. “It means your dad is a big deal.”

  Great. That could mean a lot of things in the world of Supernaturals. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pendant Cian had returned to me and began twirling it in my fingers like I often did when I was anxious. Apparently, it was the only thing I had of my father. All this time, I’d treasured it because Grams had given it to me and told me to always keep it close. I smiled. “Grams knew more than she ever let on,” I uttered quietly.

  “You two were close, eh?”

  “Very. She practically raised me.” As I twirled the pendant between my fingers, it slipped from my grasp and tumbled to the floor. Cian, being the gentleman he was, quickly moved to retrieve it.

  “Hey, uh . . . Aish. You’re gonna want to see this,” he said from his position crouched on the floor.

  I leaned over to see what he thought warranted my attention. There, shining like a beacon in the dark beneath the spotlight of my pendant were silver words etched across the stones. Without a thought, I crouched down next to Cian.

  “What does it say? Where do the words begin?” I rambled off.

  He glided the pendant to the left, searching for the beginning. Halfway around the bench, he found it.

  Thirty-One

  “Here!” Cian announced and anxiously began to read.

  Two brothers stood together until envy broke the bond.

  The scale now sits unbalanced, what was right has become wrong.

  The pure in heart can equalize. The pure in soul can heal.

  The two in one together reveal what evil has concealed.

  The stone you seek is covered yet hidden within sight.

  Look inside to find it, the pure in heart will hold the light.

  “Yeah, that’s not cryptic at all,” I grumbled. “Would it not be possible for just one thing t’ be simple? Just one.”

  “I’m rather sure if it were simple, we’d think it was a trick.”

  “Fair point.” I reached for the pendant and moved over to where I had a clear view of the entire message. “A’ight. Shall we solve the riddle then?” I gave him no time to reply. I read the inscription aloud once more then sat back with my knees tucked beneath me on the cold stone floor and mulled it over. “The Lunar goddess mentioned the Stone of Two Brothers and said the stone was the same as the one I seek. She had t’ have meant the Kanna Stone since I told her I was looking for it, and this references two brothers. Ya keep sayin’ there are no coincidences. So . . . what does this tell us?”

  “Seems t’ me the Lunar lady was on t’ somethin’. What else did she tell ya? Might be helpful.”

  “She said this orb is one of eight. They each represent a moon phase; this one is the full moon, and it has power—aside from being a pretty fantastic flashlight. She said I wasn’t alone in my quest for the Kanna Stone. And here ya are tryin’ t’ help, so . . . she’s two for two.”

  “Anything else?” His attention was locked in.

  I thought for a moment. “She did tell me t’ drink from the fountain in the garden and my power would return when the Silver Moon was at its peak . . . actually, her exact words were ‘your powers will be fully realized.’ I was paraphrasin’.”

  “Never underestimate the influence of how something is said. There is a great deal of power in words. Spells are cast or cursed based on the sway of their words. A single word can win or lose a war.” A sense of sorrow diluted his tone.

  Instinctively, I laced my fingers over his. “That is the most profound thing I’ve heard ya say.”

  He winked. “More where that came from if ya stick around.”

  “Aye, I’ll keep that in mind,” I retorted, releasing my hold on his hand.

  “So, anything else?” he asked.

  “From the Lunar goddess, ya mean?”

  “Aye.”

  “The only other thing I remember was somethin’ about findin’ my soul’s reflection. It didn’t make sense. I mean, how is one s’pose to see the reflection of their soul?”

  Cian eyed my strangely.

  “What? Do ya know somethin’ about that?” I questioned.

  “I’m goin’ t’ let this one slide because you’ve had a lot to handle and process today. I’m truly quite impressed at how well ya retain information. For a mortal, and all,” he teased.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Funny. So, what’d I miss?”

  “Soul bonds.”

  I tried to think back to what he had told me. “Oh. What ya said about them bein’ a reflection of each other. Ya think that’s what she meant?”

  “We did hold a telepathic conversation, Aish.”

  He wasn’t wrong, but wrapping my mind around being bonded on such a level with someone who was . . . well . . . immortal—it was a lot to take in. When I glanced up, a goofy grin stared back at me. “What?”

  “I think ya already know. Ya just haven’t admitted it to yourself.” His grin widened.

  “We need to figure out the rest of this riddle and get our hands on the Kanna Stone,” I said changing the subject.

  I heard him snickering as I refocused on the inscription.

  “Yes. Focus. We’ll reflect back on this la
ter.” He snickered again.

  I rolled my eyes and read the full message aloud to let it really sink in.

  “Two brothers stood together until envy broke the bond.

  The scale now sits unbalanced, what was right has become wrong.

  The pure in heart can equalize. The pure in soul can heal.

  The two in one together reveal what evil has concealed.

  The stone you seek is covered yet hidden within sight.

  Look inside to find it, the pure in heart will hold the light.”

  “So . . . I just don’t get the first half, we’ll come back t’ that. But this last part . . . that’s what we need t’ unravel. The stone you seek is covered yet hidden in sight. What d’ya think that means?”

  Cian rubbed a hand over his stubbled mouth and thought. “Sounds t’ me like it’s hidden in plain sight. So, let’s look around an’ see if anything seems out of place.” I’ll take the outer wall, you take this.” He motioned to the circular pillar bench with the writing and glyphs.

  We got to our feet and began our search. I saw nothing that seemed hidden in sight. “Ya findin’ anything?” I called over to Cian who had stopped and was concentrating on something in the dim light.

  “Bring that flashlight over here.”

  I complied, but we could immediately see that what he’d found was just a crack in the stone and nothing more. I went back to the bench and began my inspection once more. The glyphs seemed to be randomized on individual stones. There was no rhyme or reason—or so it seemed. The third time I went around the pillar, a thought struck me.

  “Hey, Cian. C’mere a minute.” As he made the ten paces over to me, I asked him to stand on the opposite side of the pillar from me. He complied. “I’m goin’ to describe a glyph. I want you to tell me if you see one on that side. I think these mirror each other.”

  “Oh? Ya mean like a reflection?” He leaned and smirked at me from his station on the opposite side.

  I squinted hard at him and pressed my mouth tightly to one side then ignored his comment. “Ya ready? I’m goin’ to start with the top right and move across like I’m readin’ a book.”

  “Yup. Go.”

  “Top right . . . looks kind o’ like a deer with antlers.”

  “Check.”

  “Spiral.”

  “Check.”

  We went through several more glyphs until we were about halfway through.

  “Fishin’ hook.”

  “Check.”

  “Half a star with two dots.”

  “Check.”

  “Two crossed swords.”

  “Umm . . .”

  I waited but no confirmation came.

  “Nope. Don’t see that,” Cian declared.

  “Hmph. You’re sure?”

  “I know what swords look like, Aish. I’m a guy and I’ve used them,” he quipped.

  I held the Moon Orb closer to the stones, examining the crossed swords. Something about the glow that emanated from the swords seemed off. It wasn’t noticeable from a distance, but the closer the orb, the more distinct the color change. “C’mere. This thing is changin’ colors. Ya have t’ see this.”

  Cian joined me and I held the orb next to us then moved it toward the half star glyph until it was only inches away. Nothing. “Now . . . watch this.” I held the orb near us again then closed in on the crossed swords. As I did, the glow of the glyph changed from white with a silvery blue hue to white with a pale shade of red.

  “Aye. That is definitely different.”

  “Little cliché, don’t ya think?”

  “What’s that?” Cian furrowed his brow.

  I cocked my head to one side. “Umm . . . X marks the spot?”

  A huge smile spread over his face, and both dimples made an appearance. “One way t’ find out.” He reached forward and pushed on the stone.

  Nothing happened.

  I was unable to hold back my laughter. “Did ya really think it would be that easy? Nothin’ is simple, remember?”

  “Some things are simple,” he argued.

  “Not this.”

  “Fine. Any ideas?”

  Rubbing my temples, I pulled in a deep breath. There had to be something. I scrunched back down to read over the inscription again.

  “The pure in heart. The pure in soul. The two in one together reveal what evil has concealed. Ugh . . . what does that mean?” I blew out a frustrated sigh.

  “That Lunar woman told me I had a pure soul when we stood to request entry into the ruins, what she meant and how it might fit in with this, I don’t know.”

  I perked up. “She told me I was a pure heart. Has to be something t’ that . . . since there are no coincidences and all.” I shot him a cheeky grin.

  “Mock me if ya want, but I think this is pretty convincing proof.”

  “Goin’ t’ need some elaboration on that.”

  “Well, if you’re a pure heart and I’m a pure soul, the ‘two in one together’—that would be us, in case ya were wonderin’—ought to be able to reveal what’s been concealed. Ya know . . . if I’m right.”

  “And how are we s’posed to make that happen?”

  “Not sure,” he huffed. “Push together?” He was grasping at straws.

  I threw my hands up. “What’ve we got t’ lose? I don’t have any other ideas.”

  I placed my hand over one side of the crossed swords and waited for Cian to follow suit. The moment his hand connected with the stone we didn’t push . . . because the glyph began to glow and vibrate beneath our touch. In the time it took to widen our eyes, the stone pushed back toward us and opened like a drawer.

  “Umm . . . should we remove our hands? Or will it close if we do?” I whispered.

  “No idea,” Cian responded in the same hushed tone. “Also, why are we whispering?”

  “Seemed like the thing to do,” I whispered back.

  His head rocked back and forth and that adorable half-smirk I had a love-hate thing for played on his lips. “Just reach in the drawer and see if there’s anything there,” he urged in a normal tone.

  “What if it’s a trap? Why do I have t’ do it?”

  “Because I have the mystical arrow in one hand, and you won’t let me take the other off this stone.”

  “Fine. But if it’s a trap—”

  “I know CPR. It’ll be a’ight. Go on.”

  Lips pressed hard together, I cut my eyes at him and reached my free hand over and into the opening. I felt around until the tips of my fingers grazed the edge of something I couldn’t quite reach. Pushing up onto my tiptoes to fully grasp it, I pulled a small wood box from the stone drawer. Once I was in the clear, I removed my hand from the stone bearing the crossed swords and it immediately slid back into place. I gave Cian an I-told-you-so scowl.

  “So . . . is it the Kanna Stone? Open it up,” he urged.

  With a heavy exhale, I loosed the clasp on the box and lifted the lid. There was a stone inside.

  Thirty-Two

  While the object possessed the characteristics of the Kanna Stone, it wasn’t the right color—at least, not according to the Keeper’s journal I’d studied. The substance of the stone was both light and ethereal but also heavy like it held the weight of the world. Rubbing my thumb over the seemingly smooth surface only added to the mystifying nature of the stone—it wasn’t smooth at all. The texture was coarse and jagged, but I had read something about the Kanna Stone having a strange texture. So, not a total shocker there. Still, something wasn’t adding up; everything about it—the color, weight, and texture—contradicted itself.

  “Shouldn’t this be reddish?” I asked Cian. “I distinctly remember the journal saying it was reddish in color and even morphed t’ a deeper shade of red when used. This is more of a blueish silver.”

  He held his hand out and I placed the stone in his palm. He rolled it around a few times, examining it from different sides. His expression washed
blank followed by a sudden realization. “The Stone of Two Brothers,” he voiced almost disbelieving of his own words.

  “Wait. So, you’re saying this is the Hébel Stone? Which, according t’ what ya showed me, is also the Kanna Stone?”

  “Well, I don’t have any other explanation. You?”

  “But . . . it doesn’t have any markings on it,” I stated, remembering that Rumen had said the Hébel Stone held the Mark of Cain. I didn’t know what the Mark of Cain looked like, but it didn’t matter. There was no mark of any kind.

  “Markings? What kind of markings?” Cian cocked his head with a questioning stare.

  “According t’ Rumen, the Hébel Stone bears the Mark of Cain.” I said it before thinking that I hadn’t mentioned Rumen or my dreamwalking to Cian, but it seemed I was about to.

  “Rumen?”

  “Aye. He’s been present in the dreams I’ve been having for the past week. Bit of a long story, but I’ve yet t’ come across anything he wasn’t on the up and up about.”

  Cian’s lips pressed a hard line amid his faint stubble as he looked aside with a vacant stare. When his eyes returned to meet mine, there was an understanding in them . . . a resolve. “You’re the Dreamwalker from the prophesy.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The document from the Kanna Tribe that ya translated. ‘One foot in the earthly realm and one in the realm of the heavenlies.’ That’s you. The one who will place the stone and wield the blade and face the choice between darkness and light. All you, Aish.”

  I didn’t even have to think about it. I knew he was right. I didn’t want him to be right, but I knew he was. Only, I still wasn’t convinced this was the Hébel Stone.

  “Let’s say I am. There still isn’t a mark on that stone,” I said, pointing to his hand.

 

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