She pushed these questions out of her head before she dwelt on them too long, making room for the future plans preoccupying her mind. If the future Beatrice’s warning bore any truth, Pearl would need to prepare for the coming of Homo maximus, ‘the greatest man,’ as it translated, the Fire of God feeding her knowledge of the dead language. With no idea how far in the future this would occur, she formulated a plan to occupy herself in the centuries that laid ahead.
Any activity that before would have strained her mind, body, or magic excited the Artifacts within her and threatened to destabilize their union. To keep them unified, she would need to do more than suppressing their influence with her; she would need to take control of them. She crossed her legs in the chair and prepared to enter a deep meditative trance, turning all of her attention inward to focus on gaining total dominance over the Artifacts. She expected this feat to take years until completion, putting her that much closer to the future of which Beatrice warned.
She pointed at the fireplace and snapped her fingers. The logs sitting within caught ablaze and almost at once, a wave of warmth crept across the room. Pearl took one last look around at the library, finding it more welcoming of her presence in the light. Settling into Theseus’s chair and closing her eyes, Pearl found herself humming. Listening to the tune, she smiled and sang her mother’s lullaby to put herself to sleep.
Good night, sleep tight.
Until the morning’s light.
Rest your head on the pillow.
Your warm, comfy pillow.
Close your eyes.
So close your eyes tonight.
Good night. Sleep tight.
Now dream only of light.
Sweet dreams of joy, my dear.
Close your eyes now. I love you.
And always here for you.
Good night, sleep tight, sleep warm.
Epilogue
In her dreams, she was a bright moon, watching a strange planet from on high. Or at least a part of her became the moon. Before that, she had become the entirety of existence until she shattered and scattered on the celestial winds.
But the ‘how’ lacked importance. She would become a moon, watching over a planet like her own. She would bear witness as events unfolded beneath her. It started with so much promise, but a new generation burdened by old wounds searched for some way to prove they could exceed the expectations weighing upon them. And forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest, especially when laced with promises.
Everything soured and rotted black. A poison infected the whole tree, one fruit at a time. An old narrative spoiled. A twisted fairytale. A dark fantasy.
And she said, “The path was chosen of free will. Let time judge its worth.”
THE END of “The Lamplighter”
Book 0 of The Lamplighter Saga
Part of The Infinitum Cycle
Pearl will return in Book 1 of The Lamplighter Saga:
“The Awakening”
The Lamplighter (Lamplighter Saga Book 0) Page 22