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Shadows began to come forward, crawling from under rocks and sliding across the ground toward us like phantoms. I could feel his urgency. I thought of Kasha and Dossidian, I thought of all the daemons like them who were still enslaved by the evil Queen who was responsible for giving the order for Clair’s murder. I thought of Clair’s dying words in my arms.
“Raven. You have to win. You have to protect Jeremy. You are...The balance that this world needs...” She opened her eyes and smiled at me. She weakly rose a hand to brush my cheek. “You have always been… a fighter.” Amon’s shadows began to crawl up our legs as he held me by my shoulders, and I had my answer. I knew what Clair would have wanted me to do.
“Yes. I will help you.” Something akin to relief flashed across his face as we dissolved into the effervescence of Amon’s shadows, slipping through the very fabric of space.
13
We rematerialized back in the common room. The fire was still dancing merrily, and the room had been lit with the warm violets and apricot golds of the sunset as the Dominion’s twin moons began their ascent into the sky. Conrad and Meredith were both watching the sun make its descent with their heads together, exchanging hushed words. They both looked up as we appeared.
“You’re alright.” Meredith breathed in relief.
“Thank di gods,” Conrad agreed. He stepped forward eyeing Amon warily. “We spoke wit Dossidian and Kasha after yuh both left. They explained to us about di slavery bonds.” My friend looked like he was going to be sick at the thought of it. “Mi nevah did know. Di Board dunno dat dis has been happening here.”
“We had no idea,” Meredith echoed, “that Ash Nevra was enslaving your people. If we had known…”
“I doubt you would have done much, considering how much the magick folk fear my kind.” Amon responded; his tone dry. Both Meredith and Conrad looked uncomfortable.
“Kasha told me what it was like.” Meredith said softly. “I cannot stand by and do nothing while this continues.”
Conrad nodded. “We cyaa allow dis to go on.”
Amon eyed them critically. The tension in the room was palpable. Finally, he relaxed and blessed them both with one of his genuine smiles.
“Great. Raven has also agreed to help.” He turned to me. “Shall we share with our friends what The Eye showed us today?” He asked. Hearing him refer to Conrad and Meredith as our friends felt strange, but I brushed off the odd feeling and nodded.
“Let’s get Kasha and Dossidian in here too.” His aura flared slightly, and a few moments later, they both strolled in through the doorway.
Kasha’s eyes fell to the empty space on Amon’s hip where Bond-Breaker had been and her expression darkened.
“You called?” Dossidian asked by way of greeting, patting Kasha comfortingly on the arm. They were both clearly still upset by Amon’s decision to give Bond-Breaker to The Eye. I understood now, their reservations. He was playing a very dangerous game and all of our lives hung in the balance.
“Yes, have a seat. Let's get something to eat and we will share what we have learned. Our new friends, Conrad and Meredith, have agreed to help. So has Raven.” Kasha looked surprised at this news, and she allowed herself to smile softly at the three of us.
“Really?” She asked hopefully. I nodded.
“Yes, really.” I replied. The hope that shone in her eyes at my confirmation made everything I had endured that day worth it. Amon snapped his fingers, and the now empty table at the conversion pit filled up once again with food.
“Sit,” Amon ordered, directing the comment specifically at me. “You have had a long day and will have an even longer one tomorrow. Training starts at seven am.” I tried not to glare at him but forced myself to obey. He was right. I had barely eaten anything at breakfast and after that long hike, I felt like I might pass out from hunger. The six of us piled into the large pit and began to fill our plates before sitting around the table to discuss the events of the day.
“It might be easier to show you what The Eye showed us.” Amon said once we were all settled in. “I’m hoping we can get to the bottom of what it is we’re looking for through good old-fashioned research and avoid involving a prophet. This needs to strictly stay between us. If Ash Nevra hears about this all bets are off.” He cautioned. He held his hand out before him, and to my surprise, a tiny miniature light show began to replay what The Eye had shown us over the table of food. We all sat back to watch. I would have to ask him to show me how to do that. It seemed like it would come in handy.
Almost immediately, as the raven approached the first object, Conrad barked,
“Rhatid! - Mi know what dat is, dat is Di Lens.” We all looked at him in unison.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting it to be that easy.” Amon commented in surprise, putting the miniature on pause.
Conrad shook his head, “It nuh be easy, believe me. Play di rest, mi fi see if mi recognise anyting else.” So Amon did, I watched again as the golden raven collected The Lens, the flute, and finally the key.
“Well?” Amon asked Conrad hopefully, but the Obeah Man shook his head.
“Mi nuh know what dem other tings are. But di first one is Di Lens. Mi Grandmother told me about it when mi a small boy. Several hundred years ago, it was gifted to Di Board by a powerful daemon as a symbol of peace.
“Magick folk have a large collection of very old and very powerful artifacts dat dey can use from time to time to help dem wit their mission to keep di balance, dis is one a dem. Di Lens can reveal to the user tings dat are hidden. Maybe it will help us to find di other two tings dem.”
“Why do I get the feeling that The Board isn’t going to feel comfortable sharing this particular artifact with us?” Dossidian asked out loud.
“I can take it from them.” Kasha said, her voice darker than I had ever heard it. That ever changing aura of hers rippled and I put a little more power behind my shields. Conrad tensed, but Amon responded sharply,
