“The balance between the light and the dark
Will be brought together by the light of the new dawn
A discovery of the ancient ones on the island of shadow
Will change the course of our universe
A second war breaches the horizon
Mountains will fall and villains will stand
The heavens will crumble and hell will open wide
Unleashing the demons that fester within
The path she will walk determines our fate
She dances the line both dead and alive.
A new world formed from gods of old
One from ashes or one from light
The choice is hers alone.”
I scowled. “Half of the prophecy’s meaning seems obvious, in this light. But the rest of the lines are still unclear.”
“My prophecy isn’t any clearer, either,” Charlie said. “We have more keys, but we’re farther away from helping the Elves reach the Blessed Haven than we’ve ever been before.”
“Did you guys try getting ahold of my aunt?” I questioned. “I know she said before that she can’t interpret what her visions meant, and she gave us everything she knew, but maybe she’s figured something out she didn’t realize earlier.”
“We tried— and so did your dad,” Marcus confessed. “But, uh… here’s the thing. Don’t be mad… I mean, you have therightto be mad, but—”
“Spit it out, Marcus,” I complained.
“Your aunt’s gone,” Kallie said. “We can’t find her anywhere.”
“What?” I coughed, struggling to get air into my lungs. Charlie reached for some water and helped me sip it before he guided me back onto the pillows.
“We don’t think she’s been kidnapped,” Kallie clarified. “Your dad sent someone to their house, and it looks like she and her husband left of their own accord.”
“Why wouldn’t she come here to check on Ava?” Marcus asked.
“Because she knew I’d be fine,” I said. “But I don’t understand where she would go, or why.”
“She knows the Warden will start looking for whoever made your prophecy eventually, and that he’d figure out it was her,” Charlie said. “She went into hiding to protect you, so he can’t torture her to get information.”
“That makes sense. I just hope she’s safe.”
The faintest of memories broke into my thoughts. It didn’t come from my mind, but rather, from my soul. “Lindsey and Miranda promised they’d help me with this,” I murmured.
“Who are Lindsey and Miranda?” Kallie asked.
“They were my mother’s friends. They died in the Hawkei Civil War, but before they did, they helped my Aunt Maddie write this journal. It’s their handwriting that describes her visions,” I said. “I met them in the Ancestral Lands, and they said they’d be there to help me interpret the journal, though I need a special tool to get in contact with them.”
“And where the hell are we supposed to get thisspecial tool?” Charlie asked, sounding irritated.
“My mother already has it,” I said. “I just have to ask for it.”
