Symbols I don’t recognize mark the stone walls. It’s quiet and still, but not in the chilling way that the Shadow Lands are. It’s more of a peaceful feeling. Other than the occasional rumbling of falling pebbles, the only sound comes from the singing birds perched around the opening’s edge above us.
“These are ruins, aren’t they?”
“They are,” Ryder answers with a pensive look. “I should know of this place, but I don’t.”
“We should keep looking around.”
“Stay close,” he commands in that domineering tone he uses when he’s burdened by my presence.
We follow along an arched path in uncomfortable silence. There’s been a thick wall of tension between us since he saw me in Damien’s room the other morning. Ever since then, something has felt off between us. It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does, given our complex relationship, but for some reason it’s eating me up inside and I can’t take it any longer.
“So, about the other morning,” I start, turning around to look at him. “You’re probably wondering—”
“I’m not,” he says sharply, cutting me off. “Your relationship with Delecroix is none of my business.”
“Okay… then why have you been avoiding me?”
“I haven’t. Believe it or not, my life doesn’t revolve around you.”
Ouch.
His words land hard, and I can’t say they don’t hurt. In fact, they hurt me more than they should. This cold, harsh version of him is one I haven’t seen in quite some time. Maybe it’s the weight of the impending war that has him acting this way, but it feels personal.
“Understood,” is all I say, turning back around. I want nothing more than to widen the space between us, but I can feel his dark presence crawling behind me.
I’m grateful for the melody the colorful birds use to fill our silence as we continue to explore the abandoned structure. Plants and trees have reclaimed their home, growing around the stone walls and sculptures. The air here feels wet and humid. Not at all like the hot air back in Avelion.
The next crumbling room we enter has a large chair fixed along the back wall.
“Is that a throne?” I ask Ryder who is already headed straight for it.
His hand runs along the top of it, removing the blanket of moss covering its tall backing. When he steps to the side, I see it.
A ruby.
Embedded in the middle of the throne is a giant, red gem illuminated by the beam of sunlight cast upon it. He doesn’t have to tell me what I already know. I’m not sure how we got here or where here even is, but we found it.
The lost island.
Home of Casstia Nircosa’s tomb.
“How is this possible?” It comes out as a whisper.
“I have no idea,” he admits. “The scepter has to be here somewhere.”
“Okay. Well, let’s find it.” I spin around and head for the next room, but he quickly cuts me off.
“We don’t know anything about this place. You can’t just go wandering off.” Just then something moves in the distance and Ryder is in front of me with his sword of shadows and a protective arm shielding me.
I can’t stop my laughter when I see the fluffy, grey rabbit hop out from underneath one of the large ferns.
“Oh, no. A deadly bunny!”
Ryder doesn’t say anything, but his sidelong glance tells me he doesn’t find me funny. I ignore him and carry on, heading towards one of the other sections that seems to have fallen apart over time. As I continue exploring, he creeps along behind me in deafening silence.
Wherever we are has clearly been abandoned for decades, maybe even centuries. It’s hard to tell and neither of us recognize any of the symbols scattered about. So far, we’ve had no luck finding anything that resembles a tomb.
“If we’re here, does that mean the wards are down?”
