Page 149 of Taken By Shadows

A knowing grin drew across Audrie’s face. “Luckily, I’m far too clever for whoever is pilfering books.”

“But who would want to do that? Who would even have the authority or power to erase history, records and all?”

That cold feeling grew and reached to my neck and toes.

“The council are the power in this city,” Audrie said. “Kaedian would have known if his father were removing faebane sources to Hayden?”

Surely, Kaed wouldn’t have had us search for faebane in the library if he knew they were gone?

“Whoever it is, they’d require the sources for their weapons and prisons …” I said, thinking of the Cage again. My eyes darted to Audrie, hoping she would refute my worries.

Her mouth pulled into a grimace. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“We have to tell Kaed.”

Chapter forty-five

Sleeves rolled to his elbows, Kaed leaned on the desk. “Tymon must be told,” he said.

He continued speaking about books and records and growing more tense with each passing second. The way his corded muscles flexed on his forearms was making it difficult to focus on his words.

My sense of desire and my need to indulge my own urges had grown exponentially since earlier today. And now it warred with having to confront him about my ancestry.

“It’s probably too late,” Gavrin said. “I was there in the council chambers with him. He spoke for you.” Something relaxed in my shoulders. Eryk was no longer Kaed’s key out of the Cage. “He told them his mines had struck something. I don’t think he’d intended to tell them anything, but Varris, Merdia and a few others seemed damn interested in his mines and why he’d been away. Greedy hydras.” Gavrin crossed his arms and began pacing by the door.

Audrie was holding up books and trying to explain the numbering system while no one was really paying attention.

Kaed’s eyes unfocused as he slipped behind the veil of his thoughts. He was still. The eye of a storm, chaos whipping around him.

And then it just slipped out. “Why did no one tell me?”

A chill iced over the room as everyone turned to me.

I held my jaw clamped as I pushed on. “Audrie was the only one who did.” I looked to Kaed. Why hadn’t he offered up my Auroran heritage when we’d been alone in the ruins? When he’d asked about my family. Had he assumed I’d known too?

And then I remembered what Audrie had said. Superstitions and fear could drive people to do strange things. And perhaps even stranger was that I, myself, hadn’t known I was Auroran. It was mortifying in a way that I knew so little about myself.

While my mind had wandered, Kaed had moved to me.

Denora and Gavrin were statues on the edge of the room. Even Audrie had gone still and silent.

“You knew,” I said, looking up at Kaed. “You all knew.” It wasn’t an accusation. But I needed to say it out loud.

Kaed’s face was so still. He didn’t even breathe as he waited for me to continue.

“That … I’m Auroran …” I held his gaze.

Kaed blinked.

“I’m Auroran,” I said again.

Perhaps if I repeated it enough, it would make sense.

Kaed closed the distance between us. His hands were hovering over my arms like he wanted to cradle me but was afraid I’d break if he touched me. “I … you said your family? I thought you knew where you came from …” There was genuine pain in his eyes. “Imogen, I didn’t know. I—”

“The records of Aurora are all gone,” I said, unable to stifle the choking sound in my voice.

Kaed rocked back, offering space between us. Assessing my words, my pain. “Not all of them.”