Page 56 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

“What did it say?” she asks.

I pull it from my desk. I retrieved it after everything that went down in Tempest Moon and must have read it dozens of times while Lyra’s been away, looking for any clues but coming up short. I hand it to Flora.

“Turn to the last page and read it,” I tell her.

She starts to read the passage aloud. “Born for darkness and destined to be with my son. Scarlett was right in questioning me. I banished Euric only to avoid the inevitable. Do I save my people or save my son? Why can’t they be one and the same? Can his light save her, or will her darkness destroy him—destroy us all?” She looks up, her eyes locking with mine. “You think you can save her?”

I nod.

“I want you to find out anything and everything that has to do with this. Where did he get this information? What light does he speak of? Why did he believe her darkness would destroy everything?”

“I understand,” Flora says, her magic at the ready to channel.

“I visited the Dream Forest this morning,” I confess, drawing a sharp, surprised glance from her.

“And?” she prompts, anticipation evident in her eyes.

“I saw her. She seemed...vibrant, alive. Yet she was with him, in his clothes too,” I admit with a hint of bitterness.

She counters gently, “Being with him doesn’t dictate her heart’s allegiance. And she wore his clothes? Maybe it’s convenience, not intimacy.”

“She donned his tunic, only his tunic, Flora. It felt like a betrayal,” I retort, frustration mounting.

She steps closer, her voice soothing. “Lyra is young, wounded. Perhaps she’s merely seeking solace or is momentarily adrift. And if your father’s journal speaks the truth, fate ties her to you. Your paths will intertwine once more.”

I want to believe her. That’s why I need to know everything she can uncover about this prophecy my father spoke of. I need clarity. With a heavy sigh, I give a resigned nod, watching as Flora channels her powers and disappears on the wind.

I delve into my desk, retrieving the only other journal where my father has mentioned Lyra. I’ve perused every journal I could find, yet there are missing periods of time. And if Colton possesses one, surely more must be out there. I could directly approach Colton, inquiring about the journal’s origin and if there might be more. Perhaps, if his feelings for Lyra are genuine, he’d assist me. Yet I hesitate. I don’t want to alarm Lyra with this information. And knowing Colton, he’d likely give a sardonic retort instead of a straightforward answer.

I quickly navigate to the page I’ve earmarked, reading over my father’s words once more.

The council grows overconfident. It has been an age since a dark Sorcerer held sway. Their underestimation of her potential threat is glaring. She won’t simply control the dark power; she will become its epicenter, a focal point for every malevolent force. Her uniqueness, which Drew believes might be her salvation, only elevates my concern. Her unpredictability is precisely what makes her dangerous. The council must recognize this. I am resolute in ensuring she never reaches the age where her magic matures. If fate doesn’t intercede, I’ll ensure measures are in place to curb her rise.

I forcefully close the journal, pushing it back into my drawer with a hint of frustration. The ambiguity in my father’s words is maddening. There’s a ticking clock hanging over me. In a few short months, Lyra will come into her dark magic. I need to decipher what he meant when he said my light could save her. Perhaps all of this is merely the incoherent babbling of a madman, these prophecies nothing but fantasy. Maybe Lyra will be unaffected, requiring no salvation. Still, I have to brace myself for every conceivable scenario.

As much as I would like to center my attention solely on Lyra, my kingdom demands priority. The increasing frequency of attacks is alarming, signaling that I might have to resort to extreme measures sooner than anticipated, further compounding the situation. I sift through the pile of letters Twig handed over earlier.

Attacks in Nighthold were once a rarity, but a surge in malevolent beings suggests that the shadow hanging over Cloudrum might be spilling into the Faery realm. There have now been four Sarrol attacks. While Bim managed to eliminate the threat in the Dream Forest, two more incidents occurred in the Noble Vale and another in Nitross. A local farmer succeeded in taking down one, but the other two remain at large, necessitating my intervention today. The real question remains. How many more of these creatures are out there?

Chapter 20

Lyra

“Ihad Rix and Rune hunt for clothes for you today, though now I’m second-guessing that choice. Seeing you in just my tunic every day has its charm.” He lifts the hem of my shirt just enough for his fingers to dance on the edge of my thigh, a tantalizing tease.

I lean into him, craning my neck to catch his lips. Swiftly, he pulls me close, lifting and settling me onto the kitchen counter. I part my legs to welcome him closer, my hands getting lost in his hair. The intensity of our kiss grows, heightened by the insistent pressure from his pants.

“Am I interrupting something?” Drew’s voice shatters the moment. I jerk back, nearly coughing in surprise, while hastily pushing Colton away and hopping off the counter. My face feels as if it’s on fire. When I chance a look at Drew, she’s wearing a grin that stretches from ear to ear, her red eyes sparkling.

“Seems like there’s a lot that’s changed since our last meeting,” she comments.

“I’ve been waiting for your inevitable appearance,” Colton retorts, looping an arm around my waist and drawing me into the protective curve of his body.

“Had some prior engagements to deal with.” With a graceful turn, Drew heads toward the grand living room, her familiarity with the place evident. “Join me. We have much to discuss,” she beckons, gracefully sinking into one of the plush couches.

Colton takes a seat on the couch across from Drew, and I perch on its edge next to him. Before I can settle, he tugs me close, wrapping an arm securely around me. Drew’s eyes observe us keenly, though she doesn’t seem the least bit surprised by our intimacy. I wonder if it’s her mysterious echosphere granting her such insights, or perhaps she’s secretly been harboring a seer.

“Is Soren okay? How’s your realm holding up? Are you concerned about more attacks?” I barrage her with questions.