Page 35 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

“And what if the shadow forces come tonight, or tomorrow, or—” I’m spiraling.

“There won’t be a right time, daughter.” He opens the door to the library, gesturing for me to enter first. “Now is the time.”

When I enter, I find a familiar face in the room. Elison Kolbeck, the historian that Ryker and I found in Mori.

“Hello Elison,” I say in greeting.

“Princess Raea.” He responds with a grin. “My favorite subject.”

My brows furrow as I drop into a chair. “So the invitations will go out now?” I ask my father. “How will that work?”

“Oh, my dear, they can go out whenever. We already know how this ends.” His brows lift as he glances over at me. “Don’t we?”

I shake my head as he slides the door to his study open and I take in the scent of old books and pipe tobacco.

“Please, sit,” he gestures to Elison, disappearing for a moment into his study before returning with an ancient book, which he hands to me. The binding is about three reads from falling apart. “When Prince Anders was here, I showed this to him. He didn’t fully understand it either.”

The cover text has faded on the leather, but the interlaid gold looks brand new.

“Have you always known?” I ask, opening the gold clasps and flipping through colorful pages full of ancient text I can now understand. The ancient Elvisiah language curls across the pages in elegant twisting symbols.

There are drawings of Sgya and the ancient tree at its center. Sgya’s moon, Evello, with hand-drawn pictures of animals I've never seen and notes. Sgya’s other moon, Pripeon, is mentioned, but there’s not much information on it.

My father still hasn’t answered, but he’s watching me. I turn the page to a picture of the gods. A young man with golden tanned skin, silver eyes, and golden hair that falls to his shoulders. He looks divine.

Next to him is a female who has the same color hair but dark skin, and her eyes are gold. Swirls of white cover her skin. The photo is old and looks to have been painted thousands of years ago. I turn more pages, feeling mesmerized by the whole thing. The next page I flip to has my heart skidding to a halt.

It’s an ancient drawing of a couple. They look like Ryker and me. The male has rich chocolate-brown locks with sapphire eyes and a blue coat of arms that looks like a storm embroidered on his breastplate.

The female beside him is wearing a blue gown, similar to the one my father just gifted me. Her eyes are different from mine. They’re gold. But she has the same long white hair. At the center of her chest is a glowing white light. The resemblance is uncanny.

Since Ryker and I have been studying the Book of Beginnings we took from the Ista temple, I know enough words in Elvisiah to understand the text.

“It says The Twin Thrones,” Elison clarifies.

The complete prophecy reads:

In the land of kings, will the elements be employed. In the land of elders, a star reborn.

The two shall remain divided until the time of the blood gifted freely, binding as one.

Yet in the wake of dawn, a shadowed crown will rise—not in harmony, but in hunger.

The days are numbered before the skies fall to night when Myrkr rises.

What was forged for light may yet be wielded by darkness, and love turned to ruinous will.

When the souls collide, and the land trembles, will the new dawn begin.

The crowns of the seven will turn to ash. The empire reborn after the life gift restored.

The fate of the two crowns will destiny unite.

Long forgotten answers will be revealed, an awakening bestowed.

Upon the birth of the firstborn will the veil be complete.

Light and Dark was balance made, but one will fall, one remain.”