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If I want any chance of him sharing with me, I know I need to give him the truth. “We were trying to help interpret one of Eldon’s visions and went to Shadowmoor yesterday.”
“You went to Shadowmoor… yesterday? Of course you did, because you’re insane.”
Hoping to avoid a lecture from him, I push on to keep us on track. “When we realized that wasn’t the location of his vision, we came back to find Burton waiting for us.”
“Because you triggered one of his wards,” he grumbles, swiping a hand down his face. I shrug, not wasting my breath in confirming or denying. “The Nightmares Guild is…” His words trail off as he tries to find the right ones to explain what he’s been holding back from me, so I decide to add the next factor I know matters to him.
“We think that’s what Eldon’s vision is guiding him to. He mentioned names carved into stone walls, black marble flooring, no windows, and a golden table.” My father starts to nod by the time I mention the flooring and doesn’t stop for a few moments after I’ve finished.
“That’s the Figment Lair.”
It’s my turn for my eyes to narrow as I stare my father down. My gut clenches, knowing the facts, but I want to hear him say it. “And you know that because…”
He leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he sighs. “I was a member.”
“Of course you were,” I grumble, not liking the actual words now that they’re spoken out loud. My father could have told me about this before I even got here, but instead, I had to learn about it from fucking Burton.
“Zane,” he starts, but I wave him off. We’ve never held our feelings and emotions back and I’m not going to start now.
“How do you expect me to fight for all of this when I know nothing?” I throw my hands up in the air. “I want to defend our people and honor our family, but I deserve to know the reason behind it.”
My father sighs so heavily that I’m sure I feel the rumble in my bones.
“Our land is under attack. It always has been and always will be. Because we hold the greatest treasures in Gold Haven. The barrens that surround us, the realms around us, they’re barbaric, Zane. So criminal that I thought I might be able to protect you from it if I kept you as far away from the Nightmares Guild as possible.”
“Is that what has kept you so busy? Attacks?”
“No.” He shakes his head with frustration and a hint of resignation. “One of the vision seekers on The Monarchy has seen a necromancer. Nothing more, nothing less. We don’t know their strengths or intentions, but they must have cast magic to have registered on their radar.”
Fuck.
My gut clenches so hard I think I might be sick, but I manage to hold the bile at bay as I nod in acknowledgment without saying a further word about it. Clearing my throat, I shift my stance so I’m sitting tall and alert. “So, about the Nightmares Guild?”
I can see the uncertainty in his eyes, and if this was just me coming to him because I had heard about it, I’m sure he would find a way to talk me away from it. But things are always different when Eldon’s visions are involved. It’s not just us being chaotic boys, it’s the universe guiding us, and my father knows that. Whether he likes it or not is another subject entirely, but it’s irrelevant.Thatpart he knows.
“If that’s where Eldon’s visions lead you, then we both know there’s no stopping the inevitable. I must warn you, son. You have to be vigilant, be safe, and above all, do not trust a single soul outside of your close-knit group. Otherwise, the next contact request I’ll be getting will be to confirm your death.”
SIXTEEN
RAVEN
Water rains down on me like a gift from the realm, washing away some of my troubles as steam clouds my bathroom mirror. I know once I step out of here, reality will come crashing back down, but I can pretend for a little longer.
Zane left to speak to his father just over an hour ago, leaving Brax, Creed, and Eldon to dive into a workout outside. I joined them for a little while, but I’m not built for their level yet, so I soon bowed out and dived into the shower.
Thoughts of the Guild continue to flicker in my mind. Or, more specifically, the fact that Eldon’s vision was pointing us in that direction to begin with. We just didn’t know it. The uncertainty of what the Nightmares Guild stands for and means for us is gnawing at me.
There’s only one way we’re going to find out, though, and that means joining to discover the secrets hidden beyond the veil of the Guild.
A fucking guild. I never thought this would be where my life would be heading. Back in Shadowmoor, guilds were a thing of legends, a mythical society that would never find itself in the dark and rotten end of the world where we lived. Now I’m being invited. In-fucking-vited. That might just be by association with the Bishops, but it’s an invite all the same.
Part of me wants to RSVP ‘No thanks, motherfuckers,’ but the intrigue outweighs anything else, as well as the potential it has to being the key to getting the answers we need. Especially with Eldon’s vision playing a pinnacle part. Plus, the sheer wonder of who else is a member has me practically bouncing on the balls of my feet.
Rinsing the shampoo suds from my hair, I squeeze the ends. I almost considered trying to use my magic to do it, but the methodical action was needed. A hint of normalcy to help me make it through the day.
With one final deep breath, I turn off the stream of water and step out of the shower, grabbing the fluffy towel I placed on the vanity earlier. I wipe a hand over the steamed-up mirror, the reflection still blurred, and quickly tap into my core and generate a tingle of magic to clear the task for me.
A grin peers back at me, the smile on my face pure awe at the fact that I have the ability to do such a simple thing. Banding my towel around my waist, I continue to channel the magic as I dry every droplet of water from my body before doing the same to my hair. Once I’m completely dry from head to toe, I lean in closer to the mirror as I notice a black streak of hair just behind my ear.
