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14
ORION
“Ican’t believe we’re doing this. It’s suicide.” Devon stood in front of the cellar door, a monstrosity of aged, rotting wood.
If only he would stop pacing, then Orion could focus on something other than the crunching of broken tiles beneath his brother’s feet. “Are you going to tell us how to open it or just continue to complain endlessly?”
Out of the three of them, only Devon had studied the languages of the old world, which meant he was the only one who could break the lock. Orion was fast losing his patience with his brother’s lack of cooperation.
Devon sent him a withering look and stepped closer to the script etched into the wood. The Crows had carved magical runes into the doorframe and woven them into a powerful ward that prevented the room from being opened from either side. Magic was probably the only thing that kept this door standing.
Beside him, Nava was rocking on her heels. Her skin remained pale as she kept a respectable distance from the door. “I rarely like to agree with Devon openly, but this is suicidal.”
The spell’s warning compelled everyone to run from the cellar. They had been standing there for an hour, attempting to figure out how to break in.
“I’m not sure if the Crows are truly more dangerous than a room full of angry spirits,” Nava continued, tapping her index finger against her lips.
Orion sighed, nodding curtly. “I know this is far from ideal, but we have no idea how many Corvus the Society will send. What we do know is that they’re aware of who triggered the alarm, which means they might send multiple teams. The Neems are predictable, at least.”
A crinkle formed between Nava’s brows as she studied their surroundings. “It makes me sick to my stomach to think about this place. Why would they trap people in there to die?”
“The Crows aren’t known for acts of mercy, and Neems are an effective security measure to block off the secret entrance.” He swallowed thickly as her lips parted in indignation. Whatever else he could say would only anger her further and get her to feel more empathy for the spirits they would soon face.
“Or from breaking in,” Devon said.
“They are using dead people as watchdogs?” Nava’s nostrils flared. “You stood behind this society, even after knowing they would do something like this?”
“They were all I knew…” What more could he say? Orion stilled, his heart racing as an ache spread all over his body like a sickness. “They committed this crime long before I joined them.”
“You were a five-year-old boy when they took you.” She blew away an errant strand of hair that had curled around her chin, and her expression softened. “I feel like they lost their best member they had the day you left them.”
“Careful there.” It was a challenge to hold her gaze. “You’re feeding my ego. I might start to believe that I’m worthy of you.”
“You’re more than worthy.”
“Not of you.”
Her lips curved into a sad but genuine smile that reached her eyes. “I think you are…”
The more time he spent away from the castle and his father, the clearer it became how much of an idiot he’d been to push her away. He brought his hand to her face, his heart still beating too fast. He hated the dark rings under her eyes from the lack of sleep.
“How are you feeling about being away from Aristaeus?”
“Tired.” She glanced warily at the door. “If you’re worried about me fighting the Neems, you can stop. I can do this.”
“I know you can handle yourself.”
“Useless,” Devon muttered, moving away from the door. His skin was shining with sweat as he brushed his ebony hair out of his face. “I can’t get close enough to see all the symbols because of the spell, and my Tharent skills aren’t good enough to make sense of it.”
Tharent was the old language of the gods, not spoken widely for centuries. Orion’s father seemed to know it, and a lot of the old books in the castle’s library were written in it.
“Is there nothing you can glean from it?”
Devon huffed and returned to his task. “Maybe. We reclaimed our truth and stole your lies.” Devon pointed a finger at another line of runes, not quite touching it but tracing their shapes. “Your curious mind won’t get you through. Only those seeking balance will escape unharmed, or else they will face the wrath of the dead.”
“Perhaps it’s simple. It won’t open it if you’re just curious.” Nava stepped closer to get a better look. “You’re always talking about balance, Devon. Maybe it will open for you?”
“It would have opened for me before I touched the Vulcan the second time.” Devon drew a labored breath and pulled a small vial from his pocket, emptying it into his mouth. The healing potion brought some color back to his face almost immediately.
