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I hated myself for what I was about to do, but Ihadto go inside. “I order you to step aside.”
He was taken aback at the command, and the shock broke way to hurt as he looked away and stepped from my path. “I can’t let you go in there alone,” he said between gritted teeth.
“Then don’t,” I answered him, stepping into the shadows, “Grab a torch. We’ll need it to light the way.”
My chest tightened as we delved further into the gloom. The torchlight illuminated the way as we followed the path down a flight of slippery stone steps. Bats clung to the rough ceiling, squeaking and writhing as we passed under them. Finn was careful not to disturb them, lest they attack.
The pull in my chest strengthened, propelling me to go faster, almost running through the dark.
Finn cursed, “Slow down,” he said in a harsh whisper, “You’ll slip.”
It grew cold as we descended, down and downand down. For a time, it seemed there would be no end to the stairs, but then there was the sound of water, and we rushed to clear the last few steps.
The moment we entered the cavernous chamber, a hundred torches flared to life, ringing the walls in flickering blue flame. The chamber was empty save for a statue at the center. It was Morgana, standing tall with a look of defiance in her eyes. The water we heard ran from the palms of her outstretched hands, cascading over her fingertips and falling into a pool around her feet. Four dragons carved of the same stone formed a barrier around her, their faces shaped to portray a primal fury.
Liana…The voice said, sounding as though it was right next to my ear. I spun, but only Finn was there, staring in awe at the statues.
“What is this place?” he murmured, the question more for himself than for me.
He is coming…
“Who is coming?” I asked.
“Who are you talking to?” Finn asked me.
And I knew in that moment, the voice I heard in the chamber was Morgana.
His power is growing. He won’t stop until he’s reclaimed the throne.
“Who?”
My father,Morgana hissed.
The Mad King? “He’s dead.”
No, my child… The Mad King did not fall in the battle of Mount Noctis.
“Is he here? In the palace?”
A bolt of cold fear raced up my spine.
You must destroy him…
But how? I shook my head, unwilling to believe what I was hearing—that I was hearing her voice at all. Had I gone mad?
“Liana, come. Let’s go back,” Finn begged, tugging at my waist, a look of concern twisting his features.
You have my Graces… it now falls upon you to finish what I started.
So, it was true. Morgana had more than one Grace… and she had passed them on to me.
“I cannot wield them. I can’t destroy anyone.”
She did not answer—did not offer a solution. But the pull in my chest started again, drawing me to her statue—through the stone dragons. Finn followed me, his sword drawn as though he expected one to rise and attack us.
The trickle of water slowed and then stopped. On tip toe, I looked into her hands, finding a ring of purest silver, with a yellow gemstone at its centre. The gem was unlike any I owned, in the shape of a diamond with flecks of gold, amber and onyx throughout. It looked like a dragon’s eye.
It’s your burden to bare now, my child…
