“Well of course not, I wouldn’t want to be predictable! How utterly boring,” he says, with a dramatic flick of his hair. “Now, let me see how you’ve cleaned up after just laying about in bed all day.”
I pull back, twirling in front of him with a playful grin, expecting one of his usual snarky comments about my appearance. But for once, he stays silent, his eyes softening as he watches me.
“You look…” He pauses, searching for the right words, and I realise how rare it is to see Caelum genuinely speechless. “Incredible. My cousin is… one damn lucky asshole. And you make sure he remembers that, you hear me?” He leans over and gives me a hug that feels surprisingly earnest. But when he pulls away, the smirk is back. “But enough of that, I have plenty of time to steal you from my cousin later. I’m here about something else.”
“Oh?” I raise an eyebrow, intrigued.
He leans in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “I think I’ve figured it out. It occurred to me when I came to see you yesterday.”
“Figured what out?”
His eyes sparkle. “My aunt’s riddle.”
The riddle. My eyes widen, and a shiver of anticipation runs down my spine. I hadn’t thought much about it after the trials, but now that he mentions it, the memory of my own revelation comes rushing back. We both stare at each other for a heartbeat, and I reach out and grab both of his hands. Then, as if struck by the same revelation at the same time, we both shout, “The stained glass windows!”
Excitement rushes through me, my heart pounding in my chest as the pieces begin to fall into place. Brienne calls after me as Caelum and I race out of the room, our footsteps echoing through the halls. The anticipation is electric, crackling between us like an unspoken challenge, and my mind races with the possibilities.
We burst through the doors of the temple, the grand, towering stained glass window coming into view. The vibrant reds, oranges, and blues of the glass create a kaleidoscope of colours that paint the floor in soft light. The sun is just beginning to set, casting the perfect balance of dawn and dusk hues over the room, and I feel a thrill shoot through me.
We rush to the window, the massive structure looming above us, and I pull the riddle from my memory, repeating it aloud.
“In light, truth is revealed;
in shadow, it is concealed.
Seek where the colours of dawn and dusk intertwine,
and there the future will be unlocked by the flow of water’s strength.”
Caelum nods, his eyes sweeping across theintricate patterns in the glass. “I think the answer is hidden here somewhere—something only visible when the light hits it at the right angle. And only during the day, and is hidden when it’s dark.”
I just nod emphatically. That’s exactly what had occurred to me.
The colours shift as the sun continues its slow descent, and I can feel my pulse quicken, the excitement of the chase making my senses feel sharper. We don’t have much time if our hunch is right. We split up, scanning the glass, our hands moving across the cool surface, searching for anything out of place.
I run my fingers over the stunning coloured panes, the cool smoothness sending a shiver up my spine. The light catches in the corner of my eye, shifting subtly, and then—there. Three faint arrows, etched into the bottom corner of the window. “Caelum!” I shout, my voice ringing with excitement. “Come look at this!”
He rushes over, his breath coming in quick bursts, and we both lean in, our eyes fixed on the delicate etchings. The arrows point downward.
We follow the trail, the excitement mounting between us, and it leads us all the way to the floor. That’s when I notice it—just beneath a layer of dust, there’s a small, loose wooden panel. My heart skips a beat as I pry it open and pull up a single rectangle of worn trimming, revealing a tiny door hidden beneath.
“A little compartment! Oh my gods, Caelum!”
He stares at me with widening eyes and then looks back down at the secret niche in the wall.
“There’s a lock,” Caelum mutters, running his fingers over the small door. “We need a key.”
I stare at the tiny door, frustration bubbling beneath thesurface as the seconds tick by. My mind races, trying to piece together what we’ve missed.
“Read the second line of the clue again,” I say, the spark of an idea lighting up inside me.
Caelum looks up, reciting it carefully.“Where the future will be unlocked by the flow of water’s strength.”
My lips curl into a grin, excitement flooding through me. “I think I know what the key is!”
Caelum raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“Let your Aquilith show you how it’s done, Duke Thornehaven.” I step back, raising my hand. Drawing on my power, I form a tendril of water from the air, letting it twist and coil with purpose. I guide it into the keyhole, letting it fill the small space before twisting my wrist, mimicking the motion of a key turning in a lock.
