Page 46 of Moonlit Guardians
Finally, he responds. “You need four other runes hidden in the other doors. They will all have something to do with stone or the soul. Put them in the correct order and spin the dial on the lock. After you turn the key, you’ll hear it catch. That should open the crypt.”
Pyre walks me through deciphering the key. I reach the door and turn the first dial until it lands on the proper rune. Thesecond dial requires more force to turn, but I force it into place. Belroth and Myerdoth flank me as I reach for the third and final dial. A quick twist of my wrist spins the locking mechanism. It clicks and a loud thud rings through the chamber. The door opens with a gasping plume of dust and the stench of rotting corpses. I hear shuffling and take a step back.
“Who is there?!”
No voice or intelligible words follow my call, only the nasally snarl of something vile. I forge on. A ghostly glow of opal light fills the room. Four sarcophagi form a circle at the center of the room. On an altar rests the Stone Grimoire. Myerdoth holds his axe out in front of him as the creature we heard reveals itself.
Chunks of flesh cling to broken bones. Pus oozes from lesions of diseased skin and an awful blech escapes lips that are peeled back into a macabre grin of sharp teeth. Soulless eyes and mangled features shuffle towards us.
The sarcophagi slide open.
One by one, corpses in tattered gowns climb from their resting places.
“Hold them off while I grab the book,” I order and lunge towards the Grimoire, only to be struck by a spell.
My body hits the wall of the chamber and my companions charge the undead witches. I feel the spell break free and I lunge for the book. The moment my hands touch the Grimoire, the book disappears along with the witches. An illusion is broken, but I don’t know where the Grimoire is.
Belroth calls for me. I make my way to his side as he pushes open the last sarcophagus to reveal the Grimoire clutched in the arms of a beautiful woman.
Untouched by time, her loveliness is almost enchanting. I remove the book from her arms and leave her to rest peacefully. Glancing over at Myerdoth, I see he’s just as shaken as I am. Why? Because we have now seen the face of our maker.
“Let’s leave this place. I don’t wish to disturb her any further,” I say.
We make our way back through the ancient crypt and into the first signs of dawn. Theren’s mirror gate remains open.
I owe the Unseelie more than I care to admit.
***
EILISH
Mortal Ruins
“How far have we come with the plans for the orphanage?” I ask, leaning over the table as I stare down at the list of things that still require my attention. Cambion and Baron hover nearby, pouring themselves over the objectives of the day.
Baron hands over a rough outline for what’s still needed for the orphanage. Beds are difficult to come by with half the city flooded, so it was the first thing on the list. “Check the taller buildings and a few of the places Pyre pointed out that aren’t under water. There could at least be materials we can use to build new beds.”
I point out the areas on the map to Baron before I turn to Cambion.
“Is there anything we need for the experiments?”
“Zir and I were working on cloaking devices before the attack. We’re still looking for a new place to rebuild so we can pick up where we left off,” he sighs. “Pyre and the wraith warriors believe there may be dark spirits lingering in the labs that were once used by humans. If they can clear out the other buildings, Zir and I can gather whatever resources might be left intact to help us with testing.”
I chew the inside of my cheek as I wonder what other threats might be lingering in these ancient halls. “Any signs of demons so far or anything else we’ll have to worry about?”
“There were a few stragglers along the west end of the city,” Pyre says. “The waters seem safe for now, but I wouldn’t venture too far into the ruins, unless we’re prepared to encounter a conflict. Though it may seem quiet now, there’s no guarantee it will stay that way for long.”
The doors to the war room open and Dragan steps in.
“Dragan,” I say in relief as I hurry to him. He lifts me into his arms and spins me around. He kisses me on top of the head and sets me back on my feet. Myerdoth hands him a bundle of leather and Dragan unfolds the Stone Grimoire from its center. I congratulate him with another kiss and he wraps his arms around me, holding me close. I moan into the kiss until I hear an irritable growl.
Dragan releases me and I shake my head at Baron. I know he’s teasing as usual, but Dragan has a short temper as it is. Pyre and the others congratulate Dragan on his success and we take our seats at the table to discuss our worries and the plans going forward.
“So, we know what we’re doing about the new Vindication, but what about us?” I inquire. “There are major threats that could attack any minute. Variant’s army is bound to recover soon, as well.”
“Variant might be dead but Morrigan is still alive,” Aima nods in agreement.
“Once Zir and I get those cloaking devices finished, we’ll be able to hide this location from anyone,” Cambion offers. “Whether they use magic or technology, this place will be safe from prying.” Cambion sets the remnants of one of the devices on the table. “If we can finish it, this device may be the key to saving all of our people from further attacks.”
