Page 11 of Celestial Shadows
“Yes? What about him?”
Kolvar drops a ring onto the table in front of me. “That is the King’s ring. It was found on a burned corpse strung up outside Oronrel. Novak went to the Unseelie Kingdom lookin’ to get revenge on Variant. He was killed on sight.”
I feel my shock as my mouth drops open. “I’m so sorry, Kolvar. Do the Sunder’s Might know?”
“Aye,” he replies. “They’ll honor him tonight.”
“Another bloodline ended over the thirst for power.”
“With any luck, there will be enough legends to keep King Galmer’s story alive. He was more than just my King, at one point he was a friend as well.”
“I hope he finds peace in the afterlife.”
“As do I.”
***
THEREN
Mortal Ruins
I lower the child from my shoulders and he scurries off to join his friends. The mother of the satyr boy glares in my direction. With my presence now known among the people, it’s a reaction I’ll have to grow accustomed to. I give her a well-intended wave and she sneers. A few of the creatures in the courtyard catch her reaction and look my way. Some of them pity me while others are content to hate me on principle alone. I know when I’ve outstayed my welcome. With one last glance around the flourishing courtyard, I retreat into the darkness of the library.
My quarters are in the loft above the endless rows of books and ancient tomes. I pass Pyre as he flips through a book I can’t identify. He spares me a quick glance and a sympathetic smile. I imagine his presence makes the people just as uncomfortable as my own. I acknowledge his smile with a nod and climb the winding iron staircase. The mages created my quarters with Cambion’s instructions, giving me a place where I can be alone with my thoughts.
I summon my mirror to prop it on the dresser. The black frame seems so out of place among the emerald curtains and brass fixtures. Warm hues of wood and earthy shades of green and blue allow me to feel as though I’m at the heart of the forest and not nestled in a ruined city. I stare into the mirror’s reflection, feeling the forbidden call of my magic reaching through the surface. Bewitched eyes stare back at a reflection that’s no longer my own. I feel the pull of the mirror and I allow it to take me within its glass, to hold me in its embrace.
I pull the cowl of my robes over my head to shroud myself in darkness as I walk through the Valley of the Unknown. This place is neither life nor death, because spirits don’t dwell in the unholy heat of such shadows. I hear the cries of those who lost their sanity to their mirrors, catoptromancers who never returned to their world from these forsaken halls. Since I was a child, my greatest fear has been joining the voices in the dark. Even now, I feel the sharp edge of fear gliding along my spine.
My hand lifts to a door unseen. It opens at my touch and I enter a dimly lit corridor filled with mirrors. The way ahead is endless, stretching far beyond what my eyes can see. I walk deeper into the dreaded depths of this place, feeling myself pull further and further away from my world. Coldness seeps into my veins. My appearance shifts, becoming as reflective as the mirrors that surround me.
And then I feel him... Elioth.
I stop just before a particular mirror, one lined with fractured wood that appears rotted with age. The surface is marred with greasy streaks and finger marks that fog the image beyond. I don’t dare touch the mirror, but I sense my father’s power on the other side, all the same. I close my eyes tightly. Power flows from my body and forces its way through the mirror’s glass. I see him in my mind’s eye.
Elioth stands before a council of men. Humans that have been twisted and corrupted beyond recognition, tainted to the depths of their souls until they became something sinister. They’re black riders, priests within a brotherhood of darkness. The ancient tongue translates their title as theKnights of Umbra.Hideous, disfigured faces hide beneath tattered cloth. I hear the clanging of their chainmail beneath the rotting cloaks that cover their bodies. Shrill, hissing voices pierce my ears as they whisper to my father.Obuquibirds rest on their rider’s shoulder, cawing and flapping impatiently.
The dark warriors are, no doubt, eager to release their master.
I must stop them.
My power forces itself into my father’s head. He’s too powerful. The strength within him is staggering. I see nothing, hear nothing but the taunting laughter of the evil man who sired me. His magic shatters the mirror and I run for the door. He’s felt me. Perhaps even seen me. Regardless, he knows I’m here.
Elioth is behind me, walking slowly as he follows.
“You defeated me once, Theren, but Morrigan’s spell has weakened you. Never again will you be victorious.”
With a final push, I shove through the door and slam it shut behind me. I manage to make it back to my quarters and break the connection before it can be traced. My head hurts and I stumble towards the stairs. “Pyre!” I shout.
The necromancer appears at the other end of the library. He makes his way over to me and helps me from the floor.
“We must find a way to stop Elioth,” I breathe, my heart pounding in my head. “TheKnights of Umbraare in the Cogost Mountains. They’re preparing for a ritual…”
“How do you know this?” Pyre insists.
“I saw it,” I answer. “I went through my mirror and I saw it.”
He shakes his head and breathes in deeply. “That was the most foolish thing you could have done, Theren. What if Elioth finds us?”
