Page 63 of Their Queen

“According to this, if our translation is correct, this book is a way to bring Balor back to Avalon.”

“But I thought Avalonia defeated the Fomorians. Bringing him back would be impossible if that were the case, right?” I interrupted again.

“That would be a logical assumption. Which means that he can either be raised from the dead,” he paused, looking at me closely again before continuing, “Or, what we feel is the most logical assumption, that he was never actually defeated. That instead, the fae had only succeeded in trapping him somewhere. Based on the words used, we’re leaning toward the latter being the best explanation.” He leaned forward, pointing to a section in the book. “See this word here? We’ve determined it means free. The Ravens have occasionally seen tattoos translated to mean ‘free-spirited’. However, the markings in the book are slightly different. When we take another marking that means ‘wise soul’, we see that soul and spirit are almost used interchangeably. If that’s the case, then this section of the free-spirited symbol is what actually means spirit. This part over here matches what we see in the book, and the best we can determine is that it means free,” he explained, enraptured in his explanation and by looking at the symbols that he was showing me. I had to admit I would have come to the same conclusion.

“So, we believe that Balor has actually been imprisoned and that this book contains the key to freeing him?” I asked, needing the clarification. On something like this, I didn’t dare jump to conclusions that might be incorrect.

“That’s what we are thinking,” he admitted to me. Revna and Ramund nodded in agreement.

“Okay, following that logic, then it stands to reason that Titania wants the book so she can free him. But why? What does she have to gain from something like that?” I asked, looking to the others, hoping that one of them had deduced something different.

“That seems to be the question now,” Arryn said, stepping forward.

Revna joined in. “From the other inscriptions and the history you had found earlier, we think we might have an answer to that. We think that she hopes to use or harness his power to become a goddess to rival Avalonia.”

“There’s no telling how many other items she’s gathered by now that gave her more answers,” Lennox said. “She’s been visiting these sites for as long as I can remember.”

Nodding, I processed this information, trying to find a way to use this information. If nothing else, it only solidified the fact that there was no way I could let her keep this book. But could I trust that they were telling me the truth? They’re lying to you. Hiding the truth to themselves so they can use the power inside the book.

What the fuck? I jumped from my musings, drawing Arryn and Brannoc’s confused gazes. Where had that thought come from? I knew these people and could trust them all with my life. They had been nothing but open with me since the beginning.

Shaking my head to dislodge the unsettling thoughts, I asked, “So, what does the orb do?” We had an idea of what the book was and why it was important to Titania, but the orb was still a mystery.

“That is something we are still trying to discern. It could be nothing except a modifier for the Fomorians’ power, or it could be everything,” my grandfather explained. “However, based on how you’ve described the feeling of it, I can conclude that it is not a tool we want to use anytime soon. Perhaps, not ever.”

“Good. If I never see that thing again, I’ll be more than happy,” I told them. “There’s just something about that thing that doesn’t sit right with me. It feels evil in a way that I can’t explain.”

“Hmmm…I wonder why you’re one of the only ones who can sense that. I didn’t get that sense from the objects,” he thought out loud, studying the orb again before catching the look on my face. Before I could insist that it was there, that I wasn’t going crazy, he held up his hands. “I trust you, child. It’s more that I’m trying to figure out what makes it react to you differently.”

“Yay! Something else that makes me different,” I snarked playfully, still trying to lighten the mood in the room?anything to distract me from the severity of the conversation. If Callum were here, he’d tell me to stop, to take this seriously. My heart panged at the thought, wishing he were here to chastise me.

“Well, I, for one, like the fact that you are so different,” Baer said, playing into the mood. Gratitude at his attempt to soothe me pinged between us. My need for humor was because too much had been weighing on me lately. Adding another mystery to the plate seemed like it would push me over the edge. For now, I would brush it off and deal with it later.

“Okay. It seems that this is all we’ll be able to find out tonight. I suggest everyone get some rest. We’ve got an early start tomorrow, and I need everyone at their best,” I instructed, releasing them all. It was already later than I would have liked. My grandfather said his goodbyes with a peck on my cheek and a hug. Revna and Ramund nodded, walking away hand in hand, Cyerra trailing behind them after giving me a wink and a smile.

Now that they were gone, I was finally alone with all of my guys. Well, not all of them. “Come here, beautiful,” Brannoc said, drawing me into a hug and giving me a kiss. “It’s time you follow your own advice.”

“Fine. If I must.” As wired as my brain was, my body was exhausted. I yawned at the thought of it, causing the guys to laugh at my expense. I smiled along with them.

It didn’t take us long to make it back to our room, where I immediately changed into something more comfortable. Like a baggy T-shirt and shorts, not a sexy lingerie set. Coming out of the bathroom, I caught the guys in mid-conversation, and I paused on the threshold as they froze. “What’s going on?” My eyes found Arryn. He was always the unspoken chosen to break bad news to me.

My pulse shot up into my throat as I waited for him to add another terrible revelation to my growing list. “When we were in that meeting, what were you thinking about?” he asked me, no expression on his face except calm curiosity.

“I was thinking that Titania must be some kind of desperate, with her mad quest to become a goddess, and I couldn’t figure out why that was,” I told them. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just, at one point, I felt something through our bond that seemed out of character. Something that didn’t feel like the light you normally feel like when I touch our bond,” Arryn explained.

“I felt it too,” Brannoc admitted.

“I don’t know what it could be. I feel fine,” I told them, walking closer and climbing on the bed. “Well, I feel like I could sleep for a week, but other than that, nothing’s changed.”

“If you’re sure,” Arryn said, still not convinced that everything was alright.

I smiled softly at him, moving to my knees, wrapping a hand around his neck, and dragging him to me. My tongue parted his lips as I kissed him. Not wanting to start anything that I wasn’t able to finish, I pulled back. “I promise, if something feels off, I’ll tell you. But I’m good. As good as I can be with Callum not with us, and the reality that we’re going to war tomorrow.”

He gave me a quick peck, resting his forehead on mine. “Okay.”

Hands wrapped around my middle and pulled me backward until I was sprawled on the mattress. Baer, snuggled into me, his leg tossed over mine. Lennox claimed the other side of me, turning on his side to face me. I giggled at the sudden change in position, wiggling back until I was snug against my men. Arryn and Brannoc climbed into bed with us, each of them finding a way to touch me. I closed my eyes to luxuriate in the feeling of their love, drifting off to sleep without another thought.

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