Page 121 of Blood of Ancients

I circled my wrist in a rewinding motion. “Hold on. Did you sayonlyelves can step into her cave?”

“Unless called for, yes. Ever wondered why Arne did not go into the cave with you the first time you visited her? It was because he could not.”

“Then how didItalk to her.”

Corym looked over and gave me a small smile. “Elves ofall blood, love.”

Half-elves count.I felt like I was being enlightened on the spot. I was certainly learning more about Elayina and how she worked in Midgard. It didn’t pertain to the nitty-gritty of my own part in all this, however.

“You said it was the dark elves who locked her in the cave in the first place?” I asked.

“Aye. With their twisted magic. Centuries ago. When the wards to this world weakened, and we visited Elayina, I told her it was time to break her out. She could finally leave Midgard. Remember what she said?”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, closing my eyes as I tried to recall our fateful meeting that repositioned the trajectory of my whole life.

My eyes opened, the memory retrieved from the compartment of my brain where I kept it. “She said she was staying because her work wasn’t finished here. ‘Cruel, dark magic has kept me here, binding me to this land.’ That’s the dark elves, eh? And . . .” I tilted my head, tapping my chin. Gasping, I looked up to Corym. “Retaliation. She stayed for retaliation.”

Corym nodded. “Against whom? I assuming the Dokkalfar. She must have known they would come. But couldn’t it be someoneelseshe wanted to retaliate against,lunis’ai? Vikingrune Academy, perhaps?”

My heart beat faster, with the academy leaving his lips. “Fuck. And here I thought she was a paragon of peace.”

My mate let out a soft chuckle, drawing a few narrowed eyes from our wood elf escorts. “When you’ve been around since the Taldan Wars, and have lived centuries in a locked-away cavern away from your home world, I don’t think you know the first thing about peace.”

I twirled my hair between my fingers nervously. “I guess that makes sense. If I am to ‘rekindle’ the relationship between humans and elves, and take on thisLightbearertitle she thinks belongs to me, maybe I won’t go to her to make it happen.”

Corym snorted, chuckling again. “Aye, probably best. There are other diplomats and leaders who can help. I know the court ofMaltorVaalnath well. If the prophecy is true, and you’re the answer in it . . . we won’t want for allies, love.”

Gods, the anticipation and anxiety of this whole thing was killing me. Weighing me down, realizing I had the burden ofbothworlds on my shoulders now.

Luckily, I had all my mates with me to make something happen. To keep me upright if I floundered.

“Anvarialso said something else when we parted,” Corym said. “Do you remember?”

“Yes.” I twisted my wrists. “It was some asinine thing that made no sense. About ‘transcending the serpent’s shadow’ and finding our own truth within the tragedy of ancients, blah, blah, blah.”

Corym smiled at my frustration. “I’ve been thinking more about it.”

I pointed up ahead. “I mean, couldn’t weaskher? She’s right up there. I’m curious what the serpent’s shadow is.”

He put a hand on my arm. “I believe the serpent’s shadow will reveal itself in time,lunis’ai. Maybe from Elayina herself. I’m more interested in the latter part of those words.”

“The ‘tragedy of ancients’ thing?”

He nodded diligently. “I’m wondering if theancientsshe speaks of has to do with people from her time—Lord Talasin, King Dannon. Because what happened back then was an unmitigated tragedy.”

“True.” I loved playing detective, and talking to Corym about all this stuff, but I also thought we should just ask Elayina what she meant.

Then again, maybe now isn’t the right time, as Corym is saying. Jhaeros and his elves are here. There’s a chance she’ll lose whatever respect she has for me if she finds out I’m so clueless about all this shit.

I would bite my tongue for now.

When Corym didn’t continue talking, still staring over at me, my eyes bulged. I pointed at myself. “You think the ancients and those old fuckers has to do withme?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Why else would she mention it?”

“Because she’s a quacky old crone?”

He laughed a third time, finally getting one of the wood elves to reprimand him in their guttural language.

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