Page 85 of Daughter of the Darkened City

“You’ve done so much already, Avenay.”

Desperation clawed its way up her spine. She needed to be useful in some way. “Can you explain the ritual to me once again?”

Hevena smiled and obliged, her words rehearsed but patient, having explained this so many times before. “We will have warriors outside the temple, ready to fight off any creatures who make it through the veil at the completion of the spell. Enid will place her hand on the sword, holding the tip of the horn as I do a cloaking spell so she appears as the original demon. As she does that, Onora will be placed in the center of the temple, the moonlight cast on her with crystals in her hand to help harness the power that will flow through her. She will act as an amplifier for Enid to pull the sword out and unleash the magic again, which will break the wards on Evolis.”

“Maybe I can find something similar in the grimoires and—”

Hevena placed a gentle hand on her arm, the loose and billowy linen of her shirt falling away like a feather. “You’ve done so much,Avenay. I think you should focus on rest, and spending time with Enid while you can.”

While you can.

Avenay blinked, her heart racing at the words. Hevena grimaced.

“I worded that poorly. That surely only made you more anxious. I meant to sayspend as much time with her as you can before the ritual. I’m sure it will relax her. Often all we need are those we love.”

Avenay let out a deep breath and nodded. She stood, clasping Hevena’s hand in her own. “Thank you for that. You’re right.”

Hevena smiled and patted her arm. A flash of black ink caught Avenay’s attention, and she took the witch’s wrist, tilting it up. There was a tattoo in the old language. It saidTethon. A cold shiver rolled down her back, but she kept her face neutral. She had to have read it wrong, or it had a different meaning.

“What does this say?”

Hevena tilted her wrist for her to see more. “I love your curiosity. It saysTethon. It’s the word for the Holy Mother in the old witch language. I had it inked in honor of how she blessed witches and gave us power.”

Avenay’s pulse picked up, pounding in her throat. But she only smiled back at Hevena. “Beautiful. I think I’ll take your advice now and go see Enid.”

Hevena patted her arm. “Good girl.”

Avenay turned and walked stiffly out, afraid of going too fast.

She had missed something. Something big. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Junie staring at her. She’d heard that conversation. Junie knew something. And Junie couldn’t tell her.

Avenay wasted no time when she walked through the doors of the library. She ran to the temple in the center of Evolis, smiling and waving at others along the way, something in her heart telling her to keep this knowledge close to her chest.

Perhaps the book Junie had given her was nothing more than fairy tales.

But that’s precisely what everyone had told her about Evolis, too. She came to the temple out of breath, her curls falling out of the bun she’d secured at the nape of her neck. The first acolyte came up to her, kissing both cheeks.

“Where’s Vasu?” she asked, ignoring all formalities. She hadn’t seen him since she’d asked for his help to find information.

“Vasu is busy right now,” the acolyte said. “Perhaps you can come back later.”

“No, I need to see him now.”

“He’s really too busy.” The words were firm from the acolyte, too firm.

She looked beyond them and could see a few others listening, carefully keeping their eyes down, darting up only for a moment before looking away.

“Where’s Vasu?” she asked, just as firmly.

“He’s indisposed.”

Avenay’s blood frosted, but she only nodded.

“I understand. Forgive me, I’ll come back another time.”

The acolyte smiled but watched her carefully as she left. She didn’t know what to do. The world had suddenly tilted off kilter.

Something was very, very wrong. She needed to go back to her room, find the grimoire, and ensure she’d read it wrong. She walked through the streets, aware of any noise, of every person she walked past. It had to be the stress. She was going crazy like everyone had always said.

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