Page 244 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

This information is not scary at all.

Closing the book and putting it back in its place, I massage my temples.

Anxiety runs through my veins, and my hands have a slight tremor to them that I cannot stop.

I don’t see any way out of this. Hewillfind something on me. And I will be arrested, then executed.

No! There has to be something I can do.

Wyn’s words from before echo in my mind. What had she said?

I must make a visit to the House of Moirai and cut my thread of fate.

But can I trust her? She sent Thea to help me, and if she had not come at the right time, I would have been forced to divulge everything to Cerenios. Perhaps shedoeshave good intentions.

“Senea,” I call out to the library wraith.

“Yes?” A ghostly being materializes.

“Show me all the books on the House of Moirai that mention the threads of fate.”

A few books light up at the end of the library.

“Do you require anything else, Your Highness?”

“No. That is all.”

I take out the books the wraith highlighted and spread them out on the table.

Although everyone knows the power the House of Moirai wields, not only in Aperion but in the entire universe, there is very little information available on the specifics of their work. Both the House of Moirai and the House of Psyche are the most elusive parts of Aperion, and the only ones closed to anyone outside of their jurisdiction.

I remember learning the basics about them in school, but beside their hierarchies and the fact that one deals with the eternal cycle of souls while the other weaves the parameters of each soul’s fate, there was little else we were taught about them.

As I peruse the books, I realize there isn’t much more here either.

One chronicle mentions there are nine threads of fate, pertaining to the self, family, friends, love, potential, fortune, misfortune, life, and death. Theselfthread is imbued with the innate characteristics of a person, good and bad. Thefamilythread decides within which family the soul will be born into. Thefriendsthread connects to other souls and makes a tapestry of connections; it’s all about the other people a person might meet in a lifetime. The threads forfortuneandmisfortuneas well aslifeanddeathare rather self-explanatory. They relate to when a person will be born, their trials and tribulations during their life and ultimately death. Thepotentialthread is more mysterious and the only one the chroniclers can’t decide on a definition.

Yet as I read on, I realize that while these threads provide some parameters, they are not precise. There is still a certain degree of free will. But once more, the chroniclers cannot agree on the weight of free will versus the threads spun by the Moirai.

Nine threads of fate. Wyn said I must cutafate thread.

But she forgot to tell me which one…

THIRTY-FIVE

I cannot believeI’m taking such high risks based on a few words from a stranger. Yet here I am, at the gates of Moirai, about to either manage to get inside or get arrested for even trying.

Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders and head to where the armored soldiers guard the portal that leads to the inside of the House of Moirai.

Although it is technically located in Aperion, the only way to get inside is to be approved by the door watcher, who then inputs some coordinates in the portal that take you to the heart of House of Moirai. This system ensures that even if the armed guards guarding the portal were to be defeated, no one would be able to step inside without the proper coordinates.

As I step forward, the guards look me up and down with suspicion before the door watcher materializes.

“Name and purpose of the visit,” he demands.

“Minerva An’yan of the House of Cryos here to see Groyo of the House of Moirai.”

“Is he expecting you?”

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