Page 45 of The Night Prince

“This is yours, I believe, Finley.”Michael handed the journal to Finley.

“Thank you.”Finley smiled at Michael and glared at Rhalyf who appeared unrepentant.

Finley tucked the journal securely into the inner pocket of his robes.

“Did you copy that illustration out of one of those books?The illustration of the city, I mean,” Rhalyf repeated.

“No, that I drew from memory,” Finley said curtly as he sat back down in his chair.

Rhalyf’s interest, which had been so focused on Declan–despite his claims to be making small talk–now was fully focused on Finley and Finley didn’t know how he felt about it.The Sun Elf was no longer languid.He wasintense.Like a live wire though he didn’t appear to blink or even breathe.

“Do you know what that is?”Rhalyf asked softly.

Finley fussed with his other journals that had been thrown out of alignment when Rhalyf had levitated the Vex one away.“I do.It’s Illithor.”

Rhalyf’s gray eyes glowed silver.His lips parted and he let out a soft breath.“You know this–”

“Because Ididfind sketches of it in the history books.I compared the two and confirmed that I saw the Forsaken Tower and the Sanguine Pillar–”

“Yes, yes, that is what those are.But are you certain that yousawthem and you didn’t just conflate them later with what you looked at in books?”Rhalyf asked intently.

Michael lifted an eyebrow.“You’re the first person to actually take Finley seriously about this, Lord Neres.Finley went to the Glass Scholar and was pooh-poohed.”

“That’s because he’s a fool!”Rhalyf said with almost a sharp snap of his teeth.Then seeing the increase of the lift of Michael’s eyebrow, he added, “As I said earlier, the Sun Elves seem to avoid knowing anything about the Kindreth so… I’m not surprised he refused to see what was right in front of his face.”His gaze, rapacious and intense, so intense that it seemed to spear into Finley was back upon the young man.“Where was this rift exactly where you saw Illithor?”

Finley blinked and shifted.He’d wanted someone in authority to take him seriously about seeing Illithor and Rhalyf was definitely in authority as the Sun King’s best friend.But suddenly, he wasn’t so sure if that was wise.

Don’t be silly.He might know more about Illithor and the Kindreth.Finally, someone who might have the same interests as me!But he’s so… so… I don’t know.

“It was where Declan used to live.”He pointed in the general direction of their old homes.

“Take me there.”Rhalyf half rose from his seat as if he meant for Finley to do so now.

“Why? It’s not like the rift is still there.It was destroyed long ago,” Finley pointed out.

Rhalyf suddenly sagged in his seat as if he was a balloon that had been punctured.“Yes, yes, of course, they sealed all the rifts in Tyrael. So it’s…gone.”

His utter dejection actually conjured some sympathy in Finley.The city was beautiful.And also terrifying.But alluring all the same.

“Do you know much about Illithor?”Finley asked, determined to get some answers from the Sun Elf for once in this conversation.

But before Rhalyf could answer, a booming dwarvish voice called from the doorway, “Well, well, well, I hear that I have some royal visitors!”

Helgrom Greatfall had returned to the Dawn.

On A Knife’s Edge

Declan dropped the knife to the floor as if it were made of magma.It clattered and spun, ending somewhere under the bed.He stared at Aquilan.Aquilan stared back at him.The king did not look afraid.Alarmed?Yes.Concerned?Yes.But not about himself.About Declan?Maybe.Aquilan slowly and gracefully lifted a hand towards Declan.The firelight–that was the only light in the room–sparkled on the gold vambraces he wore.

Thank god, no sunlight!

The king spoke, “Declan?”

Declan?Who is Declan?I’m…

His brain screeched to a halt.He was Declan.Declan was him.He lifted a shaking hand to his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat.He felt so weak.So awful.Was thisnow?

“How did I get here?”Declan asked as his legs started to wobble beneath him.

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