Page 33 of Antiletum
Eyes bouncing over the story painted before us on the windows, she responds, “Hundreds of years ago, thedeosdecided it was their time to rest. They disappeared from Omnitas and went to their graves. As they did, the Heartstones stopped beating. The Ellden clocks were constructed, being used to connect magic and measure balance in theNocturne’s absence.”
“Or perhaps it was the other way around with the Heartstones and the clocks,” I suggest.
“What? Thedeosdisappearedbecausethe Heartstones stopped beating?” Delaney’s pulse flutters faster in her neck, barely visible in the moonlight and thin gas lamps.
“Precisely. The factions were created when infighting occurred among shifter groups, magic upended after the original three Ellden clocks were constructed bringing about the absence of thedeos. They blamed each other for theNocturnedisappearing and taking their animal forms with them. The foxes flocked to areas rumored to hold the den of theVulpesHeartstone. The caracals and other big cats did thesame withPanthera. Noctuaremained in and around Omnitas. But it was really Parliament that stole shifter abilities. Locking it away within the magical confines of the Ellden clocks. Along with the full scope of magic, divvying its depths in a way that could be sold as strengthening it. Stronger with your spouse, but you can’t use it without them. And never again when one dies. If balance is skewed too far, the Ellden clocks will break. Magic will disappear like thedeos.”
Delaney gulps, scanning the room like a member of the cabinet may be pressed against the wall, listening in.
“We can speak freely here.” She doesn’t look at all convinced. “There is no one here but us, Delaney.” Unable to stop myself, I add with an embarrassing amount of desperation, “Trust me. On this.”
On this.Something small. Something we can start with and build from. Something honest.
A visible war rages within her. She wants to. That much is abundantly clear in the way she looks at me. Chewing on the inside of her lip, eyes trying to burrow down into the deepest recesses of my soul. If she would just let go of what Rainah said.
“If you don’t believe theNocturnechose to rest, what do you think happened?”
“They were forced into a grave by their children who saw it as their turn to rule.” Delaney is horrified, her cheeks losing some of their alcohol induced flush. “You look shocked.”
“Because I am.”
I chuckle, leaning against a wall. Delaney rests herself beside me, gazing up at my face with interest. “Familicide is still prevalent today. It’s not unheard of for family members to be most jealous of each other.”
“But why would the children of theNocturnewant to get rid of their parents?”
“As I said before, it’s all about control. Greed. It always has been. Over time, they’ve been able to put everyone in a chokehold. Through the farce governments they created. Through the Ellden clocks that they bound to every last person wearingvinculum,keeping their power in check. Even the ones who managed to get away weren’t spared. Magic, breeding, resources, profits. Even purposely doling out sickness when they believe populations have grown too large or unruly. Everything.”
“Why?” Delaney asks quietly.
I lean closer. Tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. Offer the simple, appalling truth. “Because they can.”
“And you want to stop Parliament? Raise the Heartstones and bring theNocturneback?”
“Yes. We believe that if thedeosreturn, the Ellden clocks’ relevance will break naturally, freeing all who are bound without killing magic in the process. Return the masses’ ability to shift. Not to mention ending the tyranny keeping everyone poor and beaten down.”
“We?” My wife’s brows draw in.
“Suredeis.Many families, for many generations, have been searching for people like us—necromancers—to achieve that goal. A gift that has been bred out of existence, for this very purpose.”
“If that’s true, what’s stopping Parliament from assassinating us now?” Delaney’s question is high, fearful.
“I won’t lie to you. There’s no guarantee they won’t. But in a short amount of time, we have garnered the love of the public. Both of our stories have inspired widespread hope for change. For somethingbetter.Proven that dire circumstances can come to an end.”
“Parliament fears the people will be suspicious and rebel if we meet an untimely demise.” Nervously, she runs her hand over one of her loose curls.
My clever wife.
“That’s the idea, yes.” I sigh, unable to decide if I’m more relieved or stressed now that she knows on a surface level just how dangerous our position is. “I owe you an apology. You’ve been brought into the heart and purpose of a very precarious, very dangerous situation. Without any warning or say. After a lifetime being stripped of choice. It’s not fair. I…”
I cut myself off, letting my final thought trail into the ether.
Delaney gnaws her lip, eyes softening. “It’s not your fault.”
Silence answersthatparticular sentiment, having not expected it at all. It’s not really lying. Not really. I’m just not correcting her. A deeper twinge of guilt digs into me.
Fuck, I’m such a hypocrite.
To ease my guilt and avoid being sick on the floor, gently,honestly,I tell her, “All the same. You have a choice now.”
