Page 50 of A Queen Of Broken Realms
“It was at the bottom of the Black Sea. Kind of a long story.” The old man’s gaze flicks up to mine before he examines the stone. I clear my throat, trying to rid myself of the taste of memory. “It was in some kind of door made of metal rings. There were inscriptions in a language I didn’t recognize. Almost like Sumerian, but different. And there was a sort of whisper ribbon…thing…in a repeating chant.”
“What did it say?” he asks, knowing I’ll remember it all as though it only happened moments ago.
“Hursanu y aabba, ziana y anzu. Os naru nibiru insabatu. Elu lo zaqru. Nadna lo sagzal Mitusitum,” I reply, reciting the unfamiliar words.
The old man blows a thin stream of air through tense, wrinkled lips. His thumb caresses the polished surface of the black stone. It hums beneath his touch like a cat in the sun. “The language is Dingir. The language of the gods. It says ‘mountains and seas, valleys and skies. I call upon the convergence. Raise the veil. Relinquish the key of Deathfate’.”
“Deathfate,” Ashen says, his eyes narrowing on the old man who only nods. “The key ofDeathfate?”
“That doesn’t sound so good,” I say as Mr. Hassan hands the stone to me. “When I managed to get the sphere, the door opened, and there was a woman in the distance.”
Mr. Hassan’s face pales but his eyes are sharp and bright as they lock to mine. “What did you see? Did she say anything,azizati?”
I nod, glancing at Ashen as I feel his worry pull at the boundaries of my mark. “I saw threads of light. I couldn’t see her face, but she spoke to me. She said, ‘Leucosia Anthemoessatum. Rakbu mitusitum. Eteru sut.’”
“Leucosia of Anthemoessa. Guardian of Deathfate. Save us.”
Fuck. That doesn’t sound good at all. Mr. Hassan can see the dismay rising in my face. His eyes soften and he smiles as he reaches out to pat my hand. “There is another stone,” I say.
“Yes. Soulfate. It resides in the Realm of Light. Not just anyone can take or wield them. They must be worthy, an ancient immortal. One who has earned the right to travel the three realms without a chaperone.”
Ashen’s hand tenses around mine. “The Nephilim. That’s why they need Lu, to retrieve the stones. For what end?”
“As the legend goes, if the stones are brought together, they could openAlahalsu, the gateway to the fates. The fates on the other side are the last of the gods. If someone were to pass the gates, they could usurp and control them. They could remake destiny to their liking. Destroy enemies. Destroy entire realms. Put themselves into rule over whatever they wished to keep.”
“Where isAlahalsu? And the Soulfate stone, do we have any idea where it would be in the Realm of Light?” Ediye asks as a quiet sense of dread descends on a low, gentle breeze.
“I don’t know,sahira. I will take the oldest texts with me when I gather my things, but most of this was oral history so ancient that it became myth,” Mr. Hassan replies.
“And the enemy, the Nephilim, what do we know of them?” I ask. “They were like campfire ghost stories thousands of years ago. I’ve heard nothing about them for millennia until Aloros and Leander both mentioned them. Does the Guild have any knowledge of the Nephilim?”
“Most of what is known about them was kept in the records of theanunnaki. Many believe they were fallen, corrupted angels, cast out of all the realms for wicked crimes against the gods. They do not exist directly in the realms. But this could be more of your campfire tales, told and changed each time with the telling. We will look for clues, but there is no guarantee we will find anything. It will likely be theanunnakiyou must seek for answers.”
“Anything?” I ask when I turn toward Eryx.
“Mr. Mistoffelees,” he says with a shrug, and I snort a laugh at the memory of Club Caelum as he smiles. “I don’t know, but I can pay a visit home soon and try to find out.”
Ediye gives a single, decisive nod. “Eryx and Cole, can you go to Valentina’s and gather our things, let her know we’ll be heading out? I’ll take Mr. Hassan back to his place. I’ll need more supplies too.”
Ashen’s already rigid stance hardens even further. He takes the tourmaline sphere from Mr. Hassan and places it back in the bag. “Lu and I will open the corridor to Cairo and will meet you there.”
“Aglaope,” I say, turning to my sister. “Did you know Valentina? She was created by Molpe.”
Aglaope nods. “Yes, I remember her. I met her only once.”
“She has an estate not far from Castle Bran. She is temporarily staying with a coven of witches not far from her home. It would be best for you to go with Cole and Eryx, and Valentina will make sure you can hunt safely.”
Aglaope gives me a warm smile, her hand trailing over my hair with affection. “All right, sister.”
I turn to Cole next. “Tell Valentina we’ll be back to deal with the hybrids and werewolves when we can. Take the corridor to the Shadow Realm as soon as you’re done. We’ll make sure it’s open for you. And bring Davina.”
“Is there…is there something you could make for me, so I can go to the Shadow Realm too?” Eryx asks as he steps forward, his eyes fixed to the apothecary with an expression both hopeful and full of longing. My heart cracks watching Cole take the angel’s hand with a rueful smile. “I don’t want to stay behind.”
“Yes, I think I can make something to help stave off the burn and allow you to stay for a few days at a time,” Mr. Hassan says, a glint in his eye. He smiles at the wash of relief in Eryx’s expression. “We’ll make sure to bring plenty of what we need.”
I take Ashen’s hand and shift my gaze across my group of friends. My family. The people I love and depend on. The people that I hope depend on me in return. “Okay. Let’s all get going. I don’t want to linger any more from the Shadow Realm now that we know what they’re after. I never thought I’d say this, but it’s probably the safest place for us right now.”
Words of agreement pass among the group and Ediye lays out the circle of charred bones and pine needles and fragrant herbs to make her portal. When it’s ready, she chants her spells to raise the black orb of spinning stars, and Cole, Eryx, and Aglaope walk forward to slip away into Romania. When they’re gone, she forms a new portal, and takes Mr. Hassan away to Cairo. As the orb bursts in a spray of black glitter, Ashen and I head back to the sedan that takes us to the house in Pamukkale.
