Page 26 of Kingdom of Chaos
“What happened to him?” I ask.
“He won the activation trial only to realize what the demon’s intentions were. Demons are near indestructible in our world. Lucian figured out that a fatal wound from Shadow Striker wouldn’t kill the demon, but it would send its essence back to its own world. So rather than using the dagger as his father had, or as the demon wanted him to, he used Shadow Striker to destroy the demon. Before the demon’s body died in our world, it vowed that one day the dagger would find its way back to the human world, which would start a series of events that would lead to not only the subjugation of the humans it despised, but also bring destruction to our world as well.”
“The prophecy,” I whisper, almost talking to myself.
“Yes. That’s where it originated,” Talon confirms, his expression grave. “To keep the demon from returning to ourworld, Lucian, along with a small group of his trusted friends, sealed the gates to keep anyone from being able to bring Shadow Striker to the human world, and so that the demon, or any other, could never return to ours. That’s when the Arcane Society was born. A group of protectors vowed to keep anyone from going through the gates to protect both worlds. The mission of the Arcane Society that started with the Vampire King’s son has been passed down through the generations ever since.”
The kitchen falls silent as we digest everything Talon’s told us. It’s a lot, and I’m glad we know, but it doesn’t do anything to get us any closer to rescuing Becks. It’s time to find out howall-inTalon really is.
“We can’t use Shadow Striker to get to the human world. Is there a way to get through the gates even though they are sealed?” I ask point blank.
I hold his gaze, waiting to see what he does.
“You know there is,” he says, surprising me.
“I don’t know what—” I start, but Talon tilts his head and shoots me a look. I sigh. “You knew I was listening.” It’s a statement, not a question.
One corner of his mouth quirks. “From the moment you peeked your pretty brown eyes around the corner to spy on us.”
“I wasn’t spying. I was eavesdropping. There’s a difference.” I have no reason to be embarrassed, but heat still creeps into my cheeks.
“If you say so,” Talon says, and his deep chuckle makes my stomach flutter.
“What are you talking about?” Ensley interrupts. “What does Locklyn already know?”
Talon tips his head to me. I pull out the necklace, letting the purple pendant dangle for Titus and Ensley to see.
“What kind of gem is that?” she asks, leaning forward to get a better look.
“Lunacite,” Titus says before I get a chance to answer.
Talon’s head snaps toward him. “You’ve heard of it before?”
Titus smirks. “You’re not the only one with family secrets.”
Talon’s eyebrows raise.
“Where did you get that?” Ensley asks, and I quickly explain how I was wearing it when I was an infant.
“I always thought they were a myth,” Titus says, a bemused look on his face. “They’re fabled to be gems that enhance fae elemental magic. As the story goes, one of my ancestors was gifted one by someone referred to only as ‘the Wanderer.’ Supposedly, my tenth or eleventh great-grandfather saved his life. For generations, the gem was secretly passed down, granting the eldest male amplified powers that helped our family prosper, until about a hundred years ago, when it was lost. Or rather, stolen. It had been mounted in a ring, and my great-great-grandfather was wearing it the night he was murdered. When they found his body, the ring was gone.”
“Was he murdered for the ring?” I ask, horrified by the thought.
Titus shrugs. “We don’t know for sure. Maybe it was just a random mugging gone wrong. Maybe someone else learned about the gem’s power and targeted him. Honestly, I never believed the family stories. I always figured it was just bad luck that dear old Gramps was offed walking home late from the pub. But seeing that stone,” he nods toward my pendant, “I’m not so sure the stories weren’t true.”
“The gem isn’t of this world,” Talon says. “It was brought by the first humans who traveled here.” He turns to Titus. “The stones are incredibly rare in the human world. They may have found more, but at the time the gates were open, there were only a few in existence, and they were highly coveted for not only their rarity, but their ability to amplify powers. Fae were said to be particularly sensitive to them. From stories, we knowof three that were brought here, so it’s possible your ancestor had a lunacite gemstone. The Society’s been looking for them for years, but has never been able to find one.”
Titus hops off the counter and walks toward me. “May I?” he asks.
I nod, and the moment he touches the pendant, his eyes flare. With his other hand, he reaches for the small potted plant in the center of the kitchen island. The moment his fingers brush a leaf, a bud begins to grow, then rapidly blooms.
It’s a display of earth magic, common among fae, but I’ve never seen it happen so quickly. Titus lets go of the pendant and steps back.
“That’s legit,” he says. “I wasn’t even really trying.” He looks down at his hand like he’s never seen it before.
I glance at Talon to see if he’s surprised, but his face gives nothing away. I still don’t know what kind of creature Talon is, but if he’s fae, he must have felt the gem’s power too when he touched it.
“So Locklyn has a super special gem from the other world,” Ensley says. “Besides being very cool, does that actually mean anything?”
