Page 75 of Of Serpents and Ruins
The Babadon. I’d been responsible for knowing where to slay the Babadon. I’d told Brandt exactly where to stand. Where to strike. It was my foresight. My vision. In memory, I heard my voice whispering those words. Saw my hand sketching out those images on an unevenly cut page.
A long keening wail filled my mind as memory dragged me back. The Gola Resh with her orange-green eyes weeping over the body of her fallen mate. The mate slain by the hand of my beloved and with my insight.
Elias leaned closer to me. "Are you all right, Stella?" he whispered. "You’ve gone pale."
I nodded, biting the inside of my lip. Drawing in a deep breath, I curled my arms around the little raptor in my lap. She chirped again then nudged me.
"Everything was destroyed except the heart, and that was drained," Brandt said. "You assured me that so long as the heart was drained properly, there was no risk."
Osvar tipped his head forward, his brow furrowed deeply. The arrogance of his former manner fell away. "To the best of our knowledge, that was true…unless something happened with the process." He cast a helpless look around those assembled. "Unless something changed it."
Most remained silent, only staring.
Tile gave a faint nod, his expression quirking in a sympathetic manner. "Perhaps the Gola Resh is simply capable of manipulating the last traces of magic that remain. It is hard to say, but as we now know for certain she lives, we can set about destroying her in a way that will eliminate all of her magic and curses."
"The heart of the Babadon was divided into three sections," Brandt said. "We gave one to Arjax and Lorna for that spear. The other two pieces were used to create other items to represent peace and for unification purposes."
Those names flashed into my mind with shocks of familiarity. Powerful arms. Even bigger hugs. Terror birds. Grey and brown feathers drifting on the wind. I tilted my head, trying to make a more concrete connection.
Kine leaned closer, his elbow brushing against mine. "Old friends," he whispered, his earthy voice husky in my ear.
Hmm. That explained the memory of hugging.
Kine then indicated the raptor sitting on my lap. "And her name is Scarlet."
"One was sent to the Chimera Caldera near the land of the vampires, less than four days from here," Tile said.
Brandt nodded. "Yes. The second is right here in Castle Serpentfire. It was molten into the base of the Peace Goblet to serve as a reminder of our unification and what was lost in the fall of Taivren."
Scarlet nibbled at my collarbone. This was familiar too. Bratty little empress.
She seemed to know what I was thinking as she tilted her head up and then nipped at my necklace. Her teeth clicked on the stone. I sighed, giving her a slightly annoyed look as I pressed her jaws back. She nibbled at my finger. Her teeth set lightly against the skin but did not pierce it.
"We must gather all three talismans and bring them to the Ember Lord’s Crest," Tile said.
"A volcano beyond the ruins of Taivren on the coast," Kine whispered. His hand brushed over Scarlet as he gave her a small smile.
Tile continued, unaware of the hushed clarifications, "When these items, along with the necessary reagents, are cast into the heart of the Ember Lord’s Crest where the magic and the sulfur make the flames burn blue and red and the river is fire, then the Babadon will be destroyed forever. The Gola Resh’s body must be cast in as well. Living or dead, it does not matter. The particular energy of the Ember Lord’s Crest and the combination of all the chemicals and elements will be such that their hold will be thoroughly destroyed. All the curses which have been cast and not completed will be undone, but caution must be taken. The magic that flows through the Ember Lord's Crest may restore as well as destroy. She may weave new curses there or attempt to cause additional harm."
The Gola Resh’s words flashed back into my mind.
"These three items," I said, my own voice startling me. Was I actually speaking up like this? My heart leaped into my throat, my pulse thundering, but the words had a mind of their own. "Was what happened to the items created from the heart common knowledge before this?" When the councilors shook their heads, I closed my eyes. "And is it possible that the Gola Resh could bring the Babadon back if she were to have those items?"
Silence fell.
All eyes remained on me, but I kept my gaze steady, chin lifted. "The Babadon was the Gola Resh’s mate, the one whom she loved more than any in all the worlds. We know that what she wants is to inflict pain and vengeance upon us. I am not having a vision or any sort of second sight with this, at least I don’t think that that’s what this is. But…my instincts say that there is something related to bringing the Babadon back. That just as the Gola Resh has returned, the Babadon will return too."
STELLA
Murmurs rippled through the chamber. Brandt's expression darkened, thunderclouds gathering in his eyes. He stroked his chin. His gaze dropped to the hourglass. The sands sifted into the lower bulb, relentlessly steady.
Tile cleared his throat. "It is…difficult to say for certain whether the Babadon can return, but we would be fools if we did not at least consider the possibility. If we succeed though, we can slay both and destroy them fully. It is, in truth, our only option."
Kine leaned back in his chair, his posture now crooked. "Would the Gola Resh not have known about these items? Were these kept secret enough?"
"The Goblet is sealed away for ceremonial occasions. The Great Axe made in Chimera Caldera was sealed in a labyrinth for separate purposes." Osvar shifted in his seat, his eyebrow lifting with annoyance. "None of these would be readily available to the Gola Resh. Their enchantments and wards were set in ancient heartstones already available."
If there was a traitor who was helping the Gola Resh, then they were likely beyond that individual's reach.
