Page 34 of Oath-Maker

I didn’t budge. “I’m starving. I’d like to go to the kitchen and back. Is that not doable?”

“I can have a meal brought up here,” Xavier insisted.

“Youcould, yes,” I argued, “but I know the Guardian is in search of very specific information regarding a prophecy and plans, and maybe even about Soltar itself. I know where some of that is located in the Order’s library. There’s a hidden section that was found after his—well, what wethoughtwas his death. He doesn’t know about it, and I’d like to retrieve some texts for him from there before breakfast.”

Xavier laughed. “And you expect me to believe that?”

I shrugged. “That’s on you, Xavier. What I do know is that helping me get that information for the Guardian would make you look really good. And I’m guessing you could use that, given…” I gestured up and down his form. “You were tasked with guarding me with nothing but your sword and your brother. Do you know the magic I now wield?”

Xavier gulped and, with much hesitation, he glanced to his brother.

“She’s telling the truth,” his twin replied before turning to me. “I’ve heard rumors about it, but none of the others have ever found it. The resources there would be invaluable.”

Xavier turned on his twin. “Cole, if it existed, don’t you think the celestials would know about it?”

The twins continued to argue, but my heart seized to a stop at the name of the second twin.

Cole.

I couldn’t help but think of the bridge skirmish a few days ago, when Ian had come with others to retrieve me from Lucius. It’d ended in a fight and death. In Cole’s death,myCole. A close friend. A paladin I’d trained alongside Jessa.

Gods.We’d already lost too many paladins, and Merek’s war would see more dead. Humans, too. Demons.

Soltar would extend here, and depending… Gods, depending on what he did afterthat, anything was possible.

“Fine.” Xavier loudly cut in over the din of my thoughts. I startled and cleared my throat. “Take her, but return quickly. I’ll stay here to keep up appearances. I hope you’re right about this, Cole.”

Cole inclined his head. “You worry too much, brother. We’ll be back inside an hour. Have her meal ready for then.”

Xavier waved us off, and Cole began to lead me away before my mind had fully caught back up with itself. We were down a stairwell and nearly to the library in question before I could form thoughts again. There hadn’t been time to mourn those we’d lost since I’d first come to Alastia to retrieve Jessa. I was now paying the price for it.

Cole—Xavier’s twin, Cole, notmyCole, I had to keep reminding myself—led us to the library and did a quick sweep before returning to me. “It’s empty. We can talk freely.”

I blinked at him. “Freely?”

He held up his wrist where the bracelet of a single bead hung. “I’m with you. Follow me.”

I did.

Isabel. Now Cole. There was hope, but now that hope was tied up with grief, and it was not empowering me at all like it might’ve days ago.

Cole led me to a corner of the library stuffed with bookstacks full of old, dusty tomes no one read. As paladins, we’d had access to the entire library, but I’d never once seen what Cole had done next. Against one wall was a bookstack that looked just like any other. But as Cole approached it, he tilted five books across its shelves. Dust shook loose as the bookstack moved with a scraping sound, pressing into the wall before giving away, revealing a room within.

A room with people inside.

Cole then grabbed a book from that same shelf and handed it to me. “This is what you’ll want to show Xavier when we get back. Itisfrom a retired restricted section, with the only recorded histories of Soltar that were written in Serenia and not taken by the Order or other celestials. Even the Order wanted to keep research notes on the celestials and demons.”

I took the book from him wordlessly, caught between studying its pages, his face, and the people—humans—in the hidden room. “This is…”

Cole nodded, a soft smile on his lips. “I know. Hurry inside, please.”

I did as asked, after which Cole reconfigured the door system and put the bookstack back in place. Then it was just me, him, and a dozen paladins.

“Ayla has returned to us,” Cole announced to the group. I caught sight of Isabel in the back. She nodded at me. Cole then knelt before me. The others followed. “We still uphold our oaths and are ready to serve at your command.”

A nervous knot bubbled up my throat. I’d led the paladins once, for a short time. But this felt immeasurably different even after my resolve to make this work last night.

I gestured for them all to stand. “Please, that’s not necessary. We’re all equals here. All paladins.”

---