Page 194 of Children of Fallen Gods

Tisaanah looked up, and I followed her gaze.

Ahead of us was a single stone path, leading up to a massive arched doorway set in an eerily imposing stone building. The structure was circular, and surrounded by large columns. As we stepped closer, I could see they were covered in carvings that looked as if they could be writing — though not a language I understood.

Tisaanah approached one and ran her fingertips over it.

“I think this is Old Besrithian,” she murmured. “My mother loved history books. Some had writing that looked like this.”

“So this place is ancient.”

Old Besrithian was a long, long dead language.

She nodded. Then her gaze fell to the door.

I let out a sigh. “I suppose,” I said, “we’re about to walk through that ominous entryway, aren’t we?”

“I think we are.”

Fantastic.

“Well,” I muttered, “might as well keep an exciting day exciting.”

We approached the door. Despite the boats we saw in the distance, it was completely silent. If there were other people here, they didn’t make a sound. I did not find this especially comforting.

The door was large and heavy, and let out a spine-chilling squeal as it swung open. It was dark inside — so dark I had to blink several times to force my eyes to adjust. In those seconds of blindness my hands tightened around my weapon.

The room was a large, circular, open space, with stone benches around its edge. Lines of writing were carved into its walls, in circles on the floor, even into the benches. A perfectly round spot of light fell on the ground through an opening in the roof, and sun spilled through narrow windows.

A single figure stood at the opposite side of the room, back to us. He was tall, with long golden hair that fell down to his waist. As the door squealed open, light fell across his form. He wore odd clothing, swathes of gold fabric that wrapped around his torso and over his shoulder.

He turned, revealing an unnerving stare. Bright gold eyes. He moved strangely — too smooth, too graceful.

“So I see you received my gift,” he said, with an unfamiliar accent. “By your appearance, perhaps it got to you somewhat late.”

“Let’s start with introductions before we get so familiar,” I said. “Who, exactly, are—”

“I know you.”

Tisaanah’s voice came in a gasp, like she hadn’t realized she was speaking aloud.

“I know you,” she breathed again. The man stepped forward, and I matched the movement, my weapon raised.

“Wait. You tell us who you are before you go anywhere.”

He was looking past me, to Tisaanah, so still that it seemed like he was barely breathing.

My grip tightened around my weapon.

“Who are you?” I said again.

He was silent for a long moment before answering.

“My name is Ishqa Sai’Ess. And I am here to right a wrong that I made very, very long ago.”

Chapter Sixty-Six

Aefe

It was so dark inside that at first, I could see nothing. I heard hushed whispers suddenly go silent. Slowly, the room came into focus around me. We stood in a large, circular room. The bright light from the half-open door spilled in from behind us, casting a violent streak across the ground. The walls, like the columns outside, were carved. A single curved stone bench lined the perimeter of the room.

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