Page 115 of Requiem of Silence

CHAPTER FORTY

Teach children how to build a wall

to keep their legacies secure

let brick and mortar join to form protection.

Then enemies and friends and foes and

family with ceaseless woes can

battle the ensuing isolation.

—THE HARMONY OF BEING

Zeli returned to the palace from the trip to the Keepers’ new headquarters feeling like a tick ready to burst. Darvyn had asked her to let him inform the king and queen about the presence of the Sons of Lagrimar and she’d readily agreed. She certainly didn’t want to bring news like that to the monarchs. Darvyn was actually friends with them, let him handle that conversation.

He’d been especially tight-lipped on the drive back, obviouslystruggling with the revelation. What must it be like to be the Shadowfox, to have worked so hard for the liberation of his people only to be stabbed in the back by those he trusted? Varten had told her some of Darvyn’s history, which he in turn had learned from Kyara while they were imprisoned, passing the time with stories of their lives.

Kyara was someone Zeli wished she could get to know better. Tales of the notorious Poison Flame had been passed around for so long that discovering the woman wasn’t much older than Zeli was a shock. And now learning that the same infamous figure held the heart of the greatest Earthsinger to ever live left Zeli in awe. The ways of the heart were mysterious; she wished someone could explain them to her.

When she entered the Blue Library, her own heart stammered at finding Varten there, his ginger head bent over a scroll of some kind. She’d been hoping to see him—since their return to Rosira, there had been little time for them to talk and she missed him. She wasn’t certain where they stood with one another and memories of dancing in the streets of Gilmer City—and all that had happened during the Rumpus—were a constant photoplay in her mind.

Varten was concentrating on what looked like architectural drawings when she approached. “Are you searching for the obelisk?”

He jumped, startled. A wave of something warm and intoxicating hit her as he turned. “You shouldn’t go around sneaking up on people,” he said with mock affront.

“I didn’t sneak up on you. I walked normally across the room, you just didn’t notice.”

He narrowed his eyes playfully then looked back to the drawings. “These aren’t much help. The only blueprints on file are of the additions made to the palace over the past hundred years. Theydon’t show the older parts of the building, see how all of this is shaded in gray?” He pointed to large sections of the plans with no detail in them whatsoever. “I’ve spoken to the palace steward and he said this is all they have.” Zeli sat next to him, leaning over to study the rendering.

“Has Yllis said anything more about the obelisk?” he asked.

“No, just that it had been in a chamber in the heart of the palace. But there have been so many additions and renovations, he hasn’t been able to get his bearings.” She traced her finger across the page. The Elsiran writing was printed in neat blocks, but she saw nothing here that could help them.

“Can he sense the obelisk with Earthsong?” Varten’s voice was very close to her ear. She realized that she’d leaned far into his personal space and froze. Their arms were touching and she hesitated to lose the contact.

“He doesn’t have his Song, he gave it to Oola to awaken Her, remember? And no one else would even know what to look for.” From the corner of her eye she registered his surprise. She really should sit back, but didn’t dare move.

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Varten said, apparently unaffected by the small point of contact. “So if—when you restore everyone’s Song, he won’t get his back?”

She struggled to follow his logic and with great effort pulled away to sit all the way back in the chair. “No, Yllis won’t get his Song back unless Oola does something—shares with him maybe. I don’t know exactly how it would work since he’s technically a wraith.”

He twisted to face her. “Mooriah still has her Nethersong—oh, but she never gave it away.” He shrugged and they settled into silence.

His fingers drummed on the surface of the table as he staredinto the distance. She wanted to reach for him and hold his hand, but wasn’t sure if she had the right. Or if he would welcome the contact.

“Is something… wrong?” She winced. “I mean, something new?”

His fingers stopped their movement and his posture stiffened. “It’s the vote tomorrow. If the referendum passes, what does that mean for… the people I care about? Will Papa have to leave?” He paused, then looked at her from the corner of his eye. “Will you?”

She did grab his hand then and squeezed it with both of hers. “I don’t know what will happen. Would you be willing to live in a land full of Lagrimari?” Her voice was light, but her heart was heavy.

He squeezed her back. “If you were there, yes.”

She swallowed and smiled, looking down. He slid his fingers down her wrist, pressing gently as if feeling her pulse. Her heart was racing a bit.

Varten cleared his throat. “Um, have you talked to the Goddess? She must know where the obelisk is.”

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