Page 128 of Requiem of Silence

“Do you feel that?” Darvyn asked. Grit and sweat clung to him. He must be exhausted.

Zeli could feel something, though she suspected it was quite a bit less than what Darvyn sensed. “There’s a pulse… like if Earthsong is an ocean, this is a puddle.”

He nodded, still peering at it with awe.

“Why couldn’t you sense it before if it’s been here this whole time?” she asked.

“It’s weak,” a new voice said from the open doorway behind them. Zeli spun around to find Yllis and Oola there, staring at the massive caldera.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful they were,” Oola said. She approached and ran Her hand along the smooth surface. “Breathtaking.” Zeli had been afraid to touch it, but Oola didn’t appear to suffer any ill effects.

“You likely could not sense it before because it hasn’t been usedin so long,” Yllis said. “It was designed to link hundreds of Singers together. Without any in this land, it went dormant.”

“Gilmer’s still worked, and he’s only around every ten years,” Varten said. He was pressed into the corner to allow space for the others.

Zeli’s Song was just now starting to return after she’d drained it during the wraith attack. But even without using it, she sensed something off with Varten. He’d been distant ever since this room had been revealed.

“Gilmer’s Song is powerful. This obelisk will awaken eventually,” Oola said, drawing Her hand away with an expression of regret.

“We can awaken it now.” Everyone’s gaze shot to Yllis. “Well, you can.” He motioned to Oola and Darvyn. “Go ahead, touch it.”

Zeli shifted out of the way to allow space for the other two Singers to get close to the obelisk. She squeezed next to Varten who stiffened. His action shot a dagger into her heart, which she tried to ignore.

“What now?” Darvyn asked, hand pressed flat to the pale surface.

Yllis looked thoughtful. “Draw Earthsong into you and allow the obelisk to sense it.”

It made little sense to Zeli, but she watched carefully, though there was nothing to see. Only, just there—did the stone grow a touch brighter, the pink deepening just the slightest bit?

“Oh,” Varten said, leaning forward. Their arms were pressed against each other’s and there was nowhere for her to go.

The obelisk was darkening, faster now to a richer color, though still not the deep red of the king stone. Oola and Darvyn both released their holds at the same time. The pond that Zeli had sensed earlier grew into a vast sea. The transformation was amazing.

Her chest grew tight. As the obelisk awakened, the weight of expectation on her shoulders pressed down. Even without her old fear beating against her confidence, she was not sure that she was the one who should be entrusted with restoring the lost Songs.

“One of you should do Gilmer’s spell,” she announced to Yllis and Oola.

“I don’t have my Song any longer,” Yllis reminded her. “I cannot.”

She turned to Oola. “You can, can’t you?”

“Is that what you want?” Oola’s gaze on her was heavy as ever and Zeli struggled not to flinch.

“I’m not sure if I can do it on my own. I know the mechanics, but I still don’t know how it will work. What the sacrifice will be or how to get the people to offer it.”

Oola clasped Her hands and lowered Her head. “And I am not certain that I am the one to do it, either.”

Zeli’s jaw dropped. “Didn’t you start all of this? Shouldn’t you end it? You let the True Father escape. Someone could have gone after him, tried to find him. We could have prepared in some way for his return. But you did nothing.”

“I searched for him.” Her voice was low and uncharacteristically solemn. “Every night, all night. And every moment of the past days. I flew hundreds of kilometers, seeking some sign of him. Trying to feel for him, or for those who took him. But I could not.”

Zeli’s jaw set and she stared at the floor, unwilling to meet the woman’s eyes. But a finger grazed her chin, lifting her head. “I did not do nothing,” Oola said. “I did what was in my power to do, though it was not enough. Nothing anyone else would have done could have been enough. If I couldn’t find him, no one could. And yet…” She dropped Her finger and sighed. “I do owe you an apology.”

Zeli leaned back, shock surging through her. The Goddess had never apologized before.

“I was arrogant and prideful,” She continued. “And my brother is one half of my heart, no matter the evil that he has done. I have failed him and my people over and over again. But that burden did not need to be placed on your shoulders. You did not deserve the weight, and I am sorry.”

Zeli’s mouth hung open; she stared into the woman’s eyes. “Why did you do it?”

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