Page 19 of Wings of Shadow
I lean back, overwhelmed. The fae. Creatures of legend. Proud beings of immense power and inscrutable motives. And one is sitting in my office, offering her help.
“Why now?” I ask. “Why me?”
Her expression darkens. “The balance is shifting. Old powers stir,” she says cryptically. “Your brother’s ambitions, noble as they may be, have set in motion events that could lead many to greatness... or to ruin.”
My throat tightens. “You know about his plans?”
“I know many things,” she replies, a sad smile playing at her lips. “The unification of the dragon clans is but one thread. But it is a crucial one, and you... You are the lynchpin upon which much depends.”
“Me?” I shake my head in disbelief. “But I’m not... I mean, Nikolaas is the one with the power, the one making the big moves. I’m just?—”
“Just the seer whose visions might shape our future?” Niamh interrupts gently. “Just the sister whose love and support give Nikolaas the strength to pursue his dreams? Just the friend whose counsel could sway the course of history?” She inches closer, her gaze boring into mine. “Do not underestimate your importance, Clarissa Draken. In the game of fate, even the smallest piece can topple kings.”
I close my eyes, steadying myself. “All right. You said you’re here to offer help. What kind?”
Niamh’s smile widens. “Knowledge, my dear. For in these times, information is power.” She reaches into her dress and produces a small, carved wooden box. “Are you familiar with Shakespeare and Company?”
“The bookstore?” I ask, puzzled.
“Like much in the human world, it’s more than it seems.” She opens the box, revealing a small gold key. “There’s a secret passage hidden within its shelves—a repository of knowledge, both wondrous and terrible.”
I freeze, staring at the key. “A secret section? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Few have,” Niamh says, her tone conspiratorial. “This knowledge is closely guarded, known only to a select few in each generation. The entrance is concealed by formidable spells, invisible to mortal eyes and undetectable, even to most supernaturals.”
She lifts the key from its velvet nest, holding it out to me. In the soft light of my office, it seems to glow with an inner fire, the metal warm to the touch as I take it from her.
“This will grant you access,” Niamh explains. “But be warned, Clarissa. The knowledge contained within those hidden shelves is not for the faint of heart. Truths that could shake the foundations of your world, secrets that could topple empires or forge new ones... Are you prepared for such responsibility?”
I take the key, feeling its weight—both literal and metaphorical. “I don’t know,” I whisper. “But I must try. If what you say is true, if I really am as important as you claim... I can’t just ignore this.”
Niamh nods. “Wisdom begins with acknowledging what we don’t know. You show promise, Clarissa Draken.” She stands, graceful as ever. “Choose your moment carefully. Knowledge wields great power, but it can both illuminate and obscure, free or enchain. How you employ that power... that choice rests squarely on your shoulders.”
She moves toward the door, and I rise, a thousand questions burning on my tongue. But before I can speak any of them, Niamh turns back, fixing me with one last, penetrating gaze.
“Oh, and Clarissa?” Her voice is soft, but it carries an undercurrent of steel. “Be wary of the dragon who seeks to awaken.”
With that, she’s gone.
I sink into my chair, my mind swirling. A fae, a hidden passage, Niamh’s warnings—it’s all too fantastical to be true, and yet... the key rests heavy in my hand, solid and undeniable. What secrets does it hold? Could they aid Nikolaas—or stop him entirely?
Nikolaas’ plans for unification suddenly seem small compared to the vastness of what I might discover. And yet, I can’t help but wonder if there might be anything there that could assist him—or prevent him from unforeseen dangers.
And then there’s the dragon Niamh warned me about. Could she have meant Kaisner? The timing seems too coincidental to ignore. But what did she mean by “seeks to awaken”? Awaken what?
I groan and shut my eyes. Somehow, I’ve been thrust into the center of events far larger than myself, armed with access to knowledge beyond my wildest dreams and burdened with warnings of dangers I don’t yet understand.
Part of me wants to stow this key away, to pretend this morning never happened, and go back to my normal life. But I know that’s not an option. Not anymore. Whatever is coming, whatever role I’m meant to play in the events unfolding around me, I can’t face it unprepared.
12
CLARISSA
The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the cobblestone streets of the Latin Quarter as I approach Shakespeare and Company. My heart races with excitement and apprehension, burdened by the heaviness of Niamh’s key in my pocket. The bookstore’s weathered façade looks as it always has—quaint, inviting, utterly ordinary. It’s hard to believe a secret that could change everything lies behind these walls.
I push open the creaky wooden door, the scent of old books and fresh ink enveloping me like a comforting blanket. For a moment, I’m transported back to countless afternoons spent browsing these very shelves, losing myself in worlds of fiction and poetry. But today, I’m here for something far more extraordinary.
My eyes scan the cramped interior, searching for... what, exactly? A hidden lever? A magical symbol? I realize with a start that I have no idea how to access this secret section. Niamh’s instructions were frustratingly vague.
