Page 11 of Legacy of the Heirs
The parchment in her hand peeled into pieces, the water having won the war. Nyzaia placed it carefully on the table before more pieces crumbled away, and she let her flames dry the parchment and the floor. Nyzaia’s sodden skirts dragged behind her as she circled the room, trailing her hands along the cool glass of the gold-framed mirror propped against the wall in the corner. The engravings marking the glass felt harsh under her fingertips, as though someone had hastily etched the words. She did not recognise the symbols, but the mirror’s words were forever ingrained in her mind. She read them again.
‘The door to the soul bears all to hear,
Multiple generations is the rule of the seer.
With those of white and those of black,
The spirit of the first makes their way back.
When the darkness returns, sacrifice is made,
In the wake of disaster, the return of the blade.
When light meets dark in the rarest of times,
When all that is left is the last of the lines.
The power to awaken that of old lore,
Lies in the soul of those with all four.
From fire and ice, the King and Queen must hide,
Secrets from the past, the heirs must find.
Only together can they defeat and restore,
Only together can they gain so much more.
The Gods may whisper and help them on,
Only if all possess that from Ithyion.’
Nyzaia cursed. That was why Kazaar and Elisara had been in her father’s office. They were searching for her father’s secrets. Flames roared up Nyzaia’s arms, her fury punctuated by the pain in her chest. Perhaps Kazaar was now more loyal to his new queen than her, hissister. Nyzaia would not have questioned him if he had requested to search the rooms alone. They were here asherguests to investigate what Nyzaia’s father and Vespera had kept hidden.They had no right to do this without me.
“Everything okay, love?” Tajana called from the other side of the door. Nyzaia rolled her eyes.
“Hmmm,” Nyzaia said through pursed lips. When she reached the desk, she frowned and glanced around the room. It was the only other piece of furniture present. Instinctively, she reached for the small, framed portrait lying on its surface. The woman staring back at her reflected many of Elisara’s traits: thick brows and dark hair framing her face. Nyzaia had only met Vespera on a few occasions.
“You did not respond,” called Tajana; the door creaked as she pushed it open. In an annoyed fury, Nyzaia summoned a tower of flames to block the opening, an evident signal to leave her be. Farid mumbled something to Tajana, likely along the lines ofI told you so. Soon, the mumbling turned to shouts. Nyzaia sighed, dropped the portrait, and exited the room. She slammed the door behind her, blowing strands of hair across her face as she glared at her captain and guard. Tajana pointed a knife at Farid, who stoodunfazed in the same place Nyzaia had left him.
“How am I to get anything done if I must constantly monitor you two bickering?” Nyzaia snapped. Farid had the sense to avert his eyes while Tajana opened her mouth to protest, stopping at Nyzaia’s pointed look. Finally relenting, Tajana sheathed her knife and leaned against the worn blue armchair, flicking her dark braid over her shoulder.
Nyzaia glided toward the bookshelf where Farid stood and scanned the titles on the hundreds of dust-covered, leather-bound books, searching for the one she had seen before—one without a speck of dust.
Farid broke the silence as Nyzaia scoured the shelves on the left. “This room is odd. The King always struck me as someone incredibly proud of his realm, who would want to survey his city, not the mountains of another realm.”
Nyzaia wondered what had suddenly made Farid so chatty.
“Well, the canyons house the Abis Forge, which is arguably the biggest source of funding for the realm.” Nyzaia explained, stretching her back as she straightened. She did not miss the darkening of Farid’s expression at the mention of the forge. She peered over her shoulder at the unobstructed view of the canyon and mountains. She had not thought about the oddness plaguing this room, but having been in the secret room beside it, she knew there was more to it. Nyzaia narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the room’s contents again: the pale blue, the two wine glasses, the stark snow on the distant Vala mountains, and Vespera’s portrait in the adjoining room.
“They were together,” she breathed. Tajana tilted her head. “My father and Vespera were lovers.”
“Could that be the secret that the…” Tajana paused and glanced at Farid.
“That the prophecy refers to,” Nyzaia continued. “Perhaps.” Farid barely batted an eye at the mention of a prophecy, his stark blue eyes still fixed on the view of the canyon and mountains.She shared a look with Tajana, both seemingly confused by his behaviour.
“Should I look for more evidence that links them together?” asked Tajana, pushing herself off the armchair. Nyzaia shook her head and turned back to face the bookshelves, her jewellery clinking with her movements.
