Page 73 of Legacy of the Heirs
“What did the other lords have to say about the creatures?”
“Not a lot. Caellum spoke with us all briefly, but no one wasparticularly reassured that he—or anyone—knew what was going on.”
“That is because they do not,” she said, and even Soren was unsure. Without the Lord of Night to guide her, all she knew was the creatures worked for him. The lords did not know of the prophecy, which was a secret still kept among the rulers. Soren wondered if Caellum and Sadira would address the events with the people of Albyn during their visit or if they deemed their words at the service for the dead to be enough.
“I am journeying to the Neutral City next. The rulers are all meeting,” Soren explained before making for the exit.
“Consider that a good place to assert your position,” he advised. Soren turned to him before she left. “A quick slice to the throat should do it. Or a stab in the back, whichever you think is best.”
Chapter Forty-One
Caellum
Sadira tensed beside Caellum.Usurper—the term was destined to haunt him, even with Sadira at his side. She interlocked her hand with his, calming his breathing. Caellum did not recognise the two sitting opposite them, but then again, why would he recognise the common inhabitants of a tavern? Caellum straightened; he would not be made to feel inferior. The old man assessed him with one eye twitching as he did. Wrinkling her nose, the redhead averted her gaze before looking at Sadira again with a more neutral expression. How did two common inhabitants know about the Sword of Sonos?
“Say we do know about this sword.” Caellum ignored the usurper comment. “How do you know its origins?”
The redhead and old man shared a look; the power balance between the two was unclear.
“My great-great-grandfather helped to make it,” said the redhead, gesturing to the man beside her. “His grandfather.”Relatives then.Caellum was unsure whether he believed her, and it seemed Sadira shared his scepticism. “Wiccans were the first race who learned to imbue items; we are the most powerful at it, or at least we were. It’s an ability that has diminished over generations. Without a Wiccan, our ancestors would not have created a weapon capable of defeating dark beings.”
“If that is the case, why did the rulers only learn of the sword weeks ago?” challenged Sadira, and pride bloomed in Caellum’s chest. The Garridon crown on her head was a perfect fit.
“Wiccans are known to have secretive clans,” said the redhead,staring into Sadira’s soul. Caellum glanced at his betrothed. He did not love the new trend of discovering more information they were oblivious to. Sadira’s expression faltered. The old man finally spoke.
“You do not even know your own clan?” His milky eyes studied Sadira, and Caellum shifted closer to her side.
“Do not make me feel inferior about knowledge that has been kept from me. It is no fault of mine,” Sadira snapped. The redhead eyed Sadira with a grin.
“She has a backbone, I like that.”
As long as they like one of us.
“So do I,” Caellum voiced from her side. Sadira blushed.
The redhead woman eyed the book on the table, and her pale fingers twitched as if eager to touch it.
“The book you have there belongs to the Brodie Clan, the one your great-grandfather once led.”Lyra’s father. “There is a reason he met and so quickly fell in love with your great-grandmother. The Brodie’s worked closely with the Mordane royal family.”
“Why would my grandmother keep this from me?” Sadira asked the man, who winced.
“Your grandmother knew the paths people needed to take. It was not your path to know until now.” Caellum wondered if there was anything else his family had kept from him before Sadira’s voice raised a notch.
“What difference would knowing my origins make?” Caellum squeezed her hand again, and Sadira cleared her throat, returning her expression to calm indifference. “What is the relevance of the sword?”
The redhead reached for the book and dragged it to the centre of the table, where she pointed to a sketch of twisting vines along the edge of the page, worn from numerous hands over the years.
“Look closer,” she said, and Caellum leaned in with Sadira until their foreheads touched. The woman’s dainty fingers trailed the vines, and the minuscule, nearly illegible writing beneath. “It’s anincantation.” Caellum’s confusion mirrored Sadira’s. “You do not use incantations with your power?” she asked, frowning.
Sadira leaned back. “My power is second nature. I simply think, and it wields.”
“Think of how much more it could do with guidance.” The woman’s eyes grew wide as she tapped at the words. “This—thisis how the sword was made.” She closed the book and slid it back towards Sadira while Caellum turned over what they knew of the sword in his mind. Their companions had not mentioned the Goddess Vala or the God Keres.Is what we know wrong? Or are they missing information?The Historian had told them that the gods had blessed the sword.
The two rose from their booth, and Sadira opened her mouth as if to stop them. He imagined Sadira still had many more questions about her lineage and wished to uncover more information for Larelle. The old man tugged at the redhead's hand, and they paused. His face softened.
“Good luck,” he said. “We are here when you need us.”
It was not lost on Caellum that he only addressed Sadira.
