Page 98 of Skyshade
He didn’t make a single move that signaled surprise.
“You have more than that...don’t you?”
The augur lifted a bony shoulder. “I have his skull. And, of course, blood.”
She imagined stealing their dear prophet’s body might have been what had gotten the augur ousted from the mountain.
They knew where the portal was—but not what to do next. There was a path to find out she hadn’t yet explored, mostly because she had believed it impossible. Now, she was desperate. “The lost pages of the prophet’s book. They speak about how to open and close portals. Right?”
He nodded. “They detail exactly how the prophet got here.”
“They were written in his blood?” She needed to confirm.
He nodded again.
“If I put a tracking skyre on his bone...would it lead me to it?”
He seemed surprised. “You learned how to form it?”
No. She hadn’t. But the book from the winter castle had given her several original markings. It was dangerous—and painful—but she would try each one, until she got it right. “Not yet. But I will.”
The augur regarded her curiously. For a moment, it looked like he was going to say something. Then, he seemed to think better of it and scurried deeper into the cave.
He returned holding an object far smaller than a skull. It gleamed in the limited light. He motioned for her to outstretch her hand, and she did, watching as he dropped it in the center of her palm.
A tooth.
“Write the skyre on this, with your blood. Follow it closely.”
She nodded.
“Oh, and Isla?”
“Yes?”
He reached out, just as something dripped from her face. Crimson stained his finger, and he licked it away.
Her own hand rushed to her lips...only to find them coated in blood. She was bleeding from her nose. From the corner of her mouth.
The augur tutted. “The price of the skyres,” he said. “I can already taste them in your blood...souring it.” He frowned. “It will get worse, the more you make.” He eyed the tooth in her palm. She curled her fingers around it.
“Such guilt you wear,” he said, licking his lips. “I taste it so sharply. You want so badly to be the hero in this destiny.”
She remembered what the prophet-followers had said. That she was destined to either save the world...or destroy it.
The augur seemed to know it too.
“You are made from both light and dark, and so much more. You don’t even know it. But you will. Soon.” He sighed. “The traitor. She’s been uncovered. She’s rising.”
“Traitors,” Isla said, confused by his words. “My guardians.”
He looked surprised. His crusted lips nearly cracked and bled from how wide he smiled. “No...you don’t know. The traitor...she’s closer than you realize.”
“What do you mean?” she demanded, her fist tightening around the tooth.
But the auger only laughed. He turned and walked deeper into the cave, the blood in his pool rippling as he passed it by. His laugh echoed, until it, like him, disappeared.
Grim found her on Lynx’s back, halfway to the castle. Wraith had recovered enough to fly. He landed, his wings shuddering slightly with the impact, but when he saw Isla, he smiled.
