Page 131 of Crown of Storm and Silence
Then I catch myself. What am I doing? This is Banu—my closest friend, the person who held my hair while I was sick, who planned my wedding ball, who's been nothing but loyal and supportive through everything. Zohan's betrayal is making me paranoid, making me question everyone around me, even the people who've proven their devotion time and again.
I shake my head, disgusted with myself for letting suspicion poison my thoughts about someone who's never given me reason to doubt her. Of course Kaan would have mentioned the crisis to someone he encountered—it affects the entire realm. There's nothing sinister about Banu knowing.
"Lead the way," I say, forcing warmth back into my voice. "I'm eager to see what you've discovered."
The Light Courtarchives occupy a wing of the palace that most visitors never see—rows upon rows of ancient texts, scrolls, and crystalline memory stones that preserve centuries of accumulated knowledge. Banu guides me through the maze of shelves with confident familiarity, her wings catching dust motes in the filtered sunlight.
"Here," she says, pulling a leather-bound tome from a high shelf with surprising ease. "The original prophecy text, complete with annotations from the first seers who received the vision."
She settles the book on a reading table with reverential care, and I lean in to examine the familiar words that have shaped so much of our recent trials. As we read together, Banu focuses with clear expertise on specific passages—the ones about the child bearing "the mark of twilight upon their brow" and the union coming "in the darkest hour."
"This section here," she says, her finger tracing a passage I've read dozens of times. "About the child leading the new age. Do you notice anything different about the wording?"
I study the familiar text, but it appears exactly as I remember. "No, it seems the same."
"Look closer," she insists, her voice carrying scholarly excitement. "At the part about blood and binding."
The phrase she's indicating reads: "In blood shall the union be sealed, and by blood shall the child be marked, bearing the twilight crown that bridges all realms."
"I don't understand," I say carefully. "What am I supposed to see?"
"The binding aspect," she replies with growing intensity. "The prophecy isn't just about your child being powerful. It's about them being bound to something—or someone—who can control that power."
Her interpretation sends chills down my spine. "Bound how?"
"Through blood ritual, most likely performed at birth when the child is most vulnerable." Banu's voice carries deep concern for my well-being. "Whoever performs the binding would have significant influence over the child's development and eventual destiny."
The implication makes my stomach drop. "You think that's why the Light Court wants custody? To perform some kind of binding ritual?"
"Among other possibilities," she agrees, her expression growing more serious as she sees my distress.
I look at my friend gratefully, noting all the familiar details that make her who she is. The exact shade of her green eyes, the way she holds her wings when she's thinking deeply, the earnest cadence of her speech when she's trying to help me—all so perfectly, reassuringly Banu.
"Banu," I say slowly, "how long have you been researching this particular interpretation?"
"Oh, quite some time," she replies thoughtfully. "Ever since I realized there might be more to the prophecy than simple prediction. Much more."
She's already turning pages, eager to share what she's discovered.
"Here," she says triumphantly, pointing to a passage near the end of the prophecy. "This part about the timing: 'When shadow walks in light and light dances in darkness, when the ancient bindings weaken and old powers stir, then shall the child be born in the darkest hour to herald the twilight age.'"
"We've read that before," I point out.
"Yes, but did we consider what 'darkest hour' actually means?" Her green eyes light up with scholarly enthusiasm. "Not just metaphorically dark, but literally. The moment when light magic is weakest, when shadow magic dominates, whencertain rituals become possible that would be impossible under normal circumstances."
The pieces connect with sickening finality. "You think someone is planning to time the birth to coincide with optimal conditions for binding magic."
"I think someone has been planning this for a very long time," she confirms with the same protective concern she's always shown for my well-being. "And I think the timing is going to be much sooner than anyone expects."
My blood runs cold. This was never about territory or power. It's about my child—about whatever dark purpose they have planned that needs perfect timing, ancient rituals, and the baby I'm carrying.
"Banu," I say, my hand moving instinctively to my belly, "this is terrifying. What if they're already positioning everything for when the baby comes?"
Her expression grows serious with genuine concern. "We won't let that happen, Nesilhan. That's why we need to understand every detail of this prophecy—so we can stay ahead of whatever they're planning."
44
The Neutral Ground
