Page 15 of Secrets of the Lore Keepers
I considered his words. It was true that I loved my land, but part of me wished to explore, to see more. “Why did you leave?” I pressed, curious for more details. “Why just you, and not a small army?”
Kian ran his fingers over the arrowhead and stared off toward the barn. “I did not intend to come alone. After the Queen of the Wildwood came with word, I felt compelled to come here. As though this quest were meant for me. My right hand, Harli usually goes everywhere with me. Originally, there were five of us who set out here, for we did not want to leave the tribe without warriors. But then we were attacked. I supposed I should send word that I’ve survived. I keep waiting for the falcon to find me.”
His tribe. It was a reminder he had friends, family, perhaps a lover waiting for me. I was never one to keep quiet, and I couldn’t help the question that blurted from my lips. “But surely they’d want to know that you’re alive and well? After all, you’re their prince.”
“Ah.” He turned his body toward me. “Prince doesn’t mean the same thing in the wildwood as it does out here. I’ve heard of your king, and how the rule is passed down through the bloodline. In the wildwood, being the son of the king of the elves means that I should always look to prove myself, that I should be as strong, worthy to take my father’s place when his passes from this land. While my father lives and is strong, his heirs are treated with respect. But our enemies are bloodthirsty, one day, should they choose, they will come and take over the tribe and slay the royal bloodline.”
I gasped.
He shook his head. “It is what it is. Each year we fight, in winter we rest. It’s how it has always been, so thus I thought the chance to vary my life would be worthwhile. Especially since it still includes what I do best. Fighting.”
My hand went to my lips. “But you were half dead when we found you. . .”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Under the surprise attack, I alone escaped while the others retreated. I thought I could hold them off, but. . . I was wrong. You and your sister were inside a long time,” he glanced toward the door as he changed the conversation. “Did you find answers?”
Despite the warmth of the summer air, my skin went cold. “Some, but not enough. The originally Lore Keepers kept an account of their deeds which leads me to believe the attack will take place on midsummer’s eve, or midsummer itself during the Festival of Litha. As Lore Keepers, we’re supposed to conduct rituals during each festival to keep the land safe, but Maraini and I. . .well. We’ve been grieving and busy and. . .I didn’t know.”
The light faded from the sky, leaving us in complete darkness. Kian’s broad hand closed around mine. A shiver of excitement danced through my veins and I moved closer to his warmth. His touch gave me a sense of comfort and security that made me forget everything. I wanted nothing more to lean into him and savor the moment, forgetting my duty to the land. We sat, hand in hand, while the creatures of the night struck up soft melodies and lighting bugs offered flashes of light. Early evening held a sweet magic for me, even more so now that I sat with Kian.
“Tell me about the Lore Keepers,” he whispered.
“It all goes back to the beginning of time,” I explained. Telling him the legend was like baring my soul to him. “The ancients came out of water and mist and set the great tree in the land. The gods and goddesses were born, and each was given a world to create. But wars broke out over dominion, as they often do with those with power. The goddesses who formed this world fought, and the one who was evil was defeated and buried in the land. But the goddesses could not be everywhere at once. In their cleverness, they blessed a bloodline with magic and appointed them to keep the goddess buried. So began the bloodline of the Lore Keepers, one after the other, those who wrote legends and tales and kept the wisdom of this world. It all sounds so vast and glorious, from a tale.” I spread my free arm wide. “I must admit I’ve known nothing else, but being a Lore Keeper isn’t as glorious as it seems. I do sense it, though. The land is blessed so long as we carry out our rituals, and if you ask, Maraini and I know every legend, every tale across the known world. We just don’t know where the goddess is buried, for that is a dark tale, one to induce nightmares, and I always look for joy and happy endings, not tales of evil and dark deeds.”
“That is a beautiful tale,” Kian agreed, his fingers tightened around mine. “But you have nothing, no clues?”
I shook my head again. “If it were up to me, I’d bury her on the edge of the land where no one would ever think to look. But it is creepy. I don’t want to dig through the land, searching for a grave.”
“Hmmm,” Kian replied.
We sat in silence for a while, watching the moon appear from behind a cloud. It was white and bright, almost full, as though I could reach up, break a piece off and eat it. The quiet hum of the crickets soothed the eeriness of the night, so much so when an owl fluttered past, I did not react, only watched it, aware of the beauty of summer.
The door opened, shedding light across our backs. I dropped Kian’s hand and turned, my face warming as I met Maraini’s curious eyes. “There you two are. You’d better come inside, supper is ready.” Her gaze shifted to Kian. “From now on, we expect you to sleep inside the house. It’s not safe out there, if they do attack.”
He nodded and stood, reaching for the arrows. “You do not mind if weapons are kept inside?”
“Not at all,” Maraini agreed and held the door open.
We ate with zest, a delicious blend of roasted squash, fresh peas, and other garden greens. We had no meat since neither of us had found the time to go fishing or kill one of the many chickens that strutted across the farm as though they owned the place. I glanced at Kian to see if he noticed, but he didn’t. Although I detected lines of tiredness on his face. To be expected after the work he’d done around the farm. Inwardly I kicked myself, for he was still recovering from his wound and we’d given him a memory potion.
We exchanged few words during the meal, and afterward, I found Kian a space to rest in one of the back rooms across from Papa’s study. Since my parent’s death, we hadn’t had guests, but a back room was set up for a family in need to spend the night. I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before as I bade him goodnight.
The lights were low when I returned and Maraini went upstairs, leaving the book we’d found in the cellar lying on the table, pages open. I gulped as I glanced back at it, waiting for a word or sign of magic. But there was nothing.
Forgetting all about it, I went upstairs, tossed my dress on the bed and climbed under the covers. It was warm in the house, and I usually slept with the windows open to let in the evening breeze. I thought of Kian, one floor below me as I slept. My daydreams turned to more intimate pleasures, and it seemed I’d just snuggled down in bed when a sound woke me.
I bolted upright, tossing the covers off as I rose and crept to the window. My heart pounded as though I’d had a nightmare, and yet I recalled nothing of my dreams. I listened over the frantic racing of my pulse and there it came again. A distinct tap tap tap, as though someone was knocking on the door.
Chapter Ten
Pullingmy cloak over my thin nightgown, I made for the stairs, surprised I did not bump into Maraini on the way down. What was that noise and how could she not have heard it? I crept down the stairs, my eyes going for the weapons, sitting in neat stacks by the door. The door would stop no one from entering and I knew house’s weakness was the windows. If someone wanted to enter, all they’d need to do was toss a rock through one of the windows. But perhaps the entering was meant to be quieter. As I reached the bottom of the staircase, my thoughts fled to stories. Creatures of the night often hoped to catch those who lived alone in a mistake. They’d stand outside, pretending to be someone known. But they could not come inside until they were invited, and once they were, it was mayhem. What if such a monster stood outside my door? One that enjoyed blood and death? Whoever it was, I dared not let them inside.
Tap tap tap. It came again, making me wish I’d stayed in bed. I went for the fireplace, my hand fumbling over flint as I heard the creak of the door. A squeak left my lips as a dark shape moved up the hall and then, “Rae?”
“Kian!” I gasped, dropping the flint. “You gave me a fright.”
“What are you doing down here?” he asked, the indistinctness of his form coming closer.
“Don’t you hear it?” I pointed toward the door, even though he couldn’t see my hand.
