Page 65 of Beyond The Maples
"Yes," she says firmly.
What did Farra say? The excerpt about the time before, and a well of power that was underneath... I glance at the compass, at the spot in the middle, and although I came here for several things, this one question bubbles up next.
"Is Aethur, a place or a god?"
"Yes, and yes." She rolls her eyes at me.
I pace back to the couch and sit down with a groan.
"Aethur's a god...?"
"Yes."
I run my hands through my hair. A thought strikes me.
"Are there more Gods than the ones worshipped in our churches?"
She nods her head slowly.
"Why did the government change the compass?"
"To make sure we forgot. To cover up the mistakes made. Aether is both a god and a place. He is night, and the death beyond. Where the dark dust settles."
My eyes widen at her words. That saying echoes around in my head, familiar, but I’m unable to remember why.
I try to unravel my racing thoughts, and something strikes me.
"Is magic really gone?"
She smirks proudly at me now. "No."
"How?" I spit.
The pride on her face is quickly wiped away. "How does anything happen?"
"What's happening to all the missing people across Providence?" My heart hammers in my chest as I hold my breath waiting for her answer.
"They are not all... lost," She says in a melodic, tauntingvoice.
"Where are they then?" I press, losing patience.
"They are beyond our reach, in more ways than one," she mutters sadly.
I take a sip of my tea, noticing she hasn't touched hers still.
"Do you not like tea?"
"I try to consume as little of what the council tries to pass as consumable as possible. Dulls the senses," she says to me, tapping her temple and winks. My eyes go wide.
Something clicks in my brain.
"What exactly do you mean?"
"I mean, those scientists are always messing with things they shouldn't." She throws her hands in the air, waving them around, annoyed. "It's how we got into this mess to begin with. Things are not as they seem."
I squint my eyes at her, begging for clarification, but get nothing.
"Where can I get more answers?" Or better answers, I think, exhausted from this conversation and needing to go find Leo and Farra –– and possibly go directly to bed.
