Healer

Chapter 31

"And thereafter, in a time when the sickness has made it's return, a daughter of two worlds will rise up to meet it, bound by ink and shadow. The daughter will strike her name from The Book, her ancestor's blight, and darkness will wash the steppes with her blood. The daughter's mother will wipe it in her fury and once it is clean, the darkness will be banished again to behind the stars, never to return."

Amren read the prophecy out loud again in front of Talia and Rhysand.

"So we tell Helion about the book itself, and that we need to find it. Bonus points if he can find how to remove a name from it." Talia nodded. "Let's not use the word 'prophecy'. It sets people off. Do as much of the looking as you can on your own."

They left. The three of them were greeted, as expected, but instead of taking them into the castle, Helion guided them down into his courtyard to sit beneath the trees. It wasn't much further south than Velaris but it was still warm. Hot, even, Talia felt as she discreetly wiped sweat from the back of her neck.

"I wasn't expecting to see you all again so soon." Helion smiled. Talia could detect no hostility in his words, but the way he said 'you all' made her uncomfortable. As political as her companions could make it, Talia wanted this to be about her and the high lord. A kindness for a kindness, not to be pressured into to some agenda. Surprising Amren and Rhysand, she stood.

"I was hoping we could talk." She smiled at Helion and ignored the heavy line of Rhysand's mouth. This wasn't a risk, he had sent her here alone before. No, the risk was that she would say something he didn't want Helion to know. But looking at the caramel skinned male who stood to follow her, she could feel his openness and genuine curiosity. She wasn't afraid of his knowledge. There was nothing he could do now that hadn't already been threatened by someone else, and she had this strong suspicion that he wouldn't try. Not after what he had witnessed already. They walked along a line of trees, the sunlight dappling the ground beneath their feet.

"Daria had to be in the city today, but he sends his regards."

She dipped her head in acknowledgement. "I hope he is doing well."

He nodded. "Thanks to you. And the gift I had half a mind to exploit." He said it like an apology but she waved it off.

"Bygones." She took a deep breath and steadied herself, shooting a reminder to her tongue that even though she wanted to be relaxed in this, she still needed to be cautious. Aware. "I did come to call in that favor, though."

Helion turned to look out of an arched window cut in the stone of the wall around his palace. "As I expected."

Talia cleared her throat, following his gaze. "I've come to ask for your help in finding information on something that came to light regarding my...ancestry." She swallowed. She never knew the appropriate way to refer to herself. He nodded so she continued. "The night court has become aware of an artifact, a book. Called The Ledger. It was used in ancient times to record the names of Descendants and thus dampening their power." Helion nodded again, his brow furrowed, but he didn't turn to her. "We are attempting to find it for a few reasons. One being that it can prove my status as a Descendant. Another, that it was created using dark magic and the king is looking for it too. It is thought that any name written in the book will suffer the same consequences as those already in it due to their bloodline. The court would like to keep that from happening." She stopped, waiting for his reaction. He turned to her.

"You wish to destroy the book?"

A million different answers ran through her mind. "First, I wish to understand more about it. Then I wish to keep it out of the wrong hands. If destroying it is the best way to do that, then yes."