The True Queen- Book Two

Chapter Seventy-Four: Illyana

When Fallon returns to the tent, I give an order not to be disturbed unless in an emergency. We close the tent doors and sit near a flame, night setting in and making the tent dark.

"Illyana, what is this about?" she asks as my fingers shakily graze over the black leather of its cover.

"This book," I say, "there is something dangerous about it." I gulp, my throat drying. I open the pages. 

"They are blank," Fallon frowns and raises her eyebrows at me as though I am crazy.

"I know," I say. "It's enchanted somehow to try and stop it from being read by the wrong people," I explain.

"Does a magic like that even exist?" she asks.

"Yes," I say. She narrows her eyes and I close the book with a sigh.

"How do we access it then?" she asks.

"I don't know," I reply. "When I had the book before it called to me. Somehow, I think only our bloodline can read it."

She huffs and I can tell she doesn't believe me. I close my eyes and put the book down.

"Just be quiet," I whisper. "And reach out for it. The book wants us to read it, I'm sure of it."

Fallon sighs and does as I say. For a few moments, the only sound is the distant shuffling of the camp around us. I hear Fallon sigh in frustration. I slap her side and she scoffs and slaps me back. Jut as I think I'm not getting anywhere, I hear the whisper of my name in my mind. Beside me, Fallon jumps.

"Calm," I tell her, my voice shaking with apprehention. "Don't fight it. Let it consume you."

"Illyana, Illyana, Illyana," the voices whisper over and over again, getting louder. Around me, everything begins to fade. The world around me disappears as I open my eyes, my sight focused on the book on the floor before me. When I reach out my hand, the book moves ever so slightly toward me. It is as though it is trying to reach out for me. My heart jolts, but I keep my focus on it. Fallon takes my hand. Together, we reach out and touch the cover. A jolt spraeds through us and my muscles freeze. Black surrounds my vision, sound disappears but I know I am still conscious and sat on the floor of the tent. I can feel Fallon's grip tighten around my hand.

"Do not be afraid," a female voice says. It is rich and deep. "Princess Illyana, Princess Fallon," it addresses, "Welcome, my daughters. For one-thousand years, this book has travelled through time all for this moment. I enchanted it myself with an ancient magic and within these pages are my lessons on how to access such power. It is a power beyond even that of your gifts. But, today is not the day you shall receive these lessons. Now is not the correct time. When I release you from this spell, you shall learn about time from the words of someone you love dearly. The secrets that are revealed on these pages must remain between you and your sisters, for in the wrong hands it will destroy everything. Head my warning, my daughters. These secrets have been stored, unread in this book for one-thousand years. Today, you will unlock them. What you do with your knowledge will decide not only the fate of your trial, but of all of Vivelle."

I let out a gasp, my body lurching. I sit up quickly, not even realising I had been lying on the floor. Slowly, my vision returns and I look around the tent. I quickly turn to Fallon, she is sitting up slowly, her face pale. She looks at me with wide eyes. At the same time, we look back at the book. It lays on the floor between us. I crawl toward it slowly as it opens itself. On the first blank page, words begin to appear. My head snaps toward Fallon again, my eyes wide.

I recognise that writing. It's Rayana's. Fallon and I grab the book at the same time and hold it up to read.

My dearest sisters.