The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 32

Cody's POV:

Dina hadn't mentioned anything about being related to Eamon, but her reluctance toward the gemstone being in our hands made sense now; she wanted to make sure her brother's sacrifice didn't go to waste.

That didn't change our plan though. Her concern was understandable, but Zoe was right; Ryan would get the gemstone whether we provided it for him or not, so our best option was to find it before he did. I almost laughed at how simple it sounded when put into words.

"No wonder she didn't want anyone to locate the gemstone," Alex muttered under her breath, staring into nothingness. In the moonlight, I could see her face, dimly illuminated, and the typical braid resting past her shoulder. Her wounds seemed to have healed enough, although she still winced if she moved too quickly.

Though Alex and I had the relationship between Dina and Eamon on our minds, Elijah was consumed by other thoughts. "What happened to the Ceens after the War?"

"They scattered," Logan answered. "All around the world. Hid anywhere that seemed safe." He looked at me, then Alex. "Your race comparatively had more numbers and leaders. They took precautions and went through proper procedures to preserve your race. The Ceens, however, had no central command. They'd lost many of their loved ones in the War, and they couldn't risk losing more.

"They lived that way for a long time. Hidden from the world in the darkest holes they could find. Some of them didn't even have their Guardians with them. Until one of them mustered up the courage to bring his race back together."

Logan's expression was distant now, as though he was lost in the story. "He traveled the whole world. Didn't leave a single state unchecked. He gathered his people on the outskirts of New York. Helped them build a small town for themselves. The Ceens felt a spark of hope, feeling as though they might be able to regain their lost glory. But nine years ago, the Hunters attacked their town and killed everyone there. No one made it out. Ruins and dead bodies of the most precious living treasures were all that there was left."

I saw Alex wince, and I couldn't blame her. I remembered Dina telling us the briefer version of this story, and even then the pain in her eyes was impossible to miss. A few days ago, this story would've meant nothing to me. But now, I felt as though I was a part of something much bigger than myself. I reminded myself that my kind were more than just freaks and opinions of Mortals once. A race, a kingdom - that was what we used to be.

I couldn't help but imagine how things were for all these supernatural races hundreds of years ago, especially the Ceens. They were glorious and took pride in who they were and what they could do. The opinion of Mortals might've just been the buzzing of bees for them. Part of me felt envious of that confidence and glory.

"How do you know all this?" Elijah asked. He didn't seem to be having as hard a time processing the revelations as me and Alex, though I couldn't blame him for not lingering on what could've been if he wasn't a part of it. It hadn't even been an hour since he was bitten; I knew that even though he would eventually develop some sort of feelings about being part of a pack, it would take time for it to happen.

"I witnessed the aftermath of the attack nine years ago. The rest of it was the courtesy of the alpha of the pack I used to be a part of. He'd gotten his knowledge directly from Dina, so none of you have to worry about all of it being a lie; Dina's been around longer than anyone in the world right now," Logan answered.

We nodded, although before the conversation could proceed any further, footsteps sounded behind us. I turned to see Marie approaching and quickly looked back at Logan, but he was already gone. The rest of us got to our feet as she found us, pretending as though nothing happened.