The Source (Chronicles of the Elements #1)

Chapter 27

"That was informative," Liam remarked as he stood with Aiden watching the outpost burn while he wiped blood off his sword.

"It was. That General confirmed something that has been on my mind. I had almost forgotten about it in all the grief of losing Niall."

"What is it?"

"Not here. We need to go far away to discuss this."

"We should go back to the palace and check in first. You know Fiadh and the others will worry if we do not."

Aiden sent wind to blow away the smoke ensuring the outpost was nothing but piles of ash before creating a portal back to the war room where Cillian and Caden were speaking with Aine, Aoibhe, and Fiona.

"The outpost is no more."

"Did you discover anything?" Cillian asked.

"There are three others here, here, and here," Liam answered pointing to each location on a map laid out on the table. "We need to infiltrate each one to gather intel before we attack."

"Fiona, can you go find Fiadh and tell her to meet Liam and I in our chambers?"

"Sure."

Aiden let her leave before wrapping the war room in a thick layer of sound proofing air magic to speak to the trusted friends still within. "Liam and I are going to do our own investigating. Nuada was right in that there is much being hidden from us by some of our own Originals, and I intend to find out all there is. Cillian, I need you and Fi to come with us. Caden, I am leaving my kingdom in the capable hands of you and Beck. Aine, we do not want the Original Powers to know what we're doing, with the exception of Nuada since he is the only one we trust. Can he help cover for us while we're gone?"

"He will. I will make sure of it. Are we permitted to know what you seek? We may can help."

"Caden and I will go get Beck and meet you in your chambers," Cillian offered as they left when she lowered the magic barrier.

"Do you know anything about a place called the Hall of Doors?" Aiden asked the Valkyries after ensuring privacy was back in place.

"Yes. It is said to be a centralized location containing gates to many different realms. There is very little information recorded about it for reasons that I am sure you comprehend. I do not know how much Nuada knows as there are a few things that he will not discuss in detail even with me."

"Do you know anything about wars between the Fae and these other realms?"

"There have not been any in many moons. The last one I fought in was the one during the time when your father was killed, Liam, but that was almost more of a minor skirmish than an all out war. There were several prior to that one that were much more bloody and destructive. Now that I am recalling it though, there was something odd about that battle. Your father was acting strange making precarious decisions about troop placement and such," she told Liam.

"Do you think he knew something that others did not?"

"I believe so. I saw him often writing in a journal during that battle and thought it curious since I had never known him to record in that way. It was lying open on his desk in his tent when I went to go over strategy with him one evening, and I glimpsed what was written when I did not find him there compelled by some strange reasoning to read it. There was mention of opening a gate to the realm of the Fae we were battling, but that is all I can remember. You may want to search his residence in Sea Kingdom. That journal might be there and provide some answers."

"Thank you, Aine. We will try, but I am not sure it still sits unoccupied after all this time. He allowed his lovers to reside there, and I assume some of them took over the residence after his passing."