A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Sixty-Five

The queen continued to guide me in silence to a small room on the first floor. Inside was nothing but a table and chairs, akin to a small conference room in a boring office space. No decorations, no exciting colors, just straight to business. I entered the room behind her and as she stood by the door. Once I was fully inside, she closed the door behind me and immediately sat herself down in a chair and motioned for me to do the same.

"What the hell is happening?" She asked. I was taken about by how frank she was compared to past conversations.

"What do you mean?" I wanted her to give me more information than the other way around. If I could play dumb, which I felt in the moment anyway, maybe it could guide me on where to go with my travel stone.

"You were just here," she clarified. "Then, you're gone for maybe a few hours and my husband is called to aid Silverleaf. What happened when you left? We were under the impression that things were being handled discreetly on land, that we wouldn't need to prepare our troops so quickly. There was a plan laid out and agreed upon, one that is not currently being followed."

"I'm assuming you've been informed of Cybill." The queen nodded at my question. For some reason she felt normal as she spoke to me, as if the facade of royalty was broken and she was more worried about what would happen than keeping up appearances. It was that same realness that made me feel at ease, as if she wasn't trying to kill me and I really did misunderstand the situation. So, I continued, "She's trying to take over Silverleaf. At least, that's how it seems to me."

"She has enough followers to engage in a coup? Even at a time like this, the people would betray James? But he's the one keeping the barrier protecting Silverleaf aloft. If he falls, the barrier is destroyed." Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand the situation.

She wasn't completely wrong, but her understanding of how the barrier was used lacked the insight of someone from Silverleaf. It was the leaders of Silverleaf, not just James, that needed to be protected as they created and continue to maintain the barrier. The barrier does not pull from their magic only. While James is the leader of the coven, he has ten others who hold positions of power under him. Together, those leaders pull on their own magic, the magic of the people, and the magic of the earth under Silverleaf to create the barrier. With every death, of anyone or anything being used to create the barrier, the barrier would weaken. However, the other leaders are always dressed in dark robes, their faces protected in shadows. No one, other than James himself, knows who they are. It's easier, for someone to simply say, that if James were to die the barrier would fail. But there was so much more involved than that.

"She's persuasive," I answered, deciding not to correct her understanding of the barrier. "She potentially holds the ability to prophesize without being from Silverleaf. If this truly isn't a facade of sorts, it's something never before seen. I was treated as an anomaly for not being able to prophesize, she is being treated as a goddess."

It stung to say those words, maybe more than it should have considering I was a grown ass woman and shouldn't care about the way other people feel about me. But I couldn't help it. If Cybill was being truthful, we were more alike than I'd care to admit and, yet, we were treated so differently. No one wanted anything to do with the girl who couldn't prophesize.

"What does she want?" The queen asked.

I shook my head. "The only thing I can think of is power. I'm not even sure she wants to protect herself or others against Eris. But, maybe somehow, with the power of Silverleaf, she can. The timing of her arrival, though. I can't help but wonder if Cybill and Eris are connected."