DARKNESS

DARKNESS | Chapter 22

"To use the key, you first have to find the keyhole."
- ConfusingIllusions

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Still on the move even as we approach the early hours of the morning, Blake leads us to a stream.

"I can't believe I promised you," he reckons. "I can't believe I went along with you plan, either- the ones that never pan out."

"They do so pan out," I defend, "... they just don't always do it the way I expect. But this one did. For once."

"I could have been halfway back to my father's castle by now," Blake grumbles as the three of us crouch down along the water's edge for a much-needed drink. I cup water in my hands, leaning my head down to bring it to my lips. The water soothes my aching throat like nothing ever has.

"You know, it really amazes me how one person can be so... evil. What would possess you to want to have every Rebel killed?"

"Watch it, Bryant," he warns. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I've already told you you don't scare me, Blakey."

"I hate you."

"And that's not the first time we've been over this," I remind him, murmuring, "the feeling is more than mutual."

"So Harper," Kale speaks for the first time in a while as he sits down on the bank at the edge of the moonlight river. "Tell us the plan."

I take a seat next to him, running my idea through my head one final time. Blake sits beside me, about a metre away. He must have some issues with his brother if he'd prefer to be closer to me. Blake and I have some major issues, but it mustn't be anything on his problems with Kale.

I grab up a twig from the ground, beginning to trail it through the dirt.

"I'm the Saviour... or Destroyer... because some ancient prophecy said I was, right?"

"Right...?"

"When Marcus was telling me this for the first time, he mentioned the both of you as well."

"Our father always did," Blake interrupts, sounding surprisingly normal. "He always told us we were born on the same night as the Destroyer, under the light of the sane full moon."

"Exactly," I agree, realising I've never before agreed with Blake in my life. "Marcus also told me the two of you are the only ones capable of rivalling my power- rivalling the change I'll supposedly bring to this world."

"No, that's wrong," Blake interjects immediately.

"What?" I ask him in confusion.

"We're the only two that are capable of aiding your change. My father always believed you'd be the Destroyer."

"Well obviously Marcus had the opposite opinion," I send Blake a pointed look. "Anyway, let's not go there right now. We only know what we've been told by our guardians, right? So I figured we need more information- information that nobody has been willing to give us. Information about the prophecy, about the significance of our birthday and also about the Illuminants."

"Where would we find that?" Kale questions, genuinely curious.

"My place. My parents kept this massive vault-thingy in their room. It was always locked. Whenever I asked to see inside, they'd tell me it was for their work and that I'd know when the time was right to see it. I'm telling you now, there's information in there."