The Lost War (Hectic Series: Book One)

Chapter 6

Nine days later, and horrible days they were, as Kim spent the majority of them exploring Marcus's psyche, she found the key to the lock.
That book was mostly filler: olong, rambling chapters about the Lost War, stuffed with details that she didn't much care for.
It was one of these details that she nearly glossed over when she found the key.
It came in the form of a necklace.
The book said that Marcus had used this necklace to crack the door between the living and the spirit world, and in this way travel amongst them. Some said he could even control the dead.
It was called the Reaper, and for good reason. Legend said that it had the power to tear through the veil between the living and the dead, amongst other properties of time and space. It had even been rumored to have the power to tear holes into other universes, for its power reduced the fabric of space to shreds and tatters, according to page 967.
Still, now that she had the information Kim didn't quite know what to do with it.
"This is the answer," Oliver said when Kim showed it to him, "Kim, we've got it! We can put a stop to this!"
"Oliver," Kim said quietly, "there's a right and a wrong here. How do we tell which is which? The Reaper is dangerous. It's messing with powers we can't even begin to understand. We intend to use it as a solution, but for all we know it could just present another problem."
He sighed and stared down at her with the eyes of a person who knew much about the blurred boundary between right and wrong. "It's your call. You have to think for yourself, but this necklace could still be useful, if anything for the sheer value of it. I mean, finding the legendary Reaper, Kim! How's that for good publicity?"
She had to admit it, finding the Reaper would be a great historical discovery. But there was a reason it hadn't been excavated from the remains of Marcus's Palace.
"The demons, humans, whatever they are, they need to be stopped. If the Reaper can aid in that then of course I want to find it, but as of right now we don't know it's true value. We need to get back to Carrain to talk with the Council, and after that, if it proves to be of any import, we can focus on finding it."
Oliver seemed satisfied with this answer enough and went to sleep without protest.
Kim stayed up late, reading the ancient texts from Nobility Hall, her fingers tracing the pages.
She would end up here one day, she thought. Some well respected scholar would ink her story onto paper and it would be filed away in here, collecting dust, another tribute to the Alliance.
After many years her story would rot away from people's minds, leaving only the Politics behind. She would be just another Hectic to remember. Another leader. Another sacrifice.
"I don't want to end up like this," she whispered into the dark. She got only echoes in reply.
She didn't want to end up as just another Empress.
She didn't want the years to eat away her memory until she was no longer Kim and just another royal. She didn't want to suffer the same fate as the others, although she supposed they had all felt the same way.
She fell asleep at the reading table and woke up with a cramped neck and stiff wings.
She found Oliver waiting patiently with Leleh by his side, all of their belongings packed.
"Morning," he said, "let's get out of here."
He didn't seem to mind flying so much this time; well, at least he didn't show it.
Kim kept replaying the information about the Reaper over in her head, committing it to memory. They hadn't taken the book with them out of respect. If they had the time to stay longer Kim would have. That library was a treasure trove of valuable information.
Hours past, and Kim spent them mostly in a daze. It was peaceful up in the sky, where the wind danced and sighed in a rhythmic cadence.
They stopped for a short lunch, of which  consisted of tea that Oliver didn't enjoy and some hard bread, and were off again.
The temperature plummeted as the sun went down, and a brittle wind blew across the plains. Kim loved the autumn weather; Oliver hated it.
Leleh landed for the night and Kim touched ground when the grass spun beneath her feet.
Oliver saw her stumble and put a hand on her arm. "Are you alright?"
Kim blinked and gritted her teeth against the bolt of pain pulsing through her skull.
She took a breath and the world slowed to a stop. "I'm okay. I'm good."
There was concern in Oliver's blue eyes, but he turned and began tending to the fire.
Kim slowly laid out their blankets. There was a horrible pressure behind her eyes and every so often the world would shift and she would have to stop herself from falling on her face.
By the time they were ready to sleep Kim had begun to sweat and shiver.
"I'm sure it's fine," she said when Oliver voiced his concerns, "just lack of sleep."
He made her tea and said that if she didn't drink it he would force it down her throat.
Kim held the cup with shaking hands and forced it down, even though she wanted to vomit.
Oliver made sure she knew just how horrible she looked. "Kim, you're pale and sweating and trembling and look like you're half dead."
She sniffed. "I'm okay, I just need to sleep."
But it didn't help. By morning Kim was still shaking and sweating and Oliver looked like he was just waiting for her to keel over.
She wasn't quite sure she was comfortable with letting Oliver fly while she was on Leleh, but she knew she couldn't use her wings if her life depended on it.
She leaned against him as Leleh soared through the air, fading in and out of consciousness until she finally did lose consciousness completely.
When she woke it was nighttime, but they were still flying. Oliver had tied a rope around her waist and Leleh's back so she wouldn't fall, and a blanket was thrown over her shoulders.
She fell asleep again and didn't wake for days.