Book of Fates ✔

The darkness

Hey, can you believe I'v found some time to publish another chapter? I still don't. Sorry for the delay--I was pretty preoccupied during the hollidays. But I'm back online! I promise to update regularly and give you all the story to the last drop! Enjoy! ❤

Leir opened his eyes, but the darkness refused to fade away. He blinked, rubbing at his face, struggling to remember where he'd been before falling asleep.

The city of Paititi. The lost holy ground of the Incas. The sanctuary, forsaken by time and forgotten by people.

Leir's head was aching badly. He could literally feel an iron hammer trying to knock him unconscious and suck the last drop of strength out of his body. Was it because of the stale air consuming the halls of Paititi for hundreds of years? Or because of the grievous dreams haunting Leir lately? It didn't matter. His dreams were just dreams. They weren't real. But the pain at the back of his head was. And that was all that mattered right now.

The fomoire squeezed his eyes shut for a few more seconds, drew a deep breath and looked around the gloom, his fingers fumbling for the lightening crystal.

Pointless.

Everything's pointless! Leir wanted to scream at the blackness. Searching for the stupid book, fighting in the stupid war. Playing by the stupid rules someone had made as the world had been created! And now I'm obliged to follow those rules, to live a life I never wished for.

Leir suddenly felt a desperate urge, a sickening temptation to run. A desire to leave all his life behind and never look back.

"I cannot give up," he said to himself quietly, clenching his jaws. "Not after everything I've already accomplished. The final step is the hardest one. But only because it changes everything."

A dim glimpse of light dissolved the darkness in the distance. Nagal appeared from around the corner, illuminating his feet with the crystal Leir was looking for.

"Morning," the bald-headed fomoire grumbled and seated himself right on the floor next to Leir. "Or evening, or night. It's all the same in here all the time. And this dead smell of the temple makes me want to puke."

"Where've you been?" Leir asked and scanned the chambers they were sitting in. The ceiling was hidden in the murk, as well as the walls. Only two giant columns were visible in the pale light of the crystal glowing in Nagal's palm. Alexander, Charna and Tane were still deeply slumbering a yard away.

Nagal casually shrugged. "Couldn't sleep, decided I'd better go loosen up my muscles. And, well... find something resembling an ancient toilet."

"Any luck?"

"Don't ask." He chuckled and glanced at Leir, his eyes darkened. "You look awful, you know? Every time you sleep you look even worse actually. Are you still seeing those dreams?"

Leir motioned his hand, waving the question away. "Don't you dare to lecture me on what I must and must not see in my dreams. Those visions are the only thing I have."

"They're killing you."

"They're saving us all."

Nagal never argued. Without another word, he reached into his sport bag, brought out a small pack of dried meat chips that he and Tane had stolen recently.

Leir watched his friend chewing for a minute, still hearing his blood achingly pumping in his head, and then said, "Aside from for the lecturing part, I won't refuse some help. Do we have any painkillers left?"

"You mean whiskey?" Nagal lifted his eyebrows mockingly. "No, why, Tane got rid of all of that stuff yet back in Cusco."

"Pills, Nag, pills. Small, round and solid. The ones I got at the pharmacy."

Nagal reluctantly handed Leir a blister pack with three remaining tablets and a bottle of water.

Leir quickly swallowed his medicine and gasped in relief as the chilling cold water rushed down his throat. He stood up, stretched his back and was about to wake up the others, but Nagal stopped him, seizing by the arm. "Are you sure, you don't need a bit more of a rest?"

"I'm sure. We have to go. We have to find the book before the daitias got here." Leir lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on Anya's father peacefully sleeping with his head on his bag. "And if Alexander finds out that his daughter isn't waiting for him at home, the daitias would be the least of our problems."