Bound by Darkness (Bound By Series)

28. Half-Moons

Chapter 28

Half-Moons

THALIA

He deepened the kiss, his hands tugging me close.

My hands wrapped around his neck on instinct as my fingertips found the curls of his hair, twirling them as lightning pulsed in my veins. He tasted like a mixture of honey and wine—intoxicating every sense as he bit my lip, another ripple of pleasure radiating through me.

He was kissing me… and I was kissing him back.

His hand tugged my head farther back, my lips parting further as his tongue explored the expanse of space I gave him. A moan left my lips as his hand threaded through my hair, every touch—every stretch of my skin bathing in liquid fire.

A groan left his as my teeth found his bottom lip, pulling slightly as my arms wrapped around his neck, hauling him flush against me. The space between us was agonizing and I wanted nothing more than?—

His lips pried away, his breath mingling with mine as his scent fueled my body, whisking away any prepared thought I had.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered, his voice breathless as he glanced at me.

The voice was gone, the lock intact as the darkness no longer lingered in the crevices of my mind.

My lips parted. “You… you kissed me to see if it would work?”

“It did, didn’t it?”

Was that all it had been? A shock to stuff my casting behind the door? Had it meant anything to him… like it had to me as my pulse refused to drown back into that sea of darkness?

“Thalia, there’s something else I want?—”

The tent flaps moved as Chiron walked in, his staff resting against pockets of decaying grass. Glancing between us, he scoffed. “Did I interrupt something?”

Ivan climbed to his feet, his hand prying from my neck as he completely ignored the question. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Hmm,” Chiron stated, his gaze falling to mine.

I shuffled to my feet as my sleeve wiped the remaining taste of him away. “What are you doing here?”

Chiron smirked, bits of gray shining from the flame. “It seems you found something of considerable importance in my city.”

“You told him?”

“He reads the Language of Old,” Ivan said.

“I thought you said only your mother spoke it.”

Chiron scoffed. “Did you tell her anything, boy?”

“She’s the only one that spoke it, but she taught family how to read it.” Ivan scratched the stubble on his chin. “Chiron isn’t an old friend. He’s my Uncle.”

“Your… Uncle?”

For the first time, I stared at Chiron. His hair was peppered with gray and wrinkles dotted his forehead, but the features were there. The chiseled jaw, the pointed nose, and the light dusting of freckles under layers of knowledge. The resemblance was uncanny with both of them in the room.

Ivan cleared his throat. “My mother never taught me, but she did teach her brother.” Ivan splayed out the pages, a hand gesturing for Chiron to hobble over.

He grabbed a page, shuffling it toward the glow of the oil lamp as the room fell silent.

It felt like ages as I paced in the room, thoughts muddying together of my fate to Cethales, of Chiron, of the pages, but most of all, my mind reeled with the kiss.

My fingertips touched my lips. They were still swollen, my heart fluttering like a sprite’s wings as I remembered the instant spark of lightning. My lips were still burning, as was the rest of my body.

Everything about it made me want more. The way my hands perfectly fit around his neck as they twirled bits of black or the way I’d molded to his solid frame as his hands brought me close. I couldn’t help it as my eyes drifted to him.

He was preoccupied with Chiron, his eyes planted on him as his Uncle decoded the pages I’d stolen. Was Ivan thinking about it too or had it been nothing more than a way to quell the casting? Did he feel anything like how I was feeling—that rush continuing to pulsate in my veins and lips?

Ivan’s eyes shifted to mine, the intensity nearly knocking me onto my back as I looked away, heat binding to the base of my neck.

“Thalia,” Ivan said, his voice carrying in the quiet room. “Listen, I?—”

“I’m finished,” Chiron said, his voice booming in the tent.

“Did you translate it?” Ivan asked, his eyes shining the way a young boy does when receiving a quest. It was quite amusing to see him brightening.

“Yes and no,” Chiron answered. “I’m missing information to translate all of it.”

“Missing information?” I asked, my steps light as I stood beside him.

“The rebels stole something from the library you discovered. It’s why they burned the city down,” Ivan answered.

“They stole something?”

“Correction,” Chiron said. “They stole an artifact known as the Book of Spells. It’s written in the Language of Old, but it contains every spell since the dawn of Cethales. Laias was charged with protecting such a weapon and built the underground library to hide it.”

“Now with the rebels having it in their possession, it poses an even greater threat to Cethales.” Ivan added. “The Book of Spells is not something to tamper with because it requires a cost.”

“What kind of cost?” I asked.

“No one knows. Legend says it differs per person, but it’s crucial it is brought back. Not only to read these pages to decipher your casting ability, but to prevent catastrophe from striking Cethales,” Chiron said. “Without that spell book, there is no telling what type of harm the rebels could achieve.”

“And there’s no way to depict the pages I found without it?”

Chiron shook his head. “I’ll tell you what I’ve gathered, but it is written in code.”

“Then out with it, Uncle. We don’t have time to stand around.”

Chiron frowned, but cleared his throat. “The pages you recovered, Thalia, speak of an ancient Fae god, Arawanee, who cast from the rest. It lived in isolation for centuries for its crimes.”

“What crimes?”

“I can’t make it out without the book. Someone didn’t want us to know. Whatever it is, it can’t be pleasant,” Chiron answered.

Great. Adding that to my mental list of casting difficulties. “What of my casting? Did it mention anything about its powers?”

“Not much, but it did state the Fae god of shadows was granted powers by the Mother herself. Unnatural powers.” Chiron picked up the page and pointed to a symbol. “It also mentioned a counterpart. Eadrom.”

“Eadrom?”

“A Fae god of light who was created by the Mother to balance Arawanee. As to why, it doesn’t say.” His eyes flicked to me. “You inherited Arawanee’s casting. That much is clear based on the symbols and translations I can make out.”

“That’s it?” Ivan asked.

Chiron scoffed. “Thanks would be welcome.”

“Sure, thanks, but that’s all?”

“Without the book, I can’t translate anymore than what I have told you.” He turned to me. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but whatever casting lingering in your bones cannot be natural. It’s dangerous, especially if it comes from that Fae god.”

My casting originated from an exiled Fae god? A Fae god whose crimes were so horrible they were written in code? My teeth pulled at my bottom lip as I stared at the two Fae males. “Then… then we search for the book.”

“What?” Ivan stated, his eyes glued to mine. “We don’t have the time to search for a book in the midst of this war. And what about the citizens here? We’d leave them completely exposed, and what about Moria?”

“We can take care of ourselves,” Chiron answered.

“You said it yourself,” I added. “If they have access to the book, then it spells doom for Cethales—for those I love most. I need it to understand my casting. To figure out how I got this Fae gods’ casting in my body. If it’s as bad as Chiron says it is, then it’s important we figure this out and to stop the war. I think this is a win win situation.”

“She has a point,” Chiron chimed in, a frown lingering on his face. “Finding that book is more valuable than guarding this city.”

A smile lit mine at the slight praise from him.

“Are you sure about this?” Ivan asked.

I nodded, my hands splayed on the table. “Yes. Plus, the rebels have Asa. We can get both in one fell swoop.”

“The rebels have Asa?” Chiron turned to me, his eyes wide.

“Fin thinks they do. It makes the most sense as to why you haven’t found her body and why they attacked. They were able to get a healer and the Book of Spells.”

“It’s plausible. What do you think, Ivan?”

Ivan rubbed the back of his neck. “It does make sense, but we don’t even know where the rebel base is at.” He scratched at his chin. “If we do this, we need to make a stop along the way, and I’ll need to send a few more letters by owl.”

“Where are we stopping?” I asked, my eyes flicking to his.

“A place called the Hideaway. I need to pick up a few items I left behind.”