Silver at Midnight: A Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy (The Keepers of Knowledge Series Book 5) Bridgette O'Hare (ebook offline .txt) 📖

Cian stepped toward me, placing the stone in my palm as he closed his hand around mine, cocooning the stone inside. “I’m scared, too, Aish,” he breathed, leaning his forehead to mine. “But I’m right here with you, and we will face whatever is thrown at us . . . together.”

“Stronger together,” I whispered.

“Stronger together,” he repeated, reaching his hand around the back of my neck and lacing his fingers into my hair. He pressed a warm kiss to my forehead and leaned back to look me in the eyes. “Ready t’ see if this thing is hiding something?”

I nodded and stepped back, opening my hand to reveal the stone. With my other hand I dangled my pendant, lowering it closer and closer. “Nothing’s happening.”

“Flip it over,” Cian suggested.

When I did, it revealed itself.

בכר

“That’s Hebrew,” I mumbled.

“Bechor,” Cian followed up.

“Firstborn. Cain was firstborn. Oh . . . wow.”

“Wow? What’s the ‘wow’ for?”

“The Stone of Two Brothers . . . Cain and Abel . . . Kanna and Hébel. How did I not put that together before now?” I marveled. “This explains the duality of the stone. Heavy yet light, smooth yet jagged.”

“And that’s why no one has ever seen the Hébel Stone before, it was always hidden within the Kanna Stone.” Realization echoed in his tone.

“But . . . how are we seeing it? Why aren’t we seeing it as the Kanna Stone?”

“Because you get t’ choose, Aish. Maybe anyone else who used it already had plans in mind for it as the Kanna Stone. They knew what it could do, and they knew what they wanted from it. You have no agenda. Pure heart, remember?”

“Aye, I remember. No pressure or anything.” I inhaled slowly and held it a moment before releasing. “I guess we need t’ find a way out of here and try t’ get our hands on that blade. Seems I have a prophecy t’ fulfill.”

“I don’t even remember which tunnel we entered.”

“Lucky for us, I marked it. I didn’t think it best to count on that haywire arrow,” I announced. I shoved the stone in my pocket, picked up the Moon Orb from the bench to light the way, and began searching the openings for the rock I’d placed. “This one!

Cian took a few steps toward me and said, “Seems the arrow is still pointing toward the stone. It’s not spinning now, but it is aimed at you.”

“I wish it would aim at how t’ get out of here. But I think I can remember.”

“You remember the turns and directions, right?” he asked.

“Aye.”

“Well, I counted the steps. I’ll go first and when I stop, ya can make sure I turn the right way.” He moved in front and started down the corridor. “I don’t suppose I really need this haywire arrow now, do I?” he joked and glanced down at it then stopped.

“Why are we stoppin’?”

“Umm . . . because you have the stone and it didn’t turn to keep pointin’ at you,” he claimed. “See?” He held his hand in a way that showed what he was explaining.

“Hmph. Well, let’s see what it says when we get to the spot where we’re supposed t’ turn.”

The arrow moved in accordance with each of the turns we remembered along the way, until we came to the last one—the one that was set to lead us out of the cavern and back to where we had entered. The arrow continued to point straight down the corridor. After some consideration, we decided to go straight and see where it took us. We could always turn around and return the way we came.

The corridor inclined and curved a few times before a faint light began to trickle into the darkness in the distance. Cian slowed the pace as we approached the exit covered with vines and thicket. Wisps of silver radiance beamed between the branches.

“There’s no way t’ know where we might come out at in the ruins. I’m goin’ t’ try to get a look. Might want to hide that flashlight just in case,” Cian said before easing forward. Slowly, he pushed aside a small section of the vines and peeked through. His head angled back and forth then tilted upward before he let the vines go.

I pulled the Moon Orb out but kept it partially covered with the velvet cloth. Just enough light to see, but not be seen. “So . . . what’d ya see? Where’d we end up?”

“We’re t’ the right of the steps that lead up t’ the altar. The hedge that runs around the courtyard, this is part of it.” He pointed to the thicket.

“So, let’s go then.” I started for the opening and a hand shot up, stopping me in my tracks.

“Not so fast. Kage has everything set up t’ make this happen. He’s just waiting for me t’ bring the wolf’s fang back so he can use it t’ locate the stone. And you have it. Our best bet for stopping him is not letting him get his hands on it. If you go waltzin’ up there with me, he’s goin’ t’ perform the ritual and make his own lit’l silver arrow that’s goin’ t’ point right at you.”

“Then what d’ya suggest?”

Cian thought for a moment, then answered, “I guess we’re goin’ t’ have t’ give it to him.”

Thirty-Three

Cian’s plan was to plant the Kanna Stone but use the Moon Orb as a decoy. It was a long shot, but it was the best shot we had.

“Listen t’ me, Aisling. I need you safe. So, promise me ya won’t go rogue if this goes sideways.” His gaze bored into me, searching for confirmation.

Part of me wanted to agree, but deep down, I knew it was a promise I couldn’t make. I’d always been one to adapt to a situation and revise on the fly. Cian read my expression and knew.

“Can’t promise me that, can ya?”