The Delta's Daughter Chapter 297

LAMIA

I could clearly see the werelion they call Althea, was not happy about us being here. Tawny reiterated the story of Orion and Silas. I shudder just thinking of Silas and thank the moon goddess he is long dead. Tawny also said that Silas had come back here because he was looking for something and someone, which is when Althea brought them down to the library.

Mathias was on high alert; he didn’t want to be here anymore than Crimson did. Both men kept a stoic expression and us females close to them, using their bodies as protective shields. From what I’m not sure. According to Tawny, and what I had witnessed yesterday, Crimson more than likely could take out this whole pride by himself. If it was necessary.

He was probably on high alert because of the sneaky shit they pulled on Tawny and how easily they captured him. The Pride itself seemed basic, but what they lacked in what we consider comforts and necessities, they more than made up for with creativity and skill.

Althea led us down a dark winding stone staircase that a secret doorway in the study opened up to. The closer we came to the bottom of the stairs the more the hair on the back of my neck began to stand up.

‘There is ancient power down here,’ My wolf Inanna speaks to me.

‘Can we trust it?’ I ask her, always relying on my wolf’s instincts. Her spirit is ancient, reincarnated over thousands of years. Over the years she and I have moved past the relationship of human and spirit animal, we had bonded and are closer than I could ever imagine. I trust her judgment and she, in turn, trusts mine. We hardly ever fight for control now – our minds melding.

Mathias and his beast Arcas have become the same way. Sometimes when we shift it feels like we are truly becoming them and they – us.

We stop outside a pair of large wooden doors. Althea pushes them open, and the power of the room hits me, making me gasp for breath as the ancient magic rolls over me and bulldozes through me.

“Easy little wolf, I feel it too.” Mathias calmly says behind me. His large hand rests on the small of my back - The gesture is simple but the heat from his hand and the caress of his finger is everything and my desire for him ignites.

It’s always like this, the way we feel for each other and around each other. And I hope the feeling never fades. Mathias and I are forever, in this life and the next. I’m not sure what that means for our counterparts, for him and I – He’s it for me.

I draw in a deep breath as we step into the library, flames that sit against the stone wall light up as if by magic. Like our movements created them to spark to life.

My legs give out as I cast my first glance around and reach back for my mate, who is there to hold me up. Tears spring to my eyes and I can’t stop them from falling. Through the haze of salty drops, I look at the familiar scene.

“What is it, Lamia?” Concerned Mathias asks and his grip tightens on me.

“I didn’t think it was real.” I see the familiar chairs, the fireplace, and the table with the tea set on it. “I thought it was just a figment of my imagination. A place Ashe conjured up in mine and Kellen’s mind.” The only thing that’s missing is Ashe.”

Words fail me as I break from Mathias’ embrace and walk over to touch the leather chairs. With shaky hands I gently run my fingers over the soft leather unconvinced still, that place is real. That the library I had dreamt about so many years ago really did exist.

That the place Ashe brought Kellen and me to in our unconscious state - was real.

So, did we actually come here, or was it a trick of the mind and a place Ashe conjured us to see?

“How did you know?” I turn to ask Tawny.

“I didn’t,” She says with a slight smile, “I had a feeling when I saw it and remembered you telling me about it. I knew it was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.” She leaves Crimson’s side and steps up to me, laying a tiny hand on my bicep. “This is the place?” She tentatively asks.

I nod, still in a mind-blowing trance that this place really does exist. I turn my attention to the rows upon rows of books all neatly lined on antique shelves.

“Pardon me, but am I missing something?” Althea’s voice cuts into the atmosphere, confusion and curiosity ring out with her words.

“Tell me everything,” I say meeting her dark brown eyes. She squirms under my command and for a brief second, I think she is going to fight it.

Instead, she nods, “I will tell you whatever I know.”

“Let’s start with Ashe, why she came to you, and what she wanted,” I say, and she leads us to some couches that sit against the opposite wall.

When Althea tells us of her encounter with Silas and Orion some twenty-odd years ago, how Crimson’s father left with them and Silas came back and all but destroyed their Pride, my heart ached for her ad what their Pride went through. No wonder they didn’t trust us, and no wonder they were afraid of Mathias. Tawny had already told me everything, but hearing from her mouth, was so much more heart-wrenching.

“I would like to meet these children,” Mathias says once she has told what Silas and Orion were looking for. “First, I wouldn’t mind taking a look at this gateway, as you call it.”

“Look at the details on this frame!” I gulp, catching my breath as my eyes land on the mirror. “You say it’s a gateway?” I ask Althea, studying the details and carvings of animals and humans on the metal frame that spirals and twists around the edges of the frosted looking glass. “Too where?”

“I honestly don’t know. Ashe didn’t tell me much. A door for the gods to pass through, that they closed many cycles ago.”

“To the realm of the gods.” Mathias supplies, utterly as bewitched by the humongous mirror as the rest of us. I look up to see the crown with four distinct, deep divots in it. “Your ring, Tawny?”

I hold my hand out, “Here,” she says placing the cool piece of jewelry in my hand. I lift it up as close to the crown in the frame as possible and Althea draws in a quick breath.

The stone begins to glow, tiny cosmic flecks in the center of it begin to swirl as the stone is placed near one of the holes in the crown.

“Please…” Althea all but begs.

“Don’t worry, I’m curious, but not an idiot. I wouldn’t risk screwing with ancient magic like this.” I pull the stone away and pass it back to my friend who throws it back over her neck and tucks it away under her shirt.

I close my eyes and just feel. Envisioning the library behind my closed eyes, I open up a link to Kellen. As soon as I feel him, I project images of my surroundings to him. *Are you seeing this Kel?* I mentally ask him.

*Where are you, Lam’s?* He replies, and I feel his confusion accompanied by worry. I get it, usually, when one of us envisions this place we are either dead, dying or something bad is about to happen.

*It’s real Kellen.* I tell him. *This place isn’t just in our heads or what Ashe wanted us to see, It actually exists*

*The books with the pages?* I know what Kellen is asking. Each time he and I would see pages of books flutter from the shelves, words highlighted and glowing. Telling us something, sometimes we could understand, but most times they were just words that flash quickly on the parchment pages.

*I don’t know, I haven’t looked yet.*

*Keep me posted.* he replies before I cut the link.

Like it was yesterday I remember the dreams, the time I sat in this very room in my mind with Ashe. The shared vision I had with Kellen.

As if on autopilot, I walked the rows of shelving. Turning down the one that called to me. Like an invisible thread, the thrum of magic pulled me closer. I noticed Crimson behind me.

“I feel it too,” He quietly speaks so as not to disturb my line of concentration.

The further I walk down the line of shelving the older the books become and the deeper the vibration and thrum become. It echoes through me and my skin prickles with goosebumps. Like a siren's silent song, I hear the whispers of ancient words. “Do you hear it?” I ask Crimson.

“I hear it,” and I just catch the frown that covers his expression when the beat of the thrum turns to whispers and then becomes clearer.

I stop when the voices are the loudest. Reaching up I pluck a book from the shelf. But the book is plain and when I open the pages, they are blank. The voices still whisper words I don’t understand.

“Up here,” Crimson gestures to the empty space I created, but his finger points upwards to the very top shelf.

I look around for a ladder before calling for Mathias. He steps down the long row followed closely by Tawny and Althea who watch on with curious eyes.

Mathias lifts me up and my fingers brush the book that sends a jolt of sparks down my hand and up my arm. Removing the book, I find a box hidden behind it.

“Here,” I say as I pass books down to Crimson while my giant still holds me up.

When enough room has been created, I can pull the box free. Once securely in my grasp, Mathias lowers me back to the ground. In my hands, I hold a good-sized, stained wooden box. Big enough to fit at least four of the surrounding books.

It’s heavy, the wood old and the markings burned into the grain are identical to the crown that adorns the top of the mirror's frame. Except, the painted-on stones, on the box, form a diamond and in the center, a bright light is depicted by a lightning bolt.

“What is it?” Tawny asks leaning in to see.

“I’ll answer that when I open it.” I quip back at my best friend, and she returns it by sticking out her tongue.

Mathias growls. “You are not opening that fucking thing. No way!” He swings his hand out to emphasize his meaning.

Tawny and I both gawk at my mate.

Of course, we were going to open it. Why wouldn’t we? I hold the box out for everyone to get a good look.

“I’m with him on this,” Crimson points to Mathias,

“King Crimson, can you sense magic?” The worried voice of Althea joins the conversation.

“I can. It’s been touched by old magic. Like, really old magic… I only it’s strong,”

Althea asks Crimson another question, “Does it feel, wrong?”

“If you’re asking if it’s good magic or bad magic, I have no idea. I just know you don’t mess with magic like that. Period.” Crimson crosses his arms, and the stern look on his face says; ‘he’s not budging’.

Mathias wears the same look. He just looks a little meaner and a bit more pissed off.

“Remember, time works differently down here.” Althea reminds us.

An idea pops into my head, “Have you ever taken anything out of this library?” I ask the older werelion, who tells me no.

“I have no reason to, your highness.” She tells me. And I believe her because she really doesn’t have a reason and her heart rate didn’t spike or her pupil contract. So, there’s that.

“Would you oppose me taking this,” I jiggle the box a little, “out of here – the library?” I roll my head gesturing the hall.

Althea shrugs her shoulders, at a loss for words. “This is your home, Althea. I will not insult you. This library and all that’s in it belong to the Pride. It is not mine to take.”

Althea looks flustered like she had just given up. The strong poised older werecat, who has all the answers, suddenly sags. All the fight leaves her body - like a rush of air all at once.

“I- I don’t know.” She shrugs, “I’m too old for this – whatever this is.” This was uncharted territory for Althea, and she didn’t know how to handle it. “I communicated with Arik; he is waiting for us upstairs.” She shakes the nerves from her and covers them with the usual confidence quite well. “And he says you should open the box.”

“He’s trying to score brownie points,” Tawny scoffs as we all follow Althea out of the hall and back up into the study, where we find it is quite dark outside.

“How long were we down there?” I hear Althea ask Arik, understanding only now, why he won’t go down there.

“A few hours, not long, it’s almost time to eat.” I hear Althea reply good, good a few times.

“Is it that bad down there?” I ask elder were-lioness, then add, “The time, I mean.?”

“She was once down there for four days,” Arik speaks for his aunt. “To her, it was only a couple of hours. We’re not sure how time works in there.” His eyebrows crumpled together for a second like he was thinking about it. Then he shrugs his shoulders, letting the thought go.

I set the box down on a large table in the study, and everyone gathers around.

“I’m serious Lamia, we don’t know what’s in the box,” Mathias warns me to not open it.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Tawny flips the simple catch on the box and opens the lid.

Inside is a single leather-bound book, about five or six inches thick, with pressed paper. The book was indeed old.

I lift the book out, place it next to the box it came in and open the cover.

“Well, that sucks,” Clicking her tongue and throwing her hands on her hips, Tawny says, “Are all the pages written in code?”

I thumb through the pages and indeed, they are written in a language I doubt any of us can read. A combination of scripture and glyphs. “Why can’t anything ever be easy!” I growl with frustration because it couldn’t have just been in plain writing. No, it had to be in some ancient text that probably no one alive in this realm could read. Except for Ashe.

It was beyond frustrating. I slump back against Mathias. “I’m sorry little wolf, maybe we’re just not meant to know.”

“You don’t believe that do you, King? Aren’t you just a little curious?”

“Not really,” he grumps. “I want to go home and be with our pups and cub. Knowing what’s in that book is only going to bring trouble. We should put it back in the box and leave it as lost and hidden as it was.” He says with a finality in his tone and when I turn to look up at him, his eyes peer at me with love and concern. “My love, our lives will never be peaceful because of who we are, but we don’t need to go looking for trouble.”

He's right. I know he is. But still… “What do you think?” I say looking from Tawny to Crimson, then to Althea, and lastly Arik.

The room is silent and no one speaks, we just stare at the open book. I know for a fact Tawny is trying to think of someone who can read it. And when a smile plasters across her face and her yellow eyes twinkle with delight, I know she has figured out who.

Tawny looks at Crimson, still grinning widely and wildly. “I bet Tristan could read this.” She says all smug and shit.

“I can read it.” A voice comes out of nowhere and we all whirl our heads to look for the owner. A movement against the wall catches my eye and like a chameleon, blending into her environment, a woman appears.

The old woman steps forward taking her place next to Althea. Tawny cocks her head at the new addition to our group.

“This is Sunu, or healer and witch doctor. Queen Tawny, you have already met her. She is the oldest amongst the Pride,” Althea explains and then turns to the painted-faced woman. “Can you really read this Sunu?” The old woman bobs her head and comes to stand before the book. Her fingers glide over the pages and she mumbles to herself before slamming the book closed.