Page 69 of Where Darkness Falls

The serpent hisses delightedly as Maeva’s ocean eyes glow a brilliant sapphire blue, and the Dragon’s Flame illuminates around her neck.

Her hair drifts away from her shoulders as if floating. Her entire body is iridescent in a terrifyingly bright aura. From her extended hand, a small wisp of starlight dances away from her, floating toward the basilisk. Its tongue licks along the wisp, as it melts on its forked tongue. Just as quickly as she summoned it, she reels it back in. The pendant is the last part of her to cease glowing.

“Your price has been paid. Now tell me what you know,” she commands.

The basilisk bares its fangs, slowly raising back up to its full height. “You’ve been found worthy of eternal knowledge,” it hisses. “I’ll sssshare the truths I know. Four sssssidessss of the coin, four piecccessss to the enigma. The firsssssst you’ve already known, but the other three are yet to be foretold. The darknessss is descending soon. Heed the wordssss I sssssspeak:

“Two kingsss destined for the sssamethrone, but only one bound to the kindred heart’s sinsss will be atoned. Beware the one of the sssevered sssoul, for hisss reign endsss in blight. The Na Fíréin can only risssse when the hidden truth isss brought forth to the light. The truth ssshall only be revealed once the path to sssalvation or ruin isss sssealed.”

Well, that sounds absolutely bonkers.

I wonder if the serpent has lost its mind from the isolation for thousands of years. It’s quite possible with only the dark recesses of the Abyss for company.

“I-I don’t understand,” Maeva says.

That makes two of us.

“How does this prophecy have anything to do with me?” she asks.

“I’ve fulfilled my duty to reveal the truthssss to the one who possessses the Dragon’ssss Flame. Even now your bloodline sssssingssss to me,” the serpent replies.

“What is my bloodline? Where am I from?” she asks, her eyes widening.

“All will be revealed in time,” the serpent laughs. “You passsssed King Tiernan’s firssssst tesssst. You’re the one dessstined to reveal the Na Fíréin.” Without another word, the basilisk slithers down into the giant crater its body created upon emerging from the ground.

“Wait!” Maeva yells.

The basilisk turns toward her.

“How will I reveal the Na Fíréin?” she asks.

“You assssssk too many quessstionsss,” the serpent scoffs. “In time, you’ll sssseee that you’re the catalyssssst to sssset the prophecy in motion. I’ll ssssee you again, Chossseen Daughter.”

Then, as quick as lightning, the serpent disappears beneath the ground—leaving Delerauh in silence.

I sighin relief once the basilisk is truly gone. There’s so much chaos and rubble that surrounds me. The residents in the area, whose homes or establishments were destroyed, are slowly sifting through the fallen architecture—looking for heirlooms that can be salvaged. If I’m being honest, the whole encounter puzzles me. This prophecy is different from the first in several ways.

In truth, I hoped that when the time was right, Saoirse would tell me how to find the oracle so she could reveal the rest of the prophecy—not that an ancient basilisk would stalk me in the middle of the night.

Four sides to the coin, four pieces to the enigma—Saoirse starts.

Please speak plainly, Saoirse. What does that even mean?I ask, unable to hide my annoyance.

I can’t reveal all that I know, of which you’re well aware. However, now that the basilisk has found you, there is some knowledge that I may share,she replies.

You knew it would come for me?I ask.

Actually, I thought you would find it in Zulgalros, but it appears the ‘illustrious’ king had other intentions to expedite that plan,she says.

Does the king know who I am or where I come from?I inquire.

In a manner of speaking, but his knowledge isn’t my concern at the moment,she replies.The basilisk hails from the Abyss, but even it has to answer to Siorai. It gives riddles or even clues, but it can’t reveal all the eternal knowledge it possesses until the appointed time.

You said that the basilisk is only blessed with a portion of the prophecy,I say, thinking through everything I’ve recently heard.You both mentioned some nonsense referring to four sides of a coin.

This is the part that confuses me the most because what in all of bloody Celestae do four coins have to do with anything…

Unless…