12 CAIDEN

Caiden walked through the snowy streets of Vantris, chewing on a piece of willow bark to ease his throbbing head as he went. His stomach fluttered thinking about seeing Ora again, but he still hadn’t shaken the way his heart leapt when he thought of Aelia. Her inviting eyes, the way her hips rounded, the smile that lit up her face. He wanted to make her laugh, and he didn’t know why.

The library was quieter in the afternoons when most classes at the university took place. Paintings of the War of Three Kings scaled the walls. The dancing flames of the torches made them come alive.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ora’s soft voice echoed from behind him. He turned to see the brown-eyed beauty staring up at the intricate painting of the famous Alder King Eoghan smiting a demon with the horns of a goat and the fangs of a wolf.

“It’s certainly something,” he said, wiping his palms on his pants. “I dreamed of being a fierce warrior, but a poison arrow cut my dreams short.”

“Not all warriors kill with swords,” Ora said.

“I guess that’s true.”

“Come, my Lord, I think I have found something you may be interested in.”

Caiden followed Ora down into the depths of the archives, where stacks of manuscripts piled high. She pulled a massive leather-bound tome from one of the shelves and heaved it onto a nearby desk. Blowing the dust off it, she cracked it open to a page depicting the three goddesses Amenna, Eris, and Illya. All three pointed skyward to a constellation of stars known as the Huntress.

“What does the Huntress have to do with this?”

“Nothing, I thought at first, then I read the inscription: In the darkest nights when hope hangs askew, look to the stars to guide you through .”

“So?” Caiden still didn’t understand how this connected to the Wells. “That’s just an old saying for children who get lost in the woods.”

“Look at her, the tip of her arrow. They are all pointing to it. I think it has something to do with it.”

“Why do you think that?”

“This book is old. It was written when the Trinity still walked the earth, yet look at the colors. They’re vibrant. This book should be faded and disintegrated into pieces, but no, it’s pristine as though it was printed yesterday. It is brimming with magic. I can feel it radiating through me. As far as I know, the Trinity created the Wells as a kind of fail-safe should the world need saving or the magic ran out… or something terrible like that, but they couldn’t just put them out in plain sight.”

“Okay, and?”

“And look at the stars!” Her eyes widened, and her nostrils flared. “They are off. They aren’t correct. Only the tip of the arrow is correct. The Trinity is standing on the highest peak of the Cheyne Mountains, looking north. They shouldn’t even be able to see the Huntress from that view.”

“This was made over ten thousand years ago. Maybe the skies were different then?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s a puzzle. I think we need to take this book somewhere and align it with the north star.”

“Oh,” Caiden said, swallowing his fear of heights. “You mean the mountains?”

“Maybe? I need to take this to my elders. Maybe they know more.”

“No.” He touched her arm. “No, we have to keep this between us. Whatever is hidden in this book, we can figure it out.”

Her eyes flitted between him and the book.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you? Someone is after the Trinity Wells.”

“Yes,” Caiden said. “It’s like I said before. Crom’s followers will stop at nothing to bring him back.”

Her eyes fell to the book. “It has been so long since he walked this plane. I thought his name would be forgotten to time.”

“Evil is never truly dead.”

Ora bit her plump lower lip, and Caiden recognized the fear in her eyes. It had been a long time since such a threat knocked on Vantris’s door. People forgot what evil looked like. But that’s what evil wanted. It waited for you to forget its monstrous ways, to become comfortable in your life, and then it struck.

The bells of the temple chimed, and Caiden knew he had to get to his parents’ for Amolie and Roderick’s binding ceremony. “I have to go, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Keep looking.” His voice trailed off as he climbed the ancient stairs.

Walking through the great halls of the library, Caiden stared up at the ceiling where the night sky was painted in silver and gold. He stopped and stared at the Huntress. The same star at the tip of her arrow shone brighter than the others.

“That’s odd,” he said to himself. Scanning the rest of the ceiling, he noticed each of the other constellations had one prominent star. Could they be related, or was this just a feature of the paintings at the time? He should get to his parents’ house, but something tugged at him. Turning on his heel, he raced down to the archives where Ora still studied the book, spectacle over one eye.

“I think it has something to do with the painting upstairs,” he said, trying to catch his breath.

Ora arched a brow. “Which one? You’re going to have to be more specific. This is a gallery as well as a library.”

“The one on the ceiling. All the constellations have one illuminated star.”

“Hmmm… Okay, grab the book, and let’s go look.”

Caiden lifted the massive tome from the desk and carried it up the stairs after Ora.

She gazed at the ceiling, and Caiden’s pulse quickened as her silken hair fell over one shoulder, revealing her long, delicate neck.

“These must have been done by the same artist. Or at least someone who studied under him,” she said, pointing to the arrow of the Huntress.

Caiden sat the book on the table, and she hurriedly flipped through the pages.

“Ah-ha!” she proclaimed to the sound of multiple shushes.

Caiden moved in closer to get a better look. The smell of honeysuckle on her hair made him think of summer days lying in the grass in his youth. “What is it?”

“See here, the artist left his signature.” She pointed to what looked like a scribble at the corner of the painting.

Caiden spread a piece of tracing paper over it and traced the symbol. It looked awfully familiar. Had he seen it before or were his eyes playing tricks on him? He wracked his brain trying to remember where he’d seen the twisted symbol before. Was it at his parents’ house? He’d have to look.

“Have you seen this before?” he asked.

“No, but art history is not my specialty. Let’s see if we can find something similar on the ceiling. If we can match the signatures, perhaps they’re connected.”

The two spread out. Heads to the sky, looking for the infamous mark. Caiden squinted and nearly ran into an elderly scholar with a long white beard.

“Watch where you’re going,” he mumbled under his breath and pushed past Caiden.

Another bell chimed. “Shit,” Caiden whispered. He couldn’t stay much longer, or he’d be late for Amolie and Roderick’s ceremony. His eyes frantically searched the night sky for anything resembling the signature. Eventually, Caiden and Ora’s paths led them back together.

“Find anything?” Caiden asked.

“No. It’s too high up. I’ll have to find an art historian to help us.” She closed the book on the desk. “I’ll let you know when I have more information.”

The two parted ways, and Caiden headed for his parent’s house across the city. As he walked, he replayed the image of the map in his mind over and over again. There had to be something more to it. What was he missing?

Before he realized it, he was on his parents’ doorstep, red ribbons tangled in the breeze—a blessing of fertility for the couple.

The music of a small string band floated through the house. Caiden made his way to the conservatory, where Lucius waited in his finest doublet adorned with golden accents.

“Glad to see you delayed your mission to be here.”

“How could I miss my best friend’s binding ceremony? I’m cold, not heartless.”

Caiden shot his friend a knowing glance. “I always knew you were a romantic at heart.”

“Let’s not go that far.” He smoothed his perfectly quaffed long hair before tugging at his doublet. Caiden wondered whether Lucius kept lovers in secret. With his striking features and toned body, he would be attractive to anyone, man or woman. But Caiden also knew not to ask him about it. What Lucius did on his own time was his business.

“Are you going to change before the ceremony?” he asked, looking Caiden up and down.

“What’s wrong with this?” Caiden examined his simple vest and breeches.

“Well, it’s your friend’s binding ceremony. I hope you’d want to celebrate the occasion.”

Caiden sighed and headed to his room, where he quickly changed into a navy velvet doublet with lightning embroidered on it. As he glanced at himself in the mirror, he caught a glimpse of a bookshelf behind him. Inscribed on one of the book’s spines was none other than the same signature he’d seen at the library. Grabbing the book, he raced down to meet his father. Tonin looked ever the king with his short, clipped beard and crown of silver lightning.

“Father, do you know what this symbol is? Who made it?”

Tonin glanced at the book. “This is the ancient symbol for the Trinity. The Trinity or one of their advisors wrote this. Why are you asking me about this old book?”

“I found a similar marking in a book in the library. But we couldn’t decipher the artists’ names. We think it may have something to do with the Trinity Wells.”

His father’s blue eyes grew wide. “ A History of Moriana . I can’t even remember where we got this. It must have been in our family for generations.”

“I’m going to take it to the library and see if I can learn anything about it tomorrow.”

“Just bring it back.”

Caiden tucked the book away just as his mother came into the conservatory.

“It’s time,” she said, clasping her hands together in excitement. Her tight ringlets bounced as she took her place next to Tonin.

The band began to play, and Amolie appeared in the doorway dressed head to toe in red satin. Her hair was immaculately braided into a crown around her head, and her eyes sparkled in a way only a bride’s could. She held a bouquet of bloodred roses to complement her dress. Caiden’s eyes flitted to Roderick, whose normally stoic demeanor was now one of awe. He’d known his friend for sixty years and never once seen him look at anyone the way he was looking at Amolie now.

Caiden’s heart swelled, remembering his own binding ceremony with his wife, Cassandra. They were married at her family’s palace in the Court of Scales. She glowed just like Amolie did. He wiped a tear from his eye at the memory. Some days, he missed her terribly. On other days, the pain was easier to bear.

Lucius patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay. We all miss her.”

Caiden nodded, putting his best smile forward for Amolie and Roderick.

Roderick extended a hand to his bride, and together they knelt before Tonin.

“Today, we are here to witness the binding of Amolie Hazelwood and Roderick Bonecleaver. Just a few decades ago, it would’ve been illegal for such a marriage to take place, but I am happy to see us moving forward and away from our prejudices. I have known Roderick since his days at the Academy. I will say I never thought he’d settle down, but then I met Amolie, and I knew she was the one who would tame him.”

A chuckle from the crowd.

Tonin turned his piercing gaze to Amolie, who knelt with her head bowed. “Amolie, you are one of the strongest women I have ever met. Save for my wife, of course.” He winked at Tempestia, who blushed. “A binding is not to be taken lightly. I know both of you know this.”

Amolie and Roderick nodded. “We do.”

“And you promise to care for one another until the end of your days?”

“We do.”

Tonin pulled the ceremonial dagger from behind his back, the sigil of the Stormlands engraved into its hilt. “Let your blood flow through this dagger the way Illya intended.” He handed the blade to Roderick, who made a slit across his palm, letting the blood fill the engraving before handing it to Amolie, who did the same.

“Your blood has mixed on the sacred dagger. You are known to our goddess. Let your bodies and blood become one.”

Amolie and Roderick pressed their palms together, and Tonin wrapped them in the sacred cloth.

“Rise, my children, and be known as bonded.”

They rose to their feet, facing their friends, who clapped and cheered. Roderick beamed a white smile. Amolie’s cheeks flushed pink.

After the ceremony, they gathered in the formal dining room of the townhome. Delicate pastries lined the table, including several rose cakes, which were Caiden and Lucius’s favorite.

Amolie and Roderick stared at each other lovingly while the rest ate their dinner.

Caiden sipped his champagne, trying to fight the bittersweet feeling in his gut. He was happy for his friends, but the loss of his wife loomed large at the table. He stood, clinking his fork against his champagne glass.

“A toast to the happy couple. May your days be long, your fights be short, and your womb be fertile. Amolie, you tamed the untamable. Roderick, you won the lottery with this one. Treasure each other, for you never know what day will be your last.” He mustered the best smile he could.

“Hear, hear!” the others said, clinking their glasses together and sipping their bubbly. Their eyes glittered with delight in the light of the chandelier.

Caiden took his seat next to Amolie.

“I know this is hard for you,” she said, placing a hand over his. “Thank you for everything.”

“That’s what you do for friends.” Caiden pushed away the pressure building in his eyes.

“Today has been perfect, but I’m sad Aelia couldn’t be here.” Her eyes lowered, and she fiddled with the napkin in her lap.

“You’ll see her soon, though, right? You’re going to Ruska in the morning?”

She nodded, and looped her arm around Roderick’s bicep, gripping it tightly. He placed a reassuring hand over hers as he continued to joke with Lucius.

“Yes, such a bittersweet binding.” She swallowed as she glanced around the room, clearly fighting tears. “It seems I may never have my family and friends in the same room again.”

Caiden’s heart ached for the witch. She was right. There would be no peace until they wiped Erissa and Gideon from the continent, and even then, certain factions had been hungry for war for a long time.

“C’mon, let’s dance,” Roderick chimed in, leading Amolie to the dance floor where once-grand balls had been held. Now, just two solo dancers swayed in the twinkling light of burning fairy lamps, holding each other tightly, knowing this could be the last night they ever spend together. Amolie laid her head on Roderick’s broad chest. Shutting her eyes to savor the moment. Roderick rested his chin on his bride’s head and together they swayed back and forth to the sound of the music as if there was no one else in the room but them.

Tonin escorted Tempestia to the floor, and together, the two danced looking lovingly at one another. Tempestia’s diamond earrings sparkled in the light—a gift from Tonin on their binding day. Still in love after centuries, they shared the love Caiden longed for. The kind he’d thought he’d found with Cassandra.

He sighed, finishing his drink.

“I think I’m going to head up for the night. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow. I think Ora… er, one of the scholars at the library, has found something pertaining to the Trinity Wells.”

“Well, that’s something at least,” Lucius said. He gazed out the window at the starless night. “Seems like a perfect time for me to slip away as well. I will meet you in the Woodland Realm for the Ostara celebration.”

Caiden nodded, and the friends slipped out of the ballroom.