Page 49 of Chasing Eternity (Stealing Infinity #3)
Just as we’re about to exit the study, Braxton’s father retrieves a red cape casually left on a chair and offers it to me.
“Wear this,” he says. “It will keep you from being easily recognized.”
As I drape the cloak around my shoulders and draw the hood over my head, the significance of the moment does not escape me. Not only do I mirror the maiden depicted on the Star card from the Visconti-Sforza deck, but also the mysterious figure I spotted navigating the complex maze beneath my window at Gray Wolf.
“Do you know where we’re headed?” he asks.
I nod. “The Star is hidden inside the labyrinth.”
Pausing briefly before the door, he glances over his shoulder and says, “I was certain you were headed there during your last visit. I presumed that’s what led you to the window. From there, looking north, it’s just visible.”
“Back then, I had no idea what I was doing,” I admit.
As we make our way into the hall, I steal a glance at the dance floor, searching for Elodie and Killian amid the swirling throng of dancers.
“Come,” Braxton’s father urges, his tone insistent. “There is no time for that.”
With his hand at my elbow, I duck my head and follow his lead without hesitation. To my great shame, I notice he now walks with a slight limp, courtesy of my last visit.
Making our way outside, we quicken our pace through the gardens, enveloped in a heady fragrance of jasmine and the distant strains of a string quartet, a haunting melody that seems almost in tune with our purposeful strides.
Reaching the edge of the labyrinth, Braxton’s father stops. Letting go of my arm, he says, “I will remain here to keep watch.” I nod, ready to dart into the maze when he adds, “May the fates be with you, Natasha.”
I pause, recalling how Charlotte echoed the same sentiment. Dismissing it as a turn of phrase from another era, I venture inside.
The hedges loom high, towering far above me, their meticulously groomed branches casting shadows that dance under the moonlit sky. Drawing the cape closer, I take a moment to tap into any ancestral Timekeeper wisdom, hoping some glimmer of insight on how I might go about unlocking this maze is buried within me.
It’s not long before the mark on my arm begins to thrum as my feet instinctively move. Propelled by the pull of my destiny and bolstered by the belief I can navigate it successfully, I delve deeper into the intricate twists of the labyrinth.
With each step, the feeling that time is collapsing in on itself grows stronger.
With each bend and curve the lines between past, present, and future seem to blur.
A phenomenon that only amplifies the recurring thought that once again streams through my head.
Time is a flat circle. You have been here before, done this before.
Amid this unsettling déjà vécu, my determination to shatter this endless loop has never been stronger.
I can feel it—I’m getting closer now, nearly there. The tangible awareness of nearing my goal sends a thrill of anticipation coursing through me, vibrating deep within my bones as the rings on my arm buzz with energy, urging my legs to carry me quicker.
Rounding the final bend, I clutch the fabric of my gown, lift it past my knees, and break into a full sprint, charging toward the marble statue that looms just ahead. The guardian of eternity itself, whispering the ancient secrets ensconced within its bounds, is soon to be in my grasp.
Secure in the knowledge that the Timekeeper who would normally challenge me is now guarding the entrance to the maze, I seize the opportunity to pause before it and examine it in greater detail.
The lion, as seen on both the Strength tarot card and the World card, is a symbol of bravery and power. Like the Strength and World cards, there’s also a laurel wreath, a symbol of victory and honor.
Drawn by the craftsmanship of this narrative forever captured in stone, I step closer. Noting how the lion, with its intricately carved mane and dignified stance, seems to pulsate with life, standing sentinel over the ancient treasure I believe is concealed within one of the two urns that rest atop its head.
My gaze remains fixed on those urns. On the Star tarot card, they stand as a symbol of healing the past and the present. Seeing them in this context, and knowing what’s hidden inside, I’m overcome with a profound connection to history, a hallowed bond with the lineage of Timekeepers who’ve ventured here long before me.
How many others must’ve stood in this very spot, aware of the magick, the miracle, hiding inside, but chose to leave it undisturbed for the betterment of mankind?
It’s a humbling reminder of the cycles of time—the rise and fall of empires, the personal quests that lead us through the complex labyrinths of our own existence.
Also not lost on me is the numerological link between the Star and Strength cards.
The Star, positioned as the seventeenth card in the Major Arcana, breaks down to eight (one plus seven) when its digits are combined and reduced, aligning it with the Strength card’s placement at number eight.
In numerology, the number eight signifies power, prestige, su ccess, and wealth—all attributes Arthur has achieved long ago.
What he seeks now is tied to another card he gave me to use as a clue. And though it took me a moment to recognize it, beyond the wreath and the lion featured prominently on it, the card offered little help in pinpointing the location of the Star, though it did convey a much deeper message.
The World card, also known as the Universe card, marks the end of the Major Arcana journey. It symbolizes completion and the joy of achieving one’s highest aspiration.
The card represents the finale Arthur envisions—a future where he will rule the world and control time as he pleases.
But of course, my loyalties have shifted from serving Arthur to fulfilling my Timekeeper destiny. Which is why I must ensure his dream never comes to fruition.
For a moment, I stand in awed silence, contemplating the past and the uncertainty that lies ahead in a future unknown to me.
Then, under the lion’s silent vigil, I slip off my satin shoes, and with a resolve steeled by the weight of what awaits me, I begin the climb to the top, where one of those urns hides the glimmering gem I seek.