Thread of Darkness

Ch. 29: i've found it

Grayson leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his eyes.

The candles were burning low, pooling wax on the wooden table. A sea of books lay open before him, like flotsam scattered on the beach. Dark water beat at the glass walls. A boat wrecker, Grayson thought, glancing up; he knew the exact sound and texture of those waves. He'd lost a lot of good men to them. Bad men, too.

Penny bent closer to a book. She was glancing at the ceiling, fiddling with the sleeve of her navy dress. She was nervous. Not, Grayson thought, that she would ever admit that; Penny Delafort didn't want anyone's pity. Least of all his.

"Any luck?" he asked.

She shook her head. "But I have four more books to go."

Grayson ran a hand through his hair. They'd been researching for eight days now. They'd searched the main room and a glass room and the room with the singing teapot. Grayson had read books on poisons and dragon eggs, possession spells and faerie magic. Burning hells, he'd be able to write a book at this point.

A wave battered the wall, and Penny jumped.

"We should go soon," Grayson said. "Before the storm grows worse."

She scribbled a note. "Five more minutes."

"Penny..."

"Please, Grayson," she said.

Her green eyes were dull sea glass. There were dark smudges under her eyes, the same colour as the ink stains on her hands, and something in Grayson softened.

"Alright," he said. "Five minutes."

Penny turned back to the book. Grayson rose, making his way toward the sunken pool. It was just as well, he thought; he still had one more task to accomplish. Something that he'd been putting off.

Grayson took a seat at a desk, staring up at the floating orb; golden dust swirled inside, as if invisible hands were shaking a snow globe. He took out a piece of parchment and a quill. Then he paused. How to phrase it? There was a chance that the letter would be intercepted; he didn't want to get her in trouble.

He dipped the quill in ink.

Then he began to write.

Camille,

I'm afraid that I couldn't find any information on the subject you're interested in. Perhaps we could expand the search to Lucerna and other kingdoms? Just a thought.

Grayson scanned the lines. Good. That was suitably vague; nobody would know that Camille had asked him to search the birth records of missing children in Wynterlynn.

This next part was trickier.

Grayson wetted the quill, staring at the half-written letter. Sod it. There was no way to encode this; he'd just have to say it plainly.

He began to write.

I've found something else, though. You know that necklace you wear? The one with blue gemstones? It matches the exact description of possession amulets made by the faeries in Somnus Woods. Possession amulets of that nature are impossible to remove except by the possessor. Whilst you wear them, the possessor has full control of you — nobody else can influence you.

I do not pretend to know what the nature of your necklace is or why you have it, but I thought you should be made aware. And if you should need help...

He paused.

I am here, Camille. You know where to find me.

Grayson.