Book of Fates ✔

Celestial eyes

Hours passed in silence, but nothing worthy caught their attention. Under the layer of thousand year old dust, some parchments were nothing but heap of ashes. Letters on the manuscripts were often impossible to read, making them useless pieces of antiquity.

Nobody gave up though. The fomoires and Alexander restlessly continued their monotonous work. They needed to get to that book.

Leir needed it.

All I've been through, everything I've endured... It's too late to give up, even if I wanted to. My enemies will never win. Not without a fight.

All of a sudden, a weird grating sound from the neighboring tunnel shot the silence. The fomoires froze, exchanging alarmed glances.

"Could anyone find us?" Charna twisted a lock of her red hair around her finger, her free hand reaching down to a dagger in her boot.

"I'll check," Tane drew out a hunting knife and disappeared in the darkness, moving like a wild cat ready to attract.

Charna anxiously bit her lower lip. "How much further do these underground mazes stretch?"

"I have no clue," Alexander admitted. "There must be miles and miles more. The part we're in is new, at least comparing to the rest of the labyrinth. It was made in the Early Middle Ages, used to connect cities. I won't be surprised to know that you can get straight to Machu Picchu from here. Or even farther than that.

"Not a single soul," Tane came back, utterly relaxed. "Apparently, some rats forgotten by ancient nuns."

The others returned to their job of tossing the papers, while Tane dropped to the floor by the exit, with his back leaning against the icy cold bricks. Leir watched him shrug off the sleeve of his jacket and inspect the bandage wrapped around his forearm. The cut under the bandage wasn't that bad really, but it caused a lot of pain—Leir saw Tane grimaced every time he moved.

Alexander noticed it, too. "It's true then," he flicked his eyes to Nagal, who was frowning over a worn out book cover. "True what I've heard of your shiny blue daggers? They leave wounds that can't be healed with the crystal power? Nagal, I remember shooting you in the thigh just a few days ago, and I don't see you limping." He whipped his gaze back to Tane. "You, on the other hand—"

"Yeah, your friend Michael stabbed me with the shiny blue daggers," Tane hissed and quickly covered his injury. "Happy?"

Alexander cleared his throat, and looked off.

For several minutes, awkward silence hovered over the crypt. Tane searched Nagal's bag that was lying next to him on the floor, fished something out. Leir lifted his eyebrows as he saw a bottle of whisky. When did Tane manage to get the drink?.. Anyway, there was not a chance of stopping his friend from emptying it now.

"Congratulations, Alexander," Tane raised the bottle up over his head like he was making a toast. "Now you know how we can be killed." He took a sip and smiled, tasting alcohol on his lips. "What a pity, it's so hard to find a lāvan weapon on Earth..."

"I gave Alexander Michael's dagger," Leir said. He knew he would regret admitting it. Why did he admit it?..

"You did what?!" Nagal's roar was so loud everyone winced. "Are you out of your mind? And what if this human murder us in our sleep?"

"I'm not a murderer," Anya's father groaned.

"And I am not a believer!"

"Stop it." Charna stood between them before the innocent conversation turned into a fight. "Are we going to accuse each other of the possible and the impossible like brainless children, or are we going to find a map first?"