Chapter 17 - Lavýrinthoskinesis: The ability to navigate through labyrinths

Janes’ POV

I couldn’t believe it. I punched the tree again, I let this happen, another piece of the bark flew off, I wasn’t good enough, the damp inner wood was now covered with my blood, I felt my skin tear and bruise, I had just gotten Tristan’s blood off of me, and now covered myself in my own blood. My hand slipped and I missed throwing my shoulder into the tree, I leaned against it, and fell to my knees. “They were counting on me.” Death follows you, Jane. Diomedes' words rang in my head, and the fear in his face, I am a monster, I cried on my knees as I gripped the tree. I whipped my tears, I looked at my hands, I was embarrassed and wrapped them up, at the edge of town sat the library, I went to the back corner, away from anyone. I always forgot how much of a labyrinth our library was, I sat in my favorite section; herbs. I saw a person run by me, everyone should be in town mourning and rebuilding again. I followed to the back; the religions section. I heard books falling to the floor, a person sat in a pile. “Con?” He looked up and his face was red, his hair was a mess, and his eyes didn’t glow their signature orange. I pushed aside the books and dropped down on the floor next to him. I gripped his shoulder. I felt my eyes water.

“They’re dead, both of them, and he’s not.” His whole body shook. “I thought if I could read some of the religious books, I could decipher his plan.” His eyes looked at the book in front of him, Crepuscular’s image stared back at us, Con dropped his head back into his arms, I slowly took off my jacket and draped it around his shoulders, he gripped it.

“I’m here, I’ve got you.” His arm shot out and gripped my forearm, he looked at me with his watery puffy eyes, I wrapped that arm around him as he held to my knee, and rested his head on my shoulder, I rested my head on his. “I’m so sorry.”

Cons’ POV

Jane and I held onto each other for what felt like hours, her jacket smelled just like her; leather, smoke, herbs. I couldn’t stop crying, the pain didn’t even register anymore. “We’re going to figure this out together.” She said, I shook my head slightly.

“How?” She touched the book in front of her, Crepuscular looked like the bringer of death.

“We can start here.” She stood up and grabbed a few more books. She handed me one on cults around Crepuscular and Chiffron, we sat shoulder to shoulder in the back of a dark corner of a library going over the history of several religions.

“What about the Night Shadows?” I held up a picture of people in dark cloaks huddled around a fire.

“That vision we saw.” She paused and shut her book. “It looked like what they claimed to see.”

“Maybe we should find them.” Jane sighed.

“But they don’t exist anymore, they dropped off the face of the province before we were born.” I nodded.

“All the more reason the believe some may still be out there, maybe they know something that could help us if Diomedes is fighting for the light-”

‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Jane leaned her head on the bookshelf. “But Crepuscular, the darkness, that’s evil incarnate-”

“No,” I said, Jane turned to me. “I’ve now seen evil incarnate.” Jane placed her hand on mine, I didn't notice I tightly gripped the book, I relaxed a bit.

“You’re right, the world is biased, we will find them.” With her hand on mine, I noticed in the poor lighting her hands were wrapped in fabric.

“What happened to your hands?” She pulled them back.

“Nothing.” Her breathing picked up.

“Jane, they weren’t like that yesterday.” She turned away.

“I’m not the best at expressing my emotions.” She chuckled. I grabbed her hand, I saw red patches bleeding through the fabric. I knew she had done this to herself whether on an object or another person.

“Can you stand with us at the funeral or do you have to be somewhere else?” I asked, Jane smiled.

“I’ll be right next to you.”

Janes’ POV

Con and I sat in silence for a while, before the funeral, we headed back to the castle and got ready it was lightly raining, my parents wanted me to stand with them under an awning, but I refused, I told Con I’d be there, I put on my thick leather coat with a hood, Con was wearing a similar coat that blocked his face, Neve and Edur had their light hair out to get wet, I saw Valery’s body laying next to Tristan’s, I swallowed, I grabbed my sword and walked over to their alters, I took a breath and lit them on fire, while others did the same, I returned to them. Neve and Edur cried and held onto each other, I couldn’t see Con’s face but I knew. I wrapped my arm around his longer one, I told myself it was for him, but he kept me upright, I watched the rain droplets bead up and roll off the leather, some slowly fell off my hood like their own tears, we stood there for a while, others dissipated, and Neve gently touched my arm to come inside with her and Edur, I shook my head. “Give us a minute.” She nodded her head and rubbed my arm, before walking away. Con and I remained he watched the fire till it turned to ash from the rain. I watched with him, mostly keeping my eyes on his obscured face. He sighed and turned to me, I pulled him inside. He took off his jacket, his hair was flat and his face drooped.

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“I want to find the Night Shadows.” I nodded and removed my jacket before taking his hand.

“We will, we could ask my parents, they should know something we don’t.” Con and I made our way to my father’s office. I opened the door and my mother was already in there, they were looking over maps.

“You need something, Jane?” My mother asked, Con stood behind me as I stepped into the room.

“We wanted to ask about the night shadows.” My parents exchanged a look.

“Why?” My father asked.

“They might be able to help us, even if they worship the darkness, we just need information on both and from someone who doesn’t worship the light.” My father rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If we are fighting the same enemy they could help us.”

“Jane, can we speak privately.” I sighed and nodded, I passed Con and my mother.

“We’ll be fast,” I told him, my mother led him to sit in one of my father’s nice chairs before she followed us into my room.

“Jane you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, we know very little about the Night Shadows, if they even still exist, you could be wasting your time.”

“Really because I have no leads father, I can't be wasting my time when I have nothing." My parents exchanged a look.

"Jane, what about the legend of your powers, they are the ones that have been told to worship you, but who knows what that even means, where I'm from Night Shadows are outsiders they may be willing to do anything, something even you don't expect, something unpredictable."

"Mother, I understand that this is new and probably stupid but I'll be fine and I will not tell anyone about my powers I've gone this long." I took a breath. I still haven't told them Diomedes knows about me, but now was definitely not the time. "I'm sorry but I'm doing this because I need something, anything unless you have something." They both looked to the floor and I left the room.

I walked back into my father's office and Con quickly stood. "We are doing this, but we're going to have to do it alone." Con nodded. "Let's just start with what we know about the Night Shadows." Con sighed.

"They worship the Darkness; Crepuscular, most join because they see visions of him under chains put on by Chiffron herself. They are connected to the elements and are very secluded."

"That's about what I know, my mother said they tend to live on the outskirts of society and may do anything to get back in. So I'm thinking somewhere in the wilderness and maybe not that far away if they still want that connection." Con smiled. "What?"

"That's genius Jane, you've given us a great lead." I blushed. I turned around to see Neve peeking out of her room down the hallway at us, when we made eye contact she retreated back inside. I swallowed.

I sat on my bed sharpening my sword. All I could think about was how to track the Night Shadows when I heard a knock at my door. "Come in." Neve poked her head in. "Neve is there something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you about the Night Shadows." I froze up a little bit.

"What about them?" She swallowed and stepped into the room.

"I agree we should try to find them, or whatever is left of them." I was surprised by the almost desperate whisper in her voice.

"You do?" She nodded. I sprang up suddenly full of energy. "Great, I think we should start mapping out areas to look at, and we could get the boys." I ran down the hall to Con's room. I knocked on the door. "Con?" The door opened after that, his eyes were red, he looked exhausted, but I think this will make him feel better. "Neve and Edur are going to help us search for the Night Shadows." Con perked up.

"Really?" I smiled, as Neve and Edur came down the hallway.

"Let me get this straight, you guys are just using me for physical labor, to search for some people." Con nodded.

"Yes we are, can we start now?" He asked me excitedly.

"Oh, sure I'd just have to write up a map we can use to search areas I think would be good locations for them. Remember don't get your hopes up they likely don't exist anymore, and if they do I'm sure they are pros at remaining hidden from prying eyes they aren't going to be very easy to find so keep vigilante."

"You're the boss," Edur said, I rolled my eyes.

"Wait one more thing. Don't tell anyone about this, they are not accepting of Night Shadows, they will only make our life harder." They nodded, and we sat at a table as they watched me point out locations on the map and my reasoning behind each one, they listened before departing.

"Look for fire or smoke, they like it and would need it at this time of night," Con said, I smiled. as the other two took off.

"What?"

"Look who is the genius now," I said, running off to scout my areas.

Several hours later and still nothing we met back at the start of each hour to check progress and to say we had nothing was an understatement, everyone was getting tired. I wonder we weren't searching each area the best we could. "Let's call it a night," I said, Edur gave me a thumbs up and headed inside. Neve looked disappointed. "Don't worry we'll pick this up again tomorrow." Edur groaned and Neve smiled. "Don't worry I'll go find Con, I'm sure he's on his way." Neve headed inside, the second the door closed I darted into the forest, the second Con didn't show up I worried, I headed into his wooded area, I smelled the unmistakable smell of smoke and followed it to a clearing, it was just the ruminates of a fire, and Con was sitting against a tree facing it, I rushed over. "Con?" I whispered, I didn't see any injuries but he wasn't moving. I panicked, I grabbed his face. "Con?" His breathing hitched and he opened his eyes, he was sleeping. I took a breath and pulled my hand away.

"Jane?" He asked, staring at me.

"Don't scare me like that, come on we're calling it a night-"

"No, I'm staying here." I froze at my spot, I wasn't expecting that, he just gazed past me and re-focused on the fire.

"Con, we can keep looking tomorrow." He shook his head.

"No, I have a good feeling about this spot I'm not leaving." I sighed.

"At least eat this, it will help you stay awake." He took the herb from my hand and swallowed it whole.

"Thanks." I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't thank me yet." He turned to me confused before his eyelids started to close.

"Jane?" I helped him stand then leaned him against my shoulder.

"Sorry Conrad, we can argue about this later I promise, I just gave you concentrated lavender you're going to feel very tired but we're not that far from the castle. He just moaned into my shoulder as we shuffled back inside and I put him to bed. "Night, Conrad, we'll talk tomorrow."