“The rune of the priestess is upside down and prominent. It faces the rune of the king. See how it knocked the rune of the hermit to its side,” Gwynn said, translating the message. Eron heard Geddison sigh. When Gwynn paused, Eron looked at him and gestured for him to continue.
“Tell the truth of the runes,” he told him. Gwynn continued to read, connecting the position of the stones with the meanings. He pointed at the black and blue stones, which had settled next to each other.
“Solanzir benefits from the influence of Ever Rose, who inspires him,” he said, his voice as calm as he could manage. It was a delicate matter, Ever Rose was once Geddison’s lover.
Glynn wondered if he might feel sadness about her connection to the imperious King of Draekkon. He looked at Geddison to gauge his reaction.
Geddison’s blue eyes were as placid as a lake. Gwynn cleared his throat and pointed to the gray stone. He would give the most devastating news yet about how far Saffron had fallen.
“Saffron — I mean, Ever Rose — plans to manipulate Geddison to gain Everloch for herself. She will help Solanzir force us into submission. They will steal our secrets, they will take this place,” Gwynn said as he studied the formation.
Gwynn thought the reading was over, but they were all in for a surprise. Without warning, a chilling breeze blew through the room causing the men to wrap their robes tighter around themselves.
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Without warning, the runes bounced, rattled and divided again, uniting once more to form a second message. This time, the gray stones were stacked on top of each other.
Next, the blue and black stones toppled the stack, causing the gray stones to fall. It was a warning.
“Everloch will fall if King Solanzir does not,” Gwynn said, his voice distant.
Then, the stones fell to the table in a lifeless heap. Moments later, they jumped back into Gwynn’s palm. He held them tightly in his fist, his expression as cryptic as ever. Eron handed him the wooden box they were kept in.
Gwynn opened the lid, letting the runes fall from his hand. Eron closed the box, engaged the lock, and tucked it under his arm. He regarded the wooden container with suspicion.
“The stones are not exact in their prophecies,” Raile said, looking at Geddison.
“You are correct. The ruins give us a glimpse of the choices before us, but we decide the final outcome,” Geddison replied, adding, “Still, the half truth is a warning that the dragon king has bigger plans. He wants Everloch, and we must not let him have it. I will complete the ceremony tomorrow.”
When Raile began to protest, Geddison motioned for him to stop. He addressed them all. His mind was made up.
“It’s my choice to make, the same as it is for any of us. Like Raile said at the beginning of this meeting, Saffron's fall is my fault. The damage she’ll cause will take more than a mortal lifetime to fix,” Geddison said.
The night was filled with secrecy. It came off of the prince in waves as he hastily rode to his destination. His cloak caught in the wind, giving him one less layer of warmth, but he wasn’t cold. His rapid movements kept the chill from sinking in.
His haste was driven by someone noticing how long he’d been gone. He’d told the right lies, sufficient to fool a king. He was off to make a deal with the devil against another devil, his own father. His uncle scared him less than his father.