Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 47: Chapter 47
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The sight of Lydia standing in the cathedral entrance with armed guards sent ice through my veins that had nothing to do with the Armor of Echoes. My former best friend looked perfectly composed despite the destruction surrounding us, as if midnight battles with ancient dragons were routine occurrences.
"Lydia," I said carefully, noting how her guards had positioned themselves to block the main exit. "This is unexpected."
"Is it? I would have thought my timing was quite predictable." She stepped delicately over a chunk of fallen masonry, her elegant court dress somehow unstained by the night's violence. "After all, someone had to clean up the mess you've made."
Through our soul-bond, I felt Aldric's alarm mixing with my own growing suspicion. Kael's hand moved subtly toward his daggers, while Lord Cassius and his soldiers looked confused by this new development.
"Mess?" I repeated, my voice carrying the dangerous edge that had become second nature since donning the bone armor.
"Oh, don't play innocent, dear. You've awakened forces that should have remained sleeping, killed people who were simply following orders, and generally made a complete hash of what should have been a simple political arrangement." Lydia's smile never wavered. "Fortunately, there are those of us who think in longer terms than immediate gratification."
Dorian stepped forward, his inhuman features becoming more pronounced as his attention focused on my former friend. "Lady Ravencrest. How thoughtful of you to join us. I don't suppose you'd care to explain how you knew exactly when and where to find us?"
"Magic leaves traces, Master Dorian. Surely someone of your considerable abilities understands that." She gestured around the ruined cathedral. "The kind of power that was unleashed here tonight can be felt for miles by anyone with the proper sensitivity."
It was a reasonable explanation, but something about her tone made my skin crawl. There was an undercurrent of smugness in her voice, as if she were enjoying a private joke at our expense.
"You've been busy tonight," I observed, studying her perfect appearance. "No travel stains, no signs of urgent riding. Almost as if you were already nearby."
"Very observant. Yes, I've been in the area for several hours waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
Lydia's smile broadened. "For you to do exactly what you did, of course. Awaken the dragon, accept
Dorian's training, forge your little alliance with Lord Cassius. All very predictable once you understand the variables involved."
The admission sent shock waves through our group. Lord Cassius stepped forward, his hand on his sword hilt. "Are you saying you knew this would happen?"
"Knew? Oh, that's far too strong a word. Let's say I had reasonable expectations based on careful observation of the participants." Lydia turned her attention back to me. "You always were so wonderfully predictable, Seraphina. Present you with a choice between caution and dramatic action, and you'll choose drama every time."
The casual way she spoke of manipulating events made rage burn in my chest. Through the Armor of
Echoes, I could feel the dragon's ancient fury mixing with my own emotions, creating something that was both human anger and cosmic wrath.
"You're the traitor," I said flatly.
"Traitor is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of myself as someone with broader loyalties." She gestured to her guards, who moved to more defensive positions around the cathedral. "You see, while you've been playing at being a warrior princess, some of us have been working to ensure humanity's survival in the coming conflicts."
"By weakening the seals? By helping to release cosmic horrors?"
"By ensuring that when those horrors inevitably break free, there will be champions capable of standing against them." Lydia's expression grew more serious. "The seals were always going to fail eventually,
Seraphina. They were designed to weaken over time, to force each generation to produce heroes capable of facing greater threats."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Through the ancestral memories, I could see the truth of her words. Each Princess of Skulls had faced progressively more dangerous enemies, not by accident but by design. The entire system was meant to create an escalating cycle of conflict and power.
"The organization Dorian mentioned," Aldric said through our bond, his diplomatic mind making connections. "She's part of it."
"Very good, Prince Aldric," Lydia said, apparently able to sense our silent communication. "Yes, I represent certain interests that have been guiding human development for considerably longer than either of your kingdoms has existed."
"The same interests that have been manipulating my bloodline," I said.
"Among others. Did you really think we would entrust something as important as humanity's defense to random chance? Every significant magical bloodline has been carefully cultivated for centuries. Every marriage, every birth, every death—all part of a larger plan."
The scope of the manipulation was breathtaking. Not just my life, but the lives of countless generations, all shaped and directed by forces working from the shadows.
"And now?" I asked.
"Now you've achieved the power level we've been working toward for a thousand years. The Armor of
Echoes, the ability to command both life and death, the soul-bond with a complementary magical talent."
She gestured to encompass Aldric and me. "You're finally ready for the real work to begin."
"Which is?"
"Preventing the end of the world, naturally. The sealed entities aren't just going to escape randomly; they're being systematically released by forces that want to see humanity destroyed. Our job is to stop them."
It sounded noble when she put it that way, but I could feel the deception underlying her words. Through
The Armor of Echoes, I was developing a supernatural sensitivity to lies and hidden motives.
"You're not telling us everything," I said.
Lydia's smile returned, colder than before. "Of course not. Full disclosure is a luxury we can't afford when dealing with cosmic threats. Sometimes people need to be guided rather than informed."
"Guided into making choices that serve your organization's purposes."
"Guided into making choices that serve humanity's survival." Her tone grew harder. "Do you think you could have developed your current abilities through gentle encouragement and full honesty? Do you think any of the previous Princesses of Skulls would have achieved what they did without being pushed to their limits?"
The question cut deeper than I wanted to admit. Everything I'd become, every power I'd gained, had come through conflict and betrayal. Would I have sought out such abilities if I'd known the true cost from the beginning?
"The real question," Lydia continued, "is what you plan to do now. Continue fighting us and wasting time we don't have, or accept that we're on the same side and focus on the actual threats?"
As if summoned by her words, a tremor ran through the cathedral floor. The glowing symbols in the cracked stone pulsed brighter, and I could feel something ancient stirring in the depths below.
"The containment grid is failing faster than expected," Dorian observed with clinical detachment. "We have perhaps hours before the first major breach occurs."
Lydia nodded grimly. "Which is why we need to move quickly. There's a facility about ten miles north of here where something particularly unpleasant is about to break free. If we can reach it in time, we might be able to reinforce the seals long enough to develop a more permanent solution."
"And if we can't?"
Her smile was answer enough.
"Lydia," I said carefully, noting how her guards had positioned themselves to block the main exit. "This is unexpected."
"Is it? I would have thought my timing was quite predictable." She stepped delicately over a chunk of fallen masonry, her elegant court dress somehow unstained by the night's violence. "After all, someone had to clean up the mess you've made."
Through our soul-bond, I felt Aldric's alarm mixing with my own growing suspicion. Kael's hand moved subtly toward his daggers, while Lord Cassius and his soldiers looked confused by this new development.
"Mess?" I repeated, my voice carrying the dangerous edge that had become second nature since donning the bone armor.
"Oh, don't play innocent, dear. You've awakened forces that should have remained sleeping, killed people who were simply following orders, and generally made a complete hash of what should have been a simple political arrangement." Lydia's smile never wavered. "Fortunately, there are those of us who think in longer terms than immediate gratification."
Dorian stepped forward, his inhuman features becoming more pronounced as his attention focused on my former friend. "Lady Ravencrest. How thoughtful of you to join us. I don't suppose you'd care to explain how you knew exactly when and where to find us?"
"Magic leaves traces, Master Dorian. Surely someone of your considerable abilities understands that." She gestured around the ruined cathedral. "The kind of power that was unleashed here tonight can be felt for miles by anyone with the proper sensitivity."
It was a reasonable explanation, but something about her tone made my skin crawl. There was an undercurrent of smugness in her voice, as if she were enjoying a private joke at our expense.
"You've been busy tonight," I observed, studying her perfect appearance. "No travel stains, no signs of urgent riding. Almost as if you were already nearby."
"Very observant. Yes, I've been in the area for several hours waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
Lydia's smile broadened. "For you to do exactly what you did, of course. Awaken the dragon, accept
Dorian's training, forge your little alliance with Lord Cassius. All very predictable once you understand the variables involved."
The admission sent shock waves through our group. Lord Cassius stepped forward, his hand on his sword hilt. "Are you saying you knew this would happen?"
"Knew? Oh, that's far too strong a word. Let's say I had reasonable expectations based on careful observation of the participants." Lydia turned her attention back to me. "You always were so wonderfully predictable, Seraphina. Present you with a choice between caution and dramatic action, and you'll choose drama every time."
The casual way she spoke of manipulating events made rage burn in my chest. Through the Armor of
Echoes, I could feel the dragon's ancient fury mixing with my own emotions, creating something that was both human anger and cosmic wrath.
"You're the traitor," I said flatly.
"Traitor is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of myself as someone with broader loyalties." She gestured to her guards, who moved to more defensive positions around the cathedral. "You see, while you've been playing at being a warrior princess, some of us have been working to ensure humanity's survival in the coming conflicts."
"By weakening the seals? By helping to release cosmic horrors?"
"By ensuring that when those horrors inevitably break free, there will be champions capable of standing against them." Lydia's expression grew more serious. "The seals were always going to fail eventually,
Seraphina. They were designed to weaken over time, to force each generation to produce heroes capable of facing greater threats."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Through the ancestral memories, I could see the truth of her words. Each Princess of Skulls had faced progressively more dangerous enemies, not by accident but by design. The entire system was meant to create an escalating cycle of conflict and power.
"The organization Dorian mentioned," Aldric said through our bond, his diplomatic mind making connections. "She's part of it."
"Very good, Prince Aldric," Lydia said, apparently able to sense our silent communication. "Yes, I represent certain interests that have been guiding human development for considerably longer than either of your kingdoms has existed."
"The same interests that have been manipulating my bloodline," I said.
"Among others. Did you really think we would entrust something as important as humanity's defense to random chance? Every significant magical bloodline has been carefully cultivated for centuries. Every marriage, every birth, every death—all part of a larger plan."
The scope of the manipulation was breathtaking. Not just my life, but the lives of countless generations, all shaped and directed by forces working from the shadows.
"And now?" I asked.
"Now you've achieved the power level we've been working toward for a thousand years. The Armor of
Echoes, the ability to command both life and death, the soul-bond with a complementary magical talent."
She gestured to encompass Aldric and me. "You're finally ready for the real work to begin."
"Which is?"
"Preventing the end of the world, naturally. The sealed entities aren't just going to escape randomly; they're being systematically released by forces that want to see humanity destroyed. Our job is to stop them."
It sounded noble when she put it that way, but I could feel the deception underlying her words. Through
The Armor of Echoes, I was developing a supernatural sensitivity to lies and hidden motives.
"You're not telling us everything," I said.
Lydia's smile returned, colder than before. "Of course not. Full disclosure is a luxury we can't afford when dealing with cosmic threats. Sometimes people need to be guided rather than informed."
"Guided into making choices that serve your organization's purposes."
"Guided into making choices that serve humanity's survival." Her tone grew harder. "Do you think you could have developed your current abilities through gentle encouragement and full honesty? Do you think any of the previous Princesses of Skulls would have achieved what they did without being pushed to their limits?"
The question cut deeper than I wanted to admit. Everything I'd become, every power I'd gained, had come through conflict and betrayal. Would I have sought out such abilities if I'd known the true cost from the beginning?
"The real question," Lydia continued, "is what you plan to do now. Continue fighting us and wasting time we don't have, or accept that we're on the same side and focus on the actual threats?"
As if summoned by her words, a tremor ran through the cathedral floor. The glowing symbols in the cracked stone pulsed brighter, and I could feel something ancient stirring in the depths below.
"The containment grid is failing faster than expected," Dorian observed with clinical detachment. "We have perhaps hours before the first major breach occurs."
Lydia nodded grimly. "Which is why we need to move quickly. There's a facility about ten miles north of here where something particularly unpleasant is about to break free. If we can reach it in time, we might be able to reinforce the seals long enough to develop a more permanent solution."
"And if we can't?"
Her smile was answer enough.
End of Princess Of The Skulls Chapter 47. Continue reading Chapter 48 or return to Princess Of The Skulls book page.