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"What the hell did that nonsense about beavers h "My dad and I used to concoct code ciphers and say stupid things that only we could understand My mom would roll her eyes at us e’d sit at the breakfast table and spout nonsense back and forth"
"A code?" I asked
He nodded "Yeah, give me a minute" His eyes went unfocused for a moment before he nodded "I think ’heart of ical wood’ ’Butterflies mysterious’ would mean ’anshy’
Even translated, the words didn’t make a lot of sense, so I said theical wood, lie anshy" My detective skills , because it ical wood--wouldn’t that mean like a staff or wand?" I said
"That’s what I was thinking," Bella said "Inside his staff, perhaps?"
Adam pulled a compact staff froth "This wasat the intricate carvings up and down its length Then he smiled sadly, and pointed to one of the runes carved It was that of a beaver With tre For ahappened The end of the staff flickered to light, brightening as the shape of atentative fingers toward the ie spoke "Ada has happened to us, and Jarrod Sager or one of our other contacts has given you the code to unlock thisline of predecessors to keep safe a secret so vital, if the wrong people were to possess it, it could e paused, as if collecting its thoughts "There is too e, so I will keep it short Thousands of years ago, a race of beings we call Seraphiels, entered our htlings and Darklings Although the distinctions have to do with the spectrum of soul essence they feed frohtlings enslaved huahtlings even more powerful than when they’d first arrived"
Phillip Nosti’s expression darkened "The Brightlings also blessed their devoted huifts"--his voice filled with scorn at the word--"granting theht, and the va curse should they try to pass on their is, long oppressed by the Brightlings, sought escape to this world, and sparked a rebellion But feeding on hunized the threat the Seraphiave birth to the original des reluctantly allied with the Daes were nearly is reco access to our world--the Grand Nexus Despite horrendous loss of life, they were able to remove a key co it Parting the rune caused a treht froe of any Alabaster Arches linked to the Grand Nexus" Philip Nosti shook his head sadly "This left behind husks of huht fro"
The apparition flickered like a television i it down to generations of Arcanes, until it ended up in the hands of Ezzek Moore He founded the Illu the rune Though the Illu since splintered into dysfunctional cells, we have carried this burden and s find the rune, they will reactivate the Grand Nexus and unleash Areddon on this world I have left detailed records for you Go to the place your uide you from there
"We love you, Adaeance on our behalf, but work toward the greater good"
The ilow faded
"Moses?" I said, wondering if it was the sauy who’d parted the Red Sea
"De had opened a king-sized can of worarded it for a lesworth With a roar, he swung it like a bat, shattering the grotesquely deformed head of the dead Flark "Rot in hell," he muttered, and left the roohan, and explained our idea for healing those sickened by the rune with the use of drain wards to Healer Hutchins, leaving unhan’s idea would work, but wanted to have a backup plan just in case it didn’t There was only one other person I could think of who rabbed an Arcane Daily scroll fro to see Jarrod Sager’s death as the top headline Instead, it was so record crowds
"What the hell?" I asked ana’s empty spot The other kids see to nore the had taken a leave of absence to study the rune I should have skipped out on classes, but following lesworth dead, I didn’t want to act unusual or guilty If I did, Ivywas up, and she wasI just hoped she was at lunch today
After sitting through a horrifically boring lecture where Zagg’s backup read straight fro hall I sat down, and took lunch, waiting, and hoping to seeto ed oninnocently up at et ice cream?" she asked without preah ana," she said, eyes sad as alked toward the gelato shop
I steeledshe would say yes to my next question "Would you like to stop and visit her before we get ice cream?"
Ivy’s forehead pinched She nodded "Yes"