Chapter 34

Diana recounted her conversation with Xander while staying at the Baron’s guest house. She explained she thought of a hypothesis explaining how magic wielders came to this world. She thought they originated from the Faiths themselves, mixed with human blood. Something that was not meant to be created but did.

I pondered over her words. It still did not explain what the old man had said. He had clearly gone mad throughout the years.

“I don’t understand why he called me Aeternum or why he mentioned I had to find the Binder.” I shrugged exasperatedly, slouching inelegantly on the library chair.

“I can’t speak for the Aeternum part. The poor man looks half delusional, but I think he is right about you being bound. I notice it’s muffled when you use your magic, and not all of it can come through. We need to find the person who did this to unbind you. But why would someone bind you? Most importantly, binding magic has been lost for hundreds of years. Who would have known the exact way of doing it and succeeding?”

I contemplated her.

“You know an awful lot for someone who isn’t a wielder.”

Diana’s eyes darted to the floor and fidgeted in her seat. The comment I had just said seemed to make her uncomfortable.

“I am the youngest of my family, so I had not gotten the honour of pursuing their work, which is why I took work elsewhere. My older brother inherited it. I’m from the Chickadee bloodline, the protectors of knowledge at the Arcane Library in Cardinal city. That’s why I know so much and also why some people call me 'Dee.'”

Well, that explained quite a lot. The Chickadees had served the Cardinals for many generations. They were the curators of all the artifacts and books stored in the Arcane Library. They knew everything about almost anything. I had myself a walking, talking encyclopedia this entire time besides me. I pouted.

“You could have saved me all this trouble and tell me that on the very first day you knew I was a wielder!”

“Well, in my defence, it didn’t seem relevant at the time, and I wasn’t privy to all the family secrets I would have learned should I have inherited the job. I’m very knowledgeable, but I don’t know everything. If my brother was still alive, he could have helped us figure all of this out… but he died trying to protect most of the knowledge that now resides here.” There was sadness in her voice. She sighed profoundly, looking at the collection of books.

She closed the book in front of her and placed a hand under her chin.

“There’s a big part of the Arcane Library that’s missing here. I was looking for the book collection concerning the Faiths. We cannot learn much here since the rebellion doesn’t seem to have it, and I didn’t see all the restricted scrolls regarding the world's creation, either. Either they were destroyed in the uprising, or Osprey keeps them under lock and key. I have a feeling it’s the latter since they’re too valuable. If we want to understand what’s going on with you, we need to find them.”

“Are you saying we need to go to Cardinal city?”

“I know the Arcane Library inside and out. I grew up there. I could get us in, and you know the city well. It could work.” Diana said encouragingly.

“It’s a suicide mission, Diana. I’m certain the city we once knew is no longer there. It changed when Osprey conquered it. I wouldn’t know how to get us in or out anymore.”

She frowned and placed a finger under her nose, deep in thought.

“Then we’ll find someone who can get us in.” She clapped her hands together. “Surely Alexander has gone there in the past, on behalf of his father?”

It was a possibility, but I didn’t know if Xander would approve of this plan. We’d need to run it by him first. He might offer a different alternative than us going straight into the belly of the beast. I rather liked my head on my shoulders. I didn’t want it off if I was discovered.

“Let’s wait until his return and devise a plan. He’s good at misdirecting people, and we’ll need his skill if we are to go there.”

Diana approved my offer with a mischievous gleam on her face. I thought I rather liked this side of her, the courageous, adventurous side. I assumed she had been a slave maid for the same amount of time I was. Doing things her way gave her a sense of freedom. At least now we had a direction in which to go. We would need to find more information about the Faiths. It may well explain all the strange things that were happening to me.

Gideon came back a few hours later. We had had time to find some books on defensive magic, and we both had our heads together, Diana confirming a glyph and I practicing the movement and finding the proper energy flow. We looked up from the book at the sound of him coming through the library gates, and I noticed that Gideon’s face still held a hint of annoyance. As he came closer, a robust, putrid smell rose from him. I scrunched my nose when the stench hit me.

“Where have you been? You smell awful.”

“I went for a run to blow off steam. The weather has been getting warmer, and I think my wolf met his match against a skunk. I tried to remove the stink, but it keeps lingering.” He grunted and pulled himself a chair farther away from us. “I see you’ve met our resident coo-coo, Nimu. I’ve been looking for him, didn’t think to find him so deep underground. He usually stays in his room all day.”

He looked over to where the old man was sleeping. He had not moved a muscle since Diana and I had placed him there.

“Is he the wielder you had mentioned back in Saltsburry?”

“Unfortunately for you, he is. I don’t think he’ll be much use, Ida. He has small moments of lucidity, but he mostly mumbles stuff that makes no sense to anyone. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was alive when your great-grandfather ruled over Airedah. He’s ancient.” He said while rolling his eyes.

“Well,” started Diana, “he was actually of use. He reacted strongly at Ida. He confirmed what I suspected regarding her powers. We’re going to need your help to locate someone, Gideon.” Diana turned her gaze to me. “Ida, who in the castle would have been strong enough to cast a binding spell on you? It would have to be someone with extensive knowledge of magic and would have been in total control of their energy.”

“My father was a strong wielder and my magic teacher as well; those are the two that come to mind. But they’re both dead.” I scratched my head. I couldn’t think of anyone else who would have had the powers to do this. “Otis died protecting me when Osprey’s army invaded the castle library.”

We had just hit a wall. Diana sank into her chair and frowned. There weren’t many magic wielders in Cardinal city at that time. However, Nimu had said that the Binder was looking for me. Maybe we didn’t need to search for him after all. If we stayed put, the person might just fall on our laps.

“Nimu said that news travelled fast. Would the rebellion have sent word of having found me?” I asked Gideon curiously.

“They might have if they hoped to bring more people to the cause.” He said while making his knuckles crack.

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous? What if it landed in the wrong ears, wouldn’t that put Ida in unnecessary danger?” Chimed Diana.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen. Not this time.”

The tone in his voice was grave. I didn’t doubt for a second that he would do anything just to ensure I would not end up in the hands of our enemy. I gave him a reassuring smile. Gideon had been a vital constant in my life ever since I blew my identity out in the open. He was indeed someone I wanted on my team and whom I trusted entirely.

“Then we wait for the person to make themselves known. Nimu said it, and I believe him. I just hate the idea of staying here too long. The rebellion leaders have a plan for me that I do not care to fulfill. At one point, they might demand that I pay my dues.”

“You don’t owe them anything, Ida,” Diana said while placing a hand on my arm.

Didn’t I, though? They were singularly responsible for keeping the faith that they would restore a Cardinal to the throne. They built an army of rebels to aid in that cause. Didn’t I owe them something for that? I didn’t think that the price of it would be marriage to someone I barely knew from a life I no longer had. I didn’t know what to do.

My stomach rumbled loudly, and Gideon’s ears perked up. He dragged his hand in his hair and got up, picking up the old man that still laid sprawled on the table uncomfortably.

“Come on, ladies, I think we should get back and call it a day. I don’t think there’s much more we can do about anything right now, and I need to remove this stench.”

I grabbed a couple of books that I thought I could read while in my room and left with the group. Whatever was coming, especially with Nimu’s riddled warnings, I needed to ready myself. In the morning, I would start training.