My heart raced as I looked at the stranger. Who was he, and how did he know about what was happening to Adelaide?
Dasha stepped forward, her dagger still in hand. "Tell us everything you know," she said, her voice sharp.
Lucian's eyes flickered over to Dasha before he spoke. "I was hired to locate Adelaide and deliver a message to her. But when I arrived here, I found her like this," he said, gesturing towards Adelaide's unconscious body.
Dasha and I eyed him. This guy was clearly suspicious. "What kind of message?" I asked and Dasha continued to hold her dagger on Lucian. "I can't tell you that. I often come to Adelaide and bring her messages."
Dasha looked at him sceptically and I too found his comments very suspicious. Then why was he out here and not with her to help her?
Lucian sighed. "Black bird."
Dasha blinked in surprise for a moment and I looked at him in irritation.
"You're the black bird?" she asked irritably and I screwed up my face in confusion. "Yes, I could not interfere in Adelaide's affairs." he said and sighed. Dasha nodded and I no longer understood the world.
"What is a black bird?" I asked and now Lucian looked at me irritated, as if he couldn't believe what I had just asked.
"They are messengers of the gods. However, a black bird will never tell you the god it serves," Dasha said and Lucian eyed me intensely.
Then he started to laugh. "You must be a Niantran," he said and I nodded. "I thought so, there are no other people who are as unworldly as you."
I bristled at his comment, feeling insulted. But Dasha stepped in before I could retort.
"Adelaide is lying in her shop and will die if we don't do something." She grabbed Lucian by the collar and looked deep into his eyes. "You're going to help us, and if I find out you had anything to do with this, I'm going to pluck every feather out of you, black bird!"
Lucian smirked slightly. "All right, you can even compete with a furie. You'd better relax and be a little cuter, like Fluffies." Dasha raised an eyebrow.
"That's why I can't stand you mystical creatures. You're all misbehaving spoiled brats!" Lucian grinned cheekily. For not being human, he looked very young.
"All right! No need to get so upset, let's go save that old scarecrow in there." He broke away from Dasha and went into the shop. I wanted to go in, but Dasha stopped me. "Watch out who we are inside. This creature is very strong and dangerous! We know nothing about him!"
"Don't worry Dasha, I'll take care of myself!"
We entered the shop and went to Adelaide who was still lying on the floor. "What should we do?" asked Dasha and Lucian ran his hand through his pitch black hair. In the shop he could now be seen perfectly, as he had pulled back the hood of his coat.
Lucian was tall and lean, with sharp, angular features. His piercing blue eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement, even in the dim lighting of the shop. His skin was pale and flawless, and his hair, which was long and wavy, fell around his face like a veil. It was jet black, except for a few streaks of silver that seemed to shimmer in the light.
He wore a long, black coat that reached down to his ankles, with silver clasps holding it together at the front. Underneath, he wore a simple, white shirt with a high collar and black trousers tucked into his black boots. A silver chain hung around his neck, with a small, intricate pendant dangling from it.
As he stood there, assessing Adelaide's condition, he seemed almost ethereal, as if he were not entirely of this world. But at the same time, there was a sense of danger and unpredictability about him, like a wild animal that could turn on you at any moment.
Dasha and I looked on, unsure of what to do next, but Lucian seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He knelt down beside Adelaide and placed his hand on her forehead, his eyes closed in concentration. After a few moments, he opened them again and stood up.
"She's been poisoned," he said, his voice serious. "But I think I can cure her. I'll need some herbs and a few other things, but I can do it."
Dasha nodded, her expression softening slightly. "All right, what do you need?"
Lucian gave her a list of ingredients, and Dasha set off to find them. As she did, Lucian turned to me and gave me a small smile.
"Don't worry," he said. "We'll take care of her. And you, my dear, should be more careful. There are dangerous things in this world, and you're not always going to be so lucky."
I bristled at his words, but there was something in his tone that made me believe he was genuinely concerned for my well-being.But that could not be. I should stop being attracted to all males I meet.
As Dasha returned with the herbs she had bought in an even seedier shop around the corner, we set to work, following Lucian's instructions carefully. That the shops were open at such an hour showed that everything in the immediate vicinity was suspicious!
And as we worked together to save Adelaide, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards this mysterious stranger who had appeared out of nowhere to help us. Despite his strange appearance and enigmatic personality, there was something undeniably compelling about him, something that drew me in like a moth to a flame.
"Pirate captain, make sure no one disturbs me in case we are attacked. Who knows if the one who did this to Adelaide is still around?" Lucian said and Dasha nodded reluctantly.
Lucian knelt down next to Adelaide, examining her carefully. His expression was serious, and I could tell that he was trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Dasha stood behind him, still holding her dagger, her eyes darting around the shop.
As we worked together to save Adelaide, the atmosphere in the shop was tense. Dasha and Lucian worked quickly and efficiently, gathering the herbs and other items they needed, while I watched on nervously, unsure of what to do.
As they mixed the ingredients together, Lucian explained what he was doing and how the different herbs worked together to counteract the poison. His knowledge of the natural world was impressive, and I found myself fascinated by the way he spoke about plants and their properties.
After what felt like hours, the potion was finally ready. Lucian poured it into a small vial and handed it to me. "You need to give this to her," he said. "But be careful, it's strong."
I nodded and carefully poured the potion into Adelaide's mouth. For a few moments, nothing happened, and I feared the worst. But then, slowly, Adelaide's breathing began to even out, and color returned to her cheeks.
"She's going to be all right," Lucian said with a smile.
Dasha let out a sigh of relief and sat back on her heels. "Thank you," she said to Lucian. "We couldn't have done this without you."
Lucian waved away her thanks.
Dasha smudged the painted sacrificial circle with her foot and turned to Adelaide. "What happened?" asked Dasha and Adelaide gasped.
"I was ambushed," Adelaide said weakly. "I was on my way back from a meeting when someone jumped me from behind. I didn't see who it was, but they injected me with something."
Lucian's expression darkened. "This was no random attack," he said. "It was deliberate. Someone wanted to harm you."
Adelaide nodded weakly and her gaze fell on me. "Yona, you have received the blessing, haven't you? I can see it!"
I looked at Dasha in surprise but she shook her head. So we would talk about that statement later.
"Will you let us back into the chamber?" I asked, and I noticed Lucian beside me listening curiously. "Adelaide's gaze fell on him.
"Lucian, this is not meant for your ears," Adelaide grumbled. "I just saved your old ass, you old hag, so I guess you can let me listen!"
Adelaide continued to grumble before she seethed.
"Come on, you two go to the back. You know the way... but you stay here, Lucian!"
Lucian's indignation was clearly visible. "How can I stay here with you now? I want to go!"
"No way, you're staying here!"
Dasha grinned and went to the back of the shop. I followed her while Lucian was still nagging behind me. It was hard to believe he was a mystical creature.
Dasha pulled the cord again and the aisle opened. Less than two minutes later we were standing in the room again. But one detail was different from usual. The book. The Book of Shadows was not there. Gone. The iron chain to which the book was chained had melted. It had been stolen.
Dasha and I exchanged horrified glances.
"We need to tell Adelaide," I said, my voice trembling with fear.
Dasha nodded, her expression serious. "And we need to find out who did this. It could be connected to the attack on Adelaide."
We made our way back to the front of the shop, where Adelaide was now sitting up, looking much better. We told her what had happened in the chamber, and her face paled.
"This is bad," she said. "The Book of Shadows is one of the most powerful divine artifacts in existence. In the wrong hands, it could be used for unspeakable evil."
"What do we do now?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the situation.
Adelaide looked at us both, her eyes filled with determination. "We need to find the book and whoever took it," she said firmly. "And we need to stop them before it's too late."
I nodded, feeling a sense of purpose. We may not have been trained in magic or combat, but we were determined to protect our town and the people we cared about. We would find the book and stop whoever was behind this, no matter what it took.
"How are we going to do that? We don't know who did this to Adelaide, nor who stole the Book of Shadows," I said, looking around the room, my gaze lingering a little longer on Lucian.
Lucian cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him. "Actually, there might be someone who can help us," he said, his voice low and serious.
"Who?" Dasha asked, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her dagger.
Lucian hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "There's an individual who has the best knowledge of divine artifacts that I've ever come across. They may be able to help us track down the Book of Shadows and whoever stole it."
"Who is this person?" I asked, feeling both curious and wary at the same time.
"I don't know his name, but he is extremely reclusive and not very fond of people," Lucian said. "However, he do have a weakness for those who possess knowledge and appreciation of magic and the divine."
Dasha looked skeptical. "Why should we trust this person? We don't even know who he are or what his motives are."
Lucian shrugged. "It's a risk, I know, but I think it's worth taking. If we can find this person, he may be our best chance of recovering the Book of Shadows and preventing it from falling into the wrong hands."
Dasha and I exchanged a glance, silently communicating our doubts and concerns. But ultimately, we knew that we had to do something to stop whoever was behind the attack on Adelaide and the theft of the Book of Shadows.
"I'll go with Yona to meet this person," Lucian said, sensing our hesitation. "I'll make sure she's safe."
My gaze fell on Lucian. He just wanted to go off on his own with me? Just the two of us? His good looks aside, how could I know I could really trust him?
Dasha frowned, clearly not happy with this plan. "But I promised the priestess of Niantra that I would look after Yona," she protested.
I had no choice but to trust him! I had to end all this crap with the prophecy.
"I'll be fine, Dasha," I said, trying to sound confident even though I was nervous at the thought of meeting this mysterious person.
Lucian dusted off his knees. "Meet me at the harbour in one hour.," he said before turning and walking out of the shop.
Dasha and I watched him go, both of us feeling uneasy about the whole situation. But we knew that we had to trust Lucian's instincts and take the risk if we wanted to find the Book of Shadows.
Dasha's frown deepened as she watched Lucian leave the shop. "I don't like this," she said, her voice low and tense. "Why does he have to take Yona with him? Can't he just tell us where to find this mysterious person?"
"I think Lucian believes that this person won't talk to anyone else but someone with knowledge of the divine," Adelaide said. "And Lucian is the only one of us who fits that description."
Dasha's eyes flicked to Adelaide, and I could tell that she was still unhappy about the situation. "But what if something happens to Yona?" she asked, her voice rising slightly. "We don't know anything about this person. the mysterious person could be dangerous."
"I understand your concerns, Dasha," Adelaide said calmly. "But we don't have any other leads at the moment. We need to trust Lucian's judgment and hope that he and Yona will be able to find this person and get the information we need."
Dasha looked like she wanted to argue further, but she ultimately nodded in resignation. "Fine," she said, her voice low. "But if anything happens to Yona, I'll hold Lucian responsible."
Adelaide gave Dasha a sympathetic look before turning to me. "Yona, are you sure you want to do this?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I'll be fine," I said, forcing a smile.
Adelaide nodded, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "Be careful," she said, reaching out to give my hand a reassuring squeeze.
Dasha and I left the shop together, the weight of the situation heavy on our shoulders.
"I'm going to head back to Throd and the crew. Tell the dirty black bird to bring you to us later. He'll know where we're staying, there's only one place to sleep right at the harbour. Tell him that, landlubber!" Dasha said briskly and I nodded. "Good, then you'd better go to the harbour now. It's not worth coming with me first."
"That's ok. Will you accompany me for a while? I don't remember exactly where the harbour is," I admitted sheepishly.
"No problem landlubber. Come with me."
We didn't say anything as we made our way through the town, my mind filled with thoughts of the stolen Book of Shadows and the unknown danger that lay ahead.
***
When I reached the meeting spot, Lucian was already there, leaning casually against a nearby tree. He straightened up as I approached, his expression serious.
"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at me.
I nodded, my nerves still jangling.
"Good," Lucian said, turning to lead the way. "We need to go to the outskirts of town. That's where this person is rumored to reside."
As we walked, Lucian explained more about this mysterious individual. He was said to be a recluse, rarely seen by anyone outside of a select few. However, he were also known to possess an unparalleled knowledge of divine artifacts and their powers.
"It's possible that whoever took the Book of Shadows may have sought this person's help in unlocking its full potential," Lucian said, his voice low and serious.
My stomach clenched at the thought of facing unknown dangers, but I forced myself to stay focused on the task at hand. We had to find the Book of Shadows and stop whoever was behind the theft, no matter what it took.