Page 95 of The City Of Fractured Memory

Riven inclines his head, expression unreadable. “I’m…glad you survived,” he says quietly. “I’ll find who attacked you both, I swear.”

Stryx hesitates, just a moment, before dipping her head in something like a respectful bow. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “For saving my life.”

“And thank you for saving mine,” Riven replies. “If you hadn’t told Octavia the truth about her heritage…” He trails off, and the silence that falls is awkward, a triangle of unspoken tension and half-formed questions between us. I clear my throat, gesturing toward the small table in the centre of the room.

“Let’s…sit. We need to talk.”

We gather around the table, Stryx perched on the arm of a chair opposite me whilst Riven sits beside me, his thigh touching mine, his fingers steepled, unreadable as ever.

I quickly recount to Stryx everything I saw in the victim’s memories and Riven’s explanation for them, as well as a brief summary of everything he revealed to me. Stryx listens silently with a grim set to her jaw as Riven’s expression darkens.

“So, the Children Of The Briar,” Stryx says finally. “They truly are the ones responsible for these murders then?”

“Yes,” Riven confirms. “These are rituals, I’m sure of it. They believe that in order to access unlimited magic, they must free the Faceless God from behind the Veil. A sacrifice is needed, and I believe a mortal body is required as a vessel for the God to work through.”

Stryx leans forward. “But the rituals didn’t work, though. If they had, we’d all be in a lot of trouble right now. So what did they miss?”

Riven’s sharp gaze fixes on her. “Because they didn't have the Codex of Thorns.”

Stryx’s eyes widen. “That book we found in the Archives, it said something about the Codex, but the rest of the page was ripped out.”

“Not surprising,” Riven says. “It’s powerful enough to override the magic woven into the Veil itself. Without it, every ritual they attempt will fail. But with the Codex…if you use ancient, dark magic and the right incantation, it can be done.” He pauses. “Most references to it were destroyed by the few remaining members of the Memonic Council who are not part of the Briar. It was charged to one member to keep it safe, and for decades Titus kept it hidden from them; he detested them. Even with the council as corrupt as it is, no one has ever been able to locate where he hid it. It’s why my father couldn’t try the rituals again, even when he discovered your whereabouts, Octavia. But a few weeks ago, Titus died. As is tradition, on his deathbed he revealed the location of the Codex to a member of the council he trusted, so they could take over his role.”

I feel cold seep into my bones. “Who?”

Amusement flickers in his eyes. “Me.”

“You have it?” Both Stryx and I recoil.

He shakes his head, frustrated. “No longer. Five days ago, when you came charging into my office, demanding I tell you the truth–”

“You looked like you hadn’t slept all night, you were drinking?” I remember now, wondering what could have possibly happened to make him look so morose.

He nods. “The Codex was stolen from me that night. The Briar became too paranoid, they must have been certain I was working against them. The keeper of the Codex is supposed to be a guarded secret, for obvious reasons, but someone on the council must have broken that oath. Not only have they tried to pin these murders on me, but they also sent someone to steal the Codex. When I went to retrieve it I was ambushed.”

I inhale sharply. “They followed you?”

“Apparently so,” he says dejectedly. “I was so distracted by Vesper’s murder, I wasn’t in my right mind, I wasn’t careful. I managed to fend them off, but by the time I realised what was happening, it was too late. The Codex was gone.”

I sigh heavily. “So we find who has the Codex,” I say, my voice wavering. “And destroy it.”

Riven bites his lip. “If we’re lucky.”

“And if we’re unlucky?” Stryx asks, her face stricken.

Riven leans back, expression hollow. “Then it’ll already be in use, which means we’re all as good as dead.”

I glare at him in disbelief. “That feels like quite an important detail you should have immediately mentioned, Riven,” I scold him. “We’ve been sitting here chatting away while they could already be using it? Someone else could be dying for the sake of this stupid prophecy as we speak!”

He avoids eye contact, staring at his feet with a grimace. “I know, I’m sorry. I just knew if I told you straight away, you’d most likely run straight into the fire. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Whilst I appreciate the thought, we don’t exactly have a choice right now,” I remind him, and he sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair.

A heavy silence settles over us.

“There’s one thing you’re both missing,” Stryx says quietly, looking between us warily. “Octavia, what’s the one thing you always say every time you get a case?”

I think for a moment. “That I don’t believe in coincidences?”