Page 35 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

“These are invaluable texts and powerful artifacts I’ve amassed over time,” he explains, his gaze scanning the room, evidently searching for something particular. As I trail my gaze, a familiar mask nestles within one pile. The very one from my childhood memory, the mask I saw during my hallucinatory encounter with Athalda. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the memory of Nyx.

“Remind me again how exactly you got all of this here?” I ask, my fingers grazing a pile of gems.

“I always knew one day I would end up here. With my midnight mind, I could always traverse from Eguina to Zomea. I could hide things here and keep them safe. One day, when your powers grow and you hone your midnight mind, you too could come here in a more controlled manor without using the bridge.”

“Why is the bridge even necessary if you could come here without it?” I feel like we already had this discussion, but so much information has been dumped at me lately that I can’t remember.

“Because after my death, I could no longer use the midnight mind to travel back to Eguina. It’s why you haven’t had any nightmares since you’ve been here,” he says, tapping my temple.

I step back. He’s right. This is the longest I’ve gone without having a nightmare.

“Midnight mind only works when you’re not in Zomea, but once you die and come here you can no longer travel back and forth. So you collected all of this before your death,” I say.

“Exactly. Once you leave Zomea, your midnight mind will start acting up again. It will bring you here and show you glimpses of things that are current, things that happened in the past, and possible futures to come. You need to practice exploring and being in control to hone your ability,” he tells me while rummaging through a trunk. Easier said than done.

“Where did you get all of these artifacts and why? What do they all do?” I walk further into the room, stepping around piles of random objects that shimmer and sparkle.

“The artifacts I collect are ones previously owned by the gods. They are extremely powerful and can do all sorts of things. I either plan to use them someday or will simply keep them out of the hands of others, because they can do great harm. Artifacts are fascinating things, especially when I have someone like Athalda who can do spells to activate the ones that need it,” he explains, not looking up from the trunk he’s rifling through.

It doesn’t seem right that one person should have this much power. Nor does it seem right to have this many powerful objects hidden away in the same place. I guess if he’s coming from a place of protecting others, but what if some of these things could make life better back home. I’ve heard of artifacts being able to do unthinkable things. Things you only dream about.

“Why show me all of this now?” I kneel down beside him, glancing into the trunk he’s going through.

“I show you all of this now because you are my daughter and I want to share things with you. But I also want you to use this.” He pulls out a large piece of dusty parchment and slowly unfolds it, revealing a small tapestry, not much larger than my hand.

“What is it?” I ask. The tapestry is an off-white color with two intertwined trees stitched into it, their branches and roots tangled together.

“This is called the Lovers’ Loom. It is a very unique artifact created by Elara herself.”

“Elara, the Goddess of Amorists?” I’ve only studied the gods briefly. Mr. Drogo never seemed thrilled about the subject. He used to say it wasn’t important to learn about them since they didn’t live in Eguina and would probably never walk the lands again.

“Yes. She made this for her lover, Varik, the God of Discord, a very long time ago. You see, Elara was a controlling lover, and Varik was…duplicitous.” He wraps the tapestry back in the parchment and hands it to me while he places all the stuff back in the trunk.

“What does it do? Why give it to me?”

“This tapestry, once activated, will tether two people together. You will always be able to know where the other is located. You will feel each other on a completely different level, and you will know each other’s emotions at all times if you both allow it, knowing if the other is in danger or hurt.”

I take a step away back. “I don’t want to be tethered to you,” I say without thinking. It seems like an invasion of privacy, something an overbearing, ultra-controlling parent would do. Gods, I’m glad this isn’t something readily available in Eguina.

My father lets out a deep chuckle, shaking his head. “No, dear, I don’t expect you to tether with me. I would like you to consider tethering to Colton before you leave Zomea.”

I cross my arms over my stomach. I don’t know if that’s a good idea either. Oh gods, the thought of Colton knowing my emotions at all times is horrifying.

“Why?” I whisper under my breath almost to myself.

He gets to his feet and places a finger under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I know you are strong. I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, especially after all the training you’ve been going through. But, Pixie, your life is so important, not just because I love you but because the very existence of Zomea and Eguina depends on it. You need to survive long enough to awaken your dark magic and make it back here so I can extract Moirati’s blood, and then together we can restore things before too much is lost.”

I search his gaze for anything deceptive, but all I see is worry in his eyes. He goes on, “I trust Colton. I’ve known him since he was a boy, and he is a good man. I trust him to look after you. I don’t care if you have a romantic relationship with him or not. I know he will protect you. Tether to him for me, tether to him for the sake of Eguina.”

“How do we get untethered if I don’t like it? What if I want it to stop?”

“I would simply burn the tapestry, and the tether would be broken.”

I swallow thickly.

“But the tapestry would then be lost forever?” I ask.

“Yes, the only way to break the bond is to destroy it. No more tethers would be made,” he confirms. Colton and I are friends. I know I feel something more from him at times, and he hints that he does too, but this will further complicate whatever our relationship is. Or maybe it won’t. Maybe it will clear a lot of things up if we both know how the other is feeling. Fuck.