A Song of Gelato and Flambé

Ancient Wisdom

Seconds stretched along with silence, and Torix wrestled with the realisation that she did not know where to begin to look.

"We need to find Murchadh and Eviaus. The rest can wait, if she needs the key to do what she wants to do." Ferya was still sitting on the couch, one hand placed over her throat, as if looking for the necklace that was no longer there.

Ferya lifted her eyes slowly, and Torix initially assumed that the girl's shock was making her slow to realise that her statement made little sense. Ferya watched them, her eyes shifting back and forth between gold and black.

Then Lokael grinned.

It was faint and there was not much humour in it, but he murmured softly. "She took the necklace I made."

Ferya nodded, before turning her gaze to the rest of the room. "The key is safe. I could feel its purpose. Not in a knowing way, but I could feel that it wasn't something I should wear around all the time. And I remembered the World Eater, and how it focused on me and Murchadh when I had it and Murchadh had the cǣge, and grandfather had explained that he had trusted me to protect something incredibly valuable. So my father made me a decoy, with enough magic that it would feel like something important, for those that were looking for it."

For a moment, the feeling in the room relaxed, and Torix let out a breath of relief.

They weren't as far behind as she had assumed.

They still had time.

"Which means that Roisin is going to be coming back for you." Quinn broke that silent optimism with his realism, his expression unreadable. "You should find somewhere safe, while we try to hunt her down and find Murchadh. It's possible that he missed her if she doesn't have the key. They could quite simply be in some far off place, without enough power to get home."

"The best place for me to be, is to be moving, I think." Ferya shook her head before glancing over to Lokael. "I think you should go to grandfather. You'd be able to know if Roisin goes back to him, and you could let us know if she does. And he shouldn't be alone."

Torix watched Lokael hesitate, could almost see him wanting to object.

There were a million reasons why Lokael would want to stay with his daughter. And some arguments about Roisin using Lokael against Lucifer if she got the chance. Lokael's power had recovered a little. Much like Ferya had been before the wings that had been made for her, he still had power. He was not helpless, though Torix did not know just how much power he could use, and if it were more of a liability because of Roisin's blade.

Then the man offered a nod and moved to hug Ferya quickly. "I'll make sure they know we understand."

Torix turned away from the embrace, forcing her brain to think of the problem they still had while allowing the two of them some privacy.

No one in their group knew where Zylinnium was.

Torix rubbed her forehead in consternation, her gaze settling on Gavin, who was still holding Baltha's book, though he didn't appear to know he was. As Ferya and Lokael said their goodbyes, Torix stepped close to Gavin and reached for the book, feeling a desire to touch it, as if it were a connection to Baltha.

The man she loved would have known.

Gavin handed it to her silently, his expression lost. Just like Torix felt.

Even if he didn't directly know, Baltha would have been able to pull on his vast stores of knowledge and given them an idea of where to start. This would have been a simple task for a demon who had collected knowledge for centuries. Torix's heart twanged in regret as she traced her claws over the cover, fighting off the overwhelming feeling of loss from not having him at her side right at that moment.