The Illumination by Lisa M. Lilly

Author:Lisa M. Lilly [Lilly, Lisa M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lisa M. Lilly

“700 days?” Lynette said, her eyes wide. She was alone in her apartment, drinking a cup of coffee after work. She’d called on video to ask how the meeting with Evekial had gone but had launched into criticisms before the entire story could be explained. “If all of this in the journal is actually true, you’ve got less than six weeks to figure this out.”

“You don’t think it’s true?” Cyril said.

Nanor and Kali had returned to their apartment, but Oni sat cross-legged on the ottoman holding a bottle of water. “It might not be. It’s a photocopy of an ancient journal we know next to nothing about. Plus, who knows who this Marie Glaston is or if Erik Holmes really sent her. Or if he meant to help Tara if he did.”

“I called the lawyer who represents Erik Holmes’ estate,” Sophia said. She sat at the dining table, reviewing Nanor’s notes and additional journal passages about the ritual. “He couldn’t disclose anything he’d done or hadn’t done, but he was willing to say he’d never heard of Marie Glaston.”

“So she used another name,” Oni said. “She obviously was holding back quite a bit.”

“Something you’re familiar with,” Lynette said. “It’s impossible to believe your cousin didn’t tell you about the 700 days.”

Oni banged her water bottle on the coffee table. “She didn’t. And if she had, how would it have helped? I wasn’t convinced Tara was the One until after she brought Nanor back from the dead and healed the earth, and she went into the coma after that. You couldn’t have done anything then.”

“You could have told my family,” Tara said. “Sophia could have researched, tried to figure out what we needed to do.”

“It’s forbidden,” Oni said. “The guardians may reveal the truth only to the One Who Will Live Forever. I’ve broken with tradition too much already being so open with your family and your associates.” Oni jerked her head first toward Sophia and then at Cyril, who sat in an armchair, laptop on his lap. He was researching the construction and modifications of the shrines, hoping to find more information on why and when the designs had been added to them.

“Fuck tradition,” Tara said. “This is my life we’re talking about. And my child’s life. Every woman you or Cyril know of in my situation was killed, and the only other one who gave birth saw her child die, too.”

“I didn’t ask for this, either,” Oni said. “Every woman in my line has been killed, too.”

“Let’s focus on what we know,” Sophia said. Her shoulders slumped, the bridge of her nose shone with oil that had accumulated over the long day, and shadows underscored her eyes. “There’s a ritual Tara can perform, with Fimi. Tara’s visions suggest it may be best to include her family and Nanor’s. Oni’s been told the bookmark and the map are key. At each shrine, the rendering of the design shows a woman holding two vessels. When Cyril met Tara, he gave her

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