“Warrior, prophetess,” Silas replied. “The only reason we’re here today.”

“She was the first Searcher,” Monroe added. “And your great-aunt several times over. The Scion’s bloodline begins with the forebearers of Eira and Cian.”

“Who was Eira?” I asked.

Monroe’s face clouded and he looked at Shay. “Your very great grandmother. She was Cian’s sister and the first Keeper.”

“Her sister?” Shay’s eyes widened. “How is that possible?”

Silas cleared his throat.

“Oh, just get it over with.” Connor groaned. He unceremoniously dropped to the floor and stretched out, arranging a stack of papers into a pillow.

“It’s really not that long of a story,” Silas muttered.

Connor didn’t open his eyes.

“And it’s a good story,” Silas pleaded.

“Good?” At that Connor’s eyelids snapped up. “It’s a bloody disaster is what it is.”

“I mean it’s exciting,” Silas amended.

“Yeah, our lives are ruined and you call it a literary triumph.”

“Just let him tell the story, Connor,” Adne said curtly, and gestured to Silas. “Once upon a time . . .”

Silas beamed. “The spirit world wasn’t hidden from human beings. Societies across the globe mixed with the forces of the earth and those of the Nether. That mixing is what most people would call ‘magic,’ but it’s much more than that.”

“How so?” Shay asked.

“Connecting to the elemental powers of the earth is natural. Something that comes along with life as a being on this planet. Everything is part of the same system, the same energies. The ability to tap into those forces varies from person to person, but the latent ability is there for everyone.”

“So what’s the problem, then?” Shay frowned. “If magic is just a part of people.”

“Not just people,” Silas corrected. “Animals, plants, earth, sky, stone. Everything.”

“Elemental forces aren’t the problem, Shay,” Monroe said quietly. “But the earth’s magic isn’t the only kind that touches this world.”

“You mean the Nether?” I asked. Cold fingers crept up my spine. “Where wraiths and succubi come from?”

Monroe nodded.

“Not bad, she-wolf.” Silas smirked. “The Nether exists as a sort of oppositional force to the earth. Never truly part of this world but always alongside it. Like trains on parallel tracks.”

“Or its evil twin.” Adne laughed, but there was no joy in the sound.

“Too true.” Silas nodded. “When more human beings were actively tapping into the spirit world, some thought it prudent to try to harness the forces of the Nether for their own gains.”

“Why isn’t any of this recorded?” Shay asked. “Even though people always knew about Nether.”

“I’m sorry,” Silas snapped. “I thought you were supposed to be educated. Haven’t you read any history books?”

“Of course I have,” Shay said.

“Well, if you’d been paying attention, you would have noticed people up until the mid-nineteenth century talking about witches, demons, and monsters nonstop.”

“I thought that was just superstition.” Shay’s brow knit.

“Enter the scientific revolution and the modern age.” Silas smiled. “Let’s all give the Keepers a big round of applause.”

Shay and I exchanged a confused glance.

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Silas,” Monroe murmured.

“Of course, my apologies,” the Scribe said quickly. “The idea of superstition is a modern invention. Its use of course is to explain away frightening beings that have always been very real and difficult to control. As you’ve just demonstrated, superstition was a very useful device and has had tremendous success in rewriting history.”

Shay was incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“He’s not,” Adne said coldly.

“So what really happened?” I asked, still struggling against the wall of lies that had surrounded my life until now.

“As I said before, use of elemental power is all well and good, but dabblers in the Nether realm created problems for themselves and their neighbors. Creatures of the Nether don’t mix well with humans.”

“What do you mean?” Shay asked.

“You’ve seen it,” I said. “We’re their food. Wraiths, succubi, and incubi. They feed on the worst parts of this life. Thrive on our suffering.”

Adne’s face was ashen, but she jerked away when Monroe came around the table and tried to take her hand.

“Oh,” Shay mumbled. “Right. Sorry.”

Silas waved his hand dismissively. “Not a problem. But back in the day, some humans of noble character took it upon themselves to reign in the presence of the Nether. They curtailed the practice of irresponsible people who didn’t realize they were playing with fire, and they fought off the actual Nether beings that manifested on the earth.”

“But you can’t fight off wraiths,” I objected.

“Wraiths are new,” Monroe said. “Well, relatively new, as in five hundred years or so.”

“That’s new?” I gaped.

“Historically speaking,” Silas answered. “Wraiths came with the Keepers. Prior to their appearance, magicians could only raise succubi and incubi—they have more human traits and thus can cross over without requiring much power on the part of the summoner.”