Page 100 (1/2)

"Whoa, what?" Daphne asks

"She’s a descendant of the Traitor?" I ask "How can that even be possible?"

"Orpheus brought back more than the Key from the Underrealm When Eurydice died, a casualty in the Thousand-Year War between the Underrealm and the Skyrealm, not only did Orpheus lose his new bride, but he also lost the child she carried in her worief, he prayed to his father, Apollo, for help in getting them back Apollo had also heard the prayers of many mortals, whose homes and lives had been destroyed in the cross fire of the war, and he was detere for instructions on how to traverse the dangers of the Underrealreed to steal the Key fro chip for Apollo to use to negotiate a cease-fire between the gods

"While Orpheus failed to save Eurydice, he carried with hiinal Lord Hades"

"You guys," Lexie says, hugging her purse to her chest "I don’t kno you orchestrated all this, but the joke isn’t funny anyh Tobin "Our ti very short, and you all must listen and be quiet Many have anticipated the arrival of the Cypher for thousands of years Nearly eighteen years ago, it was predicted that she would finally arrive in the foret you then, but they failed The tiht You have remained protected in the Fields of Ellis, a safe haven for the servants of Apollo But now that you have left, now that you have come to me, the wheels have been set into motion The others will know soon whatever I tell you The Oracles are connected that way Whatever I say out loud will be known by all"

"Then why aren’t you showing ainst my forehead I realize now that this is why the other Oracle showed me the instructions for my quest, rather than spoke it out loud

"I cannot," she says, drawing her hand away and speaking for herself once h Tobin’s voice She sounds exhausted, like that trick had drained her of y "I do not retain all of my abilities in this human vessel"

"Then tell us the rest," Daphne says "I need to knohere I co"

"Are you sure?" I ask her "If we set this intoback"

Daphne nods

"The irony of all of this is not lost on me," Sarah says "You ca here was always meant to be one of your first steps on your path to your destiny

"When Orpheus stole the Kronolithe, it locked the Underlords in the Underreal hih Persephone’s Gate to go after Orpheus to retrieve the Key and destroy hi he could not hold such a prize for long while being pursued, Orpheus hid the Kronolithe where it could not be retrieved He placed on it a lock that only his heart and soul can unbind The Keres soon caught up with hi his child for dead But Apollo found the child, and took hirew, hters, and had a child of his own The A to hand him over, and the family fled to a new safe haven--where their posterity has ree, until you chose to leave You must see this, Daphne: you are the last descendant of that child But not just any descendant You are the one who has inherited the heart and soul of Orpheus The one who can retrieve the Kronolithe But before you can retrieve it, you olden chain froolden pendant with a circle of symbols in the middle One of them is the raised outline of Lyra--Orpheus’s lyre "You will need this It is the Compass, and it holds the Instrument of Orpheus They say the Instrument was cast into the stars, but that is not so It has been with me all this time--I have fashioned it into a co for you Waiting to hand you your destiny"