The Whispers of the Fallen by J. D. Netto Read Free Book Online

very same eyes.
    “Umm…Yeah—we…umm…we will be right down,” I replied, barely able to speak.
    She gave me a halfhearted smile. “Well, come on then. I have to show you where the dining hall is.” Another smile followed.
    “Right…” Demetre nodded in agreement. I could not help but notice her lovely garments. She wore a thin silver tiara on her head with a small red rose in the middle, a marvelous red wool coat that hung down to her knees, revealing a blouse underneath that was embellished with precious jewels, and heeled boots.
    She waited politely at the door as we passed by her. She quickened her pace ahead of us, leading the way. The only sound that I could hear was her boots clicking against the marble floor. She made no attempt to make conversation whatsoever.
    “Do you think Athalas really sculpted all of these statues?” Demetre whispered as we once again crossed the hall.
    “I believe so. Well…that is what he said,” I answered with a whisper.
    She stopped suddenly.
    “Well…most of them.” She turned around. “I am sorry to be so impolite and not introducing myself. My mind is off somewhere else. My name is Adawnas—I am part of this Council. Forgive me if I disappoint you, but Athalas did not sculpt all these statues.”
    “Re-really…were you one of the sculptors?” Demetre inquired with a timid voice. Her beauty was so entrancing, it intimidated us.
    She chuckled.
    “No, young one, I am afraid those are not one of my accomplishments.” Her eyes closely surveyed the scattered statues throughout the hall. “There are a couple of statues here that I don’t recognize.”
    “What do you mean?” I asked, surprised at what she said.
    “I do not often come to this side of the castle, but a couple of days ago, I noticed Athalas had been out for quite a long time. The members of the Council cannot stay out for too long. They must constantly keep watch over the Gates of the Fourth Dimension for any activity. Well, Athalas was out for two days, and then Timothy came to me and filled me with questions.” She sighed. “He claimed that he saw new statues in this hall that appeared out of nowhere.” She was silent for a moment, measuring each word carefully. “As I came to escort you to dinner, I also wanted to check on the new statues. I was stunned by so many new ones appearing so fast.”
    I could sense doubt behind her words. She seemed reluctant and I sensed that she was hiding something.
    “So nobody knows where they came from?” Demetre asked, creasing his forehead in a sign of confusion.
    She laughed softly. “This dinner tonight will be very special for you. Now let us keep on going. We cannot be late.”
    We continued walking, but my mind remained focused on the fact that no one knew the origin of these new statues.
    “Might I ask you a question?”
    She glanced over her shoulder.
    “Of course…” She nodded.
    “Are you also a Nephilin like Devin?” I choked as soon as the words drifted from my mouth. She gave me a melancholic stare and continued walking.
    We came to another large wooden door. Intricate designs covered it from top to bottom. From all the beautiful ornaments, the two golden knobs stood out the most. Adawnas did not knock, but simply opened the door and walked right in. We followed. She bowed her head, greeting the other seven who were also here. They all bowed their heads in return. Devin was also present, dressed in similar attire as to the Council members.
    There were two seats reserved for us in the far left side of the table. Adawnas sat next to Devin. There was something about Adawnas’ behavior that seemed incredibly mysterious to me. I could see anxiety stamped on her face.
    The door opened and everyone rose to their feet. It was Athalas. He was dressed in a regal black robe that covered his entire body.
    “I must say, I love having a full house!” he exclaimed, spreading his arms to greet us two newcomers. He sat in the first chair at the head