“I … I … didn’t mean to.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Vehel. “It’s done. We need to get out of here.”
Both Orergon and Warsgra snatched up the men’s swords. Vehel had his magic as protection, should he need, though now, Orergon realized, he had his own kind of magic, too.
What if he couldn’t control it? He hadn’t really been able to control it just then. He’d simply had the thought that he wanted the guard dead, and then he’d done it. What would happen if he fought with someone he cared about and the same thought came into his head? What if he hurt them without even meaning to?
Warsgra grabbed the guard who was still alive by the throat. “Which way to the castle’s vault?” he demanded.
The guard opened his mouth and yelled, “Thieves! Thieves! Help!”
“We’re not here for the gold and gems, you idiot,” Warsgra snapped. “We have plenty of them in our homelands.” Warsgra turned to throw a glance at Orergon. “We’re here for Dela.”
The dragon egg. Of course, the dragon egg. That was the whole reason they were here.
“The vault is on the other side of the castle. You’ll never get into it. The place is sealed up tight.”
Warsgra laughed. “Like the cells down here, you mean?”
Panicked, the guard flicked his gaze over to Vehel. Warsgra caught the man by the sides of his head and slammed his skull against the floor. The guard fell still.
The Norc straightened. “You heard him. We need to be on the other side of the castle.”
Orergon shot the man he’d killed another glance and then nodded. The sooner he was away from this room, the better. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the guard’s sword. He’d use the weapon if they came across anyone else. It was heavier than his spear, but at least it was the right way to kill a man.
“Hey,” came the yell of one of the prisoners still locked up. “Let us out of here, too! The keys are on the guard’s belt. Just throw them over.”
Orergon glanced at Vehel, who shook his head. They didn’t know why the human men were locked up. If they let them out, they might end up with another fight on their hands.
Together, the three of them ran for the heavy door. Jeering from the other prisoners sounded from behind them, but they ignored them.
“There may be guards outside,” Vehel warned. “Be careful.”
Orergon thought if there were, they’d probably have come running by now.
The door opened out onto a low-ceilinged, dark passage. There was no sign of any more guards, so they kept going. The castle was undermanned, with many of the guards having joined the army that was now crossing the Southern Pass. They could use that to work in their favor.
Even as they crept forward, the guard’s face, mottled black, flashed in Orergon’s mind. He’d done that.
Orergon didn’t know why the death was sitting so uneasily on his shoulders. He was a hunter and a warrior. It wasn’t as though he was a young boy and that had been the first life he’d ever taken. He’d killed plenty of men in his time as tribe leader, and all of them had been necessary deaths. He’d even had to kill other Moerians in the past, so why was this one troubling him so much now?
Because you killed him with magic, and that magic was dark, a little voice whispered in his head.
But he didn’t have time to think about what that meant right now. He needed to focus on them all getting out of here alive.
Chapter 28
Dela
Dela spun around with her heart in her throat, ready to attack if necessary, but instead she breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Brer! What by the Gods are you doing inside the castle?”
The young man who’d been friendly with Ridley at school and had survived their encounter with the Long White Cloud, raised his eyebrows. “I was going to say the same about you.”
She didn’t know how much she could trust him. “I’m delivering armor to the armory. I work for the blacksmith, remember?”
Brer Stidrisk’s eyebrows lifted even higher. “Dela, the last time I saw you, you were with those people from the other races, and a huge blue ball of light surrounded you and then exploded. When I looked back, you were all gone, and now you’re here, creeping around the castle—”
“I wasn’t creeping,” she exclaimed, indignant.
His eyebrows hadn’t lowered at all. “You were creeping. The armory is nowhere near this part of the castle. Want to tell me the real reason you’re here?”
“I told you, I delivered armor to the armory. Go and take a look if you don’t believe me. Anyway, what are you doing here?” She was trying to distract him by getting him to talk about himself. He’d always been a proud young man.
He puffed up his chest, putting back his shoulders. “You’re looking at the new advisor to King and Queen Crowmere.”
Her mouth dropped. “You are kidding, right?”
He deflated again. “Why would I be kidding? Only me and Harlem made it back from the Southern Pass—well, you too, now, but I guess the king and queen don’t know about that. I’m one of the only people who saw the leader of the Elvish people use magic.”
Anger rose up inside her. “So, you were the one who told the king and queen. Do you have any idea what you’ve started?”
He jerked back at the venom in her tone. “What are you talking about? He broke the Treaty!”
“He was trying to save us! And in case you hadn’t noticed by the fact I’m standing here talking to you, it worked!”
“It didn’t work for everyone else who died in the Southern Pass.”
A tiny amount of her rage ebbed away. “Okay, no, it didn’t. But it saved some of us. When you came back here and told everyone what happened, you started the Second Great War. You know that, don’t you? Thousands of people of all races are going to die, simply because the Elvish prince was trying to save us.”
Brer pouted. “He broke the Treaty. The other races need to know their place.” His eyes narrowed. “Speaking of which, did you know three of them were found wandering our streets?”
She widened her eyes. “What?”
“Yes, they’re here, in the castle.”
She reached out and grabbed his forearm. “Where in the castle?”
He shrugged. “The dungeon, I assume. That’s where they take everyone who shouldn’t be here.” His eyes narrowed. “Like you. Is that why you’re here? Did you come here with them?”
“No, I didn’t,” she answered truthfully, “but I do know them. Will you show me where the dungeon is?”
His lips twisted and he shook his head. “I don’t think so, Dela. You’re going to get me in trouble.”
“Please, Brer. You owe me. We wouldn’t need to be here if you’d kept your mouth shut. We’re trying to stop the war from going any further. Trying to save innocent lives. You owe this to me.”
“I could get in a lot of trouble.”
“The whole of Xantearos is in a lot of trouble because of you reporting back. Look, if you won’t do it for that reason, do it for Ridley. I’m his little sister, and he loved me. He would have wanted you to help me, wouldn’t he?”
His determination wavered. “By the Gods, Dela! Fine. You’ve emotionally blackmailed me into it.”
She risked a smile. “Good.”
He furrowed his brow and gave a growl. “Come this way, and if you see anyone, just nod and look like you belong. And don’t speak to anyone, got it?”
“Got it.”
She hoped he was doing as he’d said and was taking her to the dungeon rather than to hand her over to one of the City Guards. She didn’t know him well enough to know for sure if she could trust him. He was the one to tell King and Queen Crowmere what Vehel had done, after all.
But she didn’t have much choice and so kept to his side as they walked down the long, high-ceilinged corridors. Tapestries and oil paintings hung from the walls on both sides. Polished grey slabs were beneath foot, her footsteps echoing along with her heartbeat in her
ears.
“This way.” Brer stopped to push open a heavy wooden door studded with black iron to reveal a staircase leading downward. He checked that the coast was clear and then started down, Dela following close behind.
They reached the bottom and turned left.
“There will be guards down here,” he warned.
She didn’t reply. She’d figured that out already.
“Which way to the dungeon?” she whispered.
“Left, and keep going.”
Her urgency to see the others pushed at her back. Would they be hurt? Beaten? Chained? She didn’t know how she was going to set them free if they were under lock and key. Vehel had his magic, but if the guards had already done something to prevent him using it, then the others would struggle to set them free. Even Warsgra’s massive strength couldn’t bend iron bars.
“It’s here.”
Brer had stopped in front of another heavy door, but it stood open.
“Shouldn’t the door be shut?” she asked.
Brer glanced at her and nodded. “Yes, I believe so.”
“And where are the guards?”
She had no choice but to check. She wasn’t about to ask Brer to do it for her. This wasn’t his problem.
Dizzy with adrenaline, she inched forward. Her ears strained, trying to pick up on any sound. There was something—a faint moaning. Was that one of the others in pain?
Bravery forced her forward and she peered through the gap in the door. A wall of barred cells ran along the farthest wall. A couple of figures were huddled in the cells, but they didn’t notice the new arrival. But the thing that caught Dela’s eye the most were the two guards on the floor. One of them appeared to be barely conscious—and she assumed he was responsible for the moaning—and the second was clearly dead. What had killed him, however, she wouldn’t have been able to say. His mouth was wide open in a rictus scream, and a strange patchwork of black ran across every inch of visible skin, like the veins threaded through the leaf of a plant.
“What happened to him?” Brer’s voice behind her made her jump, and she backed out.
“I’m not sure, but the people I’m looking for aren’t here.”
Had Vehel’s magic done that? They’d clearly escaped, so were they somewhere else in the castle? Would they continue with the mission the Seer had given her, and gone to find the dragon’s egg? She didn’t know if they would bother—after all, what use was a dragon egg without the Dragonsayer or the dragon? But perhaps they simply hadn’t given up on her yet.
“Take me to the vault,” she told Brer.
He’d peered over her shoulder when she’d been looking into the dungeon, but now he backed away, an expression of horror on his face. “I don’t like this, Dela. I think you should leave.”
“None of this would be happening if you’d only kept your mouth shut,” she snapped. “Now take me to the vault.”
“What do you want with the vault? Are you going to steal something?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not interested in gold or diamonds.”
Still in shock from the sight of the dead man, Brer didn’t argue with her any further. He backed away then turned the way they’d come. They entered the maze of corridors again, each ceiling lower than the last. Brer seemed to know where he was heading, winding down one to reach a T junction and taking a left.
He suddenly stopped and put out his hand to halt her as well.
There was movement ahead.
Three figures approached. It didn’t matter that they were in an unfamiliar place and the light was poor, Dela would have recognized them anywhere.
Her heart swelled with happiness. “It’s them!”
She broke away from Brer and ran toward them. The group stopped, brandishing a couple of swords they must have taken from the guards, clearly not seeing who she was in the dim light.
“War!” she cried. “Vehel, Orergon. It’s me.”
Warsgra was the first to lower his weapon. “Dela?”
She slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He scooped her up in a bear hug and held her tight. She kissed the side of his broad, strong neck, inhaling the familiar scent of him. Safe, he always made her feel safe, and she couldn’t put into words how good it felt to be back in his arms.
She still needed to greet the others, so she unwound herself from his embrace. Only when he set her back on the floor did she notice that her fingertips came away bloodied. “By the Gods! You’re hurt!”
He shrugged. “Only a flesh wound.” He reached out his hand and touched her cheek. “We thought we might never see you again.”
She cupped his hand with her own, and pressed a kiss to his palm, then she turned to the others.
“Orergon” she said, and he caught her up as well. The Moerian’s arms folded around her waist, pressing her against his body, and his face fit into the space between her shoulder and neck. She laced her fingers in his hair, holding him tight. “You okay, Orergon?” she whispered, instinctively knowing something was wrong.
“Better now that you’re here,” he replied, his voice muffled against her skin.
She squeezed him one last time and turned to Vehel. She slipped her arms around the Elvish prince’s neck. His hands found her back, palms flat against her spine, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she held him, suddenly emotional. It felt so good to be back with them all again. She couldn’t imagine life without them now.
Vehel released her but only enough to hold her away from him, inspecting her in much the same way her father had done when she’d returned home.
“It was the dragon, wasn’t it?” he asked.
Dela smiled. “Yes. He saved me.”
“I’d prayed to the Gods that would be the case.”
“And your magic worked, too,” she said. “You’re all here.”
“Yes, though it took getting arrested to get inside the castle.” He frowned. “How did you get in?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
They seemed to notice Brer still lurking in the shadows. “Who’s this?” Warsgra asked.
“An old friend of my brother. He was helping me find you, and now he’s going to take us to the vault.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Aren’t you, Brer?”
The young man’s eyes darted nervously between the three new arrivals and the swords they were carrying. “Sure.”
“Which way should we go?” Orergon asked.
“Down to the end here, and then turn right,” Brer said. “The corridors down here are like a rabbit warren, but we want to reach the most westerly point. That’s where the vault is located.”
“Good.” Dela nodded. “Let’s keep moving, then.”
She thought Brer would have led the way, but instead he hung back as the others kept going. He clearly wanted to speak with her.
“You’re siding with the other races?” he hissed out of the side of his mouth.
“It doesn’t need to be them and us, Brer. We’re the ones who are being used in all of this.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you see how we live? Our family members plucked out of our homes every six months and sent off to die. And for what? Because the king and queen want to line the coffers with more gold and diamonds.”
He frowned and shook his head, “No, that’s not true. They send food to the other races. They’re helping.”
“The other races wouldn’t need that food if they were allowed to live wherever they wanted, and we wouldn’t be forced to starve in the weeks running up to the Passover either. We might see the other races as the ones who are being repressed, but the truth is that our lives are even worse than theirs—at least they have wide open spaces and aren’t picked off every six months, or live in fear for their lives if they dare try to leave the city. And the worst part is that we sit and do nothing while the very people who are doing this to us live in luxury right beside us!”
He stared around. “That can’t be true.
”
“It is, Brer. Why do you think they’ve sent an army out now? They don’t want the Elvish doing magic because they know how powerful it is. They want to crush the other races, and they’re using normal folk like us to do their dirty work for them.”
The others had got wind of their conversation and had slowed to overhear it.
Vehel nodded in agreement. “It’s true. Our magic is powerful, but unlike your king and queen, we don’t want war. We only want to live in peace, but we’ve been barred for years from doing what comes most naturally for us. It’s either that or we starve.”
She put her hand on Brer’s arm. “So, please, Brer. Don’t say anything.”
Warsgra glowered at him. “You know we could physically make you quiet if we wanted.”
She shook her head at the Norc. “There’s no need for that.” She looked to the young man. “Is there, Brer?”
“No.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Then show us to the vault.”
His expression faltered. “I thought you weren’t here for the gold and diamonds.”
“We’re not.”
“What else is in there?” he asked.
“You’ll find out if you help us.”
He shook his head. “You’ll never get it open. It’s locked down tight. Only the castle treasurer and the king and queen have keys.”
She looked to Vehel as she addressed Brer. “You forget who we have with us.”
Brer paled. “Oh, yeah. Magic.”
“That’s right,” Vehel said.
The young man nodded. “We need to move then.”
The strange group got going again, moving at a steady jog through the underground passages of Castle Tearos.
Warsgra slowed and lifted a finger in warning. “Wait, someone’s coming.”
Muffled voices filtered down the narrow passageway. The group drew to a halt, and Dela moved side on, pressing her back against the cold, stone walls. The voices were clearly heading in their direction. Warsgra and Orergon both had the swords, and they stepped forward, ready to defend the others.
Two City Guards walked around the corner. Deep in conversation, they didn’t notice the group of strangers at first. It wasn’t until they were almost upon them that one let out a yell of surprise and immediately drew his longsword. They were in a tight space, meaning there was no room for any of the others to fight as well. It was Warsgra and Orergon against the two guards, and Dela hoped that whatever had happened back in the dungeon wasn’t going to happen again.
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