I worry it’s lost forever. That the Technos crushed every ounce of it out of her.
We slip through the Magi who are still awake, between the few small fires and people chatting. We have no trouble leaving the cave and disappearing into the darkness beyond.
I must know how Aro ended up here, of all places. More than ever, I wish he’d chosen to come with us. I could’ve protected him from Darian and Isaiah. But now it might be too late.
No, I refuse to accept that.
We pick our way between the thick trees and boulders until we find the spot where the prisoners are held. A handful of night creatures rustle in the branches and bushes, and the hum of insects welcomes us. I’ve missed these sounds, the ones of the natural world. I suppose Isaiah is right about one thing: we spent too much time stuck in Palinor. It’s rejuvenating to be out in the world where things are living again. My thoughts stray to the Sanctuary. It’s a fantastic place, but there’s something unsettling about it too. Yet I’m eager to return, to continue to study until Zandria and I master every single spell in those books.
But first we must rescue Aro; I won’t rest until that goal is achieved.
Isaiah ought to know better. The Armory’s Twin Daggers are nothing if not stubborn and resourceful.
The vines and branches holding each prisoner down form a strange, viselike cage around them. It’s almost like a living version of the metal suits the Technos use to contain us. Right now the prisoners appear to be sleeping. I spy Aro toward the far side and my heart ignites. It feels like ages since the last time I kissed him. Since I held his heart in my hands and made it whole again.
“Hurry up,” Zandria hisses.
“Just keep watch,” I tell her. She raises an eyebrow. “Please?”
She moves off a little ways to give me some privacy and keep a lookout for anyone making the rounds to check on the prisoners. There are no guards here. Instead, the Magi are relying on their spells to keep the Technos bound. Their strategy is very effective.
Only another Magi could free them. And what Magi would want to release a captured Technocrat?
They forgot about me.
CHAPTER 14
I KNEEL NEXT TO ARO AND REACH THROUGH the root-bars of his prison, gently brushing my fingers across his cheek. His pale hair shines silver in the moonlight. I shiver at the softness of his skin.
“Aro,” I whisper firmly. “Wake up.”
He yawns, then startles. When he realizes it’s me, relief breaks over his face. He tries to adjust to a sitting position, but it’s hard to manage in the cage.
“Aissa,” he says. “I can’t believe you’re here.” He reaches a hand through the roots and I catch it in mine.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I say. “How did this happen? I thought you were determined to remain in Palinor.”
“I was,” he says. “Until that became impossible.”
“Tell me everything.” My heart pounds in my chest. I can’t help wondering what his presence here means for us, and for Darian and his terrible plot.
“Where to start?” He lets out a small laugh. “The beginning, I suppose. After I left you, I found my way into the root cellars of the Palace. I hardly knew what to do, honestly. I had to stop Darian, but what was I going to tell my parents? Darian is their most trusted advisor. I couldn’t go to them without real proof.”
“What about what he was doing to the Magi prisoners?”
Aro shakes his head. “I have no delusions about my parents’ opinion of the Magi. My relationship with them is . . . complex. They wouldn’t have cared what he did with the prisoners.” He bites his lip. “For all I know, they gave him permission in the first place.”
I suck my breath in between my teeth. He’s right. That wouldn’t be surprising. In fact, it seems rather likely.
“I returned to my quarters as if nothing had happened. I was determined to dig up proof Darian is a Magi. He also acted as though nothing was wrong. But every now and then, I’d walk down a hall and feel cold creep up my back, and there was Darian, glowering at me. Sometimes he’d be moving his hands slightly or his lips.” Aro frowns. “Do you think he was trying to cast some kind of spell on me?”
“Probably. If he was trying to hurt you, the only reason he didn’t succeed is because we’re bonded. We increase each other’s strength. He doesn’t know about that.”
Aro’s eyes light up. “We increase each other’s strength? Now that is fascinating.”
I can almost see the wheels in his brain turning over that tidbit and getting distracted. “Then what happened?”
“I confess, my attempts at gathering intel didn’t go well. I tried eavesdropping on Darian’s meetings with other researchers and questioning the guards a little more than was wise. All I learned from the latter was how annoyed they were that someone—I assume you—created a giant staircase in the middle of the night in the city that took half the guards two days straight to fill in. I don’t think I’m quite cut out for the spy life.”
I laugh softly. So that’s what happened to our escape route after we left. “Research and the creative field are more your style. But that’s a good thing.”
“Not this time, I’m afraid. One evening, I was attacked. I’d snuck out of the Palace to visit Leon and get more minerals from the miner’s stall. I was still trying to find a better alternative to the hearts than . . . than what Darian has in mind for them.”
I swallow the tacks in my throat. What Darian has in mind for them is dangerous indeed.
“I wasn’t hurt badly, just enough to bang me up a bit. Leon saw it happen through the window and he scared the attackers off. When Leon helped me back to the Palace, Darian used the incident to convince my parents to keep me locked in my quarters under guard. Darian told them he had intelligence that an assassin had uncovered my identity and was coming to kill me.”
I snort. “A very convenient half-truth.”
“It certainly was,” Aro agrees, shaking his head. “They wouldn’t listen to me. Nothing I said could sway them. Not even when I took my mother aside and told her outright that Darian was a Magi and he was playing both sides. She laughed at me. They can’t fathom that Darian would betray them, and they were already overprotective about me and my safety. They immediately put me under house arrest. For my own good, as my father told me.”
“Let me guess, Darian offered to oversee your protection himself?”
“Of course. Despite my objections, they insisted. My mother told me I was being a fool and letting my imagination run away with me. As if I were a child.” He scoffs, his hands balling into fists. “Darian had me at his mercy”—I stifle my laugh when he says mercy—“and it wasn’t long before he made his move. A few days into house arrest, someone broke into my room early one morning and tried to kill me.”
My hand tightens around his. “I know,” I whisper. “Because I woke up one morning, safe in my bed, but beaten and bloody.” I tremble at the memory. That level of vulnerability and confusion . . . with no idea what was happening . . . I didn’t like how it felt one bit.
“So that was how I was healed,” Aro says, his eyes twinkling. “I wondered, but I hadn’t known how strong the bond really was.”
“It was my mentor and Zandria, actually. They found me and healed me, which in turn healed you.”
He brings my hand to his lips through the bars. “Thank you,” he says. “Now that’s twice you’ve saved my life.”
“Does that make up for the fact I only met you because I was trying to kill you?”
He laughs. “Perhaps a little. The Anvil was definitely on my side that day. Before you healed me through the bond, Leon arrived. He’s one of the few people my parents trust aside from Darian, so they’d allowed him to visit while I was under house arrest. He opened the door to my quarters and found me . . . and then watched me heal right before his eyes. If he hadn’t known me since the day I was born, I’m certain he would’ve accused me of being Magi right then and there.”
“What did he do if he didn’t tell on you?”
“He helped me into the nearest chair and insisted I explain what was going on. I . . . I confessed everything. I told him I’d fallen in love with a Magi accidentally. And that she fell in love with me too, even though she was sent to kill me.” At my concerned expression, he adds, “I didn’t tell him it was you. I swear. I told him about Darian playing both sides for his own ends and what he’s doing to the Magi prisoners to power the hearts of the Heartless.”
“What did he think?”
Aro’s face twists strangely. “He was more intrigued than I liked, but he is the Master Mechanic; machines are his specialty, after all. But he was most intrigued when I told him about how I helped the Magi girl escape and ran afoul of Darian. I told him about the Binding rite, how you healed my mechanical heart and that I’m alive because our hearts are intertwined. To be honest, it’s still difficult for me to trust magic. I’d been terrified that the Binding rite hadn’t fully worked. That Darian caught and killed you. I was so relieved to have some sign you were still alive.”
“I was relieved about that too,” I say, putting my hand against his cheek. He leans into it and kisses my palm.
“Leon promised he’d be back later to check on me. And he insisted on taking Sparky with him. I was puzzled at first, but later realized he suspected my mechpet might be bugged by Darian.”
He sees the look on my face and stops. “What?”
“Sparky was definitely bugged once. Remember when it stopped working normally and you asked me to fix it for you?”
Aro puts his head in his hands. “There was a listener inside.”
“A broken one, thankfully, which caused the issue with Sparky’s leg. I threw it into the incinerator, but it’s possible you may have been bugged again.”
“Clearly Leon had a good idea, then. I was on edge all day, terrified Darian would make another attempt. When Leon returned, he sat me down and gave me a key—the master key to the Palace. Only he and the queen have one like it. It unlocks any door.”
“Leon helped you escape?” I say. Part of me is shocked and the rest . . . isn’t. Leon always had a soft spot for the Heartless. Perhaps it was because of Aro. If so, then of course he’d want to help him escape.
“He practically forced me to. He told me I wasn’t of use to anyone locked up in my rooms or dead. He insisted I run away. Leave Palinor before Darian killed me.” He hangs his head. “I know I was determined to remain and fight him before, but this attack, and feeling thoroughly trapped, changed my mind. Leon was right. I couldn’t fight Darian from my quarters. I needed to do something more, and for that I had to leave. That night, I escaped. I unlocked my rooms and snuck past the guards. Earlier, Leon had slipped some sleeping draught into their wine as he left. I made it out of the city and was resolved to find you, even though I had no idea where you might be. I figured the most likely place for Magi to hide and feel safe would be where there was the most wilderness. So I headed northwest. It wasn’t long before I was caught by your Magi friends.” Aro sighs. “I feel like a fool.”
“You’re not foolish. You were right. The wilderness is where we feel safest, and that’s where you found us. Or rather, Isaiah found you. But I’m glad you’re not in the Palace anymore. I hate to think what Darian might have had in store for you next once he discovered his assassination plot failed.” I shiver. It would have been nothing pleasant, that much is certain.
“Very true. Though I’m worried my parents will send people after me. I don’t want to put you in danger.”
I glance at the other Technocrat prisoners. “The Magi seem to be doing just fine keeping the soldiers at bay, I think.”
He gives me a sheepish look. “That they are,” he says.
“How did Isaiah capture you?” I ask.
“I . . . I’ve never been outside the walls of the city before. I’d heard of what it was like, and I’d seen maps and drawings, of course—I even took one with me. But nothing prepared me for how vast everything is out here. It’s not like the city, where there are people to ask directions and places to hide around every corner. I knew by the sun I was headed in the right direction, but other than that, I was flying blind.” Aro hangs his head. “I walked directly into a trap. They must’ve heard me coming. I don’t have silencing spells like your folk do.”
“No, you don’t.” This time I sigh. The tables have turned. Now Aro’s a captive, and my people are the captors.
I won’t let him be executed. I just hope Zandria will forgive me.
“I missed you,” I say.
Aro’s eyes soften. “I missed you too. I’m glad we found each other, but I wish it was under different circumstances.” He gestures to the cage holding him fast.
I grimace. “Me too.” I lower my voice. “I’m not sure how yet, but I’m going to get you out of here. I won’t let Isaiah kill you. He’ll have to kill me too.” I bite my lip. “I mean, he would, one way or the other. But he doesn’t know that. Hopefully he never will.” I lean closer to the bars and so does Aro, just enough for our lips to meet for a stolen moment.
“Thank you. I know it isn’t easy to go against your own people.”
“I’ve never been able to fully trust anyone but my sister my whole life. Except for you. I’m not about to lose that.” A flicker of a smile crosses my face. “Besides, there’s so much that must be done. We’re working on a plan to free the rest of the Magi in the Palinor dungeons. You can help, once you’re free.”
His eyes widen. “What’s the plan?”
I kiss him again, then put a finger to his lips. “I must go before someone finds me here. I’ve already stayed too long. Soon, I’ll tell you everything.”
I rise, feeling a little cooler now that we’re not crouched near each other. The expression on Aro’s face is one I wish I didn’t have to see. He catches my hand once more before I fully straighten up.
“Everywhere you go, you take my heart with you.”
“And mine with you.” I pull away, blinking back the tears that suddenly flood my eyes.
I glance back once more, the ghostly vision of Aro’s pale hair in the moonlight haunting me as Zandria tugs me away from the makeshift prison and back into the dark night.
CHAPTER 15
THE NEXT MORNING, I WAKE RESOLVED TO make a final appeal to Isaiah. Zandria isn’t happy with me.
“What are you thinking?” she says. “He already made his decision.”
“Which will kill me. Even if I didn’t have feelings for Aro, what choice do I have?”
Zandria paces the small cave, while Remy leans back on his bedroll. He has yet to join our conversation, but I hope to get him on my side.
“His decision wouldn’t affect you at all if you hadn’t bonded with Aro in the first place!” Zandria hisses.
I place my hands on her shoulders, stopping her circuit. “But I did. I couldn’t stand to see him die then, and I can’t now either. Do you really want to watch me die?”
“No.” Zandria’s anger deflates. “I can’t lose anyone else.”
“Then I need your help.” I glance at Remy. “Both of you.”
“I think I’ll stay out of this one, thank you,” Remy says.
I shake my head. “Not an option. We’re the only ones who know what Darian is up to. We must stick together.”
“And study more of the spell books in the Sanctuary,” Zandria says.
“All right, all right,” Remy says, holding up his hands in defeat. He gets to his feet. “Yes, I’m with you. Of course, I am.” He smirks. “Mostly because of all those spells.”
A laugh escapes Zandria’s lips, warm and sudden. Even she seems surprised.
“Thank you,” I say. “Once we have Aro safely away, we should try to track down the last member of the Alchemist Alliance too. The more Alliance members we have, the more likely we are to defeat Darian. Catoria said his family probably brought spell books with them. They might be old and have useful information.
And maybe he knows things Catoria hasn’t told us.”
I can’t help thinking of that strange landing deep under the Sanctuary and the wall covered entirely in runes that Catoria warned me away from. A new member of the Alliance would provide some perspective, especially if he were indoctrinated at an earlier age than us.
Zandria’s eyes light up, her curiosity rearing its head. She’s kept it under better control lately, likely because her impetuousness was part of what led to her capture. “That woman subsisted more on secrets than anything else, no matter what she says.”
“It’s our sacred duty to uncover them,” I say, a wide grin on my face. “So, we rescue Aro, find Owen, and return to the Sanctuary to train.”
Zandy rolls her eyes. “And so you can nest with your new beau. If Catoria doesn’t strike him down the second he comes near the door.”
“She wouldn’t do that. We already explained my connection to Aro. Besides, the Alliance’s end goal is to merge the two factions back into one people.” While she wasn’t thrilled I hid the fact I’d performed the Binding rite from her, Catoria is one of the few people who might be supportive of my relationship with Aro, however ill-advised it may have been to start. I’m confident she won’t hurt him.
Light begins to fill the cave. “We should find my father,” Remy says. “Try once more, then take our leave. If he won’t free him, we’ll circle back after nightfall. I know the spells my father uses—and what counterspells can dissolve them.”
We pack our things quickly, with no intention of returning to the small cave we slept in last night. We find Isaiah having breakfast while he confers with some of his men not far from the cave entrance. I have no love for the Armory Council, but today, for the first time, I miss it. All members but Isaiah and Darian have been killed or captured. Thank the Anvil Darian isn’t here. But if the rest of the Armory had survived, we might have a fighting chance of freeing Aro. As it is, I doubt Isaiah will listen to us. He’s as stubborn as ever, and not one to change his mind. But if anyone can do that, it’s Remy.
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