Chapter 149
Cassiane POV
Lucien's room had changed completely since I had entered it.
What had once been his private chamber was now a makeshift war council.
Maps covered the table, military reports were scattered across the desk, and every person in the room had gathered around the kingdom of Viremont as though we could somehow force the answer we needed from the ink and parchment before us.
The relief of finding me alive had already faded.
What remained was the reality none of us could afford to ignore.
Viremont was surrounded.
If we were going to break through the Veiled Thorn's defenses, we needed to understand exactly what we were facing.
Theo spread a detailed map of the kingdom across the table while Benedict examined several sketches he had brought with him. After studying them for a moment, he finally broke the silence.
"I have spent considerable time studying the equipment Theo sent me, along with the weapon Cassiane recovered from the mine," Benedict said.
He tapped one of the sketches with his finger.
"The Veiled Thorn has exceeded my expectations. Their engineering is remarkably precise, and the weapons are considerably more destructive than anything we have encountered before."
He arranged several drawings across the table.
"However, despite their differences in design, they all rely on the same principle. Their power systems are connected directly to Solithium ore. The machines draw their energy from it, which means that once the Solithium is neutralised, the weapons become useless."
His gaze shifted toward me.
"And that is exactly what Cassiane accomplished at the southern border."
I studied the sketches.
"So I can disable them because I'm immune to Solithium's magic."
"Precisely," Benedict said. "Their greatest advantage becomes considerably less useful when their power source can be neutralised."
Theo pointed toward four marked locations on the map.
"The Solithium cores are positioned at the northern, southern, eastern, and western borders of Viremont. Each core supplies the barrier surrounding the kingdom."
His finger moved from one marker to another.
"The weapons stationed along the borders draw power from these cores, and the same energy sustains the barrier. If we destroy the remaining three cores, the entire defensive system should collapse."
Lucien leaned over the map.
"And once the barriers fall?"
"Our forces can finally reach Viremont," Theo replied. "The Veiled Thorn's mages may be powerful, but their conventional army is considerably weaker than ours. Without the barriers and Solithium-powered weapons protecting them, our forces will have a fighting chance."
That was the first piece of good news we had received since arriving.
Unfortunately, Theo wasn't finished.
His expression darkened as he moved his finger across the map.
"But the military defenses aren't our only concern."
The room fell silent.
"The Eryndor royal family is currently in Varynthar. The King of Eryndor has publicly declared his kingdom an ally of Varynthar, and from everything we've gathered, he appears to be firmly under the Veiled Thorn's influence."
Theo paused.
"Several powerful nobles from neighbouring kingdoms have fallen under their influence as well."
I frowned.
"So they're expanding their control without having to conquer every kingdom directly."
"Exactly."
Theo's gaze settled on the map.
"They are turning political alliances, magical influence, and fear into weapons of their own."
He reached for another report.
"And then there is the Heartforge."
The room seemed to grow colder.
"They have it," Theo continued. "We know that much. What we don't know is what Malakor intends to do with it."
The Heartforge had been dangerous enough when we had been desperately searching for it. Now it was in the hands of the very people who had spent years trying to uncover its secrets.
"What can they do with it?" Lucien asked.
Theo's expression remained grim.
"That is precisely what concerns me."
He placed both hands against the edge of the table.
"The Heartforge isn't merely a powerful relic. It contains an immense source of magical energy. If the Veiled Thorn has discovered a way to combine that power with Solithium, we may be dealing with something far more dangerous than the weapons we've already encountered."
No one answered.
The implications were impossible to ignore.
We weren't dealing with a single threat anymore. The Veiled Thorn had an army, advanced weapons, magical influence, the support of powerful nobles, and now the Heartforge.
And we had no idea what Malakor intended to do with it.
Theo's voice broke through the silence.
"There is one more development."
I looked up.
"Rumours have been spreading throughout the kingdoms. According to our sources, Malakor is preparing to marry Princess Lysenne in seven days."
My stomach dropped.
But Theo continued before I could ask anything.
"If the reports are accurate, this marriage is not merely political. Malakor intends to use the union to bring the Magic Tower under his control. With Eryndor publicly supporting Varynthar, the Tower may have very little choice but to submit."
He pointed toward the map again.
"With the Eryndor royal family in Varynthar, the Heartforge in their possession, and Viremont surrounded, Malakor is positioning himself so that every major magical power in the region is either under his control or forced into submission."
I stared at the map, but the markings had begun to blur.
Seven days.
That was all we had.
Seven days before Malakor could strengthen his hold over the Magic Tower.
Seven days before the balance of power could shift beyond our ability to recover it.
And somewhere inside Varynthar was the Heartforge.
"We need to move before then," I said.
Theo nodded.
"More importantly, we need to move before they realise what happened at the southern border."
"They'll figure it out eventually," I said, glancing toward the window. "The destruction is too obvious to hide."
Benedict gathered his sketches.
"And once they realise that the weapons were deliberately neutralised, they'll know someone has discovered how their system works."
"Which means they'll change their strategy," Miss Ann said quietly.
"Or make their next move before we can make ours," Theo added.
I looked around the table.
For weeks, I had been reacting to one disaster after another. Every time we found an answer, another problem appeared. Every time we gained ground, the Veiled Thorn seemed to move three steps ahead.
I was done playing that way.
"Then we make sure he doesn't get the chance."
Lucien straightened.
"What do we do?"
My gaze fell upon the four Solithium markers surrounding Viremont.
"We take down the barriers."
I traced the route between the three remaining cores.
"We already know the southern core can be neutralised. If we destroy the other three, the barrier should collapse."
"And after that?" Lucien asked.
I looked toward the map of Varynthar.
"After that, we take the fight to them."
Theo studied me for a moment before nodding.
"It won't be easy."
"I know."
"There will be resistance at every stage."
"I know."
"And if Malakor discovers what we're planning before we're ready-"
"He'll come after us."
I met Theo's gaze.
"Then we'll make sure we're ready when he does."
For the first time, no one spoke.
The plan was dangerous. The odds were uncertain. We were attempting to dismantle a kingdom's defenses from within while preparing for a war against an enemy who possessed powers we barely understood.
But at least we finally had a direction.
I looked once more at the map.
"We take down the remaining Solithium cores. We break the barrier. We get into Varynthar. We find the Heartforge."
My fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"And we stop Malakor before that wedding ever takes place."
A lazy voice suddenly drifted across the room.
"That is going to be much more difficult than you expect."