Chapter 3
MARLAK
Icould freeze the entire Crystal Court, and it would still not bring Astra back, but try telling that to my magic.
The castle is eerie and strange without guards or servants. Lidiane suggested we move to a different room, but we need to make sure Ferer and the others can find us, so it’s better to stay put.
Since we need to plan, I told her about my time in the Shadow Lands, including my experience with the giants, and she told me about her mad dash through the desert with Renel, Tarlia, and Azur, how they were attacked by hundreds of ghouls there, and then told me that Renel kept the creatures at bay with his sword.
Unbelievable—and yet familiar.
A memory hits me. “I saw it. I mean, dreamed about him with a sword. But he couldn’t have fought hundreds of ghouls. How did you make it?”
She lets out a relaxed laugh. “We had help; Cherry Cake.”
My brows shoot up. While I’m glad the unicorn saved them, the Shadow Lands is the last place he should set foot in. “Really?”
“He scared away the ghouls, then led us to the keep. We spent the night there, then went separate ways in the morning.”
A note of melancholy taints her voice in the last words, then she takes a paper from a pocket—not any paper.
“A transcending note?” I ask.
Lidiane nods. “Yes. Azur was passing information to the rebels in the Owl Inn.”
I can’t believe she’s gone through this risk. “You know rebels?”
She clicks her tongue. “Yes. And I stole the note and replaced it, in case any information compromised you.”
“That’s dangerous, Lidiane.”
She waves the paper. “Would you rather I have it, or some random fae who calls himself the king of the Nether Court?”
I sigh. “I wish you would stay away from danger, that’s all. And what’s this Nether Court talk?”
“Long story. And this note was with Ferer. He just gave it back to me.” She glances at the paper, and her eyes widen.
“What?”
She raises a hand to silence me. “There’s something.” Her voice sounds so relieved, almost joyful, as she places a finger on the paper and some writing appears.
I’m so anxious that I want to read with her, but she’s pulling the note close to her, as if it was private, and if it comes from Azur, it might be.
As she reads, her expression changes from hopeful to sad, then horrified.
“What is it?” I ask.
Her hands holding the note are trembling, her face taken with a mix of grief and disbelief.
“What does it say?” I insist.
Lidiane covers her mouth with a hand. “Astra’s alive, Marlak. And she should be fine.”
I breach our distance to take the note from her, but she throws hundreds of papers in the air—illusions.
“What. Does. It say?” I’m so angry, frustrated, terrified.
All she does is shake her head, her eyes misty with unshed tears—an agonizing answer in itself.
ASTRA
There’s no point trying to quiet my anxious heart as we advance toward the ominous throne in this strange place.
So much can go wrong. I don’t even know how Azur plans to distract the Witch King and if I’ll be able to escape, and yet I don’t want to sit here waiting while he gains more and more power.
The ancient fae’s eyes follow us greedily as we kneel in front of him.
He leans forward. “Rested already?”
I’m a pile of exhaustion and nerves and feel my palms sweating, but I lace my voice with determination. “We have no wish to waste precious time sleeping, Your Majesty.”
The Witch King smirks and rises from the throne, closing the distance between us in slow steps. “How, then, are you going to help me?”
Azur glances at me. “Your heir is ready to probe the tunnel.”
This doesn’t make sense. I thought Azur was going to distract him while I sneaked out, and now he basically told the Witch King where I’m going. My stomach sinks. Is Azur betraying me? Or is it part of his plan?
“Really?” The Witch King turns to me.
There’s something way too disconcerting about his stare, but I force myself to pretend to be calm and give him a reassuring answer. “Yes. I believe now I might be able to open it.”
“Might?” The Witch King raises an eyebrow. “Do you think that’s good enough?”
My heart is loud in my chest as I feel I’m balancing on a sharp edge where any wrong move will lead me to a deadly fall.
“Hardly.” I look down. “But it’s what I can do now with the magic I have. Better things will come, Your Majesty. Once my magic is fully back, I’ll make sure you’re invincible.”
“Invincible, yes. I suppose.” The Witch King snaps his fingers and six ghouls surround us. “Let’s check your ability to undo the seal, then. And let’s hope you don’t disappoint me this time.”
There’s no joviality hiding the threat in his words.
I wonder why anyone ever cooperated with him if he’s so obnoxious to the only two people helping him.
Perhaps the bright side is that if he ever escapes this place, I won’t fear that he’ll amass followers.
But I can’t let him escape, even if I’m starting to have serious questions about Azur’s plan.
I’ll distract him.
How?
And if the Witch King follows us to the tunnel, it will place him very close to the seal. If I walk through it, it will remain open for some time, and my sinister ancestor could follow me right away, especially if he sees that the magic does not deter me. What kind of distraction is Azur planning?
Can I even trust Renel’s former guardian? And if I escape, will my light keep me safe outside?
Perhaps I should have waited until morning to try to escape, except that if the Witch King is siphoning Azur’s magic, a few more hours could mean he could go anywhere. Then again, I don’t know what Azur plans to do, even if he sounded confident and even if he can’t lie.
Everything feels wrong, a strange chill that covers my skin and strangles my breath. But what else can I do other than at least pretend to try to open the seal?
As the ghouls move to lead me to the tunnel, the Witch King turns to Azur. “You can stay back.”
Azur mouths go. I’m turning to follow the ghouls, when a sudden movement makes me look back. Azur has an odd, jeweled dagger in his hand and is moving it toward the Witch King.
“Run,” he yells as he stabs…
He doesn’t stab anything.
The Witch King blocks the dagger in a movement too fast even for a fae, then takes it with another hand and stabs Azur’s chest. I can barely comprehend what I’m seeing. Is this the distraction? Am I still supposed to run?
The Witch King pushes Azur to the ground and yells, “How dare you! You’ll pay for this.”
He pulls back the dagger and I realize I have to make a decision, and quickly.
The Witch King has his back to me, which is to my advantage. There’s one weapon that has at least severely wounded him, and it’s mine. And if he has part of Azur’s magic…
There’s no time to wonder if my idea makes any sense. It’s either that or running, and running will be Azur’s death sentence.
MARLAK
I’m losing my patience, my temper, and I think I’m about to encase Ferer’s little sister in ice until she gives me a decent answer.
“Lidiane! What’s happening?” I’m so nervous that my entire body is trembling.
“Astra’s fine. I already said it, she’s fine. At least so far.”
And yet I still recall Lidiane’s horrified expression when she saw the note.
“Then why—”
“Azur’s the problem. Now, don’t tell me you care about what happens to him. But I care. Let me grieve. And regardless of what’s happening, nothing changes. We still have to wait until morning.”
“But I need to know what’s happening.”
“She’s fine, Marlak.” At least she sounds exasperated rather than worried.
As all kinds of fears threaten to take hold of me, I try to quiet my anger and bury my anxiety, even if I still want to get my hands on that note and find out what’s wrong.
I need answers, and yelling isn’t helping, so I take a deep breath, then ask, “Do you know where they are?”
“I can still sense him. I’ll find their location once we get there. When the sun rises. We can’t go before that.”
“And you won’t tell me what’s bothering you?”
She shakes her head. “It’s not like it’s going to be a secret. Let me just…”
“Marlak!” Ferer is at the door.
I’m not sure I’m ready for more problems. “What’s happening?”
He pauses to catch a breath, then says, “Renel is asking for your help at the Jewel. He says it’s time for you to wear the crown.”
Crown? I’m here worried about Astra, and Renel thinks I care about a crown?
“Now he wants me to do that? Let me guess; he’s in danger.” After I say it, the words hit me. “Wait. Is he in danger?” I ask in a lower voice, unsure what my heart is doing in my chest.
“Not yet. But the gates are closed and the lower fae are trapped. Their magic is blocked somehow. The defense of the city isn’t sworn to Renel, and they aren’t listening to him.” Ferer grimaces.
If I come to the Jewel City, it will be like shining a bright beacon to all my enemies, saying here I am, right at your doorstep. And yet if I want to claim my throne, I can’t keep hiding forever.
“We should go, Marlak,” Lidiane says. “Astra’s fine, and we can only walk in the Shadow Lands in the morning. There’s still plenty of time.”
I point at her. “You are not going anywhere.”
She rolls her eyes. “You want me to stay alone in a castle with no guards? I don’t think so. And I need the distraction.”
How can I do anything when my thoughts are consumed with worry, panic, confusion? When Astra is in the Shadow Lands? I’m trembling and my magic is getting crazier and crazier by the minute. And perhaps I should put all this ice to some use.
“Fine,” I tell Lidiane. “We’ll go, but once I deal with whatever kerfuffle is happening at the Jewel, you’re going to tell me what’s in this note. At least what concerns Astra.”
Her eyes sparkle with a glint of determination. “I never said I wasn’t going to tell you, Marlak. But let’s deal with that dreadful city first.”