34. Archer #3
“Malevron trusts no one, especially not when the price is so high. Should you lie, your power is stripped away—any and all Azkari magic ripped from your essence.”
Saige captures her lip between her teeth, her brow furrowed as she puts the pieces together. “And now? If we lie. If I lie… your power will be taken?”
“Yes.” I’m trusting her with this knowledge, in the same way I’m about to trust her within the temple walls with the darkest parts of my soul.
“It’s why Malevron hasn’t come himself. He is nothing without his power, and he trusts no one—be it to accompany him here and speak truthfully, or to send a pair in his stead to do the job. ”
“And it’s why you wanted my help, not Daemos’.”
“In part. Yes, Lorevael will need Daemos’ magic in the war to come. But… I also think you’re the best person for the task,” I say quietly.
“Why?”
“You studied under Leofric Bergmunn, the very bookbinder Malevron sought. You have his skill, his wisdom.”
“I’m no Leo.”
“No. You’re Grayson,” I tell her. “And there is no one else I could do this with. No one else I trust more.”
Saige’s gaze lingers on mine for a moment as my words wash over her. Then, she gives a single nod and brushes her braid over her shoulder, shifting on her feet. “Malevron knows this place exists?”
“Yes.”
We begin to walk. “You don’t think it’s safer just to leave it here, where he won’t try to get it?”
The passages are narrow and my broad shoulders and bulky frame take up much of the space, but moving in a single file is best, with Saige behind me it means I’m a decent shield between her and whatever we might face inside.
Unease roils low in my gut as we enter another chamber—another crypt.
I have to anchor myself to the present with grounding techniques, so I don’t succumb to flashbacks of Gravereach.
“Safer?” My answering laugh is hollow as I finally answer her question.
“Nothing is safe now, Grayson. All we have is the game of chess before us. And it’s our move first. We need to beat Malevron to the Confluence.
Before he finds a way to destroy this temple, or his monsters work around its laws.
All you need to worry about is getting your hands on the book.
I’ll handle the rest,” I explain, hoping to soothe the worry etched across her face and clearly failing spectacularly.
She takes a trembling breath. “No one is invincible, Archer. Not even you.”
“If only that were true,” I murmur, craning my neck to take in the towering height of the door. But I don’t tell her about the time I tried to burn the brand from my own neck. I don’t tell her about the time I tried to throw myself to the valreth to end it all. Even then, I failed.
“It’s in there,” I breathe, stepping closer, already sensing the power rippling beyond the stone.
“This place is evil,” Saige surmises, rubbing her arms against the chill in the air.
“No place is evil.” I rub the back of my neck. “We make it so—Azkari and our war mongering. We ruin everything we touch.”
“You don’t believe in good?”
“I don’t know what I believe anymore.” I pace the perimeter before scanning the script again.
Saige watches me intently. “What do we have to do?”
“We tell the truth.” My gaze flicks across the chamber. “This place is held together by an ancient Azkari truth-weaving enchantment that currently locks the Confluence inside the stone. With each truth given, we’ll gain access to its inner chambers and to the book itself.”
Her brows furrow. “So it’s like truth or dare? The children’s game?”
“Without the dare. And it certainly isn’t for children.”
Saige’s frown deepens. “That’s too easy.”
“Agreed,” I say. “I’ll wager that the magic here demands a steep price.”
“You mean I can’t just tell it what I had for breakfast?”
“I’m afraid not, Grayson. I doubt your answer of ‘beef jerky’ holds much sway in any given situation.”
“What then?”
“The truth has to hurt,” I tell her slowly.
“Well apparently that’s your specialty,” she mutters.
I glance at her, surprised by the bitter note in her voice, but before I can ask, she forges on, wringing her hands, her throat bobbing. “Can we get on with it, then?”
“Just remember, this kind of enchantment wants your bones stripped bare. Don’t lie.”
“Or you’ll lose your magic?” Saige gnaws on her bottom lip. “And I won’t be able to touch the book?”
“Exactly.”
She considers me, and for a moment, my blood runs cold. “The floor is yours then, General.”
“Ladies first,” I counter, glancing at the eerie eyes carved into the walls. “I insist.”
“Fine.” For a moment she says nothing, her expression distant as she sifts through all the ways she can break me apart.
There are so many truths she could ask for, and so many I’m unable to give.
Sweat beads on my brow, and drips between my shoulder blades as I wonder if I’ve made a mistake bringing her here, in trusting her.
But there’s no going back now, the Confluence is at stake, and the beautiful bookbinder needs to be the one to retrieve it.
Saige squares her shoulders, her gaze determined and fiery. “Why did you take my place at Gravereach? Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?”