Tobias #2
The Enclave was the most lavish hospital I had ever seen, if I could even call it that, all whites and blues and gilded accents.
Gold veined the polished limestone, stunning stained-glass windows adding to the vibrant exterior.
Sunlight streamed in through pointed archways and large, diamond-paned windows.
Gold-leaf patterns glimmered like vines throughout the interiors.
The Enclave was an extension of the ornate castle Queen Sariyah called home.
A covered bridge connected the two, the octagonal windows built into the marble allowing a picturesque view of the boats passing through the canal below.
As we walked, Dolion launched into a long-winded description about its history and setup like we had come for some casual tour.
Patients occupied the lower floors, while the upper floors were dedicated to research.
A separate wing housed students and faculty.
Quinn hung off Dolion’s every word, fascinated by his explanations. They moved on to rapidly discussing Quinn’s progress as I followed close behind, trying not to char the leather handles of our luggage in my jealousy.
On the one hand, I appreciated being able to blend into the background as I tried to acclimatize myself to my new surroundings.
On the other, Dolion was standing far too close to Quinn.
When he stepped closer still and placed a hand on her lower back to guide her through the correct hallway, a growl caught in my throat.
He looked back at me with a smile that was more of a leer.
“Given the nature of our work, I’ve closed the laboratory to anyone else,” Dolion said loftily.
“Especially as Quinn and I move into the next phase of her experiments. I know you said you would join us…but perhaps your talents would be of better use assisting your other companions?”
I had no intention of leaving Quinn. Not with this stranger, even if she seemed to trust him.
Not in this place, when there was a high chance it could be compromised.
Was this sense of foreboding due to my general anxiety at being in a new location, the fact that my sister was in mortal peril, or were my instincts warning me about something darker?
No matter what, I wasn’t about to let this bastard run me off.
“I’ll stay where I’m needed,” I said dismissively, brushing past him. “Quinn and I have worked pretty well together so far.” I bit my tongue to avoid adding without you. “And I’m not taking any chances with her safety.”
Quinn looked between us, a line forming between her brows.
Dolion’s disgruntled look was quickly replaced by a smile that didn’t meet his eyes, his voice edged in accusation as he asked, “Were you expecting a known fugitive to break into my laboratory?”
There was something about the way he talked that made the hair rise on the back of my neck. Something familiar about his tone…or maybe it was the way he looked down his nose at me, like he found me lacking. Maybe it was simply the desire to wipe that smarmy look from his face.
“That known fugitive has apparently been hiding in your kingdom since the war’s end.
” I let my derision for his so-called security creep into my voice.
“Not only is Silvius a psychopath with a god complex, but he also managed to infect my sister with this virus…and she’s arguably the most protected person in this entire realm.
There’s no telling how many people are working with him, especially in a city that was nearly overthrown by the False King’s supporters.
I trust our people to find him, but in the meantime, I have no intention of letting my guard down. ”
Especially not where Quinn was concerned.
Dolion’s dark eyes gleamed. “You speak as though you know him.”
A cage in my mind I kept firmly shut rattled as I fought to keep my cool. Merely saying his name was enough to dredge up a few memories from the dark that were best left buried. Their sharp edges dragged through me like broken glass, fighting to be freed.
My voice was tight as I replied, “You could say that.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Dolion drawled with faux apology. “You’re the Solearan prince that was trapped in the False King’s dungeon. How fortunate you survived a fate so many didn’t return from.”
I held his gaze, even as I shoved the images those words evoked back behind bars, dampening the screams of those long-since dead. My heart thundered loudly in my ears like it alone could block out the sound.
“We’re lucky he did,” Quinn gently interjected, her gaze flicking between us as her frown deepened.
Dolion’s calculating gaze however was fixed on my neck…no, on the white scar that encircled it. I slipped my hands into my pockets, resisting the urge to block the scar that suddenly felt tighter.
Pursing his lips, Dolion turned away and walked up to a large, iron door. With a practiced movement, he twisted the scrolling metal latch that barred it.
“The iron is, of course, a precaution against any experiments reaching the castle.”
A clang of metal against metal echoed through the corridor as the door swung open. I jerked back, a flood of icy terror nearly drowning me.
Dolion crooked his fingers, gesturing for us to follow—but my feet were frozen in place.
Every time that iron door opened it meant pain.
My breath quickened as the hallway dimmed, going slightly out of focus. The light leeched away; that incessant dripping filling my ears. The corridor seemed to narrow as the walls pressed in around me. A familiar, cold iron mask slid into place, as though I had never been freed.…
The only way to survive was to feel nothing at all.
“Tobias?”
Quinn came up next to me, her hand close enough I could feel the warmth of it along the side of mine. I avoided her gaze, locking my true feelings back in their cage, even as her stare bore a hole into the side of my face.
Then her hand intentionally brushed against my own.
That invisible charge jumped between us—hot and sharp like lightning. It melted through the cold in an instant, banishing the chill that had invaded my blood. My head snapped to hers, startled at its intensity.
Quinn’s eyes were wide as she met mine. Her mouth had dropped opened, the soft ‘O’ of her lips so inviting I found myself leaning closer—
Dolion cleared his throat, watching us with a curious expression. “Is something wrong?”
With a heave, I mentally swung those iron rungs shut, sealing away my memories—and the weakness that came with them—and forcing my feelings back into the cell where they belonged.
“No,” I said shortly as I hurried through the doorway. My magic, usually bursting to get out, cringed away from the iron like a kicked animal.
I resisted the urge to do the same.
Quinn followed, looking frustrated as she caught up with me. I couldn’t blame her—not after I had nearly fallen apart twice before we even began.
That icy calm settled deeper as I avoided her knowing gaze. It was nice feeling nothing. Easier, certainly. Though some part of me whispered it couldn’t last—at least not while she stood so close to me.
“Just this way,” Dolion said as we reached a large white doorway. Silvery writing that shone so brightly I was forced to squint arched above the door. Fleetingly, I wondered if doctors in this realm were also made to take oaths to do no harm.
“If you’ll press your hand to the side of the door, there’s a unique bit of magic that will recognize your magical signatures,” Dolion explained.
“It will allow you access going forward. Given that there are those who would like to see our efforts fail, I thought it best to add some additional security.”
I hadn’t even noticed the rectangular pad that blended into the stone. There was a hum of magic as I warily pressed my hand against it. Quinn followed my lead, looking visibly intrigued.
She reached for the door handle just as I did. I jerked back before our fingers touched, turning my hand over in a wordless, after you.
Quinn paused, exhaling in a quiet huff before shoving the door open.
Dolion’s laboratory reminded me far too much of Silvius’s lair with its dull metal countertops, though I was sure that was the norm.
The laboratory was bright and sterile, the air tinged with the faint scent of reagents.
Refrigerated units took up the entire back wall, a neat bit of magic that I knew involved imbuing ice magic, a rarer form of water wielding, into the structure.
I wondered if it required regular maintenance or if it could be powered by the magic of the land after the initial imbuing.
The question died on my tongue as Dolion took Quinn’s arm to walk her through each station. My jaw flexed as her hand covered his, squeezing it in thanks.
It was an effort not to glare at him, or at this place that looked like we never left the depths of Morehaven save for the view. A decanter even sat atop the desk.
My lips twitched as I imagined Dolion’s reaction if I were to throw it against the wall.
“As you know, we have many instruments similar to those you’ve used in the human realm, though of course they’re powered by magic…”
As Dolion continued the tour, I set our bags down, then paced around the circumference of the room to look for potential weaknesses. A solitary door stood behind his desk. I reached for the knob, only for it to refuse to turn.
“That’s locked,” Dolion said sharply from behind me.
“I can see that,” I replied dryly. “Any reason why?”
“Storage for some dangerous components I don’t want accessible to just anyone.” From the scorn in Dolion’s voice, I was absolutely on that list. “If we need something from there, I’ll retrieve it myself.”
I crossed my arms as I turned around, catching the flicker of tension in Dolion’s posture. So much for the warm welcome he was attempting to show Quinn—clearly, he didn’t appreciate me questioning him.