Chapter 34
We returned to the castle, and Lucius himself greeted us. “What happened, Your Majesty?”
Cassian leaned out the window and offered his lead guard a smile. “Nothing eventful, as we still have all our parts. I will speak with you on the morrow about the package. In the meantime-” He handed the empty box to the man, “-take care that this isn’t lost.”
Lucius accepted the package and nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
We rolled on and arrived at the palace. The garden was illuminated with metal bowls filled with fire set atop pikes stabbed into the ground. The palace itself was ablaze with candles and lanterns, so that it was a cheery welcome.
But my companion wasn’t quite as cheery.
He helped me out of the vehicle, and we slipped quietly inside.
Our muffled entrance, however, didn’t go unnoticed.
Marius stood in the middle of the foyer with his hands clasped in front of him as I’d first seen him.
Those gray eyes would have looked dull in any other face, but not his sharp one.
He spoke in a low, quiet, and even voice. It was like listening to old paper rattle. “Praeter Scaevia informed me you had gone.”
Cassian looped an arm around my lower back and grasped my hip. “Yes. There’s something I’ll discuss with you later, Marius.”
Marius bowed his head, but I swore those sharp eyes studied me again.
Cassian guided me past his servant and into the ground-floor depths of the main part of the palace. I looked over my shoulder at the foyer. It was empty. I lifted an eyebrow and glanced at my companion. “Who is Marius? Is he your resident shadow?”
“My oldest adviser.”
“Centuries old?”
“I couldn’t say. I only know he served my father, and has had that appearance for as long as I can remember.”
My face drooped. “That…doesn’t sound creepy at all.”
“He is a good adviser.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I replied as I investigated our surroundings. He had led me down a central corridor that was without any lit lamps or candles. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“Into the deepest, darkest shadows of my palace.”
I tripped over my feet. I couldn’t help it. The place was pitch-black now. “I don’t think I like this idea. Why do we have to go there?”
He stopped us, and I couldn’t see a speck of light either in front or behind us. Heck, I couldn’t even tell what direction we had come from. Cassian stretched out his free hand. “So we can find this.”
I heard him turn a knob, and a door opened. Light poured over us. I blinked against the harsh glow, but my eyes quickly adjusted.
And they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
The door led into a huge chamber filled with chests and pots, all of which were bursting with gold and jewelry. Coins covered the floor, and statues made of gold, silver, and precious gems stood proudly among the other valuables.
And nestled in the middle of that beautiful, fantastic mess was a pedestal, atop which was a glass case. A plush pillow sat inside the case, and atop that was a familiar object.
I gasped. “A Dreadwrought!”
“Yes,” Cassian confirmed as he led me down the narrow aisle to the pedestal. “It’s the most prized possession among all these priceless treasures.”
He released me and brushed his hand over the case. A faint bit of light emanated from the glass, and he grasped either side before drawing the lid up on its hinge.
I pointed at the casing. “What would happen if I touched it?”
“You would have had your hands burned away by a fierce, magical fire,” he told me as he picked up the Dreadwrought in both hands. He turned to me and showed me its face.
I pointed at the metal. “This one has different symbols. And its metal looks redder.”
“Yes. This is the Ignivane. The one given to you was called the Chronocapra.”
“Do all twelve have names?”
“Yes, but I know only these two.”
I cocked my head to one side. “Why these two?”
“Several of the Dreadwroughts are related, in a way. That is, they are said to be a part of the same ‘constellation.’” He nodded at my locket. “The Dreadwrought the stranger gave to you is the ‘brother star’ to this one.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Do you think that’s just a coincidence?”
“This is only a guess, but I believe not,” Cassian mused as he set the Dreadwrought back in its case. “This strange man you met seems to have an unknown magic. It isn’t impossible to believe he has intimate knowledge of the Dreadwroughts, and so would send the companion star to you.”
I nodded at the thick casing with its prize. “You don’t want me to touch it?”
“Not for the present,” he answered as he shut the lid and turned to me. “Not until we learn more about the Dreadwroughts and your unique locket. You can’t tell me anything more about this stranger who dropped you into my realm?”
I shook my head. “I know what he looks and sounds like, but that’s it.” A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over me. I winced and clutched my head in my hand.
He grasped my shoulders. “What is it?”
I shut my eyes and shook my head. “I don’t know. I…I just suddenly felt tired.”
“Then we will set you to bed for a long rest,” he insisted as he drew my side against his and wrapped an arm around my lower back. He wrapped one of my hands in his and guided me toward the door. “And you mustn’t worry about anything.”
I snorted. “Not even the locket stuck around my neck? Or the Dreadwroughts that I can somehow melt by my touch?”
He managed a small smile. “Not even about those.”
I couldn’t help but think about all those things as he guided me back into the void.
The door to the palace coin chamber slammed shut behind us, and we were left in total darkness for a few steps before the world of light flickered in the distance.
I was glad when we found ourselves back in the foyer and from there in my new chambers.
Cassian set me on the foot of my new bed and knelt in front of me. His worried eyes studied my face, and I managed a smile. “Don’t look at me like I’m about to fall apart. I’m fine, I’m just tired.”
He grasped my hand in my lap and pursed his lips. “You’re sure?”
I rolled my eyes at the bed and the plush, but less inviting pillows than the one kneeling at my feet. “Well, I wouldn’t mind a warm pillow to fall asleep on.”
He chuckled as he stood and used our clasped hands to pull me up. “Gladly.”
Cassian climbed onto the bed and leaned his head against the headboard, so the rest of his body was stretched over the bed. I scooted in beside him and lay my head on his chest. He was so warm and soft.
I snuggled my cheek into his and glanced down his legs. A laugh escaped me. “Your feet are hanging over.”
He wiggled his booted feet. “Yes. Felix is slightly shorter than I.” He brushed his hands through my hair. “But I’m too comfortable to care. Are you?”
I closed my eyes and smiled. “Yeah.”
A faint humming came from my pillow, but I didn’t open my eyes. “That’s a nice song.”
“It’s something my mother sang to me when I was young.”
“Keep singing it…” I murmured as blessed sleep fell over me.
And so I slipped into dreamland with my white knight watching over me. Our first adventures were over, but questions remained. Many questions, and many more adventures to come.
And one of them would involve a very wet and very cursed prince.