Chapter 33
Eldric
T hud .
The sounds of something large hitting the door to the dungeon and shuffling of feet startled him from his dazed stupor. He would recognize the sounds of a skirmish anywhere. Eldric's heartbeat quickened as he scrambled to his feet, hating that he was trapped within a cage and at the mercy of whoever was trying to break their way in to reach the only prisoner in this section: him.
He had nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Still, he moved to a shadowed corner, pressing his back flat against the stone outcropping. Any advantage was better than none, especially with such underwhelming odds. Here, at least, he was hidden at a glance until the intruder passed him. The reflection from a shining shield mounted on the wall gave him a way to track their movements when they entered.
Muffled shouts turned into soft gasps, then silence. Long, dreadful silence. Until the sound of metal tumblers turning inside the lock clicked into place and the door slowly opened. The figure entered, their tall, distorted reflection dripping in a dark grey cloak with a hood pulled tightly over their head. He caught a flash of rich brown skin peeking through where his gloves and long-sleeved shirt met. Eldric's teeth clenched as they searched up and down the cellblock, unable to see him at first glance. He slowed his breathing until it was so soft, his chest didn't rise or move and not a sound escaped. He watched the intruder inspect each cell, searching for him before cursing in a low rumble.
"Eldric," the man hissed. He froze at the sound of a familiar voice. "Eldric, you fucker, where are you? There shouldn't be any places to hide in a damn prison."
The prisoner whirled out of the darkness, facing the intruder. Familiar brown eyes, dark brows, and russet skin greeted him from beneath the hood, the rest of his face obscured by black cloth. But Eldric would know those eyes anywhere, would know that voice no matter the time apart.
"Daeson?" he squinted, as if what he was seeing wasn't real. His voice raised to shout but he caught himself and whispered. "What are you doing here?"
"Great to see you too." Daeson rolled his eyes as he flipped through a ring that held so many keys, it jangled as he flipped through them searching for the right one. "I' m breaking your sorry ass out. C'mon. We have a job to do."
Eldric felt the color drain from him as his best friend unlocked the cell door and stepped inside with him. They were quiet while Daeson searched for the keys to the cuffs that suppressed Eldric's magic.
"I'm not doing the job," Eldric murmured under his breath, backing away with a shake of his head.
"Not this again, El. We don't have time—"
"Haven't I done enough?!" he seethed, unable to control the way his voice rose. Daeson's brows pinched as he tried to step toward Eldric, who dodged him.
"She is going to die because of me. I can't do this job and then leave her to suffer the consequences of my actions. Not when I can save her." He shook his head. "I won't do it. Not unless Lorali is safe."
"I know." Daeson's voice was sharp as he lurched forward, grabbing Eldric by the chain connecting his shackles and pulling him close. Daeson's fathomless eyes were searching his own, glistening as he whispered. "That's—that's not your job anymore."
A puzzled look crossed Eldric's face as he tried to make sense of what Daeson meant.
"Who do you think is helping me free you? How do you think I got the keys to this entire building?" Daeson 's chuckle was dry as he shook his head. "Did you know that girl she saved, back in the summer, was the daughter of a councilman? And that they are so close that when Lorali says to meet, there are no questions asked, there are no guards? Kaela has the girl right now and in exchange for her safe return, I get these. I free you. And Lorali brings me the Sylvean circlet."
White hot anger blazed through Eldric as Daeson freed the shackles binding him. He reached forward and took the former prince by the collar, pushing him back against the stone wall he had just hidden behind. His fingers singed holes into Daeson's shirt, his magic running wild for the first time in weeks.
"What did you do to force her—"
"I don't force people to work with me," Daeson snapped. "You know that. She came to me with this plan. Like hell I was going to pass it up. "
Eldric's breathing was ragged as he searched Daeson's eyes for any sign of a lie, but all he saw was truth. Eldric released his friend, who smoothed out the wrinkled and singed fabric of his shirt and cloak with a smirk he couldn't see but was evident in his voice.
"She's a clever girl, that one. Now, if you're done, we need to get—"
The dungeon door banged open, and they both jumped, turning to find Fulke stumbling in with a busted lip and bruising eye. He jerked forward, yanking the alarm rope. Alerting every Atheran guard in the city that their prisoner was trying to escape.
Daeson cursed beneath his breath, an unnatural wind stirring the stagnant dungeon air as his magic flared to life. His words came quickly, decision made in an instant as he turned to step past Eldric. "She'll be at the summer house. Find her. I'll meet you there."
"No, I'm not leaving you. We'll get out of here. Together."
Daeson took his shoulders, squeezing them tight as he shook his friend. Sadness tinged his eyes, showing his age for the first time in so long it took Eldric by surprise.
"Yes, you are. You have a job to do: keep her safe . She's waiting for you. Go ."
Without another word, Daeson stepped out of the cell and a burst of wind threw Fulke against the wall. Daeson rushed him without another word to his friend, grabbing the guard's collar.
"I've been waiting for a long time for this," he ground out as his fist connected with the guard's face. The unmistakable crunch of cartilage was the only sound Eldric heard as he rushed out the door to find the woman that saved him.
***
The twists and turns of the sprawling catacombs seemed endless, but his training in the Atheran guard helped him navigate them with ease. He followed the small markings on the lucerna sconces, their faint glow illuminating the path back to the temple, ducking into their flickering shadows when guards streamed past, heading towards the dungeon. His chest ached, but he was not torn between running back to help Daeson and staying on his mission. Eldric knew what he must do.
An invisible string tethered him to her, and even without Daeson's advisement he would find her again. Always. Something stronger than the gallows bond tied them together. They had found each other time and time again against impossible odds. From when they were young and lost in the rain, to the gallows where they reunited. They would always find each other.
Eldric emerged inside a storage room, and listened before he eased the door open and looked down the empty halls. She was still here, inside. She had not made it out yet. Every hair along his neck stood on edge, every sound readying him to fight as he followed the pull toward the heart of the temple, easing open the side door they had once entered together, back when it all began. Sunset filtered through the skylight, making the stained glass glow in brilliant oranges and reds that set the empty pews ablaze. He slipped through, shutting the door behind him with practiced quiet. She was here—in this room. But where?
With quiet steps, Eldric moved to the edge of the partition that shielded him—every muscle tense as he looked around.
"How nice of you to join us."
The archcleric's voice rang out, and Eldric's eyes widened as he saw them standing, Lorali bound on the ground before them. Sage's cunning smile cut like a slash across their face.
"I believe that we have business to attend to."
"Let her go," Eldric's voice rasped. He stood motionless, not looking away from Sage's unnervingly smooth gait, like a snake waiting to strike.
"You are as predictable as you are dull."
The archcleric tsked with a shake of their head, their voice dripping with disdain as they stepped around her like she was nothing more than a statue.
"Too loyal to leave, instead following your bond straight to me. I suppose I should thank you, though. Now we can complete our deal." They smiled, motioning towards the center of the room beneath the skylight where Eldric and Lorali had first been bound.
Eldric swallowed, feeling his heart race as he desperately searched for a way to save them both. He couldn’t see a way out. It was a harsh reality that he had to face—he was powerless against the might of the archcleric.
"She’ll be safe," Eldric reaffirmed with a whisper, muscles wound tight as he dared to glance at Lorali with her wide eyes and motionless frame. "Swear it. Swear on Ostara's name that she'll be safe."
The archcleric's brows pinched together as they stopped before him, voice soft as if they didn't want Lorali to overhear. "I swear on Ostara's name that everything will be as it was. She will be safe, free to make her own choices. Allowing the gallows bond was a mistake, but I will spare her the pain of losing you. It will be as if Eldric Lorecaster never existed. Her life will go back to what it was before you—perfect."
Eldric's blood turned to ice, his breath leaving him. It was this—having the stain of his existence scrubbed from her mind—or death for them both. There was no choice.
"Okay."