Chapter 37
Darrow
The first rays of dawn pinkened the sky as I crept through the woods toward Damwith prison.
I’d had Aella open a portal to a location five miles away in a village the dark elves had destroyed and left in blackened ruins.
Lord Jacthor had told me it was my best option for getting close to my destination without stirring too much notice.
Two guards stood watch there, but they no longer breathed.
My wife had put me in a dark mood after sex, and that pair of men had paid the price.
I hated giving her the punishment without the reward.
Through a break in the trees, I caught a glimpse of Damwith.
The front half was built with large onyx stones and housed the less dangerous prisoners, while the back half was carved into the mountain for the worst of our kind.
Thousands of sharp, tiny spikes protruded from the tops of the towering walls, making it dangerous to climb over them.
The front gate was twelve feet high and ten feet wide with thick bars spaced an inch apart.
As I crept closer, I sensed the ominous feeling it always gave, as if the souls of the criminals who’d died here continued to haunt the area.
Dark elves patrolled outside and along the ramparts in their standard black uniforms. They were alert, scanning the main road and the surrounding woods.
I inwardly cursed. They had taken over the place as we expected, though I couldn’t see enough from my vantage point to say how much security they’d added.
I wouldn’t be facing the ones outside anyway.
Pulling the graystone from my pocket, I stared at it, dumfounded. Aella’s grandmother swore it would do the job, but it didn’t appear any different than other random stones found along a riverbank. It was flat, two inches long, and quite dull.
I’d find out in a moment if it did what she said.
Concentrating on the cavern deep within the mountain where they’d hidden the king’s brother, I teleported inside.
The distance was so short compared to how far I usually went that I arrived almost instantly.
It had actually worked, though I could feel the layered wards that the dark elves had added to the place.
I couldn’t contain my surprise as I looked at it once more, noting it remained precisely the same except a little warmer in my palm.
I breathed in the dank scent of mold and mildew, along with a touch of sulfur.
The corridor where I entered was dim, with only a torch on each end for light.
It barely helped with the slate-gray walls and floor that stretched in one direction for at least a hundred feet before reaching a set of uneven stone stairs.
On the other end, a single black metal door waited. I needed to go that way.
Before I could, a loud shout drew my attention toward the steps. I quickly pocketed the stone and drew a dagger. While I could transport myself through wards without being stopped, I couldn’t risk using any offensive magic here since they likely had spells to counteract it.
Two guards raced toward me. They’d cleared the stairs and drawn their swords, murder in their gazes.
Bracing myself, I waited for them to come closer.
The fools thought they could take me? They clearly didn’t know who they faced in the dim lighting.
I tossed my dagger, landing it in the throat of the dark elf to the right.
He collapsed immediately as blood gushed from his neck.
Next, I drew my sword from the scabbard across my back.
I brought it down just in time to block the blow from the second guard.
He was strong, but I was stronger. I kicked his knee, sending him staggering back.
He never had a chance to block me before I thrust the tip of my sword into his chest and through his heart.
The dark elf collapsed a short distance from the other one, dying in moments.
When it came to killing fae, targeting the brain, neck, or heart was the surest way to finish them quickly.
I checked the other one to be sure he was down for good, finding the light fading from his eyes.
He’d managed to pull the dagger free. It lay next to his limp, blood-soaked hand.
After inspecting my surroundings and not sensing any more enemies nearby, I sheathed both my blades.
If I couldn’t detect them, then they couldn’t know about me, either.
Moving quickly, I made my way to the end of the corridor and tried the black door.
There used to be a ward on it, but not anymore.
I opened it and moved inside to the viewing area.
Kaius’ cell was located directly in front of me—an expansive space with solid rock walls on three sides and a row of three-inch thick bars across the front.
Those were only broken by the metal door in the middle with locks running from top to bottom.
The chains he once wore lay on the floor inside. Aside from that, he’d been allowed a small bed, a shelf with books, and a desk. Though he never left the cell, forced to take sponge baths for all these years, he’d had most of his basic needs met.
For Seelie, we needed sunlight, fresh air, and nature regularly, or we would weaken. Those were the elements that helped us regenerate magic. Forcing someone to stay in a dungeon for decades was a fate worse than death, in my opinion. Kaius would have been extremely weak when he left this place.
I exited the room and hurried back down the corridor past the dead guards to the stairs.
Taking my time, I moved up them as I cast my senses wide.
Still no enemies nearby. When I reached the next level, I found a row of twelve cells.
When I was here last year, half were full, but now only three contained prisoners—a female siren, a male elf, and a male dwarf.
All of them were chained to the wall and covered in blood and bruises.
I had no idea whether they were the original inhabitants or new ones that the dark elves had confined here.
They’d never been my concern before. I merely noted them since these cells were supposed to hold the most dangerous criminals, and the prince had asked me to check.
My senses detected movement on the next level above.
They clustered together, but there had to be at least eight dark elves moving toward the next set of stairs.
While I would have liked to look around further and see if my informant remained alive somewhere within the prison, I had no desire to get into a battle with that many enemies in a closed space and be unable to use offensive magic. I’d seen all I needed.
Concentrating hard, I teleported from the prison to the nearest place where one of my contacts resided.
I landed in a zone of decay not much better than the one I’d been in the day before.
It began draining my magic immediately. This one hadn’t been here eight months ago, but it had already progressed to a terrible state, which didn’t bode well for Paxia at all.
This area was on the opposite side of the Sobaryan Mountains, about seventy miles southeast of where the fountain once stood.
The only reason I could think of for it dying faster than usual was the lack of ley lines.
I tried teleporting out, but nothing happened. My access to magic was too low. I ran my gaze around the area and chose the most promising direction where some bare trees still stood. All the others had rotted, with only the largest branches remaining.
It took about ten minutes to find my way out, and by then I was out of breath. Teleporting twice in a short space of time, even when the distance wasn’t great, still took a lot out of me. Getting drained by the dying land made it worse.
I came across a road and began following it.
There was another contact about five miles away, whom I hadn’t spoken to in nearly two years.
This person was very reclusive. Part of the way there, I turned off at a barely discernible trail and began the climb deeper into the mountains.
My body protested, muscles weak and begging to rest.
I didn’t stop. One advantage of my training in Karganoth was that it showed me exactly how far I could push myself. I kept going even when I stumbled while navigating over rocky, uneven terrain.
By the time the small cabin came into view, it was almost noon.
The sun rode high in the sky. It was cool up here, but sweat still covered me from my exertions.
I made it to the door and knocked. No answer.
I checked the handle and found it unlocked.
The ward placed on the place didn’t stop me from entering.
I didn’t know if it was because of the graystone or if I was still welcome, but I went inside anyway.
Finding the bed, I fell upon it. I wasn’t in the habit of inviting myself into other people’s homes and using their belongings without permission, especially females, but I didn’t have a choice. My body crashed hard, sending me into a deep sleep.