32. Colt

Colt

Colt sat on the rooftop of the Snaptooth an hour before dawn, wearing his dark robe and mask. Since he'd spoken with Elian three days ago, he felt slightly more hopeful about getting Owen out of the citadel. Elian had also been spinning plans of his own. He was the only Wielder running free in the city with a Core, and he had been visiting Legion soldiers who had surrendered and been stripped of their weapons and armor.

Elian was coordinating an uprising.

Not just from the inside. Elian had continued to send messages via dove to the Legion outside the walls. Harlan and his unit received the messages and shared the information with the rest of the Legion soldiers. Thousands of them amassed in the hills beyond Luthien, battling monsters by night and strategizing an attack to regain the city by day.

Now, he awaited the Wielder, who would share information from Rhielle about Owen. He'd waited for hours already, sitting in the same spot and watching the streets below where the Arroki grunted and gruffed in the darkness. A few shadow graugs loitered around, loping up and down the street as well, clueless to his whereabouts. The rooftops truly were a safe source of information.

After retrieving Elian's note to meet him an hour before dusk, Colt hadn't slept a wink and had finally given up and climbed out onto the roof hours ago. He went back and forth between watching the street and staring at the citadel in the distance. The city was so quiet, and the falling snow created a hazy white glow from the lights in all the districts.

He pulled out the small journal that belonged to Owen's father and looked it over. He wasn't a good reader, but Brom had helped him go through the book to try and find any clues that may help aid them. So far, they had found none. Only the ramblings of a man who had given up his life and placed the weight of his troubles upon his son's shoulders instead.

Colt sighed. He hated thinking that way. The truth was he enjoyed looking over the journal that once belonged to Owen's father. It made him feel as though he was connecting with Owen's family, and this alone brought him joy.

When the first stroke of dawn lit the sky, Colt moved away from his spot on the roof and made his way back to the brothel. Elian hadn't shown up, so Colt went back inside.

When Colt came into the kitchen of the brothel after sleeping most of the day, he found Brom standing at the cutting table with Helena.

"I find that if you rub the spices into the meat, as opposed to sprinkling it, it tends to taste better," Brom told her.

Colt raised an eyebrow as he came into the room, watching as Brom rubbed different spices on the fish they were preparing. Helena laughed as she rubbed the spices in, and Brom looked bewildered that she seemed so amused.

As Colt walked around the table, Brom looked up at him and said, "Good evening. You're awake in time for supper."

"Is it… basil broth?" Colt raised an eyebrow.

Brom clicked his tongue and said, "Close enough."

Colt chuckled and made his way to the small table pushed against the wall beneath the window. He pulled out a small piece of wood and his pocketknife before he sat in the chair, and began to whittle.

"How did you learn so many recipes, Brom?" Helena asked, her voice gentle.

"Oh, just a thing here or there over the past few years."

"Perhaps you'd like a job working the kitchen here?"

"Oh, well…" Brom cleared his throat. "When do I start?"

As Colt watched the two of them cooking together, he smiled, the warmth between them making his heart ache for Owen.

Colt's knife curled pieces of wood from his carving as he thought of Elian's plan. His stomach was in constant knots worrying about Owen, going over every possible way to get to him, wondering if it was already too late. Knowing the dagger was in the citadel would benefit them greatly, but they had to get to it first, and if defeating an evil god sounded hard, obtaining the blade to kill him sounded even harder.

After a while, Colt set down his wooden carving of a house, complete with a door, windows, and chimney.

"Nice work," Helena said, coming up next to him. She set a bowl of fish stew down at the small table where he sat. "How about a break?"

He couldn't afford to take a break from thinking, but he could at least take a break from woodwork .

"Thanks," he said, taking the bowl of fish and rice. He'd told Brom about the dish Owen had cooked for Colt back when they met in Emberton. Brom and Helena had tried to recreate it, but it didn't taste nearly as good. With only two ingredients and limited vegetables, it wasn't even close. But it made Colt think of their first meeting. A wistful feeling swept through him, remembering a time when there were no monsters or evil gods, and he'd sat on Owen's porch with no idea of what was to come. He smiled as he recalled seeing Owen covered in soot that day, remembering what in the world he had been doing to be so dirty.

Helena set a plate of bread in the middle of the table and sat next to him with her own bowl, while Brom continued cooking. Two girls who lived at the brothel wandered in and out of the kitchen to take their meal and go back to the front of the house.

"I've been working here a long time," Helena said. "Nearly twenty-five years. I never thought I'd be in charge of the place. But I also never thought I'd live to see the day when Luthien was taken over either."

"Hmm," Colt hummed, not looking at her but feeling her eyes on him. A sting tore through his chest as he thought of his mother. He sniffed and looked up at the window, then asked, "Do you know… what happened to my mother?"

Helena hesitated before she grabbed Colt's arm, squeezing it tenderly. "Colt…"

"She's dead, isn't she?" Colt said it so simply, and when Helena closed her eyes, it was the only answer she had to give. "I always knew… just a feeling."

"She is buried in the cemetery. You should visit her grave."

Colt sighed, then he finished his meal, saying nothing more about it. Part of him was relieved; now he knew for sure that his mother was gone. The other part of him wanted to know how she had died. But he didn't ask.

It struck him that his mother would never meet Owen. He bowed his head and drew in a shaky breath as sadness stole through him. Then he placed his arms on the table and sighed. It was time for him to tell Helena about Owen. "The Shadowborn who was forced to open the Gate, the one Mordren has hostage in the citadel… he's my lover. It's a long story, one for the books, I'm sure."

"He was forced, by that man you told me about?" When Colt nodded, Helena's eyes softened, her face falling into sadness. "It must be painful for you both to be separated."

Turning his face away, Colt made a disgruntled noise and pushed his fingers against his eyes to stifle the tears.

"I'm so sorry, Colt. You must really love him." Helena rubbed Colt's arm reassuringly and asked, "What is his name?"

"Owen… Owen Greene." Colt sniffed as he looked down at the table. When he glanced back at Helena, she smiled softly.

"I promise you, Colt O'Malley, that I will do everything in my power to help you get your Owen back."

Colt blinked at her in surprise, then smiled thoughtfully, grateful for her.

At that moment, one of the working girls, Lora, burst into the kitchen in a panic. "Ma'am, there's an older gentleman at the front asking about Colt and Brom."

"A guard?" asked Helena.

"No ma'am," Lora whispered, "an old man with gray hair."

Colt looked at Brom, and they both rose and made their way to the back door of the kitchen, ready to leave if need be. Heavy boots thudded against the floor, coming down the hall from the front of the house. Helena jumped up from the table and pulled Lora away, and Colt and Brom stood in front of them both protectively.

A man clad in dark robes and a hood limped into the kitchen and glanced up at them. "My apologies for the intrusion," the man said, his kind voice soft, "but it simply isn't safe outside."

When the man pulled off his hood, Colt's eyes widened, and he let out a breath as he blinked at Amias standing before him. He was slightly hunched, with a full gray beard on his face and long, wispy hair on the sides of his head.

Amias's honey-brown eyes gazed at him, and then he smiled and said, "Hello, Colt."

Colt moved forward and pulled the older man into a tight embrace. When Amias hugged him back, Colt's eyes burned with tears. An immense weight lifted from his shoulders, and when he pulled away, he looked him over to see if he was truly there.

"How did you get here?" he began. "How did you find us?"

"It's a long story." Amias put up his hand. "One I need to sit for." He regarded Helena with a nod. "If that is alright with your host."

Looking around the room, Colt stepped aside and said, "Helena, this is Amias. He's been… a good friend to me, almost like a father."

She nodded at him. "Then I am grateful to you for looking out for him. Yes, you can all talk in the sitting room." As they passed Helena, she smiled at Colt with a sparkle in her eye and asked, "Our first safehouse guest?"

"Yeah." Colt smiled before they made their way to the sitting room. Helena gave Amias a cup of water and then closed the door to give them privacy .

As Amias stood near the fire, Brom cleared his throat and said, "Not sure if you remember me. I was the thief who held you up in Birchwood—"

"Brom." Amias smiled and patted Brom on the back. "Good to see you, my friend, though I'm quite curious how you came to be part of all this."

Brom bowed his head respectfully, his lips tugging up as he said, "It's a story best reserved for later."

"There's a lot to talk about," Colt added. "But how did you escape Covehaven? How did you find us?"

"It's taken me some time," Amias said wearily. "When another quake ripped through Covehaven's prison, I took the opportunity to escape. I was able to get on a boat and sail to Avathon. I docked at a town on the east coast and went directly to Pitchvale. Along the way, I heard of the siege on Luthien, and that the Gate had been opened, so I rushed here."

Colt furrowed his brow. "How did you get inside the city?"

"The catacombs. There are many exits, or rather entrances, that even some Legion soldiers don't know about. But I have… recorded the routes from maps in Alacor, so I knew where to find the access points. The catacombs beneath Luthien run deep, eventually into a labyrinth." He limped over to a cushioned chair and sat down. "It's been a long journey… but I've learned much about yours. Meeting with Thomas, and him handing you over to Rem." Amias looked miserable, staring hard at the floor. "I steered you directly into the hands of a Hunter…"

"You couldn't have possibly known. Thomas didn't even know. He was a good man, tricked by Rem like everyone else." Colt put a hand on Amias's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."

When Amias smiled, Colt leaned back in his chair, remorse twisting in his gut as he continued, "The truth is, I let you and Owen down. I failed to protect him." He took a deep breath as he looked Amias in the eyes and said, "He was captured by Mordren. And he's going to be sacrificed, unless we do something to stop it."

Amias's mouth dropped open in shock, and then his face melted into sorrow. "All the things the Legion tried to prevent from happening are unfolding. I didn't want to believe it, but when I saw the beasts and strange men in armor outside the city, I knew the rumors that the Gate had opened were true. Mordren has returned."

"Yes," Brom cut in, crossing his arms. "And we need to get to Owen before he's used as a sacrifice for something dark."

"Then we haven't time to indulge in our sorrows." Amias straightened. "Do we have a plan?"

Colt nodded. "Mordren is keeping Owen in the citadel. The Legion plans to infiltrate the city in three days. We have a small team being led by Elian to get ahead of the Legion. While Mordren and his Arroki are distracted, we'll move from the inside, through the labyrinth, and into the citadel."

"Did I just… hear you right, Colt? Did you say you were being led by Elian ? Elian Darrow?" Amias's brows pinched.

"There's a lot of backstory here," Brom told him. "But Elian is on our side now."

Amias's expression tightened, but he nodded. "I always felt Elian was too smart for the likes of the Legion… I have the maps of the labyrinth that can aid us." He stood and turned toward the hearth, lost in thought for a moment. When he turned back, he placed his hands on his hips and looked from Brom to Colt. "Where is Owen's dagger?"

Colt looked up sharply at Amias. "What do you know about the dagger? "

Amias tilted his head and thought for a moment. "It was a plain weapon my sister carried, inherited from Jensen after he died. Before Emilia died, she put it with her things to save for Owen. I passed it on to him when we left Emberton, as his inheritance and as a weapon of protection.

"It wasn't until we saw it glow that I became suspicious of its properties, wondering if it held emberstone within. It was a useful tool to kill Horwolves with, but it also has effects on Astrans that can be compromising. In particular, emberstone could hinder Owen's ability if directed at him, but it wouldn't kill him. Before I could tell him my concerns, we were ambushed by Elian."

"Owen used the dagger to open the Gate." Colt said quietly.

Amias's mouth opened, but he couldn't find his words. He stared at Colt, then looked at Brom, who nodded.

"We met a man named Bridge in Vanhelm who knew Owen's father. He gave Owen the journal that Jensen kept." Colt looked intently at Amias. "When Bridge saw the dagger, he knew exactly what it was."

Amias sat in stunned silence, then finally looked up at Colt and whispered, "I gave Owen the very key to the Gate."

"Jensen's journal says that emberstone can kill a god if used to pierce through the heart."

Amias cleared his throat and seemed to collect his thoughts. "Not many know that. But Legion scholars recorded the events of the last battle that took place between Mordren, Alenar, and Aleana. Mordren killed Aleana with emberstone."

"Hold on." Brom got to his feet now, his face contorted in confusion. "Are you telling me Owen held something that could hurt him? "

"The emberstone in its raw form made him feel weak," Colt pointed out, "but it never actually harmed him. I'm not sure about the blade."

"Yes." Amias nodded, "It's because Owen is not a full-blooded god. He has the blood of Mordren in him, but it's tempered with human blood. He is able to age and die just as anyone else because of this. There would be no need to use emberstone on him. But Mordren cannot die from the same ways we mere humans can. It takes something stronger to kill a god." Amias stared intently at Colt, "Where is the dagger?"

Tension stole over Colt's face as he said, "Rem has it, which no doubt means it's in Mordren's care now."

They all went quiet for a moment, and Amias uttered a curse under his breath.

Colt broke the silence, "We have to get that dagger from Mordren and kill him with it."

Amias looked at them in surprise. "It would be easier to mine new emberstone and make our own dagger…"

"Colt made a new knife from emberstone," Brom said. "There was a cave of the crystal in Vanhelm. But Mordren destroyed the knife when he took Owen. The only emberstone we have now is the charm Colt has around his neck."

Amias faced Colt and lowered his brow in curiosity. "Let me see."

Colt pulled the necklace up from under his shirt and showed it to Amias, who inspected it closely.

"It's sturdy," he said. "And of good length. Have you thought of fitting it on an arrow?"

This time Colt's mouth dropped open, then he shook his head. "It would need to be wider for me to chisel down. "

"Not for your own bow. For a crossbow." Amias stared up at him, and Colt blinked. "This would fit on the end of a bolt. The heads on those are much different, slimmer. There are various sizes. You could use a hand crossbow. It's smaller, and designed to be shot with one hand."

A crossbow. Of course. Colt had seen them. He'd even taken one from someone in Milarc, when he and Owen had been held up by two civilians looking for them. But he didn't have any experience with them.

"Looks like we need to find a blacksmith, and quick," Brom said.

"Elian." Colt glanced up at Amias. "I was supposed to come up with a plan and let him know. This is it."

They all looked at each other, and then Colt looked down at the crystal in the palm of his hand. This was their way through Mordren's heart, the key to getting Owen back.

Later that afternoon, Colt dressed in his dark robes and made his way up to the roof of the brothel. He looked beneath a loose stone on the chimney to see if Elian had left a message. There was a note there that had the number three written in charcoal. He was already late. Crumpling the paper, Colt glanced around before descending the roof.

He made his way along the street to the Snaptooth Tavern. In the day, he met Elian inside, and only on the roof at night. When Colt came to the Snaptooth, he found a few patrons inside. Several were leaving, but he saw Elian at his usual table and made his way over .

As soon as he sat down, Elian pushed a mug of ale over to him. "Have you come up with an idea?"

Colt fished his necklace out of his pocket and looked around before he handed it over to Elian, who took it quickly and pulled his arm under the table.

"Your emberstone charm?" he asked.

"Right." Colt nodded. "Can you fit it into a crossbow bolt?"

Elian blinked before his brows raised. "Well, I don't see why not."

"This may be our only chance. We have to take it."

For a moment, Elian was quiet, as if pondering. He took a swig from his mug before he sniffed and pocketed the charm. "I'll see what I can do."

"Anything new on Owen?" Colt asked.

Elian drew in a breath and cleared his throat before he said, "Owen thinks you're dead."

"What?" Colt's brows knitted.

"Mordren told him you died at the fort. Owen asked Rhielle if you and Brom were alive, but she was caught before she could tell him the truth. She's no longer at the citadel."

"Why not?"

"Rem threatened her when he found her snooping around. I was hoping she would be our key to getting the dagger."

"Alright," Colt said. "So… what now?"

"I'm working on a plan with Harlan and the Legion soldiers. They are preparing as much armor and as many weapons as possible. I was also informed there is another group joining the Legion outside the city."

"Who?" Colt furrowed his brow.

"A man named Bridge, practically with his own small army. It'll add numbers to the Legion. "

"Bridge?" Colt let out a breath of relief.

"What? Who is it?"

"The man we met in Vanhelm. Owen was attacked by a Horgg, and Bridge found us. His wife saved Owen's life. When me and Owen came out of the Gate, we went to their house first, but they were gone." He shook his head and smiled. "The man was once part of the Alliance."

Elian's blue eyes widened. He glanced around before clearing his throat and saying, "Well, isn't this a surprising turn of events. The Legion and the Alliance working together to take down a common enemy." He ran his hand over his brown hair and laughed. "This world… is full of surprises."

Colt leaned forward. "So, what are the plans now?"

"In two days, I'll come to the brothel and stay there for good. Rhielle and I will bring weapons a little bit at a time. With more numbers added to the Legion, they should be able to take down all three gates of the city." He glanced outside. "You should go on, before it gets dark."

"Alright." Colt gulped down half his ale and stood to fish a few coppers out of his pocket, but Elian put his hand up.

"It's on me."

"Thanks." Colt sniffed, then looked around the now-empty tavern. The barman was wiping down tables. As Colt got to his feet, he said, "By the way, Amias is here." When Elian's eyes widened, Colt waved his hands. "Don't ask how, but he's here and he can help us."

Elian looked away, his face long as he leaned on the table. "Yes, he knows Luthien well, just as I do. That will be an awkward meeting."

"Listen, if me and you are working together, after all the shit that's happened, he'll work with you too."

When Colt returned to the brothel and came to his room, he found Amias inside. They had several months worth they needed to catch up on. Colt told him everything that had happened after they'd fled from Elian in Milarc, from disguising themselves in Edgewater to meeting Gilda to the prison escape, and their journey of meeting Rem and traveling through Avathon. The masquerade, the Hunters, Owen killing Quinnby Kingsland, and meeting Bridge, all the way to Owen opening the Gate and Gilda being killed. Amias was particularly curious about their time spent in the Unseen Vale, as he had studied the legends his entire life.

After Colt was finished, he took a sip of tea from his cup and sat on the bed. After a long moment, Amias leaned forward in his chair and said, "It's incredible that you found out from his father's journal how to destroy Mordren."

"The man I told you about, who we met in Vanhelm… he was once part of the Alliance." Colt's voice lowered. "He knew Emilia. Owen's father was Alliance." When Amias's brow raised high, Colt said, "I'm assuming you didn't know this?"

"No…" Amias looked away, his face shadowed. "Emilia often went off on her own. She was a wild thing. But I never knew…" He breathed in deeply, his face falling, and a pang ripped through Colt's chest. He wasn't used to feeling so deeply. The past several months spent with Owen had turned his heart.

Then Amias laughed. "It all makes sense now." He waved dismissively. "Emilia was so secretive about Jensen. But when I found out he was Shadowborn, and then I found out Emilia was with child, I panicked and fled with her. Changed positions and asked for a job in Alacor. I didn't know he was Alliance. He was very compliant."

Colt closed his eyes, and Owen's face appeared in his mind. They'd both lost their parents. It was one of the things that had pulled them together. Despite how they grew up, Owen in a nurturing country environment and Colt in the dangerous city streets, they both had been orphans.

"I'm amazed, Colt," Amias said softly, "that you came so far with Owen. You were very reluctant to even go on this journey at all."

Colt opened his eyes and stared at the window, where fresh snow drifted down. "I… fell in love with him."

Amias blinked, his mouth dropping open. But then his eyes softened, and he said, "I am a little surprised. I mean, for Owen to fall for you, that's one thing. But I never thought—"

"I fell harder." Colt avoided Amias's gaze. "I didn't think I would, but here I am, so worried I can't sleep and my heart so sick I can't stand it." He downed his cup of tea in a couple of gulps. It wasn't ale, but he'd chugged it as if it was. He licked his lips and sniffed. "Now, all I need is your approval."

Amias smiled and said, "You don't even have to ask. I accepted you into our family the night I found you."

Colt looked down and scratched at his nail. "But I failed you, Amias. You tasked me with protecting him, and I couldn't do it."

"No, Colt. If you had walked away, that would have been a failure. You stayed by his side. And now there is only one thing I will ask of you."

Colt's eyes focused on Amias as he waited for him to continue.

Amias leaned forward and said, "Go get my nephew and bring him back to us."