Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Z rak’s steps slowed as he entered the castle. Rose was thankful since she was still holding fast to a veil cat, and there were many more people to weave through. They maneuvered around others crossing the bridge with business in the castle and followed the Osten god down a hallway. Rose still had her compass out when it shifted direction. She looked up, the arrow pointing to a doorway across from where they stood. Luc told her to go—they needed to know what Zrak was up to. Decision made, Carter narrowly avoided running into a guard in the staircase as Rose turned them sharply in the opposite direction.

Zrak was heading to one of the towers.

Rose would take this chance. If Zrak was here, he couldn’t be speaking to the others. He must still be ignoring them. The more information she had, the more she knew Zrak was at the heart of what was happening beyond the veil. They needed to know what he knew.

They were approaching their third guard post station since entering. Rose’s eyes narrowed as she watched the guard wave Zrak through without discussion or question. It only left her with more questions. Who was Zrak to these people?

Juliette had prepared them for Zrak to have freedom of movement beyond the veil. He was able to meet her regularly for the ritual. It starkly contrasted the greeting Luc and Aterra received. What did Zrak know that Cassandra wanted so badly?

Unfortunately, it mattered to Rose because their overarching plan was to reinstate Zrak on the continent instead of Aterra. Whatever Zrak had done by controlling the mist plague was misguided, but it at least seemed to alert the Compass Points to the imbalance around them.

The results were devastating for the villages—their residents were still sleeping. But Rose held out hope that the mist plague could be reversed. She held out hope that Tara and other villagers could be awoken.

A part of her feared more lives would have been lost without the direct warning the mist plague brought. From the villagers’ journals, Rose knew the first warning signs before the Flood had been less forgiving than Zrak’s plague. Famine and disease had spread, and people had died before natural disasters took the continent.

They would fix it. She shoved down the thoughts of her mentee, Tara, and the residents of the continent who needed her as she slowed her pace. Zrak reached a door at the top of the winding stone staircase. He didn’t walk right into this one. He knocked.

Rose and Carter in his veil cat form shared a glance and inched as close to him as they dared. Following Zrak into this room would be tricky if he closed the door behind him. She pricked her finger and Carter’s paw again for good measure. Aurora’s dagger gave her no reason to think it would stop working, but Rose was nervous, already suspecting who was behind this door.

The magic wasn’t as suffocating as the first time they’d entered the realm unwelcome, but its power was still palpable. Cassandra, the Lady of the Veil, opened the door wide. A glimpse over her shoulder showed a room lined with overflowing bookshelves and a large wooden desk as the central piece of furniture. Rose could see a chaise in one corner. She wondered how often Cassandra used it. The Lady didn’t appear to be one who took moments of respite. She was all business as she acknowledged Zrak’s presence, leaving the door open for him and walking back to her desk.

This was it. They had to try to enter the room. Rose grabbed Carter’s scruff and readied to move as Zrak stepped inside. He grasped the door to close it. There wouldn’t be enough time for the two of them to enter.

Then, Zrak looked down at his tunic. Something on the chest must have caught his eye. He wiped at something on the fabric that Rose couldn’t see. She didn’t question it. These extra seconds were what they needed. As Zrak brushed away the non-existent speck, Rose and Carter slipped into Cassandra’s study. Zrak gently closed the door behind them.

With her heart rate elevated, Rose went straight to the chaise. It looked just the right length to catch her if she fell onto it, and she wanted to. Instead, she took a silent breath and positioned them in the out-of-the-way corner to watch Zrak and Cassandra’s meeting. It seemed a regular occurrence if the guards’ reactions to Zrak were any indication. Rose hoped they were about to learn the agenda.

“Avoiding your Osten Point again?” Cassandra drawled as she sat back in the plush chair. She lounged, putting her feet up on the corner of her desk, and Zrak took one of the less ornate seats for visitors.

Zrak made a non-committal noise of acknowledgement.

“You’re right to assume the others will be with her now,” Cassandra continued, oblivious to Zrak’s discomfort. “The Compass Points worked together enough to send Aterra here. They’ll all be with her if she’s back at Compass Lake and calling you.”

“Are you avoiding your friend Arctos, then?” The conversation in the room pulled her focus. Rose rubbed her sternum as she listened to Cassandra needle the Lost God about his peers on the continent.

“Who I’m avoiding isn’t your concern, Cassandra,” Zrak said as he rubbed his temple. His hair was in disarray. He must have run his hands through it already. Rose could tell Zrak didn’t have the carefree persona Arie did. Nor did he portray the direct strength she was beginning to associate with Aurora. The god pulled his hands from his face, placing them in his lap where he attempted to hold them still. Instead, they rubbed together silently as Cassandra continued to speak. Zrak seemed stressed.

“You can’t just stop your duties. You may avoid them, but you still must complete your work for me,” Cassandra pressed. Her feet fell back to the floor, and she leaned forward.

“I’m aware,” Zrak replied, his teeth clenched and a note of exhaustion in his voice.

“Just because you don’t have your own reasons to send your Nebulus anymore doesn’t mean you can let the spirits linger.”

“Like I said, I’m aware.” Zrak took the deepest breath Rose had ever seen. He seemed at his limit, but Rose had no idea why.

“Well, then act like it,” Cassandra snapped. “You must fulfill this duty until another takes it over.”

The words were too vague to make sense to Rose. Clearly, they meant something to Zrak.

His head snapped up. “Don’t doubt me now, Lady. It’s been hundreds of years. It’s a little late to lose faith.” His smile held no warmth.

“I know better than anyone that it’s been hundreds of years,” she hissed. “Don’t patronize me.” She stood from her seat and placed her palms on the desk. “You came to me. You agreed to my terms and will continue your work until they are fulfilled.”

“The fate of the continent—” Zrak started.

“I don’t care about your plans,” she said, her arms folding over her chest. “All you’ve done is cost me.”

Zrak sighed deeply again. “I understand your position,” he replied. “It hasn’t changed.”

“Fine. Go. Do your job.” She waved a hand in dismissal.

Zrak shook his head as he stood slowly and moved toward the door. Rose’s heartbeat accelerated again. They had been lucky on the entry. Rose couldn’t help but think they wouldn’t have the same opportunity for the exit. She tucked her fingers back in the scruff of Carter’s neck, readying them to dash through the opening. There was another door behind Cassandra’s desk, but it was also closed. And it looked like it was heading in the wrong direction. To make it back down the tower, they needed to make it out the door with the Lost God.

Zrak pulled open the door. He held it wide and turned back to Cassandra.

Rose and Carter didn’t waste this second boon. They slipped out the door in front of Zrak and waited on the staircase to follow him back down.

“You should know, I’m leaving as soon as he arrives. That was the extent of our bargain.”

They couldn’t hear Cassandra’s reply, but the way Zrak slammed the door behind him left no question on the terms of his exit.

They used Zrak’s movements as a shield to get back down the tower staircase and past two guard posts. Zrak and Cassandra’s meeting at least clarified Zrak’s work. His Nebulus guided spirits beyond the veil. It also appeared Cassandra was well aware he was letting them take other liberties while on the continent. The additional part of their deal was still a mystery, but by the way both their tempers flared, Rose knew it held weight.

She just didn’t know why.

Feeling like she’d received all she would from this unexpected detour, Rose pricked her and Carter again for a little additional cover while they followed the compass to Luc.

Zrak, for his part, walked away wordlessly. Rose tracked his path as he moved out of sight. She wasn’t sure what she expected. It’s not like he would look over his shoulder and wink at her. No matter how convenient some of his actions today had made their travels, he didn’t know they were present. There was no way for him to know. Not even Arie could see them when they were under the blade’s protection.

Rose glanced at the compass in her hand and looked across the hall to the opening descending into the castle’s depths. Tugging on Carter’s nape, Rose directed them to the downward spiral. If Luc was somewhere in a dungeon below, she would find him.

It got darker and damper as they descended the next spiral staircase. The stone floor was uneven. Stray pieces of rock peppered their path, requiring them to mind their feet. They may be invisible, but the sound of their footfalls, or any debris they might kick, wouldn’t be.

Torchlight lit the hallway, casting dancing shadows in the warm glow. Carter looked up at her, his yellow-green eyes piercing in the dim light. She couldn’t decipher what he was trying to communicate as they approached another guard post. This one would be a tight squeeze.

It was the only way forward, and the compass also wanted them to proceed.

“We’re coming,” she sent through the bond to him. Something in her magic told her they were close, his magic a siren song, and she couldn’t help but move closer. When they had been on the continent together, her magic always felt a pull toward the Suden Point’s. The moment she entered a room, her magic knew if he was present. He’d indicated it was the same for him. Even the way he crossed between realms, leveraging the pull of her magic as the opposite direction he should take.

“About time, love,” he said. She could feel the wry smile in his voice.

“You’ll pay for that comment,” she whispered aloud instead of through her mind.

Carter glared at her through yellow-green eyes, and her hand shot up to cover her mouth. Rose shrugged. They were still far enough from the guard post. He didn’t blink as he held her stare. So, she mimed tightly pinching her lips together in promise no more words would escape.

The veil cat did not look amused.

With no other option, they squeezed past the guard post. The two guards stood strictly at attention as if they’d recently been chastised for slacking off on duty and were now trying to make up for it. Rose and Carter slipped through single file.

Their journey through the dark hallway continued for another few minutes before splitting in two directions. Rose peered down both paths. The compass pointed left. As they kept walking, a row of cells came into view. They lined the hallway on both sides, but her eyes were immediately drawn to the shock of black hair under a familiar hood and cloak.

Her magic circled him immediately, drawing his gaze in her direction before she could even send him a thought.

“Learn some new tricks while I’ve been gone?” His voice in her head was playful. She checked the daggers magic, drops still fell—the invisibility still worked—he must feel her as she had felt him.

The clear view of his face made her heart sink. It couldn’t have been more than a week that he’d been here, but he looked exhausted. His exposed skin was dirty and bruised. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw her arms around him and sink into the warmth she knew she’d find—even in this cold, damp place.

Carter gave a warning rumble as they crept forward slowly. She couldn’t do any of those things. Another familiar head of black hair was in the neighboring cell. If they revealed themselves, Aterra would not let them leave unhindered.

“I have all kinds of new talents,” she said playfully as her heart raced, thinking through how she’d get him out.

“I never doubted.” This close, his words were like a whisper against her skin, speaking to her from the very heart of her magic. Rose couldn’t fight the feeling that he could see her, no matter her invisibility. It had her sliding the dagger against the pad of her finger again, replenishing the magic. Confident she was still invisible, she looked up and found his gaze waiting for hers.

His brown eyes held every word she needed to hear from him, even the ones he’d already said. He was sorry. He wished he had more time to explain. He loved her. He would do this all over again because he knew she needed it of him and would never ask.

Any lingering anger she’d been trying to hold onto slipped away.

“ You left me little choice,” she replied. “ I needed to compete with the realm-crossing power of a demigod.”

His low chuckle was more than she could bear. The need to touch him, overwhelming. She couldn’t hide the twitch of her lip into a smile—nor did she want to. This. This was familiar, even as everything changed around them.

His dark brown eyes left hers, scanning the area. They flicked to the guard post behind her, evaluating their options. “I’ll spend the rest of our existence making it up to you.” His words were a promise she had no doubt he’d deliver on.

Rose tried and failed to hold her lips into a thin line as she replied. “I am holding you to that.”

Luc’s gaze never landed on Carter. She was relieved to know their shield held, and he could only see her due to their bond.

“ Carter is here with me as a veil cat, too.”

She wasn’t sure how to explain this to Carter. He looked up at her, awaiting their next move. “Do you know how we can open the cell? If we can get you out, Carter can get us back to the continent.”

“I’m not sure. The guards you passed have keys, but Aterra won’t let us leave quietly.” Luc glared at the god a few cells down: his father.

“Aurora’s dagger is responsible for this new trick—our invisibility. If I can poke you with it, we might be able to get out unseen.”

“So, you still feel a need to stab me?” he teased.

Rose smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “Only a little.”

“We will need to be quick. Aterra will alert the guards if he sees me disappear. He’s not exactly thrilled with the situation I’ve put us in.”

“Well, he can get in line. I have first dibs on emotionally exploding all over you for this…after I get you home.”

He couldn’t hold back his grin this time. “As you wish.”

Carter nudged her leg. His patience was wearing thin. Even if Aterra would react, she couldn’t leave without trying to get Luc. His cell was at the beginning of the row. Formulating a plan, she started to play it through.

Sending her wind forward to work the lock, just as she’d seen Juliette do at Osten house, she watched for the guards or Aterra to notice. The click sounded, but Rose didn’t pull the door open. She would need to wait for the right moment.

Somehow, she knew she could extend the magic of Aurora’s blade to him. He didn’t have the Vesten fire she’d felt in the blade, but the longer she stood and stared at him, the deeper she felt the strength of their connection. Aurora’s dagger would cover him simply because her magic was intertwined with his.

He was right, though, his disappearance would be a problem if it was noticed.

Sighing, she moved as close as she dared. There was no way they were leaving without trying something.

The bars of Luc’s cell were a whisper from her body. With a final glance at Aterra, still facing the opposite direction, she pricked her finger again on Aurora’s dagger and closed her eyes. Her magic sprawled out, encircling Luc again. She reached the dagger through the bars so Luc could do the same. The shield stretched and rebounded, bringing him into the shield when his blood touched the blade.

She breathed a little easier the moment the ripple of Norden protection snapped into place. The drops of magic fell around them, ensuring protection from magical detection and visibility.

“ I have you,” she sent through the bond.

“I never doubted,” he said again.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Now I have to open the door.” She chanced a glance at Aterra. “He’s going to notice.”

Luc shrugged. “He can’t get out himself. He’s tried.”

Either way, they had little choice, and this was as good a plan as any. Her wind rushed forward, opening the cell door as quietly as possible. Aterra still faced the opposite direction, but who knew when he would turn? Her luck ran out as she swung the door open.

“What do we have here?” Aterra’s drawl echoed through the cells as he turned to face them. “A jailbreak?” Aterra’s voice rose, drawing the guards’ attention down the hall.

Rose already hated this god with every fiber of her being because of what he had done to Luc and the continent. Her wind and water magic raged like a storm on the seas inside her—desperately wanting to fight him for everything he’d done and everything he was still doing.

“You’ll want to get back here!” Aterra yelled. “The prisoner is escaping.”

Rose grabbed Luc’s hand and tugged him deeper into the protective shield with her and Carter. “Get us out of here, Carter,” she whispered.

Carter’s yellow-green eyes met hers with such panic that she knew something was wrong. He tugged her forward, leading her back down the hallway from which they’d arrived. Unfortunately, this meant they were running toward the approaching guards.

He couldn’t explain but wanted them to leave the dungeon cells before transporting them back across planes. A chill ran down Rose’s spine.

Could he not transport them from here?

Rose cursed under her breath. Even invisible, they would never escape without being caught by one of the approaching guards. The hallway was too narrow. She wanted to scream as the guards neared. It wouldn’t help. Instead, she kept a tight grip on Luc and Carter as they positioned themselves to try to slip past.

“They’re invisible! Spread out!” Aterra yelled.

Rose clenched her teeth. The guards listened to the god, fanning out and covering the already small breadth of the hall.

“Get out of here, Rose. I can wait a little while longer.” Luc’s words flooded her senses as she tried to make a new plan. She hated everything the words implied.

She squeezed Luc’s hand tighter. “ I can’t lose you again,” she all but screamed through the bond.

“You’re not losing me. You’ll never be able to be rid of me.” His words distracted her enough that he slipped his hand from hers, his magic pushing her shield away.

The guards collapsed on him, allowing Carter to drag Rose past. She froze, staring at Luc. Tears welled as she realized it was too late to get back to him; the guards were already roughly ushering him back into his cell.

Carter tugged harder—forward—turning briefly to show his teeth. She glared right back at him as the sound of Luc’s cell shutting echoed through her bones.

She knew Luc was right—once again making the decision she never would—but her heart broke nevertheless as she left him behind.