Chapter Thirty-Nine

A n hour later, Orion sat with Evienne, their backs against the ancient oak tree, still hiding away from the world in the middle of the maze. The moon was starting its descent, the hour late.

Evienne had recounted everything she saw in Dominique and Aldith’s memories and had given Orion an overview of all that Hestia had revealed as well. He had listened silently—engaged—but gave her space to fully explain before he started asking questions.

Now they sat in silence, the heaviness of the facts hanging in the night air between them.

“So, you have been chosen as a Contrapensa? I thought they were no more than legend?” He asked finally.

A small laugh bubbled up from Evienne’s chest; out of all the things she had told him, that’s what he asked first?

“Yes, I suppose I have. Though admittedly, that’s very low on my list of priorities right now. I am relieved to know that my memory walking and my husking—as it’s apparently called—are normal abilities for a Contrapensa,” Evienne answered.

“Alright, so you’re a time-wielding immortal balance-keeper that is not, in fact, just a folktale of my people, and we know now that something is going on under the Centrale Lumine. Oh, and that Aldith and Dominique colluded to bind Léhiona’s magic through her wedding band,” Orion said, laying out the pieces.He continued, “I had wondered why Léhiona isn’t able to shift like Solon and me; but why would they bind her magic like that?”

“Maybe to keep anyone from being suspicious? It would be odd if it was generally known that Tuanadair were losing their magic, but the one that lives in Ichorna still had hers,” Evienne reasoned.

“Well if that’s the case, it doesn’t bode well; they’re trying to hide something.”

“I think we need to find that room under the Centrale Lumine and see what they’re hiding. I don’t want to do anything rash, but we need to understand what we’re dealing with,” Evienne said as she stood, brushing grass from her skirts. “And there’s no time like the present…the queens will be distracted with this party until the wee hours. We should go now.”

Orion stood as well, bending to kiss Evienne’s cheek. “I’ll follow your lead.”

He trusted her instincts. However this played out, she was grateful to have him by her side.

·

O rion went to quietly tell Solon to make sure the queen stayed occupied for the next few hours before slipping away from the party. Evienne had left separately. They met back up at Evienne’s door, and she handed Orion a dark cloak, twin to the one she now wore. He followed as she led them through the winding passages of the palace, down several levels, and out a service door into the night. Orion found himself feeling both anxious and eager; they must be close to uncovering the truth, surely.

They made their way through the darkened streets of Lucinne, staying out of the bronzy pools of mage light that dotted the busier streets. The train’s gentle whir floated through the quiet of the night as it passed through this part of the city on its elevated tracks.

Orion caught sight of the great gilded dome of the Centrale Lumine peeking out above the tangle of buildings as they wound their way closer. Finally, Evienne turned onto an unassuming alley and made her way about halfway down to an equally unassuming door.

“Ideally, I won’t have to announce myself and use my title to gain us access. If this side door doesn’t work, we’ll have to come back at a time that would make more sense for me to give you a pretend tour of the facility…” she said as she pricked her palm with her ring. Her brow furrowed in focus as she willed her magic into its more physical application.

Orion held his breath as the seconds stretched on, but finally, he heard the bolt slide open with a snick. Evienne grinned up at him in satisfaction, and the sight of her, smiling and proud of what she had accomplished, nearly took his breath away.

She didn’t miss a beat, however, and quickly turned back to the door, turning the handle quietly and opening it just enough for them both to slip inside.

He took in their surroundings. They were in a hallway with no windows, but plain doors dotted the hall at equal intervals. Posters hung on the wall in the spaces between the doors, all illustrations of various sights in Ichorna with text advertising the merits of the Rail Dellumine.

Evienne signaled for him to follow her to their right as she whispered, “These are all offices, but one of them must conceal some kind of staircase to a lower level. There isn’t any officially documented basement here, and I can’t think of anywhere else in the building they could hide it. The rest of the facility is one huge room under the dome.”

“Any idea which door?” Orion asked, keeping pace beside her.

Evienne paused beside a door with the name Dominique Malinois on the plaque. They shared a glance, and Evienne twisted the handle. All of the office doors stayed unlocked here; they only kept the front entrance open, and it was guarded at all hours of the day. They weren’t too concerned with break-ins here.

They stepped into the room quickly, closing the door behind them. The office was sparse, just a desk, a large bookshelf on one wall, and a mage lamp in the corner that was currently turned down to give off only a slight glow.Orion felt on edge but tried to remain focused on the task at hand. He owed his people that much.

They both began to search the room for some sort of door, or anything that could lead them to the stairs they sought. Orion combed the drawers of the desk to no avail, but when he ran his hand down each of its legs, his finger caught on what felt like a switch. He flipped it. The clicking sound it made was abrasive in the silence, but a lump appeared under the large rug that covered the center of the room.

Evienne moved to pull the rug back, and they both gasped when a hatch of sorts was revealed. A handle now protruded from one side of the trap door in the floor. Orion gripped the handle and pulled back the heavy door as quietly as he could. He felt his heart pounding in his chest; surely finding a concealed doorway boded well for their search.

They both climbed down the small ladder that was revealed into the dim hallway below.Evienne’s breath caught as she stepped off the ladder and took in their surroundings.

“Orion, this is the place I saw,” she whispered.

He nodded, watching to see what she would do next. He was here to support her; she knew what she was doing, and he would take his cues from her.Taking a silent step, Evienne squared her shoulders and pushed forward into the inky dark of the passage. Orion followed, checking behind them as they moved. It did not escape his notice that Evienne wasn’t checking behind her; she trusted him to have her back.

The love and respect he felt for this woman, his mate, nearly took him to his knees. She must have felt it, because she glanced back at him with a small smile, her gaze intense and knowing.Orion knew, even if this was the only time he had with her, he would cherish the memories for as long as he lived.

As they moved silently down the long hall, Orion noticed the smell of cloves becoming stronger. It was everywhere in this city to a certain degree, its spicy-sweet edge not unpleasant; but here, in this enclosed space, the scent became cloying and unnatural.

They finally came to a plain door, and Evienne’s shoulders tightened slightly, her back going straighter. Orion realized this must be the place she had seen in Dominique’s memory.She turned and nodded to him, her face a mask of determination. He dipped his chin in response, bracing himself for whatever they might find behind that door. Evienne’s finger dug into her palm, readying to wield her magic if needed.

With her other hand, Evienne grasped the door handle and turned the knob. It didn’t budge, so Evienne forced her magic into the mechanism of this door, too, and Orion held his breath, waiting for it to turn. After a long moment, it did, and the door drifted open, heavy but silent on its hinges.

Orion couldn’t see fully into the room, but he heard a rustle of movement. A Sangviere was rushing at them, a blast of red ice released in a split second. Evienne expertly dodged the icy blow as Orion shifted into his snow leopard form.

Before he had even finished shifting, blood-red flames filled Evienne’s palm. She didn’t hesitate, launching them at the other mage, who lost their balance dodging and fell to one knee. Evienne turned to glance at Orion, and he understood her need instinctually. He leapt from his position at her side, tackling the mage to the ground, pinning their shoulders with his massive paws.This form, while still new to him, felt as natural as breathing.

Evienne approached, quickly summoning more fire, and asked the mage, “What are you doing down here?”

“It’s classified,” the mage said, grunting as they attempted to break free of Orion’s hold.

“I am your High Sangviere, and you will answer me,” Evienne said, her voice that of a commander, demanding obedience. This woman was a force of nature, and Orion thought that he would never tire of watching the way she moved through the world with such passion. It was no wonder her magic came to her as fire; it burned as brightly as her soul.

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know. Commander Malanois stations us down here in this little room, but I don’t know what’s past that second door, and she said she would hurt our families if we look,” the mage said, closing their eyes in resignation. Evienne’s features tightened.Orion felt his apprehension rising.

“If you don’t have details, we need you out of the way so we can look around.” She scanned the room for something they could use to restrain the mage, and found nothing. The tiny room was bare, save the door on the far side that the Sangviere had mentioned.

Evienne thought for a moment, then summoned what Orion recognized as one of the hard defensive shields the mages had used in the arena, but this one was the size of her hand and no larger. She shoved her hand forward, and the shield launched into motion, slamming into the other mage’s temple. They lay still, unconscious from the blow.

Evienne nodded and Orion returned to her side. She wasted no time; they were now on the clock.

She strode to the second door, feeling the lock on the door. She focused, sending her magic spearing into the mechanism, and the bolt flicked open. She pushed open the door without hesitating and her eyes widened at whatever she beheld.

Orion stepped up beside her and took in the sight. His blood ran cold at the sheer wrongness of it. A choked sound broke from Evienne’s throat as she stared at the great red mass that sat on a low pedestal at the center of the chamber.

“ What is that? ” Orion asked, unable to keep the words from slipping from his mind into hers.

“It’s…” Evienne started, then stopped, swallowed. Her lip trembled, and a tear traced down the curve of her cheek as she turned to look at him. He had never seen her so distressed; he knew this had to be something truly evil.

“It’s alive, Orion—so many lives, so much stolen time, all tangled and forced together,” her voice broke. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”