61. Tori

We met the army inside the GoldenKingdom. They had pushed through the last of Hadeon's forces that weren't at Koron. CommanderTulius updated me on casualties and our movements toward the capital over the next few days.

Theprice had been too high. I sat in the verdant fields outside the camp, staring up at the crescent moon, and prayed for every last soul whose name I had read on that list. To whom I prayed, I wasn't sure. Maybe it was just to myself; a promise that those losses would be repaid in kind and that this world would change.

Despitethe recent violence, I could feel the restlessness of the camp. The upcoming battle at Koron was ever looming. Abraxas had ordered everyone to bed, and that had promptly been ignored.

Allaround me, the sounds of singing, drinking, and fucking filled the air. When death loomed, life always seemed to blossom in its more ferocious form, clinging to this world with every tooth and nail.

Ifinished my silent requiem and made my way to Avlyn's tent. They sat on a cot with a bucket of water in front of them. Spheres of water leaped from the surface, dancing and orbiting one another. They gave a small grunt, acknowledging my presence, but continued to focus on their magic. I sat down next to them, placing my hand on their back.

Immediately, the small spheres Avlyn controlled grew until the entire contents of the barrel floated in front of us as a massive spinning orb that caught the torchlight.

"You're getting pretty good at this," I complimented.

Avlyngently channeled all the water back into the barrel without even the smallest splash. "Pallas taught me a few tricks for concentration." Their face went hard.

Igrabbed their shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. "We'll get her back," I vowed.

Theyshook their head. "It's not that. I just hope... I hope she's alright. Who knows what horrible things Hadeon is doing to her? He has to know she has information on us. If he's hurting her to get it, I won't be able to live with that. I should have kept her safe." They rubbed the end of their injured arm absent-mindedly.

"Maybe she'll just give him the information freely. Maybe she was right all along; we shouldn't have trusted her."

"She won't. I know she won't." I didn't argue with them. We would find out in a few days' time, one way or another.

"Get some rest, Avlyn."

"Yes, sir." They gave me a sarcastic salute and turned back to their barrel of water. I rolled my eyes and gave them a gentle kiss on the top of the head before heading out.

Iwalked to the edge of the camp again, looking out toward Koron. There were a few hundred leagues between us and our destination still, so I couldn't see the city. I sat down in the field of flowers that covered the GoldenKingdom. The sweet scent of the ambrosia flowers stirred in the night wind. Digging my fingers into the ground, I reached for the mana below. I followed the stream to the earth's beating heart, where it sat below Koron. It writhed and pulsed, like it, too, knew the destruction that lay ahead.

Thefoundation of the palace tied into that immense power, and I followed it higher to where it knotted and flowed in an incredible pattern. Mana was woven into an unbreakable lock. That had to be Malech's heart. I tugged at the threads that were woven around it, but it only pulled them tighter, keeping me away. They were intertwined with exacting precision. It did not surprise me that they had been created by Pallas' mother. I saw the same attention to minute detail and rigid control in her daughter.

Pallashad been right. This was truly a masterwork of enchantment. I didn't need to be any sort of expert to see that. Despite my concentration, trying to unravel it from this great distance was like trying to separate grains of sand blindfolded. I would need to get closer, right up next to it, if I was to have any hope of ever reaching the heart. I sighed, ready to let it all go, when something caught my attention.

Asmall, floating point of light, separate from the lock, hovered nearby as if observing it. It shone a soft blue, like the color of the noonday sky, and beat like a heart. It felt familiar.

Islowed my breathing, sending all thoughts away so that I might see deeper and observe what the earth was showing me.

Aface emerged, and it was Pallas, standing in front of those great doors I had once failed to open. Her hand reached out, and she touched the enchantment there. The lock of mana flared, and she stepped back.

Sheshook her head and turned away, fleeing the dungeon. I followed the blue glow beating in her heart, the very magic I had given her. It felt different now; it was no longer just mana of the earth. It felt like Pallas. I observed it and saw that it, too, was composed of threads. They wrapped around something deep within Pallas's heart. A lock, just like the enchantment on the door.

Thethreads were erratic, like brambles that had grown in every direction, over and through each other. The magic that wove them wasn't fae. The enchantment felt like Runya. These threads felt almost like…roots.

Idared tug at one and felt Pallas falter. The root seemed to swell and grip tighter every time I tried to move it, but if there was one thing I had learned, it was this. Everything burned.

Ifocused on my dragonfire, but the distance was too great. I couldn't have undone this knot anymore than I could the lock.

Ilet go and came back to my body. I was now lying flat on the ground, looking at the great starry river Maiak. What lay beyond the tangles of Pallas' heart might very well be what changed our days ahead from victory to defeat. We would see whose side she was on soon.

Iwandered back to the camp, but my mind lingered on that tangle around Pallas' heart. Something about it felt too familiar. I rubbed my arm at the phantom sensation of tendrils rising from the earth and rooting under my skin. Roots made from mana that not only wrapped around me but also every man, woman, and child in the world.

"You alright, Princess?" I startled. Abraxas had snuck up on me as I wandered, my mind miles away.

"Yes, I... come with me." I grabbed his hand, and he followed without hesitation. I pulled us into our tent and ran my eyes over him from head to toe.

"See something you like, little bird?" he teased, grinning.

"Hush, I'm thinking."

Heobeyed, at least until I pulled off his jacket. "Tori, I really am trying not to misread this situation, but—"

"Hush."

Iyanked his shirt over his head and lay my hands on his chest. His dragonfire glowed green beneath his skin; the light leaked between my fingers. His heart was mine, but how close had I really looked at it? I pressed my concentration beneath his skin. Emerald green light flowed through him, and in this form, it felt like fae magic.

"You said that in this body, you are bound by the laws of the fae. You cannot conduct mana, only wield magic as a fae would." He nodded. "You said you used to be stronger?"

Hegripped my hand in his. "Yes, as magic has faded from this world, it has also faded in me."

"What did that feel like?"

Hefurrowed his brows. "It was slow, almost unnoticeable, like a pot being slowly brought to a boil. I didn't sense it until it was too late. Now, if I think on it, it feels like… like my magic has been caged inside iron. I can feel it, but I cannot access it."

Acage. I reached back into his heart. It was so bright now, overflowing with fire, life, and, at its core, love. I pushed tendrils of mana inside of it, digging deeper until I heard Abraxas grunt with pain, but he did not stop me.

There! Shadows hiding in the light. Vines made from iron and stone, just like I had felt around Pallas' heart, around almost everyone's heart.

Istruck them with mana and fire to no effect. Abraxas grunted again. "This is really starting to become a bit unnerving, Princess."

Ididn't answer as I wrapped tendrils of power around each branch and tried to pull them loose, but they wouldn't budge. I snapped at them with dragonfire, but these vines had grown in the flaming heart of a dragon, and no flame would touch them. I poured more mana into them, more power, and it did nothing.

Abraxasfell to one knee. "Tori, whatever you intend to do here, I don't know how much more I can take." I pulled back on my power.

Finesseand control. That's what Pallas had said. I couldn't just ram my power into this. I needed help.

I returned shortly with Jun to find Abraxas dozing on the cot, still shirtless. I guess I had worn out the old man.

"Tori, I still don't exactly understand what we need to do."

"You will."

Iknelt down beside Abraxas and shook him gently. He groaned. "Whatever you have planned for me, please try not to kill me."

"AfterI went to all that effort of getting you back? I think not." I gave him a reassuring smile, and he gripped my hand tightly. I placed my hand on Abraxas" chest, but Jun hesitated.

"It is alright, Prince. I consent to this." Jun's lips flattened, but he nodded and placed his hand on mine.

Ipulled mana into us. I tried to weave it into a song, a resonance between Jun and me. Our hands glowed, and we sent that light into Abraxas" heart.

"I see them," my brother muttered with a smile on his face. "Time to show you how much better I am at puzzles."

Together, we guided that white light around the entanglement. Seeing it like this pressed against the ancient magic of the earth and the fire of Abraxas' heart, I could see how alien it was. It was the light of a star that had flown across time and space, through the unimaginable distances and emptiness of the universe to find its way here. The magic of the earth was just a blip to it, no more than the plankton of the sea was to the Leviathan. To a magic that had existed since before time even had any meaning. What was the life of one world?

Junguided it with grace, tugging at each thread as the earth unraveled under his work. I pressed that light into Abraxas' heart, protecting it from all the jagged edges.

Abraxaslet out a moan of pain that had my eyes snapping open. Blood flowed from his nostrils, and his jaw was clenched so tight that the muscles popped in his jaw.

"Stop—"

"No!" He slapped his hand down on top of ours. "Don't you dare stop; I can feel it. It's almost done!" His eyes shone bright green, and fire licked all over his skin.

Iforced it away from Jun as sweat beaded on his brow. "Almost there…" My brother gritted his teeth, and I felt the last of the vines get swept into the light and dissolve into nothing.

Fireexploded over the tent, and I threw myself and a shield of raw mana over Jun. We scrambled away from Abraxas as the tent above us was incinerated. I heard his maniacal laughter as dragonfire oozed from every pore. It swirled around him blazing-hot, creating a vortex that pulled on the surrounding tents until they threatened to collapse.

Abraxaslaughed and laughed. He let his arms be swept up in the dance of the flames, his hair flowing wildly as he shot an enormous green fireball straight into the sky. It exploded like a firework, and embers rained down, starting small orange flames all over the camp.

"This is it." He was caught in the rapture of the flames. His glowing eyes locked on mine, and he stalked towards me, every inch a predator.

Imoved between him and Jun, but he just swept me into his inferno. My skin sizzled, but the fire no longer burned my skin. He ran his hand up my back and wove it into the hair at the base of my neck, pushing me back as his mouth pressed to mine. I tilted my head and took in all the heat and softness of his tongue and the strength of his grip until I completely melted.

Hepulled away, his eyes burning. "My goddess, is there nothing you cannot do?"